February 1, 2021
Dear Readers,
In the New Year, I have gone back to tales from the Panchatantra, which can guide the rulers and the ruled to take the right path to tackle the country’s complex problems in the spirit of freedom. For better quality of governance and democracy, what is important are the values and morality of the leaders at the helm of national affairs. Equally important is the strengthening of institutions.
Of course, institutions are bigger than individuals. Still, individuals can make a difference in building credibility of an institution. Vigilance of people as watchdogs in public interest is also critical, as it can save our democratic institutions from mafia gangs.
It is a pity that the Modi government has so far failed to resolve the issues agitating the farmers. What is needed is fresh thinking on the farmers’ problems by the Modi establishment. In this context, it must be said that the plight of small and marginal farmers has been overlooked. Nearly 25 percent of small farmers live below the poverty line. No viable solution can be worked out unless the Prime Minister changes his attitude towards the agitating farmers. Will he have a close look at the grassroots realities of rural India? For this, he will have to come out of the clutches of India’s corporate outfits.
Lastly, Jammu & Kashmir, on the completion of one year as Union Territory, continues to be in a state of drift. Its complex problems require the Centre’s coordinated thinking and action to set things right. The first priority in this respect is to restore J&K statehood.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Hari Jaisingh
Learnings from the Panchatantra’s Ageless Fables
As the curtain comes down on the turbulent year of the COVID-19 pandemic and other numerous disturbing events that have gripped Indian society, one cannot be sure whether the New Year would be rosy. The list of issues and non-issues is rather long. However, should our current lot of leaders deliver on their promises and properly understand the seriousness of new challenges facing the country, both on economic and foreign policy fronts, we can keep our hopes alive about 2021.
Our endeavor ought to be to live up to the reputation built over decades under the Constitution as a liberal, fair, fearless and independent-minded polity. In this context, I often glance through Arthur W. Ryder’s English translation of the Panchatantra for possible clues and pointers to the present complexities of the rulers and the ruled, of vices and virtues, of sacrifice and greed, of truth and falsehood, of good and evil. Amidst the varied pulls and counter-pulls that man is subjected to, what makes a difference between true human happiness and the beastly thrills of greed, avarice and intrigues, is the use of intelligence and the spirit of freedom. The following stanza from the Panchatantra sets the parameters of intelligence:
For, if there be no mind
Debating good and ill,
And if religion send
No challenge to the will,
If only greed be there
For some material feast,
How draw a line between
The non-beast and beast?
The Panchatantra, Arthashastra, Neetishastra and other great works of knowledge and political thought candidly reveal life’s secrets and guide us as to what is right, just and fair. However, somewhere down the line we seem to have lost the path of wisdom shown by these texts. In the Panchatantra, animal characters cleverly expose all that is humbug and false, and intrigues of those who go astray while in command. In the following stanzas, the Panchatantra advocates the practice of ethics, as if it were life:
Wrong is wrong; the wise man never
Wrong as right will treat;
None would drink, however thirsty,
Water in the street.
Do the right, the right, the right,
Till the breath of death;
Shun the wrong, although the right
Lead to death of breath.
The basic problem in our country is the never-ending drift and the sharp deterioration in the quality of governance. The rise of corruption and corrupt practices speak volumes about the depth of decadence. Here, I make no reference to a particular party or their leaders. It is also not that the entire system has failed, but the number of misdoings and visibly corrupt practices have shattered the people’s confidence in fair-play of the system we have sustained for the past 72 years. What will be the quality of democracy conducted on the basis of undesirable deals and falsehood? Wouldn’t tainted money produce a tainted democracy? Haven’t black money operations seen occasionally in the polity given rise to a parallel democracy controlled by operators, manipulators and mafia gangs?
Perhaps this is an extreme impression, and the saving grace so far has been the power of the agile public. However, my point is to raise the fundamental question of values and morality of persons who have occupied the seats of power.
It is no secret that values are under attack as the country is badly caught in the crossfire of conflicting interests. What can be more tragic if wheelers and dealers were to decide the people’s fate in the name of democracy? It is a blessing that we have not yet fallen that low. I do not subscribe to the theory of helplessness and disgust. Our democracy is ever so vibrant, and there is a silver lining in every situation, howsoever gloomy and disturbing it may appear.
Democracy can survive and thrive if institutions play their legitimate role as enshrined in the Constitution. Furthermore, institutions are larger than individuals. Still, individuals can, and do, make a difference to the honour, prestige and credibility of an institution by playing their role correctly, honestly, and by taking up a principled stand in public interest.
India as a democratic entity is vibrant, and the public, vigilant. All that is required is to keep up public pressure through the free flow of information, transparency and dose monitoring of any murky goings-on in all areas of governance. However, people today seem to be caught in the unknown fear factor. This is not desirable, for, I believe that we should be ever ready to pay the price for speaking the truth.
It should also be kept in mind that secretiveness is conducive to an atmosphere of intrigue and unhealthy curiosity. More openness, along with accountability, are the basic requirements for building a corruption-free egalitarian society. Such an approach can strengthen the roots of our democracy. Everyone in a position of power, including the judiciary, needs to take due notice of this plain truth.
I once again reproduce below a stanza from the Panchatantra, narrating the basic message in the fable of how the friendship between a forest lion and bull was estranged for greedy and malicious ends of a jackal. The nasty situation could have been saved by the right advice of the counselors.
Speak the truth, though harsh it be:
Blarney is true enmity.
And again:
Where royal servants, asked or not,
Indulge in pleasant lies
That lead the royal mind astray,
The royal glory dies.
Looking beyond, the challenge before us is to lend a helping hand in building a just society. The people have to act as watchdogs in public interest and save our democratic institutions from manipulators, operators and mafia gangs.
(January 1, 2021)
Prime Minister Modi needs to handle farmers with care
Several rounds of talks between Union ministers and protesting farm unions have failed to resolve the deadlock over the three new agricultural reform laws. Both sides have upheld their positions and accused the other side of obstinacy, with the Centre seeking to discuss specific concerns on the laws, while the farmers continue to demand their total repeal.
Unless the Modi government shows better understanding of the farmers’ major demands – that is, repeal of the newly enacted laws and provisions on the minimum support price – the outcome of the dialogue is likely to be null. The Supreme Court has also regretted the fact that there has been “no improvement in the situation”.
To the credit of the farmers, despite rains and the ongoing cold wave across North India, their agitation against the Centre’s farm laws has stood strong at the borders of the national capital. Their protest has continued since November 2020 and is one of the largest strikes witnessed by independent India.
The new laws change the way India’s farmers trade by creating a free market, as opposed to a network of decades old government marketplaces, allowing traders to stockpile essential commodities for future sales and laying down a national framework for contract farming. There are crores of farmers in the country, each with a view of their own.
The government has to be fully committed to promoting the interests of farmers. There are 500 farmer unions of India and they cannot be treated casually as the present BJP government has done. This shows the BJP still carries its old political stamp as the traders’ party.
The farmers’ unions have, by and large, maintained a distance from major political parties. For the Bharatiya Kisan Union, this is not a new phenomenon as it has always acted as a pressure group against any establishment of the day. Of course, some political groups have tried to gain mileage out of this situation, but without any success. All the same, going by public statements, they seem to be supportive of the farmers’ demands.
The protesting sites clearly reveal that the farmers present are not only from Punjab and Haryana, but from various states, as far as Kerala. Interestingly, this has affected the credibility of the BJP’s media and information outfits. Farmers have spoken out openly against godi media (lapdog media), notwithstanding some pro-establishment media outfits, regrettably calling the protesting farmers as Khalistan separatists. Be that as it may, the farmers’ movement is gaining momentum each day, as five borders of New Delhi remain virtually taken over by the agitators. They are not only braving the biting cold but also undesirable state surveillance.
What is equally regrettable was the way the farmers were treated by the police and law enforcement agencies of various states. They ruthlessly used water cannons, batons and tear gas to stop the protesting farmers from entering Delhi. However, the farmers always have their sizeable numbers of supporters. Their nationwide strike on November 26 was said to have roughly 250 million supporters. Even transport unions, representing over 14 million truck drivers, came out in their support.
The international level support for the farmers’ stir has also been quite impressive. In this context, I would like to recall the views of at least one foreign expert. Rajshri Jayaraman, Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, says that the new acts are confusing and affect “the largest single sector of the economy and the poorest people in an already poor country”.
It is no secret that farmers have long felt targeted and exploited in India. Between 1995 and 2019, the National Crime Records Bureau of India reported that a total of 296,438 farmers had committed suicide since 1995. It has also been noted that in 2019, 10,281 people who work in the farming sector have committed suicide because of their rising debt levels and low income.
My questions are straight and simple: How have Prime Minister Modi and his advisors overlooked the harsh facts of the farmers’ plight? How could they be so insensitive to the plight of the agitating farmers? Modi allows himself to be guided by the interest of certain traders. This is not a good sign for a country’s chief executive. He has to draw his facts from grassroots realities and build policies accordingly. His present style of governance shows him in a poor light and exposes him as a prisoner of a handful of large corporate players. It is time that the Prime Minister corrected his ways and re-oriented himself to the interests of the farmers, who are the backbone of the Indian economy.
(January 8, 2021)
Think of the small and marginal farmers too, Modiji!
Whither farmers’ stir? It has been over 50 days since the farmers laid their siege to press for the repeal of the new farm laws passed by the Modi government in September last year. Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has said that a solution could emerge from the Centre’s talks with the farmers. However, the future course of conduct will not only depend on how the proposed joint panel goes about its onerous task, but also on the government’s ability to show empathy towards the farmers’ cause. The Supreme Court of India has stayed the operation of PM Modi’s three new farm laws, and in a significant move, even the Centre has offered to keep the new laws on hold for 18 months to break the deadlock.
The farmers’ unions have not given up their demand for the repeal of the laws. Further, the unions have rejected the Centre’s offer to suspend the implementation of the new laws for 18 months. What is unfortunate is that a section of the ruling class has made reference to the agitating farmers as anti-national and pro-Khalistan, putting the ruling elite in poor light.
The protesting farmers fear that the new laws will help giant corporations and leave them at their mercy. At the heart of protests is the fear that the new laws would result in the dismantling of the system without ensuring them a minimum price support. The authorities, of course, maintain that the new laws would allow any buyer to purchase crops directly from the farmers. This would help eliminate the age-old system of middlemen who have their own vested interests to promote.
The problem with the Modi establishment is its half-hearted attitude towards the farmers’ problems. This is mainly because of the absence of understanding of harsh ground realities. Moreover, there is barely any political will to address the basic challenges faced by farmers. Some of these are the falling water table, pesticide overdoses and increasing soil erosion.
The income of the farmers cannot be increased unless all facets of their problems, including financial stress, are tackled in an integrated manner. Besides, the existing rural infrastructure, such as warehouses, cold storage facilities and processing units are insufficient. None of these problems figure in PM Modi’s three new farm laws.
It also may be mentioned that Indian agriculture is the “home” of small and marginal farmers. No wonder, the future of sustainable agricultural growth and food security depends on their performance. In fact, India’s small and marginal farmers constitute 85 per cent of all farmers. These small farmers are plagued by low productivity and low quality of crops. They are virtually locked out of higher paying markets because they lack access to farm inputs such as good seeds and fertilizers, training and capital. Their biggest problem is the absence of advisory services.
Notwithstanding some severe limitations, agriculture plays a vital role in India’s economy. Over 58 percent of the rural households depend on agriculture as their principal means of livelihood. Notably, nearly 25 percent of Indian farmers live below the poverty line and 52 percent of farming households face indebtedness in spite of MSP on at least three crops – wheat, rice and cotton. These facts should make the Modi government wake up to the plight of farmers and prompt it to find long-term solutions for them. For this, PM Modi has to change his mindset. So far, he has not bothered to visit the families of the farmers who committed suicide. This shows an apathetic mindset towards struggling farmers. This is a pity.
Over 700 million people depend on agriculture for their means of livelihood. Advancement in technology and economic progress have not created a better quality of life for them. What will happen to their future if the big farmers and the business community enter the arena of agriculture as PM Modi’s new farm laws provide. Where is the level playing field for them?
Interestingly, RSS General Secretary Suresh ‘Bhaiyyaji’ Joshi has said in an interview that the long-drawn agitation is not good for the health of society. He wants both sides to work out a middle-of-the-road solution. However, no solution can be worked out unless the Modi establishment changes its basic attitude towards the agitating farmers. PM Modi ought to be sensitive to farmers’ plight and start thinking on new lines to uplift the lot of small and marginal farmers. He ought to work out a comprehensive plan and provide them critical inputs such as credit and capital, advisory services, and marketing avenues, with the sole objective of creating an equitable India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi must draw his basic thinking from the grassroots realities of rural India. Is he capable of doing so?
(January 22, 2021)
J&K needs the Centre’s coordinated thinking and action
Jammu & Kashmir has completed a year as Union Territory. Can this be seen as a success story of the Modi government? That depends on how one looks at the various facets of the complexities of J&K. According to Naveed Iqbal[1], police data suggest that there has been drop in law-and-order incidents. What is however noteworthy, is the increase in recruitment to militant ranks. The number of recruits joining militancy in the Union Territory has risen 22 percent in 2020 to 174. Of these 174 recruits, 76 militants were reportedly killed and 46 arrested, implying that only 52 have been active in their operations. Official sources claim that 46 top commanders of various militant outfits were among those killed in 2020. The data also shows 36 civilians and 45 security personnel succumbed to militant-related activities in 2020. In addition, 61 police personnel lost their lives.
The success or failure of J&K as Union Territory should not be judged in terms of law-and-order incidents, but on political grounds. This continues to stand as the Centre’s most glaring failure. Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has made it clear that the so-called new reality in J&K “is not what we are willing to accept”.
Talking about travel restrictions and the lack of 4G connectivity in majority of J&K’s districts, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah asked, “which fundamental rights do we have today? None. You do not enjoy the right to free speech”. He asserted that the people of J&K would not be willing to “learn to live with it”. It is true that the people of J&K must enjoy fundamental rights as the rest of the country.
Of course, everything is not in order in the newly formed People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) headed by Farooq Abdullah. The People’s Conference led by Sajad Lone has already pulled out of it. We have to wait and watch. It may be noted that the PAGD, an alliance of several mainstream political parties, was formed in October last year to push for the restoration of J & K’s special status. I don’t think that the restoration of special status under the BJP regime at the Centre is going to be an easy exercise. However, J&K must be given statehood without much delay. What is expected of New Delhi is fresh thinking on basic problems.
Notwithstanding the panels and committees set up from time to time, it is a regrettable fact that Indian leaders have never had clarity on what they want in J&K. Official opinion was and is in favour of recovering Pakistan-held territory of the Union Territory. However, this ought to have been done a long time back had the then rulers shown the guts and commitment. The new factor now at play is that of China. This makes the task more complex and difficult in view of China’s pro-Pakistan tilt and a complex global setting.
Pakistan’s claim to J&K was once primarily based on a plebiscite promise. It has had no automatic or legitimate right. According to Professor Maurice Mendelson, an authority on international law, Kashmir has no right for self-determination under international law. He opines that the 1962 election gave the most popular verdict on the issue of accession to India, when Sheikh Abdullah declared the accession to be final. The instrument of Accession signed by Maharaja Hari Singh in favour of India, virtually sealed this matter.
Amidst the changing political setting, everything now depends on what we want and to what extent we adjust and compromise on the basis of ground realities. This is a big challenge for the Modi government. Only a determined leadership can make a difference.
J&K is surely at the crossroads again. Of course, problems can find their own solutions, provided outside forces keep their hands off. This is not possible in today’s changed situation. A lot will depend on Central leaders who have to work in close cooperation with the state leaders to manage men, matters and militants. It also ought to be remembered that in a never-ending state of drift, the murky political life of Kashmir has all possible explosive elements that can be ignited by vested interests.
It also needs to be borne in mind that every Indian problem is multi-dimensional and, therefore, cannot be fitted into a single, pre-determined frame. What the country needs are honest and right answers to its problems and the commitment to carry along every citizen, irrespective of religion, caste, community, language or ethnic background.
In today’s complex socio-political scenario, policymakers have no choice but to evolve a more creative approach to the Centre’s ties with J&K. Half-baked and misplaced goals cannot take us anywhere. What is needed is coordinated thinking and action to achieve set goals and objectives. The state of affairs in Kashmir can certainly be set right if we learn from past mistakes and give up promoting adhoc responses as policy matters.
(January 29, 2021)
[1] The Indian Express – January 25, 2021.