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Towards new 31' evv frontiers Over a period of eight decades, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences has emerged as an institution of excellence with its focus on high-quality research and socially significant interventions
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ADMISSIONS ANNOUNCEMENT 2015-16
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O P. Jindal Global University la a non-profit university recognised by the University Grante Commission (UGO) and established by the I-leryana Private Universities (Second Amendment) Act, 2009, in Sonipat, l-laryane (NCR of Delhi)
Distinctive Features of Jlndal School of international Affairs (JSIA) Giobd curriculum and pedagogy Partnerships with the best educational establishments around
the globe interdisciplinary courses to train students in ernerghg areas of global policy studies‘
Mandatory internship end foreign language training Extensive careerguidence
Bachelor of Arts (Hons.l [Global Affairs) BA. (Hons ) (GA) is e three-year programme it is an inter-
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lntemaiional studies library with over 50.000 volumes end exdenslve electronic databases intemaiionai student and teouity exchange programmes Regular public lecture series and seminars engaging eminent scholars. govemment representatives and practitioners from aroundtneworld Fully wireless campus with high-tech classrooms and modem
lrallsof residence
Master of Arts (Diplomaq, Law & Business)
diecipllnery undergraduate degree to train atudenta for
MA. (DLB) in e two-year inter-disciplinary social science Meeteredegreethattrainesurdentetorlntemetionaicereere and advanced teeming inworideffaire. ltwasleunched in lheyeer2011.
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Programme Modes: Monday to Friday (Residential) and Saturday-Sunday (Non-Residential) for working
lntemelloneicareersthroughbasiclearnlnglnworidalfairs. Academic Course Structure 6 Semeeters with lntemehlp Specialisation in regional studies of Africa Latin America, Europe Middle Eeet&Aeie Pacific Optlona|progreeelontoMA(DLB)aflier3yeara
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professionalsofNCRDelhl Academic Course Structure: 4 Semeetere. 4 Core Coureee andanoptiontochooeeeiectivesfromtaw,Bueinees, internailoneifllelra, Public Policy and Humanities OptionalprogreeeiontoPhDafier2yeare
careers. Careerbirectoracetatestudents infinding the rightinterahipe both in the countryand abroad
Sample of lnternehlpe : Aotionaid, Save the Children. CNN-IBN, Croce Domain, Human Rights Watch, Oxfarn, IDSA, Amnesty
International, Gateway house, UNDP,Areb Institute forsecurity Studies-Jordan, Open Society Foundation
Sample Employers of J8lAAlumnl: Taylor ll Francis, Delhi Policy School, Koan Advisory Services, Polish Institute, Bhertl institute
of Public Polcy~lSB, IP08. Meta-Ouilure, CUTS lntemetlonei, WWF, RedR Indie, PRIA. Embassy of Peru, Doctors for You, King‘: College-London (PhD Programme). One World Foundeflon (Indie), Hindustan Tlrnee Foreign LanguageTraining: Students have theoption to ohooeefrorn Mandarin Chinese, French, Spanish andArabic Reeeerch: 8 reseerctrcentersflreterefectrlty-ledandstudent-driven Serneeterflrroed Opportunitleuweheveetradrrecordoistudentsgolngabroedforeorchengeeewelieehriiforeigneeoond Bacheiors&eecondMeeteradegreea
Ow to Apply:
Please visit http:lIwww.jsia.edu.inladmission for admission procedure
VOLUME32
conrnovsnsv
NUMBER12
JUNE13-26.2015
|S5NO970-1710
WWW.FRON1'LINE.lN
covsn sronv
ESSAY
Redefining social sciences Through creative partnerships and meticulous research, the TISS tries to close the gaps in state intervention to address i|T Madras: Derecognising dissent
crater in Tanzania
crimes against Dalits interview: Anand Teltumbde,
30
civil rights activist
32
He was the blues
91
ART Riyas Komu's show: Experiments with truth In conversation
PO LITICS Tamil Nadu: 34
Aruna Shanbaug:
Between life and death Karnataka:
T H E STAT E S Interview: Chief Minister 43
THE JUOICIARY On having images of
47
WORLD AFFAIRS
105
ANIMAL HUSBANDRY The hounds of Mudhol
41
95 98
E UT H A N ASIA
Assets case: Karnataka to 36 appeal against acquittal Kejriwal takes on Lt Governor in Delhi 38
leaders in advertisments
67
T RIB U T E B.B. King:
Maharashtra: Rising
K. Chandrashekhar Rao
TRAVE L
Africa's ark, the Ngorongoro
2!»
Rajasthan: Murder for land 27
Telangana: One year on
61
18
SOCIAL ISSUES
One-sided contest
Ambedkars legacy
social deprivations and sufferings. 10
COM MUNALISM Haryana:Arson at Atali
Sangh Parivar and
116
ISSUES IN FOCUS
RELATED STORIES
Hashimpura victims:
Left high and dry
Interview: S. Parasuraman, Director, Tata Institute of Social Sciences I. Agents of change 10 Interview: S. Ramadorai, Chairman, Governing Board, TISS 12 Local thrust 1!. Interview: R. Ramakumar, Dean, School of Development Studies 17
117
C0LUMN
C.P. Chandrasekhar: Great dream of prosperity A9
Jayati Ghosh: Orchestra in search of a conductor 101 K. Satchidanandan: Of Dalit life and resistance 109 SCIENCE NOTEBOOK 120
Rohingya refugees: Nowhere people Iraq: Fall of Ramadi United Kingdom: Warning against the ISIS
51
56
On the Cover A representation of the emblem oi the Ti55.
59
l§l]'\/Lil lJl:'_~‘I'_j~N U. iJi_'ii‘-VA ‘.:i~‘Ai\‘-\.i‘ii~i
DATACARD
122
THIS FORTNIGI-IT
124
BOOKS LETTERS
83 129
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JLiNE26,20l5
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FRUNTLINE
3
COVER STORY
I{EDEI*‘II\IING SOCIAL SCIENCES Inte1'\~1'ew with S. Pz11'z1su1';11m111, Director of the Tata Institute 01" Social SCiG11CGS. er R.K. RAIJHAKRISHNAN E
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S. PARASURAMAN, Director, TISS: "Social science research is fundamental to peace, solidarity and national security." I-'RIl.‘\"l‘l.l‘\'l'l
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for emerging social and health problems in lndia—ageing, social distance, mental illness, disability, homelessness, migration, displacement, inclusive
The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) started out in 1936 as the first South Asian institution for professional social work education. In the past decade, it has developed as an institution committed to social sciences education, research, field action and disaster manage-
to this aim from a research perspective?
ment. As its Director S. Parasuraman says in this interview, “social science is about showing us the mirror”. In a diverse country with a population of 1.2 billion, an uneven yet spectacular economic progress and rapid so-
People live in various social, economic and political contexts. Demographic and economic changes are not the same everywhere. It is important, therefore, to understand the context first and then locate people within the
cial changes, the TISS has made itself deeply relevant by its research into social processes and patterns of deprivation and its quest for solutions through knowledge and
context. Only then do we begin to understand what happens to various groups of people who are embedded in diverse contexts. We take research very seriously. It is
direct intervention at the community level.
only through good research that we can contribute to critical issues in the 21st centuIy—such as poverty, vulnerability and human rights. Often, identifying who is vulnerable can be a contested issue, vulnerability being a
Addressing the 75th Annual Convocation of the TISS
on May 12, N. Ram, Chairman of Kasturi and Sons Limited, said: “One of the characteristics ofIndia's system of higher education... is its lop-sided concentration on engineering and technological education at the expense of the basic sciences and, in a more pronounced way, at the expense of the arts, humanities, and social sciences, which are often treated as sofi subjects." The TISS has been one of the few
major educational institutions that have gone some way in addressing this imbalance. S. Parasuraman says in the interview that it is important to understand social processes: “If we do not understand the so-
cial processes, we will not be able to anticipate and cope with strifes and conflict that increasingly emerge from disaffection.“ In
fa
development, and so on? How has the TISS contributed
multi—dimensional concept. For example, being a Dalit
and a woman in an ecologically fragile region is a relatively more vulnerable situation compared with being a man in better-developed areas. Having done the research, one looks at
as-15,4
5)Q
ways of addressing the core issues. Current-
ly, we are working on the issues of elderly people. So we havejoined hands with groups working with the elderly across the country. An example is our collaboration with the Pension Parishad, with whom we have con-
irféwfi
TISS
recent years, the TISS has combined its strong research thrust with practical field action and has
entered into fruitful collaborations with organisations trying to make a difference in situations of disaster,
deprivation and economic and social backwardness. Not the least of the TISS’ achievements has been to produce,
DY“ sauntna ducted research on the condition of elderly
people in various parts of the country. We are a knowledge-development institution that provides academic credibility to collaborative research, which ultimately leads to socially usefiil
policies and interventions. Our work with the government is always very important. We are working with the new government [at the
year after year, dedicated social work professionals who
Centre]. There has been some success, such as in the emergent programmes for the elderly in Rajasthan. Ra-
are willing to accept the challenge of working in the most difficult circumstances in the most backward districts of the country. In the decade that Professor S. Parasuraman has been
jasthan has developed a higher level of welfare pension and is thither bringing the elderly in the ambit of all welfare schemes meant for children. For instance, the elderly can now avail themselves of
its Director, he has reset the course of the institution,
the midday meal programme. Since they are considered
reinforcing its commitment to issues ofsocial justice and poverty alleviation. This period has seen the expansion of
to be below the poverty line, they are also eligible for
the TISS to five campuses, including the ones in Guwa.ha-
This is a shining example from Rajasthan which other
ti and Hyderabad; an increase in the number ofacademic
States can emulate.
programmes, from a few courses to about 54- now; greater opportunities in social work education; and important
Let us take the example ofthe elderly again to demonstrate how we work on multiple dimensions, for which
collaborations with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as the Mental Health Action Trust
(MI-IAT) in Kerala and The Banyan in Chennai. Today,
research serves as a starting point. In this case, at one level we are working to create a welfare pension programme, at another we are working for creating im-
the TISS‘ work covers communities ranging from those
proved care for elderly people through our vocational
living in the cold deserts of Ladakh to tribal people in the remote Nicobar Islands. In a wide—ranging interview,
education programme on gerontology. The course brings together both clinical and community care components.
Parasuraman, who steered the transformation in social
The latter is especially important in the context of migra-
work education, research and applied work in India, tells Frontline that much more needs to be done.
tion and poverty—when children move away, the elderly
How can social work education contribute to solutions
provisions under the PDS [public distribution system].
are left behind. Not everyone can afford individual care. So we are demonstrating a model of community care in Kerala. FRONTLINF.
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JUNE 2n. 2015
germinated. The vision was to create human service professionals who would work with people in difficult situations. Social work has always been a profession that is supposed to deal with problems that are created by social,
economic and political churnings and which in turn
O-§_\l
affect the life courses of groups and individuals. In developed societies, the wealth generated through capitalism is redistributed to care for people who find themselves in difficult conditions. In a feudal society like
ours, inherently exploitative situations and appalling living conditions exist for many people—being Dalit, being tribal, being a woman was never easy. Within such a societal frame when you introduce development of a liberal or neoliberal type, problems magnify for the al-
ready disadvantaged. It is an old predicament. Do you wait for the appalling conditions to become abysmal to
IllL
if
AT THE MUHBAI CAMPUS of the TISS.
ls community interested at all in caring for the elderly or the marginalised people?
begin social work, or do you anticipate problems and
work to minimise adverse effects so that the problem stays manageable? Most social workers in India tend to work with the absolutely underprivileged people, people in difficult situations. But there are also social workers who think that
it is possible to deal with structural issues or to humanise A community care model for the elderly can work. Witli the panchayat, the responsible authority for disbursing the pension money, as the locus, convergence of programmes can happen. Vi/hat we are trying to demonstrate is that with the resources that can be mobilised through pension [Rs.l200 in Kerala], coupled with other social welfare benefits, it is possible to organise services
development. VVhen you see people who are dealing with the structural issues and trying to influence developmental issues that are creating impediments to people, then you see the social workers as a “warring tribe”. Our country cannot afford a rcdistributivc model of development, what it follows instead is an Anglo-Saxon one which does not seek structural change, where wealth
for the elderly at the community level. The elderly can be
creation take centre stage but poverty is very acceptable.
brought to the community care facility where doctors can
This process throws ever new challenges for human ser-
attend to the group rather than the elderly seeking healthcare individually. The elderly may also spend time in group activities and entertainment at the centre as a protection against neglect and isolation. That is what we are trying to demonstrate in Kerala.
vice professionals.
If you are wealthy, you can have individualised care. But for elderly people who lack income and support, it is possible to create community care using state resources. At the same time, we must work with the government to
What is the prevalent model of development all about? Historically, development is viewed as a process whereby nation states have moved from being largely agricultural to being largely industrial, largely rural to
enhance the resources for the elderly so that holistic
largely urban entities. Along the way, access to and con-
support can be made available to them.
trol over the means ofproduction have been reorganised.
FEELING Tl-IE PULSE OF SOCIETY
Inclusive development... is it even possible?
Some people accumulated wealth and the means ofpro-
In India, more often than not, the visible social work
duction, while a large number ofpeople lost access to and
practitioner is seen as an activist, a kind of thorn in the flesh, so to speak, be it the Narmada agitation or the
control over these. Since the limdamental assumption is
many movements across the country. It is always a
social activist who takes centre stage and leads agitations. Why does this happen? What other roles can a social worker assume given the fact that there is no great respect for a social worker in India?
the investment and productivity ofcapital, accumulation has taken centre stage.
We have a situation today where one percentage of the world's population controls over 99 per cent of the
world's wealth. That is where the model of economic
The TISS was established in 1936 at the height of the
development takes us. Some nations believe in better redistribution through welfare. Others are distrustful
Great Depression, when liberalism as an ideology had
even of welfare, charity and philanthropy. In such places
failed, the world was recovering from the First World
you leave people where you find them. Here, they may
War and heading towards the Second. The Indian econo-
never get access to better education, skills and better
my was in ruins. In Mumbai [then Bombay], there was
employment. They may regress very far away from well-
unemployment and deprivation. It was in this context
being. Such a model of development cannot be inclusive.
that the idea of establishing a school of social work
It is not meant to be inclusive.
FRON'l'l.lNF.
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JUNE Zn, ltili
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THE TlSS'S RESTRUCTURED PROGRAMME and collaborative work with the government improved its academic
quality, says Parasuraman.
There is a view that social science research is an elitist indulgence in a country where a billion people go hungry. ls that a fair criticism to make?
stand the nature of people's movement from rural to
urban areas. VVho were the migrants, why were they
large majority ofpcople have very little to consume. ‘What
coming, where were they coming from, and what interconnections remained between urban living and the rural context. Understanding urban and rural contexts in continuum, rather than in isolation, has been integral to our work. We need to explore the factors and processes that push people out of rural areas. Development theory predicts that rural land use and resource patterns eventually change. Simultaneously, people's skills evolve to match new conditions. We all know that while the Eu-
social science does is to study what‘s happening to social
ropeans had close to 4,000 years, the industrial revolu-
processes and economic processes. It is able to say what the condition is, why it is so, and suggests how you deal
tion and the imperial colonies to make that transition, we
with it. It does not matter if a country is rich or poor
pressed. I/Vhile displacement of people from traditional
because social science docs not take much resources
livelihoods is happening at a rapid rate, we lack the
compared with even basic research in the natural sciences. Social science is about showing us the mirror.
capacity to create alternative employment for them. Hence the urgency to understand and intervene in the
Now, the truth is often very uncomfortable, so we tend to
transformation taking place in rural areas, even as we
think it is unnecessary. But then, we also need to under-
address the influx of people and spread ofdeprivation in
stand the social processes. If we do not understand the
urban areas.
W'hy do billions go hungry?
Yes, not because of allocation to social science
research... Billions go hungry because 10 per cent of the pop-
ulation consumes 90 per cent of the resources. And a
are dealing with a situation where time is painfiilly coin-
social processes, we will not be able to anticipate and cope with the strife and conflicts that increasingly emerge from disaffection. Social science research enables us to feel the pulse ofsociety, chart the change processes and the causes and consequence of change. It is fiindamental to peace, solidarity and national security. Viewing
social science as a burden is unrealistic.
RESTRUCTURING TISS
When you were handed charge of the TISS, you obviously had a set of goals in mind. What were these? How much of that have you been able to achieve? What areas need more work? Truthfnlly, I simply had no idea what was waiting for
There seems to be an over-emphasis on rural deprivation compared with urban deprivation. Your own students go more to the rural areas than to urban areas. With the teeming millions flocking to the cities looking to make ends meet, don't you think you should focus equally on urban deprivation? Urban studies have always been an important part of
me. I was on a P—5 United Nations posting in Bangkok. My annual salary at my present employment is less than my monthly salary there. So people were laughing at me,
saying "this person is crazy". My employers kept the seat warm for me for sh; months after I left for the position at the TISS.
In 2004-, the only thing people in the selection com-
work at the TISS. The Centres for Rural Studies and
mittee asked of me was whether under my leadership the
Urban Studies were established in the 19605 to under-
institution could be transformed, keeping in mind origiFRl]N‘TI.INE
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JUNE 3e».z:a15
nal vision and newer needs. The TISS presented an academic and managerial challenge. At that time, the teaching and research faculties at the TISS were clearly demarcated. Social work faculty were located in the
teaching departments, social scientists populated the research units. There were 80 faculty members, and the annual student intake was 125. The institute was doing good work, but was it too little, fragmented and isolated from wider changes in economy and society? The one
thing that I believed very strongly in, then and now, is that quality education is the best way to transform the people and the nation. I can say this from personal experience, hailing from a small village where my father was a marginal farmer, where we waited for festivals to
have rice cooked at home. The TISS governing board gave us permission to restructure the institute. We began a process of review and reflection with the Academic Council and the faculty to discuss and rethink the vision and mandate of the institute. From September 2004- until February 2006, all faculties, departments and units engaged in discussions about vision, relevance, mandate and our contribution to
HA‘;-l
THE TISS has several new rnulti-disciplinary programmes such as Development Studies, Disaster Management, Public Health and Social Entrepreneurship to address the varied needs of the social sector.
the extemal world. We commissioned two papers to document the critical reflections about the institute's functioning, the relevance of its courses and contributions, emergent challenges and ways to address these. On the basis of these discussions, older departments and units were reorganised into schools and centres with
order to demonstrate our commitment to engage with the needs of the contemporary world. Often it was not easy to find resources to initiate new programmes. There is an interesting story around the setting up ofthe centre
for Disaster Management.
diverse disciplinary focus. Also during this time, new programmes were introduced and faculty members were
FINDING PARTNERS
recruited. A long process was involved in establishing a relationship with the government. We had to debunk
What is the rationale behind expanding the way you
many myths. Everybody thought we were a private institute! Working with the govemment ministries was extremely important for achieving the goal of working with people. Our restructured programme and collaborative work
have done? We are a country of1.2 billion people. In early 2000s, only 120 students graduated from the TISS every year. What difference could we make as an institution? Most of our students went to work for industrial houses or NGOs.
with the government improved our academic quality and created diversified employment opportunities for graduating students. This year, we were able to place 1,000 students. We run the Prime Minister's Rural Develop-
VVhile all the time what was really needed was social sector professionals. This country continues to need disaster management professionals, public health professionals, and of course social entrepreneurs. We can't be
ment Fellowship programme. We are going to run the Prime Minister’s Skill Development Programme. ‘What
talking about social and political empowerment without
began as a TISS fellowship experiment is now emulated by many State governments that wish to initiate the Chief Minister’s Rural Development and Skill Development Programmes. Our contribution has been to create possibilities and increase the scope ofwork in the social sector.
economic empowerment. Initially, we only had a small campus in Mumbai. Many State governments requested us to create regional
campuses. Finally we agreed on Hyderabad and Guwahati because these gave strategic access to the southern and eastern regions. We could disperse the students in
In the near future I can envision at least one development worker in every panchayat. Millions of jobs are needed
different contexts, attract new faculty and create work with regional focus. We made concerted investment in
and must be created in the social sector because it is
areas where more immediate attention was needed.
extremely underdeveloped.
As globalisation intensified, mental health became an
cussed mainly on the discipline of social work. We in-
important area of concern. Ten to 12 per cent of India's population needs some form of help. For this, we had
troduced several new multi-disciplinary programmes
only psychiatrists with a highly clinical approach to men-
such as Development Studies, Disaster Management, Public Health and Social Entrepreneurship to address
tal illness. But mental health is more than a clinical issue. It is also a social construct. There are socio—economic and
the varied needs of the social sector. It was necessary to develop this expertise in our faculty and programmes in
political processes that create conditions for people to develop mental illness. Mental health, the way it is con-
Earlier, the institute’s academic programme was fo-
FRONTLINF.
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.lUNF.2h,l()l5
ceived and dealt with, is different in different contexts. We wanted to approach mental health from a social perspective and create skills to enable professionals to
World Bank in 1995, he said, 10 years from now if anyone thinks about sustainable development, they will come to the Bank. Most of the multilateral and bilateral agencies
work with people who were grappling with mental ill
transformed their fimding to lend only to those institu-
health at various levels and contexts. We wish to become
tions that are aligned with their ideological framework.
very good at what we do, and to meet the challenge of creating professionals in mental health we are collaborating with the best institutions in the country.
So now when we talk about sustainable development, we don’t know what it is. \Vhen we talk about participation, the question is, whose participation? So basically this is what happened to social science research when the state
All premier institutions seem to think that way...
withdrew and the fimding agencies came in with their agendas. If you were for that kind of agenda-research,
We have our strengths, but many institutions are also doing cutting-edge work in areas such as mental health. We believe in working closely with such institutions. For
you had resources. Ifyou had an agenda that was devel-
instance, can we replicate what Adaikalam [The Ba-
the nation and society, then you had a problem.
nya.n’s transit care home for mentally ill destitute women] is doing? What The Banyan is doing? Do we have a
SPACE FOR CIUTICAL THINKING
oped organically by the faculty on the basis ofthe needs of
theory for it? VVhile we have academic expertise, we must
institution in the past. In recent times, we have established many such collaborations to meld knowledge and
Staying with theory itself, there are political parties left of centre which have penetrated academic institutions and have tried to establish themselves very firmly in all areas of academic and institutional functioning. Then
practice, which in turn would enhance both to create
you have the rightists who are trying to make inroads.
better solutions to social problems.
Does this fundamentally affect the working of an
also develop the ability to work with other organisations and institutions. That is something we did less as an
institution like the TISS? How easy or difficult is this process? Does it fly with academic councils or governing councils? How do you select partners across India? ls not long-term partnering risky, considering that most institutions are
individual-centred?
Do the institutions have avision? D0 they have clearly defined objectives and an agenda on where they want to invest their resources? Make it public, make it known.
Institutions must provide space for the depiction of all persuasions. Don’t limit to one particular ideology or
We have to be very careful. We are choosing NGOs
paradigm. Provide the filll range understanding of all
that have an accountable and transparent system and
development paradigms. Allow the organic growth of
who respect the people they work with. They must have
individual capabilities of the students. If there is clarity
demonstrated skills and knowledge in that particular area and they should be willing to share that knowledge with others. We do a lot of assessment to understand whom we are working with. And I am willing to withdraw if preconditions are violated. We don't work with in-
about that, then it is always clear on the direction taken. An academic institution should be the space for critical thinking and not dedicated to any one ideology. This is where the institution’s governing board, academic council and faculty need to be vigilant. We have a strong ethics
stitutions with profit motive. If service to people in difficult situations is your motive, then we will work with you. We work with groups like Aruna Roy’s MKSS [Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan], Barefoot College, The Banyan.
committee to clear research proposals. The faculty and the students and the governing board are watchful of the work ofthe institute. This is very important. That’s where the TISS culture is very different. Our students can come
Some like the Childline are established by our own
and question us on specific research proposals. Our faculty have several forums to discuss issues and bring clarity
students.
to our work. Our functioning is absolutely transparent. STATE OF SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH
The TISS is on a path of explosive growth. Why did you
Are you satisfied with the quality of social science research in India?
want to leave?
The quality of social science research is very poor, fundamentally because the research agenda is set by the
funding agency. We do the research because they give us
relentless, extremely diflicult and tiring. Much of my energy has been spent in worrying about finances. There have been other pressures. I teach a minimum 10 hours a
the money. Social science research needs to have organic
week, guide M.Phil and PhD students and travel three
growth. The scholars must be able to establish the agen-
da, to have strong theoretical and conceptual orientation
days a week. This has been extraordinarily difiicult. It has been an exhilarating but also an exhaustingjourney. The
and framework, and be able to invest time and resources
Governing Board of the TISS with Government of India
in investigating instead of being driven by sponsored
research. Sponsored research is destroying the social
and Tata Trust nominees and independent experts have been instrumental in shaping its direction. A new lead-
sciences. When James Wolfensohn took over as President of
ership with vision, energy and some courage can steer the TISS towards further excellence in the next 10 years. El
The last 11 years as the Director of TISS have been
FRUNTLINF.
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JUNE lo, 2015
COVER. STORY
Agents of change Through creative partnerships and meticulous research, the TISS tries to close the gaps in state intervention to address social deprivations and sufferings. av n.K. RADI-IAKRISI-INAN In 1993, two young women barely out of college,
Banyan and the TISS, realising that mental health issues
Vandana Gopikumar and Vaishnavi Jayakumar, took upon themselves the challenge of caring for mentally ill
were largely dealt with by psychiatrists and treated with medicines in the country, wanted to address the treat-
destitute women. They founded The Banyan, in Chennai.
ment gap. “Mental health issues can’t be solved by cor-
“Our responses were patient-centric and based on the
recting serotonin and dopamine levels [in the brain]
perceived need. We took up the issue of homeless [mensor Vandana Gopikumar, founder trustee. It did not. Rehabilitated patients wandering away
alone, distress can be a result of structural barriers and these have to be addressed," says Vandana Gopikuma.r. The need to address multiple, complex, inter-related issues in a structured manner resulted in The Banyan
from their homes after being reunited with their families,
setting up an academic centre, The Banyan Academy of
the lack of mental health care facilities in two—thi1‘ds of the country's districts, and The Banyan’s own belief that institutionalisation is not the way to go ahead in caring for the mentally ill, forced it to transition into a centre
Leadership in Mental Health (BALM). The TISS found in BALM a partner that worked on the same set of objectives: BALM was founded with the aim of forming
that offers comprehensive care packages for men, women
knowledge with other interested stakeholders to expedite
and children in distress and/ or afilicted with severe and
care for the mentally ill and close the treatment gap.
common mental disorders. Its strategic focus to prevent and/or adequately address a descent into homelessness
Effective human resources, trained in an ecosystem that is representative of the real world, was crucial in this
or a state of acute psychological distress, often as a conse-
vision. The TISS-BALM collaboration currently offers
quence of illness and untreated mental disorders, has emergency and therapeutic services for homeless persons with mental health issues; inclusive ecosystems for per-
three Master’s programmes through three schools and a diploma programme for community health workers in mental health. The Banyan Academy also hosts three centres—for Health and Mental Health Policy Research,
sons with mental health issues; health and mental health
Inclusive Development and Social Innovation (in collab-
systems and NAl..AM—social inclusion, skills development and well-being.
oration with Vrije Universiteit (VU), Amsterdam, the
It took The Banyan more than two decades to build a
try Department at Massachusetts General Hospital, Bos-
tally ill women] hoping it would end there,” says Profes-
resulted in the development offour critical areas ofwork:
standard operating protocols and sharing this body of
Harvard School of Public Health and the Global Psychia-
model that comprehensively addresses the needs of
ton) and Mental Health and Marginality.
homeless people with mental health issues on the streets, in hospitals (transit care centres), in open shelters and in
TISS AND ITS COLLABORATIONS
the community and arrive at designs that take into account diverse needs, including long-term care, which is a growing problem in mental health care globally. With
This is at the heart ofwhat the TISS does and what it has become in the past decade with S. Parasuraman as its Director. Vifith a clear mandate from the Governing
self reliance and personal recovery as goals, most models are geared to promoting exits from institutionalised care
Board to reach out to the unreached and chart new
to foster an environment of choioe and social mobility
pathways in social work, Parasuraman began building partnerships with institutions and non—governmental
and build an ecosystem of social mixing, capabilities
organisations (NGOs) across the country. The TISS is
promotion and inclusive development.
strong on theory. There were hundreds of organisations
In 2005, when The Banyan was discussing issues in
across the country that were great on the field and had
the sector at multiple levels, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) was also seized of the same issues. The
redefined multiple areas ofsocial work. Ifthe TISS had to retain its position as a “go-to” place in social work theory,
FRONTLINF.
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AT TISS, HUM BAI. The TISS goes beyond linkages to cater to needs across the country. research and practice, it needed to build strategic linkages, work on the glaring social issues and hand-hold
multiple partners even as it remained focussed on socially relevant research and interventions.
are all in place to scale up mental health services, develop human resources and build and lead a community that talks mental health.
The TISS goes beyond linkages to cater to needs
Parasuraman is very clear why he began partnerships
across the country, be it in Ladakh, Nicobar, or the Rann
such as the one with The Banyan: “They can articulate a
of Kutch. It does not abandon an area for want of fi-
theory [on the intersection of mental health, poverty and
nancial resources to support a project. TISS professionals
homelessness]. So basically I said that there are many
stay on each field-action project on a long-term basis. For instance, when the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council was established following a 1995 Act, the idea was to involve the local people in the devel-
more organisations doing much better work and we can
join hands with them. We are theoretically strong, we have the ability to work with other people. Let's join Parasuraman says this was an important decision. Aware that mental illness was set to oust most other communicable and non—communicable conditions to position itself as one of the highest contributors to the
opment process. The Council approached the Tata Trust, which turned to its trusted solution for social and development issues, the TISS. The institute was tasked with preparing village development plans and train community workers, community members and government offi-
global disease burden by 2020, the TISS began its collab-
cials on how to implement the plans. The other part
oration with NGOs in Kerala or Bihar or Tamil Nadu. These have added value, knowledge and depth to its
involved making local people competent to handle the tasks on their own in a sustained manner. So, the TISS
work. The TISS invited Vandana Gopikumar into its
conducted a year-long diploma programme on sustain-
faculty as a Professor in its School of Social Work, soon
able development. It also undertook the painstakingjob
after she was awarded a PhD for her work on “Mental Health and Marginality” from Vrije Universiteit, Arn-
of doing micro-level planning of all villages in Ladakh. This is hard because villages in the cold desolate desert of
sterdam. This is unprecedented in Indian academia, a fact that was not lost on many, including Professor Vikram Patel, Professor of International Mental Health,
ladakh are far away from each other. “We took about one and a half years to do the micro-level planning,” Paras-
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. “This
is nothing short of a miracle," he remarked at a function
When the need to develop a perspective plan—ahead of the Twelfih Five Year Plan—came up, the TISS made
in Chennai, in which the professorship was awarded.
available the data gathered from the area under the
hands.”
uraman said.
Council at the block-level office and the village-level
The TISS wants to develop Chennai’s BALM as a Centre
office. The TISS has also trained councillors and panchayat leaders to use the data for planning, which was
of Excellence in Mental Health. BALM is ready, too, says Vandana: models, approaches, strategies and direction
useful for implementing the Twelith Plan and the perspective plan.
BALM IN CHENNAI
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JUNE 2h, 2015
The TISS and the Council also developed the Ladakh Vision 2025 document, which Prime Minister Manmo-
ing to contest panchayat elections. They were taken on exposure visits to Rajasthan and Kerala after a one-weeklong training programme in Mumbai. The programmes
han Singh released in May 2005. The exposure of elected representatives to altemative settings, thoughts and
began with the very basics: what a panchayat is; what the
ecologies has been an integral part ofthe TISS training.
powers of the leaders are; how they can plan; how pari-
Soon afier the TISS began its work in Ladakh, panchayat leaders were brought to Mumbai every year. Late last year, it organised a visit for 120 women who were prepar-
chayats have the power to demand the services and support from the state. The TISS responded to the severe floods in Ladakh in
6
'
TISS 1s a movement
9
Interview with S. Ramadorai, Chairman of the Governing Board of the TISS. every single interview. What is a comparable vision that is possible in an institution like the
For S. Ramadorai, revered in industry circles for catapulting Tata Consultancy Services into the billiondollar league, heading the Governing Board of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) was a natural tion, it is a movement, Ramadorai tells Frontlinc in a
TISS? The comparable vi-
rare post-retirement interview. Heading the highest authority at the institute that shapes the path forward for Asia's first graduate school of social work, to create innovative and inclusive pathways for nation building, Ramadorai says that there is much work to be done
sion for this kind of institution [such as the TISS] is the inclusion dimension—social or financial or youth
choice. The TISS is much more than a mere institu-
in Ii
because “never before has the country felt a greater
employment. You
need for social scientists and social workers”.
S. RAHADORAI.
can
measure the impact by
what we
do
on
the
What is your role as the chairman of the Governing Board of the TISS? As the chairman ofthe Governing Board one must engage with the various campuses ofthe Tata Institute of Social Sciences, engage with the governing board
the [Maharashtra] Governor gave [in his convocation
through the Director, and formulate a strategy with
making sure that water reaches everyone. This is mea-
them to ensure that the institution achieves its set goal.... I have been here for the last couple ofyears. It’s a pleasure being part of this movement and seeing younger people graduate year alter year.
sure impact made possible by people who pass out of this institution. The people who graduate will take up social work through corporates or through NGOs and be part of creating this impact.
ground. We can set up a matrix for it to say that we
have touched so many lives. Looking at the example address], that of a place going from rain surplus to rain deficient, and then social workers’ intervention
Development through measurable action-orient-
ls there any particular reason why you chose to take up chairmanship at the TISS? You are guiding quite a
ed activities on the ground creates a multiplier effect in every single walk oflife. The mindset is how do I engage, apply, measure, improve and create impact.
few other organisations, apart from some business
entities. VVhat impressed me most and excited me, whether it is the chairmanship ofthe TISS or the national skills
How do you converge your various roles at the many institutions?
development corporation which the Government of India requested me to take up, is that it is all for social impact. You have done your corporate life, you have
The centre of what I do is the youth ofthis country. VVhether it is the Skills Mission, the TISS, or whether
been a part ofthat for 4-3 years, you have made money,
given it back to shareholders and society. I look at the
converge to one single goal, namely addressing the needs of the youth. If we include everything as part of
scale ofopportunity and the impact it can create, and
this, you are touching the lives ofthe youth and conse-
that's what excites me.
quently their families.
You took TCS from a $400-million company to a
The TISS, and even social sciences work in India, is
$1 -billion company. I am sure you have heard this in
not spoken in the same breath as the work being
rRim'|'i.|w. » .llINF.2n,1ol5
it is technology, whether it is business, all of them
11
2010 by initially engaging in relief work and then taking charge of reconstructing one large village that had been destroyed. The initial funding for reconstruction came
was to establish the identity of the people affected. The Nicobar people, like many Indians, do not have any identification papers, without which the government
from the Tata Trust; funds for training and capacity
machinery found it ditficult to extend resettle1nent/reha-
building from NDTV; and funds for village development
bilitation provisions. The TISS, which commenced an
from IDBI Bank. In Nicobar Islands, the TISS was requested to help out after the 2004- tsunami. The major task at that time
assessment of all the households in the islands, found that most of the elders in the hamlets had been killed. It then decided on a training programme for the residents and conducted a leadership development programme for
carried out at, say, an IIT or IIM or the llSc. Why is this so?
over 100 people over three months. “Now every village has two-three people who are trained. And they have become the leaders now," Parasuraman said.
After most organisations left the islands, the TISS
All of us are responsible for this. We have not said
stayed back to create an early warning system, organise
or realised that the liberal arts are as important as the other subjects of study. The realisation comes later, some of us realised this in the course of our corporate jobs. I think the nature of solving complex problems begins with a healthy mix of science, engineering and
village knowledge centres and work on livelihood promotion plans. It also got involved in social issues. It entered
social sciences. We need to do a lot of advocacy. It’s the responsibility ofall stakeholders, including NGOs, the
hamlets. The officials retaliated by denying TISS experts and schola.rs entry passes to the hamlets (these are re-
govemment, institutions and students to take the ad-
quired to go to the non-tourist islands). The TISS respon-
vocacy part forward. Now, there is a realisation that
ded by securing permission letters from the Union Home
social sciences are becoming aspirational.
Ministry.
What specifically should the TISS focus on in the
HOLISTIC APPROACH
coming years given the fact that a large number of issues and problems are staring at the country?
The TISS brings a holistic approach to bear on its engage-
Every region where the TISS has a campus—be it Mumbai, Tuljapur, Hyderabad, Guwahati—has a unique characteristic. So we must bring that core competency into that part of the country. It does not
mean that the competencies should be confined to
into a long—drawn-out engagement with the local and
Central governments, insisting that action be taken against officials who illegally sold liquor in the tribal
ments. In the fragile Himalayan ecosystem of Ladalth, for instance, it looked at the basic questions that planners face: Wltat sustainable development would mean in that
cold desert; and how much tourist inflow it could support. In the Nicobar Islands, too, the TISS looked into
country. I think in the fiiture it will be a collaborative
these planning issues. The questions to which it sought answers included: What has been changing? I-Iow have the lands changed? What does sustainable development mean in a remote island? The TISS's work in the arid and semi-aricl regions of
method of problem solving. Mental health is a major problem for us [in India]. Public health is another major problem. If we don't address prenatal care, the under-five children, then
Kutch, undertaken from its Thuljapur campus, explores the possibilities of sustainable development in the dry terrain. "We get in because the government and the people want us to come, we provide the support that is
we cannot address skills or anything else. Education,
needed—intellectual, research, policy advocacy—we also
vocational skills, all of this is connected together.
conduct research on some ofthe fundamental issues such
that region alone. Second, all the campuses are con-
nected so that the knowledge database is shared with everyone and the expertise is available across the
as water, sanitation, health, ecosystem, carrying capacity,
How can social work education contribute solutions
sustainability—a whole range of issues are explored. We
to emerging social and health problems in India?
will make available all the data to all researchers,” said
I think community participation, how we engage with the community, is a responsibility all of us carry
Parasuraman.
with us. The impact you make, whether to create livelihood means or to solve a community problem
T I 5 5 I N ll E P A L
through the expertise and knowledge each ofus has, is
25, the TISS sent a team of two doctors and a psycho-
what nation-building is all about. Inclusion of all
social health care professional to Kathmandu. This team,
kinds is what the TISS is trying to inculcate in its
working with groups there, identified the needs which
graduates. It's social inclusion, financial inclusion and
were not being fulfilled and sent in a report a week later.
opportunity for all, so that nobody is left behind. That
Soon alter the May 11 convocation at the TISS's Mumbai
is the ultimate aim. This will go along way in contributing to the solutions.
campus, 15 students, all qualified medical doctors who are also disaster management graduates, left for Nepal to
R.K. Radhakrishnan
support the TISS relief work. On May 12, another group of 20 reached Nepal. “These are the people with skills.
On April 27, aoon afterthe earthquake hit Nepal on April
FRONTLINF.
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JUNE 20, 2015
~‘\
Local thrust W'hen the Tata Institute ofSocial Sciences decided to establish an off-campus for the north-eastern region of India, it had one condition: people should not be displaced from the land that was offered to the institution. Guwahati was the preferred location be-
cause it is well connected to all the States ofthe region. The Assam government offered an eight—l1ectare site on the premises ofthe Guwahati Engineering College. Two government Ministries, in 2013, allocated a total
of Rs.150 cmre for the campus. Construction is now in progress. The TISS Guwahati now functions from a tempo-
rary campus. As much as 66 per cent ofthe seats in the courses are reserved for students from the northeastern region and the seats are distributed among candidates from all the States in the region. Other
=x <1
-1 .i
AT TISS GUWAI-IATI, where 66 per cent of the seats in the courses are reserved for students from the north- eastern region. :1
I he TISS Guwahati has been researching on top-
TISS campuses offer the mandatory 49.5 per cent
ics such as access to justice and child labour. In a vast
reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes
swathe where tribal customs trump government sys-
and Other Backward Classes. In an effort to be relevant in the region, the TISS introduced courses in social development that dealt with environmental protection and development, conflict management, peace building and disaster management, and a five-year integrated programme in the social sciences. In addition to inter-disciplinary
tems, how do people perceive their access to justice? It has completed another research on child labour in the mines of Meghalaya, and is also working on entrepreneurship development models for the diiferent States. Parasuranian says that all stakeholders in the region have been supportive of the work that the TISS has been doing, though not contractors. The TISS ran
Masters programmes, the TISS also started regular
foul of the contractor lobby when it began advocating
Master's courses in subjects such as anthropology,
construction of houses using local materials. “The
economics and political science. The second batch of students received their degrees at a convocation at the
model we developed and demonstrated cost a third of
campus on June 9. ‘Even before the convocation, all
the students have been placed," said TISS Director S.
the money that it takes to build a conventional house.
We could demonstrate this in just three or four villages. Then we had to withdraw.”
Parasuraman.
R.K. Rtld/zaklishrzun
And they know it is not an easy job. There is no comfort. But they understand the ethics of relief and rehabil-
as associate members. This has now emerged as an enormous knowledge resource for any issue in the Himalayan
itation and the process of doing it. That's what we do,"
region.
Parasuraman said. The TISS is also committed to helping Nepal through
In times of natural disasters, there is no time to think
a 2005 arrangement. That yezu', the Hindukush—Hima-
about funding. After the earthquake in Nepal, the TISS decided that it had a responsibility to help. Parasuraman
layan Region Universities’ oonsortium—was formed.
sent the team without waiting for the money to material-
While working in Ladakh, the TISS realised that it had no experience of working in a Himalayan desert but many institutions located in the Himalayan region had. So it linked with the a United Nations institution, Interna-
ise and thus avoided procedural delays. So it invested upfront and is hopeful that this will be made good by the organisations that have come forward to help.
tional Centre for Integrated Mountain Development,
The TISS gets involved because it is aware that if the institute docs not do it, then that part of the work will not
Kathmandu, considered the best in mountain development in the region. The Centre and the TISS jointly
psycho-social health care, an aspect of disaster manage-
conducted the training programme in Ladakh. Soon af-
ment that the TISS specialises in and has pioneered in
ter this came the idea of a consortium of universities in
India. Now it has become a mainstream work in disaster
the region. As many as 40 universities in Afghanistan,
areas. The TI SS will train people in Nepal on psycho-
Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, China and Bhutan are now
social health care and provide support until such time
part of this consortium. Universities from other parts of
that the professionals there can run the programmes on
the world working on the Himalayan region were added
their own. “We have gone to Nepal, but we will be there
FRUN'l'l.l.\lF.
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JUNF. Zn, lfllfi
be done. In the case of Nepal, the TISS's role is to provide
for another 10 years. Where will we get the money? That's not very difiicult once you have established the need for work, the work you are doing. Then money comes," Pa-
objective of repealing the draconian beggary prevention law, which fails to recognise the circumstances that force people towards destitution and criminalises poverty and
rasuraman said.
acknowledges the historical and contextual realities like
Be it Nepal, Ladakh, the Kutch or Nicobar, the work
resistance and exclusion faced by de-notified communi-
is not easy. In Nepal, for instance, even in normal times the roads are bad. After the earthquake, even those roads are gone. Helicopters are not able to land in some places. Many of the areas near the epicentre have barely been
ties, transgender community, persons with mental illness, those affected by leprosy...”. SOCIALLY RELEVANT PROFESSIONAL E D U CAT I O N
reached. Psycho-social health care seeks to help survivors address their trauma. “How you rebuild your life is a very important component. You can treat an injury, but how
As natural disasters become common, disparities grow
do you treat an injury to a person's confidence? To emotions? That is what psycho-social health care does,“ Parasuraman said.
uraman’s preferred phrase for them is “social protection
and state support dwindles, the TISS tries to train more social workers and send them out to the field. Paras-
A unique feature of the TISS is its field action projects (FAPs). As many as 3:3 FAPs address a range of issues
professionals”. In 2014-15, student enrolment stood at 4,029 across all campuses of the TISS, says the Annual Report for 2014-15. “Seventy-eight years ago, the first TISS campus was set up as Asia’s first graduate school of social work. It was established to produce socially rele-
including violence against women, the rights and rehabilitation of persons being processed by the criminal
vant knowledge, and its stated commitment was to create an inclusive pathway for nation building.... Solving in-
justice system and children in conflict with the law,
equalities and discontent within a context of rising aspi-
homelessness and beggary, child and adolescent mental
rations and possibilities will not be possible just through
health, tribal and Dalit youth empowerment, health care in rural and tribal areas, corporate social responsibility, sustainable livelihood, food security, adult education and
your efforts, it calls for a very high degree ofcollaboration between industry, corporate, NGOs and the local govern-
health.
“The role ofTISS ambassadors on the ground is to inform
One FAP is located close to the Deonar landfill. Deonar, a Mumbai suburb, is the country’s biggest waste
public policies, strengthen people’s entitlements, and empower communities," he reminded them at the 75th
dumping site. It is situated in a polluted locality that is
home to a host of industries and refineries. The FAP is
convocation on May 11. The TISS continues its work across a spectrum of
“Transforming M (East) Ward” and is anchored in the
identified priority areas despite the fact that money for
School of Habitat Studies. Located on the north-east edge of Mumbai, M Ward is its ghetto with about eight lakh people living in its 256 slums and 13 large resettlement colonies. “The M (E) Ward in Mumbai is a microcosm of the city: it is an
social science research and action is dwindling, a fact that
FIELD LCTIOII PROJECTS
ment,” says S. Ramadorai, Chairman, Governing Board.
both Parasuraman and the chiefguest at the 75th convo-
cation, N. Ram, highlighted.
Chairman,
Kasturi
and
Sons,
“One ofthe characteristics of India’s system ofhigher
extreme example of skewed development in the metropolis, with virtually all indicators showing an urgent need for action that is multi—dimensional, comprehensive and strategic to serve its burgeoning population,” notes a
education, which has been widely remarked on, is its
2015 TISS report, “Social Economic Conditions and Vulnerabilities: A report of the Baseline survey of M (East)
ities, and social sciences, which are often treated as soft
subjects. Thanks to the flourishing, against the odds, of a
Ward, Mumbai.”
few major institutions of leaming such as the Tata In-
lop-sided concentration on engineering and technological education at the expense ofthe basic sciences and, in a more pronounced way, at the expense ofthe arts, hu man-
The 2011 ‘M’ Ward initiative brings together TISS
stitute of Social Sciences, we can entertain some hope
students and faculty and the stakeholders to work on
that the imbalance can be redressed,” Ram said. “bet us
elements that can transform the locality. "The project seeks to create linkages between ideas and resources for
remind ourselves that the challenge has to be met in the context of declining resources available to universities, a
positive change and ensure their deliverance to communities in the ‘M' Ward. The ‘M' Ward is not the universe of
change, but it is hoped that making a beginning with an
situation that presents a stark contrast to the tremendously increased public resource support given to institutions of higher learning in China during the same
area that represents the maximum challenge will also
period. Against this backdrop, it is commendable that the
make a positive difference to policies pursued in the rest
of the city and create a model for such work in urban
Tata Institute of Social Sciences has pushed ahead in the last decade to stand out among leading universities and
areas of the country,” the Annual Report says.
social science institutions as an institute of excellence
Koshish, an even earlier project that caught the attention of multiple State governments, was started in 2006
explicitly committed to developing and applying knowledge ‘in pursuit ofsocialjustice and human rights for all’,” he added.
and is now operational in Mumbai, Delhi and Patna. The Annual Report says that it “was started with the primary
There was some good news for the TISS in the first FRONTLINF.
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JUNE 20, 2015
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TISS HYDERABAD STUDENTS at their convocation. week of June: the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development decided to release filnds to the institute after effecting a 5 per cent cut in its annual allocation. In 2013-14-, the TISS received a total ofRs.50 crore fi'om the
sciences, and secure funds for expanding research,“ it
UGC. The Ministry wants to reduce government funding
in India unlike any single institution in the country from
to 50 per cent. The crux is the government's blinkered
the time of independence. Sustaining this rate of growth,
view on ensuring compliance with 12B rules of the Uni-
ensuring quality of work and remaining relevant in a
versity Grants Commission Act of 2015-16, which lays
fast-changing world will be the main challenges for the TISS at one level. At another level, the question offunding remains. Even though most people in the City of Maximum Greed look the other way, a few show up
adds. The TISS’s expansion under Parasuraman has been dramatic and has significantly impacted the social sector
down the criteria on which a university or a college can receive government funding. The Economic Times had first reported on the issue in late May this year. “The TISS
has been in the grip ofa financial crunch after the HRD Ministry and the UGC framed a new policy for funding deemed universities and chose to withhold funds. The TISS had to get bank loans in March and April and dip
unfailingly to support the TI SS, never mind that they are not from Mumbai. Some, like Ramadorai, an optimist, believe that the CSR funds from corporates will be a new
source for TISS social action projects, if not for the TISS
into reserves—essentially funds generated through con-
sultancy work—to pay salaries and keep the institute
itself. A lot now depends on how autonomous the TISS
running," the paper said.
remains. lt has a Governing Board, which is headed by
The TISS campus, inaugurated by Prime Minister
and has significant representation from the Tata Trust
.Iawaharlal Nehru, has been a fully government fimded
(together with representatives of the Union Ministry of
institution since 1964-, when it was declared a deemed university.
Human Resource Development and representatives of the State government). The Director of the TISS is select-
Parasuraman says that the institute expanded despite
ed by the board aiter an elaborate process, and the selected candidate is appointed by the UGC. The TISS is a deemed university funded by the UGC.
the financial constraints. The 2014-15 Annual Report
notes that the social sector had expanded in the last decade with Central and State government funding. But, “it is unfortunate that organisations and individuals with
Nevertheless, it has innovatively used the space available
influence and capital do not see Social Science education
Trust. But as the TISS steps out into the unexplored
and human development as a priority.... Our task has
terrain of a multi-campus university which works with
been very difiicult and considerable effort has been devoted to motivating the State to professionalise the social
unconventional but proven NGOs and a variety of other
protection sector, open up employment opportunities for
ence, which can only come with the formal recognition of
graduates with degrees in interdisciplinary areas ofsocial
it as an institution of national importance.
FRON'l'l.|NF.
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JUNE Bo, lflli
to it to achieve a great deal, with the support of the Tata
stakeholders, it needs more autonomy and independ-
16
El
Molding theory with practice Interview with R. Ramakumar, Dean, School of Development Studies, TISS. PROFESSOR R. Ramakumar, one of the youngest professors at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences,
recently took charge as Dean, School of Development Studies. An agricultural economist, he was invited to the TISS by its Director, S. Parasuraman. Ramaku-
mar’s work on microcredit, rural poverty and agricultural workers is among the most quoted scholarly
works in India. In conversation with Frmztline: In development studies, is there an undue emphasis
on rural deprivation as compared with urban deprivation? Well, ifyou ask it that way, I'd say in a country like India it would be a natural bias and not an artificial bias. Because you have the majority of people living in
the rural areas, and because rural poverty is much higher than urban poverty, you would naturally expect in a course like development studies a bias of that nature to come in. I’d say it is inevitable.
But to the near-exclusion of urban deprivation?
R. RAHAKUMAR.
stance, one suggestion that is in front of us, something
That is not true because we have courses on urban
relating to public policy. That is a suggestion that is on
studies and urban development. It is not that urban
our table. We are beginning to discuss that proposal.
development is neglected, but I’d say every subject has
Maybe in two or three years, something will happen. If
scope to further improve itself. ‘What we have done in
at all something happens, it will happen on that front.
development studies is that students can actually go out of the school and take courses. We are the only school that allows every student to take four credits outside the school. We are open to things like that. It is also partly because we don’t have the expertise. We need faculty to teach as well. So I'd admit that might be part of the reason why that kind of impression is created. Probably because lot of our visible writings are also about rural areas. That is also there. It is interesting that you asked me that question. It sets me
thinking about it.
The coexistence of theory and practice in almost the same footing in the TISS is rather unique in an Indian
academic setting. Basically, universities are supposed to do theory rather than practice. The TISS does both. How easy or difiicult is that? It is not a question of easy or difficult. That’s the way to go. Even if it's difficult that's the way universities should try. In fact, about 20 years back, the TISS was known as a place with very little theory and a whole lot of practice. Then, theory came in; devel-
opment studies, for instance. We teach what capital-
The interplay between theory and practice and the
ism is. We teach students development and its
way things have been going on now at the TlSS—the pace of expansion of the place is so fast. Do you feel
theoretical constructs and at the same time we also
the same pressure in development studies? No. Actually we have taken care not to grow at the rate that the TISS is growing. In the sense that... our
allow students to go for intemships, field work, which allows them to test some ofthe theories that they have
school offers only two M_A. programmes whereas
learnt on the field. There are many people, who in class say, ‘what's the point oftheory it's about doing it in the field’. But in going to the field they miss the larger
many schools offer much more with smaller faculty.
picture [if they are not strong on theory]. If the larger
We have had suggestions in the past, we still have
suggestions on what programmes to add. But we have
picture was factored into their analysis, they would have been better informed. I am not saying that there
to be careful. We do not want to start one for the sake
has to be a balance. I think theory reinforces practice,
of it. Once we are convinced about it, once we have a
practice reinforces theory, and there is no rigid com-
concrete concept note in front ofus, once we have the
partmentalisation of theory and practice.
faculty who can actually teach it.... We have, for in-
R.K. Radhakvtklznan
FRUNTLINF.
-
JUNE lo, 20
CQNTBOVERSY
Derecognising dissent Controversy rages over the decision of the Dean of Indian Institute of Technology Madras to dcrccognisc u student group. the Amhcdlsar
Pei-i_\'ar Study Circle, allegedly for its anti-Modi and anti-Hindutva VIEWS. BY ILANGOVAII RAJASEKARAN
THE management of Indian In-
tivities” since its formation last year
IIT management handled the sensi-
stitute ofTechnology Madras (I ITM)
(on April 14.~, 2014-), thus violating the
tive issue. “That these stringent regu-
has found itself at the centre of a raging controversy following its “uni-
code of conduct independent student bodies on the campus should
lations are not applicable to other student groups such as the Viveka-
lateral” decision to “derecognise” one
adhere to. He insisted that its mem-
ofthe student groups ofthe institute, the Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle
bers remove the names of both Dr B.R. Ambedkar and Periyar E.V. Ra-
nanda Study Circle, which is stridently promoting right-wing
(APSC), allegedly for its anti-Narendra Modi and anti-Hindutva views.
masamy from the organisation’s title, as these names, he claimed,
stark partisan attitude of the IIT management,” said a postgraduate
A mail from the Dean ofStudents
“polarise the students on caste lines".
student. No wonder, as a student ac-
(DoSt) ofIITM, Sivakumar M. Srini-
Further, he reportedly asked
tivist pointed out, that Vinayagar
vasan, on May 22 “derecognised" the study circle after receiving a commu-
them to give an assurance that they would desist from any activities that
Chathurthi processions were organised on the campus.
niqué from the Union Ministry of
were considered inimica] to the pol-
The students rejected the letter
Human Resource Development (MHRD), which had received an
icy of the IIT management and route their activities through his adminis-
outright as the management was unable to provide them convincing rea-
anonymous complaint in this regard. The reason cited: “Misusing the privileges” given to students by organis-
trative offioe instead of the usual practice of interacting with the facul-
sons for the derecognition. “IITM
ideologies, speaks volumes about the
considered the APSC activities a
breach of guidelines only after the
ing meetings and issuing pamphlets
ty adviser, who, as per norms, serves as the bridge between independent
that “spread hatred against the present dispensation and its policies”.
student groups and the management, especially in matters relating
The Dean was well aware of the ac-
to non-academic space.
dissemination of information on
claim, has against heavy odds managed to create “some space" for II-
“This unilateral action against the circle is unprecedented and we
caste and caste-based discrimination because caste still plays a powerful
Tians to talk about “socially-relevant issues” such as caste and religion on the Chennai campus, which, according to many students that Frontline spoke to, is administered with a rig-
have never heard of such things on any other higher education campus,"
role in an individuals access to education. Powerful social barriers still
said Akhil Bharathan, an active
exist because of the exclusionary
member of the study circle and a student of the Department of Human-
pressures exerted by the dominant group,” said IIT research scholar Ad-
idity uncharacteristic of an institu-
ities and Social Sciences. “Can a
itya Narayanan.
tion ofhigher learning.
technocrat or a scientist be a whole-
The present row has more to it
The Dean told the student members in a one-to-one interaction that the study circle was found to have been engaging in “controversial ac-
some product without having any social responsibility?" he asked.
than meets the eye. In fact, the APSC has emerged as a Special Purpose
What surprised him and his fel-
Vehicle (SPV) for those who wish to
low students most was the way the
take up social and political issues
The study circle, as its members
FRONTLINF.
-
.lUNF.2h.l0l5
18
letter it received from the MHRD.
tivities. The APSC is involved in the
contained extracts from the speech of Vivekananda Gopal, besides copies of the pamphlets and posters printed during the Ambedkar birth
anniversary programmes by stuII
dents along with copies ofthe posters published by members of the Revolutionary Student Youth Front (RSYF), which were found pasted on
' 1
t- -51!!
the walls outside the campus. R. Karthikeyan, RSYF unit secretary, told Frontline that the Front had been
highlighting such issues continuously. “The pasting ofposters on April 14-
coincided with the Ambedkar birth anniversary," he said. The anonymous letter, under:1
5 T U D E N T 5 0 F IIT Madras reading BR. Ambedkars "Annihilation of Caste" in protest against the derecognition of the Arnbedkar Periyar Study Circle in the institute on June 3.
signed “Students, IIT Madras”, dated April 29, and addressed to “Madam” (probably addressing HRD Minister Smriti Zubin lrani), accused the APSC of “trying to dealign the S.T.
[Scheduled Tribe] and S.C. [Schedthat have not been raised in public on the sprawling 100-hectare heavily wooded campus for long. The sole avenue ofcommunication for the libcral minds has been social media. These students use it to their full advantage to spread their ideas and
Dr Anibedkar“ by Prof. Dr R. Vivekananda Gopal, Dravidian University, Kuppam, on the campus, in which he reportedly made certain references to the Hindutva agenda and the “anti-people and anti—labour government of Narendra Modi". “Much
uled Caste] students". It accused the study circle of creating hatred among students. “They are trying to create hatred against the honourable Prime Minister and
organise activities around them and
earlier to this, we had also organised
MHRD for its stand on a separate
to interact with the outside world. In
discussions on the important issues
dining place for vegetarians and the
fact, the students and the faculty of IITM were taken by surprise by the
relating to the land acquisition Bill,
use of Hindi in IITs.
labour laws, the ban on beef eating, cow slaughter and ghar wapsi,”
The copies ofthe RSYF’s and students’ posters and pamphlets were also sent to the Ministry, which, based on the letter, despatched a
intensity that the present controver-
sy has assumed in the national media and the debate that it has generated amid academics and scholars.
pointed out Akhil. It is in this line that the students organised the
Hindus." The students, it charged, had issued pamphlets criticising the
note to II'I'M seeking clarifications on the issue. However, it must be
to the developments that are taking
meeting on Ambedkar too. But since then they have been kept under watch. For the student coordinators, the April 14- pro-
place in the social, cultural and polit-
gramme looked like yet another
against any group or individual. But
ical spheres outside the institutes
the Dean, without clarifying the is-
walls. Hence, the charge that the IIT
event of the type they had organised in the past one year, until the com-
handled the controversy clumsily is
muniqué from Prisca Mathew, Un-
sue with the students concemed, derecognised the study circle.
not entirely wrong. “We, in govern-
der Secretary, Department ofHigher
The students, of course, did not
ment colleges, deal with more serious and sensitive issues than this on a day-to-day basis," said the Principal of a Government Arts and Science
Education ofthe MHRD, dated May 21, to the IITM Director seeking “comments of the Institute” on the distribution of posters and pam-
refute the claims that they had issued posters and pamphlets containing the extracts ofGopal's speech and Dr
College in Chennai.
phlets on the campus of IIT Madras
The IITM management has, for long, been perceived as impervious
on April 13 and 14- and “creating ha-
noted here that the Ministry had not
recommended any specific action
A1nbedkar's quotes such as “Hinduism is a veritable chamber of hor-
DISCUSSIONS ON ISSUES
tred atmosphere among the students
rors" and “You must destroy the religion of shrutis and the smrithis".
The problem can be traced to the
by a group namely Ambedkar Peri-
“Yes. We have issued pamphlets that
APSC's Ambedkar birth anniversary
yar”. The letter “forwards [to the Di-
are critical ofthe policies ofthe Modi
celebrations which coincided with its first anniversary celebrations, on
rector] a copy of anonymous letter
government. We do not understand
alleging serious complaints received
how dissent and criticism ofthe gov-
April 14- this year. It organised a talk
from ‘Students, IIT- Madras”.
ernment's policy is akin to spreading
on the “Contemporary relevance of
The
Ministry’s 19
communique
hatred,” said Krishna, a study circle FRUNTI.INF,
-
JUNE lo, Zlili
supporter at the institute. They, however, distanced themselves from the posters that the RSYF published
tion in staffselection. (According to a notification issued in 2008 by the MHRD, the IITs were asked to in-
those against it protested in Chennai. They wanted to know whether the management of IITM had initiated
under the heading “Manu Dharma
troduce reservation in teaching posi-
any action against those who fought
Reigns in IIT Madras”, which ac-
tions, which included 15 per cent for
against the government policy on
cused the IIT of denying social justice by not implementing the reservation system since “it is under the governance of brahminical tyranny”.
S.C., 7.5 per cent for S.T. and 27 per cent for OBC candidates, but IIT managements asked the Ministry to revise it.)
Reservation was one ofthe issues
reservation at that time. The administration, the students claimed, was taking refugee under technical and procedural issues to camouflage its hostility to radical thinking.
debated by the APSC oiten. “The is-
In fact, media reports on May 25,
RESERVLTION, LN ISSUE
sues of reservation, caste discrimi-
2006, claimed that 100 students
Reservation in IIT is an issue indeed.
nation,
Hindi
from IIT Madras and medical colleg-
Arun Sudarsan, Project Assistant,
imposition
anti-rationalism,
es in Chennai raised anti-reservation
Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IITM, has sought inInformation (RTI) Act on the category-wise composition of caste rep-
etc., have been hot subjects of debate and discussion on IITM premises for which the APSC played the role of a facilitator," said Akhil. The management, according to Akhil, has made
slogans in front of the government guest house at Chepauk in Chennai. A senior faculty member said antireservation students in the IIT protested inside the campus.
resentation in the enrolment of students in M.S. and PhD pro-
feeble attempts to stall such debates. “The action against the APSC has
Meanwhile, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes
grammes in IITM. From 2008 to
been the toughest one on the cam-
(NCSC) has sought a detailed report
2015, a total of14-2 S.C. and nine S.T.
pus," said Aditya Narayanan.
on the present incident in the IITM
students were admitted to the PhD programmes as against 1,592 under the general category, (“forward caste” groups), and 740 under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) cate-
However, through an exhaustive but sharp email response to the Dean, the student activists told him that the IIT had many meetings that
campus. In 2012, the NCSC's Chennai office, based on a representation from a few students, had asked the institute management to explain how it implemented the reservation
gory. Just 29 S.C. and three S.T. stu-
policy in recruiting faculty. Since the
dents were admitted to the M.S.
initiatives of the current and previous elected governments and other
programmes across all departments
social issues, among them the reser-
satisfactory response, the Chennai
as against 1,19-1~ under the general
vation policy, which, they claimed,
office referred the issue to its parent
category and 4-29 under the OBC cat-
was still to be implemented in letter and spirit in IITM. They also drew attention to an incident wherein when the reservation notification was issued for IlTs,
body in New Delhi on July 30, 2012.
formation
under
the
Right
to
egory.
The composition offaculty members based on social category sought by Akhil Bharathan shows that 86.57
vegetarianism, and
discussed the policies and legislative
per cent (total: 4-64) of the faculty
management did not come up with a
The students wondered how the MHRD and IITM could give any im-
portance to such a “venomous anonymous mail with full of hatred towards the S.Cs, S.Ts and Ambedkar”. “Our pamphlets do not have any material that would surprise a sociological or political scientist. It has
members are from the general category followed by OBCs in a distant second with 11.01 per cent (59). The S.Cs are an insignificant 2.05 per
cent (11) and S.Ts come last with a
been sourced from media, books and journals. Any higher education in-
dismal 0.31 per cent (2) in the total of
stitute should be a platform where
536. “Mind you, nearly 90 per cent of
critical thinking and right to dissent ought to be encouraged and where brave new thoughts are to be nurtured. On the contrary, IIT seems to be in a sad state of affairs where sci-
the department heads and senior professors are from the upper caste groups," said a faculty member. IITM, an autonomous institution, has nearly 650 faculty members
_ii .u
I
and about 8,000 students, besides
.|
3,000-odd non-academic staff and other workers. “It was not a mere
'n
coincidence, but part of a planned
"CAN A TECHNOCRAT ora
conspiracy against the implementa-
scientist be a wholesome product without having any social responsibility?" asks Akhil Bharathan, an active member of the study circle.
tion of reservation”, says a note from
the RSYF. The Senate of the IIT, it fiirther noted, had even passed a resolution in the past against reservaFRON'l'l.|NF.
-
JUNE Zn, lflli
20
entific temper and social justice are being curtailed," the mail said. Criticising the IIT and the Union govcmment for exhibiting an ex-
treme level of paranoia against a “humble” student organisation for its freethinking and secular orientation, its coordinators asked how anybody’s sentiment could have been
hurt when the entire discussion was
t
.
been the monopoly of religious right
wing to propagate its metaphysical idealist ideology and as a platform for corporate think tanks. ‘When the ta.\'payers' money is being spent for propagating anti-people, anti-rational agenda, pro-people, rational groups like APSC have to collect money from the students to conduct its events," the students claimed in
"'0
their mail. Chaman Lal, however, ad-
.
dressed the students on the campus
in a programme organised through another socially active group, IIT for
Society, the students claimed. Discussions, meetings and pain-
phlets were meant to kick-start a dcbate on the campus and among the academic fraternity. “The IITM [an
autonomous statutory organisation iimctioning within the Institutes oi Technologies Act 1961, as amended
by the
R A N G 0 0 N, 19 51.; Ambedkar with Periyar when they met in connection with
a Buddhist conference there. The IITM Dean wanted the study circle to remove the names of Ambedkar and Periyar E.V. Ramasamy from its title as these names "polarise the students on caste lines". about the right ofevery individual to
Institute of Technology
(Amendment) Act, 1963] is a public funded institute whose vision and mission should abide for the upliftment of the common masses. The right to function of any independent student body was not the prifllegc given by the authority but rather the democratic right of students themselves. We strongly believe that what we stated in our pamphlets and the
MHRD circular on vegetarian and
eat meat in the mess halls is seen as dangerous, then the continued e:o'stence of our study group becomes all the more important." On the imposi-
non-vegetarian mess halls for stu-
tion ofHindi, they said that as ratio-
dents.
nalists, they felt that though Sanskrit
They claimed that there were sev-
The IIT's website says it at present has 15 men’s hostels and two
had valued place as part of the culture and liistoryofcertain sections in
eral students‘ organisations active on the premises propagating the views
women's hostels and six dining halls
society. it also was an “instrument in
ofdiverse strands in society. A few oi
(messes). Ofthesc messes, one is nin
spreading a dominant brahminical
by staff members of the Ofiice of
narrative".
them are elected bodies while other forums oflike-minded groups are independent. They can organise programmes oftheir choice but in close coordination with their respective faculty advisers. But the strongest
decide what they could eat with rcgard to the controversy over the
Hostel Management, the other five (including one for girl students) are run by private caterers on contract, and there is also a food court. Students claim that there is a separate mess for Jain students. They say that only vegetarian food is served in the
mess halls, though students are al-
'5T|FL|NG D|55ENT'
The recent developments, their mail pointed out, indicated “how dominant the establishment had become when it came to stifling dissent“. The IITM, they said, had rejected many oftheir moves. They faced stiff resist-
content ofour discussion are correct and as per the Constitution," the mail
contended.
presence on the campus is rightwing groups such as the Vivekananda Study Circle; the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamscwak Sangh) shakha; Hare
ancc when they tried to bring personalities such as Prof. Chaman Lal of Jawaharlal Nehru University
Rama, Hare Krishna; Vande Mata1'a1n; and Dhruva, to name a few.
(JNU) through the institutions Ex-
DEAN'5 DEFENCE
tra Mural Lccturcs (EML), a platform for the IITM campus
The Dean, however, defended his dccision strongly in the present case.
progressive ideas in an “otherwise
community to interact with speakers
He maintained that certain proce-
retrograde emironment“. “If such a
from diverse fields.
dures were to he adhered to and that
lowed to bring in non-vegetarian
food. “Even this privilege would be withdrawn at any time,“ their mail said. The mail reiterated the essentiality of a group such as the APSC with
trivial freedom such as being able to
“Since its birth, the EMI. has 21
the APSC had violated the code of I-'RlIN'l'l.lNl-1
-
.|l'NF. Zn. 3015
conduct by misusing its privileges. He informed the media immediately after the study circle’s derecognition
and run most of the things through me, although some posters/events might have been missed,” he said.
partments and organisations that “no action should be taken on the anonymous/pseudonymous com-
that the action was inevitable and
In fact, IITM has a Department
plaints”. But the MHRD seems to be
taken after a detailed investigation
of Humanities and Social Sciences,
blissfully unaware of this. Nor does
into the allegations against the circle, which were “found to be true”. IITM (administered centrally by the Council of IITs) did not curtail
one of its oldest departments, founded in 1959, which allows students to develop an appreciation for diverse fields—including development stud-
IITM seem to have known about it. Chaman lal recalled the APSC’s invitation to him to deliver a lecture on “Bhagat Singh's thoughts on In-
the freedom of evpression but would expect all student groups to adhere to the guidelines, said the Dean, who
dia” on March 7. In his tweet, he said: “I was told
did not take his permission for the
ies, economics, English studies, environmental studies, history, international relations, philosophy, political science and sociolog'—and gives them a multidisciplinary back-
event that was organised on April 14to celebrate Ambedkar's birth anniversary. They did not show him the posters prior to publishing them, he said.
ground. A senior faculty member pointed out that a lot of socially relevant research projects were being undertaken. “Independently and also
comparison to Dalit and leftist student groups. I wonder how the Ministry of HRD took notice of an anonymous letter. One wonders whether this is the first step towards
But as the issue began sizzling, the Dean clarified that the derecog-
partnering with prestigious institutions such as the Asian College of Journalism, the Humanities Department has taken up research studies
acting against other universities like JNU, D.U. [Delhi University] and
on various issues, including manual scavenging, plantation workers’ plight and the labour movement." “How can such an institution of a
Association] and SFI [Students' Federation of India]. Is this the beginning of‘achhe din‘ for higher education in India?”
infrastructure for meetings and programmes aflzer informing the Board of Students (BoS), he said.) The APSC's case will have to be presented in a formal hearing before
very high repute with social grounding promote a majoritarian ideolo-
The row in its entirety kicked up
gy?” asked an academic at the University of Madras.
intellectuals and civil rights advocates on the critical issues relating to the freedom of expression that at-
the BoS, the institute body comprising both faculty and student representatives from the Students Afiairs Council (SAC). IITM Director Baskar Ramamurthi said that it was not
ANONYMOUS COMPLAINT
tempt to define the role and respon-
While the role of I ITM in this issue is squarely criticised, observers raise a vital question on the legitimacy of
sibility of students of any higher
the anonymous complaint based on
a ban and IITM had only sought an
which the action in question was ini-
defiance, the academics say. Students have gone on social media
explanation from the APSC on cer-
tiated against the student group. A
against the dereoognition, inviting
tain issues. “The issue will be sorted out soon,” he said. “But nothing short
circular from the Central Vigilance Commission dated November 25,
the views of all. On the first day of its posting, in the last week of May, it
of a total revocation of derecognition
2014-, on “Action on anonymous and
received 600 supporters and their
will satisfy us," said a student activist.
pseudonymous complaints” categorically instructed all Ministries, de-
number is growing.
added that the APSC coordinators
nition was “not based on political
stances”, and reiterated that it was just provisional and not a ban or a shutdown as portrayed widely by the
media and other online blogs. (The groups could make use ofthe campus
Members of the APSC also al-
by the students then that the IIT management is more in favour of rightist student groups on campus in
Jamia Millia and leftist student
groups like AISA [All India Students
an intense national debate among
education institution in this context. Dissent can never be construed as
The writer and activist Arund-
leged that the Dean had assumed the
hati Roy, in a statement, says that at a
role of their faculty adviser. (Each
time when I-Iindutva organisations
study circle will have a faculty adviser who guides them in organising
and media outlets are outrageously celebrating Ambedkar, the man who
events.)They said that they had been interacting with Associate Professor
Milind Brahme, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, as their faculty adviser. Brahme told Fron-
tline that he was under the impression that he had been the faculty
adviser for the APSC though there
was no official communication designating him as one. “But the stu-
dents of the APSC did contact me FRONTLINF.
-
.ll|NF.2h.l()l5
Anti-reservation students in the IIT had held protests inside the campus earlier. 22
publicly denounced Hinduism, as though he is their very own man; at a time when the Hindu nationalists’ campaign ofghar wapsi (a revamped
programme of the Arya Samafs “Shuddhi" programme) has been launched to get Dalits to return to
the Hindu fold, why is that when Ambedkafs real followers use the name or likeness of Ambedkar they get murdered like Surekha Bhot-
TH E H EAVI LY fortressed IIT Madras campus during a protest ouside it on June 1 mange’s family in Khairlanji? VVhy is
except the Bharatiya J anata Party
first woman politician to condemn
it that if a Dalit ma.n has a ringtone on his phone with a song about Ambedkar he gets beaten to death? Why has the APSC been derecognised? “It is because they have seen through this charade and have put their finger on the most dangerous
(BJP) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) in Tamil Nadu reacted sharply to the issue. One of the alumni, Deepak Johnson, former students' general secretary, called the action of the Dean a “shame to the institute“.
the derecognition. She asked its Director to allow free speech inside the IIT campus. Dravidar Kazhagam leader K. Veerarnani criticised the attempt to stifle progressive voices among the youth. “Their agenda is Hindutva
possible place. They have made the
Sitaram Yechury, general secre-
and it should be defeated," he point-
connection between corporate glob-
tary ofthe Communist Party of I ndia
ed out. Though a group of students
alisation and the perpetuation of caste. There is hardly anything more
and the majority of the faculty have accused the APSC of “whipping up a
tablishment than doing what APSC did —celebrating both Bhagat Singh
(Marxist), says the banning of the APSC “appears part of the larger design ofthe RSS’ ideological project of transforming the secular democratic Indian Republic into their version of
dents and their groups on the cam-
and Ambedkar. This is what has brought them into the line of fire. This is what is sought to be quashed. The APSC derecognition is a recog-
an intolerant fascistic ‘Hindu Rashtra'. Such a ban strikes at the very root of our constitutional guarantees, negating the spirit of an ‘adven-
pus have extended their solidarity to it. “The APSC could moderate the tone of its language used. The argument that IITM being an autono-
nition of a kind,” she said.
ture of ideas’ in institutions of higher
mous body can formulate its own
The Kerala-based Indian English
education and replacing our syncret-
guidelines to regulate the students’
Dalit poet S. Chandramohan points
ic civilisational history with Hindu
activities can only hold if such guide-
out that the resurgent Hindutva
mythology."
lines are not against the constitu-
threatening to this present ruling es-
frenzied campaign” against the IITM
management, the majority ofthe stu-
since the 2014» general elections has
A surprise support to the APSC
tional spirit ofthe nation,” felt Aditya
been rolling back the ongoing reconstruction of India along the demo-
came from the noted American mathematician David Bryant Mumford who, in his letter to IITM Direc-
Narayanan, who is doing his research in ocean engineering.
cratic and egalitarian ideals of Jyotirao Phule, Periyar and A1nbedkar. “The APSC’s rising against such
tor Baskar Ramamurthi, posted by the students on the social media, has
The students are overwhelmingly euphoric over the support they have
garnered. But they are also appre-
right-wing forces is a welcome sign of the dernocratisation and egalitarian
expressed his deep shock over its derecognition. “I bclicve campuses
hensive about a backlash. IITM's graduation pledge says: “We shall
student participation in nation-
must allow open discussions of divi-
devote all our energies to promote
building," he said.
sive issues even when it offends some
the unity and secular ideal of our
people so that all aspects of an issue
country and utilise our knowledge in
are out in the open,” he wrote.
the service ofour nation and society.”
Besides Congress leader Rahul
Gandhi and HRD Minister Smriti Irani's spat on the issue on Twitter,
Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, Dravi-
various political and social groups
da Munnetra Kazhagam MP, was the 23
They hope that the IITM management will live up to this pledge. El FRUNTLINF.
-
JUNE lo, Ztili
C Q
Arson at Atah The attack on the Muslim community at Atali, a village in Haryana, by a mob which included women gives the lic to the claim that minorities are safe under the present regime. BY T.l(. RAJALAKSI-llll IN BALLABHGARH
J. 1' -i .1 11 1 I I t.
r2
c i L
0 N E 0 F TH E I-I0 M E S that were attacked at Atati on May 25. [Right] Outside another attacked home.
THE 1,000-odd Muslims ofAtali village in I-laryana's Ballabhgarh tehsil, Faridabad district, have paid
lence were put on buses with tinted windows and driven to the Ballabh— garh police station, at nearly ll p.m.
to be told that policemen were on their way. The mob used cooking gas cylinders and petrol bombs to blast
heavily for attempts to build a mosque: nearly two dozen homes
Many ofthem had to be rescued from burning homes. Some 50 families
our walls and burn our vehicles. We took refuge inside our homes and on
and shops belonging to members of the minority community were burnt, looted and vandalised by a mob led by women and armed with hoes (pharsa, in local parlance) and other improvised weapons on the evening of May 25. The police were hope-
have been lodged in a makeshift tent
rooftops. With smoke all round us
at the police station, put up by well-
and we being pelted with bricks, we
wishers. Some other families have fled to safety further away. The Ballabhgarh police station is village. Some ofthe victims who have
were completely helpless.” Twenty people have been named in the first information report (FIR), most of them from the village; the victims claim that they know most of
lessly outnumbered, and they received reinforcements too late to
taken refuge there told Frontline that they had informed the police
the attackers. At the time of writing this report, no arrests had been
stop anything. No one was killed, but some two dozen people of the target-
about the mob build-up on May 25, well before the violence started. One
made. Nor were FIRs registered on behalf of each individual victim on
ed community received serious in-
of them said: “We made repeated
the basis of each of their statements,
juries. Curiously enough, not a single person in the rampaging mob was hurt. Around 8-30 p.1n., the police fi-
calls that day. The SHO [station house officer] came, but he lefi: leaving behind only five policemen. Wlien we saw the mob gathering, with women in the fi'ont, we made frantic calls to the police station, only
which was what the victims had wanted. The only apparent response of the government to the failure of law enforcement agencies to take ef-
nally managed to bring the situation under control. The victims ofthe vioFRONTLINF.
-
.lUNF.2h.l0l5
just six kilometres away from Atali
2|‘.
fective action has been to transfer the SHO who was on duty that day.
Though curfew was imposed in the village soon after the incident, under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal
Y
Procedure, youngsters were seen moving
around
freely
in
‘ ‘=
large
groups, and even reportedly assembling for meetings. “The day the Minority Commission members came to Atali, we pointed out one of the arsonists who was roaming freely.
The police nabbed him, but only to release him later," one of the victims
at
the
Ballabhgarh
camp
told
Frontline.
The trigger for the violence was
the
planned construction of a
mosque. Atali village has several
temples, including several “ancient” structures that look like they were recently built, but no mosque. The Muslims of the village, who have lived there for generations over sev-
eral centuries, travel to the nearest mosque in Ballabhgarh, nearly 13 km
away, to pray during Ramzan or on other religious occasions. Efforts to build a mosque in the village started in 2009, and some pillars were built. But the construction could not progress in the face of ag-
T H E H 0 5 0 U E under construction at Atali, which triggered the violence.
gressive posturing from members of the majority community. Moreover,
two residents of the village filed a case in the civil court alleging that
the mosque was being built on pan-
chayat land. On March 31 this year, Civil J udgc Vinay Sharma threw out
the claim. Village nambardar (keeper of records of land registrations) Isak Ali's son Naseem said: “We won
the case. They then approached the SDM [Sub-Divisional Magistrate]
court. The court held that individual appeals would not be entertained. We were prepared for a compromise
with the panchayat. The walls were VICTIM S of the violence at the makeshift camp at Ballabhgarh police station.
already coming up, only the roofhad to be put." An attempt to obtain a stay from the SDM’s court failed. On May 10,
lage of about 13,000 people. Jats dominate the village community, nu-
This relative and recent prosperity may have fuelled the anger of the
after completing the requisite ver-
merically and politically. Brahmins
majority community to some extent,
ification, the SDM directed that construction of the unfinished mosque
play a crucial role, too. Many of the Muslims are landless, but a few own
as suggested by the targeting of
should continue. The Communist
some livestock. Some, like Sharafat
pecially since some of the wealthier
Party of India (Marxist) has said in a
who works as a shifi manager at a
Muslims were known to be financing
statement that the May 25 violence
cinema hall, have salariedjobs, while
the construction of the mosque. But
was an attack on the “rule oflaw".
a few have done well in recent years
the entire community was attacked,
by securing government contracts
rich and poor alike. Victims at the
for infrastructural work.
Ballabhgarh camp said that an old
Muslims are a minority in Atali,
numberingjust about 1,000 in a vil-
25
homes and household appliances, es-
FR(]N"l"l.lNE
-
_Il.'NE 2h, Z015
.
whom Frontlinc spoke to said they had no say in the matters of men and that everyone was bound to accept the dictates of society.
J
The targeted community believes
IF'3~
the attack was premeditated. Sabir Ali, a contractor for the Electricity Board and the Health Department, said: “All our economic activities are
tied to the Jats. Barring the fact that we do the namaaz, there is nothing diiierent between the two communities. We share many similarities. Was there any need to do all this?”
He said that in 2009 the elders ofhis community had even “prostrated” themselves before the majority community leaders in order to reach a peaceful compromise. “We do not R A P I D A C T I ON F 0 R C E personnel deployed at Atali after the vioience.
want to fight. We want to live and let live. Why do they consider us inferior? Is it because we are landless?
But we are educated. They do not man was attacked on May 27. The victims also said that most of the village residents, cutting across caste lines, were involved in the attack. But
of the violence. The new SHO, Preet Pal, said that a police chowlci had been set up in the village after the incident. Two hundred Rapid Action
involve us in any village decisions. This was pre-planned, otherwise they w0uldn’t have the courage to attack us like this,” he said.
there were also some people from nearby villages among the attackers.
Force (RAF) personnel and 500 police personnel, including women,
Fmntlitne spoke to young people fi'om the majority community who
“We could see them from the roof-
have also been posted there.
said that in the days leading up to the
tops,” said Sharafat. The police told Frontline that
Atali village is in Prithla Assembly constituency. Tek Chand Sharma,
attack, meetings were held repeatedly in a temple and volunteers from
what made it so difficult for them to tackle the violent mob was that wom-
who represents the constituency, is the lone Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)
en were leading it and there were no
member of the Assembly and had
women police personnel available. “The police were not prepared for
been backed by Muslims of the constituency, including those of Atali
the Bajrang Dal were active in the village. There was a membership drive on, too. For two consecutive days after the incident, Bairang Dal volunteers reportedly met and as-
this eventuality. But these tensions
village. According to the grapevine, he won with the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) help. At any rate, he de-
always seem to get accentuated around panchayat elections. Some of the affected people are panchayat
sured the majority community of Full
“support”. The Atali incident is just one in a series of communal incidents that
members," said a senior police oilicer. Indeed, panchayat elections are
clared his support to the BJP soon
after he got elected. In the Lok Sab-
have occurred in recent months in the State. The attack on a church
scheduled to be held in Haryana in
ha, Faridabad is represented by
under construction in I-Iisar, inflam-
August. The officer added that in
Kishan Pal Gujjar, Union Minister
matory
comments
2009, too, it was around the time of
for Social Justice and Empowerment
claimed
leaders
the panchayat elections that tensions had flared up in the village. He ad-
and former president of the B.IP's State unit.
represent Hindus, and the activities of belligerent cow protection com-
mitted that the attack in Atali was one-sided and the main priority for
Members of the majority community at Atali made light ofthe violence. “It was a skirmish between
mittees encouraged by the recent legislation banning cow slaughter have set the pattern. In June last
A senior police oliicer who did
youngsters. Nothing major. These
year, an accident involving a youth in
not want to be named said: “There
things happen. They were building
were around 2,000 people in the
the mosque. There was a hardening
the Tauru-Mewat region was given a communal colour, following which
mob. The police had to be mobilised
ofpositions on both sides. That’s all,”
curfew was imposed. That there has
from all over the district. What could we do?” He could not give a satis-
said one of the village elders. Some urchins who took the Frontline team
been a systematic attempt to polarise
factory explanation as to why it took the police so long to reach the scene
through the gutted lanes were told oti by village elders. Some women
nal lines is now getting well estab-
the police was to “save” lives.
FRONTLINF.
-
.lUNF.2h,l()l5
26
by
self-pro-
claiming
to
communities in the State on commulished.
El
S O ClAL1SS_UES
In a land dispute that turned into caste violelicc, five members of a
Dalit family are killed in Dangawas village in Rajasthan. BV T.K. RAJALAKSHMI IN NAGAUR
DANGAWAS in Nagaur district
at Ajmer, are the only witnesses to
from the tourist town of Pushkar. The village was in the news recently
sions including trolleys, and razed a brick dwelling that had been constructed on the field. Three people died on the spot and the others suc-
for the wrong reasons: the wanton killing of six persons on May 14-, five
cumbed to their wounds in hospital. The dead and the injured were re-
on the Dalit family started with Ratnaram Meghwal staking his claim to
ofthem members ofa Dalit family. A
portedly run over with tractors. The
the piece of land by constructing a
dispute over the ownership of 3.77
only person other than the Megh-
dwelling on it in the first week of
hectares ofland saw the majority residents of the village getting mobil-
wals—Ratnaram, Pokarram, Pancharam, Ganpat and
May. I-Ie was, he reckoned, the rightful and legal owner ofthe plot.
ised on caste lines, with the sole intention of “finishing oft" the clai-
Ganeshararn—-to die was Rampal
of Rajasthan is just 59 kilometres
the carnage. Some women alleged that they were molested. The events that led to the premeditated attack
mants to the land, who in this case
Gosain, a non-Dalit, who succumbed to injuries from a bullet. The source
TRIN 5FER
happened to be 16 members of the Scheduled Caste Meghwal family.
of the firing is still shrouded in mystery.
The descendants of a Jat family claimed that the piece ofland, origi-
According to the first informa-
Even the women of the Dalit
nally owned by Basta Ram Meghwal,
tion report (FIR), a mob of around
family, young and old, were beaten
had been sold to Chimna Ram Jat in
200 Jats (survivors say there were more) chased them, beat them with
mercilessly. They and some of the young men, who were admitted to
1964 by one Ghisa Ram Meghwal. But, according to Section 4-2 of the
sharp objects, set fire to their posses-
the Jawaharlal Nehru Civil Hospital
1955 Rajasthan Tenancy Act, prop-
DALIT PROPERTY AND
4
‘ 5 U RV I VORS 0 F TH E ATTA C K on Dalit families in Dangawas—lleftl Khema Ram, who was run over by a tractor, and [right] women of the Meghwal family—at the Jawaharlal Nehru Civil Hospital in Ajmer. 27
|"RUl\Tll‘lF
|llNF2h
2015
erty owned by a member of a Scheduled Caste (S.C.) community cannot be transferred or sold to a person from any other community, including Scheduled Tribes. It says: “The policy of the State contained in Section 42 ofthe Act placing restrictions on transfers of land by persons belonging to S.C. or S.T. is in the in-
\_"\l'
terest of such persons and it cannot be allowed to be frustrated although
a person belonging to a S.C. or S.T. may be a party to such transfer unwillingly or otherwise. The disability
imposed on khatedars of S.Cs and S.Ts not to be able to alienate their land to non—S.C. classes is absolute and in their long interest as a group of weak persons. It is a legal provision to ensure securing the ends of a considered public policy.” As such, Jagdish Narayan Shar-
i"I. !;G\‘Il\
TH E SIT E of the murderous attack in the disputed area of 3.77 hectares of Land
which was claimed by both the Meghwals and a Jat family.
ma, Ratnaram’s counsel until recently, toldFr0ntlz'ne that the sale deed to Chimna Ram could well be a fab-
she had been molested by Chimna Ram’s sons; this oomplaint of hers
ricated one. Chimna Ram claimed
too was not taken cognisance of.
title to the property in 1998 on the
Again, a magistrates order was re-
Meghwals are among the more outspoken of Dalits in Rajasthan. Compared with other Dalit sub-castes, they have done relatively better for
grounds that he and his ancestors had held possession of the land for
quired for the police to register an FIR. Despite her statement recorded
themselves and are more assertive. In Nagaur, the Meghwals, de-
the past 35 years. It was rejected in
under Section 164 of the Code of
spite their low numbers, were lan-
2007. After Chimna Ram’s death the same year, his sons, who are the main
Criminal Proced|.u‘e, no arrests were made.
downers and were not entirely dependent on the landed upper
accused in the May 14 attack, produced the sale deed claiming that the land had been sold to their father by Ghisa Ram. Ratnaram filed a counter-claim that year that the title was his, but he withdrew it subsequently. However,
In the first week of May, Ratnaram, perhaps advised by his new counsel that the only way the matter could be settled was to take physical possession of the land even as the case over the title continued in court, decided to construct a dwelling on
castes although a few of them told Frontiine that land alone was not enough for economic sustenance and they worked for the other communities occasionally. “These are 21st cen-
his sons filed a suit claiming that the land could have never been sold to
the piece of land. That proved to be his nemesis.
democracy. It is not easy to bully them anymore,” said a local resident.
Chimna Ram as the original owner was a Dalit. They also challenged the
Had the departments of Revenue or Land Records not prevaricated on
“They descended on us like animals. Even animals are not treated
authenticity of the sale deed. After
settling the issue of ownership and
like this,” said Arjun Meghwal,
the oourt stayed further proceedings
title, the bloodshed could perhaps have been avoided. But seldom has
tury Dalits. The new generation has
grown up with ideas of freedom and
ters remained in limbo. Meanwhile, on April 10 this year,
the rightful ownership of land been
whose father and brother were killed. His mother, Bidarni, was admitted to hospital with fractured
restored to those in the lower rungs
arms.
the Jat claimants dug up a small area within the plot for a pond. Ratnaram
of the caste hierarchy. Revenue records show that the title to the land
Bhanwari, whose father~in~law was killed and who herself was ad-
went to the police station to file an
was with the Meghwals. There was no “mutation”, or transfer of title deeds, in the name of Chimna Ram Jat. Dangawas is a village dominated by Jats. According to the village patwari, ofthe 2,500 households in the
mitted to hospital with fracture, told ed the women. “I was hit on the head. I remember someone holding my arms and legs. I fainted after that. They hit us wherever they could,” she said. Her children had gone to school
village, there are 1,200 Jat families and 130 Meghwal families. The
and except for them and a few others the entire family was in the field
on the controversial sale deed, mat-
FIR, but the Station House Officer
(SHO) of Merta police station did not think the matter was serious. On April 15, Ratnaram got a magistrate’s
order to file an FIR. The FIR was registered on May 1. On April 21, Ratnaram's wid-
owed daughter-in-law alleged that FRONTLINF.
-
JUNE 2fi.l()l5
28
Frontline that the attackers molest-
when the mob came attacking. The village was reportedly mobilised to teach the Meghwals a lesson.
make necessary arrangements and
Rampal Gosain was called specially
The Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Merta has been given an Awaiting Posting Order. Indian Administrative Service probationer Ni-
tehsil civil hospital too where they
to join the “mela”, as one of his rela-
kya Gohain, the new SDM, was
were brought for treatment first. The
tives described it. “This was the third such meeting that he had been called for in the past two months. He said he would be back for lunch. But we only got his body. It was a village
trying his best under the new circumstances. The administration could have prevented the massacre at various
doors and windows of the hospital were broken. The State Human Rights Commission did not think it a fit case to
levels. One, by settling the land dispute, and two, by taking measures to
visit the village. It was only after P.L. Punia, Chairman, National Commis-
prevent the orchestrated build-up of tension. “Land is going to be a major issue in the coming years. And the majority ofdisputes involve land that has been forcibly taken away from Dalits by dominant castes,” said P.L. Mimroth, chief fimctionary, Centre
sion for Scheduled Castes, visited the village and other groups protested
matter. I-Iow could he have refused to join? It was only to ‘explain’ to the
Meghwals that the crowd had assembled. We had nothing to do with
them. They are Jats, we are Gosains,” she said. However, the Meghwals were never called to these meetings, she added. Like the Meghwals, the Gosains,
attend to their medical needs. The injured were attacked in the Merta
that a CBI inquiry was ordered.
After the Dangawas incident happened, the Congress got into proactive mode, demanding amendments to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of
with their 10 families, are a minority in the village. Rampal, who has left
for Dalit Rights. It is estimated that there are around 1.5 lakh revenue or land-related cases pending in courts
Atrocities) Act according to a Standing Committee report which recom-
behind his widowed mother, his wife
and one or the other litigant in each
mended the setting up of special
Sohni Devi, and three young chil-
case happens to be a Dalit.
courts for offences against Dalits ex-
dren, all under 10 years, worked as a loader, apart from doing other petty jobs. The first arrests were made six days after the incident. Six persons
Apart from posting police persons in the village and announcing
clusively at the district level. But the fact is that even during the Congress regime, atrocities against Dalits continued unabated. Dangawas will never be the same
some compensation to the dead and the injured, the administration has
protests in Delhi, Ajmer and Jaipur, the case was handed over to the Cen-
done little to clamp down on caste assemblies by the majority community. At the time of writing the report, a Jat mahapanchayat was being organised in a nearby village—as
anymore, said the residents of the village. The general feeling is that one had to abide by what the “village” wanted, which is a euphemism for
tral Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The Bharatiya Janata Party-led government of Vasundhara Raje reacted predictably. When asked by reporters about the slow pace of
Dangawas was under prohibitory orders as per Section 144- ofthe Code of Criminal Procedure—in order to mobilise support for those arrested. A State Minister was present at the
the dominant community. “Had Ratnaram succeeded in his objective of securing titular possession of the land, he would have opened a Pandora’s box,” said a lawyer on condition
arrests,
meeting.
of anonymity.
were arrested though 12 people were named in the FIR. Following a lot of
Home
Minister
Gulab
Chand Kataria said the government
“When we visited the injured,
It is doubtful whether the State
did not have any magic wand. The governments apparent reluctance to
they were so scared to talk. In the village, we found that the water sup-
government will intervene in the settlement of such disputes. The CBl’s
be proactive in the matter is understandable. Of the 25 Lok Sabha
plyto the Meghwal families had been disconnected and that they were tak-
investigation would at best reveal the cause of and the people involved in
members from the State, seven are
ing drinking water from a pond. The
the murders, but the remedy, as is
from the Jat community and there
compensation is very little and not
being recognised, lies in nothing less
are around three dozen MLAs {tom
enough for what the family has gone
than land reforms and land redis-
the same community in the 200member Assembly.
through,” said Kusum Sainwal, State secretary of the All India Democratic
tribution. That is a tall order. The J aipur-based Centre for Da-
ADMINISTRATIVE INDIFFERENCE
Women’s Association (AI DWA). She said that other Meghwal families in the village were also
lit Rights has compiled a list of 560 cases of discrimination, violence and
The indifference of the administra-
afraid to speak up after what had
the last one year from April 1,
tion showed itselfin many ways. The Superintendent of Police (S.P.) and
happened. The continuing caste
2014-. In addition to conflict over
meetings too had not helped in any
land, other atrocities against Dalits
the District Magistrate of Nagaur re-
way to restore confidence in the ad-
include not letting Dalit grooms ride
ached the spot 36 hours after the
incident.
ministration. So much so that the injured who are in hospital do not
horses (some 20 cases reported in 2014) and not allowing Dalits to cre-
A Deputy S.P. and the SHO of Merta tehsil have been suspended.
consider “going back” even though the administration has promised to
mate their dead in crcmatoriums or
27
atrocity against Dalits in the State in
enter temples. FRONTLINF.
El -
JUNE 20. 2015
SDCLAL LSSUES
R'
'
'th h t
Crimes against Dalits are on the rise in Maharashtra. Among the root
causes are land-grabbing and slicer rage of dominant castes against the “defiance” of the lower castes. er nut BAVADAM CASTE tensions are simmering
for this brutality was something as
came up to Sagar and asked for his
in Maharashtra, where in the past 12 months alone there have been seven caste-related murders. The seeming-
innocuous as his cell phone ringtone, “Kara lciti/1-1' halla, majboot Bhima-
name. When he replied, he asked Sagar to switch off his phone. Sagar refused, saying it caused no one any
ly low figure is significant because
cha killa” (Raise your voice all you want, Bhim's fort remains strong). It
the seven people lost their lives only
is a song of strength for Dalits, a
combined with his obviously Dalit
because of the lower social status as-
rallying cry with its references to soli-
surname, was enough for the man
cribed to them by birth. And the State revels in calling itself progres-
darity and community togetherness and the leadership of B.R. Ambed-
and his eight friends to attack Sagar and his cousins with beer bottles.
sive and modern. The murders were of a gruesome nature; it was as if
kar. The higher castes perceive it as
Akash said the bar owner called the
police who apparently replied they
some vengeance was being exacted.
defiance, especially if they nurture resentment towards Dalits. This is
Only some of these cases have been registered under the Scheduled
what seems to have happened in Shirdi.
Al-cash pointed out that that the police station was just two minutes’
Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Pre-
Sagar had come home to Shirdi
vention ofAtrocities) Act, though on
to attend a wedding. On May 16, he
As the fight turned more violent,
the face of it there are adequate pointers to a caste angle to all of
and two cousins went to a local beer bar. At some point, his phone rang
Sagar got the worst of it. He was hit, kicked, punched, dragged out of the
them. Analysis of National Crime
and this apparently annoyed some
bar in
Records Bureau (NCRB) data for crimes against Scheduled Castes un-
men in the bar. Recounting the story later, his brother Akash said a man
dumped onto a motorbike and taken away. His cousins alerted the rest of
der the Prevention of Atrocities Act from 2001 to 2012 shows that Maharashtra had 3,210 reported cases of
problem. That innocuous statement,
had no vehicle to come to the site.
walk away.
a semi-conscious state,
the family, but even a second appeal to the police station was turned down. The inspector apparently said, “He was just hit with a few bottles,
atrocities in this period. The State
Pradesh topped with 26,378 cases
wasn't he? He will be back in the evening.” Unsatisfied with this, the
followed by Tamil Nadu with 10,845.
boys gathered their friends and
Priyadarshi Telang of Manuski, an organisation that campaigns for so-
mounted a search. “We knew the general direction in which the bike
was ninth on the list, which Uttar
cial justice, says Maharashtra has an annual conviction rate of less than 3 per cent and thus holds the State “responsible for the increasing caste atrocities in Maharashtra". The lat-
i \L| .| F: if
-1
<1
est ease, the murder of a young Dalit
L. I.
man in Shirdi, highlights the growing trend ofviolence against Dalits in Maharashtra. On May 16, nursing student Sagar Shejwal was murdered and his body mutilated. The reason FRON'l'l.|NF.
-
JUNE Zn, EOI5
i1.
had gone and kept asking people,” said Akash, “and we finally found his body in a jungle.”
Significantly, the fight was captured by the bar’s security camera. This played a big part in the six ar-
rests that have taken place so tar. But what happened outside the shop was
SAGAR SHEJWAL, the Dalit
far worse and for this there are no
youth who was killed for his ringtone extolling Ambedkar.
witnesses. Once he was dumped on the bike, Sagar was taken to a wood-
30
ed area, where his body was later
found stripped of clothes and with multiple fractures and telltale marks of a two-wheeler having been driven
over him. The autopsy report said he died of multiple fractures. The six men have been booked, among other things, for murder and offences underthe Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Sagar's assailants belong to the Maratha caste and Other
Backward Classes (OBC). The other sis murders too highlight some commonalities. All of
them were caste-specific. ln all the reported cases, the aggressors were either from the Maratha community or from the OBCs, people belonging to communities just one level higher than Dalits in the caste hierarchy. Explaining this surprising lack of
empathy for their kindred folk, Paul
PA R E N T5 o F N IT I N AG H E. a Dalit teenager who was strangled in April
Divakar of the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights says that those communities which were not traditionally “upper caste", have now risen economically and are part of the power structure. Marathas, for instance, are new entrants to a high-
2014 for talking to a Maratha girl, outside their house at Kharda village in Ahmednagar. \folence against Dalits has been increasing in Maharashtra.
serious crimes as trivial offences (like the police inspector in Shirdi who told Sagar's family that it was just a
Manoj Kasab. The reason: Kasab became sarpanch thanks to reservation and Chavan was offended that he
er social standing. Keen to maintain
har brawl) or introduce a “Dalit—boy—
had been “usurped" by a Dalit. Ka-
this, they ally themselves with the
upper-caste-girl" love angle in order
sab's assailant was a Maratha and he
upper castes and prove their alle-
to lessen the gravity of crimes that actually have their roots in land-
was hooked under the Prevention of Atrocities Act along with 10 others
grabbing, sheer assertion of caste
who had helped Chavan.
giance by stomping on the traditional underdog, Dalits.
Another commonality in the
dominance, or rage by dominant
On April 25, 2014, Umesh Agale
cases is the police baulking at regis-
castes at what they see as “defiance”
was stabbed to death in a village in
tering cases under the Prevention of Atrocities Act. They either dismiss
or the lower castes “getting above themselves”. The Dal it writer and activist Anand Teltumbdc said: “This comes handy for the police to divert
Aurangabad district. He was suspected of having an affair with an upper-caste girl. Three Maratha men
lured Agale out of his house on the
attention and create indignation
preteirt oftalking to him, killed him
among the people. It is a typical ploy
in the adjoining fields and dumped
which extends to the judicial process too that the atrocity was not due to caste motive. Khairlanji [where four members ofa Dalit family were killed in 2006] exemplifies it wherein the lower court dismissed the argument
CRIMINAL OFFENCES
his body in a well. There was initial resistance to treating this as a caste atrocity case, but the police later registered it as such and booked the three men. Three days later, on April 28, a teenaged Dalit boy was strangled to death and his body was hung from a tree in Ahmednagar district because he spoke to a Maratha girl. The boy,
Some of the fatal crimes against Da-
Nitin Aghe, was taken from his
lits in the past 12 months arc listed below.
school by the girl’s brother and an-
that there was caste motive in the
gory incident."
On April 3, 2014, a former sar-
other man, beaten and then strangled. initial investigations did not
Shirdi where Sagar Shejwalwas
panch named Ganesh Chavan in .lal—
even treat the death as murder, let
killed.
na district assaulted a Dalit called
alone a caste crime. but later this was
TH E SPOT near the beer shop in
31
FR(]N‘Tl.lNE
-
_Il.'NE Zn, llili
reversed and a case was registered
under the Prevention of Atrocities Act.
On May 1, 2014, Manik Udage was crushed to death in a stone quarry by four Maratha men from his own village in Pune district because they objected to the celebrations Udage had planned for Ambedkar Jayanti. It took a year for the police to register a case under the Prevention ofAtrocitics Act.
A fortnight later, on May 16, Sanjay Khobragade, a Dalit activist in his
angle was “discovered”, in which the victim's wife was apparently engaged
forties, was set on fire in Gondia district. He was trying to prevent a high-
in a liaison with someone else. October 21, 2014, saw three of a
er-caste family from usurping land
family butchered in caste violence in
set aside for a Buddha vihar. Despite 90 per cent burns, Khobragade managed to give a dying declaration to the police implicating six people of a Powar family. They were charged
Ahmednagar district. Sanjay J adhav, his wife, Jayshree, and their son Sunil were murdered in the early hours of the day. When farm labourers told Sanjay Jadhav's brother they had not
under the Prevention of Atrocities
turned up for work, a search was ini-
Act but were set free when a new
tiated. The mutilated bodies of the
Maharashtra’s poor record Interview with Anand Teltumbde, writer and civil rights activist. BY |.n.4 BAVAIJAM ANAN D TELTUMBDE, writer and
to the higher court, the punishment
civil rights activist with the Committee for the Protection of Democratic Rights in Mumbai, has written extensively on Dalit issues.
is usually annulled. Khairlanji illustrates certain aspects ofthis process, but the recent judgments ofthe Pat-
He is unsparing in his analysis even
Ranvir Sena criminals in the ghastly
if it means highlighting the ills in
massacres of Dalits [in Bathani To-
the Dalit community. Excerpts from an interview he gave Frontline:
la] in Bihar that took place in the
In the past 12 months there have been at least seven recorded incidents of the killing of Dalits in Maharashtra that are clearly casterelated. What does this say about the liberal State of Maharashtra? Maharashtra has falsely ac-
na High Court acquitting all the
1990s do it far better. Actually, right L’
.
\.
\\ ir.
:1
’:, |_l
ANAND TELTUHBDE:
"Maharashtra has falsely acquired an image of a progressive State."
quired an image of a liberal and pro-
gressive
State.
Its
record
in
extremely low. There are no authen-
repressiveness is rather infamous. It is the land that produced Hindutva ideology; most of its proponents
tic figures; the available figures vary widely. In any case, the so-called
have been born here. The very fact that [Jyotirao] Phule and [B.R.] Ambedkar were born in Maharash-
conviction rate needs to be defined. For instance, the lower court may punish the culprits, but they may be acquitted by the High Court.
tra could also be construed as a response to this innate repressiveness.
Firstly, the dynamics of caste atrocities need to be understood.
Even the birth of the Dalit Panthers
Only cases that ignited a public hue
in the 1970s was tangibly in re-
and cry are discussed. My analysis of Khairlanji tells me that invariably
sponse to the caste atrocities that happened in the previous year. As regards caste atrocities, Maharashtra is at best a middling State.
What is the rate of conviction in cases oi atrocities against Dalits in
the State? I am not aware, but it has to be l)‘\lllI\l-1-.lli.‘\'I~'.3n
lflla
the real culprits are sheltered and some dummy people are projected as criminals. If there is public attention, the lower court invariably awards them harsh punishments,
from the first case of this new genre
of atrocity, Keezhvenmani in Tamil
Nadu in December 1968, there is no justice done to Dalits in atrocity cases despite the legal facade raised with the so-called Atrocity Act. This
Act with teeth also is rendered toothless by the system.
All the assailants in the seven cases mentioned are either Maratha or OBC. Can you explain this trend please? In the caste structure they are just one step ‘higher’ than Dalits and so some degree of empathy would naturally be expected, but this does not seem to be the case. (an this anger be linked to the fact that Dalits are making a successful effort to improve themselves? It is always the B.C./OBC who
has been perpetrating violence against Dalits. It is notjust one step
being higher than Dalits. That one step defines the kink in caste hie-
which may not be warranted in law based on the facts of the investiga-
rarchy, which divides caste and
tion. When the case goes in appeal
able. B.Cs/OBCs that interface Da-
32
non-caste, touchable and untouch-
men were found strewn around in a farm. The woman’s body was found with a deep injury on the head. The cause of this violence was attributed
to an alleged alliance between Sunil and an upper-caste girl. No immediate arrests were made, but later the very man who had filed the first infomlation report (FIR) was arrested.
He was the deceased man's nephew and the police maintain that the reason for the crime was a family dis-
lits in villages matter more than the so-called upper castes like Brahmins. Even in Phule’s
days, the combination of Shudras and Ati-Shudras that he carved out did not work. It is
1 :i
4'
.._£
the basic reason that a separate Dalit movement had to spring up. During the post-In-
dependence decades, the po-
R EPUBLICAN PARTY OF INDIA SUPPO RTERS protesting in Mumbai against the killing of three Dalits in Javheda in Ahmednagar district in November 2014.
litical-economic changes that
befell the agrarian sector aggravated
this
divide
and
brought Shudras in material contradiction vis-a-vis Dalits. I have amply explained this process in my writings and
explained what caused Keezh-
pute. Once this arrest was made, the charge of “family dispute” safely took the case out of the realm of the Prevention of Atrocities Act. Nothing more was heard about the initial
ones. There are many that have not ended fatally and many remain un-
claim that there was an alliance between Sunil and an upper-caste girl.
from pursuing justice. Dr V.A. Ramesli Nathan, general secretary of
reported because of the tedium ofthe legal process as well as dominant caste arrogance that deters people
venmani and all the atrocities thereafter. The land reforms, for instance, were implement-
On January 1, 2013, Ahmedna—
the National Dalit Movement for
gar district saw the murder of three Dalit men who worked as sqfiii kam-
ed to carve out a class of rich farmers in villages as an ally of
gars (cleaners). Sandip Dhanwar, Sachin Dharu and Rahul Kandare
Justice, says that at the national level conviction takes place in fewer than 10 per cent of the cases under the Prevention of Atrocities Act. Com-
the central ruling class, and
were called one morning to clean a septic tank at the house of Prakash Darandale, a Maratha. At 8 p.m., a relative of Dhanwar received a call
Indian Penal Code (IPC). He attributes the low percentage of convic-
nudes Dalits of the traditional
from the police saying he had drowned in the septic tank. Knowing
tions to poor investigation and implementation of the law.
safeguard of the jajmani sys-
two other peopie had accompanied
“In almost all eases, counter-
tem inherent in the caste sys-
Dha.nwar, the relative asked the caller about their whereabouts. He was told they had already left. A few hours later, he received another call from the police informing him that
cases are filed and the victim or their family is forced to withdraw their original case. In the special courts there is a nexus [between the authorities]. They do things like not filing
the other two were found dead in a well. The bodies of these two were mutilated, with Dharu’s head and limbs severed from the body. Cases
the charge sheet on time," said Nathan. If the Prevention of Atrocities Act is to be seen as the deterrent it is
the entire gamut of politics after the 1960s is explainable
under the Prevention of Atrocities Act were registered and the police
meant to be, then cases need to be resolved with some speed. While
said that it was related to honour
constitutional and legal means of
within this framework ofpolit-
killing because of some involvement
justice exist for Dalits, their imple-
ical economy.
with an upper-caste girl. These cases are just the reported
mentation is sluggish. For many this
the Green Revolution, a capitalist strategy in agriculture, on the one ha.nd enriches this
class and, on the other, de-
tem. The class contradictions between Dalits and the Shudra-caste rich farmers begin
manifesting through the familiar fault lines of castes. Every incident of caste atrocity may not explicitly expose these equations but they will be at
the root in some way. In fact,
33
pare this with the 44- per cent convic-
tion rate for cases filed under the
is as good as no law. FRUNTLINF.
El -
JUNE 2h, 2:115
P O Ll_Tl_C S
I‘\i\—
One sided contest As J ayalalithaa prepares to contest a by-election to firm up her ])iJ.\‘lIl()]l as Cliit-i’
.\lllllHlL‘l', the opposition, except the Left, is wary of what it sees as a losing battle. BY 'l'.S. SUBRAHANIAN
WITH the Assembly elections in
would contest against Jayalalithaa.
Tamil Nadu due in less than a year,
He said, “There is no question ofgiv-
the major opposition parties in the
ing a wide berth to elections in a
State seem to he least interested in putting up a fight against Chief Min-
democracy. Since we believe in democracy. we are confident that all
ister J ayalalithaa in the Assembly by-
those who light corruption and com-
election scheduled on .Iune 27. This,
munalism will pledge their support
despite every opposition party de-
to us. The CPI and the CPI(M) will
nouncing the Karnataka High Court
jointly introduce the candidate." G.
verdict of May 11 acquitting .Iayalalithaa in the disproportionate assets case, which has enabled her to contest this by-election, and despite their constant attacks on her govern-
Ramakrishnan, State CP I(M) secretary, however, was worried that “the ruling party will bring into play the official machinery and its moneypower in this election".
Every
The principal opposition party
major opposition party has backed off from the battle, citing the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra K21‘/.liagam's (AIADMK) money
the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), the Congress, the Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC), the
why the DMK wanted “to avoid" a contest. He recalled that afier the trial court's sentencing of.Iayalalithan on September 27, 2014, which obliged her to resign as the Chief Minister, the Election Commission took 75 days to announce the byelection to the Srirangam constituency, which had elected her in 2011. The announcement came only on Ja-
power, questioning the Election
Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra
nuary l2. But after the AIADMKleg—
Commission's (E.C.) neutrality, and
Kazhagam (MDMK), the Viduthalai
islator P. Vettrivcl vacated the R.K.
attacking the E.C. for announcing
Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the
Nagar seat on May 17 to make way
the R.K. Nagar election at short notice.
Puthiya Tamilagam have all decided not to contest. At the time ofgoing to
for Jayalalithaa to contest from there, the E.C. took just 10 days to
press, Vijayakanth, the film actor
announce the by-election, he pointed
LEFT TAKES UP CHALLENGE
who founded the Desiya Murpokku
out.
Only the Left parties—the Commu-
Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), had
Karunanidhi also noted sarcasti-
nist Party of India (Marxist), or the CPI(M), and the Communist Party of
not revealed whether his party would contest. He has not snapped the alliance forged with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. DMK president and former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi explained
eally how money power had played a big role in the Srirangam by-election
ment’s
"non-performance“.
India (C-Pl)—are in a mood to fight the election. After a meeting of the leaders of the two parties on June 3, R. Mutharasan, State CPI secretary, announced that a CPI candidate !-'Rl)‘\l'l‘I|\il"
-
ll"\'I~‘1n
101%
34
and how policemen had “acted with honesty and a sense of fair play” not only in that election but the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu also. “Vlfhen we, therefore, know clear-
giance to Vasan. However, the TMC
cadres' sympathies lie with the AIADMK, and they have made that clear to Vasan. This was one of the reasons for Vasan's refraining from any criticism ofJustice Kumaras\vam_v's verdict acquitting Jayalalithaa. “Just as we did not criticise the D'Cunhajudgment, we do not attack the latest verdict now," Vasan said.
FE)§
55’
His publicly stated stand on the
TMC's preference for an ally for the
coining Assembly elections is this: “We will go with the alliance that
people want."TMC cadres read it as a euphemism for forming a front with the AIADMK.
On June 2, Vasan explained why the TMC would not contest in R.K.
Nagar: “A political party's paramount dut_\-' is to take part in elections. A by-elcction was once a gauge
to measure the ruling party's performance. But those days are gone, and the situation today is that the niling party always wins the by-elections. ln particular, it is the ruling party which has won every one of the 22 by-elections that have been held in Tamil Nadu since 2001. On that
basis, the TMC did not contest the Srirangam by-election. N0 occasion has arisen to resile from that stand.
We, therefore, have decided that the
AIAD M K wo R K ER 5 campaigning in the R.K. Nagar constituency on June 1+. l_v what kind oftrcatmcnt deniocraey will receive in this l)_v-election. and
DM DK or the Congress ifthcse par-
the Assembly elections are to be held
ties contested from R.K Nagar, which, it hoped, would prepare the
within a year. the DMK does not
ground for an alliance with one of
want to contest in R.K. Nagar," he
them for the 2016 elections. But it
said.
did not happen. One DMK leader
T.K.S. Elangovan, DMK spokes-
said that “the Congress is only a sec-
man, said that the DMK contesting the by-election would be a “waste of energy and resources". He added that the DMK was “preparing for the bigger event” of the 2016 Assembly
ond option for us alter the TM C" led by G.K. Vasan in the Assembly elections. lf the DMK were to forge an alliance with the TMC, the C PI(M) and the CPI might also come into the fold. In the DMK's reckoning, this
elections and wanted to "take the message of the all—round failure of the AIADMK government to the
people in the coming months“. Informed sources said that the DMK was worried that ii'.laya1alitl1aa won by a big margin against a
would bring in Vijayakanth, too. The TMC was founded only on
November 3, 2014-, after Vasan quit the Congress. But the DMK is keen
TMC will not stand in the R.K. Nagar by-election." The BJ P seems to be divided on the issue. Pon. Radhakrishnan,
Union Minister of State for Shipping, said on .]une 2 that his party would consult allies such as the PMK and the DMDK before deciding on fielding a BJP candidate. Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, the State BJP president, said on the same day that the BJ P would back the DMDK ifthe latter contested. Meanwhile, Union Finance Minister AI'un Jaitley has categorically
said the BJ P would not team up with either the AIADMK or the DMK for the 2016 Assembly elections.
on an alliance with this nascent par-
COMPETING AMBITIONS
ty. This is because the TMC claims to
One party that both the BJP and the DMK seem to be wooing with an eye
DMK candidate, she would start propaganda that the people were
have grown beyond its own expectations with a membership ot'45 lakh.
with her and not the DMK. The party
Almost the entire Congress cadre
though it is emaciated alter the
reportedly planned to back the
base in the State has shifted alle-
crossing over ofscveral ofits legisla-
35
to the 2016 elections is the DMDK,
I-'RlIN'l'l.lNl-1
-
.|l'NE Zn. 3015
tors to the AIADMK in the last couple of years. The rub is that
accommodate Vijayakantlfs ambition, of either leading the alliance or
Karunanidhfs son M.K. Stalin, who is the DMK treasurer, is a powerful
Vijayakanth, an aspirant for the Chief Minister's post, would like to
being a chief ministerial candidate. What is, in a way, thwarting the
contender for the Chief Minister’s post and a natural leader for any alli-
lead the alliance himself, whether he
opposition unity is that there are at
ance that the DMK may stitch up.
is in the company ofthe DMK or the BJ P. There is no way the DMK can
least three chief ministerial aspirants among the opposition parties now.
Then there is Dr Anbumani Rainadoss, son of the PMK founder Dr S.
was not enough for Karnataka to say
Little choice
that it had already discharged its
THE Karnataka government has fi-
cision, which dramatically over-
nally decided to file a special leave petition (SLP), under Article 136 of the Constitution, in the Supreme Court challenging the acquittal of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and three others in the 19year-old disproportionate assets case. Legal experts see the decision,
turned the trial court’s verdict, has been seen by many legal pundits, including Acharya, as being riddled with legal and arithmetical flaws. In particular, Justice C.R. Kumaraswamy's methodology in computing
the quantum of disproportionate assets is seen as problematic. While
duties by setting up a special court, hosting the trial and appointing a
Special Judge and an SPP. A former AG said: "With the Supreme Court clearly stating that Kamataka is the sole prosecutor in the case it has a constitutional right to file an appeal. It cannot abandon the legal process midway.” Amid speculation that the Kar-
which came on June 1, as afait accompli since the special public pros-
the trial court’s calculation (page 852 of the judgment) of 10 loans
ecutor (SPP), B.V. Acharya, the
taken byJayalalithaa, the three oth-
State’s Advocate General (AG) Ra-
ers and their firms from national-
nataka government was not keen on filing an appeal because of political and other considerations, the State's Law and Parliamentary Af-
vivarma Kumar, and the Law Department had all strongly
ised banks amoimts to Rs.l06,731,274-, the learned judge
fairs Minister T.B. Jayachandra sought, through the La.w Depart-
recommended that the State should
of the High Court totalled these at
ment, two legal clarifications from
appeal. (Karnataka is the Supreme
Rs.241,731,27-1-. This grave miscal— culation, according to Acharya, re-
the AG. This move, which came after the SPP and the AG had given
sulted in the acquittals. A corrected computation would push up the
their recommendations, were seen
Court-designated prosecuting agency in the case.) The State government thus had little choice but to
appeal
against
the
as “delaying tactics”. What the Law Department
quantum of disproportionate, unexplained assets to 76.76 per cent, way beyond the 8.12 per cent assumed by the High Court. The controversial
tion from the competent authority was necessary for filing an appeal and whether the consent of the ChiefJustice ofthe Karnataka High Court was necessary to appoint an
order also suffers from
SPP to argue on behalf of the State
vocate in the case,
:- legal infirmities such as including high-value
before the Supreme Court. Ravivarma Kumar felt it would be a “great
Sandesh J. Chouta, authorised by the Su-
§ cash gifts received from persons who later
travesty ofjustice" to allow the High Court’s acquittal of Jayalalithaa to
Karnataka High Court’s May 11 verdict
exonerating Jayalalithaa and the others of all corruption charges. Law Department officials said that the SPP and his junior ad-
chaired
wanted clarified was whether sanc-
government
become “final” by not appealing. He
boards and corpora-
pointed out that requirement ofany
one of the State government’s “advocates on record”
tions as legitimate income; and recognising as legitimate
“sanction from a competent authority” was absurd since the question of
(standing counsel) in New Delhi in
a debatable newspaper subscription
sanction arose only at the prosecu-
the first week ofJuly when the court
scheme that had been established as
tion stage, in particular, prior to tak-
reopens after the summer vacation. It is a time when the court takes up
fake by the trial court. Commenting on the decision to
ing cognisance of the offence against a public servant. He pointed
urgent matters. Legal experts believe that the apex court is likely to admit and hear the case expeditiously, in keeping with the general trend in corruption cases. The Karnataka High Court’s de-
appeal, Acharya said: “The government has gone strictly on the legal merits of the case and the advice of the Law Department, the AG and myself. This is a fit case for an appeal.” Legal experts explained that it
out that it was the constitutional right of the government to file an appeal and that consent from the ChiefJustice to appoint an SPP was also not needed as the State had the powerto do so under the Kamataka
preme Court, would
file the SLP through
U\ll'll\lF
.lUYI'3h
101’:
B.V. ACHARYA.
36
Ramadoss, and Vijayakanth. The
massive turnout at a public meeting in Madurai on May 24 has enthused Stalin. Addressing the meeting, he urged the people to rally under one front for the Assembly elections. “I have come to Madurai to draw the
law Ofiiccrs (Appointment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 1977.
Legal experts pointed out that the Governor ofTamil Na-
\
du had granted “sanction” for Jayalalithaa’s
prosecution.
That was way back in 1997. and without it the court could not
DMK PRES1DENT M. Karunanidhi.
CHIEF MINISTER Jayalalithaa.
have proceeded against her.
The validity of that decision
first battle line to put an end to four
The ruling AIADMK, mean-
was upheld in 1997 by both the
years of the AIADM K's atrocities," Stalin said. He spoke of the
while, is an awkward situation. Cadres are jubilant that .Iayalalithaa
AIADMK governments non—per-
is back in the saddle, but there is
formance on a variety of fronts and accused the AIADMK of not fulfilling the promises it had made to the people. “It is a crime if you maintain silence and do not fight against injustice,” he said. The PMK is ploughing a loncly
nervousness at the party's top echeions after the Karnataka government decided to file an appeal in the Supreme Court against her acquittal.
trial court and the Madras High Court. Denying any delay on the part of Karnataka to file an appeal, Jayachandra told Frontline: “Legally we had 90 days
to file an appeal and we have
'l'he party is wary ofaligning with
delay?" He also insisted that the Congress high command
tional Democratic Alliance (NDA)
the BJP for the Assembly elections because it fears the loss of minority community votes. Besides, the TMC, which s\vears by secularism, will not join the AIADMK bandwagon if it allies with the BJ P. In the coming months, the
led by the BJP, but it is only a sullen
AIADMK plan is to galvanise the ad-
was in no way concerned, nor
and inactive partner in the coalition.
ministration, complctc pending in-
was it consulted on the question. “This is a State matter, not
A united opposition is yet to materialise, but Tho]. 'I‘hirumavalavan,
frastructure projects, organise the much-vaunted Global Investors‘
a party matter, so where is the need to seek advice from the
VCK founder, has set his sights far
Meet in September, and project itsell
afield. His party is organising a con-
as a formidable party under a strong
ference on .Iune 9 in Chennai on
leader.
done it well within that period. I had sought some clarifica-
tions from the AG. Once the clarifications came and the Cabinet met we took a decision. So where is the question of a
high command?" The Minister also said that the Supreme Court, when transferring the case to Kama-
taka in 2003, had “trusted [the] high reputation of the Karnataka judiciary, and the
State, as the prosecutor. “Vi/e are not against anybody. But we
have been declared by the Supreme Court as the sole prose-
cuting agency and we cannot move away from this responsibility. Iiegally we have no
choice but to appeal and take the case to its logical end.” Ravi Sharma
furrow. S. Ramadoss has repeatedly ruled out an alliance with either the DMK or the AIADMK_ The party
may not have walked out of the Na-
“Forming Coalition Governments in
Its leaders are confident that it
Tamil Nadu”. 'I‘hirumavala\~'an met the Left leaders Ramakrishnan and Mutharasan, MDMK leader Vaiko and Vijayakanth, enlisting support for his idea. After meeting Ramak-
can return to Power in 2016 without any allies if the opposition remains fractured. As a forerunner, it is keen on proving in R.K. Nagar that the people arc with it. And it is against
rishnan, he told reporters: "For a long time in Tamil Nadu, political
this backdrop that the AIADMK flagged off its campaign from the constituency on May 31.
parties representing marginalised communities and the minorities and the Leit parties are unable to share
But now that the Leit parties have decided to send a candidate into
power. For 20 years now, coalition
the ring against Jayalalithaa, the
governments have become the norm at the Centre. A similar situation
other opposition parties—the DMK, the Congress, the TMC, the MDMK
should be brought about in Tamil
and the VCK—may find themselves
Nadu. We are engaged in such
in a quandary: to support or not to
efforts."
support the CPI nominee. 3'7
Cl
I-‘RllN'I'l.lNl-1-.|l'NF. 2o.3lI1S
POLITICS
apital stand-off The hattlc over the (lL‘\'l)lllil()ll oi“ po\\m'.-' between the Delhi government
on the one side and the Lt Governor and the Central government on the other points to an attempt at political sabotage of an elected government. BY AJOY ASHIRWAD HAHAPRASHASTA
THE initial stand-off between Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejri-
wal and Lieutenant Governor (LG) Najeeb Jung over the appointment of a temporary Chief Secretary has developed into a full-blown constitu-
tional battle over the crucial issue of devolution of powers. In early May, Kejriwal objected strongly to the
LG's unilateral decision to appoint Shakuntala Gamlin Acting Chief Secretary in the absence of ChiefSec-
retary K.K. Sharma, who was on leave for 10 days. Jung claimed that he was well within his constitutional right to appoint oflicials without consulting the Chief Minister. The confrontation triggered a legal conflict. The appointment was blown out
of proportion as Kejriwal accused Shakuntala Gamlin of lobbying with the government to promote the in-
terests oi'Reliance-owned power distribution companies (discoms) in the
city. Shakuntala Gamlin was in the midst of a controversy when Delhi‘s
Power Minister Satyendra Jain alleged that she insisted that the power discoms be given “letters of comfort",
if not a loan guarantee, which may have given the discoms loan guaran-
tees of Rs.11,000 crore. Kejriwal, who has consistently spoken about the high-handedness of the discoms and refused any form of loan guarantee to them, saw Shankuntala Gan1lin’s appointment as astrategic move
by Jung and the Central government to protect the discoms. He alleged FRUNTLINF.
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.lUNI~'.3h, 2015
HF
2
L T G ov ER N 0 R N AJ E EB JU N G greets Chief Minister Anrind Kejriwal after administering the oath of office to him, in New Delhi on February 14. 38
that his requests for substitutes had always been turned down by the LG and hinted at foul play in the ap-
ing Delhi Police personnel. However, a few days later, the Supreme Court, hearing the Central government's
pointment ofShakuntala Gamlin by-
petition, issued a notice to the Delhi
Democratic Alliance (NDA) govemment at the Centre is rooted in one
passing many senior bureaucrats.
govemment and asked it to file its
clause of the National Capital Terri-
Soon after this face-off, the Union Home Ministry issued a gazette notification to the Delhi government on May 21 restraining its Anti-Corruption Branch from acting
response within three weeks. The Supreme Court bench refused to stay the High Court order but added that the High Court ruling on the May 21
tory (NCT) Act, included as the 69th amendment to the Constitution in 1991. The NCT Act created the provision for an elected Delhi government
and promoted Delhi’s status from a Union Territory to a half-state. Both
the Central government as a direct
notification was tentative and would not be binding. This observation by the apex court has complicated the legal conflict further.
attack on the Delhi government,
The unique status of Delhi as a
differently to defend their stand-
which was elected on the agenda of curbing corruption and crony cap-
half-state and the multiplicity of authorities have always been a cause of
italism.
trouble in administrative affairs. It is
The bitter battle took a dramatic twist when Kejriwal got Principal
because of this that both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party
points. The Article states: “There shall be a Council of Ministers consisting of not more than 10 per cent of the total number of members in
Secretary (Services) Anindo Majumdar’s office locked to prevent him
(BJP) had demanded “full statehood" for Delhi. Kejriwal renewed
from carrying out the orders of the
the demand in his campaign with
LG and ordered all bureaucrats not
added vigour. In his first stint as
to act on any order from the LG without consulting him. Following this, Jung, in a strongly worded letter to Kejriwal, asserted his constitutional
Chief Minister, for 49 days in 201314-, Kejriwal dramatically sat on a dharna outside Rail Bhavan to demand control over Delhi police.
right to appoint and transfer officials—right from stenographer to
The unique status of Delhi gives the Central government fi.ill control
Chief Secretary—in the city govern-
over public order, land, and the po-
ment's administration and nullified
lice, while the Delhi government is in
all orders of the Delhi government in
charge ofgeneral administration and
the previous week. The ego tussle worsened when an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator, in an emergency session of the Assembly, sought the amendment of the Constitution to
welfare. It is for this reason that
allow impeachment of the LG. In an effort to resolve the crisis, Kejriwal met President Pranab Mukheijee and said he was ready to
in Delhi. Prem Shankar J ha, a senior journalist, wrote in one of his articles: “Today Arvi nd Kejriwal heads a gov-
accept Shakuntala Gamlin's appointment, but sought the Presi-
ernment in a territory that is larger than ll Indian States that enjoy full
dent’s intervention to ensure that the
autonomy under the Indian Consti-
LG did not intervene in the Delhi administration's functioning on a day-to-day basis. He alleged that Jung had been commanding senior-
tution. He heads a party that has
level bureaucrats directly without consulting him or his Council of Ministers.
dia's 67 years of freedom—and 96 per cent of the seats in the State Assembly. But he is being prevented
the Legislative Assembly, with the Chief Minister at the head to aid and
Amidst this fiasco, Kejriwal re-
from taking decisions that he and his
advise the Lieutenant Governor in
ceived a boost when the Delhi High
Ministers feel are necessary to enable
the exercise of his functions in rela-
Court, while hearing the Delhi gov-
them ‘to deal with matters ofconcern
tion to matters with respect to which
ernment’s
the
to the common man’ by an unelected
the Legislative Assembly has power
Home Ministry’s notification “suspect” and ruled that the Delhi gov-
appointee of a Central government
to make laws, except insofar as he is,
that was wiped out in the very same
by or under any law, required to act
election that brought the AAP to
in his discretion.... Provided that in
power."
the case of difference of opinion be-
against Central government officials in the city. Kejriwal saw this move by
petition,
termed
ernment had the authority to probe Central government officials, includ-
Jung's recent actions have been viewed by some political observers as the Central government’s attempt to engineer an administrative paralysis
secured an unprecedented 54 per cent of the vote—the highest won by any party in any election during In-
39
The political tussle between the AAP government and the National
Kejriwal and the LG have interpret-
ed Article 293AA (4) of the NCT Act
\
-1
/
‘I.
'2'
ll
r
Z
ARVIND KEJRIWAL addressing
the special session of the Delhi Assembly, called to discuss the issue of power-sharing with the
Lt Governor, on May 27.
FRUNTLINF.
-
JUNE 2:». 2015
l
tween the Lieutenant Governor and his Ministers on any matter, the Lieutenant Governor shall refer it to
the Lieutenant Governor‘. The phrase ‘aid and advise‘ may seem fiizzy, but exactly the same phrase is
pointed to serve directly under the Chief Minister, as well as the department ministers, bypass them and re-
the President for decision and act
used to describe the relationship be-
port to an extraneous authority—the
according to the decision given
tween elected governments and the
LG—to whom no such power is con-
thereon by the President and pending such decision it shall be competent for the Lieutenant Governor in any case where the matter, in his
President of India and Governors of States (Article 74 (1), 163 (1)). The CoM was responsible in all cases to their respective Parliaments and As-
ferred either by the Constitution or the NCT Act, 1991,” Subramanium said. Prem Shankar Jha noted that the conflict had arisen out of Jung's
opinion, is so urgent that it is necessary for him to take immediate ac-
semblies, including the CoM of Delhi
refusal to allow the Chief Minister and his Cabinet the freedom to
(Article 75(3), 164(2), 239AA (6)). If ‘aid and advise’ was interpreted liter-
tion, to take such action or to give such direction in the matter as he deems necessary.” The Article is unclear about who the head of Delhi is. While some senior bureaucrats and constitutional experts have read the Article as one which gives full powers to the LG to
licitor General Indira Jaising is ofthe view that Jung overstepped his juris-
LG decisions and the subsequent Home Ministry notification were dangerous precedents set by the NDA government at the Centre as such political sabotage of an elected
take executive decisions, some other legal experts are at variance with the
diction. She said, “There is no provision
government not only undermined the core federal principles of govem-
view. The constitutional expert Sub-
in the Constitution or in the NCT of
ance but also subverted the whole
ash C. Kashyap said: “The Union
Delhi Act, 1991, or any ofthe laws,
idea of parliamentary democracy.
Territory is administered by the LG. The Council ofMinisters is to aid and advise him. In case of service matters, it is the LG’s call. In such a
granting to the Lieutenant Governor the power to act at his own discretion in the matter of appointment of the Chief Secretary." She filrther said that there was no provision in the
As the AAP government completes 100 days in power in Delhi, it has already seen many minor skirmishes with the Union government,
matter, the Chief Minister should go to the LG and sort things out."
ally, the CoMs would become adviso-
ry and parliamentary democracy would be worthless,” he wrote in one news website. Similarly, former Additional So-
Transaction of Business Rules which empowers the LG to issue direct or-
The present melee could do more harm than good to the Union government.
ders to bureaucrats bypassing the elected government. She said that
the issue needed no fiirther interpretation as the power ofthe Governors had clearly been stated by the Supreme Court in Shamsher Singh vs
choose the officials they would work with. Political observers and parties in the opposition, too, felt that the
this being the most recent and the biggest. Fearing further such interventions by the Central govemment, the Delhi government, after the High Court order vindicating Kejriwal, has renewed its efforts to strengthen
State qfPunjab (I974), where it ruled
its Anti-Corruption Branch. In a deft political move, it sought police personnel from various non-BJP States for its Anti-Corruption Branch.
that the Governor had to act only in
Politically, Kej riwal has succeed-
accordance with the aid and advise of
ed in turning the tussle in his favour
the Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister. She added that
on the ground. The AAP's campaign during this turf war has not only ce-
the appointment of officials was an executive matter and must be taken
mented Kejriwal’s position as a crusader against corruption but also
However, many prominent legal
up by the Council ofMinisters as had
experts said that such an under-
been delineated in the Rules of Busi-
succeeded in pushing the BJP into a corner.
standing would be a silly literal
ness and the Cadre Rules.
translation of the Article. They view this Article as one that gives the
Both former Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium and the promi-
halla sabhas for participatory gov-
elected government clear powers to make laws and expects the DG to
nent lawyer K.K. Venugopal stood in support of Kejriwal and were of the
number of welfare measures such as reduced water and electricity tariffs,
exercise his functions through the
view that the LG’s decisions violated
elected government.
the stated norms of governance and
With the AAP launching 11 moernance and initiating a significant
yer, said the LG was playing tricks
were against the constitutional scheme. “Insofar as the control over
with the Constitution. “The a.rrange-
such ofiicers is concerned, the only
ment between the elected CoM [Council of Ministers] and the nom-
authority which ought to exercise control would be the Chief Minister
the report card of the Delhi govemment also seems to be a positive one. The growing popularity of the AAP in the national capital has come at the cost ofthe NDA’s dwindling reputation as a pro-people government. In such asituation, the present melee
inated LG was that the CoM with the
and the Cabinet... It is not possible that any of the officers who are ap-
could do more harm than good to the Union government. El
Rajeev Dhawan, prominent law-
CM as its head would ‘aid and advise FRONTLINF.
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60
THE STATES
A
i
Cl l)
The TRS government in Telangana has seen ups and downs during its first year in office, but the ]1t‘()]1lL‘ sccin to he in :1 mood to give the Cl1iL'i'l\"li11istt‘|' lll()l'L‘ time. BY KUNAL SHANKAR any one of us strays fiom the path Qfachietiing a separate Telangana, stone us.”
K. Chandrashckhar Rao, quoted in Frontline, June 22, 2001.
ON May 17, 2001, when Chandrashekhar Rao threw this challenge
at the Simha Garjana (roar of the lion) rally at Karimnagar, it marked the revival ofthe Telangana agitation
after three decades. The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) that he formed after leaving the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) ibllowing differences with N. Chandrababu Naidu was to be the
spearhead ofthe movement. The Na-
K. C HANDRASHEKHAR RAO taking the oath of office as Chief Minister of
tional Democratic Alliance (NDA) government's decision to carve out Uttaranchal (Uttarakhand), Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh as three new States from Himachal Pradesh, Bi-
the new State of Telangana in Hyderabad on June 2, 2014. in November 2009 when Chan-
ekhar Rao in December 2010.
drashekhar Rao went on an indefinite fast demanding the introduction
With the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha passing the Telangana Bill
har and Madhya Pradesh respective-
of the Telangana Bill in the Lok Sab-
in early 2014-, the decks were cleared
ly gave Chandrashekhar Rao the impetus to move decisively for the bifurcation ofAndhra Pradesh.
ha. He ended his fast on the Ilth day
for the birth of the 29th State of In-
amid growing violence and tension
dia, which subsequently came into
when the then Union Home Minis-
being on June 2, 2014-, with Chan-
gion by the Andhra Pradesh govern-
ter, P. Chidambaram, announced that the government would start the
drashekhar Rao taking the oath of office as ChiefM inister following im-
ment, irrespective of the party in
process of fomiing a separate State.
prcssivc victories for his pa1'ty in the
power, over the decades was Chandrashekhar Rao’s recurring theme as
The TRS kept up the pressure on the Centre through college students
elections from the Telangana region
he took his party out of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) I govem-
(described as "wheels of the movement” by Chandrashekhar Rao), gov-
the Assembly (63 of I19 seats). The going has been anything but
ment at the Centre and walked out of
ernment employees, teachers and
smooth from the beginning. The
the alliance government in Andhra Pradesh alter quitting the post of
others, despite counterpressure from the Samyukta Andhra movement for
TDP took him on on his promise that he would make a Dalit the Chief
Deputy Speaker. Drought-stricken
keeping Andhra Pradesh united.
Minister. Said State TDP president
The neglect of the Telangana re-
to the Lok Sabha (12 of 17 seats) and
farmers, out-of-work weavers and
The efforts eventually paid off af-
L. Ramana: “First, he [KCR] said
tribal and other poor people were the ones he walked with to create a new Telangana. The turning point arguably came
ter several twists and turns involving, among other things, the setting up of
during the election campaign that he would make a Dalit the Chief Minister. I-Ie said he will cut his throat ifhe did not. Now he has made all his
the Srikrishna Commission and the rejection of its report by Chandrash41
FRDNTl.lNl~'.
-
JUNE 2h, Zlili
family members Ministers." Rao’s son, K.T. Rama Rao, is a Cabinet Minister in charge of Information
National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). The higher education sector is al-
over 600 since the formation of the State, officially the number is about a hundred. Chandrashekhar Rao re-
Technology and his nephew T. Hari-
so caught up in allegations ofcorrup-
futes the charge of distress and says
sh Rao heads the Irrigation Ministry.
tion in the appointment of teaching
the numbers are exaggerated (see in-
Soon after taking charge, Chandrashekhar Rao appointed a Dalit Madiga leader, T. Rajaiah, as Deputy Chief Minister with the charge ofthe Health Ministry. The appointment
stafif, and so on. Chandrashekhar Rao says a “stringent new mechanism for appointment ofVice-Chancellors will be in place soon” and adds
terview). He acknowledges a decline in the sector but blames the govemments of undivided Andhra Pradesh for doing “great injustice” to Telan-
that the reason for not appointing them right now is “intentional”. The strategy for pulling farmers
gana by not allocating enough funds for agriculture. There may be some truth in this considering that 68 per
out of their misery rides on Mission
cent of the catchment area of the Krishna river is in Telangana, but the region got only 32 per cent of the water. Also, 69 per cent ofthe catch-
was welcomed, but an epidemic of swine flu, the worst the region has
experienced so far, led to the sacking of Rajaiah in January this year. Chandrashekhar Rao initially defended his deputy, saying the swine flu deaths were not Rajaialfs responsibility alone. But following a rise in the number of deaths, 60 by mid-
and agricultural revival plan with an outlay of Rs.20,000 crore over five years. Tenders have been floated online and contractors selected to dig over 46,000 tanks in the hope that
February, and a slew of bad reports in the media, heads rolled.
when the rain does come, they will get filled and help improve the
with the Chief Minister's one year in office is lawyers. The legal fraternity
ground water level.
played a vital role in legitimising the
In the education sector, his sup-
Kakatiya, an ambitious irrigation
ment of the Godavari is in Telanga-
na. A section that is rather pleased
port base ofteachers and college stu-
Speaking to Frontline, the new
separate Statehood demand. The
dents is disappointed with the budgetary allocation for the sector. The government initially announced an allocation of Rs.I6O crore for this
Telangana Congress Committee president, Uttam Kumar Reddy, al-
Rs.10O crore “fund for their development" and the Chief Minister's proactive approach to find a solution to the division of the judiciary be-
year, but increased it by another Rs.100 crore following protests by the stafi‘ of Osmania University
lower-level cadres of the TRS. This criticism is echoed by leaders from the Lelt and the TDP. Communist Party of India State secretary Chada Venkat Reddy said, “Big tanks are
tween the two States have found widespread appreciation.
being occupied by MLAs and MPs.” His counterpart in the Communist Party ofIndia (Marxist), Th£l.l'nmin€ni Veerabhadran, said, ‘We wel-
Reddy’s term, says it is widely acknowledged that only about a third
comed the programme. In fact, we
(O.U.). A long-standing grouse of aca-
demics has been the low budgetary allocations, even as low as Rs.4-9 lakh for an entire year, in the undivided
Andhra Pradesh. Salaries in O.U. alone require an allocation of Rs.330
leged that Mission Kakatiya had become a programme to enrich
Mohan Reddy, who was Advo-
cate General ofAndhra Pradesh during Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar
of the lawyers practising at the High
Court in Hyderabad are from the Te-
crore, according to Mallesh Sankasa-
even asked the Chief Minister to call
langana region. Telangana’s judiciary was paralysed this February and
la, vice-chairman of the newly cre-
an all-party meeting to chalk out the
March alter the All India Judicial
ated Telangana State Council for Higher Education and former prin-
modalities in order to make it a truly inclusive exercise. But he went ahead
Services Examination announcement to fill about 85 vacancies for the
cipal for arts and science courses at
with a unilateral decision on its exe-
positions of Junior Civil Judges in
O.U.
the lower courts for both Andhra
Said Professor Satyanarayana,
cution. Now we are hearing stories of favouritism in awarding contracts
president of the Osmania University
and of not employing locals in the
across the State led to the virtual shut
Teachers’ Association: “We expected
ongoing works.”
down of all district courts for well
an increase in the budget to State universities, better administration
The Rythu Swarajya Vedika and the All India Kisan Sabha, which
over a month. A petition by Telangana lawyers in the High Court eventu-
and better support from the State government, but contradictory to
work to mitigate agrarian distress, say cases of suicide by farmers are
ally allowed the conduct of the examinations but the declaration of
this, all posts of Vice-Chancellors of
under-reported as their families fear
results was stalled.
the 12 universities have been vacant
bureaucratic delays in the award of
In the final analysis, the general
since July last year. The Principal
Secretary of Education is the In-
compensation and because there is a general trepidation to file police
perception is that deficiencies are many and expectations from the gov-
Charge V.C. of O.U. After taking
complaints. They, however, say it
ernment are high. The yardstick to
charge, he has not visited the uni-
versity even for an hour.” Having a
does not take away from the fact that farm suicides are at a record high
judge Chief Minister Chandrashekhar Rao must be how he will reshape
Vice-Chancellor is a requirement for the coveted certification from the
because of the “severe crisis” in agriculture. VVhile they cite figures well
Telangana in the long term into a
FRONTLINF.
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62
Pradesh and Telangana. Protests
prosperous State.
El
THE STATES
‘Committed to What We fought for’ Interview with l\'. Cliandraslrcklrar Rao, the first Chief Minister ofTelangana. ev xumu. smurnn slashed about Rs.26,000 crore that was expected to come to Telangana. Our government's priority is the
AT 5 p.m. on May 28, Kalvakun-
tla Chandrashekhar Rao began a series of interviews to the media, starting with Frrmtline. At his Camp
poor. We have segmented the econo-
Ofiice in downtown Hyderabad, the
my into four/five parts. Number one:
Chief Minister of India’s youngest State said that he was committed to
the poor and their welfare; two: agriculture and the farming community;
the demands ofthe Telangana move-
three: industry and IT [information
ment: funds, water and employment.
technology] and its allied activities.
Brimming with ideas for his States
The fourth sector is education and
overall development, the Chief Minister dismissed fears of a crisis in
health, and the filth is creating infrastructure. By the grace of the Al-
agriculture, claimed farmer suicides
mighty, we have been successful in
were wildly exaggerated, and laid out
targeting all these areas. I am fully
his ambitious plans for the future, from ensuring potable water connec-
CHIEF MINISTER
tions for every home in Telangana to
in Secunderabad on June 2 to mark one year of the State's formation.
replacing Telugu with English as the medium of education across State-
run schools. Chandrashekhar Rao also refuted nepotism charges in his flagship irrigation project, Mission Kakatiya,
K. Chandrashekhar Rao at a function
riding on you. How do you rate your own performance as Chief Minister and that of your government?
satisfied with our performance in the past one year. Telangana used to get about Rs.-I-,O00 crore [for welfare measures as part of the united Andhra
Pradesh]. We have got this increased
Thank you so much. This was a
this to Rs.26,000 crore. [The benefit of this increase] can be seen in the pensions. Previously, people—the
and promised that there would be uninterrupted power supply in the
totally new State formed with a lot of disturbances and divisions; redis-
destitute, orphans, elders, handloom weavers, toddy-tappers, the hand-
entire State within five years. He also
tribution of assets and liabilities, of
icappcd—got Rs.20O a month. Now,
said that a stringent selection proc-
staff, etc. The all-India service officers were allotted to Telangana only
they get Rs.1,000 a month. The enhancement is fivefold. In northern
ess would be formulated to appoint Vice-Chancellors to all State-run universities, posts that are vacant at present. Five days ahead of Telangana turning one, Chandrashekhar Rao, who has been avoiding the
in the seventh month of the first year. Right until then, most of the posi-
Telangana, about four lakh bidi workers are being given Rs.l,0O0 as
tions were held by in-charges. Each
additional support. This unorga-
Secretary used to have five, six Ministries and departments. It was all con-
nised sector alone gets about Rs.4-,000 crore per annum. With all
media, took questions head-on in a
fusion in the beginning. With great
these schemes, I can say that Telan-
90-minute interview. Excerpts from
difficulty, we could compile figures
gana is number one in the country in
the conversation:
and submit them to the 14~th Finance Commission. There were some cuts because ofthe Government of India's plan expenditure. They reviewed and
welfare measures.
Congratulations on completing one year in office. There was much hope
43
While these measures are laudable, by several accounts, the agricultural FRUN'I'I.INF.
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JUNE lo, Zlili
sector in the State is in crisis. (Inteijects) No.
right now, minimum water usage will be there [by spreading the use of drip irrigation].
Officially, more than 100 farmer
suicides have been recorded. Oivil
MISSION KAKATIYA
society puts the figure at well over 600 in the past year.
Mission Kakatiya, one of your
Under the Andhra Pradesh Farmers Management of Irrigation Systems Act, 1997, were not water users’ associations created for the upkeep of irrigation projects? There was a lot of scam in that. There were no water users‘ associations. It was idiocy. They were tum-
sonally knew the person who was projected as a farmer. I called the reporter and asked him why he reported like this. He was never a farmer. I knew him right from my
flagship programmes, has been welcomed, but people have pointed out that nepotism seems to be in play in the awarding of contracts. When the new Congress president of the State spoke to Frontline, he called it "Commission Kakatiya". It is rubbish on his part. It is a meaningless, mindless allegation, totally baseless. I will tell you the magnitude ofthe programme. I hope to send the right message to the na-
childhood. Neither he nor his father ever had a piece of land. He [the
tion. I know your magazine's spread. That's the reason I am so particular
[Pradesh Congress Committee] president ready to say that their
journalist] said some poor family
about telling you the truth. Telanga-
[Congress] fellows are corrupt? Ac-
will get Rs.1.5 lakh! [The Telangana
na taught the world watershed culti-
tually, they are envious of the pro-
government gives Rs.1.5 lakh as compensation to the family of a farmer who commits suicide.]
vation. We had a great dynasty called Kakatiya in the 11th century, which began constructing chain tanks in Telangana. When one gets filled, the surplus goes to the next.
gramme. They had no idea that we would take up such a good pro-
That’s not correct. We have our own records. That's a falsely propa-
gated story. Maybe there are suicides. Of course, we help them [the farmers], but once at a village known to me, a journalist reported that a farmer had committed suicide. I per-
But is there a comprehensive policy
to address the crisis in farming? There are now more than 20 lakh
agriculture
pumpset
connections
and another two lakh are under im-
They exist even today. Yes. There were about 70,000 lakes, waterbodies, spread across Te-
plementation. The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister told me that the population in his State is about 7.5 crore; here it is below four crore. Madhya Pradesh has only 10 lakh-plus pu mp-
langana. And the Bachawat Tribu-
set connections, whereas here it is 22
the Krishna basin, 175 tmcft in the
lakh!
Godavari basin. He [Justice Bache-
ed into petty contractors. There was a lot of commission in the system. In fact, they [members of water users‘ associations] have a grouse now because it is an open tender system.
Anyone can participate. So, many contractors executing works now belong to the Congress party, the TDP
[Telugu Desam Party] or the BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party]. Is the PCC
gramme. The main issues for the Telangana agitation were three points: NMhulu, neellu and 121:1/amakalu. Niclhulu means filnds, neellu means
water, and niya-ma/ralu means employment.
nal, which passed its award in 1974-,
And you are determined to address
allocated 265 tmcft [thousand million cubic feet] of water for minor
all three... One hundred per cent. Otherwise, there's no meaning in getting
irrigation in Telangana: 90 tmcfi in
wat] thought that the waterbodies already existed. They have 265 tmcft
statehood. Borewells have to be made functional, at least, till the surface water comes, till Mission Kakatiya is able to help. If I have to lift
of storage capacity, therefore he
water, I need power, of which there
awarded it. In fact, 'I‘elangana’s sur-
was great shortage in the combined
face irrigation had an acreage of 20
State. This year was the first year
That being the case, however well-
lakh around the time when it was
when the issue of power [was not
intentioned, how does it help to provide pumpset connections?
merged with Andhra Pradesh: five
raised] in the State legislature.
Agriculture was completely ne-
lakh was under major and medium, and 15 lalth was irrigated exclusively
The criticism is that since
glected [in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh). We have enormously improved micro-irrigation—drip,
by these tanks! This was , in fact, the major [source of] irrigation for Telangana. All through the existence of
sprinkler, that kind of irrigation. We
Andhra Pradesh [after the merger],
are providing 100 per cent free [micro—irrigation facilities] to S.C./S.T.
the major irrigation of Telangana
That's again rubbish. The answer
was called minor irrigation. Because
to that is more power was consumed
[Scheduled Castef Scheduled Tribe]
of gross neglect, the total system
by agriculture this year than in previ-
communities, 90 per cent to B.C.
died. If we have normal rainfall and
[Backward Caste] communities, and
the tanks get filled, there is 265 tmcft
ous years. This is on record. Is anybody prepared for a discussion on
80 per cent to other communities. Since we depend on groundwater
of storage across the State. That will keep the groundwater level up.
that with me? Power is supplied unit by unit because we buy power. We
Groundwater is at its lowest level in the State now. And depleting.
FRONTLINF.
r
.lUNF.2\‘\.llH5
M‘.
agriculture is in crisis no pumpsets are being used, and so there is enough power available for Hyderabad.
professors and vice-cha.ncellors—and also students. All stakeholders shall sit together and work out how to implement this scheme
and how it should [replace] the present system.
‘K
I
*1 .
..
o. P R A s H A KA RA R A 0 [left] CMD of TSGENCO, and B. Prasad Rao, CMD of BHEL, on October 4, 2014, after signing a deal for a thermal power plant
project in Telangana. The Chief Minister is at the centre.
But you are committed to implementing the scheme? Definitely. We will make abegin-
ning this year itself. We now have roughly 36 lakli students in government schools, of whom only about 2.5 lakh are taught in English medi-
um, that too with great difficulty, and the rest all in Telugu medium. Ifl have to change the whole system, I
don't have power in the State. I was
ing unit in our State. [The thermal
buying about 2,000 MW. Sometimes, Kayamkulam NTPC [National Tbennal Power Corporation]
power plant is expected to produce 7,600 MW. The Telangana govemment has acquired 7,500 acres (one
came forward to supply power at a
acre is 0.4- hectare) of forestland for
cost of Rs.9.50 a unit! I said I would
the purpose but says “very little" of
take it if needed. The consumption by the agricultural sector has been more than that in the past two or three years. I cannot lie about this. This record is not just with me, but also with the Southern Load Dispatch Centre in Bangalore.
this will be used for the physical plant per se.]
2‘-HOUR POWER FOR ALL BY 2020
Then, how did you achieve
uninterrupted power supply in both rural and urban areas? I have put technocrats in charge. No other officers [civil servants] are there in the power department. With three more [plants] to be commis-
And who will undertake this
project? The whole project has been given to BHEL [Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited]. There has been no corruption. There was a lot of pressure on
the public sector. Not just power station construction but the BOWs, that
global talent.
is, the balance of works, have also
been given to BHEL. From next March, we will supply power to farm-
How do you intend to achieve this? As you said, it will not be easy. Recruitment of the teaching staff
ers from 6 a.m. for nine hours. There-
will need a different orientation.
fore, by the end of 2019. 24--hour
What will you do with your current staff?
Thermal Power Station will produce 600 [MW]; Singareni [collieries] in Jaipur and Adilabad will be about
FREE EDUCATION FOR ALL
a half months for an ultra mega power plant to be constructed by TSGENCO [Telangana State Power
[employment] situation. Ifyou have
global—you have to compete with
in Telangana.
clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forests within two and
because we already face a global
sector]. I said no, I will only engage
forget about power cuts. Kakatiya
diture of Rs.91,000 crore. We got a
One hundred per cent. I want that, but Telugu will be made a compulsory subject. For those who want to opt for Urdu, that will be given as an option as well. The regional,/local language will be honoured. It will be protected. I want to implement this
to make a good living, you have to be
power supply will be achieved for all
will be power production in the State to the tune of 25,000 MW. Finances have been chalked out for an expen-
By that do you mean you want to shift completely to English as the main medium of education? Will this not undermine Telugu?
me [to give the project to the private
sioned next year, Telangana can now
1,200 [MW]. And by 2018-19, there
have to reorient the teaching.
One of the key slogans during your election campaign and the agitation before that was "KG to PG free education for all". There was no mention of this in your maiden budget, nor was there any clarity on how you would implement this. We will definitely implement the
This will be a completely residential model of education. Every mandal will have three or four residcntial schools, each with 600 to 1,000 students. There will be separate hostels for girls and boys. The area for the school shall not be less than 10 acres, ideally 15 acres. There
will be good sports facilities, library, lawns; it should be as good as a uni-
vcrsity campus. If we impart that
quality of education, several social
scheme. We did not mention this in
ills, like the caste system, will go,
untouchability will go. Let me tell
Generation Corporation Ltd] at
the budget because it cannot be implemented sitting right across the ta-
you how this will eclipse the present
Damaracherla in Nalgonda district;
ble. This has to be settled by
education system. Existing primary
it will be the largest power-produc-
academics—teachers,
schoolteachers can also teach basic
45
university
FRUN‘Tl.lNF.
-
JUNE Eh, 2015
now. They say do not dewater it but do not pollute it either. The lake will rejuvenate itself.
English for now. This will continue till about the fourth class. Thereafier,
cient. We don't have a single hall. All ofiicial events took place at Jubilee
kids will be brought to the residential schools. I will then attempt to shift
Hall in Hyderabad, which was constructed by the Nizain. Since both
some of the teachers from the pri-
States are functioning from Hydera-
CJ I [Chief.Iustice of India] to con-
mary and secondary schools to these residential schools. Some would wish to remain where they are, others would retire. As retirement happens, I will only recruit teachers with
bad, the Governor has given the existing council building to Andhra Pradesh and the Telangana Council is located in Jubilee Hall. Now
stitute a committee to look into the issues regarding the Hussain Sagar. I have now sanctioned Rs.6 crore to divert effluent downstream [into the
Musi, the tributary of the Krishna that runs through Hyderabad], and not to allow it into the Hussain Sa-
complete English medium educa-
there's no hall in Hyderabad even to conduct a Collector's conference. I was forced to conduct it at a five-star hotel. That’s why our officials and
tion.
bureaucrats are so scattered across
manner. I have already called a team
Hyderabad.
from Austria They are experts in lake clean-ups the world over. They
increase in budgetary allocation for
But do you have to raze heritage
have done it in their own nation very
higher education? Right now, in your alma mater, Osmania University, teachers are complaining that the premier institution lacks funds. You have not appointed Wce-Chancellors to any State-run university either.
buildings to construct new ones? One of the locations you had initially wanted to shift the Secretariat to was the Chest Hospital at
successfully. They have been given the responsibility by many countries. One-third of the Hussain Sagar has already been pumped out. Nobody
Erragadda.
died. Heavens have not fallen.
It's not me. It [Osmania University] was killed by [incumbent Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister] Chandrababu Naidu long, long back. It is he who introduced self-financof all the universities. I have inten-
chest hospital. It should not be in this concrete jungle. There’s another one already constructed by the Nizam, the TB Sanatorium in Vikarabad. There’s an old saying: Vikarabad /ca harea, Ialcho-n marizon Ira dawaa [the breeze ofVikarabad cures lakhs
tionally not appointed Vioe—Chan-
who are sick].
English-teaching competency. So in seven to eight years, there will be
Are you contemplating a substantial
ing courses. I am yet to make a review
inquiry. I want to reform the entire
system and appoint very good VCs. Some of them could even be retired judges or IAS [Indian Administrative Service] oflicers. And ifthere’s a need to improve grants, we will certainly allocate funds.
gar. I want to clean it in a phased
It's not a heritage building. It's a DEMOCRATICALLY FUNCTIONIIIG CABINET
There has been criticism against your style of functioning as Chief
your Hussain Sagar Lake
Minister. People say your government is a one-man show and that you take decisions without consulting your Cabinet colleagues. Comparisons are often made with the Prime Minister's style of functioning. VVho says this? Let them give one
rejuvenation programme.
example. How can anyone air their
Environmental groups say that dewatering the lake will poison the Musi river downstream and affect farmers who live there.
views like that without any responsibility? I am not prepared to answer that.
cellors because the previous VCs of
Kakatiya [University] and Osmania indulged in corruption. There were great scams: all jobs [at the universities] were sold just before they retired! Now we have instituted an
I will dewater it. I will request the
HUSSAIN SAGAR LAKE
There has been much criticism of
Today, I saw a beautiful lake in
Bhopal. They take a lot of pride in it. But the Hussain Sagar in Hyderabad is much bigger than the lake in Bho-
You have announced several
schemes for almost all communities. But in your own Cabinet, there is no representation
NEW SECRETARIAT NEEDED
pal. Not only sewage but also chem-
for Scheduled Castes and Tribes and women.
You have proposed shifting the
ical efiluent from the Jeedimetla area enters the Hussain Sagar. Who declared these so-called environ-
The Scheduled Castes’ and the
Secretariat from its current location. It is a dungeon where we are now.
mental groups as experts? They are all self—declared environmentalists
Today, I was in the Madhya Pradesh
with minimum knowledge. The Hus-
Secretariat. It is well constructed;
sain Sagar has a good catchment ar-
constituencies. I have women in my govemment; 50 per cent of the Col-
the conference room where we had
ea. Every year, rain pumps out the
lectors are women. One ofthe whips
the meeting was really nioe.
chemical-filled water.
is a woman. One of the parliamen-
So what is your reason to shift the Secretariat? It is not scientific and not suffiFRON'l'l.|NF.
-
JUNE Zn, l0l5
Environmentalists say that their biggest fear has been realised: the catchment area itself is polluted £6
Schedule Tribes‘ representative is already there. I only have a 17-member Cabinet. I have to take care of several
tary secretaries is a woman. I have five women MLAs. One Deputy Speaker is a woman. It’s not that
women are not there at all.
El
THE JUDLCIAEY
D ' t rt d The Supreme Couits judgment banning the publication of photographs of leaders in government advertisements, with a few exceptions, draws criticism. BY v. VENKATESAII ON May 13, with a slew of bind-
to oversee the release of government
ing guidelines, the Supreme Court disposed of two long-pending pet-
advertisements, the carrying out of
itions challenging large-scale wastefiil government spending on
independent audits of the money spent on advertisements, and the embargo on advertisements during
advertisements of a political nature.
elections.
advertisements. The petitioners alleged that in many instances under the guise of communicating with the
people, undue political advantage was sought to be gained by naming
individuals or political leaders (who
One guideline states that govem-
While the oourt agreed with the
were either from a political party or
ment advertisements, whether by the Centre or by the States, should not
Central government on independent
were government filnctionaries) and
audits and the embargo on advertise-
crediting them for being responsible
carry the photographs of leaders except those of the President, the
ments during elections, it advised the
for various government achievements and progressive plans. Al-
Prime Minister and the ChiefJustice
government to constitute a threemember body consisting of persons,
though the PIL petitions were filed
of India. Delivered by the bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Pinaki
of unimpeachable neutrality and impartiality, who have excelled in their
when the first National Democratic Alliance government was at the Cen-
Chandra Ghose, the judgment nei-
respective fields to function as the
tre, the petitioners gave examples
ther justified these exceptions nor
ombudsman. It also held that one
cutting across party lines.
provided a rationale for excluding others from this privilege. It, there-
single advertisement issued by a Central agency should be enough to
The court justified its intervention on the grounds that Articles 38
fore, disappointed govemments of
commemorate the anniversaries of
and 39 of the Constitution enjoined
States such as Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, which complained that it
the few acknowledged public figures whose contribution to the national
the state to consistently endeavour to achieve social and economic justice
was against the spirit offederalism as it barred the publication of photographs of Governors and Chief Min-
cause could not be disputed.
for the teeming millions of the coun-
Another guideline states that ad-
try who lived below an artificially
vertisements issued on certain other
drawn poverty line. VVhat can be a
isters and thus sought a review ofthe
occasions, for instance, to mark the
surer way in the march forward than
judgment. Only Bihar had intervened during the court’s proceedings
centenary year of the Patna High Court, do not serve any purpose and
to ensure that unproductive expenditure of public funds was avoided?
to oppose the bar on the use of pho-
must be avoided; the court held that
the court reasoned.
tographs of Governors and the Chief Ministers.
institutions need not be glorified and should earn glory through their con-
The case gives rise to two concerns. One is whether the dividing
During the hearings, the Central government made an impassioned plea for the removal of the guidelines, which, it claimed, encroached on the legislative domain and placed
tribution and their work.
line between legitimate public expenditure on seeking publicity for
TWO PIL PETITIONS
the government performance and
Two non-governmental organisations, namely, Common Cause and
policies and its incidental or direct effect on promoting the political pro-
undue restrictions on the use of the
the Centre for Public Interest Litiga-
spects of ruling parties and their
grants voted for by the legislature. It
tion, which have successfully litiga-
leaders is blurred; if so, whether the
opposed the proposed bar on the
publication of photographs of lead-
ted mmy PIL cases in the recent past, filed the two petitions in the
court’s intervention could make the distinction clear and bar the use of
ers in government advertisements,
Supreme Court, in 2003 and 2004-
government advertisements for po-
the appointment of an ombudsman
respectively, relating to government
litical
47
purposes.
The
FRUNTLINF.
-
second
is
JUNE 20. 2015
whether the restrictions proposed to be imposed on the release of government advertisements to the media
Party on this issue illustrates this point. But Baxi is also concemed about
tions. The committee was headed by N.R. Madhava Menon, a former Director of the National Judicial Acad-
would be tantamount to restrictions
the effect of this ruling on the free-
emy, Bhopal, and its members were
on the freedom of the press, as it is
dom ofthe press. The Supreme Court
T.K. Viswanathan, a former Secre-
likely to cripple the advertisement revenue of the newspapers, and therefore, would fail the constitutional test of reasonableness. A care-
has, in the past, held that not only are advertisements the principal source of revenue for newspapers but they are also one of the factors that con-
tary General of the Lok Sabha, and Ranjit Kumar, the present Solicitor General of India. It claimed to have held wide consultations with all
ful reading of the judgment shows that the court only partly succeeded
tribute to newspaper circulation. If the area for advertisements is curtailed, the price ofnewspapers will be
stakeholders and sought and received suggestions from a cross sec-
in addressing the first concern and almost ignored the second.
tion of society and from Ministries and departments at the Central and
Upendra Baxi suggested in a newspaper article, the court assumed that photographs in advertisements have the potential to create a personality cult, which, it said, was an antithesis
forced up. Then, circulation will inevitably drop and earnings will decline and that will directly interfere with the freedom of the press. In an earlier case (Bennett Coleman E9‘ Co. vs Union of India (AIR 1973 SC 106)), the Supreme Court ruled that
tails of these consultations or of the suggestions it received from civil society and others. The guidelines the committee formulated are called the “Government Advertisement (Con-
of democratic functioning. But the evidence does not support such an
loss of advertisement revenue seriously affected the circulation of a
tent Regulation) Guidelines 2014-”. The committee recommended
assumption. Even if government ad-
newspaper and a restraint on adver-
that government advertisement ma-
vertisements can be restricted, it is
tisements would affect the fi.rnda-
terial should avoid photographs of
not possible to restrict the news coverage ofpolitical leaders by television channels and newspapers, which could assist in the formation of the
mental right of the freedom of the press under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. As Baxi observes, removal or reduction in pictorial con-
political leaders and that if it was felt essential for effective government messaging, only the photographs of the President] Prime Minster or Gov-
personality cult that the Supreme
tent may have a long-term adverse impact on the media's revenues.
ernor/Chief Minister should be used; the committee also recommended that the names and pictures of political parties and their officebearers such as presidents should not be mentioned in government ad-
As the eminent legal academic
Court despises. Evidence shows that
large-scale political advertisements do not really help to improve the political fortunes of parties on the eve of
elections. Such huge displays of money power alienate many voters
from parties and their leaders, as was evident from the recently held Delhi Assembly election.
INTERIM JUDGMENT
The May 13 judgment followed an
interim judgment in the same case, which the Supreme Court delivered on April 23, 2014-. In this judgment,
the then Chief Justice of India, Justice P. Sathasivam, found that the existing guidelines of the Directorate
State levels; yet its report had no de-
vertisements. Justice Gogoi‘s judgment inexplicably rejected the committee's recommendation to exempt Governors and Chief Ministers from the proposed ban. It appears from the record that the two petitioners differed in their
PERSONALITY CULT
of Advertising and Visual Publicity
It is possible to argue that a personality cult per se is against democratic
did not govern the issues raised in the petitions, namely, which govern-
norms. Vi/'hat the Supreme Court
ment advertisements qualified for
wants to discourage through this judgment is the extreme form ofpro-
“public purpose” and which only
responses to these recommendations. While Common Cause broadly
served partisan ends and were aimed
accepted them as balanced and
jection of an individual leader at the
at gaining political mileage. The Su-
state’s expense that distu rbs the level
preme Court felt there was a need for
playing field. But a personality cult can result from a successful political
it to issue substantive guidelines until the legislature enacted a law in
sought the court's imprimatur, Prashant Bhushan, counsel for the Centre for Public Interest Litigation, reportedly questioned the need to ex-
campaign, and this has nothing to do with the release of advertisements.
Obviously, the court’s ruling cannot
this regard. The court was of the opinion that the subject matter for which guide-
apply to campaigns.
lines were to be framed was sensa-
While some people can make ethical arguments against cam-
tional and significant and hence
paigns centred on personalities, oth-
committee of three members to un-
ers may argue that that is how leaders are born, and the role ofsuch
dertake the task ofsuggesting guidelines to the court after a detailed
the State governments, observers
leaders is intrinsic to any democracy. The recent split in the Aam Aadmi
study of the best practices in public advertisements in different jurisdic-
raised in the aftermath of the judgment. El
FRONTLINF.
-
.lUNF.2h.l()l5
deemed it proper to constitute a
68
clude the Prime Minister from the ban as, in his view, the latter is a
political leader who may have a vested interest in deriving political mileage from advertisements. As the Supreme Court gets ready to hear the review petitions filed by hope that it will address the concerns
COLUMN ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVES
C.P. CHAN DRASEKHAR
Great dream of prosperity The emphasis on the latest GDP growth figures when the numbers from other indicators point to the opposite may be the government's only option to show that all is well if the stock markets fall with the exit of foreign investors from emerging markets over fears of an interest rate hike in the U.S. VER much of the last decade correction of excessive exuberance. Oand more, the stock ma.rket
So the Sensex was the preferred indicator for those talking up the
from 1.1 per cent) and services (10.1 per cent as opposed to 10.6 per cent),
provided advocates of reform a convenient indicator of economic economy. health. This was because there were However, all ofa sudden now, the
manufacturing has done better than
long periods during that decade when real economic growth tallied with stock market performance. The high growth era, 2004»-08, and the postcrisis recovery years, 2010-11, were also the ones in which the stock market was buoyant or boomed. From more recently, this comfortable syn-
era of synchronous movements in the two indices has come to an end. Moreover, the tables have ttuned. With the release of the new GDP series (with 2011-12 as base), the numbers now considered official suggest that GDP growth has not only been robust in recent times but is
computed to have risen from (a revised) 5.1 per cent in 2012-13 to 6.9 per cent in 2013-14 and 7.3 per cent in 2014--15. What is more, the fourth quarter numbers for 2014-15 are being quoted as evidence that India has overtaken China in the GDP growth race.
chrony appears to be breaking down. From crisis year 2008-09, gross do-
on the rise. The most recent cause for cele-
As expected, despite early scepticism, those wanting to make the case
mestic product (GDP) numbers turn-
bration was the provisional GDP
that India is the next potential
ed volatile and the official national growth figure for 2014-15, which at
growth “miracle” are regularly citing
accounts with 200+-05 as base sug-
7.3 per cent is almost equal to the 7.4-
the new GDP numbers. But in this
gested that growth was stalling. But, per cent growth projected in the ad-
“new growth scenario", the GDP
the stock market experienced an almost continuous bull run despite oc-
vance estimates available thus far. Moreover, despite the fact that GDP
numbers seem to be an exception. Industry, even according to many in-
casional bearishness attributed to growth has been revised downwards “market correction”, or the internal in both agriculture (to 0.2 per cent
siders, is not performing well. The month-on-month industrial growth
49
expected (4-.8 per cent against 4.5 per cent). As a result, GDP growth is now
FRONTLINE
~
JUNE 2h.2tll5
rate as measured by the index of in-
er, is that (to the surprise of most) before the new GDP figures were released it was the GDP growth rate
sion in bank credit financed a huge increase in debt-financed private expenditure, which more than com-
that had been volatile and playing
pensated for the contraction in
truant. On the other hand, the stock
demand that the reform-led decline
cent in November (helped by a low base in the corresponding month of the previous year), more recent signs are of continued deceleration with
market, as noted, experienced a long-term rise with two booms ofdifferent intensities spliced together. One ran from 2011 to 2013, in which
in debt financed public expenditure induced. This explained the spurt in GDP growth between 2003-04 and 2009-
the rate placed at 2.2 per cent according to the provisional figure for
the Sensex rose from around 16,000 in May 2012 to slightly more than
March 2015.
21,000 by the end of 2013. That was a 30 per cent rise over a year and a
10. In hindsight it is now clear that the form that the boom took was not all too positive. The credit boom
dustrial production collapsed from a positive 5.9 per cent to a negative 5.6 per cent between May and October 2014-. Though it recovered to 4.7 per
FOODGRAIII OUTPUT DOWN
half. But this boom was marred by
The performance of agriculture is even worse. According to the official third advance estimate for foodgrain production for crop year (July to June) 2014-15, output is likely to fall
considerable volatility, including the downturn induced by the taper tanThe second boom stretched from the beginning of2014- until about the
brought in sub-prime clients into the universe of borrowers, resulting in a rise in the proportion of defaulting loans. The result has been a growing reluctance ofbanks to lend to certain sectors and to restrict lending even to
by 5.3 per cent. With foodgrain production having been indifferent in
beginning of 2015, when the Sensex rose, with far less fluctuation, from
the best customers. The contraction in credit reduced the stimulus to
the previous two years, this outcome
just above 20,000 to touch 30,000
growth that debt-financed private
is close to disastrous. Thus, altema-
about a year later. That was a re-
spending provided. This explains in
tive indicators of growth in the commodity-producing sectors seem to offer a completely different picture of real economic performance. Vlfhat is more, the comforting
markable rise of close to 50 per cent with a much lower degree of vola-
large part the slowdown in growth the Indian economy has been experiencing. However, the downturn in
GDP numbers have been released at a time when uncertainty about global interest rates and a desire to exit emerging markets has gripped for-
occurred in a period when growth as
growth did not result in any significant decline in foreign capital in-
measured by the then official GDP
flows.
trum.
tility. However, the investor exuberance that delivered this second boom
numbers was slowing. In sum, the recent stock market uncertainty
In fact, there had been a resurgenoe in foreign investor interest in
eign investors. As a result, a mood of bearishness has overcome Indian equity and debt markets, which seems to be reversing what has been along bull run in India's stock markets over
when GDP growth numbers seemed robust was a significant turnaround The point to note is that the correspondence between GDP growth
India, after the brief period of the taper tantrum starting May 2013, when investors pulled out of emerging markets in response to the fear that the Fed would sharply unwind
the last three years or more.
and market buoyancy during the
its quantitative easing or bond buy-
In early May, the Bombay Stock
2004--08 period seemed credible be-
ing programme and send interest
Exchange (BSE) Sensex closed at 26,500. Though high relative to
cause of a third fact0r—the surge in capital flows into India. There is little
rates soaring. But since there has been no revival in debt-financed pri-
where the Sensex stood even at the beginning of January 2014- (for ex-
disagreement that the bull run, which began in late 2012 when the
vate spending, there has been little impact on growth. In essence, the
ample), the fall received much atten-
Sensex was hovering just above
link between growth (if actual) and
tion because the climb in the Sensex the relatively high early May level reflected a more than 10 per cent
16,000, was driven by the appetite of foreign institutional investors for emerging market paper induced by access to cheap liquidity.
stock market performance had been broken. This explains the emphasis now on the GDP growth numbers. If the
decline from a peak of close to 30,000 realised just three months
The liquidity increase that followed the conversion of hard cur-
fear that the Fed would be forced to raise the currently near-zero interest
earlier.
rency funds to rupees by foreign
rates does end the stock market
It is in this period that the earlier
investors triggered a credit splurge.
boom, then the government would
relationship between stock market performance and GDP growth broke
Banks, flush with funds, enhanced lending so that the ratio ofscheduled
only have its new GDP numbers to declare that all is well.
down. Not only did the synchronous
bank credit to GDP, which averaged
But given the divergence of those
movements in the two end, but the stock market performed remarkably
between 20 and 22 per cent during the 1990s, rose sharply during the
numbers from other indicators, few
would give them any credibility.
even as GDP growth slowed. VVhat needs to be noted, howev-
first decade of this century to touch 56 per cent in 2011-12. This explo-
GDP as of now just seems a great dream of prosperity. El
had been so rapid earlier that even
FRONTLINF.
-
.lUNF.2h.l()l5
in the relationship between the two.
50
WORLD AFFAIRS
OVVHERE PEOPLE ___‘
__.g-l5"""' '
vi
QICI
_¢
A FISHING BOAT carrying Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants being pulled to shore by fishermen off the coast of Julok, in Aceh province, Indonesia, on May 20. 51
!ku\|11\l-'
_rl\i-13:
-01
.g-i-ail!
The humanitarian crisis involving Rohingya refugees
grabs global attention as hundreds of them are found abandoned in rickety boats in the waters off the coasts of Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. BY JOHN CHERIAN IT I-IAS BEEN ONE OF THE BIGGEST CRISES TO hit the region since the exodus ofVietnamese boat people
crack down in April on the network of human traffickers who have been engaged for some years in smuggling
in the 1970s. The sight of helpless Rohingya refugees
people from Bangladesh and Myanmar to Malaysia
packed in rickety boats floating on the high seas with nowhere to go has finally grabbed the attention of the
through the porous border with Thailand. Illegal camps to house the refugees were set up along the Thailand-
international community.
Malaysian border. In Thailand, many of the Rohingyas
In the first fortnight ofMay, hundreds of Rohingya
were forced into servitude, especially in the fishing indus-
refugees were found abandoned in the waters off the coasts of Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Thousands
try.
more remain unaccounted for. They were abandoned in
migrants was Malaysia, a Muslim—majority country with
the boats after the Thai authorities belatedly decided to
the fastest-growing economy in the region. In the last
FRUN'l‘l.l.\ll-I
-
.lll.‘\‘I~‘.3n,10l5
The preferred destination ofthe Rohingyas and other
52
Squth-East_ iisia’s migrant cnsis An estimated 25,000 Rohingyas, fleeing persecution in Myanmar,
and Bangladeshis looking for a better life abroad boarded ‘
smugglers’ boats in the first
three months oi this year. twice as many as in the same period of 2014 BANGLADESH Around 200,000 Rohingyas live in refugee camps
Migrants are mostly
Ron!ngya M us ii in
in squalid conditions
ethnic group from Rakhine State
Bangladeshis fleeing poverty Buddhist-majority Myanmar denies have also turned to citizenship to Rohingyas, who are subiected to forced labour, land trafficking networks used by Rohingya confiscation and limited access to ‘i public services THAILAND Recent discovery of mass Dhaka graves at suspected smuggling camps in the south has prompted clampdown on .1 _ human trafficking by the miiitaryjunta
kg“)?
"°""'"° s'°'°
(Q
Cox's
7
( ©_
Crackdown has sent traffickers
Nay PyiTaw Lb‘? into hiding, making it impossible I5
J’ €_'_ (
Ban’
( 14. iSittwe Q
for migrants to disembark Wealthy country short of unskilled labourers, attracts migrants
Bay of Bengal
Andaman _ - sea
J
ROHINGYA MIGRANTS
queue up for food at a
shelter in Bayeun, Aceh province, on May 25. The
Indonesian and Malaysian govemrnents agreed to take in the refugees alter a hightevel meeting in Bangkok in the third week oi May.
Migrants held
to ransom in Thailand.
gangiwk r
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I/|,,
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taken overland
to Malaysia I I Q Boats landing
in Malaysia and
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ind ones iaf0 iiowin g
i
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crackdown on Peflple
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I Around2,500mlgrants
' _, ‘landed in Malaysia and -' Indonesia in the last weeko'fMa'y-s'ome$,ti00others arestilistrandedatsea I Ilaiaysia, Indonesia anci'I'haiiu'|d have all turned or towed mlgrflit \
boats-avraytroln their ) shores in recentdays
Kuala Lumpur
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trafficking in Thailand Sources iOM, Wire agencies
migrants from
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,
i Traditional trafficking route:
Government says it has already taken in 120.000 illegai
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ii; -‘v 125 miles Pi
-I GRAPHIC NEWS
week ol'May. more than at hundred graves were found in at
Malaysia have heen involved in the clandestine traiiick-
remote area in Malaysia near the border with Tliailand. ingya, Myanmarcse and liangladeslii migrants liave also heen tiiSL‘(i\'(Il‘L‘(i in Myanmar and 'l‘h-ailanil. Aeenriling to
ing oi' desperate migrants for many years now. international monitoring agencies say 25,i)()i) Rohingya |'cl'i1gi:i:s liave lied Myanmar since the beginning of the year. Malaysian aiithorities have made many arrests lifter
reports in the Malaysian media, lit) large f.{i'kl\"('S containing hiiniiri-ils iil'i:i'ii'psi-s wi-re r'lisr-o\'i-.i'i:il iiear the towns
the discovery ofmziss graves on their territory. Malaysian llome :\iTairs Minister Zahid llzimiil has admitti-d that
ol'i’zidzing iii-sar and Wang Keli-an in the third week iii‘
li'it‘L'HiiiiiS liotisiiip, the iiiigniiiis iii lliejiiiigli: lizid existed
May.
iiil'l'l1lll‘L' than live years. .-\rouiid i,t)(),i)()t) Riiliiiigyas are
Dii‘l.Cl‘lS ol' mass graves containing the bodies oi' Ruh-
(.‘-rirrupt police and security oliieials in 'l‘hztiland and
said to he alrezidy in Malaysia. 53
l-'RUl\Illl\i-
|lll\i'2(\
(it'-
The Indonesian and Malaysian governments, alter initially adopting a tough stand, finally agreed to take in
thousands of hungry and stranded reiiigees alter a highlevel meeting in the Thai capital, Bangkok, in the third week of May. The three governments had come in for increasing international criticism for the inhumane policies they were adopting towards the migrants. The other
countries in the region, such as Singapore and Australia, have refiised point-blank to accommodate any boat people despite many ofthem dying of starvation after being
stranded on the high seas. Indonesian President Joko Widodo said that the decision of his government to ac-
cept the migrants was a “good solution”, but he said he expected financial aid from the international community
as Indonesia could not afford the cost of hosting the refugees. Indonesia and Malaysia said that they would re-
patriate the limited number of refugees that they had accepted within a year. The Indonesian government also said that it would be repatriating 720 Bangladeshi refil-
gees as they were “economic migrants". Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has publicly criticised migrants from her country for “tainting our image in the international arena”. IIUIIILNITARILN ASSISTANCE
AN INDONESIAN
MUSLIM holds a poster of the
Buddhist monk Ashin Wirathu.
Dubbed by the regional media as the "Buddhist bin Laden", he heads a radical Buddhist group which has been responsible for much of the communal violence
in Myanmar in recent years.
.
Pope Francis compared the plight of the Rohingyas to that of the Yezidi and Christian minorities under Islamic
State rule in Iraq and Syria. It was the disruption of the traditional smuggling routes of migrants by the Thai Navy that made the human trafiickers abandon their cargo on the high seas. After the agreement, the navies of
minority in the country. Successive governments in the country have been making strenuous attempts to make life unlivable for this minority.
the three countries are no longer engaged in driving away the boats carrying the Rohingyas from their waters. In-
WHO ARE THE ROHINGYAS?
donesia and Malaysia also announced that “they would
most persecuted minority" in the world. They have been
provide humanitarian assistance to those 7,000 irregular
denied citizenship in a country in which their ancestors lived for many centuries. Historical records show that they have been in the Burmese kingdom oi'Arakan since the eighth century. Colonial records also testiiy that the
migrants that are at sea”. The agreement came after fishermen in the Sumatra region of Indonesia rescued more than 300 refugees from a sinking boat in the last
The Rohingyas, according to the United Nations, are “the
week of May. The government of Myanmar, which is responsible for triggering the refugee crisis in the first place, has been unresponsive to international appeals and refused to attend the regional conference in Bangkok that was convened to discuss the refugee crisis. Myanmar's Foreign Office confined itself to issuing a statement that it was “deeply concerned" about the problem and was making “serious efforts“ to combat trafficking and illegal migration. The government is not doing anything to curtail the Buddhist e.\'tremist groups which are openly targeting the Muslim minority. One such
community, which had embraced Islam, has been part and parcel of Burmese society since then. In the medieval kingdom ot'Arakan, the Buddhist majority and the Rehingya minority had a harmonious relationship. The suffering of the Rohingyas started in earnest after Burma gained independence in 194-8. The Rohingyas, who number around a million and a half, were given
individual is a monk by the name of Ashin Wirathu. He
hingyas. Citizensliip rights were once again summarily
has been dubbed by the regional media as the “Buddhist
revoked, and the Rohingyas have since been margin-
bin Laden" forhis activities. He is allowed to spew venom
freely, and the radical group he heads was responsible for
alised and suppressed by the authoritarian regimes that have been ruling the country.
much of the communal violence in recent years. Wirathu
It was in 1978 that the community was first violently
claims that Muslims in the country are on the verge of
targeted by the military. Hundreds of Rohingyas were
waging a jehad against Buddhists. Nine out often people
massacred, and the first wave of forced migrations started. As many as 2,50,000 Rohingyas fled to neighbouring
in the country are Buddhists. Muslims are a very small FRUNTLINF.
-
.lli.‘\'I~'.3h, 3015
.\ a.
full citizenship rights and recognised as a separate race only in 1959 when the country experienced a brief democratic lull under Prime Minister U Nu. But a military
coup by the ultranationalist Gen. Ne Win in 1962 brought things back to square one for the hapless Ro-
Q
National League for Democracy, led by the Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. Rohingya-bashing has seemingly become a national pastime in the country. The government continues to label them as “illegal Bengali
migrants” in the ongoing efforts to ethnically cleanse the country. All that the Rohingyas are demanding is the restoration of their citizenship that was revoked under the authoritarian military regime of Gen. Ne Win. Many
expected Suu Kyi to speak out in support of the Rohingyas, but her silence has been deafening. She has been completely focussed on cultivating the Buddhist major-
ity, whose support is essential if her party has to win the elections scheduled for 2016. In a rare interview in 2013
in which she agreed to talk on the issue, she blamed both sides for the violence. In 2012, riots in Rakhine led to deaths on both sides
ofthe ethnic divide, but it was the Rohingyas who bore ._|
the brunt ofthe violence. Some 1,50,000 Rohingyas were forced to flee from their homes after the riots. In Myanmar, it is the Rohingyas who are confined to “camps” and subjected to “ethnic cleansing”. The U.N. and human
._i :3
rights organisations have said that the situation in the country is grim. The U.N. Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Myanmar has said that actions against the Rohingyas orchestrated by the Myanmarese government “could amount to crimes against humanity".
Bangladesh where they have been languishing in squalid refugee camps. In overcrowded Bangladesh, the Rollin-
The United States and its allies in the region have all been
gyas, despite cultural and linguistic similarities, are not
publicly sympathetic to the plight of the Rohingya refu-
better off. They remain a stateless community whose hopes of returning to its homeland are diminishing by
gees but have not done anything meaningful to pressure
the day. They have not been assimilated into Bangladeshi
Obama administration has forged very strong links with
society. In 2011, a repatriation agreement was signed between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Myanma-
the military-dominated government and is not interest-
rese President Thein Sein. The Rohingyas were excluded
international forums.
from the repatriation pact as the Myanmarese authorities refused to grant citizenship status to the community. STATELESS COHHUNITY
Malaysia and Indonesia want the ASEAN grouping (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), of which Myanmar is a member, to discuss the issue. Myanmar on its part has refused to attend any meeting to discuss the
The marginalisation of the Rohingyas in Burma was
issue ifthe word “Rohingya” is mentioned. “If we recog-
formalised when the military government promulgated a
nise the name, then they will think that they are citizens
new and arbitrary citizenship law in 1978 that deemed them a stateless community. In 1991, the army launched
of Myanmar,” the spokesman for the country's President said. ASEAN has a policy of non-interference in the
another anti-Rohingya drive, code-named “Operation
internal affairs of member countries.
Clean turd Prosperous Nation". Some 2,00,000 Rohingyas were forced to flee the country. Most of them ended up in Bangladesh. Since then, the Rohingyas have been subjected to even more
By the end of May, the government had decreed that all Rohingyas will have to surrender their temporary “white cards" which are their only identification papers now. This will further curtail their freedom ofmovement.
abuses, including the arbitrary seizure ofproperty, forced
Meanwhile, people like the Buddhist monk Wirathu
labour, torture and rape at the hands of the authorities and a fanatical fringe of Buddhist zealots. In their home
are being given a free hand to propagate their message oi hatred. A U.S.-based human rights group said in a report
state of Rakhine, the authorities have imposed a “two
released in March that “almost every major outbreak ol
child” limit for Rohingya families. In 2014, the govern-
violence since October 2012“ had been preceded by activ-
ment banned the use ofthe word “Rohingya“ and decreed
ities of Wirathu and his group.
HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE
the government in Myanmar to take action. The Barack
ed in raising the issue of “human rights” in the country in
that they be called "Bengal is”. Things have gone from bad
And Aung San Suu Kyi has not spoken out yet despite
to worse after the powerful military decided on political
pleas from her fellow Nobel Peace laureates such as
cohabitation with the mainstream opposition party, the
Desmond Tutu.
El FRONTLINF.
-
JUNE Eh, 2015
WORLD AFFAIRS IRAQ
Witli Ramadi succuinhing to the Islamic State, a large part of Iraq is now under the sway of the extremist outfit. BY mun cnenun
THE FALL OF RAMADI, THE CAPITAL OF ANBAR province, on May 17 is the biggest military and political setback the Iraqi government has sufiered since the fall of
IRAQI SECURITY FORCES defending their headquarters against |.S. lighters during a sandstorm in the eastem part of Ramadi on May 14.
Mosul last year. Now the Islamic State (I.S.) is in full control of two major cities in Iraq. The fall of Ramadi
tial reports said that the I.S. staged a predawn attack that
coincided with the I.S.’ capture of Palmyra in neigh-
involved a wave of 24- car bomb suicide attacks followed
bouring Syria. Approximately half of Syria's territory is
by a wave of30 suicide bombers attacking the front lines.
now in the hands ofthe I.S. With the capture of Ramadi, a
Other reports suggest that Iraqi special forces aban-
Sunni-dominated city, a large part of Iraq is also under
doned their positions in the city without much ofa fight,
the sway of the extremist outfit, which styles itself as an
leaving their sophisticated equipment, including Amer-
Islamic caliphate. The capture of Ramadi comes soon after a joint force of the Iraqi army and Shia militias ejected the I.S. from the city of Tikrit, another Sunni-
ican—supplied tanks and armoured vehicles, behind. The United States claimed that the I.S. launched its attack
dominated lI0\'V'fl and the birthplace of Saddam Hussein.
when a sandstorrn was buffeting Ramadi and that poor visibility prevented the deployment of U.S. air power
The Iraqi army had even started talking about liberating
against the advancing enemy. The Iraqi army had de-
Mosul, Iraq's second-biggest city, which is home to over a million people, when the military debacle in Ramadi
ployed 15 divisions and its best weaponry in Anbar province. Yet, it could not defend the city or retake territory in
happened. Its liberation will now be delayed even fur-
this Sunni-dominated province in central Iraq. The gov-
ther.
ernment in Baghdad now holds less than 10 per cent of
There are conflicting reports about the events surrounding the army's humiliating defeat in Ramadi. Ini-
the territory there. The faith of the average Iraqi in his country's armed forces has suffered another serious dent.
FRONTLINE
-
.lUNF.2fi.l()l5
Much of the large Anbar province is desert terrain and
strikes against I.S. targets in Iraq and Syria average
lightly populated. Ramadi is only 110 kilometres from Baghdad and its fall has led to another refugee influx into the Iraqi capital.
around 15 a day. In Libya, during the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation-led attack in 2012, there were about 50 strikes a day in the first two months. In the initial
Braving the searing summer heat, thousand of Ramadi’s
stages ofthe U.S. invasion ofAfghanistan in 2001, there
residents fled, many of them on foot. More than 40,000 refugees were allowed into Baghdad. Others went to smaller cities. The central government fears that I.S. suicide bombers may use the refugee influx as a cover to
were about 80 air strikes every day. Since its major battlefield successes in Syria and Iraq in the beginning of the year, the I.S. has become better armed and highly motivated. As recent battles have shown, the I.S. is able to
stage attacks in Baghdad as the I.S. has been loudly claiming that the capital is next on its radar.
deploy hundreds of suicide bombers at short notice. Prime Minister al-Abadi has pledged to liberate Ra-
U.S. Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter blamed the fall of Ramadi on the lack ofa “will to fight” among Iraqi troops, though they greatly outnumbered the I.S. forces laying siege to the city. Earlier, the Chairman ofthe U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey, said that the Iraqi forces were not driven out. “They drove out of Ramadi,” he sarcastically commented. The Defence Secretary’s remarks came in for harsh criticism from Iraqi
madi “within days“. This time, he is relying more on the Iranian-trained militias. Thousands offighters from Shia
officials. A spokesman for Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar
al-Abadi said that the Defence Secretary had “incorrect information” about the situation that was prevailing at
the time in Ramadi. An Iraqi army officer fighting on the fi'ont line in Anbar province said that his forces had conducted a“tactical withdrawal“ and that the Iraqi army
would prove very soon that the American charges of cowardice under fire were unfounded. U.S. Vice-Presi-
dent Joe Biden tried to make amends for the Defence Secretary’s statement by assuring Abadi that his country would continue to be an ally in the fight against the I.S. He also praised the “enormous sacrifice and bravery of the Iraqi forces".
Gen. Qassem Soleimani, head ofIran's Revolutionary Guards, blamed the U.S. for not doing anything to stop the I.S. advance on Ramadi. Observers ofthe region have said that the U.S. could have used its air power more effectively to stop the I.S. advance. The U.S. and Iran are tacitly cooperating in Iraq in the fight against the I.S.
This cooperation was evident in the successful bid to retake Tikrit, where the U.S. used its air power to help Iranian-trained militias to defeat the I.S. The U.S. has trained and equipped the Iraqi army at a cost of $22
¢
FhARfi m IUPH H?
flFP'C
All AERIAL VIEW, taken in 2009, of part of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria, which the 1.5. seized on May 18, 2015. About half of Syria's territory is in l.S. hands.
TURKEY
billion to its exchequer. The Iraqi army no doubt has to
shoulder most of the responsibility for the failure to
_.. .-. ____,.-»
defend Iraq’s major cities. Soleimani said that only Iran
and its close allies were really serious about fighting the
SYRIA
I.S. “[President Barack] Obama has not done a damn
if ~»,/"’"-'~¢/"ix
y - l"\_a /
Tikrit °
for the I.S.]. Doesn't that show that there is no will in America to confront it?" he said.
unnecessary collateral damage. Iraqi oflicials said that
the limited air strikes allowed the I.S. free movement on the battlefield. An Iraqi officer told The New York Times: “We lost large territories in Anbar because of the inefficiencies of the U.S.-led coalition air strikes.” U.S. air
Ramadi
__...,/
U.S. military officials have now admitted that they cities under their control. The reason they gave was that the U.S. wanted to safeguard civilian lives and prevent
T
Kmiuk
thing so far to confront the Daesh [the Arabic acronym
have not been attacking important I.S. targets in the
Mosul
;
J“
P
Fallujah
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IRAN
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SAUDI ARABIA
FRONTIIWF
_”'\|
JUNF1h
2015
iii;
LHA
IRAQI SECURITY FORCES stand guard as residents fleeing Ramadi wait to cross the Bzeibez bridge, on the south-western frontier of Baghdad, on May 20.
the auspices of the Turkish and Jordanian governments.
A 2012 U.S. Defence Intelligence Agency assessment
mittees along with more than a thousand policemen
stated that the U.S. and the Gulf monarchies were in favour ofa Salafist state covering the eastern part ofSyria and the western part of Iraq. After the invasion of Iraq, some influential policy-
started their counteroffensive in the last week of May
makers in the U.S. were openly talking ofcarving up Iraq
from the city of Habbaniyah, one of the last government-
into three parts: a Shia-dominated South, a Sunni-pop-
controlled cities in Anbar province. The militias are
ulated central part and a Kurd-dominated north. North-
backed by units of the Iraqi army’s “Golden Division".
ern Iraq is for all practical purposes already functioning
Retaking Ramadi is the al-Ahadi government's topmost
as an independent entity. The Obama administration
priority. The deployment of Shia militias on the Ramadi front
now plans to arm the Kurd and Sunni militias directly without even bothering to consult the government in
has come in for criticism from some leading Sunni poli-
Baghdad. The U.S. also thought that it would be able to
ticians in Iraq. In fact, it was their vociferous objections,
replicate the “Sunni awakening” that it manipulated in
which had the support of the U.S., that made the Iraqi
2007 in Anbar province by once again getting tribal
Prime Minster decide against their participation in the
chiefs on board. The uprising led by jehadi groups in the
fight against the I.S. in many parts of Anbar profince. Initially, the U.S. had even threatened to not provide air
last decade was defeated by a combination of military force and money power. At the time, there were thou-
cover ifShia militias were deployed in the fight to liberate
sands of U.S. military boots on the ground. The Sunni
Tikrit. The argument put forward was that the deployment of Shia forces would further widen the sectarian divide in the country. In the first place, the U.S played a big role in fostering the sectarian divide as it spearheaded
Awakening Force that fought alongside them was handsomely compensated. All the same, it took the U.S. a long time to recapture the city of Fallujah, which had fallen into the hands of Al Qaeda—aligned fighters.
the overthrow of secular regimes in Iraq and Libya. In
Hawkish politicians in the U.S., such as the old war-
Syria, too, the U.S. has played the sectarian card to the hilt. The I.S. itself is in a way a creation ofthe U.S. Before
monger John McCain, are once again calling for the deployment of U.S. troops in Iraq to fight the I.S. At the
I.S. fighters started openly flaunting the black banner of
same time, the Obama administration has announced a
global jehad, the West and its regional allies supported
joint plan with Turkey to arm and train anti-Assad mil-
them in their bid to overthrow the government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. Millions ofdollars worth ofequipment,
itants to fight in Syria. The Syrian government, which is facing a major threat from the I.S., is being forced to fight
funded by lavish donors in countries such as Saudi Ara-
on various fronts because ofthe machinations of the U.S.
bia, Qatar and Kuwait were funnelled into Syria under
and its allies. The I.S. is having the last laugh.
militias under the banner of Popular Mobilisation Com-
FRUN'l'I.l.\lI-‘.
-
JUNF. Zn, lfllfi
El
WORLD AFFAIRS umreo KINGDOM
it
I
THIS IMAGE GRAB from a video reportedly released by the LS. on the Internet purportedly shows I5. militants at an
undisclosed location in Libya just before they executed men described as Ethiopian Christians. There is a view that the ISIS’ shock-and-awe tactics are what realty makes it attractive to bored young men looking for thrills.
Alarm call lhitailils most senior l\‘lllSllIII
poliee ofiieer \\‘;u'ns oltlie need for parents to be extra vigilant as more and more of the Muslim eommunit_\"s _\nu|i_<.;' people. including selioolgoiiig ehiltlren, are heing‘ |';uliez1lisetl.
av nasan sunoon
by groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS (also known as the Islamic State, or I.S.), if it did not exercise greater vigilance, and those most at risk of rad-
icalisation were children. Children as young as six, including those from mod-
erate and stable families with no history of extremism, were being influenced by the ISIS’ “powerful” propaganda. The threat was so serious that he worried about his own children, he said. “I am not immunised. lt'I feel the need to be extra vigilant, then I think you need to feel the
need to be extra vigilant,” he warned fellow Muslims. Chishty's warning, in an interview to The Guardian, came as the police said they were investigating the case of
a 16-year-old London girl who had run away to become a “jehadi” bride. Radicalisation of British Muslims is not new. What is new, if Chishty is right, is that it is now spreading to schoolgoing children. More troubling is the scale on which it is claimed to be happening. Often, it happens at home via older siblings who have already been rad iealised. It is not a coincidence that among those who have gone to join the ISIS several are brothers or
otherwise related. Indeed, it has become every British enough is used to hearing apocalyptic warnings about the
Muslim parent's nightmare that their child may be secretly plotting something.
threat from Muslim extremism, but given their provenance—anonymous intelligence “sources”, right-wing think tanks and scaremongering tabloids—they are often
“Every time I hear that another youth has fled to Syria or is arrested, I start worrying about my own kids,“ said an East London Muslim bus driver. Chishty believes that
met with a yawn. However, it is less easy to be so dismis-
the threat can be contained if parents intervene at an
sive when the country's most senior Muslim police officer decides to speak out—and on record as a Scotland Yard
early stage by watching out for “subtle, unexplained changes” in their children—such as “sudden negative
commander and the head of its community engagement
attitudes towards alcohol, social occasions and Western
programme in London—as Mak Chishty did last week.
clothing”. Parents must not only keep a closer eye on their
The Muslim community, he suggested, was in danger of sleepwalking into a new phase ofextrelnisni propounded
children but also robustly “challenge” their behaviour if they find it suspicious, he said prompting criticism that
ANYONE WHO HAS LIVED IN BRITAIN LONG
FR(]N"l"I.lNE
-
.Il"§F2('\-
2131*
this will lead to parents “spying” on their own children. Such “Stasi-style" surveillance, critics argue, could damage family relations besides proving counterproductive
designed to brainwash women into believing that it is their religious duty to help and support those “fighting” for Islam. A Frenchwoman gave an interesting account
as children would become more secretive.
about how she was sought to be seduced by an online
Chishty has also been accused of exaggerating the
jehadi. She pretended to play along to find out how far he
threat. Maybe he is. Police ofiicers, even well-meaning ones, tend to overstate the ease for the prosecution, but that should not become a reason to throw the baby out with the bathwater. The important fact is that radical-
would go; when he suggested that she join him, she decided that enough was enough and dumped him. Much has been written about why educated young men from stable families turn to violent extremism. Alienation from the wider society in which they live, a
isation is happening, and if someone better informed than the general public and ostensibly a friend of Muslims issues a warning, even ifwith a slight exaggeration to
sense of adventure, their longing for a purpose in life, and
backlash against Islamophobia are some of the reasons
drive home the point, one should take it seriously.
ofien cited. But there is no serious study on what makes academically bright girls want to become “jehadi” brides
though some have suggested that it gives them a sense of “empowerment” and equality with men. A lot of the discussion on the ISIS' appeal has centred round its extremely effective communications and recruitment operation: its glossy online magazine, slick videos and use of evocative language. But does this really fully explain its global pull? There is a view that its shock-and-awe tactics
u.
—“packaged as an online video game”, as T712 Times put
t_
it—are what really makes it attractive to bored young
-I
men looking for thrills. But this so-called “adventure theory”, boys high on testosterone rushing to the deserts of Arabia for adventure, completely ignores the role of religious extremism, which, in this correspondents view, remains the dominant pull factor. Broadly, there are
tr u.
xi
-1
THE SCHOOLGIRLS who ran away from their homes in East London to join the l.S. in Syria. This CCTV footage shows them at London's Gatwick airport on February 19.
three categories of people attracted to the ISIS. First are
In recent months, there have been several cases of teenage girls secretly travelling to Syria to join the ISIS, the most famous one being that of three East London schoolgirls—Shamima Begum, Kadiza Sultana and Amira Abase, dubbed the “runaway tn'o”—who disappeared
and comprises people from across the globe. Then, there are those with specific agendas/grievances: anti-Assad, anti-Shia Iraqi regime, anti-Iran and anti-Saudis. They are drawn mostly from among SyrianlIraqi exiles or their descendants settled in the West. The adventure seekers
from their homes earlier this year and ended up in Syria. group and is now on the run in fear of her life, has revealed that there is a systematic campaign to lure
make up the last and perhaps the smallest category. Some also go for what is sold to them as purely humanitarian reasons such as helping with relief work, but once there they are drawn into extremist activities. One significant
young women. The woman, who calls herselfUm Asmah, said the ISIS had “a well-structured grooming system
common element in all these cases, whether involving men or women, is that just before taking the plunge they
that can psychologically target vulnerable youngsters like
suddenly become religious and start to drift away from
the three British girls”. “They have educated people who
their old friends. Whatever be the other reasons, religion remains the main motivating factor. Finally, no discussion ofMuslim extremism would be complete without a mention of anti-Muslim prejudice
those inspired by its extreme interpretation of Islam and
the idea of restoring Islam to its original glory by establishing an Islamic caliphate. This is the largest category
A former female ISIS “commander”, who deserted the
know how to deal with [the] psychology of others. They have ways to attract people, especially foreigners. [The] I.S. has the ability to manipulate the minds of young
people." She said the London trio was “probably groomed by highly coordinated social media experts" whose job is to identify and brainwash vulnerable women. “The I.S.’
young non-Muslim Britons think that Muslims are “tak-
propaganda and grooming machine consists of foreign
ing over" the country while another study reveals that as
fighters working in Raqqa (Syria) Internet cafes in shifts
many as 52 per cent believe Islam is incompatible with
which are coordinated to world time zones," she said.
British values. Yet, despite such sectarian misconcep-
because it does shape Muslim attitudes. According to a study by an anti-racist campaign group, one—third of
In the good old pre-ISIS days, Islamism was largely
tions and biases, community relations in Britain in 2015
an all-male affair. Most often, women did not even know
are markedly better than they were only a few years ago. And as someone who has lived through the worst phase of
what their menfolk (husbands, sons, boyfriends, broth-
Muslim extremism and Islamophobia in the past 15 years or so, I should know. El
ers) were up to until after the event. But the ISIS has
changed all that. It runs a slick online operation specially FRONTLINF.
-
.lUNF.2h.lt)l5
50
ESSAY
SQUANDERED HERITAGE For 65 years, media and academia have failed to do justice to the towering intellect that Ambedkar was. Successive governments have undermined the Constitution he so admirably piloted and his role in its framing has been either exaggerated or underestimated. And now, in a cruel irony, the Sangh Parivar is seeking to usurp his legacy, distorting everything he stood for.
The Parivar attacked Ambedkar for his Hindu Code
Bill and was up in arms when his work, Riddles in H-incl-11119111, was published. (Dr. Babasaheb A-mbedkar: Writings and Speeches, Education Department, Govern-
ment of Maharashtra, Vol. 4-. This entire series is ably compiled from his published and unpublished writings; cited volume wise herein.) Ambedkar, on his part, was unsparing in his critiques in that and in other works. “Hindu society is a myth. The
name Hindu is itself a foreign name. It was given by the Moharnmedans to the natives for the purpose of distinguishing themselves. It doesn’t occur in any Sanskrit
work prior to the Mohammedan invasion.... Hindu society as such does not exist. It is only a collection of castes.... Castes don't even form a federation. A caste has
BY A.G. NOORANI
Seven. wcu[th._y towns contend for Home-r z[ead/ Through which the living Homer begged his breazl —A Few Selected Fables in Verse By N0 Person of Quality, 1698.
T is not amusing but highly reprehensible to see the
ISzmgh Parivar lay claim to B.R. Ambedkar and his rich intellectual and political legacy. Twenty-five years ago it tried the same trick with Gandhi, whom its mentor, M.S. Golwalkar, and L.K. Advani had scorned. Now the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) Szu'ka-
ryawah, Bhaiyaji Joshi, proclaims that Ambedkar was a “Mahamanav” who “needs to be studied and understood in totality" (sub-ten: discard elements in the whole
which the RSS cannot accept). This one takes the cake: “We should collectively create a harmonious society for
which he fought throughout his life.” He went so far as to
compare RSS founder K.B. Hedgewar with Ambedkar and assert that “the objectives of both were same” (Orga-
niser; April 26, 2015).
DR B.R. AMBEDKAR. 61
|"R0\TlI‘H~
Il'\F30 22:1-i
no feeling that it is affiliated to other castes except when there is a Hindu-Muslim riot” (Ann.-ihilation. of Caste, Chapter VI, Vol. 1). Volume 12 contains this dissertation
law was rooted in these inteilectual disciplines and raised him above the mere constitutional lawyer, however famous. In this, he was peerless. Leaming was harnessed to
for the M.A. Examination in Columbia University
a razor-sharp mind, skilled in logic and dialectics.
Neither academia nor the media have acquitted
(1913-15).
The Sangh Parivar is unlikely to be pleased by his understanding of India’s history as these extracts suggest: “It is a mistake to suppose that the Mussalman sovereigns of India were barbarous and despots. On the
themselves creditably. Even halfa century after his death, a definitive biography has not been written. The media revels in trivia, ofwhich the most ridiculous is the persistent statement, even in leading dailies, that he “wrote” the
other hand, majority of them were men of extraordinary character. Mohammed of Ghazni ‘showed so much munificence to individuals of eminence that his capital ex-
Constitution at Wayside Inn, a restaurant in the Kala Ghoda neighbourhood of Mumbai. He did go there when he practised at the High Court. But from 194-2 he lived
hibited a greater assemblage of literary genius than any
mostly in New Delhi—moreover, one cannot write a
other monarch in Asia has ever been able to produce. If
Constitution on the dining table of a restaurant.
rapacious in acquiring wealth, he was unrivalled in the judgment and grandeur with which he knew how to expend it....‘ “Babar, the founder of the Moghul dynasty in India, found the country in a prosperous condition and was
On the other hand, his notable efforts on 1ndia’s behalf are ignored; for example, his searching cross-examination of Winston Churchill at the Round Table Confer-
surprised at the immense population and the innumerable artisans everywhere. He was a benevolent ruler and
ence (RTC) in London. Indeed, his role at the RTC itself is underplayed, with attention focussed almost exclusive-
public works marked his statesmanship. Sher Shah, who
ly on his differences with Gandhi and his advocacy ofthe
temporarily wrested the throne from the Moghul, was,
cause ofthe untouchables, as they were then known. This
excepting Akbar, the greatest of Mohammedan rulers and, like Babar, executed many public works.... “With the advent of the English, things began to change. Prosperity bade fair to India and perched itself on the Union Jack. The evil forces were set forth both on
is of a piece with neglect of the RTC’s proceedings themselves. They were a preparation for the drafting of the Government of India Act, 1935, which served as India's Constitution from April 1, 1937, to August 14, 194-7 (minus the federation part), and, with adaptations, fi'orn
the side of the Parliament and the East India Company.
August 15, 1947, to January 25, 1950. The Constitution of
The Rule of the Company was anything but wise, it was
India came into force the next day and it is based largely
rigorous, it gave security but destroyed property.... India contributed or rather was made (to) contribute to the
on the Act of 1935. Debates in the RTC's committees were better informed than those in the Constituent Assembly
prosperity of England in many ways.” Had he lived, Ambedkar would have denounced the Parivar for the demolition ofthe Babri Masjid. But neither can the Congress claim him as one of its own. Volume 9 in that series published his excellently
since the former had the best of India’s legal talent. On some of the provisions of our Constitution, notably the moribund Inter-State Council, it is from the deliberations in London, rather than those in New Delhi, that one acquires an understanding of their ra-ison c1’etre.
documented works, What Congress and Gandhi Have Emancipation tyfthe Untouchables. It is trite to say that praise ofAmbedkar has tended to
Uniquely, Ambedkar was an active participant in both. However, well before that he had enriched his mind with a deep study of constitutionalism. Unlike other constitutional lawyers, his study of history, political sci-
obscure his contributions as a constitutionalist. Howev-
ence
er, even this recognition does less than full justice to that
considerably.
ENRICHED MIND
Done To The Untouchables and Mr. Gandhi and the
and
economies
had
shaped
his
outlook
tower of intellect. I-Ie was head and shoulders above
Even as far back as January 27, 1919, he revealed the
constitutional lawyers like Tej Bahadur Sapru. For, he
depth of his knowledge in his written statement and
was steeped in history—Indian, English European and
evidence before the Southborough Committee on Fran-
American—in Hinduism, in the Vedas and the Upan-
chise. He differed from the British as well as the simplistic Indian approach. He reckoned with India's social
ishads, and in Economics. His erudition in constitutional
Ambedkar's three warnings in the Constituent Assembly are often quoted—the perils of hero worship; satyagraha or civil disobedience; and neglect of social and economic uplift. All three have gone unheeded. FRONTIIYF
.lUVF2h.ll)l'-
52
PRIME MINISTER Narendra Modi at the foundation stone
diversities, which the Congress steadfastly refused to do. He said, "Except the Hindus, the rest ofthe divisions are marked by such complete freedom of communication troni within that we may expect their members to he
laying ceremony of the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in
New Delhi,
])ei'tet'tly like-minded with respect to one another. Re-
isetl the untouchables and their interests at stake are
garding the Hindus, however. the analysis must be carried on a little tiirther. The significant tact about the Hindus is that before they are Hindus they are members of some caste. The castes are so exclusive and isolated that the consciousness of being a Hindu would be the chief guide of a Hindu's activity towards non—Hindus.
therelore the interests oi humanity. The interests oi property are nothing before such primary interests.... The Congress is largely composed of me.n who are by design political Radicals and social Tories. Their chant is that the social and the political are two distinct things having no bearing on each other. To them the social and the political are two suits and can be worn one at a time as the season demands" (Vol. 1. pages 255 and 263). He
But as against a Hindu oi‘ a diiterent caste, his caste-
consciousness would be the chief guide ot‘acti\-ity. 1-‘rem this. it is plain that as between two Hindus. caste like-
proposed his own scheme in a supplementary written
mindedness is more po\\'erf1il than the like-mindedness due to their both being Hindus." (Vol. 1. page 245).) The problem was to devise an electoral system that
statement. Ambedkar was in no condition to boycott the Simon Commission. His counsel was not sought by the Motilal
would enable the minorities—religious and caste-—to be properly represented in the legislature. “The Untouchables are usually regarded as objects of pity but they are ignored in any political scheme on the score that they
have no interests to protect. And yet. their interests are
Nehru Committee. which was appointed by the All Parties Confcrence to prepare a draft Constitution of India (1928). He prepared a detailed report for the Simon Commission. One is struck by his nationalist fervour in advocating a powertitl Centre with power "to coerce a
the greatest. Not that they have large property to protect
recalcitrant or rebellious Province acting in a manner
from confiscation. But they have their very persona con-
prejudicial to the interests of the country". This was two decades before the provision for Presidents rule in the
fiscated. The socio—religions disabilities have dehuman$3
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-
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Neither academia nor the media in India have acquitted themselves creditabty. Even half a century after his death, a definitive biography has not been written. States was adopted by the Constituent Assembly. At the RTC in London, he attacked the princes’ claims and spoke up for the rights of Indians. In the real sense of
minorities.” On another occasion, he wrote: “In India, the majority is not a political majority. In India the majority is born; it is not made. That is the difference between a
those hackneyed words, Ambedkar was a freedom fighter. The Sccretary of State for India, Sir Samuel Hoare, was put in a corner when he deposed before the Joint Committee on Indian Constitutional Reform. “Dr B.R. Ambedkar: I think there is a general agreement that the ultimate goal of India's Constitution is to be Dominion status?
communal majority and a political majority. A political majority is not a fixed or a permanent majority. It is a majority which is always made, unmade and remade. A communal majority is a permanent majority fixed in its attitude. One can destroy it, but one cannot transform it. If there is so much objection to a political majority, how very fatal must be the objection to a communal major-
Sir Samuel Hoare: It has constantly been so stated. Dr B.R. Ambedkar: So that on the question of the
ity?... My proposals do not ask the Hindus to accept the principle of unanimity. My proposals do not ask the
ultimate goal, there is really no dispute?
Hindus to abandon the principle of majority rule. All I
Sir Samuel Hoare: That would be so, yes.
am asking them is to be satisfied with a relative majority.
Dr B.R. Ambedkar: Now what I want to ask you is this: in view of that, would you be prepared to put this in
Is it too much for them to concede this?... Without making any such sacrifice, the Hindu majority is not justified in representing to the outside world that the minorities are holding up India's freedom. This false
the Preamble to the Government of India’s Constitution that India would be Dominion status, leaving the ques-
tion ofthe time and the pace to be determined by circum-
propaganda will not pay. For, the minorities are doing nothing ofthe kind. They are prepared to accept freedom
stances as they arise? Sir Samuel Hoare: I do not think here and now I
and the dangers in which they are likely to be involved;
would like to give a pledge as to what is or is not put in the Preamble of an Act of Parliament. I, myself, am preju-
provided they are granted satisfactory safeguards.” In a memorandum on “States and Minorities”, he
diced against Preamble ofActs ofParliament, for reasons good or bad, and I would rather say neither yes nor no to Dr Ambcdkar‘s question.” At one point, Hoare acknowledged that “Dr Ambed-
wrote: “Unfortunately for the minorities in India, Indian nationalism has developed a new doctrine which may be called the Divine Right ofthe Majority to rule the minorities according to the wishes of the majority. Any claim for the sharing ofpower by the minority is called commu-
kar's very acute mind has discovered a gap in the Vifhite
Paper.... It is an omission that we propose to set right in
nalism, while the monopolising ofthe whole power by the majority is called nationalism.” In the plenary session of the RTC, he declared: “We hold that the problem of the depressed classes will never
any final draft”. THE MAJORITY AND THE MINORITIES
Ambedkar was rightly oppressed by the reality that Indi-
be solved unless they get power in their own hands." That alone, rather than mere safeguards, can assure protec-
an society had a permanent communal majority and permanent communal minorities. Sample these com-
tion to the minorities—a share in power.
ments: “People who rely upon majority rule forget the
It was formidable intellectual equipment that Am-
fact that majorities are of two sorts: (1) Communal ma-
bedkar brought to bear on his tasks in the Constituent
jority and (2) Political majority. A political majority is changeable in its class composition. A political majority
Assembly trom 1946. He understood better than most what was demanded of its members and, later, of those
grows. A communal majority is born. The admission to a political majority is open. The door to a communal ma-
who worked it. In 1943 he approvingly quoted these wise words of Balfour: “If we would find the true basis of the
jority is closed. The politics ofa political majority arc free
“I-Iow can a communal majority run away with the
long-dravim process which has gradually converted medieval monarchy into a modern democracy, the process by which so much has been changed and so little destroyed, we must study temperament and character rath-
title deeds given to a political majority to rule? To give
er than intellect and theory. This is a truth which those
such title deeds to a communal majority is to establish a hereditary government and make the way open to the
who recommend the wholesale adoption of British institutions in strange lands might remember with ad-
tyranny of that majority. This tyranny of the communal
vantage. Such an experiment can hardly be without its dangers. Constitutions are easily copied; temperaments
to all to make and unmake. The politics of a communal
majority are made by its own members born in it.
majority is not an idle dream. It is an experience of many FRONTLINF.
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51'.
sible. It may imlced be [cost pn.s.s'ib1£‘ relzere the l'I!‘[.\' of
pr.'rli'onier2ru/jg 11c!‘-sutl-w'rm and the 0'c.rtcrr'h'cs o,f'/1or'ty mu.'1ugement are brought to tlicir lzighes-I per]/iect1'on." The stratagems available in the parliamentary system are used without respect for its true spirit. CONSTITUTIONAL MORALITY
Ambedkafs three warnings in the Constituent Assembly as it completed its labours in November 1949 are often quoted—the perils of hero worship; .s-utyugrrr/in or civil disobedience; and neglect of social and economic uplifi. All three have gone unheeded, though. But even more
tragic is the utter indifference to the far more insightful remarks he made in the Constituent Assembly on November ~t- while introducing the Draft Constitution: “I agree that administrative details should have no place in the Constitution. I wish very much that the Drafting Committee could see its way to avoid their inclusion in the Constitution. But this is to be said on the
necessity which justifies their inclusion. G rote. the historian of Greece. has said: The dilfusion of constitutional moralit_v, not merely among the inajority of any community but throughout the whole, is the indispensable condition of government at once tree and peaceable: since even any powerful and obstinate minority may render the working ofa free institution impracticable, without being strong enough to conquer ascendancy for themsel\'es.' “By constitutional morality Grotc meant ‘a paramount reverence for the forms of the Constitution. enforcing obedience to authority acting under and within these forms yet combined with the habit ofopen speech, of action subject only to definite legal control, and unrestrained censure of those very authorities as to all their
public acts combined too with a perfect confidence in the bosom of every citizen amidst the bitterness of party contest that the forms ofthe Constitution will not he less sacred in the eyes ofhis opponents than in his o\vn.' "VVhile everybody recognises the necessity of the diffusion ofconstitutional morality for the peaceful working of a democratic Constitution, there are two things in-
LONDON, DECEMBER 1, 1931: During the
terconnected with it. which are not, unfortunately, generally recognised. One is that the form of administration
proceedings of the second Round Table Conference on
India at St. James Palace.
has a close connection with the form ofthe Constitution.
(1 re not and [fit sizoultl happen that the bor'rmcc(1' Constifilfioii and the ncztivr fempcrumen t_fit 1'! to l‘0.I‘I'(’.\'])(Hl(/, the nu'.$)‘it Inay licwc.s-crz'm1-s- res-izlt-s. It matters little what other gifts a people may possess if tl1c_v :u'c wanting in
The form ofthe administration must be appropriate to and in the same sense as the form ofthe Constitution. The other is that it is perfectly possible to pervert the Constitution, \\ithout changing its form by merely changing the form of the administration and to make it inconsistent
these which, from this point of view. are of most importance. If_ for example. they have no capacity for grading their loyalties as well as for being moved by them; ifthey
and opposed to the spirit of the Constitution. It follows that it is only where people are saturated with constitutional morality such as the one described by Grote that
have no natural inclination to liberty and no natural respect for law; if they lack good humour and tolerate foul play; iftliey know not how to compromise or when; if they have not that distrust ofextreme conclusions which is sometimes misdescribed as want of logic; if corruption
one can take the risk of omitting from the Constitution details ofad ministration and leaving it for the legislature to prescribe them. The question is, can we presume such a difliision of constitutional morality? Con.-ariturional l]!()f‘(I”l_t/ is no! u lmturml sclzrilriclit. II /ms to be rut’!!-
does not repel them; and if their divisions tend to be
twfctl. Vl/1' m us! I'co1isr i‘/1 of on rpcopfr /love _1/ci‘ to /corn if.
either too numerous or too profound. the successful
Dt’IIIU{'l'tlt'_lj in Imliu is only u top-tires-sing on (H? !no’iun soif a"/sir/i is c-sas'c11ti(1l/_i/ unt1rmocrt1t1'r" (Crmsfifzlrnt/ls-
working of British institutions maybe ditiicult or impos$5
l-‘R(I\'|'l.lNl-I
-
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sembly Debates; Vol. 7, page 38). Now, 67 years later, constitutional morality is far weaker than it was then. It barely exists.
erudite work, The English Judges: Their Role in the Changing Constitution by Robert Stevens. He is a practising barrister, a Bencher of Gray's Inn, to which Am-
The authors of the Constitution opted for the British
bedkar belonged, and an academic as well. Two quotes
parliamentary system as a matter of course. At the very
from it suffice to drive the point home. The Times (Lon-
outset oftheir deliberations, at ajoint meeting, on June 5, 1947, of the Union Constitution Committee a.nd the Initial Constitution Committee. Vallabhbhai Patel announced the decision in the Constituent Assembly on
don) criticised in these terms on March 10, 2004, one of the finest Lords, Chief Justice Lord Woolf. It said he “cannot quite make up his mind whether he is a liberal reformer or the shop steward for the only trade union in
July 15, 1947: “Both these committees met and they came to the conclusion that it would suit the conditions of this country better to adopt the parliamentary system of Con-
the country whose members wear wigs and not hard hats or cloth caps".
stitution, the British type of Constitution with which we
Sometime back this writer said in these pages that the Army is the country’s most powerful trade union. I
are familiar" (CAD, Vol. IV, page 578).
should add that judges of the Supreme Court have been
However, as Gladstone said, the British Constitution “presumes more boldly than any other, the good faith of those who work it”. As a parliamentary committee said, the “understandings and habits of mind” by which the Constitution functions are “bound up with the growth of
as ardently trade unionist. Stevens sharply remarks, “Judges choosing judges is the antithesis of democracy” (page 144-). We have had this obscenity for nearly a quarter of a century thanks to the ipse clzlrit of the Supreme Court in blatant violation of the Constitution. It
mutual confidence between the great parties ofthe State, transcending the political differences of the hour”. The
passed muster because we have had weak governments since 1991. As Lord Bingham said in 2001: “The courts
Constitution is rooted in a national consensus. It works
tend to be most assertive...when political organs of the
on the understanding that the system is more important
state are least effective.”
than the immediate political gain. Public opinion acts as a referee.
On November 1, I94-8, Ambedkar said: “I feel that it [the Constitution] is workable, it is flexible and it is
strong enough to hold the country together both in peace
cry over the imposition of President's Rule in Punjab in
time and in war time. Indeed, if I may say so, if things go wrong under the new Constitution, the reason will not be that we had a bad Constitution. What we will have to say is that Man was Vile” (CAD, Vol. 7, pages 4-3-44).
June 1951. The office of the President, and later the judiciary, sufiered. The civil service was suborned. Gov-
He resigned from the Union Council of Ministers on September 27, 1951, fought the first general election in
ernors became dalals ofthe political party in power at the
1952 in opposition to the Congress, and lost. Differences with the ruling party widened to the extent that he delivered an embittered and unflattering disavowal in the Rajya Sabha on September 2, 1953. “People always keep on saying to me, ‘Oh you are the maker of the Constitu-
FLOUTED FROM THE OUTSET
India’s leaders began flouting the Constitution from the
very outset. President Rajendra Prasad raised a hue and
Centre.
His vision, the spirit behind the entire enterprise, and the fundamentals he propounded, compel admiration.
tion’. My answer is I was a hack. What I was asked to do, I
did much against my will.” He added: “I am quite prepared to say that I shall be the first person to burn it out. I do not want it. It does not suit anybody....” Ambedkar's role in the framing of the Constitution has been either exaggerated or underestimated. The style
and content of his performance in the Constituent Assembly as the prime mover ofthe Draft Constitution have been neglected completely. He was capable of a shocking factual error on a defining moment in Canada’s constitutional history, the
It had all begun fairly early; as far back as 1937, when the Congress had its first taste of power in the provinces.
Governor-General’s refiisal of a dissolution to Prime Minister Mackenzie King in 1926. He tended to be per-
The issue was whether the Speaker ofthe Uttar Pradesh
fimetory, even testy and short, in his replies (CAD; Vol. 7,
Assembly, P.D. Tandon, should resign from the Con-
page 270). His health was failing.
gress. Both Gandhi and Nehru strongly asserted that he should not. That was the beginning ofthe departure from
the Constitution in the Constituent Assembly as his vi-
British conventions. They have been abandoned now,
sion, the spirit behind the entire enterprise, and the
reducing the Constitution to a skeleton denuded of life and blood. The judiciary was no less eager to ignore
fiindamentals he propounded, which alone make the text meaningful, which compel admiration.
British judicial culture. One gets a flavour of the gap between the Indian and British judicial cultures from an
The vision was abandoned and the fimdamentals were flouted. Lesser men came after him. El
FRONTLINF.
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It is, however, not so much his admirable piloting of
66
Af1"ica’s ark ‘
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.
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1"
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The Ngorongoro crater in Tanzania, the largest in the world, provides ideal conditions for wildlife to thrive. It is Africa in microcosm as almost every species of the continent can be found here. Te.\1 & photographs by SUD}-IA MAI-IALINGAM
A M OM E HY of serendipitous proximity to an African tusker.
NGORONGORO seems like another version of
course, where there is prey, there are also predators, but
Noah’s ark. It teems with all kinds of creatures although
both have learnt to live with each other, guided by the
there is no sea for a few hundred miles in any direction
delicate balancing act of Mother Nature.
and the ark itself is nothing but a collapsed crater. This
This spectacular depression spread over 20 square
crater is the planet's largest inactive, intact, unfilled caldera, formed by a volcanic explosion millions of years
kilometres is home to almost all species of African animals and birds, making it a natural laboratory for study-
ago. The Ngorongoro volcano is believed to have been taller than Mt Kilimanjaro. Today, the crater is a hospita-
ing African wildlife. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area includes not only the crater but also the famous Olduvai
ble habitat for the thousands of wild animals and birds
Gorge.
that have made it their permanent home. Nutrient rich
We arrive at the crater in the evening, having spent a
soil, abundant grass, and waterbodies drained by adequate streams, all situated deep inside a 2,000—foot cra-
few days in Serengeti. Our campsite is on the crater rim,
with a spectacular view of the caldera Paul Roberts
ter which forms a natural shelter, make up the ideal
Shayo, our tour guide, has already pitched our tent along-
environment for wildlife to go forth and multiply. Of
side a dozen others on a grassy knoll while Suvale, our
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AN AFRICAN BUSTARD.
cook, gets busy in the cookhouse to rustle up those magical meals, apparently out of nowhere. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is on the highlands of the savannah and the climate is saluhrious, reminding me ofOoty. As l begin my exploration around the campsite. there is allround cscilctncnt. An elephant has made its way Lo the camp to drink water from the plastic tank. ltyanks the lid oil’ and drinks in deep draughts. For those of us from India used to seeing domesticated elephants, the excitement is a little diflicult to comprehend. It is only when
serendipitous proximity to a wild creature, the magic heightened by a blazing western sky dripping ochrc all over the horizon. The next morning, Shayo drives us to the floor of the caldera. reached easily hy a winding road. From this height, Lhcre is hardly any hinlofthc prol'usion oI'wildliI'c that roams the crater. However, all along the way down,
every tree seems to host a nest or two and most of the nests have iledglings cared for lovingly by parenw. A marsh eagle sits with her back to the sun, the patterns on her wings so captivating that
Shayo tells me that this is a
they would put a couturier to
wild clcphani.—in fact. in Africa, elephants have never been domesticatcd—that l realise the piquancy of the sit-
uation. This lusker has strayed out of the crater in search of succulent leaves and water and is in no hurry Lo gel back. He wanders around Lasting a shrub here or checking out the ropes ofa tent there. lle seems to have quite a following; most of us are stalking him with our cameras. Perhaps he is en_ioying all the attention. IL is in-
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These arc the backs ol'hippopotamuscs which cluster around in large groups. Egrels and lapwings perch on their backs, feeding on the ticks and fleas that torment them. Perhaps these arc the only creatures that approach a hippopotainuswitlioul fear. FR0l'\'Tl..lNE
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A SKITT ISH wiidebeest. For, hippos are known to be the most unpredictable and
even more dangerous than the. hippo is the inscrutable
dangerous animals which can charge in an instant. But the hippo is not at its strongest on land. Its spindly legs are made For swiniming. Just then, my hat ilies ofi'in a gust of wind. We have a whole day in the relentless African sun before we return
water butl'alo. It may, much like our domesticated version, look so placid that it is easy to drop your guard, but beware. it can charge without provocation. The Masais fear the bufl'alo the most. Lions take out their cattle but buffaloes stomp into their hamlets and gore humans for
to our camp in the evening. In 'l'anzania's national parks. no one is allowed to alight from the vehicle under any circumstances. Ingenious Suvale, however, has a solu-
no rhyme or reason. ‘We drive past herds ofwater billialoes grazing contentedly. Every now and then. we cross buiialo skulls that have been picked clean by vultures.
tion. He fetches an umbrella, stretches and almost hangs out of the vehicle in an attempt to retrieve the hat with the crook of the brolly. A worried mother hippo ambles out of the water with her junior sprinting behind her, their pink underbellies gleaming in the morning sun. Her
Nothing goes waste in the crater. The grass on the crater iloor is tall enough to hide a
body language makes her intentions abundantly clear.
until you are out of sight. The)’ have impressive curved
We abandon the hat and drive off hastilv.
horns on their snouts. Spotted hyenas soak in the muddy
whole lot ofereatu res until you are actually upon them. A startled pair ofjackals darts across your path. ‘Wartliogs scatter at the sight of the \-'ehiele and watch you \varil_\'
puddles and reluctantly rise and hohble out of sight.
Shayo tells us that the only animal in the savannah i-'RIIN'I'l.l’\'i-I
Jl \i~;1~,:m.<
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WA T E R B UC K S which resemble rodents.
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A PE NSIV E hartebeest. Hyenas are often opportunistic hunters. A pack can eas-
Grant's gaxelles, which migrate in search of water in
ily scare away even a cheetah from a prey it has just hunted. Zebras and wildebeest are skittish as ever, kickNgorongoro used to be farmed by two German brothers, Adolph and Friedrich Siedentopf, in the early 20th century. Their cottage in the crater used to be a star attraction for hunting parties when East Africa was ad-
Serengeti, stay put in the crater. There are around 25,000 large ungulates and over 60 lions in the crater, but they are inbred. Inbreeding is inefitable in a crater like Ngorongoro, which is inaccessible to the savannah animals. Even when an occasional lion strays into the crater, the resident males chase it out. No wonder the crater lions are
ministered by Germany. In 1921, just before the adminis-
not as healthyas those in Serengeti. Shayo tells us that the
tration of Tanganyika passed into British hands once
again, an ordinance was issued to preserve the crater as a
crater lions have been struck by deadly diseases. During droughts, the lions here have to deal with bloodsueking
game park. Masai settlements inside the crater were
stable flies, which cause painful sores and decimate their
moved elsewhere, and the crater itself was converted into a National Park in 194-8. In 1979, it was nominated as a
population. Canine distemper (a viral disease) is also
ing up dust and bounding offat the approach ofhumans.
World Natural Heritage Site by Unesco. The walls ofthe
another cause for the drop in the lion population within the crater.
East African Rifl prevent animals from moving out ofthe
The crater is surrounded by hills and its perimeter is
crater. Thus, wildebeests, zebras, and Thomson's and
thickly wooded. As we zigzag through the floor of the FR(]N"l"l.lNE
-
_Il.'NE 2h, 2015
.i_¢
AN IMPALA with iiS fawn.
crater, we spot a couple of lions under a shrub. Their prey being captive, they seem to have all the time in the world
watch from a distance as a fox makes an unsuccessful attempt to catch one ofthe birds. Guinea fowl saunter in
to sprawl and snooze. A cheetah climbs down from its
groups and scatter at the sight ofthe vehicle.
perch on a knoll and goes in search of its lunch. We are told there are leopards too but do not spot any. The
We spot some Masai herdsmen, who, in recent times, have been allowed to bring their cattle into the crater for
midday heat is beating down on us mercilessly, but Shayo is relentless, determined to show us the best ofthe crater wildlife. We crest a hill in search ofthe black rhino, but all we see are herds of elephants and waterbucks which resemble rodents.
grazing, but they have to exit before nightfall. But the Masai rarely venture into the crater floor, content to graze their cattle on the slopes. After all, the tall grass can hide wild dogs and spotted hyenas, which hunt in packs and can decimate an entire herd in a matter of minutes.
The Lerai forest on one side ofthe crater is a favourite
The Ngorongoro crater is indeed a microcosm of
haunt ofall herbivores. There are many tall fig trees in the
African wildlife where almost every species of this vast
forest which make it attractive to birds as well. This part of the crater is also home to the hartebeest, the tohe and several variations of the species which resemble Neelgai,
continent can be found within its confined area. Only a few animals, like the African gorilla and the chimpanzee which prefer rainforest habitats, are absent here. Yet, the
but have distinctive colouration on their limbs. Giraffes prefer the open savannah where acacia abound, but ze-
very fecundity can turn into a nemesis since, over the decades, inbreeding has stunted the gene pool of the
bras and wildebeests seem content to breed in the crater.
creatures that live here.
Some of the avian population in the crater is also
The Olduvai gorge adjacent to Ngorongoro is a re-
captive since these are large terrestrial birds, among them the ostrich and the giant secretary bird. Endemic to
markable paleoarchaeological site where fossilised human footprints have been found, implying that humans
Africa, the secretary bird is a large terrestrial creature which takes its name from the quill-like feathers in its
became bipeds several million years ago. The artefacts found in the gorge date back to about 2.1 million years to
crest, which are likened to the pens tucked behind the
15,000 years. The fossils found here provide a continuous
ears of secretaries in times past. We stand mesmerised as
record of human evolution during the past two million
an ostrich couple shepherd their nine chicks to safety across our path. The crater is also teeming with majestic
years. They range from remnants ofAustralopithecus to Home habilis, Homo erectus and Homo sapiens. The
Afiican bustards. But the dandy of the crater is the
Ngorongoro crater itself has yielded artefacts which
crested crane, which struts its stuffand lends a festive air to the atmosphere. Yonder, there is a neat line of flam-
point to humans making the transition to iron tools from stone tools. This part of East Africa seems to have been a
ingos on the shoreline ofthe Magadi lake, a salt lake into which the Munge stream drains its alkaline waters. We
laboratory for life on our planet from time immemorial
FRONTLINE
-
.lUNF.2fi.2()l5
and continues to be one even today.
El
BOOKS 1111-mt-\\i
The capital question lllt‘ |1<1<>l\' ;lil:1l\i\ the l|11'~;"<‘ l‘;llill;ll‘- ;11>!>11=;1<"l1 l<11' 1111 1111ill'-1'>l:111ll1|1:; < . til:ri'<111<>1111l‘u\<1l11l1<>11l>11ltlucsmill‘\pl;1111\\l1;1lg1'c1\\i'l1111il1t';1lcs £llltl\\ll£ll(lt‘\l.‘lI1l\lllt‘lll 111t';111.s111ll1t * l1111 " 1 lvxl. svc.r.1
']iI~IE subtitle ofthe book under review provides a descriptive account of what the book is about—an attempt to make the analysis of economic evolution more robust by bringing in explanatory factors tl1at had been left out until recently and whose signifi-
the extent ofclaiming that development is freedom or capabilities expansion.
UXIURII
lIlP|lltS [if lillliilim
The Role of Human, Social and Institutional Capital in Economic Evolution
cance is still not adequately recognised.
The l'oreword to the volume notes: "Since the 19501-1. thinking about ‘de-
velopment" has been dominated
by
the
The Canitals vi Nafions
dismal
HUMANCANTAL
Be that as it may, let us see how the author deals with
human capital, social capital and institutional capital and their interaction as
the determinants ol'devel-
By Lalita Som
opment. The human ele-
Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 2014
ment in production and growth was not neglected
Pages: 2'73 Price: Rs.995
approach; it was there as
by the limited economic homogeneous
“labour”
science ofeconomics, aid-
along with capital as one of
ed and abetted by the two Bretton VVoods institutions, the World Bank (VVB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Unsurprisingly, it has been
intangible forms of capital —human capital, social capital and institutional capital-—to identify the dynamic between them as the
ment, their own calculations had shown that over time there was a substantial residual of economic growth that could not be
the two “factors of production". But human beings differ in their intrinsic as well as acquired capabilities. The concept of human
crucial determinant ofec0nomic growth and devel-
attributed entirely to capital and its productivity.
capital. therefore, recognises the diversity of l1u-
opment and to understand the process of economic
Many explanations had been put forward, but one
man beings cnhanced by the differences in educa-
concepts from other disci-
evolution." Any attempt to
of the leading scholars was
tion, training and interac-
plines that might have fos-
honest enough to admit
tered better understanding
provide a better understanding ofa complex phe-
tions they come to have during their lifespan.
sooner."
nomenon
blinkered by a rigid aca-
demic-cum-bureaucratic approach to inquiry. ...It excluded [for] too long
like
that the residual was an incl ication ol'“our ignorance".
Viewed
of
The search continued, with
concept of human capital
the economic approach as-
late, has moved from the
some attributing the resid-
puts the emphasis on the
sumed capital scarcity to
jargon ofeconomists to the
ual
technological
knowledge that individuals
be the critical issue in de-
manifestos of politicians)
change, thereby also bring-
gain through life, which
velopment. The attempt, tlierefore, is to bring in the neglected factors in the understanding of development. The author's preface takes the theme further: "[T]he book analyses three
must certainly be welcomed. Let us place on record, though, that although initially economists had oversimplified the factors responsible for develop-
ing in the human factor (until then seen simply as an input called labour) as an explanatory factor in development. Indced, econo-
brings about a major difference to the contribution they can make to the production process. Or, human capital results from the transformation that an individual experiences
It is claimed, too, that
development
(which,
to
mist-philosophers like Amartya Sen would go to B3
differently,
the
l’ klIN'l'l.lNl-1-.|l'Nl{2n.3l!15
-iW"'
through the acquisition of knowledge. That transformation is not an isolated phenom-
_..il
enon. It takes place in the social context through interactions and through different kinds of “networking” that natural-
ly develops to some extent, but is also deliberately cul-
tivated, and so, social capital is necessary for a proper appreciation of hu-
man capital. “Social capital is a broad term encompassing reciprocity, sanctions, trust and networks
.1
facilitating collective action for mutual benefit," says the author. She also
1'
-r
endorses a broader defini-
tion of social capital as “the aggregate of the actual potential resources which are linked to possession of a durable network of mo1'e
0 UT 5 1 D E T H E A M R Tech Park ll in Bangalore. The contribution of the services sector to India's GDP is currently close to 60 per cent.
or less institutionalised re-
are taken in an institution-
lationships of mutual acquaintance and recognition—or in other words, to membership of a
al context; the values that an individual possesses directly or indirectly originate in and are preserved
group—which
by institutions.
provides
contexts. This thesis has some intuitive appeal. The problem is that the permu-
tion is well known. A major reason for it, according to the author, is the shift from
tations and combinations
asking the question “which
of the three broad “capi-
technique worked” to “why
tals”, each with its ovm
technique worked”, indi-
each of its members with
While analytically, hu-
many and heterogeneous
cating a qualitative shift in
the backing of the collectively owned capital, a cre-
man capital, social capital and institutional capital
strands, can be used to rationalise any past and pre-
the approach to knowledge
that “mentally imbued en-
dential
entitles
can be viewed separately,
sent
“development”
gineers and inventors with
them to credit, in the various sense ofthe word.” In turn, the understanding of social capital
they are invariably intertwined. Thus, human cap-
experience. The second part ofthe book consists of five case studies, the Industrial Revolution in Bri-
a faith in the orderliness,
ena”.
leads to the specification of
vidual
institutional capital be-
pends on the knowledge
tain, the early industrial revolution in the United
This scientific culture placed applied science at
cause social norms soon
and effort of co-workers; multiple institutions nur-
States, Japan's post-Sec-
the service of commercial
ond World War growth, the manufacturing sector in China and India’s service sector growth since
and manufacturing interests. The institution of apprenticeship played an important role, too, as many of the innovations were largely produced by
which
ital formation is facilitated
by social processes; indiproductivity
de-
get institutionalised. After all, society consists of not isolated individuals but those who, from the very beginning, interact with others through a variety of
that give rise to social capital; institutions and their
institutions, the family, the
The thesis that the author
village community, and a variety of production orga-
presents is that different
ture the habits and values
legacies structure prefercnccs, interests and values.
the 19805. The conclusion that is arrived at from the case studies is that in spite of the variety in experi-
rationality and predictability ofnatural phenom-
workers who had little formal education, but who
ence, all these cases can be
nisations, all ofwhich pro-
societal and economic outcomes depend on different
vide the individual with a
possible combinations of
human, social and institu-
had benefited from the apprenticeship. The church, trade unions and temper-
sense of belonging. The in-
these three factors—hu-
tional capital.
ate associations set up li-
dividual acquires knowl-
man capital, social capital
That technical change
edge through these institutions; all decisions
and institutional capital
was a major factor in Bri-
—in different interlinked
tain’s Industrial Revolu-
FRl)N'l'l.|.\lF.
-
.ll'NI~'. Zn, lfll 5
shown to be interactions of
braries,
which
enabled
members, many of them workers, to educate them-
selves. “What helped the British economy grow and sustain its growth was having... the kind of agility
radically different pattern of development, that of China ofthe 1980s and lat-
sional economists are guilty of over-quantification, the approach pre-
demand for services have been the key factors driving the high growth in In-
er.
sented by the author is not
dia's services sector.” To
that allowed institutions to
The author argues that
tainted by any quantitative
this the author adds others
change when the environment changed." A wide range of social norms also evolved during the period,
the interaction among human, social and institutional capital is key to the understanding of China’s
assessment at all. Some of the factors that economists consider crucial, such as the availability of vast ex-
such as India's large pool of qualified professionals, its widespread use of English, its rapidly increasing
which included what was commonly described as “gentlemanly behaviour”
record-breaking growth and entry into economic interactions with other
panses of land and of labour via slavery in the U.S.,
and “gentlemanly capital-
countries. After the Cul-
There is not even an at-
stable of world-class companies, and cost advantage over other locations. As a matter offact, that
ism”, making opportunis-
tural Revolution, China
tempt to show why some
tic behaviour sufficiently taboo so that only in a few cases was it necessary to use the formal institutions to punish deviants.
moved to a policy to provide universal education up to Grade IX. Higher education, too, received attention. Both these, espe-
countries succeeded by adhering to the formula and why some others failed because they did not do so. Surely, there are cases of
The early industrial revolution in the U.S. was
cially the latter with an emphasis on learning fi'om
also the result of the inter-
the West, were indicative
action among human cap-
of the role of knowledge in
countries that in the past and even in the present did not pay enough attention to the new capital trinity.
ital, social capital and institutional capital, but of a different kind. The early migrants went to partially settled areas where surviv-
economic development and social progress. The traditional “guanxi”—literally passing the
are totally ignored as well.
assessment can also be accepted. As for social capital, the author’s view is that the multiple identities of Indians, among them religion and caste specially noted, have become impediments to forging solidarity between diflerent
groups, though they have been countered by the gov-
|NDlA'S SERVICES
ernment, non-governmen-
S ECTO R
The case study of India
tal organisations and the private sector through
presented in the book raises another issue. The ser-
their attempts to create and sustain inter-group re-
vices sector of the Indian
lationships. The
economy is included in the book to show how even the
had established a kind of institutional capital which
performance of a sector of an economy can be explained in terms of the three capitals and their in-
was “based on private property rights and an English style judicial system”. The crucial question
through the Township and
teractions. The author draws at-
that the author does not raise is whether the soar-
Village Enterprises and
tention to the phenomenal
ing growth of the services
Household Responsibility System prepared the ground for market rela-
growth of the services sector from the 19805 but more so since the last dec-
sector is a healthy sign while the goods-producing sectors lag far behind. In
population. Institutions of higher learning and pro-
tionships that rural Chi-
ade ofthe past century. It is
nese were not used to and
pointed out that in 1970-
particular, the agricultural sector, on which some 60
fessional societies were al-
to generate the spirit of en-
71, the sector’s contribu-
per cent of the population
so
trepreneurship that was
tion to the gross domestic
depends for sustenance, is
for sustained
tance of knowledge in pub-
necessary growth.
product was just 39 per cent, which by 1990-91
in a sorry state. If that is the case, what does growth
lic life. Continual migration produced a
These brief summaries of old and new experiences
indicate and what does development mean? It is dis-
large group of consumers
of economic development
had moved up to 48 per cent. Currently, it is close to 60 per cent. The author
and encouraged occupa-
and evolution show how
quotes with approval from
inquiries, too, would ap-
tional mobility.
easy it is to use the “interaction of human, social
a study that claimed that
“deregulation,
liberalisa-
pear to be not part of the comprehensive explana-
and institutional capital”
tion of foreign investment,
tion that is being ofiered
Shift now from the West to formula to provide postthe East and from early de- fizcto rationalisations of
greater private participation since 1991 increased
through the three capitals approach for an under-
veloping
industry outsourcing, and high-income elasticity of
standing of economic evolution. El
al depended on learning diflferent ways of doing
things, which produced a new pool of knowledge.
Because of the differences in the background of the migrants, new norms of
community living had to be evolved. Churches and other voluntary organisations helped shape the moral standards and social capital of a heterogeneous
instrumental
in
emphasising the irnpor-
CHINA AND BEYOND
economies
to
more recent times and to a
gate and getting connected—was put to use to encourage the formation of different kinds of networks. These informal arrangements were put to
use to provide a sense of stability in the context of the breakdown of past norms. Experiments
any experience of the past or the present. If profes-
appointing
FRONTLINF.
that
-
British
such
JUNE 20. 2015
BOO
i11 rc\'ic\\'
A bowler’s story liccullcctiulis ofa 1‘i|'st—t'l;1ss c1'icl§t'tc1' on gro\\'i1ig up
with the game and lcawning from llitlizfs lcgc|itla11'_\"
Mumtaz Hussain and two other really talented lettarm finger spinners, Padmakar Shivalkar and Ra-
4:" Jun.
written books on cricket
jinder Goel. He was none other than Bishan Singh Bedi, arguably the finest bowler of his type in the history of cricket.
and cricketers are few and far between. V. Ramnarayan's ThirdMan consists
of his recollections as a first-class cricketer in the
‘-
4
19705.
It begins with his growing passion for the game as a schoolboy in Madras (now Chennai) and chron-
I
icles his journey through
Third Man Recollections From a Life in
university and club cricket, his debut for Hyderabad in Ranji Trophy and his rep-
'- .1 b A.
"In.“1.1.,
the English cricket admin-
istration in the late 19505
By V. Ramnarayan
curbed his highly promising career.
Price: Rs.395
This book is not all about disappointment.
Ramnarayan, apart from
.
max of his cricketing ca-
mean
For the record, there was one other bowler like Mumtaz Hussain. He was Johnny Wardle of England, whose fights with
Cricket Westland, 2014
resenting South Zone in Duleep Trophy, probably
reer—no
he bowled to considerable advantage when the mood one man just a bit ahead of
well-
very late, indeed at the cli-
who died of cancer at the age of 52. In his playing days, Mumtaz Hussain was a canny exponent of left-arm finger spin and wrist-spin as well, which
seized him. But there was
S])lllllL‘l'S. BY PARTHA CNATTERJEE
INFORMATIVE,
league Mumtaz Hussain,
being a shrewd player and Noshir
in a lovely arc, being too tall
observer ofcricket, is also a
Mehta, made way for him
to exploit the advantages of the classical flight available
fine raconteur. I-Ie has a nice sense of humour. He
Ranji debut at the age of In those days, it was at 28. Why a Tamil Nadu- the Ranji Trophy and Du-
to a shorter man, and bowl a deceptive ball that lefi: the
bom man made his debut
right-hander perplexed as
says about C.R. Rangachari, a fairly good fastish bowler for India (1947-48)
achievement this, considering that he made his
ed
oh"-spinner
in the Ranji Trophy team.
leep Trophy levels that talent for the Indian Test team was discovered. The Indian Premier League (IPL) and other professional leagues, which offer huge sums of money to
E.A.S. Prasanna, one ofthe
who was the manager of the South Zone team for the Duleep Trophy and [the 60-over] Deodhar
finest ever ofl'—spinners in
Trophy matches in the
international cricket, and
1978-79 season: “I asked
cricketers to play the 20over version of the game,
Venkataraghavan, who was already a successful Test
him if he was quicker than Kapil Dev. ‘Have you seen
bowler, were just that cru-
ed by the State Bank of In-
were nowhere on the horinon. Even the 50-over
cial step ahead of the Hyd-
Wes Hml? Same speed!’ was Rangachari’s re-
dia
games
erabadi Test aspirant.
sponse. Only it sounded
for Hyderabad (now in Telangana) in neighbouring
Andhra Pradesh is another story. It was S. Venkata-
raghavan, the Madras and India off-spinner, who kept him out of the side at home. So, after being recruitas
a
probationary
played
it moved away from the bat
and a cunningly concealed straighter one as well.
between
oflicer, Ramnarayan head-
cricketing nations had not
ed for Hyderabad where he
come
Ramnarayan’s
the only first-class cricketer
played highly competitive club cricket for his employ-
abilities as a genuine offspinner were kept on hold.
of substance who was denied the honour of repre-
like ‘shame shpeed', thanks to the tobacco he was chewing. The resultant giggles and tittering were
ers for some years, until his fiiend and rival, the talent-
He could turn his off-
senting India. I-Ie speaks glowingly of his gifted col-
understandable as the young listeners had never
FRONTLINF.
-
.lUNF.2fi,2t)l'-
in.
Ramnarayan was not
breaks sharply, bowl them 35
seen him in action or even
read about his sterling deeds in first-class cricket. Those who actually did, remembered him as a speed merchant, tireless and persistent, even on dead wickets. He was a brave soldier of Madras cricket” (pages 190-91).
In the Duleep Trophy
match
Zone,
against
Central
Ramnarayan
was
carted for 100 runs \vithout a wicket in the first innings but came back well
with three for 34- in the second. Central Zone, however, won the match. In the
limited—overs
Deodhar
Trophy. he performed |'eally well. He took three wickets for 4-2 runs in 12 overs against the Central Zone. Against the [tough] West Zone, he did even better by taking four for 35 in 12 overs. He was dropped for the nest match, the final, against North Zone.
v. R A M N A R A Y A N. He played for Hyderabad in Ranji Trophy and South Zone in Duleep Trophy. often traded jokes or gossip, with the umpires sometimes joining in." Describing the amenities available at such matches, he observes, with
toured Bombay (now Mumbai) in the 1963-64-
77 in 2-L overs in the Deodhar Trophy must be some kind of record, if it was any consolation to me" (pages
than 100 Test wickets, Hans. later a national selector, never made it." Ramnarayan cherishes Hans' act of kindness to him during the Central
1.90-91).
Zone vs South Zone match
clroll humour: “On most
Test star Vinoo Mankad,
in Nagpur. he ran on to the lield when his side was
grounds, the shade of a
“My career figures of 7 for
The author docs not
season. He was all of17. He
remembers playing against the Cricket Club of India (CCI) led by former
batting with a supply of
large tree served as the dressing room and facili-
other high-calibre bowlers
spare studs for my cricket
ties were generally prim-
along with some Ranji Trophy players and Arvind Apte, a prolific scorer in first—class cricket who
not considered for the In-
shoes. when I desperately
itive. Lunch involved a
played in aTest in England
dian team.
needed them" (page 190).
hurried
Ratna
in 1959. “Winningthe toss,
lose perspective, but also sees the sadness behind
He recalls:
dash
to
“Central Zone bad two tine
Ramnarayan's wit and
Cafe, Udipi Sukha Nivas,
CCI batted first. I came on
spinners in Suresh Shastri and Rajinder Singh Hans. Both were quality bowlers, and Hans was distinctly unlucky to miss out on India seleetion, as he was in
humour possibly helped him tide over the disappointments fate meted out to him during his cricketing days and later. He rc-
Shanti Vihar, Udipi Home or Dasaprakash and back, depending on the venue of the match. The effects of the blazing sun were coun-
to bowl when the new ball was barely ten overs old, as was the practice in those days. With the ball still shiny, I was getting quite a bit
calls how lesser versions of cricket were played in his
tered by glasses of unboiled, unfiltered and
ors plumbed for the more experienced Dilip Doshi
boyhood. “The local league was then relatively informal. No registration of
often multi-hucd water sto1'ed in mud pots or brought in buckets that re-
of bounce and frequent away movement while bowling my off-spin at a
while picking the team to
players by the clubs was re-
sembled relics dug out by
With my brisk run-up,
face Kim Hughes's Australian team that toured India
quired, and you could walk in a few minutes before the
archaeological
high arm action and attempt to impart sharp firi-
in 1979-80. With Doshi succeeding
the middle of some great howling form when select-
expedi-
slightly quicker pace than I would with an older ball.
toss and join the eleven.
tions" (page 75). Selected for the Ma-
ger spin, l was proving
straightaway
There was much banter
dras Cricket Association
quite a handful to the bat-
and going on to take more
and fielders and batsmen
Colts team, Ramnarayan
smen. Arvind Apte was
B7
l’ ItlIN'l'l.lNl-1-.|l'NI'I2h,JlIl5
detached, with a nice sense
of irony and wit. He has bowled with distinction against really fine bat-
-\ 5&3 .7
1::-"'
.._ ':: .
smen, among them, the great Test stars G.R. Vishwanath and Sunil Gavaskar. He describes his feelings for these two batsmen with elegant economy. “G.R. Vishwanath was
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vaskar was the master bat-
i
sman without cqual, for his superb technique, im-
P
eters he had played with. There are lovely vignettes
mense powers of concentration, unflappable temperament, and astute cricketing brain. I would go so far as to say that purely as a Test batsman, he was superior to Sachin
about M.A.K. “Tiger” Pa-
Tendulkar“
sent at the venue, thanks to
taudi, the most charismat-
250-51).
his father’s bank posting him to Delhi; and so was
This is a rare book. It has a sense of history and of the passage of time. Ramnarayan tells the lay reader what it was like
RAMNARAYAN AT a practice session in 1977. one ofthem, and he was all at sea, not knowing which of my deliveries would
turn and which would go
my favourite batsman, but I had to concede that Ga-
um in New Delhi, Kumar
esting and warm—hearted
took five wickets for 64 runs in the first innings
observations about crick-
and two for 68 in the second. Ramnarayan was pre-
the other way. I was finding the edge and hitting him on the pads fi'equently, and feeling quite on top of the world. It was so exciting to know that a Test batsman was struggling against my yet unproven spin bowling. I was thrilled
this writer, who saw Ku-
that I seemed to belong at
gling in the second in-
that level" (page 69).
nings.
ic Indian Test captain ever and, when in the mood, a scintillating batsman; his nephew Saad bin Jung, hugely talented but distracted by the trappings of early success; the masterly spin trio in Indian Test cricket, Prasanna, Bedi,
and Bhagwat Chandrasekhar; M.L. Jaisimha, his
even club matches in the
It TEST PROSPECT
The Madras leg-spinner played in one more
It was too good to last. His
Test, against England, led
giving mentor in Hydera-
sions were enthused over,
captain S.V. Narayanan, a man with set notions about
by the mercurial Ted Dexter. On a dull Brabourne
bad cricket and a Test batsman who played well
as were inter-college matches, and of course,
orthodox
bowling,
stadium pitch in Bombay,
below his potential, as did
first—class
asked him to bowl slower
with little support in the
Hanumant Singh and Ab-
crowds for Test matches
and flight the ball. Predict-
field, he gave away 70 runs
bas Ali Baig, both ofwhom
were well informed and ec-
ably, he was walloped. He
in 27 overs without taking
feature in the book along
static about the nuances of
was promptly taken off and practically never bow-
a wicket.
with Salim Durrani, another unfulfilled genius.
led again during the tour.
ute to Kumar: “He did not believe in exaggerated flight, but tossed it up in a
the game. In a sense, Ramnarayan gives glimpses of the cultural history of Madras and how cricket i1npinged upon it, and later in the story, when he mi-
spin
It was some time before Ramnarayan learnt from experience and became his own man. He learnt his craft assiduously and proved to be so good as to have V.V. Kumar call him a
mar dismiss Javed Burki, a fine batsman, with a low catch off his own bowling when Pakistan was strug-
Ramnarayan pays trib-
Other
colleagues
and
(pages
growing up in the Madras of the 19505 and 19605,
with its adoration of cricketers and cricket, where
first, second and third divi-
matches.
The
pace, bowled two different
friends fiom first-class cricket who find mention in the book include Abdul Jabbar, Hari Gidvvani,
grates to Hyderabad, re-
types of googlies and bow-
Venkat Sundaram, V. Siv-
veals certain aspects of the
led an effective flipper, though it was not known
aramakrishnan, Michael Dalvi, Sanjay Desai and P.
Hyderabadi
through its attitude to
Kumar
by that name. He was ac-
Krishnamurti.
cricket. In conclusion, one
knew the erafi of spin bowling as well as anyone
curacy personified as was
his younger spin partner in
WITHOUT BITTERNE55
small caveat: a book ofthis quality should benefit
in the country. At the Test
the State team, S. Venkat-
Ramnarayan’s book is re-
from an index. It is hoped
match against Pakistan at
araghavan" (page 272).
freshingly without bitter-
that it will be included in
ness. His style is cool and
the next edition.
Test
prospect.
the Firozshah Kotla stadiFRUN'l‘I.lNF.
-
.lli.‘\'I~'. Zn, 301 5
tantalising arc, varied his
There are many inter-
culture
El
BOOI\'S ll1i'L‘\‘iL‘\\'
Ideas in good faith .‘\ iii-int.1linn.1l (lis|iosiiii1ii.'l‘iiii'\.liiiliwilllivliiiigit-iiii-i‘i‘ilii~i"i'il .‘.
Iii!‘ lii‘- liiiliiiiii-;il \\ |‘iiiil€_[\. BYSI-IELLEY WALIA
"When fhc _/Ezct ch (mgcs. I change my mi na'. I‘WI(lf do you do. sf 1'?" —.Iohn Maynard Keynes
Tony Jud! When the Facts Change: Essays, 1995-2010 Edited and introduced by Jennifer Humans
PARAl.\'SED from the
neck down with amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis,
better known as motor-
neuron disease, Tony Judt. commentator on international politics and histori-
William Heinernann,
an of exceptional subtlety,
London
died in 2010 at the age of
Zionism and its extreme
position that viill move the Israeli nation “to the road to nowhere", a title of one of his essays on the West Asian conundrum.
Over the years, J udt gradually moved away from the two-state solution and argued in “Israel: The Alternative” that there were now “too many [Israeli] settlements, and too many Palestinians“. According to him, the solution lay in the only altc1'nativc of bi—national
states in which you cannot possibly deny the existence of Israel nor cxpungc Pal-
estine. Palestinians, Judt predicts, will have their state eventually; the "occu-
pied tcrritories will come
under Palestine rule"; and
Pages: 386
62. Having been a protes-
most disillusionment with
most of his life, he moved to the United States in the later part of his life when he began to engage meaningfullv with international issues and politics. The remarkably controversial body of work of one of the
Thin-"r'i1zg the '1‘:-;'ci1tict/1 (_‘cntury, takes us to the heart ofsome ofthe central events in contemporary history. Recently, his wife Jcnnifcr Homans put together some of his most in-
post-‘War European history. I had the opportunity to meet him and discuss the situation in the Balkans and West Asia. He was as vehement about the irra-
"the Israeli settlements in the occupied territories [would be] forcdoomed, . . . most of them . . . dismantled. as mzmy Israelis privately acknowledge". Ifthis were to happen, Jerusalem will become a common capital necessitating stability and shared security concerns of both the pro-
finest historians of our time is a testament of his
tellcctually vibrant essays and re\iews on the Palesti-
tional stance taken by Israel as hc had been in his
tagonists. It is wishful thinking to look forward to
passionate
nian conflict, the U.S.‘ foreign policy and the state of
controversial essay “Israel:
times of cooperation and peace. It is sheer optimism
social democracy in the
which he accuses Israel of to imagine Hamas turning
21st century, which ap-
being a “belligerently intolerant, faith-drivcn ethno-
from a terrorist organisation into a political party,
state". A nation-wide up-
ready to negotiate.
enjoyed his moving mem-
Rcviczc ofBoo/r.s~, The New Repubilic and The Financial Tilrics over the past two decades.
oir. Ill F(II'c.~.' the Lam] and Reap1Ji'ru'scils. which focus on 20th-century Europe in recorded history and re-
Price: £25
sor of French History at
Cambridge and Oxford for
engagement
and intellectual intensity marked by ethical
openness. Since Judt's death, three significant books authored by him have ap-
peared.
I
particularly
membrance. His conversations
with
Timothy
Snyder, the historian, pub-
lished in a book entitled
The Alternative" (‘_>.0().'3). in
pearcd in The New Yorfr
roar. accusing him ofbeing
Citing the example oi
anti-Semitic, did not make
Algerian
him
position
Judt argues that if the
A historian of remarka-
though it leit him disturbed
French could hand over
ble confrontational disposition, he will be long remembered for his polemical writings, especially his book, Postrccir:A Hism-
as he had once been a staunch Zionist and loved Hebrew. The book under review contains eight ofhis essays on Israel, the Holocaust and the Jews, in
power to a black majority in Algeria. why should it not be possible in West Asia? The hardliners in Israel take shelter under an-
ry oflfizropc Sincc 194-5, a wide and in—depth study of
alter
his
which he recounts his utB9
independence,
cient history, which establishes the "primordial I-‘ RlIN'l'l.l\l-1:.ll'\l~I2h,JlIl5
presence of an ancient Jewish state on the territory of modern Israel”.
ifnot a renewed attempt to achieve the ideal, efficient, universal administration,
Others take the pretext
shorn of particularism and
of the Holocaust mas-
driven by reason and the
sacres that legitimise such a claim on Palestinian territories. The pleading of its geographical location is
rule of law, which the reforming monarchs... strove to install in their ramshackle lands?” As Homans writes in
yet another reason for Israel’s adamant stance: “We are vulnerable, they say, so surrounded by enemies,
the introduction, what matters most to the reader
is a reaction to Judt’s ideas
that we cannot take any risks or afford asingle mistake. The French could withdraw across the Mediterranean; South Africa is a very large country.“
bris-inducing victory of June 1967. In that time Is-
fallouts, especially the strengthening of the Eu-
were, as puts it, “free ofcalculation and manoeuvre,
And finally, the support of the U.S. for its ally
raelis have built illegal compounds in the occu-
ropean state system, which had been threatened by the
intellectual or otherwise. A clean, clear, honest ac-
is sufficient enough to give
pied territory and grown a
rise of Prussia. The Cold
count”.
Israel the stamina and
carapace of cynicism: to-
War, for Judt, was there-
His work is indeed un-
courage to stand up against any political solution that might jeopardise its national security or sov-
ward the Palestinians whom they regard with contempt, and toward a U.S. whose erstwhile be-
fore “not a problem but a solution”. On the Balkans, he argues against the European
ereignty.
nevolent disengagement have manipulated shame-
construction where “everything is imagined, repre-
CRITICLL OF U.S.
lessly.”
sented,
constructed,
derpinned by the “individual moral responsibility", by the principles Judt found in Albert Camus and his reflective writings. It is hard to disagree with the compelling logic of his ar-
ll E G E H O N Y
It is rightly argued that in an age of cross-border
Orientalised”. In another essay, he
guments that underscore the bad faith of the U.S.,
cultural exchange and open pluralist democracies, Israel’s intolerance is an anachronism, a state that takes refuge behind
takes up Norman Davies’ book Europe: A History and tears it apart for its “embarrassing and egregious errors". He writes
restrict atmospheric pollution. It consumes inordinate quantities of scarce
the controversial electronic fence that “like the Berlin Wall, confirms the moral and institutional
that Davies’ book is “not just hill of error, disproportion, prejudice, resentment, and boastfulness, it
resources to furnish its
bankruptcy ofthe regime it
is also strikingly conven-
leaving behind a world
privileged inhabitants... [and] exposes outsiders to
is intended to protect”. Is-
tional“.
without good faith, a world
rael indeed is a “mono-reli-
“where
deadly risk in order to pro-
gious/ethnic state” within
In Europe: The Grand Illusion (1996), Judt looks
vide for the illusory securi-
a global culture of plural-
into the future of the Eu-
ambiguous armed occupa-
ty of its occupants.” Israel, indeed, possess-
ism and multiculturalism. Judt is more a histori-
ropean Union (E.U.) arguing against the tight
tion, and where the United Nations, in the words of
es the military and political initiative to bring about a solution but that can
an than a reviewer. His re-
David Rieff, has become a
view of Eric Hobsbawm's
‘toothless old scold
T71eAge QfE.t'tremes damns
integration of nations in Europe that would reduce poor nations to a margin-
happen only when it rids
the Marxist historian of
alised,
power
itself of the complex of be-
status. This has indeed been realised considering
of fancy Kleenex‘ to clean
ing “a small victim-corn-
misconceptions of the history of the century, espe-
munity". Judt maintains:
cially
of
the rise of opposition to the
terventions accompanied
“Their astonishingly in-
E.U. and its oppositional
competent political lead-
Stalinism and the Cold War which, as he points
camps comprising “win-
with widespread collateral damage. The choice we are
ership has squandered thirty years sinoe the hu-
out in another essay on the Cold War, had its positive
ners and the losers”: “For what is ‘Brussels, after all,
Understandably, Judt is
critical ofthe U.S.‘ hegemony, comparing it humorously, but aptly, with an SUV: “Oversized and overweight, the SUV disdains negotiated agreements to
FRONTLINF.
>
JUNE 2h. lfll 5
T 0 N Y J U D T. His writings on Israel were "free of
calculation and manoeuvre, intellectual or othen/vise".
expressed in “good faith",
rather than simply a response to Judt the man. His
the
brutality
disenfranchised
writings
on
Israel
which has lost all its global trust through its uncalledfor interventions in Iraq or
Afghanistan,
aborted
wars, regimes of persecution and surveillance and
the handling of the peace process in West Asia. Judt died a sad man,
humanitarians
provide cover for legally
a de
facto colonial office to U.S. used like a piece
up after the American in-
left with is either ‘imperial-
ism or barbarism’."
El
TRIBUTE
He was the blues For nearly scvcn decades the great blucsman B.B. King (1925-2015) strode the music world like a colossus, attaining the unquestioned adulation of fans and musicians alike, and sc1w'ing' as an influence to those who would subsequently shape the course of popular music. BY SUHRID SANKAR CHATTOPADHYAY
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AT muaisou saunas GARDE in New York, in August 2007.
prc-Second World War Mississipi, \\‘a.*~‘ notjust the "King ofthc Blues" as hc was uni\‘crsall_\' hailcd; hc was the
blocs. Born Riley King on September 16. 1925. in Illa Bcna. Mississippi. the man who would be acknowl-
edged as one of the greatest musicians of his cra worked in zi cotton plantation from the age of eight. picking cotton at 35 ccnts pcr 100
pounds. Wlicn he grew oldcr. he worked on a tractor. Right from childhood. hc was hooked to the
blues. listening to the great delta blocsmcn in records. \Vhcn he was 1+. hc bought his first guitar with his wages. and when work was over hc would go into town to lind a placc to play. Soinctiun-s. in a single day hc would makc as much as $50 in tips, wlicrcas in the plantation he would carn S122 a wcck. "Now you scc why I started pla_\ing the blocs." he later
iokcd. In late 194-8, hc lcll the plantation amd hitchhikcd to Memphis.
Hanging around in the lcgcndary
Beale Strccl. and watching the famous blucsmcn strut their stull, young Riley dccidcd that hc would
play the blocs for the rest of his life. The first job he got was as a disc jockey in the WDIA Memphis radio station—thc first radio station in the United States for Alricaii Americans. It was thcrc that hc got thc name l3.B.— short for Blucs Boy. But he did not conlinc himself to the radio for
long and turned his attention full time to playing music. In 1951.110 got his first hit record. .3‘ O'rlo('/1' B/tics. In the next few years.
more hits followed. including Ez~i-:j1,ir/fly I Hum’ I/:1’ B/z1r.'s. Tc/I Long
Ycurs. Sit"c'cf lift‘/c.-l.'1gc/. and so on.
AT AVERY FISHER HALL in NewYork,June1992. "l"IRS'l' I sing and then Luc.illc sings." said the great B.B. King. rc-
ulation of fans and musicians alike, and sc1'\~‘ing as an inilucncc to those
fcrring to his guitar, easily thc most recognisable guitar in the music industr_\'—a gorgeous custom-made Gibson which B.B. christcncd Lucille after the girl who caused the biggest bar light hc had cvcr sccn. For nearly scvcn dccadcs. B.B. and Lucillc strodc the music world like a colossus. attaining the unquestioned ad-
who would subsequently shape the course of popular music. When on May 1+ this year Lucille fell forever silent with the death ofthe man who could make hcr sing. a major ch aptcr in the world of music was closed. For B.B. King. thc last ofthe g1'catblucsmcn to emerge from what is now
l>'ll\1\ll.l‘{l-l
.ll \l-'.lr»_l|lI:‘-
almost thc n1_\'tl1ical landscape ol 92
and B.B. hccamc i|nmcnscl_\' popular in the Chitlins Circuit (the vcnucs in which African-American artistes could pcrform during thc days ol'scg'—
rcgation). As he toured and recordcd,
unbcknownsl
to
him
his
reputation became at legend and spread beyond the Chitlins circuit. 'l'hough whitc hlucs musicians. in-
cluding John l\‘la_vall, Mike Bloomfield. Eric Clapton and Keith Richards. were hanging on to every note hc was playilig. it was not until
WIT H I F R 0 M |. E F TI T R 0 Y "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, Jeff Beck, Derek
he stood on stage in front ofa packed house in the Fillmore Auditorium in
Trucks and Gary Clark Jr on February 21, 2012, during the "In Performance at the
San Francisco in 1968 that B.B real-
White House" series, hosted by President Barack Obama, to celebrate blues
ised that his music had crossed over to the mainstream. As the famed im-
music and in recognition of Black History Month.
presario Bill Graham introduced
awestruck with his perforinanec. In
play and sing at the same tin1e—"lirst
him on stage as the “King of the gave him a prolonged standing ovation before he had even played a sin-
fact, people would go to hear him talk as much as to hear him play. Always a big man, he cut a larger—than-|il'e ligure on the stage with his glittering
I sing and then Lucille sings" but he could tell in just four splendid notes what another guitarist would take five minutes to communicate. He
gle note.. The great grandson of a
suits and his llaniboyant. outlandish
was, in short, one of the greatest and
slave in Mississippi had the world at
style. No one hut B.B. could have
most influential guitar players that
his feet. B.B. stood humbly on stage,
pulled it oll'in those clothes: but then
ever lived. a pioneer of techniques
with tears in his eyes. The next year he recorded what remains his most enduring hit, '1'/ae '17::-if/is Gone. In the tradition ofthe Mississippi bluesmen of the bygone days, B.B.
no one but B.B. made obesity look appealing. In his later years, with the lilrther expansion of his girth, he would mostly remain seated, with
that would give shape to rock music in the l'uture and guide the blues to its ne.\"t higher plane. He could bend a note, sustain it, make it shimmy
Lucille perched lovingly on his lap. Some of his greatest works were aetually those he recorded live. like
and shake before gently putting it to
Blues", the largely white audience
toured constantly throughout. his life, averaging more than 200 nights
a year. ln fact, in 1956 alone he performed on 3&2 nights. Alter turning 80, he decided to cut down on his tours. But even then he was on the road playing 100 nights a year. The stage was practically his living room. He would banter endlessly with the audience, regalc them with jokes and
anecdotes. and otcotirse. keep them
Lice of the Regal (1965). which connoisseurs believe to be one of the greatest blues albums ever recorded, and Lice in Coolr ('oum‘y Jail (19?'1). MOST INFLUENTIAL GUITAR P LAY E R
He admitted that he hardly ever played chords, and he could never 93
rest—it was as though each note he played had a life of its o\\11, and B.B.
was just setting it free. There are gadgets for all these tricks and effects —pcdals and tremolos and other equipment—but B.B never used them. He never needed to when he had his magical hands—his "clumsy fingers". as he put it with his customary self-deprecation. He would sim-
ply strike a note and shake his hand l-'R(I\'l'l.l\l-l~.||\l~12h._!lIl5
THE |comc LUCILLE is taken down Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee, in a farewell procession
in honour of B.B. King on May 27.
dignity. Once, Jolm Lennon had told
sing for you”. Lucille would inevi-
him that he wished he could play like
tably come up in his long conversa-
B.B. Years later, recalling the inci-
tions with the audience during live
dent B.B. chuckled and said, “I didn't believe him."
shows, and he even wrote a song about Lucille, asongin which Lucille
In the blues, where the mytl1ifi-
did most of the singing, while B.B.
cation of the artiste was an integral
just talked about her—"l‘m crazy
part ofthe art form itself, B.B.'s persona was grounded in reality. He was no haunted, shatlowjv figure like Robert Johnson in flight from hellhounds on his t1'ail; nor did he have the spooky quality of Skip James with his blcak, mysterious lyrics and ghost-like voice. Rather, in B.B. one saw the ultimate amalgamation and
about Lucille] Lucille took me from the plantation/ Or you might say brought me fame." Lucille was an extension of B.B. It was his other
culmination of all the styles that
satilc was his musicianship and
made up the blues. He had it all-—the
singing, so dynamic and exploratory,
power and intensity of Howlin' Wolf,
that he was equally masterful in per-
the finesse and style of Muddy Waters, the hollerin' anger of the plantation worker, and the sweet melancholy of one who has tran-
forming jazz standards and collaborating with artistes of a diverse range of genres, from gospel to rock to soul to funk. His supreme crafts-
scended the pain of persecution. He
manship allowed him to blend and
carried in that magnificent, powerful
complement any kind of music and
voice the entire legacy of the blues, from the time the first black man got off a slave ship with scars on his back to the weary plantation worker sitting outside his shack watching the sun go down. “VVhen I first got the blues
yet retain his unique sound and blue-
voice, an essential and inseparable aspect of his personality—the consort qucen ofthe “King of the Blues". Yet it would be a mistake to confine him simply to the blues. So ver-
sy roots. “Cause Lucille don't wanna play nothin' but the blues." For B.B.'s own influences were
not only the great Mississippi blues-
They brought me over on a ship Men were standing over me
men he heard in his childhood, like Blind Lemon Jefferson, Sonny Boy Willianison, Lonnie Johnson, his own cousin the legendary Bukka
And a lot more with a whip
W’hitc and others. He was also keenly
And everybody wanna know
affected by the jazz music of that period-—pa1'ticularly Duke Ellington's
VVhy I sing the blues
like a bird flapping a wing to get
Well I’ve been around a longtime I’ve really paid my dues.”
those long quivering sounds, which
(Why I sing the Blues)
who died too soon, and the two-fingercd gypsy wizard of swing, Django
was one ofhis trademarks. Every generation of dedicated guitar players in the past 60 years has
He was the greatest bluesman
Reinhardt. In his music one heard
alive, and with his death the curtains
the perfect synthesis of the raw in-
came down on a key tradition that
tensity of the blues and the finesse of
looked to B.B. for inspiration, guid-
formed the root ofrock ‘n' roll music.
jazz.
big band, the great Charlie Christian
No bluesman has ever received
ance and understanding. Icons and legends ofthe instrument from Clapton to J imi Hendrix and Stevie Ray
He did not just sing the songs, he felt
the kind ofhonours and awards that B.B. got in his lifetime—15 Grain-
Vaughan have revered him as a mas-
the songs from the core of his being,
mys, medals from heads of states,
ter.
and he could make the listeners feel
Every successive generation of rock stars has attempted to validate its credentials by playing with the King—Eric Clapton in his Riding with the King and U2 in Rattle and Hum. “He was a beacon for all of us,"
it, too. Close on the heels ofhis vocals
honorary doctorates from prestigious institutes, even a museum on him. But that is not where his legacy lies; nor does it find reflection in the generous flow of tributes from the biggest stars of music after his death. Somewhere, in an obscure corner of
LUCILLE
for all the adulation and respect, B.B. miraculously remained a humble
would be Lucille, singing, screaming, moaning, snarling, whooping with delight and taking flight and soaring higher than a kite at the bidding of her master's fingers. ‘Wherever B.B. went, Lucille went with him. To him she was more than just a guitar. Often after singing a verse or line, he
man of enormous self-respect and
would say “and now Lucille's gonna
said Clapton after B.B.‘s death. Yet
FRUN'l‘Ll.\lE
-
.lliT\'I~'. Zn, 1015
96
the world, akid afterlistening to Live at the Regal makes up his mind to learn to play the guitar—and that is
where B.B. King lives on forever. [:1
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F R 0 H TH E s E RI E5 of lithograph block inscriptions about traumatic incidents in the history of post-Independence India.
Experiments with truth Riyas Komu’s work “On International Workers’ Day, Gandhi from Kochi”, which layers a Gandhi image against a background reminiscent of the red flag, and his litho blocks depicting incidents that scarred the history of p0St—InClependenCe India mark the artist's attclnpts to rcdccm
the meanings of \\'ords and iinagcs. BY c.s. VENKITESWARAN 95
FRUNTLINF.
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2015
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TH E G R A P H I C I M AG E 5 of a toothless Gandhi, the reproduction of a photograph taken in 1931 when he was 62, against a background reminiscent of the red flag, with a white star at the top right-hand comer. On the top of each image are twin words, one, the liberating ideas and programmes of Gandhi, and the other its counter-forces. IN a world that usurps words of
other a series of litho blocks placed
tematically emptied of history and
meaning, evacuates concepts of ethics, and robs images of their resonance, transforming them all into their opposites, art turns into an ad-
under the glass atop tables. The
hijacked to serve divisive ends.
venture of excavation, renovation and reassertion. Today, iconic i1nages like that of Gandhi and Marx and
their ideas have been nullified of their subversive energy and turned
into vacuous figures and mere recep-
graphic images are that ofa toothless
Radical politics today is also
Gandhi, the reproduction of a photograph taken in 1931 when he was 62; bony, bare-chested with his ribs jutting out, he is smiling disarmingly at us; this black-and-white image of his stands out against a background reminiscent of the red flag, with a
about liberating words and images fi'om certain hegemonic and oppres-
sive registers, and thus creating fresh political synergies with new connections. As the philosopher Alain Badiou reminds us, “...the contemporary world is doubly hos-
tile to truth procedures. This hostil-
tacles to serve the forces of power and oppression. In this “splinter,
white star at the top right-hand corner. On the top of each graphic are
pick and choose” process, Gandhi is
twin words, the first, Gandhi's
Truth procedure should obtain, an-
reduced to amenable fragments and
panchsheel principles, and the see-
other, which represses it, holds sway.
tame symbols; Marx becomes just another icon of the past or a hollow, In the context of such selective
ond, \vords/ realities that counter the former: Satyaf Perception, Ahimsa/ Violence, Antyodaya/Victim, Sarvo— daya/ Fear and Swaraj /Control.
The name ‘culture’ comes to obliterate that ot"art'. The word ‘technology’ obliterates the word ‘sciencel The word ‘management’ obliterates the
amnesia and active memorialising of
These two series of words, one, the
word ‘politics’. The word ‘sexuality'
untruths, how do we redeem and re-
liberating ideas and programmes of
obliterates ‘love’. The ‘culture-teclv
deploy Gandhi or Marx? In the con-
Gandhi, and the other its counterforces, separated by a slash, add an ironic tinge to the open smile below. According to Amrith Lal, the second set ofwords is pitted against the first: “VVhen words are cleansed of their
nology-management-sexuality’ system, which has the immense merit of being homogenous to the market, and all of whose terms designate a
cliched slogan.
temporary context, what has Gandhi
got to do with Marx? Have they become spent forces or jaded idea/ls of yore in the profoundly consumerist and deeply globalised world we live in? Riyas Komu, in his new show in
ity betrays itself through nominal
occlusions: where the name of a
category of commercial presentation, constitutes the modem nomi-
moral essence, they acquire a new meaning. The newspeak hinted at by
‘art-science-politics-love‘
which was inaugurated on May 1,
the artist suggests the possibility of making a deracinated Gandhi, who
which identifies truth procedures typologically" (Saint Paul: The
poses, probes, prods and ponders on
could be commandeered at will for
Foumhtion ofUn ivcrsa/isnl ).
these questions.
propaganda."
Fort Kochi titled "On International Workers Day, Gandhi from Kochi",
nal
occlusion
of
the
system,
This act of excavation and reno-
What we see in the show are two
This act of excavation, redemp-
sets of images arrayed against each
tion and reassertion of words are es-
vation of images, symbols, words and signs are all the more significant to-
other: the first one is a set of graphic
pecially relevant in the present-day
day when Gandhi and Marx—their
poster images on the wall and the
Indian context where words are sys-
images, words, ideas and program-
FRUNTLINF.
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96
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L I T H 0 6 R A P H B L oc K inscriptions [clockwise from top left] Poverty/Pokhran, The Emergency, 1969, Rath Yatra!Babri Masjid, Bombay Blasts, and The Anti-Sikh Riots. These images represent Riyas Komu's "attempt at understanding
independent India's psyche through important events that scarred its history and, in the process, shaped my identity". mes—are appropriated by fragmenprocess, systematically evacuated of
hran; and Godhra/Modi, along with a brief description of each event. According to the artist, these images
symbol. Facing them are the stony, bare surface of the litho block hewn with historical events in reverse
their subversive political content. Ri-
represent his “attempt at under-
print, as if waiting or ready for an
_vas' works act in the opposite direc-
standing independent India’s psyche
imprint.
tion; they fight fragmentation by bringing together otherwise dispara-
through important events that scarred its history and, in the proc-
“Gandhi from Kochi" thus brings to the fore certain all-too-familiar
te images and words to make us
ess, shaped my identity”.
words, images, signs and events, by
pause and reconsider.
This counterposing ofthe poster image and the litho blocks triggers several trajectories ofthought in the viewer; they spawn an unsettling but
excavating them from the moral morass they are currently buried in and hold them up against our times and eyes. By layering the Gandhi image
radical interface between “lofty” po-
against the loaded background of red
es". They carry “inscriptions” about
litical ideals/ideas that sometimes go awry sans vigil, and the “heavy” facts
and the evocative sign ofthe star, he prods our vision and thought to po-
traumatic incidents that scarred the
and painful experiences of/in histo-
tential trajectories of political action
history of post-Independence India:
ry. VVhat you confront is the multi-
and urgent vigil. Here is an instance
Partition
1969; The Emergency; The Anti-
layered and contradictory surface of the image, which is a palimpsest of
where the artist Oksana Pasaikos words ring true: “Ask not what con-
Sikh Riots; Rath Yatra/Babri Mas-
ideals and nightmares, social memo-
temporary art is, but what contem-
jid; Bombay Blasts; Poverty/Pole
ries and political history, image and
porary art should be."
tation and trivialisation, and in the
L I T H O B LO C KS
The parallel set of lithograph blocks —which is a homage to Raja Ravi Varma—is titled "Stoned Goddess-
Riots;
Gandhi/Godse;
9'7
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-
El JUNE Eh, 2t!l:'v
Alatsl‘
‘It is m attempt to reclaim fearlessness’ In conversation vdth li.l_\'1l.‘~i knmu. av c.s. VEIIKITESWARAN BORN in 1971 in Kerala, Riyas
Komu took his master's degree in tine arts from the JJ School ofA1'ts, Mumbai. In the last deeade, he has created a striking body ofwork spanning var_\'ing media and genres. His
1
ifl
works are noted for their strong political stances involving intense crit-
ical and creative engagements with the public domain. His work has been part of many prestigious and museum shows across the world, including “ParisDelhi-Bombay“, Centre Pompidou,
Paris; Prague Biennale; 52nd Venice Biennale 2007; “Concurrent Indizi", Helsinki Art 1\i1useum; "Indian Higl1wa}"',Museuin of Contemporar_\'A1't, Lyon; Herning, Denmark;
,_
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"India Awakens: Under the Banyan
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Tree, Essl Museum, Austria; “Finding India: Art for the New Century",
Iiiiili
Museum of Coiiteniporary Art, Taipei. Taiwan; Milan Museunr "India Contemporaq'“, GEM. Museum of Contemporary Art, Hague; “India
Now: Contemporary Indian Art Between Continuity and 'l'rzinsi'ormation", Milan, Italy; and "India Xianzai: Contemporary Indian Art“,
Museum of Contempor21r_\f Art, Shanghai. He is also the director of prognuiiiiies. Kochi-Muziris Biennale. Excerpts from an interview he gave 1"ro1ith'rir:
Both Gandhi and Marx are iconic figures though they follow different semiotic and political trajectories.
R IYAS K0 M U. He says his work "On International Workers Day. Gandhi
What prompted you to bring these two together? Was it a figurativel
From Kochi" was conceptualised in 2015 to trigger a discourse by placing the history of violence against a man who stood for n0n—vi0lence.
I-'RIl.‘\"l‘l.l\<'l'l
.Il Nlilryltili
-
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98
aesthetic or political/interventionist impulse? There were protests from some quarters about the "abuse" of
Round Table Conference, which he attended as the sole official Congress
icon of resistance and fearlessness, which is the most important political
representative. Gandhi didn't die of fever, he was
weapon we should carry. It's my attempt to reclaim fearlessness.
Gandhi. When I exhibited this series as
murdered. At a time when history is
part of “Missing Pavilion”, a show that was curated by Gayatri Sinlia along with five student curators from Jawaharlal Nehru University in New
being reinterpreted for political mobilisations and power gains and when the perception of politics is manipulated through well-designed
Delhi, I had stated about Gandhi
commercial campaigns, it’s very important to fight back with icons like Gandhi for counterargument by jux-
that, “This work is very explicit
against secrets. The words are known. The man is part of our blood.
taposing our time with his principles
New pavilions will be built on his
and the ideologies that he stood for.
chest. Salute him for being around”. Initially the background of these
Here Gandhi is painted, but a Marxian presence is celebrated. It complements the relevance of these icons but amplifies Gandhi. I'd like to paraphrase Anita
works was left as white. I changed it
for the new show “On International
This show has an interesting interface between two sets of
figures and texts. One is a set of poster figures of the smiling, toothless Gandhi, bony and harechestecl with key words from his panchsheel that are "slashed" with their dark, current predicaments. On the other are the litho stones engraved with bare historical facts: tomb stones, as it were, of traumatic events that mar/k postlndependence Indian history. What kind of a dialoguelinterfacefconflict did you want to project or trigger?
Workers’ Day, Gandhi from Kochi". This is my experiments with Gandhi to learn Gandhi by repositioning him
Thampi, one of the leading poets of Kerala, that the Gandhi figure is a
from a contest I observed during my
marvellously simple one that sub-
in 2012, I used one of the most his-
last four years in Kochi.
mits itself easily both to the doodling
torically
My direct interactions with the people of Kochi have been crucial. Especially, the working class labourers have been a revelation as to how this workforce is being used for polit-
child and to the master artist; so minimal that a dot or a line cannot simplify it further—an inner and outer simplicity and a stark directness of this figure can readily lure
which Raja Ravi Varma ioonised mythical figures. Lithostone as a material carries [on it] the images which it has produced to date. In the Indian context lithostonc
ical manipulations. This workforce is
anyone to make it their logo. This
is mainly attributed to Raja Ravi
a residual past of the old glory of
figure can easily mislead anyone into
Varma who used it to portray gods
Kochi complemented by its rich trade history and a celebrated history
thinking that it can be used any
and goddesses, which became a de-
which way.
cor or an image of worship through-
of“working class blues”. But now you see this workforce as the most frustrated, and most of the families are poverty-stricken and alienated. I cannot see or have never felt there is
But the historical gravity and political vitality the symbol wields are
out the country. I used the same surface to project and document the violent massacres in p0st-Indcpendence India triggered by religious fascism. “On International Workers’
a hope for their future unless the their misery. Marx has been part of our blood.
something that refuses to succumb by appropriating it is not going to work. Because, Gandhi is a rhizomatic image that is too sharp for such
series of paintings to trigger a discourse by placing the history of vio-
But I have not made any deliberate attempt to jl1.\‘IZ3.pOS€ Gandhi with
manipulations. And Gandhi appears in our lives
lence against a man who stood for non-violence.
Marx. But in response to my works I
as a constant reminder of non-vio-
Gandhi is not just the face of
was very happy to see the article contributed by K.P. Shankaran for BRICK, the tabloid I published along with the show. The criticism doing
lence and tolerance. So it is in this site that Gandhi is positioned as an
printed currency that jumps out of vending machines, Gandhi doesn't
system stops taking advantage of
not that simple; nor is its intellectual
and spiritual depth so light. In Gandhi’s case, the tactic of blacking out
In “Stoned Goddesses”, produced important
material
on
Day, Gandhi From Kochi” was con-
ceptualised in 2015 with this new
the rounds against the work for using this photograph of Gandhi is aston-
ishing. Here the representation of
"Gandhi appears in our lives as a constant reminder of non-violence and tolerance."
Gandhi is the argument in the pro-
ject to amplify his CKpl'6SSlVC look, body and loud smile. Most importantly, this pajnting is based on a
photograph taken in 1931, when
Gandhi was 62 years old. He was travelling from India to England on a
ship to take part in the Second 99
FRUNTIJNF.
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JUNE 2:». 2015
underprivileged villages. I have attempted to show such concerns in
"Gandhi could be a disgraced farmer, a displaced villager, an untouchable social discard, a lost rnigrant...".
projects such as “belt Legs", with the Iraqi national football team; “Mark
Him”, with the Indian national football team; “Designated March By a Petro Angel”, a work that was exhibited at the Indian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2007; “Safe to Light”, a solo show in Tehran which
represent the amount of bad loans
bedkar as an icon. But at the same
looked at internal conflicts; “Related List”, a solo show responding to the atrocities ofwar and occupation; and many more.
taken by the corporates, but Gandhi represents the values that our nation Gandhi, and his ideals which made him the Father of the Nation, from
time it is important to observe that Ambedkar was celebrated and respected as a man who shaped our Constitution. That is how difierent societies acknowledge crucial contri-
In “On International Workers’ Day, Gandhi from Kochi”, Gandhi could be a disgraced farmer, a displaced villager, an untouchable social discard, a lost migrant, or a
the confines of the fractals of a system that can't stop spinning but con-
butions of legends. Gandhi and Marx have an over-
strange pedestrian who was thrown out of his home.
tinuously sideline Gandhi to the
arching presence in the psyche ofthe
When I encountered this photo-
margins of our aspirational society
people of Kerala, but I would like to
graph I realised that what made
and the resulting greed. Gandhi as a metaphor should be respected as a value given back to an individual for shedding his blood and sweat for this nation. Gandhi should be remembered and celebrated as an individual who experiment-
say in a social space that it's also
Gandhi an icon was his simplicity to the core and his great understanding of India’s social space.
was built on. My attempt is to break
Gandhi and Sree Narayana Guru, Gandhi and Lenin, Gandhi and Stalin, Gandhi and Che Guevara, and
Gandhi and Mao. This is not a ro-
Your show has triggered a lot of
mantic claim but a reality reflected as
discussions and also interesting "coalitions" between Gandhians, Marxists and Ambedkarites. How do you plan to take this interface forward?
you travel the breadth of Kerala.
ed consistently with the changing times and 11ot as an icon that can be
Your show, in its use of images and
used for vested interests. I created
text, has something very "prosaic and pedestrian" about it. This can also be seen as an attempt to reclaim and reimagine the prosaic and the pedestrian. What is your take on this? India, after Independence, has
these works not because I feel sorry
for Gandhi but [because] I feel sorry for the ones who manipulate him.
In the discussions that followed the opening of the show, there were some references about another crucial missing link: Ambedkar. How do you "figure out" his nonpresence here? Or, has it something to do with the specific political history and discourses of Kerala, where Gandhi and Marx were the two overarching presences?
Art should touch realities that we
live with. In the new emerging political landscape, what we lack is a collective resistance against fascism. If
you feel this show has triggered a coalition, I feel the reading as very
marched ahead with Gandhi’s idea of non-violence. This explains why we
promising.
always try to redefine and reimagine
see art as the last bastion of free
India through Gandhi and his principles and adapt it to changing times,
speech and expression. The conver-
perhaps also as a reminder to our-
analysts, Gandhians, philosophers
selves of “how we got here”.
and poets did open up many opin-
But what we are seeing now is reducing Gandhi to a gimmick or us-
ions and new perspectives, which is the need ofthe time. Like the famous
has seen are the likes of Sree Narayana Guru and many others of his time who played a pivotal role in empo-
ing Gandhi as “Fevicol" to cover crimes.
Gandhian thinker K. Aravindakshan said, “Normally a discourse around
My art practice has always been
wering the downtrodden. Land re-
an attempt to create an archive ofour
Gandhi is attended by very few and most of them would be senior citi-
forms, civil rights, universal education and health, attempts to
times. I have always tried to document the stories ofthe marginalised,
promising to see youngsters partici-
annihilate caste and social inequal-
the underprivileged and the dis-
pating in a Gandhi discourse.”
ities, empowering women and, more
placed. You could see this in my se-
As an artist my humble attempt
than anything else, the history of so-
ries of paintings called “Systematic
will be to remind myself and others,
cial action and political engagement
Citizens", which depicts the youth who migrate to urban spaces from
through my work, of the times in
The social reformers that Kerala
has made Kerala less reliant on AmFRON'l'l.|NF-
r
JUNE Zn, AUI5
100
In our contemporary context I
sations that happened among social
zens. But here it is encouraging and
which we live.
El
1;‘ U L IQ It l I\j P R ll OC C U l’A'l‘l ON S
JAYATI GHOSH
Orchestra in Search of a conductor The Berlin Philharmonic's inability to choose a successor to Simon Rattle > ' , A . 4 s 7 7 ‘ while ensuring material survival and commercial success.
HE Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra is known to be one of the finest orchestras in the world. combining technical perfec-
and a sound that has been described as “1nagieal". It is also one ofthe most watched and talked about orchestras, otten in the limelight for both
tion with acknowledged musicality
musical and non-musical reasons. 101
during the celebrations of 50 years of the start of diplomatic relations between Germany and Israel in Berlin on May 12. I-'RlI\'l'l.l\l
|l\l~Zrv
Jill
“TIP
His announcement of his departure as Chief Conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic in 2018 set in motion the search for a successor, which is likely to take more than a year.
But recent events—in particular the still—continuing search for a new
chestra's international reputation, and since then most of the major
tury was dominated by the towering and charismatic figure oi‘ Herbert
principal conductor to replace the il-
luminaries ot‘ the world ot' Western
von Karajan. He spent nearly Your
lustrious Simon Rattle. who has announced that he would leave in 2()18—are likely to he of \\1'der in-
classical music have served as principal conductor. musical director or at least guest conductor For the orches-
decades with the orchestra. from 1955 to just a few months before his
tcrest even to those who are not so
tra. In the 2()th century, Artlnir Ni-
death in 1989. He transforinetl the orchestra musicallv (producing a
interested in classical music. The on-
kisch,
and
t'onsistentl_\' lush sound that became
going processes illuminate the di-
Sergiu Celibidaehe led the orchestra.
distinctive and instantly recognisa-
lemmas involved in cultural and
Under Ftirtwangler the orcliestra
ble); eoinniercially (embarking on a
creative pursuits in our times. not just in the developed world but evQI'_\\\‘ll('I‘L‘.
\vas ellectively close to the Nazi reginie, pei'toi'niii1g not only in general public concerts but at clearly propa-
massive project oi‘ recording‘ the entire repertoire of the orchestra and actively assisting in inarketing); in
This particular orcliestra is fasci-
ganda-driven events. to the point that subsequent scholars have even described it as "Tlie Reich's Orchestra" (the title of a book b_v Misha Aster published in '_!O0T). The second halt'ot'the 20th cen-
terms of its physical home (encouraging the building of what \vas then a liituristic concert hall \\ith wonderful acoustics and with the stage for
nating aiiyxvay. lt originated in a re-
bellion in 1882. when +2 members oi an orchestra led by the conductor Benjainin Bilse broke away to form
their own group, in protest against his imposition otilow wages and travel by i'ourth-class in trains for concerts. The group was originally known as "Former Bil:-;e's Band" and
V‘v'ill1elni
Fiii't\vai1glei‘
got its more respectable present
[From left] Gustavo Dudamel of Venezuela, now based in Los Angeles, is one of the most exciting conductors
name later that year. They were obviously musicians olisuch quality that
to have erupted onto the global scene; Christian Thielemann, the local boy
\vithin a few years they could attract Hans von Bnlow, one o|' the most
who is steeped in the Classical-
celebrated conductors of his time in
tradition of Karajan; and Latvian Andris Nelsons, who has just taken over the
Europe, to serve as their conductor. Ibis helped to cement the orl"lll1\ll.l\l'l
.ll
\l-'.1r»_l||l:‘~
Romantic repertoire and in the direct
Boston Symphony Orchestra. 102
with the Berlin Philharmonic labove and right]. In nearly four decades as its conductor, from 1955 to a few months before his death in 1989, he transformed it musically, commercially and in terms of its global reach.
music-making situated in the midst of the audience); in its global reach
disputes. For example, when Karaj an sought to bring in the 13-year-old
conductor (Antonia Brico) as early as 1930 and several others tliereaftei'.
(taking the orchestra on tours as tar
violin prodigy Anne—Sophie Ivlutter
in 1982. the Swiss violinist Made-
afield as Japan and China, as well as the Americas); and in terms of personnel (eventually lariiigiiig in some
to perform a Mozart violin concerto with the orchestra, there were liercc
leine Carruxzo joined the orchestra (and still plays in it). but this was overshadowed by the eontro\'ersy
women players despite protests from the largely “unreeonstructed" alpha
protests. Yet. that remarkably gilted violinist went on to create some outstanding pertoi"iiiaiices and record-
males who then tornied the orches-
ings
tra).
relationship that now spans more
This last point was much more diflicult than expected. I{ara_ian's re-
than tour decades. The charge of miso3.,'yny is one
lationship with the orchestra was
that has been levelled at this partieular orchestra even more than others. It was one ofthe last important orchestras to hire women players. even though it had a woman guest
said to be. intense and fulfilling, but also turbulent. and the last years were marked by l'requent t'riction_. which sometimes erupted into open
with
the
orchestra
in
a
surrounding the contested appointlnent oi‘ clarinettist Sabine Meyer.
who apparently tai:'ed so much harassment that she lelt alter a lbw months. and this became another source oi‘ friction between Karajan
and the players. Now the composition of the. orchestra is quite diflei'ei1t. It is more international: iilty ofthe 128 incinbers are foreign (non-German). from 20 ditl'ercnt countries. It is slightly less male: 17 women play in it. still less than most other major orchestras but certainly more than before. lt is younger: the average age ofthe players is only around 38 years. But
the culture of being independentminded and pla_ver-driven continues. The nature oifits t'ori11ation as a
tierccly independent and selt'-contident group ol' accomplished musicians
has
permeated
both
the
organisation ofthe orchestra and its siibsequent trajector_v. 103
|-'ltll\‘|'l.l\l-'
_ll\[-ll:-,Il!l:‘v
New members of the orchestra are voted in by all the players (not just those in the relevant section),
recently he was quoted as admitting that “nobody comes here thinking they are going to have an easy time".
just a few years. The 34--year-old Ve-
with the conductor also having a
Indeed, the great musician Carlos
most exciting conductors to have
vote. The vote is conducted after a
Kleiber actually refused this oppor-
erupted onto the global
musical audition on stage in filll view of all the members, unlike the practice that is now common in many American orchestras, where the can-
tunity when he was offered the post before Abbado took over. That is why this May, all eyes in the classical music world were on the closed doors
achieving international recognition through the stunning Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra he created in Caracas, part of the Venezuelan govem-
didates play behind a screen so that attributes such as age, gender, race
beyond which the members of the orchestra gathered to choose their
ment’s project to bring music to the
and so on are not known to the listeners. And so prejudices of different
next conductor. The aura of secrecy surrounding the exercise (the discus-
Munich, could be another conten-
kinds can get reflected in votes, along
sion is completely behind closed
der, though his reputation for doing
with purely musical judgment. Only very powerful personalities (and Karajan was undoubtedly one such) can manage to exert some influence in such conditions.
doors; even the actual contenders are only guessed at by outsiders; mobile phones are not allowed in the room) added to the mystery and allure. After hours and hours ofdiscussion and
only a few thoroughly prepared concerts every year may work against him because ofthe demands ofcommercial profitability. Women are apparently not in the running,
The musicians of the orchestra also choose their conductor, in a closed and secretive process that has been described as the equivalent ofa
several rounds of voting, they emerged to announce that they had
although several highly regarded women (such as Susanna Malkki and
been unable to come to a decision,
Emmannuelle Haim) have guest-
and would seek to meet again and
conducted the orchestra in recent
papal election oonclave. Since this is possibly the most coveted job in the classical music world, they have always had an impressive list of candi-
decide within the coming year.
years.
THE CONTENDERS
The rumour mills suggest that one of
dates to choose from. They have generally chosen men who are recognised stars already, who also happen to be at the top of their own game, and who they were quite familiar
the strong contenders was Christian Thielemann, local Berlin boy be-
nezuelan Gustavo Dudamel, now based in Los Angeles, is one of the scene,
masses. Kirill
Petrenko,
currently in
All this is speculation, of course. More candidates may emerge in the coming year. And there are those who argue that the Berlin Philhar-
monic is now such a thoroughly pro-
loved of the conservative faction,
fessional and well-oiled machine
who is steeped in the Classical-Romantic repertoire and in the direct
that they do not really need a principal conductor, and can manage with
with because of frequent appearances as guest conductor. Thus, Karajan was succeeded by the Italian Claudio Abbado, who expanded the repertoire away from the
tradition of Karajan. But he may have shot himselfin the foot because ofnotjust musical reasons (the more limited focus of his repertoire) but also because of the uncomfortably
guest conductors without much diminution of musical quality. Increasingly, the role of the conductor is not just to bring together the
core Classical-Romantic pieces so
right-wing views he has expressed
performers to create great music, but
beloved of Karajan, to more 20th century composers and contempo-
publicly, including in a newspaper
to attract commercial contracts and
rary works. In 2002, Abbado was
article in which he sympathised with the anti-immigrant group Pegida.
sponsorships. Given the limits of the orchestra’s repertory, this is becom-
succeeded by the dynamic and excit-
This apparently generated strong re-
ing British oonductor Simon Rattle,
action from others in the orchestra,
ing more difficult, as Simon Rattle also found. It can only be achieved by
who has also proved to be extraordi-
who felt that this would sit uneasily
someone who brings his/her own
narily successful in drawing consis-
with the requirements of 21st centu-
tently
powerful
ry music-making and the kind ofcos-
performances from the players. Under him, the orchestra also devel-
mopolitan and multicultural city that Berlin has become.
star power, is commercially savvy and can recognise what will be popular without sacrificing musical creativity and innovation.
oped an education project that seeks to remove the elitist label from the
Other names have been mentioned. The grey eminence Daniel
These are difficult conditions to meet. So what is a temporary inabil-
music and connect with those who
Barcnboim, who conducts the Staat-
have little experience of Western
soperin the same city, has ruled him-
classical music. Clearly, hard acts to follow for
self out. Two prominent names are much younger. The 37-year-old Lat-
anyone who must come after these
vian Andris Nelsons would certainly
giants. The orchestra itself is not so
easy to deal with: the ebullient Si-
fit the bill but he has just taken over the Boston Symphony Orchestra,
ity to choose a conductor may well reflect a more existential dilemma that is increasingly faced by many great orchestras and indeed by many performing artists in general: the difficulties of pursuing artistic perfection within the constraints posed
mon Rattle's hair turned grey very
which makes it less likely that he
quickly in his years in Berlin, and
would abandon his current home in
excellent
FRONTLINF.
-
and
.lUNF.2h.l()l5
10!»
But that raises another problem.
by the requirements of material survival and commercial success. El
EUTHANASIA
Between life and death The death of Aruna Shanbaug after 42 years in a comatose state brings
into focus once again the issues of passive eutlianasia. living wills. orgmi donation. and punishment for sexual assault. BY ANUPAIIIA KATAKAH IN MUMBAI
FOR 4~2 years, Aruna Shanhaug
said she was not bra.in—dead and
existed in a small room on the
ground floor of Ward Four in the
therefore the ruling did not apply in her case. ‘Tragically, the system
sprawling KEM Hospital in Mum-
failed her," said a doctor at KEM at
bai. Cared for entirely by the nursing
the time ofher death. “We don't want
staff, Aruna had been in a comatose state since November 27, 1973, the night on which she was strangled with a dog chain and sodomised by a
-its
it to fail more people. This can really help people, particularly the poor.“ ARUl|A'S STORY
ward boy at KEM where she worked
In 1973, Aruna, a bright young wom-
as a nurse. The strangulation cut the
an training to become a nurse, was
oxygen supply to her brain, and when she was eventually found in the morning, she had stltlered intensive brain damage, cervical cord injury and cortical blindness. Although every medical effort was made to revive her, Aruna never regained consciousness after the assault. She remained in a vegetative
placed with the animal experimentation unit at the hospital where she had to keep a close eye on several helpers who worked with animals. Sohanlal Walmiki was one of the
state for four decades, passing away
ARUNA SHANBAUG. S|1ECliEd
sweepers at the hospital whom she
on May 18 in KEM Hospital in
would apparently criticise for not doing his work; reportedly once she shouted at him in full view of the
Mumbai, where she was strangled with a chain and sexually assaulted while at work 42 years ago.
public. On the night of November 27,
eventually on May 18 followinga ear-
1973, Walmiki found her alone in
diopulmonary arrest. Her death has
one of the rooms just before she was
brought into focus once again the issues of passive euthanasia (P.E.),
nally ill people seeking help to die
to change out of her uniform. He
used a dog chain to attack and rape
living wills, organ donation, and
with dignity. Journalist, author and activist
her. Aruna was found the ne.\'t morn-
punishment for sexual assault.
Pinki Virani, who led the crusade to
ing with blood splattered allover and
Aruna's case was a tuming point
let Aruna die with dignity, fought a
on the verge ofdeath. When Walmiki
in India's view on P.E.. Her situation ignited the P.E. debate in India,
hard battle for Aruna's euthanasia.
was caught, he said he did this to her
which saw the court pass a landmark
She lost the Aruna Shanbaug case, but it was her relentless fight that
because she kept denying him leave. He was not tried for rape as the doc-
judgment that agreed to legalise P.E.
made the Supreme Court pass the
tors wanted to protect the reputation
and admit cases where “lifing was more painfiil than death”. Thejudgment also had other important spinoffs, which hugely benefited termi-
historic judgment on P.E. Unfortunately, Aruna did not benefit from the judgment as the doctors and nurses who cared for her
of Aruna, who was engaged to be married that year. Waliiiild served two seven-year jail sentences for the heinous crime but was never charged
105
FRUN"l"l.lNE
-
JUNE 3h, 2I!l:'v
for sexual assault. He disappeared
fiance moved on and her family dc-
became a regular visitor of Aruna's
alter his jail sentences. Several re-
scrted her. lt was now left to the generosity and kindness of I{I£M's nursing staffto care for her. In spite of attempts by the municipalit_v, which runs the hospital, to send her
and did not just write her story but
ports even claimed that he was dead. Following Aruna's death, a Marathi daily tracked him down to his village in Uttar Pradesh, and on Mav 30, Walmiki came up with his version of the story to several newspapers. Essentially, he accused Aruna oftreating him badly and said that he had
tients, they fierccly held on to her and did not allow any intcrfcrencc. Besides, she had no home to go to.
took the case fiirther as she believed that Aruna was suffering unnecessarily. She made a case for Aruna, and a path-breaking piece of nonfiction on the right to dic with dignity, Ar"uizc1§s- Story. was published in 1998. The writer says “this is the book with which the author catalysed the
not raped her. He said he meant to take revenge by friglitcning hcr but
She became a symbol of courage and professionalism for a team of
law on passive cutl1anasia...." Attempts by Pinki Viraiii to have
in the scufllc she was badly injured. \Valmiki cannot be charged no\v as that would amount to double jeopardy, say the police. Aruna was initially looked after
nurses. They were proud ofhow they cared for her: .»‘Lruna never developed hcdsores. The nurses said they always celebrated her birthday, and on occasions gave her hcr favourite fish
Aruna examined at private hospitals for the condition of her brain death failed. Eventually, in 2009, when Aruna turned 60, Pinki Virani approached thc Supreme Court as Aru-
by her family. hcr fiance and the nursing staffat KEM Hospital where
curry via the feeding tube. Pinki Virani, who heard about
na's "next friend" to stop the tube feeding and allow the victim to pass
she was treated. As years went by and
A1-una's tragic situation, visited her
she showed no signs of recovery, her
in 1985 to write an article on her. She
away peacefully under medical supervision. Thc court rejected the plea alter doctors of KEM claimed that Aruna's medical reports indicated that she was not entirely brain-dead. However, in the wake of the debate the Aruna Shanbaug case triggered and Pinki Viranfs plea, the
home to create space for other pa-
Supreme Court passed a historic judgment in 2011, which permitted P.E. in India. This involves the withdrawing ol treatment or food that would allow the patient to live as opposed to ac-
tive euthanasia, which could include the administration of a lethal sub-
stance to a brain-dead patient. Unfortunately, Aruna never henefited from the judgment. Reportedly, her brain stem had been severely damaged, which meant she was tech-
nically brain-dead. However. caregivers said Aruna would show signs of recognition from time to time. Nurses believed there was a flicker in her eyes through which they read her moods. She was also prone to tits oi anger and screaming, which they believed would not have happened it she was completely brain-dead. The nurses and doctors who cared for hcr repeatedly said it was
li\
not part of Indian culture to allow her to die and that she was still alive and showed signs of life in small ways. They had coiimiittcd to caring and looking after hcr zuid would do
a landmark judgment that agreed to legalise it.
irreversible conditions to permit P.F..
A R u N A s H A N B A u o A T K E M Hospital, a 1980 photograph. Her situation ignited the debate on passive euthanasia, which saw the Supreme Court pass
I-'RIl\'l'l.l‘\'l'l
.ll \I-llryllili
106
so until her natural death. The Supreme Court specified two
CAR EGIVERS 0 F AR u N A at her funeral in Mumbai. She became a symbol of courage and professionalism for a team of
nurses. law in 2011: (1) The brain-dead, for
delines to determine whether a pa-
vents invasive life—pr0longing proce-
whom the ventilator can be switched
tient is brain-dead or not. They
dures. “Quite often, patients have
off; and (2) Those in a Persistent Vegetative State (PVS), for whom the feed can he tapered out and painmanaging palliatives be added, ae-
should have got more experts in and sorted out her case instead of pro-
expressed the desire to go, particularly seeing how much strain it is on
longing it, he said.
their families, therefore we are ad-
In a setback to the pro-euthana-
vocating the legality of living wills,"
cording to laid-down international
sia crusaders, last year the Supreme Court decided to review its 2011 P.E. judgment. Acting in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by the non-governmental organisation Common Cause seeking legal recognition for “living wills", the court invited a five-judge
she said. The matter has been pending for the past two years. The court needs to decide whether to issue notice to all the States or refer the matter to the Law Commission of India. However, the lawyer expects Aruna Shanbaug's death to activate the case again. In July 2014-, Attorney General
specifications. ‘We do not know how many people benefited from this law as that's a confidential agreement between the family and the doctor," said Dr Prakash Naik, an internal medicine specialist from a leading hospital in Mumbai. “The good thing is at least the family has an option. Sometimes, there are really hopeless situations. It's adrain financially and emotionally. P.E. is a humane way to
Bench to look into all aspects of P.E.
Aliving \\-'lll is a directive given by a patient about his or her medical treatment when the patient is termi-
Mukul Rohatgi said the issue had legal, social and moral aspects eon-
pass on.“ He said the real tragedy was
nally ill. The patient gives instruc-
to die merely because of pain and
that it was not applied in Aruna
tions when he or she is in complete control of their faculties, said a law-
suffering would not be in the interest
eerning humanity. He said the right
Shanbaug’s case. Dr Naik does not think KEM did a service to her. To
yer from Common Cause. The in-
of society as it was against public policy. Any change in the law could
live like that for 42 years is inhuman,
tention is to allow a person to die
be brought about only by Parliament,
he said. There are clear medical gui-
with dignity. Furthermore, it pre-
he said, adding that the ruling in
‘I07
FR(]N‘Tl.lNE
-
_Il.'NE Bo, llili
“Aruna Shanbaug's case”, which upheld the validity of P.E., was wrong.
sisting in death is not for the medical professional,” said the physician. When contacted, Pinki Virani
she said, adding that some of the good that has come from the judgment should be appreciated.
EUTHANASII DEBATE
told Fran tlinez “What the bringing of
To begin with, the judgment pro-
Arguments against euthanasia, pas-
this law has done is to bring the sub-
vides medico-legal clarity on brain
sive or otherwise, are many. Those who argue against it are essentially concerned about the procedure being misused or abused by people with
ject out from darkness to light by reducing the shame which the ‘Bharatiya double—standard' thrives onwhere you are expected to say some-
death. An amendment proposed in Parliament, a few months after the judgment, allows the doctor of the brain-dead patient to inform the rel-
a vested agenda, said T.R Andhyarujina, Senior Advocate ofthe Supreme
atives about the option of organ donation. Post-judgment, there have
of India and Advocate General of
thing in public for the sake of society and do quite diametrically the opposite at home. More importantly, it has made the grief of the near-dear
Maharashtra. Additionally, there are
ones more bearable and less trau-
for the terminally ill to case their
religious beliefs. For instance, Catholics do not believe in taking a life. Some see it in the context of abetting suicide and so there is resistance from such areas, he said.
matic, and equally importantly, has placed the power of choice in the hands of individuals, in which I include doctors, over corp0rate-hospitalisation and religion."
pain. The Government of India re-
Andhyarujina has been closely connected with the Shanbaug case
Pinki Virani said the Supreme Court’s decision to review the judg-
and the P.E. petition in the Supreme
ment did not mean its revocation.
Court. In his view, the 2011 judg-
“The Constitutional Bench has been
like. Third, the P.E. law asks that “attempt to commit suicide" be decriminalised; policymakers are considering this in a new mental health
ment had many merits, but the opposition also needed to be considered. “Aruna Shanbaug’s was a strong case for P.E. However, we had the entire
invited to ‘lay down exhaustive gui-
law. Pinki Virani says the govem-
delines‘. I welcome all legal clarity,”
ment has also finally accepted, in its
Court and former Solicitor General
also been discussions about how rules must be relaxed on morphine
cently allowed for increased avail-
ability of morphine for patients in
severe pain, like those in a PVS, and suffering from cancer, AIDS and the
strengthened anti-rape law in March 2012, her recommendations that the
KEM panel of doctors and nurses saying they would look after her until
law include a “vegetative” clause and
she died. They did in fact very loving-
victim in a vegetative state before, during or after the sexual assault be
that the perpetrator who puts the
ly take care of her, so it was difficult to resist that.” He says that although
categorised as “rarest of the rare" and
therefore be treated on a par with
the definitions are quite clear, there is a thin line between active and passive euthanasia and the law has to be very stringent on this issue.
being a murderer.
India’s health care or the lack ofit is another subject that is related to
Another physician Fro-ntline met
this debate, said a liver transplant
said: “It goes against my beliefs to be pro-P.E. Ideally, we should improve our palliative care and provide better health care for the terminally ill." To
surgeon. "The wealthy are able to keep their relatives alive and provide the best medical ca.re. The middle class manages somehow, but many
buttress his point he quotes the Hip-
are driven to despair with mounting
pocratic Oath, which states: “I will
hospital bills. The poor are the worst
prescribe regimen for the good of my
affected. They just take their rela-
patients according to my ability and
tives home and keep them as com-
my judgment and never do harm to
fortable as possible till they die.”
anyone. To please no one will I prescribe a deadly drug, nor give advice
that may cause his death.” It is an extremely difficult situa-
tion for doctors who know the patient has no chance of survival a.nd is
in extreme pain. It is worse when the
patients are poor. “The fear, however, is that if it becomes legal, family
members will be coerced or con-
vinced into letting their family go. Agreeably, the financial and emotional burdens will increase, but asFRONTLINF.
r
.lUNF.2\‘\.l(H5
Pinki Virani said the Supreme Courts decision to review the judgment did not mean its revocation. 108
VVhat we need is to provide better palliative care a.nd ease the pain of
the suffering, P.E. or not. We have to be able to provide better and much more comprehensive health care to our poor who have so few options.
India is a. country with different
religions and thousands of beliefs. P.E., living wills and organ donation
are not easy topics. Yet they need to be addressed because it will serve a much larger good, said the surgeon. El
COLUMN THROUGH MY WINDOW
K. SATCHIDANAN DAN
Of Dalit life and resistance Two novels that in their own ways go beyond the established canons, not only of Dalit narratives, but of the Indian novel in general, and point to the future course of the genre, where it frees itself from Western models—both realist and modern—and creates its own
narrative modes and critical norms. ALIT writing in India has D come along way since its beginnings in the late 19th cen-
al communities and subsects that the
dimension provided especially by the
term had subsumed and in a way concealed. Writers now began to
mysterious Koogai, the owl-god. Both the novels ultimately deal with
tury and its flowering in the closing decades of the 20th. VVhile in the beginning it was struggling to find a way to articulate the agony and anger of
look at the diversity and even internal conflicts within the larger Dalit
Dalit reality, but in such innovative ways as to help redefine the idea of
community and the specificity of
the novel itself. Both the writers are
each caste or group in terms of expe-
blessed with a deep sense ofhumour,
the outcastes, later it began to be rience as well as imagination. more conscious of its artistic mission This new stage of social and aeseven while keeping the original con- thetic awareness seems best reprecerns intact. It also began to take a sented in two novels published positive look at Dalit history, myth recently in English translation: De-
astonishing powers ofobservation, a markedly poetic imagination and a profound awareness of the forces of oppression and resistance that shape Dalit lives as lived in various ways by
and folklore and affirm the unique vanoora Mahadeva’s Kannada novel power and beauty of Dalit values and Kusumabale translated by Susan Dalit imagination. This at times Daniel and Cho. Dharman’s Tamil
different communities. Both the works pose a great challenge to the
novel Koogaiz The Owl translated by
translators as they use community slang and dialect—like the Nanjan-
mould through a retrieval of the Vasantha Surya (both published in
gud dialect in K’-usumabale or the
mythical and folk imagination one
2015 by Oxford University Press, the
Tirunelveli-Kovilpatti
finds in Dalit fables, songs and my-
former edited by Mini Krishnan and
Koogai—and have huge chunks of
thologies specific to communities. Another impact of this new turn was the breaking of the monolith called the “Dalit” and the discovery of sever-
Chetan Ahimsa and the latter by Mini Krishnan). While the first novel
poetic passages and even poetry itself. Judging by the result, the trans-
is lyrical and is deeply informed by folklore, the second has a mythical
lators and editors have not done badly at all and deserve our gratitude
meant a liberation from the realist
109
FRONTLINF.
-
dialect
in
JUNE 20, 2015
for bringing these rare works to the
tales where objects from statues to
notice of a larger audience outside
pillows tell stories. But it does not
their original languages.
stand out as a technique here; in-
Kusumabale has fascinated and
stead, it becomes a natural, living
scared translators alike for some decades now since its publication in 1988, and the translators who aspired to do English versions, and in one case almost did one, include Polanki Ramamoorty, Rowena Hill, Judith Kroll and A.K. Ramanujan, all
experience that embodies the vision
ofwhom knew that this novel did not just offer Dalit experience but repre-
yond the sociological, unlike a lot of Dalit writing. lt marks an aesthetic
sented Dalit sensibility. But it was for
turn in Kannada narrative tradition
Susan Daniel to finally come up with a complete translation that strove to capture the nuances of the original
of an organic cosmos where everything is interrelated. Mahadeva also finds an original idiom to articulate this vision that mixes prose and lyric. Thus the significance of this novel goes fan" be-
i kicimsT1M1“i'i“abale
creating a new style. design and structure for novel. Though Mahade— va's oeuvre is not big in terms of vol-
that has already been recognised as a
ume—a long story, a collection of
masterpiece in Kannada for a quar-
short stories, a volume of essays be-
ter century, whose admirers includ-
sides the novel Kusu mr1buZr—h is im-
ed U.R. Ananthamurthy, Sheldon Pollock and Ramanujan. The narrative device used in the novel is based on an old faith that the guardian-lamp spirits inhabiting various homes meet. at the midnight hour and exchange talcs—a device that Chandrasekhara Kambar has alThe novel begins where a spirit who
pact on the younger generation has been quite remarkable as he transcended the Westem narrative models of earlier Kannada novclists—grcat no doubt—like Shivarama Karanth and Ananthamurthy in his works through folklore and fable, thus retrieving to Dalit imagination its innate strength and native beauty. This retrieval is closer
has come back after a 12-year gap
to what the Latin American writers
so used cleverly in one of his plays.
joins them and all of them begin to
talk about what they have been wit-
Devanoora Mahadeva.
ness to in the homes they inhabit. The world of these spirits is almost an altemative to the real world of
injustice and oppression as they are
guided by a strong sense ofjustice, as
of the great boom did to fiction than
to what the European modernists had done as it enlivens fiction by infusing myth and mystery into it.
who transforms from a poor village lad into a rich man; Kuriyaiah, through whom the truth of Dalit lite
The young Kannada fiction writ-
er Vivek Shanbhag in his informed
introduction to this translation com-
is evident from the perspectives from which they narrate the domestic episodes. This opening is definitive in many ways: it defines the ethics underlying the narration; it also helps the narrator present the reality ofthe world from many points of view, always vdth detachment and the humour it allows. The characters are
speaks as the Dalits get organised for justice, for example. VVhat is imporworld view where everything in the world is part of a larger system that also includes nature. He creates a world where spirits can speak, even a cot has a living spirit within it, grief has a visible form, and Fate has a dcscribable appearance.
pares Devanoora to Juan Rulfo both for writing less and writing new. He could do this as he knows Dalit life and world from within unlike those who wrote about it from outside the community. That frees him from the simple conventional binaries. Almost all the communities are involved in the murder of Channa, for example, and the narrative unfolds
fascinating, too: the old lady Thu-
The novel reaffirms the Indian
through the tales ofYaada, Somappa
ramma, who waits throughout the night to battle her fate about whose
narrative tradition of fables like the Panchatantra or riddlesomc narra-
and Kusuma. The death casts its
form she has no clear idea; Yaada,
tive chains like the Vikramaditya
tant to note is the novelist’s own
shadow on every episode in the novel, and yet it is not a dark and morose world: there is plenty to laugh at and
laugh about, like when by a weird logic Garesidda the Dalit not only
i Kusurnabale reaffirms the Indian narrative tradition of fables. FRUN'l‘l.|Nl-'1-.ll’NE1n,llH5
‘|1[|
legitimises his stealing of tender coconuts as dharma demands that the thirsty be offered water, but even
eams one rupee by grabbing the one
hundred and one rupees oF['ered by
them to fight the ;/.amindar/_jameen-
the teacher as a compensation for
daar, thus transcending the conven-
tying up and flogging Garcsidda and
tional binar_v of Dalit vs Bralunin.
oflering one hundred from the same
Dalits are also not perceived he re as a
money as the price of the tender co-
monolith; the novelist is conscious of
conuts claiming they may think he
the contradictions within the various
has just borrowed it and will repay that one clay. Even the Dalit leader
Dalit communities like Paraiyars, Pallars, Chakkiliyars who fight
watching this is astonished by the
among themselves and have argu-
subversive act and the cunning calculations ofGaresidda. The narrative has no single centre and the language is a mixture of prose and poetiy.
ments about superiority and infecomplex by the conversion ofsome of them to Christianity. Dharman
The direction of the narrative is
fights the collapsing of community
evident in the very opening chapter, "...and so it was": “Akkamade\1' who lefl her parental home the very day afler her husband‘s last rites, returns six years later with the sprout ofhcr
identities that entails the use of the umbrella term “Dalit”, which standardises them and erases their cultural distinctions. The author himsclf has made a statement of his
womb, Y-aada—born to a bond ser-
position, quoted in the highly in-
vant, ‘t was said twelve months after
formed introduction by the Tamil
her husband's death—to claim a
scholar, A.R. Venkataclialapathy,
share of the property. Furious. her brothers-in-law, Basappa Somi and
that gives a wholesome idea oi'Tamil Dalit life and the sociology and histo-
Sidtlura, fling her on to the grazing
ry ofthe Dalit movement and writing
grounds. On that same spot a hut
in Tamil: "Some term my writings
rose around Akkamatlevi. And as
Dalit writings. By birth alone am I a
Yaacla, coupled with his clever ways, grew in strength, this hut also grew, and the houses of Basappa Somi and
Dalit, not by what I write. I am not drawn to any of the so-called Dalit writing. This is perhaps due to the
Siddura in turn became its cattle
fact that I'm a Dalit, and that I have
sheds. This Yaade Gowda's son Somappa is the big man of the village. Kusumabale is the daughter of this big man. Following the birth of Kusuma's child, Kusuma and Channa's secret afiair is out in the open, and Channa is done to death, and no one is in the know. Then, while the \vholc village is getting ready for the fire-
feet as in “That illiterate Kusuma in French, she said, / Je veux etrc dans ma maison/ ‘I want to be in my home, be in my homc', she said." Herc is a Dalit novel that is free from sloga-
an acute understanding of Dalit society and culture. A great writer who can artistically portray Dalit narratives, Dalit distinctiveness, and Dalit social reality is yet to be born. I can only give it a try. The Dalit portraits cd; they portray Dalits as recking of ‘filth' and ‘smelly', their women as
leaping festival, Turamma, Channa's
neering, magically capturing the Da-
prone to immorality, as drawn to vio-
relative, is battling with Mother Fate
lit spirit in its imaginative vitality
lence, as unlettered, as footloose
to keep alive daughter Kempi's in-
and linguistic creativity.
workers with no landholding, as
riority, an argument rendered more
Cho. Dharrnan.
fant child. Also I(empi‘s step-sister,
presented to us thus far are one-sid-
slavish, and as people who only
the forlorn Eery, is at pains to save
TAMIL DALIT LIFE
struggle for food and wages. Much of
her own wasting child. So, too, with no wind of Channas murder, Chan-
Cho. Dharman's Koogui: The Owl is definitely more politically conscious, a novel of resistance which, however, like Mahadeva's work puts mythical
it is the result ofa warped leltist perspective. Ironically, some Dalit writ-
na's relatives anxiously await his
return." The chapters that follow unfold this narrative in full through the tales exchanged by the Jothammas, the House Lamp Spirits. Some of the
chapters are almost entirel_v in verse (cg: ‘it also came to where Kusuma
la_v...') and all the chapter titles read like lines of verse. At times the novelist mixes languages—English or even
French with Kannada—to good ef-
imagination to good use and is free from rancour. The writer looks at the village community as a rhizome rather than a vertical hierarchy and is acutely conscious of the interdependcncc and the entanglement of various communities. The novel even has a progressive Brahmin character, Nataraja I yer, who distributes his land among the poor and encourages 111
ers too are mouthing them." And he really fights this stereotype in Koogoi b_v presenting a \'ariety of characters who are confident, intelligent, radical, honest, morally conscious, willing to sacrifice, and
fighting for human dignity more than for any material benefits. This
does not in any sense mean Dharman idealises all his Dalit characters; there are also people portrayed in
their weaknesses such as an urge for I-'RlIN'l'l.l\l-1
>
.|l'\l~I Zn, 3015
1.: 1.
S!
DU ARL
A_MUMA
(I
L.J KMU
u . R . A N A N T H A M u R T H Y and AK. Ramanujan. Both admired Mahadevas "Kusumabale". infighting, the fear of the cruel and cunning landlord, and the consequent collaboration with him on cru-
bles were in fact more akin to India’s own native modes of narrative imagination. lt was also a moment when
cial occasions. His characters are
the Dalit question, so far subsumed
against the one-dimensional, mostly autobiographical, Dalit writing that most of us are familiar with. Fourthly it raises koogai, the owl, to the level of
complex as human beings really are
within the larger non-Brahmin polit-
a symbol and an icon: the old man
and not mere symbols arrayed in an
ical movement, began to be raised by
Seeni considers it a god with rare
allegory. Venkatachalapathy’s inputs in
new autonomous Dalit parties like the Viduthalai Chiruthaikal Katchi
powers to appear anywhere and turn from a stone bird to a real bird and
the introduction help the reader lo-
and Puthiya Tamilagam which in
back and guide its followers in crises.
cate the novel in the Tamil literary
turn produced a lot of interesting
It is a metaphor for all the oppressed
tradition and finds Dharman to be an innovator of the indigenous fictional idiom like Ki Rajanarayanan and younger writers who were inspired
communities, especially Dalits, as it is mostly unstmg and underrated, considered dark and ugly, hardly a bird at all. In classical Tamil writing
by him like Poomani (who happens
Dalit writing, both creative and critical. Caste politics was no more just an appendix to a larger class politics, it was materially and culturally foundational. Dharman first emerged as a
to be Dharma.n's uncle), Konangi, S.
short story writer in the tradition of
the bird of death, an ominous, hate-
Ramakrishnan and several others.
the “karisal” writers, distinguished of
Born into the caste of Pallars—De-
course by the caste identity of his
ful bird whose very hooting is inauspicious. It is teased and attacked
vendrakula Vellalar as they would now like to be known—Cho. Dhra-
characters, publishing mostly in the
man grew up working even when in
1996 he published his first novel,
school. His father was an oyil kummi dancer and Dharman grew up in a world animated by mythical charac-
Thoorvai, capturing the transformation of the karisal countryside that
little magazines of the period. In
found warm reception even from critics usually hostile to Dalit writing. Koogafs popularity however has surpassed that of everything that he wrote before it.
as well as in popular belief, the owl is
during the day even by sparrows as it cannot see in the overpowering sunlight and hence prefers invisibility. But it is actually strong, as it realises at night when it is left to itself. The
just a worker struggling to make
OWL A5 AN ICON
neglect ofthe Koogai temple leads to the community’s decline, though its devotees like Seeni always find the god's help and support, and there comes a day when even Gengiya Naicker, an upper caste man, begins to respect the bird. Fourthly, it is as
ends meet. He began to write at a time when writers were beginning to turn away from the stranglehold of
K00gai’s recognition has several reasons. First, it is in tune with the Dalit oral lore and is entirely different
much about resistance as about suffering and is genuinely radical in its attitude to the status quo. Fiflzhly, it
“social realism", prompted by the fall
from the mainstream modernist
has all the qualities of a serious work
of the Soviet Union which was no
writing. Secondly, it foregrounds the
of fiction: innovative structure, fresh
more being seen as a model either for a democratic socialist society or for
positive Dalit values like reverence for nature and reveals the hidden
idiom, memorable characters and episodes, deep sociological and psy-
imaginative literature, and turning
power of the comrmmity instead of
chological understanding, a pro-
more and more to the Afiican and
portraying them as just miserable
found awareness of the kinship
Latin American writers whose magical and mythical modes close to fa-
beings fit only for sympathy and charity. Thirdly, it is multi-layered as
between man and nature demonstrated several times through diverse
ters like Rama, Lakshmana and Sita, who were almost like the members of his family. He knew even as a child that he was the inheritor of a great tradition of art and culture and not
FRONTLINE
-
.lUNF.2fi.2()l5
112
episodes and captivating narration. Here, too, Dharman's chosen region for depiction is the lcarisal whose lower-caste reality he under-
Brahmin lawyer and land owner, however, comes to their rescue by leasing them his family land for culti-
blers, crows (a crow even helps the brave woman Peichi by attacking the police), deer, cows, oxen—as well as
vation and later, as he leaves the
trees are an important presence in
stands in all its complexity. Dalits
place, giving them each the owner-
the novel. Even hills like the Guru
here are regularly beaten up for
ship of the land that they had been
Malai and Kazhugu Malai come alive
dressing or behaving like the upper-
cultivating. This is not an innocent
and gain the stature of characters.
caste people; even eating at a proper hotel is considered an act of arro-
act of charity; he wants to empower the Dalits to fight the intermediate
Seeni is aware not only of the kinship between man and nature,
gance. The novel begins with such an
castes who were now rising up
but also ofthe different communities
incident where Muthukaruppan and
in the village: “However many castes
Mookkan are beaten up by Muthaiya
against the old landlords. There are also other contradictions that come
there may be, there's a very thin net
Pandian, the Thevar village watch-
into play in the novel like that be-
that is binding all of them together.
man, as the two Dalits had dressed in clean dhotis and shirts and gone to
tween the Paraiyars, for whom con-
We mustn’t tear it. We have to take
version to Christianity was an act of protest, and the Chakkiliars, for
out the tangles in that net, that’s all.”
whom it becomes another form of
informs the whole narrative: a community is ruined when it loses that
the new eatery “the club-s hop” run by
Nachiyararnma where they ate a meal of the white race—“club-
enslavement.
There is a sense of the sacred that
food”~sitting on a bench rather than squatting on the floor as they should have done. Dalits are supposed to
Some ofthe most exciting episodes in
link with the larger universe and with other communities as well as trees, creepers, birds and beasts. The
take only “inferior” grains. If at all
the novel are scenes of resistance,
owl also represents that bond as the
they wanted to eat that food, the
like the Pallars refiising to dig the
many legends about it scattered
watchman feels, they should have
grave for and announce the death of
across the novel demonstrate. Seeni
bought the food in a rice-pot and
the upper-caste man Pandi Mama or
represents this spirit.
eaten it sitting under a tree. Only Seeni’s intervention and put-on hu-
Seeni standing up to the zamindar (Jameen, as he is called) and saying
He also instils self-respect among his people, as when he leads
mility finally save the “sinners”. But
his people can no more work for him
the ceremonial cavalcade of Pallars
the same Muthaiya Pandian has no hesitation in sleeping with Karuppi,
as they have work on their own land. Each act of resistance brings puni-
and Paraiyars to pay tributes to the
the Chakkiliyar woman, wife of
shment, and these acts slowly streng-
Headman Gurusaami Thevar led by the drummers and offers him gar-
Shanmugarn Pagadai who is sent out
then
The
lands and many measures of paddy.
by the watchman with a rupee to have a bottle of arrack. Karuppi
vengeful landlord even tries to poi-
The novelist comments: “In Seeni’s
son the only source of water the vil-
gait was the glee of a Yayati who has
meckly submits to this daily rape out
lagers had. It is in fact a ruthless
of fear: she lies huddled on a mat “like a chick hiding fi'om a hawk”.
class-caste struggle where the subaltem classes move forward and
regained his youth, the exultation of an Ekalavyan who has recovered his
Seeni’s devotion to the Koogai
backward in an attempt to emanci-
god even afler the fall of the temple,
pate themselves. This struggle, how-
which he wants to restore, and the Pallars’ growing resistance to op-
ever, is interspersed with poetic passages that reveal the beauty and
pression are central to the narrative. The Pallars of Chithiraikkudi rebel
harmony in nature: birds and beasts—owls, parrots, falcons, drongos, mynahs, cranes, yellow-billed bab-
PALLAR RESISTANCE
the
Pallars’
resolve.
lost thumb.” Another memorable character is Peichi, the proud wife of the late Kaali Thevar, a strong and intelligent woman who saves Appusubban from
been denying them every human right and regularly violating their
the police and finds legal help for him. Her story runs in almost a parallel narrative. The lyrical passages on the divine owl that frequents the text and the life of Seeni together
women. This drives them to the
create another parallel narrative,
slums of the neighbouring Kovilpat-
along with the siddhuns and the al-
against their tormenters who have
ti, an industrial town, where to their dismay they discover that the owners of the factories and the mills too are from the same upper caste that had
been exploiting them in the village. The novelist does not use terms like feudalism and capitalism, but it is
evident that the landlords have now invested in factories in the cities, as
happened throughout the country in the last century. Nataraia Iyer, a
Koogaiz The Owl foregrounds positive Dalit values like reverence for nature. 113
chemists and a whole world of myth and magic. Kusumabale and Koogai in their different ways go beyond the established canons, not only of Dalit
narratives, but ofthe Indian novel in general and point to the future course of the genre where it frees
itself from Western models— both realist and modern—and creates its
own narrative modes and critical norms. El FRONTLINF.
-
JUNE 20. 2015
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It is common knowledge in the region that the penultimate king of Mudhol, Malojirao Ghorpade (d. 1939), brought the Mudhol hound
into prominence. Arjunsinh Jadeja, a resident of Mudhol with close family links to the royal family, said the king saw these dogs, which bore great resemblance to hounds, being
used as hunting dogs by shepherds in his little kingdom.
“Recognising the distinctness of the dogs, he selectively bred the best specimens. I-Ie even presented a pair
of these hounds to King George V, when he visited England, who christened them ‘Mudhol hounds," Jade-
T H E M U D H O L B R E E D is marked by a distinct long, slender body and
ja said. While Mudhol hounds are com-
graceful features.
monly referred to as Indian dogs, their provenance is tentatively traced
trapati Shivaji entombed along with him in Raigad bear a close resem-
a nearby village, is located on 4-0 acres (one acre is 0.4- hectare) of
to the interbreeding of dogs that ac-
blance to the Mudhol hound. Sec-
rocky scrub land surrounded by sug-
companied the Greek and Persian
ondly, Shahuji Maharaj, a 20th
ar plantations. As one enters, to the
armies that invaded India. According to a brief paper published by Dr. B.C. Ramakrishna, president of the Karuna Animal Welfare Association of Karnataka, and Dr. P.V. Yatl1inder, president of the Mysore Kennel Club, the hounds found in Mudhol
century ruler of Kolhapur, also owned some of these hounds and their fierce reputation as hunting dogs was vindicated when they defended the king against a tiger attack. Wliile such tales are difficult to verify, what is indisputable is that the Mudhol
right is a large expanse of fenced open land where some Mudhol hounds can be seen running around. These dogs need large open spaces to exercise and to play-act briefhunting scenarios. The kennel at the CRIC has 28
are the product of three distinct
hound has been around in north
Mudhol hounds and they are regu-
breeds: the Sloughi, the Saluki and
KaIrnatal
larly taken to dog shows. They have
the Greyhound, all ofwhich are cate-
ern-day districts of Bagalkot and Bi-
gorised as sighthouncls (hounds that primarily hunt by sight and speed) in
japur, fora few centuries now. The Canine Research and Infor-
elongated necks and a narrow skull; the eyes are large and oblong and the body is hairless. The Mudhol hound
contemporary canine classification.
mation Centre (CRIC) in Timmapur,
is a very thin dog, seemingly emaciat-
The Sloughi is found mainly in
ed, with its rib cage sticking out. It is
North Africa now, while the Saluki, a hairier version of the Sloughi and
tall, with the head reaching the waist ofan average-sized man. White is the
one of the oldest breeds of domes-
predominant colour, but specimens
ticated dogs which was once found in
of various colours—black, brown,
a large swathe from the Mediterranean to East Asia, is a popular breed
grey, spotted-—are also seen. With a
deep chest and narrow waist, it shares fundamental physical traits
reared in almost all dog-loving countries. The Greyhound, which has been popular in Europe and America for a long time, was likely one of breeds that Malojirao Ghorpade saw
(KVAFSU) located in Bidar. Its es-
on a visit to England, which led him
tablishment was approved in 2003
to recognise the native Indian dogs found in his kingdom as hounds.
under the aegis of the State government's Department. of Animal Hus-
With the Mudhol hound gaining
bandry and Veterinary Sciences but
in popularity, historical stories are becoming more commonplace. Two
it began operating only in 2010. The
stories in particular are told and re-
to conserve and develop the
with other members of the hound family. The CRIC is a constituent unit ot Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University
primary mandate of the centre is
told by its fans. First, the loyal dogs of
Mudhol hound breed.
the 17th century Maratha king Chha-
Researchers ‘I15
FRUN‘Tl.lNF.
-
at
.IlҤF2h
the 2015
were sought from the Ministry of Social Welfare to provide a pair ofpurebred puppies each to S.C./S.T. families that had experience in rearing
these dogs. A scheme was implemented in 2012 wherein 134- individuals in Bagalkot district were identified as beneficiaries and the results are already visible in such a
short span. The puppies have grown up and the bitches have whelped. With an average litter size between 8
and 12 and the prevailing price for one Mudhol pup ranging between
Rs. 6,000 and Rs. 8,000, the initial beneficiaries have gained up to Rs. 50,000 each on selling the litter. With the CRIC taking care of all input costs, including food supple-
' “‘ ~" .-I-.__. _ _' ’ __.-‘ - e--u--' _ ,_..-Y. " ~' I _ _ -- .._.--o.
—-*-=" "=-
ments and vaccinations, the beneficiaries only have to raise the dogs.
".._:-',-=
- ,_ ,_,,.. _. . " 4. ;‘1"..> .. "‘ -"'
.._..I_,__:_‘, .a- -—
The price of adult dogs is impressive
and Dr. Dodamani cited an instance Id; _ _ , — ___ _' .- - '-——---_._..'._; '.__"
of an especially well-built stud being sold for Rs. 1.35 lakh. Shankar Suresh Aralikatti, a Bedar (S.T.) resident of Timmapur, is
H0 U N D5 REAR E D at the CRIC line up during a dog show at the centre.
one of the beneficiaries. “I was provided a pair of Mudhol pups in 2012
exist, and the centre plays a signif-
hunting and protecting their fields. Of these, we ftlflillfll’ identified around 100 dogs that best represent-
icant role in resuscitating an important breed. The other extant breeds
ed the features of the Mudhol hound and selectively bred them,“ Dr. Do-
Rs. 54-,000. This supplements my agricultural income," he said. Lokesh
are the Pashmi (northern Karnata— ka), Rajapalayam (Tamil Nadu), Caravan Hound (Maharashtra), Jananangi (Andhra Pradesh), Chippiparai (Tamil Nadu) and the Rampur
damani said. This exercise in canine eugenics has two purposes: the first is to revive the pure-bred Mudhol hound, while the second is to encourage altema-
Y. Madar, who belongs to the Madar (S.C.) community and works at the CRIC, is another beneficiary who is looking forward to selling the pups when his bitch whelps. “Our input
hound (Uttar Pradesh). Many of played at national and international dog shows over the past decade and a
tive animal husbandry practices with a built-in social welfare agenda. Veterinarians at KVAFSU had hit upon the novel idea of encouraging fami-
costs are almost nil as we feed the dog what we eat and since it is a hardy, low-maintenance dog, we don't need to be very worried,“ he said.
specific dog show only for native
ers to rear Mudhol hounds so that
CRIC have identified 23 breeds na-
tive to India, of which only seven
these dogs have been regularly dis-
and I sold the first litter last year for
breeds was held in Ba-
their puppies could
Mudhol hounds have a reputation of being fiercely loyal to their
galkot last year.
be sold to dog lovers,
owners and are excellent hunting
Dr. Maliesh S. Do-
providing them with
damani, who has head-
income with minimal
ed the CRIC since its inception, is a valuable
investment, just as how oows, sheep and
dogs. They are still used by local farmers to hunt wild fowl and rabbit in the scrubby grasslands that dominate the landscape between lush
source of information on all aspects of the Mudhol hound. “An
goats were traditionally reared by them to profit from the sale of
jective of reviving the pure-bred
initial survey was done
their young.
Mudhol hound while providing a
in Bagalkot district in 2010 and we identified
Since 90 per cent
ofthe Mudhol hound-
sugar plantations all over Bagalkot. The CRIC has achieved its twin ob-
source of additional income for members of the S.C. and S.T. communities in the region.
500 families that own-
THE PENULTIMATE
owning families
ed around 750 dogs between them. The
king of MudhoL Malojirao
the villages belong to Scheduled Caste or
CRIC becomes widely known, simi-
shepherding community used these dogs for
Mudhol hound into
Scheduled communities,
lar ventures will be started in other parts of the country. El
FRONTLINF.
-
.lUNF.2h
Ghorpade, who brought the prominence. 2 (H5
116
in
Tribe funds
Hopefully, as the success of the
ISSIJES IN FOC Ci S
L ft h ' h
dd
The dependents of the victims of the Hashimpura massacre have been further tliszul\'zl1itz1gccl by an u11('z1ring State government, which has
done little to alleviate their everyday struggles other than offering them measly sums of money as compensation. BY smum nurn |N MEERUT ALMOST two decades after Zaibunissa’s husband, Mohammed Iq-
present Chief Minister, announced a
workers from other parts of Uttar Pradesh and from Bihar. Hence, it
bal, the only breadwinner of the family, fell prey to the bullets of the
compensation package of Rs.5 lakh each for the families ofthose killed in the Hashimpura massacre. The an-
Provincial
Constabulary
nouncement came after some of the
compensation was given out in 2007.
(PAC), she heard that substantial re-
survivors of the massacre met S.P.
Zulfikar Nasir, one of the survi-
lief, a sum of Rs.4.6 lakh, would be coming from the Uttar Pradesh gov-
chief Mulayam Singh Yadav. The modalities of the compensation
vors, who has been at the forefront of the legal battle for justice, said:
ernment. This, however, was too little, too late. For the horrific custodial
scheme are not clear yet.
“Some of the family members of
killings ofl-lashimpura in Meerut on
PROBLEMS OF COMPENSATION
these persons had made it to Meerut then but could not be awarded com-
May 22, 1987, are a saga not only of state brutality but of apathy: an un-
Also, on May 21, Harsh Bora, an advocate, filed an appeal in the Delhi
pensation as their address could not be verified by the State government."
caring State government has done
High Court on behalfofthe families
Now, the government has initi-
little for the families who were al-
of the victims demanding that the
most left destitute after they lost their breadwinners. The PAC, a re-
Delhi Legal Services Authority award the survivors and the families
ated a process of verification of the surviving family members of these
served police force of the State gov-
of the dead enhanced compensation
ernment official in charge of this
ernment, abducted and killed 42 persons, all of them Muslims.
in a time-bound manner. Highlighting the problems with the trial
process, said: “Earlier, in 2007, the compensation was distributed to the
In January 2007, the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (S.P.) government announced a
court’s compensation scheme, he said: “The Delhi Victim Compensation Scheme, 2011, followed by the
families of 86 people. The families of
compensation package, but this did
Delhi Legal Services Authority at
collect information about the surviv-
little to compensate for the loss of livelihood or ensure a life of dignity for those affected families. Also, the money was awarded to the extended families of the people murdered, ac-
present to award compensation does not have a separate category for com-
ing family members of five deceased persons, which will then be sent to
munal violence. Under this scheme,
Officers at the district level for ver-
an award to the survivors of the violence can only be made for rehabil-
ification. The compensation amount
cording to the principles of the Muslim personal law ofinheritance. This ensured that the share ofwidows and their children was reduced considerably. Following the incident, the
itation, which is a measly sum of Rs.20,000. Thus, the scheme needs to be amended to create a separate category for victims of communal violence. In the petition, we have also
that these are indeed the family members of the deceased.” On being asked about the anomalies in the distribution of compensation in 2007, Sharma said he had no idea about
Uttar Pradesh government had given the victims’ families twice in 1987 the
raised the demand for an enhanced
how the compensation would be divided this time around.
measly sum of Rs.20,000 each.
These struggling families got no
The distribution of compensation the State government an-
grant workers whose families were
help after that. It is only recently, on
nounced is also problematic. Five of
outside Meerut were Munna Ladiya
May 21, that Akhilesh Yadav, the
the persons killed were migrant
and Shakir of Bijnor, Hanifof Rewa-
Armed
compensation amount.”
117
was difficult to trace their families when the first substantial amount of
persons. Sanjeev Sharma, the gov-
three of the deceased could not be
traced. At present, I am trying to
can only be awarded once we are sure
Zulfikar said that the five mi-
FRUNTLINF.
-
JUNE 2o. 2015
‘#-
ri in Bihar and Mohammad Azeem and Kauser Ali of Dhamsain village
-3 .59
in Bihar. Zulfikar said that the other demands made at the meeting with
the S.P. chief included getting the
.1.
Gyan Prakash Committee report on the Hashimpura carnage, which was submitted in 1994, tabled in the Assembly and probing the lapses of the officers of the Crime Branch Criminal Investigation Department who
J‘
~
.1;
were involved in the preliminary investigation of the incident. Zulfikar said that no other political party had .._~.
reached out to the victims of Hashimpura so far. The residents said that the local Bharatiya J anata Party (BJ P) MLA, Laxmi Kant Bajpai, who is also the party's State president, had not visited Hashimpura alter the
‘K
verdict. Households headed by women
who were left destitute by this tragedy continue to face severe financial
"Q
SU Rvlvo RS of the Hashimpura massacre meeting Samajwadi Party chief Muiayam Singh Yadav in Lucknow on May 19.
woes. That night of police firing has had a cascading effect on generations ofpeople: children had to drop out of school to take up odd jobs to sustain themselves and have grown up to be adults who do not have access to a
not family property but money given by the state. I protested against this division, but none of them were ready to give up their share. This is
decent livelihood. Some women have
unfair and there's nothing Islamic
fought on in the face ofadversity with help from local charitable organisa-
about it. I even approached the qazi
educate my children beyond school and had to marry them off." According to the basic principle of Sunni law of intestate succession, there are I2 heirs among whom the property is divided, including the
tions. But help from the State gov-
at Deoband to issue a_fimr'a [legal opinion] against this division but
ernment has not been forthcoming.
nothing came of it.” She spent her
wife, brother, sister and daughter, and the wife is entitled to only oneeighth of the net estate. The State
The plight of58-year-old Zaibu-
meagre share in paying off debts.
government seems to have followed
nissa is a case in point. Her daugh-
Zaibunissa said: “We never got a BPL
this formula when it gave the com-
ters were still in school at the time of the firing. Her youngest daughter,
[below poverty level] card, ration card or old age pension. l could not
pensation even though this principle in classical Sunni doctrine has un-
Uzma, was born on the day of the
incident. After her husband's death, she started sewing and making gar-
ments on a daily-wage basis. The ini-
An extract from the government order granting compensation showing how the Rs.4.6 lakh awarded to a victim's family was distributed Name of recipients of compensation
Amount
Serial Number
Name of the deceased
2007 was awarded to the extended
20
Mohammad Iqbal
Zaibunissa [wile]
57,500
family, the combined share ofZaibunissa and her three daughters only came to about Rs.3 lakh. The rest of the money was divided between her
21 22 23 24 25
- do-do-do-do-do-
Yasmin ldaughterl
26
-do-
Shamshad [nephew]
27 28
-do-do-
Shahzad lnephewl Azad lnephewl
29
-do-
Sarfaraz [nephew]
89,444 89,4“ 89,544 33,5l+2 5,590 5,590 5,590 5,590 5,590
30 31 32
-do-do-do-
Shoab lnephewl
tial award of Rs.20,000 was oflittle help. Because the money given in
brothers-in-law and their sons and daughters, that is, the sum ofRs.4-.6 lakh was divided among 13 persons.
Zaibunissa protested against this government move. She said: “My brothers-in-law never came to my
help when I was bringing up three children alone. Why should they get
a share of the compensation? This is FRU‘\i'l‘l l\ll'1
-
.ll.i.‘\'I~'.3n
101%
118
Nazmeen ldaughierl
Uzma ldaughterl Anwar lbrotherl
Nashaad lnephewl
ishtiyaq lbrotherl Shahabuddin lbrotherl
lin Rs.|
5,590 33,543 33, 543
i
two years. After that, I learnt woodwork and furniture making." In fact, all his siblings had to stop their edu-
"1
Jameel were both killed in the massacre. Her husband, Mohammad Sa-
cation midway. The 2007 compensa-
leem, who had been doing the rounds of the courts in the hope of getting
tion money merely helped them pay
justice, killed himself out of a sense
off the pending water tax and house tax and loans. Also, the brothers got a larger share than the sisters. Each brother got a sum of Rs.85,l84-, whereas each sister’s share was
of despair in 2013. The 2007 com-
pensation money was spent in buying power loom machines to set up a factory. But these had to be sold off
Rs.25,556. Naeem's 80-year-old mother, Noorjehan, only got a sum of Rs.76,667, a lower share than that
alter his death. Anjum runs a family hardware shop in the face of opposition from other members of the joint family. She said that the shop did not
awarded to the brothers. Shakeel felt
have an electricity connection, but
that the compensation was inadequate and had come too late in the son in every family of the victims
she still manages to run it in the sweltering summer heat. She is bringing up her five daughters and two sons with the meagre income generated
would have been a much more usefiil approach," he said. For Hanifa, 65 now, the sudden
from the shop and with help from some local charity organisations. The local school where one of her
death of her husband, Mohammed
daughters studies has waived the tui-
Usman, jolted her from a life of rela-
tion fee. Her eldest daughter goes to
dergone several reforms in successive years. According to the government notification that detailed the distribution of compensation on January 15, 2007, a total alnount ofRs.l.97 crore was given to the families of those killed. Frontli ne
tive affluence into one of enormous struggle. Usman owned four power loom machines and made a decent living making garments. After his death, Hanifa had to sell ofi the machines to fend for her three sons and three daughters. The Rs.90,000 the
college now. But there was no help from the State government. She lives with her children and her mother-inlaw, Naseeban, in a one-room house with a small courtyard, a part of a two—storey ancestral house shared by four families.
has accessed a copy of this order. The
machines fetched her ran out soon.
Her father—in—law used to work at
distribution ofthe amount following
All the children had to be pulled out
the municipal corporation in Mee-
archaic principles of Islamic law worked to the disadvantage of the real victims (see table). (According to Muslim Fmnily Law by David Pearl
of school. They started working as daily-wage labourers in garment-
rut. But her mother-in-law never got a pension after his death. The death of Zaheer Ahmed and his son Javed plunged his wife, Zareena, 65, into a state ofdespondency
1"
) I
“-.
day. “A government _iob for one per-
and Werner Menski (1998), in some
making units.
Hanifa used the 2007 compensation money to marry off two of her
Muslim countries laws of inheritance award the wife a larger share. In Somalia, men and women are now on an equal footing in matters of
sons. But there is no end in sight to a decrepit 60-year-old house with a tin roof and paint coming off from
derer.
inheritance.)
the walls. About 11 people live in this house comprising two tiny rooms
bring up her nine children all by herself. She found work from time to
and a small courtyard. “The house
time in garment-making units. The
hasn't been repaired in years," Hanifa said. Her eldest son, 32-year-old Mohammed Nazim, continues to work as a daily-wage labourer in garmentmaking units. “Work is erratic and I
compensation money which she reeeived in 2007' was spent in marrying off her four daughters. l/Vhile the arduous fight for justice was being
The far-reaching effects of the tragedy on the lives of the victims’ families can be gauged from the im-
mense hardships some of them have faced. Mohammad Shakeel was only eight years old when he lost his eldest
brother, Naeem. Naeem used to run a small bookbinding factory and was the sole breadwinner of the family of
her financial woes. The famiiy lives in
from which she has not recovered. Ahmed used to work as an embroiAlter his death, Zareena had to
10 brothers and sisters as their father had passed away. Alter Naeem’s
Rs.5,000 a month. I don't have
played out in the courts, the dependents of the Hashimpura massacre victims were fiirther disadvantaged by an uncaring State government,
enough money to start my own busi-
which did little to alleviate their cv-
death, the factory shut down. Shak-
ness. The lack of a formal education
eel recounted how he had to give up
limits job opportunities," he said.
eryday struggles other than offering them measly sums of money as com-
can
barely
make
Rs.4~,O00
to
school and take up all sorts of odd
Anjum, 4-3, has felt the impact of
pensation. One night of police bru-
jobs to make a living: “I used to earn
this massacre on several levels. Her
tality has impacted generations of
Rs.2 a day at a sugarcane stall. I then started training as a tailor for about
father-in-law, Mohammed Naseem,
people who still struggle to make a decent living. El
and her brother-in-law Mohammed ‘I19
FRUNTl.lNF.
-
JUNE lo, 2:115
science note 00 Foetal signals DOCTORS are being urged to help pregnant women ready themselves for bad news about their health which can emerge accidentally from tests on their
babies. Modern prenatal tests can spot ge-
netic problems in babies from fragments of their deoxyribonucleic acid [DNA] that
problems. But more conditions may come to light. "Clinicians have yet to discover all that non-invasive prenatal lesting can reveal about mothers," Bianchi writes.
While the tests are available in the United Kingdom, they are used in a targeted fashion that reduces the chances of doctors finding out much about the mother's health, said Sadaf Ghaem-
Chaotic moons of Pluto PLUTO'5 moons have been tracked closely for the first time,
showing that they tumble unpredictably rather than rotate smoothly. Astronomers also observed
leak into the mother's bloodstream. But the same tests can reveal unknown
Maghami. chair of the Royal College of
that Pluto, whose status was
Obstetricians and Gynaecology's science
downgraded to a dwarf planet in
health problems in mothers themselves,
advisory committee. For example, the
2006, might be better regarded
from early-stage cancer to genetic
test might check specifically for chromo-
as a binary dwarf as it is locked in
disorders.
somal defects that cause Down's syn-
Doctors have used the tests since 2011, but the unexpected consequences have only come to light as more women have had the procedure. Since late 2014,
drome, rather than screen for all genetic abnormalities.
orbit with its largest moon, called Charon. The twin system creates an
imbalanced and shifting gravitational field, which sends the tiny
at least 26 pregnant women with abnor-
outer moons spinning chaotical-
mal test results have later found out that
ly, the measurements from the
they have cancer. In 10 cases, the prenalal test results raised doctors’ suspi-
Hubble showed.
cions and ultimately led to the diagnosis. Writing in the journal Nature, Diana Bianchi, director of the Mother Infant Research Institute at Tufts Medical Centre in Boston, calls on doctors who provide
the tests to make sure women are better
"Like
I).
"Parents, obstetricians and physi-
I-=1
cians have been taken by surprise," Bi-
[X
If
bility offindings concerning the mother's
good children, our
moons are more like teenagers who refuse to follow the rules."
anchi writes. "Consent forms used by
test providers rarely mention the possi-
Telescope
moon and most others keep one face focussed attentively on their parent planet," said Douglas Hamilton, professor of astronomy at the University of Maryland and a co-author of the study. "What we've learned is that Pluto's
E: tc
informed, and have counselling, before undergoing testing.
Space
PRE IIIATAL tests can reveal health problems in mothers themselves.
health."
Charon, which has a mass about 11 percent of that of Pluto, and the planet orbit a common
centre of mass every 6.1» days.
ln the United States, doctors take
Bianchi argues that pregnantwomen
The tiny outer moons Styx,
DNA from the mother and the placenta
should be required to sign consent forms
Nix and Hydra, which all have
and compare it with a healthy reference genome. The procedureallowsclinicians to check whether cells have the wrong number of, or fragmented, chromosomes, the strands of genetic material
that state explicitly that unexpected results could emerge. Women could have the chance to opt out of being told certain information: for example, that they have chaotic DNA patterns suggestive of a tu-
masses less than 0.001 per cent of Pluto's, take between 20 and 40 days to orbit the inner pair. Unlike almost any other moon that has been observed,
that hold a person's genes. Abnormal test results often mean that the baby has a medical problem, but sometimes it is
mour. Al the same time, doctors need to learn more about the medical problems that such tests can reveal.
they do not keep a fixed face on their parent planet, but spin and wobble about their own axes.
the mother's DNA that bears the fault. In cases made public so far, some
"Handled properly, the incidental findings emerging from prenatal tests
"They speed up and slow down, rock their north pole lo-
pregnant women have learned they have
could accelerate treatments and save
wards the planet and back again
a sex chromosome abnormality that af-
lives—rather than just increase the anx-
and maybe even reverse direc-
fects their fertility. Others have been di-
iety of thousands of pregnant women,"
tion," said Hamilton. "It would be
agnosed with DiGeorge syndrome, a
Bianchi writes.
a pretty confusing system to be
genetic disorder that causes learning
difficulties, heart defects and immune FRONTLINF.
-
.ll|NF.2h.ll)l5
Ian Sample Guardian News Service 120
in." The erratic motion is likely to
be enhanced by the moons being
Warming and pledges PLEDGE5 made by countries to cut their carbon emissions ahead of a crunch climate summit in Paris later this year will
delay the world passing the threshold for dangerous global warming by just two years, according to a new analysis.
The research. ted by a former lead author on the United Nations climate science panel, found that the submissions so far by 38 Countries would likely delay the world passing the threshold until 2038,
rather than 2036 without the carbon cuts. However, more than 150 countries have yet to submit their carbon pledges
despite a deadline of the end of March. While most are relatively small emitters, commitments by big polluters such as India could significantly change the picture. The analysis by the non-profit Climate Analytics comes as climate negotiators IN THIS ILLUSTRATION Pluto and its five moons are seen from
the perspective of Hydra, the outermost of the five. Measurements from the Hubble Space Telescope show that Pluto's moons tumble unpredictably rather than rotate smoothly. They do not keep a fixed
from nearly 200 countries meet in Bonn
and academics warned the agreement hoped for in Paris would not keep temperatures to U.N.'s target of holding temper-
roughly rugby ball-shaped rath-
observed in 2005, Kerberos and
ature rises below 2°C above pre-industrial levels. None of the pledges, known in U.N. jargon as Intended Nationally Determined Contributions llNDCs], were found by Cli-
er than spherical, he added.
Styx in 2011 and 2012, respec-
mate Analytics to be in line with the 2°C
Despite their chaotic rota-
tively].The data also suggestthat
limit, when a fair global distribution of
ltOI'1S, the moons appeared to be
Kerberos is as dark as charcoal,
locked into stable traiectories. which the researchers said was
while the other moons are as bright as white sand. "This is a
emissions cuts was factored into countries’ offers. Pledges made by Russia and
likelyto be due to them moving in
very
resonantorbitswhichtine up ex-
lead author Mark Showalter, of
actly at regular time intervals.
the SETl Institute in California.
The time taken for a complete orbitforStyx,Nix and Hydra were
Astronomers had predicted that dust created by meteorite
in ratios of roughly 3:li;i5 times that of Charon, respectively. "We
impacts should coat all the moons evenly and that debris should be transferred between
Canada would be consistent with potentially catastrophic warming of between 3-4°C, according to the research, which The Guardian has seen. "The action and ambition we have seen to date is farfrom sufficienland unless it is rapidly accelerated, the difficulties of limiting warn-iing below 2°C will be extreme," said Dr Bill Hare, the founder of Climate
them,givingtheir surfacesa uni-
Analytics and a former Intergovernmental
form look. The scientists are hoping to moons in more detail when NASA's New Horizons spacecraft
Panel on Climate Change lead author. But he added: "What we see in the economic and technological potential for emissions reductions gives us hope that if governments are willing to move fast enough in
flies by Pluto in July and beams
the next 5-‘IO years, we might still make it.
All that is lacking is political will."
analysed after the relatively re-
back the first-ever images of the planet at close quarters.
cent discovery of the four small
Hannah Devlin
moons lNix and Hydra were first
Guardian News Service
face on their parent planet, but spin and wobble about their own axes.
think this is why the system is stable and what stops them from crashing into one another," said Hamilton. Thetindingspublished inthe jOL.|l'll8l Nature, were based on ll] years of observations of Pluto
from the Hubble space telescope,whichthe researchers re-
provocative
result,"
said
investigatethe appearance ofthe
121
Arthur Neslen and Karl Mathiesen Guardian News Service
I-ltiI'\|'ll\i-'
.il\l-'._‘ii,_I
The extrerne Step
All-India figures Year
Suicide rates continue to remain high in India and the latest set of numbers throws up several disturbing facts. By Ramesh Chakrapani The figures are depressing, the causes alarming, and the statistics unacceptable in a country striving for progress in all
Total no of suicides
fifth year in a row, the number of suicides in India stayed above one lakh and than the previous year,
according to data from the National Crime Records Bureau lNCRB] under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
population]
116.91»
10.9
1,134,599
118.57
11.4
2011 2012 2013
1.35.585
121.01
11.2
'l,35,lili5
121.33
11.2
1,3li,799
122.87
11.0
how civil society functions and what drives people to take the extreme step. The most shocking statistic that comes out of the data
for 2013 is the fact that one
in six victims is a housewife.
In close contention are the facts that 11,772 were farmers and 8,423 were
students.
T0
The prosperous and
industrially advanced States of Maharashtra and
SUICIDE
A total of 'l,3£i,799 people—men, women and children—took their own lives, for various reasons and using various means.
lin crore] 1,27,151
EN D
was only slightly lower
Suicide rate [per lakh
2009 2010
LET5 Vur AN
spheres. In 2013, for the
Mid-year population
Tamil Nadu accounted for nearly a quarter of all suicidal deaths during the year, continuing a trend seen in 2012 and 2011.
The numbers throw up several disturbing and
Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, Madhya
intriguing snapshots of information and offer tremendous insights into
Pradesh and Kerala recorded a high incidence of people snuffing out their
A student holds a placard to create awareness on suicide prevention during a campaign in Coimbatore.
Victims by gender and age group Up to 14 years
15-29 years
30-Iii» years
65-59 years
60 years and above
1,546
26,716
32,099
21,825
8,357
ii
I
Male
ii
'r
Female Q
[-
#1
1
Up to ll» years
15-29 years
30-Mi years
is-59 years
1.365
19.652
13.507
6.660
How the States rank
i
61]
W951 Bengal
d
b
yeazggz 3 we
Madhya Pradesh
Kerata
Other States/UTs
11.266
8,646
£4,556
T
T
T
Maharashtra
Tamil Nadu
Andhra Pradesh
“L055
Karnataka
16,622
16,601
14,607
I
T
T
T
99646
33% FRlI.‘\l'l‘l.l\<'l-I
-
.lt'.‘\'I~1ln, Z1115
122
lnfographics by V. Srinivasan
Distribution by causes
11,229 — 11.1190 _ 2,202 I 423 I 501 | so: | 1,019 I
Famiivpwhlems — =1-°"
D 1"-53°
Illness
- 4,419
Drug abusei'Addiction Change in economic status I 2'3“
. 1.802
Unemployment
Poverty I 1,1.zo Failure in examination Social disrepute Love affairs
Professional! Career problems
|1.:192 | 1.011 I 2.565 I1,1aa
own lives, and together,
these seven States
424 I
1,930 I ass |
HANGING
reason.
per cent of all suicides. The majority of the suicides were by men I67
Among cities and towns, Asansol in West Bengal registered the highest jump—from 24 in 2012 to
per cent] and more than 80 per cent of all those who died were educated up to some level. While 4,380 graduates
819 in 2013. No reason was attributed to this.
ended their own lives. 716 of those who killed
Bangalore with 2.033 recorded the largest
themselves had higher qualifications. Among the
number of cases, followed by Delhi l1,753]
causes, family problems and illness ranked high, accounting for more than
and Mumbai [L322]. Some 270 suicides were due to physical/sexual
38,000 cases. Distressingly enough. failure in examination caused 2,471 people to
abuse, while underage pregnancy was the reason for 153 cases. A total of 2,202 women
take their lives, with 53.2 per cent of all suicides in Kota city in Rajasthan
killed themselves because of dowry-related disputes.
ltlness Dowry dispute Inability to have children Suspected/Illicit relation
Cancellation of marriage Failure in examination Death of dear person Love affairs
Social disrepute
Distribution by means used
—famous for its cram schools—being for that
accounted for about 67
Family problems
EXCESSIVE DRINKING
1137.969
g M 1,553
JUMPING FROM BUILDINGS
POISON
CONSUMPHON M25,U59
Among mega cities,
E
Chennai with 2,450 and
I-/I 984
F 12,566
F 335 SELF-
ELECTRDCUTION
SELF-IMMOLATION
m
M 3,672
M 770
III, @ F 182
F 6,292
..........
FIREARMS
w M 350
*5
r 2,705
F 160
COMING UNDER RUNNING VEHICLES!
JUMPING OFF VEHiCLE5/ TRAINS
TRAINS
M 501 *j_;":-»._: 3 F139
M 3,862 F B76 OVERDOSE OF SLEEPING
SELFINFLICTIDN OF INJURY
PILLS
$ M310
Educational profile of victims 25,004
29.324
3' '77‘
19.502
21,679
15,579 9,425
10.095
27,596 IIBII Alllndia
12,849
8 180
Primary
I
Middle
[Secondary [_'Higher | 5e¢°"da"Y ‘I23
—1- Male
1 656
9,54 4 305
|Noeducation'
F177
r 216
19,416
10,322
g M378
‘
1,204 452
Diploma
-III» Female
4.280 3,110
715
1,270
509
‘ 20? Graduate
postgraduate and above
FRUNTLINF.
-
JUNE 215.2015
t 11s 0rtn1 1t
IN a major decision whose ripples will be felt across the country, particularly in
or order for the time being in force in the disturbed area prohibiting the assembly of five or more persons or the carrying of weapons or of things capable of being used as
the north—eastern
weapons or of fire-arms,
States, the Communist
ammunition or explosive
Party of India
substances; lbl if he is of opinion that it is necessary
wrongfully restrained or
so to do, destroy any arms
confined or any property
dump, prepared or
reasonably suspected to
fortified position or shelter from which armed attacks
be stolen property or any arms, ammunition or
are made or are likely to
explosive substances believed to be unlawfully kept in such premises and
AFSPA goes after 18 years
lMarxistI~led Left Front government of
Tripura has revoked the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act IAFSPAI which was in force in the State for the
past I8 years. Announcing the decision after a Cabinet meeting on May 27, Chief Minister Manik
Sarkar said: "In view of the fact that insurgency in the
State has been practically reduced to nil, the Cabinet has taken the decision to withdraw the AFSPA from the entire State. This is a happy occasion. We want to send out a message of peace to the whole country." Sarkar said that though there had been
demands from various sections within the State
A G
II
CHIEF MINISTER
Manik Sarkar. agreed to our proposal of lifting the AFSPA here,"
be made or are attempted
Sarkar said. The AFSPA has been severely criticised by all liberal circles and human rights activists because of its draconian provisions, which give sweeping
structure used as a
to be made, or any
powers to the armed forces in "disturbed" areas. The "special powers" as provided by the Act are:
"Any commissioned officer, warrant officer, non-commissioned officer
or any other person of
the State government's
equivalent rank in the armed forces may, in a disturbed area — la] if he is of opinion that it is
hands were tied on
necessary so to do for the
account of the security
maintenance of public
forces' refusal to give clearance to the
order, after giving such
to withd raw the AFSPA,
revocation. "Recently, when it was time to decide whether the AFSPA should be extended for another six months, we sought the report on the latest law
due warning as he may consider necessary, fire upon or otherwise use
force, even to the causing of death, against any person who is acting in contravention of any law
and order situation specifically in regard to
the presence and activities of extremists. We made our decision
after the security forces FRONTLINF.
-
.ll|NF.2h,ll)I5
A SOLDIER keeps watch on the highway to Assam in the Atharamura Hills, 65 km east of Agartala. A file picture. 12!.
committed or is about to
commit a cognisable offence and may use such force as may be necessary
to effect the arrest; Id] enter and search without
warrant any premises to make any such arrest as aforesaid or to recover any
person believed to be
training camp for armed volunteers or utilised as a
may for that purpose use such force as may be necessary."
hide-out by armed gangs
There is also legal
or absconders wanted for
immunity "in respect of
any offence; [cl arrest, person who has committed a cognisable
anything done or purported to be done in exercise of the powers conferred by this Act".
offence or against whom a reasonable suspicion exists that he has
With Tripura doing away with the Act, the AFSPA is still in force in Assam,
without warrant, any
A U9’ "$~"
Manipur, Nagaland,
withdraw it. This draconian
Mizoram, parts of
law instead of suppressing
Meghalaya and Arunachal
terrorism worked contrary
Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir. The Tripura govemments decision has been lauded in all quarters.
to the principles of democracy and was used against the liberty of the people. Whatever be a law, its application is most
Liberation Front of Tripura INLFTI. the two main extremist groups, perpetrated a reign of terror, particularly in the tribal areas that came
Former Union Home
important. In the case of
under the elected Tripura
administratively and
Minister in the Congress
the AFSPA, its application was wrong," senior
Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council ITTAADC].
ideologically.... We never believed that the use of
Communist Party of India
More than 1,000 people
arms alone can defeat the
ICPII leader Gurudas Dasgupta told Frontline.
were killed in the violence. Development was severely
insurgents." Using development and
At the time when the AFSPA was imposed in Tripura [February 1997],
hampered, particularly in the tribal areas as the
administration as its main tools alongside counter-
insurgency operations by the Tripura State Rifles and
insurgency. Though the seeds of insurgency were
funds were mostly appropriated by the extremists. Initially, the AFSPA was irnposed in two-thirds of the 40 police
was defeated. Once the militants lost the support
debate as to whether the
sown in the early 19805
stations in the State in
of the local people, and
controversial Act should be
with the armed separatist movement of the Tripura
1997; today, there are 71 police stations, and 26 of
their escape route to Bangladesh through the
them were under the
the way by withdrawing the
National Volunteers ITNVI led by Bl]0y Kumar
856-kilometre-long porous border was also blocked,
AFSPA. It should be revoked in Manipur as well,
Hrangkhwal, it was between 1996 and 2004
where there has for tong been a demand to
that it intensified and grew to alarming proportions.
led United Progressive
Alliance IUPAI government, P. Chidambaram called it "a victory for sanity and
humanity". Union Minister of State for Home Affairs
Kiren Riiiju called it a "significant" decision taken by the Tripura government. The decision has once again thrown open the
scrapped altogether by the Centre. "Tripura has shown
the State was severely affected by growing
The All Tripura Tiger Force IATTFI and the National
AFSPA when the State government decided to revoke the Act.
However, a unique
the insurgency as a "political" problem. In an earlier interview [Frontline,
August 22, 20141 . Manik Sarkar had said that his government dealt with the
insurgency menace "politically,
the armed forces, militancy
the backbone of the extremist movement was
broken. The State
aspect of Tripura is that not
government has
one case of excess or atrocity of any kind by the
acknowledged the help it received from the
armed forces was reported during the I8 years that the AFSPA was in force in the State. "This is because the armed forces were used in
Bangladeshi government in fighting the terrorists. However, there are many who feel apprehensive about the
withdrawal of the AFSPA,
the State more to ensure
as insurgency is still
the spread of democracy
present in the State,
and development programmes, than tojust
howsoever negligible it may be.
subjugate insurgents. Our
"We are not
government believes that
complacent. We are aware
the insurgency problem in the State was a product of
that there are still some
a prolonged period of
insurgents active in Tripura, and if we are
socio-economical backwardness in the
negligent, then this extremist tendency may
region," said Jitendra ChOUCII1Ul'Y, CPIIMI MP and former Cabinet Minister in
grow again. We are not going to let that happen," said Jilendra Choudhury.
Suhrld Sankar Chattopadhyay
the State. The State
government always viewed 125
l"R(iN'l‘l.lNE
-
JUNE .36. 2015
t 1s 0rtn1 t GJM leaders in murder case charge sheet
hengal west
THE Gorkha Janamukti Morcha [GJM], the singlemost powerful political force in the Darjeeling hills of West Bengal, is
lCPRM], the Communist Party of India lMarxisti and
the Gorkha National Liberation Front lGNLF| met and set up a forum
called the Democratic Front. "This is an attempt
facing a major crisis
to re-establish democracy
.
with the Central
in the hills." Khati told
:
Bureau of Investigation
Frontline.
[CBI] naming the entire : 1 :
: 3
Bharatiya Gorkha League IABGLI in 2010.
,
In the charge sheet
E
filed by the CBI on May
5 ; : 1
29 before a court in Kolkata, 23 persons, including alltheleaders of the GJM were
: : I : 5
charged with criminal conspiracy for murder, rioting armed with deadly weapons, and committing murder. Some of the big names indicted by the CBI include Bimal Gurung,
GJM supremo and chief 5
executive of the Gorkha Territorial
Administration lGTA].
:
the elected autonomous
I 5
5
administrative bodythat governs the Darjeeling hills; Roshan Giri, general secretary of the GJM; Binoy Tamang, Assistantgeneral secretaryoftheGJM;
: 5
Pradeep Prad han, vice president of GJM and
I
IT
-1 lI 1‘ T‘
top leadership of the party in its final charge sheet in the case of the murder of Madan
: Tamang, the then I president of the All
E
I'." J
chairman of GTA; Harka
5 Bahadur Chhetri, GJM g MLA from Katimpong; :
Ramesh Alley, Deputy
:
chief executive of GTA,
FRONTLINF.
-
JUNE Zn, EOI5
em PRESIDENT Bimal Gurung lright] with his wife Asha Gurung and Roshan Giri, general secretarty. and Asha Gurung, wife of Bimal Gurung and head of GJM Narimorcha, the women's wing of the party. On the morning of May
21, 2010, Madan Tamang, a
arrest of Bimal Gurung and the GJM leadership. We want their passports to be seized, as they may now try to leave the country,“ said Pratap Khati, ABGL leader.
It is feared that this
However, many in the hills also feel that the CBl's charge sheet may be a political game, particularly in view of the fact that the premier investigating body named the entire top leadership, including those who had nothing to do with
the killing. Harka Bahadur Chhetri
called it a "conspiracy" to weaken the GJM. "I have
always maintained that those who are guilty should
veteran campaigner for a separate state of Gorkhaland and a vocal
new development may plunge the Darjeeling hills
critic of the GJM. was
into a period of uncertainty
brutally hacked to death by
again, after the violent
GJM activists white he was
agitation by the GJM was finally quelled by the
the GJM leaders in the murder. Everybody knows that when the incident occurred in Darjeeling, I was in Kalimpong. In fact, I
establishment of the GTA
was so unhappy about the
in which Bimal Gurung's
murder thati had even resigned from the party;
organising a rally in Darjeeling. One of the main accused in the case, Nicole Tamang, who is also mentioned in the CBI charge sheet, was arrested by the West Bengal police in August 2010, but he
party won all 45 seats practically unopposed. There is also an apprehension among the people of the hills that this
nabbed. When the CID
may be a telling blow to the movement for a separate
[Crime Investigation
state of Gorkhaland.
escaped soon after he was
Department] of the state
The opposition parties
police presented its charge
in the Darjeeling hills,
sheet the same year. not a
sensing that the GJM is on
single top GJM leader's name was in it. Subsequently, the CBI took over the case in 2011. "This is a huge victory forjustice. We now demand the immediate
the back foot, have been trying to organise themselves. On June 2, a number of the hill parties, including ABGL, the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxist
126
be punished, but it is
preposterous to name all
but the political situation was so volatile that I had to
return after two days. We will let the legal process take its course, but if this is
the way the CBI acts, then unfortunately we will lose all confidence in it," Chhetri told Frontline. The CBI charge sheet has also
been a cause of discomfort for the West Bengal unit of the BJP, as it had won the
Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat with the GJM'S support. Suhrid Sankar
Chattopadhyay
4\i‘f
an-~s
the last two decades. I must also say that I have suffered
Transgender at the top
a lot in my whole career, particularly at the hands of
FDR the first time iri India, a transgender academic
those who resented the fact that I was actiially very good
has been made the head of an advanced educational institute. Manabi Bandyopadhyay created history
at myjob," Manabi told Frontline
principal of Krishnanagar Women's College in Nadia
When she applied for the post online and had to state her gender, there were only two categories to choose from—"Male" and "Female", and she applied under the
district. An associate professor of Bengali at the Vivekananda Satobarshiki Mahavidyalay in Pashchim
"Female" category. "At the interview, the form I had to fill up had "Others" as a category against gender. There I
Medinipur district, Manabi took charge of her new office on June 9.
wrote "Transgender," she said. As news of her
Born Somnath Bandopadhyay in 1966, Manabi grew
phone calls and messages and media attention.
when she recently became the first transgender
hengal west
appointment broke, she admitted she was flooded with
up in Naihati in North 21¢ Parganas district. She has a Ph.D in Bengali and has been in academics tor more
"Frankly, the situation is driving me crazy," she said. Witty, and often scathing with her words, one can
than 20 years. She is an author and has penned a
feel an underlying resentment at being categorised.
bestseller novel, "Endless Bondage" lEnglish translation]. which was published in 2002, and an
"Why should people consider my being made a principal of a college such a big achievement? I believe my
academic book, "Third gender in Bengali Society and
achievement of being a professor and teacher is as big
an accomplishment." She maintained that whatever prejudice she faced, it was never from her students. Not one to mince her words, Manabi told Frontline
that she does not have any "motto" regarding her newly assumed position. "This is a profession for me; and I will perform my duties to the best of my abilities, as I have always done. I have suffered for my coniniilnieiil, but
that has not made me shy away from my duties," she said.
In a society where prejudices are hard to overcome and anything that is perceived as "not normal" is treated
with ridicule and mistrust, transgenders have been among the most marginalised and misunderstood. Manabrs appointment has been hailed as a progressive and socially important step. Rattan Lal Hangloo, eminent historian and Vice-Chancellor of Kalyani University Ito which Krishnanagar Women's College is affiliated], said,
"Kalyani University welcomes this decision. She lManabil is a fine human being, a good academic, and an able
administrator. The government step deserves
oun o ouqaon qoa
o ouon onl
MANABI BANDYOPLDHYAY.
appreciation. We are hopeful it will empower other
Literature" l20‘I2I. She is also the editor and publisher of
members of the transgender community." Even those who have been often critical of the State
Sub-human, the only magazine in the country that deals with transgender issues. "I have been bringing out this
government have voiced their appreciation for this move. Sampa Sen, associate professor of Bengali in Hooghly
magazine for the last 20 years entirely from my own
Mohsin College told Frontline, "I do not support many
funds. I have received absolutely no financial help from
things that the State government has done, but I fully endorse this appointineiit. Manabi Bandopadhyay has had to struggle very hard and she has achieved a lot. But there will be more challenges ahead for her," said Sen
anybody," said Manabi. In 2003, she underwent a well-
piiblicised sex-change operation, and has been a symbol for the cause of the rights of the transgender community. Manabi has an adopted son. Debashish Manabiputra. "I never wanted the job of a principal. I wanted to
government has been sympathetic to her situation. "It was only after this government came to power that I got
continue teaching; but I also needed to be closer to my 92~year-old-father, and Krishnanagar is closer to
proper recognition, and I was officially and legally allowed to be Manabi and not Somnath," she said.
Naihati than Jhargram where I have been teaching for
Manabi herself feels that the Trinamool Congress
Suhrid Sankar Chattopadhyay ‘I27
FR(IN'l‘I.l|\i‘rZ
Jl|I\f".2(\.llH?-
t IS ortni t
grace i
"4
1. ‘“‘i $5-
\
The IMF has to wait
IMF managing director,
uphill struggle selling any
Christine Lagarde, said
deal to his party, and
YOU could almost hear the gritted teeth through wtiicli the
"country members can ask to bundle together multiple principal
she fully expected it to arrive, smacked of both desperation and detiaiice.
Varoufakis_ who has been sidelined from the talks but reiiiaiiis Finani.-e
international Monetaiy
payments falling due in a
Greei:e's stance is likely to inftiriate the IMF
Minister, have cioiifiniied to make pungent public
Fund HMF] issued its terse statement acknowledging that Athens planned to miss the June 5 deadline for making a
calendar month". But it was clear that the IMF had received little warning of Greece's plans. Yanis Varoufakis, the
which does not want to shoulder the blame for pushing Greece into default, but reportedly
t:oiiiitry’s piignaciniis
believes that ('.Ul'f'F!I‘ll plans
statements about the sacrifices of the Greek people. A deal still remains Just about possible; but as
€300iiiillioii lF2'i9iiii debt
Finance Miiiistei, has long
for tackling its debt
the IMF ponders the
repayment.
argued that the end of
burden remain unrealistic.
ramifications of letting the
the Washington—based lender, which was always wary about being dragged
June is the real deadline for reaching an agreement. That is when
Even with the rest oi the month now apparently available to secure a deal,
June 5 deadline pass without receiving its cheque, and Tsipras
into Europe's debt crisis, did not condemn Greece's actions, let alone suggest that deferring the payment
the four month extension to the counth/‘s bailout programme that the Syriza government won in
the distance between remains C0l\Sld€l'Eli)li?, as leaked negotiating texts
prepares to do battle with his own party over the creditors’ latest set of demands, it feels like an
was tantamount to default.
February expires.
from both sides suggested
increasingly slim hope.
But the last-minute
It simply restated that in a little~known loophole
decision to delay the
adopted in the late 1970s,
payment, just hours after
Greece and its i;red|tui's
on June 4. Meanwhile, both Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who faces an
Heather Stewart
© Guardian News Service
I‘
.._-
PRIME MINISTER Alexis Tsipras [right] with Finance Minister Yanis Varouiakis at the Finance Ministry in Athens. “:{lIhll.]i\'r1
JlFNl'l_'-'v,_’lil:'-
i.i<‘.'i"i‘i-ii-ts Modi's first year
disregard for parliamenlan; procedures through bypassing standing committees on many occasions and taking the ordinance route for many important laws. It seems all the decisions are vested with
he launched social security schemes, reduced corruption and tried to put India on the global map. Although there are some issues that are yet to be addressed such as farmers‘ concerns. especially those
PMO while the initiatives of individual Ministers are kept on the back burner.
relating to the land acquisition Bill, one
Despite the hype about enhanced diplo-
should not be overcritical of the government at this juncture.
matic relations with many countries, th-
BAL GOVIND
ere is no significant improvement in
NDIDA, UTTAR PRADESH
India's
relations
and
ALTHOUGH Modi's one year in office
N.C. SREEDHARAN
started off with big promises and only came up with modest accomplishments,
with
China
Pakistan. KANNUR, KERALA THE Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh has
it is heartening that there is no policy
been systematically working for many
the previous regime. One year is too
years to bring a pracharak to the helm of affairs at the Centre. Modi's anointment
short a period to judge the performance of a government.
WHILE criss-crossingthe countryduring the campaign for the 2014 Lok Sabha election, Narendra Modi spread the message that Ram Rajya would be ushered in if his party, the BJP, got the mandate [Cover Story. June 12]. It was a
as Chief Minister of Gujarat was the first step. The Congress‘ 10-year term was a real blessing for the RSS as it was able to bring Modi into the fray by sidelining oldtime BJP leaders. The one-year appraisat in your magazine proved that pointvery
There have been ups and downs in the first year, yet Modi has been working hard to ensure that only proven performers with integrity are appointed to key posts. One cannot brush under the car-
nicely packaged dream that was sold to a
well.
paralysis or scams that characterised
pet the Modi government's major achievements in foreign policy matters,
population yearning for a change after 10 years of the United Progressive Alliance
N. NAGARAJAN HYDERABAD
in defence modernisation and preparedness, in opening up various sectors for
government. Every promise Modi made
AT the international level, Modi has
foreign direct investment and in getting a
was lapped up by adoring crowds. But one year of Modi‘s rule has brought disillusionment to the people. There is a wide gap between his promise and performance. Unfortunately, Modi
achieved some success, but what about the problems of the common man in India’? After one year in power, nothing has come of all the promises he made to the common man. The Modi government
plethora of important Bills passed.
and his colleagues still appear to be in
claims that inflation has been tamed, but
election mode. The image one gets of the National Democratic Alliance INDA} government is that it is pro-rich and pro-
the prices of all essential items are beyond the reach of the common man.
K.R. SRINNASAN SECUNDERABAD, TELANGANA
M. KUMAR NEW DELHI
industry and anti-farmer and anti-la-
IT is time to analyse where India stands
bour. O.B.N. MURTHY BANGALORE
on the global stage. To be honest, it has
MODI came to power because of the tall
the country has huge potential in terms
promises he made during his high-pro-
of natural resources. The big question is,
file election campaign and he must have felt the weight of people's expectations
what is preventing india from achieving milestones on all the major fronts? It is
during his one year in office. Many of
the government's responsibility to deal
his promises are unfulfilled, and the euphoria has faded away. The chances of these promises coming to fruition in the next four years appear remote. Social security schemes launched under the
with corruption,which hasfora longtime been halting progress in the country. Besides. what needs the immediate attenlion of the government isjob creation and infusion of more resources into the agri-
AS brought out in the Cover Story article "Look West, Act East", the NDA government has continued lndia‘s pro-West tilt
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and the Food Security Act are either being diluted or
cultural and information technology sec-
in foreign policy. Any statesman is in part
tors.
a prisoner of necessity. He is faced with P. SENTI-IIL SARAVANA DURAI
an environment he did not create. The
scuttled. Modi has not atlayed the apprehensions of the minority communities
VAZHAVALLAN, TAMIL NADU MODI does not have a magic wand to
U.S.’ superpower status has been rudely shaken by China and Russia. The balance
too. Modi has addressed foreign parlia-
wave and change the fortunes of the country in one go. He did literally prom-
of power is precarious. Viewed from this angle, the article evaluated Prime Minis-
ments and only made fleeting appear-
ise voters the moon last year and that is
ter Modi‘s trip abroad correctly and un-
ances in
why the expectation levels were high. but
derlined the fact that India's immediate
India's. He
has shown a
milesto go.Simultaneously,ilistrue that
129
FRUNTLINF.
-
JUNE 2h, 2iIl5
I . l*‘.'.l."l‘ li RS land swap deal with Bangladesh is the
Great Patriotic War held in Moscow on May 9. One wonders why these Western
delved into the technicalities of the issue
Modi governments great achievement.
nations continue to remain with NATO as
rather than consid-
Modi's ambitious “neoliberal dreams"
this alliance lost its importance after the
ering the overatlcor-
will become reality. thanks to his support for the Asian Infrastructure Investment
break-up of the USSR. There were two superpowers during the Cold War. but
rosive impact on society of corruption
Bank.
now there is only one superpower, the
involving those in public life l"The ver-
neighbourhood will be his priority. The
THOMAS EDMUNDS CHENNAI
Second World War ‘ "_*_|"
U.S., which is also slowly losing its importance both militarily and economically. It is high time that NATO was disbanded and a combined military alliance of the E.U. is formed. DEENDAYAL M. LULLA
dict in question" and "Faith at fever pitch". June 12l. For a party supposedly rooted in rational thinking and stridently opposed to religiousfsuperstitious practices, the
MUMBAI
sight of party leaders and cadres trying
to outdo one another by organising religious rituals to thank the gods tor the exoneralion of their supremo was ridiculous and hypocritical and shows the nauseating depths to which sycophancy can
Movie stars THE article "Acting the age" [June 12] was thought-provok-
ing. The time is ripe
go.
now for Rajinikanth
B. SURESH KUMAR
totryhishand atpolitics in Tamil Nadu.
COIMBATORE, TAMIL NADU
He can put to good use the superstar
THE two World Wars resulted in the widespread destruction of lives and property l"Remembering a great war". June 12]. The complex economic condi-
image and charisma that he built up so assiduously and his band of admirers, which constitutes youths ready to do his bidding.
tions prevailing in the world today have made nations dependent on one another for their survival. and this is a deterrent
G. AZEEHODDIN ANANTAPUR ANDHRA PRADESH
to a third world war. Western leaders boycotted the 7Uth anniversary of the
RESP0N5E
Jayalalithaa
CORRECTION In the interview with Hannah Mullah [Cover
Story. June 12], the former Lok Sabha member
waswronglymentionedasaformermemberof the Rajya Sabha. ANNO UN CEMENT
IT is regrettable that in acquitting Jayalalithaa, the Karnataka High Court judge
Letters. whether by surface mail or e-mail, must carry the full postal address and the lull name. or the name with initials.
st-;t~;.\1.-\ .»\IILiJ.-\ U.K.-
of Indian industry, have time
based magazine, the only In-
and again turned to Ms Ma-
dia-based CEO on that list.
zumdar—Shaw for guidance.
Because of her leadership qualities, the 2014 Othmer Gold Medal and the
And government bodies such as the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission and Karnata-
international forums.
2014 Global Economy Prize
ka's Vision Group on Bio-
appointed business leader", which is completely uncalled for and has no relevance to
It is in recognition of her unique contributions that the government of India confer-
technology consult her on a
the story which is a report
red on her two of India's top
card onthe BJPgovernment. As a highly responsible member of the Indian business community, Ms Ma-
civilian awards. the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Shri. almost a decade ago.
for Business have been conferred on her by the U.S.based Chemical Heritage Foundation and the Germany-based Kiel Institute for the World Economy, respectively. The U.S.' leading "For-
This year, she has yet
eign Policy" magazine has
appalling to see her being re-
zumdar—Shaw has time and
again been ranked among
listed her among the "100
ferred to in such a deroga-
again made her views public
the
Leading Global Thinkers of
lory manner.
without fear or favour. Her
Women" globally by Forbes
2014".
views are objective and reflect concerns of both Indian
magazine, moving up to No. 85. She has been recently
In fact, a lot of industry bodies. from the Association
industry in particular and the
ranked No. 2 in the "Global
of Biotech Led Enterprises
Head, Corporate Communications,
country as a whole.
Power List” by "The Medicine
[ABLE] to the Confederation
Biocon, Bangalore.
THIS is with reference to the
Let us not forget that Ms
article "Little to cheerabout" The author of the article, C. P. Chandrasekhar, refers to Biocon chairperson Kiran
Mazumdar-Shaw's untiring efforts have helped put the Indian biotechnology industry on the global map and made India proud at various
Mazumdar-Shaw as a “self-
[June 12].
FRONTLINF.
-
.ll|NF.2fi,2l)l5
"I00
Most
Powerful
13D
Maker",
a
leading
lot of important issues that
concern the Indian pharma and biotechnology industry.
Today. Ms MazumdarShaw is well recognised as a global influencer. It is most
Seema Ahuja
its 9
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No.AP.lSD417.I”INPP.’20t4-15 8t MHIMFl/South-I80/2012-14.PostaI Regn. N0.l-l/SD/'479i14-I6. FlN| No.42591I84
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girl
6%
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qr‘ Just 8 kms from llllllt and SST
“‘ Near CBSE Schools SSIIII, PSBB, llelarnmal, Delhi Public School ‘F Near Engg Colleges VIT, Tagore, IIIT, BS llbrlur Ilahman University ,3" Black Tar Road “I Sweet Potable Water
VISIT