Postnoon » P K Surendran

Wanted, a firewall against China

P K Surendran — Mon, 13 May 2013 08:44:44 +0000

There is a limit to tomfoolery, even in politics. I was, like millions of Indians, scouting for details about the eerie news of Chinese creeping into Ladakh across the Line of Actual Control last month. Not that there was much. What all I got was a miserable bit of piece that too official feed, as every media reported the same lines. Not even the overseas press corps that are often more enterprising and perceptive than local, had much to say, be it the BBC or the AFP. But then I was being naive, or, are our rulers naive?

When Chinese pitched tents in the Depsang Valley and stay put, Indian government made funny friendship noises. “It is a localised matter,” said our prime minister belittling it that outraged the country. And yet our ‘responsible (?)’ opposition too looked like pre-school kids in classroom. Only, Mulayam Singh Yadav (for whatever unsaid reasons), blasted the government and said China was Enemy No.1. He should know he was defence minister.

Here was an associated PTI report on how China, which said the crafty, greedy neighbour, keeps creeping into Indian territory gradually. Many drops make the ocean, they know.

“The area along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China has ‘shrunk’ over a period of time and India has lost ‘substantial’ land in the last two decades. The meeting was chaired by Commissioner (Leh) A K Sahu and attended, among others, by the 14 Corps Brigadier General Staff Brig Sarat Chand and Colonel Inderjit Singh.

The meeting noted: “It is clear and accepted that we are withdrawing from LAC and our area has shrunk over a period of time. This process is very slow but we have lost substantial amount of land in 20-25 years.”

While this was the actual state of affairs, what followed was a diplomatic pantomime.It was said by veteran military authorities in articles on social websites that a trade off has taken place for Chinese withdrawal, in which the Indian observation post overlooking Karakoram highway would be pulled out. But official stance kept its silence, or at best in its denial mode. We continued to hear conciliatory noises from Beijing saying India and China have no border disputes and China never intruded into Indian Territory. Probably it was only a dream? And New Delhi, as if on cue, quickly caught the strain and sang, India-China bhai bhai… Well, it was as if the old Hindi saying goes, “If Miya Bibi raji ho to kya karega kaji? What Salman Khurshid and Chinese premier forget is that India is not China and this country has a vibrant democracy and a vast media unlike the communist china and its iron-clad media policy. It is no good blaming media for mess-up. We have a right to know the truth.

The world knows China’s global ambitions. India should know what that country did to us all through the years. China had no qualms in preying on a fledging independent country in 1962 and overran hundreds of kilometres in Himalayan borders.

Now, the grand finale to the border drama. Our external affairs minister said the border incursion was taken up with China but the Dragon denied having even uttered a word on this. If borders are not safe, country is not safe. Our territorial right is too important to be left to the mandarins of Delhi office. Every Indian has a stake. We, the ordinary Indian tax payers want to know the truth. Are we undergoing the nightmare that any time the PLA can overrun us? Should we left wondering if the stupendous funds spent on Defence are only to stage a parade on the Republic Day? Nobody, repeat nobody, is advocating a conflagration.

But don’t we have the right to react if an avaricious neighbour creeps in?

Reporters’ diary: Renuka’s remedy worth a try

P K Surendran — Fri, 10 May 2013 07:08:15 +0000

The inimitable Renuka Chowdhary has done a world of good for the pub business when she batted for women, as she always does for matters on gender parity. Reacting to the reported directive of excise officials to turn women out of pubs after 10pm, she suggested that for a change men went home and women come out for a drink.

Now, her argument has got further teeth in the light of the revelation (Postnoon, May 9) by traffic police officers that no woman has been caught drunk driving since January this year. Even earlier, women getting caught amounted to less than five per cent. This is an eye-opener. Either women are smart not to get caught by the law or they, unlike men who drink

like fish, are cautious drinkers who know their limits. Whichever way one looks at it, it seems as if roads are safer if more women are out at night. Well, for a change, as Renuka suggested, why not seriously think of letting women out at night and discourage men from roaming around? Safety is after all the ultimate aim of policing, is it not?

Ban is a bad word

P K Surendran — Mon, 06 May 2013 08:42:05 +0000

All those issues connected with lifestyle and social mores are best left to be sorted out in cooperation with societal icons and social leaders. Banning them is undemocratic and ineffectual.

Political leaders and police must know this. Dowry, for instance, has been prevalent for nobody knows how long, and it is still prevalent though the female birth rate has come down and boys in several states are finding hard to get a match. The difficulty, as the knowledgeable will tell you, in containing dowry is because it is not just a case of bribery. It is a wealth-sharing formula which unfortunately has degraded to shameless trading. To prevent it with the threat of law is self-defeating. The primary difficulty arises from the fact that it is hard to define dowry. Like ‘Bandh’ reincarnated as ‘Hartal,’ dowry becomes a share for the girl child. “How will you prevent parents from giving their daughter a share of their wealth,” goes the argument.

A similar situation arises when the threat of ban is shown to women hopping bars or pubs. The recent fracas over women visiting pubs and an attempt to browbeat some bars and pubs by the police and excise stems from the boorish male view of superiority. No ban will work in a democracy because the very democratic ideals assure its citizens equality before law and gender parity in every shpere.

Ban is lazy policing

Ban is a lazy method of policing. When police prohibits something, they are taking a short cut to shirk their responsibility of safeguarding life and properties of the people they serve. Asking restaurants and pubs to close at 11p.m indeed engenders street vandalism and allow free play of anti-social elements. When roads are empty, unsocial elements fill them as nature hates vacuum. It is an open secret that police, by the very nature of their work, bring them in close contact with hardened criminals and get influenced by them. Policeman on patrol will think 10 times before taking a head-on collision with an unscrupulous element on the street. On the contrary if the streets are alive and night life vibrant, neither the unsocial elements nor the police would dare to indulge in rowdyism.

All good cops in India and abroad have opposed bans of any sort because ban only deepens social fissure. The general tendency to violate the law is deeply embedded in the human psyche. While all this does not mean a free-for-all, empowering police, encouraging good cops, and asking police to be on the side of the law-abiding citizens can go a long way in making a city safer for its citizens. Let us not order a ban on this or that at the drop of a hat.

Tailend: This happened many years ago. Those were the initial days of euphoria after the Kerala High Court banned smoking in public place. While the court put the onus of implementation on the government of the day, who else but the overburdened police were to implement it? It was a tough task. Asking a lover of Lady Nicotine to suddenly chuck her out of his life is impossible. I, a beau in the LN, was smoking on the sly in the shadow of a tree near a busy bus stand when I saw a burly policeman taking determined long strides towards me. A sudden chill passed through me. “He’s coming to pinch me,” I thought and in a hurry stamped a barely smoked cigarette that cost me five bob in those days. Imagine my chagrin when the cop came to me, took out a pack of cig and asked for the match box!

India-China conflict: Bullies don’t play by rulebook

P K Surendran — Fri, 03 May 2013 08:44:04 +0000

There is something wrong with our country’s collective psyche. It’s sickening. Neighbour after neighbour ill treats us and get away with it. The country’s ruling class, the Congress and its allies, make pitiable motions of protest, such as summoning the envoy and registering the protests!

No bully ever has gone by the rulebook. Show me one. Bullying essentially stems from the knowledge that the quarry is weak and has no scope of countering it. It is a canine psychology. If you run, the dog runs after you, dare it and it withdraws. What the ordinary citizen, who is also the tax payer, does not understand is the wisdom of maintaining a massive defence force, over a lakh in uniform and all the attending paraphernalia spending a massive fortunes of its resources. The question is, for what?

It all began in 1962 when a naive Jawaharlal Nehru government drafted poems and sang India-China bhai bhai. The dragon had a hearty laugh when it overran thousands of kilometres of Indian Territory and killed an unspecified number of Indian youths. It was the most heinous and the most disgraceful act any nation was called upon to bear.

Is it a coincidence that the same Nehru family rules the country today and the same treatment is meted out to the nation by the same enemies? While China is a larger country with greater resources, India has enough muscle and resources at least to protect its borders. Don’t we have?

Pardoning the enemy is a mistaken charity—learn something from Prithvi Raj Chauhan. Don’t we ever learn from history?

The way a headstrong puny country like Pakistan did to our parliament was the second most shameful act after the Chinese aggression. Would any country in the world allow its hallowed precincts to be attacked by a foreign mercenary and yet sit making noises of protests? And yet, this country swallowed its pride.

The latest is Sarabjit Singh. The man was subjected to untold sufferings devoid of any mercy and yet our governmental response was, “It is sad.”

Not reacting both militarily and diplomatically is a folly because no bully has ever read the Biblical parable of showing the other cheek. By now, India must know its biggest bully is not Pakistan but China. All actions from 1962 to Tibet and periodic incursions in Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh and constructing highway are all shiny examples of brazen bullying.

Blocking the dragon from varied ways besides military action should have been taken up. Chinese low quality goods are flooding Indian markets and they benefit from this. Why do we allow this? Every ordinary citizen is asking these questions and the government goes on making predictable noises. This won’t do.

Let us understand that death comes to the brave only once while the poltroon suffers deaths many times. Should we continue to sing, ‘Mere watan ke logon…’ after 50 years?

Reporter’s diary: Om Venkateswaraya Namaha

P K Surendran — Fri, 03 May 2013 08:40:51 +0000

The bard who said crown is thorn knew what he was talking. No chief minister of Andhra Pradesh was called upon to bear a bigger thorn than N Kiran Kumar Reddy. He presides over an out of shape Cabinet which is not his own.

He suffers a festering wound called Telangana which is not his making. He is accused of being “communal” by an ally and vows to finish him off. He has several rivals waiting to unseat him. He has to face the ire of a party born in the name of a former CM. And yet, wherever he turns he only sees sycophants who are just clouds that vanish any moment.

“Is there any wonder he chose to trust lord Venkateswara instead of human allies?” asks an admirer of Kiran. Kiran shed his locks at Tirupati in a thanksgiving for saving him from the “jackals,” says the fan.

Jaya Prada to join Congress?

P K Surendran — Wed, 01 May 2013 08:41:00 +0000

Politicians have begun scurrying about for safe seats and safer political platforms as the general elections are less than a year away.

The glamorous Jaya Prada who is currently shopping for a party that gives her a winnable seat is likely to land in the Congress camp, it is learnt.

Jaya’s meeting Congress prima donna Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi the other day is indicative of joining hands with the Congress as she was unable to wrest an assurance from the TRS on Rajamudhry seat which she is keen on. Jaya is currently MP of Rampur, UP. It is reported that Sonia has almost agreed to field her from Anakapalli in Visakhapatnam against YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s closest ally, Sabbam Hari. Jaya had sought Rajamudhry seat but Sonia did not have the heart to disturb incumbent Arun Kumar who was close to the Nehru family.

The only trouble is that Hari has strong roots in Vizag and upstaging him is a heavy job. However, Jaya Prada is said to have expressed her readiness.

Sabbam Hari was a follower of the late Chief Minister Dr. Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. After YSR’s death, he remained loyal to Jagan. He has been expressing loyalty to Jagan and criticising the Congress. Though still a Congressman, the party is not keen to keep him and he is likely to contest as the YSR Congress candidate in the 2014 elections.

Jaya Pradha was also toying with the idea of joining the BJP but her supporters pointed out it was a risky affair in Andhra Pradesh as the party does not have roots. It is also rumoured that her mentor Amar Singh had advised her to join a national party, not a regional one. The choice was therefore between the Congress and the BJP. Singh believes that the NDA will come back to power this time. But the Lotus is not blooming in AP is the reason for not going in for the party.

With the election less than a year away, politically ambitious have already begun the scramble for safe seats. “Finding a safe seat is the biggest challenge for any political leader,” remarked an ex MP. The second challenge is to decide which is the winning party in 2014. As of now, despite the blows UPA suffered, it and the NDA have chances.

TDP’s walkathon euphoria fails to nip desertion

P K Surendran — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:43:41 +0000

TDP continues to lose its senior leaders and many cadres though it generated a glow of confidence after Naidu’s record-breaking padayatra.

While the Telugu Desham Party is still basking in the euphoria generated after its chief’s successful padayatra covering 2800 kilometres, the party seems to be unable to prevent senior leaders from jumping fence.

Many of the party’s leaders are worried at the prospects of it losing for a third time and fading into oblivion. “Chandrababu Naidu did a fine job of covering most parts of the state on foot but the party is yet to get rejuvenated,” remarked a MLC. Consequently, the party is witnessing desertion of seniors as Naidu’s charisma fails to cast a spell on them as before.

The latest in the news is Dadi Veerabhadra Rao who acted efficiently as the opposition leader in the Legislative council and the other is former minister Kadiyam Srihari. What sparked speculations of these leaders weighing options is their glaring absence at the public meeting of Chandrababu Naidu at Visakhapatnam on the conclusion of his padayatra.

Kadiyam Srihari has reportedly been unhappy about Naidu’s stance on Telangana and has been away from party activities since a pretty long period. This prompted other leaders in the party to attack him.

Avalanche of desertion

It is learnt that Kadiyam made up his mind to join the TRS. The Karimnagar TDP MLA Gangula Kamalakar has already joined the TRS. It is learnt that former minister P Chandrasekhar is also planning to join the pink brigade. While Pocharam Srinivasa Reddy already joined the TRS, Telangana leaders Venugopala Chary, Jogu Ramanna, Nagam Janardana Reddy and Hariswar Reddy had come out of the TDP.

Dadi’s aides point out that their leader was unhappy with the way he was denied re-nomination to the legislative council. He was hurt that Naidu had not even formally informed him about not being nominated to the council. He is learnt to be hobnobbing with the YSRCP for his own political career.

Major absentees

Your past could lose you a job

P K Surendran — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 08:41:17 +0000

Similar to the character verification by defence forces, corporates begin background checks on employees.

In the wake of the horrendous rape case in Delhi and national outrage, nearly 52 per cent of companies in different sectors have woken up to the need of carrying out background verification of their new and existing employees, a survey conducted by the Social Development Foundation (ASDF) of Assocham found.

A large number of corporates, in and around Delhi, have already started verifying their existing and prospective employees at all levels based on the responses received from human resource officials representing more than 1,500 small, medium and large businesses. Companies in Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Pune, Dehradun, Kochi are following suit.

The survey mainly focused on broad sectors such as BPO, IT/ITes, financial and other services, construction, real estate, hospitality, tourism, FMCG and infrastructure, media & advertising, manufacturing and textiles, logistics, transport operators, etc.

Over 50 per cent of the HR officials of various companies are now cross-checking every detail of job applicants, mainly in the construction, catering, exporters, event management, merchandising, hospitality, Medicare, logistic, housekeeping, and security.

HR risk to be minimised

“Companies are fast realising the benefit of background checks of prospective employees or risk hurting their brand image in a fraud case. Screening of job candidates at all levels, and even vendors and contract staff is preferred. Previous employment details, academic and professional certificates, identity, criminal records, and credit risk, among other information are checked thoroughly for authenticity and veracity, adds the survey.

While releasing the survey D S Rawat, Secretary General Assocham said, background checks by specialists adds a big ‘preventive’ dimension which could greatly cut the risk of engaging with the ‘wrong’ people.

The Assocham advocated the need for verification which must be enhanced so that the anti-social elements are weeded out. The employee verification process includes finding out the genuineness of work experience, educational documents and whether the candidate has any criminal record or not.

Corporates are becoming more careful and cautious when recruiting junior, middle and senior level employees, the survey finds.

The survey says many companies haven’t done any form of background check before hiring people mainly at junior levels.

Nearly 25 per cent of the companies that can’t do the process are outsourcing it to specialised agencies which cross-check every detail of the applicant.

Rawat said for jobs involving working with children, or in healthcare, criminal record check is mandatory, and also suggested an appropriate legislation for the entire country.

“Background checks conducted by specialist screening companies can more likely provide information of any history of misrepresentation, or crime by individuals seeking jobs. Even a small incident of misrepresentation may be sufficient in predicting the larger threat ahead,” a survey official said. Companies are cooperating on verification. Police records are scanned and a lot more is being done to prevent suspicious characters from entering service.

Security consciousness has to be a ‘movement’, born from a collective sense of responsibility, so that it can filter out people with poor credentials or wrong intentions, and show that crime does not pay, highlights the survey.

Steps to be taken

Character verification made mandatory
Checking on certificates from educational institutions.
In future, checking to be linked with Aadhaar details
Those involved in police case to be dropped or prosecuted
Companies to operate a network to weed out shady elements

Reporters’ Diary: Everyone should help AP

P K Surendran — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 06:31:59 +0000

No State suffers as many problems as Andhra Pradesh does. This big State that has a large stake in any government that comes in Delhi faces numerous problems — from acute power paucity to political turmoil and cessation demands. But that the State has not done harm or created a large-scale problem for the country is forgotten by the successive dispensation in the Delhi Durbar. This was the basis of a massive political shift under the charismatic leadership of the late NTR in the 1980’s.

Many in the State and in the City believe that the government of Andhra Pradesh ought to get its due in the form of Central aid, gas allocation for power generation and a studied decision on Telangana so that the State that once fed the country can get back on its journey to prosperity. This is no maudlin sentiments; it is a need of the times without a political label.

Indian political lexicon

P K Surendran — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 08:42:14 +0000

This edition of the India political lexicon, first in India, comes in response to constant demand for a concise dictionary of Indian election terms, words and phrases.

This year being the stepping stone to the stage for 2014 arena, students of history and Indian sociology need to update their knowledge of various terminology, accents and nuances of Indian democracy and its practioners: our netas. It’s a quick-ready reckoner, not a detailed examination of words and their roots like a traditional dictionary. Advanced students must refer to the OD, CD.

Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram: The phrase refers to trapeze artists in the Great Indian Political Circus who swing and jump from camp to camp for material benefits. They should not be confused with circus artists who are professionals. Antonym: Sticky Ram: who never leaves a party because he is not in demand.

Aam Aadmi: Not to be confused with Mango people. Aam Admi means an imaginary representative figure of Indian proletariat. The Congress has appropriated this character and others too swear by him, but without success. The rationale of Congress existence is aam aadmi but he never exists for the party in reality. Antonym: Hamara Aadmi: This refers to the widely practised policy of Indian politicos where this label is given to the favoured.

Andha Kanoon: Refers to the law that is moot. By usage it means the law used against one is andha while used against my his rival is acha kanoon. Most popular usage: Law will take its own course, meaning the law will take my course. Antonym: jaagte kanoon which refers to vigilant law which exists in theory, not in practice.

Arree: Exclamation, often derogatory. Slang. It means many things like you stupid, look here, oh man. It depends on the taste and context of usage. Oxford Dictionary found it the most often used Indian ejaculation. Antonym: Ye, in Hindi the suffix ye adds reverence to the subject eg: aayiye, please come, jayiye, please go.

Yeh Dil Mange More: This slogan originally coined by a softdrink co. is now meant for politicians’ avarice. It means he/she is yet not satiated with the black wealth earned, but wants more.

Antonym: Tyag, give up, renounce, (outdated, no longer in daily use).

Baap ka Raj: (derog) rival parties’ favourite phrase when lashing out at opponents saying it is not their family reign but democracy. Frequently used today in mass communication. Antonym: Garib ka Raj, means nobody’s raj and the speaker is only a subject, not ruler.

Mota Maal: Big money. To be qualified for this term, the scandal should be of the order of `1 lakh crore or more. Frequently used in UPA rule. Antonym: Chota maal, refers to lakhs upto `1 Crore, widely used terminology today in Indian politics where tariff for various works are available unwritten every sphere of public works.

Goonda Raj: Once used to mean a rowdy/rascal running the show, but today means rule of politicians. Derogatoriness of the phrase has waned off from wide usage. Antonym: Moonga Raj, rule by the dumb which is considered worse than Goonda Raj

(To be continued next Monday)

Tailend

Disclaimer: Neither the author nor the paper nor any individual is responsible for the dictionary as it evolved in the Indian democratic practices over the years. If anyone, it is the aam aadmi who is to be held for errors as he is always accused for all ills of the country.

Reporters’ Diary: Emergency was ‘collector’s’ dream’

P K Surendran — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 08:50:48 +0000

Wikileaks brings the following AP news of the Emergency days. “The district collector in Warangal said that he and his colleagues elsewhere considered the Emergency ‘a collector’s dream’. He said previously his major problem was interference by politicos of the Congress, and now he is largely free of that.

He explained how a Congress MLA had tried to obtain the transfer of a tehsildar who had uncovered tampering with land records to escape the Land Ceiling Act. (The then) Chief Minister Vengala Rao finally intervened to support the district collector and prevented the transfer of the official.

The district collector for Warangal explained that 19,000 declarations of land holdings had been filed in the district, of which 17,000 had been processed. However, the remaining 2,000 were the returns of big landlords whom the collector appeared somewhat reluctant to confront. December 1976 was the target for completion of the review of confidential reports.”

What a revelation! It only confirms that except for police excesses, Emergency was what the doctor ordered for India.

Sailajanath’s sartorial summons & I

P K Surendran — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 08:50:13 +0000

Does the dress of teachers have impact on students? To my knowledge nobody has conducted a study or survey in this regard in India. But the AP school education minister S Sailajanath’s directive to the government schools makes one believe it does.

The minister ought to be lauded for two things. He emphasised that the dress of teachers should be appropriate to the profession and he barred them carrying mobile phones to classes. “In a 50-minute period, a teacher spoke for about 30 minutes on mobile phone without conducting the class,” the minister said recalling a past experience. Millions of parents whose kids study in public school would thankfully remember him for this much-needed bar on the obnoxious habit of Indians carrying on endless talks on phone, mostly trivial matters.

He has a seemingly valid reason for putting fetters on a sartorial restriction. The dress code orders said teachers would have to be dressed to school “appropriate to the profession”. It bans teachers from being dressed in “.Accordingly, the “glittering and glamorous dress” materials worn by teachers were disturbing the concentration of students. Jean pants, 8 pocket/4pocket pants, T-shirts, round neck T-shirts, flip-flop shoes etc are out.

Saree is a symbol of female fetters But I differ with minister on favouring saree to jeans. Maybe one could argue that jeans or pants is un-Indian. But then our conduct in public has been quite un-Indian in most instances. Saree, little doubt, is an elegant dress that gives a tall and slim woman a sexy look. For formal occasions saree may look well but for working women, it adds to the misery. Ask any woman, how much time it takes to wrap the six-yard thing around the body properly. It takes 30 minutes to 1 hour to the lesser experts. And, pardon sisters, doesn’t the saree give glimpses of the wearer’s belly when she turns? Doesn’t that’disturb’ the students?

Saree, again, is a symbol of thraldom. Saree wraps the woman up, symbolically it is binding her with little leeway to freedom in movement. Could you imagine a sari-clad woman running? Disrobing a woman is easy if she is in saree. No surprise saree is a favourite dress for heroines liable to be raped in the next scene.

Compared with saree, jeans, or pants promises women freedom and equality. Pantaloon reduces the differences in look between a boy and a girl. But a saree gives a woman a distinct look. Even churidar is a comfortable dress material for working woman.

The ‘disturbing’ theory gets another beating. These teachers deal with the newest generation who are surrounded by the ultra modern image throughout their day—around, at home, on television, on Net. Why should a jean-clad teacher ‘disturb’ the students?

As for male teachers, it only bans flashy jeans and emblazoned T-shirts with risqué messages screaming across the chest or back. And, I am one with the minister on this count. At least for teachers wearing T-shirts with loony messages such as “I am buffalo fighter,” “Kiss me,” or “Terrier bull” lends the wearer an amorous aura that does not befit a teacher.

Dress is worn for elegance and comfort. Wearing bizarre outfits is for showbiz, not for a noble profession like teaching. But, for working women, I vote against the saree for the following reasons: it ties a woman up, it exhibits body parts, it restricts movement, and wearing it is time-consuming.

Tailend

So, here is the slogan with apology to Karl Marx: Women of India unite. You have nothing to lose but your saree!

Chiranjeevi’s comments angers Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy

P K Surendran — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 08:40:28 +0000

The CM is reportedly unhappy with his party colleague who has been openly slamming him on the power tariff hike.

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and the man allegedly after his post, actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi are at loggerheads, sources say. Chiranjeevi’s recent actions, which many say is aimed at projecting himself as an alternative leader in the State, has apparently left the chief minister angry and sad.

Kiran — who has off late had to tackle numerous issues like criminal cases against his Cabinet colleagues, PCC chief taking potshots at him and the attacks by the Opposition — was perturbed when his party colleague Chiranjeevi openly criticised him for raising power tariff. Such steps, the megastar argued, will lead to the government’s fall in the election year.

“Chiranjeevi is a sincere man who has not been polluted by the chicanery of party politics. He has upbraided many chief ministers when they brought bad name to tourism,” defended his aide when told of Kiran’s anger against the minister.

Underlying the issue, say political observers, is the fact that there is still animosity between the erstwhile PRP and the Congress. Even after the PRP merged with the Congress, Chiranjeevi’s supporters are yet to reconcile to the ‘Congress culture.’ The superstar’s cut-outs are missing at Congress events and once PCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana had even scolded Chiru’s supporters for hailing him throughout the events. They were asked instead to hail Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

It is learnt that the chief minister had angrily thrown away a letter that Chiranjeevi sent him through minister Ghanta Srinivasa Rao on the power problem. It was claimed that Kiran was angered by Chiranjeevi’s attitude and was unhappy that his ‘rival’ was talking about the power tariff hike in the open. “He is not the only saviour of the poor,” Kiran is reported to have said.

The CM told his close confidants that if Chiru had anything to say, he should say it at party or personal meetings and not in press conferences.

Naidu will end up with blister on foot says Chiranjeevi

P K Surendran — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 08:50:30 +0000

Padayatras and rathyatras are passé; work alone matters, says Chiranjeevi.

Celluloid badshah and Union minister for tourism, Chiranjeevi, has some advice for TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu: Better end the padayatra and take care of your health. “You will achieve nothing but severe leg pain and breathlessness, and not political power through your ‘Vastunna Meekosam’ Padayatra,” he was quoted as saying.

Chiranjeevi made the uncharitable remark at an official function yesterday. According to Chiranjeevi, no political power will come from the padayatras and rathyatras, which are a thing of the past. Only substantial works and public image will get one through, he opined.

The minister also did not spare YSR Congress chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. He said the sentiment Jagan had been cashing in on had run out now; ‘People can’t be fooled forever,’ is the dictum that has stood the test of time.

But the TDP and the YSRC ridiculed the minister for being churlish. A TDP spokesman said Chiranjeevi was living in a fool’s paradise. “He is not in touch with reality,” remarked a party leader.

YSRC leadership said result, not talks, alone mattered. The next General Election will prove with whom the people are, it said. However, defenders of Chiranjeevi, his erstwhile colleagues, were quick to come to the aid of their leader, saying he did in three months for the State what these leaders could not do in a lifetime.

Reporters’ diary: They too serve who beg and give

P K Surendran — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 08:50:29 +0000

This reporter stumbled on the great economic activity of alms seekers. They are the main source of small-change which is in high demand by merchants. All shops and markets face a shortage of coins and there exists a flourishing coin market which gives change on commission.

Small shop owners say that they pay between `15 to `20 for every `100 which they must make up in their business. Of course, they would somehow pass it on to unwary customers, but they must pay initially.

Now, alms seekers are the ready source of coins and they too — hold your breath — found out that coins come on a premium… and why not? So alms

seekers seem to have come to a unanimous stance that they should have no qualms demanding their cut for the coins they supply, and demand `110 to `115 for every `100!

A tea stall owner on Jubilee Hills Road No. 36 says his regular supplier of coins, an aged alms seeker, demands `15 for every `100 and a cup of tea free! The provision shop nearby vouchsafed that he gives `15 commission. Wow! Some business, this!

Reporters’ diary: Superlady’s stunt

P K Surendran — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 08:50:25 +0000

The ‘lady superstar’ of South India and MP, Vijayashanti, is currently shopping for a party that will give her the Medak ticket. She is not particular about the colour of the flag, though. Nor is she restrained by labels like ‘secular’ ‘communal’, which are meant for lesser mortals. The leading lady of the silverscreen knows a few stunts to silence those making noise among these lines. The latest news is that she has had a tiff with ‘panther’ KCR, who told her to choose some place other than Medak because he has reserved it for himself. Well, to hell with it, she seems to have said and is learnt to have sent feelers to the lotus camp which is said to be keen as it is eyeing the Telangana pie, and anyone with a promising prospect is welcome.

GHMC gasses citizens

P K Surendran — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 08:50:20 +0000

Few care that thousands of residents of Kukatpally find it difficult to breath fresh air following callous open burning of garbage.

While GHMC corporators go around the country ‘studying’ varied civic actions, at home people are suffering from the callous handling of solid waste. Residents in Kukatpally have been inhaling poisonous gases due to the constant burning of garbage collected in an open plot that apparently belongs to the GHMC.

A one-acre plot next to Metro Mall is being used as an illegal dumping yard. What has shocked residents is that the GHMC itself is violating rules by dumping garbage and burning it in the open. This process, which takes place around the clock, has put a hazardous haze that scientific authorities say is a deadly gas. Dioxin produced from burning plastic is the deadliest of all, says a global health agency.

“The PCB had promised action. GHMC officials said burning is banned and it will impose a fine of `200 on anybody found doing so. But nothing is being seriously pursued. It is a sad state of affairs; we are killing ourselves and our children,” bemoaned environmentalist and motivational speaker Jayaprakash Nambaru. He also pointed out that MSW (municipal solid waste) rules strictly prohibit the open burning of waste.

Nambaru says after segregation, garbage should be put into controlled incineration where the waste is burnt at 1,000 degrees Celsius and the residue is used for various purposes. This practice is observed everywhere in the world, but not in India. He added that residents, who are now unable to breath, fear asphyxiation and the GHMC and government are solely responsible for their misery.

Disquiet once more in Congress camp

P K Surendran — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 08:57:52 +0000

With 18 MLAs jumping ship to YSR Congress and two more billed to follow, can the ruling party only rely on TDP’s support to retain power?

Will the recent Congress win of No Confidence Motion at the Assembly prove a pyrrhic victory? Recent flux in the State’s politicalscape reveals that the Congress can’t rest on its laurels as dangers lurk in the corners to jump upon it.

The statement of senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Palvai Govardhan Reddy a few days back that there is no danger to the Congress government in Andhra Pradesh even if 20 more MLAs leave the party and join the YSR Congress because the TDP will not allow the government to fall has stirred a wild bee-nest.

His stance has created much consternation in the Congress camp and has pumped adrenalin through YSRC’s veins. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s party, which has off late been suffering a cramp, has suddenly got a new surge of energy, political sources point out.

The Cabinet reshuffle on the cards is only going to aggravate the situation as “every MLA expects to be a minister and every minister aspires to be chief minister,” remarks an APCC secretary. Now, the question being asked by Congress leaders is if 20 MLAs are ready to jump ship to YSRC before the polls, or is this just talk? Few would be surprised if this happens because as of now 18 MLAs — nine each of Congress and TDP — are billed to join the Jagan bandwagon while two more are on the verge of doing the same.

Meanwhile, causing further discomfort to the Congress, jailed minister Mopidevi Venkataramana is said to have exhausted his patience and has resolved to join the YSRC. The Congress and the TDP — the worst sufferers of political volatility in the State for the past two years — find themselves in the same boat and therefore have developed a camaraderie.

But the TDP will have to aggressively follow anti-Centre policies if it wants to be reckoned with in the next elections as it was built on the anti-Congress plank. Complicating matters further, PCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana is in a rebellious mood after Rahul Gandhi insisted on all ministers giving up more than one party post.

All eyes are on CM Kiran Kumar Reddy who will be at Delhi Durbar to present a case for a new team. Telangana Congress leaders are expected to be placated before the elections.

Insomnia affects State parties

P K Surendran — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 08:50:12 +0000

It is a harrowing time for all parties, particularly those out of power, as 2013 is going to be the decisive year which will prepare the ground for building the next Delhi Durbar. Every party that once ruled either the State or the Centre looks longingly back to the time they did well.

The political grab for Andhra Pradesh has already begun. While the Congress, which notched up an impressive tally of 31 of 42, knows well that it cannot do an encore of 2009, wants nevertheless to pull out, by hook or by crook, as many seats to upset its possible loss in its northern belt.

The Opposition is in a deeper mess. The parties opposed to the Congress are, in fact, more eager to improve their bargaining power in the 16th Lok Sabha. This is the only State down south where the Hand rules. Only, the situation is much more complicated in 2013-14 than it was in 1999 or even 2009. Now, barring the Congress, all other parties are busy trying to solemnise various marriages of convenience.

BJP

The party, though inconsequential in the State, has a chance in the Delhi Durbar next year. And it desperately wants to repeat its magic of 1999, when it carved out seven Lok Sabha seats from AP. The party’s only hope is the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and its only fertile soil is Telangana. If the party could at least bag five of the 17 Lok Sabha seats, it would consider itself greatly lucky, their leaders admit in private. Nagam Janardhan Reddy, who led the party to success in 1999, is likely to lead the party this time as well, with the fond hope of re-creating the golden time of ’99. What dampens the party is the TRS ambition to claim as much cake to push for a separate state.

TDP

It is the party which the whole of India looked to in the days of 1998-99, when the Vajpayee government’s fate depended on a word from N Chandrababu Naidu. Whether from outside or inside, TDP was the oxygen for NDA. With 29 seats, the TDP proved the maker of Delhi Durbar. Today, reduced to six in 2009, the party is nowhere. It could still have pulled out something if the NDA was ruling. But now, the party of Telugu Gaurav wants to seriously consider swinging to the opposite side of the spectrum — the MIM — which has grandiose visions of itself in the next Parliament. But the MIM’s dalliance with the YSRC (which, being a rebel challenge, has few fetters) is dissuading the TDP from forging such a tie-up. And yet, it does want to have a local prop-up since it is experiencing erosion in its leadership. But damned if it knows where to look.

MIM, YSRC

Both parties find it mutually advantageous to go together. MIM could help the YSRC in Hyderabad which, in fact, it has already done. The YSRC could reciprocate in Rayalaseema. But the YSRC is unable to help MIM in its stronghold — Telangana — where it is no force. Again, the MIM is not too sure of the YSRC’s future position. The party, born of the Congress, could vanish one day either into whence it came or remain a partner in power. In both instances, the MIM will find itself on the mat. The electoral camaraderie will work locally but not at Parliament level, it is argued.

While all are lunging for alliances, none is easy, and therefore, the political acharyas are locked in labs, trying various chemical combinations that could work.

Sorry for the interruption

P K Surendran — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 08:41:10 +0000

This is no April Fool stuff. The following news may appear in media (including Postnoon) in 2043, “Hyderabad city, India, plunged into darkness following a shutdown in its Lunar plant that powered the City of 16 million. The Global off-Earth Mining Corporation said a technical snag hitting the supply module between the Earth and the Moon had resulted in the disruption of lunar mineral supplies that feed the City’s power plants.”

Scary? Amusing? Atrocious? All of them and much more. The biped’s techno-space race is billed to make Earth-Moon traffic a normal matter and heavy not too a distant future. The current report is that a self-sustaining mechanised colony that mines and exports resources from the Moon could be a reality within a generation. Last month talks were held how big mining technology and space could be harnessed to make use of minerals in Mars and Moon. It is remote controlled mining that is being thought of.

Star wars is no sci-fi anymore. Next war would be fought between countries in space (if mankind has not been annihilated by its own folly by then). Some 100 countries have ratified the outer space treaty. And, the documents give lofty ideals like benefit of the mankind, Forsooth! Don’t I know better?

There are attempts to perpetuate human race by space sowing—taking the human seed to other celestial bodies. I suspect this could be true because it is said that Venus and Mars were once flourishing planets. It could be Man who made them barren with his handiwork. Now, he is earnestly making attempts to turn Earth too to another Venus and escape to some other planets to try his perilous schemes there.

Amazing man, agreed

This animal weighing a negligible 60 kg with a1.5 kg grey matter is indeed a demi-god, for his mastery over machines has been stupendous. Much, much more remains to be done, if he is allowed to do, that is. But his history does not instil confidence in any.

We are no engaged in re-enacting the Big Bang (the origin of the world). That Big Bang itself is controversial does not deter him. Man has also made his replica and experimented with producing Centaur (animals have already been made in lab). We are on to far reaching consequence on family system itself. We will no more require man or woman to bring out a baby. Lab will do it and professional parents will rear them. You can roam free.

This is not to run down the scientific man. But human history and man’s behaviour do not inspire confidence in any, least of all in fellow humans. He is the busybody of the cosmos and as long as he remains an interfering influence, there is little hope.

Tailend

Every dark cloud has a silver lining, they say. Now in this tech-man scenario my friend who knew my thoughts once told me to look at the silver line. There won’t be any more case of hubby blaming wife of delivering someone else’s baby. Blame will go to the lab and technology mess up. Well, this would be a true women’s lib when she will finally set herself free from the eternal blame she carries. Well, well, well!

Reporter’s diary: Kiran bucks predictions

P K Surendran — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 08:50:36 +0000

Defying all predictions of star gazers, N Kiran Kumar Reddy, is steadily going strong with little hint of stumbling midway. It is amusing to recall how a majority of the astrologers had predicted troubles for him quoting astro-formations at the time of his oath taking.

“Patience exhausted, Kiran Kumar Reddy will be eased out, to take in the man who will be leading the State to 2014 general elections,” predicted one. “The celestial formation at the time of the Oath taking ceremony of the new Chief Minister for Andhra Pradesh Sri Kiran Kumar Reddy indicates a troublesome period for a successful ruling, if survived he will have full term till the Apr-2013(Sic!),” said another. “He will not cross 2012,” another brazenly declared.

All indications point to the contrary. He has withstood the Telangana assault. Lost bypolls, true, but has won the cooperative elections and is poised to reap good harvests in the local body elections. If he does as well in the local body elections as he did in the cooperative polls, he is on a firm wicket.

Be that as it may, it is bemusing to read Tim Jones’s take on Zodiac Virgo. Here it goes: “The biggest schemer under the Sun… politics is not a good profession for Virgo… Virgoan smiles with brilliantly clean teeth which would do credit to a horse… And, in whose company Kiran is? Confucius, Richard Gere, Agatha Christie, Elizabeth I, Jackson, DH Lawrence….

Reporter’s diary: Family under attack?

P K Surendran — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 08:40:15 +0000

Going by the speed at which the young these days file for a divorce in the City, one wonders if the institution of family is withering. If discerning sociologists are to be believed, the family institution as we find today are indeed under great stress with the onward march of the technical man. Today, the transience in job and everything else we know in societal life leaves the traditional family too beaten. People still do not have an answer to the alternative. But if that perspicacious writer Alvin Toffler is to be believed, we are moving on to a fast family life where many experiments are on the anvil. Some of them unbelievable like serial marriage and mobile family. It may happen in our children’s time.

Mantra of subtle blitzkrieg

P K Surendran — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 08:50:22 +0000

Advertisers are betting on innovative methods and increased focus on new media to sustain growth.

Giving the lie to the general cry of sliding ad in media, the global trend shows a rebound in advertisement spending in 2012. Only, the traditional media like print, television, radio will have to share the cake with new subtle methods of ads like promotional material on blogs, product placement, and interactive advertising on social media, reports Worldwatch Institute.

Global expenditures on advertising grew 3.3 percent in 2012 to $497.3 billion, a gradual rebound since the sudden 9.6 percent drop in 2009 as a result of the global economic downturn. Spending has responded to shifts in popular media with Internet advertising the fastest-growing sector in 2012, now accounting for 18 per cent of the total, according to Worldwatch Institute’s Vital Signs service.

US advertising expenditures grew by 4.3 per cent in 2012 and are still nearly a third of the global total. The Asia Pacific region accounted for the fastest growth, however, with ad spending there increasing by 7.9 per cent in 2012 (excluding Japan, which grew by 3.1 per cent). Expenditures fell by 2.2 per cent in Western Europe, the only region to see a decline, largely due to the ongoing Eurozone crisis.

The growth in spending on Internet ads has been driven by the expansion of social media and online video advertising. Mobile and social media now account for more than half of all advertising revenue in the United States, for example, having increased by more than 30 per cent in both 2011 and 2012.

“As consumers grow overexposed to advertising, traditional forms such as television commercials, print advertising, and billboards are becoming less effective,” said Shakuntala Makhijani, the study’s author. “As a result, advertisers are turning to more subtle techniques, such as promotional material on blogs, product placement, and interactive advertising on social media such as Facebook and Twitter. The distinction between advertising and media content is therefore increasingly blurred.”

The impacts of advertising and consumerism on all aspects of society and culture are well documented. Advertising targeted at children is particularly penetrating and influential, defining their identity as consumers from an early age and interfering with normal childhood development.

Evidence has shown that children are experiencing increased physical, emotional, and social harm as a result of consumerism through advertising.

US consumer advocates continue to call for limits on the extent and influence of advertising, especially in environments such as health clinics and public spaces as well as advertising specifically targeted at children. In particular, advertising in public schools has gained force in recent years and has infiltrated nearly all aspects of student life.

Advertisers have also focused more resources recently on “green” advertising aimed at attracting consumers with claims of improved environmental impact by tapping into growing public interest in sustainability and the environment. The number of new products marketed with environmental claims each year in the United States grew from around 100 in 2004 to over 1,500 in 2009.

Due to increasing false claims by advertisers about product sustainability, the US Federal Trade Commission established updated Green Guides in 2012 that will allow the agency to take enforcement action against deceptive environmental marketing. The guidelines discourage the use of general and unsubstantiated terms such as “eco-friendly” and include strong guidelines for use of terms such as “biodegradable” and “recyclable.”

While regulatory controls on false advertising such as the Green Guides are a positive development, true sustainability will ultimately require less material consumption and therefore stronger overall limits on advertising to stem its global growth and increasing presence in everyday life.

Outlook for India

Television: Projected to command half of the entertainment pie by 2015 as it is estimated to grow at a robust 14.5% cumulatively over the next five years, from an estimated `306.5 billion in 2010 to `602.5 billion by 2015.

Film: Projected to grow at a CAGR of 9.3% over the next five years, reaching `136.5 billion in 2015 from the present `87.5 billion in 2010.

Print media: Projected to grow by 9.6% over the period 2011-15, reaching Rs. 282 billion in 2015 from the present Rs. 178.7 billion in 2010.

Radio: Projected to grow at a CAGR of 19.2% over 2011-15, reaching `26 billion in 2015 from `10.8 billion in 2010.

Music: Projected to grow at a CAGR of 17.6% over 2011-15, reaching `21.4 billion in 2015 from `9.5 billion in 2010.

Internet advertising: Projected to grow by 25.5% over the next five years and reach `24 billion in 2015 from `7.7 billion in 2010.

Highlights

Newspaper advertising has declined significantly, dropping from nearly a third of all expenditures in 2002 to less than a fifth in 2012.
The expansion of television’s share of global advertising has levelled off after decades of growth: it rose from 36 per cent to 40 per cent of advertising expenditures between 2000 and 2012.
Global product placement expenditures are increasing rapidly, reaching $8.2 billion in 2012, with the United States accounting for more than half of the market worldwide.
Retail companies account for nearly one fifth of total advertising spending, followed closely by the automobile industry in the United States.
New media grows at 15-18 per cent.

Telangana Congress gear up for a grand show

P K Surendran — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 09:00:57 +0000

Stage seems to be in the making for a political upsurge on Telangana issue if it is not resolved by June. This would also be the right time to strike as the general elections will be a few months away.

It is learnt that this time it will not be the TRS but the Congress leaders who will put pressure on the leadership as they have high stakes in the region. “We will not go with the TRS. We will toe our line and remain with the Congress. But we will not assume any party position or responsibility,” remarked a worried T-Congress MLA. He says the leaders have nothing to plead before people this time.

It is learnt that pressure is on Central minister Jaipal Reddy who is already vexed at his unceremonious shifting from the petroleum ministry for not toeing a big corporate line. He is said to be gathering opinion from various leaders of the region. They wanted him to take the leadership but he is said to be reluctant pleading delicate health.

Another leader who is likely to assume the Congress protest procession for T will be Jana Reddy. He too is waiting for the opportune time. All the Congress MPs and MLAs have to quit the party in protest for T if they want to contest and hope for the best.

But the Centre is unable to come to terms with the concept of separate Telangana state. Too many issues have complicated it. The stance of the Rayalaseema and Seemandhra is only one. TRS’ unwillingness to dissolve after the T state is granted is another. People’s reported lack of interests in statehood is the third. Congress party leaders including the governor ESL Narasimhan have ascertained popular views on the statehood and found that people are not as eager for a statehood as the TRS leaders appear to be. This gives the Congress hopes.

Should wives be paid?

P K Surendran — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 08:39:51 +0000

Behind every successful woman, there is a man. Well, let me be a man for a feminist view of economy. I am intrigued about what happened to the once-raging view of payment to housewives for their precious services like maintaining home, doing household chores, baby sitting and making food.

While there exists some danger of the smart among them tagging TV-viewing along with the rest of the ‘productive works’ there exists a genuine argument for counting their services to the Gross Domestic Products (GDP) of a nation.

While discussing about empowering women, this crucial issue is not taken up. This shows the Indian wives are still led by their ‘patidev’ and in-laws (who often perform like outlaws).

Those not in favour of this stance argue like this: GDP is a measure of the total final goods and services produced in a period. The unpaid labour is known as household production in economic terms. Since no money changes hands, technically there is no financial value that contributes towards the economy. Also, as GDP is used to assess the growth and performance of economies, the data must be accurate. It is difficult to reliably measure household production.

Well, if the lack of a measuring unit is what is pulling the feminine economy back, then let us pay them. How will you assess their services can be quickly solved. Count the number of heads at home and assign a minimum wage per head. Multiply the number of heads with minimum wage. That’s it!

Those in support of this argue like this. We do estimate and count imputed rent in owner-occupied dwellings, so clearly “estimating and adding in” is a viable option. We could do “imputed lawn care”. It’d be as easy to estimate as rent, since there are plenty of comparable paid lawn care instances to base the estimates on.

What of the hubby?

Well, a wit points out (I suspect he is arguing his own case) what of those obedient husbands who do most of household chores and take care of the children beside earning bread for the family (lucky wives!). Well, this remains a ticklish problem for the economists to tackle, I presume.

What of the thieves?

If labour, whether legal or illegal, is all to be counted toward GDP, what of the ‘honest’ thieves’ works? Honest and thieves? Yeah, those who sweat and work hard, you know. Well, this could be termed a non-production since law does not recognises it. But if the All India Thieves’ Union presses for it, political leaders, who are not very different from union members, could work out the case.

If wives are paid, much of the atrocities today we hear about being committed on wives by husbands and in-laws could be prevented. Besides, better economic justice and redistribution of wealth, this would also give every housewife a sense of being productive. Let the just political parties (if there is one) include this in their manifesto 2014 and reap the feminine votes.

Tailend

Unknown to the public, Dr K Ramdas Vaidyan, an Ayurveda physician lived in Kozhikode of Kerala (he’s dead, bless his soul) had practised what pundits still debate. Without much ado, he deposited `200 (in the early 80’s) in his wife’s account every month and also made one FD in her name, the interest of which will give her a small pension when she attains the age of 60. Well, could you, all the sandwich munching feminists of the world beat this? Instead of talking, he did. We can verify this by searching for his address in Kozhikode because he was a man of wit and nerve in his days and he had made headlines when he organised an ‘ugly contest’ where the ugliest is given a trophy to mock at the beauty contest!

Reporter’s diary: A forgotten virtue

P K Surendran — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 09:13:31 +0000

A few decades ago the reporter had seen that in many cities, rich people, especially businessmen, keeping drinking water pots outside their homes or at busy junctions during summer for the benefit of the passers-by. Many also used to keep earthen water jars and vessels for the sake of the beasts and birds. This great charity seems to have been forgotten today. The reporter captured such a humanitarian act of this dying virtue on Road No 18 Jubilee Hills. May their tribe increase.

World water day: The drop of life is drying out

P K Surendran — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 08:41:28 +0000

It’s time humanity paid a price. The greed man has shown in amassing resources without regard for the environment is leading to a situation where we will be fighting the next world war for water. Here is the warning.

Some 1.2 billion people — almost a fifth of the world — live in areas of water scarcity, while another 1.6 billion face what can be called economic water shortage. The situation is only expected to worsen with population growth, climate change, investment and management shortfalls, and inefficient use of existing resources restrict the amount of water available to people, according to Worldwatch Institute. It is estimated that by 2025, 1.8 billion people will live in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity, with almost half of the world living in conditions of water stress.

Water scarcity has several definitions. Physical scarcity occurs when there is not enough water to meet demand; its symptoms include severe environmental degradation, declining groundwater, and unequal water distribution. Economic water scarcity occurs when there is a lack of investment and proper management to meet the demand of people who do not have the financial means to use existing water sources; the symptoms in this case normally include poor infrastructure. Large parts of Africa suffer from economic water scarcity.

World population is predicted to grow from 7 billion to 9.1 billion by 2050, putting a strain on water resources to meet increased food, energy, and industrial demands. But there are many other pressures, including increased urbanisation and overconsumption, lack of proper management, and the looming threat of climate change. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and UN Water, global water use has been growing at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century.

India scene

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has struck a warning note on India’s water situation. He told a gathering of scholars recently in the capital that with 17 per cent of the world’s population, India only possesses four per cent of the world’s water supply.

Singh made the remark during the opening address at India Water Week, a four-day event bringing together water researchers and policymakers from around the world. He stressed the need to conserve groundwater, on which more than two-thirds of the country depends for its water.

Global scene

At the global level, 70 per cent of water withdrawals are for the agricultural sector, 11 per cent are to meet municipal demands, and 19 per cent are for industrial needs. These numbers, however, are distorted by the few countries that have very high water withdrawals, such as China, India, and the United States.

Agricultural water withdrawal accounts for 44 per cent of total water withdrawal among members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), but this rises to more than 60 per cent within the eight OECD countries that rely heavily on irrigated agriculture. In the four transitional economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China, agriculture accounts for 74 per cent of water withdrawals, but this ranges from 20 per cent in Russia to 87 per cent in India.

Policymakers must introduce a variety of measures to address global water scarcity. One important initiative is to support small-scale farmers. Much of the public investment in agricultural water management has focused on large-scale irrigation systems. Farmers can also use water more efficiently by taking a number of steps, including growing a diverse array of crops suited to local conditions and adopting irrigation systems like “drip” lines that deliver water directly to plants’ roots.

Climate change will affect global water resources. Reduction in river runoff are expected in the Mediterranean basin and in the semi-arid areas of the Americas, Australia, and southern Africa, affecting water availability in regions that are already water-stressed. In Asia, the large areas of irrigated land that rely on snowmelt and high mountain glaciers for water will be affected by changes in runoff patterns, while highly populated deltas are at risk from a combination of reduced inflows, increased salinity, and rising sea levels. And rising temperatures will translate into increased crop water demand everywhere.

To combat the effects of climate change, efforts must be made to follow an integrated water resource management approach on a global scale. This involves water management that recognises the holistic nature of the water cycle and the importance of managing trade-offs within it, that emphasises the importance of effective institutions, and that is inherently adaptive.

Highlights

A region is said to face water scarcity when supplies fall below 1,000 cubic meters per person, and absolute water scarcity is when supplies drop below 500 cubic meters a year.
About 66 per cent of Africa is arid or semiarid, and more than 300 million people in sub-Saharan Africa currently live on less than 1,000 cubic meters of water resources per person.
According to UN Water, each person in North America and Europe (excluding former Soviet Union countries) consumes at least 3 cubic meters per day of virtual water in imported food, compared with 1.4 cubic meters per day in Asia and 1.1 cubic meters per day in Africa.

Cooperative measures

Each year, World Water Day, held on March 22, highlights an aspect of freshwater. In 2013, in reflection of the International Year of Water Cooperation, the day is also dedicated to the theme of cooperation around water and is coordinated by UNESCO in collaboration with UNECE and UNDESA.

How happy are we?

P K Surendran — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 08:58:59 +0000

Insatiability, a human characteristic, is more a bane than a boon. Look how greed continues to destroy man’s symbiotic relationship with nature and how crimes proliferate the never-ending effort to appropriate resources which he does not require. No animal other than man amasses wealth or cheats fellow beings or exploits the other sex.

Consequence of all this insatiability is gloom — the absence of contentment. When one is not happy with what one has he/she will be unhappy. But lately, under the influence of Bhutanese theory, the world has been experimenting with happiness linked to material world. While happiness is basically a condition of mind, material condition such as poverty, squalor, cleanliness, good education, peaceful atmosphere, all make or mar happiness which is now being professed as capable of being quantified. Of course, critics denounce this and say it is a romantic stance, not practicable.

It is presupposed that when you have a home of your own, your happiness quotient is a specific number. When you are seriously sick the reverse is true. Therefore, the country’s policy should be (for argument’s sake) make good affordable homes and ensure least number of sick people.

One thing is sure. The world has increasingly accepted that happiness is the real aim of a welfare society, not Gross Domestic Product. To gain a level of collective happiness, therefore, one must strive to achieve sustainable economy.

Segment II

In 2012, the United Nations (UN) declared March 20 to be observed as the International Day of Happiness. But could we be happy only one day? No, it is just to remind ourselves that happiness is the real goal of human life. It calls upon countries to approach public policies in ways that improve people’s well being.

By designating a special day for happiness, the UN aims to focus world attention on the idea that economic growth must be inclusive, equitable, and balanced, such that it promotes sustainable development, and alleviates poverty. Additionally the UN acknowledges that in order to attain global happiness, economic development must be accompanied by social and environmental well being.

Background

The idea came from the mountain kingdom, Bhutan way back in the early 70s. The Himalayan Kingdom has championed an alternative measure of national and societal prosperity, called the Gross National Happiness Index (GNH). The GNH rejects the sole use of economic and material wealth as an indicator of development, and adopts a holistic outlook, where spiritual well being of citizens is given as much importance as their material well being.

“I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.”

― Groucho Marx

Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.”

― Ernest Hemingway

Happiness is when you don’t strive to be happy

—Unknown

“Sadness gives depth. Happiness gives height. Sadness gives roots. Happiness gives branches. Happiness is like a tree going into the sky, and sadness is like the roots going down into the womb of the earth. Both are needed.

―Osho

“The purpose of government is to enable the people of a nation to live in safety and happiness. Government exists for the interests of the governed, not for the governors.”

― Thomas Jefferson

Happiness lies in giving, not taking.

―unknown

Be happy. Best revenge. Nothing drives people crazier than someone have a good f…..g life!

―Chuck Palahniuk

What they said of happiness

Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.

―Oscar Wilde

Nobody really cares if you’re miserable, so you might as well be happy.

―Cynthia Nelms

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.

―Mahatma Gandhi

“For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.”

― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Many people think that if they were only in some other place, or had some other job, they would be happy. Well, that is doubtful. So get as much happiness out of what you are doing as you can and don’t put off being happy until some future date.

―Dale Carnegie

A person will be just about as happy as they make up their minds to be.

―Abraham Lincoln

The trend of naming places after leaders need to stop now

P K Surendran — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 08:43:23 +0000

A while ago I pointed out what a wasteful pastime we indulge in erecting statues and busts across the length and breadth of the country. Millions of rupees, space and time are wasted on this futile exercise. Now, there is a corollary to this pestilence—naming public places after leaders present and past.

Time was when we had an accepted norm of raising a memorial much after the personality in question is dead. No longer. Now, our Netas are so impatient that they raise memorials even when their object of veneration is alive. Going by this penchant for naming any public utility after leaders, one observes that Dr B R Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi, and Jawaharlal Nehru followed by Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi are the largest ‘property owners’ in India. Numerous are the parks, roads, buildings, institutions, airports named after them. It is said that we consider such irksome acts as signs of ‘patriotism.’ Far from it. Is it not a cruel joke to the father of the nation to name everything under the sun after him while he had proclaimed that his life is his message? What he wanted us to do was to live an honest life as he did, and we now indulge in bribery using the same notes that carry his image! In fact, “Gandhi’ has become the measuring unit of greasing palm where the babu points out the number of ‘Gandhi’ for the work to be done. Accordingly two Gandhi means a 1,000 and three, 1,500!

I don’t understand why there is not a national law against the renaming spree. Names of places are heritage handed down to generations over centuries. We should not allow some political clowns to use them as tools for exhibiting their fawning.

AP in the forefront

While the naming pestilence is a national scourge, Andhra Pradesh is ahead of others. It is here even districts are renamed overnight after some leader or the other who died recently. Of institutions and roads and other public places facing this nuisance, there is no count. If there were a real patriotic fervour, it would have been tolerable but most of these worthies who are play this game happen to be the Congress leaders. Don’t we have patriots in other parties?

Now the elections are nearing, the scourge is more likely to become acute. We already hear the noise from Karnataka where a union minister has suggested setting up a university in memory of Tipu Sultan. We will see similar clamour elsewhere. Vote bank politics will ensure that we are not spared in any sphere. Time may come even our homes will have to be named after one leader or the other by the diktat of the party in power. Only problem would be when the Opposition comes to power, you will have to call the painter back and ask him to rename the home after the dear leaders of the government of the day. Not bad, for it assures a livelihood to painters.

Tailend

True leaders live in the hearts of the people. No amount of naming roads and buildings will endear leaders to their people. This is evident from many instances but one glaring example is the spurt of name Subhas and Bose. While Bose is a Bengali surname, people of Kerala have taken to it with gusto. There you will see Malayali Boses and Chakravartis in droves. Let there be such spontaneous patriotism rather than tokenism thrust on people. By far, Subhas Chandra Bose and Swami Vivekananda, happen to be the most endearing and inspiring leaders to all generations sans caste or creed.

Consumers continue to be taken for granted in India

P K Surendran — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 08:40:42 +0000

Most customers in India felt taken for granted by providers of services like telecom, electricity and education than merchandise goods, shows an Assocham survey.

The consumer in India is not king but servant for producers. Their supercilious attitude toward their customers surprises foreigners who are used to consumer rights.

Majority of Indian consumers polled by Assocham on World Consumer Day (March 15) said they were often taken for granted, mostly by providers of services like telecom, electricity, toll roads and education, rather than merchandise goods.

The survey, conducted among 2,500 consumers across 10 major cities, threw up some useful points relating to the response time of service providers, lack of immediate relief and redress by regulators and poor follow-up by the companies providing services. The poll was done among the age group of 18-65 and the services included insurance, pensions, mutual funds and monthly income schemes of different financial intermediaries.

They included college students, young professionals, blue-collar factory workers, housewives and senior citizens. The coverage not only included the services offered by the private sector companies but also the government organs and bodies like municipal corporations, banks, insurance companies and power utilities.

“The most common complaint against the providers of the government services was the apathy of the staff, no redress at the senior level and lack of automation. The worst performers in terms of consumer satisfaction among the government departments were the transport licensing authorities, house tax payments, property transactions and electricity connections and billings,” reveals DS Rawat, secretary-general, Assocham.

The private sector, thanks to information technology applications, fared far better in the areas of mobile telephony, credit cards and in some cases, electricity (where it has been privatised). But the main problems, even in the private sector, pertained to over-billings, no follow-up, over-promising by the sales staff and delays in installations and commissioning.

“While automation has helped and the call centres are of some help, the consumers’ calls are kept on hold and they are made to press one button or the other — for language synchronisation or service matching,” reveals the Assocham report.

Cities covered

Delhi
Mumbai
Chennai
Kolkata
Hyderabad
Bengaluru
Ahmedabad
Pune
Chandigarh
Lucknow

The worst problem among the private sector service providers is the lack of connect between the regulators and the consumers, who do not really know who to approach about their complaints. “Besides, the procedures are complicated… Secondly, several of the regulators are kind of quasi-judicial bodies; the consumers fear that they have to go through the court proceedings with involvement of level help,” the report found.

As far as the consumer forums of the state governments and the consumer courts are concerned, the problems are that of delays and costs.

Troubling trends

Lofty claims, often false, unfulfilled warranty, unsolicited advertisements on mobile and e-mail are the most often quoted misuse of consumer rights by service providers and manufacturers. They often escape the law by squeezing a lot of provisions in fine print which no consumer has time or expertise to understand.

In the area of toll roads, the users feel that they are charged tolls but the quality of the roads is not up to the mark, and in several cases, motorists end up paying toll even for the roads which are under construction.

“Over-crowding at the toll gates is a major irritant and the service providers have got themselves a bad name from the motorists,” the survey across all the cities showed.

Unfortunately, there was a trust deficit in the mind of consumers even for the regulators. For instance, several of them posed this question why the telecom regulator has not been able to crack the whip on unsolicited phone calls and SMSes. Likewise, the complaints against the companies offering medical insurance have not been fully addressed, leaving a lot of mistrust.

The problem in the education sector is that no single authority has been named since it is a state subject. “Mushrooming of universities pose a different problem. Earlier, if a student has an issue, he/she could approach a university. Now, virtually each college is a university itself. All kinds of false promises are made to students in terms of placement prospects and the delivery is not there. The consumer in the education sector is paying the most,” the Assocham report found.

As for merchandise, the grievances related to over-promising and sub-standard service of the products. The report states that a lot of work needs to be done at the state government level. “We at Assocham would like to work with them; after all, the industry has a stake in the consumer,” said Rawat.