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10 | EDITORIAL

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2016

Writing a new Pakistan playbook


The time has come for India to define the nature and scope of its conflict with Pakistan. We should do so
before it defines us and perpetuates the India-Pakistan hyphenation
senses. This has not happened. Instead, what play into Pakistans hands and only
T H U R S D AY , D E C E M B E R 1 , 2 0 1 6 we have seen more recently is a marked es- perpetuate the hyphenation of India-
M.K. NARAYANAN
calation in terrorist attacks from across the Pakistan. We have assiduously tried, and
Line of Control and the International with diiculty succeeded, after years of ef-
Boundary. fort in erasing this kind of hyphenation. A
Provocation Arguably, this is one of the darkest periods in
India-Pakistan relations. The moot point is
It is apparent, therefore, that despite India
utilising all diplomatic means at its disposal,
change in strategy is needed if we are to get
out of this modern-day Chakravyuha.

at Nagrota whether the two neighbours are meandering


towards an existential crisis, given their his-
tory of troubled relations. It would seem so,
Pakistan has remained unmoved and has re-
jected all overtures. Questions are hence be-
ginning to be raised as to whether this policy
Given the way Pakistan is structured, any-
one negotiating a peace deal with India runs
the risk of committing hara-kiri. At the same

T
he death of seven soldiers in the terrorist as every time an attempt is made by India to of more of the same should continue. Mean- time, since peace is not at hand, any kind of a
attack on an Army base in Nagrota reduce tensions, matters only seem to spiral while, the persistence of the India-Pakistan compromise on Indias part even a kind of
provides graphic evidence of the high downwards. conflict seems to be giving certain meddle- grudging compromise needs to be ruled
Prime Minister Narendra Modi did reach some outsiders an opportunity to purvey out. Pakistan, for its part, would be only too
cost being borne by the armed forces
out to his counterpart Nawaz Sharif even be- the view that a war between the two neigh- happy to continue with its current zero-
amidst escalating violence in Jammu and Kashmir. fore he took oice by inviting him to his bours is imminent, and that it could lead to a sum approach, but India should not fall into
The attack comes just two months after militants swearing-in ceremony, but nothing has gone nuclear conflict. Such speculation is totally this trap.
stormed an Army camp in Uri, resulting in the right since then. Terror attacks on Indian tar- unwarranted, but is nevertheless gaining Pakistans military, identified by one and
death of 19 soldiers. Early on Tuesday morning, gets, both military and civilian, have only in- some traction. all as the most pervasive anti-India ele-
three terrorists entered the camp in Nagrota, near creased. A surge in hurling of invectives by The world does recognise that India is a mental force in Pakistan, remains opposed to
Jammu city and not very far from the headquarters both sides has also occurred. Both India and victim of Pakistans Terror Infrastructure any understanding with India perhaps
of 16 Corps, one of the largest and most important Pakistan have tweaked protocol to expel not Limited. Nevertheless, the same world, in- even on Pakistans terms as that would re-
corps of the Indian Army. It is important to investig- one or two diplomats at a time but in far lar- cluding the UN, refuses to formally declare move a key rationale for it to remain the
ate how heavily armed terrorists reached the 166 ger numbers. Recent incidents in the region Pakistans military remains Pakistan a terrorist state. Even the Compre- dominant element in the countrys afairs.
are reminiscent of the Cold War era in the hensive Convention on International Ter- With regard to foreign policy and national
Medium Regiment premises in a securitised area, West; on one occasion in the latter half of the opposed to any understanding rorism, which India has been pursuing in the security afairs, the Pakistan Army has only
despite several road blocks on the road to Nagrota. 20th century, the U.K. and the then Soviet with India as that would remove UN for nearly two decades, is yet to see the recently tightened its grip. General Raheel
Wearing police uniforms, the terrorists reportedly Union had expelled as many as a hundred light of day. Sharifs exit as Chief of the Army Staf and
scaled a wall and stormed the base, where many
a key rationale for it to remain
diplomats from their respective countries. Meanwhile, Pakistans provocations are replacement by General Qamar Javed Bajwa
military families were staying. Seven soldiers, in- the dominant element increasing. Since the beginning of this year, does not presage any shift in policy.
cluding two Majors, were killed as they fought to More give than take several terror attacks have occurred, starting
prevent a hostage situation. At least four unarmed In the past too, Indian Prime Ministers had ations at the very highest levels. On with Pampore (in February) to Uri (in No peace any time soon
oicers, the wives of two oicers and two children reached out to their Pakistani counterparts, assuming oice, Mr. Modi energised this September) and now Nagrota. Worse, Two other aspects militate against an In-
were among those who were at risk of being taken hoping to find a solution to problems that kind of top-down diplomacy and himself Pakistan has resorted to mutilation of the dia-Pakistan rapprochement, as of now. One
eluded their diplomats. The Indian side took the lead. His example was followed at bodies of Indian soldiers killed in terror at- is the rising influence of radical extremist
hostage. According to Army oicers, the two
with the benefit of hindsight at times had the level of the Foreign Minister, National tacks. India has hence been forced to take re- ideas and ideologies inside Pakistan. This is
women also showed exemplary presence of mind, been over-generous (the Simla Agreement Security Adviser and the Foreign Secretary. taliatory steps, including intense bombard- evident from the boldness with which ter-
and blocked their doors with household items. in 1972 between Prime Minister Indira All this only underscored the calibrated ap- ment of Pakistani positions. Looked at from rorist outfits such as the Tehrik-e-Taliban,
With the latest incident, at least 89 security per- Gandhi and Pakistan Prime Minister proach that India had followed for many any angle (in one five-day period in Novem- Pakistan, the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and ele-
sonnel have been killed in Jammu and Kashmir so Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, for example). Such initi- years balancing diplomatic moves with an ber, there were 27 ceasefire violations), it ments of the Islamic State have recently car-
far in 2016. This is the highest figure in almost a atives were hailed when made, but reviled in occasional retaliatory step, even if the policy would appear that the 2003 Ceasefire Agree- ried out attacks inside Pakistan. This is be-
decade, or since the gains of the 2003 ceasefire on the absence of any real progress. The did not produce results. ment lies in tatters. coming the new normal in Pakistan, further
the India-Pakistan border began to be consolidated. Pakistani side has been more consistent, us- shrinking the space available for any India-
ing such occasions to extract maximum ben- Weak international support The road from here Pakistan dtente.
Since the surgical strikes of September 29 in re-
sponse to the Uri attack, India has lost 27 security efits for itself, with little give on their part. In the wake of the November 2008 terror- Where do we go from here? The road The other is the continuing turmoil and
Yet, India has persisted on this path. Both ist attacks in Mumbai (in which 166 people ahead is far from clear. It is proving even escalating unrest inside Jammu and Kash-
personnel. In fact, the attrition rate among the se- Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Prime were killed) there was intense pressure on more diicult to decide on the future steps. mir. This is giving Pakistan an opportunity to
curity forces has been going up steadily vis--vis Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee were recent India to adopt a more robust and aggressive Everyone agrees that a change of strategy mobilise international opinion against India
the terrorists. Decades of experience in fighting in- practitioners of this art of the possible. policy. India desisted from doing so, in the and approach is called for, but no one is cer- on the issue of violation of human rights.
surgencies and the diverse tactics adopted to re- The debris of successive setbacks: Lahore belief and hope that the international uproar tain what the strategy should be. We are in- Pakistans Prime Minister could even aford
duce security force casualties have in recent (1999) and Agra (2001); Shimla and Sharm- that followed what was described as an deed at the crossroads, and the time has to utter the word intifada with respect to
months been challenged by the terrorists focus on el-Sheikh (2009), as well as more recent ini- action just short of war, and the identifica- come to define the nature and scope of our Kashmir in his UN speech on this account.
security installations, aimed at causing maximum tiatives, have not quite dampened en- tion of Pakistan as a terror state would conflict with Pakistan. We should do so be- With separatist leaders in Jammu and Kash-
casualties among the forces. The violence level thusiasm on our part for diplomatic negoti- bring that nation and its leaders to their fore it defines us. Perpetual conflict would mir also voicing concerns about civilian
within Jammu and Kashmir is a result of several deaths, and how this was endangering peace
factors: the unrest in the Valley, the state of Indias CARTOONSCAPE and stability in the region and beyond,
Pakistan sees an opportunity to put India on
relations with Pakistan, and the situation along the the back foot.
border, both the International Boundary and the One predicament India faces is that even
Line of Control. On all three fronts, much needs to as the U.S. and certain other nations have
be done. India-Pakistan bilateral relations have distanced themselves from Pakistan given
nosedived in recent months. And while New Delhi its penchant to use terror as a strategic in-
does not have the luxury of choosing unilaterally strumentality against India and Afghanistan
between relative peace and a lingering state of low- it is not facing isolation. It is being be-
intensity conflict, there needs to be an appraisal of friended by not only China but even Russia.
the costs that have come with the breakdown of the China sees Pakistan as not merely an ally, but
a crucial partner in achieving success for its
2003 ceasefire for instance, crossfire is routinely One Belt One Road initiative. Several coun-
a cover for Pakistan in assisting terrorists to cross tries of Asia and some in Eurasia have sim-
over to Indian territory. Creating peace is a com- ilarly fallen in line, but Pakistans location is
plex process. Drawing up a plan to minimise loss of crucial for the success of the Chinese initiat-
life will be a good place to begin. ive. This is certain to increase Pakistans re-
calcitrance towards India.
With the world facing an unusual degree

Indias missing of turbulence and a cluster of crises, achiev-


ing coherence in foreign policy is proving
diicult for most countries. India faces even
girl children more diicult obstacles. It cannot aford
more flip-flops in policy, or indulge in knee-
jerk reactions. As the dominant power in

I
t is a cruel irony of a fast-growing India that South Asia and one of the worlds leading de-
there are fewer and fewer girls as a ratio of mocracies, India must find a proper answer
total births, as a result of complex factors that to what could otherwise become a serious
include parental preference. New data from existential crisis of monumental
the Civil Registration System of the Registrar Gen- proportions.
eral of India point to the hardening of the pattern,
with a fall in sex ratio at birth from 898 girls to 1,000 M.K. Narayanan is former National Security Adviser and
former Governor of West Bengal.
boys in 2013, to 887 a year later. This depressing
trend is consistent with evidence from the Census
figures of 2001 and 2011. What is shocking is that the
overall data mask the horror of particular districts
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
and panchayats falling well below the national ra- Letters emailed to letters@thehindu.co.in must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.
tio, especially in the zero-to-six years assessment
category. The scourge has, in some cases, prompted Living with demonetisation The instruction to BJP netas to file ATMs are not functional because of deposits. Considering the high level Road to Mosul
the Supreme Court to take note of the situation, and expenditure statements camouflages the non-availability of low- of uncertainty prevalent in the
the National Human Rights Commission to ask for November 8, 2016 will be hailed as the allegation that there was an denomination notes. As functional domestic and global economy, it is Leave alone Mosul, it will take
an explanation from State governments. In the un- the day when the Indian economy advance leak of information which ATMs are dispensing high- least likely that a sudden lowering of decades for West Asia in general and
derstanding of the Centre, which it has conveyed to resonated with cashless exuberance. enabled the chosen few to cover denomination notes, of Rs.2,000, lending rates would immediately Iraq in particular to taste peace
Parliament, girls stand a poor chance at survival be- While some rejoice, calling it a their tracks. The period to be customers are compelled to visit trigger accelerated investment by (The long road to Mosul, Nov.30).
dream come true, for many it is like accounted for should have been branches for change. In many the private corporate sector. The arrogant attitude of the allies in
cause there is a socio-cultural mindset that negotiating a stretch of deep ocean. some months prior to branches, further restrictions and Moreover, the fear that a sudden invading Iraq on false charges and
prefers sons, girls are seen as a burden, and family But where is the actual black money demonetisation. regulations have been brought in outflow of foreign portfolio killing Saddam Hussein is the major
size has begun to shrink. The BJP-led government monster? While experts point out even within the restricted quantum investment would instantly source of all the woes that Iraq faces
N. Narasimhan,
responded to the silent crisis with the Beti Bachao, that 86 per cent of the currency, in Bengaluru of withdrawal because of a shortage destabilise the economy is baseless today. Likewise, disbanding Iraqs
Beti Padhao campaign, which focusses on the pre- the form of Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 of currency. as we are well insulated from the standing army was another blunder.
vention of sex-selective abortions, creation of op- notes, has vanished, I would analyse The newest amnesty scheme is With salary day today, bank staf are harmful efects of externally induced Those soldiers have joined the ranks
portunities for education and protection of girl it diferently; 86 per cent of saving another opportunity for all political under even more pressure. All this is shocks. of the Islamic State and are
children. Now that the scheme is set to enter its and consumption habits have been parties to start afresh (Editorial A leading to an explosive situation. Joseph Abraham, spreading mayhem. A world body
third year in January, there should be a speedy as- surgically altered. Looking at it last chance for amnesty, Nov.30). Bank staf are also facing health Gurugram, Haryana such as the UN cannot keep its eyes
pragmatically, did we require this They can now come clean on issues on account of the heavy shut and pretend as though the IS is
sessment of its working, particularly in districts
step or was it because someone at hitherto undisclosed financial workload. Though the soiled notes Demonetisation has introduced new a creation of Islamic terrorists.
with a poor sex ratio where it has been intensively the highest political level decided sources towards party funding. Isnt are reportedly being treated with and extreme diiculties though we
implemented. T. Anand Raj,
that only one per cent of the this a win-win situation? If such anti-bacterial sprays, it is causing all know that the aim is to cut of Chennai
A wider assessment needs to be made on why population contributes to 58 per cent funds are deposited in the Pradhan allergic reactions. black money. How could the
States such as Tamil Nadu with a strong social de- of GDP growth? I dont figure in this Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, they C.D. Josson, government have not thought of the
velopment foundation have slipped on sex ratio at bracket. Experts once again say that can also occupy the high moral Thiruvananthapuram diiculties? How can daily For inclusion
birth (834), going by the CRS data for 2014. The the pain will be short term but we ground. In fact this should apply to purchases such as buying milk and December 3 is International Day of
cradle baby scheme was started in 1992 in Tamil have to wait and watch. The wave suspect non-governmental The article, Dashed expectations vegetables be done without proper Persons with Disabilities and it is
Nadu to raise the survival chances of girl children has started but only time will tell the organisations as well. (Nov.30), appears to be a theoretical change? Where is our democracy if pertinent to examine how many of
by encouraging mothers to give them anonymously impact and the glory of this step. R. Swarnalatha, analysis with a textbook approach we are not allowed to use and spend us are aware of developments in the
Shashi Sekaran, New Delhi on the efects of demonetisation; it our hard-earned money as we wish? field.
for adoption. Yet, the latest numbers, together with does not take into account the As a researcher with visual
Chennai V. Vidhya Vasini,
the persistence of the programme after 24 years, Bank staf have been involved in ground realities. The presumption Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu impairment, I often find that library
and 260 babies being abandoned in just one centre The survey on demonetisation is exchanging and receiving that lending rates are highly elastic staf are unaware of the way blind
over a six-year period, make it clear that national another eyewash. To make suspect remittance of the specified bank to bank deposits and investment is a It is unfathomable why West Bengal persons can study. I have often
policy has achieved little in real terms. Clearly, claims based on this is an insult to notes. From November 9, every day fallacy as a host of other factors also Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is ended up giving information on
there is a need to go beyond slogans and institute the intelligence of the average has been a tough one, with staf determine saving and investment so vociferous against various text-to-speech software.
tangible schemes. Enforcement of the law that Indian. The increasing weakness of straining every nerve. The workload behaviours in India. Despite the demonetisation and intent on taking Once aware of the issues, people are
prohibits determination of the sex of the foetus Indian democracy lies in the has been unbearable. While political relatively low returns, most people on the Prime Minister (Give bank most often willing to make spaces
must go hand in hand with massive social invest- perpetually emaciating Opposition leaders have complimented bank reveal a marked preference for details, Mamata tells PM, Nov.30). disabled-friendly but do not know
which keeps scoring self-goals, as employees for their commendable investment in more secure bank There are issues that need attention what to do and how to do it.
ments to protect both immediate and long-term
the response to its Akrosh Diwas work, there are still a few things that deposits and postal saving schemes and measures introduced to ease the Therefore, awareness should not be
prospects of girls in the form of cash incentives proved. This is compounded by the need to be looked into. Even now, in instead of high-yielding but high- suferings of the aam aadmi, but limited to impairment per se but also
through registration of births, a continuum of crawl when asked to bend attitude many branches, customer footfall is risk investment alternatives such as one doubts whether Ms. Banerjee the ways through which spaces,
health care, early educational opportunities and so- readily adopted by the bureaucracy high for remittances of old high mutual funds and shares. Thus, has put forth viable and feasible including attitudes, have been and
cial protection. Half-measures cannot produce a and many so-called leaders and denominations and for withdrawals. reduction of interest rate on bank steps to make a diference. can be made inclusive.
dramatic reversal of the shameful national record. institutions such as the Reserve There are constraints because of deposits is unlikely to immediately V. Padmanabhan, Pragya Deora,
Bank of India. inadequate stocks of currency. Most lower the popularity of bank Bengaluru New Delhi
CM ND-ND
YK
10 | - 1ias.com - EDITORIAL THE HINDU FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2016
NOIDA/DELHI

Contours of a challenge
The manner of enforcement of demonetisation has visited many consequences upon the people. If it
chooses to review them, the judiciary would scarcely be overreaching its authority
likely find that, on merits, the petitioners was unable to reach the front of the queue
F R I D AY , D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 0 1 6 primary argument stands on a weak ground. before bank hours ended. Pradhan intended
SUHRITH
PARTHASARATHY This is because Section 26(2) of the Reserve to send the money to his two sons who were
Bank of India Act, 1934, expressly states: On working on daily wages in Tamil Nadu.
recommendation of the Central Board the These humanitarian costs are graver yet
Patriotism Today the Supreme Court is slated to com-
Central Government may, by notification in
the Gazette of India, declare that any
when you study the liquidity crunch in the
informal economy, the numerous lay-ofs of

by diktat mence hearing arguments on a slew of pet-


itions that call into question the correctness,
and indeed the constitutional validity, of the
series of bank notes of any denomination
shall cease to be legal tender save at such of-
fice or agency of the Bank and to such extent
workers across industries, and the woes of
millions of people seeking to access the
most essential services. If the ordinary Indi-

P
atriotism is a value that most people cher- Union governments policy of demonetisa- as may be specified in the notification. The an is not complaining, as some would want
ish without being required to demonstrate tion. The petitions allege that the primary petitioners assert that under Section 26(2), us to believe, its because she has little
notification issued on November 8, which il- the government can only withdraw the legal choice, faced with a denial of her right to be
it in visible ways. Unfortunately, a notion
legitimatises currency notes of denomina- tender of any particular series of a bank note treated as an equal, and of her freedom to
has emerged in the country that it ought to tions of Rs.1,000 and Rs.500, and the series of any denomination. Therefore, according move freely and earn her basic livelihood.
be articulated frequently, demonstrated publicly of consequential orders passed by the Re- to them, the government ought to have, at
and enforced in such a manner that it will be an ob- serve Bank of India (RBI) lack competency, the least, passed an ordinance (as the Mor- Governments pitiless response
ject lesson to the odd dissenter. Given this, it is hard in that the government cannot demonetise arji Desai-led regime had done in 1978) to Quite opposed to taking steps to assuage
to understand the rationale for the Supreme currency through mere executive fiat ab- implement this policy of demonetisation. the deep infractions of rights that the policy
Courts order that every cinema hall should play the sent any legislative support. The policy, as a But ordinary rules of statutory interpreta- has caused, the government has merely in-
national anthem before the exhibition of a film. In- collective whole, the petitioners contend, tion suggest otherwise. The government dulged in what can only be described as
dia has given itself an anthem easily recognised as a far from causing what the government has can argue, quite reasonably, that the execut- policymaking on the fly. Since the original
lofty and moving rendering of the countrys one- described as mere inconveniences, im- ive power vested in it to withdraw any par- notification was announced, the rules have
pinges deeply on several fundamental ticular series of bank notes would nec- been constantly modified (more than 20
ness amidst diversity. It hardly requires judicial
promotion. The singing of the national anthem on
rights, and it should therefore be declared It isnt enough for the government essarily also include a power to withdraw all times at last count), with some of the classi-
invalid. to show that it possessed the the series of bank notes belonging to any fications that have been made crossing all
special occasions, especially in schools and col- How the Supreme Court treats these chal- particular denomination. Whats more, it thresholds of the absurd. How, for instance,
leges, is suicient to help citizens identify the an- lenges will tell us a great deal about the basic competency to implement may be pointed out, the RBI, acting under one may easily ask, can it be permissible to
them with something larger than their daily con- checks and balances that our democracy demonetisation through mere the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, withdraw Rs.2.5 lakh in cash for a wedding,
cerns. There are clear rules on when the anthem purports to provide.
executive orders 2007, has been unequivocally bestowed with when people are forbidden from withdraw-
should be played. Any misuse of the anthem or any authority to regulate the means and the ing money beyond a minimal limit for other
wilful insult to it is legally prohibited, and those ag- Courts and economic policy manner through which money can be with- equally, if not more, pressing purposes? To
grieved by any such incident can take recourse to There is an often-repeated belief that is- Court are, without doubt, complicated. drawn, exchanged and deposited. In sum, make matters worse, on November 24, the
sues of policy especially those involving They give rise to a dispute which might be therefore, it is perhaps diicult to assail the RBI shattered any remaining notion of trust
the law. Beyond this, in a mature democracy such as
the state and nature of a countrys economy, described as a hard case, where difering demonetisation policy for the reason that it that one had reposed in it by announcing
India, there really is no need to make the playing or such as this ought to be beyond judicial value judgments can lead to entirely difer- lacks legislative support. that exchange through banks of the old
the singing of the anthem mandatory through a ju- review. That is, courts should exhibit re- ent conclusions. But that need not dissuade Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 notes would be ceased
dicial order. straint in examining what are really matters the court from applying its mind to the sub- The shocks of demonetisation immediately despite the Prime Ministers
It is not clear why cinema halls were singled out for executive determination. Indeed, ject, and from ruling upon questions of law But it isnt enough for the government to explicit promise that limits imposed earlier
for special treatment by the Supreme Court. The despite popular opinion that might hold the that go to the root of the policys validity. In show that it possessed the basic compet- would be enhanced, and that such exchange
only possible explanation is that they were re- Supreme Court as excessively intervention- the present case, despite the sense of most ency to implement demonetisation through would be permitted until the end of the year.
quired to play the national anthem some decades ist, Indias judiciary has historically shown a independent economists that the long-term mere executive orders. It must also show Although its transgressions have been
ago, a practice that has been largely given up. But if reticence in interfering in matters of economic benefits of the governments noti- that the manner of the policys enforcement, flagrant, the states response has been
the logic for playing the national anthem at places economic policy. For the most part, the fications are negligible at best, what the pet- and the details of the various notifications markedly pitiless, based, as it is, on a warped
court has been justified in acceding to the itioners are questioning is not the policys that have been issued, conform to con- sense of utilitarianism: the short-term
where a sizeable number of people congregate is executives expertise. But while there is cer- financial viability. Rather, what they ask of stitutional standards of fairness. losses (a pathetic euphemism for loss of life,
taken to its logical conclusion, they should be ex- tainly a kernel of rationality to such a theory the court is to judge the governments com- The immediate reverberations of demon- among other things), the government ar-
tended, for example, to dance and music recitals as of limited judicial review, it is dangerous to petency in efecting the policy, and, even etisation, by any account, have been brutally gues, are somehow compensable by the
well. To take this line of reasoning even further, see judicial deference as forming part of an more gravely, to decide on whether the depressing. Most shocking amongst these long-term gains that the policy will usher in.
why not to every sitting of the legislature, or the immutable doctrine. As the former means of its enforcement has led to uncon- consequences has been the death toll. News Here, lets pause to understand what
court itself? Playing the national anthem in theatres President of the Israeli Supreme Court stitutional consequences. Regardless of reports aver that there have been as many as justice really demands. Justice requires not
at the end of the film was given up some three Aharon Barak had once observed, separa- where one might stand on the political spec- 55 deaths emanating out of its diktats. only an adherence to procedural integrity,
decades ago in most parts of the country, largely as tion of powers exists to strengthen free- trum, it is diicult to argue against the mag- Consider one of these cases: a suicide com- where democratic institutions collectively
a result of the tendency of a section of the audience dom and prevent the concentration of nitude of these questions. mitted by Ravi Pradhan, a farmer from Ch- determine social and economic policy, but,
power in the hands of one governmental hattisgarh, who stood in queues for two con- even more significantly, it also requires that
to walk out. To reintroduce it now gives the impres- The petitioners case
actor in a manner likely to harm the freedom secutive days at a bank branch around 2 km any policy takes into account the potential
sion that cinemas should forever be the main sites of the individual. Were the court to decide that it can, in away from his home town, to get exchanged injustices that might accrue out of its en-
for the demonstration of patriotism. Matters such The issues at stake before the Supreme fact, examine the policys validity, it would Rs.3,000, only to be rebufed each time as he forcement. To view policy decisions as
as commercial exploitation and dramatisation of merely a product of a balancing of short-
the anthem cannot be the subject of blanket interim term pains against supposed long-term
orders in a public interest petition. The appeal to a pleasures is to ignore the injustices of the
sense of constitutional patriotism is also in- CARTOONSCAPE present. While many governmental actions
triguing, as the only reasonable interpretation of make significant trade-ofs, should those
the term is that of having allegiance to the values trade-ofs be allowed to impinge on a per-
underlying the Constitution. This is not something sons most foundational freedoms in a man-
ner that perpetuates existing inequalities?
that can be enforced by judicial diktat, or by making The classifications that the demonetisa-
cinema halls the playground for a misplaced sense tion policy makes, and the manner of its en-
of patriotism. forcement, sufer from this inherent flaw:
they fail to consider the moral abhorrence in
treating some lives as more valuable than

HIV: The self-test others. There is no doubt the executive


should be allowed great leeway in using the
state as a laboratory for democracy, to bor-

option row Justice Louis Brandeiss famous aphor-


ism. But such experiments cannot come at
the cost of human lives. By constantly mov-

W
ith the World Health Organisation ing its goalposts, by arbitrarily tweaking the
releasing guidelines on HIV self- rules virtually every day, the government
testing, a major obstacle in improv- has committed a serious sin on society: it
ing access to diagnosis has been has used the fig leaf of public interest to
cleared. Though much progress has been achieved create a situation of grim distress. Were the
Supreme Court to review these terrible con-
in India in making HIV testing accessible and free
sequences of demonetisation, it would
of cost, many infected persons remain unaware of scarcely be overreaching its authority. On
their status. Across the world, nearly 40 per cent of the contrary, it would merely be performing
people with HIV are unaware of their infection and its rightful role in Indias constitutional
run the risk of unknowingly transmitting it. Besides structure.
going a long way in preventing new infections,
early diagnosis will help in a prompt start to treat- Suhrith Parthasarathy is an advocate practising at the
Madras High Court.
ment and enable the infected to live longer and
healthier. Though there has been a 66 per cent drop
in incidence in 2015 in India compared with 2000,
the number of new HIV infections last year was
86,000; children below 15 years of age alone ac- LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
count for 12 per cent of this number. In 2015, the
Letters emailed to letters@thehindu.co.in must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.
total number of people with HIV in India was es-
timated to be 2.1 million. Of this, 1.5 million were de-
tected and tested at integrated counselling and test- Nagrota attack and forcing an audience to stand up. that a symbolic display of days business begins. Seeing the astonishing (Indias missing girl
ing centres (ICTC) and about a million people are (The photo that accompanies the aggressive nationalism is the true never-ending ugly fights among our children, Dec.1). It is time to
on treatment. This leaves about half a million who The fact that three terrorists article in the newspaper shows test of appropriate civic morality. so-called peoples representatives, analyse the loopholes in the Pre-
stormed into an Army installation some boys standing casually; Though the ruling in question is it would make sense to make them Conception and Pre-Natal
are unaware of their HIV status. The government
at Nagrota highlights the theyre not even standing at limited to cinema halls, the stand for the national anthem and Diagnostic Techniques Act to
has approved in principle the proposal to take HIV defencelessness of our defence attention.) The practice of playing rationale can be applied to other respect the nation. completely eliminate unscrupulous
testing closer to those in need by starting establishments (Provocation at the national anthem at the end of public places such as railway sex-determination practices. Also,
community-based testing. This will soon become V.S. Ganeshan,
Nagrota, Dec.1). The attack shows film screenings was discontinued stations, bus depots, government Bengaluru some regions show more gaps in
operational and will be in addition to institutional that no lessons have been learnt long back. The court should have oices, and banks where citizens gender status than others; we need
testing. India is also weighing the option of from the Pathankot and Uri attacks. examined the reasons for that assemble for specific purposes and to pay attention to these. The
self-testing. It also indicates that neither decision. that therefore can be considered as This is a welcome verdict. Many government and various NGOs
The WHO-approved OraQuick HIV self-testing Pakistan nor its militants are trying I am reminded of a short story in a appropriate platforms for the Americans fly their national flag have created much awareness in
is based on HIV antibodies present in oral and to give peace a chance. India must Tamil weekly in the 1960s, when the collective display of nationalism. with pride atop their homes. We can communities but the change in
blood samples. The test can detect antibodies de- enhance its security preparedness patriotic spirit was high, fuelled by One is left to wonder how such a also go one step further by hoisting mindset is still not substantial.
and infrastructure in vulnerable successive wars. The story is about ruling would be enforced in our flag not only at our homes but at Gagan Pratap Singh,
veloped within three months of getting infected. It places and draw up a plan to a climax scene in a film. Indian practice. It comes with the danger our places of work too. This will go
is a screening test, and a positive result should be Uttar Pradesh
minimise the loss of lives. soldiers, who have been captured of encouraging private vigilantism a long way in instilling patriotism
reconfirmed though a blood-based test. Despite Importantly, it must hold an oicial by the enemy, are shot one after in public places due to inherent and a sense of belonging to the
greater awareness, people with HIV still face meeting with the new Pakistani another in the film. Some suspense limitations of state enforcement nation. I beg to difer with the Sound of birds
stigma and discrimination. As a result, getting ever- Army chief soon. awaits the audience about the last machinery. argument that the courts ruling The sudden disappearance of the
yone at risk of HIV infection tested has been a chal- Gregory Fernandes, soldier. Young people watching the Abraham Joseph, amounts to a kind of tokenist sparrow is another indication of
lenge. The OraQuick self-testing makes diagnosis Mumbai movie are restless as the clock ticks Gurugram measure. Filmi content has nothing how man has distanced himself
easier and faster, besides ensuring privacy and con- away. It turns out that their to with patriotism. from his natural surroundings
fidentiality, thus encouraging more people to get impatience is not because of the Our anthem is the best in the world C.G. Kuriakose, (Confessions of a bird man,
Instilling patriotism climax scene but because of their for its lyrical content and music. It Kerala Dec.1). The biosphere is one
tested. But there are challenges in terms of coun-
How can the Supreme Court compulsion to sit through the can be sung at any place, unlike a integral whole, an interconnected
selling and sensitivity, with the accuracy of the tests assume the powers of the national anthem after the suspense bhajan (Reeling out patriotism, If singing the national anthem in web of species essential for our
pegged at around 93 per cent. Counselling has to be legislature? (SC makes national is lifted and the film is over! So Nov.1). It causes, if at all, school did not instil the type of survival. As man continues to
done through innovative ways, such as over the tel- anthem mandatory in cinema halls, apparently people rush out of halls inconvenience for only about three patriotism that the judgment tamper with this balance, to the
ephone, as in the case of the U.S. Unlike the conven- Dec.1) If the court felt that it must before the conclusion of a film just minutes. The courts judgment does laments is lost on an entire extent it might be irreversible, the
tional method of getting tested at ICTCs, people infuse patriotism, it should have to escape sitting through the not infringe on any constitutional generation, how would standing at aftermath is inconceivably
self-testing should be more aware about the possib- asked parliamentarians to consider national anthem. The moral of the right. The verdict is consistent with theatres succeed in doing the same? horrifying. The article has an
ility of false negatives. But the risk of not getting enacting a suitable law. It would be story stands true today too: Article 51A of the Constitution. It is Sham Sankar, important lesson for our
tested far outweighs the limitations posed by self- healthy if all the pillars of patriotism cannot be forced. also timely given the terrorist Thiruvananthapuram conservationists. It tacitly lays
testing. Twenty-three countries have in place democracy confined themselves to R. Vidya Sagar, attacks from across the border. emphasis on the potential of
their respective domains rather Chennai Y.G. Chouksey, communities and cultures in
policies that support HIV self-testing. It is time In- than tread on each others toes. Pune
Missing girl children making important contributions to
dia adopted it quickly to enable more people to test Moreover, I fail to understand how The courts verdict is based on the Revelations from the data of the the field of conservation.
themselves and help break the transmission cycle. patriotism can be instilled by logic that patriotism is a virtue that The national anthem should be Civil Registration System of the Shalini Bellan,
closing the doors of a cinema hall needs to be forcibly imposed, and played in Parliament too, before the Registrar General of India are Bengaluru

CM ND-ND
YK
10 | - 1ias.com - EDITORIAL THE HINDU SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016
NOIDA/DELHI

Making of a legislative court


The Supreme Court order on the national anthem relies exclusively on Fundamental Duties. This is not a
coincidence as it closely follows the spirit of the Emergency-era 42nd amendment
dentally, currently in vogue even outside the to be granted to laws implementing Funda-
S AT U R D AY , D E C E M B E R 3 , 2 0 1 6 judiciary. Last week, when November 26 was mental Duties, though this was not carried
ANUJ BHUWANIA celebrated as Constitution Day for the first through. This approach then prevalent was
time, the exclusive focus of the University pithily criticised by constitutional lawyer
Grants Commission (UGC) directive to all H.M. Seervai: It was an unfounded assump-
Staring at a The Supreme Court of India, on November
universities and colleges for the occasion
was to make students and teachers engage in
tion that the Directive Principles were to
secure social justice and the Fundamental

slowdown 30, gave an order that the national anthem


will have to be played before feature films at
cinema halls all over the country, and that
activities propagating the Fundamental Du-
ties.
Rights were mere selfish individual rights.

An enduring legacy

P
rime Minister Narendra Modis decision to those present in these halls are obliged to A radical reshaping It is important to understand that this is
abruptly withdraw legal tender status for stand up to show respect. Similar orders on No such Duties, however, existed in the precisely the implicit logic of the national
Rs.1,000 and Rs.500 notes to save the coun- respecting the national anthem have been original Constitution adopted on November anthem order this week: pesky Fundamental
delivered by two High Courts in recent 26, 1949. These provisions were incorpor- Rights have to be made subservient to the
try from the grip of corruption and black
years. Indeed such an order is not in any way ated by the 42nd amendment to the higher ideals of national integration and/or
money has had one predictable side efect: a an aberration in the post-Emergency traject- Constitution during the Emergency. It was social revolution. This mode of argument, in
dampening of economic activity. With cash avail- ory of the higher judiciary. A few months passed by a Lok Sabha which had already fin- which alleged Constitutional goals trump
ability significantly impaired as a result of the sud- back, the Madras High Court mandated that ished its term of five years. This amendment Fundamental Rights, has been embraced by
den withdrawal of the high-value banknotes that Thirukkural be taught in all schools in Tamil radically reshaped the Constitution, amend- the judiciary and is an enduring legacy of
constituted more than 86 per cent of the currency Nadu. Currently, in another case, the Su- ing as many as 59 Articles. The legacy of the Mrs. Gandhis populism of the 1970s. The
in circulation as of March 31, a palpable impact has preme Court is considering making yoga ILLUSTRATION: SURENDRA 42nd amendment was partially undone by apotheosis of Directive Principles was ac-
been felt across the entire economy. A snapshot of compulsory in schools. While patriotism, later amendments. But it could not be re- cepted in the judicial discourse of the post-
education and health may all perhaps be de- One must understand the logic of pealed in toto, and much of it remains in the Emergency period. While the 42nd amend-
manufacturing from the Nikkei India Manufac-
turing Purchasing Managers Index released on sirable goals, what is common here is the the national anthem order this Constitution, most prominent being its in- ment to Article 31C was struck down in 1980,
court compulsorily prescribing highly spe- week: pesky Fundamental Rights sertion of Socialist and Secular in the Pre- even this judgment mirrored Mrs. Gandhis
December 1 revealed that demonetisation had cific modes of pursuing these lofty aims. amble. This is unfortunate as the 42nd language in astonishing fashion.
slowed buying activity and production across the Such judicial decisions have three other have to be made subservient amendment should be undone in its entirety What makes the order on the national an-
board, and led to the weakest expansion in orders in common attributes. First, all such cases are to higher ideals for the damage it has done to Indian de- them so representative of PILs orientation is
four months. The survey indicated that producers in the PIL (public interest litigation) juris- mocracy. To take a less conspicuous ex- the fact of its open hostility to the Funda-
of consumer goods are among the worst hit, a signal diction. Second, they rely on Fundamental concern on any issue, asking the court to act ample, it froze delimitation of Lok Sabha mental Rights enshrined in the Constitution.
that a key engine of Indias world-leading pace of Duties and/or an expanded notion of Direct- upon it. It should also not be surprising that constituencies, the logic being States with It has long been a popular misconception
economic growth private consumption demand ive Principles, with a barely concealed con- Mr. Chouksey has had repeated success with higher population increase ought not to be that PIL emerged as a corrective to the
appears to be sputtering on account of the cash tempt for Fundamental Rights. Third, the the same judge over the same issue. The im- rewarded with more seats. Population con- courts capitulation to violations of civil lib-
shortage. That the impact is likely to extend beyond judges do not feel any need to justify their pulse to legislate as well as allegations of so- trol was thus deemed to be a more important erties during the Emergency. In fact, the
decisions in legal terms. liciting petitioners with their pet issues go principle than one person, one vote. As a post-Emergency court has been steadfast in
the current quarter appears certain, according to
back to the hallowed days of PIL under result, the average Lok Sabha seat in Ra- its support of such state lawlessness. In the
the downward revisions of growth projections an- Invitation to legislate Justice P.N. Bhagwati. Passing far-reaching jasthan today represents a much larger pop- infamous Habeas Corpus case of 1976, the
nounced by brokerages and credit rating agencies. While PIL was defined by its dilution of interim orders without any urgency, like in ulation than one in Kerala. court had upheld the constitutionality of the
The median reduction in GDP growth estimate for locus standi, two new ways of conceptual- the anthem case, rather than in reasoned The oicial aims of the 42nd amendment draconian Maintenance of Internal Security
the year by the 13 forecasters indicates that the pace ising standing in PIL were initially envi- judgments is also unexceptional. Being a included giving Directive Principles Act. Far from departing from this dark lega-
of growth will be slower by at least 50 basis points, saged: representative standing and citizen frankly legislative court, the Supreme Court precedence over those Fundamental Rights cy, the Supreme Court has since repeatedly
with two of them dialling back the number by one standing. The first would be in a case similar does not feel the need to give any reasons, as that had frustrated the Principles imple- upheld an entire alphabet soup of repressive
percentage point or more. to a class-action suit, except with a non-class legal scholar Tarunabh Khaitan has argued. mentation. Indira Gandhi had carried out a statutes from the National Security Act in
Data released by the government on November member representing the larger group. A Such are the occupational hazards of PIL. campaign for overriding Fundamental 1980 to the Armed Forces (Special Powers)
30 put GDP growth in the July-September period at petitioner under citizen standing, on the The order of November 30 declares: Be it Rights with Directive Principles ever since Act in 1997. The populist spirit of the Emer-
other hand, was to stand for the entire cit- stated, a time has come, the citizens of the her electoral victory in 1971. Commitment to gency was never departed from by PIL and is
7.3 per cent, as the agriculture sectors performance izenry of India rather than individual victims country must realize that they live in a nation Directive Principles was precisely what was entirely in conformity with its history. The
was buoyed by an almost normal south-west mon- of injustice. While both categories have been and are duty bound to show respect to Na- implied by her infamous call for a commit- underlying sense of judicial purpose in the
soon. That this came after two successive years of present since the inception of PIL, there has tional Anthem which is the symbol of the ted judiciary during this period. Article 31C post-Emergency period was derived not
drought helped boost the area sown. Still, a moot been a definite trend away from repre- Constitutional Patriotism and inherent na- was inserted in the Constitution in 1971 from entitlements drawn from rights, but
question relates to gauging the impact the cash sentative standing towards citizen standing. tional quality. It does not allow any diferent through which any law declared to be imple- from the goals of the Constitution. The
shortage is likely to have had in rural areas both A PIL of the kind filed by the petitioner notion or the perception of individual rights, menting the socialistic directive principles courts had implicitly accepted the language
from a consumption perspective and in terms of the Shyam Narayan Chouksey is of the latter that have individually thought of have no of Articles 39(b) & 39 (c) could no longer be of legitimation that Mrs. Gandhis formula-
potential disruption caused to farming operations. kind and is really an invitation to legislate. In space. The idea is constitutionally imper- declared invalid even if they violated Art- tion of committed judiciary ofered. As Pro-
Given the less-than-adequate penetration of formal fact, an order of this sort could only be made missible. The only statutory provisions the icles 14, 19 or 31. This immunity was exten- fessor Upendra Baxi pointed out in 1980, the
under the PIL jurisdiction, as it enables any order relied on are Fundamental Duties. ded to all Directive Principles by the 42nd court referred to the people more fre-
banking channels, economic activity in small towns
citizen to come to court professing public These Duties are, perhaps not coinci- amendment in 1976. A similar immunity was quently in 1977-79 than in 1950-77.
and villages is largely cash-based, and it remains to Even the so-called rights revolution of the
be seen how the agrarian economy will recover in
the short to medium term from this disruption.
CARTOONSCAPE post-Emergency court has involved an ever-
expanding bunch of unnamed rights flowing
While the biggest contributor to gross value added, from Directive Principles being read into
the services sector, is expected to sustain a hit, Fundamental Rights. The right to life juris-
small and micro enterprises that conduct a sizeable prudence under Article 21 has been extra-
part of their business through cash transactions are polated to include all kinds of socio-
also bound to be impacted. And with the external economic rights. The only right it seems to
environment yet to revive, the RBI and the govern- exclude is the literal mandate of Article 21, a
negative right against any deprivation of life
ment have their task cut out to ensure that the econ- or personal liberty by the state in an illegal
omy doesnt slide into a protracted slowdown. manner. While this Article became a recept-
acle for all manners of positive rights, the all-
important civil right it was meant to embody
no longer gets the respect it is due. Rights are
Right vs far right meant to lead to remedies, but the prolifera-
tion of rights under Article 21 exemplifies

in France what legal scholar Clark Cunningham called


Rights without Remedies and Remedies
without Rights, that is, bare enunciation of

F
rench President Franois Hollandes de- unnamed rights without any chance of en-
forceability and its converse, grant of reliefs
cision to not make a bid for a second term in like state compensation as largesse without
oice is unsurprising. In the last leg of a fixing responsibility.
term marred by economic uncertainty, high The courts deference to legislative wis-
unemployment rates, workers strikes, infighting dom in the case of Section 377 of the Indian
within the ruling party and personal scandal, Mr. Penal Code, abdicating its classic function of
Hollandes approval ratings are abysmally low as judicial review, contrasts neatly with orders
low as 4 per cent in some polls. Moreover, several such as the national anthem one, where the
former cabinet colleagues have said they would run court happily legislates. With PIL, the post-
against him in the Socialist Party primaries. It Emergency Supreme Court is very rarely a
court for judicial review and far more often,
would have been humiliating for a sitting President
the court for judicial populism.
to go through the primaries to win party nomina-
tion. Now, with Mr. Hollande deciding to keep out, Anuj Bhuwania is a lawyer and an anthropologist. His book
the Socialists have the opportunity to put up a Courting the People: Public Interest Litigation in post-
Emergency India will be released later this month. He
united fight under another candidate, most likely currently teaches at South Asian University, New Delhi.
Prime Minister Manuel Valls, in the April pres-
idential elections. Still, the left is likely to find it dif-
ficult to win back popularity in a campaign in LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
which the agenda is largely being set by the conser- Letters emailed to letters@thehindu.co.in must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.
vatives and the far right. Mr. Hollandes adminis-
tration must share some blame for this. In 2012 he
The Army in Bengal Members of Parliament seem to courage to take hard but imperative Instilling patriotism On a roll
campaigned as an aggressive socialist, aligning forget that they are there to highlight decisions. Obviously he knew that
himself with the unions and promising a left altern- It is odd that some politicians react the problems faced in their the execution of demonetisation The move by the Supreme Court Hearty congratulations to King Carl
ative to conservative Nicolas Sarkozys unpopular to every action of the Central constituencies and find redress for could end up badly and dent his ordering every cinema hall to play for winning the world chess
regime. But in oice, he drifted to economic liber- government (Army deployed but them. Instead, they raise issues that image, but he wanted to keep this the national anthem before any championship for the third time in a
alism, ofering tax breaks to corporations and set- State not informed, alleges Mamata, have no relevance to any exercise a secret, to maximise its screening must be taken a step row, and at 26 (Sport No stopping
ting out to overhaul labour laws, which pitted him Dec.2). Where was the need for West parliamentary discussion, an eiciency. I have not sufered its further. It must be done in the Carlsen juggernaut, Dec.2). One
against his allies on the left. His policies failed to re- Bengal Chief Minister Mamata example being the delay in the efects, so it is wrong for me to make Parliament and all State Assemblies hopes that this versatile and worthy
vive the economy; he is also seen to have failed on Banerjee to blow things out of landing of a flight on which the Chief comments. I am supremely before beginning the days business sportsperson goes even further. It is a
the security front, with massive terrorist attacks in proportion? Shouldnt she have been Minister of West Bengal was a confident that the country is and our elected representatives must pity that this daily did not write
happy that additional security cover passenger (Turbulence over radically improving for the first time demonstrate that they are role about at least the two decisive games
several French cities over the past year. is being provided to the State? Mamata flight delay, Dec.2). in so many years and hope that the models. Let this simple but powerful of the longer format.
Mr. Hollande could neither retain his support How can there be any objection to momentum is not lost. practice exhibiting a spirit of
Raghothaman S., Bhooma Ramanarayanan,
base nor win over the other side of the spectrum, Chennai the steps being taken by the patriotism remind them everyday
Mihir Bhagat, Chennai
shifting the political mood in the country to the government to wipe out the black Evanston, Illinois, U.S. that all resources of the country
right. But the question is, who will cash in on this? The deployment of the Indian Army economy? In view of the enormity of belong to the nation and that
Polls suggest Francois Fillon of the Republican at toll plazas in West Bengal raises the problem, there will be some Demonetisation is being heralded as disputes can be settled amicably. Clarification
Party and Marine Le Pen of the National Front will some serious questions, especially in temporary inconvenience to the a direct fight against black money; in A.V. Ramanathan, With reference to excerpts of the
emerge the leading candidates out of the first round the wake of the strong opposition of common man. fact even the U.S. said that it is a Chennai Greek Alternate Foreign Ministers
of the election, to face each other in the May 7 run- Ms. Banerjee to demonetisation. One S. Chidambaresa Iyer, necessary step (Dec.2). But the interview to The Hindu
wonders whether this is an act of Chennai Central government must keep in (Demonetisation is a draconian
of. Mr. Fillon is a social conservative with a liberal
political vendetta by the Central mind the adage history repeats Check yourself move, Nov.26), the Embassy of
economic agenda, and wants to overhaul the public government. The defence forces are If the circulation of counterfeit notes itself if the recovery of nearly Rs.4 The statistics and the facts on AIDS Greece wishes to declare that some
sector, rein in unions and sack civil servants. He has meant for the preservation of the is said to be rampant, it speaks poorly crore in new currency notes from show that this is a disease that has a comments by the Alternate Minister
the backing of a large organisational machinery, sovereignty and integrity of the of the vigilance agencies. If the new government oicials and Rs.2,000 far-reaching impact on society and concerning recent monetary
whereas Ms. Le Pen is an insurgent candidate. But nation. Any attempt to use them to notes reach antisocial and terrorist notes from insurgents is an humanity itself. As far as the self- measures by the Indian government
so was Donald Trump. Over the past few years, Ms. settle political disagreements would groups, say after a year or two, will indication. Such elements will go to HIV test is concerned, it is quick and have been presented out of context
Le Pen has transformed the NF from a fringe far- be unfortunate. the government roll out any extent to recover what they have ensures privacy but is unavailable in and thus led to an oversimplification
right group to an almost mainstream party with Ivin Tomy, demonetisation once again? When lost due to demonetisation. To tackle many nations. It is also a fact that of their meaning.
some grass-roots support. It now controls at least a Thiruvananthapuram much of India is outside the Internet this, the government should when compared to women, men are The Minister was referring to
dozen town halls and is consolidating support age, why talk of the cashless mode strengthen institutions such as the not being tested for HIV that often. European practices and has
now? anti-corruption bureau while IT This is because many women get explicitly stated that he does not
among the white working class, especially in the Living with demonetisation oicials should institute a strong tested during pregnancy as part of want to make judgment on internal
rust belt of the north and east. Like Mr. Trump, she R. Ranganathan,
The political opposition to Ahmedabad grievance redressal mechanism, the many tests that they undergo. afairs of which he does not have
presents herself as an anti-establishment outsider demonetisation evident in what appointing Lokayuktas in all States. Only 30 per cent of men voluntarily in-depth knowledge.
with a protectionist economic agenda. With the left one sees in Parliament, and outside it I have been following Indian politics There should also be greater come forward to get themselves Panos Kalogeropoulos,
in disarray and established conservatives divided, leaves much to be desired for about a decade and can say that awareness of RTI. tested. This needs to be looked into. Ambassador,
Ms. Le Pens chances cannot be ruled out. (Modis presence in Rajya Sabha this is the first time I have seen a Abhijit Kurhade, Vangala Vijaya Kumar, Embassy of Greece
fails to break the ice, Dec.2). Our Prime Minister who has had the Nagpur Warangal, Telangana New Delhi
CM ND-ND
YK
10 | - 1ias.com - WEEKEND THE HINDU SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2016
NOIDA/DELHI

BEING
DR HUMERUS MATERNAL HEALTH

Choosing hospital over home


Keshav

The Janani Suraksha Yojana fuels a 22 per cent increase in women delivering in government hospitals between 2004
and 2014, finds study
VIDYA KRISHNAN and Rs.200 respectively in urban Nearly 3,50,000 women over
areas. two rounds of NSSO surveys

O
ver the last decade, a The researchers have found a were studied.
government pro- causal link between JSY and in-
gramme aimed at in- crease in hospitalisation, even for Concerns that persist
creasing institutional non-childbirth-related ailments. The schemes focus was only to
deliveries has The study found that while fertility reduce maternal and infant mortal-
changed the health-seeking beha- rates in Indian women have stead- ity. But now we see that women are
viour of Indian women. A new ily declined (from 2004 when it going for childbirth and are also
study, released on Friday, has found was 2.88 per woman to 2.4 in 2014), coming in for other ailments. The
AROUND THE WORLD that the maternal health pro- JSY impacted overall hospitalisa- overall increase is a windfall gain.
gramme Janani Suraksha Yojana tion of women. JSY led to 15 per However, we have concerns about
Cataract ups (JSY) led to a 22 per cent increase cent increase in institutional child- the quality of care with increasing
depression risk in women delivering in govern- birth with a commensurate decline number of caesarean sections and
ment hospitals between 2004 and in deliveries at home. The data also hospital-acquired infections, says
Older adults with 2014. The scheme also is attributed shows that there is a tremendous Shamika Ravi, senior fellow at
cataracts are more for increasing the probability of a increase of over 22 per cent in de- Brookings India.
likely to have woman being hospitalised by 1.3 liveries in government hospitals. One must also keep in mind
symptoms of per cent, resulting in a 2 per cent This increase is fuelled by an 8 per that the percentage of women re-
depression, reports PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT increase in overall hospitalisation cent decline in childbirth at private porting sick has also increased and
a study in the of women in India. The increase, hospitals and a 16 per cent declined it could be a result of other health
December issue of Optometry and Vision Science, however marginal, is a cause of cel- in childbirth at home. Our analysis insurance schemes like Rashtriya
the official journal of the American Academy of ebration as women in rural India shows that the JSY hypothesis Swasthya Bima Yojana. The fact
Optometry. The link between cataracts and are known to delay seeking health holds true and the programme led that these many women are being
depression is independent of other factors, and interventions. to a significant increase of 2 per- hospitalised also reflects the in-
appears strongest among older adults with lower SAFER MOTHERHOOD: The scheme is also being credited for a 2 per cent
increase in overall hospitalisation of women in India. Picture shows a cent in overall public hospitaliza- duced demand with hospitals per-
education, according to new research by Haifang Schemes success tion of women in India, states the forming unnecessary procedures.
Wang, MSc, of Soochow University, Suzhou, China, newborn child at a community health centre at Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh.
Launched in 2005, JSY, the PHOTO: RAJEEV BHATT Brookings India report. Patients are now seen as ATMs
and colleagues. worlds biggest conditional cash- The study, titled Health and that hospitals can milk, cautioned
Age-related cataracts are the leading cause of visual transfer scheme, aimed to promote mortality rates. Under JSY, preg- cision get cash incentives Morbidity in India: 2004-2014, is K. Srinath Reddy, president of the
impairment worldwide and are expected to increase institutional delivery instead of nant women choosing to deliver at Rs.1,400 for the woman and Rs.600 based on analysis of the 60th and Public Health Foundation of India,
as population demographics shift towards delivering babies at home to im- the hospital and the health worker for the Accredited Social Health 71st round of National Sample Sur- while releasing the report.
advancing age. prove Indias infant and maternal who motivated her to take the de- Activist in rural areas and Rs.1,000 vey Organisation (NSSO) data. vidya.krishnan@thehindu.co.in

Is that HEALTHWATCH
you? Red ribbon and the message
What are the
characteristics of
the way you say
You can rebuild
hello (or anything
else for that matter) PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
that makes you
aging muscles
recognisable over the phone? Despite the increasing GRETCHEN REYNOLDS Young people who work
amount of literature on personal voice quality, very out add new muscle fibres
little is actually known about how to characterise
the sound of an individual speaker.
Two researchers from UCLA in Los Angeles,
I s it true that the muscle
mass we lose at, say, 60
years old cannot be
and also plump up their ex-
isting ones. Older people do
not. We increase the size of
California, are joining forces to apply acoustics tools regained? our atrophied muscle fibres
to their linguistics research, investigating this Lets start with the good with exercise but, for a vari-
question. An individual persons voice may vary over news about aging muscles. ety of physiological reasons,
time because of their emotional state, health, the You can rebuild them, even do not add to the number of
context of the conversation, or a host of other if you are middle-aged or fibres, Dr. Bamman says.
factors that make quantifying this measurement older. But in practical terms,
particularly difficult. Our lab and others have who cares? Older muscles
shown repeatedly that will become larger and
older muscles will grow and stronger if you work them,
Germ cell tumour strengthen, says Marcas he says.
Bamman, a professor of in-
breakthrough tegrative biology at the Uni- Key is regular training
Researchers led by versity of Alabama at Birm- The key, he continues, is
scientists at Dana- ingham. In his studies, men regular and progressive
Farber Cancer and women in their 60s and weight training. If you dont
Institute, Boston, 70s who began supervised belong to a gym, consider
Massachusetts, DECEMBER 1: On World AIDS Day 2016, the World Health Organisation was at the forefront promoting new innovative weight training developed joining one, and then plan
PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
U.S., say they have HIV testing policies, urging countries and communities to deploy high-impact prevention services, and further muscles that were as large on tiring yourself. In order
identified unique genomic changes that may be expand early and quality treatment for all, addressing geographical disparities. Picture shows a part of the Austrian and strong as those of your to initiate the biochemical
integral to testicular cancer development and Parliament building with an AIDS awareness ribbon. PHOTO: AFP average 40-year-old. processes that lead to larger,
explain why the great majority are highly curable But the process of bulking stronger fibres, Dr. Bamman
with chemotherapy unlike most solid tumours. up works diferently in older says, you should push your
The findings may shed light on factors in other PERSPECTIVE people than in the young, he muscles until they are
cancers that influence their sensitivity to says. exhausted.
chemotherapy, according to a report in Nature.
Cancers of the testes are known as germ cell
tumours (germ cells produce sperm and eggs). In
How Sri Lanka won the malaria war Skeletal muscles are com-
posed of various types of
fibres and two things hap-
In his studies, volunteers
used weights calibrated so
that the lifters could barely
2016, about 8,720 new cases are expected in the
U.S., with about 380 deaths. Although they are rare,
primary testicular germ cell tumours are the most
O n September 5 this year, Sri
Lanka was declared malaria-free
at the 69th Session of the World
regions which are generally malaria-
free.
The development of a
The struggle against malaria
experienced a setback due to the
civil war with Vanni, the primary
pen to those fibres after we
reach middle age, Dr. Bam-
complete a set of eight to 12
repetitions before their
man says. Some die, espe- arms or legs grew leaden
common solid cancers in young men. Health Organisation (WHO) comprehensive welfare state in Sri theatre of war, being a malaria- cially if we have not been ex- and they had to rest. They
Because of their rarity, germ cell tumours havent Regional Committee for South-East Lanka, inclusive of free education, endemic region and a large civilian ercising our muscles much. repeated each set two or
been as intensively studied as other forms of cancer, Asia held in Colombo. This is free health care and subsidised food population in the Northern Province
another milestone in Sri Lankas Sedentary adults can lose 30 three times and visited the
and research funding is more scarce. rations from the 1940s, was in part a being displaced into this region. An
outstanding achievements in public response to this massive epidemic per cent to 40 per cent of the gym three times per week. If
epidemic broke out in Vanni from
health. that broke out a few years after total number of fibres in you are new to weight
1998 to 2002, afecting civilians,
The only other country to have universal franchise was introduced LTTE cadres and Sri Lankan security their muscles by the time workouts, ask for an ori-
A dense network achieved malaria eradication in the in 1931. Many in the first generation forces. Despite the raging hostilities they are 55, Dr. Bamman entation at your gym or con-
Its a familiar WHOs South-East Asian region of political leadership in since 1983, there is no evidence of says. sult an athletic trainer who
request in the consisting of 11 countries is the independent Ceylon saw the any manipulation of malaria Other fibres remain alive often works with older cli-
digital age: one of Maldives. While these malaria-free devastation caused by the 1934-35 interventions for military purposes but shrink and atrophy as we ents. The New York
your friends on countries do provide an important malaria epidemic, and were either by the state or the LTTE. The age. Times News Service
social media has a breakthrough for the South Asia determined to campaign for peace accord signed under
friend who wants to region as a whole, it is important to expanding health services. Norwegian mediation also
be your friend. PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT note that the long-term viability of Regular DDT spraying began facilitated the gradual
Frequent linking among friends of friends can cause malaria-free status in countries that in 1945 and the number of containment of the war-
a rapid increase in social network connectivity. have already achieved this status malaria cases reported induced malaria epidemic
A new theoretical model shows that networks depends on gradual advances in dropped from 2.7 million in the afected regions.
evolve very differently depending on how often malaria control and eradication in in 1946 to 17 in 1963. Even though successful
the region as a whole. This is because However, optimism was malaria containment was
these second neighbour connections occur. The malarial parasites can be easily short-lived as a full-scale achieved prior to the last
work could offer a better understanding of how reintroduced from malaria-endemic malaria epidemic broke out
dense networks form. phase of the war, it is
countries to malaria-free countries again in 1968. Vector resistance significant that Sri Lanka
By including friend-of-friend interactions in their through human migration across to DDT and parasitic resistance to achieved malaria-free status in the
model, Renaud Lambiotte (University of Namur, national boundaries; these can be in antimalarials were first reported in aftermath of the war when the dust
Belgium), Paul Krapivsky (Boston University), and the form of flows of tourists, the 1970s. New development projects had settled and the resettlement of
Uttam Bhat and Sid Redner (both Santa Fe Institute) pilgrims, workers, investors and such as the Accelerated Mahaweli war-displaced population largely
could control the link density of the network. Development Programme (1977) accomplished.
Its an incredibly simple model that can produce further complicated the task of
both sparse and dense networks, says Redner, a malaria control due to development- The future
Santa Fe Institute professor. Kalinga Tudor Silva induced population movements from Malaria is by and large under
the malaria-free wet zone to the control in much of South Asia. The
malaria-endemic dry zone as well as remaining hotbeds are in conflict-
due to enhanced vector breeding afected and frontier regions in
DEMYSTIFYING SCIENCE refugees. This should caution us
following environmental changes
triggered by development schemes.
Afghanistan, northeast India and
Myanmar and require a long-term
Where are giant galaxies born? about being unduly optimistic about By the 1980s, malaria infections were focal attention in the form of
consolidating malaria eradication in back to the levels seen in the pre- surveillance of the vector, parasite
An international team of scientists has selected countries without DDT era. An increase in P. and human behaviour conducive to
discovered that the biggest galaxies in the containing malaria in the region as a falciparum malaria was the new malaria transmission, a multi-
universe develop in cosmic clouds of cold gas. whole. challenge even though malaria pronged approach inclusive of
This finding was published on Saturday in the mortality had declined due to increased community participation
journal Science. Galaxies are usually grouped Sri Lankas battle improved health services. in malaria control activities,
into clusters, huge systems comprising up to Sri Lankas struggle against The Anti-Malaria Campaign livelihood development and poverty
thousands of millions of these objects, in whose malaria has been a long and arduous (AMC) responded to these reduction, conflict prevention and
interior are found the most massive galaxies in one. The use of DDT as a vector challenges by switching from DDT to reconciliation among rival parties. If
the universe. Until now scientists believed that control measure started in British malathion, changing the drug regime the disease burden is to not become
Ceylon in the 1940s; the introduction administered to malaria patients, an obstacle to future developments
these supergalaxies formed from smaller
of western antimalarials began in the changing the approach from malaria in the South Asia region, eforts must
galaxies that grow closer and closer together 1930s. As pointed out by Fernando
until they merge, due to gravitational attraction. eradication to control, and be made to rollback these diseases as
and Warusavithana in 100 Years of integration of malaria control with we seek to roll-out broad-based
For the past 10 billion years, these giant Malaria Control Eforts in Sri Lanka, other health services. Health development in the region as a
galaxies have grown mostly by cannibalising 1911 to 2011, the story of malaria volunteers were deployed to educate whole. As elaborated in my book,
smaller galaxies, the astronomers control in Sri Lanka has been the public about the disease, its Decolonisation, Development and
said.However, computer simulations predict characterised by periods of treatment and prevention. A variety Disease: A Social History of Malaria
that in an earlier phase, lasting a few billion spectacular advances and, equally, of measures such as insecticide- in Sri Lanka (2014), successful
years, their stars condensed directly out of large setbacks. impregnated bed nets and repellents eradication of malaria calls for a shift
reservoirs of accreted gas. Sri Lanka experienced one of the were introduced. By the early 1990s, from a narrow biomedical to a
To investigate this, the team studied the worst malaria epidemics ever there were signs that the human-centric approach.
Spiderweb galaxy (MRC 1138-262), an object recorded (1934-1935) after a triple interventions were limiting the Kalinga Tudor Silva is a social scientist who has
nearly 10 billion light years away. They disaster a severe drought, food disease to certain pockets where authored an account on the social history of
LETS START: In the study, people in their 60s and 70s who
estimated that the molecular gas totals more shortages and a malarial outbreak in increased surveillance was malaria in Sri Lanka. E-mail: began supervised weight training developed muscles that
than 100 billion times the mass of the sun. the densely populated wet zone necessary. kalingatudorsilva@gmail.com were as large and strong as those of your average 40-year-
old. PHOTO: SANDEEP SAXENA
CM ND-ND
YK
10 | - 1ias.com - EDITORIAL THE HINDU MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2016
NOIDA/DELHI

Notes for a cashless economy


The November 8 announcement was aimed at eliminating black money and corruption, apart from dealing
with the counterfeit currency industry. It has also given a god-sent opportunity for the digital economy
liance came to power in 2014, the Union interest of the country. That people are in
M O N D AY , D E C E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 6 Cabinet at its very first meeting constituted sync with the Prime Minister was also reflec-
M. VENKAIAH NAIDU an SIT (special investigation team) headed ted in opinion polls carried out by various
by the former Supreme Court judge, M.B. agencies.
Shah, to go into the issue of black money. Another testimony of this support was
Due diligence, Indias economic landscape, in terms of ever-
Similarly, at the very first G20 Summit he
had attended at Brisbane in November 2014,
captured in the results of the recently held
by-elections in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh

unsafe drugs yday transactions, has been transformed, so


to say, in one fell swoop. The life of every In-
dian, from a corporate CEO to a cobbler, has
Mr. Modi stridently took up the issue of black
money with other global leaders. Increased
mobility of capital and technology has
and Madhya Pradesh. In the municipal elec-
tions held in Maharashtra and Gujarat, the
Bharatiya Janata Party swept to power,

G
ood intentions alone are not enough to changed like never before ever since Prime created new opportunities for avoiding tax clearly indicating that the people were will-
secure the public interest. For govern- Minister Narendra Modi has announced the and profit sharing. I urge every jurisdiction, ing to sufer temporary pain for long-term
ments, the manner in which it is protec- trailblazing decision to withdraw old Rs.500 especially tax havens, to provide information gain.
and Rs.1,000 currency notes from circula- for tax purposes in accordance with treaty The Prime Ministers agenda for moving
ted is equally vital. The Delhi High
tion. obligations, he told the world leaders. This towards digital transfer of money is the need
Court verdict quashing all notifications banning forceful pitch by the Prime Minister led to of the hour wherein day-to-day transactions
the manufacture and sale of 344 Fixed Dose Com- The biggest reform, with a purpose the inclusion of a clause on combating tax take place without cash. Yes, in a society as
bination (FDC) drugs is a lesson in how not to ad- Apart from turning out to be the biggest evasion in the final communiqu. layered and complex as ours, the challenges
minister a regulatory law. The ban on combination economic reform in independent India, this Later, the Black Money (Undisclosed that lie ahead are many, but the road map has
drugs that have little therapeutic value was un- revolutionary measure is making it incum- Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition been laid out in a statesman-like fashion by
doubtedly done for bona fide reasons. However, the bent upon everyone to embrace and promote of Tax Act, 2015 came into force on July 1, 2015 the Prime Minister.
government could not convince the court that the digital platforms for money transactions. Ne- for disclosure of foreign black money within The government on its part has suggested
ban was valid despite statutory bodies such as the cessity is the mother of invention, to use a It is planned to ensure that every three months by paying 60 per cent tax. various measures for people to move towards
Drug Testing Advisory Board (DTAB) and the clichd adage. Herein lies the importance of transaction is through the mobile Other measures include the constitution of a less-cash economy. Transactions in phys-
the crucial and game-changing role the youth a Multi-Agency Group (MAG) on the Pana- ical currency would gradually come down as
Drugs Consultative Committee (DCC) not being and other digitally literate people can play in
phone. With high mobile phone ma Paper leaks and the passage of the Benami more and more people switch over to digital
involved in the process. There is little doubt that a educating the unlettered and semi-literate use in India, an important Transaction Bill, 2015, an anti-black money currency.
number of combination drugs should be taken of men and women in the use of mobiles and di- requirement is change of mindset measure, in the Lok Sabha. India also inked An important aspect that should be noted
the shelf. The government believes, as do many gital platforms for money transactions. agreements with many countries, including here is that India has the highest use of cash
health activists, that some combinations are unsafe The November 8 announcement was ba- courageous move, decided to withdraw the U.S. to add new provisions for sharing in the world, according to MasterCard re-
and/or promote antibiotic resistance, while others sically aimed at eliminating the twin men- Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 denominations in view banking information. Double Taxation port. It is apparent that such high use of cash
lack particular therapeutic value, justification or aces of black money and corruption, apart of the gigantic proportions black money was Avoidance Agreements (DTAA) were also would only strengthen the countrys in-
advantage. Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw has correctly from dealing a death blow to Pakistans ter- acquiring, leading to a virtual parallel econo- signed with countries which were con- formal economy, which is not in the larger in-
refrained from going into the merits of the ban, and ror-funding machine and the Inter-Services my. He was also aware of the growing menace sidered safe tax havens such as Mauritius and terest of the nation. Reduced use of cash
Intelligence (ISI)-sponsored counterfeit cur- of counterfeit currency being pumped into Cyprus. India also joined the Multilateral would choke the grey economy, curb money
has chosen to subject to scrutiny the process by
rency industry. It has also given a god-sent the country from across the border and the Competent Authority Agreement on Auto- laundering and result in increased tax collec-
which the decision was arrived at. While conclud- opportunity for providing a huge thrust to sinister manner in which it was being used by matic Exchange of Financial Account In- tions to the governments cofers. All this
ing that the ban was invalid because the power un- the digital economy and reap a bouquet of terrorists, smugglers, separatists, women formation (AEOI) to combat tax evasion and would ultimately benefit the common man,
der the Drugs and Cosmetics Act was exercised benefits that would accrue from such an all- and child traickers and drug dealers. He unearth black money. Later the Income Dec- as a less cash economy would plug loopholes
without consulting the DTAB and DCC, he has encompassing transformation the country is took this timely and path-breaking decision laration Scheme was announced and, finally, in the public system.
found that the government went about the process going to witness in the days and months to to prevent the shadow economy from caus- the Prime Minister warned during his Mann
in a haphazard manner. come. The positive cascading efect would ing any further damage to the country. Ki Baat address to the nation that the time is Jan Dhan, Aadhar and Mobile
Initially it was noted that in the case of FDC give a major fillip to our formal economy and up for black money hoarders. The Prime Minister has steered the coun-
help improve the countrys GDP in the long Not a sudden decision try in the right direction for people to move
drugs for which manufacturing licences were gran-
run. The decision was not sudden. Mr. Modi Support and the road map towards digital transactions right from the
ted by State licensing authorities between Septem-
There comes a time in the history of a na- took all the necessary precautions and aler- As the country is passing through this mo- launch of the Jan Dhan Yojana to JAM (Jan
ber 1988 and October 2012, the process was done tion when a major shake-up has to be efected ted the nation about the likely stringent mea- mentous phase, marking a tectonic shift, it is Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile) and other initiatives,
without any approval from the Drugs Controller. by taking a momentous decision to bring sures the government would be taking to un- our good fortune that most Indians be they including the Micro Units Development &
When they applied afresh to the Centre, on being about a tectonic shift in the attitudes of peo- earth black money. Who should fear the illiterate or literate, rich or poor, rural or Refinance Agency Ltd. (MUDRA) Bank, all
asked to do so, their applications were not con- ple, especially those who have been exploit- consequences of such a historic decision? urban dwellers are lending their whole- of which are a demonstration of his commit-
sidered by the Drugs Controller; instead, the Cen- ing and milking the loopholes in the system The answer is simple. Only those in posses- hearted support to the Prime Ministers drive ment towards improving the living standards
tre formed 10 committees. When these panels for begetting illegal and tainted wealth. sion of ill-gotten, unaccounted money in our against black money and corruption. At this of every Indian.
failed to consider all the applications, another one, Despite having a deep understanding of country and those with sinister motives and juncture, one should salute the common In- With Aadhaar acting as an important link
the Kokate Committee, was formed. However, this the temporary diiculties it might cause to evil designs across the border. dian for bearing this temporary inconveni- between the people and the government, the
panel went into the question whether these drugs the common man, the Prime Minister, in a Soon after the National Democratic Al- ence with fortitude and patience in the larger common citizen need no longer do the bid-
ding of unscrupulous and corrupt oicials to
posed a risk to consumers or lacked therapeutic
secure what is rightfully his.
value and justification. Based on its report, the Cen- CARTOONSCAPE A Moodys report has pegged the impact of
tre issued notifications banning these FDCs. In ef- electronic transactions to 0.8 per cent in-
fect, the Centre seemed to have delegated its power crease in GDP in emerging markets as against
to ban drugs to a non-statutory committee, when 0.3 per cent increase in developed markets.
the Act itself provided for expert bodies through People need to make full use of electronic
which technical aspects of administering the law payments as they are faster and easier to
were to be considered. The government ought to trace.
have been more mindful of the processes. It is pos- The various options towards a cashless or
sible that an appeal will be filed on the legal aspects less-cash economy include Unified Pay-
ments Interface (UIP), Bank Card, prepaid
of the judgment, but the real lesson from the epis- cards, using various cards at any PoS (point
ode concerns governance, and not the law alone. of sale)/ ATM, Unstructured Supplementary
Service Data (USSD) based mobile banking,
Aadhaar-enabled payment system (AEPS)
Indonesias and e-wallet or digital wallet.
As part of the drive to promote digital

blasphemy protests transactions, the Prime Minister himself


conducted a workshop for his personal staf.
Various ministries too are undertaking

S
ome 200,000 white-clad Indonesians took similar workshops for their respective staf.
to the streets of Jakarta to call for the arrest Eventually, it is planned to ensure that
every transaction takes place through the
of the citys governor, Basuki Purnama. Mr. mobile phone. With more than 1,033 million
Purnama, who is a double minority for be- mobile phones in India, including about 250-
ing ethnically Chinese and a Christian, riled the 300 million smartphones, an important re-
sentiments of certain hardline sections in Septem- quirement is change of mindset among all
ber when he said a Koranic verse had been used to sections I am sure every Indian would be-
trick voters into believing that Muslims ought not come part of this awe-inspiring initiative
be led by a non-Muslim. Since then, Indonesia has launched by the Prime Minister to take the
been convulsed by protests, including one near the Indian economy to majestic heights.
presidential palace in early November that turned
M. Venkaiah Naidu is Union Minister of Urban
violent. The embattled Mr. Purnama has been Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, and
slapped with blasphemy charges, and an investiga- Information and Broadcasting.
tion is ongoing. His political proximity to President
Joko Widodo does not appear to have slowed the LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
momentum of the protests. Prior to winning the
Letters emailed to letters@thehindu.co.in must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.
presidency in 2014, Mr. Widodo was the governor
of Jakarta, and Mr. Purnama, a frontrunner in the
February 2017 governorship election, is on track to Fundamental Duties to fore Enforcing a Fundamental Duty does not make us better citizens. Why is it urban dwellers. Where are the banks the amount to be withdrawn per day,
forge a pathway to even higher political oice. Mr. encroach on legislative matters and necessary for the common man to and ATMs in the rural areas? It is it makes the situation even more
Widodo has been silent on the motives driving the There have always been accusations should have been outside the scope repeatedly prove his nationalism fine for the Prime Minister, the diicult. Talking about going
that the judiciary intrudes into the of judicial review. and dedication towards the country? Finance Minister and the RBI cashless is inappropriate.
latest protest, even as he appeared at the scene to
domain of the legislature. While In the case of the demonetisation If the national anthem has to be Governor to be talking about Ramandeep Kaur,
praise its relatively peaceful tenor. However, the re- such intrusion is welcome in policy, there is a possibility that the played before the screening of a film electronic transactions, net banking Gurditpura, Punjab
cent arrest for treason of at least eight people, in- instances where the legislature has top court may recollect that why cant it be played before every and digital payments, but where are
cluding Rachmawati Soekarnoputri, daughter of failed to uphold its duty, the recent government policies are outside the sitting of Parliament or Legislative the smartphones? Where is the 3G
Indonesias founding father Sukarno, suggests that interim order appears to be a scope of judicial review and refuse Assembly and in courts and connectivity? How many shops are Back to school
other political factors may be at play, including an dangerous precedent. The top court to interfere in the matter. government oices? People wielding equipped with POS machines? Is The report, The class must go on
attempt to whip up public sentiment against Mr. has in a way thrust patriotism upon Considering the grave violation of power should realise that they there adequate connectivity in our (Ground Zero page The class
Purnama securing a second term as governor. cinema halls (Making of a Fundamental Rights of the common should lead by example. villages? Without examining all this, must go on, Dec.3), was an eye-
Given the Jakarta-centric locus of the protests, it legislative court, Dec.3). While man as a consequence of an ill- Saugaat Yashvardhan, the government went and opener.
is likely that anger over Mr. Purnama launching there was an emphasis on prepared and badly-implemented New Delhi demonetised crucial denominations, It is encouraging that there are
Fundamental Duties by the Indira policy, even if done in good faith, it causing untold sufering. students like Ara who have the
large-scale slum evictions in the city has brought Gandhi government, this would be a failure on the part of the foresight to realise the importance of
many from among the poorer sections to their feet. Cash to less cash Vignesh T.,
government too seems to be judiciary if the Supreme Court Chennai education in the troubled Valley.
Yet the fact that the demonstration was orches- following the same route. An refrains from examining the The stated objectives of the The Jammu and Kashmir
trated by the right-wing Islamic Defenders Front example can be seen in the form of demonetisation policy for this demonetisation drive were to flush Even today, one finds only those who government needs to do more to
Party, which also set up charity operations in the af- the advertisements released on reason (of being outside the scope of out unaccounted wealth, catch tax belong to either the middle class or restore the lost faith in the system
fected North Jakarta neighbourhoods, indicates Constitution Day (November 26), judicial review). evaders, stop terror funding and put those below the poverty line in long and ensure that education is not
that support for Islamist ideology from local wherein Fundamental Duties were Ujwala, an end to counterfeit currency. From queues outside banks and ATMs, sacrificed; mass promotion is not the
residents has been a critical factor. This de- given wide prominence and in the Bengaluru ground reports across the media it is struggling to have access to their long-term solution. That class 10 and
velopment, if it gains wider momentum across the Mann Ki Baat programme. clear that all four objectives have hard-earned money. More than three 12 students turned up in large
K.B. Dessai, How will nationalism grow all of a failed. It seems to be dawning on the weeks have passed and the situation numbers for their examinations,
countryside, could be a retrograde step for Indone-
Fatorda, Goa sudden if we listen to the anthem for government that the exercise is not seems to be getting worse. There are defying threats, is a very
sia, which has until now, like neighbouring Malay- 52 seconds and then for the achieving its stated results. Hence absolutely no new notes. In the encouraging sign.
sia, stood out as a regional bulwark against extrem- Diminishing nationalism is evident remaining two hours we watch a the media barrage on how the midst of all this, it is disheartening to Bal Govind,
ism, maintaining secular tolerance of Christian, especially among the youth. The film that has absolutely no value? objective now is to digitise the read reports such as the one on the Noida
Hindu, and Buddhist minorities. Adventurism of writer, who seems to have missed Feelings of patriotism and economy. Many top-level ministers recovery of Rs.4.7 crore in new
this sort could endanger the accommodating fabric this, has been hypercritical by nationalism cannot be imposed but are now on TV eulogising this new Rs.2,000 notes in Bengaluru. It is unfortunate that the writer has
of Indonesian society years after the post-Bali calling the judgment as having been should come from within after cash-less dream. The end result is Corrupt transactions with the new not mentioned once the eforts of
bombing purge of fundamentalists. This is espe- issued under judicial populism. I experiences and education. It should that the economy has been hit by notes have already started and, as the Indian Army in providing
cially a matter of concern in the context of suspi- strongly disagree. Standing for 52 also be reflected by doing good to this short-sighted and shoddily usual, it is the common man who education to afected students
cion that hundreds of Indonesian youth recently seconds may not cause diiculties individuals, society, the implemented episode which is now sufers. through community schools and
and it will definitely rejuvenate our environment and the nation to foster afecting the poor the most. Krishnanand Chaubey, various educational programmes.
travelled to Syria to join the Islamic State. While hidden patriotism and make a unity, growth and sustainable Articles such as this one sometimes
E. Vishwa Nathan, Secunderabad
Mr. Widodos encouraging remarks to the pro- diference. The need to rise above development. Mumbai make me wonder whether our media
testers are understandable, the onus is on him to the challenges of terrorism, Although demonetisation is a is really helping to solve the Kashmir
Lida Dominic,
take a stand against allowing the latest turn of communalism and regionalism is Thiruvananthapuram The government seems to have positive step, one cannot ignore its problem or just encouraging
events from turning into a launching pad for a more now more urgent than ever before. failed to note amidst all its great dark face especially in the rural blaming Indian defence forces.
intolerant national ethos. Sangeetha Nandagopal, I love and respect our national planning that demonetisation has hit areas. There is still a severe shortage Sumit Yadav,
Bengaluru anthem but forcing it upon us will the rural population more than of new notes. With restrictions on New Delhi
CM ND-ND
YK
14 | - 1ias.com - EDITORIAL THE HINDU TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2016
NOIDA/DELHI

Reimagining the liberal project


If progressive politics and liberal ideas have to survive, there is a need to mainstream our dissent and use
an accessible language to convey that
ically spoken the language of empire. While where, but then thats a matter for the longer
T U E S D AY , D E C E M B E R 6 , 2 0 1 6 the enlightenment project symbolised the term. And as Manmohan Singh reminded us
HAPPYMON JACOB intellectual supremacy of the West, the co- the other day, in the long run, we are all
lonial project that followed was the material dead.
manifestation of liberal arrogance. While the The reality is that liberals of all hues have
The heart of The triumphant words of Paul Ryan, the
colonial masters were busy looting colonies,
liberals continued to extol the values of en-
summarily failed to creatively and eiciently
been unable to address economic inequalit-

the problem Speaker of the U.S. House of Repre-


sentatives, that Donald Trumps victory
marks a repudiation of the status quo of
lightenment just like those American lib-
erals who justified what the American war
machine did abroad, for the liberal demo-
ies and cultural insecurities. It was only nat-
ural then that internal contradictions of the
liberal economic order and its unwillingness

T
here are good reasons why the Heart of failed liberal progressive policies are a cratic cause, of course. Rising immigration to imaginatively address identity issues have
Asia conference, part of a 14-nation proc- striking indication of a growing sense of un- to Europe and the new wave of terror today made it less attractive to large masses of the
ease against not just liberal economic would not have been this serious had the population. The organised Left in India is of-
ess begun in 2011 to facilitate the de- policies, but more importantly the once un- Western world not destroyed existing state ten seen to be talking in an alien language,
velopment and security of Afghanistan, is assailable liberal political and moral order. structures in West Asia in the name of the unwilling, for instance, to get its hands dirty
so named. The obvious one is geographical, as This existential crisis faced by the liberal or- war on terror and other convenient excuses. with the complex identity questions in the
Afghanistan lies at the junction of Central, South der coincides with a disturbing rise in the The liberal project propositioned itself as country.
and East Asia, and also of the ancient trading routes popular legitimacy for illiberal politics the ultimate ideology at the end of the Cold
from China and India to Europe. Today it is also a around the world, including in India. That War. However, neo-liberal economic Ivory tower illiberalism
focal point for the regions biggest challenge of ter- modern liberal and progressive ideas are be- policies that wreaked havoc in many un- The better than thou positioning of the
rorism; some of the far-reaching battles against al- ing rejected in their very fortresses in Eu- derdeveloped countries are now creating liberal elite has removed it from the midst of
Qaeda, Islamic State, etc. will be decided on the rope and America should make us sit up and problems for the First World with guardians a society that is under siege today, in India
take notice. of the liberal order looking increasingly un- and abroad. Unable to show empathy and
battlegrounds of Afghanistan. For India, putting
Is the liberal dilemma merely about the ILLUSTRATION: SURENDRA certain. Notwithstanding the many essential meaningfully address the everyday angst of
terror centre stage at the Heart of Asia declaration rise of the right wing capitalising on unem- diferences between neo-liberalism and the ordinary citizens, liberals and their
in Amritsar was thus timely and necessary. In tan- ployment, migration, fear of the other, etc.? progressive liberal politics, there are signi- progressive talk often comes across as bour-
dem, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Prime Or is it also about the failure of the Unlike liberals, right-wingers ficant linkages between the two. While it is geoisie high culture. In other words, liberals,
Minister Narendra Modi focussed their concerns progressive and liberal ideas that have been identified themselves with anger true that the liberal left has consistently op- comfortable in their ivory towers, have not
on cross-border terrorism emanating from taken for granted by their advocates, some of and used the adverse side effects posed neo-liberal economic policies while adequately represented the poor and
Pakistan, something even Pakistans traditional al- whom even wrote obituaries for history? upholding socially liberal values, such con- downtrodden.
lies at the conference, including China, Saudi Ara- Moreover, the fact that the underprivileged of economic and cultural ceptual hair-splitting seems irrelevant to the While the right-wing argument that uni-
bia, the UAE and Turkey, found diicult to counter. amongst us, who should have been a natural globalisation to their advantage larger public imagination. versities are using taxpayers money to
The case Mr. Ghani made was clear: progress and audience for left-liberal ideas, increasingly Liberalism, perhaps with the honourable propagate anti-national ideas is indeed in-
support right wing and xenophobic forces settled intellectual questions. While the rise exception of left liberals, today has come to tellectually craven, there is an underlying
development in Afghanistan are meaningless and should come as a wake-up call. of the right wing is a serious worry, this then signify progressive but redundant social sentiment in it which speaks of a liberal fail-
unsustainable without peace, and peace is contin- calls into question the fundamentals of values and insensitive economic logic. In its ure to get across to large sections of society
gent on Pakistan ending support to terror groups From anxiety to hatred progressive politics and the way it is arrogant self-indulgence about the virtues of and make meaning to their lives. Can politi-
such the Haqqani network and Lashkar-e-Taiba. He There is a deep sense of economic, social practised. a universal economic and political model cal ideas survive if they dont make a difer-
dared Pakistan to use its proposed development and cultural anxiety around us, both here in Notwithstanding the right-wing pander- and individual liberty, the liberal project ence to the lives of those around us? Liberal
grant to Afghanistan to fight terror on its own soil. India and abroad. We have known that for ing of nativist insecurities, the bitterness continued to sermonise while looking away sermons about lifes higher purposes from
However, if every window for engagement with long though we didnt appreciate enough against traditional elites, both the intellec- from the economic and geopolitical atrocit- their inaccessible pulpit are bound to fail, as
Pakistan is closed for India and Afghanistan, the what this could potentially lead to. This tual elites and the wealthy, is growing. There ies of the West on the rest. The progressive is increasingly becoming evident.
two countries must closely consider what their anxiety is now transforming into a scary op- is visible resentment against the liberal liberal, by ideological and moral association, More than just incapacity, the ivory tower
position to modern values human rights, values advocated by the well-heeled, Eng- is paying the price for the insensitivity of the liberal is also often perceived to be intellec-
next step will be. A lack of engagement may, in the
multiculturalism, secularism, LGBT rights, lish-speaking journalists, university profess- neo-liberal economist. Politicians such as tually illiberal and condescending. While
short term, yield some pressure on Pakistans lead- among others that are liberal and ors, celebrities, intellectuals, among others, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who are the right uses thugness, the left uses smug-
ership to act, as it did briefly after the Pathankot at- progressive. There is today a universal back- some of who can only be described as board- seemingly cagey on the many neo-liberal pit- ness. Trolling has a pre-Twitter history
tack. But in the long run it may deplete the two lash against liberal clichs about multicul- room liberals, preachy and condescending. falls, are perhaps an exception to this urbane liberals looking contemptuously at
countries of their limited leverage as Pakistans turalism and liberal economic policies, not- Liberal values eulogised in university confusion. unsophisticated folk who held contrary
neighbours. It may, for all the airmations of mu- withstanding their diferences. And leaders seminar halls, mainstream media outlets and Right-wing regimes have skillfully used views and talking down to them. Do liberals
tual ties, also succeed in driving more obstacles to of the liberal edifice seem to be floundering other glamorous forums are often far re- this moral double whammy faced by the lib- really believe in political multiculturalism?
trade between India and Afghanistan. In the past in providing convincing answers and moved from ground zero where people go erals elitism of liberal values and the let- The truth is, they often dont. As Nicholas
year, the cornering of Pakistan by its South Asian alternatives. about their daily struggles and view experts down of neo-liberal economic logic to dir- Kristof wrote in The New York Times of uni-
neighbours has only yielded deeper ties for Is- The ordinary citizen who is suspicious of with a sense of suspicion. Doesnt that partly ect the mounting popular anger against the versity-based liberals: We progressives be-
the outsider and anxious about financial se- explain why liberal elites like Manmohan wealthy and the elite towards liberals and lieve in diversity, and we want women,
lamabad with Beijing and Moscow, pushed Kabul curity is not to be faulted he/she is merely Singh cant beat the popular legitimacy of an outsiders. Unlike liberals, right-wingers blacks, Latinos, gays and Muslims at the
closer to Central Asia, and moved New Delhi to- a victim of adverse structural conditions. illiberal Bharatiya Janata Party leadership? shrewdly identified themselves with the an- table er, so long as they arent conservat-
wards multilateral groupings to the east and south. Where it becomes problematic is when his/ While it is true that the intellectual elite is ger and used the adverse side efects of ives Were fine with people who dont look
As a result, the measures India and Afghanistan her legitimate anxieties are manipulated by not the same as the moneyed elite, these dif- economic and cultural globalisation to their like us, as long as they think like us.
have envisaged in order to avoid Pakistan, such as right-wing forces to generate politically and ferences may not matter much in the popular political advantage, turning popular rage During a recent visit to the U.S., I was told
land trade from the Chabahar port and a dedicated ideologically useful xenophobia and hatred. perception. against progressive sections. The promises by an American professor about how there is
air corridor between Delhi and Kabul, may prove to This has become easier over the years, espe- of neo-liberalism, which the poor saw as a strong feeling among a lot of politically
be insuicient by the time they are put in place, cially because liberals dont address these Sins of the liberal helping the rich with no tangible benefits for neutral folks that liberal political correct-
even as Afghanistan is connected more closely via a questions seriously and creatively anymore, The contemporary liberal dilemma has them, never materialised: the promises of ness has gone too far in its moral demarca-
as they should. For them, these are long- deep historical roots. Liberalism has histor- the right wing may also never get them any- tions of right and wrong. A nation consists of
rail line from Chinas Yiwu and Tehran. The Heart
politically and morally diverse, and diver-
of Asia process thus remains critical to forging co- gent, views, and intellectual classes should
operation to realise Afghanistans potential to be a CARTOONSCAPE be able to engage all of them, without
vibrant Asian hub. prejudice. It is crucial to recognise the frus-
trations and distress around us wherever
they may be on the moral compass our

The politics of sense of political correctness should not dis-


suade us from addressing them. For instance,
those around us who are worried about out-

exaggeration siders should be spoken to, not named and


shamed. Todays world requires more em-
pathetic consensus-building than name-call-

A
t first look, West Bengal Chief Minister ing, and a dialogical approach to those in
Mamata Banerjees theatrics on the night moral disagreement with us.
of December 1 smacked of the politics of
paranoia. Spying Army deployment at a Reinventing progressive politics
toll plaza near the State Secretariat in Kolkata late Surely, the liberal edifice is still worth
fighting for, but we must shed our intellec-
that night, she drove herself into a sleepless social
tual arrogance to face up to the real-world
media frenzy to guard our democracy. Where the problems. It is also important to recognise
Armys Eastern Command clarified that it was con- that the struggle among divergent political
ducting a routine exercise to test preparedness, and moral ideas is a constant to think that
Ms. Banerjee insinuated otherwise by resolving to one particular idea has won over the others
maintain her vigil at the Secretariat till the Army forever is a mistake. Liberals made that mis-
personnel were withdrawn from their task. Not giv- take, its time to correct it.
en to being detained by facts, even after the Army Moreover, when activism and dissent are
cleared the air by clarifying it had duly informed confined to ivory towers, they run the risk of
State authorities about the exercise, Ms. Banerjees being consigned to the dustbin of history
sooner or later. If progressive politics and
Trinamool Congress galvanised the Opposition in liberal ideas have to survive, there is a need
Parliament the next day. It kept up the high pitch to politically mainstream our dissent and
from a previous uproar over delay in landing a civil use an accessible language to convey that.
aircraft that had her on board. Ms. Banerjee is too Progressive populism should then be seen as
sharp, and well-versed with the procedures of ad- a critical tool to challenge regressive popu-
ministration, to not see through her own conspir- lism of the right wing.
acy theories. This is not paranoia speaking, it is a
play-as-things-go plan to amplify her voice in na- Happymon Jacob is an Associate Professor of Diplomacy
and Disarmament Studies at JNU, New Delhi.
tional politics. The Modi governments demonet-
isation drive has given her an opportunity to nomi-
nate herself as a rallying force. Projecting random
occurrences a queue for landing clearance at an LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
overburdened airport one day, an Army drill the Letters emailed to letters@thehindu.co.in must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.
next as instances of vendetta against her by the
biggest powers that be helps her distinguish herself
from the rest of the opposition as the leader in dir- Jayalalithaa critical benefited from her welfare Pakistan, whether it was before the of escaping questioning by the your pocket, Dec.5). The issue of
ect combat with the Central government. schemes. We hope she recovers SAARC summit in Islamabad or international community for the data security still needs to be
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister well and assumes the mantle again. when External Afairs Minister countrys lapses. Pakistan must addressed. The danger of personal
This has, of course, been the way with Ms. Baner- Jayalalithaa is a fighter who has Sushma Swaraj lashed out at realise its folly. Hiding facts would information being leaked out looms
jees politics. In the years of Left Front rule, this is N. Visveswaran,
made remarkable comebacks in her Chennai Pakistan during her speech at the only prove counterproductive. large. Moving to cashless
how she separated herself from older, established political career despite severe United Nations General Assembly. transactions is a massive shift for a
K.R. Srinivasan,
Congress colleagues. She, for instance, kept alive setbacks (Jayalalithaa critical; back Romit Chandrakar, Secunderabad country where most people depend
the memory of wounds sustained in a police crack- in ICU, Dec.5). All her Ghani on Pakistan Raipur only on cash to make transactions.
down. Once she struck out and formed her own partypersons, supporters and Afghanistan President Ashraf Implementing this is going to be a
party, she switched allegiance freely in national co- well-wishers are praying for her Ghani has directly blamed Pakistan That Mr. Ghani has come down Cash crunch continues big challenge.
alitions in the search for her big chance against the speedy recovery. Under her for covertly supporting several heavily on Pakistan should serve as More than three weeks have lapsed Shivam Agarwal,
Left. It came in 2011, when Left rule ended in West dynamic leadership, the State has terror networks that have an eye-opener for Pakistan. The since the demonetisation Chhatarpur
recorded historic achievements. destabilised his country (Its country must mend its attitude in announcement but the cash crunch
Bengal; her pre-eminence in State politics was
She made it a point to work for the Pakistans turn to open the door, order to bring about lasting peace continues (RBI to issue new Rs.20,
sealed in Assembly elections this year when she people and she did it so in style. The Dec.5). The new air cargo corridor and stability in South Asia instead 50 notes, Dec.5). It is important A lesson from Castro
stared down the combined challenge of the Con- Amma canteens and other schemes will give India leverage in of denying its hand in creating that the RBI issues new Rs.500 It should serve as an eye-opener for
gress and the Left parties. Now, with the Congress are very popular with the poor. The Afghanistan as Pakistan continues instability in Afghanistan and India. notes to tackle this. Also, while one some of our megalomaniac leaders
still struggling to get a grip on the political narrat- State health insurance scheme is a to deny transit links through its Despite India showing evidence can understand Internet-savvy that Fidel Castros dying wish was
ive, and no other party able to provide the glue for boon to the senior citizens. We all territory. It was a major diplomatic that Pakistan-based militant groups people using credit cards and debit that no statues should be erected in
opposition unity, she has seized the opportunity. wish her a speedy recovery. victory for India that the Heart of have been responsible for some cards, small traders and daily wage his memory and no streets or
Her tactics of exaggeration, of personalising the ar- C.K. Subramaniam, Asia (HoA) conference concluded terror attacks, Pakistan has refused earners cannot easily switch over to buildings should be named after
gument, are clearly aimed at securing herself as the Mumbai with a strong joint declaration to accept this evidence. As a result, digital transactions. It is too early him (Cuba buries Fidel; Raul vows
face of the anti-BJP opposition, even as she goes calling for concerted regional and these groups continue to unleash for the Prime Minister to urge them to defend revolution, Dec. 5).
Jayalalithaas health setback is a international cooperation to ensure terror. Sartaj Aziz, Foreign Afairs to make such a drastic move. Castros greatness stands head and
about seeking old friends and foes alike to rally be- cause for great concern. The elimination of terrorism and Advisor to Pakistans Prime shoulders above not only his
hind her. Today it is demonetisation. Tomorrow it R. Sampath,
charisma that she has wields is disrupting all financial, tactical Minister, has come out in defence of Chennai contemporaries but also many
may be something else. But the tenor of her politics unparalleled as seen in the number and logistical support for his nation by saying that Pakistan other personalities in history.
is likely to hold. of supporters currently thronging terrorism. In the past too India has cannot be singled out for surging The road to a digital economy is not Ayyasseri Raveendranath,
Apollo Hospital. Millions have been successful in isolating violence in the region. This is a way smooth (Digital wallets can pick Aranmula

CM ND-ND
YK
10 | - 1ias.com - EDITORIAL THE HINDU WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2016
NOIDA/DELHI

Defiance in compliance
Jayalalithaa did not break the traditional moulds, she slipped in and out of them. She believed that in order to
show results, she needed to change herself even as she struggled to change the circumstances around her
Amma, or mother. But she ruled with an criteria, but gave it up after an electoral set-
W E D N E S D AY , D E C E M B E R 7 , 2 0 1 6 iron fist, and made sure there was no scope back. Jayalalithaa never hid her Brahmin
SURESH NAMBATH for internal dissent, surrounded as she was, roots. Indeed, on one occasion, in an appar-
in the initial years, by former rivals. The as- ent response to taunts from the opposition
sertion of her gender identity went hand-in- benches on her Brahmin roots, she told the
Jayalalithaa, In many ways Jayalalithaa was atypical: a
hand with the use of muscle and money
power within the party organisation.
Assembly: Naan pappathi thaan (I am a
Brahmin woman). But she never wavered

1948-2016 woman politician heading a patriarchal


party, a Brahmin leading an ofshoot of the
Dravidian movement, a film world recluse
True, Jayalalithaa relied heavily on her
proximity to MGR as his leading lady in
films to endear herself to party-persons as
on the caste-based reservation system: she
actually managed to win constitutional pro-
tection for a piece of legislation guaran-

A
dversity brought out the best in Jayala- directly interacting with her admirers. But his political heir. When MGR died in 1987, teeing reservation up to 69 per cent in Tamil
lithaa. As a Chief Minister fighting for she did not break the traditional moulds; in- she refused to move away from his body. She Nadu.
stead, she slipped in and out of them. is on record that she held back her desire to She was not uncomfortable with the Brah-
the rights of her State, as a politician try-
At the individual level, she defied conven- commit sati as she stood next to the body, min label, but her political commitment to
ing to spring back from electoral defeats, tions and social norms both as an actor and because of the sufering she had to endure at the welfare of backward castes and Dalits
as a woman standing up to sexist taunts in what is as a politician, in her personal life as well as the hands of political opponents within the was never in doubt. She recognised the im-
still very much a mans world, she was courageous in her film and political careers. But, at the party. She made full use of her stature as portance of reservations as a political plank.
to the point of being adventurist. In her passing, In- same time, as a person wielding public of- MGRs heroine to climb up the party Jayalalithaa evidently saw no conflict in ei-
dia has lost a leader who played a vital role in the fice, she did not undermine or even threaten rungs, but once she rose to the top, she was ther retaining or defying her gender and
shaping of Tamil Nadu during a crucial phase of the extant power hierarchies; she merely careful not to give the impression that she caste identities as long as she could comply
countrys economic development and social pro- worked her way around them. She did what leaned on any man for counsel or support. with the demands that the system made of
gress. It may be true that Jayalalithaa owed her suc- she had to do to succeed or achieve results, M. Natarajan, the husband of her friend V.N. her.
cess in politics in no small measure to her film- but rarely, if ever, on her own terms. Sasikala, was banished from her house be- Her entry into politics from a career in
Within her defiance of patriarchal struc- cause he tried to wield influence within the films was not entirely accidental, but nor
world association with M.G. Ramachandran, the tures or caste barriers in her rise to the top, party and outside by misusing her name. was it well-charted. As a sought after actor
founder of the AIADMK. Soon after she joined the she showed compliance, a respect for estab-
Once she rose to the top, When Jayalalithaa required her male in south Indian films in the 1970s, she kept to
party, her mentor, in 1983, made her its propaganda lished institutions and existing hierarchies. Jayalalithaa was careful not to party leaders to show their obeisance to her, herself and a few close friends within the in-
secretary. But all that MGR did was to set her on a In this, she was a quintessential conservat- give the impression that she she was not undermining the patriarchal dustry. Her reasonably long stint in films
political career. He did not anoint her his successor, ive, and not puratchi thalaivi, or revo- structures in the party. Neither she nor the might have helped her political career, but
and after his death Jayalalithaa needed to win the lutionary leader, as she was hailed by her
leaned on any man for counsel men were unsexed when they bowed be- she did not prepare herself for it. Having to
battle for his political legacy. This she did by reunit- supporters. More than anyone else, she saw or support fore her; actually, she, as a woman, derived deal with scheming and jealous politicians
ing the two factions of the party, retrieving its elec- the limitations of the system, the barriers to additional authority from the very fact that was an unexpected requirement. But she
tion symbol, reviving the alliance with the Con- change. She believed she had to work within dramatic rise during the years she was at the patriarchs within the party were falling at learnt quickly.
the system in order to show results; she helm. Like the AIADMK founder M.G. her feet. While her circle widened, she still stuck
gress and, finally, becoming Chief Minister in 1991.
needed to change herself even as she Ramachandran before her, she continued to to her few close friends. Like under MGR,
She continued with MGRs policies, targeting the struggled to change the circumstances rely on money bags, musclemen, and caste Demands of the system the AIADMK under her remained a loosely
weaker sections, the rural peasants and the unor- around her. chieftains to deliver the votes. If there was Even during the time of MGR the AI- representative organisation that depended
ganised workers through food subsidies and social another way of doing this, it was not clear to ADMK was a very diferent creature from its heavily on the personal charisma of the top
welfare schemes, expanding the AIADMKs reach. The unquestioned patriarch her. parent party, the Dravida Munnetra leader for votes. This suited the celebrity in
Unlike MGR, who lived under the constant shadow Much of the patriarchy within the All In- Indeed, Jayalalithaa slowly assumed the Kazhagam with its roots in rationalism and Jayalalithaa, as she liked to be insulated from
of the Centres power to dismiss a State govern- dia Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AI- role of the unquestioned patriarch in the or- the non-Brahmin movement. MGR, an up- having to deal directly with a large number
ment under Article 356, she had the luxury of doing ADMK) remained untouched under her. ganisation. She continued to call herself per caste Malayali, even briefly flirted with of people. Not surprisingly, as Chief
business with a Congress government at the Centre The number of women inducted as anbu sahodari, a dear sister, of her the idea of doing away with reservation on Minister, she found it easier to deal with bu-
led by P.V. Narasimha Rao, one dependent on out- ministers or elected as legislators saw no partymen, who, in turn addressed her as the basis of caste in favour of income-based reaucrats than with her own party men. Oi-
cials too found it less problematic dealing
side support from her party for survival. This al-
lowed her to take a strong stand on issues such as CARTOONSCAPE with her and her oice than with others. The
interaction with party workers too was
Cauvery, forcing the Centre to toe her line, or at limited to occasional visits to the party of-
least heed her views. However, towards the end of fice or election-time meetings.
her first term as Chief Minister, her government be- Perhaps for the same reason, the AI-
came enmeshed in a series of corruption scandals. ADMK did not have a strong second line of
Her association with V.N. Sasikala, who was per- leadership. If it had not been for the legal
ceived by some as functioning as an extra-con- setbacks that unseated her twice in the last
stitutional authority, alienated sections of her sup- 15 years, the AIADMK would not have had
an automatic choice as a successor in O.
port base. Also, she drove away allies she had
Panneerselvam.
struggled to win back following MGRs passing.
Mapping the void
W ritten of after receiving a drubbing in the
1996 Assembly election, losing even her own
seat, no one had forecast Jayalalithaa would rein-
Just as Jayalalithaa adapted to the nature
of her party, the AIADMK too adapted to her
nature. It is for this reason that Sasikala
vent her political career so swiftly and efectively. Natarajan and the new Chief Minister Pan-
The DMK government, which slapped a slew of neerselvam will find it diicult to hold the
corruption cases against her, had possibly thought party together like she did.
it was writing her political epitaph, but Jayalalithaa In the hands of anyone else, the AIADMK
turned the tables by struggling to survive and re- machinery is a very diferent animal. Jayala-
main relevant. The haughty aloofness of the years lithaa herself took a long time to bring to-
in power was replaced by a refreshingly accom- gether the disparate elements of the AI-
ADMK, which is a mass organisation
modative nature, enabling her to stitch together a
without a streamlined cadre base. Though
brand new alliance with smaller parties such as the the party is not as faction-ridden as it was
Pattali Makkal Katchi, the Marumalarchi Dravida when she took over, in the absence of an un-
Munnetra Kazhagam and the Bharatiya Janata disputed leader, it could come under new
Party for the 1998 Lok Sabha election. The sheer pressures. The true extent of the void she
arithmetic of the alliance gave it a majority of the has left will be clear only in the years to
seats, pitchforking Jayalalithaa back into a game come.
that she seemed well out of. At the Central level, her
comeback bore a resemblance to the Narasimha suresh.nambath@thehindu.co.in

Rao years: this time it was the BJP-led government


that was wholly dependent on her support for sur-
vival. However, Jayalalithaa squandered this oppor-
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
tunity by insisting that the Centre dismiss the DMK Letters emailed to letters@thehindu.co.in must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.
government in the State. Evidently, she had not
factored in the Bommai judgment of the Supreme From star to iron lady Jayalalithaa had very few who could Amma got from people of Tamil State issues alike made her stand The need to recycle
Court that had made arbitrary use of Article 356 al- emulate her in the political arena. Nadu is rare and shows that she out. Her fiery speeches and
most impossible. The end result was the premature The death of Tamil Nadu Chief She will remain the uncrowned ruled the hearts of the States excellent command over Tamil and In the past few days, several articles
dissolution of the Lok Sabha in 1999, and the forma- Minister and AIADMK general queen who always had compassion citizens. Her various policies that English placed her several notches on lead and other heavy metals
tion of an unlikely alliance between her arch-rival, secretary Jayalalithaa has left an for the poor and the needy let the State prosper socio- above many of her contemporaries. such as cadmium and chromium
the DMK, and her closest ideological ally, the BJP, irreplaceable void in Indian politics throughout her political life. In her economically and which kept in Like her or hate her, you could being found in soft drinks have
(Jayalalithaa no more, Dec.6). demise the country has lost a leader mind the marginalised person are never ignore her. Tamil Nadu appeared in the print and electronic
which eventually defeated the AIADMK-led al- With her remarkable style of par excellence. what have made her a true politics will not be the same media. These deeply disturbing
liance. Once again, the hard-fought gains of the leadership, she carved a niche for stateswoman. Her legacy must without her. findings remind me of my own
Tharcius S. Fernando,
years in the opposition were frittered away. herself in contemporary politics. Chennai continue. unsettling experience which I want
A. Saranya,
Without power in either New Delhi or Chennai, She could win the hearts of the Gagan Pratap Singh, Chennai to share.
Jayalalithaa went back to the old familiar way of masses with her populism and win It has never been easy for a woman Noida, Uttar Pradesh I arrived in New Delhi last year
building a new alliance in 2001. The Congress and the political wars against rivals with politician to fight a political battle Amma shone in whatever line she following my posting as
its breakaway group, the Tamil Maanila Congress, her iron grit. She sailed against the dominated by men. While many of Jayalalithaas passing robs Tamil chose acting as well as politics. As Ambassador to Germany, and
which owed its nascence to opposition within the wind, surpassing all odds in a male- Jayalalithaas political actions are Nadu politics of perhaps its most a successful heroine, she proved her having spent a significant portion of
Congress to an alliance with the AIADMK, were dominated world of politics and open to critical analysis, one has to dominant player, leaving a vacuum mettle and subsequently became the first several days settling down,
reaching the pinnacle of absolute acknowledge that it was no mean her party is bound to struggle to fill. the queen of Tamil cinema. As a managed to acquire a set of remote-
now roped in, along with the Left parties, which
power in the arena of Tamil politics. achievement to keep the party A part of her rule was marked by politician, her entire life was controlled devices. As one would
were fighting the Congress in Kerala. Although the She will always be remembered for united and bring it to power even autocracy, corruption and dedicated to the welfare of Tamil expect, the batteries went dead. I
DMK did not sufer majorly from any anti-incum- her never-say-die attitude. after biting dust a number of times. nepotism, repression of the media, Nadu and its people. She has never gathered them in a small plastic bag
bency sentiment, the AIADMK-led alliance won on D.V.G. Sankararao, She crafted a space for herself and spats with the Centre and looked back except for a brief and headed to an electronics store
the strength of electoral arithmetic. Jayalalithaas Nellimarla, Andhra Pradesh brought stability to the party and prolonged battles with period when she was imprisoned on in the neighbourhood hoping to
propensity to drive away friends was more than the State. neighbouring States over water corruption charges and there was deposit them in a recycling unit.
matched by her ability to bring together foes. Tamil Nadu has lost a dominant M. Nagaraja Shetty, sharing. In personality-driven Tamil mud-slinging against her by her Alas, I was too ambitious.
Her political successes were challenged by legal politician and an excellent Bengaluru politics, one needs to ask the detractors. As a Chief Minister, she At a store at a mall, my quest struck
setbacks. Jayalalithaa was unseated twice: in 2001 administrator. In turn, the country question whether the AIADMK can was instrumental in pioneering a the young store managers as
the Supreme Court ruled she could not continue as has lost a stable and sober voice. As The huge crowds that turned up to throw up another figure to rival or number of social sector schemes. something unusual. I quickly
the undisputed and supreme leader pay their last respects to the match MGR and Jayalalithaa. The cradle baby scheme, chiefly moved to another store, where the
Chief Minister when she stood disqualified from of her party, Jayalalithaa had the AIADMK leader is ample proof of aimed at rooting out female staf instantly assumed that I was
contesting in an election. But she got her convic- J.S. Acharya,
stature, the clout and the political the adoration and respect the Hyderabad foeticide and infanticide, stands attempting to cash in on some dead
tion overturned and returned as Chief Minister space to dictate power people of Tamil Nadu had for her. out. In her passing, she has left batteries. When I explained to them
after winning a by-election. In 2014 she was con- arrangements in the State and in the Though one can ascribe this to her Rarely has the nation witnessed behind a rich legacy and one hopes that what I was doing was simply
victed by a trial court in the disproportionate assets country. She will be missed. charisma, it must be understood such a torrent of love for a regional that her successor, a staunch out of environmental concerns,
case. But she was back as Chief Minister after win- K. S. Jayatheertha, that it is largely the welfare leader (State plunges into loyalist, will leave no stone they were even more surprised.
ning an appeal in the Karnataka High Court. The Bengaluru measures she implemented that mourning, Dec.6). Jayalalithaa was unturned in developing the State In New Delhi, the rudimentary and
case is now awaiting a judgment in the Supreme endeared her to the large chunk of a benevolent leader, consummate even further. inadequate separation of household
Court following an appeal. Jayalalithaa took ill after The rise of Jayalalithaa, from a the poor and the needy. politician, an enigma and a worthy Jayant Mukherjee, waste does not hold up to the task of
reluctant actor and reluctant In this she set a benchmark that opponent in a political fight. Her Kolkata addressing the issue of tackling
one of her most remarkable wins in the 2016 As-
politician, to become a prominent must be further extended. One has populist programmes, implemented environmental challenges before
sembly election, following up on her 2014 Lok figure in Tamil Nadu politics is the to watch the future of politics in the with a rare zeal, heralded a After watching the sea of humanity this vast country. An efective
Sabha win, both achieved without the benefit of al- stuf of legend. It was her State. permanent change in the political at the funeral of Jayalalithaa, the e-waste disposal programme is a
lies, thanks to a divided opposition. indomitable spirit to face any V. Lakshmanan, discourse. Fundamental to her question that came to mind was: critical step in keeping the
Like MGR before her, Jayalalithaa commanded hurdle head on that kept her way Tirupur, Tamil Nadu vision was the yearning for an who after her? The success of environment relatively safe and
the unflinching loyalty, even adulation, of her party ahead. Her legacy lies in the host of egalitarian society where the poor Amma as a politician mirrors that of clean. This can be accomplished
supporters. From the time she was admitted in hos- welfare schemes she created to Can the AIADMK survive? Mr. O. enjoyed the rightful benefits of Cubas Fidel Castro. She connected using a private-public partnership
pital, tens of thousands had gathered outside pray- benefit various sections in the State. Panneerselvam might be able to economic progress through the so well with the common man. No model. Im confident that many of
ing for her. The AIADMK enjoys a comfortable ma- While she commanded unflinching spring a few surprises and one has government. other politician in living memory my colleagues representing
jority in the House, and the transition to a loyalty among her partymen, the to wait and watch. What happens to Haridasan Rajan, has been able to achieve this. developed countries will gladly
absence of a second rung leadership the Dravidian party will also hold Kozhikode The rank and file within the share their knowledge and
government headed by the new leader has been which could be as charismatic and lessons for parties which are led by AIADMK should ponder over what experience. This enterprise should
smooth. But Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam now influential as her is likely to pose a super powerful leaders. To say that Jayalalithaas demise has they saw at the Marina in Chennai become part of Make in India,
has the unenviable task of holding the party to- challenge to its fortunes as a left a huge crater in Indian politics that the iconic Jayalalithaas Smart cities, and Clean India. .
J. Akshobhya,
gether. Without the political acumen and personal political organisation. Mysuru would be an understatement. Her legacy has not been in vain. Armen Martirosyan,
charisma of Jayalalithaa, this will be a tough task. R. Prabhu Raj, bold decisions and straightforward K.P. Prabhakaran Nair, Ambassador of Armenia,
Bengaluru The kind of support and afection opinions on national issues and Kozhikode New Delhi
CM ND-ND
YK
10 | - 1ias.com - EDITORIAL THE HINDU THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2016
NOIDA/DELHI

Guardians of federalism
The AIADMK and the DMK have a shared legacy of social reform, commitment to State autonomy and fiscal
federalism. In this phase of centralisation, they need to forge a political culture to cooperate on key issues
the States has already undergone a change In the last two months and more of Jayala-
T H U R S D AY , D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 6 with the electoral system that now allows lithaas hospitalisation, a visible phe-
K. VENKATARAMANAN one to represent a State that is not ones home nomenon was the gradual efacement of the
turf. There are voices advocating State administration. The Tamil Nadu gov-
Constitution amendments to curtail the role ernment appeared to have no presence or
The RBIs It is not easy to fill the vacuum caused by the
of the Rajya Sabha in enacting legislation.
The emerging dynamic in Centre-State re-
voice in the scheme of things, as none in the
Cabinet or the bureaucracy stepped forward

big surprise departure of a popular and charismatic


leader. However, this vacuum is not a per-
manent state. If personalities of equal or even
lations is unquestionably going to be a new
order. States will be under great pressure to
conform to a national narrative, lest they be
to give an oicial update on her health, or ut-
ter a word of reassurance to the public. In the
couple of days after Jayalalithaa sufered a

T
he Reserve Bank of India has surprised slightly less stature are unavailable, signific- seen as derailing an emerging national con- cardiac arrest, the administration became
markets by opting to keep benchmark in- ant political space opens up for other players, sensus or institutional framework. It is here completely invisible, as the spectre of a law
terest rates unchanged and cutting the principally political rivals or those of a that the need for a strong political personal- and order situation among the restive party
similar ideological persuasion, to capitalise ity helming the States assumes significance. cadre arose. It was left to the Centre to step in
outlook for full-year growth in the wake
on the situation. Or, as a temporary phe- This need not immediately conjure up the by asking the Governor to rush to the State
of last months decision to withdraw legal tender nomenon, pretenders claiming to be true image of an angry Mamata Banerjee or an and inquire about her health status. Updates
status to high denomination currency notes. In the legatees of the departed leader, or those acerbic Arvind Kejriwal hurling accusations were given and rumours were scotched only
fifth bimonthly monetary policy statement, the RBI claiming to espouse the same causes as her, at the Centre. On the contrary, there are, and by the hospital. The Centre hinted that its
cited a backdrop of heightened uncertainty. It lis- could emerge as key players. ought to be, Chief Ministers who argue for forces were ready to assist in the event of a
ted global factors including the imminent tighten- their States and their interests in a rational need, but none in the State government ei-
ing of U.S. monetary policy and the rise in oil Bargaining power with the Centre ILLUSTRATION: SURENDRA and reasonable manner, and articulate ther said it would manage the situation on its
prices, and disconcerting domestic inflation In Tamil Nadu, the unexpected demise of genuine problems arising from questions own or that it would ask for help, if needed.
trends that could potentially endanger its price sta- Jayalalithaa hardly six months into her fourth There are, and ought to be, Chief that impinge on the federal features of the Of course, the administration and the police
bility goals. Expectations that the U.S. Federal Re- substantive term as Chief Minister seems to Constitution. were quietly doing their job, but the political
have created such a vacuum. There is no Ministers who argue for their executive was unfortunately silent. Ulti-
serve will resume its normalisation of policy by The role Jayalalithaa played
raising interest rates on December 14 have com-
second-line leadership, none with a stature States and their interests in a mately, it was after the hospital announced
even remotely akin to hers within her All In- Jayalalithaa was undoubtedly one such her death that the ruling partys decision to
bined with a homeward-bound flight of capital dia Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AI-
rational and reasonable manner. leader. She vigorously questioned the impact elect Mr. Panneerselvam as its leader in the
from emerging markets in the wake of Donald ADMK). However, the question of filling the Jayalalithaa was one such leader of the introduction of the Goods and Services legislature was made public. The atmosphere
Trumps win in the presidential election to buoy the vacuum is only academic as O. Pan- Tax on the taxation and fiscal powers of the was thick with speculation that a Union
dollar at the expense of other currencies. The ru- neerselvam has become Chief Minister, this lenge faced by a State that has repeatedly States and the composition of the GST Coun- Minister had expressed the Centres opinion
pee has not been spared, forcing the RBI to inter- being his third stint. elected regional parties to power for nearly cil. She has voiced similar opposition to the on who it favoured as a successor, a subject
mittently intervene to reduce volatility. Given that On two earlier occasions, he saw himself as half a century. The principal challenge lies in National Counter Terrorism Centre, and had that is surely not in the Union governments
the exchange rate has the potential to exert upward a a stand-in until Jayalalithaa got rid of her retaining their relevance in the national reservations about implementing the Na- domain. If this is true, it could be an indica-
legal disability to hold oice. However, this scheme of things and their bargaining power tional Food Security Act and joining UDAY tion of what is to come: the Centre or its rep-
inflationary pressure as a bulk of the countrys
time, it is a substantive innings. He cannot af- with the Centre. or the Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojna in resentatives actively guiding the State gov-
commodity imports, including crude oil, are largely ford to display the reticence of a substitute. It This is an era of a return to centralisation. the power sector. During her prolonged hos- ernment in its functioning.
paid for in dollars, the RBI had little choice but to was, of course, inevitable that someone who The economy is on the verge of being united pitalisation of over two months, the State The Bharatiya Janata Party is undoubtedly
ensure that at least interest rates dont end up being is familiar and reliable and has been the by a common taxation system that was seen government decided to join the power sector justified in looking for political space in
another alibi for capital outflows. On the domestic second in command in her Cabinet has been by Jayalalithaa as a serious compromise of scheme as well as implement the food se- Tamil Nadu. However, this should be
front, food prices other than those of vegetables are sworn in her successor. Waiting in the wings federalism. After about two decades of de- curity law. This is not to suggest that Jayala- achieved by overt political activity rather
showing sustained firmness. More worryingly, in- is the principal opposition party with a size- pendence on regional parties for support, the lithaa would not have shown accommoda- than the use of the Centres power to bear
flation excluding food and fuel has stubbornly dis- able presence in the Legislative Assembly. Centre now is being manned by a regime tion with the Centre, as she has since 1991 down on the State administration. Both the
played a downward inflexibility that could, Therefore, right now, the question of succes- which has its own majority in the Lok Sabha embraced the positive aspects of economic regional party and the national party are free
coupled with volatile energy costs and further fin- sion or the availability of an electoral altern- and is in a position to assert itself. A common reforms. However, these two examples show to forge a formal or informal alliance, but the
ative is not an issue. What matters in the af- market and a common political economy are that those running the administration in her State cannot aford to lose its independent
ancial market turbulence, jeopardise the RBIs end- termath of Jayalalithaas departure from the emerging. The character of the Upper House absence are likely to be seen as being more voice, and it is the AIADMKs duty to dispel
March retail inflation target of 5 per cent. scene is the ideological and political chal- as a chamber that represents the interests of amenable to Central pressure. the impression that it may be arm-twisted or
That the central bank has adopted a wait and pressured into submission on any significant
watch approach in the wake of the liquidity shock CARTOONSCAPE question. The ruling party in the State is now
to the banking system sparked by the withdrawal particularly vulnerable to the charge that the
from circulation of about 86 per cent of the bank Sasikala family is an extra-constitutional
notes, is instructive. Trimming its Gross Value power centre. Avoiding this impression is in
Added (GVA) growth projection for 2016-17 by 50 the hands of Mr. Panneerselvams ministry.
basis points to 7.1 per cent, the RBI cited an unex- Causes peculiar to Tamil Nadu
pected loss of momentum in the second quarter,
A notable feature after Jayalalithaas de-
particularly in industrial activity, and the impact mise is the manner in which leaders of the
from the withdrawal of currency. The RBI observed opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
that the currency replacement exercise was likely (DMK) joined the ruling party supporters
to have the biggest impact on cash-intensive sec- and the public in paying homage to her. No
tors. The resultant disruptions could drag down one can doubt that the level of personal an-
growth in this fiscal and more data are needed be- imosity between Jayalalithaa and DMK
fore conclusions can be drawn on the full impact leader M. Karunanidhi played a serious role
and persistence of such an impact. It is understand- in the States political culture lacking the sort
able therefore that the RBI has opted for caution. of bonhomie seen between rival party lead-
ers in other parts of the country. With the
Observing that economic growth could rebound formers departure and the impending emer-
strongly if the impact is transient as widely ex- gence of the next generation in the DMK,
pected, the central bank has for now chosen to there is a clear opportunity to usher in a new
hedge its bets by reiterating an accommodative political culture marked by cooperation on
policy stance. key issues. Both the AIADMK and the DMK
have a shared legacy of social reform, com-
mitment to State autonomy and fiscal feder-

Cho Ramaswamy, alism, and the vigorous espousal of causes


peculiar to Tamil Nadu such as backward
class reservation and the abolition of en-
wit and analyst trance tests. They would be better of, as
would the State be, if they dealt with these
matters jointly, shedding the vexed

I
t was the eighteenth century satirist Joseph propensity of the past to look for op-
Addison who said his task was to enliven portunities to score political points over each
morality with wit, and to temper wit with mor- other.
ality. For veteran journalist, satirist and play-
wright Cho Ramaswamy, the task may well have venkataramanan.k@thehindu.co.in
been to enliven politics with wit, and to temper
wit with political analysis. Cho was a lawyer, writ-
er, dramatist, comedian, journalist and comment-
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
ator, but will chiefly be remembered as a play- Letters emailed to letters@thehindu.co.in must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.
wright for his 1968 satire Muhammad bin Tughlaq,
and as the editor of Thuglak magazine for his refus- Caste equations are likely to play a hospital, and later for the funeral, is of the downtrodden. Her life will while the TVs and fans hardly
al to be cowed down by the Emergency. Many The Jayalalithaa years
key role in politics in Tamil Nadu another fine gesture. remain an inspiration to many. She worked as their quality was so poor.
looked up to him for political analysis and even vot- In the passing away of Tamil Nadu and there is every chance that the S. Ram, will certainly live in the hearts of The two schemes which she
ing guidance. Often moving beyond the journalistic Chief Minister and AIADMK BJP will only be too keen to gain a Perumbavoor, Kerala millions. showcased mineral water for
role, he utilised his numerous political friendships general secretary Jayalalithaa, we foothold in the State. It is a fluid Akash Yanakandla, Rs.10 and the Amma canteen are a
to bring together parties and leaders and sought to have lost a worthy leader of modern situation and we need to wait and The world has lost an able leader Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh financial drain. Finally, she never
influence major developments. Seen as an upstart India. What distinguished her from watch. who rode like a colossus in the groomed anyone to take over the
when he founded Thuglak in 1970, Cho managed to other regional leaders was her C.V. Aravind, political arena for more than three The Tamil Nadu police deserve all party. She was the party and the
ability to focus on nationalism and Bengaluru decades. The extraordinary courage praise and accolades for maintaining party was her. Now, there is an
reflect the unspoken angst of the middle class,
regionalism with acumen and she showed in banning extremist law and order in the most excellent uneasy calm before the storm.
which held a dim view of politics and politicians, insight. She had a multidimensional It is diicult to imagine in which elements who would otherwise have manner in Chennai. The way in
especially because of the ease with which political M.V. Achuthakrishnan,
view of the common mans struggle direction Tamil Nadu politics will turned the State into a cauldron of which they controlled the surging Chennai
loyalties would swing from one end to another. His for a place in the sun. Her welfare go, post-Jayalalithaa. O. hatred must be noted. In this one can crowds all through the day when her
early years in journalism coincided with the au- schemes were genuine and not done Pannerselvam may be the new Chief include her decision to go after body was lying in state, during the
thoritarian phase of the ruling Congress. Therefore with an eye on the vote bank. She Minister but this development forest brigand Veerappan. Her funeral procession and till after the Cho Ramaswamy
it was no surprise that his brand of journalism, painstakingly managed over time to cannot fill the crater created by the Amma Unavagam scheme is a boon burial was exemplary. That they It is shocking that Cho Ramaswamy
somewhat unique at the time in south India, had an rerobe a quintessential Dravidian uprooting of a giant tree. One hopes to the poor. achieved all this without giving with whom Jayalalithaa shared a
anti-establishment resonance for many years. movement into one of inclusiveness that Jayalalithaas foresight and There were two iron ladies in the room for any complaint speaks close bond is no more. Both were
It is easy to sum up Chos political views: he was a and progress. legacy will hold the party together political field, Margaret Thatcher volumes of their excellent planning, legends in their own distinctive
R. Narayanan, for quite some time to come. and Indira Gandhi. One can add a patience and precise execution. ways. One hopes that his popular
committed nationalist, a right-of-centre analyst, third name now Jayalalithaa. Tamil magazine, Thuglak, will
Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh C.V. Venugopalan, Yvonne Fernando,
and a firm believer in a strong Central government. Palakkad Chennai continue his legacy more intensely
Mani Nataraajan,
He tended to be disdainful of regional parties and A strong, self-willed woman who Chennai than it was under his period.
their aspirations. He was a fierce critic of the Liber- never displayed emotions was a What makes one respect Jayalalithaa One of the most striking things has N. Visveswaran,
ation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, and the misuse of Art- picture of poise, calm and sagacity is the sheer resoluteness with which The first time I saw Jayalalithaa was been the way in which the funeral Chennai
icle 356 of the Constitution for political ends. With which she displayed in abundance in she lived all through her life. She was in 1967, with actor Ravichandran, at went of very smoothly. The Tamil
a readership that strongly echoed his own world- the few interviews she gave to a soul forced into torment because Doddabetta in the Nilgiris during Nadu police deserve praise for their
private TV channels. If one has to of the life others chose for her and the production of the film Naan. services. The AIADMK cadres were Cash only for visa fee
view, Thuglak shaped the thinking of the middle
class for many years. However, with the rise of know the real Jayalalithaa, one has to she lived it with all its consequences. Tamil Nadu has had the dubious also dignified in their conduct. Demonetisation has hit travel agents
watch her interview with Simi Benazir Bhutto, who was also a distinction of having two film Baby Harline J., hard. Even in these days of a severe
other political forces to take on the dominant and
Garewal and the way she sings the reluctant entrant into the limelight, actors as Chief Ministers, thanks to Palayamkottai, Tamil Nadu monetary crunch, a lead bank which
unpopular ones, Chos appeal was later limited to song Aaja sanam madhur said: I did not choose this life, this its obsession with cinema. To us, is the authorised visa fees collection
the right-wing middle and upper classes. Being a chandini mein hum, with Simi. life chose me. This is true of they are not human beings but gods. One needs to look at her legacy agent bank of the U.S. Embassy/
strong critic of the Emergency and a spirited lam- K. Ravi, Jayalalithaa too. Of course, they can never do objectively. Tamil Nadu is a consulates in India still insists on
pooner of authority, he could have been a liberal. Bhubaneswar Sham Sankar, anything wrong and so there cannot shattered State as the freebies have payment of visa fees in cash; no
However, there was a streak of conservatism in his Thiruvananthapuram be any criticism against them. I am burnt a hole in its pocket. There are cheques, demand drafts, online
political outlook, which influenced the manner in Though history may record that happy that there has not been any no plans whatsoever to solve the transfers or debit to bank account to
which he addressed the issues before the country, Jayalalithaa retained power through The decision by the Kerala act of violence or arson in Tamil recurrent water crisis while even those who hold an account in
both as an analyst and as a playwright. But ulti- her various freebie schemes aimed government to declare three days of Nadu, which is probably a sign of numerous industrial projects are in a the same bank or branch. Travel
mately, what will remain in memory is his in- at the poor, it cannot be denied that mourning and the adjournment of change for the better. With state of limbo. During her rule, no agents like me find it very hard to
it was these measures that helped in the State cabinet on Tuesday after Jayalalithaas demise, we have come file moved without her involvement find cash to pay the visa fee for
imitable humour, withering sarcasm and vigorous ameliorating their living conditions observing silence are commendable to the end of an era. Let us hope for a and it has become a political clients who pay only by cheque as
espousal of democracy against authoritarian inter- to some extent. One feels sorry that gestures of solidarity. This will go a new political order sans sycophancy. wasteland. She piled worthless banks still do not allow withdrawal
vention. His journalism was rooted in ethics, rarely she failed to take care of her health long way in cementing further the freebies on the poorest of the poor. of money above a certain limit a day.
Israel K. Mani,
allowing scope for gossip or baseless charges. His and fell victim to numerous medical deep bonds between Kerala and Wellington Barracks, The Nilgiris On top of all this she monopolised I hope the authorities concerned
Tamil readers will definitely miss his sharp analysis complications. Tamil Nadu. The move by political the liquor trade which was her cash take remedial measures.
and their weekly fix of middle-class wisdom. S. Nallasivan, leaders from Kerala to visit Amma has overcome many cow. The laptop scheme was Joseph Chacko,
Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu Jayalalithaa when she was in adversities in life and won the hearts worthless as there was no free Wi-Fi Chennai
CM ND-ND
YK
10 | - 1ias.com - EDITORIAL THE HINDU FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2016
NOIDA/DELHI

Making of a mammoth tragedy


The decision to demonetise will cause grievous injury to the honest Indian who earns wages in cash. The
dishonest black money hoarder will get away with a mere rap on the knuckles
nearly doubled since 2001, there are still hoarder. To make it worse, the government
F R I D AY , D E C E M B E R 9 , 2 0 1 6 more than 600 million Indians who live in a has actually made it easier to generate such
MANMOHAN SINGH town or village with no bank. Cash is the bed- unaccounted wealth in the future by the in-
rock of the lives of these people. Their daily troduction of a Rs.2,000 note. This brazen
subsistence depends on their cash being ac- policy measure has neither tackled the stock
A reform It is said that money is an idea that inspires
cepted as a medium of valid currency. They
save their money in cash which, as it grows, is
of black money holistically nor has it
stemmed the flow of it.

at risk confidence. At the stroke of the midnight


hour, on November 9, 2016, the confidence of
more than a billion Indians was destroyed.
stored in denominations of Rs.500 and
Rs.1,000 notes. To tarnish these as black
money and throw the lives of these hundreds
It is no surprise that the logistical chal-
lenge of replacing billions of old currency
notes with new ones is a monumental one. It

F
inance Minister Arun Jaitley is keeping his Prime Minister Narendra Modi had declared of millions of poor people in disarray is a is a huge challenge in most nations, and in a
fingers crossed about sticking to the April 1, that more than 85 per cent of the value of mammoth tragedy. The vast majority of country as vast and diverse as India it was
2017 target to implement the Goods and money held in notes of Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 Indians earn in cash, transact in cash and bound to be doubly so. This is also one reason
was worthless overnight. In one impetuous save in cash, all legitimately. It is the funda- why most nations that have undertaken such
Services Tax regime. The GST Council he
decision, the Prime Minister has shattered mental duty of a democratically elected gov- currency swap operations have done so over
heads meets again on December 11-12 to try to reach the faith and confidence that hundreds of ernment in any sovereign nation to protect a certain time period and not as a sudden
a consensus on three pieces of legislation that need millions of Indians had reposed in the Gov- the rights and livelihood of its citizens. The overnight operation. It is heartbreaking to
to be cleared by Parliament in this session for a rol- ernment of India to protect them and their recent decision by the Prime Minister is a see and hear of millions of poor Indians
lout in April. In its previous three meetings, the money. travesty of this fundamental duty. standing in long lines to withdraw some
Council failed to resolve an impasse between the The Prime Minister in his address to the Black money in India is a genuine concern. money for basic sustenance. As someone
States and the Centre on who would have adminis- nation said, there comes a time in the his- This is wealth that has been accumulated who has experienced long lines for rationed
trative control over taxpayers in the new tax regi- tory of a country's development when a need over years by those with unaccounted food during war time, I never imagined that
me. The Finance Ministry has proposed a dual con- is felt for a strong and decisive step, and pro- sources of income. Unlike the poor, holders one day I would find my own countrymen
trol model where both vertically split the taxpayer pounded two primary reasons for this de- of black money have access to various forms and women waiting endlessly for rationed
cision. One was to check enemies from of wealth such as land, gold, foreign ex- money. That all of this sufering is due to one
base for administrative purposes. But States includ- across the border using fake currency change, etc. There have been various at- hasty decision makes it even more
ing West Bengal, Kerala and Uttar Pradeshare keen
to retain control over all goods and services pro-
notes. The other was to break the grip of As one who has experienced long tempts by many governments in the past disconcerting.
corruption and black money. decades to recover this illicit wealth through The macroeconomic impact of this de-
viders with an annual turnover of less than Rs.1.5 Both these intentions are honourable and
lines for rationed food during war actions by the Income Tax department, the cision of the government is likely to be haz-
crore. At the last meeting, the States hardened their deserve to be supported whole-heartedly. time, I never imagined that I Enforcement Directorate and schemes such ardous. At a time when Indias trade numbers
position by flagging the loss of revenue on account Counterfeit currency and black money are as would find my own countrymen as Voluntary Disclosure. These measures are at multi-year lows, industrial production
of the demonetisation of high value currency notes. grave a threat to the idea of India as terrorism were targeted strikes at only those suspected is shrinking and job creation is anaemic, this
While the Council is yet to discuss the legislation and social division. They deserve to be extin- waiting for rationed money to be holders of such unaccounted wealth, policy can act as a negative shock to the econ-
that deals with compensation for loss of revenue, it guished using all the firepower at our dispos- not on all citizens. Evidence from these past omy. It is indeed true that Indias cash to GDP
al. However, the popular saying the road to This is far from reality. Let us understand attempts has shown that a large majority of ratio is very high vis--vis other nations. But
has gone over nine chapters each of the two other
hell is paved with good intentions serves as why. this unaccounted wealth is not stored in the this is also an indicator of the Indian
proposed laws that Parliament needs to pass to ring a useful reminder and warning in this con- form of cash. All black money is not in cash, economys dependence on cash. Consumer
in the GST, including the model GST law. For a rap- text. Life thrown into disarray only a tiny fraction is. Against this backdrop, confidence is an important economic var-
prochement with States on these bills, the Centre The underlying premise behind the de- More than 90 per cent of Indias workforce the decision by the Prime Minister is bound iable in a nations growth prospects. It is now
may have to be more generous in responding to cision of the Prime Minister to render Rs.500 still earn their wages in cash. These consist of to have obverse implications by causing evident that this sudden overnight ban on
their demands. It could also resort to a vote for the and Rs.1,000 currencies as illegal overnight hundreds of millions of agriculture workers, grievous injury to the honest Indian who currency has dented the confidence of hun-
first time in the Council instead of seeking to forge seems to be this false notion that all cash is construction workers and so on. While the earns his/her wages in cash and a mere rap dreds of millions of Indian consumers, which
unanimous decisions. Parliament is expected to black money and all black money is in cash. number of bank branches in rural areas have on the knuckles to the dishonest black money can have severe economic ramifications. The
function for just three days next week. Unless its scars of an overnight depletion of the honest
schedule is extended, with the currency crisis CARTOONSCAPE wealth of a vast majority of Indians com-
bined with their ordeal of rationed access to
stalling proceedings so far, the GSTs April timeline new currency will be too deep to heal
is looking increasingly tricky. It is true that the gov- quickly. This can have ripple efects on GDP
ernment is likely to push the three GST bills as growth and job creation. It is my humble
Money bills, so they only need a Lok Sabha nod, and opinion that we as a nation should brace
the GST regime can kick in as late as September ourselves for a tough period over the coming
2017. But implementing such a big-ticket tax reform months, needlessly so.
without bringing all States on board or getting the
new regime going in the middle of a financial year Unintended consequences
would inspire less confidence than otherwise. It Black money is a menace to our society
that we need to eliminate. In doing so, we
would also be a headache for industry as well as the
have to be mindful of the potential impact on
taxman. Opposition-ruled States, on their part, hundreds of millions of other honest citizens.
must resist the temptation to derail the tax reform, It may be tempting and self-fulfilling to be-
and work to ensure that the fine print actually lieve that one has all the solutions and previ-
boosts investor sentiment. For instance, there is a ous governments were merely lackadaisical
proposal to set up an anti-profiteering authority in their attempts to curb black money. It is
that could penalise businesses if they are deemed not so. Leaders and governments have to care
to have not transmitted GST benefits to consumers. for their weak and at no point can they abdic-
Just as States should compete for investment, busi- ate this responsibility. Most policy decisions
nesses should be allowed to compete freely. carry risks of unintended consequences. It is
important to deftly balance these risks with
Suggesting that the profit motive itself is evil would the potential benefits of such decisions. Wa-
undo the fundamental intent of the GST, which is to ging a war on black money may sound enti-
remove the space for discretion and rent-seeking. cing. But it cannot entail even a single loss of
life of an honest Indian.

Europe walks Dr. Manmohan Singh was Prime Minister of India from
2004 to 2014.

a tightrope LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

A
s 2016 draws to a close after Brexit in the Letters emailed to letters@thehindu.co.in must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.
U.K. and the election of Donald Trump in
the U.S., it is tempting to label it the Year Council of India that ensures fair Within a short span, two giant diligent, talented, experienced as ensure that hacking does not
of Resurgent Nationalism. Yet in its dy- Jayalalithaa era and after
and decent coverage. leaders Fidel Castro and well as young IAS and IPS oicers happen? Has the purpose of
ing gasp the global season of elections has pro- The report, A unexpected setback Jayalalithaa have passed away. But and the government must utilise disabling money launderers and
A.V. Narayanan,
duced two surprise results, in Austria and Italy, and a sudden end (Dec. 8), raises Tiruchi the contrast in their lives and work is their services to the full. The flood terrorists been achieved? For now,
which give pause. Last weekend Austria rejected some questions. During the 75 days striking. Fidel Castro forbade the of visitors at Marina beach to pay all we are reading are reports of
far-right candidate Norbert Hofer in its pres- former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister The arguments in the article, development of a personality cult; their tributes to Jayalalithaa at her seizures and trading in large
idential election, instead placing confidence in Al- and AIADMK general secretary Guardians of federalism (Dec. 8), Jayalalithaa did not mind it. While memorial shows the impact her amounts of the new currency.
exander Van der Bellen, a former leader of the Jayalalithaa was hospitalised, there on need for cooperation, if not unity, Castro led Cubans to be a self- administration has had on hundreds I.P.P. Prabhakara Rao,
Green Party who has said he would be an open- was not even one telecast of her by the AIADMK and the DMK respecting, progressive, healthy and of thousands of people in the State. Secunderabad
speech despite it being reported that keeping in mind the larger interests well-educated people, it is an oddity S. Ramakrishnasayee,
minded, liberal-minded and above all a pro-Eu-
she had recovered, and even when of Tamil Nadu are justifiable. Both that Jayalalithaa promoted
ropean president. In Italy a more mixed result was the hospitals chief made a parties follow almost the same dependency by the people.
Ranipet, Tamil Nadu Tall promises
delivered, with voters resoundingly defeating a ref- categorical statement that she could principles and policies. Their World Disabled Day comes and goes
R.S. Chouhan, Multifaceted Cho
erendum driven by Prime Minister Matteo Renzi to choose when to be discharged. separate paths now were only on Jaipur as usual every December 3, with, in
change Italys constitution by reducing the num- Why were top political leaders and account of leadership or personality In the death of Cho S. Ramaswamy, most cases, the authorities making
bers and power of the Senate. While some in Italys special visitors not allowed to see clashes. A unification should be Jayalalithaa did command the the nation has lost a stalwart high-sounding promises towards the
political right have seized upon the result as a big her? When in similar circumstances, thought of and I hope that such a admiration of even her political journalist, a fearless political welfare of this most disadvantaged
victory for anti-establishment forces, the vote de- MGR was sent to the U.S. for discussion would not be out of place. rivals. The DMK seems to have commentator, and an astute political section. Out of practical experience,
fies the simplistic narrative of a populist revolt treatment, the public was given T. K. Abdul Razack, raised the prospect of better analyst. None in the country have for example, it is disheartening that
against globalisation and elites that has been ap- frequent updates on his condition Kozhikode relations between the two parties made such a strong imprint as he did the weekly train 22659/60
and pictures published which which have fought some of the most in such varied fields (Editorial (Thiruvananthapuram-Dehradun)
plied elsewhere. It is evident that the focus of the showed him recovering. All said and It is time the AIADMK and DMK ugly battles in Indian politics. She is Cho Ramaswamy, wit and analyst, does not have a Disabled coach.
vote was Mr. Renzis own record in oice and the done, the smooth conduct of events shed their diferences to protect the no more but her party should Dec.8). Thus disabled persons, especially
relative merits of the constitutional reforms he was after her death deserves autonomy of the State which is continue her welfare schemes which When the government issued a students, trainees and patients
proposing, which also explains why he resigned. appreciation. In this one must under threat. Tamil Nadu Chief have had a positive impact on the postage stamp on Sanjay Gandhi bound for the two national institutes
The debates leading up to the vote, similarly, hardly compliment the Tamil Nadu police Minister O. Panneerselvam must poor. posthumously, Cho issued his own for visually and orthopaedically
touched upon burning issues such as immigration and the party cadre. take forward the constructive Calicut Krishnan Subramaniam, stamp honouring Capt. Saxena, the handicapped persons, at Dehradun,
writ large in Britain or America. Instead they Vazuthur Raghavan, opposition by his predecessor Navi Mumbai pilot who died with Sanjay. are forced to travel in the general
thrashed out questions on the potential of the re- Bengaluru Jayalalithaa on the GST issue and R. Sivakumar, compartments facing several
forms to be anti-democratic and capable of altering ensure that the economic interests A few readers in this column have Chennai hardships and untold miseries.
Union Information and of the State are protected. Recent commented on the freebies being Though it has been brought to the
in-built constitutional checks and balances.
Broadcasting Minister Venkaiah statements made by the central doled out by the AIADMK Chos image as a daring and dashing attention of the divisional railway
Despite the election outcomes in Europe being at Naidus statement that the AIADMK leadership of the BJP make it clear government as being a drain on the political commentator can never be authorities at Thiruvananthapuram,
odds with the broader global surge in pro-majorit- is ideologically near to the BJP that the party is ready to fish in the exchequer. But the ground realities erased. He was a versatile from where the train starts, not
arian national politics, there is one common thread (Dec.8) is loaded with meaning. His muddied waters of Tamil Nadu point to the absolute necessity of personality, itself a rarity, airing his much seems to have happened. Why
that binds the two: a hatefully bitter polarisation of prolonged stay in Chennai may be a politics. That the BJP will be ready such largesse. There is no social calibre in fields as diverse as law, should the disabled continue to
the electorate of each country. In Italy, while the op- pointer to the fact that the BJP is to play the communal card to further welfare net for the poor and needy acting, journalism and politics. He sufer?
position to Mr. Renzis plans came from main- now quite keen to be seen as the its interests in the State and as it who are neglected by their kith and will be missed. G. John,
stream political figures, including members of his AIADMKs ally. However, there is had done in other States cannot kin; there are n number of such Buggana Madhu Sudhan Reddy, Dehradun, Uttarakhand
Democratic Party, former prime ministers and aca- little in common between the be ruled out. Hence it is imperative families in rural Tamil Nadu. They Bethamcherla, Andhra Pradesh
ideologies of both parties barring a that the two Dravidian parties join are not paid real-time wages by
demics and judges, the far right Northern League
Hindutva link. If the BJP is keen to hands. landlords and their meagre Hail Austerlitz
and the Five Star Movement left an indelible mark play a decisive role in the State, it possessions of landholdings are Note ban, tough questions Often times, The Hindu is
on the No campaign. These groups and their anti- T. Ajeesh Ferdin,
needs to align with one or other of Manapparai, Tamil Nadu usurped by money-lenders. One If the government wants us to matchless. Immersed in the present,
immigrant rhetoric have thus received a boost. In the two main Dravidian parties. cannot criticise Jayalalithaa who has believe that demonetisation was a whoever else thinks of delving deep
Austria the flip side of Mr. Van der Bellens win was Voters who had given short shrift to There can be no second opinion that saved millions from poverty and well-thought-out one, it needs to into forgotten history and recalling a
that Mr. Hofers Freedom Party managed to pull in a party like the Congress which the dignified act of the DMK starvation. answer some hard questions first. decisive battle? The report, History
some 2.2 million votes despite standing stoutly ruled the State for some time have leadership to pay homage to T.M. Ranganathan, Did it not visualise the long queues bufs re-enact Napoleans finest
against the Social Democrats, the Popular Party no great love for the BJP either. Jayalalithaa has opened a new Srirangam, Tamil Nadu at banks creating tremendous hour (Dec.5), was interesting. The
and the Green Party, besides several among the es- C.V. Aravind, chapter in the annals of Tamil Nadu pressure on bank staf? Did it not picture was complete on seeing the
tablishment media. The fact that French far-right Bengaluru politics. The generous tribute by If O. Panneerselvam wants to foresee productive man hours being favourite cockhat and charger of the
DMK patriarch M. Karunanidhi will provide good governance, he has to lost as people are still waiting to Emperor. So strongly evocative for
leader Marine Le Pen assured Mr. Hofer that he
The frenzy the visual media go a long way in developing a handle the Sasikala factor exchange or deposit old currency me is the memory of the boyhood
would win the next legislative election is a signal of displayed in covering events since healthy political trend as well as dexterously (Mannargudi clan hogs during working hours? How could it hero of many. Even though war is
confidence in the power of the rising anti-estab- Jayalalithaas hospitalisation is fostering camaraderie among limelight at funeral, triggers expect a cash-based society to now obsolete and out of place in a
lishment mood. As the divide between elites and deplorable. It was intrusion into the politicians who may not see eye to controversy, Dec.7). There is no transform itself into a cashless one nuclear age, it takes hideous forms in
the forgotten man and woman widens, the need afairs of the hospital. A set of eye on issues. dearth of talent as far as overnight? todays world. Alas!
to rethink liberal politics has become imperative. standards on practices and protocol Shalini Gerald, administration is concerned; in this Does it have the data to show that A.M. Mahmood Husain,
needs to be evolved by the Press Chennai one can think of a number of Net banking is secure? How will it Chennai
CM ND-ND
YK
10 | - 1ias.com - EDITORIAL THE HINDU SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2016
NOIDA/DELHI

A doctrine of unpredictability
In a rapidly changing world, the Modi governments foreign policy will require much more imagination than
the shock-and-awe tactics of the past two and a half years
ays have had a shock-and-awe character. His who called it the Madman Theory, accord-
S AT U R D AY , D E C E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 6 closest partnership was forged with the U.S., ing to his chief of staf Harry Haldemans
SUHASINI HAIDAR the country that shut him out for nine years, memoirs told Henry Kissinger to convey
while his biggest success came from to Russia and the Communist bloc that he
Bangladesh, the country whose citizens he was capable of any irrational action (read
Cash need not In June this year, just after Prime Minister
swore during his electoral campaign to shut
out. He is yet to visit Israel, the country he
nuclear) on Vietnam.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump too has

be king Narendra Modis visit to Washington, a


senior American oicial spoke of the Modi
Doctrine, giving formal recognition to the
spoke of most often as a friend, but he has
completed several tours to West Asia to
the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia,
often expressed his desire to be Nixonian
on Syria, North Korea, etc, in not allowing
other countries to guess his future strategy.

T
he government has declared an incentive foreign policy choices adopted by India since Qatar and has already visited Iran, Israels His recent surprise call to Taiwans President
package to encourage non-cash pay- May 2014. In his speech at the U.S. Congress, arch-enemy. None of this could have been indicates that he is going ahead with his ver-
ments for fuel, new insurance policies Mr. Modi outlined Indias commitment to the gamed in advance by even the keenest watch- sion of the Madman Theory. However, for a
partnership with the U.S. as being a new ers of Mr. Modi or of the governments number of reasons and not just because
from public sector firms, train tickets and
symphony in play in order to build an inter- foreign policy. Vietnam didnt go as planned for Nixon it
highway toll, among other things. For credit and national maritime partnership in Asia, to is time to reassess the Modi governments de-
debit card transactions up to Rs.2,000, the Reserve play a leading role in the South Asian neigh- Crossing red lines pendence on the doctrines value going for-
Bank of India has relaxed its stringent two-factor bourhood, strategically as well as for human- With Pakistan that doctrine of unpredict- ward.
authentication requirement, and service tax stands itarian purposes, and to take a strong posi- ability has been most pronounced. After
waived. Taken together, these moves to encourage tion on terrorism or cross-border terrorism more than a year of fits and starts, Mr. Modi Danger of diminishing returns
cashless payments are significant not just because emanating from Pakistan. decided to restart dialogue with Pakistan and To begin with, there is a law of diminishing
they can alleviate the cash crunch following the de- A few months later, Union External Afairs pay a surprise visit to Lahore in December returns that accompanies unpredictability, as
monetisation of high-value notes. They could spur Minister Sushma Swaraj, speaking at the 2015, although the cancellation of India- the shock value of the governments ma-
launch of a book, The Modi Doctrine: New
There is a law of diminishing Pakistan dialogue after the Pathankot attack noeuvres wears of, and both adversaries and
a change in spending habits in an economy where returns that accompanies
Paradigms in Indias Foreign Policy, went was probably predictable. In 2016, he an- allies come to expect the unexpected.
cash has served as the basis of around 95 per cent of on to define it thus: India first, Neighbour- nounced three strikes on Pakistan in quick Second, not everyone likes surprises.
all transactions. From those between traders and unpredictability as the shock
hood first, engaging competing global succession. On Independence Day, he an- China and Pakistan, most notably, can be ex-
farmers to settling a restaurant bill, the use of cash powers, with a focus on the diaspora and on value of the governments nounced a new, activist policy towards Ba- pected to counter the doctrine with an overly
creates a window to escape the tax net. Shopkeep- delivery. manoeuvres wears off lochistans freedom movement, a major de- aggressive defence posture, which would
ers routinely ask buyers if they would like a bill or parture from Indias traditional policy of then lead to more tensions at Indias frontiers
not, and those who opt for the latter to save some A touch of unpredictability to be to create a global environment condu- non-interference. Next came the announce- just when the Modi government may want to
rupees are often left with little recourse if the goods It could be argued that none of these goals cive to the well-being of our great country. ment of cross-Line of Control strikes in re- focus on economic and domestic policies the
prove to be substandard. By contrast, cashless pay- are new. While the shift from non-alignment At the half-way mark in Mr. Modis term, taliation for the Uri attacks, and a departure most.
ments can be captured electronically through the to a U.S. partnership began during Prime after which governments traditionally turn from Indias policy of keeping such oper- The recent spate of attacks on security in-
Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayees tenure, the from foreign policy to domestic elections, ations covert. Finally came the announce- stallations in Jammu and Kashmir indicates
settlement mechanisms, bringing more revenue to
special maritime partnerships with Japan, what then makes his foreign policy distinct? ment along with neighbouring countries of a that the Pakistani establishment was only
the government and ensuring consumer rights. Australia, the U.S. and Singapore, as a re- The answer to that may have come from boycott of the SAARC (South Asian Asso- momentarily stunned by the surgical
Given Indias abysmal tax base, this nudge to cash- sponse to Chinas assertiveness in the South Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikars ciation for Regional Cooperation) summit in strikes announcement and more such at-
less payments could be a game-changer, with the China Sea, go back nearly a decade (2007). comments in the past few months where he Pakistan. If he makes good on the threat of ab- tacks may be expected. A doctrine of unpre-
introduction of the Goods and Services Tax. The focus on Pravasi Bharatiyas goes back has repeatedly referred to the need for un- rogating or renegotiating the Indus Waters dictability runs counter to the deterrence
A nudge to move people away from cash, espe- even further. predictability in Indias defence, nuclear Treaty, as he seemed to indicate at an election theory as well, which rests on the sure prin-
cially in the rural economy, first came in Yashwant In his own account of the Gujral doc- and strategic postures. It is easy to see that rally in Punjab this month, then that will ciple of what the response might be, nuclear
Sinhas 1998-99 Budget, with the issue of Kisan trine, former Prime Minister I.K. Gujral ar- Mr. Modis foreign policy thinking, which is most certainly be his fourth strike, each one or otherwise. This means that the response
credit cards to farmers. Around 15 years later, ticulated a SAARC minus Pakistan neigh- out of the box, and taking all by surprise at crossing a new red line. to a Uri-style attack would have to be some-
RuPay cards were introduced with an eye on lower- bourhood approach when he said, With every turn, has also incorporated this ele- It must be noted that each of these moves thing similar to September 29 or stronger,
neighbours like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Mal- ment, right since he invited South Asian lead- has been accompanied by considerable leaving India with very few non-war options.
ing payments to service providers such as Visa or dives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, India does not ask ers to his swearing-in ceremony in May 2014. domestic applause and sometimes interna- Indias policy of diplomatically isolating
Mastercard. By November this year, 29 crore such for reciprocity, but gives and accommodates Since then, whether it was the sudden mo- tional approbation. With its obvious first- Pakistan may also sufer from this pushback
cards had been issued, 19 crore of them linked to Jan what it can in good faith and trust. And in ment on a swing with Chinese President Xi mover advantages, this approach to staid, as Pakistan steps up its eforts to engage
Dhan accounts. The Narendra Modi Cabinet ap- 2013, when former Prime Minister Manmo- Jinping, in Gujarat in 2014, the Republic Day constrained and predictable foreign policy China, Russia and Iran on connectivity, ofer-
proved a two-year action plan to encourage digital han Singh articulated his five-point foreign invite to U.S. President Barack Obama, in has given Mr. Modi some his most successful ing them strategic maritime advantages of
and card payments this February. If some of the policy objectives, he too put domestic de- 2015, or the surprise stops in Kabul and moments in the past two and a half years. The its shores which it had not in the past.
proposed measures, such as rationalising the mer- velopment at the top: The single most im- Lahore on his return from Moscow last approach is also not without precedent, just Most importantly, a policy of unpredictab-
chant discount rate on card transactions, had been portant objective of Indian foreign policy has Christmas, the Prime Ministers foreign for- as former U.S. President Richard Nixon ility works best in an otherwise predictable
implemented before the demonetisation an- global scenario. When Mr. Modi took oice,
oil prices were low, the dollar was stable, Eu-
nouncement, perhaps the current pain due to a CARTOONSCAPE rope was united and the U.S. led by Mr.
tight supply of cash could have been ameliorated Obama had set a steady, engaged course in
somewhat. With new payments banks coming up, Asia.
along with mobile wallets and banking applica- Today, none of those factors hold. The U.S.
tions, Indias transaction ecosystem could see a under Mr. Trump is likely to keep relations
paradigm shift provided the government puts in with India on the upward trajectory in strate-
place efective monitoring systems and ensures in- gic and defence fields but may not be able to
teroperability between these alternatives. An es- deliver on Indian concerns on jobs and im-
timated Rs.18,000 crore is spent to maintain ATMs, migration. Moreover, should he deliver on
and if even a quarter of ATM withdrawals are cut by his promise to pull out of the Trans-Pacific
Partnership free trade agreement and to
the switch to cashless payments, banks could use withdraw U.S. resources from Asia and West
the savings to reach the unbanked millions and still Asia, it would change the power balance in
lower digital transaction costs. this region in favour of China. Closer ties
with Russia would also alter the power bal-
ance, given the Russia-China axis. As elec-
South Korea tion after election springs a surprise, Britains
exit from the European Union may well be
followed by Italys exit from the Eurozone,
at a crossroads the far rights entry to power in France and
Germany, and a strain between the U.S. and

W
hen Park Geun-hye assumed oice NATO.
What will be the nature of western unity
as South Koreas first woman and will it be continued? asked Foreign
President in early 2013 on a wave of Secretary Dr. S. Jaishankar in a recent speech,
popularity, not many could have adding that when every variable is in flux,
foreseen her impeachment on corruption charges imagine the fluidity of the world. The next
less than four years later. Such has been the impact few years will require more of that imagina-
of the scandal that several lawmakers from her own tion from the Modi government as it seeks to
Saenuri Party voted in favour of the impeachment define Indias position in the world where a
resolution brought in by the opposition in Parlia- dose of dependability may be at more of a
ment. The crisis was sparked by revelations two premium than before.
months ago that Ms. Park had abused her powers to
suhasini.h@thehindu.co.in
help a confidante, Choi Soon-sil, extort money
from companies for her foundations. Since then, LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
the Korean media have carried stories of Ms. Chois
access to the Presidents oice and her influence in Letters emailed to letters@thehindu.co.in must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.
decision-making. The crisis was handled ineptly by
Ms. Park and her aides. She never bothered to ex- Dr. Singhs critique One cannot miss the fact that even masterpiece of views and well-laid addressing one of the major Vandalur zoo were christened by
plain her position directly to the public, and did not construction workers are afected opinions by an economic stalwart. problems before a booming Indian Jayalalithaa. There is a delightful
take her party into confidence. She stayed away Former Prime Minister Manmohan which is one example of a violation Dr. Gramle Amol, economy and polity. During his picture of the Chief Minister at
from the press and the opposition, perhaps hoping Singhs balanced and unbiased views of fundamental rights to conduct Bengaluru tenure as Prime Minister, the Vandalur, clad in a purple sari, and
the crisis would blow over. But with a 4 per cent ap- on the issue of demonetisation are business and employment. Given the country was rocked by scandals. In smiling at white tiger cubs.
welcome (Making of a mammoth ripple efects of demonetisation, it is Demonetisation has been politically the 2014 general election, the fight Cauvery Cariappa,
proval rating, she soon became the most unpopular tragedy, Dec.9). The biggest issue in almost certain now that the clever but economically disastrous. was about corruption and we have a Bengaluru
leader South Korea has had since its transition to a this exercise of unplanned decision- government had no idea of the Its consequences are still unfolding government mandated by the people
democracy in the late-1980s. And an impeachment making is that the common Indian is diiculties that would unfold. There before us. The attempts to politicise of India to root out corruption. The
appeared certain in the wake of opposition protests struggling to have access to his is no harm if the government accepts this issue further and paint those common man is also aware of the Know your English
that attracted over a million people to Seoul. hard-earned money. It is no its unpreparedness and recalls the against the move as being in support fact that theoreticians can only give The first section of the Essay
South Korean Presidents are no strangers to cor- exaggeration to say that the notification. Let the bill to tax black of black money are examples of explanations and not practical paper of the UPSC main
ruption scandals. But in Ms. Parks case, the allega- economy has taken a hit as most money remain in statute. This will divergence from the main issue, as is solutions. The former Prime examination for the civil services
tion that the President was being controlled by a businesses in the unorganised sector allow people some breathing space inherent in Indian politics. Since Minister should have shared his vast held on December 3, 2016 (where
puppeteer seemed to have aggravated the public are staring at closure. The and enable businesses to run. there is no possibility of a roll back, experience and expertise to address candidates have to write two essays
demonetisation move is hardly Gopal Nathani, the government should introduce the present diiculties. out of ten subjects in two sections of
anger. Moreover, Ms. Parks record in oice was far
afecting the real culprits as they Gurugram, Haryana policies to address the issue of black Suresh Rangarajan, five each) had the topic If
from exemplary. The economy continued to sput- have found the tools and methods to money and aid honest but helpless development is not engendered, it is
Thiruvananthapuram
ter under her rule with growth rate falling to 2.6 per make black money white. The article is a point of inflection citizens. endangered. It made no sense, as
cent in 2015, the slowest since 2012. Her decision to Karan Choudhary, brought to us precisely a month after Drishti Vishwanath, the word engendered means
reach an agreement with the United States to de- Pathankot, Punjab demonetisation. I also admit that I Madanapalle, Andhra Pradesh
Off the political field caused or produced. But the
ploy an advanced missile system to counter threats am a staunch admirer of Prime Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and intention of the questioner is
from North Korea was not popular domestically, The after-efects of demonetisation Minister Narendra Modi and believe It was surprising to read the article AIADMK general secretary revealed in the Hindi translation of
and also increased tensions in the Korean Pen- are indicative of the governments that his vision for India has written by Manmohan Singh the Jayalalithaas death is a terrible blow the topic as it translates
insula. Relations with China too steadily deterior- state of ill-preparedness in facing a substance. Now for the statistics politician. How can he aford to miss to sportspersons in the State. I cant engendered as gender balanced.
ated under Ms. Park. South Korea needs a clear- liquidity trap and other available in the public domain: it is the gains India will make in reducing think of any other Chief Minister By using the word engendered in a
consequences for the common man. oicial that cash deposits have our dependence on currency? In who has done yeoman service to the sense it does not have, the
headed leadership both to reboot the economy and A war on black money should not be crossed the Rs.11.5 lakh crore mark. jewellery and textile shops, for cause of sports. It is a fact that she candidates must have been misled.
to take strategic decisions with a long-term per- an attack on the means of sustenance What remains in the circulation is instance, most people do not ask for followed sports closely and went out No dictionary suggests that
spective. And given the bitterness and adminis- of people who include the around Rs.2.5 lakh crore; there was a bill in order to avoid paying tax. If of her way to encourage athletes and engendered has anything to do
trative paralysis of the past couple of months, it diferently-abled, farmers, single Rs.14 lakh crore worth of currency in all these transactions are now done reward them. with gender and it cannot be
needs someone at the helm who is free of scandal mothers, small businesses and circulation on November 8. I am through electronic channels, the Albert Devakaram, expected that the candidates will
and has popular support. Unfortunately, the im- villagers. Small shop owners and sure that around Rs.1.5 lakh crore increase in revenue to the Chennai read the Hindi version to get the
peachment has pushed South Korea into a protrac- villagers find the logic about this more will find its way into bank government by way of taxes will be meaning of the topic. I do hope that
ted interregnum the Constitutional Court can being an attempt to tackle black accounts. So, it is up to readers to considerable. To those who argue Jayalalithaa was probably the only the examiners will give credit to
take up to six months to decide if Ms. Park has to go money hard to digest as they cannot conclude the veracity of claims that it is foolish to expect everybody Chief Minister who thought of those who did not write about
understand why they are being made made in the wake of this mammoth to become tech-savvy overnight, my animal welfare and wildlife too. The gender balance in development.
or whether her powers can be restored. Ms. Park
to sufer for no fault of theirs. The tragedy. For the sake of comparison, answer to them is this: I feel it is all a 50-day elephant rejuvenation camp Incidentally, in my search for the
could have avoided pushing the country into this governments demonetisation the total budget expenditure for question of attitude. was her brain child and introduced meaning of engender, I discovered
period of uncertainty had she resigned before the decision amounts to draining water 2016-2017 as per the Union budget in 2003. She took care to instruct that a feminist organisation in
B.C. Unnikrishnan Nair,
parliamentary vote. But she chose to cling on, leav- in a pond which has a few crocodiles 2017 report is Rs.19,78,060.45 crore. If Kuthiathode, Kerala HR&CE oicials not to force any Scotland is called Engender. Was
ing lawmakers with no option but to trigger the im- and hundreds of fish. Mr. Modi has played a disastrous elephant reluctant to board the the question set in Scottish?
peachment process. Manzar Imam, masterstroke of demonetisation, the The article is again a reflection of Dr. trucks while being moved to this T.P. Sreenivasan,
New Delhi editorial page article is a Singhs casual approach in special camp. Several tiger cubs at Thiruvananthapuram
CM ND-ND
YK
10 | - 1ias.com - WEEKEND THE HINDU SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2016
NOIDA/DELHI

BEING
DR HUMERUS INTERVENTION PROGRAMME

Love stories from Sonagachi


Keshav

For health workers in Sonagachi, Kolkatas red-light area, convincing commercial sex workers to insist on consistent
condom usage is turning out to be a nightmare

O
ne of Indias most successful register an organisation as it was con-
HIV interventions is cur- sidered that sex workers did not have any
rently facing a policy glitch it moral character, says Santanu Chaterjee,
cannot easily overcome: love finance manager at Usha. We met the then
affairs. Co-operative Minister of State Saral Dev
In Sonagachi, the largest red-light dis- who said that character is a relative term
trict of South Asia, in the heart of Kolkata, and allowed us to open the bank, says Mr.
sex is solicited for a price, and the odds of Chaterjee. With 29,000 members, Usha is
finding an empathetic lover also come one of the biggest success stories in co-op-
AROUND THE WORLD with a rider: unprotected sex. For sex erative banking in South Asia. Its turnover
workers, the distinction is necessary for last year was Rs.29 crore. In 2015, nearly
Cancer protein specific clients commonly referred to as 7,000 members took a loan, out of which 48
found babus with whom they have an emotional per cent was for childrens education, he
Scientists have connect. However, for health workers who says.
identified a specific are working hard to convince the women
to insist on condom usage, this is turning Reducing infection rates
protein called CD36
on cancer cells out to be a nightmare. Usha has played an important role in re-
which has the ducing HIV infection among sex workers
PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT The babu culture of the State. The bank provides financial
ability to
metastasise or spread. CD36, found in the cell As thing stand, the number of HIV pos- RED FLAG: Most commercial sex workers have a particular client with whom they backing to its members in the form of sav-
membranes of tumour cells, is responsible for itive workers and clients in Sonagachi is at engage regularly. However, most of these babus have contact with more than one ings and loans. Their dependence on im-
taking up fatty acids. This unique CD36 activity and an all-time low, with just over 2 per cent woman, increasing the risk of contracting AIDS. PHOTO: AFP mediate cash from customers is now negli-
dependence on fatty acids distinguishes positive cases being reported in 2014, gible; they are not vulnerable to customers
metastasis-initiating cells from other tumour cells, down from 10 per cent in 2005. condoms despite a love affair, says the I have been informed about asking for sex without condoms.
says the work published in the journal Nature. There are approximately 8,000 counsellor who works with the DMSC. The hard work has borne fruit. The Na-
commercial sex workers (CSW) risks of unprotected sex by didi. tional AIDS Control Organization
Cancer is most deadly when it has begun to spread Peer educator model
as successful treatment is much more difficult. here, according to figures put I cant say no to my lover. (NACO) annual report 2015-16 claims that
out by the Durbar Mahila At the heart of this success story is Dr. HIV prevalence among sex workers in In-
Scientists around the globe are therefore trying to
Samanwaya Committee Smarajit Jana who, in 1992, initiated a rad-
I like to be with him dia is 2.2 per cent. But other studies have
understand how the process occurs and develop without protection.
new ways to stop it. Eurekalert (DMSC) which has been work- ical intervention programme to control found the range in different cities to be be-
Jyotsna Singh ing among them for more than STDs and HIV in Sonagachi. He worked tween 2 per cent and 35 per cent. The fig-
two decades. But keeping the with the Department of Epidemiology, All for soliciting without a condom, then it ure for brothels in Kolkata are on the lower
Non-smokers gains is proving to be uphill. I India Institute of Hygiene and Public puts pressure on her not to do this again, side.
have been informed about risks of unpro- Health in Kolkata and realised that HIV says Tapasi Kole, a peer educator in Son- Another addition is customer care
beware tected sex by didi (peer educator). But I control is not only about screening and agachi. The work of DMSC has spread centres, located at positions of entry to
Non-smokers, cant say no to my lover. I also like to be providing condoms but also addressing across West Bengal and caters to many Sonagachi.. Their aim is to increase a cli-
particularly women, with him without protection, says Saheba wider socio-economic challenges. We areas in Kolkata. DMSC, which had 20,000 ents risk perception. Every day, nearly 150-
arent necessarily Bibi, a 27-year-old CSW with a 10-year asked sex workers to not solicit anyone members in 1997, boasts of 60,000 mem- 200 customers visit these kiosks. Involving
immune to Chronic work experience as she nervously waited without use of condoms. But if all women bers today. babus and using them to counselother cus-
Obstructive for the results of tests for Sexually Trans- of the red-light area did not agree to it, then tomers has added another dimension to
PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Pulmonary Disease mitted Diseases (STD). the customers would go to those who did Crossing the money hurdle the work of DMSC. Babus are vulnerable
(COPD), reports a study published by University of Among the counsellors at Sonagachi, not press for condoms. This would put Dr. Jana faced another hurdle money. to infection and are major carriers. We ask
Toronto researchers. Seven per cent of never- these love affairs are known as the babu pressure on the others too to earn money. No bank allowed sex workers to open them to be particular about use of con-
smoking, older African American women and 5.2 per culture. Community or social action had to be initi- accounts due to lack of proper identity doms, says the NACO counsellor.
cent of white older women have COPD, compared to It is common knowledge that while the ated, he says. Thus, DMSC took shape in cards. It was a struggle for them to keep As the HIV/AIDS Bill is discussed
2.9 per cent of never-smoking older white men. sex workers do not solicit a client who 1999. Through a model of peer educators their money safe. It was common for them among health experts and lawmakers of
COPD is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. does not use condoms any more, they en- where elder HIV-positive women counsel to lose money due to stealing, making India, examples of work by organisations
and smoking is the biggest risk factor. However, gage with their lovers without protection. sex workers, the DMSC began group dis- them vulnerable to customers who paid such as DMSC show that the community
approximately one-quarter of Americans with COPD Most sex workers have a particular client cussions and community monitoring. more money for no condoms. We had to has moved forward. It is no more about dis-
have never smoked. The study used a representative with whom they engage regularly and they We regularly hold group discussions come up with a bank. he says. cussing only treatment but also helping
sample of 129,535 Americans aged 50 and older develop a strong feeling of attachment. and educate sex workers about HIV and Usha Multipurpose Co-operative Soci- prevention by extending help to target
who had never smoked. It included 8,674 African However, most of these babus have sex other STDs. Peer educators teach them the ety Limited was founded in 1995, and groups such as the acquaintances of sex
American women, 2,708 African American men, with more than one woman, putting both method of using condoms effectively. We merged later with DMSC. It was registered workers.
80,317 white women, and 37,836 white men and of them at risk of contracting AIDS. We emphasise community monitoring. When under the Societies Act. Under the Act, Jyotsna Singh is a New Delhi-based freelance
was published online this week in the International counsel them and encourage the use of a sex worker is caught by her colleagues people without moral character could not journalist, writing on health policies.
Journal of Chronic Diseases. Eurekalert

HEALTH-CARE AUDIT PERSPECTIVE


As meal, beans
trump pork
Meals based on
legumes such as
In rural health care, few good options A striking recovery
beans and peas are
more satiating than
In four major findings, private health-care providers exerted a significantly higher effort
than public providers T he remarkable
recovery of a woman
with advanced colon
pork and veal-based
PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
meals according to a cancer, after treatment
recent study by the University of Copenhagens with cells from her own
immune system, may lead
Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports. The to new options for
study results also suggest that sustainable eating thousands of other
may also help with weight loss. Numerous modern patients with colon or
dietary recommendations encourage high protein pancreatic cancer,
consumption to help with weight loss or prevent the researchers are reporting. PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

age-related loss of muscle mass. In the study, 43 Her treatment was the
young men were served three different meals in gene are so common.
first to successfully target Every single pancreatic
which patties, consisting of either beans/peas or a common cancer cancer patient has
veal/pork, were a key element. The study also mutation that scientists KRAS, Dr. June said,
demonstrated that when participants ate a protein- have tried to attack for adding that the
rich meal based on beans and peas, they consumed decades. Until now, that pharmaceutical industry
12 per cent fewer calories in their next meal than if mutation has been has spent billions trying
they had eaten a meat-based meal. The results bulletproof, so resistant unsuccessfully to target
appear in the scientific journal, Food & Nutrition. to every attempt at KRAS.
Eurekalert treatment that scientists Still, he said, the big
have described it as question is whether this
undruggable. case is one in a million,
An article about the or something that can be
Four types case, from a team led by replicated and built
of depression Dr. Steven A. Rosenberg, upon.
chief of surgery at the About 53,000 cases of
Patients with National Cancer
depression can be pancreatic cancer are
Institute, was published expected in the United
categorised into
four unique States this year, and
subtypes defined by PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT nearly 42,000 deaths. It is
distinct patterns of one of the deadliest
abnormal connectivity in the brain, according to Denise cancers; fewer than 10 per
Grady cent of patients survive
new research from Weill Cornell Medicine. In a study five years. Worldwide, it
published in Nature Medicine, researchers identified killed about 330,000
biomarkers in depression by analysing more than on Wednesday in The people in 2012, the most
1,100 functional magnetic resonance imaging New England Journal of recent year with global
(fMRI) brain scans of patients with clinical SAMARTH BANSAL diagnosis, private counterparts com- Rs.51 in the private sector. However, as Medicine. statistics available.
depression and of healthy controls, gathered from pleted 22.30 per cent of the list (7.4 per- the findings indicate, the higher cost The patient, Celine From 30 to 50 per cent
across the country. These biomarkers may help
doctors to better diagnose depression subtypes and
determine which patients would most likely benefit
L ack of access to public health care
is not the only reason why quacks
informal private health-care pro-
centage points more), which indicated
a higher effort. Note that 30 per cent of
the private providers did have formal
does not translate into better
outcomes.
These results may not generalise be-
Ryan, 50, an engineer,
database programmer
and the mother of five,
of colorectal cancers have
KRAS mutations, too, and
about 13 per cent have the
from a targeted neuro-stimulation therapy called viders without any formal medical training. Of the rest who were unquali- yond primary care to tertiary care or has an unusual genetic same mutation that Ms.
transcranial magnetic stimulation that uses education continue to flourish in fied and who would be classified as for more critical illnesses, but it is still make-up that allowed the Ryan has.
magnetic fields to create electrical impulses in the rural India. Most private providers, the quacks as per norms of the Medical quite crucial as primary care serves as treatment to work. She is In the United States,
brain. Approximately 10 per cent of Americans are bulk of whom lack formal medical Council of India, a majority reported the first step in identifying the need to now cancer-free, though about 95,000 cases of
diagnosed with clinical depression each year, and it not considered cured. colon cancer and 39,000
qualifications, exerted significantly having received some training, the go to a hospital. For instance, in the cases of rectal cancer are
is by some estimates the leading cause of disability higher effort than public providers most common form being an assistant case of angina one of the three con-
in many developed countries. Eurekalert Immunotherapy expected in 2016, and
and recommend correct treatments in another doctors practice. ditions for which SPs were coached The treatment was a 49,000 deaths from the
equally often. Second, both were equally likely to it is difficult for patients to know by form of immunotherapy, two forms combined.
These are the findings of an audit pronounce a correct diagnosis. Data themselves, without proper medical which enlists a patients Globally, there were 1.4
conducted in rural Madhya Pradesh, show that 26 per cent of public pro- advice, if there was a need to go to the immune system to fight million cases and 694,000
and published in the American viders gave a diagnosis, of which 15 per hospital.
DEMYSTIFYING SCIENCE Economic Review (December 2016). cent was correct. In the private sector, The results suggest that the quality
disease. The field is
revolutionising cancer
deaths in 2012.

What is the Kounotori Experiment? 43 per cent gave a diagnosis of which of the public system of health-care treatment. On TILs
Metrics and findings 13.5 per cent was correct. delivery is constrained by a lack of en- An experiment on one The new discovery
Last Friday, Japans space agency lauched For the study, Standardised Patients The third finding raises concerns: forcement of administrative account- patient cannot determine might not have been
Kounotori (White Stork), a space capsule that (SP) or highly trained fake patients, doctors who serve in public facilities ability and inadequate incentives. For whether a treatment will made at least, not now
will attempt to clean space debris orbiting were coached to accurately present as well as in their private clinics, per- instance, doctors are often reported to be effective in others, but without Ms. Ryans
around earth, using an unusual approach. Orbital symptoms like normal patients for form better in the latter. The study be missing from the primary health- doctors said the results persistence. Researchers
debris, which consists of man-made objects, is three different conditions: unstable found that the same doctors spent care centres. These limitations should had the potential to help twice denied her request
usually the residue of inactive space vehicles. angina, asthma, and dysentery in a more time with SPs, completed more be taken into consideration as the more people. to enter the clinical trial,
Because these objects move at high speeds and child. They made 1,100 unannounced items on the checklist, and were also policy debate focusses on increasing It has huge saying her tumours were
implications, Dr. Carl H. not large enough, she
can collide with incoming space vehicles, theres visits to a representative sample of more likely to offer a correct treatment spending and improving access to June, from the University said. But she refused to
a case for cleaning them out. public and private health facilities in in their private practices, relative to publicly provided health care. Plus, of Pennsylvania, said in give up and was finally let
The Kounotori uses a kind of electrodynamic rural Madhya Pradesh to collect data their public practices. while there is a resistance to train and an interview. He was not in. The research involves
tether forged from thin wires of stainless steel on various metrics. Four major find- provide legitimacy to unqualified pri- part of the study, but cancer-fighting immune
and aluminium. One end of the strip will be ings were reported. Patient cost vate providers, the study notes that wrote an editorial cells called tumor-
attached to debris and the electricity generated First, private providers 70 per Fourth, the per-patient cost of the the marginal returns to better training accompanying it in the infiltrating lymphocytes,
by the tether as it swings through the earths cent of whom didnt have any formal public health-care system was found to and credentialing may be higher for journal. or TILs. These are white
magnetic field. It is expected to slow the speed training spent 1.5 minutes more with be at least four times when compared private health-care providers who Dr. June said the blood cells that swarm
of space junk and pull it into a lower and lower patients when compared to public pro- to a private system. According to es- have stronger incentives for exerting research was the first around tumours, a sign
orbits. viders. Further, while public providers timates by the studys authors, the cost effort. successful targeting of a that the immune system
Eventually the detritus will enter the earths completed around 15.3 per cent of the per patient interaction in the public Irrespective of the sector, the study defect in a gene called is trying to attack the
atmosphere, burning up harmlessly long before checklist which comprised questions sector is around Rs.240 billed not to says, patients in our setting have few KRAS, and is important cancer. New York
it has a chance to crash to the planets surface. and examinations which are con- the patient but to the exchequer good options for health care. because mutations in the Times News Service
sidered essential for reaching a correct whereas the per consultation fee was samarth. bansal@thehindu.co.in

CM ND-ND
YK
10 | - 1ias.com - EDITORIAL THE HINDU MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2016
NOIDA/DELHI

Time to blow the whistle


Parliament is considering an amendment to the Prevention of Corruption Act which would only end up
helping the corrupt. Its passage would administer a big blow to our already weak anti-corruption mechanism
fearless decision-making that may involve giver in order to qualify for exemption. But
M O N D AY , D E C E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 1 6 exercise of discretion and bona fide errors. all such ideas were rejected. The final pro-
YOGENDRA YADAV This argument is simply not true. T.S.R. Sub- posal now seeks to punish everyone and
ramanian, a retired Cabinet Secretary thereby reduces the chances of evidence
known for his integrity, has repeatedly said against the bribe-taker.
Arrest of As the nation engages in a doubtful war on
that the existing law ofers adequate protec-
tion to honest oicers. It does not punish any
The fourth change reduces the chances of
prosecution of the corrupt. The existing

a military chief black money, we run the risk of disengaging


ourselves from any action on corruption, the
fountainhead of black money. Indeed, we
bona fide diference or even mistake unless
it is a clear abuse of power leading to finan-
cial or other gains.
PCA requires the governments or higher of-
ficials sanction before any serving public
servants can be prosecuted under the Act.

T
he arrest of Indian Air Force former chief may be moving backwards in the battle The basic idea is to protect honest public of-
Air Chief Marshal S.P. Tyagi on Friday by against corruption. While everyone is busy Raising threshold of proof ficials from harassment, persecution and
the Central Bureau of Investigation is a debating demonetisation, Parliament is all Second, the Bill makes it more diicult to frivolous litigation. The proposed amend-
set to change the Prevention of Corruption hold someone guilty of disproportionate as- ment extends this protection to retired pub-
sobering moment. This is the first in-
Act (PCA), 1988, into a law that can only be sets as it raises the threshold of proof. Under lic servants, if the case pertains to the period
stance of a serving or retired military chief being described as Protection of the Corrupt Act. the existing law, the possession of monetary when they were in oice. This seems a reas-
arrested on charges of corruption. The CBI arres- Worse, this move enjoys cross-party sup- resources or property disproportionate to onable and necessary corollary of the
ted ACM Tyagi, his cousin Sanjeev Tyagi and law- port, as in most instances where the political the public servants known sources of in- original provision. But it also adds another
yer Gautam Khaitan in connection with the pur- establishment protects itself. All in the name come is enough to prove corruption. Now unnecessary and pointless condition. If a
chase order for VVIP helicopters in 2010 for the of war against black money, of course. the prosecutor will also have to prove that private person approaches the government
IAF. In an oicial statement, the CBI said they were On the face of it, the Prevention of Corrup- The Bill may now be postponed this disproportionate asset was acquired for sanction to prosecute a public servant for
arrested for alleged irregularities in the procure- tion (Amendment) Bill, 2013, which is to the Budget session, giving us with the intention of the public servant to corruption, he would now need a court order
ment of a dozen AW101 VVIP helicopters from pending before Parliament, merely proposes some time to build public opinion enrich himself illicitly. Although the Select to this efect. This additional layer of protec-
U.K.-based AgustaWestland, part of the Italian con- some amendments to the PCA. This Bill was Committee of the Rajya Sabha agrees that tion for the accused would discourage vic-
first introduced in the Rajya Sabha in 2013, against this attempt to protect proving intention should not be made man- tims of corruption and anti-corruption ac-
sortium Finmeccanica. The CBI claims that ACM
Tyagi entered into criminal conspiracy with other
during the United Progressive Alliance regi- the corrupt datory, we dont know the governments fi- tivists from prosecuting corrupt public
me following massive anti-corruption nal position. Besides this, currently, known servants. Clearly, the government is con-
accused persons and in 2005 to change the service protests. The purpose, ostensibly, was to thing or pecuniary advantage by illegal grat- sources of income are limited only to those cerned more about shielding government of-
ceiling of VVIP helicopters from 6,000 m to 4,500 tighten existing anti-corruption legislation. ification or by abusing his position as a pub- receipts which had been intimated in ac- ficials than prosecuting the corrupt.
m, to make AgustaWestland eligible to participate But it had some worrisome provisions. The lic servant. The present Bill removes this cordance with the provisions of any law,
in the tender. Twelve per cent of the total deal of real death knell was sounded after the Na- section and replaces it with a truncated rules or orders for the time being applicable Getting the nod first
Rs.3,767 crore is alleged to have been the commis- tional Democratic Alliance government pro- definition of criminal misconduct by a pub- to a public servant. This provision was And, finally, the most deadly and diabolic
sion involved. After the allegations first emerged in posed additional and fatal amendments in lic servant: fraudulent misappropriation of made in 1988 in order to cover an earlier provision that the government has quietly
Italy, an embattled UPA government had moved 2014. A Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha, property under ones control, and inten- loophole, whereby many accused persons slipped in without much public scrutiny. It
comprising members across the political es- tional, illicit enrichment and possession of would cite fresh sources of income at the proposes to insert a new Section 17A that
swiftly to order an investigation in February 2013.
tablishment, has already approved these disproportionate assets. Under this new stage of trial, resulting in acquittal in a large would bar investigating agencies from even
The case was handed over to the CBI and the En- changes. So has the Cabinet. This regressive definition, any benefit that is not economic, number of disproportionate assets cases. beginning an inquiry or investigating the of-
forcement Directorate, which have relied substan- piece of legislation was to be taken up for that is indirect or that cannot be proven to be Strangely, the government proposes to de- fences under this Act without prior approv-
tially on evidence from Italian courts. The case in passage in the current winter session, now intentional fraud will not be punished as cor- lete this requirement without any recom- al. The amendment proposed by the govern-
Italy has witnessed several twists and turns, with a nearly washed out. ruption. The Law Commission studied this mendation to this efect from any stake- ment said this sanction was to be obtained
lower court in October 2014 acquitting ACM Tyagi, proposed amendment carefully and dis- holder. Thus the big ofenders have secured from a Lokayukta or Lokpal. The Select
Finmeccanica CEO Giuseppe Orsi and others of Hydra-headed amendments agreed with the narrow definition. Instead it a vital escape route for themselves. Committee of the Rajya Sabha makes it
corruption charges. On April 8, 2016, the Milan As it stands now in the version cleared by proposed an even wider definition. The Law Third, the proposed amendment makes it worse: it shifts the power to give this sanc-
Court of Appeal overturned the order, and sen- the Select Committee in August this year, the Commission suggested that any undue ad- more risky for a bribe-giver to give evidence tion to an authority competent to remove
tenced Mr. Orsi to about four years in jail. Bill serves to dilute and defeat the whole vantage that results from improper per- against a bribe-taker. Under the existing law, the person from oice. Efectively, it means
point of anti-corruption legislation in more formance of public function or activity of a if a person makes a statement during a cor- that now, the political masters will decide
This is not the first time that the name of a retired ways than one. It narrows down the existing public servant should be punishable. Yet the ruption trial that he gave a bribe, it would not whether they wish to allow a corruption in-
military chief has come up in a defence scandal. In definition of corruption, increases the bur- government and the Parliamentary Commit- be used to prosecute him for the ofence of quiry against any government employee or
1987 the central investigation agencies had raided den of proof necessary for punishing the cor- tee disregarded this suggestion and have ob- abetment of corruption. The current Bill not.
Admiral S.M. Nanda, accusing him of being a rupt, makes things more diicult for the liged the babu lobby. omits this provision and proposes that bribe- This defies logic. As noted earlier, Section
middleman in the sale of German-made HDW sub- whistle-blower, and strengthens the shield This is critical, as the existing Section 13(1) taking and bribe-giving will be equally puni- 19 of the Act already protects oicials from
marines to India in the early 1980s. Two decades available to oicials accused of corruption. (d) is the only provision in the PCA which shable. This would obviously deter bribe- mala fide litigation. If someone wishes to
later the case was formally closed by the CBI, say- And it slips in a diabolic clause that would deals with corruption in high places where, givers from appearing as witnesses in cases harass an innocent oicer without any cred-
ing no concrete evidence was available. In 2006 the protect the babu-neta nexus from ever facing typically, no under-the-table transactions against public oicials. ible evidence of corruption, the government
CBI filed an FIR alleging kickbacks in the purchase any serious anti-corruption probe. If this Bill take place. The corrupt public servant usu- Admittedly, there is some merit in not can refuse to give sanction for prosecution.
becomes law, our already weak anti-corrup- ally receives illegal gratification in an ex- granting complete exemption to bribe- But why insist on sanction even before an in-
of the Barak missile system from Israel, naming
tion mechanism would receive a fatal blow. tremely clandestine manner such as of- givers, but there was no need to do away with quiry? Surely, if there is no inquiry, there is
among others Admiral Sushil Kumar. With extens- Let us examine how each of these key shore transactions or non-monetary consid- it altogether. The government had better op- no credible evidence. On what basis then
ive use of RTI, he contested the charge, and seven amendments serves to protect the corrupt erations such as a better posting, post tions. The report of the Second Adminis- would the government (or the Lokpal, if we
years later the CBI told a Delhi court it couldnt find rather than prevent corruption. retirement benefits, etc. All major scams, trative Reforms Commission has rec- go by the previous proposal) give or refuse to
any evidence. This is not to suggest that defence First, the proposed amendment narrows right from Bofors to the 2G scam, the Com- ommended a distinction between coercive give the sanction? Or, how would anyone
deals are all clean. In this case, the Indian hand in down the definition of corruption, as de- monwealth Games scam, the coal scam, etc. and collusive bribing. Those who are co- produce evidence to secure this sanction
the deal has been corroborated by an Italian court. manded by the powerful lobby of civil ser- became criminal ofences by virtue of this erced into bribing but report it thereafter without an inquiry in the first place? Even if
But a case is only as good as its conclusion. And de- vants. Section 13(1)(d) of the existing PCA section. This is precisely why a section of bu- should be given some protection. At one the sanction is granted, would it not alert the
fence deal investigations have a habit of getting covers various indirect forms of corruption reaucrats has been demanding a deletion of stage there was a proposal to give a seven- corrupt oicial about the impending inquiry
complicated by the diiculties in securing the kind including the obtaining of any valuable this provision on the ground that it inhibits day window for declaration by the bribe- and give him time to hide evidence? This
diabolic provision can only serve one pur-
of evidence that is required to secure firm convic- pose: make the higher bureaucracy and po-
tions. How this case, which has significant political CARTOONSCAPE litical bosses the ultimate arbiters in cases of
ramifications, plays out, remains to be seen. corruption. If a politician wants to protect a
corrupt oicer, he can not only save him
from prosecution (which can be challenged

A brutal victory in a court) but also prevent any evidence


gathering from taking place.

in Aleppo Reactivating the Single Directive


The babudom has thus managed to bring
back the infamous Single Directive. This

T
he battle for Aleppo is almost over. Syrian refers to an older governmental order that
no senior oicer (of the rank of Joint
government troops have captured almost Secretary or above) could be investigated
85 per cent of the eastern part of the city without permission from the government. In
which fell into rebel hands in 2012 in one the famous Vineet Narain judgment, the Su-
of the early setbacks to the regime of President preme Court had held this order as illegal, in
Bashar al-Assad in the civil war. Given the pace of 1997. The government brought it back, this
the battlefield advances, its only a matter of weeks, time as provision of law, in 2003. Finally, as
if not days, before the Syrian army recaptures all of recently as 2014, a Constitutional bench of
Aleppo, the countrys largest city and commercial the Supreme Court held that this provision
capital before the conflict broke out. The regime was unconstitutional, as it violated the right
to equality. Such is the power of babudom
will now have direct control over all the major cit- and its hold over netas that it has managed to
ies and population centres in Syria, while for the bring this immunity clause back for the third
army, which was on the brink of collapse a year ago time.
before the Russian intervention, the victory is cer- As the winter session of Parliament draws
tainly a morale booster. But Mr. Assad has had to to a close, it seems that this Bill may now be
pay a heavy price for Aleppo. This military triumph postponed to the Budget session. This gives
is the result of a brutal strategy the regime and the concerned citizens another couple of
Russians put in place earlier this year. Damascus months to build public opinion against this
knew that if Aleppo were to be recaptured, it would attempt to protect the corrupt. It is time to
shift the balance of the civil war decisively. Eastern revive the anti-corruption movement.
Aleppo was the priciest catch of the rebels where Yogendra Yadav is the National President of Swaraj India, a
they built a parallel government. Their plan was to new political party.
expand the revolution to other regime-held ter-
ritories and they had the backing of regional
powers such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The Syrian LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
government, however, launched a relentless bomb- Letters emailed to letters@thehindu.co.in must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.
ing campaign in July, imposing a siege on the rebel-
held parts of the city. After months of bombing by
Russian and Syrian jets broke the rebel supply lines, AIADMK at the crossroads meet Ms. Sasikala and appealing to innovation to help uplift the poor when concluded, would bring denominations. There has to be a
the army, backed by Hezbollah and Iran-trained mi- her to assume the leadership of the and the needy. accolades to the Indian medical conscious attempt to restructure the
Post-Jayalalithaa, the AIADMK is party (Take over AIADMK mantle, At the foundation stone-laying fraternity. Be it the first by-pass tax base.
litias, moved in to make quick gains. entering a new phase of uncertainty. leaders appeal to Sasikala, ceremony of the Madras Medical heart surgery or the first paediatric
The battle for Aleppo has been a humanitarian Himmath A. Hussain,
The reticent V.K. Sasikala may have Panneerselvam backs Sasikala as Mission, she donated a personal heart transplant, I went ahead secure Male, Republic of Maldives
disaster. The rebels accuse the regime of indiscrim- done a lot of behind-the-scenes party chief and OPS visits Sasikala cheque for Rs.5,00,000. She also in the feeling that there was a very
inate bombing and killing civilians, while the gov- work and the former Chief Minister ahead of Cabinet meet, all Dec.11). ensured that there was no strong woman who was encouraging With the competitive claims by
ernment says it had no option but to move in as the may have described her as my Received wisdom says that an bureaucratic delay at any stage of the me and supporting me in bringing Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister
city was controlled by terrorists. Both are par- surrogate sister who had taken the extraconstitutional authority in the construction. For the inauguration, pride to India. Narendra Modi about not being
tially true. From the beginning of the Aleppo op- place of my mother conferring a State is the last thing that Tamil she ordered the roads to be widened Dr. K.M. Cherian, allowed to speak in Parliament now
eration, both the regime and Russia adopted certain pre-eminence on her among Nadu needs. An extraconstitutional and relaid. The approach road was Chennai being aired at public fora, it is
scorched earth tactics. But government troops fre- partymen but the fact remains authority anywhere is abhorrent. so good that visiting dignitaries, who unfortunate that both leaders are
that she was not assigned any The people of Tamil Nadu should included Dr. Christiaan Barnard, glossing over the fact that the
quently opened humanitarian corridors for the
political role to claim. How Ms. not be belittled and taken for commented on it. The improvement India reeling common man is still sufering
civilians to escape the war and the Russians had Sasikala strategises to match the granted. The cartoon MGR in the infrastructure of Mogappair in The overnight announcement to immensely due to the cash crunch in
even negotiated a retreat deal with the rebels under DMKs M.K. Stalins popularity and zindabad, Amma zindabad, the past two decades was mainly due invalidate Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 notes banks and ATMs (I am not being
Turkish mediation recently. But the rebels, includ- Ms. Jayalalithaas niece Deepa Chinnamma! zindabad (Dec.11), to this enthusiasm she showed. has only caused deep sufering. allowed to speak in House, says
ing Fateh al-Sham that was al-Nusra Front till Au- Jayakumar, who has dropped a hint speaks louder than 1,000 words. At the inauguration of Frontier Those who deal with black money Modi, Dec.11). There seems to be no
gust, the al-Qaeda branch in Syria, refused to re- of staking a claim to her aunts C.G. Kuriakose, Lifeline Hospital, she informed me would have already made the change respite, and the situation is made
treat; they also prevented residents from fleeing the political legacy, will now be closely Kothamangalam, Kerala that she would help me to get 10 in the form of gold, FDI, land and worse by the absence of clarity from
city. Now that government troops have captured watched in political circles (Open acres within the city for another immovable properties. The abrupt the government. The Prime Minister
most of the city, the question is, what will President to joining politics, says Deepa, hospital. Instead, when I expressed announcement has also afected should take the initiative to end the
Dec.11). A little known facet my interest in developing a basic foreign tourist inflows, impasse. Crores of rupees have
Assad do next? Will he move troops to Idlib, anoth-
G. David Milton, We all know that former Chief medical science park in a village, the inconvenienced thousands of Indian already been lost as Parliament has
er rebel-held city, or kick of a long-awaited politi- Minister and AIADMK general Thiruvallur Collector informed me travellers, patients undergoing stalled. When will there be a
Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu
cal process where he could negotiate from a posi- secretary Jayalalithaa was a pillar of the very next day that the Chief treatment in private hospitals solution to the common mans
tion of strength? The latter option would avert It is disconcerting that the top strength and support for the Minister had instructed him to besides increasing the workload of diiculties in the absence of money
more bloodshed, while the militarys resources leadership of the AIADMK has been downtrodden. She was equally a identify a site for the project. bank oicials. at hand?
could be rechannelled to fight the Islamic State. making a beeline for the Poes pillar for intellectuals and scholars Her support gave me the strength to Corruption cannot be done away K.R. Srinivasan,
Garden residence of Jayalalithaa to in whom she saw the spark of carry out research works which, with by freezing certain Secunderabad
CM ND-ND
YK
10 | - 1ias.com - EDITORIAL THE HINDU TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016
NOIDA/DELHI

The essence of education


The Delhi High Court arrives at a harmonious reading of the copyright doctrine which will further the cause
of education and equitable access. It could serve as a global model
would be diicult for a human to educate ive restriction imposed. The significance of
T U E S D AY , D E C E M B E R 1 3 , 2 0 1 6 herself without somebody: a teacher, help- not laying down any restriction will be best
LAWRENCE LIANG ing. It is thus necessary, by whatever nomen- appreciated by anyone who has en-
clature we may call them, that development countered higher education in any Western
of knowledge modules, having the right con- university where teachers and students face
Beyond the The philosophical roots of copyright are
tent, to take care of the needs of the learner
is encouraged. We may loosely call them
severe constraints because of quantitative
restrictions which can have debilitating ef-

courts remit grounded in striking a balance between an


exclusive right granted to the owner of
copyright along with the interest of the pub-
textbooks. We may loosely call them guide
books. We may loosely call them reference
books. We may loosely call them course
fects. Consider, for instance, a rule which
says that not more than 10 per cent of a work
can be reproduced for education. While the

I
n its recent order banning liquor sale and con- lic in ensuring that works are available in the packs. So fundamental is education to a so- publishers have primarily advanced a single
sumption in three districts in the State, the Ut- public domain. The division bench (Justices ciety it warrants the promotion of equi- example in the entire case (namely the re-
tarakhand High Court has drifted outside the Pradeep Nandrajog and Yogesh Khanna) of table access to knowledge to all segments of production of chapters or books in course
the Delhi High Court in their judgment the society, irrespective of their caste, creed packs), if such a quantitative restriction
confines of law and entered the domain of
(arising out of the appeal against Justice and financial position. Of course, the more were applied in the case of a poem, or a pho-
morals and desired behaviour. The court has Justice Rajiv Sahay Endlaws decision in the indigent the learner, the greater the re- tograph it would have ridiculous con-
crossed its legal remit by extending a government Delhi University photocopy case) have ar- sponsibility to ensure equitable access sequences.
policy of prohibiting liquor outlets in the vicinity of rived at a harmonious reading of copyright (Paragraph 30).
places of worship, to cover Rudraprayag, Chamoli doctrine which will further the cause of A publication contention
and Uttarkashi from April 2017. It has also banned education and equitable access. Principle of fairness The court also rejected the contention of
tobacco products within a five-km radius of three They clarify that fairness is an essential the publishers that Sec. 52 allows for repro-
gurdwaras. The court has assumed the power to The jurisprudential backbone aspect of the statute especially when there is duction of a work, but by making it available
make regulations on its own even after observing Being cognisant of the fact that this case is an exception being carved out of a persons through photocopies it is no longer a repro-
that the State government has taken laudable mea- keenly followed by many non-lawyers who ILLUSTRATION: DEEPAK HARICHANDAN legal rights. But what is a principle of fair- duction but a publication. The court holds
may get lost within the thicket of technical ness? In a crucial paragraph the judges that publication has an element of profit (for
sures to prohibit the sale of liquor in specified legal arguments, the court towards the end The judgment rightfully rejects clearly state: In the context of teaching and instance, in mass publication), and neither
areas. The petitioner had not sought any such ban. of the judgment provides a helpful musical use of copyrighted material, the fairness in does the use of a photocopy machine nor the
The court has used a petition challenging the grant
the rather scandalous attempt
analogy which succinctly summarises the the use can be determined on the touch- use of an intermediary (a photocopier) qual-
of a bar licence at a location near Haridwar as an jurisprudential backbone of the judgment. by the publishers to lock stone of extent justified by the purpose. In ify automatically as publication, and the on-
opportunity to moralise on the evils of drink. Iron- Comparing a statute to a musical melody education within a straitjacket other words, the utilization of the copy- ly relevant test is whether copying is in the
ically, the Division Bench has found no illegality in with diferent notes, the judge observes that of property righted work would be a fair use to the ex- course of instruction. And the test to see
the grant of licence as the bar concerned is situated just as a harmonious melody would require tent justified for purpose of education. It whether copying is in the course of instruc-
outside the municipal limits where the prohibition that for all notes to be heard, sometimes the Minister piloting the Bill clearly told the would have no concern with the extent of tion involves considering whether the in-
operates. However, it has clothed itself with the more dominant ones (such as a loud drum) House, Of course, non-profit libraries the material used, both qualitative or quant- clusion of the copyrighted work in the
sometimes needs to be muted in order for should not be charged. Many of these copy- itative. The reason being, to utilize means course pack was justified by the purpose of
power to give sanctity to the government order
other notes to be heard. Translated into the righted materials can be used, should be to make or render useful. To put it difer- the course pack i.e. for instructional use by
that prohibits liquor in the vicinity of the Char Copyright Act it is clear that if the predom- used and must be used in non-profit librar- ently, so much of the copyrighted work can the teacher to the class, and hence it would
Dham (four holy shrines) by clamping judicial pro- inant purpose of the law is to provide ex- ies. Echoing the policy intentions of the be fairly used which is necessary to ef- be inaccurate to claim that the word repro-
hibition in the whole of the three districts. clusive rights to owners of copyright, this legislature, the judges chose to ignore the fectuate the purpose of the use i.e. make the duction is limited to a single copy.
The court has cited Article 47 of the right sometimes has to be muted to serve technical distinctions sought to be made be- learner understand what is intended to be One crucial diference between Justice
Constitution, which says it is the duty of the state to other equally important purposes such as tween education and instruction, and be- understood. Endlaws judgment and the present one is
raise the level of nutrition and standard of living of education. tween textbooks and course packs and held The significance of this interpretation is that while the former found absolutely no
the people and improve public health, and to pro- Rejecting the contention of the publishers that: The importance of education lies in that it explicitly rejects the adoption of fact that was worthy of being tried since
hibit the consumption of intoxicating drinks and and the IRRO (Indian Reprographic Rights the fact that education alone is the founda- American standards (the four factor test) there was no prima facie infringement, in
drugs. In general, courts refrain from enforcing Dir- Organisation) demanding a narrow reading tion on which a progressive and prosperous into Indian copyright law and grounds the the present judgment the court has held that
of the word instruction the judges referred society can be built. Teaching is an essential principle of fairness within a philosophy of the specific question of whether the repro-
ective Principles, though some judicial decisions to the parliamentary debate which led to the part of education, at least in the formative education, rejecting any claim that there duction of full works are in the course of in-
are based on combining their underlying goals with enactment of Act No.27 of 2012 where the years, and perhaps till post-graduate level. It should be either a quantitative or a qualitat- struction is a matter that can be determined
aspects of Fundamental Rights. The Bench cites in a trial and has consequently remanded
several judgments that hold that engaging in the li- that issue back to a trial judge.
quor business is not a Fundamental Right. Howev- CARTOONSCAPE The judgment rightfully rejects the rather
er, these precedents invariably arise from chal- scandalous attempt by the publishers to
lenges to government policies regulating or lock education within a straitjacket of prop-
prohibiting the manufacture, sale and consumption erty, and it is befitting that the appellants
of alcohol. In fact, earlier this year the Supreme who are the university presses of two of the
oldest and most prestigious universities
Court refused to entertain a petition seeking a na-
should be provided a reminder of what the
tion-wide ban on alcohol, observing that this was a scope of education is. The significance of
matter of policy into which it cannot venture. It is this judgment is that while it arose out of a
one thing to cite constitutional goals to justify state seemingly narrow question of whether the
action against liquor or drugs; it is quite another to photocopying of course packs was allowed
cite them as a justification for judicial directions. in the copyright law, this question could on-
Earlier this year the Supreme Court cautioned ly be answered by returning copyright back
judges against assuming powers based on to its normative foundations in education. It
individual perceptions or notions. Howsoever is important to remember that the very first
noble an idea may be, courts should be wary of copyright statute dating back to 1710, the
Statute of Anne was called An Act for the
making rules on their own, as it would amount to Encouragement of Learning, by Vesting the
transgressing into the policy domain. Copies of Printed Books in the Authors or
Purchasers of such Copies.
This is a very welcome judgment which
Turkeys derailed has immense significance beyond India and
could serve as a model for the interpretation

war on terror of copyright statues in other countries


which also face the challenge of sharp in-
equalities and high cost of learning

T
urkey is facing a multi-dimensional se- materials.
curity crisis. Its forces are deployed on
Lawrence Liang is a professor of law at the School of Law,
two battlefronts in the southeast, Governance and Citizenship, Ambedkar University Delhi.
where most of the countrys 15 million
Kurds live, to fight the Kurdistan Workers Party
(PKK); and in Syria to face of threats from the Is- LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
lamic State (IS) as well as Kurdish rebels. But these
Letters emailed to letters@thehindu.co.in must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.
operations have hardly helped the country secure
its cities from terror attacks, as seen in Saturdays
blasts in Istanbul that killed 44 people, mostly po- The arrest has severely dented the reviewed by the next higher level innovative concessions announced Though the objective of the
Helicopter scam image of the Indian Air Force which oicer and usually accepted by the will only help us achieve a cashless demonetisation exercise has never
lice oicers. The attack has been claimed by the
Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), a splinter group The former chief of the Indian Air otherwise has a glorious legacy of Chief Minister/ Minister-in-charge society, leading to increased GDP been questioned, it is the way it has
Force, S.P. Tyagis assertion that the public and national service. The in the States before the oicer and growth rate. been implemented that has left a lot
of the PKK, which said they were taking revenge for Prime Ministers Oice was also development also highlights the rot becomes eligible for deputation to to desired. It appears to be a hasty
the ongoing military operation in the southeast and Nishant Tyagi,
kept in the loop in the in the defence purchase ecosystem Central government service. At the New Delhi decision given how ill-prepared the
the continuing imprisonment of Abdullah Ocalan, AgustaWestland deal will only and calls for urgent corrective district level, assessment of the banks still are. Rural India has been
the PKK leader. The unrelenting terror attacks over compound the problems of an measures in order to halt the oicers performance may be The unfortunate truth is that greatly inconvenienced. Although
the past few years show that something is wrong embattled Indian National Congress shameful practice of kickbacks in expected to reflect perceptions of political parties, especially the most Indians are optimistic and
with law enforcement and security arrangements which was in power when the deal deals. The case must proceed setting the public and the media to a certain Indian National Congress, are ready to face temporary hardship, it
in Turkey, a country otherwise known for func- was being negotiated. The alleged a strong precedent which acts as a extent and to act as a restraint responsible for the way the parallel remains to be seen whether there
tional institutions and a tough security regime, or a kickbacks, which could have fitting deterrent. against arbitrary judgment but the economy has grown. Therefore, it will be the desired results. I doubt
deep state. Even at the height of the civil war with international ramifications, show Abraham Joseph, assessing authoritys personal likes was shocking to read the article by a whether the introduction of higher
that there is more to the deal than Gurugram, Haryana and dislikes prevail in the top economist and a respectable denomination currency notes will
the PKK, violence was largely confined to the
meets the eye. hierarchical culture. The junior statesman. Dr. Manmohan Singh has help curb the generation of black
southeast. So what went wrong for Ankara? Part of The scale of this purchase and the What comes as a surprise is that the oicer tends to act with considerable unparalleled economic experience money.
the problem was the reckless handling of foreign fact that it was for VVIPs mean that arrest comes more than three and circumspection to adhere to rules. and should explain why he did not Akshay R. Karajagi,
policy and internal security by the government of the deal could not have taken place half years since the FIR was filed. At the same time he strives to please act to curtail black money. Why did Belagavi, Karnataka
Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The IS grew in strength un- without the approval of the One is not too sure whether his the superior as well because of his he not take the initiative to open
der the watch of the Erdogan government which, government of that day. It is arrest, coming as it did immediately concerns for the ACR. However, more bank branches in rural India? Demonetisation had an objective but
driven by its hostility towards the Syrian regime, common knowledge that as far as after the questionable appointment those who fail in this delicate Alexander G.C., the way it has played out is shocking.
looked away as its border was being used by the ji- corruption and bribery are of the acting CBI Director, was balancing act either sufer silently or Chevayur, Kozhikode The poor have been severely
hadists. By the time Turkey started focussing on the concerned, politicians and the merely a coincidence. One hopes may seek a local politicians help to afected. The middle class is still
IS, it was too late. It could still have launched a coor- bureaucracy are inseparable. ACM Tyagi is not being used as a save their ACR from ruin. It is a fact that millions of agriculture struggling to have access to notes. .
H.P. Murali, pawn in a larger political game. Thus starts the game of quid pro workers and construction workers Demonetisation has hit the
dinated, focussed campaign against the IS. Instead, quo. The bonds get stronger as the receive and deal with only cash. And uneducated, daily wage labourers
Bengaluru S.K. Choudhury,
the government abandoned a peace process initi- oicer moves to the Secretariat or in they have been exploited as well. and those who have no idea of digital
Bengaluru
ated with the PKK and opened another front. The arrest of a former chief of the Government corporations where he Red tapism, corruption, the transactions.
Over the past year, the Turkish security forces IAF has once again brought to the often works directly under a presence of agents and middlemen P. Ngaubalen Cheibuba,
have turned several cities in the southeast such as fore how corruption has made Amendments to graft bill Minister and safely away from public and political games have only added Imphal West, Manipur
Diyarbakir into battle zones. This exposes Ankaras strong inroads into the defence After deeper reading of the article, scrutiny. Mutual ties developed to their agony.
security dilemma: whatever it does to defeat the establishment in India (Editorial Time to blow the whistle (Dec.12), under such circumstances can lead The alternative solution is to uplift The article was a lucid narrative on
Kurdish militancy is deepening the crisis further. Arrest of a military chief, Dec.12). two related issues deserve serious to two consequences: favours and their financial conditions the digital the impact of demonetisation and
Even the ties between the TAK and the PKK are in Even though the purchase was for consideration: how does it happen promotion of interests. This is how way. By bypassing middlemen and comes in handy for even those of us
transport purposes, one hopes that that some corrupt oicers in the civil most scandals linking bureaucrat- the corrupt, they can have a better who do not have a grounding in
dispute. Though the TAK calls Mr. Ocalan its
corruption does not have an adverse services reach high positions of businessman-politician take shape. life. It is a fact that in most economics. The incentives on e-
leader, it has severed organisational ties with the impact on the state of defence authority and build unholy alliances developed countries, people have payments are akin to putting the cart
PKK saying the latters passive struggle methods Abraham Kurien,
preparedness of a sovereign and with the unscrupulous to bend the Thamarassery, Kozhikode progressed with digital solutions. before the horse. Had there been a
are not acceptable. But Ankara is going after every independent nation such as India. law? Two, what explains the Dinil J.K., clear idea of making India a cash-
Kurdish organisation whenever the TAK carries No stone should be left unturned to phenomenon that the most serious Thiruvananthapuram less economy as is being claimed
out an attack, mostly on security personnel. In re- eliminate the menace of corruption. charges of corruption are often Dr. Singhs critique to be one of the objectives of
cent months, many Kurdish politicians, including M. Jeyaram, raised only against oicers at the The article, Making of a mammoth Dr. Singh should be commended for demonetisation oicials in the
Selahattin Demirtas, leader of the largest Kurdish Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu senior-most level? tragedy (Dec.9), appears to be a his bold and precise exposition of Narendra Modi government should
political party, the Peoples Democratic Party, were A closer look will show that these harsh analysis of the impact of the implications of the note ban. He have worked on this for several
arrested. There is a dangerous pattern in Turkeys As a retired air commodore, it was arise out of the inherent weaknesses demonetisation. On the contrary, it has in fact taken the lead in saying months to educate the common man
distressing to read about the arrest in the process of selection and will help in curbing black money that the emperor has no clothes. The on the usefulness of e-transactions.
approach towards these security challenges. On the which is a blot on our defence forces. promotion of oicers and the nature and counterfeit currency and ill-planned move by the government The decision on demonetisation
one side it is complacent in the fight against the IS, The helicopter was for the NSG and of their functions at various levels. prompt people to move towards a has only ended up afecting honest should have come only after a vast
perhaps because of its geopolitical calculations; on not the IAF. Therefore, why was the Briefly put, rules of promotion digital economy. These are hard citizens. majority of citizens became familiar
the other, it is using collective punishment tactics technical requirement on altitude prescribe a complex selection times but the way people are willing K.R. Jayaprakash Rao, and comfortable with the nitty-gritty
to deal with the Kurdish militancy. The current se- reduced? Who did this, and why? process based on annual to adapt to a new technology shows Mysuru of e-commerce.
curity situation will vouch for this policys failure. V.V. Nair, confidential remarks awarded to the their whole-hearted support for the Syed Sultan Mohiddin,
Manipal, Karnataka oicer by the immediate superior, Prime Ministers initiative. The The article raises a few valid points. Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh
CM ND-ND
YK
10 | - 1ias.com - EDITORIAL THE HINDU WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2016
NOIDA/DELHI

Why cashless may be the new normal


The demonetisation drive is not so much about curbing black money. Consider the likely outcomes of a
cashless society, and read back from them the intent behind such a move

W E D N E S D AY , D E C E M B E R 1 4 , 2 0 1 6 by explicitly equating Swach Bharat with a ment apps and e-wallet companies have en-
cashless (or less-cash) Bharat, as he pro- joyed record downloads and deposits
G. SAMPATH
claimed, Swachh Tan, Swachh Mann, post-November 8. Their massive ad spends
Swachh Bharat, Mera Parichay. were possible courtesy the financial institu-
Through a storm, Perhaps the most significant development Why cashless?
tions that have invested in these finance
technology (fintech) businesses.

safely since the November 8 announcement of de-


monetisation is the shift in the legitimising
narrative around the note ban. What was
But what explains this urgent drive to-
wards a cashless society? One way to answer
this is to consider the likely outcomes of a
Finally, in a global scenario of debt-soaked
slowdown, extreme income inequality, and
stagnating real wages, capital accumulation

A
year after the devastating deluge, Chen- touted as a surgical strike on black money, cashless society, and read back from it the in- is only possible through a mechanism that
nais resilience has been challenged by fake currency and terror funding has now tent behind such a move. systematically administers an upward redis-
the severe cyclonic storm, Vardah. become a radical reform to transform India One immediate outcome of a cashless In- tribution of income from the 99 per cent
into a cashless economy. A series of mea- dia would be a sharp rise in indirect taxes to the 1 per cent. While an indirect tax regi-
Equipped with survival lessons from the
sures, not least a high-decibel advertising compliance. Traders, small businesses, me like the GST would accomplish this ob-
December 2015 floods and helped by an eicient campaign, are already in place to build na- shopkeepers, and consumers routinely use jective for the state, the integration of per-
flow of disaster warning messages, the city and tional consensus in favour of this cash as a means to avoid paying service tax, sonal savings into the global debt economy
neighbouring districts held together through sev- transformation. sales tax, VAT, and any number of indirect would manage the same for finance capital.
eral hours of fierce winds. Chennais trees bore the taxes and fees. This mindset needs to change The primary requirement in both cases is to
brunt, many uprooted or torn down irredeemably. Cashless Ki Baat if the imminent Goods and Services Tax capture the circuits of capital and commod-
The storm hobbled the citys infrastructure by It was Prime Minister Narendra Modis (GST) regime is to actually work. Brutally ity circulation that lie beyond their respec-
nightfall, downing power and communication Mann Ki Baat of November 27 that oicially enforcing a cashless payments system by tive domains of taxation and credit that is,
cables, blocking roads, disrupting rail and air signalled this narrative switch. In a nuanced sucking out 86 per cent of paper money and the entire cash economy. The drive towards
transport, and spreading a carpet of darkness. It is execution of a sophisticated communication letting people flounder for a period in a con- a cashless society is hence the lynchpin for
ILLUSTRATION: DEEPAK HARICHANDAN
strategy, Mr. Modi drew on the equivalence, dition of acute paper money scarcity is securing the supremacy of the state-finance
to the Tamil Nadu governments credit that basic in the Hindu imaginary, between Swachh perhaps the quickest means way to get there. nexus.
mobility was restored overnight, and fallen trees and purity, and purity and virtue, to give a
The only constituency that may Apart from the state, another big bene-
were removed to allow some traic to ply. Vardah moral colouring to the binary of cash/cash- not be firmly behind Mr. Modi is ficiary of a cashless India is finance capital. The definition of normal
also demonstrated that in the time of social media less. the one targeted by At present, Indias low-income households From businesses to analysts to ordinary
and the Internet, speedy oicial and community India is an economy where 90 per cent of access credit through informal systems be citizens, everyone in India is waiting for life
messages can influence the outcome of a catastro- all transactions are in cash. This is due to the
demonetisation: the cash- it a pawn broker or employer or a relative to return to normal. But what would consti-
phe. While economic damage was inevitable, cau- large informal sector, which employs 90 per dependent informal sector with cash savings. tute this normal? An easy definition for
tionary advice put out on social platforms urging cent of the workforce. The overwhelming This informality has been partially dented most people would be: no long queues at
people to stay safe helped reduce the number of ca- majority of them are not hoarders of black rent-seeking technological or financial in- with the arrival of self-help groups that can ATMs. But the queues are long not only be-
money. And yet, India cannot become a termediaries. Once you have it, you could access formal credit. But given Indias popu- cause there are too many people and too
sualties. Remarkably, the community also respon-
cashless society unless its mammoth in- spend it whenever, wherever, and in lation, both the debt and the savings of the little cash. They are long also because there
ded with alacrity, creating online groups and shar- formal sector transitions to digital whatever quantity you want to, without any- working classes constitute an enormous is a limit on how much cash you can with-
ing messages ofering help and advice. It is of payments. one being able to track you doing it. These market that global finance has so far been draw at a time, forcing people to queue up
course possible to learn even more by going back to Canny communicator that he is, Mr. Modi are basic freedoms and rights that we take unable to access. multiple times at diferent locations. A
citizens and harnessing data on their experience sought to pre-emptively quell the resistance for granted. It is because these freedoms Forcing them to shift to cashless payment proper return to the pre-demonetisation
using online tools. such a forced transition would evoke by matter that there is resistance to their loss platforms instantly formalises this world of normal therefore entails something more:
Tropical storms are an annual afair, with the presenting the campaign for a cashless India a loss that is a given in a cashless society. informality. As the Prime Minister himself removal of any ceiling on cash withdrawals.
more vulnerable eastern coast taking a pummelling as a campaign against black money and cor- There was thus a logical need for a phase has reiterated many times, the mass opening Such a definition of normal would be val-
from 92 severe cyclones out of a total of 262 be- ruption. By dissolving the distinction be- one of demonetisation where the idea that it of bank accounts under the Pradhan Mantri id if the reason for demonetisation was ei-
tween 1891 and 1990, and several more in the years tween legal cash and black money, he cleared was about black money could be firmly Jan-Dhan Yojana is a means towards finan- ther destruction of black money or fake cur-
the ground for the treatment of all cash as planted in public memory. In phase two, cial inclusion, but in reverse: it channels per- rency, or even a recapitalisation of banks
since. Such weather events are a part of the climate potentially black unless proven white. which would kick in after black money and sonal income (wages/cash transfers) to fin- all of which has either already happened or
system, and their impact in the form of economic In other words, the informal sector is not national pride have been inserted into the ancial markets via insurance and pension no longer matter. Assuming you are an hon-
losses could well be greater going forward, as de- an unintended casualty of demonetisation demonetisation discourse, cashless would schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Surak- est citizen who uses cash but not black
velopment creates more assets in coastal cities. It is but the intended target. As the Reserve Bank be equated with clean, and cash with dirt sha Bima Yojana and Atal Pension Yojana. money, you could legitimately expect to go
vital, therefore, that the learnings from each event of India Governor has clarified, the govern- and the suspicion of dirty or black money. Thanks to forced deposits, unlike cash in a back to the pre-currency ban status quo,
are shared nationally, and the capacity of oicials ment was fully cognisant of the con- In the cashless utopia that India is set to piggy bank or a plastic pouch, money in Jan- with one diference: instead of old notes, you
and communities to manage disasters built con- sequences of its move, and it was not at all an become, anyone who insists on using cash, a Dhan accounts can serve as a fresh source of use new ones, which should soon be avail-
tinuously. Such an approach helps coastal regions ill-planned operation, as some have sugges- signifier of dirt, has a dirty mind, and is thus liquidity for financial institutions. able in numbers proportionate to demand.
in the United States prepare for and deal with ted. As it happens, cash is the most powerful a suspect a possible beneficiary of black The third beneficiary is the digital sector, But everything that the Prime Minister
instrument of financial inclusion. Anyone money and the vices associated with it. In- which enjoys a complex but symbiotic rela- has said and done so far suggests that there
storms better. Among the securities available to
can access it directly, without depending on deed, Mr. Modi concluded his Mann Ki Baat tionship with finance capital. Digital pay- may not be a return to this old normal. No
individuals in many countries is insurance against matter how many currency notes are re-
property losses. Viable policies should be made portedly printed, how many ATMs are recal-
available in India too, as this would bring scrutiny CARTOONSCAPE ibrated, how many livelihoods afected in the
on administrative measures and potentially im- informal sector, the ceiling on cash
prove outcomes. A citywide blackout also under- withdrawals may not be withdrawn any time
scores the importance of rooftop solar and battery soon and no date has been indicated so far.
storage systems as supplementary power sources The reason is simple: the demonetisation
for households and corporates. Planting trees with drive is not so much about curbing black
strong root systems and pruning the canopy ahead money as it is about combating cash. The on-
ly way this could change is through extreme
of cyclone season could reduce uprooting. In the af- political pressure.
termath of Vardah, the Tamil Nadu government Not surprisingly, the banking sector is
should restore infrastructure and provide priority firmly behind the Prime Minister on demon-
relief to the families of those who lost their lives, etisation. So is the IT sector. Barring a few
and the worst-hit communities. squeaks about the impact on growth, the cor-
porate sector, too, is behind Mr. Modi. The
only constituency that may not be, is the one

Free flow targeted by demonetisation: the cash-de-


pendent informal sector, which has taken a
hit, and will continue to do so unless and un-
of wheat til they switch en masse to digital payment
platforms which is what the government
is expecting them to do.

T
he Centres decision to waive import duty While the political ramifications are a dif-
on wheat has predictably attracted flak. ferent story, one may view Mr. Modis push
Opposition parties have questioned the for a cashless India as the culmination of the
move, which comes days after the gov- economic logic of liberalisation unleashed
ernments assertion that demonetisation of high- by Manmohan Singh in 1991. From this ideo-
value currency notes did not impact the sowing of logical vantage point, a rapid transition to a
the rabi crop, with a greater area being cultivated cashless economy even if it means not-so-
compared to the same time a year ago. Assembly subtle coercion makes perfect sense.
polls are due soon in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab,
sampath.g@thehindu.co.in
both large wheat-producing States, making this a
plausible rallying point for the Opposition. Farmer
unions have warned of dumping of wheat stock in LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
India at a time when the minimum support price
Letters emailed to letters@thehindu.co.in must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.
(Rs.1,625 a quintal) is higher than international
prices. This, they argue, could lead to distress sales
when the current crop is harvested over March- How Chennai faced Vardah centres in every ward and in places sending down glass shards. The The banks that the experts claim would have then paid their workers
April. The government, on its part, has noted con- prone to flooding. authorities should force those living exist in villages have little or hardly wages in the form of bales of jute
cerns about the warmer winter forecast, which In 2015, the unprecedented rain in A.V. Narayanan, in high-rise buildings to make them any money. ATMs, if there are any, cloth, asking them to barter this for
could afect wheat output and trigger inflation. Chennai and flooding due to man- Tiruchi safe. Loose overhead power lines are do not dispense cash. Cooperative food and clothes.
made causes led to mass destruction another neglected area. I have banks do not function on account of Almost all civilisations did away
This February, when prices of food articles that all around. It was a disaster that Cyclone Vardah has left a trail of memories of the havoc caused by a the governments unfair policy. with barter as a means of trade
make up 46 per cent of the consumer price index highlighted inadequacies in civic destruction and Chennai is like a cyclone in the 1950s, when material Demonetisation has only caused centuries ago. As for the
were cooling of, the government expected the infrastructure and disaster giant timber yard around 3,000 from rooftops was dislodged in the hardship to the common man and amendments that he expected the
trend to continue if the monsoon was normal after management. After this bitter mature trees have fallen. The loss is wind and pavements on Mount Road afected the economy. previous government to make to this
two years of drought. Now at year-end, following a experience, it is heartening that the incalculable and tree lovers in were covered with glass from Kevin Tom Jose, rule between 2004 and 2014 or even
normal monsoon, inflation remains under control Tamil Nadu government under the particular are inconsolable. It takes windows even though there were Kanhangad, Kerala earlier, the logic used is beyond
but wheat prices have been moving up swiftly. leadership of O. Panneerselvam was years for a tree to reach a shade- not many high-rise buildings then. comprehension.
There is no doubt that fiddling too often with by and large ready to handle the giving stage. It took less than two S. Krishnan, The sentence the then Finance Bhashyam Srinivasan,
wheat import duties from 10 per cent to 25 per impact of cyclone Vardah. hours for the cyclone to flatten them. Chennai Secretary did not think it was a Bengaluru
K.R. Srinivasan, Perhaps much of this destruction mammoth tragedy... what was logical
cent, then back to 10 per cent and finally to zero, all
Secunderabad could have been averted had the in 1978 should continue to be logical It does not make sense to compare
within 500 days sends mixed signals to farmers Chennai Corporation made Debating demonetisation in 2016 is an unfair dig at Dr. Singh. high-value notes that nobody has
and traders, though the latter group will be pleased The AIADMK may be in the midst of arrangements to trim the branches The articles, Not a tragedy, but the There is no comparison between seen, barring the mega-rich, to
with the duty-free regime. But equally, it is political turmoil but the State of trees. This step would have remedy (Dec.13) and Asking the what was done then and now. In todays Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 notes. In
necessary to change ones mind when the situation administration under Mr. reduced foliage resistance to the right questions (Dec.12), responses 1978, the Rs.1,000 note was hardly the earlier instance of
so demands, which it currently does. A record glob- Panneerselvam has done well on day high winds. to Dr. Manmohan Singhs article, used; neither were the Rs.5,000 and demonetisation, it was only the real
al harvest has lowered wheat prices internationally. one after the cyclone. Have his M.R. Anand, Makings of a mammoth tragedy Rs.10,000 notes. Their black money hoarders who were
With a higher MSP, and speculation about a less- earlier stints as Chief Minister Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh (Dec.9), raise an issue. It is demonetisation was of no impacted. In the move in 2016,
than-adequate harvest domestically, the govern- helped? There was no undue credit unfortunate that any decision taken consequence whatsoever to the almost everyone has been hit. While
ment is obviously keen on avoiding a surge in infla- given to a political individual; this is The authorities may have been ready by the government is subject to common man. Today, demonetising Mr. Debroy tries to contest Dr.
a trend that must continue. One in terms of preparing rescue shelters politics. Rs.500 has afected many of us as it Singhs claim of banking
tion following the demonetisation process. With hopes that the State government is and arranging for essentials. The fact is that the two articles is a denomination that is the new penetration, he doesnt seem to have
imports remaining duty-free, it is now clear to able to reach all its goals. However, a significant issue, focussed largely on criticising Dr. Rs.100. the real numbers. The governments
traders that hoarding reserves and profiteering forgotten because residents of Singhs government and defending spokespersons should realise that
Dr. S. Shanmugam, V. Krishnamachari,
from the systemic stress wont pay for long, even Tirunelveli Chennai have not experienced the demonetisation without taking any Mumbai it is becoming increasingly diicult
though it will take a couple of months or so for the impact of high-velocity winds in the responsibility for the inconvenience to defend demonetisation, which has
first such shipments to arrive from overseas. Farm- Mobile phone towers have shut of, past, is how a growing number of being caused to the masses. Hardly While Dr. Singhs article made a failed spectacularly. The
ers busy with the rabi sowing season may not rally power supply is down and Internet high-rise apartments have loose anyone is questioning cogently argued case against government has also failed
to political provocations immediately. But by the and landlines are not working. All fittings, posing a serious threat. demonetisation as a principle demonetisation all without miserably to anticipate the moves of
time they harvest the crop four months from now, the emergency lines the government Outdoor units of split air- something these articles are recourse to jargon I did not find hoarders, resulting in the laundering
has provided are of no use as there is conditioners, some on window constantly portraying but the way any substantial argument in Bibek of black money. The government has
the Centre would be well-advised to spruce up its
no way to communicate with the shades and others bolted on steel it has been implemented. What does Debroys response. In fact, the last been shifting the goalposts.
procurement act, and raise awareness about the authorities concerned. Social media frames on walls, heavy potted pots the lack of money in the economy point that he makes about the Demonetisation may only help
MSP mechanism. A longer-term action plan is is of no use when networks fail. and fancy glass windows, all became have to do with the surplus created Payment of Wages Act of 1936, banks get some money which they
needed to increase Indias wheat yields, which in Money is also in short supply as sources of extreme danger on by the NDA government in the early mandating the use of coins and can possibly lend to the corporate
most States are lower than in China and electronic banking has been Monday. In some instances, 2000s? currency notes, is very odd. I am sector.
Bangladesh. paralysed. Oicials need to set up airconditioners crashed to the Naveen Rattu, sure that jute mill owners in the Jayadeep Purushothaman,
fail-proof phone booths/browsing ground while windows shattered Chandigarh 1930s would have loved this. They Bengaluru
CM ND-ND
YK
10 | - 1ias.com - EDITORIAL THE HINDU THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2016
NOIDA/DELHI

Rights for the rightful owners


On the tenth anniversary of the historic passage of the Forest Rights Act, tribal resistance to defend their
rights is growing even as government after government tries to dilute its provisions
sion and pressure, some of them were in- ment to ensuring ease of business, which
T H U R S D AY , D E C E M B E R 1 5 , 2 0 1 6 cluded in the Rules. This also was a big translates into clearing all private sector-
BRINDA KARAT
struggle and there was a strong group of ac- sponsored projects in tribal-inhabited forest
tivists who along with the Left repre- areas. The National Board for Wildlife, with
sentatives could work out a fairly good set of the Prime Minister as Chairperson, was re-
Demonetisations On this day 10 years ago the historic
Rules. It included giving prime importance
to the role of the gram sabhas.
constituted, slashing the number of inde-
pendent experts from 15 members to three,

deflationary shock? Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional


Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest
Rights) Act was passed in the Lok Sabha. Its
In spite of its inadequacies, there can be
little doubt that the Forest Rights Act (FRA)
stands as a powerful instrument to protect
packing it with subservient oicials. In the
first three months of assuming oice, the
Modi government cleared 33 out of 41

T
hat the Centres decision to withdraw conception and passage was the result of the the rights of tribal communities. It is a proposals diverting over 7,000 hectares of
high-denomination banknotes was going decades of struggles and sacrifices of mil- hindrance to corporate interests to their free forest land. Of this the major share was for
to impact economic activity in the short lions of tribals across India, of their organisa- loot and plunder of Indias mineral resources, Gujarat companies. In two years the clear-
tions, of numerous activists and intellectuals its forests, its water. But the Narendra Modi ances for projects have included diversion
term was never in doubt. But the specific
working on tribal issues, and because of the government is systematically implementing or more appropriately land grab to the
contours of the efects were probably a lot less un- commitment and eforts of the Left parties. its plan to weaken and dilute the Act in sev- extent of 1.34 lakh hectares of forest land. In
derstood at the time of that announcement. The de- eral ways. many areas this will lead to massive displace-
flationary shock has manifested itself in a decelera- Attempts at dilution ment of tribal communities. In the multipur-
tion in retail inflation, as demand for a range of A century ago colonial chicanery had New attempts at dilution pose Polavaram project in Andhra Pradesh
goods and services has been damped. That the turned tribal owners of the forests and its re- ILLUSTRATION: DEEPAK HARICHANDAN
First, it has brought a series of legislation alone, now given a national status by the
headline Consumer Price Index-based gauge hit a sources into encroachers. A decade ago, the that undermine the rights and protections Central government, 2 lakh hectares of forest
two-year low of 3.63 per cent for November is Indian inheritors of this legacy of fraud were The FRA stands as a hindrance to given to tribals in the FRA, including the con- land will be submerged afecting around
therefore no surprise, especially given the addi- working against the Bill till literally the last dition of free informed consent from gram 85,000 families, more than half tribals, in-
moment. The real encroachers and plunder- corporate interests to their sabhas for any government plans to remove cluding 100 habitations of particularly vul-
tional factor of a favourable base efect the read-
ing was 5.41 per cent in November 2015. The major
ers of the forests, the mining companies, the plunder. But the government is tribals from the forests and for the resettle- nerable tribal communities. In almost all
private power sector companies, those in- systematically implementing its ment or rehabilitation package. The laws these projects, the afected tribal families
contributor to the slowdown in price gains was the volved in irrigation projects, the timber and were pushed through by the Modi govern- have not yet received their pattas (land own-
food and beverages group, where inflation eased to paper industries, the forest resort tourist in- plan to weaken the Act ment without any consultation with tribal ership documents), one of the conditions set
2.56 per cent largely on the back of a slump in the dustry had high stakes in preventing the pas- communities. They include the amendments by the FRA. This wilful disregard and blatant
prices of vegetables, a highly perishable commod- sage of the Bill. They were in the company of Pranab Mukherjee, then External Afairs to the Mines and Minerals (Development violation of the legal protections given to
ity. But a closer look at the food group throws the fundamentalist wildlife and environment- Minister, who was the point person for the and Regulation) Act, the Compensatory Af- tribals has become the cornerstone of the
spotlight on some trends that the Reserve Bank of alist groups with their close links with the Bill on behalf of the government in the nego- forestation Fund Act and a host of amend- policy.
India had flagged in its latest monetary policy re- powerful forest bureaucracy. They made a tiations with the Left. There was a mini- ments to the Rules to the FRA which under- Third, there is the deliberate freeze of the
view as areas of concern. Specifically, the prices of motley though influential crowd and had the drama and heated discussion which finally mine the FRA. The requirement of public actual implementation of the FRA. Neither
ear of very important people in the United ended with the arrival of the Tribal Afairs hearings and gram sabha consent has been individual pattas nor pattas for community
sugar and confectionery accelerated by 22.4 per
Progressive Alliance (UPA) government Minister, P.R. Kyndiah, who had been done away with for mid-sized coal mines. BJP forest resources are being given. During the
cent while meat and fish and egg also reflected per- hierarchy. summoned by his senior. In the discussions State governments and partners in the Na- UPA-II government the implementation of
sistently elevated levels. The services sectors, in- They succeeded in diluting some import- he assured us that he would move amend- tional Democratic Alliance such as the the Act was virtually hijacked by the Ministry
cluding transport and communication and educa- ant recommendations of the Parliamentary ments to the Bill. At that time there was no Telugu Desam Party government in Andhra of Environment and Forests and rejections of
tion, also manifested stickiness, underscoring the Select Committee on community forest choice but to accept the assurance at face Pradesh have introduced government orders claims increased. However, now the situation
rationale for the RBIs cautious approach in keep- rights, access to minor forest produce and so value. It had taken more than a year of to subvert the FRA. In Telangana, in total vio- has worsened, and the rate of rejections has
ing benchmark interest rates unchanged. on. The clause that Non-tribal Traditional struggle to finally get the Bill included in the lation of the FRA, the government has illegal- gone up during the Modi regime. According
Clearly, signals from the inflation data pose a Forest Dwellers would have to show evid- business agenda of Parliament and listed. ised traditional methods of forest land cul- to one analysis, between May 2015 and April
conundrum before policymakers. With demand ence of their occupation of the land for 75 The powerful lobbies against the Bill would tivation. The Jharkhand government has 2016, eight out of every 10 claims were rejec-
impulses taking a wide-ranging knock from the years virtually negated the inclusion of these have used our opposition to once again brought amendments to the Chotanagpur ted. This is the Gujarat model in operation.
largely poorer sections, many of them Dalits, shelve it. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and also the Santhal Pargana Tenancy Acts The State has one of the worst records in im-
shortage of cash in the hands of consumers, pro- in the law. The Left had proposed that for was playing a duplicitous role its Adivasi which eliminate rights of gram sabhas and plementation of the FRA. Although 98 per
ponents of policy accommodation would argue these sections the Supreme Court-proposed MPs supported the Bill while others were permit tribal land to be taken over by corpor- cent of the approximately 1.9 lakh tribal
that the time is ripe for the RBI to cut borrowing cut-of year of 1980 would be appropriate, dead against it. They ran a campaign among ates, real estate players, private educational claims had been approved by the gram
costs to help impart some credit-fuelled economic while for tribal communities the cut-of year MPs from the Northeast that if passed, the and medical institutions in the name of de- sabhas, the bureaucrats in the sub-divisional
momentum. But as the RBIs Monetary Policy should be 2005. But at the last moment the law would legalise encroachment by illegal velopment, without tribal consent. In Maha- committee and above brought the accept-
Committee itself articulated it on December 7, government surreptitiously brought in the Bangladeshis. This was utterly misleading, rashtra the government has issued a noti- ance down to just 38 per cent. This is in sharp
while discretionary spending on goods and ser- three generation or 75-year clause. but anything was fair in the war against tribal fication of Village Rules which gives all contrast to a Left-led State such as Tripura,
vices in the CPI excluding food and fuel could The Bill with these obnoxious clauses was rights. rights of forest management to government- where 98 per cent of tribal claims have been
have been afected by restricted access to cash, the circulated and listed for immediate discus- promoted committees as opposed to the recorded and titles given.
sion and passage. As soon as we saw it, the The missing amendments gram sabha. This is the law-based ofensive.
prices of those items may weather the transitory ef- Mixed signals from the judiciary
Chairman of the Select Committee, Kishore The Bill became law, but without the Second, there is the policy-based war. The
fects since they are normally revised according to Chandra Deo, and I rushed to the chamber of amendments promised. After much discus- Modi government has declared its commit- The judiciary has also had a role to play.
preset cycles. More importantly, the MPC cau- The same institution, which gave tribals
tioned that food inflation pressures could re- CARTOONSCAPE hope through the Samata judgment, the his-
emerge as a consequence of disruptions in agricul- toric Niyamgiri judgment, has also clubbed
tural activity as a result of the currency withdrawal. together a number of hostile petitions to the
The spectre of upward price pressures from key FRA and is giving them a sympathetic hear-
components including food and fuel OPECs ing. In January last year the court in an omin-
output cuts are already pushing up crude oil ous intervention in a writ petition filed by
combined with the fading away of a favourable base Wildlife Trust of India and others issued no-
tice to all State governments to file an ai-
efect could leave the RBI with little wiggle room to davit giving data regarding the number of
support growth. With the central banks March claims rejected within the territory of the
2017 target for retail inflation of 5 per cent clearly in State and the extent of land over which such
their sights, the monetary authorities may be per- claims were made and rejected and the con-
suaded to keep the powder dry. sequent action taken up by the State after re-
jection of the claims.
This has rightly been taken by tribal com-
munities and their organisations as a prelude

Indias to mass evictions. Maharashtra issued a noti-


fication dated April 23, 2015, directing the po-
lice to take action against identified en-
winning streak croachers, namely those whose claims have
been rejected. Till 1985, the department of
Tribal Afairs was under the Home

I
ndias emphatic innings-and-36-run victory Ministry. Tribal rights and struggles for
over England at Mumbais Wankhede Stadium justice were viewed as a law and order issue,
has efectively broken a jinx. Among all its Test always a problem. Under the present dis-
cricket rivals, discounting the hype around pensation this retrograde approach seems to
games against Australia or the history that per- have been resurrected.
meates jousts involving Pakistan, England had been On the tenth anniversary of the historic
a bugbear. Twice, India lost Test series in England passage of the FRA, tribal resistance is grow-
in 2011 and 2014; it also sufered the ignominy of los- ing all over the country to defend their rights
under FRA and other related issues.
ing at home in 2012. Redemption finally came in
Mumbai as Virat Kohlis men secured an unassail- Brinda Karat is a member of the CPI(M) Polit Bureau and a
able 3-0 lead with just the fifth and final Test re- former Rajya Sabha MP.
maining to be played in Chennai, starting Friday.
The cobwebs of the past have been shed and a new
order is in place. In its last 17 Tests, India remained LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
undefeated, the highlight being 13 wins. This equals Letters emailed to letters@thehindu.co.in must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.
the purple patch from 1985 to 1987 that featured four
victories, 12 draws and a tie across 17 games. India
can do one better if it wins or at least draws at Picking up the pieces government a chance to prove its blame the Opposition for not India into a cashless economy. From the archives
ability to govern. It seems to have allowing him to speak, must be Statistics show that less than 1 per
Chennai. The current winning streak includes five Many trees have been uprooted in got of to a good start. highlighted. The BJP will lose cent of currency is counterfeit. Also, A snippet, Illicit earnings seized
consecutive Test series triumphs: Sri Lanka, South Chennai after cyclone Vardah hit the nothing by allowing a debate a very marginal amount of black (From the Archives Dec.9, 1966,
G. Purushothaman,
Africa, West Indies, New Zealand and England city. I refer to a line in the Editorial, Tirunelveli followed by voting as it has a clear money generated is stored as cash. Dec.9), on how
have been vanquished. From shedding the pangs of Through a storm safely (Dec.14): majority in the Lok Sabha. The government needs to be less Rs.12.50 lakhs accruing from black
transition to charting its own path, the present Planting trees with strong root Most roads and streets in Chennai S.V. Venkatakrishnan, ideological and more pragmatic in money transactions was seized by
squad has shown that it respects the aura of Tests systems and pruning the canopy and its surroundings resemble a Bengaluru its approach in this traumatising the Enforcement Directorate, proves
and is fiercely motivated to win. It is a trait Kohli ahead of cyclone season could giant fallen forest. While one cannot business of demonetisation. that black money dealings, which we
shares with coach Anil Kumble. reduce uprooting. In some villages avoid natures fury, what can be are trying now to wipe out, were
where there are large trees in front avoided is the cable-mess on the Demonetisations narrative Kritika Jain,
prevalent even 50 years ago when
The squads twin arms, Kohli and R. Ashwin, New Delhi
of houses, there are people who ground and around mangled trees The article, Why cashless may be money circulation was
have worked in pulsating tandem. As a batsman
dress the branches. The trunk is kept and lamp posts wires of various the new normal (Dec.14), brings out comparatively less.
with a concurrent average of 50-plus across all intact after branches are trimmed. dimensions that carry cable issues that are becoming evident 1971 and after This strengthens the fact that black
three formats, Kohli is poised to join the league of They almost resemble a skeletal television signals. In many cases, even to the uninitiated in this The 1971 war was decisive because it money hoarding is a perpetual
legends. He has led from the front. England wilted structure. This prevents the tree cables wrapped around the hood of a protracted roll-out of proved once and for all that a menace which cannot be eradicated
under the weight of his bat that yielded 640 runs at from being uprooted. Perhaps civic lamp post have ruptured the frame. demonetisation with shifting country based on religion would not overnight.
an average of 128. He even played peacemaker authorities and local bodies should Several trees and lamp posts have goalposts. There is no alternative survive if it imposed homogeneity D. Sethuraman,
when Ashwin and James Anderson had a spat in think of such steps to minimise fallen because they were pulled than going plastic is what is being on its culturally-diverse people Chennai
Mumbai. Ashwin, meanwhile, has powered Indias damage. In cities, we must also down by cable wiring tied to thrown down disdainfully as a (The decisiveness of 1971, Dec.14).
remarkable growth, with both ball and bat. He has remember what an environmental weaker trees. The government solution to this fait accompli of It also set in stone the idea that there I have been reading The Hindu for
bagged 27 wickets in this series, and the final con- activist based in Chennai has said: I should instruct cable operators to demonetisation. must be uninterrupted connectivity the past 60 years. Among your
wish those in the administration use pipe conduits. Finally, it is clear that between the land masses of a regular columns I like the Archives
test at his home ground in Chennai may only en- come up with a tree health demonetisation is definitely not country. While Indias military as it brings back memories of the
thuse him more. The teams glory is not just Kannan Subramanian Ramakrishnan,
management system. Trees need to Chennai about black money. Shorn of its action was decisive, what was not past. A piece (Oct.5), Study of
restricted to Kohli and Ashwin, the rest have all put be considered as environmental moral veneer, it is all about a state- decisive was Indias handling of the student grievances (Oct.6, 1966), on
their hands up at various times. Be it Jayant Yadav, infrastructure and looked after.... finance nexus to the detriment of aftermath because 1971 was the how Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
an able understudy to Ashwin the of-spinner and Countdown to a washout? vast sections of people and their perfect opportunity to end the had said that some kind of
K. Somasundaram,
an efective batsman; Parthiv Patel, called in as a re- Devakottai, Tamil Nadu With the winter session of livelihoods. Kashmir issue and oicially machinery should be set up to which
placement wicketkeeper; seamer Mohammed Parliament almost over, it is certain Vijayalakshmi B., demarcate the boundary between the students could put forth their
Shami; or the reliable Murali Vijay, opening with as- The Hindus certificate in the that this session will be a washout. Hyderabad both nations. What we got instead grievances, was interesting.
surance. The squads inherent strength hasnt Editorial, that it is to the Tamil Both the BJP and the Opposition are was the export of terrorism to Educational authorities and the
Nadu governments credit that basic equally responsible for the Even a month after its inception, I Kashmir, the Siachen conflict, the Ministry of Consumer Afairs must
waned even when personnel are lost briefly due to
mobility was restored overnight, and stalemate. The flip-flop by the fail to comprehend the whole circus Kargil war and ceasefire violations sit together to evolve such
injuries (Ajinkya Rahane or Rohit Sharma) or when fallen trees were removed to allow Opposition on the demonetisation of demonetisation. At the advent, among other issues that could have mechanisms of redress in all
form deserts (Shikhar Dhawan). India still has a some traic to ply, is a feather in the issue, with demands for an apology the government brought in the issue been avoided had Prime Minister colleges so that the energy of
long road to traverse and overseas wins in Australia cap of the Tamil Nadu Chief from the Prime Minister, and the of black money, counterfeit currency Indira Gandhi taken full advantage students is harnessed in a positive
and England need to be secured. But for now Kohli Minister. Relief and rescue ruling partys tactics, with the Prime and terrorism. Now, it is taking of her political mandate. way.
and his men are enjoying a stupendous home run. operations after the cyclone appear Minister initially evading attending shelter under the umbrella of Akshay Viswanathan, M.R. Krishnan,
to have given the AIADMK Parliament and then choosing to Digital India and transforming Thiruvananthapuram Chennai
CM ND-ND
YK
10 | - 1ias.com - EDITORIAL THE HINDU FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2016
NOIDA/DELHI

Death in Aleppo
For too long, we have been a passive society, deaf to Rwanda, Somalia, Syria. Our foreign policy is a piece of
empty piety. Maybe Aleppo can be a first step to a more humane India
eotypes where Indians and other nations While war is getting to be technocratic-
F R I D AY , D E C E M B E R 1 6 , 2 0 1 6 feel Islamic territories are volatile and im- ally lethal, ethics has taken a deeper down-
SHIV VISVANATHAN mature and therefore deserve what they got. turn. The great Western ideal of humanitari-
Adding to the power of these stereotypes to anism, which created legends like Henry

A law It began in a simple banal way. I had just


immobilise the mind is the nature of memo-
ry today.
Dunant of the Red Cross and Albert Sch-
weitzer who was awarded the Nobel for
Peace for his work in Africa, has become a

for equality spent a wonderful winters day sufering a


faculty meeting and was blaming myself for
having lost a sunny afternoon. I went back to
Failure of the failed
Memory as so many bytes, so many dis-
crete but disconnected pieces of informa-
diminished exercise. It is as if ethics has not
been able to cope with the technocratic and
political logic of war. A lone voice like Pope

B
y passing the Rights of Persons with Disab- my room and found my usually ebullient tion is skin-deep. It soon yields to erasure, Francis is not enough. Humanitarianism has
ilities Bill, the Rajya Sabha has adopted a student stunned and in tears. All she could indiference and triage, the argument that a become a side show to war, a cubbyhole next
radically transformative piece of leg- say was, Aleppo. People are dying in Aleppo failed society deserves to fail further. In the to it rather than an ethical challenge to war.
islation that addresses the concerns of ar- and no one seems to care. I was reading the new global history of aspiration and suc- The work that groups like Mdecins Sans
messages on Facebook and could not face cess, failure does not seem to deserve a re- Frontires did in challenging the passive
guably the most marginalised section of Indian so- the sufering of the people. How can 50,000 sponse. The logic of sociobiology works in a nature of humanitarianism needs to be
ciety. The Lok Sabha should lose no time to approve children be killed in Syria? Is this what they Darwinian world where Syria does not fit deepened and thickened.
this Bill in the winter session, bringing to fruition a mean by evacuation? Why is it that no one in the model of the fittest. The logic of war sometimes paints a situ-
process that started with Indias ratification of the India is responding? Dont lives matter? ILLUSTRATION: SURENDRA I was just recollecting the irony that 2015 ation with broad brushes. To paint an entire
relevant UN Convention in 2007. A measure of the was the year Svetlana Alexievich got the No- city as terrorist allows for mass violence,
expansive reach of the Bill that the Upper House Grading genocides bel Prize in Literature. It was the first time a permits one to ignore the innocent living
passed unanimously is that it is covers as many as 19 The cascade of questions and the sheer Humanitarianism has become journalist had been awarded the Nobel Prize helplessly within it. Even the poignancy of
conditions nearly three times the number of dis- spontaneity of emotions moved me. My stu- in Literature. Her classic Secondhand Time Facebook messages falls on deaf ears, disap-
dent was mourning, mourning for the peo- a side show to war, a was an attempt to create a quilt patch of pearing into the silences of the global world.
abilities accorded legal protection under the 1995
law. Included are a large number of individuals ple in Aleppo and mourning for the death of cubbyhole next to it rather memories, which showed how the Soviet Syria and Russia operating in tandem read it
conscience in India. India, for all its global than an ethical challenge dictatorships had corroded everyday life. as the march of history. Sadly, there are few
with multiple impairments, who are the most dis- aspirations, is illiterate about Aleppo. The irony is at the very moment a journalist to write about the causalities of history. In-
advantaged sections among the disabled. Another I read all the newspaper reports which are to war is awarded a Nobel, there is a crisis of jour- evitability is a word the victor uses to hide
welcome provision is the power to notify addi- titrated and even sanitised by the Indian nalistic integrity. The legend of great war his lack of fairness and discrimination. It is a
tional disabilities, a clear recognition of the need to press. There are filters in our mind that di- journalists who wrote the truth about war time of impunity and brutality where vic-
factor in conditions that may arise as a result of an minish international tragedies. We want to that distorts foreign policy. There is a has evaporated. The Syrian violence has not torious armies will be executing civilians
ageing population, an inevitable part of the demo- respond only to the biggest and most devas- genuine fear about exaggerations in media produced a Seymour Hersh or Julian As- without an afterthought. Shooting down
graphic transition. Relaxation of the upper age limit tating. Aleppo seems a middle-range trage- given the recent American eforts to demon- sange. There is little of that sense of disclos- families in houses by labelling them milit-
to access primary and higher education is clear dy; the Syrian death toll of 4,50,000 seems a ise certain countries. However, such scepti- ure in a year which prides in post-truth be- ants is a mere prelude to genocide.
evidence of foresight, given the disproportionately days work in a genocidal calendar when cism which fails to do its homework be- ing its new linguistic achievement. Watching the destruction of some of the
dictators like Pol Pot, Mao, Stalin, Hitler comes an alibi for indiference. While Even the narratives in the newspaper have worlds heritage cities reminds me of two
low and delayed enrolment of disabled children in have eliminated millions. The number one-sided narratives have created trigger- a tone of strategic inevitability, as if mass stories. The first is about the great Russian
formal schooling. In addition, the incorporation of 4,50,000 shrinks in modesty before these happy wars, indiference has been equally death is a logical step. The pace of Syrian artist Nikolai Roerich who spent years in In-
penal stipulations, a major omission in the larger statistics and in fact disappears from catastrophic in letting people die. There is a President Bashar al-Assads battlefield ad- dia. Roerich suggested the establishment of
predecessor Act, should go some way towards en- memory. It is a hiccup in todays violent confusion here between foreign policy as vances is praised and as a potential victor he the Green Cross to complement the Red
suring more efective law enforcement. world. The very act of comparison becomes etiquette and foreign policy as ethics. is hailed as soon having control of all the Cross. Its role was in protecting the cultural
The increase in the proportion of reserved a failure of ethics. It is almost as if the small Etiquette tells you about how to eat, it is a major cities. This sense of inevitability, an heritage of the world. One wishes a Green
positions in public employment and incentives for and the minuscule do not deserve attention. ritual of table manners. Ethics tells you to anticipated gloating over his victory, hides Cross had been instituted to save these cit-
the private sector to hire disabled candidates are There is a second fear that accompanies look out for the starving and impels you to the nature of tragedy. The word evacuation ies. Dubbing cities as world heritage sites is
other important departures. The discretionary this and many countries have become cau- share your meal. When false propaganda si- has a double meaning. Evacuating the city useless if we make no genuine efort to pro-
powers for authorities to determine appropriate av- tious of media reports. George W. Bush lences the power of ethics, something se- earlier meant rescuing people in a city. Now tect them.
triggered the Iraq war by planting irre- riously becomes amiss. it has become a sanitised act of violence The second story is about the scholar Ed-
enues of occupation for the disabled would have to sponsible reports on the Iraqi nuclear efort. There is a third filter that is equally devas- which decimates a city along with a policy win Reischauer who later became American
be exercised with sensitivity and openness. Expe- Countries feel that genocide has become a tating. The demonology of terror, the idea of of exterminism the total elimination of a Ambassador to Japan. Kyoto was picked as
rience shows that new technology enables people global imaginary, a giant Rorschach of fear failed states in Africa creates a web of ster- population. the original site for the nuclear bombing.
with disability to undertake tasks that may once Reischauer was flabbergasted. He rushed
have been outside their reach. In this regard, the de- CARTOONSCAPE before General Leslie Groves and began
shuddering. He was so stunned by the pros-
cision to drop the proposal for the establishment of
statutory disabilities commissions at the national pect that he started weeping. Groves, em-
and State levels is a lost opportunity. To vest in an barrassed to see a man weep, promised to
advisory body the responsibility to monitor en- pick another city, Hiroshima, so he could get
rid of the scholar. I wish some scholar had
forcement and violations of the law, as well as fin- wept for the cities of Syria or the children
ancial supervision, is not the most efective ap- trapped in the city. The sheer fatalism that
proach to promote equal opportunities and combat war created and the hollowing out of ethics
discrimination. The number of the disabled in In- is one of modern wars greatest casualties.
dia is anywhere between 5 and 10 per cent of the
population. Their integration into the mainstream Bringing back compassion
is a developmental and economic imperative. The The option before civilians, many of
Vision 2030 blueprint on sustainable development whom are dissidents, is pathetic. To stay
that is in the works is an opening for the Centre to might be to face torture. To leave might con-
spell out its priorities on disabilities. demn them to a permanent status of
refugees. Either way, any prospect of home-
coming ceases to exist. Homelessness and
genocide seem to be twin companions of
war.

Well-oiled This meltdown of humanity, as a UN re-


port calls it, includes children and women.
Today as Indians read the newspapers cel-

diplomacy ebrating Virat Kohlis cricketing exploits or


discuss the wisdom of demonetisation, I
hope they spare a moment for Aleppo and I

I
n nominating Rex Tillerson, Chief Executive hope they will act on it. For too long, we have
of the oil and gas conglomerate ExxonMobil, been a passive society, deaf to Rwanda,
to the post of Secretary of State, U.S. Somalia, Syria. Our foreign policy is a piece
President-elect Donald Trump has provided of empty piety. It is time the little creativities
of compassion and ethics enter our lives.
another glimpse into his world view and decision-
Maybe Aleppo can be a first step to a more
making process. Similar to Mr. Trump, Mr. Tiller- humane India.
son has no formal experience in political oice, yet
brings impressive heft in terms of deal-making Shiv Visvanathan is Professor, Jindal Global Law School
across 52 countries over six continents. On his and Director, Centre for the Study of Knowledge Systems,
O.P. Jindal Global University.
watch, the stock market value of ExxonMobil, the
U.S.s largest oil company, soared to over $360 bil-
lion. Yet the vast global reach of Mr. Tillersons
work and the sheer complexities involved in
drilling for oil, especially the sometimes messy ge-
opolitics at play, have meant he has often been at
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
odds with the agenda of the U.S. State Department. Letters emailed to letters@thehindu.co.in must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.
In Nigeria, for example, his company faced flak for
lack of transparency in dealings with the govern- Rahul on Modi Unparliamentary behaviour those indulging in subversion of the and 11 were regular bank holidays
ment. Nowhere is the potential divergence from the democratic process. The use of Cash woes continue and December 12 was the day the
hallowed traditions of Foggy Bottoms diplomatic When stories of corruption appear The confrontation between the words and phrases like please, I A month has lapsed since the cyclone struck, people were
norms more visible than in Mr. Tillersons decade- in the media every now and then, ruling party and the Opposition in request you I am sorry, etc., by commencement of the hopeful that the banks would
plus engagement with Russia to secure oil drilling why is Rahul Gandhi insisting that Parliament does not augur well for a Speakers will not impress the demonetisation drive, yet the resume work on the 14th
rights. Under him, ExxonMobil since 2006 signed a he will reveal the Prime Ministers democracy like ours (Govt., parliamentarians. Irrespective of supply of currency is not matching (December 13 was a public holiday
personal corruption only in Opposition talk past each other, their party ailiations, the errant up to the demand (Curbing and should have allowed the banks
plethora of drilling agreements including through Parliament and not outside of it? Dec.15). The MPs have an obligation members must be kept away, and corruption is my agenda: PM, time to set their house in order to
partnerships with the Russian oil behemoth Ros- (Rahul accuses Modi of to the people who elected them as the Houses allowed to function. Dec.15). Taking into account the serve their customers from the next
neft. Yet, as Mr. Tillersons star rose in the eyes of corruption, Dec.15). The public their representatives. It is The current episodes should not set capacity of note-printing units in day). To our surprise, the bank we
the Kremlin, U.S. President Barack Obamas fell, es- has a right to know what is going on unfortunate to see legislators precedents for all time to come. India, it is reported that it may take went to was shut on December 14 as
pecially since early 2014 when he authorised sanc- behind the scenes. Mr. Gandhis disrupt the proceedings of the K.R.Krishna Iyer, six-nine months to print adequate well due to server/ connectivity
tions against certain Russian individuals and entit- hesitancy to reveal details only House for political gains. As Palakkad supplies. An unusual problem issues. Most of the ATMs in the
ies for violating the territorial integrity of Ukraine. raises doubts. One has no other pointed out by President Pranab requires an unusual solution. The suburbs are not working or are not
Thus, reactions to Mr. Tillersons nomination choice but to believe that his Mukherjee, only discussion and government should consider as a loaded with cash. Since credit card
accusations against the Prime debate and not disruption will yield Varied learning levels one-time measure getting small transactions are also not possible
have been divided between relief, among those
Minister are wild and baseless. the desired results. The people of It is a foregone conclusion that denomination notes printed due to poor connectivity, we have
who would welcome the likely thaw in Washing-
K.R. Srinivasan, this country have a humble appeal parents who can aford to pay well through reputed note-printing been having a tough time over the
ton-Moscow diplomatic ties, and alarm, of critics Secunderabad to make to the MPs: please do not for their childs education choose a companies around the world. past few days. It is time the banks in
who fear that as in Mr. Trumps case, Mr. Tillerson derail the basic tenets of our private school over a public school Chennai geared up to deal with this
B. Umakanth,
may find it diicult to disentangle his personal and Rahul Gandhi first said there would democracy to settle your political (Contrasting realities in primary Hyderabad situation even as the city limps back
oicial interests. In his confirmation hearing in the be an earthquake if he spoke in scores. Allow the House to function schooling and Two systems, two to normalcy.
Senate he will be grilled, in all likelihood by John Parliament. Now he says he will and formulate laws to promote the diverse oferings, Dec. 15). In the Just when the world started to take Murugan Sarangapani,
McCain and his peers, on his views on whether expose the Prime Minister on well-being of the people. Brihanmumbai Municipal notice of India as an emerging Chennai
Russian hackers had interfered in the presidential personal corruption charges if Ivin Tomy, Corporation schools, for instance, power, we have slipped back into
election, as the U.S. intelligence community sug- allowed to speak. Hardly any time is Thiruvananthapuram the education standards are so poor negative growth. This has happened
left for the winter session of that a Grade V student is unable to because of the demonetisation Rights to the forest
gests they did, and whether these hackers could
Parliament to end. The Opposition Day after day, we see our politicians read a Grade III textbook or thunderbolt, ostensibly to root out The tribals of this country who
still launch cyberattacks on U.S. targets. His an- has stalled all business this winter yelling at the top of their voices and correctly do elementary black money, terrorist activity, etc. sustain their livelihoods on forest
swers will provide clues about how he might carry session. If Mr. Gandhi is not barging into the Well of the Houses, mathematics. Many parents shift None of the objectives have been resources have the first right over
out his duties as Americas top diplomat. They will allowed to speak soon in causing adjournment. The common their children to private schools for adequately met and will take much the forests (Rights for the rightful
also supply clarity on his apparent belief, contra- Parliament, where will his charges man is left to wonder whether a better future. Before wasting more longer, but why are planning and owners, Dec.15). They live in
Trump, that human activity does cause climate against the Prime Minister land? quietude will ever return and public money on the reducing implementation so poor? This harmony with the environment
change, necessitating mitigation and adaptation ef- What prevents the astute vice business be transacted in number of students in BMC whole decision is an illogical compared to the corporates whose
forts. To India, the nomination of Mr. Tillerson, if president of the Congress from Parliament. This turmoil has caught schools, the authorities need to delusion of inventing a panacea for only motive is profit-making. So, it
successful, may smooth military cooperation with placing the explosive charges the attention of the President, who come up with out-of-the-box the nations ills. The Prime Minister is in the best interest of social
Moscow as Obama-era hostility towards Russia before the media and the people? I has gently reminded the Speakers solutions to galvanise students. In has betrayed our trust. justice and the countrys
suppose we would be spared a about their role in conducting the this context, one appreciates the T. Mathew, environment health to honestly
softens. ExxonMobil also has extensive oil business
massive earthquake. This seems to afairs of the Houses. It is the duty learning levels in government Mysuru implement the Forest Rights Act. It
assets on Indian soil, so New Delhi may have reason me like a gimmick and nothing of the Speaker to see that the schools in Tamil Nadu where is fundamental to achieve the goal
to be sanguine about bilateral dtente, especially in more. proceedings go on without activity-based learning is prevalent. The cash situation in Chennai is of inclusive development.
trade and investment terms. C.K. Subramaniam, disruption. Speakers should Jitendra G. Kothari, precarious in the aftermath of Karan Choudhary,
Navi Mumbai exercise their discretion to evict Mumbai Cyclone Vardah. Since December 10 Pathankot
CM ND-ND
YK
10 | - 1ias.com - EDITORIAL THE HINDU SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2016
NOIDA/DELHI

Mapping the American mind


Given Americas centrality in many areas of knowledge, its own crisis in the Trump era will have an impact
on other national systems of education
measure of the extent to which social goals By the time Mr. Obama came on the scene,
S AT U R D AY , D E C E M B E R 1 7 , 2 0 1 6 are debated and grasped by diferent social neo-liberal assertions had become the norm.
KRISHNA KUMAR groups. No wonder Dewey believed that Indeed, Mr. Obamas administration did
democracy could be sustained as a system of little to challenge these norms. The richer
governance only if it also becomes a way of strata of American society had withdrawn
Diminishing options Donald Trumps victory has unnerved a vast
life. Did that happen in America? Did its sys-
tem of education nurture commonality of
their children from state schools where life
had become so violent that teachers could

before BCCI number of people around the world. It has


jolted the common belief that education
makes a contribution to the eiciency of
purpose in an atmosphere of freedom and
critical inquiry?
Mr. Trumps victory points to a negative
not expect to function without security at
hand. A vast number of experienced teach-
ers left the system in frustration. Casual ap-

E
quivocation before the Supreme Court can democracy. One of the many positive stereo- answer to both these questions. The Amer- pointees and paid volunteers of various
be costly. Anurag Thakur, president of the types of America is that it has a very good ica he leads is a divided nation. Although a kinds, with minimalist, mechanical training,
Board of Control for Cricket in India, may system of public education. The reason literate nation, it is badly short of words to took over. Aims of education shrunk, and the
America attracts some of the best students soften its internal divisions. No one illus- role of learning in shaping sensibility and
have learnt this bitter lesson after the Chief
from other countries to study in its colleges trates this problem better than Mr. Trump outlook lost relevance. A new, brazen world
Justice of India found him prima facie guilty of con- and universities is that the quality of educa- himself has during his long, bitter campaign. of voters, who didnt mind Mr. Trumps ap-
tempt of court and perjury. The boards predica- tion they provide is believed to be very high. As it progressed, the gap between ethnic peal to the baser instincts, was getting ready
ment is not only due to its reluctance to accept the In school education too, the impression per- groups, factions and lobbies grew in width to display its nerve.
reforms suggested by the court-appointed Justice sists that America ofers an equal opportun- and sharpness. The gap that reveals the defi-
Lodha Committee. It is also because of its presid- ity to everyone to excel. These impressions cit of words most clearly is the one over gun Blooms despair
ents ham-handed attempt to explain away his are hard to accommodate with the decision laws. The outgoing President, Barack The other book that helps us grasp the im-
move to get the International Cricket Council to is- America has taken to choose a man like Mr. ILLUSTRATION: SURENDRA
Obama, routinely conveyed his despair over plications of Mr. Trumps victory is Allan
sue a letter to the efect that some judicial orders re- Trump to lead and represent it. gun laws and the culture of violence they Blooms The Closing of the American Mind
garding the BCCI amounted to governmental in- Anyone who watched the three presiden- We can anticipate greater represent. He used every mass shooting in- which was published in 1987. In this grimly
tial debates will have diiculty forgetting the cident that occurred during his presidency critical work, Bloom argued that higher edu-
terference. Mr. Thakur allegedly approached ICC clumsy arguments and crude masculinity segregation and discrimination, to remind Americans that violence is not cation had failed Americas democratic
chairman Shashank Manohar in Dubai in August Hillary Clinton had to face repeatedly in voucher-based support for private compatible with democracy. As Americas dream. Bloom criticised the growing use of
2016 in connection with the courts July 18 order these debates. Not only did Mr. Trumps ar- first African-American President, he had higher education for attaining superficial
mandating that a nominee of the Comptroller and guments and plans make little sense, they
schooling, and use of curriculum reason to feel convinced that guns are so material goals and for imparting knowledge
Auditor General of India should be on the BCCIs also exhibited a remarkable lack of sensibil- for justifying hatred and bigotry dear to people because they live in an ethos devoid of perspective and ethical depth. Un-
apex council. It is not surprising that the court took ity. You couldnt help wondering how any- of hatred and fear. Mr. Trumps support for fortunately, the history of education ofers
a dim view of the BCCI initially denying that such one could take him seriously or not be wor- American remedies in every sector from Americas liberal gun laws is not merely a far too many examples of unheeded alarm
an attempt had been made to get the ICC involved. ried about the health of a system that had economy and personal finance to education political gesture. It signifies the conviction bells.
It was probably just as displeased with Mr. Thakur permitted him to get this far. Even after the we need to reflect on Trumps rise to that dark instincts should be firmly protec- Blooms warning got lost in controversy
victory, he continues to come across as reck- power, not just come to terms with it. ted from educationally disseminated ration- over his espousal of intellectually enriching
going on to file an aidavit that he had only wanted
less, confused and ignorant, making out- ality. pedagogy. His book was published in the Re-
Mr. Manohar to give his opinion on the issue as a rageous promises and raising frightening Progress and struggle The progressive philosophy of education agan era when trivialisation of educational
former BCCI president. Mr. Thakur would have phantoms. His ascendance has unsettled the Let us briefly revisit two influential Amer- Dewey and his followers promoted made a aims had become fashionable. This trend be-
been better of admitting what happened, given minds of millions of people, especially ican books on education, one published in considerable impact on the American sys- came increasingly shrill in the 1990s with the
that Mr. Manohar has disclosed that the BCCI pres- young people, who see America as a symbol the first quarter of the 20th century and the tem, but it also aroused fierce reaction. In ef- takeover of centre space by neo-liberal ideo-
ident had indeed asked him for such a letter. of democracy and progress. Will the oath other in its last quarter. John Deweys classic, fect, there have been two Americas fighting logues. Blooms apprehension that malnour-
Mr. Thakur being rendered liable for prosecution mean anything to him? This question will Democracy and Education, was first pub- on just about every detail of life in schools. ished minds would make poor choices has
for perjury is not the only consequence; the current haunt us throughout his presidency. lished in 1916. In it, Dewey explained why The contest between the two has grown in now proved to be true. With Mr. Trumps
BCCI oice-bearers may lose their control over the communication across groups is a core chal- intensity since the 1980s. Progressive ped- victory, closing of the American mind has
Era of American remedies lenge for democratic order. Deweys use of agogues wanted greater child-centredness, come to pass. America must now cope with
board. The Bench headed by the Chief Justice is
It is worth asking whether Mr. Trumps endosmosis as a metaphor for interactive re- inclusive classrooms, and academically rig- an era of steep regression in its capacity to
already in a mood to appoint some observers, based candidature and victory signify something lations between diverse social groups fascin- orous training courses for teachers. Those focus on educational recovery.
on a suggestion by the Lodha Committee, to over- that had gone horribly wrong with Americas ated B.R. Ambedkar (who studied at opposed to such measures pushed for fre-
see the BCCIs afairs. The BCCI has allowed an im- democracy, especially its system of educa- Columbia when Dewey was teaching there). quent testing, nominal training for teachers Implications for India
pression to gain ground that its attitude towards re- tion. Such a question is especially relevant Endosmosis refers, in biology, to the flow of and exclusive schools for those who could Educational policy during Mr. Trumps
forms is one of defiance and obstruction. So far the for us because we are passing through a fluid through a membrane which acts like a pay. Ronald Reagans presidency that lasted presidency will move in predictable direc-
cricket body has been maintaining that it cannot phase in our polity when many key ideas and porous separator. Dewey saw in commonal- through the 1980s marked the ascent of an al- tions. We can anticipate greater segregation
force its State-level ailiates to accept all the new projects are being borrowed from America. ity of educational experience the means that liance between neo-liberalism in economic and discrimination, voucher-based support
norms. The BCCI could have avoided a direct con- Indeed, several policies presented to us as would enable citizens to practise individual and anti-progressivism in social policy. for private schooling, and use of curriculum
frontation by committing itself more plainly to innovations are recycled American coin- freedom while contributing to collective ef- American education lost the momentum it for justifying hatred and bigotry. Historic-
ages. Copiously exposed as we now are to ficiency. Quality of education, for Dewey, is a had developed for democratising the system. ally, Americas ethos provided a fertile
abide by the court verdict. The BCCIs reputation
ground for social Darwinistic ideals that le-
as a responsible sports administrator is under gitimise the winners claim to power and
strain not because of any shortcoming in its man- CARTOONSCAPE pity for the loser. In a society where racially
agement of the cricketing aspects of the game, but motivated violence has proved resistant to
its seeming intransigence in embracing reforms law and education, the ideology of social
aimed at bringing about transparency in its func- Darwinism tends to serve as a cover for or-
tioning. Any order convicting the BCCI president thodoxy, misogyny and xenophobia. During
for perjury or holding its top functionaries guilty of the coming years, we can expect speedier
contempt of court would severely damage the insti- closing of the mind and public spaces.
tution. An apology from Mr. Thakur, and the BCCIs Given Americas centrality and authority
in many areas of knowledge, its own crisis in
wholehearted acceptance of the Lodha Committee the Trump era will have an impact on other
reforms, seem the only way out. national systems of education. The remedies
that Mr. Trumps administration is likely to
use to push the system of education more
Decoding the comprehensively towards the market will
strengthen like-minded forces in countries

Feds signals like India where neo-liberal policies have


already bitten into the vitals of the education
system. The states neglect of higher educa-

T
he U.S. Federal Reserves widely anticip- tion has created an ominous vacuum,
ated decision to resume its course of nor- marked by contempt for ideas and freedom
of expression on the one hand and advocacy
malisation of monetary policy by raising of consumable knowledge merchandise on
the benchmark Federal Funds rate by the other. Our institutions of higher learning
one-quarter of a percentage point has unequivoc- are reeling under the burden of transplanted
ally signalled that the worlds largest economy is ideas and practices. During the impending
well and truly back on track. Fed Chair Janet Yellen Trump era, we must watch out for further
has said the U.S. central bank now expects the eco- transplants.
nomy to continue to perform well. The median
projection of real gross domestic product growth Krishna Kumar is a former Director of NCERT and professor
of education, Delhi University. His latest book is Education,
among the Federal Open Market Committees par- Conflict and Peace.
ticipants is for the expansion to accelerate to 2.1 per
cent in 2017, from 1.9 per cent this year. This bodes
well for the world economy as an improvement in
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
demand for goods and services in one of the biggest Letters emailed to letters@thehindu.co.in must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.
markets will potentially spur economic activity all
over. That the improvement in momentum has Demonetisation narrative To deal with cashless transactions, The diiculties of moving to a consequences of a long-drawn-out zone to enable the passengers to use
been accompanied by solid job gains and moder- 90 crore bank accounts will have to cashless economy hit me recently. cash crunch and resultant hardships. debit/credit cards for ticket
ate increases in household spending is particularly While switching over to the digital be opened along with a credit card Buying a piece of furniture from a The best the government can do to bookings. Passengers are saved the
heartening since personal consumption undergirds mode in terms of financial facility which can be integrated with local shop shocked us the moment smooth ruled feelings is to issue a risk of carrying liquid cash and
overall demand in the U.S. The Fed has also stated transactions is welcome, it is all types of swipe machines. The we ofered to pay by debit card. The clear statement on its intent to change and railway and staf are able
that it expects future interest rate increases to be unfortunate that the government is software has to be good in order to owner inflated the price by Rs.2,300, replace the entire demonetised to finish work faster. I recommend
now trying to cash in on peoples prevent hacking and misutilisation. explaining it as the sum the bank currency in a specific time frame. promotion of such cashless
gradual. The median projection for the funds rate at weaknesses by announcing Machines should also be able to take charges for transactions using cards. This step alone will result in lesser transactions in all service sectors.
the end of 2017 is estimated at 1.4 per cent, indicat- periodical lucky dips worth crores in on the very high capacity of Obviously this was a disingenuous cash draws. Aiming for a lower cash C.S. Ananthakrishnan,
ing at most another 3 to 4 quarter point moves over order to promote digital payments transactions and servers need to be excuse and I wonder what more is in to GDP ratio is a lofty goal but it Srirangam, Tamil Nadu
the next 12 months. Such a calibrated approach to (Digital payments made after robust. store for us. must be remembered that Japan has
policy normalisation will allow international mar- November 8 can prove lucky, The government has to facilitate use Aastha Sharma, a cash to GDP ratio of around 20 per The governments reply to the
kets time to reset investment weights and priorit- Dec.16). Instead, such amounts can of cards at any time, anywhere, and Chandigarh cent and that several developed Supreme Court (Why do some get
ies, while ensuring that the domestic momentum be spent imparting digital education for limitless transactions without European countries have a ratio of 9 new notes, but not others, asks SC,
doesnt unravel. And with indications that Donald to the needy. For the success of any any transaction commission. To argue that demonetisation was a per cent which is much higher than Dec.16) that it cannot sit and keep
Trumps administration may unveil policies to bol- programme, a government should Diferent types of taxes on purchases pre-planned, two-stage exercise the global average. Steps to promote watch in every bank branch in the
rely on awareness and work culture must be phased out. There must be where the cashless concept was electronic payments must take into country amounts to shedding its
ster domestic economic activity, the prospects for
of people rather than misleading discounts on payments to essential deliberately withheld initially so as account ground realities. responsibility. Most banks now
the U.S. economy appear sanguine as of now. them by promising them a fortune or services. to pre-empt the resistance that a dispense soiled Rs.10, Rs.20 and
From an Indian perspective, however, there are Valluri Janaki Ram,
a windfall. Todays suferings on Vasantal Visweswara Rao, forced transition would evoke is to Hyderabad Rs.50 notes. The new Rs.500 note
attendant risks from the Feds policy normalisation. account of demonetisation could Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh take a dim view of readers has yet to reach rural areas. Small
For one, the dollars strengthening trend against have been averted had the intelligence (Why cashless may be The governments over-optimistic traders and grocers are now refusing
most major currencies and the rupee have begun to government well thought out its The government seems to have the new normal, Dec.14). The aim of becoming a cashless economy to accept cards and most citizens are
push up Indias bill for imports a large share of plan. finally realised that a cashless article has also gone overboard in has to be proportionate with the sufering. As the lessons learnt after
which does not lend itself to substitution and Kshirasagara Balaji Rao, economy is actually a less-cash also claiming that it is the only infrastructure at disposal. Digital cyclone Vardah show, there must be
widen the trade deficit. Latest trade data show In- Hyderabad economy, as no economy can be way. I would like to focus on the payment technology has to space for transactions with physical
dias import costs in rupee terms climbed 13 per fully cashless (Digital transactions sentence, the change to the cashless penetrate every nook and corner of currency.
Demonetisation has been harsh on not a fill-in for cash: Jaitley, Dec.16). concept can be brought about the country. C.A.C. Murugappan,
cent in November while the value in dollar terms the elderly. We are allowed to draw a This now raises a question as to through extreme political pressure. In his exclusive article to The Hindu Kothamangalam, Tamil Nadu
rose 10.4 per cent, in a clear reflection of the impact maximum of Rs.24,000 a week but what percentage of the economy can Does this imply that the travails (Making of a mammoth tragedy,
of the dollars appreciation. Also, the very same im- on any day we can draw a maximum be made cashless. For most millions of citizens are undergoing Dec.9), former Prime Minister
provement in U.S. economic outlook that could of Rs.10,000 only from the savings developed countries, it is between 85 through forced multiple visits to Manmohan Singh mentioned that Brakes on liquor vends
lend a glint of anticipation to Indian exporters has bank account. This condition makes and 95 per cent. Two basic banks to access their own money, more than 600 million Indians still Though drinking and driving will
already been a factor in spurring an exodus of port- me to go to the bank on all its requirements to achieve a high not to mention workers in the live in a town or village with no not stop following the Supreme
folio investment capital from emerging markets, in- working days, but it never works out percentage of electronic informal sector facing lay-ofs that bank. Despite an active drive to tap Courts move to ban liquor vends on
cluding India, and inflows back into the home mar- as there is a huge crowd or the bank transactions are the educational could last weeks or months, are all unbanked areas since 2001, there are National, State highways (Dec.16), it
ket. And with the U.S. President-elect resorting to soon runs out of money. Thus my level of people and foolproof just part of political pressure still huge gaps. will still reduce the number of
attendance at a bank is 100 per cent. infrastructure such as 24- hour deliberately applied to force them to Sahil Bhatia, accidents. There are lakhs of such
protectionist rhetoric, Indian companies, espe-
If there are notes, it is usually electricity supply, mobile phone and accept the new normal? Jaipur shops on all our highways, so if the
cially exporters of software services, are likely to Rs.2,000 which proves cumbersome Internet connectivity across India. March 2017 deadline is to be reached
remain on tenterhooks till clarity emerges on the S.K.N. Nair,
as far as street vendors are The government needs to think of Thiruvananthapuram Southern Railway, in association by then it will require a tough and
administrations policy road map. For the moment, concerned. One can imagine the realistic schemes and proceed with State Bank of India, has non-negotiable approach. The police
all optimism stemming from the strengthening U.S. plight of senior citizens in villages. stage-wise. Instead of harping on the long-term installed point of sale machines at have a major role to play here.
economy will need to be tempered with caution. N. Subramanian, J. Fredric Dawson, benefits of demonetisation, the computerised reservation counters Bal Govind,
Chennai Chennai government must realise the serious in major railway stations across the Noida
CM ND-ND
YK
10 | - 1ias.com - WEEKEND THE HINDU SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2016
NOIDA/DELHI

BEING
DR HUMERUS POPULATION CONTROL

The sterilisation skew


Keshav

A little after Vasectomy Fortnight, the Telangana experience shows the gap in Indias family planning programme
ROHIT P.S. Of the 40 lakh sterilisation Experts maintain that the gap
between vasectomy targets and

W
ith the national procedures done in 2014- achievements remain unchanged
Vasectomy 15, vasectomies accounted over the years even as the countrys
Fortnight fertility and birth rates continue to
(November 21 to
for a minuscule fall, driven mainly by female
December 4) 1.9 per cent sterilisation.
coming to an end recently, the writ-
ing on the wall is clear: men are un- our centres are educated and from Tubectomies still the norm
willing to share the burden of birth organised work sectors, Dr. Ka- Despite aggressive promotional
control. poor says. She stressed the import- campaigns over the last decade,
AROUND THE WORLD The government observed Vas-
ectomy Fortnight with the hope to
ance of counselling in understand-
ing the strong likelihood of
only a small proportion of couples
use State-distributed condoms (0.5
Why baby-level create awareness about male steril- pregnancy for three months after per cent in 7,786 Telangana house-
isation and, more importantly, to the procedure. holds surveyed in 2015), oral con-
cholesterol facilitate district administrations Indias total fertility rate of 2.3 is traceptives (0.3 per cent), intra-
pays off reach sterilisation targets through expected to sink below 2 within the uterine devices (0.3 per cent) and
Reducing our campaigns. Of the 40 lakh sterilisa- next decade. Telanganas fertility male sterilisation to prevent birth.
cholesterol levels to tion procedures done in 2014-15, rate reached replacement levels Of the 77,000 sterilisation proced-
those of a newborn vasectomies accounted for a before the State came into being in ures performed in the States pub-
baby significantly PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
minuscule 1.9 per cent. 2014 the third round of National lic health sector till October 2016,
lowers the risk of Family Health Survey (NFHS) only 1,287 or 1.6 per cent were vas-
Hardly any takers done a decade ago established that ectomies. In the two years since
cardiovascular disease. Although previous studies
have suggested that lowering cholesterol levels Experiments in the countrys undivided Andhra Pradesh had re- Telanganas creation, vasectomies
may be associated with a lower risk of heart attack, youngest State, Telangana, reveal corded fertility rate of 1.8. as a percentage of total sterilisa-
recent evidence has questioned whether very low the sterilisation gap in Indias fam- ITS CLEAR: Men are unwilling to share the burden of birth control. The latest survey in 2015 af- tions stood at 3 per cent, un-
levels are beneficial. Scientists at Imperial College ily planning programme. This fort- PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT firmed Telanganas fertility rate changed over the last decade.
London, analysed data from over 5,000 people night, five men walked into the vas- stood at 1.8 births per woman. For The States health administra-
taking part in cholesterol-lowering trials and found ectomy camp in Ranga Reddy, a nual target of 2,500 vasectomies Vigorous campaigning, ei- men, concerns of losing sexual po- tion, under no pressure to reach
that dropping cholesterol to the lowest level district adjoining Telanganas cap- this year the districts count cient counselling and post-operat- tency and physical vigour make targets given that Telangana has
possible to levels similar to those we were born ital Hyderabad with a 25 lakh popu- stands at 5. Last years numbers ive services as well as education them unwilling to discuss vasec- achieved replacement level fertil-
with reduced the risk of heart attack, stroke or lation. The district administration only seem marginally better with are real diferentiators, says Renu tomy, says Harish Chandra Reddy, ity, aims to perform around two
fatal heart disease by around a third. The team managed to convince them to opt 37 men undergoing the procedure. Kapoor of the Family Planning As- health oicial in Ranga Reddy dis- lakh sterilisations this year. If last
arrived at their conclusions after 10 trials. for the procedure. A second camp The State paid them Rs.1,100 each sociation of India. She pegs the trict. A small number of uninten- years numbers are any indication,
Eurekalert on December 8 found no takers for undergoing sterilisation while lack of willingness to share the bur- ded pregnancies and a few unfa- one lakh more Telangana women
and oicials have renewed eforts the 24,000 women who underwent den of contraception on a mis- vourable post-vasectomy fallouts will undergo sterilisation in the
to draw more men before the end sterilisation were paid Rs.880 per placed sense of masculinity. seem to have thrown it out of the next three months.
Heartburn pills of the financial year. With an an- person. Men who avail vasectomies at reckoning. rohit.ps@thehindu.co.in

and cancer PERSPECTIVE


Something as
seemingly harmless
as a heartburn pill The hell of Syrias field hospitals Wake-up call
could lead cancer
patients to take a
PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
turn for the worse. A
University of Alberta study published in the journal
on superbugs
JAMA Oncology discovered that proton pump
inhibitors (PPIs) which are very common
medications for heartburn and gastrointestinal
bleeding, decrease effects of capecitabine a type
B efore the discovery of
antimicrobials,
infections with serious
of chemotherapy usually prescribed to gastric disease-causing
cancer patients. The study included more than 500 organisms were often a
patients and found that PPIs affected progression- death sentence.
free survival by more than a month; the overall Occasionally, people
survival in cancer patients was reduced by more recovered if their natural
immunity was good, but
than two months, and the disease control rate the rest either ended up
decreased by 11 per cent. PPIs are very popular for dead or with severe PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
their efficacy and many of them are over-the- disability. The earliest
counter drugs Eurekalert New York debated AMR
antimicrobials were on September 21, only the
made of heavy metals fourth time that the
such as gold or antimony UNGA has discussed a
Attention, compounds, which also health topic. Many
had a lot of side efects. countries including India
night shifters However, they were have reiterated the urgent
It has been known found to be efective need for action to prevent
for a long time that against infections such as further increase in AMR,
early risers work syphilis and while at the same time
less efficiently at leishmaniasis. The first promoting access to
night than night antibiotic was penicillin, appropriate drugs for
PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT discovered by Alexander patients who do not have
owls do. But Fleming. Fleming
researchers have uncovered new and distinctive access at present. Most
presciently warned that large pharmaceutical
features between the night activities of these two indiscriminate use of
types of individuals. At night, early risers ALEPPOS MEDICAL NIGHTMARE: Syrian physicians continue to endure extreme conditions, many working in makeshift companies have given up
penicillin could one day research and
demonstrate a quicker reaction time when solving shelters in basements and under constant siege and bombardment. Each day is the same: cleaning mutilated
unusual attention-related tasks than night owls, but wounds, amputating obliterated limbs, and watching people lose their lives in overcrowded rooms with scarce development on
these early risers make more mistakes along the medical resources. Picture shows doctors treating an injured child inside a field hospital after air strikes on rebel- antibiotics, focussing
Soumya instead on lifestyle
way. Sleep deprivation and a relative increase in the held areas of Aleppo, Syria. PHOTO: REUTERS Swaminathan diseases such as obesity,
time spent awake negatively impact the brains hypertension and
attention system. The study results challenge the dyslipidemias. However,
education- and human resources-paradigm in INDIA-BASED STUDY some companies are now
certain areas. The results of this study could also be lead to its loss of efect. waking up to the

Uncovering the surge in renal failure deaths


very useful for people who work night shift. Today, we have challenge of AMR.
ScienceDaily reached a situation where Recently 13 drug
more than 50 per cent of manufacturers have
While hypertension and cardiovascular disease are significantly associated with increased some groups of bacteria pledged to curb overuse
Fat? Blame mums are resistant to almost all of antibiotics and clean
risk of renal failure deaths, diabetes is the leading factor the antibiotics we have. up pollution from
pregnancy diet factories manufacturing
R. PRASAD Economic cost, factors
Diet composition antibiotics as part of their
around the time of It is estimated that the drive to fight infections
pregnancy may
influence whether
D eaths from renal failure among
Indian adults now outstrip
deaths from HIV/AIDS, signalling a
world loses a trillion
dollars due to
antimicrobial resistance
caused by superbugs.
Another recent initiative
offspring become is the setting up of a
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES/CREATAS RF major shift in causes of mortality in (AMR). While in the
obese. Giving global antibiotic R and D
the country over the past decade United States, 23,000 (GARD) fund (which
females a typical American, or western, diet away from infectious disease causes people die of resistant
appeared to set the next generation up for lifelong aims to raise $350
to non-communicable disease causes. infections each year, the million) and mechanism
obesity issues. This work, recently published in the These are the results of a study pub- number in India is likely
American Journal of Physiology, was based on for various stakeholders
lished recently in The Lancet. to be much higher; 50,000 to work together under a
studying two lines of rats, one selectively bred to be As per a National AIDS Control Or- newborns alone are unified framework.
obesity-resistant to a high-fat diet and one bred to ganization (NACO) annual report estimated to die of drug- ICMR is partnering with
be unusually vulnerable. Rats from each group were 2015-16, in 2015, an estimated 67,600 resistant bacterial this programme and
fed either a diet with the same overall fat, saturated people died of AIDS-related causes infections, probably Drugs for Neglected
fat, carbohydrate and protein levels as a typical nationally. In the same year, renal fail- acquired in hospitals. Diseases initiative to
western diet, or a lower-fat, higher-grain control Surveillance by support innovation and
ure accounted for an estimated three
diet. The scientists found that female rats given a government agencies clinical trials of new and
per cent of all premature deaths in In- such as the Indian
western diet in the weeks leading up to pregnancy, dia. The proportion of renal failure repurposed drugs to treat
during pregnancy and during nursing had offspring Council of Medical certain resistant
deaths has been steadily rising from EPICENTRE: For reasons not known, South and East India recorded the highest Research (ICMR) and the
more prone to obesity at birth, during early 2.1 per cent in 2001-03 to 2.9 per cent in infections.
number of premature renal failure deaths. Picture shows a person with kidney National Centre for
adolescence and many months later through 2010-13. Compared with 86,000 renal disease at his house in Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh. PHOTO: K.R. DEEPAK Disease Control (NCDC) For a united fight
adulthood. This occurred even if the mothers failure deaths in 2003, the number has shows that many tertiary It is now clear that
themselves did not overeat and maintained a increased to 136,000 in 2015. not known, the southern and eastern factor for Indians. Most people with hospitals have very high addressing AMR will
healthy weight, body fat and insulin status. What is more important than the States recorded the highest number of diabetes in India have poor glycaemic rates of antibiotic
ScienceDaily require involvement of
absolute change in the number of premature renal failure deaths. control. resistance. There is some the agriculture,
deaths (which will reflect the increas- In the east (Assam, West Bengal, good news, however. veterinary, poultry and
ing population and changing popula- Odisha and Jharkhand), the death rate Pointer to diagnosis Data from monitoring of fisheries sectors,
tion structure in India over the past doubled to 50 per 100,000 population Untreated or poorly controlled resistance in typhoid
DEMYSTIFYING SCIENCE decade) is the changing age-standard- between the two time periods. In the diabetes is well recognised to cause bacteria, for example,
environment agencies,
drug regulators, doctors
ised rates of renal failure death, which south, Tamil Nadu had the highest kidney complications, including pro- shows that the bacteria and pharmacists as well
What is a Death Star? can regain susceptibility
have significantly increased over the death rate and it increased more than gression to end-stage renal failure and as common citizens. The
The Death Star may be better known from the study time period, especially for the Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and death from renal failure, he says. to antibiotics that are no Ministry of Health has
Star Wars franchise as a planet-sized weapon age group 45-69 years, says Prof. Karnataka. In contrast to south and Renal failure is usually a late com- longer widely used. developed a national
There are multiple action plan which is
capable of vapourising a planet but researchers Prabhat Jha from the University of east India, the renal death rate in both plication of diabetes, developing
reasons for development comprehensive and
this week report having a found a star a lot Toronto, Canada, and the correspond- north and west India remained nearly many years after the onset of the dis- of AMR. Indiscriminate
like our sun that likely consumed the planets ing author of the paper, in an e-mail to static during this time period. ease, but among Indian adults with multi-sectoral, but which
and improper use of will only work if there is
that once orbited it. The Hindu. We are not able to definitely ex- diabetes, we saw a substantial number antibiotics by patients
HIP68468, is a kind of solar twin, about 300 plain the reasons for the diferent of deaths in people in their fourth and commitment from all.
and unnecessary India successfully
light years away, containing four times more What the data show rates of renal failure deaths in the fifth decade of life. This suggests that prescription by handled the HIV crisis
lithium than what a typical 6-billion-year old star The rate of deaths due to renal fail- south and east in this study. It seems diabetes in Indian adults has been go- physicians are major and is once again
like it would normally have. It also contains a ure at ages 15-69 years was 13 per likely it is due to diferences in risk ing under-diagnosed or under- reasons. Further, the challenged in the face of
huge store of heat-resistant metals which are 100,000 in 2001-03 but has since in- factors such as diabetes, including the treated, resulting in [an] acceleration animal and poultry an AMR crisis. Decisive
found in abundance in rocky planets. The creased to 17 per 100,000 in 2010-13. prevalence of diabetes, how early it is of renal failure complications. industry has traditionally action is needed to
amount of lithium and the engulfed rocky planet Among 45 to 69 year olds, the rate has diagnosed and how well controlled it Besides causing death due to renal used antibiotics in feed as prevent further spread of
material in the atmosphere of HIP68468 adds up shot up from 30 per 100,000 in 2001-03 is. These factors will all influence the failure, chronic kidney disease can growth promoters. Some drug resistance and to
to the equivalent of the mass of six earths. to 40 per 100,000 in 2010-13. progression of diabetes complica- also significantly increase the risk of of this finds its way into preserve the antibiotics
Computer simulations show that billions of While the total number of deaths tions including renal failure, Prof. Jha premature cardiovascular death. So the environment as well. we have for future
years from now, the accumulated gravitational was more in rural areas, the death rate says. the total number of deaths caused by generations.
tugs and pulls between planets will eventually was higher in urban areas; the in- While hypertension and cardiovas- kidney disease will be much higher In the global spotlight Dr. Soumya Swaminathan is
cause mercury to fall into the sun but it isnt yet crease in deaths in urban areas in- cular disease are significantly associ- than those attributed to renal failure The UN General Director-General, Indian Council
Assembly (UNGA) in of Medical Research.
known if a similar fate awaits planet earth. creased from 27 per cent in 2001-03 to ated with increased risk of renal fail- alone.
32 per cent in 2010-13. And for reasons ure deaths, diabetes is the leading risk prasad.ravindranath@thehindu.co.in
CM ND-ND
YK
10 | - 1ias.com - EDITORIAL THE HINDU MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2016
NOIDA/DELHI

The unmaking of Parliament


Representative democracy is the only form of democracy that enables a relationship between the citizen and
the state, provided our representatives do what they are supposed to be doing in Parliament
cieties. In market-oriented societies, dom- enting and furthering. Representative
M O N D AY , D E C E M B E R 1 9 , 2 0 1 6 inated as they are by the imperative of need democracy is not perfect, it is flawed, but it
NEERA CHANDHOKE
satisfaction, citizens cannot aford to put is the only form of democracy that enables a
aside the time and energy-consuming task relationship between the citizen and the

Questions from The Indian Parliament meets, the Indian


of earning their daily bread, and participate
whole-time in an activity called politics. Be-
sides modern citizens, unlike ancient
state, provided our representatives do what
they are supposed to be doing in Parliament.
Parliament makes laws, ensures account-
a washout Parliament ceases to meet, and there is nary
an impact of these meetings/non-meetings
on the democratic discourse in the country.
Athenians, value and guard their personal
spaces, their vocation, their interests, their
social life, and their privacy. For these reas-
ability of the government, and considers and
scrutinises legislation through the commit-
tee system. But above all, Parliament

T
hat the winter session would be washed Newspaper columns rue the waste of time ons and more, democracy requires a third provides a forum and establishes proced-
out had been clear for a while. With the and money, commentators complain about set of political agents to mediate between ures for reflection on, and critical engage-
Opposition parties mustering all their the clatter and ear-splitting clamour in Par- the first two sets: the citizen and the state. ment with, what has been done, and what
disruptive tactics to stall the functioning liament, analysts regret that widening of the This is the representative. needs to be done in the light of popular ex-
of both Houses, insisting on maximalist demands social base of the body has not resulted in pectations. Representatives are expected to
on just how the debate on demonetisation should meaningful legislation or responsible legis- To stand in stand in for their constituents, even as they
be structured, hopes for any substantive work had lators, legal minds register the shift to law- Whereas the status of the citizen as the keep in mind that they are in Parliament to
diminished. In the event, the session also left a hys- making by ordinance, and most Indians find primary unit of political society is incontro- promote the public good, and not for advan-
Parliament irrelevant to the needs of the day. vertible, the status of the representative is cing petty, grasping projects.
terical afterglow, with Prime Minister Narendra derivative. Voters authorise representatives This is the job of representatives, the
Modi telling a gathering in Gujarat that he had to The chaos and the paradox to speak and act on their behalf. Notably, the reason for which they have been elected, the
speak his mind in a jan sabha (peoples meet) as Why should they not find it so? The Op- representative does not speak for individu- source of their power and privilege, the ra-
the Opposition wouldnt let him do so in Parlia- position focusses on denigrating the gov- als, her duty is to ensure that the opinions, tionale for their very existence. This is no
ment; and Rahul Gandhi, vice-president of the Con- ernment rather than engaging with policies, interests and needs of constituents are ad- small matter we are discussing, says So-
gress party, complaining that he was not allowed to the government hardly bothers to reply, equately, competently and efectively rep- crates in Platos Republic, we are discussing
make earth-shattering disclosures on the floor of political theatrics replace calm, reflective resented in forums of decision-making. how we should live. The deliberative aspect
the House, but then keeping them close to his chest and reasoned debate, and the Prime Minis- The failure to deliberate on the Representatives are obliged to perform the of Parliament is no small matter, nor is it just
outside. With theatrics such as these, both the Gov- ter prefers to speak directly to existing and public good is condemnable. functions that they have been charged with, another function of the body. Deliberation,
potential voters. What Jawaharlal Nehru Telecasts showed empty benches notably to assist in the production of appro- by way of representation of diferent points
ernment and the Opposition have left a question
termed the majesty of Parliament is insist- priate policies. Finally, the representative is of view, is an indispensable component of
hanging in the politically charged air: what was the ently, systematically and repeatedly desec- in the Rajya Sabha on the accountable to her constituency for all acts how we, as a collective, should live. For
point? What did either side gain by bringing Indian rated. Is not democracy also subverted in opening day of the winter session of omission and commission. In theory, cit- policies generated by the parliamentary
parliamentary democracys most deliberative pro- the process? izens have command over who they want to process establish a framework for the trans-
cess to a grinding halt? Just two bills were passed, The paradox is that generalised loss of weight to the objections based on the pre- be represented by, and what issues repres- action of all manners of projects in diferent
one of them a money bill that did not need the Rajya confidence in representative institutions vailing illiteracy of the masses and their lack entatives, normally members of political settings.
Sabhas nod. According to the think tankPRS Legis- has not led to disenchantment with demo- of political experience Political experi- parties, should represent.
lative Research, less than 1 per cent of the 330 ques- cracy. Surveys show that Indians value ence can only be acquired by an active parti- Civil society in India is inhabited by a A sharp decline
tions listed for Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha democracy. They value democracy because cipation in political institutions and does large number of organisations, the media, It is precisely this aspect of our Parlia-
were answered orally. The Lok Sabha looked better this form of government has enabled them not entirely depend on literacy. There social associations, neighbourhood groups, ment that has visibly gone missing. The fail-
to realise the primordial desire of each hu- should be equal opportunities available to all kinds of professional lobbies, non-gov- ure of the body to deliberate on the public
only in comparison, with 11 per cent. man being to be treated as an equal, at least all to acquire this experience. The belief, ernmental and non-profit organisations, good is condemnable. Telecasts showed
Given what was at stake in the session, the aban- during election time. Over the years, we see which was reiterated in the Constituent As- philanthropic bodies, social and political empty benches in the Rajya Sabha on the
donment of the spirit of give-and-take that keeps the making of a body politic shaped by sembly, underscored the competence of or- movements, and trade unions. Each of them opening day of the winter session of Parlia-
the legislative schedule humming was baling. The democratic imaginings, and struggles to at- dinary women and men to participate in claims to represent the interests of their ment. It made for a sorry spectacle. Some
government has staked much political capital on tain equality and dignity. Elections are political deliberations. Simply put, politics members. Political representatives, how- members delivered excellent speeches on
key financial reforms that need cooperation across marked by high voter turnouts, voters exer- is too important an activity to be left to pro- ever, possess three advantages over other the benefits, or the lack thereof, of demonet-
the aisles. It lost the chance to pass bills critical to cise freedom of choice and elect and dismiss fessional politicians. modes of representation. One, they repres- isation. But parliamentarians simply could
the April 1, 2017, deadline for the rollout of the governments in often unpredictable ways. In eighteenth century France, the great ent all the members of a territorially delim- not be bothered to listen to or participate in
Goods and Services Tax. It also failed to end the The biography of Indias democracy val- defender of direct democracy, Jean-Jacques ited constituency, as opposed to say trade a debate on what misery an ill-thought-out
idates confidence in the maturity of the Rousseau, wrote that sovereignty lies es- unions. Two, political representatives are action had caused their own constituents.
session on a note of federal cooperation to set up
political public. The Motilal Nehru Consti- sentially in the general will, and will does accountable to their constituents via the The sharp decline in the efectiveness of
the shift to Budget day to February 1 from next year. tutional Draft recommended adult sufrage not admit of representation: it is either the route of election. And three, the party rep- Parliament, its failure to monitor the execut-
The Opposition, for its part, has clearly taken its for both men and women as far back as 1928, same or the other; there is no intermediate resentative acquires legitimacy by the fact ive, delegation of power to non-representat-
cue from the BJPs playbook. By forcing adjourn- the very year women finally got the vote in possibility. But direct democracy can that she has been elected by the people ive regulatory institutions, the substitution
ments while in opposition, it was successful in rein- England. We, held the report, attach no hardly be practised in large and complex so- whose interests she is charged with repres- of deal-making for informed arguments, the
forcing the impression of a policy paralysis in the rushing through of legislation without dis-
second UPA government. But the Congress has a CARTOONSCAPE cussion, and the increasing concentration of
power in the hands of the executive, has
point to prove other than what the BJP did then. To
re-establish itself as a viable option for voters, the been commented on extensively. Of over-
Congress needs to share its vision and road map in riding concern is the wilting of the repres-
entative and deliberative functions of the
the Rahul Gandhi era. The floor of the House, with body.
a tempered debate and questioning as a construct- If India wishes to hold on to her demo-
ive party of opposition, is a key venue for that. Basic cratic credentials, parliamentarians must
self-interest demands that government and opposi- recognise that the task of representing the
tion avert the possibility of the Budget session opinions, interests and needs of citizens is
meeting the same fate as this one. their paramount responsibility. Nehru, in a
famous speech he made in the Lok Sabha on
March 28, 1957, had said that historians will
not pay much attention to the time expen-

Bridging the ded on speeches, or the number of questions


asked and answered in Parliament. They
will be interested in the deeper things that
learning deficit go into the making of a nation. There is no
higher responsibility than to be a member of

A
lmost five decades after India first for- this sovereign body responsible for the fate
mulated its National Education Policy, of vast numbers of human beings. Whether
the Ministry for Human Resource Devel- we are worthy of it or not is another matter.
Our Parliamentarians have proved un-
opment appears to be gearing up for an- worthy of the great responsibility bestowed
other revision to this policy document, and not a on them. This is the political tragedy of our
moment too soon. The state of education, particu- democracy.
larly in the critical primary and pre-primary years,
is far from satisfactory. Since the early 2000s, suc- Neera Chandhoke is a former Professor of Political
Science, Delhi University.
cessive governments kept up momentum on a sus-
tained investment push into schools in a bid to re-
solve what was viewed as a supply-side problem.
As The Hindus recent series on primary education,
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Learning Deficit, highlighted, it was hoped that Letters emailed to letters@thehindu.co.in must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.
through this efort children in elementary educa-
tion would be provided with classrooms, uniforms, Venezuelas experience as far as government right from 2014, at when the government is hardening diferently-abled persons need to be
textbooks and other teaching materials, and a lar- Demonetisation thus far
demonetisation is concerned should diferent forums, including the its stand with each passing day? treated equally. Now the crux of the
ger contingent of teachers. Thus, this approach With most concessions and serve as an eye-opener for the Indian Supreme Court. If what Mr. Jaitley M. Balakrishnan, matter lies in implementing the law
hoped to tackle low enrolment rates. Led by gov- exemptions as far as trade in old government as it still works on now says is the truth, how could the Bangalore in right earnest (RS passes
ernment schools, public investment in education notes having ended on December 15, testing the endurance levels of Prime Minister and some others in Disabilities Bill with more benefits,
helped raise the gross enrolment ratio from 81.6 per things appear to be going from bad Indians instead of working towards a his government go on repeating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has Dec.15) .
cent of children in the 6-14 age group in 2000 to 96 to worse despite the Reserve Bank of goal of remonetisation. All political demonetisation is primarily cited extracts from a book by former R. Prabhu Raj,
per cent or more since 2008. Yet it soon became Indias claim of there being a fair parties must take note of the intended to end black money? This bureaucrat Madhav Godbole to Bengaluru
amount of liquidity. There are still immense sufering being caused to is as bad as the oicial half-truths on buttress his claim about Indira
evident that getting children into school was only
serpentine queues outside ATMs. the common man. ending the cash crunch. Gandhi being forced to baulk at Our lawmakers should also explore
the first step, especially when gaping holes re- This is because ATMs are either demonetisation on electoral the option of extending the disability
mained in the system. Among these, the barriers to Abinash Singh, P.R.V. Raja,
closed from evening on certain days Patiala, Punjab Pandalam, Kerala compulsions (For Congress, party status to people sufering from
high-quality, equitably-distributed primary educa- or are running out of money in no is above country: Modi, Dec.17). inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
tion include: high dropout rates, especially for girls; time. With reports coming in of huge Prime Minister Narendra Modis If what Mr. Jaitley has said is true, There is no reason to disbelieve Mr. which includes Crohns and
teacher absenteeism and low teaching quality; and seizures of new denomination notes remark that demonetisation and how could the Prime Minister make Godboles account, given his ulcerative colitis. Parts of Europe
outmoded pedagogies and insuicient resources to across the country, the common man cashless transactions will make the such a vital decision regarding outstanding credentials as a civil and North America recognise such
implement contemporary teaching methods. is fast losing hope and there seems country corruption-free is never demonetisation without an idea of servant. At the same time, it also people to be disabled and the extent
The problem of poor learning outcomes is of par- to be no end in sight to his ordeal. going to work. The remark is bound the extent of black money? In order shows that Mrs. Gandhi, unlike the of this is determined by a gastric
ticular concern, for it is a structural issue pertaining There are no concessions in the to make people uncomfortable as it to punish a negligible percentage of present BJP leadership, was honest professional.
distribution of new notes for the is said that each electronic the population which has eaten into enough in admitting the role of black K. Raghavendra Rao,
to the design of curricula and ingrained rote learn- salaried class despite it paying taxes transaction will result in a user the vitals of governance, the money in contesting elections, Hyderabad
ing methods. These have been the backbone of In- through its nose and constituting bearing an additional service tax of government has chosen to though a very sad commentary on
dias teaching tradition for over half a century. But over 50 per cent of the base of IT Rs.25 depending on whether it is inconvenience the majority. the ethics, morality and purity of our
will this help create the kind of workforce that India assessees. Nearly 80 per cent of under National Electronic Fund electoral process. Does Mr. Modi At Chepauk
G.M. Rama Rao,
wishes to develop: nimble, highly-skilled and ready debit cardholders use cards only for Transfer or Real Time Gross Visakhapatnam like the nation to believe that no Chepauk in Chennai is known for
for the digital age, the global economy and new withdrawal of cash. The RBI must Settlement. It is also estimated that black money was used in his partys interesting tussles between many
pathways of occupational mobility? Or will the issue daily bulletins on how much only 2 per cent of the population is For me, the most disturbing aspect mega-campaign in the 2014 Lok teams. I was fortunate enough to see
sheer weight of an outdated, colonial-era education liquidity there is. truly interested in a cashless in the demonetisation saga so far has Sabha election, given the fact that a the tied Test between India and
system make Indians too sluggish and skill-de- S. Srinivasan, economy despite innumerable been the stand and attitude of the major chunk of any partys funds are Australia in 1986. Those days we
Chennai advertisements that are attempting judiciary. Fine, it cannot question from unknown sources? Other were allowed to bring our own food
prived to cope in a highly competitive global arena?
to promote it. Mr Modi needs to the basic move as such. But is it not parties are of course no better in this and beverages in flasks, which is
While eforts of the present and previous govern- A disturbing feature which has understand the countrys needs and aware of how this move has severely regard. impossible today. It seems the
ment to boost the quality of learning in higher and surfaced ever since demonetisation wishes. His comment is insensitive. disrupted several livelihoods. People cricket board is only too keen to
vocational education must be appreciated, policy- S.K. Choudhury,
is the increasing number of financial K.A. Solaman, have died under the stress of waiting Bengaluru make money in every possible way.
makers ought not to ignore early childhood educa- malpractices unearthed between Alappuzha, Kerala in queues? Whatever be its motives Ironically, even water bottles are
tion and primary schooling, the phases during bank staf and wrong-doers. That or compulsions, the government has prohibited and there is hardly any
which the most important cognitive development this is happening across the country In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, no business disturbing our lives in Space for the disabled drinking water. To top it all, there is
milestones are attained. The tenth Annual Status of is serious. This is also creating deep Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley normal conditions. There is no war, The Disabilities Bill redefining no intensity in the tussle on the
Education Report found that in 2014 the proportion mistrust of the banking system. has said: There is no oicial famine, epidemic or nation-wide disability to include mental illness, ground. After its loss in Mumbai,
of Class 3 and Class 5 students in rural areas who Gone are the days when a banker estimation of the amount of black natural calamity to impose autism spectrum disorder, cerebral England seems to have lost its
was regarded as a friend, money either before or after the monetary curbs. Are these measures palsy, muscular dystrophy and fighting spirit and is aiming for a
could read a Class 2 textbook was 23.6 and 48.1 per philosopher and guide and who governments decision of November not violative of minimum chronic neurological conditions and draw to salvage its pride. There is no
cent, respectively. Until Activity-Based Learning possessed a high degree of integrity. 8. Does this not amount to constitutional guarantees? Why is ofering not just educational, bite on the pitch. Unless our
and teaching at the right level, tools for real learn- An uncompromising work culture backtracking on the issue and also the judiciary not taking suo motu employment concessions, but quota batsmen commit harakiri, this match
ing and skill-absorption, become the norm, hopes and impeccable ethical conduct for fooling us? He should realise that recognition of such issues and and reservations in the public sector seems to be petering out as a tame
of the country becoming a great power may well re- banks are the need of the hour. public memory is not that short as to subjecting the government to some to the disabled seem to be draw!
main a dream. S.R.S. Ayyar, forget the various statements and relentless questioning? Where necessitated by changed socio- N. Mahadevan,
Mumbai promises made by his party and the would people go to but the court economic situations where Chennai
CM ND-ND
YK
10 | - 1ias.com - EDITORIAL THE HINDU TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2016
NOIDA/DELHI

The world according to Trump


The pronouncements and appointments of the U.S. President-elect suggest the balance of outcomes may be
positive for New Delhi, but it is early days yet
Pakistan or whether it will give the latter ad- close ties since. His appointment has been
T U E S D AY , D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 1 6 ditional leverage in relations with the U.S. is welcomed by the Chinese media which has
SHYAM SARAN not clear. The sooner the Narendra Modi described him as an old friend of China.
government engages with Gen. Mattis the On the other hand, the latest controversy in-
better it would be because much is at stake. volving Mr. Trump having a telephonic con-
Grappling with It is now a month since the U.S. presidential
The President-elect has appointed Rex
Tillerson, CEO of the oil giant ExxonMobil,
versation with the President of Taiwan, Tsai
Ing-wen, has already created strains in the

water disputes elections and the surprise win of Donald


Trump, a rank outsider. His political pre-
dilections were ambiguous and it was not
as his Secretary of State. Mr. Tillerson has no
diplomatic experience but is familiar with
Russia where he has had extensive business
relationship. Mr. Trump rejected Chinese
protests and repeated his charge that China
was devaluing its currency, indulging in un-

A
permanent tribunal to adjudicate river clear whether, once coming into oice, he interests and counts Russian President fair trade and militarising the South China
water disputes between States will un- would continue to adhere to the many appar- Vladimir Putin as a close friend. His appoint- Sea. He appears prepared to confront China
doubtedly be a vast improvement over ently improbable and even outrageous cam- ment would appear to confirm that Mr. on several issues and this may become the
paign promises he had been making such Trump wishes to normalise relations with defining feature of the geopolitical land-
the present system of setting up ad hoc
as building a wall to keep Mexican immig- Russia and work with Mr. Putin to tackle scape going forward. Chinese calculations
tribunals. The Union Cabinets proposal to have a rants out, deporting illegal immigrants, pen- shared challenges such as the IS and jihadi that a Trump presidency may create larger
permanent tribunal that will subsume existing alising China for currency manipulation and terrorism in general. A return to more space for China to assert its dominance in
tribunals is expected to provide for speedier adju- unfair trade, and making U.S. allies pay more friendly relations between the U.S. and Rus- Asia may prove to be premature. India
dication. But whether this will resolve the problem for their own defence. For the past month, sia should be welcome to India which can should remain prepared for either possibil-
of protracted proceedings is doubtful. Given the Mr. Trump has been busy announcing sev- once again pursue closer relations with both ity; one, that after the initial jousting this
number of ongoing inter-State disputes and those eral senior-level appointments in his incom- without contradiction. Furthermore, a U.S.- new administration, too, will settle down to a
likely to arise in future, it may be diicult for a ing administration, and these give some in- ILLUSTRATION: SURENDRA Russia dtente would diminish Russian de- relationship of managed competition, avoid-
single institution with a former Supreme Court dication of the likely changes one should pendence on Beijing, and Moscows anxiet- ing chances of open confrontation or con-
expect in U.S. policies, both domestic as well The slowing down of the current ies about a resurgent China on its borders flict; two, that this administration will con-
judge as its chairperson to give its ruling within
three years. Secondly, its interlocutory orders as
as external. There have also been some state- global trend towards renewable may well resurface. This would be a good de- trarily inaugurate a new and hard-line policy
ments from Mr. Trump himself which one energy as a result of U.S. velopment from the Indian perspective. towards China with a willingness to risk con-
well as final award are likely to be challenged in the should regard as a harbinger of what to ex- In the past few years, particularly after the frontation. There will be less room for man-
Supreme Court. This month, in a landmark verdict, pect from the new administration. A few of backtracking will exacerbate the Ukrainian crisis, U.S. and European sanc- oeuvre for India in the first instance, more in
the Supreme Court said it had unfettered power to the policy changes may directly afect India. climate challenge for India tions against Russia had driven it closer to the second instance.
hear an appeal arising from a river water dispute Others will do so mainly through collateral China. Russia had started aligning itself with Trumps choices for National Security Ad-
tribunal under Article 136 of the Constitution. It has consequences. tions (NDC). One could argue that the pres- China on some issues of concern to India, for viser (NSA), for the Central Intelligence
interpreted the ouster clause in the Inter-State Wa- sure on India to deliver on its NDCs would example, weapons sales to Pakistan. Hope- Agency (CIA) and for Homeland Security
ter Disputes Act as one that merely bars the court Washington and the Paris pledge also diminish as a result. But this would be fully this will begin to change as Mr. Putin suggest a more robust and hard-line ap-
from entertaining an original complaint or suit on In domestic policy, it is clear that despite the same for other major emitters too. Since gains new room for manoeuvre with im- proach to terrorism. Michael Flynn, the
his sharp criticism of Wall Street and U.S. big India is one of the countries mostly ad- provement of relations with Washington. NSA, and John Kelly at Homeland Security
its own, but not its power to hear appeals against a
business, Mr. Trumps appointments so far versely impacted by climate change, the Mr. Tillerson is likely to be a key instrument are both former military oicers while Mike
tribunals decisions. Thus, finality and enforce- suggest a boost to the corporate sector, with slowing down if not reversal of the cur- in this regard. Pompeo at the CIA has also served some
ment of a tribunals award may remain elusive. The several senior appointees such as Gary rent global trend towards renewable energy It is not clear what Mr. Tillersons attitude years in the military. They all bring a tough
idea of a Dispute Resolution Committee, an expert Cohn, the president of Goldman Sachs, who as a result of U.S. backtracking will exacer- will be towards India. One presumes that he even harsh attitude to terrorism and
body that will seek to resolve inter-State difer- will chair the National Economic Council, bate the climate challenge for India. will follow his Presidents lead. He may be a this may augur well for India-U.S. coopera-
ences before a tribunal is approached, will prove to Wilbur Ross, a billionaire who will head the welcome change from the often sanctimoni- tion in this critical area. As is well known,
be another disincentive for needless litigation. Commerce Department, and a former Gold- Defence, bilateral ties with India ous John Kerry, the outgoing U.S. Secretary counterterrorism is one area, in addition to
A positive feature of the proposed changes is that man Sachs executive, Steve Mnuchin, who Under the current U.S. Secretary of De- of State, who also seemed to have a soft defence, where India-U.S. cooperation has
there will be an expert agency to collect data on will be Treasury Secretary. fence, Ashton Carter, India-U.S. defence re- corner for Pakistan. As a CEO of a multina- seen unprecedented progress in recent
rainfall, irrigation and surface water flows. This ac- It is almost certain that there will be a roll- lations have witnessed unprecedented ex- tional company, he may also look upon India years.
back even of the modest climate change ini- pansion. Several co-development and as a significant economic opportunity for
quires importance because party-States have a tiatives President Barack Obama had under- co-production initiatives have been the U.S. provided the Modi government gets Trade and business relations
tendency to fiercely question data provided by the taken. The appointment of Scott Pruitt, a launched. India will have a direct interest in its act together and shuns the path of popu- Finally, what may be areas of direct impact
other side. A permanent forum having reliable data former Attorney General from Oklahoma, as who succeeds Mr. Carter in the Trump ad- lism which may look enticing in dealing with on India due to Mr. Trumps policies?
in its hands sounds like an ideal mechanism to ap- head of the Environmental Protection ministration. James Mattis, a former general the negative consequences of an ill-planned Clearly, there appears a determination on his
portion water. However, a confusing aspect is that Agency (EPA) and of Rick Perry, former who has served in Iraq and Afghanistan, is demonetisation. part to limit H-1B visas for foreign profes-
benches of the permanent tribunal are going to be Governor of Texas, as Secretary of Energy, Mr. Trumps appointee for this position. He sionals and a general discouragement to of-
created to look into disputes as and when they would point in that direction since both are has familiarity with Pakistan which falls un- The China factor shoring. This will impact Indias IT industry
arise. It is not clear in what way these temporary vocal climate change deniers and strong der the U.S. Central Command, but not with Mr. Trumps China policy will have a sig- but this was already a trend even in the previ-
benches would be diferent from the present supporters of the fossil fuel industry. This India. In that sense Pakistan may have an ad- nificant impact on India-China relations. ous administration. On the other hand, the
does not augur well for the implementation vantage. However, he is equally focussed on The appointment of Terry Branstad as Am- scrapping of the Trans-Pacific Partnership
tribunals. A larger and more significant downside
of the Paris Agreement. Mr. Trump may not jihadi terrorism and has faulted the Obama bassador-designate to Beijing suggests an (TPP), which had the potential of pushing
to any adjudicatory framework is the refusal or re- walk out of the agreement but since commit- administration for not taking the threat seri- acknowledgement of the importance and India to the margins of global trade, has
luctance of parties to abide by judicial orders. Hav- ments under it are voluntary with no compli- ously. Like Mr. Trump, he believes that in sensitivity of Sino-U.S. relations. He is from given the country some breathing space. We
ing an institutional mechanism is one thing, but in- ance procedures, there would be no down- West Asia, the focus should be on defeating Iowa where Chinese President Xi Jinping should use this to contribute to the early
fusing a sense of responsibility in those helming side to the U.S. not implementing its the Islamic State (IS). Whether the focus on had come on a homestay in the 1980s. He has conclusion of the Regional Comprehensive
State governments is quite another. What is at stake so-called Nationally Determined Contribu- Islamic terrorism will increase the heat on known Xi since then and has maintained Economic Partnership, which has less oner-
is not merely a set of competing claims over ri- ous provisions than the TPP. India should
parian rights. Water disputes have humanitarian di- CARTOONSCAPE also press ahead with its application for
mensions, including agrarian problems worsened membership of the Asia-Pacific Economic
by drought and monsoon failures. Adjudication, by Cooperation (APEC) which the U.S. Trade
Representative in the current administration
whatever mechanism, should not be at the mercy of had opposed despite Mr.Obamas public
partisan leaders who turn claims into dangerously commitment of support. APEC membership
emotive issues. Institutional mechanisms should will enable India to be part of the proposed
be backed by the political will to make them work. Asia-Pacific Free Trade Area, should that be-
come a realistic possibility now that TPP is
no longer on the anvil.
Risks of Trumps Overall, one can now see some emerging
trends that may define the incoming Trump

China policy administration even though uncertainties


and unpredictabilities remain in good meas-
ure. What we know now seems to suggest a

T
hard-right and conservative administration
he seizure of an American underwater which should be welcome to big business,
drone in the international waters of the particularly powerful fossil fuel producers.
South China Sea by the Chinese Navy A U.S.-Russia dtente appears to be on the
marks the latest flashpoint in bilateral re- cards while the current indications are of a
lations that have entered uncharted territory with more confrontational policy towards China.
the election of Donald Trump as U.S. President. For India, the balance of outcomes may be
Though it is not clear if the capture of the drone, positive rather than negative but it is early
which China agreed to return later, was a junior- days yet.
level act by sailors or a strategic move directed by
Shyam Saran, a former Foreign Secretary, is currently
Beijing, Mr. Trump has seized the moment to step Chairman, Research and Information System for
up his anti-China rhetoric. Interestingly, the incid- Developing Countries (RIS), and Senior Fellow, Centre for
Policy Research.
ent comes days after he broke diplomatic protocol
and accepted a congratulatory call from Taiwanese
President Tsai Ing-wen, a move that invited an LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
angry response from China, which sees Taiwan as a Letters emailed to letters@thehindu.co.in must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.
breakaway province. Despite repeated assurances
from the White House that the basic building
blocks of U.S.-China ties have not been altered, Mr. Fading of Parliament to be reducing when they could have It is disappointing to see that apart Congress has been the first party to is reported to be serious has sufered
Trump escalated matters by questioning the One- been used for productive work and from passing two Bills, nothing break with well-laid-down/extant damage to his kidneys and now
We seem to have moved from an era public good. The only heartening productive was accomplished in the practices and conventions. requires dialysis. The ofenders need
China policy. Throughout the election campaign he
of policy paralysis to one of aspect of this session was the winter session. The Opposition C.G. Kuriakose, to be punished severely.
had maintained that he would renegotiate the institutional paralysis (The passing of the Disabilities Bill. For appears to be following a one-size- Kothamangalam, Kerala K.V. Raghuram,
terms of Americas engagement with China. He had unmaking of Parliament, Dec.19). A those who are marginalised, the wait fits-all approach; stalling Wayanad, Kerala
also accused Beijing of currency manipulation. So great institution like Parliament has will continue. For example, people parliamentary proceedings is not the The most senior person will
the issue is, are his attacks on China and questions been reduced to a mere living with HIV will have to wait to solution for all problems. The naturally expect and hope to be Parents now dread what their child
over the One-China policy just a continuation of his congregation of sloganeers and get their grievances redressed multiple Ds of democracy debate, elevated. Superseding him when will undergo in the name of ragging.
campaign rhetoric, or part of a well-thought-out claques. Linking MPs salaries to the despite the amendments to the HIV discussion, dissent and decision there is nothing specific against him Of course there will be some who
policy to establish a new normal in ties? One theory, working hours of Parliament and Bill. Crucial debate on GST too are being replaced with a single D, will only demoralise the individual say that both victim and perpetrator
which the President-elect himself indicated in an imposing a penalty on our MPs for could not take place. disruption. The time is not far away oicer and encourage unhealthy will laugh it away in the years to
interview, is that he wants concessions from China causing disruption seems to be the Manful Khan, when people will begin to lose faith competition among the senior ranks. come but there are many victims
only viable but short-term remedy. Jaipur in our democratic system. They will start looking for who end up being scarred and
over key issues such as trade, South China Sea dis- godfathers and guardians in political traumatised. In this instance in
putes and the North Korea nuclear crisis, and that Arvind Singh Chauhan, Sindhu C.V.,
Salooni, Himachal Pradesh I do not know what the Speakers of Mulbagal, Karnataka leaders, which will certainly kill Kerala, one wonders what the
by raising the sensitive Taiwan issue, he is trying to both Houses are doing. They appear initiative, independence and management was doing. Senior
gain some bargaining leverage over China. Petty politics is crippling our temple to be very predictable in the sense leadership. There were days when students can channellise their
Beijing certainly wont take this lightly. It has reit- of democracy. Unreasonable that even a slight disruption leads to Defence appointments the most senior civil servants were energies into intense sporting
erated that the One-China policy is non-negotiable, sloganeering, orchestrated dharnas, an adjournment. Speakers need to be The Indian National Congress has appointed as Cabinet Secretary at activities. My advice to them: go for
besides installing anti-aircraft weapons and other politically motivated mud-slinging, bold and take all possible actions for no moral right to question the the Centre and Chief Secretaries in a couple of rounds in a wrestling or
arms on all seven artificial islands it has built in the and disrespecting the sanctity of the smooth functioning of the appointment of the next army chief. the States, which produced leaders boxing match. Spare your juniors.
South China Sea, as reported by a U.S. think tank Parliament are acts that constitute a House. Political parties have made use of of eminence who could stand up for Amalia Abbar,
constitutional sin. Crucial economic Akshay Dhadda, supersession as a convenient and principles of integrity, and eicient
with satellite imagery. China will find it politically Mullakodi, Kannur, Kerala
legislation is being delayed while Jaipur handy tool on various occasions in and clean administration. With
diicult to ignore Mr. Trumps apparent efort to important social welfare legislation the past (Rawat chosen to address successive governments at the
change the rules of the game. The geopolitical con- is unlikely to see the light of day. It is Parliament is the platform where our security situation, says BJP, Dec.19). Centre and in the States cherry- Much-loved doctor
text is possibly even more important. China is a as if the law-making function has representatives get to voice opinions Even though such appointments are picking those acceptable for top With the passing away of Dr. Prema
caged naval power. It has access to both South and been delegated to the bureaucratic and air the suggestions of those they the Centres prerogative, it should slots, we now have a new brand of Krishnaswami, India has lost one of
East China Seas, but its force projection capability machinery. It designs the policies, represent. The Opposition has to never brush aside factors such as pliable oicers giving rise to its renowned gynaecologists (Some
is limited by the existence of several islands on and leaves them to politicians to get play an important role of critically seniority, competence and integrity. groupism. editions, Renowned gynaecologist
these seas, such as Taiwan, Japans Ryukyu Islands, them passed within an hour or two. analysing the actions of government. It is worth noting that Gulzarilal S.V. Venkatakrishnan, Prema Krishnaswami dies, Dec.15).
and the Babuyan Islands of the Philippines. One This creates a bad precedent. This brings out the flaws of ongoing Nanda was sworn in as interim Bengaluru Young doctors should try to emulate
reason China is so sensitive about Taiwan is its geo- The whole world sees us as a bright policies and triggers thought for Prime Minister following the deaths her inspirational qualities not only
spot in the world economy and we better measures. What we see now is of Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964 and Lal in treating the patients well but also
political vulnerability. It doesnt want other powers cannot aford to stall the legislative that parliamentary sessions are Bahadur Sastri in 1966. But when Ragging again in carrying out various
to dictate or change the rules of engagement on its machinery of the state. arenas for mud-slinging. When the Indira Gandhi died in 1984, no The dastardly incident of ragging at philanthropic activities for the
seafront. And if Mr. Trump tries to do that in the common man is becoming interim prime minister was sworn an institute in Nattakom, Kerala, public at large. Her services to
Gaurav Singhal,
manner he handles foreign policy now, he could Rewari, Haryana politically mature, why are our in. It is another matter that the shows that the practice still thrives society in various fields will be
risk the progress the U.S. and China have painstak- politicians lagging behind? Congress had ofered its own (Five surrender in Kerala ragging cherished for a long time to come.
ingly made in bilateral ties over four decades. The number of working hours in Aditi Parab, reasonings and justifications in case, Dec.19). It is shocking that one Nyapathy Raghava Rao,
each session of Parliament appears Mumbai doing so. History shows that the of the two students whose condition Chennai
CM ND-ND
YK
10 | - 1ias.com - EDITORIAL THE HINDU WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2016
NOIDA/DELHI

The Jayalalithaa mystique


She understood where to be flexible and where to be rigid. While scrupulously avoiding tampering with
the politics of caste, she imparted a new meaning to welfare economics
century). By the middle of the 20th century, and imparting a new meaning to welfare
W E D N E S D AY , D E C E M B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 6 even as the Dravida Kazhagam was under- economics. The elite across the country
M.K. NARAYANAN going a seminal split leading to the forma- have not taken kindly to what they pejorat-
tion of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam ively refer to as freebies doled out by Jay-
(DMK) in 1949 under C.N. Annadurai, it had alalithaa while in oice. What they fail to re-
An unkind As the midnight hour approached on the
night of December 5-6, doctors at the
become obvious that many of the goalposts
were shifting. Within a few years of the
formation of the DMK, Annadurai drifted
cognise is how much these soft welfare
measures contributed to not merely enhan-
cing her personal image, but keeping under
postscript Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, made the formal
announcement regarding the demise of six-
away from Periyars rather constrained ap-
proach to Indian federalism, advocating a
control any kind of popular discontent over
her so-called high-handedness. As many of
time Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, J. Jayala- more enlightened form of federalism. Con- these schemes began to be copied by gov-

I
n November, the Governor of the Reserve lithaa. With this announcement, a remark- trary to Periyars viewpoint, Annadurai also ernments in other States in the country, her
Bank of India, Urjit Patel, said there was a con- able era in Tamil Nadu politics came to an saw considerable virtue in cooperative model of welfare measures became the
fluence of thought in the government and the end. Centre-State relations. touchstone against which steps, policies
central bank to deal with black money by re- Part of the formidable line-up of out- Further changes occurred with the form- and programmes of other State govern-
moving existing Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 notes as legal standing women leaders of India, viz. Indira ation of the AIADMK under M.G. ments were assessed.
tender. Now, just about ten days before the deadline Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee and Mayawati, Ramachandran. The latters advent as Chief There were many diferences between
to deposit these bank notes into accounts, a similar Jayalalithaa helped define the true meaning Minister broke at least one glass ceiling, viz. the mentor and the disciple. MGR was pa-
confluence of ideas has led to a stunning decision to of woman power. Imperious elegance, universal acceptance of a non-Tamil, and ternalistic. Jayalalithaa was far more iron-
ILLUSTRATION: SURENDRA
however, distinguished her from the other someone belonging to a forward caste, at willed and believed in crushing dissent at
make it harder for people to do so. The new caveats, three leaders. In the immediate aftermath of the apex of the State pyramid. Taking over the earliest opportunity. She was conscious
announced on Monday, restricting deposits over her demise, it was no surprise that people Political debates often conveyed the mantle of her mentor (MGR), Jayala- of the inherent weakness that derived from
Rs.5,000 (roughly $70) are not just diicult to across the State, and elsewhere in India, an impression of a single woman lithaa was to carry this several stages her caste and gender, which left her little
fathom but also constitute an unfair change in the should wax nostalgic about the achieve- battling a macho world. She further. room for manoeuvre. Where she proved
rules of the game. Those opting to disclose unac- ments of a departed leader who had braved more adept than her mentor was in success-
counted income under the new amnesty scheme, all odds to succeed. What gave her a special made this into an AIADMK-DMK Status quoist on caste fully managing the revolution of rising ex-
the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, face no place in the heart of Tamil womenfolk, and existential conflict Jayalalithaa, implicitly, was a good stu- pectations of the lower tiers of her electoral
restriction on depositing old notes. But anyone de- captivated their imagination, was her pos- dent of history. She realised much in the support, without having to compromise on
positing Rs. 5,000 or more into a bank account will ture of Davidic defiance of all detractors. tained a tight control over the administrat- manner of the leadership of the Chinese her basic policies and principles. In this
These ranged from the male-dominated ive and security apparatus, and was Communist Party the inherent dangers sense, perhaps, her contribution was com-
have to satisfactorily explain to two bank oicials
political plurality, to those who cavilled at unforgiving of anyone who deviated even of weakening of controls over the party, and parable to that of leaders like Annadurai
why this was not done earlier. However, the Fin- her gender and her caste. She walked tall the slightest from her set prescriptions. She too much liberalisation in ideological and who helped integrate Dravidian conscious-
ance Minister has suggested that such explanations among the many contemporary leaders on kept her eye on the ball at all times, which other matters. She revelled in magisterial ness with Indias federal polity.
will not be required for anyone making a deposit for the Indian political scene. possibly was the secret of her success. As control over the levers of authority even
the first time. Apart from the human tendency to far as the people of Tamil Nadu were con- while enlarging the many unique welfare Finger on the pulse
act only when a deadline nears, there could be Secrets of success cerned, the balance sheet of her years in of- measures introduced by MGR during his Right through her tenure as Chief Minis-
genuine reasons for people not to have queued up Notwithstanding the many controversies fice was positive a sentiment that led to tenure in oice. ter, Jayalalithaa eschewed any kind of rigid
at banks till now including their faith in the that surrounded her tenure, few will contest her truly epic victory in the 2016 Assembly Jayalalithaa was hardly a believer in polit- doctrinaire approach vis--vis either polit-
Prime Minister, as well as the Finance Ministers or fail to acknowledge her many achieve- elections. ical experimentation. In this respect she ics or policies. Often portrayed as disdain-
statements that they had till December 30 to do so. ments, specially those concerning the wel- This, in itself, was no mean achievement. difered from leaders like Buddhadeb Bhat- ful of the masses, she seemed to sense the
fare of the girl child and women, health care There is, however, much more to the Jayala- tacharya (the former Chief Minister of West peoples mood and the pulse of the masses
Overstretched bankers may somehow cope with of the deprived, and the revolution lithaa mystique than this. Political pundits Bengal) or for that matter the erstwhile So- better than leaders of other political parties
this latest diktat. But implementation is likely to be wrought by her signal programmes such as need to ponder how she managed to suc- viet Unions Mikhail Gorbachev (with his such as the DMK led by the nonagenarian
arbitrary as each bank branch may come up with its Amma Canteen, Amma Water, Amma cessfully navigate between the Scylla of Glasnost and Perestroika). She could avoid M. Karunanidhi.
own ground rules, just as they are doing in the case Salt, etc. all made available at afordable caste and the Charybdis of gender, in a State their fate by taking care not to overreach Political debates often seemed to convey
of cash withdrawal limits. Nevertheless, tasking prices. These programmes not only gave where consciousness of such diferences through radical political changes and shifts. an impression of a single woman without
them to record and flag for audit purposes deposits her a larger-than-life image but also inves- has been extremely high. That she was a She scrupulously avoided tampering with any obvious support battling a macho
amounting to just 1.66 per cent of the personal in- ted her with a kind of maternalistic cha- high-caste single woman breaking into, and the politics of caste, realising the funda- world of male enemies. How she converted
come tax threshold is tantamount to outsourcing risma. It also helped obliterate some of her breaching, a male stronghold tends to make mental importance of the caste arithmetic this into an existential conflict between the
the taxmans job to the banker for no ostensible rev- excesses, including the charge that she de- her achievements even more spectacular. in Tamil Nadu politics. In particular, she All India Anna Dravida Munnetra
liberately cultivated a personality cult, took care not to disturb existing equations Kazhagam (AIADMK) led by her and the
enue pay-of. Initially, the Centre said deposits up The political inheritance
which required even her very senior Cab- involving major caste groups, understand- DMK led by Karunanidhi and his family is
to Rs.2.5 lakh would not be questioned, but later inet Ministers, apart from sycophants of Over the years, it had become evident ing that she was an outlier as far as domin- worthy of deeper study by political analysts
held that all deposits could be scrutinised even every description, to genuflect before her. that politics in Tamil Nadu had undergone ant castes in the politics of Tamil Nadu were and researchers.
though the Income Tax Department will struggle to None of this can, however, erase the fact fundamental changes since the heyday of concerned. While maintaining the suprem- Jayalalithaas true success lay in the im-
complete scrutiny of lakhs of accounts within the that she was paranoid when it came to criti- the Non-Brahmin/Self-respect Movement acy of the caste structure, she essentially age she created of being against the status
legally stipulated two-year deadline. The Prime cism of her actions or policies. She main- under Periyar (in the early part of the 20th confined herself to providing a new twist quo, while the ageing leadership of the
Minister had said exchange limits for old notes DMK (M.K. Stalins presence notwithstand-
would be enhanced from November 25; instead, the CARTOONSCAPE ing) appeared risk-averse and wallowing in
exchange facility was stopped altogether. By the same brand of politics it had practised
December 10, Rs.12.44 lakh crore, or 80 per cent of since the mid-1950s.
In real terms, Jayalalithaa was individual-
the old notes, was back in the system, and by istic rather than a statist. Even more than
December 30 most, if not all, could well return. Per- organisational strategising she perfected
haps spooked by that prospect, the Finance Min- redistributive and welfare policies and pop-
istry suggested that double counting may have ulist mobilisation. She had incredibly per-
skewed the numbers, but bankers have dismissed suasive communication skills when it came
that possibility. The latest flip-flop to make depos- to the masses, specially women voters, and
its diicult appears to suggest that the government combined this with a certain magisterial
is itself in panic mode over its bold gambit. control over political opinion.
While the two main Dravidian parties
had few diferences regarding their com-
mitment to State autonomy and fiscal feder-
alism, Jayalalithaa seemed to give a new
Angela Merkels shape to the social reform movement. Mov-
ing ahead of MGRs political philosophy,
she could adjust to the prevailing winds of
challenge change sweeping through the corridors of
an aspirational India. She understood
where to be flexible and where to be rigid

I
t is hard now to remember a time when Ger- caste-based reservation and the caste arith-
man Chancellor Angela Merkel was not in the metic were crucial but she did see that
thick of a political storm in Europe. However, there was somewhat great scope for trim-
Mondays suspected terror strike in Berlin that ming the AIADMKs sails to the winds from
claimed at least 12 lives along with a spate of incid- the North and the East, and thus create a
ents in July, all with a bearing on Germanys liberal new political brand. Generations of Tamils
immigration policies, present a qualitatively difer- will possibly remember her best for her
ent challenge to Europes most powerful politician. evocative slogan, Makkalal Naan
As she seeks election for a fourth term next Makkalukaga Naan (I am by the people I
am for the people).
September, Ms. Merkels political and diplomatic
acumen could be put to the toughest test yet in a M.K. Narayanan is former National Security Adviser and
world still coming to grips with the implications of former Governor of West Bengal.
Britains vote to leave the European Union (EU)
and the U.S. presidential election result. Her meas-
ured approach to the deepening debt crisis in the LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
eurozone saw her being pilloried by some of her Letters emailed to letters@thehindu.co.in must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.
conservative colleagues as indulgence of a proflig-
ate Greece, even as the German-backed multilat-
eral mission that negotiated the bailouts was Aadhaars long shadow at the earliest and deliver its final and the mushroom-like growth of have been cases where teachers century, foreign policy is not only a
order to clear the air. private schools are some of the have misbehaved with students. tool with which to ensure peaceful
greeted by angry Greek protesters carrying plac- Despite the Supreme Courts clear ailments that need to be looked Parents eventually stop sending existence in the world but is also a
ards bearing the swastika. But the Chancellor, seen K. Natarajan,
order that the Aadhaar card scheme Madurai
into. their children to school. instrument to usher in social and
hitherto as cautious if not indecisive, was spontan- is purely voluntary and should not economic transformation. We
E.S. Chandrasekaran, R.N. Meena,
eous and firm in her response to the tragic drown- be made compulsory till the matter Chennai Ahmedabad should follow a simple rule. In
ing of many Syrians at the height of the refugee is decided finally by the court, the The state of education foreign policy we dont have
crisis in 2015. Her open-hearted open-doors policy Union government is still insisting Being an education activist, I have Most of India still resides in the permanent friends or permanent
towards the hundreds of thousands who managed on Aadhaar compliance for one witnessed the plight of village- villages. Therefore, there needs to Deposit limit enemies but only permanent
to cross the choppy waters of the Mediterranean, reason or the other. Making it based children who enter school for be a push for having better facilities I fail to understand why the Reserve interests. Peace is still elusive in
describing Islam as integral to Germany, may have mandatory for joint entrance the first time at the age of six in government schools. There is Bank of India has placed whimsical Afghanistan, so there is a strong
examinations is one such instance (Editorial Bridging the learning abundant talent waiting to be restrictions on deposits exceeding possibility that U.S. policy towards
alienated even some of her closest European allies.
(Aadhaar ID for more exams under deficit, Dec.19). The root of all tapped. Rs.5,000 (RBI sets one-time limit Pakistan is going to be more or less
Paradoxically, Ms. Merkels continued leadership study, says Javadekar, Dec.13). troubles for the rot in school for big deposits of old notes, the same. India should tread
of the 28-nation EU seems ever more critical given Sahil Bhatia,
First of all, there is no education is that there is no focus Jaipur Dec.20). cautiously.
the rise of xenophobic and anti-immigrant forces comprehensive legislation on the grass-root level of education. Does the government expect people
across the continent. Matters are not helped by the Sandeep Kumar Meena,
detailing, among other aspects, the In the pyramid now importance is The new generation should take on to be looking up RBI notifications New Delhi
fluid political scenario in the other staunchly integ- purposes for which Aadhaar can be given to the Education Minister, the the responsibility to ensure that and press releases every day for
rationist founder-member of the EU, France, which used. At the level of Secretary and directors at the those who are toddlers now are able compliance while simultaneously
is headed for presidential election in 2017. The pro- implementation, independent various headquarters. It needs to be to shine in future. A few policies standing outside ATMs and banks Chak de India
spects of Ms. Merkel rallying the forces of the polit- researchers have found the scheme inverted where the teacher and here and there will not suice. to collect money to meet their The crowning of the Indian junior
ical centre at home will depend on her capacity to to be unreliable as beneficiaries of student are prime. Identifying skills and talent should day-to-day expenses? Is this a ploy hockey team after it dismantled
the Public Distribution System, old N. Subramanian, be foremost. Teachers are not just to promote Pradhan Mantri Garib Belgium in the final of the Junior
counter the populist Alternative for Germany age pensions and the Mahatma the builders of one generation; they Kalyan Yojana by equating World Cup holds promise of a
Chennai
party, anxious to cash in on tragedies such as the Gandhi National Rural Employment build generations. The foremost taxpayers with black money bright future ahead for Indian
Berlin attack. As for the European and international Guarantee Scheme have been An age-old curriculum, the absence question should be: why are there holders? hockey (Sport A 15-year wait
stage, there are clear signs of the Chancellors mod- denied their dues after mismatch of of testing of applied knowledge, few takers for this profession? comes to an end, Dec.19). The
S. Vasudevan,
erate political instincts to uphold the values of a their fingerprints with those on rote learning, a failure to implement Balasubramaniam Pavani, Kodaikanal revival should be led by these
pluralistic democracy underpinned by the rule of their Aadhaar cards at the time of a common code of syllabus across Secunderabad youngsters who are full of
law. In a letter she wrote to congratulate Donald authentication. the country, multiple systems of enthusiasm and talent.
Even the biometrics standard curricula/syllabi, a teacher-cum- I hail from a rural background and Trump and the world
Trump, Ms. Merkel remained unequivocal. Among Amit Verma,
the values Germany and the U.S. shared, she wrote, committee of the Unique mark centric syllabus, thoughtless have seen that most teachers in The United States has always been Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh
Identification Authority of India directives to ensure an all-pass rural India have several unpredictable in its foreign policy,
were democracy, freedom, as well as respect for
has said that the error rate is system till standard VIII, a marked deficiencies. Most are not especially towards India, and the The team has excellent cohesion
the rule of law and the dignity of each and every expected to be high. Apart from absence of qualified teachers, a dedicated, lack confidence and are election of Donald Trump takes this but the conversions of drag flicks
person regardless of their origin, skin colour, creed, glitches in the functioning of the failure to maintain the student- not familiar with their subjects. In unpredictability to the next level and functioning within the
gender, sexual orientation or political views. It is electronic system, the risk of teacher ratio at 40:1, poor my town in Rajasthan, there are (The world according to Trump, opponents 25 yards with purpose
hardly surprising that Ms. Merkels views resonate precious data being hacked too infrastructural facilities in State numerous instances of teachers Dec.20). India is drifting towards are areas that need more attention.
across the Atlantic alliance, and much beyond. looms large. A special bench of the government schools, the lack of coming to school inebriated. the U.S. and this is placing strains S. Viswanathan,
Supreme Court must hear the case washrooms for children and staf, Students make fun of them. There on our ties with Russia. In the 21st Srirangam, Tamil Nadu
CM ND-ND
YK
10 | EDITORIAL
NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2016

A year of living dangerously


Along with a disturbing rise in attacks on Army camps across Jammu and Kashmir, the Line of Control and
the International Boundary in the State are also alarmingly tense today
ory operation. The Pakistan Armys toler- action and the subsequent political manage-
T H U R S D AY , D E C E M B E R 2 2 , 2 0 1 6 ance, if it indeed exists, and international ment of it, the costs are mounting day after
HAPPYMON JACOB communitys acceptance would be time- day. The LoC and the IB have become the
sensitive. Second, local commanders along new battlefield, and we should expect a lot
the LoC on the Pakistani side could misread more action along these borderlands in the
Ending the Pakistans decision not to respond to Indias
the accepted threshold assumption and act
diferently than expected when attacked.
days ahead. Both India and Pakistan seem to
be using these contested borders as an arena

Manipur blockade surgical strikes after the terrorist attack on


the Army base in Uri may have seemed at
the time like a major political victory for the
Third, the Indian side would, as it did
post-surgical strikes, radically exaggerate
the success of its retaliatory strike in order
for settling scores which they do not want to
settle in a conventional pitched battle. In
short, lower-level instability seems to be the

T
he blockade of the national highways Narendra Modi government in New Delhi. to show that the Pakistani tolerance level for order of the day in the near future.
leading to the Manipur valley, called by But it is increasingly becoming evident that Indian retaliation is high. The Pakistani side While border firing might seem less es-
the United Naga Council (UNC), has not only was the political victory short- would, on the other hand, as it did post-sur- calatory than cross-border raids, ceasefire
lived, the country is paying a heavy price for gical strikes, deny the operation altogether violations are a slow killer: as ceasefire viol-
been in place since November 1. This has
the cross-LoC strike on September 29. or lower its level and success (i.e. that opera- ation-related casualties continue to rise,
severely afected life in the State, with shortages While the Pakistan Army refused to admit tion was limited to the LoC only) to reduce they could lead to political and diplomatic
and escalating costs of essential supplies such as that the surgical strikes ever took place, it the perceived level of Pakistani tolerance by escalation, and sustained violations to-
fuel and food, even as demonetisation has exacer- has since been retaliating: unstated, sur- India. Finding a via media between these gether with covert cross-border raids (as it
bated problems. Blockades like this are not new to reptitiously and through proxies. Consider two extreme positions for operational pur- has happened more than once in the past)
Manipur. In 2011, there was initially a hundred-day- this: with Saturdays attack on an Indian poses is easier said than done, and trying to could potentially lead to vertical military
plus blockade enforced by Kuki-led groups, and army convoy in Kashmirs Pampore, the exploit that fine balance may be setting out escalation.
countered later by Naga groups, which together armed forces in Kashmir have lost over 60 on a dangerous course of action. The other cheap strategy in response to
had a debilitating efect on life in Manipur. This men this year alone. Finally, that there was no vertical escala- Indias surgical strikes seems to be well-
time the blockade is in place to oppose the creation Along with this disturbing rise in the at- tion after the surgical strikes even though planned low-intensity attacks on Indian
tacks on Army camps across Jammu and this was an openly declared attack on forces in J&K. While border firing hurts
of new districts by the Okram Ibobi Singh govern- Kashmir, the LoC and International Bound- Pakistans territory assumes a great deal of both parties, low-intensity strikes (for ex-
ment. On December 9 it issued a gazette notifica- Pakistan is responding to the
ary (IB) in the State are also alarmingly significance. While this might, at one level, ample, Nagrota and Pampore) hurt only In-
tion for the creation of seven new districts by bi- tense today. Ceasefire violation-related mil- Indian strikes in a way it is go to show that the Indian and Pakistani dia since it loses soldiers in such raids,
furcating seven (of a total of nine) districts. This itary casualties on the Indian side itself are materially able to: by border firing sides are able to control the escalation dy- whereas Pakistan only loses expendable
decision had as much to do with long-pending de- 12 so far, highest since the ceasefire agree- namics under extreme stress, it would be proxies. The argument here is not that such
mands in particular, for a new Kuki-majority dis- ment which has all but collapsed now
and organising attacks on Indian wrong to assume that Indias cross-LoC op- attacks against Army camps did not take
trict to be carved out of the larger Senapati hill dis- was arrived at in 2003. Army bases through its proxies eration has gone not responded to by place before September this year, but that
trict as with easing administrative access to Pakistan. Indeed, the response is currently they are likely to increase with more preci-
Strategic implications of the strikes Pakistan Army not resist, or hit back after playing out. Consider the following. sion and determination in the days ahead.
far-flung areas from the district headquarters. With
From a military point of view, the cross- New Delhi hailed the military action as a Moreover, thanks to the stand-of, Is-
State Assembly elections around the corner, the de- The low-cost response
LoC operation was limited and carefully cal- blockbuster victory (even though we now lamabad and Rawalpindi will continue to
cision by the Congress-led government was also a ibrated: there was no targeting of Pakistani know that such operations were conducted Responding to the surgical strikes with fan the Kashmir uprising with even more
desperate measure to woo the hill residents. While military installations as the operation was in the past as well)? matching force would not have been a smart vigour. Notwithstanding the fact that the re-
residents and groups in the new districts have wel- claimed to be against terror camps and not Does this mean that Rawalpindi displayed strategy for Pakistan given that it would cent Kashmir uprising was essentially indi-
comed the decision, the UNC has protested, al- against the Pakistan Army, and the Director a certain amount of tolerance for the Indian have been hard for Rawalpindi to pull it of. genous in nature, Pakistani grandstanding
leging that areas with a Naga population have been General of Military Operations (DGMO) military action given that it was carried out This, in my reckoning, perhaps explains the and renewed domestic political mobilisa-
divided and that the lack of consultation is a viola- telephoned his Pakistani counterpart after after 19 Indian soldiers were killed, and na- Pakistani inaction and the refusal to ac- tion within Pakistan over Kashmir, and the
tion of commitments made by both the Centre and the operations ended and conveyed the tional anger was mounting in India? I re- knowledge the Indian attack. When you military strategising for a sustained Kash-
the State in various memoranda of understanding. counter-terrorist intent behind the strike. cently asked a senior (retired) Pakistani dont acknowledge an action, you dont have mir campaign will keep Kashmir on the boil.
Already, just as in 2011, counter-blockades have The DGMO further clarified that the In- General about the level of tolerance for po- to react to it. Pakistans adoption of such low-cost
dian Army conducted surgical strikes at sev- tential surgical strike-like action in future by However, the story doesnt end there. strategies to respond to Indias surgical
been called by other groups, this time in the Meitei- eral of these launch pads along Line of India. I was told rather bluntly that it would Pakistan is currently responding to the In- strikes also lands the Modi government in a
dominated valley, and there has been violence both Control. depend on the Pakistan Armys complicity dian strikes in a way it is materially able to rather awkward commitment trap. Though
in the hills and in the valley. The State government Moreover, the operation was hardly a sur- in the attack: the more the complicity, the and at a time and place of its choosing: by the post-Uri strikes and the political postur-
last month sought the Centres assistanceto end the prise to Rawalpindi given the high level of less the retaliation. Or diferently put, no firing on the border and organising coordin- ing by the Bharatiya Janata Party were sup-
blockade, given that New Delhi has been in peace political and military signalling from the In- complicity would mean definite retaliation. ated attacks on Indian Army bases/convoys posed to convey to Rawalpindi, and the do-
talks with the National Socialist Council of dian side between the Uri attack and the sur- While this might appear to provide an op- through its proxies such as the Jaish-e-Mo- mestic audience in India that attacks on
Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) group that supports the gical strikes. The Pakistan Army is also said erational window for future Indian military hammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba. These two Indian forces wont go unpunished any-
UNC. While the Centre has sent paramilitary to have monitored a great deal of operation- action across the LoC below the Pakistani cheap strategies seem to essentially make more, the reality is that both the Nagrota and
forces to both Nagaland and Manipur, the inaction related chatter from the Indian side. In- redline, a proactive military strategy based up Rawalpindis response to New Delhis Pampore attacks have gone unpunished.
deed, New Delhis post-strike triumphalism on the assumption of Pakistani indulgence is surgical strikes. This leaves the Modi government in a stra-
in clearing the blockade of the national highways is
did have negative reputational impact on the rife with multiple challenges. First of all, it India was highly emboldened by the tegic quandary: it has neither been able to
puzzling. Eforts to impose a political solution all-powerful General Headquarters in would be rather diicult to fix the degree of Pakistan militarys non-retaliation after the live up to its commitment nor has its threats
through blockades that cut arterial routes supply- Rawalpindi and for the Nawaz Sharif gov- state complicity in an attack within a September strikes but it is today recognising been able to dissuade the Pakistan Army. If
ing essential goods to various areas of Manipur are ernment in Islamabad. If so, why did the severely limited time frame for any retaliat- that while it may have pulled of the military anything, the Pakistan Army seems to have
a cynical ploy. Such action heightens ethnic polar- called the Modi governments bluf.
isation and threatens, once again, the fragile peace CARTOONSCAPE National security implications
in the State. Ideally there should be a dialogue that
involves all major stakeholders the State govern- The current stand-of with Pakistan has
ment, groups that support redistricting, the UNC drastically deteriorated our overall national
and the Centre. But first, there should be zero toler- security environment. Our soldiers in the
north-western frontier are far more in
ance towards all such blockades. danger today than they had been in recent
years. The precious lives of soldiers would
have been saved had New Delhi avoided an

A chance for unnecessarily aggressive policy in J&K and


towards Pakistan. There is also growing dis-
quiet within the Indian armed forces about

peace in Syria the needless loss of lives because politicians


are unwilling to reach a modus vivendi on
political issues both within Kashmir and

T
he coming together of Russia, Turkey and vis--vis Pakistan.
Iran to discuss a diplomatic solution to Besides the military casualties, there is
yet another form of collateral damage: the
the Syrian crisis is a welcome develop- lives and livelihoods of people living along
ment. That they decided to go ahead with the border. Despite the recurrent hardship
Tuesdays Moscow summit despite the assassina- that they have to go through, villagers dont
tion of the Russian ambassador to Turkey, Andrei speak out in public thanks to the extreme
Karlov, the previous day, demonstrates their com- levels of right-wing political mobilisation in
mitment to stay the course, something that was Jammu. Sufering and death are couched in
missing in previous eforts. The summit also marks the language of deshbhakti (patriotism). In
a shift in Russias approach, which initially involved private, however, they recount the untold
negotiations with the United States about possible miseries due to ceasefire violations. The
year-long violations in 2014, for instance,
diplomatic options for Syria. Washington has been
had displaced them for several months. This
kept out of both the deliberations on the Aleppo is a collateral damage that goes unsung and
evacuations and the Moscow conference. The last unacknowledged.
time Russia and the U.S. reached an agreement, in
September 2016, there had been great hope that Happymon Jacob is Associate Professor of Diplomacy and
they could mentor a sustainable ceasefire. But Disarmament Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New
Delhi.
within days of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry an-
nouncing the deal, the American-led coalition
killed dozens of Syrian soldiers. Though the U.S.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
later regretted the strike, the peace process had Letters emailed to letters@thehindu.co.in must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.
been hit. The wider bilateral tensions between Mo-
scow and Washington were also an impediment to The various acts and modifications Most banks are still receiving coupled with the superlative
finding a breakthrough in Syria. Shifting goalposts The Syrian script
made in regard to demonetisation denominations that were rendered performance/resistance by the
The current initiative appears to be more prom- Ever since demonetisation took show that the decision made by the invalid on November 8. Reports The Syrian conflict has turned out lower order batsmen who have
ising. Russia and Iran have direct leverage over the efect, we have witnessed a number government was in haste and suggest a mafia in operation which to be quicksand. It has sucked out risen to the occasion in crunch
regime in Syria, while Turkey still helps several mil- of sudden changes in the palpably with the confluence of ensured legal tender for a the lives of thousands of innocent times.
itant groups. Besides money and arms, the milit- governments stand (Editorial An thoughts with the RBI Governor percentage of commission and the civilians. The fact that the Russian B. Suresh Kumar,
ants need Turkeys help for any communication unkind postscript, Dec.21). It is without properly assessing the newest notification was to curb this. ambassador to Turkey was Coimbatore
with the other side. And there is a reason for Turkey obvious that the government did diiculties which may arise. Once Demonetisation has created murdered shows how disgruntled
coming forward for talks. President Recep Tayyip not have a road map to begin with. diiculties arose, the slogan of a employment for many to become and unhappy people are. A great By clinching the series 4-0, Team
The burden is now being borne by cashless society was coined which agents to convert black money. human tragedy has happened in India has not only displayed its
Erdogan appears to have realised that his anti-re- the poor and downtrodden who is next to impossible to achieve in Aleppo. Instead of engaging in fresh supremacy in all departments of the
gime Syria policy has backfired. Turkey faces Rahul Nair H.,
find it diicult to keep themselves India given the low levels of Thiruvananthapuram conflict with Turkey, Russia should game against the visiting English
severe security challenges, from both Islamic State informed. Public trust in the literacy. continue to engage with Syria, the team but has also proved that it can
jihadists and Kurdish militants. If Syria remains at government has also been The problems of Internet The hullabaloo over restrictions, U.S., Turkey and Iran and ensure create miracles on home grounds.
war and the instability spawns more radical militia undermined. The problem lies not connectivity in rural areas were now amended, on depositing that there is a lasting solution. Rarely does one see all the Indian
groups, it could worsen Turkeys security prob- in demonetisation but in the also overlooked. Small shop owners demonetised currency notes above T. Anand Raj, players coming out with superlative
lems, while Kurds on the Syrian side could grow in haphazard, unplanned and skewed and street vendors also refuse to Rs.5,000 in bank accounts is Chennai performances in a series and
strength. Russia, on the other side, has pursued a way of policy implementation. accept PoPs, debit and credit cards unjustified. keeping the pressure on their
war and talk approach since its intervention it Vyom Bharadvaj, as they are not very confident. The Editorial appears to be very opponents almost all through. It is
Mohali, Punjab Attempts to strike at hoarders, the harsh on the government. The India on a roll great team work in the true sense of
will continue to defend the regime militarily, while
corrupt and terrorists are laudable, argument that amnesty-seekers face The authoritative victory of Team the term!
looking for avenues to deal with other stakehold- In the entire debate surrounding but the method adopted was fraught no questions while others are India in the cricket Test against Though the fifth and final test at
ers. The recent improvement in relations between demonetisation, hardly any with grave consequences. harassed is disingenuous. There is England at Chennai marks the Chennai was heading towards a
Ankara and Moscow, which had hit a low after Tur- attention has been paid to the plight Ramarao Gantimahapatruni, no reason why an honest taxpayer memorable culmination of a series draw, India transformed it into a
key shot down a Russian aircraft last year, has also of bankers. With rules being altered Visakhapatnam should take the trouble of making of spectacular performances in thrilling win, thanks to super hero
helped get the peace process going. But this conver- every second day, bankers are at a multiple visits to the bank for recent times (India ends year on a R. Jadeja whose left-arm leg spin
gence of interest for both sides in stabilising Syria loss to understand the rules. Facing As a Non-Resident Indian I have depositing old currency notes high with a record streak, Dec.21). bowling cast a magic spell and
doesnt mean that peace is within reach. Turkey is angry and unruly customers day in been getting mixed reactions from except perhaps to help out others. The emphatic win can be attributed which led to a collapse of Englands
only one of the countries backing the rebels. The and day out and dealing with an those returning from India. They Therefore, multiple deposits of old to the cohesiveness, team spirit and batting. Both Virat Kohli, the
others include Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan, all acute short supply of money, are say that the situation is not so bad notes in bank accounts, prima facie, commitment merged with an captain, and Anil Kumble, the
among their major problems now in Bengaluru, Lucknow and invite suspicion. That said, since all indomitable will to succeed. Virat coach, have done their homework.
allies of the U.S. The Saudis were instrumental in (Banks attacked in western U.P. for Mumbai while it is diicult in are honest until proved otherwise, Kohli, who has blossomed as a One cannot forget Karun Nair as
ending the civil war in Lebanon in 1989. Like Le- lack of cash, Dec.21). One wonders Hyderabad and New Delhi. We the task of ascertaining the validity player and a captain, is proving well. Complacency should not set in
banon, Syria too is a regional problem that needs a whether demonetisation even understand from Indian Embassy of such deposits should have been himself to be the apt successor to thereby underestimating the
regional solution. For this, Arab stakeholders may factored in the burden bankers sources here that everything will be left to the taxman to be carried out M.S. Dhoni. India truly stamped its strength and capacity of the rival
have to give up their Assad-must-go precondition would have to face. normal by the end of January 2017. as a post-deposit scrutiny. supremacy in all departments of the team.
and join the peace process, as Turkey did. Abraham Joseph, Suddapalli Bhaskara Rao, V.N. Mukundarajan, game. What stands out in this team Prem K. Menon,
Gurugram, Haryana Muscat, Sultanate of Oman Thiruvananthapuram is the new-found killer instinct Mumbai
CM ND-ND
YK
10 | - 1ias.com - EDITORIAL THE HINDU FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016
NOIDA/DELHI

The art of the non-deal


The One China principle is not an economic quid pro quo between China and the U.S. and cannot be converted
into one, as suggested by Donald Trump, without fundamentally changing U.S. regional security strategy
international living space but it has largely inauguration in January 2016, China ensured
F R I D AY , D E C E M B E R 2 3 , 2 0 1 6 honoured the One China principle. This is that Taiwan was not successful in securing
owing to the clear understanding from an invitation to participate in the UNs Inter-
Washington that any breach of the principle national Civil Aviation Organisation despite
MADHURA SONIKA is not in the U.S. interest. At present, Taiwan the Obama administrations endorsement of
A little gain BALASUBRAMIAM GUPTA has reciprocal unoicial diplomatic and
consular presence in all major countries in-
cluding the U.S., France, Germany, Britain,
Taiwans participation. As is clear from the
above, negotiation of the One China prin-
ciple is a matter of ongoing political accom-
after more pain With the election of Donald Trump as Pres-
ident, U.S. foreign policy is set for some in-
Japan, Australia, India and Russia. However,
it has struggled to become a member of any
modation by the U.S. and China to mutual
benefit. However, an explicit challenge of

I
teresting times ahead. Mr. Trump has an un- international or multilateral organisation, this principle by the U.S. is a diferent ball
ncome tax authorities on the trail of illegal acts orthodox perspective on China, with a few exceptions. At present, Taiwan is game.
of money exchange in commercial banks fol- characterising the U.S.-China economic and a member of the Asian Development Bank, Beijing is likely to treat a challenge to the
lowing the demonetisation are netting bigger trade relationship as unfair and exploitative Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) One China principle as a direct challenge to
fish than they may have expected. Investiga- of the U.S. Throughout his campaign he and World Trade Organisation as Taipei, its sovereignty. In the worst-case scenario,
tions into the hoarding of new currency notes in the hammered Chinas currency policy and the China, Chinese Taipei and Separate Cus- U.S. military involvement in a possible
denomination of Rs.2,000 have implicated not only ofshoring of U.S. manufacturing jobs to toms Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen armed conflict over Taiwan cannot be ruled
mining barons and contractors, but also govern- China. and Matsu, respectively. These are examples out. This would have repercussions beyond
ment oicials and politicians. But with Wednes- After the election, living up to his uncon- of creative nomenclature that simultan- Cross-Strait relations and likely spill over
days searches in the residence and oice premises ventional approach, the President-elect ac- eously accommodate the interests of Wash- into the current competition over control of
cepted a congratulatory telephone call from ington, Beijing and Taipei without upsetting the sea lanes in the South China Sea. Even a
of Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary P. Rama Mohana
President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan. This was a the political status quo. hint of use of force will harden Chinese pres-
Rao (who has since been replaced) leading to the departure from four decades of U.S. policy Taiwans membership in each of these ence in the South China Sea, which has seen
seizure of loads of cash and gold, expectations are on Taiwan. Since 1979, when Washington multilateral organisations has been contin- significant increase in military deployment
that more high-profile personalities will come un- shifted its political recognition from Taipei gent on the support of the U.S. and its allies. over the past year. This is where U.S. allies in
der the scanner of the enforcement agencies trying to Beijing, no U.S. president has had any oi- The successful operation of the One China the region Japan, South Korea and Aus-
to grapple with diversion of currency notes by bank cial contact with the Taiwanese head of gov- principle has, therefore, close engagement tralia will have to be brought on board as
oicials to those in need of converting their stock- ernment. Predictably, the telephone call gen- by U.S. allies. For example, South Korea and they are dependent on these sea lanes for
piles of ill-gotten high-value currency notes. It is erated significant speculation about Mr. It is doubtful if Mr. Trumps Australia actively supported Taiwans mem- smooth energy and trade flows. It would re-
now clear that in the first few days after the demon- Trumps approach to Cross-Strait relations. bership bid in APEC, pressurising Beijing to quire the Trump administration getting U.S.
He added to this speculation by questioning America First isolationism accommodate Taiwans trade and economic allies to acquiesce to presenting a challenge
etisation announcement, when government-im-
posed limits on withdrawals were in force, and
the One China principle in a tweet. In that will serve U.S. political or concerns. to the One China principle. Even if key al-
tweet, he asserted his intention to use the economic interests in the lies like Japan would be in favour of cutting
people were queuing up before banks, several un- principle as a bargaining chip to get better The Chinese redlines China down to size with regard to its territ-
scrupulous oicials of both public sector and trade deals for the U.S. East Asian region Even as Taiwan negotiates membership of orial claims, Tokyo stands to lose more in
private banks conspired to convert demonetised Mr. Trumps maverick approach can pro- international bodies, its bid to be recognised economic terms than gain in political terms
notes to benefit black marketeers and corrupt pub- duce a potentially destabilising impact in the week. Most of these are small Central Amer- as anything more than a separate economic by endorsing any such initiative. The One
lic servants. Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have ac- most sensitive issue in China-U.S. relations. ican, African or Pacific island nations. territory has been thwarted by China. Its China principle is not, therefore, an eco-
counted for most of the seizures, running to more China reacted swiftly, harshly cautioning In practice, the One China principle is a campaign to join the World Health Organisa- nomic quid pro quo between China and the
than a hundred crore rupees in new notes, but this that the One China principle is not up for stabilisation mechanism that preserves the tion or the World Health Assembly is a case U.S. and hence cannot be converted into one,
is surely an all-India phenomenon. If other States negotiation, and decried Mr. Trumps under- status quo over Taiwans political status in point. While Taiwan was allowed earlier as suggested by Mr. Trump, without funda-
standing of foreign policy as childish. In while allowing it to function as an independ- this year to participate in the World Health mentally changing U.S. regional security
have not witnessed such seizures, it is more likely
Taiwan, there is a mix of reactions ranging ent economic, civic and administrative en- Assembly, Beijing linked its approval of strategy.
due to failure on the part of the investigators. from cautious to celebratory. In the U.S., the tity. There is a corresponding system of bilat- Taipeis participation to the latters endorse-
Many of these cases would not have come to light mainstream medias reaction has been eral and multilateral agreements that ment of the 1992 Consensus. The 1992 Con- Trumps game of chicken
but for the illegal exchange of old notes that the mostly one of incredulity at Mr. Trumps facilitate the smooth operation of the prin- sensus is the current framework that guides The status quo will change only under
black money hoarders were forced to undertake possible ignorance of the issues at stake in ciple and allow Taiwan to participate in spe- Cross-Strait relations and allows for greater four circumstances: (a) if China gives up its
following the demonetisation. Whatever the flaws suggesting renegotiation of the One China cific international organisations. The U.S. economic cooperation between the two sovereignty claims on Taiwan; (b) if Taiwan
in the implementation of the demonetisation pro- principle. and China have both invested significant sides. It specifically mentions that all agrees to reunify with the mainland; (c) if the
cess and there are indeed many the fact re- political capital in negotiating this stabilisa- Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait U.S. withdraws its support to Taiwan; or (d)
The One China principle tion mechanism over the years. In the U.S., belong to one China, but it leaves the inter- Washington revokes its commitment to the
mains that it was the demonetisation drive that en-
abled the law enforcement agencies to get to some So what is at stake if the incoming U.S. ad- this mechanism also has bipartisan support pretation of One China to each side. In One China principle. Of all these, the last
ministration wants to renegotiate the One with a dedicated Taiwan Caucus in the U.S. Taiwan, the incumbent Democratic Pro- would be the most disruptive as it would act-
of the money-launderers. Although the seizures are China principle with Beijing? The principle Congress looking out for Taipeis interests. gressive Party (DPP) has traditionally been ively challenge Chinese sovereignty claims.
huge, these are not much more than the tip of the airms Chinese sovereignty over Taiwan This is the second largest caucus in the U.S. less enthusiastic in its support of the 1992 The likelihood of China giving up its claim to
proverbial black money iceberg. That black mar- and is the cornerstone of bilateral diplomatic Congress. The U.S. is also bound by its own Consensus, as compared with the opposition Taiwan or Taiwan reunifying is diicult to
keteers and corrupt public servants have been able relations between Washington and Beijing. law, the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), to sup- Kuomintang (KMT). President Tsai Ing-wen imagine in the short to medium term. The
to quickly change so much of their under-the-radar Any country that wants to establish political port Taiwan in case of a military conflict (DPP) has spoken of following a Taiwan U.S. abandoning Taiwan will come at a very
wealth into new currency notes easily explains and diplomatic relations with China must with China. Till now the U.S. has chosen to Consensus for Cross-Strait relations and high price for the traditional system of alli-
how most of the notes out of the Rs.15.4 lakh crore agree to adhere to this principle and not re- honour its commitments under the TRA by stopped short of publicly endorsing the 1992 ances put in place by the U.S. in the Pacific
that were in circulation before the demonetisation cognise Taiwan as an independent country. supplying Taiwan with state-of-the-art Consensus. China has been critical of Ms. and East Asian region.
have been returned to banks a week before the Currently, 21 states recognise Taiwan as a weaponry, airming its role as the guarantor Tsais stance and has asserted the need for an This game of chicken with China, as Mr.
sovereign country after Sao Tome and Prin- of Taiwans security. explicit acknowledgement and endorse- Trump proposes, is likely to misfire. This is
December 30 deadline. By all accounts, deposits in
cipe severed diplomatic relations with it this Since 1979, Taiwan has had to negotiate its ment of the 1992 Consensus. Following her not to argue that the U.S. could not alter its
the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana for black position on the One China principle, but to
money disclosure are not very significant. The ask what the U.S. stands to gain if it did. The
Centre is therefore under pressure to prove that the
demonetisation drive has been efective in unearth-
CARTOONSCAPE quid pro quo being suggested by Mr. Trump
that the U.S. hold out for better trade deals
ing black money. Substantial seizures from the cor- from China in exchange of the airmation of
rupt is a way of signalling this, and it will be no sur- the principle ignores the multilateral impact
prise if the raids only intensify in the days to come. of any such move. Importantly, it danger-
ously underestimates the Chinese resolve in
asserting its sovereignty claims over Taiwan.
The Global Times, Chinas oicial gov-
ernment newspaper, justified the use of
A gathering crisis force to unify Taiwan in the wake of Mr.
Trumps tweet challenging the One China

in Poland principle. While this is sabre-rattling for all it


is worth, it sets the tone for an abrasive and
non-productive U.S.-China diplomatic en-

T
he European Union on Wednesday gave gagement under the Trump administration.
Warsaw a dressing down over concerns And it certainly will not contribute to Mr.
about the erosion of the rule of law in Po- Trump being able to negotiate more favour-
land. And with good reason. The conser- able trade deals with China. In fact, his sug-
gestion of renegotiating the One China
vative Law and Justice Party (PiS) headed by principle is likely to produce the contrary ef-
Jaroslaw Kaczynski, which runs the government, fect across the table in U.S.-China relations.
has repeatedly tinkered with and undermined the President Barack Obama has cautioned
institutions of democracy in the country, progress- President-elect Trump about the con-
ively tightening its grip over them. The EUs pa- sequences of upending the understanding
tience is running out, and it could eventually strip based on the One China principle. It is
Poland of voting rights in the European Council, an doubtful if Mr. Trumps America First isola-
unprecedented action. This is a reflection of grave tionism will serve U.S. political or economic
concerns over the developments in Poland, espe- interests in the East Asian region. In fact, it is
likely to destabilise the strategic and eco-
cially the actions the PiS has taken since it came to nomic gains of the long-standing U.S. pres-
power in October 2015 to control the Constitutional ence in the region as allies scramble to lever-
Tribunal, Polands highest court. In July, the EU age the uncertainties of a Trump
made recommendations aimed at protecting the in- administration.
dependence of the judiciary. These have been
largely ignored. Examples of PiS action that have Madhura Balasubramaniam is a Masters student at the
Humanities and Social Sciences Department at IIT
impacted judicial functioning include publishing Madras; Sonika Gupta is Associate Professor at IIT Madras
judgments selectively (without which they do not China Studies Centre.
have legal standing) and passing legislation to tem-
porarily appoint the head of the Constitutional
Tribunal. On Monday, Andrzej Rzeplinski, the out- LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
going president of the court, alleged that the gov- Letters emailed to letters@thehindu.co.in must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.
ernment was out to destroy the tribunal. While
concerns are focussed around judicial independ-
ence, they are by no means limited to this. Raid on TN Chief Secretary have hand-picked this oicer. The The incident shows an unholy established in an era when reform Equal work, unequal pay
Among the governments moves are the replace- whole episode is sordid and shows nexus between bank oicials and movements among the Hindus
That so much cash in new currency, the government in very poor light. top-level oicials in the attracted support of the masses, and It was shocking to read the report,
ment of heads of public bodies with its loyalists, a undisclosed income, and gold were bureaucracy. It shows that some the lower castes became aware of Pardon, the gender wage gap is
ban on abortions (which was rolled back following K. Balakesari,
found in the residential and oice Chennai bureaucrats get easy access to huge their rights and began to challenge showing, (Dec. 22) which states
widespread protests), a campaign to control NGOs, premises of P. Rama Mohana Rao, amounts of new currency even as the centuries-long exploitation by that India had among the worst
and curbs on media freedom. About 100 journalists who has been replaced as Tamil This is not only a big stain on Mr. the common man continues to Brahministic forces. It was to divert levels of gender wage disparity.
from state media organisations have been fired, and Nadu Chief Secretary after the Rao but also on the bureaucracy sufer every day in long queues. attention from these reform Women constitute about half of
the government, until Tuesday, was proposing to raids, is disgraceful (Taxmen raid and the Tamil Nadu government. Prerna Singh, movements that the RSS was Indias population, yet their
ban most journalists from entering the lower house T.N. Chief Secretary, Dec.22). The When the most important person in New Delhi founded, declaring that Muslims participation in the workforce has
of Parliament in 2017. This resulted in an opposition seizure shows the extent of the administration lands in such a and Christians are enemies of steadily come down over the years.
sit-in in the main hall of Parliament, while thou- corruption in the system. It also mess, it could have widespread Hindus and all Hindus should unite This is on account of gender-based
indicates that there may be a ramifications in a turbulent State The RSSs old face against them. occupational segregation widely
sands protested outside, preventing the passage of
sprawling network of dishonest which just lost its Chief Minister. Though the writer begins the piece, The big change in the RSSs prevalent in agriculture and other
the 2017 Budget. This led to the government oicials, with a few honourable The makeover of the RSS (Dec. outlook towards Dalits and the informal sectors as well as in
passing the Budget in an anteroom, a move that has, Albert Devakaram,
exceptions. The unprecedented Chennai 22), saying that not enough more accommodative stance various occupations involving
understandably, not gone down well with the op- raiding of the oice of the Chief intellectual efort has been made to towards B.R. Ambedkar are not personal services and care.
position. The EU has given Poland two months for Secretary in the Secretariat only West Bengal Chief Minister understand the Rashtriya because of the Sanghs new The problem is further aggravated
a course correction. PiS was elected on a populist highlights the intensity of the Mamata Banerjee has revealed Swayamsevak Sangh, his article also appraisal of them, but the result of by cultural factors barring the entry
platform a little over a year ago, ousting the centre- operation. It is ironic that as Chief again her new-found penchant to does not understand the new political compulsions. Mention of women in certain types of
right Civic Platform (PO). The party was aided by Secretary, he was holding additional jump the gun (Raids vindictive: organisation fully and ignores the of the Sufi Samagam appears to be occupations, low level of education
the relatively benign economic conditions when it charge as Vigilance Commissioner. Mamata Banerjee, Dec.22). In her reasons behind its emergence. an attempt to whitewash the and training of women, and the fact
came to power, but the economy is slowing down V. Lakshmanan, apparent eagerness to take on the While trying to project a new face organisations ghar wapsi that a large number of women who
Tirupur Central government, Ms. Banerjee of the RSS, the writer forgets the activities. The question is, will the do domestic work or are involved in
even as chaos and unrest continue. The govern- risks the equanimity and level- role played by some of its cadres in RSS widen its definition of India to agriculture are unpaid. Considering
ment, thus far unmoved by the interests of civil so- One wonders if such a raid would headedness expected of a leader of numerous communal riots. include diferent people the alarming scenario, there is an
ciety and democracy, may be forced to tread a bit have been conducted during the her stature. It cant be ignored that assertion of irrespective of their religion? urgent need to take remedial action.
more carefully. tenure of the late Chief Minister of A. Raveendranath, a Hindu Rashtra is the foundation of K. Muhammed Ismayil, Joseph Abraham,
Tamil Nadu who is supposed to Aranmula, Kerala the RSS. The organisation was Kozhikode Gurugram

CM ND-ND
YK
10 | - 1ias.com - EDITORIAL THE HINDU SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2016
NOIDA/DELHI

An equal music, a beautiful society


No aspect of life in India from the exalted heavens of the classical arts to the most mundane pits of bodily
waste can escape the totalitarian structure of caste
the music and dance of their vernacular, tice like manual scavenging simply cannot be
S AT U R D AY , D E C E M B E R 2 4 , 2 0 1 6 erotic, demotic and popular character, and allowed to persist in todays India.
ANANYA VAJPEYI reinvented them as classical, religious, re- But what is more striking than this obvious
fined and urbane. The temple courtyard and dialectic of self-purification and self-respect,
the noisy village square gave way to the which can be traced back to Gandhian and
Back to Class X A recent event in Delhi brought together two
kutcheri and the sophisticated concert hall as
performance spaces, which closed their
Ambedkarite stances on caste, is how both
Krishna and Wilson in their own ways

Board exams Indian winners of the 2016 Ramon Mag-


saysay Award, Bezwada Wilson and T.M.
Krishna, in a wide-ranging conversation
doors to ordinary people.
In 2015 Krishna announced his decision to
stop performing in the December concert
struggle to actualise what Ambedkar called
social endosmosis. This is the natural flow
and exchange of ideas, values, practices,

T
he excellence of a school education sys- about freedom of expression, nationalism season in the Tamil month of Margazhi knowledge and energies between and across
tem must be assessed by the creative indi- and inequality, issues of pressing concern. of Chennai, even though he has been the star groups that Ambedkar lamented could not
viduals it produces. That principle can be Both were outspoken against a growing ma- of this vaunted annual cultural event from a occur in the rigidly stratified and segregated
joritarianism, and passionate about building young age. He now organises a new winter- Hindu social order. The traditional caste sys-
the only meaningful guide for the Central
an egalitarian and just society through their time music festival in the small fishing village tem controls social reproduction through
Board of Secondary Education, as it once again respective fields. Wilson, 50, national con- of Urur-Olcott Kuppam in Chennai, teaches strict endogamy, and places nearly insur-
tweaks its testing system to make the Class X Board vener of the Safai Karmachari Andolan, is a music and performs free concerts at corpora- mountable taboos on cohabitation, com-
examination compulsory for all students from 2018. campaigner against manual scavenging; and tion schools, trains girls and women in mensality and other forms of conviviality
It is wrong to believe that students in the CBSE sys- Krishna, 40, is a prominent exponent of Carnatic vocal and instrumental music, and and commerce between diferent castes.
tem are not being assessed with suicient rigour: Carnatic music and a public intellectual. extends the ambit of his pedagogic outreach
the Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation The two men share a commitment to free The Magsaysay Award jury was to tribal, rural and marginalised communit- Ambedkar and social endosmosis
(CCE) method that it follows is aimed at identifying speech and equal citizenship, to addressing astute in recognising the public ies. He has also expanded the repertoire of Untouchability may have been outlawed
learning diiculties periodically and instituting re- entrenched forms of exclusion, discrimina- spiritedness of Bezwada Wilson music that he himself sings, including mod- through Article 17 of the Indian Constitution,
medial measures, rather than raising stress with a tion and violence based on caste, to demo- ern Hindustani and Bengali forms. Most re- but that is only the most extreme way to keep
cratic rights and the Indian Constitution. and Krishna, and their concern cently he has made joint appearances with human beings and fellow citizens apart. In
make-or-break public examination at the second-
ary level. This philosophy helps students master
They come from absolutely unrelated areas with the problem of caste the Jogappas, a transgender community of fact, Indians of diferent castes even today
of engagement, and from personal back- devotional folk performers, associated with seldom eat together, live together, inter-
various topics and discover their aptitude in the grounds that are far apart, but what is remark- end to this abominable practice for close to the goddess Yellamma, from northern marry or in other ways participate in each
course of a year, eliminating the chances of a single able is how they converge in their social act- thirty years. The turning point for him was Karnataka and contiguous parts of the Dec- others life-worlds across the invisible yet im-
rote-learning test that could produce an aberrant ivism as well as their shared ability to around 1990-91, the birth centenary of Dr. can (Andhra and Maharashtra), unimagin- penetrable barriers of caste. As Krishna has
result. The gains of such a system should not be communicate clearly and forcefully with B.R. Ambedkar (1891-1956), that brought the able in the hallowed halls of classical music shown, in a manner that is all the more efect-
thrown away in the quest to bring about uniform- large audiences. The Magsaysay Award jury life and work of the great Dalit leader back for the Carnatic orthodoxy. ive for being so blunt, we cant even sing to-
ity in the Class X education pattern across the was astute indeed in recognising the laudable into the mainstream of national conscious- gether, an indicator of how little we hear the
public spiritedness of both Wilson and ness and forced the government of the day to Self-purification and self-respect speech, the pain, the yearnings, the silences
country. If anything, it is learning outcomes and
Krishna, and their common concern with the implement the Mandal Commission Report, Krishna and Wilson together, as a pair of others.
creative brilliance assessed through non-ritualistic
problem of caste. expanding the scope of airmative action remind one of the late D.R. Nagarajs in- No aspect of life in India from the exalted
aptitude tests that should rate the capacity of an against caste-based social inequality. How sightful formulation of self-purification heavens of the classical arts to the most
educational board. Such an approach would also The annihilation of caste can India proceed with its ambitious eco- and self-respect as the two modalities of a mundane pits of bodily waste can escape the
encourage teachers to innovate conceptually, Manual scavenging including the re- nomic and political agendas for growth, moral resistance to caste, especially un- totalitarian structure of caste: this was
rather than drill students to face an examination. moval, carrying and disposal by hand of hu- change and prosperity, Wilson asks, when touchability, flowing from Gandhi and Ambedkars rage against varnaashra-
The argument in favour of a compulsory Class X man excrement, and the physical cleaning of such an archaic form of caste discrimination, Ambedkar, respectively. According to Naga- madharma, the total society. From music to
Board examination made by Union Human Re- latrines, sewers and septic tanks, a task in- a kind of slavery and a form of torture, contin- raj, the caste Hindu and especially the Brah- excreta, everything is segregated, violating
source Development Minister Prakash Javadekar is variably assigned to Dalits (including men, ues to exist and to ruin countless Dalit lives? min self must purify or purge itself of its im- the basic principle of equal citizenship. Hav-
that its absence discriminates against candidates of women and children) has been targeted Krishna comes at caste from the direction pulse to exclude or hurt the untouchable, ing Krishna and Wilson come together on a
State boards. In fact, the Minister announced his in- for eradication since Gandhi came back to In- of the arts, particularly Carnatic music, for al- while the Dalit self must assert its intrinsic common platform exemplifies what Nagaraj
dia a hundred years ago. It was the Mahatma most a century now the preserve of elite worth and inalienable dignity even in the face characterised as the necessity for modern In-
tent of returning to a compulsory Board examina- who began to insist, in the face of tremendous urban Brahmin men whether as com- of relentless discrimination. dians to address, simultaneously, the beauty
tion well before the CBSE governing body formally resistance, that all his family members and posers, singers, musicians, accompanists or Krishna, constantly aware of and critical and the horror of caste. My journey began
announced it. The logic, however, is flawed. Uni- associates, regardless of caste, class and listeners in Chennai and other artistic cap- about his own birth, training, conditioning from the question of beauty, Krishna said.
formity militates against creative educational gender, clean toilets themselves. An Act of itals of southern India. He has been arguing and privilege, has been advocating strenu- What is beauty? For a moment this seems
methods, and a test that is no more than a strait- Parliament in 1993 oicially banned the em- that what is now considered Carnatic clas- ously that Carnatic music de-Brahminise like a strange way to begin thinking about the
jacket crushes the initiative of teacher and student. ployment of manual scavengers and the con- sical music and what is now called Bharatan- itself, undertake some social re-engineer- cultural politics of Carnatic music, or indeed
The CBSE would, therefore, do well to avoid homo- struction of dry latrines. And yet it continues atyam classical dance were both originally ing as an act of self-purification to render it- any other art form, but it turns out to be an
genisation, and retain suicient scope for true today, perpetuating the most extreme forms the provenance of women, especially temple self less unequal and more inclusive. The arts enormously productive line of inquiry. As
learning. This can be done by giving the CCE sys- of indignity and oppression, causing disease dancers and courtesans, and of non-Brahmin are after all a microcosm of society, reflecting Wilson points out, an equal society is the
and death, reducing life expectancy, and holding communities like the Isai Vellalars. and even amplifying its inequalities. Wilson most beautiful thing that human beings could
tem which the Board calls a balance between in-
making the occupation of thousands of In- These groups were sidelined and their art meanwhile states unequivocally that if the make.
cessant tests and a single annual assessment dian citizens a living hell. forms taken over by socially dominant Brah- Constitution guarantees the self-respect of Why cant scientists, planners and bureau-
equal weightage, even if all students take a Board Wilson has been campaigning to put an min practitioners and patrons, who cleansed Dalits, then an abhorrent demeaning prac- crats come up with a way to end forever the
examination for Class X. As the CBSE puts it, over- scourge of manual scavenging, Wilson de-
dependence on a single examination deprives the mands, not just a moral and political alternat-
learner of motivation and opportunities for reflec- CARTOONSCAPE ive but a technological and policy solution?
tion on his or her work. It also does not find favour Krishnas path has been more challenging to
with the National Curriculum Framework 2005 interpret as a radical move in the politics of
that emphasised greater flexibility for teachers to aesthetics. In systematically educating him-
decide on how to train students in concepts and self and us about the actual historical origins
and forgotten trajectories of Carnatic music;
help them learn at their own pace. What India in abandoning the highest prosceniums for
needs is a school-level assessment method to unexplored spaces and unexpected audi-
identify actual learning that would remove barriers ences; in opening himself to the sounds and
to students freely migrating across State boards. rhythms of every kind of community popu-
lating the hum and hubbub of India; in learn-
ing to listen and unlearning how he was
Well spun taught to sing, he has indisputably trans-
formed himself as an artiste.
Articulate to a fault, Krishna reflects,
by Ashwin writes, lectures and teaches continuously
about what he is doing. But even if he were

R
not to talk about it explicitly, any sensitive
Ashwin has never been one to hide his listener can hear in Krishnas voice as it con-
ambition. When his international career tinues to evolve, over the past couple of years
was still young, Ashwin said in an inter- especially, a note of compassion, empathy
view that he wanted to dominate the and sweetness that deepens immeasurably
game. There was no hint of braggadocio, just an un- the musical experience for singer and audi-
nerving earnestness. On Thursday, the realisation ence alike. This is not just amazing virtuosity,
of this dream was formally recognised. Ashwin be- which he has had from the very beginning. It
came the first spinner to win crickets biggest indi- is, rather, the sound of virtue itself, the pro-
vidual prize, the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, since foundly moving melody of an ethical music.
Is there only sufering for the Dalit con-
the award was instituted 12 years ago. He is just the
demned to manual scavenging, Wilson was
third bowler, after Dale Steyn and Mitchell John- asked. The fight for justice is itself the
son, to be named ICC Cricketer of the Year. He was greatest happiness, he answered.
also adjudged Test Cricketer of the Year, only the
second Indian after Rahul Dravid to sweep both Ananya Vajpeyi is a Fellow at the Centre for the Study of
awards. Indeed, the voting period September 14, Developing Societies, New Delhi.

2015 to September 20, 2016 does not fully de-


scribe his phenomenal ascent to the top. In that
time, he took 48 wickets at 15.39 and made 336 runs
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
at 42 from eight Tests. He has added another 55 Letters emailed to letters@thehindu.co.in must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.
wickets (24.12) and 377 runs (37.70) in the eight
Tests since. His influence was not limited to one that the governments decisions and needs the political will to unearth all demonetisation, unscrupulous population of illiterate adults at 287
format; in the voting period, Ashwin had 27 T20I Demonetisation saga
actions have caused. What stand this. When the government is aware elements in the banking system have million, amounting to 37 per cent of
wickets in 19 games. By any measure, Ashwin One of the reasons given by the exposed are the frivolous pledges of of all these sources of ill-gotten emerged as the main culprits in the global total (UN report, 2014),
stands alone, an extraordinary comeback after be- government in defence of Rs.15 lakh per family from black wealth, why have demonetisation? ruining what could have been a who cannot be wished away.
ing dropped for the Adelaide Test in early 2015. demonetisation was curbing black money retrieved from abroad and Such searches could have been smooth transition to a cashless Thomas Kaye,
Ashwins success has been instrumental in India money. Within 45 days of the ban, less government, more carried out in normal times as well. economy into a rocky ride. Hoarders Kochi
becoming the premier Test side this year. There has income tax raids across the country governance. Even during the In reality, it is the common man who of black money in collusion with
been a perceptible change in culture and intent. have unearthed black/unaccounted Emergency, the common mans life is being put to hardship. these elements have successfully
money, in old as well as new notes. was not controlled as much as it is converted black money into white, Manipur blockade
Virat Kohli announced it when he acknowledged A.G. Rajmohan,
Bureaucrats, traders and barons today. Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh while it has been a struggle for the Manipur is another State which has
that bowlers were the bosses in Test cricket. He
have been caught with a huge cache M. Balakrishnan, ordinary citizen to draw even a few not known what normal life is ever
has backed it up, leading the batting group in shap- of banknotes, gold and jewellery. Bengaluru In my opinion, one cannot fault the hundreds of his hard-earned money since the imposition of AFSPA, 1958
ing contests and empowering his bowlers to win Thus demonetisation has failed in its idea behind demonetisation. There for his basic needs. This brazen (Editorial Ending the Manipur
them. There was a minor storm on social media avowed objective while hurting the Long used to operating in a top- is support for the move, seen in the betrayal on the part of a few rotten blockade, Dec.22). In spite of half-
when Kohli did not make the ICCs Test Team of the common man due to the acute down instruction mode, the RBI uncomplaining masses queuing up apples is fast eroding the faith most hearted attempts by the Centre to
Year. But his exclusion was easily explained: his shortage of cash. Very few ATMs are now finds itself completely out of its before banks and ATMs even when of us have in our banking system. present political solutions to the
magnificent run with the bat did not coincide com- in operation; those which work depth. This explains why there have they find their wait has been to no This episode is a black mark. conflict between the Kukis, the
pletely with the voting period. He certainly stepped dispense only Rs.2,000 notes only been nearly 60 circulars since purpose most of the time. If the A. Bhavana Praveen, Nagas and the Meiteis apart from
up a level against England, lifting his career average one in a day per card. With November 8 on how to handle the government wants to stem the rot, Somwarpet, Kodagu, Karnataka populist measures by the Ibobi
from the mid-40s to the high-water mark of 50. The inadequate preparations after the demonetisation process. The central the traitors some bank staf and Singh government, there is no
note ban and with numerous flip- bank abdicated its role and let the politicians who have taken Will demonetisation, that started backbone in any of the measures.
context in which the runs came was more impress- flops on various issues concerning Finance Ministry occupy the driving advantage of the situation should with a bang, end in a whimper soon? Corruption has eaten away at the
ive than the volume: every time a game needed old currency, the credibility of the seat. be punished with rigorous jail terms, Otherwise, why does one have moral right of the States political
seizing or settling, Kohli attended to it. Teams tend government and the Reserve Bank of The other thing is that in India there confiscation of assets and removal changed guidelines every second leaders to work towards a solution.
to form themselves in the image of their captains India has taken a beating (Editorial has been a long tradition of imposing from all positions of authority day? The mantra being chanted is The Centres response to a crisis is
so, perhaps, it was not entirely surprising that India A little gain after more pain, a regulation and then leaving a small forthwith without consideration. If one of a cashless economy and a usually knee-jerk, till the next crisis
found a hero equal to nearly any task. The experi- Dec.23). window of opportunity open. the government fails this time, the digital India, where cash is dirt and flares up. There is no political will to
enced cricketers pulled their weight. Those of D.B.N. Murthy, Srinivas Kamat, BJPs standing will be severely cashless clean. But cash is financial sort out Manipurs problems, so
more recent vintage K.L. Rahul, Jayant Yadav and Bengaluru Alto Santa Cruz, Goa eroded. It might be better to go slow autonomy, a bird in the hand. Even people continue to migrate to Delhi,
Karun Nair appeared to make the transition on cashless transactions till such developed countries such as Mumbai and Bengaluru. Reports of
One myth the demonetisation saga It is clear that the government is time as a foolproof system is Germany and the U.S. still have child traicking, prostitution by
without missing a beat. The side had to deal with in-
has busted is about the Prime taking more pains to prove that the evolved. There are not so many transactions in cash. With poor poverty-stricken women, drug
juries, which did not permit a settled playing el- Minister being a fabled organiser process adopted in demonetisation computer-literate Indians who will literacy, connectivity and addiction and alcoholism are on the
even. But the momentum was unafected. India will and implementer. The governments is perfect and matches the big task of be able to detect fraud. networking in villages, and an rise. These are the side efects of a
face stifer challenges, especially overseas, as it judgment on policy is now open to unearthing black money. There must P. Balagopalan, inadequate density of banking in dysfunctional society left on the
seeks to build a legacy as a world-beater. For now, question. It is clear that the RBI is be many more such oicials and Palakkad villages, is it feasible to fully margins of Indian politics.
2016 has been a good launch pad. the governments handmaiden and political bigwigs who have such embrace going cashless? The Nenem Misao,
has been forced to face all the flak unaccounted-for wealth. It just In these trying times of country has the worlds largest New Delhi
CM ND-ND
YK
10 | - 1ias.com - WEEKEND THE HINDU SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2016
NOIDA/DELHI

BEING
DR HUMERUS FOOD FORTIFICATION

Getting right, the nutrient spike


Keshav

The FSSAIs move on food fortification comes in the wake of concerns of over-fortification
JACOB KOSHY According to the proposed can, over time, lead to liver damage,
skeletal abnormalities, peeling skin,

I
n October, Indias Food Safety regulation, the target brittle nails and hair loss. In older
and Standards Authority of foods to be fortified also adults, high vitamin A intake has
India (FSSAI), a Union been linked to hip fractures. Taking
Health Ministry body, took a
include rice, maida, too much vitamin A during preg-
decisive step towards tack- vanaspati and atta nancy can result in developmental
ling Indias malnutrition crisis. It abnormalities in the foetus. High
made public a draft Food Safety and FSSAI, told The Hindu that the op- zinc intake can impair copper ab-
Standards (Fortification of Foods) tion was always open. Benefits sorption and negatively afect red
AROUND THE WORLD Regulations 2016 that specifies that
all fortified food, manufactured,
apart, FSSAIs move comes in the
wake of concerns of over-fortifica-
and white blood cells and immune
function. Niacin is less toxic than
Block protein, packed, labelled, handled, distrib- tion of food. vitamin A and zinc, but consuming
tackle HIV uted and sold, whether for profit or too much can cause short-term
under a Government-funded pro- Concerns about too much symptoms such as rash, nausea and
In a finding they call gramme, ought to adhere to a min- The U.S.-based Non profit Envir- vomiting.
counter-intuitive, a imum set of standards. onmental Working Groups review
team of researchers of fortified foods currently on the Issue of implementation
in the U.S. suggests Need for standards market found that young children However, Mr. Agarwal emphas-
that blocking a PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Salt-makers adding iodine to are at risk of consuming too much ised that over-fortification
protein, considered their ware and claiming it as forti- of three nutrients vitamin A, zinc wouldnt be a problem in India. The
crucial to initiating the immune response against fied, would have to ensure that no and niacin. permissible range of nutrients that
viral infections, may actually help combat HIV. less than 30 parts per million (ppm) In their analysis published in were allowed to be added are well
Findings from an animal study that appear in the of iodine ought to be present when 2014, the group warned that forti- below the bodys maximum toler-
Journal of Clinical Investigation appear to manufactured. Also, the iron con- fied breakfast cereals were a key able limits. So even if a person
demonstrate that temporarily blocking a type of tent of salt ought to be 850-1100 source of excessive intake because were to eat just over-fortified food
protein, called type I interferon, can restore immune THE RIGHT SHAKTI: The time is ripe for introducing fortification norms in
ppm. Similar standards are spe- India. PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT all three nutrients are added to for- all day, it would still be below the re-
function and speed up viral suppression during cified for vegetable oil and milk to tified foods in amounts calculated quired dietary allowance (or the
treatment with anti-viral drugs for people with be fortified with vitamin A or vit- to vitamin and mineral deficien- enriched in diferent combina- for adults, not children. Pregnant minimum amount of a nutrient that
chronic infection of the virus that causes AIDS. HIV amin D. Moreover, every package of cies; 48 per cent of children under tions by iron, iodine, zinc, vit- women and older adults may also a person requires), he says, so we
cripples the immune system by destroying immune food, fortified with iron needs to the age of five are stunted, 43 per amin A, vitamin D, folic acid (vit- be consuming too much vitamin A dont foresee a problem with that.
cells called CD4 T cells, which are activated during state that it is is not recommended cent are underweight, 20 per cent amin B9), thiamine (vitamin B1), from other fortified foods, such as However, he has concerns about
early HIV infection by type I interferon. CD4 T cells for people with thalassemia and are wasted, and more than 1 in 4 in- riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vit- snack bars. Vitamin A, zinc, and implementation. The top 10 to 12
are also known as helper cells because they signal people on low iron diet. fants are born with a low amin B3), pyridoxine (vitamin B6) niacin are all necessary for health, manufacturers of processed food
another type of T cell, the CD8, to destroy HIV- The time is ripe for introducing birth-weight. and cobalamin (vitamin B12). but excessive doses can cause toxic may be able to comply with the re-
infected cells. The researchers idea is to block type I fortification norms in India. The According to the proposed regu- So far there is no requirement symptoms. quirement but cottage industries or
interferon to reduce chronic activation of the World Banks Nutrition at a lation, the target foods to be forti- that certain foods undergo mandat- According to their investigation, smaller manufacturers may be
immune cells which could give the exhausted CD8 T Glance research report states that fied also include rice, maida, vanas- ory fortification, but Pawan Kumar routinely ingesting too much vit- hard-pressed.
cells the opportunity to restore their abilities to India loses over $12 billion in GDP pati and atta, which would be Agarwal, Chief Executive Oicer, amin A from liver-supplements jacob.koshy@thehindu.co.in
fighting strength. Combine that with antiretroviral
therapy and it may be possible to both restore
immune function and eradicate HIV throughout the
body Eurekalert PERSPECTIVE
A thumbs up
Season for heart
attacks explained
Mapping disease
Researchers at the
University of
with big data
Melbourne have

PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT


found that an
increase in heart
O utbreaks of infectious
diseases threaten
lives, our health and the
attacks around the economy. In a world
festive period may be due to more difficult access to where people make
hospitals, combined with stress, an excess of multiple contacts at work,
alcohol and a fatty diet. They analysed 25 years of home or in leisure
death records of heart attacks between Christmas activities, live in close-
and the first week of January, during summer in the built environments, and PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

southern hemisphere. The research, published in the where travel is frequent,


outbreaks arise and spread did not report cases of
Journal of the American Heart Association, revealed chikungunya in
a 4.2 per cent increase in heart-related deaths rapidly. Recent multi-
country viral outbreaks September 2016 in Delhi.
occurring out of hospital during the Christmas A diferent parallel
period in New Zealand. Eurekalert such as Ebola and Severe
Acute Respiratory system for infectious
Syndrome (SARS) disease surveillance has
claimed thousands of lives come from the National
Social networking and cost billions of Polio Surveillance Project
dollars. (NPSP) which built a
can set off reporting system for
When diseases are
depression predictable, theoretically, 40,000 reporting points.
health systems can be However, between the
Compared with the IDSP and the NPSP, the
total time spent on MEDICINES HIGH-FIVE MOMENT: This handout picture released on December 22 by the Wroclaw Medical University designed to manage them.
In India, this does not diferences in focus and in
social media, the Hospital in Poland shows surgeons at the hospital attaching a hand from a deceased donor to a man born without methods even in diseases
use of multiple happen because hospital
PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT one. The operation could open up new possibilities to hundreds of people in the world born without members and bed occupancy is high; but that overlap between the
platforms is more whose only option to date to overcome this handicap has been prostheses. PHOTO: AFP/WROCLAW UNIVERSITY two programmes lead to
strongly associated with depression and anxiety planning ensures supplies
and drugs. discrepant data which can
among young adults, the University of Pittsburgh be challenging to address.
But in a public health-
Center for Research on Media, Technology and
care system that is already
Health (CRMTH), U.S., has found in a national MEDICAL JOURNAL REVIEW stretched, when new
Using data
survey. The analysis, published in the journal There has been a great

Sweetening sugars bitter truth


diseases emerge
Computers in Human Behavior, showed that people interest in using data that
recognition and response
who report using seven to 11 social media platforms is gathered incidentally to
had more than three times the risk of depression recognise outbreaks early
and anxiety than their peers who use zero to two or predict the potential for
platforms, even after adjusting for the total time
A food industry study tries to discredit advice by health groups about sugar Gagandeep outbreaks. For example,
Kang Google Flu Trends
spent on social media overall. The questionnaires
asked about the 11 most popular social media
platforms at the time: Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, A prominent medical journal on
Monday published a scathing at-
tack on global health advice to eat less
bathwater by dismissing the conclu-
sion that sugar guidelines should be
developed with greater rigour. He are slow and frequently
launched in 2008,
aggregated Google search
queries to provide
Google Plus, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, Tumblr, inadequate in the early estimates of influenza
Pinterest, Vine and LinkedIn. University of sugar. Warnings to cut sugar, the study also emphasised that he was not sug-
argued, are based on weak evidence gesting that people eat more sugar. stages of the outbreak. trends in 25 countries.
Pittsburgh Once the outbreak has When it was initially
and cant be trusted. The review article, he said, questions
spread and is more widely compared to the tracking
But the review, published in The specific recommendations about
recognised (especially if systems at the U.S.s
Annals of Internal Medicine, quickly sugar, but should not be used to jus- there is political pressure),
The flip side is... Centers for Disease
elicited sharp criticism from public tify higher intake of sugary foods and all available resources are Control and Prevention
diabetes health experts because the authors beverages. brought to bear on the (CDC), it predicted the
have ties to the food and sugar The industry-funded review comes outbreak. This results in a influenza season two
Making muscles industries. WHO directive
burn more fat and as health authorities around the world gross disruption of weeks before CDC.
The review was paid for by the In- are increasingly taking steps to curb The industry-funded review comes services available for However, it failed to
less glucose can ternational Life Sciences Institute, a as health authorities around the world
the amount of sugar people routine health care, predict the 2013 flu season
increase exercise scientific group based in Washington are increasingly taking steps to curb resulting in unrecognised
consume. PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT and was halted in 2015.
PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
endurance, but DC, that is funded by multinational the amount of sugar people consume. damage that can impact Analysis showed how big
could food and agrochemical companies in- and sweetened cereals. The paper, Last year, WHO said adults and chil- the structure of the system data analytics requires
simultaneously cause diabetes. Mouse muscles use cluding Coca-Cola, General Mills, they say, is reminiscent of tactics once dren should restrict their intake of and delivery of health care caution and a changing of
glucose (carbohydrate) as fuel when the animals are Hersheys, Kelloggs, Kraft Foods and used by the tobacco industry, which, sugar from most foods other than well beyond the outbreak. algorithms over time.
awake and active and switch to fat (lipid) when they Monsanto. for decades, enlisted scientists to be- fruit, vegetables and milk to 10 per Nonetheless, the use of
are asleep. Researchers discovered that disrupting come merchants of doubt about the cent of their daily calories. WHO said Hits and misses collated data sources for
this natural cycle may lead to diabetes but, Mirrors tobacco industrys tactics health hazards of smoking. it relied on the latest scientific evid- Recognising the insights for public good is
surprisingly, can also enhance exercise endurance. Critics say the medical journal re- This comes right out of the to- ence, which showed that adults and importance of a key challenge that needs
The switch is controlled by a molecule called surveillance, the Ministry to be overcome to build
view is the latest in a series of eforts bacco industrys playbook: cast doubt children consuming a lot of sugar
histone deacetylase 3, or HDAC3. This finding opens of Health and Family rapidly responsive
by the food industry to shape global on the science, says Dr. Marion were more likely to gain weight or be- Welfare set up an
the possibility of selecting the right time to exercise collaborations between
nutrition advice by supporting prom- Nestle, a professor of nutrition, food come obese. Integrated Disease
for losing body fat but also raises the concern of industry, governments and
inent academics who question the studies and public health at New York In the United States, the Food and Surveillance Programme academia, that share data
using HDAC inhibitors as doping drugs for role of junk food and sugary drinks in University who studies conflicts of in- Drug Administration has promised
endurance exercise. The study appears in Nature (IDSP) at the National while protecting
terest in nutrition research. This is a new labelling rules that require food Centre for Disease individual privacy.
Medicine. Eurekalert classic example of how industry fund- companies to disclose added sugars. Control that uses district The velocity, variety
ANAHAD ing biases opinion. Its shameful. Recently, six local governments ap- and State-level systems to and volume of big data
OCONNOR proved taxes on soft drinks. And in report weekly on defined by time and
The defence Britain, the health agency, Public outbreaks of disease location are a resource
But the scientists behind the paper Health England, called for strict limits across India. Eforts have
DEMYSTIFYING SCIENCE causing obesity, Type 2 diabetes and said more scrutiny of sugar guidelines on daily sugar intake. been invested in building
that is currently
underutilised in India
What is the Western Pacific Biotwang? other health problems. was needed. The researchers re- The Annals review gave poor rat- the system and trying to because we have not yet
A report in September showed that viewed guidelines issued by the WHO ings to all the sugar guidelines it eval- increase its capacity to built the systems for
It is the name of a newly discovered whale call. those eforts began in the 1960s when and eight other agencies around the uated, saying the quality of the evid- generate actionable data. collaborations for the
The sound, which ranges from a low moan to a the sugar industry paid scientists to world and said the case against sugar ence they were based on was low to But even years after analysis and the inference
screechy metallic tone, has puzzled researchers cast doubt on the link between sugar was based on low-quality evidence. very low. It said that the guidelines initiation, the bulk of we need for public health.
ever since it was first recorded in 2014. This and heart disease and promote satur- The conclusion of our paper is a were generally not transparent about surveillance reports In fact, chikungunya in
continue to be syndromic, Delhi was picked up by
week, scientists have proved that it belongs to a ated fat as the culprit instead. More re- very simple one, says Bradley C. how the recommendations were
with less than a third of PromedMail and
species called the minke whale. Oceanographers cently, The New York Times found Johnston, a professor of clinical epi- reached, and that most of them failed outbreaks laboratory HealthMap, an online
from Cornell and Oregon State Universities, U.S., that Coca-Cola had been funding sci- demiology at the University of to include disclosures about potential confirmed. aggregation system.
figured this out via passive acoustic ocean entists who played down the connec- Toronto and McMaster University conflicts of interest among their Although 40 to 50 Planning for the use of
gliders (autonomous vehicles that monitor tion between sugary drinks and and the lead author of the new paper. authors. outbreaks are reported such networks should be a
underwater sounds) near the Marina Trench of obesity. We hope that the results from this re- Dr. Christine Laine, editor-in-chief each week, the most key strategy in our plans
the Pacific Ocean. The call lasts 2.5 to 3.5 Some experts said the Annals re- view can be used to promote improve- of The Annals of Internal Medicine, common outbreak reports whether it is for infectious
seconds and ranges in frequency from 38 to view appeared to be an attempt by the ment in the development of trust- defended the journals decision to are of diarrhoeal disease disease outbreaks or other
8,000 hertz (cycles per second). The Minke industry to undermine sugar worthy guidelines on sugar intake. publish the industry-funded review. and food poisoning. Media emergency situations.
whale is the smallest species of baleen whale, guidelines from the World Health Or- Dr. Johnston says he recognised She said in an interview that the scanning and analysis are
a part of the tracking Gagandeep Kang is Executive
which gets its food by filtering krill and small fish ganization (WHO) and other health that his paper would be criticised be- journal made decisions based on the Director, Translational Health
from the water through baleen plates in its groups that urge children and adults cause of its ties to industry funding. quality of the research, not the source system, but there are Science and Technology Institute,
mouth. to consume fewer products with ad- But he said he hoped people would of funding. New York Times News lacunae because the IDSP Faridabad, Haryana.
ded sugar such as soft drinks, candy not throw the baby out with the Service
CM ND-ND
YK
10 | - 1ias.com - EDITORIAL THE HINDU MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2016
NOIDA/DELHI

A grim outlook for Europe


The world faces the prospect of increased terrorist activity in multiple regions, especially in Europe.
Intensified surveillance of suspected groups or individuals can help only a little
cence between rebels there and terror nerability. German agencies first suspected
M O N D AY , D E C E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 6 groups in at least three countries, viz.,Tur- the involvement of a Pakistani immigrant
R.K. RAGHAVAN key, Syria and Iraq. Not that there is no exist- who was seen at the scene by a local resident.
ing active collaboration between Chechen In quick time they realised that they were on
elements and jihadist forces in West Asia. the wrong track and released him. The re-
A goods and The assassination of the Russian Ambas-
There are several reports that point to a size-
able number of Chechens fighting from
covery of a few identification documents
from the truck that was driven into shoppers

services tangle sador to Turkey by a lone gunman at an ex-


hibition, in Ankara in Turkey last week, is
clear evidence of the enlarging contours of
within IS ranks. It may be recalled that an at-
tack by armed Chechens on a theatre in
Dubrovka in Moscow, back in 2002, had res-
in the market led to a chase to apprehend a
Tunisian national, Anis Amri, who had ar-
rived in Europe a few years ago seeking

S
oon after the seventh meeting of the Goods terrorism. Turkey is no longer a merely ulted in 170 casualties. asylum. Amri was then traced in northern
and Services Tax Council last week, Fin- troubled country. Its geography and An equally endangered personality is Ger- Milan and shot dead by the Italian police.
ance Minister Arun Jaitley said only one dif- chequered history make it a potentially very man Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is fa- There is information that he could have had
grave theatre of conflict. The perpetrator, cing what is billed to be a tough general elec- links with virulent Salafist circles, especially
ficult issue remains pending to enable the
who was later shot dead by security forces, tion to decide whether she will get a fourth Abu Walaa, a known Iraqi-preacher based in
implementation of the new indirect tax regime. was a policeman said to have jihadist links. It term. Her decision to allow in a million Hildesheim in Germany. It is alleged that
The Centre is determined to introduce the GST is naive to dismiss the Ambassadors killing refugees from West Asia has already led to Walaa had recruited some youths to the IS.
from April 1, 2017, and given the time constraints as a mere act in reprisal for Russias direct in- strong protests from the extreme right in the Walaa was once detained briefly by the Ger-
posed by that deadline, Mr. Jaitley expressed hope volvement in the Syrian ofensive against its country, which is linking the recent Berlin man police and then let of for lack of
that States would rise to the occasion and help re- rebels. It is far more than that. The attack re- terror attack to her benevolence in providing evidence.
solve the issue. It can be safely assumed he was re- flects growing exasperation by a wide spec- sanctuary to far too many refugees. If she has
ferring to the turf battle between the Centre and trum of forces in West Asia at gross external There will now be more pressure to win the nations mandate one more time, Psychology of terror
States on sharing administrative powers over tax- interference. Therefore, the daring murder on law enforcement to produce she may have to be seen as acting tough, Amris profile is interesting. The 24-year-
payers in the new system, even if this is not the only cannot be viewed in isolation and has to be results even if it means using which could again be easily distorted as tar- old Tunisian was born in the central
necessarily linked to the overall problem of geting Islam. If she acts excessively tough in Tunisian town of Oueslatia, in one of the
hurdle left to cross. This was the first time the terrorism across the globe. methods which may not exactly the process of proving her credentials as a countrys poorest regions, and dropped out
Council met after the washed-out winter session of pass the test of law or ethics German nationalist, there could be a series from school early. His failure to secure de-
Parliament, with no movement on four enabling Eyes on Russia of terror forays into the country. cent employment influenced him to sneak
GST legislations. Over two days last week, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan killed 12 and injured many more, and yet an- The IS has claimed responsibility for the into Europe. He was under German police
Council managed to clear the current drafts of the is on the horns of a dilemma: whether to go other attack by a lone shooter on a Muslim Berlin incident, but some analysts do not watch while awaiting deportation to his
Centre and State GST Bills and agreed on a two- the whole hog and align himself with the ex- prayer hall in the Swiss city of Zurich in give credence to this. It has been seen in the home country. Thereafter he went of the
monthly compensation payout to States, instead of tremist elements propping up the jihadist which some people were injured almost past year that whenever a terrorist act is re- radar to commit his dastardly crime in Ber-
a quarterly one, for revenue losses they might incur cause in order to broaden his eroding sup- simultaneous to the Ankara incident ported from any part of the globe, near or re- lin. His family back home refuse to believe
after the switch. The trickiest tangle of cross em- port base in the country, or still pretend to be strengthen the impression that lone wolf at- mote, the IS has been quick to take credit. that he had such a fanatical streak. This is the
moderate for the sake of conserving his fra- tacks have become the order of the day. That Alongside this phenomenon, we are aware pattern seen in many past instances across
powerment or dual administrative control will now
gile ties with the West. He seems embar- jihadi groups prefer this modus operandi is that since losing its strongholds in Syria and the globe. The immediate kith and kin of a
be taken up in the first week of 2017, along with the rassed and weighed down by the dynamics logical if one reckons that it is swift and ei- Iraq, the IS is under immense pressure to perpetrator of terror hardly vouch for an in-
model integrated GST Bill and the legalese around of a fast-evolving situation. Knowing as we cient, requiring few other resources or any look outward and make its presence felt doctrinated mind, confirming that indoc-
compensation payments to States. do of Russian President Vladimir Putins concerted or elaborate preparation. Europe through spectacular actions. The relatively trination is an invisible and subtle process
Even though an April 1 roll-out now looks in- petulance and panache for high-handedness, is possibly going to bear the brunt of future freely available ingress into Europe of cadres diicult to detect even by the members of a
creasingly unlikely, the Councils next meeting is he may not be expected to take the killing of savagery that could energise a wide spec- escaping from West Asia especially the well-knit family. It is equally true that where
critical to enable the GST laws to make it to the his envoy lying down. What form his re- trum of forces, such as al-Qaeda, the Islamic liberal admittance to Germany combined an individual is reported by his day-to-day
Budget session of Parliament. States have mooted a sponse will take is anybodys guess. With Mr. State (IS) and a host of fringe outfits which with the absence of internal borders, a major contacts, such as neighbours or colleagues at
July 1 start for the GST regime, and that date could Putin showing no signs of reneging on his are smarting under growing restrictions of loophole of the Schengen agreement, facilit- an oice, for displaying abnormality, the po-
be pushed as far as September 16, 2017, following pledge to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, governments in the continent on religious ate indoctrinated elements arriving in the lice find little evidence that will attract the
whatever more the Russian leader does will symbols such as the hijab and the hood. continent to resort to terror after an initial attention of the law. The hard truth is that
which all existing indirect taxes will lapse. Since it further muddy the waters. He has already survey of the land and hiding behind the one can scan the physical body of a suspec-
is a transaction tax, the GST can technically be star- imposed a team of a Russian investigators, Political fallout cover of some trade or the other. The fact ted terrorist, but you cannot unravel his
ted any time of the year. Although that would be an and this might cause some resentment Two leaders in particular are going to face that apart from the recent attack on one of mind to frustrate his evil designs. This is the
accounting headache for firms, industry may be within the Turkish police. the heat, with its own consequences to the Berlins Christmas markets there have been travesty that marks the world of terrorism in
better of with the extra time to prepare for the new Another attack, which saw a man drive a nations they lead. Mr. Putin, who already has at least six previous instances of terror in the present day.
order. Between now and then, the Centres self-im- speeding tractor-trailer through crowds of a dubious record in Chechnya, may have to Germany over the course of a year makes
posed 50-day deadline for reducing the pain caused shoppers at a market in central Berlin, which face the impact of a dangerous, direct coales- sense that the latter country has a high vul- The response
by the demonetisation of high-value currency In more substantive terms, recent attacks
notes would have passed too. States may harden CARTOONSCAPE make law enforcement oicials believe that
terror groups have altered their tactics.
their stance on GST negotiations if the remonetisa-
Apart from encouraging individual sym-
tion process hasnt picked up by December 30. The pathisers to act spontaneously on their own,
Centre has so far brushed aside demands from the groups seem to have endorsed the
Tamil Nadu and West Bengal for additional com- modus operandi of using a motor vehicle to
pensation to make good the revenue losses drive into crowds in order to create all round
triggered by the slump in demand in the ongoing panic and cause as many casualties as pos-
currency crisis. But even BJP allies have begun to sible. We saw this in Nice in July when an
raise concerns. It is unlikely to be a coincidence armed man who owed allegiance to al-Qaeda
that soon after the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister drove a truck through a crowd that had
spoke out about the implementation of the demon- gathered to watch Bastille Day celebrations
in Nice. The explanation of some security
etisation exercise, his representative in the GST experts to this novel form of violence is that
Council said the State would not accept the levy of a this kind of attack is easier in terms of logist-
cess by the Centre in order to reimburse States. The ics and efortlessly evades the police eye. No
Centre may need to rise to the occasion as much as great preparation is required. You need only
States do to steer the GST regime forward. to hire a truck on payment by presenting
false identification. This is an eye-opener
that has to be kept in mind while organising

Indictment security arrangements on important na-


tional celebration days.
In sum, we face the prospect of increased
by abstention terrorist activity in multiple regions of the
world, and especially in Europe. Intensified
electronic and physical surveillance of sus-

I
n what is yet another diplomatic blow for the pected groups or individuals can help only a
two-state principle, the UN Security Council, little. Therefore, there will be more pressure
on Friday, passed a resolution with a 14-0 ma- on law enforcement to somehow produce
jority urging Israel to halt its illegal settle- quick results even if it means using methods
ments programme in the occupied Palestinian ter- which may not exactly pass the test of law or
ritories. The vote is notable as Israels pre-eminent ethics. This is as fundamental an analysis as
backer, the United States, chose to abstain. By doing is possible in a terror-stricken world.
so, the Barack Obama administration bucked its
R.K. Raghavan is a former CBI Director.
earlier record of vetoing a similar resolution in 2011.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump was prompt in
promising a diferent response once his tenure LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
commences on January 20. He had sought to work
behind the back of Mr. Obama in trying to scuttle Letters emailed to letters@thehindu.co.in must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.
this resolution by reaching out to Egypt, which ori-
ginally drafted it but backed down from its nomina- Despicable practice which do not have a place in a Illiteracy is the primary culprit becoming a a part of co-curricular Class X Board examination
tion due to intense pressure. But it will be diicult modern India. behind this grotesque social evil, as activities in many schools, the art compulsory from 2018 raises doubts
for the Trump administration to have this resolu- To read about an atrocity such as Sharha Firoz, are the paucity of primary health- has already become de- about the autonomy of the countrys
tion overturned, passed as it was without a veto. witch labelling and hunting still New Delhi care facilities, poverty and a lack of Brahminised. Nobody is ever premier educational body
That said, the resolution, by way of its adoption un- being practised in India sends awareness. The sustainable key to stopped from learning Carnatic (Editorial, Dec.24). The CBSEs
shivers down the spine (Ground There are large parts of rural India expunging the practice lies in music. credibility has taken a severe
der Chapter 6 of the UN Charter, is not binding and Zero page The witches of in the grip of violence and crime emancipation of tribal folk by beating as it tweaks its testing
comes only with recommendations. It therefore Surya Rajkumar,
Jharkhand, Dec.24). The State being perpetrated against those improving their basic amenities of Sonipat, Haryana methods evidently to suit the
does not afect the status quo in the occupied territ- administration has a huge role to who are marginalised. It is clear that health, livelihood, education and whims and fancies of the people in
ories. Even so, its unambiguous language stating play in preventing such inhumane there is an unchecked mob the like. the Ministry of Human Resource
that the settlements constitute a violation of inter- practices. Since people appear to be mentality, and the states weak Statue politics Development. The Continuous and
Anjali B.,
national law ofers hope for the Palestinians who losing their lives over issues such as institutional response is to blame. Thiruvananthapuram That political parties lock horns in Comprehensive Evaluation aims to
have filed a suit (that includes the construction of disease and even insuicient rains, There must be a social movement order to lay claim to the political destress students besides
settlements) against Israel in the International expeditious development activities to check the herd mentality besides and cultural legacy of historical promoting creativity. Over-
are imperative to prevent further eforts to foster a scientific temper. The musical connect icons and build their own partisan dependence on a single
Criminal Court.
victimisation. A portal where one Akhil Pandey, I completely stand with Bezwada narratives around their ideologies is examination robs the learner of
Israels reaction has been predictable. It has re-
can contribute solutions will be a New Delhi Wilson and T.M. Krishna in their not new (Nothing can stop Shivaji motivation and an opportunity to
fused to comply with the terms of the resolution. It good step forward and help contentions about freedom of memorial project: Fadnavis, reflect on his or her work. The
has repeatedly sought to create new facts on the bureaucrats. When India is moving towards a expression, nationalism and Dec.24). The Bharatiya Janata Party decision is a blow against
ground by continuing to build settlements, impos- Sahithya M.A., digital economy, inhumane and inequality (An equal music, a centred its politics around educational institutions pursuing
ing a blockade on Gaza, forcing international cen- New Delhi irrational practices are creating beautiful society, Dec.24). symbolism to appropriate the creative methods, which are now
sure to only keep apace with its latest violations. hurdles in the path towards However, I would like to react to legacy of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel blatantly downplayed in the name
This outrageous behaviour has been made possible Women in India continue to be the inclusive development. I think that some of the statements on Carnatic and projected a politically unsound of a uniform mode of testing.
by the unrelenting support provided by the U.S. in victims of age-old social evils there is need for awareness music. Carnatic music in the past thesis to convert its own prejudices D. Manohara Rao,
the past. While Mr. Obama has had a testy relation- shaped by unchallenged and set programmes through Anganwadis, was never a provenance of into principles disguised as the Visakhapatnam
ship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netan- gender roles. It is also quite ironic panchayats and NGOs. women. It was only because of Statue of Unity. Now, by laying
that when the nation is dreaming Diwakar Prasad Tiwari, singers such as M.S. Subbulakshmi the foundation stone for the Shiv An education system should not be
yahu, his administration continued to fund and arm about being cashless, digital and and M.L. Vasanthakumari that the Smarak, the Prime Minister has centred around one board and its
Bara, Satna, Madhya Pradesh
Israel despite, for example, the atrocities in Gaza. corruption-free, we have large realm of Carnatic music became seemingly conveyed a subliminal evaluation. For a long time now, this
The U.S. had also recently worked out a deal that segments who are still fighting for That such gory incidents are still open to women. Second, there is no message. But the costs of statue system has spoiled the creative
provides $38 billion in military aid over 10 years to the basic right to live. Illiteracy taking place in a country which is factual validity to the point that politics go beyond their unveiling space of a child by pushing him or
Israel, cementing long-established strategic ties. and a lack of general awareness are robustly discussing demonetisation Brahmins cleansed the music and ceremonies. In his address to the her to focus on only scoring high
Seen in this light, the administrations decision to at the core of such insane acts. and plastic money is one of lifes dance of their vernacular Constituent Assembly, B.R. marks. Continual evaluation is the
abstain in the most substantive resolution on Israeli Kanika Garg, bitter ironies. The revelation of character. This is evident as the Ambedkar cautioned against key to making a child aware of
settlements since 1980 is even more remarkable. It New Delhi what drives a group of men to evolution of Carnatic music dates following the path of devotion or diferent possibilities. Besides
is also a possible parting shot by the outgoing ad- commit such brutal acts is shocking back to the Vedic period and its hero-worship, regardless of how reducing stress, it enables a child to
It is sad that there are still large that women with social development became possible only great or tall the leader is. explore his talents. Going back to
ministration before the unambiguously partisan
parts of India where there are a awareness and who are bold enough because of the original work of Shreyans Jain, the same age-old system only for
Trump team takes charge. Either way, it is up to the forgotten few who experience the to rebel against injustice are singled Purandara Dasa and later the trinity the reason of ensuring similarity is
New Delhi
international community to take the cue and find dark side of life.It is obvious that out as witches to justify the of saints, Thyagaraja, Muthuswami no solution at all. The education
ways to check and censure Israels brazen rule- State legislation is inefective. killings. Action against such savage Dhikshitar and Syama Sastri. system has to evolve with the
breaking, and forge a fair solution for the Perhaps a beginning can be made by ofenders is a must. The Carnatic music art has also
An exam set to return overall development of a child.
Palestinians. making schoolchildren aware of N. Rajendran, seen several non-Brahmins. With The decision to make the Central Ashok B.B.,
outdated beliefs and superstitions Palakkad Carnatic music increasingly Board of Secondary Education Mysuru
CM ND-ND
YK
10 | - 1ias.com - EDITORIAL THE HINDU TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2016
NOIDA/DELHI

Time to repeal the FCRA


The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, is nothing more than a tool to keep errant civil society
organisations on a tight leash. An autonomous, self-regulatory agency for NGOs is the need of the hour
them from accepting money from foreign at political parties, the new law set the stage
T U E S D AY , D E C E M B E R 2 7 , 2 0 1 6 sources. for shifting the focus to organisations of a
G. SAMPATH Both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and political nature. The FCRA Rules, 2011,
the Congress were pulled up by the Delhi framed by the United Progressive Alliance
High Court in 2014 for violating the FCRA by government, has served the NDA well as a
Fire in In early November, the Union Ministry of
accepting contributions from the Indian sub-
sidiaries of the London-based multinational,
manual on how to target inconvenient NGOs,
especially those working on governance ac-

the sky Home Afairs rejected the licence renewal


applications, under the Foreign Contribution
(Regulation) Act, 2010 (FCRA), of 25 non-
Vedanta. It ordered the government and the
Election Commission to take action against
both the parties. To no ones surprise, the
countability. It helpfully enumerates the kind
of organisation that could be targeted under
the FCRA as an organisation of a political

T
he successful test-firing of the long-range governmental organisations (NGO). That BJP-led NDA government did not take action nature.
ballistic missile Agni-V for the fourth means these NGOs can no longer receive against the BJP. Nor did it do so against the The list is revealing: trade unions, stu-
time is a significant step towards building funds from foreign donors. Many of the af- Congress, which, as the leading Opposition dents unions, workers unions, youth for-
fected organisations were rights-based ad- party, did not think it appropriate to protest ums, womens wing of a political party, farm-
a credible nuclear deterrence. With this
vocacy groups, with some involved in human this flagrant flouting of a judicial directive. ers organisations, youth organisations based
test and the recent commissioning of the indigen- rights work. Instead, earlier this year, the government on caste, community, religion, language and
ously built nuclear submarine INS Arihant, India is The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) quietly introduced a clause in the Finance any organisation which habitually engages
inching towards creating a robust and world-class government has defended its action by Bill that amended the relevant section of the itself in or employs common methods of
second-strike capability. For a nation sworn to no- claiming that these organisations had viol- FCRA, 2010, so that what was hitherto a for- political action like bandh or hartal, rasta
first-use of nuclear weapons, a reliable second- ated FCRA norms by engaging in activities eign company now became an Indian com- roko, rail roko or jail bharo in support of
strike capability is an absolute necessity. In the detrimental to public interest. But its de- pany. This amendment was introduced with public causes.
worst-case scenario, the country should have the cision has drawn criticism from diferent retrospective efect a brazen attempt to le-
quarters. gitimise the FCRA violations of the two Institutionalising double standards
ability to withstand an enemy nuclear strike on its
key locations and launch a successful second strike. Civil society members have issued state- ILLUSTRATION: KESHAV parties. This amendment has also opened the Put simply, a political class that has no
ments condemning the move, charging the doors for all political parties to accept fund- qualms taking money from foreign sources,
Agni-V rose up from a canister mounted on a truck
stationed at Dr. Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha, and
government with abuse of legal proced- A political class that has no ing from foreign companies, so long as it is that amended the FCRA to let itself of the
ures. Opposition MPs from six political channelled through an Indian subsidiary. hook for past violations, that opened the
went up a few hundred kilometres before following parties have written to the Prime Minister qualms taking foreign money is It may be pertinent to point out here that it doors for all political parties to accept for-
a ballistic trajectory and splashing down near Aus- questioning the governments motives, and now anxious to prevent discerning was the Congress, under the stewardship of eign funding, that paved the way for Indian
tralian waters, some 20 minutes after the launch. termed it a decision motivated by the polit- civil society organisations from Manmohan Singh, that replaced the original businesses to access foreign capital, is now
This was the fourth test of the Agni-V missile, but ics of vendetta, victimisation and an efort to FCRA, 1976, with a more draconian version in anxious to prevent CSOs from accessing for-
the second from a canister mounted on a road mo- bully them into silence. The National Hu- accessing external funding 2010. But why the new law? To answer that eign funds because some of them question its
bile launcher. With the four tests, Agni-V is now man Rights Commission has issued a notice question, we need to consider the diferences policies in a democratic battle to protect con-
ready for induction into the Strategic Forces Com- to the Home Ministry, observing, Prima from accepting foreign contributions. As the between the two legislations. stitutional rights and entitlements.
facie it appears FCRA licence non-renewal is inclusion of cartoonists under its ambit sug- Last April, the UN Special Rapporteur on
mand, which already operates other Agni missiles The new FCRA
neither legal nor objective and thereby gests, the intent was to clamp down on polit- the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly
with a target range from 700 km to 4,000 km, be- impinging on the rights of the human rights ical dissent. Human rights activist Venkatesh Nayak and of Association undertook a legal analysis
sides Prithvi-II. defenders in access to funding, including for- The ostensible justification given for the draws attention to three changes that render of the FCRA, 2010. He submitted a note to the
However, despite the impressive strides made by eign funding. law was to curb foreign interference in do- the new Act more stringent than the old one. Indian government which stated unambigu-
the security establishment in developing nuclear Despite the censure, the NDA regime has mestic politics. This was the Cold War era, Firstly, FCRA registration under the earlier ously that the FCRA provisions and rules
weapons and delivery platforms, there is still a long shown no signs of relenting. This mass can- when both the Soviets and the Americans law was permanent, but under the new one, it are not in conformity with international law,
way to go before the nuclear triad is complete and cellation of FCRA licences is not the first meddled in the internal afairs of post-colo- expired after five years, and had to be re- principles and standards.
competent. Just a few days ago, the Nirbhay land at- time that the legislation has been used thus. nial nations to secure their strategic in- newed afresh. This instantly hands the state a The UN Special Rapporteurs argument
tack cruise missile meant to carry nuclear war- In 2015, the Home Ministry had cancelled the terests. Amid suspicions of the ubiquitous whip with which to bring errant organisa- was fairly straightforward. The right to free-
heads failed for the fourth time during a test. On FCRA licences of 10,000 organisations. foreign hand stoking domestic turbulence, tions to heel. dom of association is incorporated under the
Prominent international funding agency the FCRA was aimed at preventing political One may recall that earlier this year, 11,319 International Covenant on Civil and Political
December 21, it veered of its designated flight path Ford Foundation, the environmentalist group parties from accepting contributions from NGOs lost their FCRA licences without the Rights, to which India is a party. Access to re-
within a couple of minutes of launch, and it had to Greenpeace, and human rights advocacy foreign sources. government having to either examine their sources, particularly foreign funding, is part
be destroyed mid-air. There are several such gaps group Lawyers Collective have all been tar- As the years passed, India seemed to over- records or suspend their registrations indi- of the right to freedom of association. While
to be filled to ensure a foolproof nuclear triad. A gets of FCRA-linked curbs on their activity, come its suspicion of the foreign hand. It vidually their licences simply expired as this is not an absolute right and is subject to
credible second-strike capability should also be suggesting a larger pattern in the way the embraced foreign funding by opening up the the deadline for renewal passed. restrictions, those have to be precise, and
complemented by a modern, powerful military. state has used this law. economy in 1991. The Indian state had no Second, the new law put a restriction (50 defined in a way that would enable a CSO to
The Indian military is in crying need of modernisa- problem accepting contributions from for- per cent) on the proportion of foreign funds know in advance whether its activities could
tion across its three arms. The Air Force has a huge The origins of the FCRA eign donors such as the World Bank or the In- that could be used for administrative ex- reasonably be construed to be in violation of
shortage of fighters; the Navys submarine arm is The original Foreign Contribution (Regu- ternational Monetary Fund. With the state penses, thereby allowing the government to the Act.
lation) Act was enacted in 1976 by the Indira wooing foreign investment, Indian busi- control how a civil society organisation The report says that restrictions in the
far from meeting multiple challenges; and the
Gandhi-led government during the Emer- nesses, too, helped themselves to foreign (CSO) spends its money. name of public interest and economic in-
Army needs an array of new platforms. Most im- gency. It prohibits electoral candidates, polit- funds. And so did our political parties, des- The third and most important distinction terest as invoked under the FCRA rules fail
portantly, India also needs to consistently show- ical parties, judges, MPs and even cartoonists pite the FCRA, 1976, expressly prohibiting is that while the 1976 law was primarily aimed the test of legitimate restrictions. The
case itself as a responsible nuclear power, and not terms are too vague and give the state excess-
just through a no-first-strike policy. India has a ma- ive discretionary powers to apply the provi-
ture political and military leadership today. In a CARTOONSCAPE sion in an arbitrary manner. Besides, given
complex global strategic environment, where na- that the right to freedom of association is part
tions issue nuclear threats based on fake news and of the Universal Declaration of Human
global powers threaten to add to their already bulky Rights (article 20), a violation of this right
arsenal, it is important to be recognised as a re- also constitutes a human rights violation.
Does all this mean that the FCRA should be
sponsible democracy. repealed? If yes, how then do we monitor the
foreign funding of NGOs?
Of course, NGO funding needs to be regu-
lated. One cannot deny that corrupt NGOs
exist, or that unscrupulous NGOs that re-
Congos political ceive foreign funds may serve as conduits for
money laundering. But there are better ways

battles to address these concerns than an FCRA that


institutes an Inspector Raj for the NGO
sector.

T
he ongoing political crisis in the Demo- In fact, a seven-member task force was set
up way back in 2009 to create a national-level
cratic Republic of Congo is a reminder of
self-regulatory agency, the National Accred-
the countrys turbulent past. Since it be- itation Council of India (NACI), that would
came independent in 1960, no head of monitor and accredit CSOs. It was to be an in-
state has left oice peacefully after an election. By dependent, statutory body along the lines of
refusing to hold an election, which was due in the Bar Council. The task force submitted its
November, and clinging to power even after his report to the Planning Commission in
term oicially came to an end on December 19, September 2010. It was never heard of again.
Joseph Kabila, the President of the DRC, risks re- Instead, what we got in September 2010 was a
peating the mistakes of his predecessors. Congos more aggressive FCRA. Perhaps it is time to
Constitution, which Mr. Kabila himself helped repeal the FCRA and revive the idea of an
autonomous, self-regulatory agency for
write after his 2006 election, bars the President CSOs.
from seeking a third term. But Mr. Kabila later
changed his mind and sought to amend the rules to sampath.g@thehindu.co.in
stay on in power. After failing in such attempts, he
simply refused to hold elections, citing logistical
problems. A court has allowed him to remain Pres- LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
ident until the next elections are held, which the Letters emailed to letters@thehindu.co.in must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.
ruling party says will only be in 2018. It is now evid-
ent that the President wants to delay the process for
as long as possible. But the going is not easy for Mr. Plainspeak on note ban While the two reasons ofered by the has put up with many hardships in account, I lose faith in the banking with stunting and wasting, the most
Prime Minister for demonetisation the fond hope that there will be an El system. The limits for withdrawal vital cause of this being nutrient-
Kabila, who was seen in his early years in power as a Its unfortunate that even after paving the way for a less-cash Dorado at the end of this phase of are not based on realities and the deficit food and diet (Weekend
young and energetic leader who could democratise demonetisation has been criticised society and introducing a digital financial turbulence. The corrupt needs of individual families. Being page Getting right, the
the polity, ofer stability and lift the living standards by leading economic publications economy may have caught the have to be weeded out. nutrient spike, Dec.25). With
S.S. Rajagopalan,
of millions of its citizens. Not any longer. such as The Economist, The Wall fancy of economists, the common A. Thirugnanasambantham, Chennai inflation, most people dont have
Mr. Kabilas decision to delay the elections has Street Journal and Forbes man is not very convinced. Had this Coimbatore access to pulses which are not only a
triggered massive protests across the country, in [scheduled to be published on not come as an addenda but been It is upsetting that while the poor staple food but also a food source
particular turning Kinshasa, the capital, into a January 24], such advice has fallen introduced independently, it would Even nearly 45 days after and the middle class are being made with essential proteins and
battleground between security personnel and pro- on deaf ears (Wont shy away from have raised less scepticism and demonetisation, things are still not to run from pillar to post to draw a micronutrients. Thus it is valuable to
testers. Dozens of opposition activists have been tough decisions: PM, Dec.25). found more acceptability. One is still rosy. Banks and ATMs are still permissible and meagre amount fortify our cereals and coarse
While the Prime Minister may unsure whether the government has cashless and the RBI is clueless. It is from their own savings, those with foodgrains. Our current pulse
shot dead and hundreds arrested since September.
choose to ignore criticism by the initiated any study on the increase in unfortunate that anyone who high connections are able to siphon production is significantly low and
The President is so unpopular in the capital that the Opposition in India, it would be wise the use of digital modes of payment. questions demonetisation is of new notes in bulk. Had the there is a need for a coherent policy
ruling partys headquarters in the city was burned to pay heed to international agencies There has to be a structured immediately labelled as being government undertaken intensive to increase productivity and
down during Christmas week. As of now, the army as they can be considered to be campaign. corrupt. Why are corporate entities searches and raids, as is being done incentivise farmers to grow more
and the police stand behind the President and show reasonably impartial. Further, as the S.V. Venkatakrishnan, not searched by enforcement now, unaccounted wealth would pulses by backing it with a robust
no qualms in shooting down protesters. But the short-time pain period of 50 days Bengaluru agencies even when it is common have still been exposed even without procurement policy.
question now is how long Mr. Kabila can stay on in is almost over, there are still no signs knowledge that they are the implementing demonetisation. Gagan Pratap Singh,
power by suppressing mass protests. Significantly, of long-time gain dawning. The Prime Ministers speech does fountainhead of corruption? Given D. Sethuraman, Noida, Uttar Pradesh
the weeks-long violent repression has not turned A. Jainulabdeen, reflect the extent of corruption and that it will take a long time for the Chennai
the protesters away from the streets. Besides, the Chennai the need for it to be dealt with an new notes to be printed, the Prime
iron hand (Rules tweaked as govt. is Minister can roll back his decision It is a matter of deep regret that a Stampede again
opposition has rejected outright any bid by Mr. The government has been spending sensitive to feedback: Modi, and reintroduce Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 number of letters have appeared The temple authorities at
Kabila to stand for another term. If this stalemate several crores of rupees on Dec.26). However, there is still no notes printed from late 2014-early castigating the banking system for Sabarimala in Kerala should be
continues, Congo will plunge into a greater crisis, at advertisements promoting cashless clarity on the processes that would 2015. Heavens will not fall if he their current financial woes. The squarely blamed for the stampede
a time it faces several other economic and security payments. If the intent is to goad have to be put in place post- considers this. government is cleverly deflecting which could have been easily
challenges, including frequent cross-border attacks people to go in for this option, then it demonetisation given that a cashless H. Ghouse Baig, attention from the real issues by avoided had they learnt their lessons
on civilians by Uganda-based rebels. Mr. Kabila is an exercise in futility. It may take economy would be hampered by low Tiruchi shifting the focus to the banking and adhered to laid-down norms (31
should draw lessons from the countrys past. After decades before the kind of cashless levels of digitisation. system. The cashless economy being pilgrims injured in Sabarimala
the dictator Mobutu Sese Seko was ousted in 1997, payments the government is Vikram Sundaramurthy, Is the Prime Minister immune to the bandied about as an afterthought stampede, Dec.26). The problem in
Congo was plunged into a deadly civil war, leaving contemplating becomes a reality. Chennai misery being caused to the common will hardly alleviate the all-round India is that we do not learn from
The ofer of incentives such as man? Neither he nor any of his sufering. earlier mistakes. Staf at places of
hundreds of thousands of people dead. Mr. Kabilas
holding lucky draws is also a burden While the high and mighty walk cabinet colleagues have chosen to J. Anantha Padmanabhan, worship should be well versed in
father, Laurent Kabila, who spearheaded the on the exchequer. These measures away with crores of rupees in new meet people to understand first- disaster management. The police
Tiruchi
protests against Mobutu, was assassinated. Presid- are nothing but an attempt to divert denominations, the common man is hand the problems created by this and volunteers should also be well-
ent Kabila should call early elections and hand over attention from the abject failure that struggling to get even a paltry sum of move. And yet he warns of many equipped. Technology such as the
power peacefully, thereby setting a precedent for demonetisation has become. Rs.2,000. All the eforts being made more such operations to come. Food fortification use of drones could have been used.
his successors. K.R. Jayaprakash Rao, to make demonetisation a success When I am not able to withdraw India has one of the largest Veena Shenoy,
Mysuru are failing. So far the common man money from my own savings bank percentages of children afected Thane, Maharashtra
CM ND-ND
YK
10 | - 1ias.com - EDITORIAL THE HINDU WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016
NOIDA/DELHI

Afghanistan, India, and Trump


Given his limited choices in stabilising Afghanistan, which include supporting a national election,
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will find India to be a reliable and trusted partner in this process
cent in 15 years. Today, with a median age of tried diplomacy by appointing the high pro-
W E D N E S D AY , D E C E M B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 6 18 years, Afghanistan has one of the youngest file U.S. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke as
RAKESH SOOD populations with 60 per cent of the popula- Special Representative for AfPak but eventu-
tion below 21 years of age. This progress can ally decided that the best way for the U.S. to
be sustained only if peace can be restored. address the issue was to reduce its role and
Passport On January 20, next year, Donald Trump will Diferent political approaches
presence in Afghanistan. The Kerry-Lugar
assistance package for Pakistan turned out to

to reform take over as the 45th President of the United


States of America, at a time when the U.S. re-
mains engaged in the longest war in its his-
Former Afghanistan President Hamid Kar-
zai realised early on that the key to restoring
peace and stability in Afghanistan lay in
be more carrot than stick.
Pakistans overreach

T
he progressive changes introduced by the tory the war in Afghanistan. He will be the Pakistan. He described the Taliban as Pash- Given a porous border with Afghanistan
Centre to the rules governing grant of third President to deal with the war launched tun brothers and tried to improve relations with tribal linkages cutting across the Dur-
passports were long overdue. They sim- in 2001 by U.S. President George Bush and with Pakistan. In many of his speeches, Mr. and Line, Pakistans legitimate interests can
sought to be brought to a conclusion by his Karzai referred to India as an old friend and be understood as also the fact that it is critical
plify, in great measure, the paperwork
successor U.S. President Barack Obama. Pakistan as a brother and conjoined twin. to any political reconciliation in Afghanistan.
needed for an Indian citizen to get the document. In Even though Operation Enduring Free- The metaphor may not be apt because half However, what Pakistan has been seeking is
order to screen applications to prevent impersona- dom ended on December 28, 2014 implying the conjoined twins are stillborn and an addi- to exercise a veto over Kabuls relations with
tion, some of the earlier rules may have made sense an end to formal combat operations by the In- tional one-third die within 24 hours but it Delhi which the Afghans are unwilling to
at some point of time, but over the years the bureau- ternational Security Assistance Force (ISAF) does capture Pakistans critical role. Eventu- concede.
cratic impediments that the cumbersome require- forces, the U.S. still maintains approximately ally, he became exasperated with Pakistan Pakistans policies towards both India and
ments posed to genuine applicants were so severe 9,800 troops as part of the international troop President Pervez Musharrafs rebufs and Afghanistan are determined primarily by the
presence numbering over 12,000 under Op-
What Pakistan has been seeking tried, unsuccessfully, to open up his own Army which sees India as an existential
that many had to knock on the doors of high courts
for remedy. Some rules were targeted at women. eration Resolute Support. Primary respons- is to exercise a veto over Kabuls channels for dialogue with the Quetta Shura, threat. Looking at its relations with Afgh-
The most specious form of harassment of women ibility for fighting the insurgency was trans- relations with New Delhi which first with Mullah Obaidullah and then with anistan through the India prism makes it in-
ferred to the Afghan National Security Mullah Baradar, only to have them success- evitable that Pakistan can only have a rela-
passport applicants related to those who were Forces (consisting of the military and the po- the Afghans are unwilling ively neutralised by the Inter-Services Intel- tionship with Afghanistan that is mired in
either separated or divorced. Even something as lice) two years ago but U.S. presence is essen- to concede ligence (ISI). mistrust, suspicion and hostility. Since rela-
routine as renewing a passport without any change tial to provide critical domain awareness, in- Mr. Ghani went a step further. Having wit- tions with India are unlikely to normalise in
of name or detail or getting a passport in the name telligence and surveillance support, air building Europe after World War II at $105 nessed Mr. Karzais doomed eforts and con- the foreseeable future, the only way out for
of a child was a laborious process, as passport oi- power and special forces. billion! The ISAF (consisting of over 40 scious of the political fragility of his National Pakistan to play a constructive role in Afgh-
cials insisted on either the fathers consent or de- For Mr. Bush, the war against al-Qaeda and countries) sufered 3,500 fatal casualties dur- Unity Government, he swallowed his pride anistan is to accept the idea of Afghan sover-
manded a divorce decree. Following the recom- the Taliban in Afghanistan was an integral ing the last 15 years, with the U.S. bearing the and even called on the Pakistani Army chief, eignty and autonomy and refrain from mak-
mendations of an inter-ministerial committee part of his war on terror, launched on largest loss at 2,400 lives. At the NATO sum- Gen. Raheel Sharif, at the GHQ , in ing it a zone of India-Pakistan rivalry.
comprising oicials of the Ministries of External September 20, 2001. The U.S.-led efort en- mit in Warsaw earlier this year, it was agreed Rawalpindi in 2014, a departure from pro- Unless Pakistan changes its attitude, polit-
joyed broad international support which to maintain the current international troop tocol that raised many eyebrows. He tacitly ical reconciliation in Afghanistan will remain
Afairs and Women and Child Development, cru-
continued even after Mr. Bushs ill-conceived presence till 2020 while providing annual accepted Pakistans demand that Afgh- unlikely. The Taliban today is a fractured lot,
cial changes have been introduced. The application invasion in Iraq in 2003 in search of the non- financial support of $4.5 billion for the anistan diminish the salience of its relation- neither a Vietcong nor even a Hezbollah. Its
form now requires only the name of one parent, not existent weapons of mass destruction. The Afghan security forces. ship with India, in the expectation that fragmentation does not afect its ability to
both. This will enable single parents to apply for Iraq invasion however diluted Washingtons It is clear that this is unlikely to bring about Pakistan would play a positive role to ensure launch terrorist attacks in Afghanistan but
passports for their children without the name of focus on the challenges it faced in Afgh- a material change in the situation in Afgh- political reconciliation. A new track was certainly makes it more diicult to get it to
either the father or the mother being printed in the anistan. anistan. In fact, casualties among the Afghan opened with the Quadrilateral Coordination the negotiating table.
document. The stipulation that marriage certifica- In 2009, Mr. Obama drew a clear distinc- forces and civilians have risen rapidly in re- Group consisting of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Meanwhile, the National Unity Govern-
tions and divorce decrees should be provided has tion between the wars in Iraq and Afgh- cent years. The total civilian casualties are China and the U.S. However, Mr. Ghani too ment in Kabul is not a strong and united en-
been removed; the obsolete concept of getting doc- anistan, describing the latter as a war of ne- estimated at 31,000; this year witnessed a felt betrayed when he learnt that the myth of tity thereby reducing its negotiating space.
uments attested by notaries or magistrates has also cessity, a war that we (USA) have to win. spike. The Afghan security forces have Mullah Omar had been sustained for at least All this diminishes Pakistans ability to de-
He ordered a troop surge in 2009 while sim- sufered significant casualties, rising from two years and despite his pleading, the ISI liver the Taliban too; it can ensure presence
been jettisoned, and self-declarations on plain pa- ultaneously announcing the date for with- 21,000 in 2014 to about 30,000 today. went ahead with the anointment of Mullah for a one-of meeting but lacks the political
per would now be accepted. drawal of the U.S. from combat operations. Out of 408 districts, the government writ Mansour as the new Taliban leader. As insur- capital needed to underwrite the reconcili-
A key reform is that a birth certificate is no more This flawed decision may have been the res- holds in 258 while 33 have come under the gency grew, he publicly blamed Pakistan of ation process.
the main proof of date of birth, and other oicial ult of domestic compulsions but it breathed control of the insurgents, largely in the south. sending a message of war when he had held The challenge for Kabul is that it has to en-
documents, including Aadhaar number and PAN fresh life into the insurgency. The remaining 116 districts are contested out a hand of peace. gage in multiple reconciliation processes
card, which contain the date, can be utilised. In the zones. In their own fashion, both Mr. Bush and with the Taliban and with the Pakistani army.
case of orphaned children, actual proof for date of Gains and losses It is true that some progress has been re- Mr. Obama saw the Pakistan problem but The hardline Taliban represented by the
birth has been dispensed with and a declaration Much blood and treasure has been expen- gistered. Life expectancy has gone up from were content to manage the situation rather Haqqani network is determined to continue
from the head of a child care home or orphanage ded in Afghanistan. The U.S. alone has spent 40 years in 2002 to 62 years today. From than push for a solution. Mr. Bush ensured the fight militarily. However, even the more
more than $800 billion in Afghanistan, of 9,00,000 boys in school then, the number of the first round of peaceful elections in Afgh- moderate who are willing to talk demand the
confirming the date is enough. In keeping with the
which $115 billion has been spent on recon- children in school is now more than 8 mil- anistan by laying down clear redlines for exit of all foreign forces from Afghanistan.
times, adopted and surrogate children can be is- struction; more than the inflation adjusted lion, more than a third are girls. Literacy fig- Gen. Musharraf but during his second term, Not only could this bring about a collapse of
sued passports even in the absence of the relevant expenditure under the Marshall Plan for re- ures have gone up from 12 per cent to 34 per he was preoccupied with Iraq. Mr. Obama the fragile coalition in Kabul but it would also
documents, based on a declaration on plain paper. reduce the international financial support
Sadhus and sanyasins have been allowed to men- which is critical to keep the government ma-
tion their gurus in lieu of the names of their parents.
CARTOONSCAPE chinery working. Power sharing can be
The new rules address many irritants in the process worked out, as demonstrated recently in the
of getting a passport, but also make one wonder accord with Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, but no
why these were not introduced long ago. Ulti- government in Kabul can accept this Taliban
mately, a passport ought to be every citizens right. redline.
Simplifying the procedures in obtaining one should The India factor
be an ongoing exercise. India has had the most efective economic
cooperation programme, having spent more
than $2 billion and committed another billion
Behind Pakistans dollars earlier this year. Indians have also lost
lives in deliberate attacks linked to the

CPEC ofer Haqqani group and the Lashkar-e-Taiba but


this has not diminished the Indian role. It has
only cemented Afghan-Indian relations

D
ays after a senior Pakistani General sug- which are now developing a military dimen-
gested that India should shun its sion. Never again will India be forced to close
down its embassy in Kabul as it happened
enmity with Pakistan and join the $46 during the Taliban regime.
billion China-Pakistan Economic Cor- When President-elect Donald Trump
ridor project, the Chinese foreign ministry has takes charge, he will find that he has little
called the ofer a goodwill gesture, exhorting In- choice in the matter. A complete withdrawal
dia to take it up. At face value, the suggestion is odd. is out of question. His challenge will be to
India has no dialogue with Pakistan at present, and change the calculus of the Pakistani estab-
has opposed the project, bilaterally with China at lishment, increase capabilities of the Afghan
the highest level as well as at the UN. Relations security forces to inflict attrition on the in-
with China have deteriorated considerably since surgents, and, in 2019, support an election in
President Xi Jinpings visit to Pakistan to announce Afghanistan that brings about a more cohes-
ive government. In all this, he will find the
the project in April 2015. Initially, New Delhi sought Narendra Modi government to be a reliable
to play down its significance, as it was made just and trusted partner.
weeks before Prime Minister Narendra Modi trav-
elled to China, and the government would have Rakesh Sood is a former Ambassador to Afghanistan and
hoped to dissuade Beijing from pushing the more currently Distinguished Fellow at the Observer Research
Foundation. E-mail: rakeshsood2001@yahoo.com
objectionable projects that run through disputed
territory. However, not only has the corridor taken
shape rapidly, China and Pakistan have been drawn
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
into a closer embrace, with Pakistan investing con- Letters emailed to letters@thehindu.co.in must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.
siderable resources in securing Chinese oicials
working on CPEC, and China redrawing its plans Those who expected the Prime A number of letter writers, for want a conduit for foreign funding to
for the One Belt One Road to Central Asia to incor- Its called disruption Bail for Tyagi
Minister to address some of their of a better word, appear to be political parties. The way this is
porate Pakistans interests. China has defended In most democracies, government lingering concerns over whining about demonetisation. I done with a retrospective validity is The sad state of the military
Pakistan against Indias eforts to pin it down with policy always stands covertly demonetisation during the last firmly believe that the rot, which a brazen attempt to subvert the fraternity, both serving and retired,
regard to support to terror groups, and to draw an aligned with the interests of the Maan ki Baat of the year stand began in 2014 as a result of UPA rule, Delhi High Court directive is reflected in the deplorable way in
obstructionist equivalence with Indias Nuclear business lobbies. But it has never badly let down as he chose to warranted drastic action and a regarding accepting foreign funds which former Air Chief Marshal S.P.
Suppliers Group membership application. Given been so overtly aligned with indulge in generalities and courageous policy of correction. If from Vedanta in 2014. In all this lies a Tyagi has been targeted and treated
all this, the Generals suggestion can only be under- corporate interests as it is now in our platitudes. He carried on as if we could put up with scams and strong case for more electoral (Delhi court raps CBI, grants bail to
stood to have been made rhetorically, especially as country with such inhumane salvation lay only in the adoption of swindling for over a decade why are reforms and giving more teeth to the Tyagi, Dec.27). In the hierarchy of
callousness towards the interests of digital payments and the creation of we so impatient and quick to Election Commission. precedence and position in the
it was accompanied by allegations of Indias anti-
the common man vis--vis a cashless society. The issue of the grumble for a 50-day wait? The Arjun K.V., decision-making coterie in the
Pakistan activities and subversion in Balochistan. demonetisation (The mother of all funding of political parties, widely policy is irreversible and readers Bengaluru AgustaWestland deal, he must have
While there can be little expectation of any room disruptions, Dec.27). This began acknowledged to be the prime must accept that. They should been at the bottom of the rung, if at
for India in CPEC at present, there is space for India ever since the economic reforms of source of corruption and black expend their energy in ofering A majority of those being acted upon all he was involved in the decision-
to step back and see where China and Pakistan 1991 which were largely for the money, was neatly skirted. To expect solutions to the shortcomings which are the ones who have filed PILs making. But when the moment of
want to go with it. The ofer to India was made benefit of the corporate world. But anything from the government on are bound to exist in the against government projects and reckoning comes, it is only him who
along with ofers to other neighbouring coun- even the government of the time this front is illusory if one is to go by implementation of this path- even conducted hartals. By branding is in the the stockade. Now, so-called
tries. Already, Iran wants Gwadar to be a sister would not have been so immune to how the FCRA was amended breaking move. them as financiers of political accountability is also the burden of
port to Chabahar, and Turkmenistan and other see the hardship being caused by recently. Swaminadhan Krishnamoorthy, dissent, inciters of seditious only servicemen.
Central Asian republics have shown interest in the disruptions such as demonetisation. Manohar Alembath, Coimbatore activities, impediments in economic Sushil Chilimbi,
Sukumaran C.V., Kannur projects and promoters of religious Mumbai
warm-water port that will be a nodal point for conversions, the government seems
Palakkad
goods through Pakistan to the Chinese city of The writer has focussed only on the Accessing external funding to legitimising its actions. It is Air Chief Marshal Arup Rahas
Kashgar. Further north, despite its problems on ter- The common man continues to negative side of demonetisation, The fact that there are many NGOs unfortunate that the social media is statement on the arrest of ACM
ror from Pakistan, Afghanistan is becoming a nodal sufer in the aftermath of which is a bold decision that paves which misuse foreign funds is also being used to brand these Tyagi is quite unfortunate (Tyagis
point for Chinas connectivity projects to Iran. The demonetisation, as numerous letters the way to put an end to black indubitable and there is a need for groups and those involved with arrest dented image of IAF, says
meeting among Russian, Chinese and Pakistani of- in this column point out. The money, hawala transactions and better oversight (Time to repeal the them as anti-nationals. There chief Arup Raha, Dec.27). What
ficials on Afghanistan this week, and Russian en- government should do something fostering terrorist activities. Nobody FCRA, Dec.27). But this should not could be some groups involved in exactly is he trying to say? That what
gagement with the Taliban, indicate much more is about the issue constructively can deny that there is pain due to a become a tool in the hands of the funnelling money to fund illegal ACM Tyagi did was wrong or that
changing in the region than just the alignment of without indulging in fruitless talk rationing and paucity of currency government to stifle dissent. The activities, but to regulate these his arrest was wrong? To say that the
about the benefits. notes, but there is some ambivalence shown by the BJP and groups, we need an independent morale of the defence forces will be
highways and tunnels. While India has done well to
Right now there is a need to infuse progress.Most countries have hailed Congress in bringing transparency body, of government appointees and afected is incorrect. Our armed
shore up relations with others in the region, it can- confidence in the common man who the decision. The political in foreign funding for public bodies independent, leading members from forces have very high integrity and
not aford to be blindsided by their involvement is taken aback to see closed ATMs Opposition should come up with is deplorable. civil-society groups. This is a task one is confident that they will
with the OBOR project and Chinese plans. CPEC is with no cash boards. When will practical solutions, something it has On one hand, they are imposing which cannot be delegated to certainly be able to discern right
no longer a project in Pakistan, but one that runs this sufering end? unfortunately failed to do so far. more restrictions and oversight over bureaucrats. from wrong.
through it, a project that will link 64 countries. R. Narayan, H.P. Murali, foreign funding to NGOs while Gaurav Singhal, V.R. Gopinath,
Bengaluru Bengaluru diluting the FCRA, thereby creating Rewari, Haryana Kozhikode
CM ND-ND
YK
10 | - 1ias.com - EDITORIAL THE HINDU THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2016
NOIDA/DELHI

Tel Aviv on tenterhooks


The UN resolution condemning settlement activity in the occupied territories is not what Israel fears.
What troubles it is that the resolution opens the door to a full criminal investigation into Israeli excesses
will for such a move by the ICC. With sharply divided on the issue of territory,
T H U R S D AY , D E C E M B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 6 Palestine as a recognised state in the UN as the U.S. made no commitment to assist Is-
V I J AY P R A S H A D of 2012, and as a member of the ICC since rael in retaining territories seized in the 1967
2014, and with this resolution now in force, war. Even when the administrations in

Disunity in On December 23, the United States Ambas-


the ICC could move in the next few months
to a rigorous investigation of Israeli crimin-
ality. This would threaten the settlers in the
Washington defended Israels annexationist
policies such as during the term of Ron-
ald Reagan the U.S. did not veto to defend
opposition sador to the UN abstained on UN Security
Council resolution 2334, which condemned
Israels settlement activity in the occupied
West Bank and East Jerusalem, but it would
also pressure Israeli soldiers to refuse to
serve in any future criminal bombardment
the settlements.
The element of criminality

E
ver since the Bharatiya Janata Party was territory of the West Bank and East Jerus- of Gaza. Whether the Palestinian leadership The Oslo Accords (1994) put in place the
voted to power with a majority of its own alem. The language is tentative. It does not has the courage to insist on this remains to possibility of a Palestinian state, although it
in the 2014 Lok Sabha election, Opposition call the settlements illegal, but only having be seen. did not have an explicit statement to end set-
parties have been trying to find an issue no legal validity. In the world of interna- In 1967, Israel seized the West Bank, East tlement activity. Israel continues to eat into
that would resonate with the people, identify a ral- tional law, the diference might not be signi- Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip parts of the potential Palestinian state. Neither does
lying point that would put the Narendra Modi gov- ficant. Israel pressured Egypt to withdraw Palestine that had been outside its control. Israel want a two-state solution nor a one-
ernment at the Centre on the defensive. But when the resolution, which it did, and it pressured The UN Security Council passed a series of state solution. This negative approach to the
such an issue did crop up after Mr. Modi announced the U.S. to veto it, which it did not. Malaysia, resolutions (242, 252, 298) within the next peace process means that Israel is commit-
New Zealand, Venezuela and Senegal decade, asking Israel to withdraw from this ted to a permanent occupation of the
the demonetisation of high-value notes on Novem-
sponsored the resolution, which passed land and in resolution 446 (1979) to de- Palestinians. It continues to harbour dreams
ber 8, opponents of the BJP found themselves un- with 14 votes in favour and one abstention sist from building settlements on the occu- of a Greater Israel (Eretz Israel).
prepared and unable to tap into the public resent- (the U.S.). Ambassadors around the table pied territory. The U.S., which had already Four years after Oslo, the international
ment at the seemingly unnecessary pain caused by hoped that the vote would push towards the become the shield for Israel, abstained from community passed the Rome Statute for the
the shortage of cash. The demonetisation exercise two-state solution, the common aspiration
Israel continues to eat into the the major resolutions. establishment of the ICC. It was this new de-
did far more than divide the Opposition parties: it of the international community, said potential Palestinian state. Neither It was on this occupied territory that it velopment the ICC rather than the
left them confused on the approach to be taken Chinese Ambassador Wu Haitao. does it want a two or one-state was then assumed against Israeli opinion Oslo Accords that increased the vetoes ex-
against the government. They were unable to fault that a Palestinian state would be built. ercised by the U.S. in the UN Security Coun-
The resolution and the occupation solution It continues to harbour The two-state solution, the international cil to protect Israel. The Israeli establish-
the stated aims of the move: to curb black money,
flush out counterfeit notes from the economy, and Five years previously, during the high dreams of a Greater Israel consensus for the Israel-Palestine conflict, ment worried that the ICC would
point of the Arab Spring, the U.S. had vetoed is premised on Israeli withdrawal from this legitimately turn its gaze on issues such as
thereby curb terror funding. And when Mr. Modi a similar resolution. Then U.S. Ambassador The UN resolution important as it is in land occupied in 1967. No wonder that the population transfer and war crimes. The
sought 50 days to ease the cash flow, his opponents to the UN Susan Rice said that her country itself is not what Israel fears. What UN has periodically returned to censure Is- ICC under pressure to investigate crimes
had no choice but to wait it out. Other than making rejects in the strongest terms the legitim- troubles Tel Aviv are the steps that would rael for its ongoing occupation and in vi- outside the African continent could find
noises about long queues at banks and ATMs and acy of continued Israeli settlement activity. come after this resolution, particularly from olation of the Fourth Geneva Convention that Israeli actions provide a legitimate site
the flip-flops in announcing new rules for with- So then why veto the resolution, which the the International Criminal Court (ICC). In the construction of settlements on occupied of inquiry. The vetoes from Washington pre-
drawals and deposits and amending them in quick U.S. would abstain on five years later? In January 2015, the ICCs Prosecutor Fatou land. vented any legal foundation for ICC action
time, they had little to do. They could not attack the 2011, Ms. Rice said that the resolution would Bensouda opened a preliminary investiga- The first major UN resolution to define against Israel.
move in principle without being seen as supporting not further the negotiations between Israel tion into Israels actions during the 2014 the terms of the Israeli occupation was 242, Prosecutor Bensoudas investigators vis-
the corrupt and the devious. And they could not at- and the Palestinians. Israel, the subtext read, bombing of Gaza and into the illegal settle- sponsored by the United Kingdom and ited the West Bank and East Jerusalem in
would lash out against the Palestinians. This ments. Ms. Bensouda has since made it clear passed in November 1967 with unanimous October this year. The ICC said that this was
tack the manner of implementation without giving
is precisely what the Israelis now promise to that she would not move forward to a full approval. There was no abstention and no not part of its preliminary investigation, but
Mr. Modi the time he wanted to deal with what do: build more settlements, fully annex the criminal investigation without substantial veto used by the permanent members. U.S. it is hard to imagine that this is true. The
could not but have been a crisis in cash supply. West Bank and East Jerusalem and thereby political clarity from the UN Security Coun- Secretary of State Dean Rusk said at that new UN Security Council resolution
It was probably inevitable that the Opposition annul any prospect of a two-state solution. cil. Resolution 2334 produces the political time that despite the U.S. and Israel being harkens back to more radical postures from
parties would speak in diferent voices on an issue it in 1979 and 1980 as well as to the Interna-
like this, but it was inexplicable that the main Op- CARTOONSCAPE tional Court of Justices 2014 finding that the
position party, the Congress, did little to forge a apartheid wall that entraps the West Bank
united front in Parliament and outside. When Op- is illegal. Pressure will mount on her to take
position parties were planning to petition Presid- her investigation forward.
ent Pranab Mukherjee on the demonetisation issue, Tel Avivs triumphalism
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi met Mr. The tone of Israels rejection came when
Modi with a delegation of party leaders to request a Ambassador Danny Danon said that Tel
waiver of farm loans. Leaders of the Samajwadi Aviv has the right to build homes in the
Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Left parties Jewish peoples historic homeland. The set-
were unhappy with the Congress approach. Not tlements, for the Israeli government, are es-
surprisingly, at a joint press conference of Opposi- sential for their own project. They see noth-
tion parties called by Mr. Gandhi, only Trinamool ing short of as Ambassador Danon put it
Congress leader and West Bengal Chief Minister a Jewish State proudly reclaiming the
Mamata Banerjee was at hand to attack Mr. Modi. land of our forefathers. Ambassador Danon
is fully in agreement with Washingtons in-
The other participants were mostly long-time allies
coming Ambassador to Israel, David Fried-
of the Congress. The Janata Dal (United), whose man, who believes in a Greater Israel and
leader Nitish Kumar had nice things to say about denies the existence of Palestine. U.S. Pres-
demonetisation initially, did not participate in a ident-elect Donald Trump has vowed to
maha dharna organised by the RJD against demon- undo the resolution and threatened to end
etisation. The JD(U) stand was that it would rather U.S. funding to the UN.
wait for the 50 days before judging the move to be a Antnio Guterres, the UNs new Secret-
failure or a mistake. Far from bringing together Op- ary-General has indicated that he will send a
position parties, the demonetisation move appears UN Support Mission to push for a two-state
to have driven apart parties already in alliance. solution. Mr. Guterres and Ms. Bensouda
will have to thread the needle between the
consensus of the international community

Statesmanship (a two-state solution) and Israels own il-


legal territorial ambitions. Optimism for
progress would be unwarranted.
at Pearl Harbor Vijay Prashads most recent book is The Death of the
Nation and the Future of the Arab Revolution.

C
onspicuous gestures of reconciliation
between nations to heal the deep emo-
tional wounds of wars will have connota- LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
tions that go beyond the symbolic. Japan-
Letters emailed to letters@thehindu.co.in must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.
ese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, through his visit to
Pearl Harbor this week, and U.S. President Barack
Obama, with his homage at the peace memorial at Politics over demonetisation write-ups and insights from allowed to take its own course. close association with the political amount to legally accepting the
Hiroshima earlier in May, have undertaken this experienced economists and Anil Kalaga, class? infiltration/occupation by both
bold and diicult journey on behalf of their peoples It is strange that West Bengal Chief thinkers, how can the Prime Chennai R.S.V. Subramanian, Pakistan and China. The CPEC
more than 70 years after atrocities were committed Minister Mamata Banerjees charges Minister continue to claim that Pinnachikuppam, Puducherry connects the economy of Pakistan
levelled against the Prime Minister demonetisation as a financial The claim by the former Chief with the economy of the Xinjiang
against each other during World War II. That so were given importance while the strategy has more supporters than Secretary that he still holds oice One of the most comprehensive province, which is not the principal
much time should have been lost in both instances Prime Ministers speech on the fight dissenters? In a democracy, was he reminds me of what a senior oicial statements of what constitutes economic centre of China as most
to put the painful past behind them only speaks to against black money and corruption not bound to hear a section of said when he was sacked as ethical standards for the holders of manufacturing hubs are on the east
the powerful presence of nationalist sensibilities was confined to a column. (Will PM opinion before he took such a chairman of the Railway Board: I public oice comes from the coast. The east coast of China is
that invariably distort the moral force of reconcili- quit if cash flow does not ease, asks decision? The 50-day timeline is an am only tired and not retired. Committee on Standards in Public served by many ports and sea
ation. That this should have occurred only now, Mamata, Dec.28). eyewash. One wonders if a new In this instance, the gentlemans Life in the United Kingdom, transportation is far lower cost-wise
despite the enduring economic engagement of sev- In the past, Indira Gandhi, when timeline is being scripted as part of questioning the raids and name- popularly known as the Nolan than the land route. Some analysts
eral decades between Washington and Tokyo, Prime Minister, made tall promises the plot. The callousness displayed dropping are unwarranted and an Committee, which outlined seven are of the view that the project is for
merely underscores their ticklish nature and the such as Health for all and Garibi by the government towards the insult to the former Chief Minister principles of public life. The first, on a naval station. Others say that given
Hatao. But what happened? Did any suferings of the poor, daily wage of Tamil Nadu. The only sticking selflessness, says: Holders of the volatile situation in Balochistan,
strong political overtones involved. In the case of
one demand her resignation? earners and the illiterate smacks of point is of why paramilitary forces public oice should take decisions China is seeking the protection of
Japan, the conservatives have long regarded any at- Economic reforms to tackle black arrogance while bordering on were used in the raids. solely in terms of public interest. the Pakistan Army for the execution,
tempt to own up the slaughter of hundreds of U.S. money and high-level corruption are hostility towards literate They should not do so in order to maintenance and safety of the
A. Jainulabdeen,
marines at Pearl Harbor in 1941 as nothing but a be- not something that can show results dissenters. This is not Achche din. Chennai gain financial and other material project.
trayal of the national interest. In fact, in compar- overnight. All this is a gradual Anand Aravamudhan, benefits for themselves, their family H.N. Ramakrishna,
ison, earlier visits to the naval base by Japanese process with slow yet fruitful Chennai When the Income Tax department or their friends. Bengaluru
leaders were relatively low-key afairs. results. The economic reforms that had concrete evidence, it had the K.M.K. Murthy,
As for Washington, veterans of the war have seen were initiated by P.V. Narasimha Rao It is now Ms. Banerjee who has taken right to conduct searches. How can Secunderabad It appears only to be a strategic
little justification in the claim that the devastation and Manmohan Singh, as joint over from the Congress to lead the anyone have large amounts of attempt to compact Indian
caused by the twin nuclear bombings had to be con- eforts, are a good example of this. Opposition flock against unaccounted wealth? The gentleman The press meet was uncalled for and influence in the region. The use of
J.P. Reddy, demonetisation. While the general needs to be reminded that he was at the briefing was very political in its words by the Pakistani general
doled. In their view, the horror in Hiroshima and opinion is that there are cracks in the the top of the administrative nature. It is shocking that he said had suggesting that India should shelve
Nalgonda, Telangana
Nagasaki brought the war to a close sooner than it so-called Opposition unity, the fact hierarchy and should have Jayalalithaa been alive such a raid anti-Pakistan activities and
might otherwise have been. They have also sought The Oppositions onslaught against is that Ms. Banerjee is slowly testing conducted himself with dignity. The would never have happened. I am subversion clearly isnt the most
to repudiate the narrative that the dropping of the the government may be growing by her acceptance as a national leader. only course open to him is to seek very sorry, Sir. You have to face the polite invitation. India should be
atom bomb was a calculated demonstration of U.S. the day but what is baling is how She may be getting there if the remedy in a court of law. Airing his law of the land and prove yourself. given an assurance that its concerns
and western military superiority in a Cold War certain Opposition leaders are dynamics of the joint press grievances before the media in an Vairamani Shanmugam, will be taken seriously.
scenario. These competing nationalistic accounts demanding the Prime Ministers conference were an indication. emotive tone and tenor does not Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu Monika Singh,
have possibly helped the current generation in the resignation when they are alleged to Dinesh Kumar, help him in any manner. His Sonipat, Haryana
two countries to see such views with a healthy dose be tainted themselves. As far as the Beri, Jhajjar, Haryana additional claim that he is still the Prima facie, the bureaucrat
joint press conference is concerned, Chief Secretary is again convening the press meeting
of scepticism. Messrs Abe and Obama have dis-
the Congress vice-president has still unacceptable as his successor has explaining his version of the raids is Going the rhino way?
played a statesmanlike readiness to rise above par- to master the art of politics. Bureaucrats ire already assumed charge and begun itself in contravention of The proposal being put forth by the
tisan accounts, emphasising instead the need to I am shocked by the former Tamil her duties. disciplinary rules of a serving public Kerala government for suitable
K.R. Srinivasan,
bridge the gulf that neither history nor geography Secunderabad Nadu Chief Secretarys claims and S. Nallasivan, servant. Further, he has amendments to the Wildlife
could have narrowed. President-elect Donald his lashing out at the Central and Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu unnecessarily brought in the names Protection Act to use deer antlers
Trumps pre-election rhetoric painted a picture of The exercise of demonetisation is State governments, calling the of political leaders for their for medicinal purposes is fraught
Japan as a nation that ought to be prepared to invest fast losing its sheen. It is pathetic to recent income tax raid on his house What a contrast between former Air political support. with danger (Antlers could end up
more in its own defence. The favourable public see long queues outside bank ATMs and oicial chamber in the Tamil Chief Marshal S.P. Tyagi, now out on V.N. Gopal, in medicines, Dec.28). The fate of
opinion in both countries towards each other will even at unearthly hours. Because of Nadu Secretariat as a constitutional bail, and the bureaucrat. The dignity Chennai the rhinoceros is well known; in the
possibly prove critical in consolidating upon the a shortage of lower-denomination assault on his oice (Dec.28). His of bearing that ACM Tyagi has name of traditional medicine, it is
notes, commerce and trade has taken statements made him look like the displayed even after his arrest and being decimated. It would be next to
current strengths in the economic partnership and a beating. It is unfair to keep people Chief Secretary of a political party. custody, and which he continues to Pakistans CPEC offer impossible to find out if antler
weathering the uncertainties of the future. Prime guessing. Is the government clueless He has a lot of explaining to do: how maintain even now, is in sharp Just as China is sensitive about the powder in a concoction is from
Minister Abe and President Obama have shown about what to do? did wealth that was unaccounted for contrast to the emotional outburst of One China policy, so too is India antlers that have been shed naturally
how history can be revisited in a realistic manner. It V. Lakshmanan, find its way to his home in the first the former Chief Secretary before regarding One Kashmir. China is or the result of some unfortunate
remains for countries grappling with their own Tirupur, Tamil Nadu place? He should have explained this the media. Have some of those in the aware that the CPEC passes deer being made to shed its antlers.
complex pasts to draw the right lessons from this. first rather than cry foul and allege a civil services imbibed some of the thorough the disputed territory of Sriharsha S.,
Despite opinion in the form of conspiracy. The law should be lumpen characteristics from their Kashmir (Editorial, Dec.28). It will Chennai
CM ND-ND
YK
10 | - 1ias.com - EDITORIAL THE HINDU FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2016
NOIDA/DELHI

Goodbye, Barack
The election of its first black President was the beginning of the change America needed, and which the
world applauded. It is also the change America has reversed and which the world is regretting
terests leading to foreign policy disasters When there were laws banning all-black
F R I D AY , D E C E M B E R 3 0 , 2 0 1 6 such as in his compromise on Syria for which church gatherings, they conducted church
G O PA L K R I S H N A G A N D H I Syria and much more than Syria is paying a services in secret. When there was a non-vi-
bitter price to this day, and in his going along, olent movement to bring our country in

Sasikala He is half-black, Nadine Gordimer said in a


cruising along, one might say, with the British
and French on Libya. There are two Obama
negatives which will haunt his legacy. The
closer line with our highest ideals, some of
our brightest leaders spoke and led marches
from this churchs steps. And then with the

rising conversation in Kolkata in the November of


2008. Barack Obamas just-concluded elec-
tion as U.S. President was the biggest thing in
first is his acceptance of the Nobel Peace
Prize soon after his first inauguration, in
what seemed like a first birthday gift to an
responsibilities of an Executive President he
went on to say, Until the investigation is
complete, Im necessarily constrained in

T
hat V.K. Sasikala was nominated general the air. Of course he is half-black, I told my- eight-month-old. If Mr. Obama had said terms of talking about the details of the case.
secretary of the AIADMK by its general self. Surely the Nobel laureate had a more ori- Thanks, but no thanks, I am yet to deserve it, But I dont need (to be) constrained about the
council is no surprise. Her elevation from ginal comment to make? And then came a he would have electrified the world. The emotions that tragedies like this raiseThis
party worker to party head has followed typical Gordimer one-liner: He is also half- second is the sickening use by his administra- is not the first time that black churches have
white. Later, to wider hearing, she elabor- tion of drone warfare in which huge numbers been attacked, and we know the hatred
days of demands and entreaties from senior AI- ated the nuance: Obama has been celebrated of civilians were killed. Nothing can wash across races and faiths pose a particular
ADMK leaders that she take up the job. Two things as a black man. But hes half black and half that karmic stain from his legacy. The Osama threat to our democracy and our ideals
counted in her favour. She was the closest friend of white. To me, that symbolically represents a bin Laden denouement will generate a differ- (And yet) I am confident the outpouring of
Jayalalithaa, something that means a lot in the per- kind of advancement in recognising the hu- ent lore in many tracts of the world of sand unity and strength and fellowship and love
sonality cult-based structure of the AIADMK. As man tribe as one. but to the terror-stricken that was a moment across Charleston today, from all races, from
importantly, any other choice would have divided Gordimers assessment was simple and that signified relief. all faiths, from all places of worship, indicates
the party into fractious factions. Chief Minister O. profound. Mr. Obama was half out of a world the degree to which those old vestiges of
Panneerselvam, the only other possible contender, that thought small, half into one that could Showing America the mirror hatred can be overcome.
think, be big. He was advancing; he was, in a As one who celebrated Obamas In observing all that Mr. Obama did, Why do I believe that statement will ring
himself backed Ms. Sasikala. As did most other
party leaders, including prominent ministers, who sense, the advance. And not just that of the victory and cherishes the change whether in good earnest or in questionable true and right in times to come? Because
American people, who advanced with his ad- that he marks, I see the Trumps wit, whether with disappointment in his rising above Charleston, above what we in In-
rely on their caste bases for popular support. How- vance, strode with his stride, but that of a compromises or dismay in his misjudge- dia would call the local cause, the local com-
ever, it is doubtful whether the AIADMK rank and politically evolving world. Obama, the fact of in Indias life unchallenged by an ments, the world saw him as reaching out, pulsion, he said in it: But lets be clear. At
file is really enthused by the choice a fact that Obama, the promise of Obama, the freshness Obama. I miss an Indian Obama with great effort, to a bigness that destiny some point, we as a country will have to
will have a bearing on the future of the party. It is and directness of Obama, rejoiced the human awards to all firsts. And that was in bringing reckon with the fact that this type of mass vi-
not surprising that Ms. Sasikala lacks popular ap- tribe so mixed as it is in its composition and Obama is ageing already, was felt, said, with America to a new order of its sense of self. olence does not happen in other advanced
peal. Over the last two decades, her influence over so mixed-up. care for the man. For Barack Hussein Obama Say Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln, and you will countries, it doesnt in other places... The
the party and State politics has been carefully and was a phenomenon a man who had to af- think of his Gettysburg address. Say Nehru, President took the people of America again
Changing without disturbing firm his black roots without denying white and you will think of the tryst with des- and again on thorny journeys of reflection
almost wholly orchestrated from the backroom.
Throughout her years at the helm, Jayalalithaa Mr. Obamas head started to show salt al- America its own deep and broad embedding. tiny. Say Obama and? A mist of current on race, on police-community relations, on
most immediately after the inauguration. He wanted to change things, but without dis- dust-haze hangs over what is perhaps the gun control, on Americas world role, what it
made sure there was no credible second line of The strain of sapping engagements with a turbing too much. He wanted to transform most stirring statement that Mr. Obama ever should and should not be and made white,
leadership in the party. Ms. Sasikala herself was not quizzing, invasive, corrosive media, cynical predispositions, but without troubling too made, shaken, almost quaking, with his black, Hispanic, Asian and Muslim Americ-
given a party post, but the fact that she lived at the and disparaging critics, curious observers many predilections. Could he architect a new nerves being brought resolutely under check, ans examine their inner selves, feeling both
Poes Garden residence of Jayalalithaa gave her an watching everything about him as a person, vision without engineering new designs? He on the shooting at Charlestons Emanuel shame and pride, one being incomplete and
imposing authority within the AIADMK. exploring the last rock, stone and pebble in wanted to try. Try for real. African Methodist Episcopal Church in June dishonest without the other.
The partys problems do not end with Ms. his lifes track to explore, excavate, exhume He showed this by a frank desire to be liked 2015. The suspect, Dylann Roof, 21, had just
Sasikalas elevation. A possible risk is that the au- everything, anything, about him that could be by white Americans by being tolerant, even been arrested. Mother Emanuel, President Backlash and the bequest
thority of Mr. Panneerselvam as Chief Minister dug, from what he wore, ate, drank, to how he hospitable, to views antithetical to his own, a Obama said, is, in fact, more than a church. In trying to weld the divided, did Mr.
could be undermined by the ascent of Ms. Sasikala. gestured, his sports, his hobbies, his friends trait that had been noticed even when he ed- This is a place of worship that was founded Obama miss noticing the unhappiness of a
Already several ministers have, both privately and was telling on him. As was that ultimate ited the Harvard Law Review. And then, by African-Americans seeking liberty. This is white working class in the hinterland? Did he
bunch of grapes that the vineyard vandaliser more specifically, as President, by being a church that was burned to the ground be- fail to see that American, no less American
publicly, urged her to take over as Chief Minister. wants to get his hands to his family. tough even rough in defending U.S. in- cause its worshipers worked to end slavery. than the rest, being sidelined by the U.S.s
The post is hers for the asking, given that she has demographic shifts, globalisation and the
the backing of most MLAs; Mr. Panneerselvam technological revolution? Of course, he did.
himself is unlikely to offer any resistance. However, CARTOONSCAPE And he has paid for it in the way his country
as an accused in the disproportionate assets case voted for not just a Republican replacement
against Jayalalithaa, Ms. Sasikala is awaiting a judg- but an ideational displacement. There can be
ment in the Supreme Court in an appeal against her no doubt that the backlash against his presid-
acquittal by the Karnataka High Court after a con- ency was racial and a factor in Donald
viction by the trial court. Following searches in the Trumps election. But ironically, and this is
what may be called the Gordimer principle:
residential and office premises of Chief Secretary P. the election of the USAs first black President
Rama Mohana Rao by Income Tax and Enforce- is the beginning of the change the USA
ment Directorate authorities, questions have been needed, the world applauded, and is the
raised about the involvement of higher-ups in the change the USA has reversed and the world is
AIADMK in corruption. This has been reinforced regretting. Will the change outlast its attemp-
by the fact that some top leaders have been close to ted reversing?
mining baron Sekhar Reddy, who has been arrested We must hope it will for the USAs sake, but
for possession of huge amounts of cash in new cur- no less for the world. As an Indian who celeb-
rency notes. In such circumstances, it would be rated his victory and cherishes the change
both unwise and improper for Ms. Sasikala to take that he marks, I see the Trumps in Indias life
unchallenged by an Obama. I miss an Indian
over the States administration. In a twist of fate, she Obama, with an impartial if sometimes un-
has emerged as the most powerful person in Tamil steady hand at the helm or at its counter-
Nadu. But this has occurred in a fragile political en- helm, telling us how to move away from old
vironment. Ms. Sasikala and the party need to act vestiges of suspicion and hatred.
with patience and restraint, not self-serving haste. The Obama legacy, like the light of a candle
fighting the damp within and the dark

Peace on track
without, will yet glow by contrast. And the
world will recall it with a pang of regret at the
power that political shaman have over the

in Colombia
human tribe.

Gopalkrishna Gandhi, a former Governor of West Bengal, is


distinguished professor of history and politics, Ashoka

C
olombias government now knows only University.

too well that there is many a slip between


the cup and the lip. In October, a referen-
dum to ratify a painstakingly negotiated LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
peace deal it had signed with the long-time insur- Letters emailed to letters@thehindu.co.in must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.
gent organisation, the Revolutionary Armed Forces
of Colombia (FARC), was narrowly defeated. A
more piecemeal, less ambitious and sequenced Old note ordinance parents going viral, it is necessary freedom. Bill, 2011 was tabled in the Lok Palestine and its identity
to examine whether the agency was Indian children are often exposed Sabha by Pranab Mukherjee, then
process since then has helped Bogota notch its first The frequent political recourse to justified in its action instead of to violence in homes as well as in Union Finance Minister. This Bill Modern history tells us that Jews
significant victory in effecting the peace deal with the ordinance route manifests the heaping insults on it. schools. Physically assaulting a was even referred to a comprised just two per cent of the
the rebels. Now, Colombias Congress has unanim- sorry state of our democratic (Groundswell of ire against child is not uncommon in Indian Parliamentary Standing Committee population of Palestine, the rest
ously approved an amnesty law granting immunity institutions (Ordinance to end Norway move, Dec.29). schools and child welfare on Finance, headed by senior BJP being Arab-Palestinians. Within 30
to FARC fighters from prosecution for committing RBIs liability, Dec.29). The winter The justification often given by authorities turn a blind eye to these leader Yashwant Sinha, which years the demography of Palestine
minor crimes, clearing a major hurdle in effecting session of Parliament was a Indian and Indian-origin parents in incidents due to weak laws. Most submitted its report in June 2012, changed; Jews were more than 30
the revised peace accord. Those accused of major washout and there is no solution to foreign countries for physical or Indian parents try to impose a code suggesting recommendations. per cent. By 1948, Jews comprised
crimes will be tried by a special tribunal. The main the political stalemate. Such politics emotional abuse of children is that of strict discipline on their children Unfortunately, this Bill lapsed as it more than 40 per cent of Palestine.
difficulty in passing this measure was the in- of obstruction has only caused loss it is the Indian way of disciplining and create stress in their sensitive could not be passed in the 15th Lok Now, entire Palestinian villages
to the public exchequer and delayed children. If so, then it is implied that minds. In the process, they think Sabha. have vanished, their fertile lands
transigence of the leading opposition, the right-
the long overdue passage of hitting a child or verbally abusing it that anything extreme is acceptable. Benami appears to be a misnomer. confiscated and they have been
wing Centro Democratico led by former President essential pieces of legislation. Its is part of our national culture and This Persian-borrowed word rendered homeless. They have
Alvaro Uribe, who had led a vigorous campaign Balaji Akiri,
high time that parties discard their an act that must therefore be Hyderabad literally means nameless or become refugees in their own land.
first against talks between the government and the maximalist positions and arrive at a justified and promoted. Even if one without name whereas the law in Israel may want nothing short of a
rebels, later during the referendum and also when a consensus on the modalities to were to accept child abuse as which it is used denotes a Greater Israel, but it will remain a
revised accord was eventually signed and ratified resolve the demonetisation integral to our culture, if it is Property act transaction which is done by a dream. Israel has to recognise the
by Congress on December 1. The party abstained impasse. Failure to do this in a prohibited under the law of the Ever since the Benami Transactions person without using his own name. legitimate rights of the Palestinians
during voting both during the ratification and timely manner can only become a land, parents have no right to (Prohibition) Act, 1988 has been This is a grey area that must be and pursue a realistic policy for a
when the amnesty law was introduced. The law pretext for high-handed moves by continue such practices. duly strengthened, the government examined. lasting peace in West Asia (Tel
helps overcome a key sticking point for those who the government. External Affairs Minister Sushma appears to be highlighting it as Hemant Kumar, Aviv on tenterhooks, Dec.29).
Shyami Govind, Swarajs statement that she does not another master stroke against the Ambala City, Haryana N. Jan Mohammed,
voted No in the October referendum and who felt think foster parents can look after a menace of black money. In this
Thiruvananthapuram Chennai
that the government was being too lenient with child better merely because they narrative, the governments
those among the FARC commanders accused of It is shocking that the possession of would not know his dietary habits is assertion that it was the one which Off the rails The denial of compliance with
severe crimes. The law will reassure the rebels, defunct currency denominations pointless. The real question here is notified the 1988 law seems to Yet another railway accident. The UNSC resolution 2334 not only
who are moving to special demobilisation zones, might result in a hefty fine being what defines a parents right to their have been promoted. derailment of the Sealdah-Ajmer highlights the expansionist
marking a breakthrough in the five-decade-long imposed and/or a four-year prison child and whether relationship of The 1988 Benami law was put in Express which has left 62 intention of Israel but also dilutes
civil war that has taken more than 2,20,000 lives. sentence. One can understand this blood is enough to justify all acts place by the Rajiv Gandhi passengers injured (Dec.29) only the UNSCs enforcement powers.
Without doubt, the Nobel Peace Prize given to if such notes are put in circulation. taken by a parent with respect to government as a promulgation of an shows that lip service is being paid The Oslo Accord or the act of mere
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos gave him But how can keeping notes at home their childs welfare. ordinance followed by its due to enhancing railway safety. The recognition of PLO have been the
be considered a crime? There are Remus Noronha, enactment in Parliament. It was Railway Budget should focus on veils behind which Israel has been
the necessary ballast and international support to
avid notaphilists who may be Nellikode, Kozhikode, Kerala implemented the same year safety rather than talking big about committing crimes.
carry out these steps. But there are other laws to be dealing with a certain volume of old although it is a different matter that bullet train projects. It is probably time for next UN
passed, including those addressing FARCs de- notes. The ordinance is draconian India should not interfere in the the rules as mandated under then Secretary-General Antonio
Kaushik Pandey,
mands for agrarian reform and compensation to in nature. The government is well- internal affairs of Norway in the Section 8 therein were not framed Varanasi Guterres and chief prosecutor of
victims of the civil war. There is still some distance advised to withdraw it and instead matter of getting back the child to in all these years, which resulted in the International Criminal Court
to go before FARC converts itself into a political concentrate on its primary duty of its natural parents. Norway has its such a law not fulfilling its purpose There seems to be no end to the Fatou Bensouda to sharpen their
party to participate in the contested polity. Amend- infusing a sufficient amount of own child welfare rights and action and objective in letter and spirit. number of such railway accidents. stances. Palestine is too weak a state
ments to the peace accord include requirements replacement denominations into would have been taken according to This government, apart from Once again the Commissioner of to work for its own liberation.
from FARC to share details about any involvement the banking system. the law of the land. Assaulting a amending the same with framing of Railway Safety of the circle Therefore, the international
in drug production and declaration of assets. But S.S. Rajagopalan, child physically is not an Indian way such rules, has even renamed it as concerned will visit the accident community should join hands to
Chennai of bringing up the child and we the Prohibition of Benami Property site, have a press briefing, order a help it. West Bank, East Jerusalem
there is a clear commitment towards peace shown should not defend those actions. Transactions Act, 1988. thorough probe and the matter or the Gaza Strip are disputed not
by both the government and FARC, especially after Norway has stringent child welfare UPA-II more than five years ago had will end. Commissioners should only because they are claimed by
the initial accord was signed. If things go as per the India vs. Norway rights according to the UN also taken the initiative in this step up routine checks at regular two nations but also because of the
governments plan, the rebels should become civil- With accusations against Convention on the Rights of the regard. Instead of amending the intervals. Safety teams need to complacency of the international
ians by May 2017, culminating in the end of a pro- Norwegian child protection Child and India should bring in 1988 law, as has been done now, it make inspections. community.
cess that began with negotiations four years ago. services in the case of a five-year- some of those reforms to make substituted it with a fresh law. The Thirumeni Jayaraman, Shivam Dwivedi,
old boy being separated from his proper laws to protect child Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Tiruchi Lucknow
CM ND-ND
YK
10 | - 1ias.com - EDITORIAL THE HINDU SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2016
NOIDA/DELHI

2016: The Supreme Courts report card


Collectively, the courts choices this year have shown us that any independence it enjoys hasnt guided it
towards concerted courage in decision-making
Since then, there has been a constant back them is the fact that neither of the precepts
S AT U R D AY , D E C E M B E R 3 1 , 2 0 1 6 and forth between the two wings, with no relied upon by Justice Misra finds mention
SUHRITH PARTHASARTHY end apparently in sight. But if the court were in Article 19(2), which contains the legal
so loath to giving any leeway to the executive basis for restricting speech. The con-

Managing risk The Supreme Court finds itself at a curious


in the process, it makes one wonder why the
task of preparing the draft memorandum
was assigned to the government in the first
sequence of the judgment is vastly dam-
aging: it has the efect of placing values that
rest on individual predilections above the

in banks juncture. It has spent much of the year


lodged in a widely broadcast battle with the
Union government over judicial appoint-
place. Making things worse, one of the col-
legiums members declined to participate in
a meeting of the group in September this
right to freedom of speech, which, by any
equitable interpretation of the Constitution,
ought to stand on firmer footing.

T
he Reserve Bank of Indias biannual Fin- ments. Led by Chief Justice T.S. Thakur, who year, on grounds purportedly of a lack of The second decision, delivered on
ancial Stability Report has once again retires on January 3, 2017, the court has transparency in its working. Whatever one November 30, extraordinarily takes rights
flagged the fact that risks to the banking fought this contest presumably to assert its might think of Justice Chelameswars meth- even less seriously. In an interim order on a
sector remain worryingly high. That independence from executive and legislative ods in expressing his demur, his objections public interest litigation filed by a supposed
the risks have stayed elevated due to continuous control. But, somewhat counter-intuitively, only made it clearer that there was some- social activist from Bhopal, the court direc-
deterioration in asset quality, low profitability and the wrangle has had a deleterious impact on thing broken at the core of the system: the ted that all cinema halls in India play the na-
the courts moral authority. The court has collegium, in his assertion, was simply func- tional anthem before the screening of any
liquidity, in the central banks assessment, is cause not only been intransigent in allowing the tioning in a manner beyond the remit pre- film, and that persons present in the hall
for concern. Given the central role commercial executive no say in matters of appointments, scribed for it by the courts own judgments. compulsorily stand up to show their respect
lenders have in the financial system serving to despite the Constitutions clearly contrary for the anthem. Quite apart from indulging
harness public savings and direct the flow of crucial mandate, but it has also failed to make the ex- Two flawed decisions in rule-making that ought to be the prerogat-
credit to the most productive industrial and infra- isting system selections through a col- While enshrouding the process of ap- ive of Parliament, the order sidesteps its
structure sectors any systemic risk to the bank- legium of senior judges more transparent pointing judges from any reasonable stand- complete disregard for basic liberties by of-
ing industry has the potential to ripple across the and democratically justifiable. Whats ard of candour and accountability, the court fering no reasons whatsoever. In doing so,
entire economy. There has been no perceptible im- worse, while constantly stressing on its ap- has simultaneously made choices that only the court simply assumed the role of a super
provement in the health of domestic banks, even six parent autonomy, the court has often ap- show that the present system doesnt neces- legislature, having tasked itself with the
peared to cave in to the very majoritarian im- sarily produce the kind of counter-majorit- power to impose its own brand of distorted
months after the RBIs previous report had high-
pulses that it is tasked with refuting. arian judiciary that a democracy requires. nationalism.
lighted the sectors high vulnerability on account of While it is no doubt diicult to make grand Two decisions from the past year exemplify There have been other instances in 2016 of
the increase in capital requirement and worsening assertions about the Supreme Court given the courts remarkably unflattering outlook the Supreme Court using what it perceives to
asset quality, spotlighting the need for urgent that it doesnt sit en banc, as one, and given
There have been instances of the on fundamental rights. The first, rendered in be a power to do complete justice to achieve
policy interventions. Some measures have been that it comprises judges who can be dispar- court using what it perceives to May Subramanian Swamy v. Union of In- precisely the converse among other im-
initiated and others are in the pipeline, including a ate in their outlook and attitudes towards be a power to do complete dia rebufed a challenge to the colonial- pacts, these verdicts set a poor example for
draft Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance what constitutes a proper judicial role, col- era criminal defamation law and upheld Sec- high courts which are concomitantly temp-
lectively the courts choices in 2016 have justice to achieve precisely tions 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code. ted to extend the use of their writ to perform
Bill to address bankruptcy situations in banks and
other financial entities. Still, there is every reason shown us that any independence it enjoys the converse Judges, under any sensible interpretation what are principally legislative functions.
to prioritise the restoration of the sectors health as hasnt guided it towards concerted courage of their role, are required to apply rules de- But whats been even more damaging to the
in decision-making. On the contrary, partic- minister, two eminent laypersons, and the rived from precedent, statutes, and the Con- Supreme Courts legitimacy has been its
some of the risks inherent in banks may already be ularly in enforcing fundamental rights three senior-most judges, including the CJI stitution, in checking legislative or executive dithering under pressure. Despite issuing in-
getting transferred to other segments of the finan- which it ought to see as its most important in removing the primacy that the judi- excesses. But the court in Subramanian terim orders as early as in 2013 making the
cial markets, according to the RBIs report. A sur- function the court has, barring a few not- ciary enjoyed in selecting its own members Swamy did none of this. It brushed aside le- securing of the Aadhaar card optional, the
vey, of experts and market participants, conducted able exceptions, scarcely served as the infracted the basic structure, and, therefore, gitimate concerns about the chilling efect court has failed to adequately enforce its dir-
by the RBI in October-November reveals that keeper of the countrys conscience. had to be quashed. that the criminal defamation law has had on ections seemingly every day the govern-
among institutional risks, credit growth and cyber Although this is a decidedly bizarre con- speech with a frightening disdain for tradi- ment and its various agencies appear to ex-
risk were seen as two key high risk factors. Tussle between judiciary and executive clusion when you consider that the col- tion and precedent. Justice Dipak Misra, who tend the use of the unique ID linking it with
The appointment of Viral Acharya as Deputy The present battle lines between the judi- legium finds no mention in the bare text of wrote the judgment, in holding that the law the provision of a number of essential ser-
Governor overseeing monetary policy at the RBI, ciary and the executive were drawn in Octo- the Constitution, many political observers constituted a reasonable restriction on the vices. The court can be excused for failing to
ber 2015 when the court delivered its verdict believed that it was a verdict that was neces- right to freedom of expression, made no ef- haul up the government for contempt of its
therefore, comes at a crucial juncture. A former
in Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record sary to ensure the independent functioning fort whatsoever in relying on any of the con- orders were it to expedite its hearing of the
member of the Advisory Committee of Financial Association v. Union of India. Here, the of the judiciary. But not even the most ardent stitutionally sanctioned limitations to free basic challenge to the UID scheme. But the
Sector Legislative Reforms Commission, he brings court struck down the 99th Constitutional supporters of the judgment backed the exist- speech. Instead, he appealed to his own dis- Constitution Bench established to determ-
substantial expertise in both identifying and deal- Amendment and consequently the National ing status quo. The collegium system indis- tinct sense of what ought to constitute the ine whether Indias citizens have a funda-
ing with systemic risks in the banking sector. Hav- Judicial Appointments Commission putably required reform. To this end, in law, by carving out of the ever-malleable Art- mental right to privacy, which the Aadhaar
ing authored a number of papers on the risks (NJAC), which had been created to replace December 2015, the Supreme Court, after re- icle 21, which guarantees a right to life and policy quite clearly appears to contravene, is
lenders could pose to the wider financial system the collegium. Four of the five judges who ceiving a slew of suggestions on how to im- personal liberty, a right to reputation. yet to hear concrete arguments on the issue.
and even the sovereigns credit standing, he will heard the case (Justice J. Chelameswar dis- prove the collegiums functioning, directed Worse still, he conceived a concept of con-
sented) found that the primacy the col- the executive, whose sovereign power to stitutional fraternity, hitherto unknown to Challenging demonetisation
have his task cut out. A proponent of sequestering
and separately dealing with the stressed assets and legium enjoyed in choosing the countrys make appointments it had divested in its ver- Indian law, which, he ruled, demanded an In similar vein is the challenge to the
judges was a part of the Constitutions basic dict, to prepare a draft memorandum that assurance of mutual respect and concern policy of demonetisation. A number of peti-
bad loans on a lenders books, Mr. Acharya had in structure. According to the majority, the would lay down the procedure for the col- for each others dignity. This reasoning is tioners have not only questioned the proced-
an interview suggested that the unhealthy parts of NJAC a body that was to comprise the law legiums functioning. flawed on many counts. But chief among ural validity of the governments and the Re-
the troubled banks could be separated from the serve Bank of Indias various notifications,
healthier assets and put into a bad bank to prevent but have also contended that the policy in-
systemic contagion. With the RBI pointing out that CARTOONSCAPE fracts significant fundamental rights. Early
banks saddled with bad loans were likely to remain this month, in Contours of a challenge
risk-averse and find themselves lacking the cap- (The Hindu, Dec.2), I had said that the man-
ital needed to lend more to meet credit demand in ner of the Supreme Courts treatment of
the economy, the regulator and the government these petitions will tell us a great deal about
the checks and balances that our democracy
will need to work in close concert to expeditiously
purports to provide. We now have a very
resolve this vital legacy issue. quick answer, and its not a good one.
After many false beginnings, on Decem-
ber 16, the court directed the establishment

A new dawn of a five-judge bench to rule on the constitu-


tional validity of the demonetisation notific-
ations and on the legality of the policys im-

for Syria? plementation. If we were to go by the


example of the Aadhaar case, it is entirely
likely that this policy too would be rendered

T
he ceasefire reached between Syrias gov- fait accompli by the time the court gets
ernment and Opposition, with the medi- around to hearing the challenge. In many
ation of Turkey, Russia and Iran, could be ways, these acts of wavering in the face of
a turning point in the countrys civil war. public pressure showcase a Supreme Court
Unlike the two previous failed ceasefires this year lacking in moral courage. The harm in con-
signing to the academic challenges to laws
which were negotiated between Russia and the
that have an immediate bearing on our lives,
U.S. the latest one is sponsored by countries dir- which invade into our cherished liberties
ectly involved in the conflict. The positive reaction and into our ability to function as equal be-
from both the Syrian regime and rebel command- ings, is enormous. An independent judiciary,
ers to the announcement of the ceasefire by Rus- properly understood, far from being one that
sian President Vladimir Putin also suggests that the appoints its own members, is one that pos-
warring parties are willing to give diplomacy a sesses the will and the conviction to resolve
chance. For the Syrian government, this is an op- swiftly hard cases, uninfluenced by societal
portunity to announce it is ready for a peaceful set- perception, in a manner that enriches the
tlement. Though President Bashar al-Assad has re- finest values of our constitutional tradition.
peatedly claimed that he would retake the entire Suhrith Parthasarthy is an advocate practising at the
territory from the rebels, a military solution ap- Madras High Court
pears to be illusory. A prolonged conflict will ex-
haust the regime forces further and multiply the
humanitarian costs. On the other side, after the vic-
tory in Aleppo, the regime could now negotiate
with the rebels from a position of strength. For the
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
rebels, the momentum is gone. Their support is Letters emailed to letters@thehindu.co.in must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.
limited to certain parts such as Idlib, Daraa and the
outskirts of Damascus. The question they face is seems to be the right choice for with black money have been put demonetisation but many still like 30). From the day the former Chief
whether they should continue fighting a never-
New face of the AIADMK
leading the party. By virtue of her through misery. While some have the Prime Minister for attempting Minister was hospitalised until the
ending war of attrition or seek to gain leverage from V.K. Sasikala becoming the General long association with Jayalalithaa, managed to happily get hundreds or to unearth black money and day she died, a cloud of secrecy
whatever military influence they are left with. Secretary of the AIADMK is no she has been admired and thousands of Rs.2,000 notes, others eradicate corruption. Every Indian shrouded her health, leading to wild
There is a convergence of interests for Turkey surprise (Sasikala rising, Dec.30). recognised by the leaders of other have struggled to get one or two is interested to hear the Prime speculations and rumours among
and Russia in finding a peaceful solution. Having Her status as Jayalalithaas closest political parties too. Sitting in the Rs.2,000 notes even after standing Ministers speech on New Years the people. Now a vacation Bench
seen the U.S. interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan, friend naturally left no rival for the backseat, Ms. Sasikala was perhaps for hours in serpentine queues eve. Let this be telecast in all of the Madras High Court has also
post. Only an adverse verdict in the trained by Jayalalithaa for outside banks and ATMs. languages. I pity those politicians voiced its concern over the failure
Russia doesnt want to get stuck in Syria. By pro-
disproportionate assets case can administering both the party and Without assistance from bankers, it who oppose Mr. Modi just for the of the Tamil Nadu government to
moting a negotiated deal, it could retain its core in- stand in her way of further the State. This decision will prevent is impossible for corrupt people to sake of opposing him. dispel all the doubts surrounding
terests in Syria while at the same time projecting it- solidifying her position as the most the party from disintegrating. acquire such large amounts of her death. The truth should never
R. Ganesan,
self as a power broker in West Asia. Turkey wants to powerful person in Tamil Nadu. R. Murali Kumar, money in new notes. This in itself is Chennai be buried. Hopefully, the judiciary
limit the spillover efects of the war on its soil and As of now, how efectively a self- Chennai suicient to show that corruption will order an independent inquiry
stop Kurdish rebels from capitalising on the chaos efacing person like Chief Minister still thrives despite the Prime Demonetisation has drawn into this and solve the mystery.
in Syria. This explains why Turkey and Russia have O. Panneerselvam can function as Ms. Sasikalas nomination speaks Ministers promise to eradicate it. resentment from all quarters. M. Jeyaram,
come together now despite their bitter relations Chief Minister in the shadow of an volumes about the dwindling values And what right does the People feel the government did not Sholavandan
last year. But these objective conditions alone may almost omnipotent General in the functioning of political government have to impose curbs do its homework before making the
not produce sustainable peace. It is still not clear Secretary is a pertinent question. parties. The sole criterion for her on the quantum of money to be announcement. It is now a sit-and-
An extra-constitutional authority in elevation is her strong association withdrawn from our own accounts? watch game. Normal lives have An inhuman practice
which rebel groups have agreed to the ceasefire. the State is the last thing Tamil with Jayalalithaa. It is baling that It looks like it will take at least been thrown out of gear, no doubt, When I was young, I saw that when
Turkey supports only some of the rebel groups, Nadu needs. Meanwhile, that seniority, experience and integrity another three months to restore but the moot point is whether black any upper-caste child touched a
while several other groups get support from Gulf AIADMK members are seeking the of other leaders dont stand a normalcy. money has been retrieved post- Dalit, he was often made to take a
monarchies. There are jihadist elements as well in Nobel Peace Prize for the late Chief chance in the way of sycophancy. The government has constantly demonetisation as the government bath (Talking to children about
the Opposition, such as Fateh al-Sham, that could Minister is ludicrous. D. Manohara Rao, changed its tune from claims. untouchability, Dec. 30). I have
play the spoiler by carrying out attacks on govern- C.G. Kuriakose, Visakhapatnam eradicating black money to E.S. Chandrasekaran, seen tea shops ofering tea in
ment positions. Besides, the Kurdish question re- Kothamangalam counterfeit notes to transforming Chennai separate cups to people from lower
mains unaddressed. If Kurds are invited for talks, the economy into a cashless one. I castes. While the media, laws and
Given that Jayalalithaa did not 50 days of demonetisation hope the Prime Minister doesnt civil society can play a big role in
Turkey might withdraw its support for the peace Exhuming the body
appoint anyone within the I disagree with the Minister that the aspire for a second term. eradicating these practices, we
process. For now, however, if the ceasefire holds at
AIADMK to be her political heir, it exercise has been successful V.V.N. Murthy, The Madras High Courts must first talk to our children about
least till next months Astana summit of the related is natural that a popular and (Jaitley sees green shoots after Hyderabad statements are wholly justifiable them.
parties, it could be a new beginning for Syria. charismatic person in the party demonetisation, Dec.30). It seems (HC: Should Jayas body be Arpit Jain,
would take the lead. Ms. Sasikala as though everyone except those People may sufer due to exhumed to know the truth? Dec. New Delhi

CM ND-ND
YK

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