Sunday, November 15, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Nandan Nilekani - beyond IT
Nandan Nilekani made headlines when he accepted the offer to head the NAUID. His transition too from the corporate world to government service was pretty seamless. One has to give due credit and realize that maybe he is made of a different material and takes pride in giving back to the society.
For his leadership and planning of the whole project Nilekani was recently felicitated by Yale University with ‘Legend in Leadership Award’. This award, since its inception 20 years ago, has been given to CEOs who serve as living legends and inspire CEOs across nations and industries.
India has traditionally excelled in identifying its citizens in a very mundane way. Let’s face it, Mumbai police were once noted for their exemplary crime solving statistics next only to the legendary Scotland Yard. There have been many approaches by the Govt. of India to come up with a solution to identify each one of its billion plus population. Administering a country which is second most populous in the world is no easy task. There are a multitude of needs and an urgent need for a common identification scheme.
Many countries have implemented their own methods of identification for their citizens, most widely known being the Social Security Number in USA, National Insurance Number in UK, Personal Identity Number in Sweden and Denmark, National Identification Card in Pakistan, Resident Identity Card in China, etc. etc. These countries in many ways have a lot of advantages in managing their subjects. These are used by authorities for domestic peace and national security, by health care providers, by the financial and banking industry and by various insurance industries.
Trouble makers: Inside and out
One of the primary reasons for such identification is for National Security. There are many issues domestic and international which plague India on multiple fronts. Domestically it varies from the J&K unrest, Western Border States international skirmishes with the neighbor, Southern tigers issue till recently before they were wiped out, the vertical corridor of Maoists and North eastern unrest. Add to this the spice of the race in the communal sensitive areas such as Lucknow, Mumbai, Ayodhya, Godhra, Deccan, Coimbatore, J&K, etc and you have the perfect recipe to breed vested interests.
There are many states in India which have regional political leaders who call for regional prominence over national interest, if only it was puritan thoughts of regional development, but alas that is never the case. Many heroes have risen and turned blind eye once greed sets in.
Crimes and abuse of the common man
In India for one has to access a passport there needs to be a Ration Card (Govt. provided document which lists a family and its members with their residence details). Most of the other transactions such as banking, licenses, etc need this document including voting. But since there is no common data base there is a very high possibility of abuse of this document. It is illegal to hold more than one passport or more than one Ration Card in a state, but due to non-viable tracking means, this is a very real situation.
Empowering the oppressed
India’s population even with the decade old liberalization is still a rural and agrarian one. India has one of the highest population densities in the World with about 344 per km. Also due to a large percentage of population still reeling under illiteracy and poverty, there is a very high chance of many potential victims to this menace.
In the recent past, things are changing for the good. There have been some good infrastructure development projects undertaken by the Indian Govt. such as connecting highways and roads across the length and breadth of the country and now the Nation Identification project. Liberalization has resulted in more spending power, more facilities trickling down the system and slowly reaching the common man. But how does the Govt. track this? The National Identification drive will empower them in more ways than one.
The MNIC is a smart card with 16KB of memory designed to be in line with the specifications laid out in ISO/IEC 7816 and SCOSTA. Earlier smart card applications of the Government of India have adapted the ISO/IEC 7816 specifications under the SCOSTA (Smart Card Operating System for Transport Applications) program of the government of India. The cards are designed to support a minimum of 300,000 EEPROM write cycles and will retain data for at least 10 years.
What does the future hold?
The best part of MNIC is that it involves bio metrics. Not even in countries as advanced as the US, has their identification have bio metrics incorporated in it. The plan and vision is to integrate the fingerprints of the person on the card. The process is already underway where the census board is planning on collecting 10 fingerprints and/or iris scan for the upcoming 2011 census. We wish if they can use both the finger print and iris scan for the MNIC. This information is assumed to be tamper proof and will be subject to modification to keep it current at all times.
Will this result in convenience for common man and help for administration remains to be seen. The promise is there but will it stand the test of time and the fickle nature of Indian politics or will it be abused too, only time will tell
For his leadership and planning of the whole project Nilekani was recently felicitated by Yale University with ‘Legend in Leadership Award’. This award, since its inception 20 years ago, has been given to CEOs who serve as living legends and inspire CEOs across nations and industries.
In India for one has to access a passport there needs to be a Ration Card (Govt. provided document which lists a family and its members with their residence details). Most of the other transactions such as banking, licenses, etc need this document including voting. But since there is no common data base there is a very high possibility of abuse of this document. It is illegal to hold more than one passport or more than one Ration Card in a state, but due to non-viable tracking means, this is a very real situation.
Empowering the oppressed
India’s population even with the decade old liberalization is still a rural and agrarian one. India has one of the highest population densities in the World with about 344 per km. Also due to a large percentage of population still reeling under illiteracy and poverty, there is a very high chance of many potential victims to this menace.
In the recent past, things are changing for the good. There have been some good infrastructure development projects undertaken by the Indian Govt. such as connecting highways and roads across the length and breadth of the country and now the Nation Identification project. Liberalization has resulted in more spending power, more facilities trickling down the system and slowly reaching the common man. But how does the Govt. track this? The National Identification drive will empower them in more ways than one.
The MNIC is a smart card with 16KB of memory designed to be in line with the specifications laid out in ISO/IEC 7816 and SCOSTA. Earlier smart card applications of the Government of India have adapted the ISO/IEC 7816 specifications under the SCOSTA (Smart Card Operating System for Transport Applications) program of the government of India. The cards are designed to support a minimum of 300,000 EEPROM write cycles and will retain data for at least 10 years.
Objectives of MNIC
- Remove the need for multiple form of document proof
- Facilitate easy identification of the citizens
- Facilitate easy leverage and usage of both government and private services
- Facilitate accountability in implementing the government welfare programs so they reach the intended beneficiaries
- Serve as a platform for future e-governance services
- Facilitate in preparing National Population Register
- Facilitate in preparing National Register of Indian Citizens
- Facilitate in preparing National Register of Residency for non-citizens
- Facilitate in preparing National Identity Number for each and every citizen
- Create and provide a Multi-purpose National Identity Card to each and every citizen
- Create and provide a Multi-purpose Residency Card for non-citizens
What does the future hold?
The best part of MNIC is that it involves bio metrics. Not even in countries as advanced as the US, has their identification have bio metrics incorporated in it. The plan and vision is to integrate the fingerprints of the person on the card. The process is already underway where the census board is planning on collecting 10 fingerprints and/or iris scan for the upcoming 2011 census. We wish if they can use both the finger print and iris scan for the MNIC. This information is assumed to be tamper proof and will be subject to modification to keep it current at all times.
The card will have the minimum written information and most of it will not be stored on the card, except the fingerprint and unique ID (which will be 16 digits). Initially the plan is to integrate just about 50 million people most of them being volunteers to begin with. First phase is planned to be rolled out in 12 – 18 months.
The whole plan is to implement in phases where the initial phase will cover 9 states and 4 union territories. This includes people living in the coastal villages of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal and the Union Territories of Dadar and Nagar Haveli, Lakshadweep, Pondicherry and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Will this result in convenience for common man and help for administration remains to be seen. The promise is there but will it stand the test of time and the fickle nature of Indian politics or will it be abused too, only time will tell
The Indian-Afghan tango, what next?
The recently concluded elections in Afghanistan have brought about a status quo that is to India’s advantage. Afghanistan went into elections with much fan fare trumpeting the success of democracy and defeat of Al-Qaeda. Little did anyone realize the extent of corruption and scandal that were to unfold. Allegation of wide spread voter fraud, corruption and threat by Taliban were some of the issues that Hamid Karzai had to contend with but eventually managed to win the election unopposed.
What went wrong in the elections and build up to elections?
Elections continued unabated amongst wide spread violence fraud. The independent commission overseeing the election process came out strongly stating that every one in three votes was fraudulent. The commission stated that about 10% votes for Karzai were suspect resulting in his overall tally dropping less than 50% all of which led to the decision to conduct a runoff.
Karzai runs off without a runoff
The West needed the runoff to justify its installation and continued support to Karzai government. The runoff also provided some vindication for the opposition who were all along accusing Karzai of government funded voter fraud. Much to the chagrin of the US, Karzai came out and accepted the allegation of voter fraud.
Given the fledgling democracy of Afghanistan and the faltering steps it is taking towards the establishment of a legitimate peoples’ government, one needs to realize that there will never be an election comparable to the puritan levels of the West. In a country with infrastructure at such infancy it is not prudent to expect transparency given the most recent history of the country.
And so the runoff date was set and it was certain that Karzai would be re-elected. Sensing defeat Abdullah did the expected. He withdrew from the runoff. Karzai was declared the winner unopposed and the runoff cancelled. It could very well trun out that this turn of events is more of a curse than a blessing for Karzai as it puts a big question mark on the legitimacy on his government within and outside Afghanistan. Already Obama faces stiff challenges in convincing his own people to continue supporting the Karzai government not to mention the skepticism in which Karzai is viewed by the European Union countries.
India congratulates
With victory come the wishes. Among the first few to congratulate Karzai on his win was India. In addition to the note of congratulations, Indian foreign ministry stated that it is now the responsibility of the international community to come forward to stand by Afghans, ensure its stability and speed up the development. India also stated that it will stand by the Afghanistan fully committed to its development mainly infrastructure.
India with $1.2 billion is the largest regional donor and among the top 10 worldwide. Since the fall of the Taliban, India has jumped at the opportunity to build consulates within the close proximity of Pakistan border. In total it has opened about 4 consulates at Kandahar, Jalalabad, Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif. Apart from this India has invested heavily by pumping millions and also sending huge delegates of engineers for the development activities. Kabul’s claim of 24 hour electricity supply was largely due to the role and efforts of the Indian engineers. India is working to also put together electricity lines, building hundreds of miles of roads, hospitals, schools and are also helping build the state police.
Influence thru Afghan
India has varying levels of interest for its huge involvement and investment in Afghanistan. Traditionally before the 1947 partition, Indian National Congress was very active in the North West Frontier Province of the now Pakistan bordering Afghanistan. The legendary Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan or Frontier Gandhi was an ardent fan of India. Even today many places in this area of NWFP and in Afghanistan Indian folk songs and music are very popular.
Apart from the cultural interest Afghanistan is strategically located and provides access into West Asia and then into Europe. With its growing economy and clout, India is looking to expand its influence in the region and in the world. To achieve this India needs to show it is a responsible nation and can take care of its responsibility within its own region.
National Security is also another reason why India needs a stable Afghan. India needs a stable Afghanistan to counter Pakistan. This will ensure that the western Indian border is less volatile enabling India to concentrate on pressing internal issues such as development and the China factor.
Next Steps
India needs to increase its trade relations with Afghanistan. Today it is a one way street, a unidirectional flow of funds and resources. But soon when Afghanistan can stand on its own, trade relations with India are bound to improve. Afghan’s rugs, nuts, fruits, etc are very popular in India and both countries share many common traditions. India has already donated the first national aircraft to Afghanistan and can do more in other areas such as sports, exchange programs, bi-lateral ties, etc.
And the big prize…
Once India establishes itself firmly it will have easy access to the Middle East and the oil rich nations. Oil is what drives many a foreign policy these days and India is playing its cards close to its chest. A friendly Afghanistan will open up access to precious oil and India needs oil to satisfy its growing economy. Access to cheaper oil will mean faster and a more sustainable growth and the current tango between the two countries could very well be the start to a long and prosperous relationship.
What went wrong in the elections and build up to elections?
- During the buildup to the elections the national radio of Afghanistan gave the incumbent President Hamid Karzai almost 71% of the total coverage. This meant Karzai got more than a fair share of the much needed publicity and coverage.
- Karzai along with other Presidential nominees had two Vice Presidential nominees. One reason was to include as many local warlords from different regions as possible into the Administration to satisfy the different clans. Unfortunately this meant including many of the warlords identified as renowned drug traffickers. This list also included the notoriously famous half brother of President Karzai – Ahmed Wali Karzai.
- Restricted movement of the candidates due to security threat. Since the incumbent had the Presidential security coverage he was able to and did get an advantage over his political adversaries. All of the remaining candidate movements were severely restricted.
- And then there were the namesake debates. A total of two with Karzai skipping the first accusing bias against him and Abdullah skipping the later one
Elections continued unabated amongst wide spread violence fraud. The independent commission overseeing the election process came out strongly stating that every one in three votes was fraudulent. The commission stated that about 10% votes for Karzai were suspect resulting in his overall tally dropping less than 50% all of which led to the decision to conduct a runoff.
Karzai runs off without a runoff
The West needed the runoff to justify its installation and continued support to Karzai government. The runoff also provided some vindication for the opposition who were all along accusing Karzai of government funded voter fraud. Much to the chagrin of the US, Karzai came out and accepted the allegation of voter fraud.
Given the fledgling democracy of Afghanistan and the faltering steps it is taking towards the establishment of a legitimate peoples’ government, one needs to realize that there will never be an election comparable to the puritan levels of the West. In a country with infrastructure at such infancy it is not prudent to expect transparency given the most recent history of the country.
And so the runoff date was set and it was certain that Karzai would be re-elected. Sensing defeat Abdullah did the expected. He withdrew from the runoff. Karzai was declared the winner unopposed and the runoff cancelled. It could very well trun out that this turn of events is more of a curse than a blessing for Karzai as it puts a big question mark on the legitimacy on his government within and outside Afghanistan. Already Obama faces stiff challenges in convincing his own people to continue supporting the Karzai government not to mention the skepticism in which Karzai is viewed by the European Union countries.
India congratulates
With victory come the wishes. Among the first few to congratulate Karzai on his win was India. In addition to the note of congratulations, Indian foreign ministry stated that it is now the responsibility of the international community to come forward to stand by Afghans, ensure its stability and speed up the development. India also stated that it will stand by the Afghanistan fully committed to its development mainly infrastructure.
India with $1.2 billion is the largest regional donor and among the top 10 worldwide. Since the fall of the Taliban, India has jumped at the opportunity to build consulates within the close proximity of Pakistan border. In total it has opened about 4 consulates at Kandahar, Jalalabad, Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif. Apart from this India has invested heavily by pumping millions and also sending huge delegates of engineers for the development activities. Kabul’s claim of 24 hour electricity supply was largely due to the role and efforts of the Indian engineers. India is working to also put together electricity lines, building hundreds of miles of roads, hospitals, schools and are also helping build the state police.
Influence thru Afghan
India has varying levels of interest for its huge involvement and investment in Afghanistan. Traditionally before the 1947 partition, Indian National Congress was very active in the North West Frontier Province of the now Pakistan bordering Afghanistan. The legendary Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan or Frontier Gandhi was an ardent fan of India. Even today many places in this area of NWFP and in Afghanistan Indian folk songs and music are very popular.
Apart from the cultural interest Afghanistan is strategically located and provides access into West Asia and then into Europe. With its growing economy and clout, India is looking to expand its influence in the region and in the world. To achieve this India needs to show it is a responsible nation and can take care of its responsibility within its own region.
National Security is also another reason why India needs a stable Afghan. India needs a stable Afghanistan to counter Pakistan. This will ensure that the western Indian border is less volatile enabling India to concentrate on pressing internal issues such as development and the China factor.
Next Steps
India needs to increase its trade relations with Afghanistan. Today it is a one way street, a unidirectional flow of funds and resources. But soon when Afghanistan can stand on its own, trade relations with India are bound to improve. Afghan’s rugs, nuts, fruits, etc are very popular in India and both countries share many common traditions. India has already donated the first national aircraft to Afghanistan and can do more in other areas such as sports, exchange programs, bi-lateral ties, etc.
And the big prize…
Once India establishes itself firmly it will have easy access to the Middle East and the oil rich nations. Oil is what drives many a foreign policy these days and India is playing its cards close to its chest. A friendly Afghanistan will open up access to precious oil and India needs oil to satisfy its growing economy. Access to cheaper oil will mean faster and a more sustainable growth and the current tango between the two countries could very well be the start to a long and prosperous relationship.
War within or outside?
Why Jihad?
Having witnessed riots and violence arising out of the fanatics during my childhood, I often wondered if ever there ever will be any solution for these struggles. “Jihad” by definition was coined for the holy war undertaken by the initial followers of Prophet Mohammed to take to arms in protecting and spreading the interests of Islam, overtime it has changed and evolved dramatically. The people who fight these holy wars are called Mujahidin or warriors fighting for freedom. Historically many popular rulers have waged Jihad on the Subcontinent which comprises today’s India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Mujahidin are fighting holy wars all over the world even today, in the nations of Afghanistan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Myanmar, Chechnya, India, Iran, Iraq, Philippines, Somalia, among others. It is speculated that some countries also sponsor the fighters for their personal gains.
Neighbors at loggerhead:
Since independence from the British, the two neighbors – India and Pakistan have been fighting overt and covert wars for over 50 years. There are been consistent attacks on the soils of these two countries for the years culminating in the recent Mumbai attacks in India and Ms. Bhutto assassination in Pakistan. All along the two neighbors have blamed each other for creating and fermenting separatisms within each other’s countries. This blame game has ebbed and troughed the relations and spanned beyond many leaders lives.
Adding to this mix is Afghanistan. Afghanistan holds one of the most important geological locations in the world. Anyone who controls Afghan controls the Silk Road since it is the crossroads between east and west since eons. When Soviet invaded Afghan in 1978, India supported the action being a staunch ally of Soviet. At that point US sided, armed and funded the Afghan Mujahidin to take up arms struggle against the invasion. Once the Soviet withdrew everyone including US forgot Afghan leaving it in tatters and a perfect ground for vested interest groups – warlords. Even though Mohammed Najibullah was at the helm as President, due to the chaos in the Afghan society, the Taliban started gaining prominence. Eventually it captured Kabul in 1996 and Pakistan was one of the three states to recognize it as a legit government.
Elements within and outside army:
Taliban began with a holy intent of fighting the local government lead by Mullah Mohammed Omar. But it later evolved into a society known to implement very strict Shariah Law. Fanatic hatred against the US and western allies drove the Taliban to plot and execute the September 11 massacre in US and soon the entire world turned against them. Bowing to the pressure from US and international community, Pakistan was left no choice but to tow the line and do a complete 360 on the support to Taliban regime. Even though Pakistan is actively fighting Taliban, it is alleged there are numerous officers of rank and file within the army of Pakistan who are against deserting Taliban.
Pakistan’s trapeze act:
Pakistan is right now walking a tight rope since the start of the US led war in 2003. On one end it is trying to block the western border with Afghanistan and on the other it is trying to weed out these elements from its own society who have emerged as sympathizers towards Taliban. Many conservatives view Mullah Omar and Osama as those who stood up against the mighty west and its allies. It is a difficult choice for Pakistan to follow the international war but still pacify its fanatic citizens.
In recent years it has been reported that Taliban and its fanatic supporters with arms have spread far and wide within the society of Pakistan. They have moved down from the mountains of the Afghan-Pak border to the inlands and cities.
Tough road ahead:
Pakistan is staring at quite a few stiff challenges. On one hand, it has to please the international community and ensure not being alienated and at the same time also cannot afford to lose credibility and the hold Pakistan has on Afghanistan. All this while trying to appease the international community that it’s nuclear assets are well protected with a proper chain of command and controls in place is getting to be a juggling act that is coming apart at its seams.
It is alleged in recent reports that some elements in Pakistan have been diverting the terrorists stationed at the western border to the eastern border. It is mentioned that the terrorists are provided with a choice of either join the covert war in Kashmir with India or face jail. Pakistan has also publicly shown its displeasure over India supporting the reconstruction in Afghanistan. India so far has invested in Infrastructure, Health, and other areas to the tune of $1.3 billion. It has already opened multiple consulates showing its interest and influence in the Afghan society. This is particularly not going well with Pakistan as it sees Indian influence in Afghanistan as a potential threat on both sides of its border. It is speculated that Pakistan’s notorious ISI has been covertly trying to destabilize this Indian influence by attacks on Indian citizens, consulates and its interests in Afghanistan.
Does the future look good?
The main challenge in my view Pakistan faces today is to stop thinking India as an enemy both within its military and civilian population and work towards a bilateral relationship. Before the relation went sour, the bilateral economic flow was significantly high with each offering the other the MFN status. In this age of technology and growth, it makes less sense to pursue an age old theme of war. To achieve this Pakistan needs to weed out the fanatic elements within its society and try to please the world over. The same thing also applies to the India and its conservatives/fanatics. Pakistan should stop viewing Kashmir as its problem and focus more on Waziristan and Baluchistan. India on the other hand has lot more its own internal issues to look after.
Both these nations are of same age with similar cultures, interests, cuisines, etc. If the three nations – India, Pakistan and Afghanistan can come together and work towards common development, the pre-independence country can be brought to life. When two Germanys can merge why cannot the two countries? It is a tricky situation to be in – to fight a big war within and also a war outside. Let’s all hope that someday better sense prevails and there will soon be a political solution to all these issues.
Having witnessed riots and violence arising out of the fanatics during my childhood, I often wondered if ever there ever will be any solution for these struggles. “Jihad” by definition was coined for the holy war undertaken by the initial followers of Prophet Mohammed to take to arms in protecting and spreading the interests of Islam, overtime it has changed and evolved dramatically. The people who fight these holy wars are called Mujahidin or warriors fighting for freedom. Historically many popular rulers have waged Jihad on the Subcontinent which comprises today’s India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Mujahidin are fighting holy wars all over the world even today, in the nations of Afghanistan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Myanmar, Chechnya, India, Iran, Iraq, Philippines, Somalia, among others. It is speculated that some countries also sponsor the fighters for their personal gains.
Neighbors at loggerhead:
Since independence from the British, the two neighbors – India and Pakistan have been fighting overt and covert wars for over 50 years. There are been consistent attacks on the soils of these two countries for the years culminating in the recent Mumbai attacks in India and Ms. Bhutto assassination in Pakistan. All along the two neighbors have blamed each other for creating and fermenting separatisms within each other’s countries. This blame game has ebbed and troughed the relations and spanned beyond many leaders lives.
Adding to this mix is Afghanistan. Afghanistan holds one of the most important geological locations in the world. Anyone who controls Afghan controls the Silk Road since it is the crossroads between east and west since eons. When Soviet invaded Afghan in 1978, India supported the action being a staunch ally of Soviet. At that point US sided, armed and funded the Afghan Mujahidin to take up arms struggle against the invasion. Once the Soviet withdrew everyone including US forgot Afghan leaving it in tatters and a perfect ground for vested interest groups – warlords. Even though Mohammed Najibullah was at the helm as President, due to the chaos in the Afghan society, the Taliban started gaining prominence. Eventually it captured Kabul in 1996 and Pakistan was one of the three states to recognize it as a legit government.
Elements within and outside army:
Taliban began with a holy intent of fighting the local government lead by Mullah Mohammed Omar. But it later evolved into a society known to implement very strict Shariah Law. Fanatic hatred against the US and western allies drove the Taliban to plot and execute the September 11 massacre in US and soon the entire world turned against them. Bowing to the pressure from US and international community, Pakistan was left no choice but to tow the line and do a complete 360 on the support to Taliban regime. Even though Pakistan is actively fighting Taliban, it is alleged there are numerous officers of rank and file within the army of Pakistan who are against deserting Taliban.
Pakistan’s trapeze act:
Pakistan is right now walking a tight rope since the start of the US led war in 2003. On one end it is trying to block the western border with Afghanistan and on the other it is trying to weed out these elements from its own society who have emerged as sympathizers towards Taliban. Many conservatives view Mullah Omar and Osama as those who stood up against the mighty west and its allies. It is a difficult choice for Pakistan to follow the international war but still pacify its fanatic citizens.
In recent years it has been reported that Taliban and its fanatic supporters with arms have spread far and wide within the society of Pakistan. They have moved down from the mountains of the Afghan-Pak border to the inlands and cities.
Tough road ahead:
Pakistan is staring at quite a few stiff challenges. On one hand, it has to please the international community and ensure not being alienated and at the same time also cannot afford to lose credibility and the hold Pakistan has on Afghanistan. All this while trying to appease the international community that it’s nuclear assets are well protected with a proper chain of command and controls in place is getting to be a juggling act that is coming apart at its seams.
It is alleged in recent reports that some elements in Pakistan have been diverting the terrorists stationed at the western border to the eastern border. It is mentioned that the terrorists are provided with a choice of either join the covert war in Kashmir with India or face jail. Pakistan has also publicly shown its displeasure over India supporting the reconstruction in Afghanistan. India so far has invested in Infrastructure, Health, and other areas to the tune of $1.3 billion. It has already opened multiple consulates showing its interest and influence in the Afghan society. This is particularly not going well with Pakistan as it sees Indian influence in Afghanistan as a potential threat on both sides of its border. It is speculated that Pakistan’s notorious ISI has been covertly trying to destabilize this Indian influence by attacks on Indian citizens, consulates and its interests in Afghanistan.
Does the future look good?
The main challenge in my view Pakistan faces today is to stop thinking India as an enemy both within its military and civilian population and work towards a bilateral relationship. Before the relation went sour, the bilateral economic flow was significantly high with each offering the other the MFN status. In this age of technology and growth, it makes less sense to pursue an age old theme of war. To achieve this Pakistan needs to weed out the fanatic elements within its society and try to please the world over. The same thing also applies to the India and its conservatives/fanatics. Pakistan should stop viewing Kashmir as its problem and focus more on Waziristan and Baluchistan. India on the other hand has lot more its own internal issues to look after.
Both these nations are of same age with similar cultures, interests, cuisines, etc. If the three nations – India, Pakistan and Afghanistan can come together and work towards common development, the pre-independence country can be brought to life. When two Germanys can merge why cannot the two countries? It is a tricky situation to be in – to fight a big war within and also a war outside. Let’s all hope that someday better sense prevails and there will soon be a political solution to all these issues.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Why Nobel Peace Prize eluded Mahatma?
Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize:
Another feather albeit a surprise one Nobel Peace Prize in Obama’s presidency. The coveted honor has gone to several individuals who believed in and propagated the Gandhian philosophy of peace and non-violence globally. Prominent Gandhi followers in the recent past have been Martin Luther King Jr, Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi and the Dalai Lama who have been the recipient of this award and now President Obama joins this list. Obama, the first African American President of the United States, has been an avid admirer of Mahatma Gandhi. Only recently, he called Gandhi “a real hero of mine”.
Like almost everyone he himself is stunned with the news. His press secretary breaks this news with his wake up call to the President. Soon his two daughters followed with Malia informing her father that he won the Nobel Peace Prize and also Bo’s birthday. Sasha, the younger one, added that we have the 3 day weekend coming up.
Obama, at a hastily arranged press meet, described himself as surprised and deeply humbled with this announcement. He said that this award is a call to action to confront the global challenges. "I do not view it as recognition of my own accomplishments but rather an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations," he said in the White House Rose Garden. He also said that he now has the burden to live up to the expectations of this award.
Critics: Did he get it a little too soon?
Critics are quick to point out that the committee was premature in bestowing this award since he is still in the midst of grappling issues such as wars in Middle East and Afghan, Israel-Palestine conflict, nuclear-standoffs with Iran and Korea, etc. Many are surprised with this announcement since many believe that President Obama is yet to score a major foreign policy success be it with Iran, Afghanistan, Middle East, China, or any other country.
On the contrary Norwegian Nobel Committee praised Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples, citing his fledgling push for nuclear disarmament and his outreach to the Muslim world. "Very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future," the Nobel committee said in its citation. President Obama is credited with dramatically changing American image worldwide after eight years of President George Bush at the helm of affairs during which he is believed to have alienated many foes and distanced friends. Some analysts say that this is the final slap in President Bush’s legacy for his unilateral decisions.
Currently he is not only battling the wars and other foreign policy issues, domestically he is fighting the “Great Recession” and a battered economy, promoting a highly emotional and contentious healthcare issue.
Other winners:
The Nobel Peace Prize winner is given a diploma, a medal and a document confirming the prize amount. The award amount has been varying over time and it is currently at 10 million Swedish Kroner. President Obama rightly announced soon after that he will be donating the award prize money to charity as expected by many.
President Obama is only the third setting US President to receive such a coveted award and he received it after 90 years since President Woodrow Wilson was awarded the Peace Prize in 1919 for his achievement in creating the League of Nations then.
Gandhi did not win:
Any one from South Asia wonders every year why Mahatma Gandhi was never awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. This question is as puzzling to many, as angering to others and as disinteresting to the rest. Some may feel he deservedly not receive it and others feel betrayed at the vested interest in not awarding to him. One of the primary reasons for such strong reaction is because almost everyone knows the life and struggle of M.K. Gandhi.
The only Indian so far who received this Award is Mother Teresa for her Missionaries of Charity in 1979. Gandhi is the most talked about nominee yet to receive this award. In fact Gandhi was nominated for Nobel Peace prize 5 times in 1937, 1938, 1939, 1947 and 1948 (This time it was just few days before he was killed). Some of the Nobel Committee members are believed to have regretted this decision later though. Dalai Lama was given this award in 1989. The committee chairman then said that this award was a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.
Some of the reasoning for not awarding it to Gandhi was attributed to potential aversion from British due to the non-violent campaigns he carried against them. These were later claimed to be false. Another frequent allegation which surfaced against Gandhi was that he was too Indian centric. In 1948 when he was nominated few days before he was assassinated, the committee later decided not to award that year as none suitable candidate was live. Till then no candidate was awarded the Peace prize posthumously. It was also alleged that if he were given the award it would offend a part of the community.
Why he dint win it?
The Nobel Committee Chairman in his writings mentioned that two of the members were in favor of the award to Gandhi but they were unable to convince the other three members to agree to favor Gandhi. They felt that Gandhi was not an unbiased figure in earlier nominations which may result in an adverse reaction from a part of the community. They thought he was too committed to one community to consider him unbiased. Added to this in 1947 Gandhi reportedly gave a speech where he strayed away from his non-violence ideals and talked about war. This was the main reason cited for his not being nominated in 1947 and later years.
Nobel Peace Prize is given to a person who has done work among nations to alleviate peace and its promotion. Unfortunately this definition does not fit Mahatma Gandhi for the above mentioned reasons. In my view Gandhi has been unlucky in all the 5 times he was nominated in spite of the reasons given.
Hope for the future:
On the other hand President Obama was awarded this Prize for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. How people take it is very subjective, but from the vicissitudes of foreign policies between the eras from President Bush’s to President Obama’s, he may very well deserve it. I sure hope that one day the Nobel Peace Committee will change the process to start issuing this coveted awards posthumously as there are many more deserving candidates like Gandhi who may well get their due.
Another feather albeit a surprise one Nobel Peace Prize in Obama’s presidency. The coveted honor has gone to several individuals who believed in and propagated the Gandhian philosophy of peace and non-violence globally. Prominent Gandhi followers in the recent past have been Martin Luther King Jr, Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi and the Dalai Lama who have been the recipient of this award and now President Obama joins this list. Obama, the first African American President of the United States, has been an avid admirer of Mahatma Gandhi. Only recently, he called Gandhi “a real hero of mine”.
Like almost everyone he himself is stunned with the news. His press secretary breaks this news with his wake up call to the President. Soon his two daughters followed with Malia informing her father that he won the Nobel Peace Prize and also Bo’s birthday. Sasha, the younger one, added that we have the 3 day weekend coming up.
Obama, at a hastily arranged press meet, described himself as surprised and deeply humbled with this announcement. He said that this award is a call to action to confront the global challenges. "I do not view it as recognition of my own accomplishments but rather an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations," he said in the White House Rose Garden. He also said that he now has the burden to live up to the expectations of this award.
Critics: Did he get it a little too soon?
Critics are quick to point out that the committee was premature in bestowing this award since he is still in the midst of grappling issues such as wars in Middle East and Afghan, Israel-Palestine conflict, nuclear-standoffs with Iran and Korea, etc. Many are surprised with this announcement since many believe that President Obama is yet to score a major foreign policy success be it with Iran, Afghanistan, Middle East, China, or any other country.
On the contrary Norwegian Nobel Committee praised Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples, citing his fledgling push for nuclear disarmament and his outreach to the Muslim world. "Very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future," the Nobel committee said in its citation. President Obama is credited with dramatically changing American image worldwide after eight years of President George Bush at the helm of affairs during which he is believed to have alienated many foes and distanced friends. Some analysts say that this is the final slap in President Bush’s legacy for his unilateral decisions.
Currently he is not only battling the wars and other foreign policy issues, domestically he is fighting the “Great Recession” and a battered economy, promoting a highly emotional and contentious healthcare issue.
Other winners:
The Nobel Peace Prize winner is given a diploma, a medal and a document confirming the prize amount. The award amount has been varying over time and it is currently at 10 million Swedish Kroner. President Obama rightly announced soon after that he will be donating the award prize money to charity as expected by many.
President Obama is only the third setting US President to receive such a coveted award and he received it after 90 years since President Woodrow Wilson was awarded the Peace Prize in 1919 for his achievement in creating the League of Nations then.
Gandhi did not win:
Any one from South Asia wonders every year why Mahatma Gandhi was never awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. This question is as puzzling to many, as angering to others and as disinteresting to the rest. Some may feel he deservedly not receive it and others feel betrayed at the vested interest in not awarding to him. One of the primary reasons for such strong reaction is because almost everyone knows the life and struggle of M.K. Gandhi.
The only Indian so far who received this Award is Mother Teresa for her Missionaries of Charity in 1979. Gandhi is the most talked about nominee yet to receive this award. In fact Gandhi was nominated for Nobel Peace prize 5 times in 1937, 1938, 1939, 1947 and 1948 (This time it was just few days before he was killed). Some of the Nobel Committee members are believed to have regretted this decision later though. Dalai Lama was given this award in 1989. The committee chairman then said that this award was a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.
Some of the reasoning for not awarding it to Gandhi was attributed to potential aversion from British due to the non-violent campaigns he carried against them. These were later claimed to be false. Another frequent allegation which surfaced against Gandhi was that he was too Indian centric. In 1948 when he was nominated few days before he was assassinated, the committee later decided not to award that year as none suitable candidate was live. Till then no candidate was awarded the Peace prize posthumously. It was also alleged that if he were given the award it would offend a part of the community.
Why he dint win it?
The Nobel Committee Chairman in his writings mentioned that two of the members were in favor of the award to Gandhi but they were unable to convince the other three members to agree to favor Gandhi. They felt that Gandhi was not an unbiased figure in earlier nominations which may result in an adverse reaction from a part of the community. They thought he was too committed to one community to consider him unbiased. Added to this in 1947 Gandhi reportedly gave a speech where he strayed away from his non-violence ideals and talked about war. This was the main reason cited for his not being nominated in 1947 and later years.
Nobel Peace Prize is given to a person who has done work among nations to alleviate peace and its promotion. Unfortunately this definition does not fit Mahatma Gandhi for the above mentioned reasons. In my view Gandhi has been unlucky in all the 5 times he was nominated in spite of the reasons given.
Hope for the future:
On the other hand President Obama was awarded this Prize for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. How people take it is very subjective, but from the vicissitudes of foreign policies between the eras from President Bush’s to President Obama’s, he may very well deserve it. I sure hope that one day the Nobel Peace Committee will change the process to start issuing this coveted awards posthumously as there are many more deserving candidates like Gandhi who may well get their due.
Austerity drive or austerity for a drive?
Election promises and the hype:
Come elections and there have been scores of new schemes which have been promoted by various regional and central parties in India. Some have gone to the extent of providing television sets and refrigerators; ironically they have gone on to win massively too. In some cases certain people have been offered free power for hours together when the rest of the state reels under darkness and sweat in summer.
Whatever is the case the Indian politician never stops amusing me. The latest drive has been the much publicized “Austerity Drive” by none other than the grand old Indian National Congress. This comes from a party that boasts of 137 multi-millionaire MPs. Though we all know the simple man at the helm who may live up to the notion of austerity drive, Prime Minister Dr. Man Mohan Singh, it is difficult to fathom its prolonged existence given we all know that this is the land where politicians are notoriously known for the muscle of their wealth. Whether it is the grand gala weddings, or vast number of the statues intended to be installed, or expensive living habits, etc. it is unbelievable for anyone to imagine a power mongering and power spoilt Indian politician to live up to the demands and hype of this new drive.
This is definitely a novel idea if only this is the start and definitely not if it is an end. A common man will never understand the need for a rich politician scaling down his travel expenses. There are such innumerable issues which need to be handled at a very urgent priority, this new measure is most likely viewed by critics as a mere election gimmick rather than an honest initiative.
On one end there is this drought looming and on the other the approaching of the next elections in some very key Indian States. It remains to be seen whether this new drive turns out to be a much talked about fizz which dies out eventually (or even before the elections) or if this is a big gamble which is the fodder for the weakened opposition. The opposition from most of the quarters has already called it a sham and cheap election gimmick. It has also been highly ridiculed in almost entire media.
What started it and how?
Finance Minister Mr. Pranab Mukherjee provided his two recommendations during the press conference talking about the austerity drive. Mukherjee said “These measures are not new and are there already in the standing instructions of the finance ministry for quite some time. Due to the growth in revenue as indicated in the budget figures, these measures were not strictly adhered to”. Mukherjee added two points: “Those passengers, such as MPs ministers and certain category officers, even though are eligible and entitled to travel executive and 1st class in international service, I suggested that in domestic service you should try to avoid that”.
It all started when Mrs. Sonia Gandhi has come out in mid September and asked the party leaders to forego a fifth of their pay towards the relief efforts in the drought stricken areas. To convey her message and in a move to lead from the front she even flew economy on a commercial flight from Delhi to Mumbai. When a VIP travels in economy it comes at a cost. Think of the case of Sonia’s travel – all credit to her to begin the initiative by herself - two rows of seats were needed to be booked to accommodate her with her security personnel. Normally she as a Congress President travels by the Indian Air Force special aircraft.
With this she joined a list of ministers who have now actively participated in this ostensible drive. Following her mother’s footsteps, the congress scion, Rahul Gandhi let go his travel plans by a chopper to travel by train from Delhi to Ludhiana and back. He set the bar reasonably high by not travelling the executive class of the super fast Shatabdi Express. This was another hyped travel with the couch and the seat numbers flashed across major TV channels. All this comes with its own overhead - the security arrangements, the food preparation on the train car, etc. What followed was a series of 'austere' moves by senior leaders including Pranab Mukerjee apart from Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in their attempt to play Aam Aadmi.
Publicity extended:
This drive is taken a step further when the Prime Minister adopted it for his G20 meet in Pittsburgh when travelling via Frankfurt, Germany. Even the menu on the official aircraft of the Prime Minister – Air India One, has been reported to have trimmed down on its contents resulting in caviar being eliminated and expensive biscuits. The accompanying delegation is spared from this trimming and was served the choicest of the alcohol. Party sources said that following an all party meeting this drive is expected to be extended to rest of the Members of Parliament (MPs).
Montek Ahluwalia, Planning Commission Dy. Chairman, said he would travel 1st class and not business as a small sign of solidarity towards the austerity drive to G20. When speaking on a show he said, “I saw that news report and I will be strictly observing the austerity drive which says whenever we fly domestic we fly economy and when we fly international we fly business class”. He also said “The Govt. is not saying this is a key wasteful expenditure but it is meant as a small sign of solidarity that when many of our countrymen are experiencing lot of difficulties, let us do a little austerity where we don’t have to stay in these 5 star hotels, etc. The total expenditure in the country is consciously raised in order to meet the stimulus. This is not in the luxury area but mainly on things such as infrastructure…”.
Another prominent MP Shashi Tharoor, a former under secretary-general at the United Nations, was recently scorned by both the senior leadership and his followers in his twitter website for allegedly commenting on the austerity derogatorily. He got into trouble initially for making a “cattle class” comment which he used to describe travelling in economy class on the twitter. Some leaders in the party have even asked for his resignation. Later Foreign Minister S.M.Krishna and Tharoor both were reported living in luxury hotels which did not go well with the party high leadership. Both ministers said they had paid for their suites - priced at 50,000 rupees ($1,030) and 100,000 rupees a night - themselves, but the report sparked uproar in the media and congress leadership.
Change coming?
It is reported that once Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar’s return from his official trip from Rome, it is expected that Vice President Hamid Ansari will call an all party meet to discuss this issue and we hope that this will be implemented as a general rule to all Members of Parliament. In fact UPA has requested the upper and lower house chairpersons to convince all the MPs to join the drive. Ideally if this can be extended to the State level representatives too it will surely pass the litmus test of people and will ensure that austerity drive is here to stay.
"Austerity, in its latest avataar, is a chimera that the Congress has manufactured, rather anachronistically, to package itself as the party of the masses, partaking of their drought-induced suffering," one of the papers said in an editorial.
Terming the austerity drive of the Congress as a “political stunt”, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Maneka Gandhi said it would have been better if the Congress government focused on strategizing ways to fight corruption. “If ministers get committed to weed out corruption, I think there would be surely no need for any austerity drive. The one undertaken by the Congress is just a political stunt and holds no significance,” she told reporters in Bareilly. She also said, “The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance should concentrate on curtailing the galloping food prices in the country. It’s the need of the hour. The government now must act seriously to check the rising prices.”
And then the scandals:
Scandals too seem catch up too. A report surfaced that in a letter to the airline management, Indian Airlines pilots alleged that “some” ministers and MPs insist on an upgrade – that is seats in business class – after boarding the aircraft on economy tickets, thus bringing the euphoria of the austerity drive to a free fall, though later J. Bhargava, executive director, Air India Appellate Authority, in a statement has denied all these allegations. But an airport official from one of the private airlines said: “Many private airlines have instructions fed into their systems to give upgrades automatically, subject to availability, to certain powerful names from the political and bureaucratic spectrum. The austerity drive has mainly meant loss of revenue for us as when certain VVIPs are checked-in, we do insist on upgrading them. Sometimes they don’t accept the offer and sometimes they do. But they all want to know if some senior party leader or UPA functionary is on that flight before accepting the upgrade.”
Adding salt to the injury recent out of the roof expenses for office renovations by the UPA ministers was published in the media which caught the congress leaders off guard. It is alleged that these expenses run into some hundreds of thousands of rupees, with different parts for renovations coming from different countries:
Will it be a true change this time?
If Mahatma were to initiate an austerity drive today, it would have been very well received. Since it has become customary to attribute corruption with politicians, even if there is any such genuine effort by any party or politician, it is always viewed skeptically. In my view it is a great gesture to lead the people from the front in such a sincere effort spearheaded by leaders such as Man Mohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi but the true value of this drive will show up when it affects the common man in such a way that they also start implementing it in at least very minute ways. I hope for the sake of the common man more than politicians that this is not an act for mere political gains but a true sense of austerity. : (ANI)
Come elections and there have been scores of new schemes which have been promoted by various regional and central parties in India. Some have gone to the extent of providing television sets and refrigerators; ironically they have gone on to win massively too. In some cases certain people have been offered free power for hours together when the rest of the state reels under darkness and sweat in summer.
Whatever is the case the Indian politician never stops amusing me. The latest drive has been the much publicized “Austerity Drive” by none other than the grand old Indian National Congress. This comes from a party that boasts of 137 multi-millionaire MPs. Though we all know the simple man at the helm who may live up to the notion of austerity drive, Prime Minister Dr. Man Mohan Singh, it is difficult to fathom its prolonged existence given we all know that this is the land where politicians are notoriously known for the muscle of their wealth. Whether it is the grand gala weddings, or vast number of the statues intended to be installed, or expensive living habits, etc. it is unbelievable for anyone to imagine a power mongering and power spoilt Indian politician to live up to the demands and hype of this new drive.
This is definitely a novel idea if only this is the start and definitely not if it is an end. A common man will never understand the need for a rich politician scaling down his travel expenses. There are such innumerable issues which need to be handled at a very urgent priority, this new measure is most likely viewed by critics as a mere election gimmick rather than an honest initiative.
On one end there is this drought looming and on the other the approaching of the next elections in some very key Indian States. It remains to be seen whether this new drive turns out to be a much talked about fizz which dies out eventually (or even before the elections) or if this is a big gamble which is the fodder for the weakened opposition. The opposition from most of the quarters has already called it a sham and cheap election gimmick. It has also been highly ridiculed in almost entire media.
What started it and how?
Finance Minister Mr. Pranab Mukherjee provided his two recommendations during the press conference talking about the austerity drive. Mukherjee said “These measures are not new and are there already in the standing instructions of the finance ministry for quite some time. Due to the growth in revenue as indicated in the budget figures, these measures were not strictly adhered to”. Mukherjee added two points: “Those passengers, such as MPs ministers and certain category officers, even though are eligible and entitled to travel executive and 1st class in international service, I suggested that in domestic service you should try to avoid that”.
It all started when Mrs. Sonia Gandhi has come out in mid September and asked the party leaders to forego a fifth of their pay towards the relief efforts in the drought stricken areas. To convey her message and in a move to lead from the front she even flew economy on a commercial flight from Delhi to Mumbai. When a VIP travels in economy it comes at a cost. Think of the case of Sonia’s travel – all credit to her to begin the initiative by herself - two rows of seats were needed to be booked to accommodate her with her security personnel. Normally she as a Congress President travels by the Indian Air Force special aircraft.
With this she joined a list of ministers who have now actively participated in this ostensible drive. Following her mother’s footsteps, the congress scion, Rahul Gandhi let go his travel plans by a chopper to travel by train from Delhi to Ludhiana and back. He set the bar reasonably high by not travelling the executive class of the super fast Shatabdi Express. This was another hyped travel with the couch and the seat numbers flashed across major TV channels. All this comes with its own overhead - the security arrangements, the food preparation on the train car, etc. What followed was a series of 'austere' moves by senior leaders including Pranab Mukerjee apart from Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in their attempt to play Aam Aadmi.
Publicity extended:
This drive is taken a step further when the Prime Minister adopted it for his G20 meet in Pittsburgh when travelling via Frankfurt, Germany. Even the menu on the official aircraft of the Prime Minister – Air India One, has been reported to have trimmed down on its contents resulting in caviar being eliminated and expensive biscuits. The accompanying delegation is spared from this trimming and was served the choicest of the alcohol. Party sources said that following an all party meeting this drive is expected to be extended to rest of the Members of Parliament (MPs).
Montek Ahluwalia, Planning Commission Dy. Chairman, said he would travel 1st class and not business as a small sign of solidarity towards the austerity drive to G20. When speaking on a show he said, “I saw that news report and I will be strictly observing the austerity drive which says whenever we fly domestic we fly economy and when we fly international we fly business class”. He also said “The Govt. is not saying this is a key wasteful expenditure but it is meant as a small sign of solidarity that when many of our countrymen are experiencing lot of difficulties, let us do a little austerity where we don’t have to stay in these 5 star hotels, etc. The total expenditure in the country is consciously raised in order to meet the stimulus. This is not in the luxury area but mainly on things such as infrastructure…”.
Another prominent MP Shashi Tharoor, a former under secretary-general at the United Nations, was recently scorned by both the senior leadership and his followers in his twitter website for allegedly commenting on the austerity derogatorily. He got into trouble initially for making a “cattle class” comment which he used to describe travelling in economy class on the twitter. Some leaders in the party have even asked for his resignation. Later Foreign Minister S.M.Krishna and Tharoor both were reported living in luxury hotels which did not go well with the party high leadership. Both ministers said they had paid for their suites - priced at 50,000 rupees ($1,030) and 100,000 rupees a night - themselves, but the report sparked uproar in the media and congress leadership.
Change coming?
It is reported that once Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar’s return from his official trip from Rome, it is expected that Vice President Hamid Ansari will call an all party meet to discuss this issue and we hope that this will be implemented as a general rule to all Members of Parliament. In fact UPA has requested the upper and lower house chairpersons to convince all the MPs to join the drive. Ideally if this can be extended to the State level representatives too it will surely pass the litmus test of people and will ensure that austerity drive is here to stay.
"Austerity, in its latest avataar, is a chimera that the Congress has manufactured, rather anachronistically, to package itself as the party of the masses, partaking of their drought-induced suffering," one of the papers said in an editorial.
Terming the austerity drive of the Congress as a “political stunt”, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Maneka Gandhi said it would have been better if the Congress government focused on strategizing ways to fight corruption. “If ministers get committed to weed out corruption, I think there would be surely no need for any austerity drive. The one undertaken by the Congress is just a political stunt and holds no significance,” she told reporters in Bareilly. She also said, “The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance should concentrate on curtailing the galloping food prices in the country. It’s the need of the hour. The government now must act seriously to check the rising prices.”
And then the scandals:
Scandals too seem catch up too. A report surfaced that in a letter to the airline management, Indian Airlines pilots alleged that “some” ministers and MPs insist on an upgrade – that is seats in business class – after boarding the aircraft on economy tickets, thus bringing the euphoria of the austerity drive to a free fall, though later J. Bhargava, executive director, Air India Appellate Authority, in a statement has denied all these allegations. But an airport official from one of the private airlines said: “Many private airlines have instructions fed into their systems to give upgrades automatically, subject to availability, to certain powerful names from the political and bureaucratic spectrum. The austerity drive has mainly meant loss of revenue for us as when certain VVIPs are checked-in, we do insist on upgrading them. Sometimes they don’t accept the offer and sometimes they do. But they all want to know if some senior party leader or UPA functionary is on that flight before accepting the upgrade.”
Adding salt to the injury recent out of the roof expenses for office renovations by the UPA ministers was published in the media which caught the congress leaders off guard. It is alleged that these expenses run into some hundreds of thousands of rupees, with different parts for renovations coming from different countries:
- Estimated renovation expenses for Udyog Bhawan office of Vilasrao Deshmukh, Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises was Rs 17.54 lakh.
- Estimated renovation expenses for Udyog Bhawan office of Anand Sharma, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry was Rs 14.78 lakh.
- Estimated renovation expenses for Shastri Bhawan office of Jitin Prasada, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas was mentioned by CPWD in an initial outlay as Rs 2.85 lakh for laying a laminated wooden floor in the office.
Will it be a true change this time?
If Mahatma were to initiate an austerity drive today, it would have been very well received. Since it has become customary to attribute corruption with politicians, even if there is any such genuine effort by any party or politician, it is always viewed skeptically. In my view it is a great gesture to lead the people from the front in such a sincere effort spearheaded by leaders such as Man Mohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi but the true value of this drive will show up when it affects the common man in such a way that they also start implementing it in at least very minute ways. I hope for the sake of the common man more than politicians that this is not an act for mere political gains but a true sense of austerity. : (ANI)
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