Right to Question must be made fundamental to make Government Responsible

The three year session is closed for 'Modi Sarkar' and the leader is making five country trip take the feedback for his governance. The restlessness is visible among the leader but the others in the team is quietly following leader with blind system of believe. The media, politicians and capitalist have taken the right of the people to question, they have made questions pre-conceived to benefit the ruling parties.

The problems and issues of the people across the nations are overshadowed with debates where agenda of the parties across is overcasting the concerns of the masses. The money of the people were extracted to fulfill the coffers of the banks not as customers but as tax payers. The shadow of government over the banks have targeted the lower and middle class to get away with debts which were planned, executed and sustained by banks. The people were made to believe that they were doing service to nation when their rights as the customers were curtailed through executive orders of the governments.

Now when the impacts on the markets are negative the same banks would again start giving the additional funds to these very enterprises who never bothered to return the finance they could not return. The failure to understand the black money over black economy was huge when they were after black money the economy flourished. The corruption in the system did not go down instead the digital was deliberately used to channelize the funds to have organized crimes. Its hard for the person on the street to understand the micro economies when interest rates of the loans to SME's or households were not brought down but subsidies was passed from govt to banks through people using PMAY scheme.
The doomed real estate sector is recharged with govt. support to en cash the market using the funds when little surplus is available to govt. budget. Even if 10 percent of the households buy new house in India it would require more than Rs. 62500 crores per annum to finance loan subsidy from GoI. This is non workable beyond few years and budgeted.  
The inter-caste conflicts in the nation have disturbed not only the largest state but has potential to move the communities across the nation. Though the government wanted to derecognise the caste and community divide through slogans like Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas but little they realise the diversity of the community in India requires prudent policies and actions. The dominance of the communities over another in the name of religion is first step people in India the second step would be to target the supressed. The fears of the communities have not been addressed by the political class but divisions were sustained.

The division within the political parties ruled state have been more stark in current centre state relationships where even the BJP ruled states have stopped questioning the government. The media do not ask independent questions, the social media is filled with trollers or paid agents who would hound the celebrities for any negative remarks against the government.
The one way communication of the government through single spokesperson i.e. PM himself has done more damage to India. The government functionaries like officials, ministers etc are not responsible for peoples question but the ruling party spokesperson is responsible for answering. The media instead of confronting the government is playing the troll with party in power across the nation. They behave differently in local, state and national level, the regional parties are feared locally but muted nationally by them.
The questions posed by farmers, professionals, educationists, entrepreneurs are never replied by the government but information is provided about what is befit of the government. The election mode in which government has remain since last few years have not resulting in questions, where instead of the answer the mandate becomes the response. The ruling parties and their policies more than bridging the people's demand have imposed the thoughts of their parent think tanks. This shows the emergence of the parties were not from the people but from ideology based institutions who were supposed to be given free hand during their governance.
The right to information is more potent, but just a thinking can it be converted into right to question and seeking answers from the public organizations. Since the information has low potent where if the questions for which information is sought remained unanswered.

Development has got new Engine and Multiple Drivers in India

With the election over in most of the state, the dominance of the new political order is reflected in the way we deal with the issues in our hand. The state were subject to distinct development philosophy than the central government has to align with new change. The sudden shift in the goal post and the drivers of the government from background also reflected in change in direction of development. Instead of chasing the development goals of food, shelter and employment the current national government in India is looking for culture, education and hindu nationalism. The essential ingredient to divert the attention from acute poverty and unemployment, the role of market is now enhanced with more private money (investment) and government wants to achieve the development targets. The babus in the governments would now feel like corporate having made to negotiate with private corporations for the basic needs of the citizens. In no time the civil services are looking to be privatized, with more local governments and state is opening doors for market driven economy. The end of planned era and more dominance of right wing ideology is now tutoring the governments to stand for make over and understand the change.

The correction or readjustment of the historical facts to suit the government in power is up for debate in development circle, the argument of development is on the surface with top most leader is promising for the sea change in the way state has been addressed in last 60 years. The systems of the governance is looking for the change, with initial rise of the market hopes there is downfall on the extreme other hand. The economy hoping for the revival must wait for these fundamental change inside the governance of the plans and schemes. Till than there is scope for the international agencies and corporation to invest and partner with the government for delivering the goods and services to the citizens. More investment is expected in the states but by whom, the international order has also been changing with revival of the US economy.

The cultural change and sudden assertions of majority politics have thrown necessary evil to disturb the harmony in society. The national concern towards the spaces whether its rural or urban is of constant flip flop with little policy consistency. The sense of the urgency as promised in the elections are now tend to reduce as the days passes by the ruling government. Now these are the national concerns which have been little addressed when the government is questions still refuses to acknowledge there role. The clean operations stands foremost important before they start reflecting there thought, hence more active third layers of political class.

The focus on the cultural assertions through the government is must and so is the celebrations changing the national identities with more focus on Gita, Ganga, Gaye (Cow) and other such hindutva symbolism. Of these even many so called Hindu's are shamed by accepting a certain ideology which is still germinating from the heads of Nagpur clan of Hindus. The emergence of identities are distinct and new political class in race of taking control of nation is unsettled with principles of Indian constitutions.

Though its difficult to pass the judgement, but whether the development politics of the past would survive the test of present time. Keep you finger crossed!!

Development Debate: Circus by the political class

'Everybody loves Good Draught' by P.Sainath, tries to explore the dimensions of developmental reality and fate of depressed class in the post independent India. The political class though estrainged with many criticism often look away from the reality. The national parties are claiming for the development models are far from the reality. The people who decide on the government programs, often forwarded by the political class do not belong to either of national parties. The programs are made to feel that people would get some doles from the government exchequer in turn to democratic favour of electing parties into the power. When would people in India understand the governance, and realise that the they need to come forward and participate in governance. The political class often take over the claims, unless privately they are in favour of few individuals, either from their friends, family and business. The unholy nexus is known and many state government particularly in western India, colluded with the corporate to the advantage of the business over the people.

The numerous promises made by the political class often is limited to corporate, the pledging of government land, providing cheap infrastructure and absolute guarantee of the cheap labour by the states encourages the corporate to exploit the land. The encouragement of the state capital by infusing the investment by the state to create companies under the Acts that suits the governments to divert the tax payers money to business ventures. These companies are no more labour intensive public sector units and babus paradise, but a corporate run company managed by the government employees as its managing director. Government becomes a share holders which keeps the money to fuel the state domestic product. Even the social institutions, para goverment institutions and organisations formed by the governments are often used to divert the functions and budget of the standard government to the run an exmarital affairs with the business world.

In many cases the funds are diverted to run a pro government campaign often helps the party in power to play its role in getting the cheap funds for promoting the agenda more closer to the leader. Thus making the circus of the development efforts. Often the leader of the government becomes the ring master who drives the others to fall into the line or tame the opposition to be a quite puppy.  

Religiosity of Development: Satya Sai

Whether Satya Sai baba is 'real god' or not? The question are debated with emotional answers from the followers saddened by demise of their great soul. The present reactions amongst the followers also shows the respect the person generated by his activities. The rationalists may be right in pointing the magician like quality and acts of baba, on the pretext of creating long lasting impression.

From last 50 years of service or public life, he has reached the poor in his own way, as it would have been difficult for government to reach people. What made him to worshiped is the services he provided to people, generally poor in health and education. Mostly free, high quality and accessible to regions he served. His act of collection funds from donors (different than what we citizen give as 'tax') and making absolute utilization of the receipts makes him 'greater' service provider and allows people to respect his goals. We citizens or people of India, need proper care including food to poor, cloths, health, education and brotherhood. The baba provided all under his ambit, while the government agencies instead of following his development mantra, made themselves a follower of person called Satya Sai baba. We should not wonder, why people see so much of closeness to such great leaders and dedicated service providers who would do all their best to provide to people, when they see governments are not able to reach.

What makes people who follow such spiritual leaders not translating their learning to the acts they perform (honesty, dedication and sense of duty) in daily life? You may worship any god men or god, if you have performed your tasks as diligently as given and trusted on you, you would attain eternal peace. Instead, we might seek help but would shy away from helping those in need. Lakhs of money to the religious trusts are donated by most of so called powerful people and corporates, but these very people shy away from giving tax to the governments, or helping even the local governments. Of course in turn looks like oasis in desert.

Most of the religious institutions survive in feeding the poor and supplying their material needs to garner support and people follow those who help them in their needs whether material or spiritual. The diversity of nation by the cultural systems is good, but as long as we lack basic amenities and have million of hungry Indians the 'religiosity of development' would take place. It is sad people have lost faith in the government, who are supposed to be providers of the basic amenities, rarely civic voulenteers or people are found helping the local bodies like panchayats or municipalities. The religious institutions though helping in the social pain never partner with governments, as it has been done by various corporates. The outcome the faith is above governance, baba is above prime minister and diksha is above shiksha. We as nation love to hate governments, instead put high faith in some one who gives what is desired but never takes by rule of law unless its donation.

Lets make Corruption Foremost Issue..

A 71 year old guardian of Indian democracy (Shri Anna Hazare and others)has launched a token protest at the national capital Delhi against the much pending (since 1960s) the Lokpal Bill, one of the oldest issue sidelined by parliamentarians. Though certain states have set up Ombudsmen (Lokpal) at the state level, but this has not helped to stop the corruption. The civil society and politicians have become distinct identity, one remains outside the democratic institutions (by not representing the people) and another though representatives of people turned foe or alien for citizens of the country. All powerful and mighty politicians have taken the responsibility for framing the bill in order to root out the corruption in their own political systems. Irrespective of political lineage this has not gained prominence in recent years. We all know the governments run by leading parties in states does not show any proof or confidence to be least corrupt. The series of scams which many declared 'Year of Scam -2010' still eludes the people since no forward movement in investigation have produced results, though the political scores have been settled.

The politicians-businessmen-babudom (govt servants) nexus has shown no lineancy in their activities, the just means and way of doing things have little eased out. The world has witnessed the change of regimes who were hostile to the people, but doubt about those who were shielded by democratic setup remains aloof to any change. The countries in west, America and Asia also engaged with similar looting of system and fooling with the citizens. The burden of masses have never being eased by this strong team of actors mentioned above in the surviving democracies.

Corruption would weed on its own given the anarchy which runs in the governments, the total collapse of systems, as we might have witnessed during 20 years of democracy in Bihar, and now a new change is seen. The people started looking hopeless and distanced itself from the corrupt system are now willing to return back to state, which started to look seriously to the corruption. The lessons from Mr. Nitish kumar must be learned by one and all where in he made it mandatory for all public servants to declare their assets which is made available online on yearly basis. These people now cannot make a false statement, which is scrutinized by the agencies concerned. A high hope for many in the state.

Similarly, the developed states are leading the pack in becoming the most corrupt during last two decades, lead by Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. There is little hope to correct the path without the wholehearted support from the people. When would people realise to make corruption a foremost issue in their civic life? A question tough to fathom and answer.

Egypt shows the new path...

As the story unfolded two days ago, the Egyptian president H. Mubarak had submitted to the popular pressure by people to step aside. The non violent protests on the streets of country is an example of the power people hold in changing the system as strong as visible in Egypt. The patience of people and army (who did not shoot at protestors) allowed the movement started from Facebook (women protestor calling for assembly at Tahir Square) acheived the impossible. The lessons for the those who indulge in violence and also for unruly administrators who incite violence by acting impartially. The life of people might change for good after exit of repressive government, on would appreciate Mr. Mubarak to accept the people's verdict.

Its difficult for the powerful person to relieve its hold on the nation, though encircled by the circumstance they may be made to submit for the larger interests of the society. The individuals who attain power to serve the society should not cling on given the opportunity to pave way for the new thoughts. Similarly the politicians from the developing countries like India, China should also learn to leave when the time allows them gracefully. The change makers should not impose his/her thought on the generations to come rather allow the flourishing ideas and methods to take the nation or state forward. We have set to big names in India attached to power centers and no matter what the people feel they keep on imposing their idea on the generations to come.

Its right to time to celebrate the victory of people which has happened in every decade in one nation or other which have removed the powerful by sheer persuasion. Kudos and regards to all those people who contributed towards achieving this collective goal.

Off Track Development: Where is it?

In context of the roads providing ample scope of development fits well with the changes being observed along the road in most of the states. In fact people would like to associate with various class of roads in order to be seen as living in progressive regions. Its natural to see cities and town growing along the major nodes. But all may not be lucky enough. The settlements have been coming closer to the roads, whether its rural village road or national highways. But given this scenario what would be scope of development beyond the road influence areas. May be the services would be poor

and people would not like to stay there for long.

Some how we have just connected the roads but not connected the economies of the human settlements, the understanding of the settlement growth as given by the popular theories like Christaller or Losch the linkages are not comparable. The pattern across the developed and undeveloped regions varies and there is little explanation for the resource-economy based development path. The governments would be wise enough to provide the connectivity leading to exchange of economies but most of the time its one-way traffic between the settlements. The larger the settlements the greater would be dependency on the hinterland, but would there be scope for returning the benefits to the hinterland. Ideally some value added good

s and services should flow back, but restricted by the economic and social backwardness of the hinterlands.

Beyond the influence zone of the roads, the settlements suffers from the consequential backwardness and keeps on stagnating till the large urban conglomerations are formed to erase the settlements identity. Those settlements far off from the development track often stagnates or becomes uncompetitive resulting shifting of the population further aggravating the problem.

Whether the technological progress in Geomatics - GIS or remote sensing can be used for assessing or addressing these issues? Specific Growth Centers or Poles to boost the regional development calls for serious spatial analysis, which we are missing from the econo- centric planning approach to national, state and district plans. Can we start revisiting some old regional development concepts?

Tapes, Babus and Middle Men/Women: INDILEAKS

With the madam Radia tapes covering mid segment of politicians, babus and corporates are out the story of middle men comes alive again. They had been every where, to set the 'chai pani' of the government officials, and also politicians (they have 5 years of initial service extended to life time) with no retirement age. So the middle men sets the agenda for the parties and gets the tip of the work done, Is'nt it awsome to hold the hand of power hungery politician to be allotted cabinet porfolio? Now this practise happens from city level politics (for appointment as Mayor, chairmen, committee head..) to the state and national level. The middle men would do its duty to inform the 'high command' about your good intentions. High command would never be caught and not interesting to media !!

Once you are placed on the desired setup and satisfied with the middle mens work, you may choose to oblige his subsequent clients to get 'their' job done, you take some 'cut' and give some biting to your middle men (now call them agent too). As the specialisation of the agents goes from the private industries of pity contract works, to laying roads & metro lines, defense deals, to real estate, these elements would help them get the contract to supply and extract the money as loot from government exchaquer.
There are agents for pity jobs for our 'aam janta' too say getting railway ticket, ration card, passport, visa, well, tube well, building plans, voter cards, government jobs, defense jobs, private jobs (oh! I mean limited companies) on platter. They operate from a small office near paan shops to big office near the national parliament and state assemblies.

If you happen to profile them, they are semi literate (with strong family ties with bada sahaabs), literates (ties with babus and politicians) and blue eyed (management gurus, nutty professors, elite retired officers, ex-babus both defense and otherwise) are helpful in scaling your desired heights and thoughts to the masters.. give token to them. You have to please them, stand in que, and know their door if struck for the want of 'chai pani' or 'daru-varu' or 'pataka' or gifts hampers'. You may win some like game of lottery or loose plenty of time and money in pursuing them. Some of our industrial giants or their appointed CEO waited for quarter of their life to get to the top or inside the system they are presently queitly sleeping. Post libralisation called for open deals with the system (with out official red tapes) which termed as 'yellow tapes' in corporate world. Attending to the personal functions (religious or non religious) is important ritual to be part of the middle men..may be for fixing lights, flowers and tasting the food for their clients. Add glamour part you are invited to grand openings, fashion shows, chatter parties and bingo! clients are happy to set the agenda in motion. Media avoid taking a cue from such gatherings more the better. Our leading politcians who are heading the nation -state are party to such gathering emerging subsequently in their support, opposition and supposition towards the ageda of corporates. Grand plans for investment, takeovers and launches of new products are made in these gathering. Very truly and sensibility implemented by the leaders in their state and ministries. Poor planning commission fails to attract attention of corporates in their scheme of things. None of things we acheived in recent past was outcome of the consultation at the commissions set for various plan periods or annual plans. Thats for common men doles...and clever allocation of funds. Middle men (some of them are in commission too) set the agenda of the nation and system follows it to facilitate the interest groups not worthy to attend the cause of nation building. Poor set of babus are allowed to follow them like our taxmens, legal honchos, police, vigilance offices, IB, RAW etc etc etc all tied their strings strongly with these middle men, agents and term them as informers. They need to soil their hands in order get into the merkier deals.

All was well when we are dealing in pot holed communication systems till 1990s. Post information super highway even the highly guarded US secrets are out in open (courtsey: Wikileaks) when do you think our middle men would not pass this information to hungry media. No one is spared from witch hunting...the middle men would wait for the right chances till they are not satisfied with the client base. The corporate transition of the middle profession (oouch!) preferably the 'fourth estate' now acts as birdge between serviced and un serviced class of modern India.

Getting tapes (pen drives, CD??) for the middle men are not so hard task else who would not like evesdrop on your wall, listen and rejoice till you utter..merky word like'deal' done..chalega...ho jayega...set hai...tell them...saab trusts on you and so on ...Please do not get caught now..least wait for INDILEAKS to happen...(5 million docuements, 10,000 diaries, 1 million photos et etc). BABUJI jara dhire chaloo...

Climate Change: Blindfolded Indian Researchers

Across India the issue of the climate change has not moved beyond the rooms of babus preparing for the agenda and documents for various international summits across the world. The breaucrats and politicians are busy in holding the bull of climate change by its horn. It seems the NGOs, Corporates and Journoes are interested in climate change related negotiations in exchange with monitory benefits by 'capitalizing the climate change causes' i.e. Carbon markets and Green Technology. Though some of the national institutions have been contributed towards the Global climate studies we in India find diffcult to make the researchers understand the symentics of climate change. The universities and government departments have been organising lots of the seminar, workshops and debates on the climate change - co-terminus with the Environment, pollution, disaster and mitigation. All is right while dealing it as an individual subjects, but climate change research needs to look into the regional impact scenarios data in order to really work on the mitigation and adoption model. The state and district level agencies are still to get information on the scenarios in order to workout the change in development schemes, techniques and technologies for the their upcoming plans.

We have already started planning for the 12th five year plan and scenarios for the 2012-2017 and next 50 years should be incorporated in the prespective plans of the nation and state in order to generate documents and facts to add to the climate change issues. The research communities mainly the earth and social sciences stream needs to work together inorder to generate regional or state level scenario and prepare an effective mitigation plan. Why we are not able to wake up the researchers working in these areas in right direction? Are we as a researchers have become blindfolded by own attitudes...? At least start the change now!!

MDG Time to be serious about it

India needs to be serious about the MDG goals set for the 2015. We have miles to go...

The goals needs attention from the people working in areas mentioned here..

Please go through the mentioned site regularly for an update...

http://www.mdgmonitor.org/country_progress.cfm?c=IND&cd=356

The images are presented here to popularise the goals...which most of people in general are not aware...

We request all our readers to be aware of the situation...

Stinking Cities..Rains bring more...

You must be welcoming rains with delight since the temperature went down during this week. The farmers are happy to get much needed water for their fields, while started to make huge investment in High Yeilding Seeds of various food and commercial crops, pesticides, fertilizers, etc. We in the cities tend to see rains not beyond our doors and windows. What meaning do we have for the rains except personal non-commercial interest? Its the city administration which has to tackle the rain into the drains or underground channels. Whilst, among these we should also know that, rains also brings back the stink emerging from the wastes, human night soil and sludge mixed with all the industrial and domestic lines. Our water bodies are filled with such a nightmerish water and wastes. Can you breath properly in the rains minus these wastes. Cities like, Surat, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, etc in Gujarat and other major metros of the country is stinking these days from the waste being decomposed with a mixure of hot and humid climatic changes. Stinks and humidity leaves most of the part of cities unbearable to venture out during the business hours (9.00 am to 7.00 pm). The rains and stinks would be apart only after 10-15 light showers days helping these wastes to move out of the city and pollute the regional environment. Smoke and hazardous gases rarely go away during the cloudy and humid seasons, it remain present in the lower strata of the atmosphere. This leads to more breathing problems in humans and plathora of dangers to plant and animal species.

Administration can at best clean the drains and leave the heap of waste away from the eyesight of the citizens, but its stink stays in the atmosphere of the city. This results the air we breath laden with heavy odur, bad tastes in mouth and infections in throat. What can be done? The cities would remain like that till we keep badly managing our solid and liquid wastes by treating them secondary to the city issues. Cities are happy to see creation of the infrastructure but are poor in operation and management of the systems.
Even the small town and large village settlements are also not left out from this modern life styles which are becoming 'chemical and plastic guzzling' economies. The outcome this phenomena is in wastes being generated, dumped all over the places and choking of the natural systems. Do we really care about city environment? At least not in the present cities of 21st century India.

War from Jungle to Streets in Naxal Areas

The todays attack on the moving train by the Naxal elements, is an direct assault on the establishment to listen to their demands. The confrontation between the state and naxals are far from direct. While the operations are carried out in Jungles the naxals are present in main stream sections of railways and communication lines. The killing and massacare by the naxals or the maoist are serious blow to the operational preparedness of the security agencies. This act requires serious condemnation of the naxals by one and all. This not the way revolution happens, there is wrong notion of hope which comes from sudden change in the system. We need to follow the middle path of dialogue with institutions and accept the democratic set up of the country. Yes! the rights of common people needs to be provided with in the constitutional frameworks.

Why should they kill the fellow citizens? Do they want everybody to support such killing? For the sake of poor tribals, peaseants, artisans and forest dwellers, please abstain from such acts. This is unaccebtable to any citizen of free India, we will not be able to answer our future generations incase these actions by violent groups are stopped. In close reaction, many innocent lives are lost in present attack on the railway facilities, and more would loose incase government forces retaliates. God! this not what we have been looking into in the name of egalitarian societies.

Use of force to engage the ideology are now thing of past and such tactics often backfires in the modern world. Maoist, is suited to this kind of inhuman actions would never be able to achieve their idea of society. Nothing comes without a cost, but this does not go well with the governments, security agencies are not prepared except some small success, they have failed the citizens of country during last six months.

Serious Trouble in Middle Class: Tension Builds Up

It is true that the Indian middle class has grown in number in the last two decades. During these decades a sizable chunk of the middle class is facing cute crisis due to soaring prices, unemployment, growing insecurity of life, steep increases in family expenditure due to high cost of education, health, transport etc., which have become privatized to a great extent and had gone beyond the reach of a significant section of the middle class.

Despite the numerical growth of the middle class it is at a receiving end. Hence we see that the growing frustration in large sections of the middle class is forcing them into streets for their demands as witnessed in strikes and other forms of struggles by teachers, government employees, students, and even shopkeepers who are affected by the shopping malls and FDI in retail sector. Another important factor has to be noted—most of yesterday's luxury consumer goods have become today's daily necessities. And the list of necessities is growing by the day with the large-scale proliferation of consumer goods and the promotion of consumerism by the market-place. Hence frustration is growing among members of this class as they are unable to procure these goods since much of their incomes have to be spent on the basic necessities such as food, clothing and shelter.

Middle class is terribly affected by such issues as price-rise, insecurity, corruption, unemployment for their children, high cost of education and health-care, threats from real estate mafia etc. Keeping these in mind, it is high time the middle class blow up wristle against the powerful capitalists supported immensly by the government. Our budget is more oriented towards Industrial and trade organisations, the people were just provided with token budget share of less than 15% of the taxed amount.

As this is the outcome of our present development scene,

"A person with a body mass index of less than 18.5 is malnourished. According to National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau, 33 per cent of adult Indians have a BMI of less than 18.5. If you disaggregate this, over 50 per cent Scheduled Tribes have a BMI of 18.5 or are undernourished.
"The WHO says that any community of which over 40 per cent population has a BMI of 18.5 per cent is in a state of famine. By that standard, many communities in India are living in a state of famine. Orissa, whose 40 per cent population is undernourished, too, fits the bill."

BY the nature of Growth: India Inc.

This is an article (unpublished) written in 2008 which is still relevant for us to take a look..

We Indians are supported a lot by the government machinery from the getting admission of children to marriage to agriculture to industry to even getting richer. Is this is what growth means? The policy making of the democratic nation has in its helm of affair “ignited” the growth prospects of those who have and those who do not have a penny live. We have worked for all who matters in the growth oriented economic policies.

From the Budget of the nation, state and district we have moved towards budgeting the Panchayats and eventually villages. The economic flow of money from one source of distribution to another has resulted in the money accumulated in these sources of power to distribute through more than 5000 different schemes meant for all the sections of the society from the Schedules Castes to Schedules Tribe to Women to Children to the minorities and now even NRI ! We have taken care of all the beneficiaries. But what makes us shout our lungs out for the 700 million Indians who were supposed to benefit (excluding the 10 million rich and 2 million billioners India has produced). We have targeted our reforms and libralisation for the 2 percent of the industrial and rich community. We have created class divide in the society by keeping the masses aloof from the benefits by making the issue of reservation, minority rights, environmental and intellectual movements. Those who have received the benefits of the libral government policies and reform have been churning the wheels of economic freedom to make maximum out of it. As if they are the “Devtas” and masses are “Asuras”.

The masses once more than 80 percent were dependent on the agriculture are not allowed to stay in the fields instead are forced labour in the factories, live in slums of metros, slave out in Information Technology Parks and malls owned by the elites. This was not the dream of the martyrs and freedom fighters of the nation. The fight was not only to give the country freedom from the British rule but also the manner in which the resources of rural India was exploited by the industries, government and elites. The setting of Indian industries during those time was answer to the capital intensive and export oriented industries mainly created for the empire.

We started well by setting the large public industries which were largely from the public money and people from the country proudly called it ‘Ratna’. But now what remains is ‘stones’ which hamphers the growth of nation. The burden of development cannot be left to the public industries, the private sector have contributed enough in making the money spin, but this was not for You and Me but for the enterprise owners and shareholders. Where else than you find the dwindling the Small and Medium Enterprise, death of cottage and household industries. The opening of competition between the Indian small and Medium Industries with the mega multinational companies instantly killed the industries already survived on the borrowed oxygen from the government. The protective covers of the industries were removed to die own death in the heat of the competition.

Now about the agriculturists the burden of the population was cited as important point in limitation of the planners to allow the farmers and their families to depend on it. What makes the development slow, not the land availability but lacking the per hectare productivity (we have not developed the technology). The fruits of the first green revolution in the country cannot be harnessed even after thirty years we have to move on and take the realities of the ground on our hand. The land record system in the nation is bad and we have not maintained proper natural resource inventory, why we want to destroy the agricultural lands only in the name of the industry. Why we cannot develop the bad land, waste land and arid land for the benefit of agriculture? The area under the irrigation has not increased as per the desired scale in our states. Most of the developed states have shun agriculture in lieu of industrialization are facing the shortage of area under the food crops. The backward states like UP, Bihar and Rajasthan has enough land to support the population, even if do not bother to understand the ‘carrying capacity’ of the land. The declining productivity is also result of the poor fertilizer policy (excessive subsidy and use) resulting in making unfruitful utilization of it on the not so required area.
How to set things right or change the nature of growth? We have experienced in country that one can set up an industry worth billions of Rupees in India without any license today, but a farmer in U.P. can neither set up a brick kiln unit, nor a rice shelling plant, nor a cold storage, and not even cut a tree standing on his own private field without bribing several officials. The impact of reforms on the poor has been adverse because of their vulnerable socio-economic position, and in such a case spending money on development schemes without improving their bargaining power will further impoverish them. The sociological and political factors that lie behind the institutional constraints on poverty reduction get little mention in the government programmes. How existing policies impact on the poor is hardly analysed by the rural development departments of central and state governments.
Government intervention should not only improve the incomes of the poor, but their bargaining power vis-a-vis the moneylenders, landlords and bureaucracy. Such empowering measures need to be distinguished from the populist measures which merely act as doles and do not enable the poor to stand on their own legs or fight for their rights. Empowerment is good in itself, leads to higher incomes, and checks corruption and arbitrary use of power. In the past this was sought to be achieved through land reforms, although it appears to be a closed chapter now.

Another very important element which is emerging in the country is non-governmental organizations (NGO). There may be NGOs just making money and doing nothing wonderful, but there are also a large number of good NGOs who are working independent of government and they would after some time be very powerful and the Civil Services would have to compete with them. In Bangladesh, 80 to 90% of all development funds are spent through the NGOs. The coming years will see increasing importance of NGOs in policy making and implementation in India too.
Forget the Civil Servents their days are numbered so long as government controlled all the goodies of the world, the civil servants looked upon government as mai-baap and defined their relation with the government as jeena yahan marna yahan, iske siva jaana kahan, and they were prepared to do all kinds of wrong things for politicians. But today there are several escape routes, and new powerful forces are emerging in India making it a truly plural society. Just to give one example, in the 70s states wooed Government of India if they wanted projects, and this required political manouvering, now the states have to woo private capital and specially foreign capital, and these new donors will demand better administration and better professional management. It is a very healthy trend that the monopoly of capital, the monopoly of powers, the monopoly of authority which government enjoyed in the past is breaking down today.
The civil servants have to operate in the open market, and establish their credentials and then only they would be able to build up their careers. Top jobs would be given not on the basis of pulls or manipulations but expertise. In the Finance Ministry today, which is the Mecca of all IAS officers, the three top positions are occupied by academics. It is they who make all decisions, and not any pen pushing bureaucrat. And knowledge is going to emerge as one of the most important resource of the 21st century. Marx talked about three resources: land, capital and labour, I think if he had been alive today, Marx would have added knowledge as the most important resource, much more important than land, labour and capital.
The new pressures on the political system generated by judiciary, NGOs and elites which are independent of government and International donor agencies are likely to act as a sobering influence on political irresponsibility. It also creates a favourable climate in which some of the reform proposals designed to give more functional autonomy to the civil service and to make it resist unwanted political pressure would be acceptable to the decision makers.
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An encounter with Idea of Naxalism in Gujarat state...

We have been now fed with the news that Gujarat state in India, is likely to be developing as new naxal hot bed in country. On the one hand there is speculation that assertation of basic right to living, for land and choosen occupation by the tribals is way forward to naxals. Though there has been discontent with the state and central governments towards not stopping the violence by state in the name of 'development'. The state has repeatdly sidelined the tribals and other backward communities in the state for the want of industrial space. The common property resources have now turned open for the state to invite the industry, say targetting nearly 30 to 40 thousand hectares of land in last two years. The promised land were supposed to be governments owned...so on what pretext government kept it open during last 60 years of its existence. Its apathy of state to target the voiceless in the name of development. The landless and poor do not have space to generate the livelihood and the state is extravagent on giving so called surplus land to industrial sector. Thus, not only creating poverty for masses but also showing its inability to tackle food insecurity.

People in Gujarat may not take arms as it had happned in state of AP, Jhakhand, MP and Chattisgarh, but this discontent would prove costlier for the state in terms of political instability, increase in crime and social unrest. The idea of 'India' to become super power cannot be done by running over the poor peasents. This would call for Gujarat opening its ground for naxal ideologies to be accepted in eastern belt, as popularised by mass media. Land acquisition and massive displacement has sown the seeds of dissatisfaction from the state functionaries and would call for near change in the system of governence to give majority the power to decide (if this does not come with current format of democracy). Would it not be right to call it our encounter with Idea of Naxalism in Gujarat?

Contribution invited from Social Scientists

Green Eminent - Research Centre, invites contributions in form of project briefs, papers and data for its upcoming publications on the Public Social Development Reports of states of India (2010 AD). Likely to be published in March 2010. Authors are request to submit the papers and reports concerning their areas of study in typed format with resumes. Selected contributors for the reports would be paid a token remuneration for their contribution. Please note the following dates
25th Novembers 2009- Abstracts (200 words)
10th December 2009 - Intimation to Authors
15th February 2010- Full Paper
30th February-2010-Peer Review (Register your self as reviewers by sending resume)
15th March 2010-Draft Publication (online)
31st March 2010 - Final Publication (Free Public Access)
Note: All Papers and communication can be done through this blog or mail to gercbrd@gmail.com
Area of Interest: Rural Development, Regional Development, Urban Planning, Geoinformatics, Industrial Growth, Decentralised Planning, Sustainable development, Climate Change, Environmental Status, Peoples Participation etc.