A festering wound in Pakistan

"The conspiracy of silence over Balochistan is finally breaking but the alienation of the province runs too deep for any easy solutions."

The Hindu : Opinion / Lead : A festering wound in Pakistan:  Intelligence agencies have viewed the Balochistan with suspicion from the very beginning for their reluctance to join Pakistan. This resulted in four earlier rounds of insurgency but none of them lasted this long. And those resistance movements were not for independence but rights, quite unlike this time. Demand for secession is a bitter pill to swallow for any country, more so for a nation that has been seeking strategic depth in Afghanistan at phenomenal costs to itself to counter the Indian behemoth.

As always, “foreign hands” are being accused of destabilising Balochistan with the aim to Balkanise Pakistan. Rhetoric of ‘foreign hands' has allowed for further militarization of Balochistan and given the military a licence to seal the province and make it a no-go zone where it can abduct, torture, kill and display bodies with impunity, extract Balochistan's resources under the barrel of a gun, use Balochistan territory to conduct nuclear tests. However, the military in Balochistan has not been able to control the spirit of the Baloch people.

Government must link rivers without any delay

The editorial urges the government to take affirmative action based on the Supreme Court decision to interlink rivers.

http://expressbuzz.com/opinion/editorials/government-must-link-rivers-without-any-delay/367607.html

When right to private defence is wrong

"A police claim of self-defence to justify encounter killings must be held to higher standards of proof as the force is armed and trained for combat."

The “encounter” deaths of five persons suspected of having carried out two bank robberies in Chennai has once again focused attention on the practice of extrajudicial killings in Tamil Nadu. The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : When right to private defence is wrong

In all cases of encounter deaths, the practice is to claim that the killings were done in self-defence. The right of private defence is available to all, and no distinction is made between the police and layman.

Family members of the deceased or human rights activists who wish to reopen suspected cases of false encounter find it an uphill task to get even a death certificate or post-mortem report and are thwarted at every stage, often facing threats to their life.

Though National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued a series of guidelines in 2003, the commission now seems to be condoning such violence.

Awaiting its spring

"Staggeringly corrupt and repressed, Saudi Arabia is ripe for revolution. But reformers are hesitant."

The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Awaiting its spring: Most of the factors that led to the Arab uprisings are present in Arabia. The Saudi regime holds tens of thousands of political prisoners, most without charge. The scale of corruption is staggering. The expansion in communication tools has deprived the regime of the secrecy and deception on which its legitimacy relied.

Despite the widespread conviction that a change of regime is necessary, reformers remain hesitant about declaring their views, let alone taking action. The level of distrust between activists is so significant, making any collective act of protest difficult.

This does not mean change is impossible. The balance of factors in Arabia is clearly tipping in the direction of change.

Numbers in search of a narrative

"Using voter turnout to predict the outcome of an election is fraught with risks."

Increased voter participation can have many causes. And the voting pattern is as varied as the causes. Unless there is one pre-dominant (and, therefore, easily identifiable) factor in an election, there is no way to analyse how an increased voting percentage will affect the outcome. The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Numbers in search of a narrative If the factors are varied, then one factor could counteract another, making any prediction hazardous.

There is no simple co-relation between voter turnout and election outcomes. Without going into the specifics of which section in which area voted in increased numbers, it is pointless to talk about how turnout will impact on the result. The turnout is dependent on voter interest, and this, in many cases, is not any one thing.

No one grand theory will hold; no one methodology is adequate.

Let truth prevail

"The choice of a basement to house the backup power generators that should kick in during an emergency is absurd. If the 9-magnitude earthquake of March 11, 2011 knocked off power supply from the grid, the tsunami that soon followed killed the backup power to the units. "

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Let truth prevail: Japan's regulations are flawed, outdated and below global standards.

Considering the recent admissions by the regulator and the track record of the operator, should the world rely on them to know the truth? Only a thorough investigation by truly impartial and independent scientists can provide the answers. That can happen only if the Fukushima plant is nationalised.

Time to introspect, not celebrate

"For a nation with an enviable record of eight Olympic gold medals, the very fact that it had to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics points to the gross mismanagement of Hockey."

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Time to introspect, not celebrate: Sadly, there is still no end in sight with the two factions - Indian Hockey Federation and Hockey India, fighting to gain control. The International Hockey Federation's efforts to settle the issue have also failed.

The qualitative improvement effected by the new Australian coach, Michael Nobbs, with the full backing of the Sports Ministry, shows that a recovery path can be charted out provided the faction-ridden administration stays focussed on consolidating what little has been gained out of the Olympic qualifier. Such an opportunity may not arise again.

The battle against forgetting

"If we accept Gujarat 2002 as something ‘in the past,' as some would like us to, we threaten the meaning of our present, and endanger our future."

The Hindu : Opinion / Lead : The battle against forgetting: These contestations are not just about many battles in courtrooms that must be waged. The contestation is about the meaning of citizenship. It is about the relationship between citizen and State. It is about challenging State impunity. Gujarat is the battle for collective memory against forgetting because it is ultimately the battle for the idea of India.

In 1950, India made a constitutional promise to protect the rights of its minorities to live with dignity and with full rights of citizenship. Time and again, that sacred promise has been violated. Institutional biases of the State machinery cannot be acceptable in any civilised democracy — that is the lesson of Gujarat.

We cannot legislate against communal prejudice and hatred in the hearts and minds of people. That is a battle that we as a society and a people must wage in a million different ways at a million different moments in our collective and individual lives. But we can and we must legislate to ensure justice to the weak.

We give up on the battle for justice in Gujarat at our own peril. For in giving up on Gujarat, we give up on hope for a better India — an India that is by right home to each one of us.

Why caste persists in politics

"An internal code, culture and values make a caste special to its members."

The reason for the persistence of caste in politics has to do with the internal code of the caste, its positive aspects, its culture. This aspect erodes more slowly, if it erodes at all, because it is felt. The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Why caste persists in politics:

The fact is that the Indian votes confessionally. For him or her, merit comes from caste values. This condition may not be forever unalterable. But it is evident that modernity by itself has thus far not dented it as it has the prescriptive aspect of caste.

Home, work and worship are precisely where caste is embedded most powerfully, and the reason why caste consciousness persists in 2012. Voting is only an extension of this consciousness that has, in fact, not changed that much.

A rich and common past, a promising future

"Italy is eager to establish the truth of the Enrica Lexie incident."

Piracy is a common enemy. It is a menace we need to fight in close cooperation and with the strongest determination, if we want sailors to continue to navigate the seas safely. The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : A rich and common past, a promising future: As peoples who live by the sea, both Indians and Italians strongly feel the loss of two fishermen who went out to sea that day, just as any other day, to do their job and support their families.

India and Italy have a rich common past. But the future is before us, open to new avenues for cooperation, in a world that is fast becoming more integrated and interconnected. We can work together for a better life for future generations. 

The author, Giulio Terzi is Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy.

The UPA’s Committee Raj

In India, the best way of procrastination today is to form committees. The government, in its second stint in the center has been plagued by various problems and has found an ideal way to come out of this: form committees and let people forget it. In this column, Shankkar Aiyar exposes this brilliant 'problem camouflage tool' the government has developed, by pointing out to the various committees created during the UPA regime and their ineffectiveness to do anything towards the problem. And it is not just the government, but also the President's office, with its own committee exposing how much the country is being swamped by 'Committee Raj'.


http://expressbuzz.com/opinion/columnists/the-upa%E2%80%99s-committee-raj/367052.html

"When the UPA first came to power, I had studied this phenomenon of Committee Raj and discovered that in its first 11 months of existence, it had created 56 committees, roughly one a week."

"It is a spectacle. The government waits for committees to recommend, and committees wait for the government to act. It makes you wonder if the committees are a means to an end or an end in itself."

G-20 linking IMF hike to bigger EU ‘firewall' fund

"The G-20 nations are conditioning additional money for the International Monetary Fund on the European Union first increasing its financial stabilisation funds to ease concerns about the Euro zone debt crisis"

The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : G-20 linking IMF hike to bigger EU ‘firewall' fund: There is broad agreement that the IMF cannot substitute for the absence of a stronger European firewall and that the IMF cannot move forward without more clarity on Europe's own plans.

Labor against itself

"As expected, Australia's Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, has easily held off former Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd's leadership challenge with a ballot of ruling Australian Labor Party MPs"

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Labor against itself: The party has been very badly tarnished; Ms Gillard will want to get on with policy, but will need to communicate far better with the voters.

The same old show

"Hollywood's ritual of self-congratulation, otherwise known as the Oscar awards, has become the most boring show on the planet."

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : The same old show: It is due to the utter predictability of the prizes. Was anyone really surprised when The Artist, a slight but charming ode not just to silent cinema but to Hollywood itself, left its competition in the dust with five wins? About the only award that quivered with an iota of suspense was the one for Best Actress.

The problem lies with the interminable stretch of honours announced in what has come to be known as “awards season.” And what the Academy does, essentially, is stamp their seal of approval on these awards.

‘If I am not fit to fly, he is not fit to be a pilot'

"Travelling by air is often not a very pleasant experience for a person with disability. Incidents of harassment are quite common when a passenger with disability travels by air on her own or his own."

The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : ‘If I am not fit to fly, he is not fit to be a pilot': This is an adapted version of a letter sent by Jeeja Ghosh to the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. She is Head of Advocacy and Disability Studies at the Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy in Kolkata.

The author was not allowed to fly because of her cerebral palsy — which is not a disease but a condition caused by damage to the brain. This is yet another incident that shows lack of awareness and a humane touch even among the so-called elite and educated people of society.

A case for judicial lockjaw

"Judgments should speak for themselves; when judges justify them in public, they run the risk of sounding like politicians."

The Hindu : Opinion / Lead : A case for judicial lockjaw: Justice Asok Kumar Ganguly, a judge of the Supreme Court, who retired recently, has, since leaving office, actively engaged with the media. As well as raising questions of individual propriety, it contains possible portents of the slowly changing nature of the Indian higher judiciary. His statements, especially to the extent they clarify and defend his judgment, raise deep questions regarding the proper role of judges in post-retirement public life.

The judge, after rendering judgment, becomes 'functus officio' and the judgment speaks for itself, is a long established principle in the Indian judicial system. Any engagement with the media by a judge in a judicial capacity, whether while holding office or post-retirement, fundamentally erodes the extent of the institutional detachment, which allows judges to be immune from the passions of popular sentiment and political machinations, thereby facilitating the independence of the judiciary as an institution.

Justice Ganguly's comments, unwarranted as they may have been, perhaps provide an early sign of the subtle transformation of the Supreme Court into an overtly political institution, owning up and reacting to the immense political ramifications of its actions. Equally, they raise deep questions regarding the interaction between judges and the media, arguably two of the most powerful pillars in Indian democracy today.

Supreme Court should issue official media summaries of important decisions. Not only will this facilitate wide comprehensibility of key judgments, but it will also ensure that judicial decisions are not wantonly misinterpreted. Most importantly, it will mean that judges, whether in office or speaking in their judicial capacity immediately post-retirement, will have an additional reason to remain lockjawed, allowing their judgment together with its officially authorised summary to do the talking.

When an earthmover comes to school

"There is a strange air hanging over parts of the country ever since the vaults in the Padmanabhaswamy Temple were opened to reveal their hidden treasures.

A 14-year-old was murdered in Adilabad in Andhra Pradesh in January in a human sacrifice for treasure in a fort. In many parts of Andhra Pradesh, people are now digging under monuments looking for their own Padmanabha swamy pots of gold, thereby endangering those structures. The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : When an earthmover comes to school. Now near a school ground in Hyderabad, in a bizarre series of events, the State Department of Archaeology, basing itself on some bizarre information, has embarked on an incompetent, arbitrary and perhaps illegal pursuit of its own pot of gold."

How does the Department of Archaeology go by the supposed statement of one construction worker? Why did the Department of Archaeology never contact any teacher or parent, or the school management? Was permission sought from central government before entry? If not, is the State department not engaging in an illegal operation? 

Allow Kingfisher to fly into the sunset

The end of the runway appears well nigh for Kingfisher at the moment but there are still those who believe it should not be allowed to fail, and this includes the government.

The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Allow Kingfisher to fly into the sunset: "It is becoming increasingly clear that Kingfisher Airlines is well beyond rescue and only a miracle can save it. "

Either Vijay Mallya, the high-flying promoter of the airline agrees to put his money where his mouth is. Unlikely, since he has reportedly refused to give a personal guarantee sought by banks to refinance the company.

Or Kingfisher is able to attract an investor — domestic or foreign, airline or non-airline — with deep pockets and strong guts to take on the balance-sheet of a company splattered in red all over, which is as unlikely.

Kingfisher's exit could restore some sanity in the industry and the ticket prices which are currently low. Of course, the government has to keep a sharp watch to ensure that airline companies do not exploit the situation.

A necessary step to counter terror

"Home Minister P. Chidambaram's note to Chief Ministers on the National Centre for Counter Terrorism (NCTC)"

The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : A necessary step to counter terror: 

Check the criminality

"If the cruelly apathetic handling by officers of the Kolkata police of a serious complaint brought before them by a woman of having been raped and assaulted in the heart of the city wasn't bad enough, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's misinformed or hubristic attempt to dismiss her charge as a story that was cooked up to malign her government, was even worse. "

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Check the criminality: Such atrocious remarks might be driven by political expediency but they are typical of how sections of Indian society continue to view crimes against women.

Ms Banerjee and her team need to do some serious introspection with regard to the State government's will, and ability, to put the lid firmly on criminality of all kinds that pervade the State.

Engage, don't vilify

"PM Manmohan Singh's remarks about foreign-funded NGOs stalling the introduction of genetically modified food and the commissioning of the Kudankulam nuclear power project are bound to be taken seriously by his supporters and detractors alike. "

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Engage, don't vilify: When Dr. Singh, who has a reputation for reticence on sensitive subjects, drops dark hints about a foreign hand, it is surely something that needs to be substantiated and, if necessary, followed up with action. However, the idea that NGOs with ‘foreign' links are fuelling the protests seems more expedient than convincing.

The government needs to engage with people in a transparent and constructive manner and allay their fears with facts and arguments rather than innuendo and slander.

Sunday Column - Select Articles of the Week

Here are the select few articles from the past week:

• Going green, with a large side order of mercury - Despite the growing popularity of energy-saving fluorescent lamps, little has been done to address the issue of the safe disposal of the dangerous waste they generate
• The model code ain't broke - UPA government's move to fix the EC's model code of conduct smacks of   devious if ingenious way to curtail the powers 
• False nuclear fears cloud judgment on Iran - A non-hysterical approach to the Iran nuclear issue is entirely possible. A rational approach to preventing proliferation could avoid thousands of unnecessary deaths.
• Seeding a policy without the dirt on climate change - "ICAR says knowledge of climate change impact in India is 'fragmentary'. Then, how can the government be tailoring its policies to mitigate the impact of climate change on agriculture."
• For oil and peace, India must stand up in the two Sudans - "South Sudan's oil shutdown dealt a major blow to the overseas oil ambitions of India's leading national oil company ONGC Videsh. India must lend a hand in ending Africa's longstanding conflicts in Sudan.
• Still sprouting after 32,000 years - The natural cryopreservation of plant tissues over thousands of years demonstrates a role for permafrost as a depository for an ancient gene pool. It could be a laboratory for the study of rates of microevolution.
• The Dow side of corporate sponsorship - "In the light of Dow chemicals sponsoring Olympics, U.N. guidelines can be effective yardstick to assess the human rights record of corporations."

The sound of jackboots, Hungary style

"Prime Minister Viktor Orban is using his powers to impose a regressive agenda"

The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : The sound of jackboots, Hungary style: Only eight years after ending communist rule and joining EU, Hungary, from its first avatar as the European Coal and Steel Community, is marching back to quasi-Fascism or worse, in a development of the very kind the EU was intended to prevent.

The new Hungarian constitution almost certainly breach the European Charter of Fundamental Rights and the separate European Convention on Human Rights. Yet the EU looks helpless over flagrant transgressions by a member state. Its only elected body, the European Parliament, remains deafeningly silent.

If the EU cannot deal robustly with its own errant members, then its citizens could soon hear the jackboots echoing a long way west of the Danube.

Calcutta's ambivalent inheritance

"Transforming its urban spaces requires an acknowledgement of the city's unique character and its history."

There has been very little funding from the West Bengal government — because of ideological and political reasons — for the ‘culture' for which Calcutta is still incongruously famous. And there is little from the Centre: as if Calcutta's contribution to national culture has no proven basis. To this, local intellectuals have added their earnest, often predictably academic, testimony to that culture's irrelevance. The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Calcutta's ambivalent inheritance

Why Norway should back down

"There is something deeply disturbing about the superiority and moral authority in the attitude of the country's Child Protection Services to child rearing practices of immigrants; it harks back to darker, less civil and, one would have hoped, long bygone times."

The Hindu : Opinion / Lead : Why Norway should back down: The ongoing case in which the Child Protection Services (CPS) in Stavanger, Norway, have placed two Indian children in a foster home raises important questions about not only the judgment of the representatives of a so-called model state, but also their lack of respect for the possibility that many questions around child care and upbringing may not have definitive answers and therefore a moral basis for passing verdicts about the right and wrong of a wide range of parenting practices.

Close encounters of the troubling kind

"Fake encounters are nothing but cold-blooded, brutal murders by persons who are supposed to uphold the law" death penalty was prescribed by Supreme Court — for involving in an act of extra-judicial killing.

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Close encounters of the troubling kind: "As a way of dealing with the perceived pressure of public opinion following terror strikes or violent crimes, police forces across India sometimes resort to the custodial murder of prime suspects, often with a nudge and a wink from the top."


If the law does not deter criminal acts by those in authority, we are in deep trouble as a society.

Time to come out

"The Centre's embarrassing gaffe in the Supreme Court signals one thing clearly — that it will not take a clear and unambiguous position on the issue of decriminalising homosexuality. "
The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Time to come out: The Home Ministry's clarification, which distanced itself from the retrograde and irrational positions staked out by the Additional Solicitor General who “unauthorisedly” represented it, is a classic piece of equivocation.

This fence sitting must end. The state has no right to regulate or ban love or physical intimacy between consenting adults. Why should it be so hard to say that?

A test of India's Big Power aspirations

"With the divided U.N. vote setting the stage for a deadly civil war, India must work to bring the western interventionists and BRICS nations back to the same table."

For the first time since assuming a seat at the U.N. Security Council, India showed it bore the markings of a Great Power. The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : A test of India's Big Power aspirations: Faced with a Security Council vote on Syria, India set aside its geopolitical interests, abandoned an old alliance with Bashar al-Assad and acted both on moral and tactical considerations.

Syria is headed towards civil war, thanks to a double veto by Russia and China at the U.N. The resolution's failure has pushed the Syrian crisis away from the horseshoe table, into the hands of a few nations with vested interests.

India's vision forward for Syria comprises three elements: Syrian-led transition, a complete eschewal of both externally and internally induced violence, and close co-operation with the Arab League. To prevent a free-for-all, and to resolve the crisis in an institutional setting will be Indian diplomacy's greatest challenge.

The task of bringing the Syrian brief back on the SC's agenda falls squarely on the shoulders of India and South Africa. And there can be no agreement without the support of both Russia and China. For this reason, a BRICS consensus is essential.

The pursuit of an “independent” foreign policy in yesteryears saw India shying away from pivotal issues. India's decision on Syria is commensurate with her aspirations to Great Powerdom.

Inside Balochistan's dirty war

"Baloch secessionist leader Brahmdagh Bugti says he wants political engagement with Pakistan — but that its military wants war."

In recent months, assassinations of Baloch nationalist politicians and their kin have provoked growing concern.
The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Inside Balochistan's dirty war: Baloch politicians allege the murders, were carried out by Pakistan's intelligence services to send a message the region's largest secessionist party. General Musharraf had, in fact, helped precipitate the crisis.

Pakistan's government says one thing and we say another. Ever since 2004, the government hasn't allowed a single journalist into Dera Bugti and Kohlu independently. That should tell you something about who has something to hide.

Even though the Pakistan Army was able to crush tribal rebellions espousing Baluch nationalism, new generations of urban educated Baloch were drawn to their cause.

Wilting saffron, flailing government

"In its only southern stronghold, the BJP is adrift and discredited."

With one year left for the next assembly elections, the BJP in Karnataka is adrift and discredited, its track record tainted with corruption scams, its support base dissipating, and its ideological agenda unravelling. The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Wilting saffron, flailing government: How did this happen to a "party with a difference," one that promised to make Karnataka the springboard of the BJPs expansion in the south by providing model, corruption-free governance?

Beholden to powerful factions within the party, notably the mining lobby and the land mafia, the party has never been able to seriously address its pre-poll promises to the people. To make matters worse for the scandal-ridden government, it was losing its moorings in Hindutva, further alienating it from its core support base.

Stranded between an unfulfilled mission of governance, a floundering ideological project, and the demands of its faction-ridden support base, the BJP’s Karnataka paradigm is steadily coming apart.

Taking the trauma out of tests

"If the common national examination that has been agreed upon in principle for admission to engineering courses in 2013 lives up to its promise, it will eliminate two major problems: traumatic stress for students taking multiple examinations, and high costs. "

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Taking the trauma out of tests: The task of implementing a less expensive, academically sound and student-friendly eligibility test deserves the support of all States.

Grounding the disabled

"The case of a woman passenger with cerebral palsy rudely deplaned by SpiceJet is a terrible reminder of the distance India still needs to travel in recognising and respecting the human rights of disabled people. "

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Grounding the disabled: It is time the aviation industry got its act together on sensitising its personnel about handling passengers with particular needs.

A major weakness of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995, is the absence of a punitive clause. This is arguably the reason why its provisions remain poorly implemented.

India's disability law is up in the air. It is time to bring it down to earth, anchoring it firmly in the terrain of equality that our Constitution envisages for all citizens.

Resurrecting past raises questions about future

The news of Russian scientists cultivating a plant using seeds that are 30000 years old is creating new possibilities for recreating extinct flora and fauna. The editorial discusses the limitless possibilities this could lead to as well as the ethical questions this poses, along with the awkward consequences like, "Can our overcrowded planet handle the reappearance of woolly mammoths and antediluvian behemoths made to come alive from frozen tissues?"

http://expressbuzz.com/opinion/editorials/resurrecting-past-raises-questions-about-future/366403.html

Healthcare is a right government cannot ignore

The editorial takes a critical view of the planning commission picking holes in the Srinath Reddy committee report on the healthcare needs of the people. Stressing for the need of healthcare to be as much public controlled as possible, the editorial notes that scams in ill-conceived projects like NHRM cannot be held as a reason for privatizing health sector, which doesn't happen even in many developed countries.
http://expressbuzz.com/opinion/editorials/healthcare-is-a-right-government-cannot-ignore/366402.html

Public money is not to save private ventures

The editorial asks the government to take a tough stand on the Kingfisher airline debacle.
http://expressbuzz.com/opinion/editorials/public-money-is-not-to-save-private-ventures/366010.html
Pointing out to the operational troubles of Kingfisher the editorial notes, "Having cheated fliers by its unscheduled cancellation of flights and defrauded the government by deducting tax from its employees and not depositing it with authorities, the airlines has lost all ground for sympathetic consideration of its current plight."

And concludes with a simple summary of the perspective government should take, "It is not the job of a government to bail out private enterprises and their survival should be left to market forces. Since they do not share profits with the government there is no justification for wasting public money to enable them to cover their losses."

Capital gains, everyone else loses

"In the Vodafone case, the Supreme Court has again made a wrong call on tax avoidance, setting a precedent that jeopardises thousands of crores of potential revenue for the exchequer."

The Hindu : Opinion / Lead : Capital gains, everyone else loses: Tax avoidance through artificial devices — holding companies, subsidiaries, treaty shopping and selling valuable properties indirectly by entering into a maze of framework agreements — has become a very lucrative industry today. A large part of the income of the ‘Big 5' accountancy and consultancy firms derives from tax avoidance schemes which flourish in the name of tax planning.

Many foreign institutional investors (FII) avoided paying taxes citing the Double Taxation Treaty with Mauritius. This treaty says a company will be taxed only in the country where it is domiciled. All these FIIs, though based in other countries and operating exclusively in India, claimed Mauritian domicile by virtue of being registered there under the Mauritius Offshore Business Activities Act (MOBA). Since there was no capital gains tax in Mauritius, most FIIs and most of the foreign investment in India, by 2000, came to be routed through Mauritius.

High Court rejected Vodafone's contention that the transaction with Hutchinson was not liable to tax. But in appeal, a Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice accepted Vodafone's claim. With such welcoming winks towards tax avoidance devices, it is unlikely that any foreign company would be called upon to pay tax or at least capital gains tax in future in India. Thousands of crores of tax revenue, and the future attitude of the courts towards innovative tax avoidance devices, will be shaped by these two judgments.

Our courts must send a clear signal that India is not a banana republic where foreign companies can be invited to loot our resources and even avoid paying taxes on their windfall gains from the sale of those resources.

Italy is wrong on sea law

"The shooting of Indian fishermen by Italian marines aboard the Enrica Lexie brings to the fore the need to understand the Law of the Sea as understood by seafaring nations"

The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Italy is wrong on sea law: The United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), as quoted by the Italian authorities, to is taken out of context. So neither article 97 or Annexure III is relevant to this case.This case definitely does not come under any of the provisions of UNCLOS or any other convention connected with international piracy.

Killing someone is a crime; the accused has to face charges. But how and where must be decided by the authorities keeping in view diplomatic conditions.

The model code ain't broke

"UPA government's reported move to "look into the aspects where executive instructions of the Election Commission of India [are] required to be given statutory shape" smacks of a devious if ingenious way to curtail the powers of the supervisory body.

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : The model code ain't broke: The agenda note for the meeting of the Group of Ministers on corruption seems to have been drafted with the intent of taking out of the EC's purview any and all violations of the Model Code of Conduct."

The model code is central to the EC's efforts to prevent misuse of official machinery by parties in power, and to check electoral offences, malpractices and corruption during elections. It is essential that the need for change be shared by the EC and by political parties and that actual changes be the product of consensus between all stakeholders.

What politicians fear is the EC's hawk eye and its ability to deploy moral suasion. The model code may not be perfect but it certainly ain't broke. There is no need for the UPA to try and fix it.

All for trade, waiting for visa

"India and Pakistan have travelled quite far in improving trade relations, not to speak of breaking through the logjam of mutual hostility, mistrust and suspicion that had set in after the 2008 Mumbai attacks. "

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : All for trade, waiting for visa: Despite the continuing political pressures on the Pakistan government against normalisation of trade with India, the two sides signed three MoUs, on customs procedures, harmonising standards, and grievance redress in case of disputes between traders.

Pakistan cabinet's decision to grant Most Favoured Nation status to India has still not been notified due to the opposition stirred up against it by extremist and militant groups including the Jamat-ud-Dawa.

 It is disappointing, however, that the two sides have not yet been able to finalise a “liberal” visa regime, even for businessmen. It is futile to think of normalising trade, or of trade as a normaliser of relations, without first getting rid of the troglodytic visa system.

To IB or not to IB, that is the question

"India needs a National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC) but it should be designed better."

The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : To IB or not to IB, that is the question: Indian NCTC is to be given powers of arrest and searches as part of its preventive operations. Granting these powers to the IB through the NCTC mechanism could have two undesirable consequences. First, there may be allegations of misuse of the IB for harassing political opponents. Secondly, the IB's role as a clandestine intelligence collection organisation may get affected.

The IB will be preoccupied with defending its arrests before the courts and against allegations of human rights violations. Today, the IB enjoys protection from the Right to Information Act. If it has these powers and adds policing to its functions, it may no longer be able to enjoy this protection.

Home ministry should re-visit the proposed NCTC architecture in consultation with political parties and the States.

Say NO to death for drugs

"Handing down capital punishment for an offence that does not take life is draconian and violates all international human rights standards."

India has a long history of opium and cannabis use, especially in medicinal, spiritual and social contexts. Serving opium is an age-old tradition in many parts of the country that marks respect for guests. The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Say NO to death for drugs: Yet, this social propriety turned into legal impropriety with the enactment of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) in 1985, in order to comply with international agreements.

The NDPS Act prohibits cultivation, production, manufacture, possession, sale, purchase, transport, import, export, use and consumption of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, except for medical and scientific reasons, under license.


The United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) has held that drug trafficking is not the “most serious crime” under international law. In 1997, the UNHRC asked India to “limit the number of offences carrying the death penalty to the most serious crimes, with a view to its ultimate abolition”. Significantly, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the agency that oversees drug control measures globally has denounced capital punishment as a means to contain illicit trafficking and called upon Member States to abolish the death penalty for drug-related offences.

India has consistently ignored these opinions.Parliament is presently reviewing amendments to the NDPS Act. Will the rhetoric of ‘tough on drugs' prevail once again?

Latin America, India's next big thing?

"South-South cooperation will work again only if it is driven by economic opportunities rather than wishful thinking."

The Hindu : Opinion / Lead : Latin America, India's next big thing?: A combination of government initiatives and private ventures opened new vistas in India-LAC trade and investment, leading to an eightfold expansion in interregional trade.

We have come a long way since the days when India and some Latin American countries championed the cause of what was then called the New International Economic Order (NIEO) in the late 1970s and early 1980s. But there is little doubt that the challenge of making South-South cooperation work is once again at the top of the policy agenda — though this time driven by sound economic opportunities rather than by wishful thinking.

Fighting piracy on dry land

"Naval action isn't going to end piracy. For a durable solution, governments need to find ways to bring order to one of the world's most dangerous regions."

Failed by governments, merchant seamen have increasingly turned to using force to protect themselves. The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Fighting piracy on dry land. Somalia's pirate cartels have their roots in a failed state: the country has had no real government since 1991. Its economy is in ruins. Its coastal community felt the impacts of the collapse of the Somali state. Foreign trawlers began to prey on its fishing grounds with impunity, destroying a traditional source of livelihood. The flooding of the region with weapons led many young men to turn to the pirate cartels.

Experts say the pirate cartels now function much like modern businesses. A stock exchange to fund future attacks; banks to route ransom payments; firms to conduct negotiations and air-drop cash!

The massed guns of the world's navies have done relatively little to deter global piracy. The solution to high-seas piracy lies on dry land. Rebuilding Somalia's coastal villages, and bring order to the region, could provide a means to deny the cartels their sources of cadre and support — if governments can find the will and means to work in one of the world's most dangerous regions.

The tale of two Thakerays

Both Udhav Thakeray and Raj Thakeray, who are leading two successful parties in the recent civic poll elections of Maharashtra belong to the "tiger legacy" and have an affinity towards arts....

"But that's where the similarity ends", analyses Seema Kamdar.

While one is silent, composed and hard-working, the other belongs to the usual SENA brigade of aggression, vibrant and a sense of offensive attitude...

The tale of two Thakerays

The Dow side of corporate sponsorship

"U.N. guidelines are the yardstick to assess the human rights record of corporations."

Dow Chemical got it wrong if it thought when it acquired the worldwide assets of Union Carbide that it wouldn't have to deal with the legacy of the 1984 Bhopal disaster that killed thousands of people. The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : The Dow side of corporate sponsorship

The liability of Dow with regard to the disaster in 1984 itself is not easy to establish, but activists and lawyers in India assert that Dow cannot escape responsibility for the ongoing contamination of ground water in Bhopal, and its health impacts.

The conversation about Bhopal has rightly focused on corporate responsibility, but it is important to remember the role of the Indian government as well. This case shows corporate failure to respect rights (Union Carbide), state failure to protect rights (Indian government), and the absence of an adequate remedy for victims.

Wider questions still remain — what sort of screening should be in place when selecting sponsors? Should only companies with a squeaky clean reputation be chosen? And if so, how is such reputation defined? The U.N. Guiding Principles on business and human rights — which provide the authoritative due diligence steps all companies need to take — offer a promising yardstick.

The Olympics represent the noblest of human efforts to strive towards higher standards. Organisers should aspire towards the highest standards when they undertake due diligence to select partners, in celebration of this ultimate test of human endeavour.

Arresting tales of M. Natarajan

"AIADMK's powerful mystery man, a.k.a. Sasikala's husband."

Natarajan is in the news after being arrested on a charge of land grabbing, an action seen as part of an ongoing political purge following the expulsion of Ms. Sasikala from the Jayalalithaa household and the party, along with a host of family members. The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Arresting tales of M. Natarajan

The latest arrest of Natarajan is unlikely to end speculation on what his real role is in the political drama playing out partially before the public eye and largely behind it.

Elsewhere, there may be a mystery behind every crime; in Tamil Nadu, the mystery is more in the arrest than in the offence.

Working for labour

"The current National Floor Level Minimum Wage (NFLMW) fixed by the Centre in 2011 is Rs.115 a day. But under the 1948 law, States are free to set their own minimum. As a result, the rates significantly, and as many as 21 States still fall below the national minimum.

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Working for labour: Amendments to the Minimum Wages Act are thus critical to a guaranteed subsistence income for millions of unskilled labourers, including women, who fall well below the standard human development indicators."

Also, it is erroneous to reason that expenditure on the workforce is a burden, rather than a necessary investment to enhance value and raise the productivity of enterprises. Even in countries that have embarked upon the deregulation of labour markets, social and welfare protection mechanisms exist which provide a society-wide cushion to the unemployed or indigent.

Taking German lessons

"The resignation of German President Christian Wulff has diminished the standing of Chancellor Angela Merkel but the episode confirms the strength of the country's public processes. "

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Taking German lessons: Mr. Wulff is the second Merkel presidential nominee in under two years to quit amid controversy; after his predecessor, Horst Köhler.

The contrast with India, where governments and prosecutors must be dragged kicking and screaming to court before they agree to investigate and prosecute politicians accused of corruption couldn't be greater.

Germany has provided a clear lesson in what substantive probity in public life can mean.

Sachin will know when the time comes

"Sachin has done enough to deserve the right to choose his own time of departure"

He has played far too long, and for the most part with unmatched brilliance, to wait for some kindly soul to tell him that he is past his shelf-life. The Hindu : Columns / Nirmal Shekar : Sachin will know when the time comes

Of course, a lot of sportsmen, great and average, will want to go out with the proverbial bang. But more often than not, the bang has very little to do with what a player does or does not do in his last appearance.

Time almost always has the last say, in sport as in life. If the ageing process accelerates in sport, then some sportsmen are intelligent enough to become conscious of their eroding skills, of the slight diminishment of reflexes, footwork and eyesight.

Merely because we want to remember our great sporting heroes as immortal icons who said goodbye in style, it is ridiculous to expect them to quit at or near the peak of their powers.

'India and Brazil have no possibility of conflict at all'

Q&A

Talk of economic cooperation between the BRIC nations - Brazil, Russia, India and China - is frequent. But visiting India recently, the Brazilian defence minister Celso Amorim spoke with Josy Joseph about the importance of strengthening bilateral defence ties, sharing valuable tips - and enjoying a relationship free of disputes:

Interview - Q&A

-The Times of India, February 22, 2012 

Pakistan's Festering Wound

Islamabad must end the repression of the Baloch people and engage with them

Pakistan's Festering Wound

-The Times of India, February 22, 2012

Green Gift

The perfect eco-friendly present to give to someone is a tree

Green Gift

-The Times of India, February 22, 2012 

End Of Meat?

Scientists are making it in the lab

End Of Meat

-The Times of India, February 22, 2012

Turbulent Flight

Improving viability of airlines should be top priority for government

Turbulent Flight

-The Times of India, February 22, 2012

Former England football captain says footballers are overpaid

Times View - Pay reflects demand
Counter View - A sheer travesty

-The Times of India, February 21, 2012

Unshackling Our Thinkers

Government's attitude towards research funding must change for our researchers to compete globally

Unshackling Our Thinkers

-The Times of India, February 21, 2012

Anything goes

It takes ingenuity to specialise in botched jobs

Anything goes

-The Times of India, February 21, 2012

Rape Gaffe

Mamata scents conspiracy again

Rape Gaffe

-The Times of India, February 21, 2012

Poll Vault

High voter turnouts may signal high popular aspiration

Poll Vault

-The Times of India, February 21, 2012

India's destiny not caste in stone

"Outside politics, there are other areas of life in which caste consciousness has been dying down."

Democracy was expected to efface the distinctions of caste, but its consequences have been very different from what was expected. There are areas of life, other than politics, in which the consciousness of caste has been dying down, though not very rapidly or dramatically. The Hindu : Opinion / Lead : India's destiny not caste in stone

There has been a steady erosion of the rules relating to commensality or inter-dining. Also, caste consciousness in matrimonial matters has been on the decline in recent decades. Rapid economic growth and the expansion of the middle class are accompanied by new opportunities for individual mobility which further loosens the association between caste and occupation.

If, in spite of all this, caste is maintaining or even strengthening its hold over the public consciousness, it is due to the adoption of universal adult franchise after independence, which altered the character and scope of the involvement of caste in the political process. The consciousness of caste is brought to the fore at the time of elections.

Unfortunately, the discussions on television create the illusion that caste is an unalterable feature of Indian society. It will be a pity if we allow what goes on in the media to reinforce the consciousness of caste and to persuade us that caste is India's destiny.

Seeding a policy without the dirt on climate change

"ICAR says knowledge of climate change impact in India is 'fragmentary'"

There are no conclusive studies in India on the prospective impact of climate change on the agriculture sector including livestock and fisheries. The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Seeding a policy without the dirt on climate change Then, how can the government be tailoring its policies to mitigate the impact of climate change on agriculture.

The government is moving towards the 12th Plan with a strategy that has potential to affect the country's food security and make it dependent on imports in the long term.

The simple requirement of farmers on the ground is advanced and accurate information on weather. Coastal States seek policies to sustain productive and protective habitats such as mangroves, coral reefs, wetlands and fisheries. Hilly States want development of traditional forest land to indigenously manage natural resources. High-altitude States prefer integrated soil and watershed management in a farming system mode to sustain them through the year. But the government has done precious little towards this.

Rather than the top-down policy shifts that could jeopardise food security, there is pressing need for honest location-specific research in partnership with small and marginal farmers to assess over a period of time the impact of climate change.

Instead of being driven by international funding, such research should be driven by the needs of farmers.

For oil and peace, India must stand up in the two Sudans

"South Sudan's oil shutdown dealt a major blow to the overseas oil ambitions of India's leading national oil company ONGC Videsh Ltd. (OVL)"

Since South Sudan won its independence from Sudan last year, a dispute over oil is edging the former foes closer to reigniting one of Africa's longest and deadliest wars. The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : For oil and peace, India must stand up in the two Sudans. OVL has invested over $2.5 billion, but South Sudan's shutdown of its oil production has dealt a major blow to the company's overseas oil ambitions. The crown jewel of OVL's international portfolio lies dormant, precariously straddled across an undemarcated border, as the two sides engage in political brinkmanship and the ugly face of war nears.

India was the first Asian country to open a consulate in South Sudan's capital Juba. Yet first-mover advantage is useless if India does not make an effort to exploit it. New Delhi has done little to protect its economic interests in Sudan and South Sudan, or foster peace between the two sides.

If India truly wants to make a unique mark, it must roll up its sleeves and lend a hand in ending Africa's longstanding conflicts.

The Railways need funds

"The Kakodkar high-level railway safety review committee, which submitted its recommendations to Railway Minister, may not have said anything new or different from the past but it has chosen to tell the Railways how to mobilise the funds for a long overdue, massive safety upgrade programme over the next five years, with an estimate for Rs.1 lakh crore."

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : The Railways need funds: After Nitish Kumar brought the Railways back from the brink, and Lalu Prasad took all the credit for prudent financial management, Mamata Banerjee had virtually brought the Indian Railways to a situation of a financial collapse.

It is time the Planning Commission and Finance Ministry took a serious look at the state of the Railways. For if India's biggest employer is unwilling to take even small steps towards better managing its finances, there is no sense in it having a separate annual budget.

Maximum city, minimum will

"Mumbai needs planning, organisation and governance, not dug up roads, overflowing garbage and chaos. The Sena must seek pride in the running of a streamlined city and not just in the beautiful swimming pools or parks that it has built.

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Maximum city, minimum will: The task before the corporation is enormous but not impossible. As one of the richest corporations in India, it has the funds. What it has lacked, alas, is the will."

Still sprouting after 32,000 years

"Scientists have been able to grow ancient flowering plants from immature fruit tissues buried 38m under the North-eastern Siberian ice deposits about 32,000 years ago. The tissues were recovered from the burrow of a ground squirrel. The regenerated plants flowered and also produced seeds. These seeds were in turn able to grow into plants that were identical to the parent plants"

The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Still sprouting after 32,000 years: Another significant finding is that tissues remained viable and seeds germinated despite accumulating total gamma ray radiation of 0.07 kGy during the long period of burial.

This natural cryopreservation of plant tissues over thousands of years demonstrates a role for permafrost as a depository for an ancient gene pool … a laboratory for the study of rates of microevolution.

Ecology Vs Development

There is an intense debate regarding the difficulties in maintenance of the ecological system along with development...

Yatin Pandya explains the bad attitude of developers towards ecology and how they are just playing to the gallery and not actually taking any steps towards ecological preservation...

Designed to Kill: Trees versus development

Italian sailors have wronged

Recently, Kochi fisherman were killed by Italian sailors thinking they were pirates.

Somu CS, Head Of Dept., School Of Law, Christ University explains why the sailors are punishable under Indian Jurisdiction according to International Law...

The Italians, according to him are in big trouble if Indians exercise their authority properly...

Kochi fisherman: Italy in troubled water

Why is UP so backward?

One of the states that is extremely backward in terms if modernization and immense growth potential is the state of Uttar Pradesh.

Is it just because of lack of good politics...

No, the factors run deeper believes Parsa Venkateshwar Rao Jr.

UP misses date with modernity due to backward elites

Airline's and Airport's ratings

Tony Tyler, chief of IATA (International Air Transport Association) had warned about the poor infrastructure of airlines and airports in India.

Francois Gautier, a frequent flier in India rates the best airlines and airports of this country, and of course, the worst too...

Tibet and China, rising tensions

Jayadeva Ranade, explains the various religious tensions between Tibet and China... He also explains the after-effects of self-immolation of 22 Tibetans in China...

China braces for heightened tension in restive Tibet

Undermining the EC is undermining democracy

Former AGI Soli Sorabjee takes a dig at the recent spat between EC and Congress ministers (Mr.Khursheed and Mr.Verma), who have taken EC for a ride by making and then regretting the statements violating model code of conduct.

http://expressbuzz.com/opinion/columnists/undermining-the-ec-is-undermining-democracy/364734.html

The Chief Election Commissioner is given the status of a Supreme Court judge regarding his tenure and conditions of service. The Model Code of Conduct for elections is not a useless advisory parchment. It has to be observed strictly in letter and spirit and its violation can be punished.

Did Bharata build Bharat varsha in vain?

India is a model to the world in the management of free and fair elections. But in terms of what comes out of this massive exercise, India is an argument against adult franchise. The author takes the example of candidates with criminal records contesting in UP elections, especially some in jails in various parts of the country.

http://expressbuzz.com/opinion/columnists/did-bharata-build-bharat-varsha-in-vain/364730.html

The other aspect of pain area the author touches upon is the D-word: Dynasty politics, exposing the Badal family overwhelming Punjab and the double standards Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray employs while claiming to be against it.

'Today, people have to continue learning throughout life'

Q&A


Howard Gardner created the theory of Multiple Intelligences, showing people have different ways of learning and expressing diverse information and therefore have many kinds of intelligence, not just one sort. Professor of cognitive psychology at Harvard's Graduate School of Education, Gardner's research impacted education deeply while influencing aspects of leadership, ethics and creativity: Visiting India, Gardner spoke with Tirna Ray about why people differ at certain skills, how teaching and learning must both change as commerce and industry evolve - and how flexible minds could have serious advantages now: 

Interview - Q&A

-The Times of India, February 20, 2012

The Land Of The Blind

Winners of the Manipur elections must remedy the lack of vision all parties have shown there

The Land Of The Blind

"No matter which coalition comes to power - probably with a wafer-thin majority - the state machinery can't afford to overlook the ethnic complexity in this strategic northeastern state"

-The Times of India, February 20, 2012

Arms and the mule

Whether man or beast, the army disciplines all

Arms and the mule

-The Times of India, February 20, 2012

Business Sense

Base corporate culture on merit, not clan

Business Sense

-The Times of India, February 20, 2012

Work Together

Centre and states must coordinate effectively to fight terrorism

Work Together

"There is an urgent need to make counterterrorism capabilities perennial rather than reactive."

-The Times of India, February 20, 2012 

Going green, with a large side order of mercury

"Despite the growing popularity of energy-saving fluorescent lamps, little has been done to address the issue of the safe disposal of the dangerous waste they generate."

Steady release of mercury into the air, soil and water poses a significant health risk. Annually, a large amount of this toxic, complex metal is simply dumped into municipal landfills or released into the air from millions of  fluorescent tube lights and compact fluorescent lamps. The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Going green, with a large side order of mercury. The issue should not be allowed to drift, and both industry and government must take responsibility for the toxic waste element in end-of-life lamps.

The solution lies in providing a cash incentive to consumers to hand them over to civic or authorised recycling industry workers, with the recovery paid for by the manufacturers as part of the extended producer responsibility principle.

The mercury question provides an opportunity to cities to not just address one problem, but to adopt the Municipal Solid Waste rules in their entirety. Any move to segregate waste at the level of the consumer and remove recyclable materials can build the full chain of waste handling measures. This will reduce pressure on the environment from various waste sources such as batteries, plastic, glass and metal and help in resource recovery.

Willing to wound, yet afraid to strike

"Rahul Gandhi's central role in the Congress campaign in U.P. has generated high expectations that the party is now scaling down."

The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Willing to wound, yet afraid to strike:

New game on West Asian chessboard

"For India, whose stakes are high not just in Syria but the entire region, the time has come to demonstrate a new form of non-alignment, between Saudi Arabia and Iran"

The Hindu : Opinion / Lead : New game on West Asian chessboard: Two facts are evident in the situation in Syria. The “international community” is determined to topple Bashar Al Assad's regime, and there is heavy and undisguised involvement of external forces, with active encouragement and assistance including financing and arming of anti-regime elements.

Once the dissidents in Syria manage to seize control over some territory anywhere in the country, the external involvement will become decisive in tilting the scales against Bashar. In addition, the opposition would also need to put together a coalition of their own so that foreign aid can be channelled to them - as happened in Libya.

Every successive country involved in Arab Spring has witnessed increasing levels of violence. The Syrian revolution has cost thousands of lives on both sides and will surely claim thousands more.

India might have to practise a new form of non-alignment or dual alignment between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Continued instability in Syria might make the region unstable, affecting the production and export of oil, and, most importantly, the situation of the six-million Indian diaspora working in the region.

For journalists, conflicts are never glamorous

"Anthony Shadid of the New York Times, who died last week while surreptitiously slipping into Syria to assess first-hand the incipient civil war there, was the latest casualty in a long line of correspondents and photographers. He was struck by a fatal asthma attack."

The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : For journalists, conflicts are never glamorous: At 43, he had already won two Pulitzer Prizes, the highest awards in American journalism. He could well have rested on his laurels and coasted along in his career, perhaps taking on assignments in less fraught regions. But he believed that journalists need to see for themselves how societies dealt with stress, and how people coped with the horrors inflicted on them by rulers. He believed that such reporting offered insights for a larger world audience, and the basis on which future historians would produce more substantive works.

Mr. Shadid had been put through the mill, as editors put it. He had been taught the importance of integrity and truthfulness in journalism; he had been steeped in the uncompromising value of deeply reported facts. He had been taught the difference between reportage and opinion, which unfortunately is diminishing in this era of internet journalism.

There's a lesson for journalists in the untimely death of Anthony Shadid: No matter how honoured you are as a journalist, you can never afford to abandon the fundamentals of the trade. You simply have to be there to cover the story. Even if it costs you your life.

Make the pact workable

"For Mamata Banerjee to lay at the doors of the Central government the whole blame for the delay in implementation of the July 2011 agreement for the formation of an autonomous administrative set-up for the Darjeeling hills is less than charitable. "

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Make the pact workable: The wishes of the people of the areas in question will need to be factored in before conclusive decisions are taken, in order to avoid incendiary outcomes. As yet, there does not seem to be any solution in view for this problem within the problem.

Spies shouldn't police us

"The Ministry of Home Affairs' proposal to arm the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC) with the power to conduct searches and make arrests derives. Indians should understand why the idea is profoundly misguided."

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Spies shouldn't police us: Intelligence Bureau is not an organisation that is, or ought to be, concerned with criminal justice. Blurring the distinction between intelligence-gathering and policing will open up the possibility of abuses. The Union government already has an investigative service with a nationwide mandate, the National Investigation Agency.

IB has historically devoted extensive resources to political surveillance. Handing it the power to arrest will expand the possibility of political misuse. More importantly, India's counter-terrorism efforts have floundered because State police forces lack the training, resources and manpower needed to conduct effective investigations.

Never any 'agreement' with Raja not to revise entry fee

"Union Minister of Home Affairs P. Chidambaram responds to the report “Chidambaram may not be out of 2G thicket yet,” that was published in The Hindu on February 16, 2012"

The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Never any 'agreement' with Raja not to revise entry fee 

False nuclear fears cloud judgment on Iran

"A rational approach to preventing proliferation could avoid thousands of unnecessary deaths."

A non-hysterical approach to the Iran nuclear issue is entirely possible.

Iran would most likely “use” any nuclear capacity in the same way all other nuclear states have: for prestige (or ego-stoking) and to deter real or perceived threats. The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : False nuclear fears cloud judgment on Iran

The popular notion that nuclear weapons furnish a country with the capacity to “dominate” its area has little or no historical support.

 If Iran wants to develop a nuclear weapon, the only way it can be effectively stopped is invasion and occupation, an undertaking that would make America's costly war in Iraq look like child's play. Indeed, because it can credibly threaten invaders with another and worse Iraq, Iran scarcely needs nuclear weapons to deter invasion.

The author concludes by stating "I have nothing against making non-proliferation a high priority. I would simply like to top it with a somewhat higher priority: avoiding militarily aggressive actions under the obsessive sway of worst-case scenario fantasies ..."

An Iranian oil embargo and a Russian oil boon

"Russian government has opposed the idea of Western petroleum sanctions against Iran. But new threats to Iranian oil flow could have at least one beneficiary: Russia. Its pipelines stand ready to serve customers willing to pay a premium price — with a grade of oil closely resembling Iran's."

The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : An Iranian oil embargo and a Russian oil boon: Russia is now the world's largest oil producer. Though rising prices are a boon for every oil producer, Russia has a particular advantage: a pipeline system that can supply Iran's traditional customers in both Europe and Asia. Depending on which way the geopolitical winds are blowing, Russia has the ability to direct more or less of its oil either eastward or westward.

American politicians are divided in their willingness to disrupt global petroleum trading and financing to the potential detriment of strategic allies. At least one exemption in the bank strictures under discussion is meant specifically to limit the strategic benefits for Russia

There are other limits to Russia's ability to fully capitalize on the Iranian oil upheaval. The big one is that the Russian industry is already producing petroleum from its working fields at full capacity. But its extensive pipeline network gives Russia enviable flexibility to direct its oil to wherever demand — and prices — are highest.

Singapore seeks to slow surge in foreign workers

"Singapore will seek to stabilise the number of foreign workers amid growing discontent about rising housing costs, crowded public transport and stagnant wages for low-income workers"

A continued rapid infusion of foreign workers will also inevitably affect the Singaporean character of society. Singapore doesn't have a minimum wage, and opposition parties argue foreign workers help keep salaries low, especially at the expense of poorer Singaporeans. The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Singapore seeks to slow surge in foreign workers

The easy availability of foreign labour reduces the incentives for companies to upgrade, design better jobs and raise productivity.

Companies are now expected to boost productivity through investment in technology and worker training rather than relying on foreign workers.

This London dream has parts missing

"For Kolkata to improve, the greater part of the city must be involved."

The Hindu : Opinion / Lead : This London dream has parts missing

The right to vend

"With national urban policies repeatedly failing to improve access to cities and protect the livelihood rights of those who live in them, the hope and effort of more than 10 million street vendors lies in pushing the government to enact a Central law to secure their rights. "

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : The right to vend: A Central law, which can be enacted under the concurrent list that includes economic planning and labour welfare, will help enforce their rights through courts.

Co-opting street vendors is a necessary and important step towards making our cities inclusive and equitable.

Don't ignore the adults

"The proportion of older children and adults succumbing to malaria is high — “almost always more than 40 per cent.” This goes against the grain of acquired resistance seen in adults living in endemic regions. "

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Don't ignore the adults: Higher mortality in adults reflects lower immunity, probably due to reduced infection during childhood.

The vital message is that while continuing to focus on those below five, older children and adults cannot be ignored in any malaria protection programmes.

Centre cannot ignore states on policy issues

The editorial discusses yet another slip in the UPA's equations, this time on the policy of National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC). With the West Bengal joining the leagues of Odisha, Tamilnadu and Bihar is protesting the centralization of power, the claims of the government to have consulted states stands exposed, once again.

http://expressbuzz.com/opinion/editorials/centre-cannot-ignore-states-on-policy-issues/364513.html