Ex-telecom minister Sukh Ram speaks to Pramod Kumar in an interview

Arindam Chaudhuri bags Delhi team of i1 Super Series

The money recovered was not mine

It's generally held that politicians cling on to politics till their last breath. Ghani Khan Choudhury is an apt example. But you seemed to have called it a day long ago...
I have had an active career as a politician for 45 years and wanted to continue. But I was fed up with the accusations. If I had not been maligned, I could have worked as a communication minister for a few more years and would have taken telecommunications in this country to newer heights.

The accusations such as giving undue benefits to Himachal Futuristic Communications Limited as well as favouritism in allocating circles are still going on...
I was let down by petty politics. There were people inside the party who ambushed me. The Parliament was standstill for 13 days. However, after intervention of the Supreme Court, I got reprieve. I am positive that the Supreme Court will surely deliver justice to me. It is long deserved.

But CBI did recover 'unaccounted for' money from your houses in Delhi and Mandi...
The money CBI recovered was not mine. Since the matter is subjudice, I can not make further comments. The party had asked me to rent out a few rooms at my houses in Delhi and Mandi for their use. I was going to UK for my wife's treatment. I gave them permission to use the rooms. I had no idea what those rooms were used for. I am paying the price for that for the last 14 years.

People find similarities between you and Raja vis-a-vis 2G spectrum issue...
This is not done. This is uncalled for. I brought the information revolution to this country. I brought Internet and cellular services. I made the first mobile call to Jyoti Basu and today the common man is reaping the benefit. I introduced a few policy changes. I started the process of awarding the bid to the lowest bidder. Prior to that, contracts used to be split between all the bidders. Because of the change in policy, I managed to fill the coffer of this country with Rs 2200 crore in one year. Raja, on the other hand, has siphoned off money.

How do you feel when you see the party you belonged to reeling under the accusation of corruption. Even the PMO has come into the line of fire...
When I was the minister of state for planning and implementation, Manmohan Singh was deputy chairman of the Planning Commission. We have worked very closely for a couple of years. I am of the opinion that he is an honest man with a progressive vision. It is expected that the Opposition will level charges. He has been a successful Prime Minister. The accusations about him are baseless. If a particular minister is corrupt, the onus lies on that minister.

You are praising Manmohan Singh while his government has been unable to contain rising prices...
In the recently held AICC meeting, the core issue was corruption. I was a bit bewildered. I would have expected price rise to be the core issue. I get surprised and pained in equal measures when I hear ministers saying that they don't have the magic wand to contain the prices. How can somebody give such a reckless and irresponsible statement? When I was in charge of the ministry of agriculture and public distribution, I successfully managed to distribute grains to all the states even though the country was reeling under drought. I was praised for this at an international conference too. But I don't see ministers concerned doing so today. That is why the Prime Minister had to intervene.

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Sukh ram, pramod mahajan, arun shourie, dayanidhi maran, a. Raja...

growth of corruption in the telecom sector has certainly kept pace with the fast growing subscriber base, feels Sutanu Guru. none of the corporate entities nor a single minister has been made to pay till now, he further points out

The more things change, the more they remain the same. I still remember the spring of 1996 when the name Raja had more traditional connotations. The cricket World Cup was on in the Indian sub-continent and fans were praying for Sachin Tendulkar to work his magic so that India could lift the Cup. The Central government - riddled, assaulted and besieged by scams and scandals - was paralysed and as lame duck as a duck can be lame. And of course, even as cricket fever was hotting up, Indian citizens were both horrified and titillated by a strange piece of news. Sukh Ram, who had presided over the first auction of mobile telephony services in India in 1995 as Union telecom minister till he was "reshuffled", was arrested for a 'telecom' scam. Forget the names of the other players involved; they really don't matter anymore. But guess what, the estimated loss to the exchequer was about Rs 1.7 crore. Yes, the money lost by the government was a paltry Rs 1.7 crore!

But you must remember, Sachin Tendulkar was then earning a pittance for endorsements compared to the upwards of Rs 100 crore he makes nowadays. And of course, like in 1996, India still adores its favourite cricketer as the nation hopes he will win the Cup for India. And yes, the cricket World Cup is back in the sub-continent. It is also spring and the season for the flowers to bloom. Of course, like 15 years back in 1996, it is also the season for scams and scandals to bloom in such a manner that the Central government appears more paralysed than a lame duck. The more things change, the more they remain the same. The only difference is what you and I can call the impact of 'inflation' while measuring the magnitude of the scams. In 1996, it was alleged that Sukh Ram was responsible for the State losing Rs 1.7 crore in revenue. In 2011, the CAG estimates that another former telecom minister A. Raja is probably responsible for the State to lose Rs 1.7 lakh crore — ten thousand times more than the loss in 1996. In a perverse way, you could use that to applaud the manner in which the Indian economy has grown in this era of crony capitalism masqeurading as liberal economic policies with a special emphasis on the aam aadmi.

In 1996, Sukh Ram was accused of changing rules and goalposts to favour companies close to him. In the 1995 auction of mobile phone services, a then unknown entity called Himachal Futuristic Communications Ltd (Sukh Ram belongs to Himachal Pradesh) had shocked India Inc. by bidding huge amounts for telecom circles. When it became clear that the company could not pay the license fee and stood to forfeit its bank guarantee, Sukh Ram allegedly changed policy in a way that a company could get only three circles. Himachal Futuristic is still a player in the business. It shot back into limelight last year when a group company Infotel successfully bid for 22 circles for Broadband Wireless Access (BWA). Intriguingly, Infotel sold its majority stake soon after to a company controlled by Mukesh Ambani. Of course, you are quite familiar with how Raja bent, broke and changed rules to suit the interests of corporate houses he favoured. But did you happen to know that his predecessor and another DMK leader Dayanidhi Maran (whose brother controls the Sun Network) handed out 27 licences during his tenure and that 14 of them went to Aircel? Didn't I say that the more things change, the more they remain the same?

Let us take the Sukh Ram - A.Raja comparison a bit further. Sukh Ram was arrested in February, 1996, and eventually convicted in 2009. He is out on bail as his appeal is pending in the Delhi High Court. He still vociferously defends his controversial track record (See Exclusive Interview). A. Raja too has been arrested recently. The question is that will another journalist interview Raja 15 years hence in 2026 while he enjoys bail and vociferously defends his controversial track record? The way our Indian 'demonocracy' (an apt term coined by my editor-in-chief) is, don't be surprised if that scenario actually turns out to be true.

I won't bore you with the gory details of the 2G scam and the unending brouhaha that goes on around it. It is enough to realise that Indian democracy is in urgent and dire need of serious efforts and reform. My colleague interviewed N. Vittal - who was telecom secretary when Sukh Ram was telecom minister - in his modest apartment in Chennai (See Exclusive Interview). The 73-year-old Vittal, who created history as the Chief Vigilance Commissioner by posting the names of bureaucrats accused of corruption on the official CVC Website, is clinical as usual when he assesses the state of the State: "I had multiple problems in my body a few years back. Many experts coordinated their diagnosis and treatments for my recovery. India as a body politic now suffers a multiple organ failure of governance. 2G represents this."

There are a few things about the telecom scam you should know which have been sidelined in the run-up to the arrest of A. Raja, the voyeuristic tattles resonating in the media thanks to the leak of the Radia tapes and the persistent threats of Opposition parties to paralyse working of Parliament if their demand for a JPC is not met. Most interesting is the manner in which the BJP is acting holier than thou. Since public memory is short, let me remind you of a few interesting things that happened to the telecom sector when the BJP-led NDA alliance was in power at the Centre. Jagmohan was the telecom minister and even as he was being eased out from the ministry, the government changed the licence fee regime to a new revenue sharing regime in 1999. This was a highly controversial move then though there are many who still agree that freeing the mobile operators from the burden of paying huge licence fees every year to the government enabled them to lower tarriffs and trigger the real telecom revolution. That may be so. But when the late Pramod Mahajan was the telecom minister, Reliance made a blatant back door entry into the telecom sector in a manner everybody acknowledges was unethical and almost certainly illegal. Essentially, Reliance launched de facto mobile phone services across India without paying a single Paisa as licence fee even as other operators like Bharti, Hutch, BPL and others had paid thousands of crores as licence fees. This 'free' backdoor entry enabled Reliance to launch that famous campaign that promised a mobile call at 40 Paisa per minute. Pramod Mahajan was replaced by the so-called incorruptible Arun Shourie as telecom minister. In his tenure, Reliance was not penalised for its sins. It was just asked to pay a licence fee and continue operating as if nothing had happened. Basically, whether it is the Congress or the BJP, you could say that each had its own set of favourites and each bent and broke rules whenever convenient.

Another interesting thing about the fascinating telecom sector is the manner in which established business houses have clawed back into the game after losing out completely in the early years of mobile telephony in India. For a few years after mobile services were launched in India, the big players were BPL, Bharti, Max, Usha and a few others. The Tatas, Birlas and Ambanis were not considered serious players. But look at the secenario now. Barring Vodafone (which is a multinational and which has allegedly defrauded the Indian exchequer to the tune of $2 billion in unpaid taxes) and Sunil Mittal of Bharti, the big boys of Indian telecom are Ratan Tata, Kumarmangalam Birla and Anil Ambani (with Mukesh Ambani expected to join that big league soon with a broadband wireless access network). So, in a way, the Empire of India Inc. is striking back as seen in the case of the telecom sector. Analysts used to say that liberal economic policies led to a blossoming of entrepreneurs who had no chance in the earler era of licence permit raj. Sadly, discretionary and arbitrary decisions by minister after minister holding portfolio after portfolio seem to be getting worse forms of the license permit raj back into the picture.

The last thing I would like to highlight in this sleazy saga is a lament that will soon be forgotten. There is little doubt that Indian telecom has been a success story. From zero in 1995 to 700 million subscribers in 2011 is no mean achievement. But even as this sector blossomed, the two state-owned entities of MTNL and BSNL seem to be in terminal decline. They are taking suicidal decisions that are inexplicable and meant only to benefit private sector players.

And of course, as mentioned earlier, the telecom sector and the 2G scam is just an example and a manifestation. Similar examples abound in virtually every sector in India. In the coming weeks, watch out for a TSI story on how crony capitalism ensured that private airlines benefitted immensely even as the state-owned Air India - like BSNL and MTNL - followed a suicidal path towards destruction and bankruptcy. And do remember that like telecom, aviation is also considered a success story in India!

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New directors with new touch capture the scene

Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri Dean Business School IIPM

Kerala films: New Directions
Amid many crises in the Malayalam film industry, there are silver clouds on the “silver” screen. An energetic batch of new generation directors is busy giving Malayalam cinema a new direction. In 2010, more than 40 per cent of the films (37 out of 89) were directed by fresh, young directors, and the trend continues in 2011 also.

Vysakh, Thomson, Mamas, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Martin Prakkatt and Mohan Raghavan are some of the names to reckon with. “They try to break the ‘over-used’ pattern of the Malayalam films. They are tech savvy, have a grasp over world cinema and their approach is modern. This reflects in the content of their films,” says Rafeeq Ahamed, state award winner film lyricist and poet.

In both the commercial and the parallel cinema realms, the new entrants have embossed their mark. Mega stars like Mammootty, Mohanlal and super star Dileep are willing to work with them. The Mammotty starrer Pokkiriraja, directed by Vysakh, became a super hit in 2010. The blockbusters such as Karyasthan, Malarvadi Arts Club, Pappy Appachaa, and Best Actor were also the ventures of the new entrants. It will not be wrong to say that Dileep, after a series of flops, succeeded in re-capturing his status and market value through the films of new directors Thomson (Karyasthan) and Mamas (Pappy Appachaa).

The new directors made a drastic change in theme and the structure of the films. The old concepts of family stories gave way to new generation relationships and alienation of the city life. Chithrasoothram, the experimental film that was invited to many international film festivals, was directed by Vipin Vijay, a new face in the industry.

But the new entrants face some challenges also. It’s not easy for them to get screens since the cinema hall owners want to play safe most of the times and would go for only the so-called ‘hit makers’. “Most of the newcomers find it difficult to survive. Some commercially successful thrillers which are praised for novelty are just weak imitations of some well-known foreign movies,” says young director Varghese Antony.

Nevertheless, the commercial success of their films has convinced the theatre owners and they are now ready to accommodate their films too. The advent of multiplexes has also helped.

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Spriha Srivastava shares insights from the Delhi Race Course…

Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri Dean Business School IIPM

Placed to win? Don't bet on it!
Thinking about The North Indian Derby (pronounced Dar-bee) horse racing in Delhi brought flashes from the scenes at the Polo Grounds I’d noticed in the newspapers – of the social elites decked in their designer best, brandishing their glamorous accessories; some hobnobbing with celebrities while others puffing away at cigars. Driven by the enthusiasm of actually experiencing one such mise en scène myself, I was at the Delhi Race Course for the so-called ‘World Cup’ of horse racing. Of course, the atmosphere at the race course was quite different from that at the polo matches.

In the narrow lane that leads to the gates of the racing ground, one is greeted by little children who enthusiastically sell pocket-sized booklets containing pertinent information and details about horses, that could serve as a prospective gambler’s guide. “I can tell you which horse will win today. Bet on dad’s horse,” said one of the kids while a buyer fished out some money from his wallet. These kids, bathed in dust and grease, are children of horse trainers, jockeys and stable caretakers who spend the entire day outside the gates of the race course. “I hear and learn about horse betting. I will grow up to become rich of betting,” muttered one of them and ran away to catch attention of another interested buyer.

On the other side of the gate , there was a small section with a circular track where horses were exhibited before the race. In the huge crowd gawking at the horses, turning pages of the booklet and making quick notes before placing the bet, were mostly youngsters and especially those who appeared to belong to the lower middle-class. I walked up to a man (somewhere in his mid- thirties) called Ved Prakash and tried asking about the race, and the brief conversation probed quite insightful. “Madam, winning bets is not a day’s job. It requires regular visits to understand the dynamics of betting. And this is a Derby race…very important race, madam. In this, stakes are high and people bet huge amounts,” he explained. On casually enquiring about his gains for the day, Ved Prakash smiled and said, “Arre madam, I bet safe amounts. I just placed Rs 500 today and won Rs 3,500. Today’s wage is taken care of!” Ved Praksh appeared to be one of those calculated risk-takers, but he and some others who I spoke to had numerous stories to share about people who’d lost jewellery, property etc and still borrowed money from people they knew at the race course, in the hope to win back all that they once owned.

At the stands lining the racing track is a clear demarcation of class. While the lower stands had people for whom the spoils would perhaps allow them to indulge in healthy meals for a few days, the upper stands had ones who looked like they may well be splurging on a whim. I met Daksh Oberoi, a suave young man, just short of 30, who owned horses and was probably the most recognised figure at the race course. His stable, located behind the race course, houses 43 horses. “Apart from Delhi, I own horses in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Mysore as well and I work in partnership with my friend, Sunil Kumar Verma” said Daksh whose passion for horses was a hand-me-down from his father.

In the olden times, horses were used by kings not only as a means to commute, but were passionately groomed and trained for warfare. This passion was given a purpose by the British who introduced horse racing such that it became a forum for princes and aristocrats to socialise. The likes of Daksh who invest their passion in horses is, unfortunately, a disappearing breed. “I started learning the business of horse racing from a very young age. I’d visit the race course with my father, go through the booklets where the entire history of the participating horses is listed, talk to people and get involved,” he reminisced. Daksh has yet not stepped into the league of breeders like the Poonawallas, Ramaswamy’s (Chettinad Stud Farms) or the Usha Stud Farms, since it requires behemoth amount of investment. Content with purchasing and owning horses, he fondly refers to them as ‘my kids’ and was honest enough to reveal that his ‘kids’ haven’t won him great fortunes yet, but they hadn’t left him out of business either. As he walked me towards the section which was abuzz with people discussing bets and where bookies were on their job, he suddenly stopped and pointed towards the roof. “Don’t these tin awnings upheld with those old rods remind you of a cremation ground?” And he laughed before adding, “It’s funny because this place is one!” He explained that there are some here who’re probably betting their last penny and there are others who’re rejoicing today, but will go back with empty pockets tomorrow. “There are countless number of those who’ve come down from riches to rags… Don’t bet if you don’t understand the game. It simply hurts to see that the thrill to watch your horse race and win has died down and instead, there are these people who’re here to enrich their future off an animal that means nothing to them,” he said. Daksh stated that the Derby race in Delhi scored way below the one at the Mahalaxmi Race Course in Mumbai, where the stakes go up to Rs 2.5 crore as against Rs 10 lakh in the capital city. One of his plans is to steadily raise the standard of the Delhi Race Course and promote
the passion for horses, and not the mere addiction of gambling on them.

Horse gambling, though legal, wouldn’t be called a fair game. If owners buy horses worth up to crores and then also spend money on feeding and training, there has to be a way to earn that back. And one can certainly not rely on something as uncertain as a win in a race. Heavy ‘negative gambling’ happens here where the owners, bookies as well as jockeys drain away a huge share. “Everyone knows it’s all fixed. Sab setting hai madam,” is what Ved Prakash revealed, with few others, including the guard, though it didn’t seem to dissuade them from coming here very frequently.

More than the prospect of depleting moolah, my concern went out to those severely addicted, most of them youngsters. 24-year-old Abhay Thakral shared that he’s a part of his father’s property business, and horse gambling is just a way to pass his time. “I come here every Tuesday. Today I won Rs 5000 and last week I won Rs 16,000. This gambling becomes so addictive that once they start understanding how to go about it, people only bet in lakhs. I’ve gone through huge losses as well, but if I lose, I want to win it back… and I do. It’s just my way to pass my time and earn that extra money!” As I took his leave, he enquired if I’d want to give it a shot. “I’ll tell you which horse to bet on in the next race. You’ll win. 100 per cent.” Tempted by his offer, I did place a very small amount at stake, and well, I lost. I shrugged it off, but couldn’t help wondering about situations where such losses equaled loss of day’s square meal. Then again, if I had won, I would’ve found myself in the range of yet another worthless addiction!

Horse d'oeuvres

Horse racing, also known as ‘The Sport of Kings’, dates back to about 4500 BC; the nomadic tribesmen of Central Asia were the first to start the practice of domesticating horses. Spreading across Central Asia and the Mediterranean, by 638 BC, horse racing became the most popular event in the ancient Greek Olympics. Back then, it was in the form of chariot and mounted horse racing. The modern form of horse racing, which exists today, was an initiative of the English knights who brought in Arab horses in the 12th century and then started the breeding and training of horses for speed and endurance. Currently, apart from India – where horse gambling is the only legal form of gambling – Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and South America are some states where the sport of horse racing is passionately and professionally pursued.

On your marks, get set, listen up!

1. You would bump into a lot of people who’d happily give advice on which horse to lay stakes on. Do not listen to them. You might end up burning a hole in your pocket.

2. Start by doing a thorough research about the history of a horse’s lineage, the number of races it won etc. All this information is available in booklets distributed at race courses.

3. The best jockey might not definitely win races.

4. Low risk takers, keep distance from the race course!

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Davos summit is of frugal relevance to the common Indians

India WEF summit: Honeymoon

The annual World Economic Forum summit has always been nothing more than honeymoon trips. This year was no exception. Over 400 Indian leaders from business, government, academia and civil society gathered in Davos, Switzerland for the five day summit (26-30 January, 2011) to find solutions to some common problems affecting the world at large. Irrespective, this has little relevance to common Indians and their miseries.

Davos has been a popular platform for business leaders. This year, over 2500 leaders from business, politics and international organisations participated to brainstorm, debate and discuss on the worst global challenges including overcoming recession and rise in inflation in emerging economies, under the theme “shared norms for the new reality.” Initially, the main objective of WEF was to bring European business leaders together. With increasing popularity, objectives broadened and it eventually became a platform for European and American business leaders to interact. As it attracted leaders from politics and academia, the issues covered in WEF expanded from business to economy and other global issues. But all this has never been an effective platform for solving serious problems. Leaders come with various views but hardly agree with each other.

India has attracted enough attention and participation of Indian leaders is ever increasing. India was represented by economic elites like Anand Mahindra and Mukesh Ambani this year. The irony is that while they had gone to share India's way of ‘inclusive growth’ with the global audience, this has actually been a failure domestically. The government has thoroughly failed to meet peoples’ expectation. A 100 million people are yet to be covered under government programmes. The government, whose 'national priority' is 'sustainable development,' has been struggling to curb inflation.

There is a stark disparity in education, particularly for girls. Inequality of income is widening too. Over 80 per cent of the total wealth increase was accumulated by the top 1 per cent rich in the US between 1980-2005. The top 100 wealthiest Indians control 25 per cent of India's GDP. India ranks second in the list of billionaires against trillion dollar economy with 55 billionaires from a $1.1 trillion economy, only after Russia, with 87 billionaires and a $1.3 trillion GDP. Billionaires are certainly not unwelcoming but their wealth creation, mainly from the nation’s land, resources, government contracts and licenses, is diluting the very essence of an egalitarian society.

Phew... Did the WEF summit discuss all this and find out a solution to it all? Rather than launch into a reprisal of our diatribe, we'll simply comment, "Come off it!" WEF was never intended to find real solutions; just real venues.

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Obama’s SOTU was more of an old song on loop

IIPM: What is E-PAT?

Obama : miles to go: A million broken promises
State of the Union a.k.a SOTU is a very popular annual address presented by American presidents to the nation. It can not only make or break a president's ratings' trend but also displays the vision and plans that a president has for his country. This would sound too clichéd, but it is an undeniable fact that Obama failed to fulfil the promises that he had made in his last two speeches. Starting from Guantanamo to withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, most of his promises are still awaiting
full materialisation.

In his State of the Union address this year, President Obama stressed on "we do big things," but at the same time failed to put forward any strong and doable policies to cut the deficit. In his address, he also spoke on how the economy is growing, simultaneously accepting the fact that US is gradually losing its “competitive edge” to China. Call it optimism or cynicism, Obama introduced a cap on annual domestic spending for the next five years which, according to him, would reduce the deficit by more than $400 billion over the next decade. What he forgot or cleverly bypassed was that he won’t be here (as his term will be over) to account for the changes.

Most of his speeches revolved around domestic policies which were similar to his plans that he had proposed in 2010. However, issues that dented his ratings like government spending, federal deficit and the federal debt were given no space in the entire speech. Ironically, every statement he makes now contradicts his previous statements. While addressing the joint session of Congress, he said, "I will not sign a plan that adds one dime to our deficits neither now nor in the future." In the same speech he also said, "In theory, the Health Care Reform (HCR) may need an additional $90-100 billion a year to provide coverage. There's a couple of times where I pushed people on the need of paying higher taxes to implement it." Moreover, in his first year term, he announced his inability to confront the long-term fiscal problems but managed to introduce HCR in his second year term. What came as a major surprise was the way he blatantly ignored the gun control issue. Despite the recent Arizona massacre that impelled concerns on gun control, Obama was undeterred.

However, knowing the tough job that Obama inherited from Bush, he has been quite cleverer than effective in his words and deeds. His speeches in the last two years have only seen a transition from “I will” to “I am trying” to “I may”. It’s gradually becoming prominent that his promises are more of a rhetoric. But it is high time for Obama to ensure that instead of doing mere lip-service, real work surfaces! Or perhaps Obama has already resigned himself to the fact that this will be his last term...

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RGV’s ‘zero-budget’ film plan does not impress many

Andhra pradesh: entertainment: Much ado about nothing

Ram Gopal Varma aka RGV had been a trend setter in Tollywood with his debut film “Siva” (1989). He called the shots in the Telugu film industry— called Tollywood — before he moved to Mumbai. Some film critics had called his advent a renaissance in Tollywood which is considered to be the second biggest industry after Bollywood with annual investment of Rs. 400 crores.

Recently, Ram Gopal Varma’s announcement of making a “zero-budget” film created a little flutter among the movie buffs. “When low budget or zero budget films are referred to, Satyajit Ray’s Apu trilogy flashes in the mind. I thought Ram Gopal Varma is also venturing to produce a life-snap to comply with his artistic urge,” well-known film critic S.V. Challa told The Sunday Indian.

Notwithstanding the fact that of late Ram Gopal Varma has succeeded in only churning out mediocre films with little substance which have utterly failed to impress even the average movie-goers let alone the critics, Challa feels that RGV is indeed a master filmmaker and that if he pursues serious cinema, it would be an intellectual treat and visual feast to the Telugu audience.

But contrary to the expectations, Varma announced the name of his zero-budget film to be “Dhongala Mutha” (A gang of thieves). According to him, it is another (read run-of-the-mill) “highly entertaining” action thriller and it should be completed in just five days.

However, not many people are impressed with Varma’s announcement and perceive it as just RGV’s marketing trick. “RGV is making much ado about nothing and it is his another trick to create sensation. When big stars like Ravi Teja, Chaarme, Laxmi Manchu, Brahmanandam are the main cast, how can it be termed a zero-budget film?” wondered an office-bearer of the Indian Documentary Producers Association, on condition of anonymity, while talking to TSI.

Though he has weak linkage with Telugu land, noted film maker Shyam Benegal produced ‘Amaravathi Kathalu,’ famous short-stories in Telugu literature. “But how can one expect similar kind of literary depiction from mediocre and semi-literate RGV, who, for sure, has not even heard of literary giants including Gurazada Apparao, Gudipati Venkata Chalam, Viswanatha Satyanarayana,” he added.

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An attempt at restoring the lost biodiversity of Delhi

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New Delhi: ecology: Restoring lost glory
If you are interested in seeing how the Yamuna banks were like a few hundred years ago or what species of birds were found in Delhi, just visit Yamuna Biodiversity Park (YBP) at Wazirabad in Delhi.

Many varieties of plants that have already become extinct from Delhi can be seen here. One such examples is Asthma Bel plant that is no longer found in the city. However, one can see it at the park. There are many varieties of plants which are found at 8000 ft, but have been brought to YBP. The seven-year-old biodiversity park now harbours a wide range of ecosystems of river basin which support more than 1200 plant species. These include finest wetlands besides a unique butterfly conservatory, a conservatory of fruit yielding plants, grasslands, tropical moist and dry deciduous forest communities, Acacia woodlands and a herbal garden.

Birds that have either become extinct from Delhi or are rare, such as Red Crested Pochard or ‘Lalsar’, can also be seen at the park. Faiyaz Khudsar, wildlife biologist and scientist-in-charge of Yamuna Biodiversity Park shares with TSI, “Coming of Lalsar at the park is not a common event. This bird indicates how effective and functional the ecosystem of the wetland is. It shows that the energy flow in the wetland is proper. This is very important for scientists like us. At present there are more than 3000 migratory birds at the park.”

The creation of wetlands serves three important purposes. Firstly, it adds to the diversity of habitats. Secondly, it performs the much-needed ecological functions of water purification, groundwater recharge, and storage of rainwater. And thirdly, it provides the soil for raising the ground level to avoid flooding in the post-monsoon period so that the development of terrestrial ecosystems and plant communities can go ahead unhindered.

Creating the park, however, has not been an easy task. The salt content in the soil was very high and it was a daunting task for the scientists to recreate the proper ecosystem of the wetland. Biologists used more than 160 varieties of grass to convert it into functional ecosystem. “When we got these 157 acres of land we understood that our task was not going to be easy,” says Khudsar.

In the second phase of the project 300 acres more land would be developed. After that it will be habitat of Sarus Crane and Pelicans. At present only one-third of the park is open for the visitors. Such kind of parks is very important from the point of view of urban biodiversity.

Long ago, the Yamuna riverbed was full of biodiversity. It ranged from the foothills of Shivalik mountain to Aravalli hills in the north. However, the biodiversity was lost due to rapid urbanisation. But a little of it has been recreated in the YBP.

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To expect ground-breaking changes in world diplomacy post Wikileaks is to expect too much

Int’l relations: A post-Wikileaks world

After Wikileaks announced the release of 250,000 American diplomatic cables, classified as secret documents, the world in general and diplomatic corps in particular were left stunned. The US foreign department appeared to have lost its composure. The primary reason behind this was that these cables mostly dealt with the US and their allies. Many of the US allies also lost their face. People expressed surprise on how diplomacy is conducted.

Diplomacy and diplomatic behaviour do not always go by reason. The exchange of ideas with media, passing and expressing the stands and also the will to influence the policy of the others are the objectives that form the core of diplomatic practice. Some researchers define diplomacy as “practising power with other means”. Others see it as a game of bargaining between two parties or more. Moreover, the success of diplomacy and diplomats is measured by their impact in influencing and convincing others to accept, in part or totality, their policies.

So, Wikileaks did not uncover anything new about diplomacy or the diplomats’ behaviour. Diplomats have been employing such methods for their respective states’ interests for decades. The important thing to know here is that in diplomacy, honesty, truth and right actions are the capital of a diplomat. However, it does not mean that diplomats stick all the time to truth or right actions, but at the same time if the diplomat loses his capital, he would lose the trust of others as well. This would mean that he would be out of the diplomatic active circle, expired (in diplomatic jargon) and non-usable.

Many statements and opinion pieces have mentioned that diplomacy after Wikileaks will change forever or at least will look different. Mr Kevin Rudd, Australia’s minister of foreign affairs, is an example. We can conclude and understand from his stand on the published material related to him that the assumption of ground-breaking change in international diplomacy post-Wikileaks is not true. He has stressed that he would continue in his present role despite the face loss he suffered following the leaks. He even suggested that in the future too such revelations would keep on denting his public image, but this would never deter him from continuing to serve Australia’s interests. His boss, Australian PM Julia Gillard, came to his defence and maintained that “Rudd is a specialist in diplomacy and serves his country very well.”

Diplomatic norms as well as diplomatic behaviour will not change in any foreseeable future. Our world still needs this instrument to find solutions to the difficulties and problems that international relations face. Diplomacy is a key instrument in avoiding military conflict. It comes into play when one wants the conflict to end and sanity restored. International relations without diplomacy would mean that the world, a jungle, will loose sanity and its basic law will be determined by force and force alone.

Despite the above mentioned facts, post-Wikileaks one can clearly see a whiff of change in sections other than diplomacy. The most important is the role of the media, especially correspondents. Earlier, journalists were known for protecting sources. But due to the advent of new media like internet, anybody who lays his hand on some information, can print it without bothering to protect the identity of the messenger.

The second change is related to US diplomacy and their diplomatic behaviour. They would now be doubly cautious and will take extraordinary care to protect their diplomats and secrets. But it is impossible to stop such leakages in the future too. On the other hand, the US cannot change the essence and the basic rules of its diplomacy, because it needs this sort of instruments despite all the power at its disposal. The US wants to carry on with its complicated political influence in the external as much as in the internal political scene. However, many of its strategies and actions of different political actors now lay bare to allies and critics alike. In addition, the published cables show the real American perception and attitude towards its allies. They appeared, even in the best of circumstances, as mere lackeys of the Americans, devoid of any respect whatsoever. It is not for nothing that Americans want all those involved in the leaks prosecuted. They have gone all out against them.

This sort of war will not stop. It will continue between those who believe that it is a nation’s right to know about their leaders, and the others who believe in the necessity to determine the extent of public knowledge. Despite the motives behind those two ideas, no one can stop or end the confrontation between their respective believers.

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Akshay Kumar: Destiny Maketh This King

IIPM ranks No 1 in International Exposure in the 'Third Mail Today B-School Survey'

Akshay Kumar reveals that he is what he is today because on one important day he was at the right place, at the right time, in front of the right person. neha sarin in conversation with the tees maar khan.

You made it in this industry with no godfather or even a Khan for a surname. Do you consider this your destiny?

Yes, I do believe in destiny, and hard work along with it. I think 70 per cent is your destiny and 30 per cent is your hard work. It’s a very strange way of talking, but that's what I believe. I am talking from my own experiences in life; you have to be at the right place at the right time, in front of the right person.

I remember a small episode in my life, when I signed my first big modelling assignment. I was not into this film line then. So, I got this modelling assignment, and I was supposed to catch the evening 6 'o' clock flight and you won't believe it, I got up in the morning as usual at 4.30, and started my workout. Then I get a call around 5:45 early in the morning asking me, "Where are you?" I told him that I was exercising, and he said, "How unprofessional of you! You are supposed to be at the airport." Can you believe that I didn't realise that it was a 6 'o' clock early morning flight and not an evening flight! So, I didn't go there and I kept on begging them, asking them to give me another chance, but they didn't listen. I didn't know how to make them understand that it was all a misunderstanding. I lost that assignment, was completely disturbed, my mom and dad were the greatest parents, trying to console me and told me that everything is going to be okay. So, I took my photographs and as usual, I spent the day going from one studio to another studio. I was at Natraj Studio, and I met a man called Pramod Chakravarthy. He saw my photographs and decided to cast me. You won’t believe it, but the time I signed the movie, it was evening 6 'o' clock.

So, wouldn't you say that it was my destiny that I was not supposed to go for the modelling assignment in the morning? I sometimes think that if I had gone in the morning flight, I would have been a model somewhere and I wouldn't be in this line. So, it is your destiny that you are there at the right place. But don't forget your hard work, as it’s your hard work at the end of the day that pays off.

What pushed you to experiment with cinema and shift from being an action star to a comedy king?
It is important for me to give to the audiences what they want. A lot of people tell me that you are doing so many comedies, you should try some serious or some tragedy roles. I fail to understand it, because if you take a look at the last five years, the only films that have worked and have been super hits, have all been entertainers and comedies. People don't want to pay 10 pounds or Rs 250 to just go and cry in a theatre.

One day, I met Priyadarshan and he said, “I have a film called “Hera Pheri” and I want you to do it; it's a comedy.” I replied that that's great, but I have never tried my hand at it. Yet he said, "Join me". He made me realise that I have a funny bone.

You’ve always been media friendly, but do controversies, which are relentlessly fanned by the media, ever bother you? Like the recent controversy about Farah Khan casting you instead of SRK in “Tees Maar Khan”?
No, no! First of all, let me tell you that controversies are very far away from me. I am one of the luckiest people who are quite away from all these things. Secondly, this is not a controversy, it’s just being created and if someone comes to me and says that they want to direct a film and this is the story, if I love it, I will do it. And this is exactly what had happened. It’s December now and exactly a year back, she had come to me and I said yes! It’s exactly one year now and we are ready with the movie.

How did it feel to be awarded a Padma Shri?
I feel honoured to be presented an award by the President of India. It was a shocker! I was at my house when I got that call and after three days I was in Delhi being awarded. It was one of the biggest honours. I was really surprised. Later on, when I tried asking them, they told me that it was because I was the highest tax payer continuously for seven years.

Among the new generation of actors and actresses, who do you think could come closest to Akshay Kumar, the actor?
A lot of them could. Ranbir Kapoor is doing a great job, Imran Khan is there and there is this guy from “Band Baaja Baraat” (Ranveer Singh) who is also very good. New talent keeps on coming, and I think they will make it huge. All they need to do is stay focussed.

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Paradigm Shifts 3D/4D Flims: Dawn Of a New Dimension

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"Chota Chetan" may have been years back, but a whole new generation of movie watchers in India is getting ready to embrace 3D; if only those glasses would stay on!

"Avatar" apparently was the most pirated movie (according to a file sharing blog) of 2010. Ironically, James Cameron had made the movie in 3D and sparked off a mad rush to release 3D movies in the hope that people would be forced to watch the film in the theatre for the complete experience. The technology is in a fairly nascent stage in India, seeing a revival only post “Avatar”, a quarter of a century after the Malayalam film “My Dear Kuttichathan” became the first Indian 3D film. With Hollywood pushing 3D as the next big revolution for reviving both creative and commercial fortunes, the Indian audience in the last couple of years have been fed some good fare – “Toy Story 3”, “How To Train Your Dragon”. And the wheel seems to have come full circle with “My Dear Kuttichathan” being released in digital 3D on December 24.

The upshot of such fervent activity has been increasing awareness and the willingness to experiment with the technology. But while on one hand, some critics rave about the experience 3D adds, some others remain staunchly against it (“It adds nothing essential to the moviegoing experience” wrote Roger Ebert in Newsweek earlier this year). The technology’s evolution will have a huge role to play in how mainstream it gets. Richard Corliss had written in Time magazine back in 2009, “Until we’re in the post-goggles stage of 3D, the format will be less a dominant form of movie watching than a theme park attraction.” Those of us who were fumbling for our glasses while watching “Avatar” here in India will surely concur. But despite the threats, one thing is for sure though – the third dimension is here to stay. Dippesh Jain, New Business Development Manager (Digital) at Sony Pictures Home Entertainment tells TSI, “One of the main reasons why only a few 3D films were available is because of lack of technology. Now with hardware and software being made available, the attempt is to bring 3D movies to every home.” And there might as well be a fourth dimension added to it in the future. If you happen to visit a Funmax cinema in Bangalore or Hyderabad you’ll not just be treated to 4D cinema; where you get to exercise all your senses – like smelling a flower or having water splashed on your face. Hollywood is yet to make full blown 4D movies but the day shouldn’t be too far off.

A technologically curious audience and willingness of home grown films to experiment with the format may well decide the future of 3D and 4D in India. And with gadgets (3D computer screens, phones and TV sets) that promise to transfer 3D right into your home, those pirated downloads of “Avatar” may have a screen worthy of them, after all!

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The new draft of the Seeds Bill has enough loopholes which can be exploited by multi-nationals

IIPM, GURGAON

Agriculture: Seeds of discontent

The third draft of the Seeds Bill has been presented in the Parliament for consideration. The bill was first drafted in 2004. Prior to this, after much criticism and protest from several farmer groups, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture (PSCA) had made a few amendments in the draft and had presented the new bill for consideration in 2008. However, it did not come to fruition as the 14th Lok Sabha was dissolved. Now its third draft is under deliberations. Sadly, this new draft too has ignored several recommendations by the PSCA. It appears that the Agriculture Ministry is unwilling to temper with the clauses which are in the interest of multinational seed firms.

When in 2004 the draft of Seeds Bill was being made to replace the old Seeds Act of 1996, the impression was given that the new bill would open the way for importing good quality high yield seeds. Slyly, a clause was inserted which allowed seeds to be exported too. The entire game plan was to utilise the cheap Indian labour for producing seeds in India and to export them, and then again import the same on much higher price. To make all this process hassle free for multinationals, the government had planned to recognise and permit any Seeds Standard Authority to carry it. It was to be done under the pretext of the recommendations by the PSCA.

The present bill has included horticulture, lumbering, medicinal plants etc under agriculture only. So any kind of seed or plant product that is manufactured for the market will need to be registered. For registration, the bill has the provision to set up a National Seeds Committee. The president and other members of the committee will mostly be drawn from among government employees. There will be token representation of farmers too, but in reality, bureaucrats will dominate the committee. Although agriculture is a state subject, the seeds committees of the states will only have advisory roles.

While the farmers will continue to buy and sell seeds traditionally and need not register, the branded seeds will have to go through multilevel tests. The brands that will conform to the standards set in the test can only be registered. The seeds for the types of crops that are annual and biannual will be registered for 10 years and those of multi-years use for 12 years.

In between these years, the seed can be tested only once to confirm the characters that it originally had. New standards have been set for labelling the seeds that will give details of the procedure through which these seeds can be utilised properly and optimally. For example, on the label of a particular wheat seed, it will be clearly mentioned that after watering it so many times, applying so much fertilizers and protecting it from weeds and pests, it will lead to so much yield.

The seed examiners will have the duty to enforce and implement all the laws and provisions of the Seeds Bill 2010. They will have the right to raid and confiscate the premises and stock of a particular seeds seller, with permission from the District Magistrate, if the particular seller is caught selling unregistered, adulterated seeds, or seeds that do not conform to the set standards. However, these are ideal situations. The reality is, every state in this country has sellers selling adulterated and sub-standard seeds, right under the nose of government officials. Nobody cares about complaints from the farmers and compensation to them in case of bad quality seeds is almost unheard of.

The biggest problem in this bill is the lack of transparency in the entire registration process. There is no provision under which one can know the name of the person who has developed a particular seed, the place where it has been developed or the current ownership of a particular variety. Numerous cases have come up where poor farmers are duped and the ownership is fraudulently taken away by someone else and a third person starts producing and selling it. For example, Bikaner Narma, a particular variety of cotton was developed by a farmer in Bikaner, Rajasthan, but was later used by somebody else for commercial purposes. Similarly, Mahico, the country’s biggest seed firm, started by selling sawani bhindi, a variety of ladyfinger grown by Pusa Institute. Mahico bought the seeds from Pusa and kept on producing and selling them year after year without giving Pusa the royalty or license fees. Today they have their own scientists, laboratories and other infrastructure and have partners like Monsento, and virtually rule the Indian seeds business.

The onus now lies on the Indian parliamentarians to take steps which are in the interests of the farmers. The MPs need to amend all the anti-farmer clauses before passing the bill. That’s the only way the exploiter multi-nationals and their bureaucrat henchmen can be stumped in their own game.

The views expressed by the author are personal

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School Textbooks: Distortion of Facts

IIPM ranks No 1 in International Exposure in the 'Third Mail Today B-School Survey'

De-Educate the Children
How countries distort facts in their school textbooks

Recently, a leading media house reported that even after four long decades since the 1971 Indo-Pak war, schools in Pakistan (for grades 9 and 10) still continue to teach their students conspiracy theories involving India, Russia and US, misrepresenting their role in creating Bangladesh, at the same time ignoring the issues related to Pakistan Army's violence (rapes and murder against the Mukti Bahini and the genocide of Bengalis) on people in the erstwhile East Pakistan. Apparently, the topic of "role of Hindu teachers" in the fall of East Pakistan is also covered.

This practice of using controversial and politically motivated syllabi is not only confined to Pakistan, but is rampant across the globe. As recent as in May 2010, students of Texas schools were being taught “how American ideals benefit the world but organisations such as the UN could be a threat to personal freedom.” Those schools also were deliberately ensuring that icons like Thomas Jefferson and their contributions were not included in the teachings. For the uninitiated, Jefferson was the first one to talk about the separation of church from the State. Even Japan draws up a similar tale. Government approved Japanese history secondary school textbooks do not mention anything about the deeds of the Empire of Japan during WWII. As per a Japanese textbook, “Japan liberated South East Asia from its western colonists when invaded during Second World War.” South Koreans have protested such statements in the past.

Likewise, four years back, the Texas based Vedic Foundation and the American 'Hindu Education Foundation' filed a complaint to California's Curriculum Commission about sixth grade history textbooks alleging that the portrayal of Indian history and Hinduism in the books was biased against Hinduism itself. The foundation demanded that the portrayal be revised according to the views of Hinduism and Indian history shared by most Hindus and Indians.

On the contrary, the action taken by a Saudi-funded Islamic school is an example for other nations to replicate. Three years back, a Saudi-funded Islamic school removed controversial passages from school textbooks, which allegedly branded other faiths as being "worthless".

History text books have been the most sought-after battleground. From distorting facts in order to give a better image of their nation and sidelining their brutality over people to tweaking the history for either degrading or upgrading a special class of society, education in modern era is being used as a tool for inducing customised perception among pupils.

However, with Internet, social networking sites and other knowledge portals, it’s really tough for these curriculum designers to hide the truth for long. Distortion of historical facts, done either deliberately or out of ignorance, results in adverse effects on society. If Germans were not to teach happenings in the Nazi era, Americans the Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Brits their atrocities in India, their own populace would not attain the intellectual maturity required for global interactions and leadership.

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Introspection on the 2010 journey reveals hidden lessons

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Was 2010 different?

Alice Bloch, a UK-based author, once said “We say we waste time, but that is impossible. We waste ourselves.” It is applicable to a nation as much as in the case of an individual. This is the 51st week of 2010 and our last issue of the year – this makes it all the more important for us to look back and introspect the rocky road that India traversed with high expectations and promises.

Revisiting the victories: Firstly, India secured the non-permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) after a gap of 19 years with an overwhelming majority. This was not a victory in the literal sense, as Japan is already serving as a non-permanent member, Kazakhstan withdrew itself and there were several weak contenders. However, India can use this win as a platform for strengthening diplomatic ties with other important nations as well as usher in the much needed reforms in the UNSC. Moreover, it can also clear some UN developmental loans. The second positive lesson was in snatching the 2nd position in medal tally in the 2010 Commonwealth Games with 101 medals. It boosted the confidence levels of Indian athletes and sports associations. Thirdly, India securing the top rank in test cricket was the icing on the cake. Indian history rarely has had such celebrations to boast of in one go. And most importantly, leaders of the world's most influential nations including US President Obama, French President Sarkozy, British PM David Cameron, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Russian President Medvedev have visited India in the same year. India's increasing pace of growth has finally managed to create a magnetic field attracting the who's who of the world.

And now the dark side: With 8.5 per cent expected growth rate, inflation remained an omnipresent problem. Both the general inflation rate of 10.16 per cent and food inflation of 16.49 per cent during June remained to be the highest among G20 nations. This continues to be a matter of great concern. But the biggest shocks of the year were the numerous corruption cases. From the Rs.1.76 lakh crore 2G scam, to the mammoth irregularities in the Commonwealth Games, 2010 proved to be the biggest shame year for the nation.

India also continues to rank first in terms of murders. The death in road accidents, sexual harassment, domestic violence, cyber-crime, crime against women too are on a rise. Separatist movements remained unstoppable and unresolved – Kashmir remains a burning example. More than 23 days of Parliamentary logjam cost the nation a whopping Rs.146 crore. The maximum number of citizens (above 250 million) in India's history remain undernourished. We have more poor and illiterate today (around 500 million) than ever in our history. India houses a third of the globe's poor people. Atrocious and abominable are the only words reserved for such an achievement by our successive governments. May 2011 be better...

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The Importance of being Bant Singh

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The past decade has seen an upsurge of Dalit resistance in Punjab and the struggle of Bant Singh has brought fresh hope for exposing the ‘hidden apartheid’ in the state. Nirupama Dutt travels to his village of Burj Jhabbar in the cotton belt of Punjab to know the man and the movement

Film actor Ajay Devgan presents his story on a popular television channel. Musicians like Chris Mcguiness and Taru Dalmia travel to do a music project with him. Recording companies from Mumbai want to bring out his album. He is also slated to participate in the Jaipur Literature Festival in January 2011.

Who after all is Bant Singh? He was just another leader of agrarian workers who also sang revolutionary songs and struggled to make ends meet for his wife and eight children in the past decade. What happened to make him a heroic symbol of Dalit resistance in Punjab? Bant was born in a Mazhabi Sikh family. Mazhabis were former ‘untouchables’ who were inducted into the fold by the Gurus as Sikhism rejected the Hindu caste hierarchy. Yet the malaise of caste was to permeate the fabric of Sikh society with the hierarchical shift as the Jats were the landlords and the Dalits the agrarian labourers.

Bant could hold his own as he was politically aware, choosing not to work as an attached labourer. He instead sold cosmetics and toys besides rearing hens and pigs. He continued to be politically active, organising labour, helping them come out of never-ending debts through court cases and demanding fair wages. As vice-president of Mazdoor Mukti Morcha, a wing of the All India Agricultural Labour Association (AIALA), he irked landlords who were used to undisputed serfdom. He sent all his children to school and did not allow them to work in the Jat fields.

The turning point came in 2002 when his minor daughter Baljit Kaur, a student of Class IX, was gang-raped. He did not let it pass as is the custom because the rape of a Dalit girl by a Jat boy is common. Bant decided to fight for justice and three persons, including a woman accomplice, were sentenced to life imprisonment. “I was offered money to withdraw the case but I did not want to compromise on the honour of my daughter. We struggled for justice and got it.” However, he had to pay a heavy price for taking on the Jats. He was physically attacked several times. Then on the evening of January 5, 2006, seven Jat boys brutally beat him up with iron roads. His arms and legs were pounded to pulp. He lay for several hours in the fields till he was taken to Mansa Civil Hospital where the doctors were indifferent to him. After 36 hours, once gangrene had set in, they said they could not treat him. Bant’s comrades raised money and moved him to the PGIMS in Chandigarh.

The doctors had to amputate his two arms and a leg. When Bant was given this news, he said bravely: “I still have a tongue and I will continue to sing against oppression”. Indeed, he did surprise the doctors as well as the patients by singing out loud and clear the revolutionary songs of Punjabi poet, late Sant Ram Udasi, from his bed. Two months later, he came out of the hospital to address a public rally in Chandigarh. In different hospitals for over two years, he continued to sing.

His great courage brought attention to his spirit of resistance. The media came to him, the police upgraded the case to Section 308 of the IPC and the accused were arrested. Relevant sections under the SC/ST Act were added to the case. The attack on Bant was aimed at terrorising him and all other Dalit labourers but the outrage was such that thousands of them started coming to the rallies held in his support all over Punjab. His courage and songs gave hope to others. The culprits were jailed for seven years.

Sanjay Kak, who was asked by Bant’s comrades to make a film on the man, says: “I had not gone to make a film but it was Bant who made it by the sincerity of his emotions and the angst against the oppression of centuries.” The seven-minute film called Bant Can Still Sing is counted among one of the most eloquent films made by Kak. When I got to meet Bant at his home in Burj Jhabbar, I found him resting on a charpai under a kikar tree in his courtyard. He was quick to greet me with a broad smile. Raising his amputated arm, he hailed me with a Laal Salaam. Soon he was singing inspiring songs and telling me about his campaigns for farm labourers. “They wanted to silence me but I have been able to give out the message far louder than before,” he says. The strength to fight back, he says, came from his ideals, Guru Gobind Singh and Shaheed Bhagat Singh. True, the Dalits had been terrorised when Bant was beaten to pulp but now the Jats too are wary about the excesses for there could be other Bants who will fight back. This is what makes him the hero of Dalit resistance in Punjab.

A Laal Salaam indeed to this man who has turned the tide after centuries and about whom journalist Amit Sengupta says: “In a tangential sense, the ideology of upper caste domination has been pushed to the wall by Bant Singh’s sacrifice and valour. He has become a revolutionary icon, a catalyst for change, a protector of human and fundamental rights, a symbol of defiance against archaic symbols of feudalism and slavery, a physical reality of a dream which is not so impossible.”

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The local media in Kashmir is expanding at a staggering pace though the sailing has not been smooth for local journalists and media organisations

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Assertion amid restrictions

Till the late 1980s, J&K had such less newspapers and magazines that they could be counted on the fingers of one hand. Of these, only Aftab and Srinagar Times, both Urdu dailies, were popular among the masses. When insurgency erupted in the Valley, people needed their daily fix of news. They were eager to remain abreast of developments around them.

State-run Doordarshan and Radio Kashmir were the only accessible sources of news but excessive government control on these media institutions undermined their credibility. People turned to international media, primarily BBC, to get a clear picture of the situation in Kashmir. The then correspondent of BBC World Service, Yusuf Jameel, became a household name in the Valley. Every household would tune into the early morning and evening BBC bulletins.

“People would trust every word the BBC would broadcast. It was too demanding. I could hardly afford any off-the-mark coverage. But my reporting things as they were won me more foes than friends,” recalls Jameel.

Now, two decades later, more than a hundred newspapers, including 25 English dailies, hit the stalls every morning in Srinagar. There are 81weeklies, both offset and litho printed, and 12 monthly and fortnightly English and Urdu news magazines too being published from the Valley alone. About 80 dailies and 132 periodicals are published from Jammu.

The buck does not stop there. According to officials, hundreds of applications for new registrations are pending in the offices concerned in both Jammu and Srinagar. Almost every second month sees the launch of new publications. Most of these newspapers, priced at two to three rupees, survive mainly on government advertisements.
The growing literacy rate, which at present hovers a little above 65 per cent in J&K, has also widened the readership base during the last two decades. At the same time, new technologies like the Internet, networked computers and other hardware and software applications have also helped in producing newspapers in large number with better print quality. Apart from that, more than 20 cable news channels have been launched across the state in the past few years. All of the news channels — more than a dozen — are off the air in the Valley though after the state authorities announced a temporary ban on them four months ago.

GK Communications, with two of its largest circulated daily newspapers, Greater Kashmir (English) and Kashmir Uzma (Urdu) is considered to be one of the biggest media organisations in the state. Both of its newspapers are simultaneously published from Jammu and Srinagar. GK also has a vibrant online edition, which has a large number of visitors across the globe. Similarly, Kashmir Media Group (KMG), which publishes Rising Kashmir (English), Buland Kashmir (Urdu) and Sangarmal (Kashmiri), is also taking shape as a large media group in the Valley. English papers such as Greater Kashmir, Rising Kashmir and Kashmir Times and Urdu language ones like Kashmir Uzma, Srinagar Times, Aftab and Buland are being extensively read.

Mass communication graduates from Kashmir University are being hired by local newspapers on good wages. “Kashmir University’s mass communication department was established in 1985. Since then, we have produced more than 600 journalists and most of them are well placed in local, national and international media organisations,” informs Nasir Mirza, a senior lecturer.

However, it has not been easy for media organisations and journalists to survive in an atmosphere of hostility and conflict. During the last 20 years, more than a dozen mediapersons have been killed in the line of duty.

Apart from such tragedies, Kashmiri journalists have seen the worst kind of aggression by security forces. This summer more than two dozen mediapersons were ruthlessly beaten up by police and security forces at different times while they were performing their duty. Srinagar-based newspapers have frequently been forced to stop publication by the government. During the civil unrest earlier this year, beating up and harassment of newspaper staff and repeated cancellation of curfew passes made their operations impossible. The newspapers have been stopped for an estimated total of thirty days since June this year.

The channel operators believe that they were targetted only for showing the facts. “The channels were screening only what was happening around. People were being killed and injured by the security forces. How could we have not reported such things?” asks Sanam Aijaz, managing director, J.K. channel.

The popularity of social networking sites has also increased during the last few years, especially among the youth. Many Kashmiris, including those living abroad, have created groups on facebook and Twitter to express their political opinions. During the recent unrest, tech-savvy youngsters used these sites to vent their anger. This attracted the attention of security agencies. Police arrested many young boys for posting “objectionable” remarks on Internet.

But the local media in Kashmir lacks in quality. “During past two decades the Kashmir media has grown enormously but quality is missing,” says Pervez Majeed, a correspondent with Delhi-based news magazine Sahara Time. “The conflict provided a breeding ground for non-professionals who are pursuing varied interests and are indulging in activities which can't be called journalism,” he rues.

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Women Enjoy Equal Rights and Opportunities

Women across the world enjoy greater opportunities and freedoms than ever before. It is a peaceful revolution underpinned by an extraordinary transformation of legal rights. Almost every country has signed international conventions signalling their commitment to outlawing discrimination against women. Nearly 140 national constitutions specifically guarantee gender equality.

But promising equality, of course, is not the same as delivering it on the ground. Despite real advances, there sadly remains an immense gap between these welcome legal guarantees and everyday life for women. It is a justice deficit which can be found in rich and poor countries alike and in every aspect of our societies.

It is not, however, only women who suffer from this failure of justice. We all do, whatever our gender. Without a doubt, women's strength, industry and wisdom are humanity's greatest untapped resource. It is potential we simply can't afford to continue to waste. It was this recognition that led to the formation of UN Women, which brings together all the UN gender equality agencies under my leadership. It was our recognition that addressing the justice gap was crucial to removing the barriers to equality which made it the subject of our first report - Progress of the World's Women: In Pursuit of Justice. But in many cases, women are denied a fair deal because of a failure, whether through lack of resources, will or cultural obstacles, to uphold the legal rights they have been granted. We discovered that women are three times less likely to report a sexual attack than a robbery. It is all too easy to understand why. A European study found on average only 14% of reported rapes ended in conviction. In other countries, the figure is even lower.

We found a similar failure, too, in the economic sphere. Despite 117 countries having equal pay laws, women in every sector and region continue to be paid between 10% to 30% less than men.

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