Time to bury Mandir-Masjid controversy
Brij Bhardwaj
The submission of Babri report after a gap of 17 years when a mob led by BJP leaders on the culmination of Rath Yatra at Ayodhya demolished the disputed mosque in 1992 has literally opened a can of worms creating fresh problems for BJP which is yet to come to terms with the post election situation in which it suffered major setbacks thus dashing their hopes of returning to power.
The Commission headed by Justice Liberahan was appointed by prime Minister Narsimha Rao after the demolition of the mosque. The BJP leadership was blamed for the demolition even though their leaders maintained that they had tried to control the mob. The report has blamed top BJP leadership for creating a climate in which the mob went out of control and demolished the mosque. It has also found fault with the conduct of Congress Prime Minister P.V Narsimha Rao for not doing enough to protect the mosque.
The report which will be presented to the Parliament before it is made public is expected to create further embarrassment for BJP which at this juncture is badly divided between the hardliners led by leaders like Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti and other s while leaders like Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi Shahanawaz Hussain are of the view that virulent campaign by Varun Gandhi and others had damaged the party prospects in the poll to Lok Sabha.
This division is expected to be further widened as BJ P leadership will find it very difficult to disassociate themselves from the leaders who have been indicted in the report .According to political observer's in demolition of mosque episode Narsimha Rao is also guilty of not having done enough to protect the mosque at Ayodhya. It is one such incident which will continue to haunt BJP for a long time as the issue is always raked up during election time and put in cold storage subsequently as it is not acceptable to their allies whose support is necessary if BJP has to become an alternative to the Congress.
The report will certainly add to the confusion in the ranks of BJP at present, but Congress also faces a danger of getting part of the blame for this act of demolition as the party leadership at that time in office including Prime Minister P.V Narsimha Rao are guilty of not having done enough to protect the mosque. One may like to argue that the minority Government headed by Prime Minister Rao had no alternative but to accept the undertaking given by U.P Chief Minister to the Supreme Court that his Government would protect the mosque.
Some argue that there was a tacit understanding on the issue between the Government in power and BJP leadership, but things went out of hand when an excited mob went out of control and attacked the mosque. Inciting passions is easy but to keep them under check is difficult. Over 2,000 people were killed in the riots that followed after the demolition of the mosque. One can not help but add that demolition of mosque like riots in Gujarat and anti-Sikh violence that took place in Delhi after the assassination Indira Gandhi are some incidents which will haunt our political parties for a long time. Any minor incident is enough to open old wounds which just refuse to be healed. The only option is that we should go for some mechanism like reconciliation Commission in South Africa which helped in bringing different communities together so that they could forget the past and make a fresh beginning.
A start in this direction was made when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh tendered an apology for anti - Sikh riots in Delhi and Congress leadership denied nominations to leaders who were alleged to have been involved in the riots in recent elections. BJP leadership, however, has refused to accept any blame so far either for Gujarat riots or demolition of the mosque at Ayodhya.
One wonders what kind of follow up action can be taken up after the report of the Commission is placed before the Parliament. There are Court cases pending against many persons named in the report. The report of the Commission will provide some additional material for the prosecution in these cases. But knowing the Indian judicial system and its time consuming methods in dealing with such cases, no results can be expected in the near future.
The courts have also not been in a hurry to deal with civil suit spending before them to decide if the mosque was built on a site where temple existed in the past. As such one can not help but come to conclusion that if cases with large scale political ramifications are left to be decided by Courts no early conclusions can be expected The only alternative is that political parties stop using these incidents of national shame to draw political advantages and our leaders learn to accept responsibility for mistakes made by them and try to put the same behind and make fresh beginning.
A fresh beginning can be made if BJP leaders instead of being in a denial mode accept responsibility for their failure to control the mob as has been suggested by leaders like Uma Bharti and former Chief Minister of U.P Kalyan Singh and seek a fresh start. In such a situation Congress should also take responsibility for their part of blame for failure on part of Center to intervene in time to save the mosque. At present, this looks difficult if not impossible as our leaders have not become responsible players as required in matured democracies.
-(NPA)

OBITUARY
.an elegy of one of the pioneers of medical educative field!
Shiney Ahuja case: Power struggles within four walls
Kamayani Bali-Mahabal
Actor Shiney Ahuja was recently accused of raping an 18-year-old maid. The preliminary medical reports of the victim have proved that the crime did take place. The incident has shaken Mumbai and raised familiar questions about sexual exploitation within the film industry and of the perception of many within it that they can transgress every social norm without being held accountable.
This is definitely not the first time a film celebrity has been accused of the heinous crime. The list of actors and filmmakers similarly accused in the past is long and includes established personalities such as Rajesh Khanna, Raj Kumar Santoshi, Jackie Shroff, Aditya Pancholi, Shakti Kapoor, Aman Varma and Madhur Bhandarkar.
Some would argue that it is the glamour and power associated with the industry that makes it a prime target of such accusations. Anuraadha Tewari, the young script writer of Madhur Bhandarkar's recent hit 'Fashion', sees it this way, "Glamour in the film industry leads to power, which in turn leads to glamour. It's an attractive vicious cycle that makes the media focus on this industry. There are many reports of sexual exploitation in the political and corporate worlds, but inevitably it is the film industry that is stigmatised." Tewari, who has also scripted Bhandarkar's forthcoming 'Jail', points out that film stars are idolised by the masses. "They become demi-gods and it's the falling of a demi-god that the media love to expose," she says.
Popular actor Kay Kay Menon, who has carved a niche for himself by doing unconventional roles in films such as 'Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi', 'Corporate' and 'Gulaal', also believes that the glamour quotient is at work here. "The problem arises when stupid and ignorant people start perceiving make-believe as real," he philosophises.
However, Anjali Chhabria, psychiatrist and psychotherapist, sees the situation differently. She points out that it is only "because of a more equal legal framework and a pro-active media that the domestic worker even thought of talking about her experience in the open."
Chhabria adds that this kind of behaviour is often seen to be impulsive and that when it comes to film stars, they think, 'I am a big shot so I can probably get away with it.' She notes that the perpetrator can delude himself into believing that since he is desired by many, every woman would want to have a sexual relationship with him. This is especially true for those who are not from film families, says Chhabria, "It becomes a little difficult for them to handle the sudden importance given to them which, in turn, can create a sense in them of being God's gift to humankind."
Mumbai-based psychiatrist Dr Dayal Mirchandani, who founded the Behavioural Science Network, believes there are two aspects that need to be considered: A celebrity status that often leads to a feeling of being beyond the law; and a narcissistic personality attracted towards achieving a celebrity status and often working hard to achieve it. People with this personality also believe that they are beyond the law or that when they have sex with someone they are doing them a favour. While it may exist in a small percentage of celebrities, Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) and celebrity status is a dangerous combination, he points out. As for the exploitation of servants and the poor, it is a hidden, sad and shameful fact that this happens in many homes. Both male and female servants are at the receiving end. Since there is a power difference between the employer and the employee, it is an exploitative relationship even if it involves consensual sex, he underlines.
Sexual harassment is a major occupational hazard for domestic workers, according to Dr Vibhuti Patel, Head of Department, Economics, SNDT's Women University, Mumbai. Says Patel, "Most domestic workers silently suffer the harassment due to fear of retaliation by employers in terms of allegations of theft, physical violence, the loss of employment and even social boycott by their own community." She adds that celebrity rapists also take advantage of their connections to suppress the voice of the victim.
The absence of social security and protective labour legislation only adds to the exploitation of domestic workers. At the recent union meeting of the Gharkam Molkarin Sanghatana, a domestic workers' union in Mumbai, various issues - including the Shiney Ahuja case - were discussed. Revealed Subhadra Dabhade, 40, who works in three houses and earns about Rs 2,500 (US$1=Rs 48.13) a month, "We feel so unsafe and feel we are being visually raped when men stare at us while we clean and sweep the floors." Farzana Shaikh, 30, admitted she always feels insecure when the woman of the house is not around.
Sangeeta Prakash Sonwana, 50, Joint Secretary, Mumbai-Navi Mumbai Ghar Kamgar Sanghatana, another Mumbai-based domestic workers' union, elucidates, "I have been doing domestic work for more than 30 years. I cook meals. There are some responsibilities for employers that should be translated into law but that is not the case. Most domestic workers are illiterate and work for reasons of survival. "Paisey walle aish karte hain, hamari majoborri ka fayda uthatae hain. Aisey logon ko saza milni chahiye ('The rich take advantage of us being poor. They should be punished')," she says, referring to the Shiney Ahuja case.
After 20 years of struggle, the Domestic Workers Bill was passed by the Maharashtra Legislature in January 2009. Says Prakash Reddy, an official of the Gharkam Molkarin Sanghatana Union, "The Bill has been passed but we are still waiting for the rules to be framed and for its implementation." Under the Bill, welfare boards are to be set up to look into concerns and complaints of domestic workers.
There are an estimated 5,00,000 domestic workers, mainly women, in Mumbai alone, and over a million across the state of Maharashtra, according to government estimates. Voluntary bodies estimate this number to be much larger. A combination of social, economic, legal and gender biases makes the situation of women domestic workers, especially those of adolescent girls, extremely deplorable. In the urban centres, many teenaged domestic workers end up becoming unwed mothers who are eventually deserted and stigmatised.
The relationship between an employer and domestic worker is one of the most poignant power struggles that marks everyday life in India.
(Women's Feature Service)

A new hope of life for our ailing education system
Shobha Shukla
It is heartening to note that the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD), under the able guidance of Sri. Kapil Sibal, wishes to overhaul the education system in the country. It envisages replacing marks with grades (already been done by some Boards), having a 'one nation -one board principle (an excellent idea), and bringing a tough law to prevent, prohibit and punish educational malpractices (very laudable, indeed).
So the air is seeded with well intentioned reform clouds getting ready to burst upon our sick education system. Whether they will infuse the much needed new life to it, or drown it, is what we need to ponder on. Very often, the erudite reformers take a blinkered view of the scenario, while sitting in their ivory towers. So it is important to initiate a nation wide debate on this issue, inviting not only heads of Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and higher institutes of learning, but persons at the grass roots' level too, that is the teachers and parents and students from different strata of society, who will be the direct beneficiaries or losers in the process of revamp. A mere scrapping of the class X board exam or introducing the grade system would mean poor cosmetic changes, without addressing the more vital problems.
Reforms need to begin at the lowest rung of ladder, viz. the primary level. It is at this stage that the child needs to be free from stress and the monster that a teacher/school is made out to be. With an increasing number of women joining the work force, the utility of play schools cannot be denied. But unfortunately, despite their mushrooming number, they are in the unorganized sector, with hardly any standards of quality control. The Honourable Minister would do well to strike at the grass roots, so that play schools do not become a mere extension of the 'learning by rote' system. It is here (and later in the primary classes) that the child can be introduced to environment protection, good hygiene habits, healthy food habits and communing with nature, in a very subtle manner, without the use of the written word. This becomes all the more important as parents find less quality time to spend with their kids. Corporate houses and government offices would do well to have such a 'home away from home' on their premises. This is one of the best ways to discharge their social accountability duties.
The primary level stage is the next one which is again largely into private hands. Education, for them, is big business, at least in the urban areas. Almost every other house in any locality has a board proclaiming to offer the best facilities (through English Medium) to a four year old child in the form of 'computer education', general knowledge etc. Very few boast of any sort of a play field. People, from even the lower middle class families, send their children to these schools, where they virtually learn nothing, by way of the three 'R's, even on reaching class V.
The situation could be slightly better in the missionary and public schools, the latter charging hefty fees. Computer is the buzzword these days. Parents do not seem to be interested in letting their child enjoy a carefree and happy childhood. Instead they want them to be store houses of crammed facts and figures. It is at the primary level that we can inculcate good moral and social values in the child as also a love and respect for nature and fellow human beings. Some schools score very high on this, but they are few and far between. One of my relative's daughter studies in class three in a reputed Parsi school of Mumbai . At this young age she sees to it that there is no wastage of water/electricity in her house and that garbage is reutilized as far as possible. She is totally against junk food and aerated drinks. And she has effortlessly imbibed all these values from her school, which have now become part of her psyche. At this tender age, it is easy to mould the young characters as they look up to their teachers and try their best to emulate them. If they are made environmentally conscience at this stage, there will be no need to 'Study' Environmental Education as a subject in higher classes (so many of us are up in arms against this additional burden of having to memorize another subject with no tangible benefits). And please, let us not replace the play ground with the computer lab. The irreparable harms of this are already there for all of us to see.
Surely till class V there should be no exams. This is the time to arouse the curiosity and hone the natural talents of the child. Interests in fine arts like music, dance, painting (so very important and so much neglected) will help to ignite their imagination, encourage their creativity, and groom them for a well balanced personality. There is much more (and better) to life at this stage than being adept at handling the computer and reciting dialogues from television programmes of the cartoon network. Reading (apart from textbooks) is another habit which has taken a backstage, thanks to the absurd notion that 'any activity which doesn't fetch high marks is a waste of time.' The intangible benefits of a love for reading are far too many and stand by us life long.
With the number of obese children on the rise, it is also important to emphasize on healthy eating habits and physical exercises and a love for nature. And I can say with certainty that all this is very much possible, if we have the will to do so.
Of course, we need specialized educators at the primary level to ensure a proper and balanced development of the child. It should be mandatory for schools to have play fields, airy class rooms with not more than 30 children to a teacher, compulsory yoga, and music and painting activities under competent teachers. The number of schools following these practices is abysmally small. If all schools follow these basic stipulations then parents would not seek specialized coaching of their child, from private tutors, to succeed at the interview for admission to nursery class in a school of their choice. It may seem grotesquely absurd, but such tuitions are immensely popular in urban areas.
The menace of 'coaching institutes' is another area, which needs immediate attention. If it is stopped, the students will be able to manage their time better and be de stressed. Gone are the days when taking private tuitions was a sign of the student's incompetence. There is big money in coaching these days and nowadays it seems to be a matter of prestige, rather than necessity, to join one. Parents feel it is part of their parental duty to send their ward for private tuitions, right from Class I to Class XII, whether there is actual need of it or not. Obviously the child will be stressed due to paucity of time, having to manage 'two study shifts'.
Several of my class 12 students admitted that they joined some coaching centre more out of peer/parental pressure. But once the heavy fees were paid they kept on wasting their time without improving their education levels at all. Incidentally, most of such students fare poorly at their Board Exams and also fail to qualify for a good professional institute. They would do much better if left to themselves, provided their teachers in school are sincere. Some state governments have tried, (but failed), to uproot this menace in the past. But the education/coaching mafia has such strong tentacles that nothing short of a strong diktat can deter them. This is one field where the HRD ministry needs to do some thing drastic.
At the middle school and secondary/higher secondary level again, it is a good idea to have a uniform pattern of education throughout the country, with some lee way given for regional modifications. But there should be just one examining body/board for the class XII level examinations. It will not make much of a difference if the class X board examination is scrapped, or the marks are replaced by a grade point system. The gradation in marking will and must remain. It is only the allotted marks that are changed to grades and some examining bodies are doing it already. But it does not make much sense to make the class X board examination optional. Either it should be there or not there. Else it will create more traumatic discrimination in the students.
What is more important is to revamp the examination system. At present it seems to be more of a farcical comedy than a serious exercise. There is an absurd emphasis, right from school authorities, to parents and students to get high marks. So much so that the latter are encouraged to cheat and score well by hook or by crook. The undeserving students stand to gain, at every step of the process. These days the teacher is always held responsible /accountable for good results, but rarely for the good conduct of her pupils. Many school managements encourage students to cheat, (particularly in the practical examinations), use unfair means and score high marks. Students obviously are no longer ashamed to cheat. They feel rather proud at having hoodwinked the authorities. There are numerous cases where parents have withdrawn their child from a particular school (after Class X) as the management did not guarantee to her full marks in Class XII Practical examinations. They preferred to send their ward to one which delivered these goods. So much for the moral character of the so called 'character builders'.
But my contention is - why have such a system which encourage one to cheat and get away with it with impunity.
At present, every Board is trying to outdo the other by way of giving high marks (by diluting the marking scheme), and not by way of imparting quality education. We have students getting 100% marks in subjects like English, Hindi and Economics. Yet their knowledge of the subject is abysmally poor. The system of conducting practical exams in the Science subjects is fraught with aberrations and needs to be seriously revamped.
Exams should not be an ordeal, but make students capable of tackling pressures of life, without getting affected psychologically. Stress is an over hyped and fashionable word these days. The media has contributed to this stress factor in a big way, by making much ado about nothing. It is ridiculous to see students being interviewed before and after taking the Board Exams. It is pathetically amusing to see parents (particularly fathers) discussing the entire question paper with their ward as soon as she/he comes out of the examination hall. What is worse is the anguish and discomfort writ large on the face of the child at this 'childish' behaviour of the parent. I have witnessed such scenes very often during the course of my invigilation duties for Class XII examinations. It is such irresponsible behavorial attitudes which increase the stress levels of the students and not the actual exams
Some stress is necessary for all of us. Human beings are generally said to perform better under stress. Too much of dilution will make life insipid and unpalatable, in the same way as over stress will crush it completely. It is more important to impart life skills to our students. We should neither molly coddle nor suppress them. They have to be made competent enough to face the challenges of life; not to be deterred by failures; to accept success with grace and not brashness. They should not feel happy in walking with the crutches of their parents' power/position. Rather they have to learn to earn their place in society by rightful means.
All this cannot be achieved without the cooperation of the teachers. There needs to be more accountability and better compensation in the teaching profession. It is only the government schools which implement fully any pay scale revisions for teachers. Yet they are notorious for under performance. Private schools (including missionary schools) maintain better standards, but their teachers are grossly underpaid, especially those teaching the higher classes. They always cite paucity of funds as a major problem. The HRD Ministry would do a yeoman's service if it applies the 'equal pay for equal work' policy and makes a sincere effort to remove these discriminatory anomalies. Of course, higher financial benefits will have to be matched with better performances on part of the teacher community. They will also have to utilize their expertise and energy for teaching in class and not in coaching centres.
It is true that achieving this (or even some part of it) involves getting across many hurdles-political as well as logistic. Already there are loud voices of disagreement coming from some states. But instead of being carried away by populist measures, the 'powers that be' should don their thinking caps to figure out how to make it happen. A sensible education policy is in the interest of the students, parents and teachers-- in fact the entire nation.
*(The author is the Editor of Citizen News Service (CNS) and also teaches Physics at India's prestigious Loreto Convent. Email: shobha@citizen-news.org, website: www.citizen-news.org).

Kottayam's Grannies are off to school
Shwetha E. George
Liyamma was born rich but had to wait 76 years to celebrate her first birthday party. Her parents belonged to a generation that probably never baked a cake and her children felt that she didn't need it anyway, certainly not at her age. But at Pakalveedu, the day-care centre for the aged in Kottayam, Kerala, Liyamma blew hard to put out the candles on her 76th birthday cake. She was blowing away more than just the candle flames, she was extinguishing her loneliness and deep depression.
"When she first came here," says Tito Thomas, a counsellor with a degree in theology, who runs Pakalveedu with his wife, Shanthi, "she couldn't even feed herself." A few months later, she was a happy, lively and confident woman, who started wearing 'churidars' (Indian leggings matched with long top, worn largely by younger women). Today, Liyamma is no more. But the two years of regular attendance at this nouveau facility had transformed her completely. Her fellow members feel that Pakalveedu didn't just give her a life, it also prepared her for passing away peacefully.
The influence of a peer group is no less important for the aged than it is for the young. In fact, it is more important for the elderly because the need for fellowship - defined as an association of people sharing the same interests - increases as one grows older. But one of the reasons why Pakalveedu hasn't become the raging new fad is because it is very difficult to convince the older generation, weaned on years of sacrifice and selflessness, that they also need time with 'friends'.
The concept of Pakalveedu was borrowed from the West by a prominent priest of Kerala's Mar Thoma Diocese during his theological training in the US. Rev. Fr. Samuel John started an NGO called Smile India, under which three Pakalveedu centres, run by its board members, were established in Kodimatha, Kurichy and Manganam 'panchayats' (village councils), respectively, in Kottayam.
As opposed to old-age homes, Pakalveedu does not uproot the old from their homes and plant them in an alien environment. "As you grow older, you get accustomed to routine," says Tito, "and your bed and your coffee cup become dearer." In an old-age home, one is suddenly deprived of one's belongings and forced to live under restrictions. "Here, we come of our own volition," says Lucy, 77, belonging to an upper-middle class family in Kottayam. She and her sister-in-law regularly visit the centre at Manganam thrice a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Adds Rachel, 80, a regular at the centre, "Everything is informal. We can ask for a cup of tea during the prayer session or go lie down in between a game when we feel tired."
For members of the day-care centre, their day starts from the time the Pakalveedu van picks them up from their respective homes. Since the Manganam Pakalveedu has affluent members, each one pays a membership fee of Rs 60 (US$1=Rs 47.14) per day. Cooking, therapy, aerobics - there is no dearth of activities here. But they all admit that if it weren't for the common conveyance, they would be stuck at home. So do they feel that three days a week is not enough? Says Mariamma, 73, "We just hope we can came out on these three days at least!"
Then why does the Manganam centre not have more than its current crop of 10 members? "Because everybody feels that this is an option only for the lonely and the uncared," says Aliyamma. Her children accuse her of demeaning them. They feel that her presence at Pakalveedu is proof of her feelings of neglect at home. "They don't understand that I need to spend time away from them as well," she says. At the same time, some families are happy to have the Pakalveedu option because it helps their parents have a more positive attitude on life, making them easier to live with.
Of the three centres, the one at Kodimatha caters to the lower middle-class. The members here are all women over 60 years who are either destitute or neglected. Of the 12 regular attendees, 10 live in poverty. They come to the centre twice a week, taking free rides on private buses for a five-hour fellowship, which includes prayer, lunch, games and a bit of exercise. Sara, 93, became a widow at 22 and single-handedly raised her son by working as a maid in various houses. "Today, I work as a sweeper in the veterinary hospital and earn Rs 750 a month," she says. She attends an evangelical centre every week because they give her a free meal, old clothes and some travel allowance. The last time her son visited her, he gave her Rs 20.
Two unmarried sisters, Ammini and Chachy also attend the Kodimatha centre twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, more for the free meal and bus fare than the games and interaction. "There are days when we have lived on just gruel water," she says, adding that she has forgotten what milk and eggs taste like. Their parents died early and one brother who is still alive does not wish to keep in touch.
However, other than the difference in their socio-economic background, the members of both these centres have a lot in common: stress, loneliness, a lack of self-esteem... the list is endless. "The aged have no self-esteem," says Tito. "Even the retired president of a country loses confidence as he grows old."
According to Dr K. P. George, a retired professor from Government Medical College, Kottayam, who is a columnist on family health in a leading vernacular periodical, "The concept of Pakalveedu can be a success for those with a gregarious attitude to life." He adds, "But those who have a complaining nature, who lament their fate and nitpick continuously, will find fault with any new venture." George believes that Pakalveedu is a progressive idea that will soon become the social norm.
Yet, the disparities persist. Members are almost always women, especially widows. The reasons for this vary. Perhaps it is because they are older, more spiritual and are usually house-bound and therefore relish such interactions. These centres depend on donations. The counsellors and guest speakers work for free. Though the two up-scale centres at Manganam and Kurichy charge a nominal fee, the expenses entailed are at least double the amount they get from members. But the biggest hurdle of all is the lack of awareness. "The fact that Pakalveedu is still an obscure endeavour and is not being sufficiently patronised is very discouraging," says Tito.
But for women like Aliyamma, Paklaveedu is the best perk of being old. "If my fisherwoman (regular fish vendor who makes house calls) sees me at home on Pakalveedu days, she asks, 'Hey, didn't you go to your school, today?'"
(Women's Feature Service)

POLITICAL DELICACIES
Package to woo Muslims
Nora Chopra
With Muslims having voted for the Congress in a big way, the Congress leadership is now out to woo them. The Government is expected to unveil a major package for the minorities in the Budget session beginning on July 2. The timing of releasing the Liberhan Commission report is also being seen in this perspective. The thinking in the Congress is that with the BJP down after the electoral defeat and the Hindutva issue having failed to make any impact on the voters, this the right time to release the report. The party leadership is confident that it will not have any adverse impact. On the contrary, it will send the right signals to the Muslim community. The party is also planning to give the Delhi Rajya Sabha seat to a Muslim. There is, however, a lurking apprehension that the government's move to release the Liberhan report may give a fresh lease of life to the BJP.
INEPT OFFICERS EMBARRASS OMAR
Omar Abdullah is a good Chief Minister with inept officers. This is the latest joke doing the rounds in the Home Ministry. Home Minister P. Chidambaram recently asked the J&K planning commissioner SL Bhatt about the resources that J&K generates from its own means. Bhat passed off the question to Economic Adviser Jalil Ahmad Khan Khan who responded to it only when he was asked the same question by the Home Minister four times. And the answer was totally wrong: Rs 550 crores which is less than one sixth of the total income that J&K gets from its own resources. Bhat, an officer otherwise with a better track record, faced another embarrassment when asked about the Border Roads Organization (BRO). Chidambaram wanted to know whether its performance was good or bad. Bhat was non-committal. Likewise, Atul Dullo, Health Commissioner, had no idea of the number of ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers. Naseema Lankar, perhaps the first KAS officer to rise to a senior position also lacked information about the number of projects taken up in the housing and Urban Development sector. Power Commissioner Sandeep Nayak could not respond to a special query about where the state government would manage its equity in the power projects. It was a huge embarrassment for the J&K government. The Cabinet has expressed displeasure and the Chief Secretary SS Kapur has communicated the same to the secretaries and commissioners. The situation did not change even after this. When Omar Abdullah flew a select group of bureaucrats to Delhi for a meeting with the Confederation of Indian Industry honchos, it was Mehboob Iqbal's turn to make a blunder. Responding to a question on the Prime Minister's task force on Kashmir, the officer unleashed statistics on Pradhan Mantri's Sadak Yojana. It was clear he was responding to a question that was not asked. Obviously he had no clue to the report on the task force.
KASHMIRI WOMAN IS US SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE
United States has appointed a Kashmiri-origin woman, Farah Pandit (41) as a special representative to reach out to the Muslim world. A notice issued by the State Department stated that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has appointed Pandit as in charge of a new office that is responsible for contacts with Muslims around the world. Earlier, another Kashmiri woman, Afeefa Sayeed, was involved in sewing up President Barrack Obama's initiative to reach out to Muslims ahead of his historic Cairo speech. Interestingly, both the women hail from North Kashmir town of Sopore, the bastion of hardline Kashmir leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani. Afeefa Sayeed, working as senior adviser in the Obama administration's global ad agency, US Agency for International Development, is the daughter of Prof. Sayeed, who had migrated to US in 1973. Farah Pandit, whose father had immigrated to the US in 1969, belongs to an influential Pandit family of Sopore, an area in Kashmir known for its pro-Pakistan links. Farah Pandit and her staff will carry out Clinton's efforts to 'engage with Muslims around the world on 'people to people and organizational level', the notification said. Pandit previously was an adviser on Muslim engagement at the State Department. She has also served on the National Security Council as coordinator for US policy on outreach to Muslims and worked at the US agency for International Development on assistance projects for Iraq, Afghanistan and the Palestinian territories. Pandit migrated to US with her parents in 1969 from Srinagar. Her appointment comes three weeks after President Obama's historic speech in Cairo.
MAMATA MAY CONCEDE GANGMEN'S DEMAND
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has secured one more chance to prove her concern for the poorest of the poor. Recently, the new Railway Minister was served a memorandum by the Gangmen's Association to revert them as coolies. It so happened that Mamata's predecessor, Lalu Prasad Yadav, under pressure from Bihar, had promoted about 40,000 coolies as Gangmen. But the Gangmen have realised that they are actually losing a lot because of the promotion. While they were getting a fixed salary of Rs 10, 000, they had no other benefits or allowances. They were sent to remote areas to do menial jobs. The coolies, who were not getting a fixed salary, were earning thrice as much as the gangmen earned. Their daily income was two to three thousand rupees per day particularly if they were based in metro town or state capital or Delhi. Besides, the coolies could hand over their licence to their son or any other family member. But a gangmen enjoyed no such facility. That is why now they want to become coolies again. Mamata is seriously considering conceding their demand. as it can boost her pro-poor image.
ANIL SHASTRI IS UNHAPPY
Anil Shastri, the editor of the Congress mouthpiece Sandesh, is an unhappy man. He has been heard cribbing that while the Congress is promoting sons and daughters of party leaders - this time more than a dozen sons and daughters have been elected to the Lok Sabha - the Congress high command is ignoring Lal Bahadur Shastri. The son of Lal Bahadur Shastri, who is in the Congress, has been deprived of everything. He was not given either a Lok Sabha ticket or a Rajya Sabha berth. Not even a Governor's post, says the buzz.
BIRDS OF THE SAME FEATHER
Arjun Singh and George Fernandes are two leaders who made news during the last three decades. While George is a great orator, Arjun Singh, a man of few words, mastered the art of politics. They may have fought for different political goals, but now they share one thing in common. Both have been relegated to the sidelines by their respective parties and all those whom they groomed. Now that they have nothing much to do, they are both busy writing their memoirs. The grapevine has it that their autobiographies will hit the market soon.
CONGRESS TO PROJECT VAGHELA AS CM
The Congress is planning to project Shankar Sinh Vaghela as its chief ministerial candidate in Gujarat against Narendra Modi. Vaghela, who lost the Lok Sabha election, is getting ready to contest an Assembly seat soon.
-(IPA)

Bhartiya Janata Party: searching a new subterfuge?
Badri Raina
I
Wasn't there a playwright who penned Six Characters in Search of an Author?
Well, India has a "major" political party that seems forever in search of a programme.
It is called the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).
But, hang on; unlike the famous play cited above, the BJP's interminable project is, infact, not to find the author/programme but to constantly hide the one and only it has.
That author of its unreal being is the RSS, the so-called cultural organization that was established by India's right-wing, Brahiminism in 1924 in order to direct the anti-colonial freedom movement towards the formulation of a majoritarian Hindu Rashtra, in opposition to the secular and pluralist ideals of the then Congress-led national movement.
Staunch adherent to that time-tested instrument of social and every other oppression in India, the caste hierarchy or varna vyavastha, three dominant principles have constituted its raison d' etre:
-an unrelenting hegemony of the uppercastes over Hindu thought and practice;
-an urelenting crusade against the Muslims whom it regards as alien to the land, and chief enemies of India's "cultural essence";
-a close embrace with militarist imperialism and with the systemic economic underpinnings that make such militarism and imperialism possible and necessary.
Not till 1949 did this organization declare its allegiance to the Indian Tricolour as comprising the undisputed icon of the new nation, and then too under duress and as a quid pro quo to the Nehru government's willingness to release from prison its big chief or sarsangchalak who had been locked up as a consequence of the banning of the RSS after the Gandhi murder in 1948.
Only then was the RSS literally coerced into framing its constitution and putting on record its allegiance to the flag.
The fact that it still remains unreconciled to the Indian Constitution was borne out when the Vajpayee-led NDA regime (1999-2004) constituted a Constitution Review Committee, designed to alter some of the basic features of the Republic.
Fortunately, India's post-Independence history weighed too heavily against this camouflaged misadventure.
II
This ideological matrix from whence the Bhartiya Jana Sanghthe first avatar of the BJPwas to issue as an overtly political fifth column in 1951, must be seen in conjunction with a more explicit enunciation of a racist/fascist "nationhood"that which Savarkar, that self-confessed atheist and non-believer in ritualist Hindu practices or the caste system, gave to the right-wing.
He it was who first enunciated Hindutva as a purely political proposition, related to religious identity only as a tactical ploy of exclusion.
Succintly, Savarkar postulated as early as 1923some fifteen years before Jinnahthat India infact comprised "two nations," "Hindus" and "Muslims." As to the emerging new state, it was his view that only those who were both born in India and had their chief icons of worship within India could be considered Indian citizens.
Thus a neat stipulation that would exclude Muslims (Mecca) and Christians (Jerusalem) from citizenship was floated
On a TV talk-show the other day, one of the chief spokespersons of the RSS/BJP, Sheshadrachari, when pressed by the smart anchor to define "Hindutva," conceded that the only definition available to this day was the one that had come from Savarkar.
He quickly went to add that the RSS/BJP did not, however, subscribe to this definition.
And thereby hangs the tale.
The crude fact is that this definition does indeed remain at the heart of the RSS/BJP political enterprise. And, yet, it is no longer a thesis that they may overtly propound and still hope to practice any viable politics in the India of 2009.
Which is why my friend, J.Sriraman, the reputed columnist, is so right when he says of the current post 2009 electoral rout of the BJP that the "heated debate (is) over how best to hide the ideology for the wide section of voters outside the core constituency'" of the Sangh Parivar. (see Daily Times, Lahore, june 26, 2009).
Sriraman makes a rapid encapsulation of the various subterfuges that the BJP has sought to employ through time to practice such concealment, now citing one or the other supposedly new idelogical source to their favoured shenanigans. Thus, since its inception in 1980, we have been served with "Gandhian Socialism," "Integral Humanism" (this still on the BJP constitution), followed by "Cultural Nationalism" (in the wake of the maraudingly anti-Muslim Advani rath yatra of 1990 that led to the demolition of the Babri mosque and pogroms against Muslims thereafter), and culminating yet again in "Hindutva."
The one thing, of course, that no scion of the Sangh will do is to make explicit the meaning of that most mythologised term, Hindutva. For reasons not hard to understand. Never has so much benefit been drawn from so much obfuscation.
III
Now the problem that confronts the BJP is that it has to exist and operate both as the thin end of the RSS wedge and as itself.
Unable to make of the Savarkar/ Golwalker (the latter was to stipulate that "foregn races", read Muslims, who were unwilling to lose their separate existence and merge into the Hindu race could not be granted rights of citizenship) thesis an overt party programme within a secular-constitutional dispensation, the BJP has had the unenviable task of shopping for programmes that might sell more handily among India's diversely plural electorate, crucially without being seen to be jettisoning its Hindu-cultural moorings.
Exactly as among its trader base where the quest must always be to patronize goods and services that have a market for the time being, the BJP has tended to shop for catchy formulations that may yield state power, for no fascist programme can ever succeed except on the strength of a powerful, captive state.
The dynamics of India's democracy over the years, and the fact of a generational shift in league with neo-liberal technological advance have, however, now rendered the charms of the Hindutva project stale, in all its incarnations or camouflages.
Thus it is that the BJP's failed prime ministerial prospect, L.K.Advani, skirting all issues of substance raised in the party's recent conclave, skirting as well his own responsibility for the party's failed campaign, and the responsibility of his chosen coterie who, infact, stand rewarded further, to the understandable heart-burn of others, has typically floated a new formulation of the sort of Hindutva that the party must learn to practice.
This gentleman, whatever his reality, always does have something up his sleeve.
A rose they say is a rose by any name; so can "Hindutva" be, no?
To wit, he has pronounced that the BJP must henceforth avoid "any narrow or bigoted anti-Muslim interpretation of Hindutva."
Amazing, isn't it, how within the fascist camp, stern somersaults of weltanshuuang can happen towards the last minutes of a confused conclave.
Presto, as it were.
But here is what we say.
We believe that coming as this new radical view of Hindutva does from an 82 year old man, hardly in a position to conceive of a future for himself, some deeply felt conversion is here at work, one not subject to any further turn-arounds.
A conversion that inevitably also wraps a confession.
Advani's formulation cannot but simultaneously mean that he acknowledges Hindutva to have thus far been "bigoted and anti-Muslim." And on the basis, indeed, of his own marked culpabilities.
The nation might thus say that if the new non-bigoted, non-anti-Muslim view of what Hindutva ought to be is to be taken seriously as a rite d' passage within the BJP, a leap, as it were, into a new being, such a transformation can be made credible only if and when an Advani shows contrition for bigoted and anti-Muslim culpabilities of the recent past, at the least, and apologises to the nation for the same.
After all, precisely because Advani did not think of Hindutva in 1990 as being non-bigoted and non-anti-Muslim did he launch that pogrom on the Babri mosque.
Or, refuse to show remorse for the Muslim massacres under Modi's aegis in Gujarat in 2002.
Which is why we say to Advani ji: notice how quite the other day the American Houses of Congress for the first time under the Obama dispensation passed a formal resolution of apology and contrition for the sins of slavery and racial discrimination.
And thus what better time to emulate the world's other democracy, that iconic strategic partner, that guarantor of freedoms world-wide, and make a public apology to the nationnot just to the Muslimsfor having practiced bigotry and anti-Muslim Hindutva.
Short of that, alas, my friend, Sriraman, must remain unrefuted in his astute perception that this is just but another gimmick floated in Goebellesian fashion to further hoodwink India under yet another false pretence.
Contrarily, think that were Advani to actually make that leap, how that might elevate and transform him, his party, and the future of the Republic, leaving a legacy worthy of a superior statesman and patriot.
Indeed, while we are on the subject of contrition, another apology that needs to be made by the Indian parliament is to the dalits of India, for a past bloodied with caste oppression and denial of human rights to a quarter of all Indians. And you may add to that the children and women of India as well.
Let us, therefore, sieze this grand opportunity of national renewal.
The hope here, however, must be tempered with a sense of hard realities. Any scion of the BJP will tell you that the party is "nothing" without the RSS. Also for the canny reason that it is, after all, the latter organization that has the cadres indispensable to any electoral promise. Not that this is what they will acknowledge. Their point, alas, remains that, the new Advani admonition notwithstanding, the BJP has no raison d' etre except, in the first and last analysis, as a Hindu organization primarily.
Like that chemical, benzene (c6 H12), the BJP retains whatever stability it does only because, as Kekule understood of that chemical with six missing carbon atoms, its serpent's tail remains in the RSS mouth, causing double valencie bonds to occur. The pity is that whereas doubleness gives us a stable and beneficient benzene, doubleness debilitates and delegitimises the BJP forever, however stable it be.
Take that out, and no benzene, and no BJP as we have known it to be. A newer and better one may, nonetheless, emerge, not being an inert chemical after all.
India waits with bated breath. As, indeed, does the sub-continent.
badri.raina@gmail.com.

Jammu Nostalgia-X
(Reminiscing wonderful good old days)
Memorable Journeys in Jammu
I have spent almost half of my life in Jammu right from the very birth, the reason being the durbar move. My late father who served in various capacities in the state government had to move in winter to Jammu. The recollection of the most of the events of those early days has gone blank with my fading memory but there are certain memories of my early days and recent times which I vividly recall and cherish. I am sharing these with my friends in Jammu!
M Ashraf
During my 11 year tenure as the Director Tourism and Director General Tourism, J & K, I had many opportunities for travel in different parts of the state including Jammu province. I always recall these journeys of both discovery and adventure. One of the enchanting journeys was in the Mantalai Valley. This is a long valley stretching from Chennani to Duddo. First time I was taken there by Dhirendra Brahmchari who was building a resort in Mantalai. He had very elaborate plans to set up a health resort for which the location is ideal. In fact, we held an all India Art Camp in his premises. Those days he had small guest house and was constructing a massive 5-star hotel. There was an air strip and a long cave for meditation. The cave was like a nuclear shelter under a huge mound. He had intended to set up more than dozen facilities like a casino, sauna, and so on. He had also planned a shorter route from Chennani across the river which the forest department did not allow. That route would take one from Chennani to Mantali in half an hour. Unfortunately, all his plans came to an abrupt end due to his demise in an air crash on the strip. I got the news in London where I had gone for some tourism promotion. After having been introduced to Mantalai by Dharindra Bramchari, I made a number of trips even beyond this point. After Mantalai comes Latti and at the end of the valley is Duddo. One day three of us, me, S S Bhalla, and Zafar Kotey decided to drive right up to Duddo. We started very early and took some pack lunch. The road beyond Mantalai was quite rough and the valley was narrow. There are pine trees on both sides of the valley. However, as one nears Duddo, the valley somewhat widens and there are pine trees in the middle of the river. We were reminded of Pahalgam in Kashmir valley even though Duddo is much narrower compared to Lidder valley. The tourism department had constructed a beautiful wooden hut in Duddo but it was occupied by paramilitary forces. It was a pity that the owners of the hut could not use it! We descended to the river and had our lunch on a small island. The rustling of the pines and the roar of the stream mentally transported us beyond Jammu to some lovely spot in Kashmir valley. We very much enjoyed our trip. It is a pity not many people know about these lovely spots of Jammu. Unfortunately, people outside cannot differentiate between Jammu City and the Jammu province which is a vast region of varied landscapes. This area has a tremendous potential for tourism development. In the entire valley I had also seen in the spring time blossoms as are seen in different parts of Kashmir valley. The ideal situation would be to invite some private developers for setting up joint ventures with the local people.
The other interesting journey I undertook in the vicinity of Udhampur is to Panchari and Lander. This time we did not take any pack lunch. The road takes off short of Udhampur and the first spot reached is Krimchi Temples. These are probably the only fully standing ancient temples. The Archaeological Survey of India had done a good job in restoring these. However, the approach to the temples from the main road is very tedious. This could be a very interesting day trip for tourists. During our trip we had tried to convince the local people to give some land for improving the approach to the temples but they seemed to be quite reluctant. After this the road winds up a hill which has lot of pines at the top. Near the top one crosses a pass and drives on the right side to reach the village of Panchari. It did not impress me so much but ahead of Panchari is Lander which is more scenic. From Lander one can trek to Sanasar and thence to Patni top. In fact, the range goes from an earlier spot behind Vaishnovdevi Shrine called Bhamag right up to Duddo. This is an excellent range for light trekking of Alpine style. I could not make a trip to Bhamag in spite of repeated requests by Mr.Kohistani who was very keen to have this area developed as a tourist resort. I had the opportunity of seeing the area from air while flying in a chopper with the then Advisor to Governor General Saklani. But I am sure with the constitution of over a couple of dozen tourism development authorities for different regions of the state, this area will receive due attention. During this trip we could not get any lunch anywhere and had to return hungry!
A short trek in the same range is from Padora in Patnitop to Shiv Garh top. I used to see this top regularly from Patni Top on my numerous visits. One day while staying in a tourist hut in Padora, I decided to trek to this top. The trail leaves behind the huts and traverses a long dense forest. Then it climbs steeply towards the top of the mountain. The top is a large clearing from which one can have a panoramic view on all sides. It is a very lovely day long trek if one takes some pack lunch and lingers on the top for some time. However, one must go on a clear day as in case of rain the path can be very slippery and dangerous. This whole area has many other possibilities of trekking. One can even go right up to Sudh Mahadev but people mostly prefer to stick round Patnitop or at the most drive up to Sanasar. Recently, the Youth Hostels Association of India had started some trekking programme in the range. However, these treks need to be popularised for back packers who can go on their own.
-(To be continued)