Posted : May 17, 2008 at 4:30 pm [IST]
The Chinese have remained a suspicious lot and undependable since their treachourous1962 invasion, pushing me to hate them and any thing that is Chinese. I get angrier every time I learn about China’s offensive preparation and gesture against India. Latest is more shocking. Unfortunately, China has more worrying news for India. Latest satellite pictures have identified a large area in central China with 58 launch pads for nuclear-capable ballistic missiles apparently targeting north India. I get more worried rather annoyed after reading recently many propounders of Chindia with dream to rule the world with complimentary endeavours.
However, the Chinese always keep on doing something that can be a lesson for all the countries. I like many may doubt the number of causality in the recent devastating earthquake. The authoritarian rulers might be providing lower numbers. But the story of Chinese premier Wen Jiabao is just exemplary. As reported, “Wen, in an unprecedented move, personally directed rescue operations for over 50 hours in the midst of the disaster zone. His presence made a huge difference when it came to mobilizing forces and keeping up the tempo of rescue operations.” One reason for the slow rise of the death toll was the focus by the machinery on saving lives instead of recovering bodies. Wen Jiabao has ordered to never give up hope of saving people trapped under debris. And then President Hu Jintao took charge of directly overseeing relief operation.
Will our politicians and administrators take note of this? Can they follow this example of leading from the front instead of exercising their rights to keep on criticizing and blaming the opposition even in situation demanding sobriety? Can they drop their official paraphernalia and get into action to help the victims? Can the people of India learn some lessons and change the system to get able and qualified people to head the government?
Unfortunately, it exposes one more problems of our system where mostly old and invalid become the premiers, unlike that in China, where most of the ministers are young and qualified; many of them are engineers. How can one expect the same efficiency, agility and hard work from an above-70 person that a person of under-50 years of age can provide?
- Indra
Category: Indian politics |
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Posted : May 16, 2008 at 2:56 am [IST]
Farmers in our village and all the villages of the region cultivate two crops, rice being the main one. It is because the canal network from River Sone provides the water required for paddy crop. When I go back in my childhood, I vividly remember one aspect of paddy cultivation. I have not been able to forget that lively scene with numbers of women transplanting the paddy seedlings in ploughed rice fields full with water and singing the folk songs related to the occasion in Bhojpuri. Over the years, things have changed. Contracted male members hired from distant villages of North-East Bihar districts specialized in the operation carry out the task of transplantation. As my brother tells me, they do it better using less number of seedlings. I got reminded of the change, when I read about SRI for enhancing the rice yield significantly in ‘Outlook- Business’.
According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), India needs to increase its rice production by 2.5 million tonnes a year to meet its requirement in 2050. Rice output needs to increase by 92% from the current 140 million tonnes to meet the domestic demand in 2050. India can attain that to a great extent with ‘the system of rice intensification (SRI)’ developed 20 years ago by Father Henri de Laulanie, a Jesuit priest in Madagascar.
The SRI process requires younger and fewer seedlings transplanted with wider spacing; and it doesn’t need wasteful continuous flooding for irrigation. As claimed, SRI can increase rice yields to up to 15-20 tonnes per hectare. With India’s average rice yield of 3.1 tonnes per hectare, SRI has the potential to bring about significant increase in rice productivity and production-that too with fewer inputs and at a lower cost.
About 5,000 litres of water is required for just one kg of rice in the conventional ‘flooding of the field’ method. SRI uses 25-50% less water. Instead of flooding paddy fields, SRI requires only the root zones be kept moist. It also cuts seed requirement by an astonishing 95%. Fewer seedlings are planted, with more space between them. India cultivates rice on about 45 million hectares. One can calculates the benefits easily.
Studies show that the net returns per hectare of rice farmers who adopted SRI was 67% higher than those who followed the conventional method. A farmer in Andhra Pradesh reported to achieve a rice yield of 17.3 tonnes per hectare. It may be an exception. But an increase of around 2 tonnes per hectare-64% more than current levels-is very much achievable.
SRI has been included in the National Food Security Mission, which talks about increasing rice production by 10 million tonnes by 2012. As reported, “about 100,000 hectares is under SRI, which can be scaled up to 500,000 hectares in the next five years.” SRI is said to have a presence in 130 of the 500 rice-growing districts. However, that’s only 1.1% of the total rice area under cultivation. One can imagine the increase in the rice production, if switch is judiciously increased. Instead of imposing ban on basmati rice export, the government can work more seriously on this change over and providing better input including genuine fertilizers and better seeds. Why can’t our scientists achieve what the Chinese can?
The agricultural scientists “are trying this system for other crops, like wheat and madua (ragi).” Experiments with wheat in Dehradun saw yields increase from 18 quintals per hectare to 21 quintals per hectare. Similarly, traditional methods of growing sugarcane, another thirsty crop, require 10 tonnes of seed buds per hectare, SRI methods require only one tonne; as for the yield, it can increase from 65 tonnes per hectare to 144 tonnes.
A state like Bihar and other states of the eastern India that can become the granary of the country, must go for the switch over gradually. I fail to understand why a proven process of improved cultivation and means to bring prosperity in rural India can’t be adopted fast. Many a times, it seems our politicians intends to keep the region backward enough for their selfish manipulations as vote banks.
- Indra
Category: Rural development |
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Posted : May 14, 2008 at 9:05 pm [IST]
As per the dream of C K Prahalad, India can have by 2022 the world’s largest pool of trained manpower (500 million skilled workers), 30 companies in the Fortune 100 list, 10 per cent of world trade (current share 1.5 per cent) and 10 Nobel Prize winners (4 in last 100 years). Coimbatore Krishnarao Prahalad, the guru of post-modern management was sharing his vision or dream extraordinary for India @ 75 with 700 members of the Confederation of Indian Industry that included many bureaucrats too.
Prahalad had deliberately kept the means of getting there out so that the focus could be kept on the goals. According to Prahalad, even in the current circumstances, the probability of meeting the targets was high. CII has adopted the vision. Let us see what CII does to make it happen.
Problems to reach at the goal may not be insurmountable. However, some consider “such dream-weaving may help to boost the egos of non-resident Indians, but doesn’t square up with the situation on the ground.”
I had heard of only the Chinese setting similar targets. China had announced its target about the number of companies in Fortune 500 list, and the number of universities in the list of the best universities of the world. Prahalad may appear to be over enthusiast. But there is nothing wrong with that. I couldn’t understand why Prahalad didn’t give target for the number for the global class educational institutes. I would have preferred one another areas where India already leads. CII and FICCI must also set a target for winning Deming Prizes for its members.
It was the saint Kamaal Kalam’s prescription for a developed India 2020 that made many Indians dream. And he had a logic that he expressed recently, while delivering the first convocation address of Ravenshaw University. “Dreams transform into thoughts and thoughts into action and with knowledge all problems would be defeated and goals achieved.”
I came across some local dreamers too. Narendra Modi has a dream for the most prosperous Gujarat ahead of Punjab and Southern states. Even Nitish Kumar talks about his dream about a developed Bihar. “During a visit of the former President of India Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, we had promised to develop Bihar by 2020. However, now we are shooting for 2015.” The Chief Minister hoping to turn Patna into the Bangalore of the East.
I wish the politicians don’t play politics with these dreams too and really work to get them realized so that the history remembers them.
- Indra
Category: Government Policy/Administration |
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Posted : May 13, 2008 at 9:23 pm [IST]
I am looking at Karnataka assembly election with a big hope. As it is one of the most progressive of the southern states, the stake is high. Unfortunately, till SM Krishna was at the helm, the image of governance in the state was pretty good. But after the fragmented mandate in the last election, the situation is pretty fluid. In the politics of the state, there has been the emergence of a villain. Without a reason, he thinks himself bigger than any individual in Karnataka, as by default he sat on the highest political chair of India. The story of this family, like many in other states too, shows how with time some family becomes a royal one with lot of money accumulated in short time of reign to fight election. As per the media, Kumarswamy, the chief minister for a short duration, has got his assets multiplied many fold and today it’s worth more than Rs 50 crores as per the affidavit for the election Commission. It is the same family that is responsible for the downgrade of Banglore or Bangaluru from its top IT city. The head of the family obstructed all the infrastructure projects including the expressway connecting Bangalore with Mysore that could have changed the economy of the region from poverty to prosperity.
Will the caste and community play the major role here too? Will the educated and intelligent Karnataka voters vote correctly? Will they provide a clear mandate to one political party, preferably one of the two national parties contesting there? Or will the state have to live with an undisciplined coalition or uncertainty again up to 2013?
In the battlefield of Karnataka Mahabharat, many ‘maharathis’ are participating to get a victory of their side. Rahul Gandhi, the heir apparent, is on test. Narendra Modi is also exploring if he can prove himself as all-India stuff. Congress is naturally depending on the charisma of Sonia Gandhi if it clicks. I don’t know if L.K. Advani can impress the people of south. Mulayam Singh and Mayawati are doing their best to be the spoilers for one or the other of the national parties, if not for the third one. Has the battle for Delhi begun? Will the verdict be any way indicative?
I don’t know why I feel bad when I read anything bad about the state and particularly Banglore. Perhaps it is due to my interest in history, Hampi and Tipu Sultan as well as HMT, BFW, and IISc. I used to regularly visit Bangalore for business trips, seminars and factory visits. I have a number of friends there in OP, Makhija and Anil. I remember talking to the drivers about the politics of the states. They used to be really well informed.
I wish the people of Karnataka provided a lesson to the rest of the country by giving a clear mandate to one of the national political parties. That is absolutely essential for a powerful India.
- Indra
Category: Indian politics |
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Posted : May 12, 2008 at 1:35 pm [IST]
Why should even even a minor party such as CPI keep on humiliating the PM? Why shouldn’t Sonia understand that the leftists would not budge from their stands against every thing that is with US tag in it? Russia may yield. China may follow American capitalist system. But Indian communists will not do anything that helps open the resources for the scarce energy to India. They will not like Indian scientists get access to the world of scientific knowledge. Why should the leftists be more important than all the intellectuals advising the government to go ahead with the Nuclear Deal?
K. Subrahmanyam has written an open letter ‘To PM, Sonia, Advani‘ to go for the Nuclear Deal. “The East India Company occupied this country without bringing in a large invading army. By fighting among themselves, the Indian maharajahs and nawabs handed over the country to the Company. Are we going to see a repeat of that because of the parochial infighting among our major political parties?”
Meghnad Desai, another economist has also written about the importance of the Deal. “The fiasco with the nuclear deal shows that neither the avowed goal of energy supplies nor the real one of strategic security alliance matters when it comes to family concerns of the ruling party.” http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2503570.cms India cannot hope to be a great power with small politicians.
Prem Shankar Jha opines, “The truth is that Pranab is engaged in a game called dumb charades that children normally play. In it, each team mimics people or historical events in absolute silence and the other has to guess what it is. His charade is being played out to fool the dumb people of India into believing that the Congress did its best for the country and cannot be held responsible for letting it down. It (India) is losing the deal now that will enslave India for the foreseeable future.”
Brahma Chellaney is another analyst who keeps on drawing the attention of Indians towards this critical issue of the security. “China is stepping up military pressure along the Himalayas, intimidating India through intermittent cyber warfare, and warning of another 1962-style invasion through one of its State-run institutes, which in a Mandarin commentary posted on http://www.chinaiiss.org/ has cautioned an “arrogant India” not “to be evil” or else Chinese forces in war “will not pull back 30 kilometres” like in 1962. If China actually sets out to “teach India a lesson”, as it did in 1962 by its own admission, to whom will New Delhi turn?”
Former President Kalam recently affirmed the need of the Deal to go through, “India should “go ahead” with the civil nuclear deal with the United States as it does not compromise the country’s sovereignty.”
It appears with the failure of carrying the deal to the final end ManMohan Singh has certainly proven himself a failed PM.
Leftists’ stand on the Indo-US nuclear deal remains unchanged despite former president APJ Abdul Kalam endorsing the deal and PM Manmohan Singh urging the Left, among others, to “listen to voices of wisdom.”
Are those people who represent the thinking of rational India less intelligent than Bardhan, Raja, Karats, or Yachuri? Is Sonia sure if with this tie-up with the leftists she can win the next election and form the government to be handed over to Rahul as Mother’s gift or will it remain a distant dream? And so come the doubts about her intention that may prove critically harmful for the nation. Shouldn’t the leftists be dumped in the interest of the nation? Or has the countrymen decided to go under Maoists or Chinese this time?
I wish Sonia would have preferred to back ManMohan instead of the leftists to remain in power for the shake of the country.
- Indra
Category: Indian politics |
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Posted : May 11, 2008 at 8:19 am [IST]
On this ‘Mother Day’, something unique happened. I had completed the write-up in two sessions by 4.30 PM in the remembrance of my mother. But suddenly, it all got washed off. Does it indicate something? I got prejudiced and thought that perhaps my mother doesn’t wish me to write about her. But I am hell bent to pen that down.
I went with my mother to her village, Bodarhi at age of 2-3 years from our village Pipra. The last female member of the family had died in the epidemic. My maternal grandfather wanted my mother to come and take over the household affairs of the family. She was the only child among so many of the brothers of my maternal grandfather. But very soon, there was another epidemic and my maternal grandfather wanted me to be taken away. My grandfather came and took me away. Thereafter, I hardly spent any time with my mother. I went to Calcutta for education. My mother couldn’t say no, as she wanted a good future for her only son.
Till 60s, my mother mostly lived in her village till her last uncle died. My father then joined her there. In between she might have visited Pipra only to attend some marriages or other family functions. My mother did all that to make me the owner of the maternal property to ensure a prosperous life for my children and mine. The property of her village was additional to my share in parental property at Pipra.
But in late 70s I had to bring my father to live with us for treatment that continued till1989. My mother mostly lived alone, and used to come to be with us only for few days. It was in 1988 that we requested her to leave the management of her land in the village and lived with us in Hind Motors. I was worried about her failing health and couldn’t leave her alone in distant village with no means to be in communication in those days. As I was spending a lot on my father, she never talked much about her trouble. On February 28, 1989, she suddenly had cerebral attack. Fortunately, I was in factory. I rushed back home and almost literally carried on my arms to the hospital. Doctors tried to revive her, but very soon she went in coma and then the end came. I don’t know if it was peaceful.
Today I look back and try to assess if I did all that to my mother that she would have wished from me. Perhaps the answer will be in negative. I was so busy working long hours. But whenever, I returned I found her waiting for me with divine selfless love in her eyes. I could have taken her to the religious places that she would have certainly loved to visit. Yamuna had taken her once to Puri, one of the Chardham. I had once taken her to Varanasi. And on both the occasion, she was very happy. And she expressed that with the neighbours in her village. Even with the advanced age, she used to keep one fast regularly and wear the jiyutia for me. It was for Jimutbahan Vrata that is very tough and taken for the long life for the son.
Today, I ponder over those days and keep on thinking why can’t the life be put back in revere as we can do a film, so that we can correct some of the injustices done to our elders.
Mothers can’t be wrong. Perhaps, it is in bad taste that we Indians get poorly rated even when it comes to the treatment of the mothers too. Let the younger generation not do the same mistake and repent later on, as I do quite often.
- Indra
Category: Religious/Social issues |
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Posted : May 10, 2008 at 10:10 am [IST]
Time and again, some news in the media takes me back down the memory lane to 1962. The nation was under a shock. We didn’t have our Diwali. The Chinese had betrayed India, invaded it, defeated it, and more than that humiliated it. The land of Budhha and Ashoka was caught napping. Unfortunately, India didn’t rise to the occasion even thereafter. With some wins in the skirmishes with Pakistan and then on eastern end, Indians were made to believe that the defence forces have done great job. Basically, it didn’t have the right leadership required and nothing much happened on the front of national economy to be a great power.
Over the period, it has been very difficult to forget the onslaught of China and the helplessness of India of 1962. India perhaps because of its democracy and the divergent views of politicians can’t compete with China’s might. Rather China may weaken India to any extent with lefts in the country to lobby for it. Recent development in Nuclear Deal is an example. The preference for survival for few months made the government follow the leftists’ line and let the deal almost die.
India may keep on spending huge sum on defence with not much effectiveness, as all its neighbours are against the rise of India. The expenditure hardly serves any purpose with much superior might of Chinese forces. Perhaps some alliance with US or a close-knit diplomatic grouping would have provided some solution, but the leftists will not allow that to happen in name of sovereignty. If the neighbours bordering with India would have been friendly, the task of facing China would have been easier, but Indian diplomacy has failed to achieve that.
Many of the Chinese actions against India are suspicious. Why is China planning to extend the railways to the Nepal border rather up to Kathmandu itself? Is the trade with Nepal so important or is there some naïve intention? Himlayas has created the northern part of India between Vindhyachal and its own ranges. Can one day China if it so wishes bring the end of it? Can China one day stop the water flow of Brhmaputra of the North- east?
Why should China mount attacks on Indian websites? As reported, over the past one and a half years, China has mounted almost daily attacks on Indian computer networks, both government and private, showing its intent and capability.
Why does China pronounce that Tibet group in India has Qaida links? Why should China keep on investing on deep and long range N-sub and which country other than US or India is the target? What are China’s intentions?
China will keep on challenging India on all fronts from piracy of its products such as Bajaj’s Pulsar toTata’s Nano. It will chase India’s IT supremacy or for that matter all the sectors where India is stronger such as pharmacy. In its latest issue, Business Week published a report ‘In India, Death to Global Business’. The story presents a grim picture. Who must be the happiest with the development? It is only the ghost of Mao and China that must be happy with the situation. Unfortunately, Indian government of any political alliance wishes to sleep over the issue and waits and wishes for the time to solve the fire.
Opinions: China biggest threat
- Indra
Category: Government Policy/Administration |
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