One Year of UPA Government's Second Term

The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government, led by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, celebrated first anniversary of its second term on 24 May. Looking back on its first anniversary, UPA second term can draw some satisfaction from the fact that it has survived in a turbulent political environment and has added a few feathers to its cap.

Clearly, a major trump card for it has been the image of Dr Singh. The Opposition indeed has no one who is even remotely a match for Dr Singh's reputation for integrity and efficiency.

This is not to say that expectations have not been belied and everything is hunky dory for the UPA government. During UPA first term, the intelligentsia in particular painted the Left as the ultimate villain that stood in the way of economic reforms. Now, with the Left out of the way, there are nagging questions being asked as to why the stagnation in reforms continues.

The UPA government's achilles heel is, however, food inflation which is running uncomfortably high and is eroding the government's support base.
Review of Performance
It is, in fact, occasioning a frenzied review of its performance. The following is a brief look at its report card of some major areas of common people's concern.

Rate of Inflation: Inflation known as price hike, is one monster which the Manmohan Singh government is unable to tame. And this is despite the fact it is being grappled with by men having proven track records in farming, finance and economics and Congress President Sonia Gandhi whose commitment to the 'Aam Admi' is the pride of the ruling UPA second term.

Be it arhar dal, sugar, potatoes, onions, and to a lesser extent rice and wheat, the prices are spiralling out of control. In 2008, it was estimated that India loses Rs 58,000 crore worth of agricultural food items due to lack of post-harvesting infrastructure such as cold chains, transportation, and storage facilities. If the Government had ensured proper storage facility, food inventory would have been plentiful, leading to prices remaining under control.

Singh is a renowned economist, who has headed the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and held top level posts at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund and above all is hailed as the father of India’s globalization and liberalization that pulled the country out of an impending financial collapse in 1991.

For Agriculture and Food Supplies Minister Sharad Pawar, farming and farmers are close to his heart, while his portfolio has thrust on him the onerous task of making farm produce available to the people easily and at affordable prices and at the same time ensuring remunerative returns to cultivators.

Above all, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is known for his politico-economic skills and, while holding the same portfolio decades ago, was credited with choosing Manmohan Singh to head the RBI.

Then what is holding them back from reining in the galloping prices of essential commodities? While the overall inflation is ruling around 10 per cent, the rise in the prices of food articles is much higher, adding to the woes of the poor and much to the embarrassment of the government.
The commitment to maintaining the economic growth rate (GDP) around the double digit figure had taken away the government’s liberty to curtail money supply as high growth means more disposable income in the hands of the people.

State of Economy: With the Indian economy's growth rate at an impressive 8-9 per cent and the economic slowdown hitting the economy much less severely than in most countries, there is something to gloat about. Industrial production and exports are both on the upswing, the latter after a long period of deceleration. With the worldwide slowdown, the job market had been severely hit but there are clear signs that it is picking up.

As we move on however, much more needs to be done to shake off the inertia that has plagued economic reforms for the last several years.

With a normal monsoon forecast, a booming economy growing at 8.5 per cent and foreign capital flowing in despite the economy opening up any further and an unexpected Rs 68,000 crore windfall from the G3 spectrum auction, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee sits pretty.

Few finance ministers in the world are that comfortable with their job these days. Most are rattled by the European debt crisis as the economic recovery lands in the danger zone. Pranab is not doing much except talking, giving interviews lauding his own government’s fiscal prudence. There are no demands on him to push economic reforms.

Agriculture: Nothing could be worse than the fact that growth in the agriculture and allied sector Gross Domestic Product (GDP) vis-à-vis total GDP has been continuously declining.

The Food Security-Act is also unlikely to be implemented for another year. The legislation is now lost because of political considerations, differences over poverty numbers and logistical hurdles. But what kept the NCP boss and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and his Ministry in the dock was the government’s inability to control spiralling prices of essential commodities.

Pawar blamed bad monsoon, states’ and international conditions. The late decision to import sugar, Pawar attributes to 'noble intentions' of protecting the interests of farmers besides consumers.
The contention for his statement also comes in the form of continuing farmers’ suicide with most prosperous agrarian state Punjab registering more than 50 farmers’ suicide in 2009.

It can be said without doubt that in the first year of the UPA's second term the agriculture and allied sector GDP has shown a negative growth.

Domestic Affairs: With the setbacks of the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, Home Minister P. Chidambaram, in the past one year, has come under fire from his own party colleagues and the opposition. However, it would be unfair to judge his work in the light of Naxal violence alone.
The Minister also announced the setting up of a national counter terrorism centre and this will be in place by the year end.

Among the path breaking projects is the Rs 2,000 crore crime and criminal tracking network and systems (CCTNS), a national databank of crime and criminals with their biometric profiles. In addition to the enforcing agencies, the courts, jails, immigration and passport authorities will have access to it. The second project is the Natgrid. Eleven designated intelligence agencies will have online inter-connected access to details of phone calls, credit card transactions, visa and immigration records, property records and driving licences of all citizens in the country.

International Relations: Indian foreign policy has been undergoing subtle transmutation since 1991, with the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Narasimha Rao began the repositioning of India; the National Democratic Alliance government led by Atal Behari Vajpayee consolidated it. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s task was complicated as UPA's first term was dependent on the Communist Party of India-Marxist, for whom United States was anathema. During UPA's first term it was the Indo-US nuclear deal and now Pakistan. And after repeatedly telling Islamabad that it could not be business as usual between the two countries until the Mumbai attackers faced the law, New Delhi agreed to revive bilateral talks at the Thimphu meeting between the two Prime Ministers in April 2010.

The United States today desperately need Pakistan more than India, given the troubles they are facing in Afghanistan, where the security situation is deteriorating at a frightening pace. India, the largest donor to Afghanistan, has almost been reduced to a mere spectator as Hamid Karzai vigorously pursues a Pakistani-propagated proposal to reintegrate the Taliban into the mainstream of the Afghan society, with the blessings of the US and its Western allies.

There has been success with Bangladesh; stalemate in Nepal; and new policy dilemmas over post-Prabhakaran Sri Lanka (as elections loom in Tamil Nadu). With China, trade expanded, rhetoric fluctuated and distrust was concealed. The public perception, however, of the success or failure of Indian diplomacy hinges on the two dominant themes.

The former Soviet Union played the role of a balancing factor in world affairs. It was Russia’s eclipse in the 1990s which made New Delhi turn to the US for strategic support. Perhaps it’s time for the Indian establishment to reinvent the time-tested Indo-Russia friendship and not put all its eggs in the American basket.

Education and Employment: When Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal promised to draft nine education reform legislations in the first 100 days of assuming office, he was mocked for being in tearing hurry. In June 2009, Sibal unveiled his 100-day agenda, promising to de-traumatise and de-regulate education. The radical measures Sibal proposed ran the risk of falling by the wayside, given the system’s inherent ability to resist change.

While one of the major achievements is the Foreign Education Providers’ Bill 2010, which saw the Left’s opposition at the time of introduction, the others sailed through with ease. These include the law to accredit higher educational institutes through the National Accreditation Authority Bill 2010; a law to establish national and state educational tribunals to adjudicate disputes related to the sector and a law to prohibit malpractices in education by penalising charging capitation fee, made a cognizable offence for the first time in history. Sibal he has delivered on his promise to de-stress the school system by making Class X boards optional and replacing marks with grades at school.

Also in force is the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Elementary Education Act, which rolled across India from 1 April. However, the action is awaited on the law on innovation universities and dematting of educational degrees on the lines of share certificates.
Defense: Undoubtedly, it is difficult to say which of Defense Minister AK Antony’s pursuits will secure India’s long-term strategic interests. Will it be his quest of seeing the 'made in India' tag to high value defense equipment or his near fanatic trait of enforcing honesty and probity?

The languid pace of reforms and delay in the induction of key equipment has its fair share of detractors. Antony, has however, set some sort of a pace. The intention is to reduce the import bill for procuring defense equipment. About 70 per cent of the nearly Rs 50,000 crore of the annual procurement budget is spent on imports. Thus, the stress on indigenously equipment, including the nuclear-powered submarine INS Arihant, a stealth warship and the Arjun tank.

Health: More than anything else, Health Minister Gulam Nabi Azad’s first year in office will be remembered for his move to wind up the scam-hit Medical Council of India. Azad dissolved the MCI within a month of the CBI arresting MCI chief Ketan Desai on corruption charges.

How the government goes about regulating medical education will determine how it is perceived in the future.

In June 2009, the Health Ministry received the report of the taskforce to create an overarching regulator for human resources in health. It was called the National Council on Human Resources in Health and was meant to subsume the existing regulators —MCI, Dental and Pharmacy Council of India.

Ironically, Azad and Desai worked closely together when the government allowed private companies to open new medical colleges. They also relaxed norms for creation of more postgraduate doctors. Teaching experience requirements for professors and associate professors were relaxed by one year to 'increase the availability of faculty.'

To encourage doctors for rural stints, Azad announced several incentives including 50 per cent reservation in PG diploma courses for those who serve three years or more in villages. The Minister gave the MCI permission to start a controversial three and a half year Bachelor in Rural Medicine Course. Despite stiff opposition from the Indian Medical Association, which said the course would legalise quackery, Ketan Desai and Azad sealed the deal.

National Rural Health Mission has managed to achieve some heartening goals — Maternal Mortality Rate fell to 254 per 1000 as against 301 in 2003.

Fertility rate remains a challenge at 2.7; the goal is 2.1 by 2012, with Himachal, Delhi, Punjab, Andhra, Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal reaching the target.

Another major development of the past year has been the revival of vaccine PSUs, which former Health Minister had closed down. Crackdown on spurious drug makers is also on even as India this year produced its first indigenous influenza vaccine following the H1N1 outbreak.

Environment: Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh announced the setting up of the National Institute of Himalayan Glaciology at Dehradun (Uttarakhand). Another step was the Indian Network on Climate Change Assessment (INCCA), a network of scientists to publish peer-reviewed findings on climate change in India.

The ministry can also be credited for setting up of specialised 'green benches'. The Parliament recently approved the long-pending National Green Tribunal (NGT) Bill to quickly dispose environmental protection cases. Recently, the Ministry and the Survey of India also launched an initiative to map the hazard line along India’s coast.

Railways: Indian Railway has been as usual a success for the UPA government. It achieved higher growth targets and implemented policies, which would attract train travel. It also suffered a few accidents that showed lack of emphasis on safety.

The earnings of Indian Railway have been on the rise. Progress has also been made in the implementation of various projects.

Assessment
To conclude it can be said that, the undercurrents are positive but there are lessons to be learned from UPA's experience in the six years that it has been in office in two innings. The major challenges of inflation, of internal and external security, of raising the levels of manpower productivity and of speedier justice need to be addressed more strongly and effectively. The coming next four years will be more tough testing time for the UPA government's second innings.

Punjab Government Must Take Severe Action Against Dera Followers

A few days ago we had commented on the arbitrary and unlawful activities of the so-called saint Ram Rahim, saying how followers of this Sirsa-based Dera are fearlessly staging hooliganism with impunity in Punjab and Haryana. Since these dera followers are not being reined in effectively, they have mustered up the courage to attack even the Punjab finance minister.

The government has claimed that strict security arrangements have been put in place in the state, yet the passive performance of the administration came to the fore when these dera "premis" (followers) sprinkled petrol on Gidarbaha residence of state finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal and set fire to a bus parked outside his house.

Disturbing Law and Order
The incident took place in the night. The Mukatsar police rushed to the spot of the incident immediately on receipt of the information. The miscreants who carried out the incident came on a motorbike and set ablaze a private company bus, which is being run in the name of the Raghu Raj Transport Company. They sprayed petrol on two tyres of the bus and set them on fire. Later, on learning about the incident, the owners residing in the house put out the fire.

We are giving details of the incident because a few days ago followers of this hoax saint caused extensive damage to the public and government property but they had until then not assaulted any official or some administrative functionary. Now, these hooligans by damaging the private assets of the finance minister, tried to show that they are free to go ahead with their arbitrary activities at will. It is a clear challenge to the government and maintenance of law and order. Today, a minister has been targeted; tomorrow some other minister or official may face such an activity.

It is unfortunate that despite an Akali government in power, anti-Sikh elements, by targeting Sikhs, are exhibiting dirty demonstration of their strength. These elements should have been taken to task when they indulged in riot activities in Punjab by initiating stern action against them a few days earlier.

Provocative Acts
The government has arrested approximately 100 people, but even after that if these followers of the dera head continue to go ahead with their activity, then it clearly means that most severe action should have been taken against them there and then. If the government failed to control the situation, then the same conditions can develop in the state as it occurred in Nirankari.

The Nirankari incident also began with provocative acts against Sikhs, the consequences of which are widely known. On that occasion, the entire law and order in the state was absolutely disturbed. Sikhs felt insecure within their own home state. In case, the administration failed to rise to the occasion and if the dera followers were allowed to persist with their acts of violence against Sikhs then it would lead to terrible consequences in the days head.

Stringent Action Needed
It is worth mentioning that for lack of appropriate action against Dera followers that should have been taken much earlier; they have started misleading innocent people of rural areas, in addition to people in urban areas. They are carrying out their propaganda, especially among Sikhs. May be, a section of villagers are actually misled by them.

The Punjab Government should, therefore, lost no time to rein in these anti-Sikh elements. Tomorrow, certain other respected dignitaries can also be targeted. Before the conditions turn critical stringent action should be taken against them.

Atrocities Against Sikhs in Pakistan

In Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan, the Taliban killed two Sikhs by beheading them, which has exposed how hollow the Pakistani Government's claims are. The Taliban have already imposed Jazia tax (tax on non-Muslims) on Sikhs.
Every Sikh has to pay Rs1000 annually to practice his religion. These Sikhs are Pakistani citizens and have been living there from before partition. Until 2009, there were more than 10,000 Sikhs in this region, who have left their homes and shifted to cities like Peshawar after the Jazia tax was imposed. Now, only around 500 Sikhs remain in the tribal areas because of the Taliban's terror rule.

India's Initiative
Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram has stated that Sikhs who had gone abroad during the phase of militancy in Punjab and wish to abandon militancy like Kashmiri militants can be considered to stage a return to the national mainstream. Chidambaram's observation can be termed a welcome statement though it cannot be said whether it can be implemented.
Its chief reason is that the attitude of successive union governments, especially of the Congress-led governments, toward Sikh issues has been cynical all through in the past. Hence Sikhs cannot expect much of the claims made by the federal government.
The Indian Government has condemned the killing of Sikhs by the Taliban and has strongly criticized Pakistan. Democratic politics is also on the boil on this issue. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has asked why the Indian Government did not do anything when these people were abducted. It is but natural for India to be angry with this kind of brutal killing, but it should not be termed as the government's diplomatic failure. These Sikhs are Pakistani citizens and the Indian Government cannot do anything about abduction of Pakistani citizens in Pakistan. It is the Pakistani Government's failure that its laws have no value in its own country. The world community should exert pressure on Pakistan to give guarantee of security to the minorities in that country.

Militancy in Punjab
In 1980s and 1990s, militancy in Punjab was at its peak. Sikhs took up arms at the behest of foreign countries, yet the then Congress-led federal government can be held entirely responsible for meting out injustice to the struggle. Then, Indira Gandhi was at the helm of affairs and she never liked such political parties that posed a challenge to the stable federal government by speaking in terms of granting more powers to the state governments.
In Indira Gandhi's views, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) was a political party to which she desired to impart a lesson. It was such mindset that led to militancy in Punjab.
The phase of militancy in the state was linked to the attack on the Golden Temple, Amritsar, assassination of Indira Gandhi, and killings of Sikhs. In reality, all these incidents are interconnected.
During militancy in the state, Sikh youth migrated to foreign countries because of terrorism in the state. Since then Sikhs have never been meted out justice in any case. The Congress leaders responsible for the killings of Sikhs have not been punished so far.
Recently, terrorist activities in India's Punjab have intensified. Several arrests and recovery of arms and explosives indicate that Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence is again trying to incite Sikh separatists. The religious tax shows how safe Sikhs are in Pakistan, which provides shelter and encouragement to terrorist organizations and still advocates the rights of Sikhs.

Golden Temple Targeted
Indira Gandhi targeted the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the most sacred religious seat of the Sikh community, by razing the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs. The Indian Army killed thousands of innocent Sikhs.
It was as a reaction to the attack that Indira Gandhi was assassinated. In the wake of her assassination, Sikhs were murdered in a well-planned manner.

Fulfilling Sikhs' Desire
It has been repeatedly demanded that Sikhs settled abroad desire to return to India and join the national mainstream. The blacklist should, therefore, be scrapped. Nevertheless, the blacklist continues to be kept intact.
If even moderate Sikhs are not allowed to return to India, how can it be expected that hard-liner Sikhs would be provided an opportunity to stage a comeback to the country and join the national mainstream.
The issue of safety of Sikhs could also be raised in the India-Pakistan talks to be held this week. Pakistani citizens' security is an internal matter of that country and respecting that position is in India's interest, otherwise Pakistan, which is supposedly concerned about the Indian Muslims' safety would get a chance to raise that point. If India wants the security of Pakistani Sikhs, it should provide visa and citizenship to those who want to come and settle here.

Preventing Repeat of Militancy in Punjab

Conditions in the neighboring country, Pakistan, is are from bad to worse and fear of revival of terrorism in Punjab is a matter of concern. Given the recent arrests and recovery of arms and ammunition, the apprehension expressed by the state police chief over such incidents is not entirely baseless. With a view to prove their continued existence and put weight in their plea for political asylum in foreign countries before host governments, militants taking shelter abroad have been engaged in reviving their activities since long.
By issuing provocative statements and feelers from time-to-time, they have made attempts to have a measure of support in Punjab. Despite not receiving much response, certain elements are still trying to revive militancy in Punjab.

Taliban-ISI Nexus
The Taliban and Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), amid the ongoing civil war in Pakistan and increasing contribution by India in rehabilitation and reconstruction works in Afghanistan, are exposing the country to threat. In order to oust Indian entrepreneurs from Afghanistan, the Indian Embassy in Kabul was attacked on two occasions. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces held the Taliban-ISI nexus responsible for both attacks.
In wake of the US shift toward India on the Kashmir issue, militant organizations and the ISI intend to project Kashmir as a pivotal point for peace in the region. After their failure in Kashmir, they now find Punjab as a suitable region for revival of militancy. From the activities of militants living under Pakistan's protection, it appears that pressure on them is mounting to do "something." This pressure is reflected in statements of the Punjab police chief.

Pangs of Terrorism
Punjab suffered pangs of terrorism for one-and-half decades. Thousands of people were killed in the game of bloodshed. A large number of innocent people were subjected to excesses. Memories of false police encounters, unclaimed dead bodies, and ruthless violence carried out by terrorists are still fresh in people's minds. All Punjabi and other political systems should learn a lesson from the atrocities committed during that period of militancy in the state.
Those who displayed sympathy toward terrorists at that time became victim of violence from both sides. They had to face violence of ungrateful militants and police excesses.

Lessons From Past Mistakes
This time around, Punjabis should make it a point not to repeat their earlier mistake. The state government should give timely advice to the police department and issue necessary directions accordingly. The government should direct the police department to conduct themselves with a sense of responsibility. Exercising adequate vigilance, policemen should ensure that innocent people do not suffer again at their hands. It is the responsibility of the Punjab police to block all avenues of monetary support to militants, and sources of supply of arms and ammunition and training.
The drive against smugglers, who supply arms to militants, should also be intensified. After all, prevention is better than cure, and vital. There is, therefore, need for close coordination between the union and state government. The government should explore constitutional remedies to all these issues, which militants can think in terms of their narrow politicizing game. The earnestness on the part of government departments and politicians can save Punjab from the heat of militancy by proving apprehensions of revival of militancy in Punjab baseless.

Punjab Police Launches Anti-Drug Smuggling Drive

The positive outcome is likely to emerge from the green signal given by the Punjab Government to the police to start a drive to prevent smuggling of narcotics in the state. For a long time, Punjab has been the epicenter of narcotic products, especially heroin smuggling. Recently, the Border Security Force (BSF) recovered the biggest consignment of heroin which value in the international market is estimated at $27.5 million.

The contraband was pushed into Punjab from across the border and the same was to be sent to Delhi, Mumbai, and abroad. This process has been ongoing for a long time. Smugglers across the border have been transacting this trade in connivance with their counterparts on the Indian side.

It cannot be denied that this trade could not be made possible without collusion with the security forces and custom authorities on either side. Yet, nevertheless, the credit for recovering such a large consignment of heroin goes to the BSF personnel.

Impact on the Youth
The smuggling of narcotics obviously leaves a massive impact on the youth of Punjab. Not only do they fall victim to the adverse effect of the drug addition, they also play into the hands of smuggles. In order to meet the requirement of their drug addiction habit they get involved into smuggling activity being carried out by antisocial and unlawful elements.

In addition to heroin, other narcotic products are also used by the youth. There are certain areas of the state where the youth find themselves entrapped in the quagmire of drugs. Owing to this, not only the state's economy is being adversely affected but the progress of development projects also is being hampered.

It is not that steps have not been taken by the state administrative machinery to stem this trend. From time to time, steps have been taken toward this end at the social and administrative level, but no positive result has emerged so far.

Special Anti-Drug Addiction Campaign
Now that state Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has directed the Punjab Police chief to start a special anti-drug addiction campaign, it is to be hoped that some positive results would emerge in the near future. In 2007, a total of 111 kg heroin was seized.

In the current year, up to mid August, 125 kg heroin has been seized so far. A major part of this seizure is likely to be consumed by the youth in Punjab. Badal has underlined the need to secure the cooperation and coordination of the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) so that the menace of drug addiction could be controlled in an effective manner.

Tight Security Needed
In addition to foreign smugglers and intelligence agencies, anti-social elements also must be behind this large-scale smuggling of narcotics from the long border with Pakistan. Given that a large number of youth in Punjab are suffering from drug addition, its fallout in the form of threat to the security of the Indian borders and regional integrity cannot be ruled out.

Hence, it has become imperative to beef up vigilance along the border along with endeavors to keep the young generation away from drug addiction, through the cooperation of NGOs at the social, religious, and political level.