Discussing J&K
The street protests in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) are de javu for many locals. It is claimed that a new generation of youth in the state are turning to confrontational tactics as the state continues to define security in strictly militaristic terms. For the Indian side peace in J&K implies ensuring that separatists and militants supported by Pakistan are reined in and ‘democratic’ elections held every five years. The slogans of ‘aazadi’ echoing through the Kashmir Valley are dismissed as the voice of few misguided youth and miscreants supported by ‘foreign’ forces.
Limitations of the vocabulary of western political theory for post-colonial societies have created a dilemma for India and Pakistan. ‘Aazadi’ is interpreted as territorial sovereignty and arguments highlighting the improbability of it for J&K are promptly presented by the Indian side. Pakistan likewise claims to be supporting the Kashmiris in their struggle for self-determination. Looking at the concept of ‘aazadi’ from the perspective of J&K can connote a variety of political arrangements ranging from responsive governance and responsible administration to different degrees of devolution of political authority. The relation between the Indian Federation and its constituent units continues to remain problematic in other areas of the country as well. In the case of J&K, the struggle between the Federation and the units is subsumed in the master narrative constructed in 1947.
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Impressions from the Kashmir Protests
The recent tensions in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir have not surprised many. The nation-wide shut down on July 5th attracted more attention than curfew restrictions in parts of the Kashmir valley. However, the recent protest demonstrations do not strictly fall in the segment of terrorism related issues inflicting the state since the past two decades. A section of the Indian population dissatisfied with the Government is participating in protest demonstrations. At least 11 people have been killed in the Kashmir Valley in firing by security forces on stone-pelting mobs protesting against alleged human rights violations.
[Photo Courtesy: The Hindu]
UPDATE: With four civilians killed in the past 24 hours and 70 others injured as the police opened fire to quell demonstrations in different parts of Srinagar, the Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday sought the Army’s help in tamping down mass protests that have not abated despite several days of curfew.
The Government of India is referring to it as a law and order problem prompted by separatists. The incident and follow up official reaction indicates that the Government’s priorities in the state are more security oriented than conditioned by requirements of ensuring stability. Maintenance of law and order and prevalence of armed forces can ensure security. Good governance and winning the ‘hearts and minds’ of the local population warrants stability.
Gujarat Grabs United Nations Public Service Award
Gujarat has done it again. For two consecutive years Gujarat has managed to bag the United Nations Public Service Award. In 2009, Water and Sanitation Management Organization (WASMO) of the State government won the award for fostering participation in policy-making decisions through innovative mechanisms. This year State Wide Attention on Grievances with Application of Technology (SWAGAT) has won the UN Public Service Award in the category improving transparency, accountability and responsiveness in public service. Gujarat is the only State in India to win this award for the second time.
WASMO aims to promote, support and monitor the community participation and community based management in water and sanitation projects in an equitable, sustainable and transparent manner. WASMO trains Pani Samiti members to effectively plan, implement and manage water supply systems, handle their finances, and spread awareness on personal hygiene and sanitation. SWAGAT operates on the principle that grievance redressal is essential for good governance especially to vitalize a democracy. Every month the Chief Minister considers grievance cases through multi-video conferencing with all 26 Districts and all 225 Taluka Offices. SWAGAT is outcome focused and cases are redressed on the same day or in a time-bound manner. This is the first time that the common citizen can access the highest level office with other officers present in real-time through video-conferencing.
Will such recognitions help to re-define the image of Gujarat and Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the backdrop of the 2002 violence? The Congress expressed displeasure when Amitabh Bachchan appeared as the brand ambassador for the Gujarat Tourism Industry. Will everything related to Narendra’s Modi’s Government in Gujarat continue to be viewed with contempt? What happened in Gujarat in 2002 needs to be condemned but for how long will 2002 continue to cast a shadow on the present and future of Gujarat? It’s sad that in a country with a dismal record of public service the achievements of Gujarat are not being duly celebrated.
What Determines Our Standard of Living?
My family from India recently visited me in the U.S. I was excited to show them around the beautiful beaches of Northern California, my adopted home for the past few years. Parents of young Indians exhibit a great sense of pride when their children migrate to the more developed countries, especially the U.S. A sense of delight characterizes their conversations about how their sons or daughters were enjoying a higher standard of living in the most developed country of the world. The lovely weather, wide freeways, smooth traffic, the combination of clam chowder at Fisherman’s Warf with the greasy Indian food at Naan and Curry, cherry picking at Brentwood Farms, the game of Black Jack at MGM Grand in Vegas, breath taking shows at Universal Studios and sprawling Berkeley campus, I thought these would be enough to reinforce their sense of pride. However, the reaction was much contradictory to what I had expected; reaction which reflected the widely dominant social perceptions of a majority of Indians.
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Twitter in India
As I watched We the People on NDTV last weekend I began to wonder how India was redefining Mahatma Gandhi’s slogan of ‘Swadeshi’. The topic of discussion was “Is Twitter here to stay”. For the sake of contextualization, this particular episode was titled “We the Tweeple”. Having a sense of Indian mainstream media’s dislike for social media, I was not expecting the discussion to be very supportive of this micro-blogging trend. As expected, two themes dominated the discussion: 1) social media sites like Twitter can’t substitute mainstream media; 2) internet facilitated communication in India was largely elitist.
ISI and Afghan Insurgency: Implications for India-Pakistan Relations
Matt Waldman in a recently released Paper, “The Sun is in the Sky: The relationship between Pakistan’s ISI and Afghan Insurgents”, explores the extent of the ISI’s links and support to the problem of Afghan insurgency. Though Matt accepts that hosts of endogenous factors responsible for the emergence and sustenance of the Taliban, his interviews with insurgent field commanders in and around Kabul and Kandhar provide him with evidence to claim that the ISI orchestrates, sustains and strongly influences the movement. The research concentrates on two principal groups: the core Taliban movement lead by Mullah Omar and the Haqqani network, led by Jalaluddin Haqqani. The Paper provides elaborate details of how the strategy, funding and operations of the two groups are dominated by ISI’s priorities and interests.In Matt’s analysis Pakistan’s support for the afghan insurgency can be checked by ensuring better relations between India and Pakistan.
Bhopal and Gulf: More than Spatial and Temporal Distance
Bhopal Gas leak was the world’s worst industrial disaster, Gulf oil leak is America’s worst environmental disaster. Bhopal gas leak in 1984 resulted in 5000 to 8000 casualties, including thousands suffering after-effects for several years. Gulf oil leak began in May 2010 with the death of 11 people and the impact on natural life is yet to be ascertained.
After 26 years, seven people accused in the Bhopal case were awarded two years of imprisonment and each was supposed to pay Rs.100,000 as fine. The convicted were released on bail the same day. The U.S. is preparing to launch criminal charges against the BP, including the highest ranking officials.
India’s Unique Identification (UID) Experiment
Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) was constituted in January 2009 as an attached office of the Planning Commission. The UID brand was renamed ‘Aadhaar’ meaning foundation in April 2010. The logo of ‘aadhaar’ (finger print within a rising sun) adopted after a nation wide contest, allegedly represents a new dawn of equal opportunity for each individual, a dawn which emerges from the unique identity the number guarantees for each individual.
Is ‘trust deficit’ the real issue between India and Pakistan?
Almost twelve hours after P.M. Manmohan Singh addressed a ‘rare’ press conference in New Delhi, I felt uneasy on reading the headline of the WSJ article, “Singh Seeks To Fix Pakistan ‘Trust Deficit.’” My first reaction was that WSJ had got it wrong. I logged on to the website of the Prime Minister’s Office to read the transcript of P.M. Singh’s press conference. Surprisingly, the P.M.’s responses to all questions relating to Pakistan did give an impression that the onus for improving bilateral relations was on India.
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Gujarat to Introduce On-line Voting Facility
Another surprise from Gujarat; albeit a pleasant one. On-line voting will be introduced for the first time in India during the Gujarat Municipal Corporation polls scheduled for October 2010.
“The purpose for introduction of online voting is to make affluent class people vote, who generally avoid going to polling booths and standing in long queues to vote. Besides, youths will be attracted to vote in this manner,” SEC Secretary, P H Shah told PTI.
As expected, Gujarat Congress is not pleased with the move. “We are not against online voting in municipal corporation elections but ruling BJP’s step is for the benefit of a class and not for the mass. They think that by doing this, they will be able to make the upper middle class vote which is generally considered to be a vote base of that party,” Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said.
Nikhil Pahwa suggests that Common Service Centers (CSCs) could be utilized as e-polling centers to facilitate the process.
Though the initiative is still in the early stages, it is a welcome move to encourage the reluctant middle class voters to participate in elections. At the same time, issues of authenticity of voters and secrecy of ballot are far from settled. Moreover, disinterest and non-participation of voters arise not only from reluctance to physically go to polling booths but from disillusionment with governance. Nevertheless, municipal elections in Gujarat can be a test case for introducing e-voting across the country.