THE RECENT attack by Shiv Sena on Shah Rukh Khan is one more instance of its bigotry and anti-national politics. Not only does the attack smack of intolerance of others’ views, it also shows the issuers’ indifference to the rift it could cause between the communities. Sena may say that it is not against Muslims.
But then why does it tauntingly suggest that Khan should go to Pakistan for expressing a view that not giving Pakistani players a chance to play in IPL matches in India was a mistake? Aren’t they emboldened to say so just because he is a Muslim? Shah Rukh is a much loved citizen of this country. He is, besides, a brand ambassador for India abroad. Sena may take umbrage at his views, but why must they ask him to go to Pakistan? Are they not suggesting that his sympathies lie with Pakistan because he is a Muslim? Would Hindus in this country not have liked to see Pakistani players participating in IPL matches?
The Union Home Minister himself regretted the fact that Pakistani players would not be seen in action. Should he also go to Pakistan for expressing his views? Sena would not say so, neither dare, because his name is not Khan! The disservice to the nation, on the part of Sena, arises from their all too obvious belief that Muslims in this country must establish their Indian ness all the time. It creates a legitimate ire amongst the Muslims.
It gives opportunity to equally unthinking people in Muslim community to question the oneness of India. This is the kind of narrow minded insensitive politics that needs to be put down with a heavy hand. If the State should hesitate, misguided by vote bank politics, the Centre should step in and curb such insidious attacks on our unity. If people’s comments, as voiced by News Channels are any indication, the rest of India and even most of Maharashtra fortunately decries and condemns Sena’s stance.
The state governments have the responsibility to put down such disastrous postures as the Sena has adopted. And if perchance they dither, the Centre should invoke its powers to give a clear directive to the state concerned to take action or else give way for the Central intervention to take place. In the wake of how the Babri Masjid story unfolded, including the part played by Courts, it is necessary that an All-India consensus should be urgently evolved as to how to pre-empt such cases in time before they blow up out of proportion and threaten our nation’s unity.
February 05, 2010
Please stop it now Thackeray
SHIV SENA chief Bal Thackeray has again made his way into the news. And obviously it is not the first time he is there. His divisive politics has a long history.
He claims himself to be a true well wisher of India, especially Maharashtra and its citizens. He considers himself to be the king of Maharashtra and feels that Marathis are superior to everyone else.
He is also highly anti-Muslim. He once made a statement that Muslims in India are like a fast growing cancer and should be treated like as such. Not only Muslims, he has a problem with Biharis too and calls them a ‘beemari’. When Sachin Tendulkar, the pride of India calls himself a proud Indian first and then a proud Maharashtrian, Thackeray has a problem there also. Karan Johar calls Mumbai as Bombay and he is made to apologize to Thackeray so that his movie is allowed to be screened in Maharashtra.
Now-a-days he is after Shahrukh Khan, who said that Pak players should have been picked up at the IPL auction. He won’t allow Khan to promote his movie ‘My name is Khan’ in Maharashtra. Why does Thackeray forget that we live in a democracy and have the right to free speech and expression? More important, why is allowed to forget?
This attitude of Thackeray’s has been tolerated long enough and its time that people and the government together teach him a lesson. He cannot discriminate against people on the basis of the state to which they belong and call them a ‘beemari’. He should understand that we are one nation, India. He is playing dirty politics and should definitely be punished so that he gets a lesson to learn and others too get to learn something from this. Everyone should understand that we are one nation and should think and work for the welfare of our country first and then for our respective states.
He claims himself to be a true well wisher of India, especially Maharashtra and its citizens. He considers himself to be the king of Maharashtra and feels that Marathis are superior to everyone else.
He is also highly anti-Muslim. He once made a statement that Muslims in India are like a fast growing cancer and should be treated like as such. Not only Muslims, he has a problem with Biharis too and calls them a ‘beemari’. When Sachin Tendulkar, the pride of India calls himself a proud Indian first and then a proud Maharashtrian, Thackeray has a problem there also. Karan Johar calls Mumbai as Bombay and he is made to apologize to Thackeray so that his movie is allowed to be screened in Maharashtra.
Now-a-days he is after Shahrukh Khan, who said that Pak players should have been picked up at the IPL auction. He won’t allow Khan to promote his movie ‘My name is Khan’ in Maharashtra. Why does Thackeray forget that we live in a democracy and have the right to free speech and expression? More important, why is allowed to forget?
This attitude of Thackeray’s has been tolerated long enough and its time that people and the government together teach him a lesson. He cannot discriminate against people on the basis of the state to which they belong and call them a ‘beemari’. He should understand that we are one nation, India. He is playing dirty politics and should definitely be punished so that he gets a lesson to learn and others too get to learn something from this. Everyone should understand that we are one nation and should think and work for the welfare of our country first and then for our respective states.
The forthcoming budget 2010-11
THE BUDGETS in India only addresses the short-run marginal issues relating to income and expenditure accounts and the expansion and liberalisation of the private sector in the context of globalisation. They don’t focus on basic long-run issues with seriousness. In fact, it is not only a question of fiscal and monetary matters, but also a question of the whole gamut of economic issues facing the country.
In order to be effective, the forthcoming budget, apart from other aspects, has to be an important link between the past and the future and must, therefore, address, apart from income and expenditure accounts and related marginal issues, the long-run objectives and issues of economic and social importance for the country as a whole. Neglect of the long-run issues will increasingly show up in disappointments even in the short-run. Long-run ‘demand-side’ issues like high inflation or unsustainable current account or fiscal deficits and imbalances in the balance of payments work against macro economic stability, which, in fact, is a highly serious matter for the whole economy, especially in recent times when the whole world is hit by recession and works against the whole ethos of growth and development in a serious way.
Likewise, long-run ‘supply-side’ issues linked with trade and capital flows, financial sectors, industrial deregulation, and disinvestments of public sector enterprises are also important in various ways. In fact, the long-run focus of the budget has to be both on domestic and external liberalisation, because the former consists of relaxing restrictions on production, investment, prices, and, thereby, it attempts in assigning a bigger role to the market system for performing the various functions of the economic system, including resource allocation; and the latter consists of relaxing restrictions on international trade flows of goods and services, technology, and capital. In fact, these two kinds of liberalisation are inter-linked with each other.
Prior to making any comments on what we expect from the forthcoming budget for the Fiscal Year 2009-2010, it is important to note the following:
The issue of deficits in all its connotations
Unlike many other industrialised countries, budgets in India are not confined to the current account. We in fact, go for a consolidated budget, which has both a current account and a capital account. The fiscal deficit is the sum of the deficits on both the current and capital accounts. Such budgeting practice has a distinct advantage of concealing a large current account deficit by showing a sizable inflow on the capital account say by taking a loan.
When there is a current account deficit, it implies that expenditure is more than receipts. In other words, there is a revenue deficit, which, in fact, measures the deficit in the current account in terms of: (a) primary deficit (excess of what the government spends on purchases over its revenues), and (b) interest on past debts, which is also an expense and is paid to banks that buy government securities. All this leads to the conclusion that whereas the primary deficit directly converts the public savings into consumption and lowers the aggregate saving rate in the economy, the payment of interest on the existing debt does not do so. The primary deficit, therefore, is also understood as an excess of the portion of the government expenditure that enters into consumption stream of the economy over revenues.
It is heartening to see that over the years the primary deficit is gradually disappearing and is being replaced by a (small) surplus. Because of this the government does not have to crowd out private investors with its borrowing. All this has added tremendously to the big wave of private investment, which is building up in the economy. There is, therefore, a sharp movement towards higher value–added goods in the production basket and this is the real economy that underlies the rising share market prices.
The disappearance of the primary deficit and its replacement even by a small surplus has a highly favourable effect on the quantum of the fiscal deficit. This is the brightest silver lining of the annual budgets in recent years.
The industrial front
On the industrial front, there has been a good progress in terms of delicensing, ease of entry of foreign investors and trade liberalisation. Many restrictions are now gone and the positive results are becoming visible. During the second phase of reforms, the supply-side difficulties in the industry have been removed to a large extent, but there are still demand-side constraints, especially in the manufacturing sector. But despite this, it is heartening to note that, as compared to earlier years, the growth in industry has been satisfactory to a large extent, and its share in gross domestic product has been showing an upward trend. Whether the double-digit growth in industry would be sustained will depend basically on the demand for industrial goods.
Presently, about 88 per cent of the demand comes from domestic markets and the remaining about 12 per cent from international markets. There are positive indicators that such demand would be maintained and industry would sustain a double-digit growth in the coming months.
In order to be effective, the forthcoming budget, apart from other aspects, has to be an important link between the past and the future and must, therefore, address, apart from income and expenditure accounts and related marginal issues, the long-run objectives and issues of economic and social importance for the country as a whole. Neglect of the long-run issues will increasingly show up in disappointments even in the short-run. Long-run ‘demand-side’ issues like high inflation or unsustainable current account or fiscal deficits and imbalances in the balance of payments work against macro economic stability, which, in fact, is a highly serious matter for the whole economy, especially in recent times when the whole world is hit by recession and works against the whole ethos of growth and development in a serious way.
Likewise, long-run ‘supply-side’ issues linked with trade and capital flows, financial sectors, industrial deregulation, and disinvestments of public sector enterprises are also important in various ways. In fact, the long-run focus of the budget has to be both on domestic and external liberalisation, because the former consists of relaxing restrictions on production, investment, prices, and, thereby, it attempts in assigning a bigger role to the market system for performing the various functions of the economic system, including resource allocation; and the latter consists of relaxing restrictions on international trade flows of goods and services, technology, and capital. In fact, these two kinds of liberalisation are inter-linked with each other.
Prior to making any comments on what we expect from the forthcoming budget for the Fiscal Year 2009-2010, it is important to note the following:
The issue of deficits in all its connotations
Unlike many other industrialised countries, budgets in India are not confined to the current account. We in fact, go for a consolidated budget, which has both a current account and a capital account. The fiscal deficit is the sum of the deficits on both the current and capital accounts. Such budgeting practice has a distinct advantage of concealing a large current account deficit by showing a sizable inflow on the capital account say by taking a loan.
When there is a current account deficit, it implies that expenditure is more than receipts. In other words, there is a revenue deficit, which, in fact, measures the deficit in the current account in terms of: (a) primary deficit (excess of what the government spends on purchases over its revenues), and (b) interest on past debts, which is also an expense and is paid to banks that buy government securities. All this leads to the conclusion that whereas the primary deficit directly converts the public savings into consumption and lowers the aggregate saving rate in the economy, the payment of interest on the existing debt does not do so. The primary deficit, therefore, is also understood as an excess of the portion of the government expenditure that enters into consumption stream of the economy over revenues.
It is heartening to see that over the years the primary deficit is gradually disappearing and is being replaced by a (small) surplus. Because of this the government does not have to crowd out private investors with its borrowing. All this has added tremendously to the big wave of private investment, which is building up in the economy. There is, therefore, a sharp movement towards higher value–added goods in the production basket and this is the real economy that underlies the rising share market prices.
The disappearance of the primary deficit and its replacement even by a small surplus has a highly favourable effect on the quantum of the fiscal deficit. This is the brightest silver lining of the annual budgets in recent years.
The industrial front
On the industrial front, there has been a good progress in terms of delicensing, ease of entry of foreign investors and trade liberalisation. Many restrictions are now gone and the positive results are becoming visible. During the second phase of reforms, the supply-side difficulties in the industry have been removed to a large extent, but there are still demand-side constraints, especially in the manufacturing sector. But despite this, it is heartening to note that, as compared to earlier years, the growth in industry has been satisfactory to a large extent, and its share in gross domestic product has been showing an upward trend. Whether the double-digit growth in industry would be sustained will depend basically on the demand for industrial goods.
Presently, about 88 per cent of the demand comes from domestic markets and the remaining about 12 per cent from international markets. There are positive indicators that such demand would be maintained and industry would sustain a double-digit growth in the coming months.
Child labour in orissa rising
KORAPUT IS a district with Maoist infestation and many other problems; which surrounds the un-divided Koraput throughout the year. One of the most serious problems is child labour in this backward region. Though the Orissa state government had decided to eradicate child labour till 2014, and had also stepped in various programmes regarding the same. But the state is witness to a large number of poor tribal children working in various hotels, road sides and market places.
Till date there is no proper record of how many child labourers are there in the state. The child labour brings a negative picture towards the visitors. In a democratic state, it is shameful that this problem is increasing day by day and growing to become a vast problem.
Looking forward to eradicate child labour from Orissa, government has taken various steps. The state government has joined hands with various departments of state, such as; Women and Children Welfare Department, Revenue Department, Employment Department, etc. These departments will identify the child labours and also calculate the same. They will also work for the welfare and development of the child labour and its eradication.
Along with the above plans and programmes, the state government has also decided to take help from the Central government. It is also been decided to open at least two transit homes in district level. All these plans and programmes of the state government are welcome but how far all these will be fruitful remains a big question.
Poverty and poor standard of living is the main reason for the increased child labour in Koraput. Around 72 per cent of the population is below the poverty level in the area. To earn their day to day livelihood they put their poor children to work. Poor tribal children working in garage, workshops, shops, hotels, road side, grazing animals, collecting dry woods for fuel at home, etc can be seen every .
The government should properly plan to eradicate poverty from these areas. If only each and every family set out of poverty then only eradicating child labour till 2014 would be possible.
Till date there is no proper record of how many child labourers are there in the state. The child labour brings a negative picture towards the visitors. In a democratic state, it is shameful that this problem is increasing day by day and growing to become a vast problem.
Looking forward to eradicate child labour from Orissa, government has taken various steps. The state government has joined hands with various departments of state, such as; Women and Children Welfare Department, Revenue Department, Employment Department, etc. These departments will identify the child labours and also calculate the same. They will also work for the welfare and development of the child labour and its eradication.
Along with the above plans and programmes, the state government has also decided to take help from the Central government. It is also been decided to open at least two transit homes in district level. All these plans and programmes of the state government are welcome but how far all these will be fruitful remains a big question.
Poverty and poor standard of living is the main reason for the increased child labour in Koraput. Around 72 per cent of the population is below the poverty level in the area. To earn their day to day livelihood they put their poor children to work. Poor tribal children working in garage, workshops, shops, hotels, road side, grazing animals, collecting dry woods for fuel at home, etc can be seen every .
The government should properly plan to eradicate poverty from these areas. If only each and every family set out of poverty then only eradicating child labour till 2014 would be possible.
Safety of your cell phone: Some tips
Cell phone snatching and cell phone stealing have become something so common these days that incidents like these don’t make much of news. It just takes a minute for the cell phones stealers to get away before the person even realizes that their cell phone is gone. They are very good at their job.
Now the point is not to appreciate their sleight of hand but take steps to protect and safeguard our mobile phones from the thieves. Public transport is the most common place where instances like this take place. While getting into a bus make sure you have your mobile phone in your hand and not in your pocket or bag.
Avoid talking on your mobile phone while in a bus or on a road with either a lot of crowd or less people. Don’t get into a fight with a group of 3-4 or more people. They will deliberately get into a fight over a very petty issue with you and when you get involved they will snatch your cell phone and run away making you feel like a fool.
Keep your eyes and ears open with your head in an active mode and as soon as you feel something fishy, alarm the people around you, shout for help and check your belongings at the very moment. Don’t panic, try to keep yourself calm and if something happens don’t ever get into a physical fight with people because they might be ready to harm you and they may hurt you physically.
February 01, 2010
Welcome verdict of Delhi High Court on RTI
JUSTICE S Ravindra Bhatt of Delhi High Court should be complimented for his repeated verdict to induce transparency as desired under Right to Information (RTI) Act when he now turned down pleas of several public-funded bodies including Commonwealth Games Organising Committee, Indian Olympic Association, Sanskriti School etc against CIC-verdicts holding these bodies under purview of RTI Act.
In fact, concerned public information officers of public-bodies losing court-cases against CIC verdicts should be penalised to discourage filing such baseless cases at a time when RTI Act in itself is absolutely clear without actually needing any further endorsement from the courts. Such a move will discourage filing frivolous court-cases against CIC verdicts simply to defer providing information in otherwise required under RTI Act for a time-bound supply of information.
A division-bench at Supreme Court had once rightly observed that many-a-times petitioners seeking stay-orders at initial stage are successful to drag cases for long but ultimately losing the case! Case-number WPC 2908/2007 against CIC verdict at Delhi High Court still remains undecided because of the public-authority Department of Justice obtaining ex-party stay in April 2007, went on seeking adjournments again and again while cases filed against CIC verdicts in the year 2009 were decided in the year 2009 itself.
In fact, concerned public information officers of public-bodies losing court-cases against CIC verdicts should be penalised to discourage filing such baseless cases at a time when RTI Act in itself is absolutely clear without actually needing any further endorsement from the courts. Such a move will discourage filing frivolous court-cases against CIC verdicts simply to defer providing information in otherwise required under RTI Act for a time-bound supply of information.
A division-bench at Supreme Court had once rightly observed that many-a-times petitioners seeking stay-orders at initial stage are successful to drag cases for long but ultimately losing the case! Case-number WPC 2908/2007 against CIC verdict at Delhi High Court still remains undecided because of the public-authority Department of Justice obtaining ex-party stay in April 2007, went on seeking adjournments again and again while cases filed against CIC verdicts in the year 2009 were decided in the year 2009 itself.
Adjournment-culture in courts must be curbed
Parties seeking adjournments should be made to pay some reasonable but fixed cost which should go to the exchequer rather than opposite side or its counsel. Even judges should normally not have discretionary power to deviate from such fixed cost.
JUSTICE S N Dhingra of Delhi High Court has rightly lashed out at frivolous reasons usually given to seek adjournments just to deliberately delay court-proceedings. A division-bench of Supreme Court had also opined against frequent stay-orders granted by courts that too at a time when parties obtaining stay-orders many-a-times ultimately lose the cases under stay.
Parties seeking adjournments should be made to pay some reasonable but fixed cost which should go to the exchequer rather than opposite side or its counsel. Even judges should normally not have discretionary power to deviate from such fixed cost.
Justice SN Dhingra’s strictures and dismissal of request for adjournment is in tune with the vision-document presented by Union Law Minister at New Delhi conference on October 24, 2009, with some practical solutions to check unholy adjournment-culture in courts.
But all this is not enough. Rather government-departments/ministries are amongst prominent names in seeking adjournments. Department of Justice sought such an ex-party stay-order against verdict from Central Information Commission (CIC) about three years ago, but since then the case has not moved even an inch with counsels for the public-authority seeking adjournments again and again! Even a meeting of all the information commissioners at CIC had to decide that Chief Information Commissioner would meet Chief Justice of Delhi so that cases against CIC verdicts could be decided fast to maintain spirit of Right To Information Act for providing timely information.
Since a large number of cases involve government functionaries, the court/bench handling such cases should devise a mechanism whereby fixed days are devoted for such particular government functionaries which are most involved in court-cases. For example, all cases involving Central Information Commission may be taken on a particular day of the month and likewise. It should be ensured that counsels of government functionaries may be present on priority on such suggested fixed days.
JUSTICE S N Dhingra of Delhi High Court has rightly lashed out at frivolous reasons usually given to seek adjournments just to deliberately delay court-proceedings. A division-bench of Supreme Court had also opined against frequent stay-orders granted by courts that too at a time when parties obtaining stay-orders many-a-times ultimately lose the cases under stay.
Parties seeking adjournments should be made to pay some reasonable but fixed cost which should go to the exchequer rather than opposite side or its counsel. Even judges should normally not have discretionary power to deviate from such fixed cost.
Justice SN Dhingra’s strictures and dismissal of request for adjournment is in tune with the vision-document presented by Union Law Minister at New Delhi conference on October 24, 2009, with some practical solutions to check unholy adjournment-culture in courts.
But all this is not enough. Rather government-departments/ministries are amongst prominent names in seeking adjournments. Department of Justice sought such an ex-party stay-order against verdict from Central Information Commission (CIC) about three years ago, but since then the case has not moved even an inch with counsels for the public-authority seeking adjournments again and again! Even a meeting of all the information commissioners at CIC had to decide that Chief Information Commissioner would meet Chief Justice of Delhi so that cases against CIC verdicts could be decided fast to maintain spirit of Right To Information Act for providing timely information.
Since a large number of cases involve government functionaries, the court/bench handling such cases should devise a mechanism whereby fixed days are devoted for such particular government functionaries which are most involved in court-cases. For example, all cases involving Central Information Commission may be taken on a particular day of the month and likewise. It should be ensured that counsels of government functionaries may be present on priority on such suggested fixed days.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)