EDITORIAL
Son rises, party sets17/05/08
The Congress has, of late, been palpably distracted from its immediate task of preparing for the coming electoral battle. The reason for losing its sense of priorities is linked to its obsession with promoting Rahul Gandhi as the new leader The Congress is getting increasingly trapped into spending most of its energies inflating the Rahul Gandhi balloon, instead of focussing on the coming Lok Sabha election. Over the past few months, both the party leadership and the grassroots organisation have been palpably distracted from their immediate task of ensuring as many seats as possible in the imminent electoral battle. Clearly, the reason for losing a sense of political priorities is linked to the current obsession gripping the party to somehow build the image of the young prince.
Nothing illustrates better the current waste of political zeal than the recent caper by Mr Gandhi in the backwaters of Uttar Pradesh. Now this is a State where the Congress has virtually extinguished itself and it is too late for the party to even partially revive itself before the general election. It will have, therefore, been far wiser for Mr Gandhi to have concentrated his energies in States like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan where the Congress has a real chance of revival, particularly since the BJP rules the State Governments and could face anti-incumbency.
Unfortunately for the Congress, the Gandhi family’s past links with Uttar Pradesh continues to conjure up the delusion of the party’s relevance in the country’s largest State. This led Mr Gandhi to launch a needless campaign against the resident political deity, Ms Mayawati, which has brought the Congress no advantage but eminently suited the BSP supremo’s national ambitions.
Ms Mayawati has swiftly picked up the gauntlet thrown down by the young Gandhi knowing that the conflict amplified by media hype across the country will only add to her national stature.
On the other hand, the Congress has not only ended up with egg on its face in Uttar Pradesh, losing all the by-elections, most of them ignominiously. By pitching Mr Gandhi against Ms Mayawati, the Congress has lost vital Dalit votes in adjoining States like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi because like her or not, Ms Mayawati is an icon among the Dalit community in these States, particularly the younger lot. This is suicidal at a time when the Congress needs every vote possible in what could turn out to be a very open ended Lok Sabha election next year.
There is also considerable confusion on who is calling the shots in the Congress at the moment. At times, it is the emerging figure of Mr Digvijay Singh that seems to dominate with his confrontationist in-your-face campaign against the BSP regime in Uttar Pradesh, propelling Mr Gandhi’s antics in the State. But the backroom manoeuvres of Ms Priyanka Vadra - a political hothead from all accounts - are believed to also cast a long shadow on the Congress. It remains to be seen how all this aggressive posturing gels with the status quo politics of Ms Sonia Gandhi.
To compound matters, there also seems to be a fair degree of uncertainty in the Congress high command on how far to pitch Mr Gandhi’s image. The growing chorus of Congress cheerleaders demanding Mr Gandhi be projected as the next Prime Minister suggested at one point that the party had decided to go in for a drastic change of leadership. But the sudden shift of gears by the official announcement of Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Nathrajan, clearly sponsored by Ms Gandhi, that the Prime Minister’s position was not vacant and that Congressmen should not behave like sycophants indicates that the mother is still reluctant to push the son directly into the firing line.
There is little doubt that the electoral outcome of next month’s Karnataka Assembly election and later of Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Delhi this winter will determine how much the Rahul Gandhi balloon will be blown up. If the Congress wins everything in sight, the aggressive build-up of the young prince will continue full steam ahead. On the other hand, adverse results even in some of the State Assembly elections could provoke the Congress president to quickly withdraw the Gandhi scion from leading the battle lest he get badly burned by an electoral debacle in the Lok Sabha election.
With less than a year left, the Congress is caught in an unenviable dilemma on whether to adopt a risky aggressive or a pragmatic defensive one. Conventional wisdom suggests that an incumbent Government should keep its head down and concentrate on forging alliances and maximising grassroots organisation. However, this kind of low key approach would hardly build up Mr Gandhi’s image as the dynamic young leader of the party.
The obvious confusion within the Congress leadership on whether to blow hot or cold about the elections has severely handicapped the party’s abilities to take advantage of a similar crisis of leadership in its principal opponent, the BJP. Under normal circumstances, the disarray within the BJP, most recently underlined by the revolt of Mr Gopinath Munde in Maharashtra, should have given a major leg up to the Congress’s electoral ambitions. But caught in two minds about how to prepare best for the coming elections, the Congress continues to look downcast even as its traditional rival flounders around in its own organisational morass.
With both the Congress and the BJP in a state of disorder, the door appears to have been opened for smaller but politically more virile parties that have no-nonsense strategies to maximise whatever strengths on the ground they have. Indeed, there is already a buzz across the political spectrum anticipating an unprecedented political scenario where the three national political poles so far, the Right-wing BJP, centrist Congress and the Left Front may no longer play the role of the main mover and shaker. It would be indeed a major irony of history if even as the Congress debates on whether to project Mr Gandhi as the next Prime Minister or not, the very parameters of Indian politics are in the process of being re-defined.
Not old enough
16/05/08
With consumerism riding high, the young generation and the old are literally high with hundreds of varieties and brands of alcohol offered on sale and indeed drinking has never been so exciting. In a fast changing lifestyle, branded alcohol are as sought after as status symbol as other branded consumer items worldwide. More and more young people today possess the means to buy alcohol as wealth and income net widens. This means the young have graduated from social drinking to alcoholism. This is one worry which the Delhi Government has sought to confront and so it has decided to increase the age limit for purchase and consumption of alcohol from 21 to 25 years. The decision has stirred up a fierce debate and more so among the young in New Delhi and of course the countless shops and bars in the national capital. The argument against the increase of permissible age limit was that it took away the right of choice for those below 25.This segment pointed out that when the age limit for marriage was fixed at 21, how could another law set the age limit for drinking at 25 years of age? Certainly, this is the most debatable part of the decision. Those who are legally permitted to marry after attaining the age of 21 are expected to have come of age ; certainly in matters of raising a family and making other choices concerning their lives. If by raising the permissible age limit for drinking alcohol, the Delhi government felt it could decrease social problems, then it has handled the issue based purely on the age factor. For one, there are many of those over 25 or even 40, who cannot be called responsible drinkers. Again, pubs or shops selling alcoholic drinks may not be so strict with compliance and therefore, restricting more young people below the age of 25 may not make much impact. The other point that can be argued is that besides pubs and other public places, the young can still drink all the alcohol they want at home or in hotel rooms or in various other spots. The decision sound good but does not guarantee that all those who drink will be only 25 years and above and that all of them will be responsible and law abiding. Any law that cannot be effectively enforced is no good. The problem of young or younger people drinking needs to be dealt with through education. The root cause of the problem is actually alcoholism and irresponsible action of those inebriated. This aspect should be dealt with in accordance with the law so as to discourage offences committed under the influence of alcohol. Stiffer penalties should be considered besides breathalyser tests on those driving vehicles. The decision of the Delhi government will continue to be a subject of much debate in the coming days. The impact of result can only be known after sometime but there is no doubt that the problem of young alcoholics will continue to pose a challenge for society.
Experiment with untruth
13/05/08
Former deputy prime minister (home) and BJP prime minister-in waiting L.K.Advani renewed the controversial account of the 1999 Khandahar hijack crisis in a television interview on his memoir 'My Country, My Life' . In his book, Mr L K Advani, who was the NDA deputy prime minister in-charge of home, claimed that he was unaware about the decision to release three terrorists in exchange for about 150 passengers of hijacked Indian Airlines Flight IC-814 stranded at Khandahar in December 1999.His statements stirred up a hornet's nest with the Congress renewing its attack on the then NDA government for the swipe and the controversial role of the then NDA external affairs minister Jaswant Singh in ferrying three terrorists in a plane to Khandahar on December 31,1999. It was vintage Advani-speak , reminiscent of his earlier utterances during his visit to Pakistan which also created considerable consternation in the Hindutva camp. His statement recognising Pakistan as an 'unalterable reality of history' had been received with shock and horror by his fellow Hindutva-walas, who have been taught to believe, by leaders such as Advani himself, that the ultimate cause that they are struggling for is Akhand Bharat, stretching from Iran to Myanmar. Further aggravating his Hindutva sympathisers, Advani's bold visit to the mausoleum of the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the bete noire of the Hindutva brigade and his homage at Jinnah's mausoleum by laying a wreath including comments made he made at the visitor's book where he described Jinnah as the 'Qaid-e-Azam' or 'great leader', a 'great man', an ardent 'secularist', and as one of those rare men who 'actually create history', earned the wrath of the RSS and even close BJP colleagues. Advani's true confession in his book 'My Country, My Life', had the BJP in jitters. Seeking to defend the BJP leader, former NDA external affairs minister Jaswant contended that it was a collective decision of the Cabinet and ''Mr Advani perhaps might have not been present in the meeting''.Another damage control exercise was undertaken by BJP spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy who said , "It is true (that) Advani was not aware that Jaswant would accompany the terrorists. He came to know only when he (Jaswant) was going." He further went on to state that "what Mr Advani is saying is correct. He is our leader and how can I dispute what he is saying. 'He is my leader. You cannot expect me to counter his claim." Going by these statements, Mr Advani was neither in the emergency cabinet meeting or if he was present, was blissfully unaware of whatever had been discussed. Advani's other claim that he had sought the assistance of US Ambassador Robert Blackwill seeking Washington's help to end the 1999 Kandahar hijack crisis also ended up in smoke. Blackwill said he was not the Ambassador at that time but in Harvard.The then law minister Ram Jethmalani took the opportunity to slam the then National Security Adviser Brajesh Mishra for the inept handling of the crisisSuch statements only confirm the kind of white lies the BJP has become most adept at telling. However, the then NDA finance minister and BJP leader Yashwant Sinha blasted L.K.Advani for violating the Official Secrets Act in disclosing confidential matters in his memoirs.At the end of the day, perhaps Advani should give up making true confessions which do no good for his party or perhaps rewrite his memoirs just as his party seeks to rewrite Indian history.
A right move
12/05/08
It is not the first time that the administration in Dimapur has passed an order asking various unions to fold up their 'offices' or collection points near the check gate besides prohibiting them from further collection of money under the plea of tax or fees. It now remains to be seen as how far will the administration go to ensure that illegal collections done in the name of membership fees or other pleas, will not be allowed to assume acceptability and least of all, legitimacy. In the past, the affected unions had gone to court and obtained stay and then gradually resumed their activities with a vengeance. No one questions the legitimacy of associations or unions since they may have been registered. Also no one questions the right of associations and unions in collecting membership fees on monthly or yearly basis. What is questionable is the terrible irritant and nuisance, in the form of forcible collection fees or taxes for land revenue, road tax, vehicle union tax and every kind of tax by dozens of unions, associations or welfare committees. As stated earlier, collection of forest royalty tax, excise and road taxes are supposed to be done by legitimate and authorized government departments. The government and to an extent, the civic body is vested with the legal and constitutional authority and power to collect revenues which are used to fund various projects or maintenance works in the interest of the public. No registered union claiming to deal with welfare or the well being of its members can claim legitimacy for forcible collection of whatever taxes. For too long have truck drivers and other transporters been harassed and even assaulted by those involved in forcible collection of fees or taxes. The administration should not allow unions and associations to set up offices near the Check Gate nor in any part of the roads. Lack of will on the part of the administration to discourage those involved in such practices have unfortunately led to a rationale that collection of money by registered unions or associations is legitimate. The administration should make it clear that no union or committee can stop any goods vehicle or those transporting materials at any point, for levying fees or taxes. All these have only added to the cost of various items besides the woes of the common man. This is also the reason why most of the transport companies prefer to unload the goods at Lahorijan in order to avoid confrontation with the illegal tax collectors. It is indeed very depressing that rampant collection of unauthorized taxed have become the order of the day. It is hoped that these activities including extortions will come to an end and become the first step forward towards economic development of Dimapur.
10/05/08
The continuing spate of factional killings spread across Nagaland is a sad reminder of the tragic extent to which killings among Nagas has come to symbolize its freedom struggle. Unless there is an immediate stop to such madness, the continuing violence will only awaken further feelings of anger and reprisal. Whether it is the killing of persons from this or that group, for ordinary Nagas, the hurt and sense of despair is felt in equal measure. That fratricidal killing is taking place amongst those who took up arms for a common political struggle and the fact that more Nagas are being killed in the last few years at the hands of fellow Nagas not only questions the very aim of the struggle itself but is also becoming increasingly embarrassing and at the same time shameful.
The Naga public have every right to start questioning the national leaders and to demand an explanation as to why infighting is taking place’ to such an extent and whether there are no more sensible leaders left among the armed groups who have the authority and moral conscience to stop this hell on earth being perpetuated and at what cost, for what reasons and for whom. It is now high time that the UG leaders are made answerable for their acts of commissions and omissions and for this they should have no qualms about subjecting themselves to a critical appraisal if they at all claim to represent the people’s mandate.
As for the State government, political parties and civil society groups, a strong and visible demonstration of unity must be forthcoming to send out the message that the continuing internal strife must end now. One of the fundamental flaw in pursuing the goal of peace and unity among the Naga groups, is clearly the inability of the political leadership in the State, the civil society groups and tribal hohos to themselves rally and come together in one clear unison and this failure only sends a negative message to the armed groups that peace and unity can be undermined as long as one continues to serve the status-quo of powerful interests, ideological differences, political rivalry and personal/tribe loyalties. Only when the public—led by the political, society and tribal leaders—demonstrates the resolve to themselves unite, the call for peace will be taken as both serious and credible.
As far as the several initiatives to bring about reconciliation and peace among the warring groups, all such efforts are welcome but they must not work at cross purposes but complement each other. While the newly floated Forum for Naga Reconciliation is trying its best to engage all the legitimate groups in reasoning out the core issues at hand, the GBs & DBs are also in the best position to revaluate the ceasefire agreement which had been signed late last year but which obviously has been not been complied with. The village elders should immediately take the initiative and work on a formal appeal to the factions for suspension of hostilities (cease-fire). This appears to be the only realistic first step to bring an end to the constant cycle of violence and fratricidal killings. Once suspension of hostilities comes into force, a favorable climate can be created for exploring different mechanisms towards working out a functional peace arrangement for which a representative body like the new
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