September 1, 2021
Dear Readers,
Greetings!
In last month’s Musings, I took a critical look at the Assam-Mizoram dispute, which, for a while, took a violent turn. Fortunately, the situation is under control since the chief ministers of the two states are trying to settle the issue amicably. Discussion on the boundary issue is the right approach to sort out boundary dispute. It is in the interest of the country as a whole.
India has a long way to go before it emerges as a world class sporting nation. This calls for a new approach to groom our talented youngsters to make India a new- look sport and athletic power.
Taliban forces in Afghanistan have emerged as a big challenge for the civilized and democratic world. No one seems to have an answer to tackle Taliban barbarism. The success of the Taliban underlines America’s failure to build Afghanistan on a new democratic path.
India has reached at landmark stage of 75 years of independence. This provides us an opportunity to look at the country in terms of faster growth. For this, we ought to examine the fate of the other India – the one of the poor and the have-nots – and take futuristic steps to uplift those left behind the ladder of socio-economic development.
Sincerely,
Hari Jaisingh
Tackling the Assam-Mizoram boundary row
Nothing can be more tragic than to witness inter-state border disputes in a democratic country such as India. Since politics dominates every segment of life and thought, we often see the process of odd combinations for power and behaviour patterns of politics that are either too hard to comprehend or difficult to digest. True, the overall Indian scene is too complex to fully stand the test of critical scrutiny and objective assessment.
The violent clash that took place on July 26, over the longstanding Assam-Mizoram border dispute, in the town of Vairengte, resulted in the death of six policemen and one civilian; the incident also left more than 60 people injured.
Equally disturbing is the imposition of the blockade in the Barak Valley region following the incident. Assam has denied any such measure. As matters stand, the Centre does not intend to order an inquiry by a neutral agency like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). All the same, it wants the two Chief Ministers – Himanta Biswa Sarma of Assam and Zoramthanga of Mizoram – to sort out the dispute amicably. The Centre has told both the states that their officers and forces will not be allowed to carry arms while visiting the conflict zone along the border between Mizoram’s Kolasib and Assam’s Cachar districts.
What is noteworthy is the Central government’s decision to demarcate boundaries of the Northeast states through satellite imaging to settle inter-state border disputes in order to avert future problems. The North Eastern Space Application Centre (NESAC), a joint initiative of the Department of Space (DoS) and North Eastern Council (NEC), have been entrusted with this delicate and sensitive task. This appears to be the best option to demarcate boundaries in the region. The attitude of the both the Chief Ministers is positive with regard to defusing the border tension. However, it is important is to keep the spirit of Northeast alive. In this context, Assam authorities must not obstruct free movement of essential supplies to Mizoram.
It may be recalled that 165-km Assam-Mizoram boundary cuts across forest hills in three districts on either side (Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi in Assam, and Mamit, Kolasib and Aizawl in Mizoram). There had been border problems in the past, however, no substantial initiative was taken by the ruling authorities at the time. That is regrettable. Had the ruling elite been forward-looking, we may have seen fewer clashes among the police forces of the two states. It is indeed a shame that governance in this country has been laced with such casual approaches. The Centre and states have to learn from past mistakes and blunders, but does anybody care?
This time around, the Central government seems to be determined to resolve the matter expeditiously through a series of talks at different levels. Dialogue is the right approach to sort out all issues that create unnecessary tension between the states. Zoramthanga, who has isolated himself after testing positive for Covid-19, has promised to call the Assam Chief Minister after his quarantine for discussions on the boundary issue.
However, the Assam Chief Minister, who belongs to the BJP, has introduced a new dimension to the boundary row. Sarma states that while the “healing process is on”
, a long-term solution to the complex issue has to be in the hands of the Supreme Court. He blames previous Congress governments at the Centre for allowing issues get complicated among the Northeast states to suit the party’s “political purposes”
. He refers to this issue as part of “historical wrongs”
.
Humans are poor learners from history. It’s true that the past belongs to the past; but facts are important and must be treated as sacred since a credible historical account acts as a guide for the future, and hence, underlies the importance of accuracy in narration. In any case, history is not a plaything. It should not be tailor-made to suit various political groups; nor should it be tampered with to promote political interests.
Looking at the complexities of the boundary issue, both politically and emotionally, it may be prudent to let the Supreme Court objectively study and analyse the history of the border dispute between Assam and Mizoram and tackle the issue in the interest of an amicable settlement.
August 6, 2021
Awaiting emergence of India as a sporting nation!
Notwithstanding the tally of a mere seven medals, India’s performance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was a big boost for better show in future Olympics. My optimism is based on tremendous interest the games have generated among the younger lot back home. The youngsters, for a change, see sports and track athletics as careers worth adopting. This inner urge could make all the difference in taking India forward as a sporting nation.
As it is, India has participated in every summer Olympics since it sent its first official contingent of athletes at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics. This time, the country sent its largest-ever contingent of 124 competitors to Tokyo and has worked out to be the most successful participation since India’s first appearance at the Olympics.
Of course, keeping in view great performances of United States, China and Japan, finishing at 48th place, with one gold, two silver and four bronze medals, can only be viewed as disappointing for a country of India’s size and with a median age of only 28 years, compared to 38 years for China and the United States and 48 years for Japan1.
We used to be satisfied by winning gold in hockey, thanks to the legendary Dhyan Chand and other stalwarts. Other legendary persons who ruled our hearts were athletes Milkha Singh and P. T. Usha . Still, not much effort was made to create the requisite infrastructure to train sportspersons in finer skills of competitive sports, which is a reflection of the casual approach adopted at all levels of the sports arena.
We must also not overlook the fact that India has hardly invested in creating the infrastructure and in grooming potentially talented persons in varied arenas of sporting events. With regard to sports expenditure, the issue is not only about underfunding but also about underutilisation of funds. Overall, there are gaping holes in sports governance and administration in India.
To say this is not to deny a qualitative change for the better in the official mindset for promoting sports. For the first time we saw the making of a new image, though in a limited way, at Tokyo. Neeraj Chopra’s gold in javelin throw at 87.58 km provided India its brightest athletic star. This was the country’s second individual gold at Olympics after shooter Abhinav Bindra’s remarkable show at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. This was also India’s first athletics medal since its first Olympics appearance as an independent nation.
What is remarkable is that ever since the Dhyan Chand era, has India not dominated an Olympics discipline in the manner the 23-year-old Neeraj Chopra did, who dedicated his medal to the legendary Milkha Singh.
Boxer Lovlina Borgohain from Assam became only the third boxer to bag an Olympic medal. Mirabai Chanu won India’s first-ever silver medal in women’s weightlifting (49 kg). P. V. Sindhu’s bronze in women’s badminton made her the first Indian woman to win two individual Olympic medals. An Olympic win may have eluded her, but Aditi Ashok’s performance in women’s golf was noteworthy.
It showed in Aditi Ashok’s golfing skills as she came close to getting silver medal before a rain-marred day out on the greens disturbed her rhythm.
Even though the women’s field hockey team narrowly missed a bronze medal, their overall performance was the best since its Olympics debut in 1980. While appreciating the whole team, captain of the women’s squad, Rani Rampal, gave due credit to goalkeeper Savita Punia for taking the team to the bronze medal play-off, referring to her as the “wall of India”
.
Indian men’s field hockey team bagged the bronze medal. and the men’s 4 x 400 relay team set a new Asian record. Deepak Punia in men’s freestyle wrestling (86 kg) could not win any medal but was placed in fourth rank. It also needs to be noted with pride that Bajrang Punia claimed men’s freestyle 65 kg bronze medal. He recorded a comprehensive 8-0 victory over world championship’s silver medalist. He was brilliant and has given us glimpses of his superb performance.
Tokyo 2020 will go down as the country’s most successful campaign, for what stood out at Tokyo was the Indian contingent’s belief that it can compete well on level terms with their fancied rivals despite the country’s glaring gaps in sports administration and governance. Indeed, women’s power was reflected in India’s best-ever tally, which will surely serve as a springboard for future Olympics successes.
A brighter future lies ahead for India in future Olympics, provided we are able to swiftly address the glaring gaps in sports administration and governance.
August 13, 2021
India needs new strategy to deal with Taliban
The Taliban is the most dreaded word in today’s diplomatic world. The group has played havoc in Afghanistan, which has once again come under its grip, almost 20 years after being ousted. The group calls itself as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
The Taliban emerged in the early 1990s in northern Pakistan following the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan. Their fall and rise make an interesting story of the failures of global powers that look for shortcuts to spread their supremacy without understanding the basic characteristics of competitive Afghan factional fighting among tribal Chieftans.
As of today, Taliban insurgents have taken total control over Kabul as President Ashraf Ghani fled the country and has found a safe place in the UAE. Well-armed Taliban fighters have completed their takeover of the country in a lightning offensive. Provincial chiefs and war-lords, surprisingly gave up power without a fight. This is the first time since their ouster 20 years ago in the wake of the 9/11 attack that Taliban insurgents have entered the capital city of Kabul. They had seized it first in 1996.
The success of the Taliban reveals the failure of America’s efforts of 20 years to rebuild Afghanistan’s military into a robust outfit. Afghan leadership reportedly turned a blind eye to the fact that Afghan forces’ real strength was far less than what was officially claimed on the books. This is a clear pointer to the harsh fact that Afghanistan’s system was corrupt to the core. When the Taliban started building their momentum for marching ahead after the US announcement of withdrawal of its troops by August 31, the Afghan military strength looked hollow.
It is apparent that the US and its NATO allies failed to properly build Afghanistan’s modern military outfit. The Afghan forces often complained that they lacked supplies of arms and ammunition to take on the Taliban fighters. International experts need to critically examine the 20 years of American role in building Afghanistan’s crumbling of its military strength.
Hard facts speak for ground realities. Look at the reported sheer numerical strength of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF). They consisted of 1,80,000 strong Afghan National Army, 1,50,000 strong police force, besides an air force and various other security wings trained under American security personnel. The United States has spent more than a trillion dollars in Afghanistan besides billions of dollars spent on the latest ultra-modern weapons. Still, they have proved to be paper tigers vis-a-vis the Taliban insurgents.
Who is to blame for this messy affair? All fingers obviously point towards the United States and the quality of its training of Afghan soldiers who lacked the fighting spirit as well as the political will to stand up to the Taliban’s barbaric record of yesteryears.
It seems a number of factors were at play which forced President Ashraf Ghani to give up power when he found the Taliban forces at the doorsteps of Kabul. No wonder, in such a messy situation, 4,00,000 Afghan civilians reportedly abandoned their homes. This was mainly because of the fear among the Afghans that the Taliban could re-impose the kind of brutal rule that virtually eliminated women’s rights and put curbs on educational facilities for girls and their social privileges.
What is tragic is that the world’s civilized countries have turned out to be mere mute spectators to the Taliban’s medieval barbarism. They seem to have no answer to the Taliban’s devil face. Nothing can be more disquieting than the harsh reality of what the people of Afghanistan have gone through. Perhaps, looking at the meek response from democratic countries, we may have to re-define the term civilisational values! What a shame!
Historian and author of The American War in Afghanistan: A History, Carter Malkasian, has said that the Afghan forces at times lacked coordination and suffered from low morale. He states:
“Afghan forces, for a long period of time, have had problems with morale and also their willingness to fight the Taliban. The Taliban can paint themselves as those who are resisting and fighting occupation, which is something that is kind of near and dear to what it means to be Afghan. Whereas that's a much harder thing for the government to claim, or the military forces fighting for the government.”
Most Taliban are Pashtun tribesmen. Pakistan’s ISI and military are said to have virtually built the Taliban as a fighting force and have provided them full support during the insurgency. The Taliban have been actively involved in cultural genocide. They destroyed numerous monuments including the famous 1500-year-old Buddhas of Bamiyan.
The role of the Pakistani’s military has been described by global observers as a “creeping invasion”. It is no secret that Pakistan’s aim has been to gain strategic depth to establish its supremacy in the region, keeping India in view. However, the moot point is: at which cost? A video footage at Kabul airport showed some of the defining images of the fall of Kabul. Desperate to escape the Taliban takeover, the Afghans were seen clinging to the side of a departing US military jet as it rolled down the tarmac.
An Afghan university student described feeling of betrayal as she saw the evacuation of the US Embassy in Kabul. Aisha Khurram, 22 years, is not sure of what tomorrow holds, and says about the United States:
“You failed the younger generation of Afghanistan”.
After 20 years, the Taliban is back to power in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, no country in the world knows how to deal with Taliban’s barbaric challenges facing Afghan civilians and people from other countries. India too is not prepared to take any chances. It has evacuated about 200 Indian mission staff in Afghanistan.
In the coming years, India may find itself in a relatively disadvantageous position in Afghanistan. It is clear that the new security and economic structure in Afghanistan is likely to be different from yesteryears. China and Pakistan will try to minimise the Indian areas of influence in Afghanistan. This poses a major challenge for the Indian leadership. Former Indian diplomat, Talmiz Ahmad, dismissed the view that India would be “jeopardized” if the Taliban gains control of Afghanistan, emphasising that the Afghanistan crisis does not pose any danger to India.2 Nonetheless, New Delhi needs to gear up to face the new challenges.
August 20, 2021
India at 75: the poor need special attention
When I think of India celebrating 75 years of independence, my attention gets focused to that part of India which remains to be uplifted upward towards the socio-economic ladder. To say this is not to deny the country’s progress during the past 75 years. Still, the contradictions and contrasts in Indian society continue to be sharp and numerous in the economic and social realms. In fact, shades of poverty and riches exist side by side, making India an enigma in an economic riddle. We still see every facet of deprivation as well as luxuries of life. These contradictions and contrasts continue to be discussed and debated at public fora.
We continue to see shades of poverty, as well as vulgarity of the new rich class. Also in our midst is the upper middle class, middle class, lower middle class and the new middle class. The middle class is the backbone of Indian society, and according to analysis by Pew Research Center, India’s middle class shrunk by 3.2 crores in 2020 as a result of the Covid-19 induced slowdown. To put things in a larger perspective, this contributes to a 60% drop in the number of people belonging to the middle income group3. The study by the think tank further states that number of poor people4 in India increased by 7.5 crore last year on account of the Covid-19 pandemic.5 This analysis checks in with a 39% increase in the number of persons provided employment through the MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) during FY 2020-21.6
Poverty is not a mere socio-economic phenomenon. Today, it is ever more part of politics and has become a potent weapon in the hands of political masters and their cronies. It continues to be the most exploited ‘political tool’ as is evident from the miserable existence of a large section of the Indian population. Such a scenario is rather shameful as the country celebrates 75 years of Independence.
The Indian situation is extraordinarily complex. Its economy cannot be analysed in the light of classical sophisticated theories in terms of conceptual apparatus of Keynes or Leontief, for, too much of it is outside the organised sector. Hence the never-ending search for a growth model applicable to poverty-stricken Indian conditions. Attempts made so far have not yielded the desired results. Our planners are actually caught in the numbers games of “below” and “above” poverty line, while political masters renew their vows to abolish it.
There is no denying the fact that Indian society today is undergoing a host of changes and inter-reactions at all levels. Things are no longer static. The socio-economic structure is in a state of flux and ferment which, though bordering on dynamism, is in the grip of no-changers and pro-changers. This is not peculiar to India. Every developing society is exposed to two opposite sets of forces – one promoting change and the other wedded to the status quo. No wonder, all that we see around is poverty and stagnation in some areas and abundance and rapid progress in others.
Problems vary from region to region and from area to area in the same region; also, from district to district in a state and even from village to village in the same district. In this situation, we need to evolve a radically new framework of development, allowing growth to be generated from every single village and district unit. This can make growth and development more stable and participative in nature. Such an approach can help check corruption and make democracy more meaningful at the grassroots.
We need to think more critically of our development thrust at the grassroots. This can help us loosen the stranglehold of caste and class and release forces for awareness and rapid pace for growth.
My concept of participation in development is decentralization – functional, administrative and financial. Prime Minister Modi needs to look critically at the direction of the country’s all levels of development. For that matter, we have to nourish the roots of the economy to improve the quality of the Republic.
This is not an indulgence in rhetoric. My approach is based on the existing rural realities. We must not be party to the system that favours a few affluent and egoistic individuals, who seize any advantage without concern for others.
What we need is higher growth with a human face. Here, the key element is active participation of the poor in the development process in improving their own lot. This may be a complex exercise. All the same, it must be appreciated that development efforts have to be all-inclusive. This is how we can uplift small and marginal farmers, rural artisans, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, and socially and economically backward classes.
In essence, help the poor to help the economy.
This is not a political slogan, rather an urgent necessity. Indian leaders, of course, rightly talk about rockets and technology. However, at the same time, serious thought needs to be given to the millions of households who struggle every single day for their very survival.
Prime Minister Modi, there has to be fresh thinking on policies and approach to strengthen the roots of a New India. A fresh approach has to be evolved to run the economy more efficiently and professionally, which can also uplift the poor and have-nots both economically and socially. Despite its obsession with the saffron colour, PM Modi’s government is expected to be the prime mover in faster development process.
Democracy, such as ours demands fair play and an honest approach to men, matters and issues. If men could be expected to be selfish, or worse, then, as James Madison stated in Federalist Paper No. 517:
“Ambition must be made to counteract ambition. The interest of the man must be connected with the constitutional rights of the place. It may be a reflection on human nature, that such devices should be necessary to control the abuses of government. But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.”
In the Indian situation, this is possible if a proper system and effective instruments of governance are created. For, if men were angels, no government would be necessary. In the absence of a viable and responsive system and qualitative tools of governance, manipulators and operators have a field day. The Prime Minister ought to give serious thought to qualitative tools of governance to take India forward on a faster pace of growth.
August 27, 2021
United Nations, 2019 estimates.
https://www.udayavani.com/english-news/taliban-takeover-of-afghanistan-not-a-worry-for-india-former-ambassador-talmiz-ahmad-says
Middle income groups is defined as people with incomes in the range of USD 10.01 to USD 20 per day.
Defined as people with income less than USD 2 per day.
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/03/18/in-the-pandemic-indias-middle-class-shrinks-and-poverty-spreads-while-china-sees-smaller-changes/
http://loksabhaph.nic.in/Questions/QResult15.aspx?qref=23461&lsno=17
https://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/fed51.asp