SACW | 4 August 2005
sacw
aiindex at mnet.fr
Wed Aug 3 18:41:28 CDT 2005
South Asia Citizens Wire | 4 August, 2005
[1] Sri Lanka's peace activists ring war alarm (P Karunakharan)
[2] India sets a bad model (Praful Bidwai)
[3] India: Getting on after the hard rain in Bombay . . .
(i) Mumbai Needs A Powerful, Elected Chief, Say Ngos
(ii) Appeal from NAPM
(iii) Bombay asks: When will the rain stop? (Anuj Chopra)
[4] India: Molester as Hero (Subhash Gatade)
[5] India: 'Farts on Discount' from Merchants of Nirvana (Payal Bhuskute)
[6] "What Makes A Peace Process Irreversible ?
Edited by Radha Kumar, Anjali Puri and Surabh
Naithani"
[7] "India's Market Society: Three Essays in
Political Economy by Barbara Harriss-White"
______
[1]
Deccan Herald
August 4, 2005
LANKA'S PEACE ACTIVISTS RING WAR ALARM
From P Karunakharan DH News Service, Colombo:
Peace activists from 20 leading civil society
groups have urged the Norwegian facilitators to
'urgently' arrange peace talks between the govt
and LTTE.
Warning of the possibility of an imminent war
with the speedy escalation of ceasefire related
violence and the political killings in the
North-East region, Sri Lanka's peace activists
from 20 leading Civil Society organisations, on
Wednesday urged the Norwegian facilitators to
urgently organise a direct meeting between the
government and the LTTE to discuss out the
looming threat.
"There is an intensification of tension on the
ground and we are probably closer than before to
greater hostilities ever since the ceasefire was
signed," Executive Director of the Center for
Policy Alternatives, Dr Pakiasothy Saravanamuttu
said while addressing a media briefing organised
by the National Movement Against War.
Highlighting the prospects of another election
this year, Dr Saravanamuttu said it was crucial
for both the ruling and the opposition parties to
state clearly and publicly that they "will honour
all agreement reached with regard to the peace
process", including the truce agreement,
post-tsunami joint-mechanism, and Oslo communiqué
on commitment to explore a solution, based on the
federal structure within the united framework of
Sri Lanka.
"We are deeply concerned about the deteriorating
security situation in the North-East," said
another peace activist and convener of the
Foundation for Co-existence, Dr Kumar Rupasinghe,
adding that while the LTTE has intensified its
clandestine attacks on police and the government
forces, the government forces, on some occasions,
have retaliated and opened fired at the LTTE.
"We witness these kinds of open attrition between
the government forces and the LTTE cadres in the
North-East for the first time during the
three-year long ceasefire. We have in a way
beginning of a low intensity war in the region
and we feel that this is a grave threat to the
ceasefire agreement," Dr Rupasinghe said.
P-TOMS agreement
Insisting the need to carry forward the recently
signed Post-Tsunami Operational Management
Structure (P-TOMS) to address the urgent
humanitarian need of the tsunami affected people
in the North-East, Director of the National Peace
Council, Jehan Perera said in his address that
"implementation of such a mechanism is the first
step in the direction to bring the two
administrations into one set up".
The joint warning by the civil society
organisations have come at a time when the
Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister, Vidar
Helgesen, is scheduled to arrive in the country
on Thursday to continue his shuttle diplomacy
between the government and the LTTE.
Mr Helgesen is scheduled to hold separate
meetings with President Chandrika Kumaratunga,
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse, leader of the
Opposition, Ranil Wickremesinghe and leaders of
the LTTE in Kilinochchi during his four-day stay
in the country.
______
[2]
The News International
July 23, 2005
India sets a bad model
Praful Bidwai
There is something unwholesome, indeed
distasteful, about the triumphalism in India over
the nuclear cooperation agreement signed between
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President
George W Bush. This ends India's characterisation
as a nuclear "pariah" after the first Pokharan
test of 1974. Following this, Washington had
walked out of its agreement to supply enriched
uranium fuel for the US-built Tarapur reactors.
There has always been a special feeling of
wounded pride among Indian policy-makers over the
"pariah" characterisation. Yet, the US wasn't the
only country to stage a strong protest against
Pokharan-I. Canada too protested. Their
embarrassment and anger weren't contrived. Both
had contributed substantially to designing,
building, and providing critical materials to,
the CIRUS "research" reactor commissioned in
1960. Its spent fuel was the source of the
plutonium used in the 1974 test.
Earlier, India had solemnly assured the US and
Canada through bilateral agreements that CIRUS
and its products would only be used for
"peaceful" purposes. The only way India could
still claim not to have violated this commitment
was to declare the explosion "peaceful". India,
one could argue, hadn't done anything that many
states with atomic ambitions wouldn't do: use all
kinds of devious means to fulfil those ambitions.
But Indian policy-makers were distinguished by
their uniquely self-righteous hurt over
Washington's reprimand.
They have ever since craved US approbation and
India's acceptance as a "responsible" nuclear
power even as they have, to their disgrace, given
up on the global disarmament agenda. The US now
terms India "a state with advanced nuclear
technology" (a bad euphemism considering how
primitive the Bomb technology is once you have
access to some special materials/equipment).
The US has now stepped out of the box and agreed
to accommodate India's nuclear ambitions by
treating it as an "exception" to the requirements
of the global non-proliferation order. Under
Monday's agreement, Bush has promised to sell
nuclear materials and equipment to India and
involve it in an experimental nuclear fission
project, etc. He has also pledged to "adjust US
laws and policies" and "work with friends and
allies to adjust international regimes" to enable
full civil nuclear transactions with India.
The flip side is that India would "assume the
same responsibilities" and "acquire the same
benefits" as the recognised nuclear
weapons-states. This involves numerous steps:
"identifying and separating civilian and military
nuclear facilities and programmes"; declaring
"civilians facilities" to the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)" and "voluntarily"
placing them under its safeguards; continuing the
"unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing"; and
"working with the US" for a multilateral "Fissile
Material Cut-Off Treaty".
India would also "secure nuclear materials and
technology through comprehensive export control
legislation" and through "adherence to Missile
Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and Nuclear
Suppliers' Group (NSG) guidelines", although it's
a member of neither.
The fact that Bush has treated India as an
"exception" may impress many in the Pakistani
elite. There will certainly be a clamour that
identical treatment be accorded to Pakistan. But
Islamabad would be ill advised to demand such
parity.
There are several problems with the India-US
agreement. One is asymmetry. Washington laid down
the overall agenda. India signed on the dotted
line -- except for bargaining over some words.
The deal imposes no new obligations on the US.
(Indeed, Washington is planning to conduct
further nuclear tests.) But India agreed to
extend its testing moratorium.
The US has only placed just four of its 250
civilian facilities under IAEA safeguards. India
will probably have to subject many more
installations to these. If the guidelines of the
NSG, comprised of 44 states, are applied, the
bulk of India's civilian facilities, including
its 15 operating reactors, will come under
safeguards. True, safeguards are a matter of
negotiation. But there, India and the US wield
unequal power.
No time frame is specified for the fulfilment of
obligations/commitments by either side. This
doesn't exclude pressure to rush through, say,
separation of military nuclear
facilities/activities from civilian ones. This is
practically difficult and expensive. Often, the
two activities occur in the same location.
Besides, the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE)
scientists loathe "external" safeguards and
inspections. They were not consulted in advance
about the deal, and are largely sullen about its
execution.
The bitterest opposition to the agreement is
likely to arise from within the US and the NSG.
Influential politicians like Congressman Ed
Markey threaten to block it because it will open
the door to other "exceptions".
The US establishment is divided on the issue.
While some security analysts (e.g. Ashley Tellis,
formerly of the Right-wing RAND Corp.) favour the
agreement, others like George Perkovich argue
that the US "should not adjust the nuclear
non-proliferation regime to accommodate India's
desire Š to nuclear technology Š The costs of
breaking faith with non-nuclear weapons states
such as Japan, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina,
Sweden and others who forswore nuclear weapons
[are] too highŠ"
Without broad consensus, Bush might not be able
to sell the deal domestically. It will be even
more difficult to get it approved by the NSG.
Many NSG members will stoutly oppose any dilution
of the group's tough guidelines.
It would be a near-miracle if the agreement were
implemented within a reasonable period of time.
Even if it were, the benefits to India would at
best be marginal. Nuclear power accounts for
under three percent of India's electricity
generation. It cannot be the key to anyone's
energy security. It poses grave hazards both
through serious accidents like Chernobyl, and
through high-level wastes which remain active for
thousands of years. Nobody has found a solution
to the waste storage-and-disposal problem.
Nuclear power is 30 to 50 percent more expensive
than electricity from other sources -- even
without accounting for the (high) cost of
decommissioning old plants.
Contrary to myths, pursuit of nuclear power won't
lower aggregate carbon emissions. Nuclear plants
are extremely capital- and materials-intensive.
Each step in the "nuclear fuel cycle", from
uranium mining to reprocessing, emits greenhouse
gases. As energy expert M. V. Ramana argues,
"There is no empirical evidence that increased
use of nuclear power has contributed to reducing
a country's carbon dioxide emissions".
Take Japan. From 1965 to 1995, its nuclear
capacity went from zero to over 40,000 MW. But
carbon dioxide emissions tripled to 1200 million
tonnes!
It would be foolhardy for Pakistan to demand
parity with India in this regard. In fact, some
extremely cynical US leaders would only be too
glad to offer an identical deal to Pakistan so
that its nuclear facilities are subjected to
Iraq-style intrusive inspections. These could be
justified in Pakistan's case, unlike India's,
thanks to the history of Dr A Q Khan's shady
enterprise.
At its present level of nuclear technology
development, which is probably lower than
India's, Pakistan will find it even more
difficult to separate civilian and military
facilities and prevent interference in the former.
This is not an argument for nuclear proliferation
or clandestine activities, but a warning against
the US arrogating to itself a nuclear gendarme's
role. India and Pakistan committed a huge blunder
by crossing the nuclear threshold. They would be
wiser to put the nuclear genie back in the bottle
than to use it to drive dubious bargains
involving bankrupt super-hazardous technologies
like nuclear power, or even worse, to recover
national "honour" and "prestige".
______
[3] [ Getting on after the hard rain in Bombay . . . ]
(i)
Mumbai Newsline
August 03, 2005
MUMBAI NEEDS A POWERFUL, ELECTED CHIEF, SAY NGOs
Organisations question working of state's disaster management plan.
Express News Service
August 2 Stressing it was time Mumbai got
a strong leader-directly elected by the people
themselves-who will not only assert his powers
but also shoulder responsibilities, various
non-governmental organisations (NGOs) gathered
under the aegis of Citizens for Justice and Peace
called for a press conference on Tuesday.
The NGOs also demanded an explanation why the
state government's Disaster Management Plan
wasn't put into action after the July 26 deluge.
Chalking out the duties of the new Mumbai chief-a
top government official could take over for the
time being-the NGOs called for his immediate
appointment.
They said the chief should meet the press twice a
day and the public once a day from tomorrow.
Former chief secretary and former municipal
commissioner D M Sukathankar, actor Rahul Bose,
human rights activist Teesta Setalvad and
Citizens for Justice and Peace trustee Cyrus
Guzder aired their views at the conference.
People rendered homeless from Jarimari in Kurla,
Mumbra and Orlem in Malad, after the Tuesday's
onslaught described their plight at the
conference. Even after a week, many are yet to
get food and kerosene supplies assured by the
state government, they alleged.
''There was 12 feet of water in our houses. No
official, police or corporator has visited us
till this morning and we have only heard about
the government's promises of assistance, but it
has yet to reach us,'' said Umar Ali of Jarimari,
Kurla.
Dolphy D'Souza of the Bombay Catholic Sabha said
till Monday night 2,000 people were sheltered at
the Orlem Church, Malad (West).
Accusing the state of underestimating the number
of people affected by the deluge, Setalvad said:
"The state government is crying hoarse that there
is no shortage of foodgrains or kerosene. Then
why have people not received any aid even after a
week?''
o o o o
(ii)
NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF PEOPLE'S MOVEMENTS
National Office: Haji Habab Building, First Floor, 182
Naigaon Cross Road, Dadar (E), Mumbai- 400014
Date: 29.07.05
Floods create havoc in Mumbai city: An Appeal and an Update
Today when the torrential rains and blocked drains in Mumbai have
caused a havoc in the maxim city with flooding of houses flowing away
of humans and cattle, collapsed huts and houses, trees and temples,
very few are concerned about what is happening to the poor slum
dwellers in and on the periphery of the city, the thousands of these
daily wage earners, single woman, the pregnant and lactating mothers
who didn't lose only their shelter but their livelihood too, are left
shattered and shaken. With hands to mouth existence they faced
demolition of houses that in turn severely affected their
livelihoods, are further destitutionalised with the pouring rains and
water in the Mumbai's drains and creeks on the boundaries of the city.
The communities where our consistent work is on, struggle for the
rights and constructive work, building human resources, strengthening
local institutions and approaching and impelling the state agencies
to provide and improve the services, there is an inbuilt capacity
with local leadership to face the natural and man made calamity with
some support from outside. While the people can build their own
shelter, they urgently need the plastic sheets- tarpaulin to cover
with bamboos. Those who had always lived with two pairs of clothes
can't do it now with same spoiled and water not allowing to dry. The
diseases have started spreading slowly, malaria already rampant in
the marshy places and children catching respiratory and gastric
troubles obviously.
Many families whose stored material, including grains got lost, are
even hungry, especially since on are hand, they have no source of
income, , hawking etc. too is severely affected during these days and
public distribution system is almost defunct.
For some families, such as that of Baswanram a blind person from
Mandala there is no space and support to live on. Rahul Roy from Anna
Bhau Sathe Nagar flew away, as the water rose, is still unfound and
the Deonar Police Station that was avoiding lodging of FIR, finally
had to do it with activists intervention.
Amidst this kindling a hope, are the stories of common people's
brevity and solidarity with each other. In Anna Bhau Sathe Nagar,
slum dwellers rehabilitated nearly supported the families who had to
take resort to the half constructed, half occupied buildings
overnight. Feeding for a few days was also done by the previously
slum dwelling families who remembered their woes.
In Mandala, women now empowered, were looking after the old, sick
single women and people took upon themselves the task of saving
children and shifting people. Many had to spend the rainy night on
the streets, with water flows underneath.
In Rafi Nagar and Sanjay Nagar the damp garbage all around, stinking
and the cemetery they were thrown into also got flooded, leaving them
with no dry space to step on. The families around, themselves poor
were the first helping hands.
Ekta Nagar on the western side had the worst flood of its kind. These
suburbs where the waters could not be drained, are facing the worst
due to blockage of the natural drains which has happened due to ad-
hoc planning while digging the roads, reclaiming the lands and
building highways and flyovers or closing gutters in the name of
beautification of Mumbai.
The shocking statement of MMRDA chief Mr. Chandrasekhar and the
Minister, Mr. Ajit Pawar declaring slums as the main reason, are
indicative of not just callousness or ignorance but also conspiracy.
These leading men are certainly all out to promote further eviction
of the poor and grab the land and the projects, now in the name of
Mumbai Bachao ( Save Mumbai), with no bounds. There are many in
governmental and Non-governmental sectors that will surely be all
only to extract resources and waste it. We must be committed to work
with communities, involve people and undertake relief as a step
towards rehabilitation of these poor.
It's with this approach that a team of 20 students and faculty
members from Tata Institute of Social Sciences and the local and
trained activists as well as supporters of NAPM and Narmada Bachao
Andolan, Nirbhay Bano Andolan, Shahar Vikas Manch involved in Ghar
Bachao Ghar Banao struggle of the Mumbai urban poor have taken up the
work in these localities. The requirements assessed that can be taken
care of within own capacity are as follows.
Name of Community Housing Material For Families.
(3 Kg. Of Plastic per family@ Rs.50-60/Kg Food Grains
@5 Kg.Rice 1 Kg & Dal per family
Medicines (through temporary dispensation by Doctors)
Anna Bhau Sathe Nagar
40
15 quintal rice
3 quintal pulses
Tablets- Didofenac,Paracetomol,Chloroquine,Amoxyclin,Rantac,Cyclopa,
Albendazole. Hairwash Cetavlon, Micogel ointment
Rafi Nagar
200
10 quintal rice
2 quintal pulses
Same as Above
Sanjay Nagar
45
2.5 quintal rice
0.5 quintal pulses
-do-
Mandala
140
20 quintal rice
5 quintal pulses
-do-
Ekta Nagar
200
20 quintal rice
5 quintal pulses
-do-
Do respond, Contacting
Pervin Jehangir Ph.No. 022-22184779, 22185832, 9820636335
Simpreet Ph. 9323254706
Mohan Chavan Ph. No. 9322512983
Medha Patkar 9869446684
At TISS
Contact Vijay Nagraj or Dr. Parasuraman 022-25563289-96.
Yours in Solidarity,
Medha Patkar Pervin Jehangir Shakeel Ahmed Mohan Chauhan
Simpreet
Email: medha at narmada.org
o o o o
(iii)
The Christian Science Monitor
August 03, 2005
Bombay asks: When will the rain stop?
Record rainfall - up to 37 inches in one day -
has flooded the Indian city, leaving more than
900 dead.
By Anuj Chopra | Contributor to The Christian Science Monitor
BOMBAY - When will the rain stop? That's the
question everyone is asking in Bombay (Mumbai),
the financial capital of India, since the monsoon
began hammering the city eight days ago. Last
Tuesday, a record 37 inches of water dropped on
the city in one day.
Although the rains have slowed to no more than
six inches a day, the water collected isn't
receding, leaving parts of the city underwater.
Residents of Kalina and Kurla, some of the
worst-hit areas, had eight feet of floodwater to
deal with. The Army and Navy are still evacuating
people from homes. More than 900 people are
believed dead in and around Bombay.
"I've not seen so much water in Bombay in my life
ever before," Jagdish Kalra, a resident of
suburban Bombay. "I didn't know if I should save
myself or my belongings." Knee-deep water has
filled up Mr. Kalra's residence, damaging most of
his furniture and sending his clothes, shoes, and
utensils floating in murky waters.
The shutting down of India's second city and the
loss of life has prompted municipal officials to
start heeding past warnings from
environmentalists about development run amok.
With dreams of becoming "the Shanghai of India,"
Bombay is a city bursting at its seams, cramming
16,000 people per square mile. Poorly planned
development and neglected infrastructure
prevented much of the water from draining
harmlessly out to sea, say critics.
The city's storm water drainage system is
archaic. Water drains through the more than
100-year-old pipes at an abnormally slow pace of
one inch per hour. Only one-third of the 124-mile
stretch of this drainage system has been
modernized. The municipal commissioner of Bombay,
Johny Joseph, assured modernization of the
remaining part will be taken up, something which
will cost $275 million.
Surface drains, meanwhile, had become clogged by
indiscriminate dumping of garbage, according to
Mr. Joseph. The resulting pressure on the
underground drains, he says, led to the failure
of the entire drainage system.
Rampant development in recent years also choked
off natural avenues for water drainage. According
to Accommodation Times, a real estate and
property market publication, today there are more
than 12,000 sq. feet of construction projects
going on in full swing in Bombay, many of them
unchecked and unauthorized.
Environmental experts say that the reclaiming of
large tracts of land against all rules, laws, and
expert advice, for construction is blocking the
natural course of flood waters flowing into the
sea.
"People in Bombay seem to suffer from ecological
illiteracy," says Darryl D'monte, a well-known
author and environmentalist. "We believe we can
construct indiscriminately anywhere without
considering cataclysmic ecological repercussions
of it."
The Bandra-Worli sealink project, a multimillion
dollar effort to link the western suburbs to the
island city of Bombay, has constricted the mouth
of the city's Mithi River.
"The river is the city's biggest storm water
drain. If you constrict the mouth of this river,
how can water escape into the sea?" asked Mr.
D'monte.
"We're paying the price for development," Bittu
Sahgal, a well-known environmentalist and editor
of Sanctuary Asia magazine said.
Nine years ago Mr. Sahgal was on the Ministry of
Environment's infrastructure expert committee. He
rejected the Bandra-Worli road project three
times because of the flood danger. He was thrown
off the committee and the project was
subsequently cleared.
The damage caused by the Mithi River flooding,
says Sahgal, is probably going to be around $460
million - at least twice the cost of the
Bandra-Worli project when it was approved.
Environmentalists also decry the Bandra-Kurla
complex in suburban Bombay, which houses
world-class business centers - a swanky symbol of
urban prosperity. It is built on large tracts of
mangroves.
"Mangroves are the best barriers between land and
sea," says Deepak Apte, who heads the
Conservation Department, Bombay Natural History
Society (BNHS). "It's alarming how 70 percent of
the mangrove area around Bombay has been
reclaimed."
This disaster in the past eight days is expected
to jolt the civic administration and the
government - who've been at the receiving end of
public anger since the flooding began - into
taking preventative action. Ruminations about
ways to avert such a tragedy in the future have
begun.
There is talk of a more comprehensive disaster
management plan by the government, something
discussed after the tsunami, but which never
materialized. The Bombay government is
considering whether to partially implement
recommendations made over a decade ago by foreign
consultants. The 1993 Metclafe and Eddy report
suggested ways to upgrade the city's drainage
system.
And Joseph, the municipal commissioner, says he
recognizes the need for an independent
communication link to warn people about such
disasters well in advance.
In the meantime, Bombay residents are working to
restore their city. Raju, a laborer struggling in
waist-deep water in the badly affected area of
Kalina, joked: "They couldn't make it a Shanghai,
at least they've made it Venice."
______
[4]
[3 August 2005]
GILL CONVICTED, TIME FOR THE RATHODS ?
HERO AS MOLESTER
Subhash Gatade
Those were the days of the late eighties when
Punjab was 'battling' violent extremism of a
different kind. Days when instances of gross
human rights violations by the state were brushed
aside as fabrications by vested interests. And
riding high on the resolve of the powers that be
to crush the recalcitrant elements was the then
IG of Police Mr K.P.S. Gill, the last of the
'supercops'. Euologised by the media and adored
by the chattering classes this 'no nonsense' man
was presented as the state's answer to the
'terrorism sponsored from across the borders'.
And it then seemed to be in the fitness of
things that when supposedly the 'nation's honour'
was at stake the Supercop's misdemenaour vis a
vis a fellow female senior IAS officer in a party
were considered insignificant. And when she
protested his molesting her she was told by her
own colleagues that she was blowing the issue out
of proportion.Ultimately when she decided to file
a suit against the 'supercop' for invading her
right to bodily integrity, which every citizen of
this country has under Article 21 of the
Constitution of India, many of her seniors
including the then Punjab governor Mr Siddharth
Shankar Ray and even the first of the supercops
Mr Ribiero advised her to 'forgive and forget'.
All those wise men who had the audacity to
counterpose nation's honour to women's honour
stand exposed today albeit after a long gap of 17
years. The highest courts of the country has
ruled in favour of the inviolable rights of the
woman as woman granted by the constitution.The
recent judgement by the Supreme Court which has
finally convicted Mr Gill for 'outraging the
modesty' of Ms Rupan Deol Bajaj has finally
vindicated what Ms Bajaj had been saying and
maintaining all these years. She had always said
that there cannot be hierarchies of honour before
the constitution and it would be anti human even
to think in terms of sacrificing woman's right to
a life of dignity and self respect at the altar
of the nation.One still remembers the way in
which Ms Bajaj was victimised for her standing up
to the supercop. On the one hand the 'Supercop' a
darling of the media and the political class was
winning laurels after laurels for 'breaking the
backbone of militancy' and on the other hand she
was condemned to insignificant postings
supposedly for sullying the image of this 'Hero'.
Persistence pays and slowly but not so silently
she started winning legal battles against the
Supercop. The first order by the sessions court
came exactly ten years after that 'dinner party.'
The sessions court in Punjab sentenced Mr Gill to
three months in prison.( 1998). The reaction from
a section of the media was ferocious. Chandan
Mitra, editor of 'The Pioneer' wrote a fiery
front page editorial wherein he went out of his
ways to defend Mr Gill when the session courts
had delivered its judgement. He castigated all
those people who were fighting for women's
dignity when the 'nation's dignity itself was at
stake'. Ofcourse Mr Chandan Mitra was not alone
in holding such views.He was in good company with
the other watchdogs of democracy and upholders of
freedom of expression at least on this issue.
'Long years of wait, minus long years of
suffering equals nothing.' Thus went a poem which
narrated the hopes, aspirations, struggles of a
woman which finds herself in a crisis situation.
The smile on Ms Rupan Deol Bajaj's face the other
day after hearing the judgement of the SC rather
conveyed the same feeling. And remaining true to
the spirit of her struggle she has donated the
fine of 2 Lakh to a woman's organisation so that
women in similar circumstances at least get some
help. The court has ordered Mr Gill to pay this
fine to Ms Bajaj.
Definitely this is a moment of celebration for
all of us . It is a victory of the indomitable
spirit of Ms Rupan Deol Bajaj who refused to get
cowed down by the aweinspiring Supercop. One can
say without any exaggeration that it is
significant step forward for the women's movement
also which has consistently fought for violence
against women in all its forms. But the saga of
struggle of Ms Rupan is also a moment of
reflection.
-The first and foremost point which needs to be
addressed is the longish wait for justice in any
such case of sexual harassment / assaults.
Despite the molestation occuring in full public
view in this case, it took seventeen long years
for the courts to decide. Counsellors or social
activists come across cases where legal battles
continue in cases of rapes of children till the
victim reaches adulthood. Judiciary, executive as
well as the legislature which has enough
dominance of patriarchal notions and values over
its functioning have refused to take a serious
note of this phenomenon where the victim has to
undergo trauma again and again with every hearing.
- In fact, it has been a longstanding demand of
the women's movement that all cases of sexual
harassment or gender related violence be
expedited. It has been proposed that special
courts be formed at various levels. Looking at
the special nature of this crime where the victim
of such sexual violence is left to herself to
bear the 'stigma', activists have consistently
maintained that steps be taken to change the
situation.But despite fifty five years of Indias'
ushering into a Republic one does not see that
the powers that be are serious about it.
- A related issue is the cavalier manner in which
first information reports are filed by the police
in all such cases and the sloppy investigation
which takes place. The judiciary has time and
again castigated the police for its partial
investigations and its biased role which has
allowed many a accused to escape scotfree despite
clinching evidence against them. Looking at the
overall picture one very well understands why the
actual rate of conviction is less that two
percent.
Of course, of late one does notice some
improvements on this front.In a few recent cases
the constant supervision of the media coupled
with the people's pressure has facilitated early
resolution of acts of violence against women.The
recent case from Jodhpur can be said to break new
grounds as far as similar cases are concerned. In
fact in this case where a foreign tourist was
sexually assaulted by two persons,the verdict was
delivered within a span of less than a month.
But it can be said to be an irony of sorts that
in all these cases the class and caste background
of the victim/ perpetrator has been a defining
feature. While the Rajasthan court was efficient
enough to deliver justice in case of the
foreigner, it has been more than thirteen years
that the case of the rape of Bhanwari Devi, a
grassroot worker from the women's development
Programme' is languishing in courts there. The
session courts had quashed her petition quoting
'the great Indian family tradition' because two
of her perpetrators were related to each other.
Bhanwari Devi has appealed to the High court to
seek justice but the court has yet to find time
to deliberate on the case. Similar is the issue
in case of the sexual assault on Ruchika which
ultimately led to her suicide which involved a
senior police officer from Haryana. It has been
alleged that this man Rathod, who retired last
year as DIG of Haryana, had sexually assaulted
Ruchika in the early 90s. When Ruchika tried to
raise the case, this man helped lodge false cases
of cycle thefts against her younger brother which
led him to spend quite a few days in prison.
Devastated by the whole incident Ruchika
committed suicide.
Such is the clout of this officer despite his
retirement that till date not even an FIR has
been lodged against him. A legal battle is going
on in the courts which involves parents of
Ruchika's friend who have been witness to the
trauma through which she went all those years. It
has been their firm resolve that the rapist be
nabbed as early as possible.
The latest addition to the long list of police
personnel whose sexual inneunedos have made
headlines is the DIG of Ranchi Mr Natarajan who
was caught on the secret camera while seeking
sexual favours from a complainant tribal woman.
One still remembers the famous observation made
by Justice A.N. Mulla of the Allahabad highcourt
in the late fifties where he had termed Indian
police as an 'Organised goonda force'. Looking at
the plethora of cases which have come up recently
where one has found the involvement of police
personnel in cases of harassing / molesting /
raping women it would not be out of place to
imagine what would have been Justice Mulla's
reaction to it. He would have been forthright
enough to call it a 'gang of molesters'.
Is not it time for a reality check for the police ?
Contact: Subhash Gatade,B2/51, Sector 16, Rohini,Delhi-110085 Ph: 27872835
______
[5]
Deccan Chronicle
July 31, 2005
MERCHANTS OF NIRVANA
By Payal Bhuskute
For years, Mudit Verma suffered from anxiety
attacks. Doctors put him on tranquilisers, which
only gave him temporary relief. He was soon the
patient of a prominent psychoanalyst and spent
hours describing his dreams and fears. But even
that did not ease his tensions. Finally, when
Mudit was about to give up, a friend gave him a
CD about Vipassana meditation. Mudit took to
Vipassana meditation and through its doorway
entered the arena of New Age spirituality. But
today, five years down the line, he's once again
a worried, restless man. "I've tasted all
flavours of spirituality, paid obeisance to all
exalted feet and am back to square one," he says.
Welcome to the world of spiritual nirvana, but to
get there you need to spend, and spend big. The
motto of the New Age gurus appears to be: "To
keep stress out, bring money." But not all have
got the deliverance as advertised. Quite the
opposite, actually. After being ensnared into
high-priced spiritual sessions through aggressive
marketing campaigns of New Age spiritual gurus,
many have found disillusionment.
Make no mistake.
New Age spirituality is not other-worldly. In
their bid to expand their human base, the hi-tech
gurus market their wares with a bull's eye view.
Be it hiring PR agencies, producing sleek CDs or
even expensive newsletters, the gurus beat
corporate honchos on their own turf. Gurus have
updated themselves to a liberalised age. Making
money, for instance, is not seen as a materialist
pursuit.
The guru has handy and 'enlightening' advice for
those who purchase stocks. For those who battle
in boardrooms, there are laughter and de-stress
sessions in exotic locales. In short, modern
India's spiritual guides are also marketing
wizards who know how to enhance the commercial
appeal of their product. The disciple is a
consumer and even if the product is religion, it
has to be shaped to suit his tastes.
Some have become Hindu versions of televangelists
and others sign official deals with multinational
companies to "help new recruits handle the
tensions of working life." It is evident that
spirituality is no longer what it was. The only
people who seem to find New Age pursuits
worthwhile are the gurus themselves, and their
slick marketing personnel. But the peddlers of
instant nirvana have a rough and ready answer
about the pursuit of Mammon.
"What's wrong with commercialisation?" asks Sri
Sri Ravishankar, one of the best known News Age
gurus. "Commerce is not bad. The world thrives on
it." Sri Sri Ravishankar created a spiritual
revolution of sorts in urban landscapes and
mindscapes through his Art of Living course. He
emerged in the spiritual firmament in 1982 after
having discovered the Sudarshan Kriya following a
10-day silence. He headquartered in Bangalore and
his courses became an instant hit throughout the
country. "Once you get into Art of Living, the
idea of commercialisation will go away," says he.
"We have adopted 15,000 villages in India in one
year. All our teachers are doing charity work,
not commercial work."
Sri Sri Ravishankar says his enterprise appears
commercial only because of the fee that is
charged. "We do so because we believe that the
modern mind has become grossly commercial and can
be tapped only in a commercial way," he adds. His
ashram runs a corporate executive programme aimed
at helping senior managers in India's leading
companies to cope with high stress. They charge
Rs 3 lakh annually to give instructions to 25
executives. As in the case of other corporates,
the AoL (not to be confused with America Online)
also uses famous faces to propagate its
techniques.
"It's the same as Shah Rukh advertising for
Hyundai or Amitabh Bachchan selling
Chayavanprash," says an AoL trainer. Most of
those who have taken to AoL are young. The
jean-clad, goggled young things with long hair
and sparkling eyes hold pop bhajan singing
sessions, karaoke stunts and modern versions of
what an earlier generation calls satsangs, in hip
joints such as multiplexes, music stores and
shopping malls.
"It's almost like a rock concert," says Rakhi,
who has recently joined the AoL movement. "This
Hare Rama, Hare Krishna is so cool and happening.
Maybe it's spiritual too." AoL's fast-paced
success has inspired many other movements. In
recent times, Swami Jaggi Vasudev's Isha Yoga and
Swami Sukhbodananda's stress-relief courses have
spread far and wide with the help of
well-choreographed PR exercises. Jaggi Vasudev's
PR machine take care to project their guru with
the same aggressiveness of a luxury car.
Interestingly, the new marketing techniques have
also affected age-old groupings such as the
Brahmakumaris. They too have a commercial and
brand wing propagating their presence, and are
happy serenading connections with political
bosses. "I believe that our ideals are the best
for humanity," says B. Kalpana, a member of the
sect. "And if one has to market them to make them
popular, it is for the good of humanity."
Then there is Bangalore-based Daivajna Somayaji
who promises more than stress relief to corporate
honchos. He specialises in smoothing product
starts and increasing investment bankers' profit
margins, and claims to have a '99.9 per cent'
success rate. He visits offices and studies
energy patterns of the location and proffers
advice. Of course, he has a PR firm.
Strange are the images of this New Age
spirituality. Saffron-robed monks sitting in
front of computers; actress Ruby Bhatia earnestly
visiting Iskcon temples for spiritual succor;
model turned AoL instructor Rhea Pillai waxing
eloquent on the need for spirituality in modern
life. Click onlinedarshan.com and you will find
yourself in the portals of famous temples, be it
Tirupati or Vaishno Devi. You can have darshan
without stirring from your homes. Skeptical and
critical voices are now being heard. A recent
book, The Karma of Brown Folk, authored by Vijay
Prashad, criticises New Age gurus of the United
States and their gimmicks.
Prashad says these gurus have packaged Indian
wisdom in saleable boxes to lure American public.
Deepak Chopra, Rajneesh, and Maharishi Mahesh
Yogi misused Indian wisdom, which in essence is a
comprehensive balance of materialism and
spirituality, to suit the needs of the American
market, he says.
In India too, skeptics are coming out to the
open. In a recent public debate in Delhi, Javed
Akhtar, poet and professed atheist, criticised
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and other modern gurus. "It
is not enough to teach rich people how to
breathe," he said. Nobody knows how long this
fad will continue. If we go by ancient lore,
enlightenment waits only at the end of a long and
arduous path. It is obviously not available in
spiritual supermarkets at the flash of a credit
card.
God is a catchphrase
Atheism is no longer chic. According to an
ORG-MARG poll, 94 per cent of young adults in the
country believe in God, 62 per cent pray
regularly and 35 per cent perform puja and visit
a shrine once a week. Gone are the 60s when
Sartre and Camus held sway. This is the age of
New Age spirituality. The Art of Living course of
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar attracts a crowd of over
50,000 even in small towns, demonstrating the
pull of the New Age nirvana merchants.
Mata Nirmala Devi routinely draws a crowd of one
lakh for her mass Kundalini awakenings, as does
Mata Amritanandamayi in the metros. Yoga is a
household term, worldwide. Hollywood actresses
such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Cate
Blanchett, Madonna, Meg Ryan and Uma Thurman
swear by it.
The Defense Institute of Physiological and Allied
Sciences (DIPAS) prescribes yoga to help
acclimatise soldiers to adverse operational
terrain. Cricket stars such as Javagal Srinath,
Venkatesh Prasad and Anil Kumble practise it
while Sachin Tendulkar is reported to have
consulted renowned yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar.
Wisdom traditions from other places are also
finding takers in India. Books of the Vietnamese
monk Thich Nhat Hanh are immensely popular.
Pranic Healing founder Choa Kok Sui and Karuna
reiki founder William Rand enjoy tremendous
popularity too.
Hospitals nowadays incorporate meditation and
yoga to prevent heart disease, along the lines of
American doctor Dean Ornish's famous programme.
The Indraprastha Apollo Hospital has opened a
body-mind medicine department, in collaboration
with New Age guru Deepak Chopra. However, New
Age in India is still largely an urban
westernised phenomenon. Curiously enough, the
urban elite has discovered Indian spirituality
through the distilled versions available from the
west. Former model Nandini Sen is the flamboyant
flag bearer of AoL, while model Sheetal Malhar is
an avid follower of Mata Nirmala Devi.
Companies that have institutionalised meditation
include Godrej, Lupin Labs, Ayodhya Paper Mills
and the Nagarjuna and Alacrity group. In Mumbai,
employees of Benzer get a 10-day break to learn
Vipassana. Converserly, spiritual organizations,
too, have opened management centres. The
advertisement world, too, is responding to the
new trends by using images of meditation more and
more.
New Age publishers and bookstores are
proliferating. Delhi has the Indologist chain,
Motilal Banarsidass, as well as Full Circle.
In Mumbai, old-timers such as Chetana and Giri
Trading co. have been joined by Motilal
Banarsidass. Pune has the popular retail outlet,
The Word. Other notables are Sterling, Diamond
Pocket Books, Think Inc. and Zen Publications.
Televangelists
The idiot box is no longer about song and dance.
It is also the peddler of enlightenment.
Emancipation lies at the touch of the
remote-control button. What started out as a
'religion slot' in Doordarshan's daybreak routine
is now espoused by full-fledged channels
dedicated wholly to religion.
There are umpteen religious channels, including
Maharishi Veda Vision, Sanskar, Aastha and,
Sadhna, all with an overtly Hindu bent. For
Christians, there's God TV, Jeevan TV,
MiracleNet, Eternal World Television, Global
Catholic Network and Golden Age Television.
Muslims have appropriated Pakistan TV and several
Arabic channels and Sikhs switch on Alpha
Punjabi, and Lashkara.
And more players are sauntering in. ATN
International's bilingual Ahimsaa TV debuted on
Gandhi Jayanti this year, and Sanskriti and
Sudarshan TV are in the works. At least 50 per
cent of the 40-plus age group, accounting for
over 60 per cent of the estimated 150 million
cable viewers in India, are believed to to have
taken to spirituality on the tube.
The big brands
It is a pattern which they have imbibed from old
tales. Most gurus in the big league peg their
uniqueness on miracles or providential happenings
in their childhood. Mata Amritanandamayi, for
instance, started as Sudhamani, a girl devoted to
the Lord. She was ostracised by her community
after she gave away even meagre possessions to
the poor and the deprived. Her first followers
came from the fishing community and she began to
attract followers from outside in 1978.
According to Brahmachari Dhyanamrita,
spokesperson for the Mata Amritanandamayi Mutt,
most people saw her as a loving mother. "The Guru
aspect comes only when people wholeheartedly
decide they want to dedicate their life to
attaining truth," he said. There are legends
about her unique lifestyle. She sleeps only two
hours a day and eats one spartan meal. Her
website says she has hugged 24 million people in
the last 33 years. Since 1987, the Mata has
visited all continents. Her regular destination s
include the US, the UK, Australia, Canada,
France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Ireland,
Switzerland, Holland, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore,
Mauritius and Reunion Islands.
Art of Loving is another great marketing model
for would-be spiritualists. It has differently
pried packages for each city and more expensive
advances courses in big cities. Besides, it has
also applications in corporate training with the
highly-sought Apex (achieving personal
excellence) course. The management programme has
been personally designed by Sri Sri Ravishankar
and encompasses everything from yoga and
breathing exercise to improving peak efficiency.
He speaks in 40 countries annually and has
travelled to 175 cities.
Money Machines
While every spiritual organisation stresses on
its not-for-profit agenda, their liberal
donations and contributions barely dent their
finances.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
The AoL guru takes part in 250 satsangs the world
over. Each of these generates not less than Rs 15
to 20 lakhs. He speaks in 40 countries annually
and has travelled to 175 cities. AoL is a great
marketing model. It has different pricing models
from city to city and more expensive advanced
courses in big cities. Besides, Sri Sri also
delves into the area of corporate training with
his Apex (achieving personal excellence) course.
The management programme has been personally
designed by the guru, in spite of having no real
background in the field.
The Art of Living encompasses everything from
yoga and breathing exercise to management
development programmes and finding happiness
within oneself. AoL offers tapes and CDs priced
at anything between $20 each and $280 for a set
of 28 tapes, and photographs with calligraphy,
along with some rather mystifying products like
portable back-rests (in forest green, navy and
purple) at $29.
Mata Amritanandamayi
Started as Sudhamani, devoted to Lord, was
ostracised from parents' house and berated for
generosity with which she shared her family's
meagre possessions. First followers drawn from
fishing community; began to gain critical mass in
1978. Energy levels miraculous. Sleeps only two
hours a day, eats once a day. Considered one of
the best time-mangers in the world. Mata has
visited all continents, regular destinations
include the US, UK, Australia, Canada, France,
Germany, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Switzerland,
Holland, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius...
Mata's stores stock everything from DVDs and VHS
tapes, priced between $15 and $27, to books,
incense sticks and even unlikely items like
'essential oil' at $10, and Amma shower gel and
body lotion at $9 each.
Sri Satya Sai Baba
Source of income not known, assumed to be largely
from devotees' donations but the manner in which
Satya Sai Baba's ashram at Whitefiled is run,
it's evident he has thousands of crores of rupees.
Maharshi Yogi
The bearded populiser of transcendental
meditation has earthly holdings that will blow
your mind. His corporate empire includes land
holdings, hotels, publishing houses, a TV channel
and plans for spiritual theme parks.
______
[5]
What Makes A Peace Process Irreversible ?
Report
Edited by
Radha Kumar, Anjali Puri and Surabh Naithani
2005, 145 pp.
Published by
Peace Processes Programme
Delhi Policy Group
Core 5 A
India Habitat Center
Lodhi Road
New Delhi 110 003, India
______
[6]
New title from *Three Essays Collective*:
(available from July 27)
*India's Market Society*:
Three Essays in Political Economy
by *Barbara Harriss-White*
Contents:
1. Market Romanticism and India's Regulative Order
2. Caste Corporatist Capitalism: Civil Society
and Accumulation (with Elisabetta Basile)
3. India's Religions and the Economy.
About the Book:
Barbara Harriss-White's work breaks new ground in
showing how non-market and non-state institutions
shape India's market society. She focuses on
markets for land, labour and essential
commodities in small town economies to show the
vitality of caste and 'religious pluralism'
(among other factors) in their functioning. Far
from being vestiges of an earlier era, she argues
that both caste and religion are being reworked
in the contemporary era to ensure the
subservience of small town economies to the
interests of big capital and imperialist
globalisation. The linkages between small town
economies and the workings of Capital come alive
in her analysis. She examines the ground
realities of the markets which form the building
blocks of Indian capitalism and the attendant
crisis of democracy and the deprivations of the
people.
About the Author:
**Barbara Harriss-White** is Professor of
Development Studies at Queen Elizabeth House and
Fellow of Wolfson College, Oxford University, UK.
Since 1969 she has researched agrarian change in
South Asia through field studies of villages,
small town economies and markets. Her recent book
is 'India Working: Essays in Society and Economy'.
xiv + 238 pages, Demy 8vo
2005
81-88789-20-8 Paperback Rs250
81-88789-21-6 Hardcover Rs575
Three Essays Collective
P.O. Box 6 Palam Vihar
GURGAON (Haryana)
122 017
India
Tel.: (91-124) 5074079 and 236 9023
Mobile: 0 98681 26587, 0 98683 44843
e-mail: info at threeessays.com
www.threeessays.com
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