Change of Reign in Uttarakhand: Khanduri Sworn in as Chief Minister

Major General Bhuvan Chander Khanduri (retired) has been sworn in as the sixth Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, replacing Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, who was dumped by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) high command, which is desperately looking to refurbish the party’s image for the forthcoming Assembly elections in the state.
Reason Behind Exit of Nishank
The departure of Nishank as the state’s chief minister of poll-bound Uttarakhand is a reminder that in politics, timing is everything, as is perception. It was primarily because of timing that the writer-turned-politician was shown the door so swiftly by the BJP. With Assembly elections just months away, the party thought a last-minute image makeover could turn the tide in its favor. Also, at a time when it is planning an all-out offensive against the UPA over corruption, the BJP felt Nishank could become a baggage, burdened as he is with an image of inefficiency amid allegations about corruption in his government.
Possibility of Midterm Polls
Senior BJP leader L K Advani is set to roll out his rath to take on the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) over corruption. The party hopes to build a nationwide movement amid a perception, right or wrong, that a midterm general election cannot be ruled out, and as such it cannot afford skeletons in its closet.
In the Uttarakhand BJP, known for infighting, many battles were fought between B C Khanduri and Bhagat Singh Koshiyari before Nishank took over -- ironically from Khanduri who has succeeded him now -- following the rout in the Lok Sabha elections. The two stalwarts have since buried the hatchet and joined hands in getting Nishank out of the way.
The 53-year-old debutant chief minister's style of functioning had led to many complaints. As for the allegations of corruption around his government, these range from irregularities in the award of hydroelectric power projects -- 56 of them had to scrapped after an uproar and resulted in a huge loss -- to a controversy over the change of the pattern of land use by a pharmaceutical company. There are, however, no allegations of corruption against Nishank specifically.
In the award of hydel projects, the allegation was that those who secured the contracts were not technically qualified and did not meet the terms and conditions. There were instances of some of them having allegedly furnished false addresses. Allegations of corruption also flew over Citurgia Biochemicals allegedly changing a land use pattern to facilitate a housing project.
"It is not just the issue of irregularities in award of hydro-electric projects. We have been alleging that there was misuse of funds allocated for organizing the Kumbh Mela and provided for disaster relief. Everybody knows about the land scam too," said T P S Rawat, who last month resigned from the BJP to float a regional outfit. Rawat said he had written to BJP chief Nitin Gadkari and Advani a year ago drawing their attention to corruption.
Nishank was called to Delhi several times and asked to work overtime to change the perceptions around him and the negative mood against the government. One complaint was that he had cornered most of the key portfolios. Nishank was directed to give up most of those and mend fences with Khanduri and Koshiyari, who wanted a person with an unblemished record at the helm.
The winds started blowing harder against Nishank about two months ago after Gadkari asked Rajnath Singh, aided by general secretary Dharmendra Pradhan, was sent to oversee election preparations in Uttarakhand. The feedback the two got was followed by a detailed survey. Sources said the findings were disappointing. The survey predicted "we would not fare well in the elections", a leader said.
The image of the BJP and the Nishank government had hit a low. He was inefficient, a Central leader said. Then there was the perception of corruption at all levels of government. "The common man had to pay a bribe at every walk of life. This is a reality," a party leader admitted.
Antyodaya Vikas Yatra
Yet Nishank, who has found support from Rajnath Singh and senior leader Arun Jaitley, as well as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, was confident. He had begun his campaign, launching his Antyodaya Vikas Yatra -- the third phase of which had begun just days ago. Amid all this came the exit of Rawat, an ex-servicemen who started attracting a large number of his supporters to his newly formed party.
When this was accompanied by speculation that Khanduri could follow suit, it forced the party to sit up and take notice. The party, which had already shown B S Yeddyurappa the door, acted at a time when Advani was set to start his yatra and Congress leaders were referring to Uttarakhand whenever the BJP attacked the UPA over corruption.
It is said that a change of guard would work in the party's favor, both at the national and at the state level.

Anna Hazare's Movement Against Corruption

This second phase of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government is getting tough. Old issues started opening up soon after the beginning of the second phase. The BJP obstructed the winter session of Parliament. Budget session could continue because MP's had to draw their salaries. The cacophony of corruption to some extent got subdued by Manmohan Singh's cricket diplomacy. But since 5 April, social activist Anna Hazare set on fast-unto-death at the Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, crusading against corruption. Veteran activist Anna Hazare ended his 97-hour hunger strike on 9 April morning after the gazette notification constituting a joint committee for drafting the Lokpal Bill, printed at 0200, was handed over to him. Belonging to a small village of Maharashtra, Hazare has warned the union government to amend the draft bill relating to corruption.

Provision in Lokpal Bil

The draft bill says that the Lokpal (bill to prevent corruption) cannot function independently and cannot initiate probe at his own. He can dispose of cases referred to him by the Lok Sabha (Lower house of Parliament) and the Rajya Sabha (Upper house of Parliament) leaders pertaining to corruption and cannot impact on others.

It is also an irony that the recommendation of the Lokpal may not necessarily be accepted. Lokpal does not have powers to lodge First Information Report (FIR) for initiating investigation against the accused. Simply, the Lokpal can initiate investigation against MP's, ministers and even the prime minister but not against government officials. Whereas, the fact is that corruption moves on with active connivance of officials and politicians.

Another defect of the draft bill is that the prime minister's actions pertaining to defense, internal security, and foreign policies will be outside the ambit of Lokpal. History is evident that most scams take place in defense deals. It is amazing that the blackout has been done at a place where transparency is most required.

According to the Lokpal Bill, its members will come from retired judges and persons approved by selection panels. It gives room for suspicion that the government will fill up the office of Lokpal with people of its choice. On contrary, Hazare demands representation of people from the civil society to detect and address each aspect of corruption. The government denies any such instance where people outside Parliament have been involved in legislative work.

Demand of Situation

Since the country's independence, many big scams have taken place, but insignificant people were caught and the big fish went scot-free. For this, the government has lost the confidence of people in it. That is why in a split of seconds, Hazare's movement is being supported by the common men, intellectuals, industrialists, and other prominent personalities, even film stars.

In the past, no such movement was seen where people rose above the level of sections and groups.Corruption has become a trend in a country and common citizens are a tool for ransom in the hands of politicians. The country got a Messiah in the form of Hazare. The government should wake up and respond to the call of revolution.

State of Hong Kong Economy

Hong Kong Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah pointed out that the main reason why Hong could maintain its present economic status and maintain relatively low corruption rate was because Hong Kong has adopted a small-sized government and low tax policy in ruling this special economic district of China.

He said Hong Kong has a population of 7 million, but the civil servants, including teachers, street cleaners, etc., only accounted for 0.16 million or about 3 percent of the population.

GNP on Public Spending
"Hong Kong thinks that by managing a small-sized government in the public domain, expenditure can be maintained at a level that is below 20 percent of GNP (Gross National Product) while the remaining 80 percent can be handed over to the private sector. This is because the private sector has more manpower and talents and can come out with smart decision that can help to promote economic growth."

Hong Kong Financial Secretary said this in response to a question posed by a participant asking his suggestion of how Hong Kong could help Malaysia achieving the anti-corruption goal and in the elimination of business-government connection culture.

The talk by Tsang Chun-wah was held in conjunction with his official visit to Malaysia. It was jointly organized by the Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce, Malaysian Chinese Chamber of Commerce and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office based in Singapore.

Country's Personal Income Tax
Tsang Chun-wah said that Hong Kong's tax system was simple and its taxation was relatively low. For personal income tax, it was not more than 15 percent and for business profit tax it was only levied at 16.5 percent.

However, the low tax system of Hong Kong has also led people to think that Hong Kong is a heaven to escape tax. However, this is an unfair assessment of Hong Kong. Fortunately, Hong Kong did not face deficit problems in the past few years. As such it can maintain its healthy economic situation.

President Obama Visits Afghanistan

Coming as it does eight years after the invasion on Afghanistan, US President Barack Obama's secret tour reflects the state of warfare there. Even after the lapse of eight years if the US President cannot openly visit Afghanistan, then what is the outcome of the war? It is obviously the security factor behind the secret tour. It is due to the apprehension of a possible Taliban attack that Afghan President Hamid Karzai was intimated about Obama's visit just an hour in advance.

After meeting North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces General and the US envoy in Kabul, Obama called on Karzai. By the time news about Obama's visit emanated, he was already on his return journey.

Objective of Tour
As per news reports, the objective of Obama's whirlwind tour was to hold a direct meeting with Karzai and the NATO General. The news reports say that the main issues that came up for consideration at the meeting with Karzai was the rampant corruption in Afghanistan, ineffective judicial system and inefficient administration in that country. While the strategic significance of the meeting will be a subject of debate for many days ahead, yet certain points have emerged in a clear manner. The first and foremost point is that Obama attaches not much importance to Karzai. Although Karzai has become Afghan President with US patronage, yet the fact remains that it was the US compulsion. He has failed to rein in corruption and enhance his credibility.

The United States, currently trying to explore solution of the Afghan problem through elimination of corruption and strengthening of the judicial system, patronized corruption, the chief instance of which is the elections.

Talks With Taliban
The US dilemma over Afghanistan has become a mystery now. On one hand, the strength of the US forces is being increased and on the other, it is rearing to retreat from that country. News reports from various sources have also been emanating to the effect that the United States is willing to hold talks with the Taliban at some or the other level. During his just concluded visit, Obama spoke in terms of reconciliation with various sides.

Recently, the NATO forces General apologized for the killings of innocent people. During the NATO offensive, 21 innocent people were killed. The apology that was tendered to justify his credibility manifests that he is not receiving the requisite support for his offensive.

Winning of People's Confidence
The principles that were underlined at the time of the offensive were not strictly adhered to during the actual operation. The United States declared that one of its major motives was to eliminate smuggling.

In recent days, the United States had linked the permission of poppy cultivation in Afghanistan with the winning of the confidence of the people in that country. The chief concern at the time of the grant of this permission was to what impression would be created on the US public when they will observe photographs of the US troops, moving around in the vicinity of poppy fields?

Afghanistan's Future
In the circumstances, the people of this region were duly concerned about Afghanistan's future. If the United States quits that country, then what turn will the situation take? At this juncture, it seems that the claims of democracy, security and human values have been put into cold storage in order to justify the war in Afghanistan.

Now, the United States is in a hurry to shy off the deteriorating conditions. Have the human apprehensions not increased in the wake of the US-led NATO forces war against Afghanistan? How can the United States escape from the responsibility of these apprehensions?

Afghan Government Fails To Check Corruption, Restore Peace

It is amazing that after their eight years in Afghanistan, the international community does not realize whether Hamid Karzai and his government, in fact, have the capacity to check corruption in the country or not. In fact, they fail to understand whether Karzai and his government can check corruption in a situation that corruption is started, strengthened and supported by this government itself.

Now, conditions President Barack Obama has put forward to President Karzai, which are to ensure good governance, eliminate corruption, check narcotics trafficking, restore peace, and bring the criminals to trial, seem to be a plot to deceive people. All, particularly the United States, knows that all people in the Karzai government, right from Karzai himself to a district chief, are supporting corruption rather than controlling and checking the same.

They know that introduction of reforms is out of the power of this government in many ways:
1. Corruption in Government
Corruption in the Afghan Government is no more limited to persons. It is now among the families. The brothers, sons, daughters, wives, and even near relatives of all those having power through slots in the government are involved in corruption. Therefore, it is now impossible to check corruption on personal level. Now, even checking corruption on the level of families seems to be something impossible.

2. Fair Cabinet
The formation of a fair cabinet is impossible because before the presidential election, the portfolios in the Afghan Government had been distributed among thieves, robbers, murderers and war lords who are having strong links in the government, and who act like levers around whom the entire government is revolving. Karzai is not having his ministers and his own nominated governor because the portfolios were distributed among groups with the force of guns. Karzai, therefore, cannot reshuffle the whole cabinet to reorganize it as a good cabinet. Even if he forms a new cabinet in a way that half of it is formed on the basis of his pledges during elections and the remaining half of it comprises new and technocratic people, even then, honest people would not prefer to work in such a cabinet having people of different and opposite mentalities. And even if the honest people work in such a cabinet, they will do it with a great difficulty. It is so because the Afghan Government has now been converted to a field of Buz Kashi (an Afghan game, in which horse-riders drag dead goat) by those forces, who were organized by the intelligence agencies of other countries. And good people are routed in this field of the game. No one who is having an ideology, who loves his country and people and who is having honesty and belief, will ever want to be a part of such a government.

3. Checking Narcotics Trafficking
Checking of narcotics trafficking has actually got out of the government's control. Family members and friends of the top tier of the authorities in the government are involved in narcotics trafficking. And no one can check them because the control of the current government is in the hands of a strong narcotics mafia. Hence, it is impossible to bring an end to narcotics trafficking in the country. It is a mere excuse to say that the Taliban are generating finances from narcotics trafficking. Narcotics are transported via long routes in Afghanistan. The narcotics traffickers cross the areas where the Taliban have no control. The Taliban may take benefits from narcotics in the areas under their control. But at the moment, all the highways and big cities are under the control of the government. Then, who are carrying narcotics to the Taliban and who are purchasing drugs from them? If the international community is not blind, it should "kindly" see banglows in Sherpur Forte. Most of these houses belong to the top officials in the present government. Can a minister, an adviser or a governor get such a huge amount through fair means? This very fact is a proof that the center of narcotics trafficking is inside the present government itself and not outside the same. All groups of narcotics traffickers that were out of the government or that were having a weaker lobby in the Afghan Government are in the prisons. Go and see how many officials of the government or the persons they have hired for the transportation of narcotics are in prisons for the crime of narcotics trafficking?

4. Restoring Security
Restoration and maintenance of security in the country will be a dream until the government is completely reshuffled, because it is the government itself that is responsible for deteriorating law and order situation. Security situation in the country is not in a position now, in which a corrupt government is having the power to disarm a force like the Taliban, who carry out their activities even in the heart of Kabul and who are having the control of many areas in the country. Worsening of the security situation is related to the Taliban. A larger part of it is related to the government itself. It is the government that has made the people upset, that has made corruption to rule the country and has empowered the robbers to rule. The government has created disunity among the people; it has imposed hunger and unemployment on people; it has deceived the country through false pledges, an example of which was seen during the presidential elections.

5. Problems With Karzai

The international community is having some problems with Karzai. Whether they tell lies or truth, but they have put people in troubles. The international community is having problems, first with Karzai and his family, that is, his brothers. Moreover, it is having troubles with his governmental corruption. Then, it is having troubles with corruption in government, narcotics trafficking and last, with insecurity. Solution to these problems and control of the persons involved in these is out of the control of the Karzai government. So, if Obama has not gained enough experience and if he has not come to know about the weakness of Karzai and his weak and corrupt group, it will be an extreme inexperience on the part of President Obama to give another test to Karzai for the next six months. And everyone knows that Karzai will never succeed in this test, because he could not succeed in this regard when there was complete peace in the country. Now, correcting the situation is like a dream, because on one hand, security situation is worsening with the passage of every single day, on the other, corruption has been increasing.

6. National Reconciliation
In the history of Afghanistan, direct reconciliation by coming face to face meeting of adverse groups for the first time has never taken place, particularly when the groups have been at enmity for such a long time and have killed thousands of people from each other. It has always been the responsibility of a third party to reconcile them, to take decisions for them and to guarantee peace and reconciliation between them. That is why the reconciliation under the leadership of the present government has no chances of success at all. And the country is also not playing any part in this process, because Karzai is not having a suitable plan. Moreover, now the Taliban also call themselves strong and they do not accept reconciliation easily.
7. Trial of the Criminals
This is also impossible because the campaigners of Karzai were all those who were criminals and whose hands were stained with the blood of the Afghans and who got, and are still getting, financial support from Karzai. Without these criminals, Karzai is not having any role or if he is having a role without them, it is very minor. Otherwise, he would not have committed such a vast rigging in his election.

Karzai mainly depended on those criminals in his election. So, in this case, if he is bringing the criminals to justice, he should first bring his supporters to justice. And this is something out of Karzai's power to do.

This lazy and hypocritical politics has some results:
1. The United States wants to have a weak and corrupt government in Afghanistan that is also involved in drug trafficking. Perhaps the United States wants such a government in Afghanistan, and is supporting and retaining it to prepare a way for sending more troops to Afghanistan and to make an excuse for its forces to stay there and shorten the time for its long-term strategy in the region. This action on their part will arouse the feelings of the neighbors of Afghanistan and will provide them with an excuse to carry out terrorist activities in the country through their paid people.

2. It is also possible that the current war has become a burden on the United States and its allies, and they are in search of finding an excuse to quit Afghanistan. But withdrawal from Afghanistan on the basis of such an excuse will be considered as a defeat on the part of the United States, as it was considered a defeat on the part of the Soviet Union in past. This withdrawal will also bring another problem to the surface, which will have a negative impact not only on Afghanistan but on the whole world.

For the solution of this problem, both the Afghans and the international community should find a way that no more are the Afghans or the international community troubled for the sack of a small and corrupt group. Obama's six-month plan is not beneficial for the Afghans and international community. In addition to a time wasting and deceiving process, this problem needs a decisive action, which is to introduce the third mechanism.

ICG Report on Pakistan

The International Crisis Group (ICG) has issued a news report, a piece of information or line that the Pakistan Army can again take over the government. The group has emphasized on bringing reforms in the corrupt bureaucracy and said that if the rumors and anger created by political elements and corrupt bureaucracy were not handled, the Army can find justification to occupy the government.

Corruption in Bureaucracy
The group has particularly targeted the Pakistani bureaucracy and suggested that the bureaucracy should be brought in the sphere of accountability. The dangers being faced by the government are due to inadequate salaries, political interference and corruption without any proper accountability in the civil bureaucracy. Samina Ahmed claims that such reasons provide the Army an opportunity to interfere in the democratic process.
The International Crisis Group has warned by releasing this information that the Army would get a justification for capture the power. Every year the group issues reports on various occasions, but this time it has targeted such an institution at an occasion that can provide a complete the so-called justification for the Army to take control of the government.
In the recent months, the government, opposition and judiciary have belittled themselves by engaging in one dispute or another. Only the Army and judiciary were left, but the International Crisis Group delivered this service as well. We will wait, and appreciate, if Samina Ahmed issues a report on the imbalances in the Army as well.
Now that the report has come out and bureaucracy is being targeted, let's discuss the issue openly. The International Crisis Group has rightly brought the corrupt bureaucracy into the attention by issuing its report, but the Army has never felt the need of taking power merely on the basis of the bureaucracy's corruption; in fact, the bureaucracy his made to do wrongs by the corrupt and incompetent politicians, and then a wave of anxiety hits society; but who is responsible for this? The corrupt and inept politicians? Or, the strong and powerful hands that use them [politicians]? And these hands don't need any justification, but they themselves create justifications.
Was there any justification for the Army to take over power on October 12, 1999; still the Army took control of the government, and it continued for nine years. But when the Army rule ended in the year 2008, it came to light that the government had created a nine-year-long history of malpractices, mismanagement and corruption.
Corrupt politicians are always [and frequently] blamed for plots and permits, while the dollars have increased after the departure of General (retired) Pervez Musharraf. In his rule, the plots, permits were distributed, and divided, but General (retired) Pervez Musharraf himself admitted to have sold humans, 15,000 per head.

Policy of Accountability
The ICG has informed that the bureaucracy is receiving inadequate salaries; this piece of news surprised me much. The salary is, by the way, a bit little but the ICG forgot to mention the facilities that the bureaucrats receive with their "little salaries": more than one vehicle, a driver, servants, house, electricity and telephone bills, many allowances, medical facilities in the country and abroad, and much more. It can safely be said that the salary is little, but the things that they receive in the name of allowances are not less than the earning or profit of a big businessman.
As a police officer out it, "I cannot have a chicken in my salary, but the constables and inspectors of our police station eat a chicken daily." Needless to say that little salary is the major reason for misappropriation. As regards accountability, the suggestion to bring bureaucracy in the ambit of accountability is right. But the ICG knows that whenever an attempt is made to bring the politicians, rulers or bureaucracy in the domain of accountability, what happens: the NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance) is a pain in the neck!
Whenever there is an allegation in any part of the world, the minister resigns. But here, the convicts and respondents (in court cases) are leading a honorable life under the umbrella of NRO.
The policy of accountability should be for everyone, whether the Army, police, parliamentarians, government, opposition, consulars, nazims, etc, otherwise there are a lot of excuses for interference. Someone has rightly said: muddying the waters is easy when needed.
The ICG report that has analyzed the Pakistani situation, has tried to make the very point that the Army interferes as a result of mismanagement and corruption. The question is that why is the corruption and misappropriation let prosper?

Lacking Sense of Belonging
If one sees the whole affair, it becomes clear that the Pakistani people have been deprived of the sense of belonging to Pakistan. When the hearts and minds of the nation lack this concept, then the same happens. One may light the fire, do corruption, enter the corridors of power or relinquish power, the nation would not care. Because the majority knows they have no concern with the country's exchequer. The amounts, allocated in the budget, would remain nobody's share if we don't receive that.
The ICG and other organizations may be right, but the purpose of their release, their timing and methodology are based on ill-intentions. Set aside the reports of this organization, the Pakistani nations will have to make joint efforts to solve the problems. This country should not only save itself from the faults of some people or institutions but also the nations should also keep itself aloof from the affairs.

Human Trafficking Network

The arrest of four members of a group of human traffickers shows that no task is very difficult to be taken up in our system. Is it not the weakness on the part of the system, which made preparation of forged documents on real working visas possible? The forged passports, laptops, and documents of various government departments are enough to prove how well organized this business is.
Confessions of the arrested members on questioning are equally startling. They claim to have sent almost 200 people abroad with forged documents every month. Can this be done without the connivance of government departments?

Lust for Money
The distressing side of the story is that highly educated people are involved in the same. They do not have to struggle for two square meals. They stoop to such crimes to enjoy a life of luxury and pleasure. Their victims are also those who dream of going abroad to earn money. This business is based on pure greed.
A lust for money makes people fall in this trap. The other side takes advantage of this weakness to earn money through foul means. This explains why clerks and officers in government administration are eager to help them. They are not bothered to find out whether their dealings are legally correct! All that they care for is to amass wealth.

Lack of Transparency
Truly speaking, there is lack of transparency in preparation of government documents like passports, visas, and driving licenses. The process is highly complicated and difficult, leaving ample scope for corruption. The common man is unaware of complications of the license process. There are too many formalities and complexities for an ordinary man to follow. The easy and simple way of overcoming these obstacles is to depend on corrupt clerks or middlemen. The illegal business of human trafficking and preparation of forged passports and visas is mainly flourishing due to this reason.
It is necessary to simplify the process for issuing passports and licenses. The system of e-licensing should also be encouraged.