Corruption seems immutable in the wake of obsolete masquerade from the top of authority that alone swankly bounded with sweepstake for the preposterous material fortune. As overexposing becoming the norms in public glare, rupture with idealistic notion suddenly forced for stout mainlining that completely shattering the image of hallowed presence on top of authority from collective cognition. Though, the case is hardly sporadic even in universality but being attached with our Asian values, genuinely we facing profusely the ire of rampant corruption most vehemently. Without any inadvertent or cynic expression of glamorization, is it not right time to recall Samuel P Huttington’s idea of “crisis decade”?
After a decade full with high rise of neo-economic policies or better say hatching of market reform, an aspiring economic powerhouse like India dramatically entwined with the perilous prevarication in the guise of its arrogant shining campaign. What we recently saw the most systematic plundering of faith and awarded prerogatives by the quizzical leaders from all the walk of life left stark stress even in the mind of incorrigible optimists who till now had great faith in gentlemen economist Karl Polanyi’s vision of “self regulated market”.
Quail of this dwindling moral construct is largely mean with jostling over a range of substance, incorporated with the crux of market economy and shrinking of state or more lucidly with the renunciation of mass accountability. With the old wisdom albeit under the narrow insights, finance minister, Pranab Mukherjee during his last budget speech saw the role of state as “enabler”…this lukewarmness poignantly suffice for reckoning the irrepressible hold of unregulated and livid capital in government. The unprecedented wave of mindful obscene corruption that followed after the speech of fallacy for by and large common men’s downsizing from developmental agenda left an overarching effects in the form of wayward looting that were hitherto unseen in last six decades after independence.
In present circumstances, government has no expedient overtures with the majority of its peoples and most of tantrums of mitigating the divides of many types end in perception like a cunning marches of market strategy. This is an unusual phenomenon when the dramatization reaching to its zenith in every nook and corner…action of legislatures execution of executives, justice of judiciary and most lethally, the vigilance of media assembling with amazing co-ordination of vested interest of a rendezvous called limelight.
Ironic is the limit that restrain one’s to see the curbs in exact perspectives…here you have a very clean though a symbolic Prime Minister with tenuous hold on his cabinet colleagues and the cocktail of voices in nostalgic institution of Planning Commission and soul searching brigade of National Knowledge Commission. Exceptional ministers have great pastime for passing the bucks or tweeting the crucial briefs of foreign policy…generic minds are either reigniting the parochial issues like communalism to shade the external aggression factor even though they are open secret. And third types of minds have straight binding with unconventional wealth creation under the soothing company of crony clicks…thanks to Raghuram C Rajan, atleast he could see the potential of these networked peoples after spending time in Indian government and avidly counting the billionaires from Forbes list.
Exponential rise of force imagination with developmental planks must be substituted by the meticulously woven hypothesis suitable to the humanistic instead of cronies hell world. Time is ripe now for responsible minds to show the faith in societal adaptability with human development in place of chasing the endless greed’s of materialism. Although materialism has to stay with the philosophers imagined by Karl Marx, on whom the broader task of reckoning and changing the social action would rest. Burden of escaping the twilight of the nation have to be carry out again by the mass action, unless that happen, chances are likely that theirs representative will keep fading his own position and on idea called the nation. Endless curses of the nation have damaged the innocent expectations under the rude hammer of opportunism…in the bleeding state, this nation is crying for a makeover instead of universalization of contagious rogue called corruption!
Atul Kumar Thakur
February 28th 2011, Sunday, New Delhi
Mail: atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
Showing posts with label governance crisis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label governance crisis. Show all posts
Monday, February 28, 2011
Friday, December 31, 2010
The Crisis Syndrome
#.Standpoint wishes all its readers a happy and productive new year 2011,hope unlike the last year thoroughly marked with corruption,new year would promise brighter time...being a stakeholder of humanity,let's fight with demonic greed to make world just&equitable..a better place for living!
Following the many horrendous setbacks from political circle, public life at large in India is confronting the serrated edge. Domino effects of corrupt nexus among politicians-corporate and most odiously of media chocking every tint of idealism and forcing fairness on confusing cul-de-sac. In our nation, where sacking of high order corrupt officials is still a distant dream and investigations largely produced as food for thought to leverage gonzo journalism hardly presents a moralistic scene, normally expected from government with superb references of Indian constitution.
Erosion of confidence from systemic functioning and political leadership have culminated over the years with reckoning malpractices and manipulated ravening among the peoples involved in every big scam. In such affordable blind wave, lobbyists found their niche to intervene at policy level in government, in the close Dickensian Company of political leaders and journalists with godly footing in the industry.
Raghuram Rajan in his work “Fault Lines” gone to the locus of fabricated fortunes founded on the base of lobbyism and sinful connections that cultivating an obscene numbers of growing Indian billionaires. With these antagonistic developments, India knocking the Forbes list of billionaires through amazing pace albeit in developmental indices and corruption ratio, it’s doing worst even than the trivial sub-Saharan countries. Its desperating fall of moral convictions in a nation which has glorious history of men with integrity in public life-for them pennilessness was a subdued affair for pepping up with the national causes.
Recent outbreak of scams giving stout sign of a new corrupt culture that incubated on the misuse of authority and ones consine…Indian economists must propose here, a nifty index for measuring the growing gap of income. Now the differences of income, if one is not entitled to an authority or not being corrupt minded have to trail with their corrupt counterparts by millionth times unlike few years back, when the gulf was in hundred or thousand times.
Moreover, forefront would not going to be their/idealists front in any circumstances as with better connection in mainstream authoritative world, theirs presence would be much worthwhile for ribbon slashing and flashing with endemic pace in front of cameras funded by global bosses.
In this fanciful time, people’s aspirations getting crushed by the sections with vested interests in either politics or business-what we have recently saw in the case of selfless social activist, Vinayak Sen who is facing the charge of sedition on the baseless evidence of possessing a copy of Marx’s Das Capital and an invitation for lecture from a non profit organization.
Adding the fuel-after uncharted zone from big wrong like, defense and finance; now judiciary too undergoing with same maladies of blind judgment for specific causes. Though scams have remains intermittent over the years but the scale it has touched in this year have completely thrashed the imagination of mass folk which is overt betrayal to their civic rights.
Even in this dark time, I have faith in system and individual capacities of few in public life including PM Manmohan Singh, who himself would have realization what he has lost as leader in last one and half year. In internal matters, he hardly in touch with the grim realities and its redressal-thanks to our growing size of economy that engaging world leaders at our door steps, so giving atleast one-sided Philip to PM on this front as no Gandhi ever had real interests in foreign affairs.
In next year too, peoples confidence would be hold on toes as investigation agencies in charge of scams would handle this as mundane assignment and finally let pass a big respite to persons/culprits involved in this…probably, these high shot characters would enhance more grip over the sordid mechanism for next big foul plays?
What to observe or not, that would be depend on the intent and stands of individuals but politicians, corporate, media-persons and lobbyists with lucid prefix “corrupt” would keep maligning our collective consciousness and confidence, if peoples will not choose the right way to govern themselves. A proper attitude could be a solace on many counts…let it give a chance!
Atul Kumar Thakur
December 30, 2010, Thursday, New Delhi
Mail: atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
Following the many horrendous setbacks from political circle, public life at large in India is confronting the serrated edge. Domino effects of corrupt nexus among politicians-corporate and most odiously of media chocking every tint of idealism and forcing fairness on confusing cul-de-sac. In our nation, where sacking of high order corrupt officials is still a distant dream and investigations largely produced as food for thought to leverage gonzo journalism hardly presents a moralistic scene, normally expected from government with superb references of Indian constitution.
Erosion of confidence from systemic functioning and political leadership have culminated over the years with reckoning malpractices and manipulated ravening among the peoples involved in every big scam. In such affordable blind wave, lobbyists found their niche to intervene at policy level in government, in the close Dickensian Company of political leaders and journalists with godly footing in the industry.
Raghuram Rajan in his work “Fault Lines” gone to the locus of fabricated fortunes founded on the base of lobbyism and sinful connections that cultivating an obscene numbers of growing Indian billionaires. With these antagonistic developments, India knocking the Forbes list of billionaires through amazing pace albeit in developmental indices and corruption ratio, it’s doing worst even than the trivial sub-Saharan countries. Its desperating fall of moral convictions in a nation which has glorious history of men with integrity in public life-for them pennilessness was a subdued affair for pepping up with the national causes.
Recent outbreak of scams giving stout sign of a new corrupt culture that incubated on the misuse of authority and ones consine…Indian economists must propose here, a nifty index for measuring the growing gap of income. Now the differences of income, if one is not entitled to an authority or not being corrupt minded have to trail with their corrupt counterparts by millionth times unlike few years back, when the gulf was in hundred or thousand times.
Moreover, forefront would not going to be their/idealists front in any circumstances as with better connection in mainstream authoritative world, theirs presence would be much worthwhile for ribbon slashing and flashing with endemic pace in front of cameras funded by global bosses.
In this fanciful time, people’s aspirations getting crushed by the sections with vested interests in either politics or business-what we have recently saw in the case of selfless social activist, Vinayak Sen who is facing the charge of sedition on the baseless evidence of possessing a copy of Marx’s Das Capital and an invitation for lecture from a non profit organization.
Adding the fuel-after uncharted zone from big wrong like, defense and finance; now judiciary too undergoing with same maladies of blind judgment for specific causes. Though scams have remains intermittent over the years but the scale it has touched in this year have completely thrashed the imagination of mass folk which is overt betrayal to their civic rights.
Even in this dark time, I have faith in system and individual capacities of few in public life including PM Manmohan Singh, who himself would have realization what he has lost as leader in last one and half year. In internal matters, he hardly in touch with the grim realities and its redressal-thanks to our growing size of economy that engaging world leaders at our door steps, so giving atleast one-sided Philip to PM on this front as no Gandhi ever had real interests in foreign affairs.
In next year too, peoples confidence would be hold on toes as investigation agencies in charge of scams would handle this as mundane assignment and finally let pass a big respite to persons/culprits involved in this…probably, these high shot characters would enhance more grip over the sordid mechanism for next big foul plays?
What to observe or not, that would be depend on the intent and stands of individuals but politicians, corporate, media-persons and lobbyists with lucid prefix “corrupt” would keep maligning our collective consciousness and confidence, if peoples will not choose the right way to govern themselves. A proper attitude could be a solace on many counts…let it give a chance!
Atul Kumar Thakur
December 30, 2010, Thursday, New Delhi
Mail: atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Debacles of Mismanaged Growth
Something very fundamental have changed over the years, the last budget speech of Finance Minister marked it lucidly. Probably on such occasions, first time in history of modern India, private sector had framed in top order. Proposed catalyst role of non-governmental actor in new economy were coincided with other slew of statements; very notable among them was that government will now act as an enabler for poors of this country which mean, now protection of governmental intervention would be confine as prerogative rights of the wealthy class of this nation.
I have stout faith in the state and no idea is as lovable as “Idea of India” for me-the crux I raising here has lot to do with my faith as its tantamount would be graver then we perceive today.
Consine and consciousness, both have shrunken horribly in their respective spaces-barring few, we can see it in every sphere…media have been consistently shifted from its whistle-blower role to a compromising entity, in the name of commercial compulsions and sustenance.
UPAII government, which would be known for the failureness of ministerial obligations and departure of its custodians towards the pastime with greener pasture. Recently, Agriculture Minister has taken over the charge of ICC Chief-interestingly; he never had any footprint in the gentlemen game of Cricket. Further, exactly in bizarre move, he offered to reduce his ministerial burden to focus more on his penchant and to getting away from the obstinate inflationary challenges.
Shockingly, he displayed his penchant for the politics of Cricket in wrong time when agriculture as a primary sector was passing through its worst phase. Czarism of Cricket surpassed the basic needs of India’s two-third population…ridiculously, barren field was substituted by the Empowered Group of Ministers {EGOM} to channelise the hyped food security programme. Is it feasible in the world’s largest democracy to run with a part-time Agriculture Minister?
Obviously, negligence at macro level has turning agriculture farming and services, both as an unviable employment option. In recent years, cultivation cost has radically grown up-millions of farmers moved from conventional food corps to cash corps in the influence of mad commercialization. Increased cost of production, and failureness of marketing frequently leading them to suicides as an option to escape the unbearable humility of debtors.
In last twelve years, last six years were even more horrific-National Crime Record Bureau that solely takes into account of farm suicides reveals the grimness of situation. During2003-08, average one farmer commits suicide in every thirty-two minutes; Maharastra, which account highest farming suicidal incidents, alone have 22 billionaires in the Forbes list from total 48 Indian billionaire’s entry.
Leading voice on rural affairs, P.sainath gives a very realistic account of persisting problems; through rising food prices and diminishing values of farming activities lead 50-60% of their spending alone on foods, 18%on fuel-clothing and rest on everything? Transformation in the farm sector resulted with two hundred thousand of farmers suicide {from1970 to date} in sheer dark depressions…cases are rampant where whole villages have emptied in search of job to cities where there is no opportunity? As par, last Census, Average Per Capita Expenditure/month of farmers in India revolves around Rs.503…even current Census may dwarf this figure further.
Farmer’s indebtedness that grew from 21to 48% since1991 is the real bone of contention behind the farming distress and overall desperation prevailing in the rural areas.
In last two decades, banking presence getting freezed and even lowered in the rural terrains-micro loans are being marginalize in favour of sizable loans despite the government’s best effort in this regard. Despite all tall claims, Public Sector Banks {PSBs} have share of merely 7.61% in the total rural debts-if excluded the Regional Rural Banks{RRBs} stakes, then contribution would remain very abysmal from PSBs. New classes of Moneylenders {MFIs} are dwelling with many operational flaws and impractical policy maneuverings, so they hardly appearing remarkable as an institutional alternatives.
Indeed, there is need of reform in present subsidies mechanism but it must start from the Corporate Sector who doesn’t deserve more then a fair atmosphere of business as government assistance. Gulf between interest of business and rudimentary necessities of common citizens must be taken into account at the all levels of policy implementation otherwise impressions of growth would remain subdued and cause of aberrations for the majority of deserving stakeholders.
Atul Kumar Thakur
July16, 2010, Monday, New Delhi
atul-mdb@rediffmail.com
I have stout faith in the state and no idea is as lovable as “Idea of India” for me-the crux I raising here has lot to do with my faith as its tantamount would be graver then we perceive today.
Consine and consciousness, both have shrunken horribly in their respective spaces-barring few, we can see it in every sphere…media have been consistently shifted from its whistle-blower role to a compromising entity, in the name of commercial compulsions and sustenance.
UPAII government, which would be known for the failureness of ministerial obligations and departure of its custodians towards the pastime with greener pasture. Recently, Agriculture Minister has taken over the charge of ICC Chief-interestingly; he never had any footprint in the gentlemen game of Cricket. Further, exactly in bizarre move, he offered to reduce his ministerial burden to focus more on his penchant and to getting away from the obstinate inflationary challenges.
Shockingly, he displayed his penchant for the politics of Cricket in wrong time when agriculture as a primary sector was passing through its worst phase. Czarism of Cricket surpassed the basic needs of India’s two-third population…ridiculously, barren field was substituted by the Empowered Group of Ministers {EGOM} to channelise the hyped food security programme. Is it feasible in the world’s largest democracy to run with a part-time Agriculture Minister?
Obviously, negligence at macro level has turning agriculture farming and services, both as an unviable employment option. In recent years, cultivation cost has radically grown up-millions of farmers moved from conventional food corps to cash corps in the influence of mad commercialization. Increased cost of production, and failureness of marketing frequently leading them to suicides as an option to escape the unbearable humility of debtors.
In last twelve years, last six years were even more horrific-National Crime Record Bureau that solely takes into account of farm suicides reveals the grimness of situation. During2003-08, average one farmer commits suicide in every thirty-two minutes; Maharastra, which account highest farming suicidal incidents, alone have 22 billionaires in the Forbes list from total 48 Indian billionaire’s entry.
Leading voice on rural affairs, P.sainath gives a very realistic account of persisting problems; through rising food prices and diminishing values of farming activities lead 50-60% of their spending alone on foods, 18%on fuel-clothing and rest on everything? Transformation in the farm sector resulted with two hundred thousand of farmers suicide {from1970 to date} in sheer dark depressions…cases are rampant where whole villages have emptied in search of job to cities where there is no opportunity? As par, last Census, Average Per Capita Expenditure/month of farmers in India revolves around Rs.503…even current Census may dwarf this figure further.
Farmer’s indebtedness that grew from 21to 48% since1991 is the real bone of contention behind the farming distress and overall desperation prevailing in the rural areas.
In last two decades, banking presence getting freezed and even lowered in the rural terrains-micro loans are being marginalize in favour of sizable loans despite the government’s best effort in this regard. Despite all tall claims, Public Sector Banks {PSBs} have share of merely 7.61% in the total rural debts-if excluded the Regional Rural Banks{RRBs} stakes, then contribution would remain very abysmal from PSBs. New classes of Moneylenders {MFIs} are dwelling with many operational flaws and impractical policy maneuverings, so they hardly appearing remarkable as an institutional alternatives.
Indeed, there is need of reform in present subsidies mechanism but it must start from the Corporate Sector who doesn’t deserve more then a fair atmosphere of business as government assistance. Gulf between interest of business and rudimentary necessities of common citizens must be taken into account at the all levels of policy implementation otherwise impressions of growth would remain subdued and cause of aberrations for the majority of deserving stakeholders.
Atul Kumar Thakur
July16, 2010, Monday, New Delhi
atul-mdb@rediffmail.com
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Bhopal Gas Tragedy: Unfortunate on all Count
For entire humanity, the Bhopal Gas tragedy is a haunting memory of a horrendous industrial tragedy and corporate misadventurism in which, 25 years ago to this day, enormous quantities of poisonous Methyl Isosyanate spread from the Union Carbide factory at Bhopal, caused for the death of more than thirty thousand (officially around 10000) and paralyzed entirely or partially the lives of half a million city dwellers of Bhopal.
However that was only the inception of tragedy that further nurtured the permanent recklessness of political, administrative and legal officials; besides very objectionable role of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) have had disastrous affect over study of effects of mass poisoning.
The whole gamut played after this brutal incidence is a shocking reminder of our policy makers ineptitude and their casual treatment with mass murderer corporate giant Union Carbide; indeed such lavish treatment with an offender overseas company is hardly visualize anywhere in entire history of modernism.
The Union Carbide factory set up in 1969 to produce Sevin, a pesticide key to India’s green revolution, the eighty two acre compound at Kali Parade, Berasia Road in Bhopal was chosen as hub of poison production by completely ignoring the nearby dense human population and livestock. It’s quite astonishing to see that so called, methodological western conglomerate could foresee that particular locality as their playing field; moreover disparity on cautious measures were alarmingly high in comparison of its sister concern in U.S.A which Indian authorities had inspected in 1989 through a mutual agreement.
So, fortune was completely diminished for victims from all the sides, no one has played fair- court, government, ICMR (Discontinued its studies for mysterious reason), industry….except the wishes of common folks, alas! But they couldn’t be counted nor found deciding for victim’s fate. Anyway, through all hue and cries, on February15, 1989, the government of India reached a compensation settlement with Union Carbide for $470 million which was strikingly low from initial of $3.3 billion.
But the brink of the disaster was not halted there as the compensation proceedings were further prolonged to 1994 with an account showed Rs713 crore, that was drastically low from the rupee-dollar exchange rate of that year; in actuality it should have been Rs2847 crore (with normal interest for 15 years). There was huge mismatch in account which was no way possible without the indulgence of top-notch officials in political and administrative circle, consequently matter was halted there and an average Rs12, 410 was distributed among the victims which were out rightly perilous from the sake of humanity.
In independent India, several mishappenings have occurred and they have been meeting with the mixed responses depends upon the kind of political involvement; several railways accident and particularly the Uphar Cinema case could be a formidable example, the last one genuinely epitomized the fairer handling with the plights of victims where in comparatively very short live tolls, victims anyhow received a compensation between Rs15 to 18 lakhs.
Its grave jolt on the ethic’s of concerned authorities that despite in progress of twenty five years of that black day, still the matter of the toxic cleaning is hanging out, far from being resolved. An initiative by Ratan Tata to clean up the toxic site was a great showing of the Tata’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) but unfortunately that too couldn’t bloomed much in proper manner.
In later development, American chemical giant Dow, which purchased Union Carbide in year 2000 also followed its predecessors insensitive practices and never came up with its moral and legal liabilities of which the plights of lakhs of victims formed a large chunk.
It’s very heartbreaking to see similar approaches from government; two major incidents is vivid in my mind, first one of Bhopal Poisonous Gas Leakage Inquiry Commission headed by Justice N.K.Singh (Than active in service of Madhya Pradesh High Court) was called off within a year and without any explanations. Second one was commission under the ICMR (1985) to look after the assessment of long term effects, have been keep commissioning 24 reports in nine years but eventually could produced only two juvenile researched report at the end of its project on Bhopal Gas tragedy in 1994.
For the victims of Bhopal Gas tragedy, it’s both shocking and solacing to receive huge emotional sharing from disorganized sections like, Common folks, Community workers, Philanthropists, Artists, Intellectuals etc. Although some of institutional men like Dr D.N.Banerjee and his team of Centre for Rehabilitation Studies shown the ray of hope through their relentless and honest deeds, but due to scarcity of financial resources and government support, they are facing upright adversaries.
In their limited means whatever they have done on research at long impact of this debacle is indeed commendable and praiseworthy. They shows the wish, so they find the way, here it’s quite imperative to recall that such tragedy occurred through cyclical policy lapse but deepen though the failure of collective action which basically emerged from a mass level erosion of conscience what we are witnessing since last twenty five years. Being the foremost growing economy of the world, we can anticipate for better collective awareness through striving to building and strengthening the foundation of civic consciousness , otherwise there may be more starker ramifications of corporate recklessness would struck us. So, its better to build our consciousness to fight injustice rather than making monuments in the fond memory of our loving innocent victims…developments must have to be sustainable.
Atul Kumar Thakur
November 3rd2009, New Delhi
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
However that was only the inception of tragedy that further nurtured the permanent recklessness of political, administrative and legal officials; besides very objectionable role of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) have had disastrous affect over study of effects of mass poisoning.
The whole gamut played after this brutal incidence is a shocking reminder of our policy makers ineptitude and their casual treatment with mass murderer corporate giant Union Carbide; indeed such lavish treatment with an offender overseas company is hardly visualize anywhere in entire history of modernism.
The Union Carbide factory set up in 1969 to produce Sevin, a pesticide key to India’s green revolution, the eighty two acre compound at Kali Parade, Berasia Road in Bhopal was chosen as hub of poison production by completely ignoring the nearby dense human population and livestock. It’s quite astonishing to see that so called, methodological western conglomerate could foresee that particular locality as their playing field; moreover disparity on cautious measures were alarmingly high in comparison of its sister concern in U.S.A which Indian authorities had inspected in 1989 through a mutual agreement.
So, fortune was completely diminished for victims from all the sides, no one has played fair- court, government, ICMR (Discontinued its studies for mysterious reason), industry….except the wishes of common folks, alas! But they couldn’t be counted nor found deciding for victim’s fate. Anyway, through all hue and cries, on February15, 1989, the government of India reached a compensation settlement with Union Carbide for $470 million which was strikingly low from initial of $3.3 billion.
But the brink of the disaster was not halted there as the compensation proceedings were further prolonged to 1994 with an account showed Rs713 crore, that was drastically low from the rupee-dollar exchange rate of that year; in actuality it should have been Rs2847 crore (with normal interest for 15 years). There was huge mismatch in account which was no way possible without the indulgence of top-notch officials in political and administrative circle, consequently matter was halted there and an average Rs12, 410 was distributed among the victims which were out rightly perilous from the sake of humanity.
In independent India, several mishappenings have occurred and they have been meeting with the mixed responses depends upon the kind of political involvement; several railways accident and particularly the Uphar Cinema case could be a formidable example, the last one genuinely epitomized the fairer handling with the plights of victims where in comparatively very short live tolls, victims anyhow received a compensation between Rs15 to 18 lakhs.
Its grave jolt on the ethic’s of concerned authorities that despite in progress of twenty five years of that black day, still the matter of the toxic cleaning is hanging out, far from being resolved. An initiative by Ratan Tata to clean up the toxic site was a great showing of the Tata’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) but unfortunately that too couldn’t bloomed much in proper manner.
In later development, American chemical giant Dow, which purchased Union Carbide in year 2000 also followed its predecessors insensitive practices and never came up with its moral and legal liabilities of which the plights of lakhs of victims formed a large chunk.
It’s very heartbreaking to see similar approaches from government; two major incidents is vivid in my mind, first one of Bhopal Poisonous Gas Leakage Inquiry Commission headed by Justice N.K.Singh (Than active in service of Madhya Pradesh High Court) was called off within a year and without any explanations. Second one was commission under the ICMR (1985) to look after the assessment of long term effects, have been keep commissioning 24 reports in nine years but eventually could produced only two juvenile researched report at the end of its project on Bhopal Gas tragedy in 1994.
For the victims of Bhopal Gas tragedy, it’s both shocking and solacing to receive huge emotional sharing from disorganized sections like, Common folks, Community workers, Philanthropists, Artists, Intellectuals etc. Although some of institutional men like Dr D.N.Banerjee and his team of Centre for Rehabilitation Studies shown the ray of hope through their relentless and honest deeds, but due to scarcity of financial resources and government support, they are facing upright adversaries.
In their limited means whatever they have done on research at long impact of this debacle is indeed commendable and praiseworthy. They shows the wish, so they find the way, here it’s quite imperative to recall that such tragedy occurred through cyclical policy lapse but deepen though the failure of collective action which basically emerged from a mass level erosion of conscience what we are witnessing since last twenty five years. Being the foremost growing economy of the world, we can anticipate for better collective awareness through striving to building and strengthening the foundation of civic consciousness , otherwise there may be more starker ramifications of corporate recklessness would struck us. So, its better to build our consciousness to fight injustice rather than making monuments in the fond memory of our loving innocent victims…developments must have to be sustainable.
Atul Kumar Thakur
November 3rd2009, New Delhi
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Perils of Indian Maoism
Stiff arms resistance of left extremist groups within the boundary of a strategically sound country like India manifests some noble pattern to deal with it in its own terms and conditions.
It would be worthwhile to recall here that Maoists are currently operate in 231 of 626 districts in the country with at least 20,000 ideologically determined armed activists whose assertions against state and civil society straightly reflects through violent method which indeed shaping their plights and demands far from proper materialization.
Infact,senseless use of violence by Maoists deterred the state authorities and entire civil society for a better deal with their plights; nonetheless, it’s required to see this grave problem in new light.
Confrontation with the Maoists has raged since 1967 just out of first Maoist rebellion, although it strongly consolidated in early years of present decade following the formation of the CPI (Maoist) in 2004 through the merger of two strong naxalite groups, the Peoples War Group (PWG) and the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC).
After consolidation Maoists have been remain equivocal in their real intention as they largely failed to conceive the exact political nature of India; they still believing India as semi colonial country which radically altered them from mainstream and being a leading force of working class movement and mass mobilization.
Their relentless violent act basically emerged from their confused reckoning of modern and consolidated Indian state with the feeble Nepal or1950’s parochial China where their parent ideology had gain the momentum albeit the ground realities in India is entirely different as its democratic pillar and mainstream left movement is in very fine tune with the state and mass citizens; so, India as a Nation state very much exists in the mind of its citizens and all the institutions of democracy.
This is the major cause of failure for such radical movement in the country way back from Ekbari (Bihar) to Naxalbari (West Bengal) in 1960’s and ongoing battle from West Bengal to Karnataka.They all poised to fail because their central leadership started from Charu Majumdar, Kanu Sanyal to Kobad Gandhi and his wife,Amitav Bagchi (Dada) etc couldn’t win the trust of common mass although they partially succeeded to win the sympathy of a chunk of radical intelligentsia and like minded university students but that alone may never be suffice to run successfully a mass movement.
What is imperative from the entire mass movement and not specifically of Maoism is to come across the entire length and width of larger reality and form a new insight to handle the prevailing discrimination and other inequitable practices which creates harbinger and belligerence among own peoples for basic rights.
Second practices that’s utmost imperative is to change the mindsets of brutality since it’s explicitly evident from the history that alone violence can never be triumphant and only dialogues have capacity to parley and resolve any specific issue; so, beheading policemen’s and methods of “Individual killing” of political opponents is nothing short than Talibani practices as they use same tactics to shunt their rivals.
Leaders of these movements have to keep in their mind that great growth stories of communism in U.S.S.R, China or Cuba haven’t woven by such hide and seek game instead they resolute and adopted the core ideology in the local conditions without following any sub nationality as tragically as Indian communists have been availing it’s on many critical junctures.
It’s equally important re-looking on the relevance of Maoism as an ideology in India since still two third of its population solely rely on fateful agricultural and allied occupation with very little saving in their hand.
so drawing a line after core theme of Marxist-Leninist ideology and its conditional adaptation in Indian socio-economic reality would be more rational as these integrated ideology of communism have entrusted with the universal applicability unlike the Maoism that’s completely a local phenomenon reliably shaped for China.
So, time is ripe now to hold some exhaustive debate on ideology and core of problems which creates impatience among the bottom of pyramids and high minded sympathetic's; for the state point of view any promotion of arms fraternity in civil society, like “Salwa Judum” or brutal retaliation against our own aggrieved citizens (Maoist Cadres) must be timely checked since they are creating big hurdles in peace process.
Being the largest democracy of the world, Indian state must have to ensure the equitable distribution of resources and opportunities because these left arms movement indeed reflects the lack of entitlement that emerged from the chronic scarcity of basic means of livelihood and rampant feudal, corporate and state atrocities in the name of development against the downtrodden who have been living in chaotic order even after the sixty two years of independence.
I think these are the reason of violence in state’s growth agenda; so it must be acknowledge that without streamlining the system as a whole, Indian growth story wouldn’t be complete, so state has to reward basic and dignified life for all.
Atul Kumar Thakur
November11th2009, New Delhi
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
It would be worthwhile to recall here that Maoists are currently operate in 231 of 626 districts in the country with at least 20,000 ideologically determined armed activists whose assertions against state and civil society straightly reflects through violent method which indeed shaping their plights and demands far from proper materialization.
Infact,senseless use of violence by Maoists deterred the state authorities and entire civil society for a better deal with their plights; nonetheless, it’s required to see this grave problem in new light.
Confrontation with the Maoists has raged since 1967 just out of first Maoist rebellion, although it strongly consolidated in early years of present decade following the formation of the CPI (Maoist) in 2004 through the merger of two strong naxalite groups, the Peoples War Group (PWG) and the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC).
After consolidation Maoists have been remain equivocal in their real intention as they largely failed to conceive the exact political nature of India; they still believing India as semi colonial country which radically altered them from mainstream and being a leading force of working class movement and mass mobilization.
Their relentless violent act basically emerged from their confused reckoning of modern and consolidated Indian state with the feeble Nepal or1950’s parochial China where their parent ideology had gain the momentum albeit the ground realities in India is entirely different as its democratic pillar and mainstream left movement is in very fine tune with the state and mass citizens; so, India as a Nation state very much exists in the mind of its citizens and all the institutions of democracy.
This is the major cause of failure for such radical movement in the country way back from Ekbari (Bihar) to Naxalbari (West Bengal) in 1960’s and ongoing battle from West Bengal to Karnataka.They all poised to fail because their central leadership started from Charu Majumdar, Kanu Sanyal to Kobad Gandhi and his wife,Amitav Bagchi (Dada) etc couldn’t win the trust of common mass although they partially succeeded to win the sympathy of a chunk of radical intelligentsia and like minded university students but that alone may never be suffice to run successfully a mass movement.
What is imperative from the entire mass movement and not specifically of Maoism is to come across the entire length and width of larger reality and form a new insight to handle the prevailing discrimination and other inequitable practices which creates harbinger and belligerence among own peoples for basic rights.
Second practices that’s utmost imperative is to change the mindsets of brutality since it’s explicitly evident from the history that alone violence can never be triumphant and only dialogues have capacity to parley and resolve any specific issue; so, beheading policemen’s and methods of “Individual killing” of political opponents is nothing short than Talibani practices as they use same tactics to shunt their rivals.
Leaders of these movements have to keep in their mind that great growth stories of communism in U.S.S.R, China or Cuba haven’t woven by such hide and seek game instead they resolute and adopted the core ideology in the local conditions without following any sub nationality as tragically as Indian communists have been availing it’s on many critical junctures.
It’s equally important re-looking on the relevance of Maoism as an ideology in India since still two third of its population solely rely on fateful agricultural and allied occupation with very little saving in their hand.
so drawing a line after core theme of Marxist-Leninist ideology and its conditional adaptation in Indian socio-economic reality would be more rational as these integrated ideology of communism have entrusted with the universal applicability unlike the Maoism that’s completely a local phenomenon reliably shaped for China.
So, time is ripe now to hold some exhaustive debate on ideology and core of problems which creates impatience among the bottom of pyramids and high minded sympathetic's; for the state point of view any promotion of arms fraternity in civil society, like “Salwa Judum” or brutal retaliation against our own aggrieved citizens (Maoist Cadres) must be timely checked since they are creating big hurdles in peace process.
Being the largest democracy of the world, Indian state must have to ensure the equitable distribution of resources and opportunities because these left arms movement indeed reflects the lack of entitlement that emerged from the chronic scarcity of basic means of livelihood and rampant feudal, corporate and state atrocities in the name of development against the downtrodden who have been living in chaotic order even after the sixty two years of independence.
I think these are the reason of violence in state’s growth agenda; so it must be acknowledge that without streamlining the system as a whole, Indian growth story wouldn’t be complete, so state has to reward basic and dignified life for all.
Atul Kumar Thakur
November11th2009, New Delhi
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Disgusting Services
It wouldn't be an oversight assertion to term various services as disgusting if the conditions of such services in our country could be hardly visualized in lapidary state. Lagging of services also shouldn't be seen alone as sheer partial lapse of services mechanism instead it now getting matured as full grown maladies that's need an immediate checkout by the respective agencies( Both Government and private).
I lamenting to quote the weakness of basic services among common peoples across the country even after attaining of considerable strength of economy and overall balance position at global platform. Bad availablity of services are hazardly haunting in various ways to maintain a balance and productive circumstances which left numerous pitfalls in growth agenda.
It's quite unfortunate that basic services like, water, electricity, transportation, health, education etc are turning to be the prerogative of affluent; such clouts are dampening the morale of a pool of population who simply found incompatible to maintain the parity vis-a-vis the affluent counterparts. Amidst such disproportionate basic facilities; living in even a prime National Capital Region like Ghaziabad could be a quite terrible experience during the summer season.
On an average,number of hours of load shedding ranges between eight hours to eighteen hours daily, for burning midnight light candle remains the most viable option because of other deficient power back ups.Indeed such facts can astonished those who have only the extrinsic views about the prosperity of these NCRs that shaped through their fame to fetching billions dollar worth of investments from across the world.
Health is a most vital aspect for all living creatures which needs utmost care for smooth progress of life but there are many impediment in the way of such materialization since Government facilities are hardly adequate. Further it paves the way of exploitation and a vicious circle for the economically marginalized section in the hand of private players; they charged exorbitant price and offers no guaranteed services.
From a humane perspective it's quite essential to provide basic health facilities at affordable price which could be possible only through an effective government mechanism; Cuba may be a formidable example in this regard as their medical teams valued topmost among its human resources. But presently very sorry state of affairs prevails in our country to cope with the challenges of effective and inclusive health facilities.
Two months back,I had made frequent visits to AIIMS for looking on a my close relative who was than under-treatment there, I got struck to see the prevailing stark condition there; patient have to wait for months to have their turns, despite being an urgent and a high profile case,even my patient finally got operated after falling on two dates of surgery. Cause were cited by the management like absence of Anesthetic which shall hardly justifiable in India's top notch institution like AIIMS; no doubt pressures surmounts too much high on it's staffs as being a lone hospital of such caliber but that shouldn't lessen their concern for existing patients.
Snatching are very frequent in Delhi's buses and its very hard to escape from this noble experience at least once before becoming excessively careful for ones stuffs.
I lost my cell phone during same days in May; my remorse was more deeper for the precious messages and numerous contacts apart from hassleful formal obligation which I had to make... anyway I lodged my complain to S.H.O about the theft of my cell phone ( AIIMS), but further task was much daunting for me as I had to spoil my energy to visit Vodafone outlet for atleast five times to regain my lost telecommunication identity.
Theirs approaches were so cumbersome and repetitive that they couldn't entertain any queries even a minute after their stipulated working hours... I had to got back once for the same reason. In other more instances we have to face such creeping attitudes of various service providers without having any valid causes; most of time we surpassed such inconvenience because of time-crunch but such occurrence after all makes us more vulnerable in basic facilities.
Recovering from such maladies needs a strong civic sense and commitment for collective welfare; social initiatives would be the genuine impetus in this regard but for its enforcement at broader level meticulous political strategy would be equally required. Good governance and sound civic action can lessen the pain of inadequate service structure.... my candle is flickering now, so I have to imagine about the new dawn in deep darkness.
Atul Kumar Thakur
July 29th, 2009, New Delhi
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
I lamenting to quote the weakness of basic services among common peoples across the country even after attaining of considerable strength of economy and overall balance position at global platform. Bad availablity of services are hazardly haunting in various ways to maintain a balance and productive circumstances which left numerous pitfalls in growth agenda.
It's quite unfortunate that basic services like, water, electricity, transportation, health, education etc are turning to be the prerogative of affluent; such clouts are dampening the morale of a pool of population who simply found incompatible to maintain the parity vis-a-vis the affluent counterparts. Amidst such disproportionate basic facilities; living in even a prime National Capital Region like Ghaziabad could be a quite terrible experience during the summer season.
On an average,number of hours of load shedding ranges between eight hours to eighteen hours daily, for burning midnight light candle remains the most viable option because of other deficient power back ups.Indeed such facts can astonished those who have only the extrinsic views about the prosperity of these NCRs that shaped through their fame to fetching billions dollar worth of investments from across the world.
Health is a most vital aspect for all living creatures which needs utmost care for smooth progress of life but there are many impediment in the way of such materialization since Government facilities are hardly adequate. Further it paves the way of exploitation and a vicious circle for the economically marginalized section in the hand of private players; they charged exorbitant price and offers no guaranteed services.
From a humane perspective it's quite essential to provide basic health facilities at affordable price which could be possible only through an effective government mechanism; Cuba may be a formidable example in this regard as their medical teams valued topmost among its human resources. But presently very sorry state of affairs prevails in our country to cope with the challenges of effective and inclusive health facilities.
Two months back,I had made frequent visits to AIIMS for looking on a my close relative who was than under-treatment there, I got struck to see the prevailing stark condition there; patient have to wait for months to have their turns, despite being an urgent and a high profile case,even my patient finally got operated after falling on two dates of surgery. Cause were cited by the management like absence of Anesthetic which shall hardly justifiable in India's top notch institution like AIIMS; no doubt pressures surmounts too much high on it's staffs as being a lone hospital of such caliber but that shouldn't lessen their concern for existing patients.
Snatching are very frequent in Delhi's buses and its very hard to escape from this noble experience at least once before becoming excessively careful for ones stuffs.
I lost my cell phone during same days in May; my remorse was more deeper for the precious messages and numerous contacts apart from hassleful formal obligation which I had to make... anyway I lodged my complain to S.H.O about the theft of my cell phone ( AIIMS), but further task was much daunting for me as I had to spoil my energy to visit Vodafone outlet for atleast five times to regain my lost telecommunication identity.
Theirs approaches were so cumbersome and repetitive that they couldn't entertain any queries even a minute after their stipulated working hours... I had to got back once for the same reason. In other more instances we have to face such creeping attitudes of various service providers without having any valid causes; most of time we surpassed such inconvenience because of time-crunch but such occurrence after all makes us more vulnerable in basic facilities.
Recovering from such maladies needs a strong civic sense and commitment for collective welfare; social initiatives would be the genuine impetus in this regard but for its enforcement at broader level meticulous political strategy would be equally required. Good governance and sound civic action can lessen the pain of inadequate service structure.... my candle is flickering now, so I have to imagine about the new dawn in deep darkness.
Atul Kumar Thakur
July 29th, 2009, New Delhi
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
