Cong puts allies in their places

The bye election results are out and the congress-apart from mayawati-is the decisive winner. pramod kumar analyses how the GOP can now dictate terms to recalcitrant allies

The coalition experience for the Congress Party during the last Lok Sabha was a tightrope walk. Regional satraps like Laloo Prasad Yadav, Ram Vilas Paswan or T. R. Balu always kept the Congress leadership on tenterhooks. Many a times, these leaders created political trouble for the government to get their demands fulfilled. However, the dice rolled in favour of the Congress during the 15th Loksabha. None of the allies are in a position of tough political bargaining. The Congress leadership feels political arithmetic is in its favour and that there is no need to face tantrums of NCP or DMK.

Political relationship between the Congress and DMK soured at the time of the formation of the government. Karunanidhi had wanted key portfolios such as telecom, surface transport, health and home. He had even stayed in Delhi for three days. However, after three rounds of discussions, he got the hint that his demands were not commensurate with DMK's strength in Parliament. He was even reminded of Ramadoss' confrontation with the AIIMS director, how he had kept pending files that would have increased seats of nursing and dental colleges and how it had maligned the image of UPA. The Congress leadership gave the Telecom portfolio to DMK and even accommodated Azagiri. An offended Karunanidhi returned to Chennai. He did not attend the oath ceremony. Now, he does not even pick calls of any Congress leader except those of Ghulam Nabi Azad. A bigger blow for DMK arrived when the Congress leadership decided to go it alone in the Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu.

DMK is mainly unhappy, though it was given the telecom ministry, as it was made clear that no DMK minister will not be able to take any policy decision. A group of five ministers was appointed under the stewardship of Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee which will take policy decisions pertaining to these ministries. This clearly meant that the government denied a free hand to DMK ministers like Ramadoss or Balu had enjoyed in their earlier innings. The helplessness of these ministers can be gauged by the fact that nine bureaucrats from PMO and the National Security Advisor can also intervene in functioning of any of these ministries. According to reliable sources, the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has a keen eye on nine cases involving the ministry of road and surface transport, 23 cases in the health ministry and 18 cases in the telecom ministry. The matter of spectrum allocation during the tenure of A. Raja in the last UPA government is already on the CVC radar. Government agencies are also trying to decipher how money allocated to Balu's ministry evaporated during his tenure. Ghulam Nabi Azad has been called upon to restore AIIMS to its glory days.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Eastern Promises

As Osian’s celebrates Romanian Cinema, Saurabh Kumar Shahi analyses the emergence of New Wave cinema in the erstwhile Soviet satellite states of Eastern Europe.

Alistair Whyte’s 1971 monograph, “New Cinema in Eastern Europe”, dedicated merely two lines to Romania Cinema, one of which emphasised that the Communist nation had “produced some interesting cartoons but in the field of feature film there has been little of importance.” Now every critic worth his salt can tell you that in critics’ lexicon, ‘Little’ means “even if there was a bit, I didn’t notice it.”

Last week Osian’s Cine Fan celebrated the best of contemporary Romanian Cinema. We’ll take just two examples to illustrate why Romanian Cinema is being pegged as the “next big thing” in the European film circuit. “Politist, Adjectiv” (Police, Adjective), “Cea Mai Fericita Fata Din Lume” (The Happiest Girl in the World) are worth examining.

Like Corneliu Porumboiu’s last masterpiece “12:08 East Of Bucharest” that won rave reviews all across, “Politist, Adjectiv” picks the nuances and incidents and sardonically manipulates it to elicit laughs. It tracks a policeman in real time as he goes about his duty that includes following a teenager he has, in the past, seen offering a mate some hashish. It’s a standard police routine but the audience is kept completely in the dark about its possible climax. The cop turns down his senior’s instructions to bust the teenager as he does not find it worthwhile enough to ruin the life of a promising young man over what he deems a harmless act. The shocker finale dramatically reinterprets the thesaurus descriptions of “police,” “scruples” and “law.” The smart minimalism of the visual speech brings in the viewer’s imagination into play; there is no distracting music. The camera’s visual jugglery seldom jumps the boundary of a horizontal pan; the essential dialogues squander no words.

On the other hand, “The Happiest Girl in the World” is a personal story. After bagging a free car in a publicity bonanza, a deprived provincial teen discovers it comes with a heavy price tag. Similar to the works of Porumboiu, this feature debut by Radu Jude is hyperrealist in manner, with a brusquely experiential screenplay. The girl wants the car but her bossy parents resort to emotional blackmail to force her to sell it. One can not help but respect the clever way in which Jude makes use of contrast all through to suggest countless things about present-day Romania. Devoid of ethical conclusions, he assertively applies the diverse familiarities and outlook of the age groups and the discrepancy between big-city erudition and small-town parochialism. This captures the undercurrents of a nation where the communist past and capitalist present nervously coexist.

A mere look at the kind of flicks that has come out of Romania in the last decade confirms that a new crop of directors and screenwriters are hitting its stride. Many of these internationally acclaimed prize-winning features have been directed and written by people in their 20s and 30s; they are passionate, resolute and made on shoe-string budgets. These productions portray the unpretentious realism of the “transition” epoch. They focus on recognisable characters in identifiable conditions, where Romanian audience in particular and Eastern European people in general can place themselves. Catastrophe and sarcasm are part of their ethical and artistic arsenal.

They mirror an evaluation of the socio-economic and personal relations that evolve under the fresh onslaught of capitalism.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Buddhism the state religion

He came to power on the twin platforms of making Sinhala the official language and Buddhism the state religion. The Tamil minority groups felt like foreigners in their own country. Large-scale riots ensued. Faced with Tamil opposition, Bandaranaike attempted compromise solutions, but the forces of reaction that he unleashed devoured him. On September 25, 1959, he was assassinated by a Buddhist monk in his residence. The assassin represented powerful forces – Buddhist monks, teachers and disgruntled politicians. Sirimavo Bandaranaike, the “weeping widow” as she was called, came to power on a racist platform and went further in her acts of discrimination against the Tamils.

The assassination of President Premadasa, on May 1, 1993, while he was controlling the May Day procession, at the hands of the Tigers, was another turning point in Sri Lankan politics. The first non-Goigama leader to occupy the highest political position, Premadasa was opposed to the India-Sri Lanka Accord and the induction of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka. The common opposition to India brought the hitherto two antagonistic forces – Premadasa and Prabhakaran – together. Colombo not only financed LTTE, it also provided the much-needed weapons to the Tigers. The “temporary honeymoon” lasted only for a short interval. As soon as the IPKF withdrew from Sri Lanka, the differences came out into the open and soon the Second Eelam War commenced. What distinguished Premadasa’s reign was the unbridled violence that the Sri Lankan armed forces unleashed against the Sinhala youth, who rallied round the flag of the JVP. Sri Lankan writers refer to this period as Bhishana Samaya or days of terror. More Sinhalese youth were massacred during these two years than the total number of Tamils killed during the first three Eelam Wars. The two rivers of exquisite beauty in southern Sri Lanka – Kelaniya Ganga and Mahaweli Ganga – were clogged with dead bodies and foamed with blood.

During those horrible days of gross violation of human rights, a young SLFP member of Parliament escaped from the island and spent sleepless nights in the office of the UN Commission for Human Rights in Geneva. Two human rights activists – one a Sinhalese called Vasudeva Nayanakkara and second a Tamil, Tissainayagam, assisted him with excellent documentation of violation of human rights. The Sinhalese leader pleaded in vain for UN intervention for protection of human rights in Sri Lanka. That Sinhalese leader was none other than the present President of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa. Tissanayagam, his close comrade in arms, has been sentenced for two decades of rigorous imprisonment recently for alleged support to the Tigers.

Sri Lanka today is fast degenerating into a fascist state. The opposition has been silenced, those who dare to tell the truth are getting assassinated and the press has been muzzled. Today, the Tamils are at the receiving end but tomorrow it will be the turn of the Sinhalese. The poignant words of Pastor Niemoeller come to my mind:

In Germany, they first came for the Communists, And I did not speak up because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the Jews, And I did not speak up because I was not a Jew.

Then they came up for the trade unionists, & I did not speak up because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Catholics And I did not speak up because I was a Protestant.

Then they came up for me And by that time no one was left to speak up.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Formation of Bangladesh goes to the people of East Pakistan

The credit of the formation of Bangladesh goes to the people of East Pakistan, who fought and suffered to create a nation. India under Indira Gandhi’s guidance helped them in their fight for freedom. It is an adamantine fact of life that people create nations. This the people did on December 15, 1971, when East Pakistan became Bangladesh.

On December 15, 1972, she wrote to President Nixon (who had used obscene language against her). I shall quote the final paragraph of that memorable letter: “….. Be that as it may, it is my earnest and sincere hope that with all the knowledge and deep understanding of human affairs, you, as President of the United States and reflecting the will, the aspirations and idealism of the great American people, will at least let me know where precisely we have gone wrong before representatives or spokesmen deal with us with such harshness of language.” Richard Nixon did not reply.

In any survey of the best Prime Minister, she is in most cases named number one. Indira Gandhi was named the woman of the millennium. Was she infallible? No, she was not. She very much regretted the imposing of the Emergency. She permitted her younger son to cloud her judgment. The credit goes to her for lifting the Emergency and calling for elections, in which she and her younger son lost their seats. She was back in the saddle in less than three years.

Operation Bluestar was a grave blunder. It cost Indira Gandhi her life. In fairness, one must record that her specific instructions were flouted. “No damaging the Golden Temple” is what she had said. Nevertheless, the ultimate responsibility was hers. She apologised unequivocally but the damage had been done.

Speaking personally, Indira Gandhi inspired in me a lasting affection and respect verging on veneration. I owe her much more than I can put in adequate words. Probably more than I shall ever know.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Bt Brinjal - Poison on your plate

Lead Petitioner to the SC for a moratorium on GM crops

The decision by the GEAC on October 14 approving Bt brinjal for commercial release, unless reversed by the Centre, will go down as the blackest day in Indian history for its impact on India’s food security, health, farming and environment. We, who are well conversant with the details of the appraisal of the Mahyco-Monsanto safety dossier by four world renowned scientists (Seralini, Carman, Heinemann & Gurian-Sherman), shudder to imagine the extent of the disaster that will unfold. Seralini, of Crigen France, did major assessments for the EU of various Monsanto Bt corn products. These were subsequently banned for planting in most EU countries. He says that Mahyco’s own dossier of rat feeding studies shows worrying results both clinically and statistically, on various parameters of health, in the blood, in the cells and organs of animals being tested. Bt brinjal is toxic and its release must be forbidden. No long-term feeding studies for chronic toxicity have been conducted. The inescapable conclusion of these feeding studies of Mahyco is that they have been ‘engineered’ or designed to throw up ‘no significant differences’.

Doug Gurian-Sherman of the Union of Concerned Scientists, speaking on contamination from Gene Flow from Bt Brinjal to wild brinjal relatives and eating varieties, says no gene flow studies have been done: “The possibility of harm from gene flow has been widely recognised by many scientists. In the US, this recognition has been a major factor in regulatory action restricting the commercialisation of GE crops (including cotton) with wild relatives. India is a centre of domestication and diversity for brinjal and this adds additional concern. Several wild relatives of brinjal are found in India. Given the widespread concern about gene flow, it is remarkable that there is no assessment of possible harm from gene flow from Bt brinjal to wild brinjal relatives in India. Further, methods to prevent gene flow from crops to wild relatives currently do not exist. Gene flow from Bt brinjal to wild relatives, if commercialised, would therefore be virtually certain”, and this includes contamination of eating varieties. The absence of studies for gene flow must put an absolute bar on the approval of Bt brinjal.


Prof Jack Heinemann of the University of Canterbury, who assessed Mahyco’s molecular transformation methods is uncompromising in his critique of the safety dossier and asserts that Mahyco has failed at the first, elementary step of the safety study. “I have never seen less professionalism in the presentation and quality assurance of molecular data than in this study,” he says. He criticises Mahyco for using outdated studies, testing to below acceptable standards and for inappropriate and invalid test methods: “In my opinion, the studies would not be of sufficient standard to publish in any peer-reviewed journal much less to satisfy the scientific community that a proper molecular and microbiological characterisation of this genetically modified plant had been done”.

These are a damning indictment of Mahyco’s safety dossier and a greater indictment of the government regulator who now must be made to resign. This report of the expert committee, approving Bt brinjal, must be firmly put in the place it deserves, the trash bin. At the outset, the fact that our government accepts the principle that the company itself (Monsanto) should do its own safety testing on its own product and “trusts” them to do it, invalidates the safety dossier. It must be set aside. Is Mahyco-Monsanto expected to say that its Bt brinjal is toxic? The panel members were largely drawn from the regulators. Given the hurried manner in which the report was tabled, it is now absolutely necessary to investigate and probe what the hurry was for, among other matters. Given that any adverse consequence is irreversible, the regulators’ approval defies reason. So we need to ask how Monsanto has a ‘hot line’ with the regulators and is able to pressure them? Mahyco-Monsanto has been bragging that they will be commercialising their Bt brinjal in 2009. How could they be sure? More uncomfortable questions remain and we insist on answers. The issue is why has the blatant conflict of interest in the regulators been allowed to persist? And, what is it in the lives of this bunch of bureaucrats that allows them to be pressured by Monsanto and the ministry of agriculture that has been pushing for GM brinjal?

Unless these questions are answered, a massive fraud will continue to be committed on the people of this country, with unimaginable consequences. If only one in 1,000 of exposed people later gets ill, or has an underlying illness made worse, then over one million Indians would be ill and requiring treatment. This risks a social cost and a health scam of a magnitude that will chicken out every other scam in the country.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Writing’s on the wall

Is it true that during your school selection you were nearly discarded because of your short stature?

That was during the state school team selection. I went for trials and the chairman of the selection committee, Dr Thimmappaiaha, a medical doctor, was worried about my safety. I was rejected. Later on, when I was captain for the state team, Thimmappaiaha was the chairman of the selection committee. I once asked him casually whether I had been rejected because of my lack of inches. He told me, "Yeah, that’s true. I was really worried that you would be hit.” I was very lean and short. I can imagine his fatherly feelings towards all of us.

You hit a double hundred on your Ranji Trophy debut...

I scored 230 actually. With that I broke a record – 210 – that had stood for nearly 40 years. I was 18 and that innings boosted my confidence no end.

Within a year, Kanpur happened and you become an integral part of the Indian team.

Yes. But in the first innings I got out for a duck to Australian bowler Allan Connolly. I thought that was the end of my international cricket career. I wasn’t sure I would get a second chance. Back then, the pace of Test cricket was much slower than it is today. You have to play 90 overs in a day now whereas in those days there was no such stipulation. Sometimes a team would bowl only 60-70 overs in a day. Luckily I got a chance to play a second innings. I got a hundred on debut.


The Vishy square cut was magical. Was that a natural gift?

No, it was not. I worked hard throughout my career to master the stroke. In the end you can always say that it was a natural gift. But whatever strokes I played and perfected, it was the result of hard work. Playing against Chandra and Prasanna in the nets helped me hone my skills. Not only me, but every batsman in our state team got that rare opportunity to play against two world class spinners in the nets. Chandra, Prasanna and the other bowlers in our team would take bowling in the nets very seriously, setting imaginary fields. The batsmen benefited a great deal as a result.

Many regard your unbeaten 97 on a pace-friendly pitch against the West Indies in the 1974-75 Madras Test as the best-ever knock of your career. Do you agree?

I wouldn’t say it was the best. But naturally even now people rate it as my best. I think everything just clicked that day. The team was 6 down for 60 and I had to play with the tailenders. Naturally I went for my strokes. They came off. But I always feel that the knock of 137 in my debut Test was the best. Then 139 against West Indies in Calcutta – this was just before the Madras Test – was the best innings of my life. We won that Test match.

Both you and Sunil Gavaskar scored a hundred in the historic win against the West Indies in Port of Spain in 1976? How satisfying was that?

Scoring over 400 runs in the fourth innings of a Test match is no joke, especially against West Indies in West Indies. Sunny scored 102 and I scored 112 and we won the Test by 6 wickets. That was very satisfying. Getting a hundred in that type of situation is satisfying and winning is even more satisfying. Contributing to a victorious effort is far more rewarding than achieving an individual milestone.

I think the 1981 Melbourne Test was also a memorable one?

Absolutely, I scored a century and Kapil got five wickets in the second innings and we won that match. That was one of the most memorable wins we had.

The Sunny-Dennis Lillee spat also happened in the same Test. Why did Sunny lose his temper?

As he has himself said earlier, it all happened in the heat of the moment. I don’t think he liked it. It just happened. He was not among runs in that series. When he was really batting well, he was adjudged LBW. Frustration got the better of him. In protest, he sought to stage a walkout with his opening partner Chetan Chauhan. Our team manager, Wing Commander Durrani, went down and pacified Sunny and the match continued. We eventually won that Test match and levelled the series.

In the Golden Jubilee Test match against England in Mumbai, you disputed an umpiring decision…

No, there was no dispute. At a crucial stage of the match, the umpire erroneously declared Bob Taylor out. I took his permission to recall Taylor. Before that we all discussed the decision among ourselves and decided to recall the batsman. We lost that Test match. But I don’t have any regrets. I always feel that the game is above everything else.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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