Friday, April 8, 2011

Privatisation

Education and Health are two vital responsibilities that the Government has almost totally abdicated and handed over to private hands who are raking in huge returns both through direct collection from public and through government reimbursements.

Huge amounts of land - both public and private - have been and continue to be compulsorily acquired and bestowed to private players in the name of Industries, SEZs, etc. It is an open secret that only a small percent of the land thus acquired is actually put to the legitimate use but get diverted to the booming realty sector or simply left undeveloped for the rates to increase.

Likewise, minerals are also dished out to private players, who export the raw mineral than put it to end use within the country as professed.

Now water resources are also slowly being handed over to private parties who are poised to make a giant killing. Huge lakes, canals, minor water bodies have been legally and illegally filled in and diverted to realty. Now private parties are being allowed to overexploit the ground water resources to the detriment of common people who depend on wells for irrigation and domestic consumption.

Many villages do not get potable water from respective local bodies but in their midst private parties are being allowed to pump out thousands of litres of water for being supplied to hotels, ships, etc.

With the present trend, it may not be long before we are forced to pay private parties for having windows in our houses as the air we breathe may be privatized.

Since less governance is better governance, the government may be thinking of confining itself solely to decide who will own the nature's gifts.


…ponder

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Govt Lok Pal vs People Lok Pal

It started in one ancient civilization, Egypt; engulfed quite a few African and West Asian countries and has now touched another ancient civilization, India. It is the whirlwind of spontaneous and popular uprising against venality and corruption cynically and systematically indulged by those who have given themselves the power to rule either through gun or sleight of ballot. Mercifully for India, the cudgels have been taken by a diminutive Gandhian in a Gandhian way unlike in other affected countries where guns are booming.

People of India are at their tether's end. Scam after scam is surfacing and what is dished out is glib talk and confusion. Take for example the issue of appointment of CVC, 2G scandal, and so on.

The first Lokpal Bill was passed in the 4th Lok Sabha in 1969 but could not get through in Rajya Sabha. Subsequently, Lokpal bills were introduced in 1971, 1977, 1985, 1989, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2005 and in 2008, yet they were never passed.

The present standoff between Anna Hazre and the Government is due to difference in perceptions on the body's constitution, its role and powers and more importantly about the composition of the re-drafting panel and its legal and binding status.

If the draft Bill prepared by the government becomes the law of the land, the Lokpal can’t punish a corrupt public servant but can send a person to jail for making a frivolous complaint. Activists want this provision to go and instead suggested imposition of fine to check frivolous complaints.

According to the draft bill, the Lokpal cannot act on its own or on a public complaint and can only receive complaints referred by LS Speaker or Rajya Sabha chairman.

Lokpal, after inquiry, will forward report to competent authority that can decide not to act on recommendations. Under the draft bill, Lokpal does not have powers of police to register FIR. Prosecution would be pursued by existing agency such as CBI.

Lokpal will have jurisdiction only on MPs, ministers and PM. It will not have jurisdiction over officers. The activists want it to include even judges.

Another controversy is around the composition of the body. The government draft proposes Lokpal to be three-member body — all retired judges. The selection panel is proposed to comprise Vice-President, PM, Leaders of both houses, Leaders of opposition in both Houses, law minister and home minister, thus not only loading heavily in favor of ruling clique, but also making it a cent percent political animal. But activists want CEC, CAG and international awardees of Indian origin to be on the panel.

The draft does not deal with corruption of bureaucrats and the Lokpal would not have powers to redress grievances. It does not incorporate mechanism to redress public grievance.

In the draft bill there is no provision to seize ill-gotten wealth. A corrupt person can come out of jail and enjoy that money. A limit of six months to one year has been prescribed for Lokpal to probe. But there is no time limit for completion of trial.

Anna Hazare has refused to budge and asked people to fill jails. With more and more citizens coming out against government, this is likely to snow ball. Let us hope unemployed politicians will not hijack the movement and whatever may be the outcome, things will remain on the peaceful Gandhian path.

...ponder

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Girl child

The sex ratio of India, according to the Census Commissioner, is 933 females to 1000 males for whole India and 946 for rural India and 900 for urban India. Urban areas, with their better health facilities and awareness, cull female children at a more ruthless rate.

The other bad news is that the phenomenon of female foeticide, which was mainly confined to North and North-West is now prevalent all over the country. But, this comes with the rider that import of brides from Bihar, Kerala, North-East, West Bengal into North and North-West is now difficult due to paucity of females there too.

The spinoff is that girls are calling the shots in the matrimonial market and have become very choosy. In the software sector, where girls are neck to neck with boys, it is usual now to see boys' and their parents making rounds to find suitable alliances. Another interesting fallout is, girls calling off alliances at the eleventh hour in the supreme confidence that they will find a better partner.

Though education and employment opportunities have vastly empowered the girl child, the mind-set of the previous generation is changing but slowly. If the society can deliver a more secure environ for the females, things will improve faster. Secondly, the Hindu society in particular and all in general, should somehow reform and re-jig to meet all eventualities in a son-less set-up. Apart from harsh realities, spiritual needs also have to be modified in this context. Religious leaders should take the lead in giving girls equal role in matters spiritual and customary (like performing funeral) to change the mind set.

Girls have demolished many a male bastion. But they have to penetrate into many more areas like employment where due to age old taboos certain professions are denied to them like Priesthood. There aren't any female barbers. Brahmakumaris have shown that they can organize better and give succor better. Maharashtra boasts of female purohits. It is good to see more females as software specialists, engineers, doctors, administrators, etc. But more females as priests, conductors, gas station attendants, barbers, police, petty enterprueners, etc will also change the mindset of the society.

Let us hope we will have a society which is not only safe for existing females but to those unborn females too.


…ponder