A Forgotten Holy Land

No matter how bold and aggressive Sikhs are in India, no matter how anxious Sikhs are to be perceived – nothing can justify the silence of Sikhs on the desecrated Gurudwaras in Pakistan, mostly in Pakistan-occupied Punjab. It is the real Sikh homeland because it’s where Sikhism originated. There is no pondering, nor even any mention in their discourses of what Pakistan and Muslims did to gurudwaras. Indiscriminate desecration or razing of gurudwaras, misusing them as stores and using them as offices or schools. Is this not terrorism, what is?  

The rationale of this article is not to question the bravery of Sikhs. But, it is the silence of Sikhs on their real homeland. Nankana Sahib is also in Pakistan-occupied Punjab.  Support of Hindus for Sikhs is undeniable and they have the right to claim the Pakistan-occupied Punjab. Sikhs suffered a lot in Pakistan in 1947 and it is their right to get back the Pakistan-occupied Punjab.

One such gurudwara is ‘Sri Rori Sahib’ in Lahore which is in a very bad condition. It illustrates the construction of the Golden Temple of Amritsar on its ceiling.  Some of the famous gurudwaras like Nankana Sahib, Panja Sahib, and Kartarpur Sahib are properly cared for and visited by many devotees around the world now, thanks to the Modi government in India. The majority of the gurudwaras in the small towns and villages need care and reconstruction.  Most of these gurudwaras are related to the first six Gurus of Khalsa Panth.

At present, there are around 350 gurudwaras in Pakistan, of which nearly 140 are honestly associated with the first six Gurus of Khalasa Panth. But shockingly, at present only 20 are properly serviceable where proper ‘puja’ is performed. However, this is another story that no Sikh organization or any Sikh dares to raise this issue at any platform who are otherwise very aggressive and vocal on very insignificant issues. Situation of gurudwaras is much more miserable in Afganistan.

Sikhs are very lucky. They have powerful and loyal friends, India and the Hindus. This is because Hindus are secular, peaceful and loyal people. Sikhs should be intelligent enough to understand that this support is not unconditional. It should be mutual trust and loyalty. Nobody cares beyond a limit. Sikhs should reciprocate honestly.

Some part of Sri Rori Sahib gurudwara was crumbled in the monsoons and some part was damaged by the toxic elements. Gurudwara Daftu Sahib, situated in the village Daftu of Kasur district, collapsed due to neglect and no visitors. It is said that the honored Sufi poet of 17 th century, Baba Bulleh Shah took shelter here to save himself from violent Muslims. Sikhs should show some courage to save and get back control of these gurudwaras. There is a gurudwara in Handiara village which was visited by the sixth Sikh guru – Guru Hargobind in 17 th century. This shrine famously known as Gurudwara Chhevin Patshahi portrays the scenes from the battle of Kartarpur between Sikh and Mughal forces in 1935. Now, it is occupied by Muslims.  

Sikhs should be made conscious of the brave and aggressive narrative of Sikh belief on which these gurudwaras were built. A strong sense of pride and belonging should be created for these monuments. Sikh diaspora has almost surrendered to the Islamic fundamentalists of Pakistan and Afghanistan. They have no courage to do anything. It is very difficult work due to the violent local opposition and encroachment. Very bold and aggressive efforts are needed by the Sikh community. In these historic gurudwaras, Sikhism originated were destroyed one after the other due to fear and weakness of the Sikh community.

The majority of the Sikhs fled away from Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Punjab after the Partition in 1947 and afterwards, almost all the gurudwaras caved in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Although, the government of Pakistan has a department to look after the assets and gurudwaras it is simply an eyewash. It does nothing rather it is a happy partner in the destruction of those assets and heritages.

Lahore is the nursery and cradle of Sikhs and their history. But, now anything related to Sikhism is preserved properly. The biggest problem is that Sikhs are not ready to live in Pakistan due to fear. Minorities in Pakistan are brutally repressed and persecuted. As a result of this hardly two dozen gurudwaras are functional. In other gurudwaras are left unattended by the Sikh community. Sikhs from India and abroad should migrate and settle in Pakistan and Afghanistan and take care of their gurudwaras. These holy gurudwaras symbolize the origin of the Khalsa faith spread by Guru Nanak and other gurus.

Not only this, some of the gurudwaras are converted into schools, housing complexes, libraries and mosques. A municipal library was opened in Gurudwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha on Kashmir road in Mansera city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa state. Likewise, in Sargodha town, the Government Ambala Muslim High School was opened. There are many such instances where gurudwaras are used and occupied by Muslims. The fallout is that the sacredness and the history linked to these places will be forgotten forever. 

It is very surprising to see the timid attitude of Sikhs and Shromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee toward these sacred gurudwaras who are otherwise very vocal and aggressive even on minor issues in India. The Sikhs left behind these holy shrines while fleeing. It is high time that Sikhs demand to restore all the gurudwaras and their properties. After that, they must demand the Pakistan-occupied Punjab as their homeland.

Tags: gurudwars, Sikhs, Pakistan, homeland, holy.

Quotas: A method less madness

“Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t.”

(Hamlet, Polonius, Act 2 Scene 2)

This very famous quote from Shakespeare is very suitable for the present situation in Manipur. Earlier people used to fight for the nation and the religion, but now they are fighting for quotas.

Quotas have been a big apple for Discord. All rush to the streets to fight and grab for the quotas. It is impossible to please all the caste and religious groups fighting or grabbing quotas. 

Hundreds of people have died in communal violence for the quotas. Scores of private buildings, government offices, and cars have been burnt down. There is fear and violence everywhere. Claiming that reservation for Meiteis goes against the interests of Kukies. They claimed that they stand to safeguard our crucial, inseparable and traditional rights. The court judgment is in direct conflict with the will and ambitions of the Kuki people.

Resenting the reservation for Kukies goes against the traditional affirmative justice pattern, Meiteis have been opposing this type of reservation. They have been agitating for a long to demand reservations. They were insisting on special provisions for reservation. Not only this, Kukies can buy the land of Meiteis but Meities cannot buy the land of Kukies. There is resentment against this unfair law.



The crisis over reservation has also brought to the forefront an unpleasant truth that many tribal societies in the Northeast, particularly the Meiteis have been ignored. Meiteis want reservation and equality. There are hundreds of castes and tribes in the region like Meiteis and the degree of one-sided empowerment of some tribes only.

The Meitieis are highly peaceful people. They are very honest and clear on one point: that there should be equality and peace in the state. So they are vehement that they should get equal opportunity and reservation like the Kuki tribe. Facing unprecedented backlash, N. Biren Singh eventually softened to the suggestion/judgment of Guwahati High. He almost decided to demand from the Meite community an amendment to the reservation rules.

Kuki people opposed this fiercely. For now, though, the fight for equal representation for the Meite community is in limbo. Violence has forced them to ignore the demand to give reservations to the Meite community. Maity activists will continue to “speak for the voiceless”, and emboldened by the Guwahati high court ruling. But Kuki, always fighting for their upper hand very aggressively from the hills. Going to any lengths to retain it -will have both their resolve and conviction tested like never before as they battle for their rights against simple and peace-loving Meite.

There was a time when the bureaucracy in Manipur was the monopoly of Bengalis who migrated from Sylhet in Bangladesh who made Manipur their home but kept aloof from the local population mainly the Meiteis and condescendingly behaved with them. They went to the extent of replacing the Meitei script with the Bengali script. This created resentment among the peace-loving Vaishnavite Meiteis. The Meiteis have all along been fighting for the revival of their ancient language which has a rich literary history dating back to 1400 BC. The general feeling was that their ancient language was on its way to a slow death due to the imposition of the Bengali language. 

The Meitei Hindus expected a change for the better with the change of government in the state and the centre. They were disappointed when the BJP government turned a deaf ear to their long-standing demand and added fuel to the fire by giving preference to Hindi in schools. People there believe that Bengali chauvinism has been replaced by Hindi chauvinism. Similar was the case in Punjab. The Khalistan movement was a creation of the appeasement by the then Congress governments to the unreasonable demands of the Sikhs. The funds came from overseas Punjabis and Chinese arms came from Pakistan.

It is the same language issue that resulted in the BJP losing the battle in Karnataka recently. The BJP central leadership would do well to understand that no one is opposed to Hindi. The opposition is to Hindi imposition. The imposition of one language in a country as linguistically diverse as others will not guarantee unity. India is a strange nation where the majority community is persecuted by the minority communities. Kashmir, the Punjab, Bengal, Kerala and now Manipur, Meiteis by Kukies. 

Urdu imposition in Pakistan resulted in the birth of Bangladesh. What the Sinhala imposition did to Sri Lanka is there for all to see. Wisdom is not wisdom if it dawns late. “Those that fail to learn from History are doomed to repeat it.” – said Winston Churchill in a 1948 speech to the British House of Commons.

Much ado about Pathan supremacist

A much hyped and controversial film, featuring Shah Rukh Khan after his four flop years, Pathan is a super marked artificial thriller that shows SRK as over-rated and true to the hyped entertainer. Immature in a story, Pathan is a much ado about nothing story which is using all tricks for footing.

The film opens with pro-Pakistan sentiments. The plot shows India’s scrapping of controversial and draconian article 370 and its reaction to a Pakistani officer; who wants to harm and damage India for this bold ‘mistake’. He meets daunting Jim, an Indian Ex-Raw agent who feels dodgy by his people. RAW is shown as bad and ISI is good. He is joined by stunning confederate Rubai an ex-ISI agent (Deepika Padukone) with pushy designs.

Shockingly, the story begins by giving prominence to the anger of Pakistan on scrapping Article 370 in an Indian movie. Moreover, an officer of coveted RAW has been portrayed as a traitor.  This is a very wrong narrative.

Entry of SRK or Pathan is very poor and repulsive. Pathan, Jim and Rubai twist eyes and minds, as they leap continents and indulge in perilous theatrics of fraud and retribution. All three compete to raze other’s world and secure their own. Over-acting of SRK is clearly visible.

Director Siddharth Anand gives his best to his spy thriller and failed to hide the over-action. He presents super-hero type unbelievable actions. He is fascinated by the hero-worship-type marvel of Hollywood blockbusters in a very open manner. Fabricated action and chase string, Spiderman-type wingsuits, death and gravity horrid stunts on bikes, cars, ice, helicopters and above all in the air look very artificial just like video games. Toy weapons are used. Eternal heroes and villains uttering towering dialogues, in-adequately dressed woman-all dumped together in the hyped idea of patriotism.

The director and the story aim to show Shah Rukh Khan as a superhero to safeguard his dwindling fortune with the help of actions beating emotion and romance. Only time will tell how he lets his thin body do the ‘action’ roles in those fading glory of the late fifties. The entire action and story move around him otherwise in an ordinary masala story. The story rotates around Pathan and tried to show him as a Pathan supremacist; a caste of Muslims. It seems, to show SRK as a super-star with the help of modern gadgets, a virtual world, meta verse, artificial intelligence, smart-phone, satellite phone, jetpack, multi-layered balls, high-end cars and choppers, advanced rockets and other modus operandi etc been used excessively.

In the film, the barbaric Taliban is shown as a victim of America. Similarly, all the cast are kind to Pakistan. This is a very wrong narrative. Vishal & Shekhar tried their best to highlight the hero’s centrist and boasting image on the show. John Abraham is strong in his role as Jim. In his disguised entry and stunts, he is superb and overshadows the hero.

Deepika Padukone’s body is fully on display and used as a cheer-woman dutifully dancing, double-crossing, immorally perfect and made to show her failed chemistry with SRK. She failed to dazzle in the presence of the John-SRK star cast. Her’s is the worst performance. Repeatedly twisting his face Pathan looks very ridiculous. 

However, Dimple Kapadia is superb in her limited role and lends much-needed support to the shaky story and advance. She over-shadows all other characters. Ashutosh Rana appears very decent and sober as Colonel Luthra. Music and songs are very ordinary or uninviting.

Salman Khan enters very dramatically donning an Islamic scarf. Pathan uses Islamic mannerisms to greet and even Islamic ways to salute. The second half is utterly boring.

The YRF has tried its best to give a great iconic spy story to glorify SRK. Pathan has all the elements of masala banality — showman, action, fight, dancing-sexy-scantily dressed women and much hyped SRK. It is just like a video game for children, far away from reality. Now his era is on the decline…’ for the movie ‘‘Pathaan” is now live. However, Pathan and SRK have divided cine-goers into religious lines. This is not a good trend for the nation and society. 

Media has given tremendous coverage and support to Pathan and SRK.  It has been giving minute-to-minute coverage and commentary of Pathan. It seems that some of the newspapers are just busy with the promotion and propaganda of the movie and SRK. Nowhere in the country, no rush or the signboards of ‘House full’ seen outside any cinema hall and multiplexes but the earnings kept on rising at a rapid pace. This is a new phenomenon. In a poor and where people have no employment, a poor movie earning 600 crore rupees within six days is unbelievable. However, the movie is another show of Pathan supremacists like My Name is Khan. Pakistan and ISI will be very happy on the box office hit of the movie.  

No place for Secularism

It has become a fashion in this country to discuss and talk about secularism on the one hand but supporting special benefits and privileges for minorities. Secular democracy is boasted as the best asset in India but in practice, secularism and democracy rotate only in appeasing some castes and minorities. 

The Hindu community is the real sufferer in terms of power and profile. Hindus are around 85% of the total population. Yet, they have never any voice in politics. Their aspirations are never cared for and represented. From Kumbh to Kanwar Yatra to Ram-Krishna Janmabhoomi- Kashi Vishvanath temples to Ayurveda to Yoga to Brahmans, all are brutally trolled and mocked. They are always on the defensive.

The present BJP government at the centre is doing nothing for the Hindus. The party and the PM are supported by the majority of the Hindus. A Hindu saint as CM of UP is criticised brutally although his performance as CM is the best in the country. The media is highly critical of the Hindus and Hinduism.

Most of the elitists, irritating, self-righteous, English-speaking fake liberals who control media and campuses have a very loving topic to blame the Hindus as oppressors and project the minorities as victims. Even they try to protect the terrorists and extremists as the victim of neglect or oppression. Politically minorities dominate in all facets. This is happening since independence. It is unbelievable that land where the majority of Hindus have no power.

Muslims and the British controlled the nation for centuries. Post-Independence Congress gave immense power to Muslims and minorities. So they think, it is unfair if Hindus demands equality. We lastly create a great nation, featuring the best aspect of secularism and become a global power. Practically minority religions play a dominant role in politics, governance, social norms, culture and education. Nobody has any problem. However, when Hindus demand the same equality and respect, all have a problem.

Kashmir is the recent example where mixing religion led to disaster. Punjab is also on the decline due to the mixing of Sikh and Gurudwara politics with the governance. Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Syria, Iraq etc are examples where due to the takeover of Islamic extremists, today they are almost untouchable, oppressive countries. The same disaster was done by Christian extremists and missionaries in the name of crusades in medieval times. If religion dominates politics, it will destroy society and the economy.

In this aspect only Hinduism is different. Hindus have an innate tendency to bond with ‘people other than us.’ They never created any hindrance in the smooth running of a modern state. They have a variety of cultures, languages, sects than any nation in the world. But the secular parties run the country based on religion and castes. They never focus on what was important- good governance, development and a strong economy.

Independent India was haphazardly and hurriedly designed, as the British left suddenly. They divided the nation and Islamic Pakistan was created. However, India’s designed a so-called key asset-a secular democracy clamouring everyone was equal. However, practically the minority communalism flourished with the full support of the state which has become almost a kind of extremism. Now, the hijab is more important to Muslim students in Karnatka than education and secularism. In Gurugram, reading Namaz on the roads and other public places has become a big problem.

Before Independence, India neither had a democracy nor secularism in its history. The British also left us many institutions that enabled special status to minorities like Church controlled educational institutions, madrasas, Waqf Boards, SGPC etc. They were supported by parliament, judiciary, constitution, executive and bureaucracy. Unfortunately, the nation not only inherited them but also preserved and strengthened them until date. Our neighbouring nations are lucky that they have no such communal institutions. We are still guarding these institutions. We care about minority religions and even guarding their fundamentalism and exporting such ideas. Even so many Islamic terrorists are found in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh and other nations who are the products of Indian madrasas or influenced by Indian preachers like Zakir Naik.

For guarding our democracy, democracy and secularism we have to shut such institutions. Once we lose them, we will lose them forever. We must show minorities their equal place. Special rights to any religion will destroy secularism, justice and religious harmony. We should not support minority fundamentalism. India’s democracy is under threat. The needle has heavily moved towards minorities. Kashmir, Punjab, Bengal, Nagaland, Mizoram etc are examples. This is high time to be conscious of the results. When it is too late, nobody won’t even be able to read and write such articles. Kashmir is the best example of this type of extremism.

Hindus have given so much to the minorities but they got nothing in return. The nation does not want the re-run of Nalanda or the destruction of Hindu temples. Hindus have been at the receiving end for centuries. In post-independence India, the situation has not changed. Hindus are still treated as second class citizens. No religion should dominate in a democracy.

There should not be any dominant religion. All should be equal. Uniform Civil Code is the best answer to secularism and equality. We must condemn the mindset of Muslims first right to resources.

Fissure in castle America: Openness, extreme freedom, excessive rights, discord in society – these will un-make America

Images of a lighted city across the river Hudson with its glowing in the night high-rise and vivacious get-up-and-go might lead some viewers in New York that it is the happiest and the best place in the world. Unfortunately, this is not true. See, Shanghai another same type of city, Whangpoo river flowing through the city, very peaceful and almost no crime. It was July 1921, the mighty Communist Party of China was formed in the presence of the charismatic, Mao Zedong. In the following 100 years, Shanghai and the Party saw each other rising. This year, amid a worldwide China Covid-19 pandemic, the two remain safe and sound,  whereas New York and its glamour failed by the waves of the pandemic and deaths.

The Communist Party of China will complete hundred years of its birth and enter into its second century of foundation, next month. Nobody can deny its greatness but its leaders never claim it so. Nobody can challenge it at the centre of the world superpower.

China had a GDP of $14.72 trillion in 2020 and by 2025 its projected GDP will be $22.481 trillion, almost near to the world leader, the United States. In military power also, nobody can challenge it and by 2035 it will be the world leader. Its diplomatic influence is also rising due to its increased capacity to offer capital and technology to the world. It can be contrasted with the inter-war period of America of 1914-45.

The American economy roared and her global power increased, while European countries almost exhausted themselves torn between two world wars. However, the influence and economy of China have increased drastically. While America wasted much forces and wealth dealing with the repercussion of the Cold War and wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and investment in rogue nations like Pakistan. It also wasted huge wealth on useless NGOs and senseless human right and environmental issues.

China Covid-19 pandemic has hastened China’s growth whereas American and European nations are still ruining their nations in the name of human rights, environment, equality, minority rights, migrants’ rights etc. Huge money is wasted on NGOs who are using taxpayer’s money on subversive activities. That day is not far when the rioting and hate-mongering by some so-called oppressed groups and minorities will be declared as human rights, freedom of dissent and expression. China is completely free from such suicidal waste of resources. 

Contrasts may be repulsive but serve a point. America’s ascend as universal hegemony was evident by its thriving economy and military power, but it was also flawed by internal conflicts.

Modest politicians like Truman, Nixon, Carter, Obama and Biden assumed the presidency post-war era. They encouraged freebies, freeloading schemes and unhindered migration from Mexico, African, Gulf and Islamic nations. On these illegal migrants, the government of America spent a huge amount in the name of human rights and equality. Millions of NGOs were financed worldwide aimlessly.

On the contrary, the politics of China was straitjacketed. The strict laws and tough regulations never allowed such disruptive and obstructive elements and ideas to enter China. In the name of purgation and rectification, China cleaned or wiped out such negative forces. The Communist Party is the only power centre and the only determinant for everything in China.

Another issue that troubled America, the post-World War II, was the issues of race, human rights and voting rights that empowered the migrants, Africans, Islamists living in America. The Civil Rights Acts (1957, 1961 and 1964) and the Voting Rights Act (1965)  empowered the blacks, migrants and Islamists as a very powerful and polarized vote bank. They became very powerful vote banks in the political mainstream, thereby weakening the nationalist forces as they have divided loyalty for America. Their main concern was to grab the maximum benefits without doing anything.

On the other hand, China has no such problem of ethnic or minorities activism. It has very peacefully tackled the extremism and radicalization of Uyghur Muslims. China follows secularism and equality in word and spirit. China does not want the likes of Rosa Parks of China or Martin Luther King. The objective of China is stability and progress.

Allowing large scale immigration has created more problems than gains in America. Now, immigrants have become a big problem in America. Recently, BLM activists, Antifa activists, NGOs working for migrants, the African-American community and Islamists created big law and order problems. There was large scale rioting and vandalism at so many places. Security personnel were literary on their knees. Not only this, these elements even demanded to disband the police force. China has no such burden as China’s Communist Party do not allow migration from any country.

China is completely free of foreign influence and interference. China’s business and economy is controlled by the Party, as the collapse of Jack Ma and Ant Financial lately shown. In the name of a transparent process, antitrust laws in the US are misused.

Countries take aids and help from America but they abhor American hegemony and it failed to translate cordiality, generosity and goodwill for America and Americans. Even Pakistanis do not like American hegemony and its influence.

China is least bothered about its relationship with its neighbours and with other countries. The Belt & Road Initiative in Pakistan and other countries are only for the interest of China in the long run. It is not at all bothered about any reason to mistrust.

The stability and development of China are enviable to the world. Democracies, secularism, human rights, minority rights failed to give anything positive to the democratic nations. Rather these concepts have become big problems in democracies. Chinese people love the Chinese Communist Party and China without any democracy. Now, the Chinese model is the best in the world. Democracies should follow the model of China’s Communist Party, of the significance of firm socio-political grip and understand that differences of opinion or dissent of ideas as threats to the nations.

There is a very popular saying that insiders breach the fortress, from the inside, it does a very valid point to the fears about the feebleness and fragility of the democratic system regardless of their superficial show of democracy, secularism, human rights, equality and minority rights. The world has witnessed the fall of the mighty empire of Great Britain and the USSR.

President Xi Jinping very rightly declared at Davos this year that the world is moving forward and changing very fast. The world may not go back but we have to learn from history.

Nobody can deny that the next century will be the ‘Chinese Century’.

Cut the freebies and waste of money

All are worried to strengthen the economy on the one hand and the other helping the people by reducing pressures on them.  But again the rhetoric is on the same beaten pattern — Free vaccination for all, unemployment allowance,  job programmes and freebies for the poor, GST and tax cut on consumer products etc.

They, again and again, fail to understand that Indian people have remarkable power to sustain and stand even in the most adverse situation. Whatever the drawing-room economists claim, the Indian economy will again come back to life and brace itself for positive results. These self-claimed economists and columnists have just been exaggerating the problems and spreading panic and negativity.

In March 2021 the positive news of the recovery of the economy of 1.6% GDP growth has been shown but the second wave of China Covid-19 halted it. Different surveys have been showing the depressing situation. One such is by CMIE, showing the rate of unemployment in May rose sharply by 3% points to 11.9%. Consumer future index, according to RBI, since March, the expectations index has by 11%. JP Morgan is showing the composite index dropping by 15% in April and May in comparison to March. 

All these institutions are doing their job and business. But what are the citizens getting by these studies? They are just claiming people are afraid about their future, people are losing their livelihood, people are dying due to the failure of the system, the economy is going down etc. Even some are speculating about the actual numbers of infections and deaths in the second wave are much higher than the official figures. 

One question comes to mind. What will the nation get by the claims and the surveys of the economists? Only fear and depression? Have they done anything to reduce the costs of treatment and increase the healthcare facilities? The answer is a big NO! Instead of depending on the government for dealing with the lost or reduced income people should be suggested for going for the self-work like agriculture, horticulture, dairy farming, poultry business, vegetable and fruit business and skilled work. It has become a big agenda of opposition leaders and economists to instigate the people to demand reservations, quotas, freebies and economic packages from the governments. This is very bad economics and immoral politics and making citizens crippled.

Only those families that have lost their main earner should be given reservation and quotas in education, employments with other economic benefits. Their safety, survival and employment should be the main concern of the governments. Even Delhi has no beds in hospitals, no ICUs, no ventilators, no oxygen, no ambulance,  no medicine and no injections. All the shocked to witness when dead bodies were not getting honourable cremations. Delhi has a tremendous shortage of even crematoriums.

Governments should act fast and cautiously for building good hospitals and healthcare facilities in the rural areas and small towns and give employment to the local people to stop the mindless migration to big cities. This pandemic has proved that the system of big cities has completely collapsed due to vote-bank politics. Political parties should stop this huge waste of taxpayer’s money on vote banks on freebies, freeloaders, free-electricity, free-water, free-bus passes, loan waving, caste and communal budgeting. This is a criminal waste of money and resources.

If this is stopped, this money can be invested in generating employment and improving healthcare services. Similarly, tax-net can be widened by bringing more institutions under tax-net. There should be an expansion of the tax net. There is no constraint for tax space. The government should impose a tax on NGOs, temples, mosques, churches, dargahs, gurudwaras, religious missions, charitable institutions etc. This is very necessary for a fiscal boost for the market and economy. The government should reduce its spending, like wasting money on routine transfers of the employees and subsidies which has no positive outcome.

The usual strategy response to such a difficult situation is the same–given freebies, economic packages, loan waving in the shape of government support to people and incentives to boost the economy and industry. However, nothing is still there to improve healthcare services. The economists and reformists have nothing new to suggest. 

The government should shun wasteful expenditure, privatization, disinvestment, outsourcing, PPP model, sale of PSUs, and reducing the number of government employees. The governments should stop low profits public loan. This will control the fiscal deficit. Ministries like Minority Affairs Ministry, Minority Commission, Caste Commissions etc should be disbanded. Government financing to minority institutions should be stopped to control the expenditure.

Due to high public debt, the fiscal deficit is rising. High inflation is also a big hindrance to fiscal expansion. Barring some recent increases in prices, surprisingly, the consumer price index has remained almost under control. This is the surprising sustainability of the Indian market and economy. This is a big hope for fiscal expansion. It is the best hope for the Indian economy and the people. The governments should stop the fiscal softness. This may lead to an economic slowdown, price rise and unemployment.

The governments should revise the budget in light of the China Covit-19 pandemic conditions and plan on a major fiscal discipline of the economy. Barring defence, health, research, roads and transports additional expenditure should be curbed. The governments should arrange public-funded health services for all at affordable costs. This will build people’s confidence. 

Next, urgent needs are rural unemployment which is forcing the mindless migration to cities, resulting in the urban infrastructure collapse. Rural people are highly vulnerable since they have neither wealth nor access to state-funded schemes. Instead of wasting resources on MGNREGA, infrastructure like hospitals, schools, colleges, universities, roads, banks should be opened and build in the rural areas and give reservation in jobs to the rural people and local people. This will stop migration, cities will be less burdened and create employment for local and rural people.

The Indian defence sector has a huge capability to support the people. The government should fill up all the vacancies in the defence sector. This will provide incentive and livelihood to people. The changes in lending and interest rates have almost no effect on the economy. Such measures by RBI does not have any positive effect. So the governments should move very cautiously in restructuring the economy.

Renounce negative vibes

Now it is very clear that the Central Vista plan is a reality. It will be a new cultural vista, a new point of name and fame. It will be a new invention of national pride.

Barring iconic temple ‘Akshar Dham’, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMC), and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)- always in news for wrong reasons, national capital Delhi is nothing to boast about everything Indian.

All the buildings, markets and other important places were constructed either by invader Mughals or colonial masters. It is a different matter that Mughals raised all the building after raising the Hindu temples and other iconic buildings.

Now, all the petitions have been dismissed to stop the work on the Central Vista project. Still, some serial no Sayers are reimagining to stop the work, blaming that the Central Vista will lose its cultural attraction and it will be simply a new kingdom of babus. For them, the Lutyens buildings are the most valuable place in Delhi. So they should be preserved. For them, a place, under the control of bureaucrats cannot be a good symbol for Indian democracy.

These elements are still chasing some noticeable face to cultural institutions. They are still trying to create some controversy and stalemate in the name of cultural place. Nation has been celebrating Republic Day–like Russia, China and North Korea with military power and cultural identities.

However, some democratic nations like the USA, Germany and Brazil have similarly converted their important public places into people’s cultural places. In the US, there is the Capitol and government offices on the one side and the other, the famous, the Washington Mall, housing galleries, museums and theatres. the Museum of African American History was also added to it around five years back. Similarly, public places along the Seine river in Paris is also dotted with galleries, museums and gardens.

It is time now that the relics of the colonial era and slavery are erased. Russian parade ground aspect can be moved to some other place or maybe at the Red Fort or near to Akshar Dham Temple. Any important place left for cultural institution or pedestrians makes no sense. It has become a growing tendency among some people to misuse such place and they instigate the people for disturbances. Artists, architects, historians, activists, NGOs and many other such groups misuse their clout to foment troubles and riots. The US recently witnessed such unrest where BLM activists, Antifa groups and others engineered mass riots in the US.

In India too, such cultural relics are highly misused and taxpayer’s money is wasted on them. Valuable parts of history and culture can be kept somewhere else. It is not very difficult to preserve rare artefacts, ancient sculpture, manuscripts, and precious jewellery –currently kept with the National Museum. It can be moved to Noida, Ghaziabad or Khurja. Similarly, the National Archives, the IGNCA and the Archaeological Survey of India can also be moved to some other locations. Khurja has huge beautiful and unused buildings. Those buildings can be used to give these institutions a new address.

These old huge buildings can be used to keep the delicate items like leaf and papyrus manuscripts, heavy Pallava stone sculptures and special casings, special hoists and temperature control system can also be arranged for them there. This shifting requires experts and that will also generate employment and new and modern technique for preserving can be used. Those can be properly catalogued, stored and displayed to the people.

All this can develop a new township and some population can be shifted to that town. Similarly, it will also help to de-congest Delhi. Central Vista will be a pride of the nation with a new parliament house, houses to PM and ministers. Massive plantation should be done on the central flank between Rashtrapati Bhavan and the space around the India Gate to keep the environment fresh and pollution-free.

Now, the capital could be freed from the colonial tag of Lutyens Delhi. Instead of finding fault with the project, all should give the government some positive and constructive suggestions–to preserve the history with a new modern Indian vision.

Now, work on the Central Vista project is going fast. Beyond senseless activism and political mudslinging, people should give positive and creative suggestion. Some new addresses should be suggested to house galleries, theaters, museums, music auditoriums, library and other archival structures. New possibilities should be cashed and milked. There must be optimism. Renounce negativeness and generate harmonious vibes or remain silent as they have been remained silent for the last more than three decades on the forcible closure of all the cinema halls, art galleries, theaters, cultural hubs etc in Kashmir valley.  

सेवा करो – राजनीति नहीं

देश आज चीन से आई कोरोना महामारी से लड़ रहा है। लोग जिंदगी और मौत के बीच लटक रहे हैं। देश में लाखों लोग मर चुके हैं और लाखों अस्पतालों में जिंदगी और मौत से लड़ रहे हैं। परंतु इतनी भयावय हालात होते हुए भी किसी भी स्तर पर इस महामारी से लड़्ने के लिये कोई ठोस एवम गम्भीर प्रयास नहीं किये जा रहे हैं। सभी देश की जुगाड़ परम्परा का पालन कर रहे हैं और देश जुगाड़ जमात वालों का देश बन कर रह गया है।

इस दुखद वास्तविकता के लिये सभी दोषी हैं। केंद्र सरकार, सभी राज्य सरकारें, नौकरशाह, न्यापालिका, व्यापारी, गैर-सरकारी संगठ्न, नागारिक आदि सभी इस भयावय स्थिति और मौतों के लिये दोषी हैं। इस माहमारी को किसी ने भी गम्भीरता से नहीं लिया और सभी इस असफल जुगाड़ जमात की तरह काम करते रहे। इसका परिणाम यह रहा कि सारे देश में अरजकता की स्थिति बन गयी। हालात इतने खराब थे कि अस्पताल में मरिजों के लिये बेड, आक्सिजन, वेंटिलेटर, आक्सिजन कंसंट्रेटर, आई सी यू बेड, ऐम्बुलेंस आदि एकदम या तो कम पड़ गये या खत्म हो गये। इतना ही नहीं अस्पतालों ने भी लूट मचानी प्रारम्भ कर दी। यह हाल तो देश की राजधानी दिल्ली का है। अन्य स्थानों के हालात की बात सोच कर ही डर लगता है।

बात नहीं खत्म नही हो जाती। चायना कोरोना के कारण देश में दवा और इंजेक्शन की भी भारी कमी एवम मारामारी हो गयी। रेंडिसीवर इंजेक्शन, फेवीफ्लू, आईवरमिसिन आदि या तो बाज़ार से गायब हो गये या कई गुना ज्यादा कीमत में मिल रहे थे। यही हाल आक्सिजन सिलेंन्डर, वेंटिलेटर, आक्सिजन कंसंट्रेटर, आक्सिमीटर का हो गया। दुकानदारों और व्यापारियों ने बाजार में लूट्मार मचा दी। इतना ही नही, अंतिम संस्कार के लिये बाज़ार से लकड़ी तक गायब हो गयी। सैकड़ों क्रूर लोग अपने सगे सम्बंधियों के शव नदियों में फेंक कर भाग गये।

इसके बाद निर्लज्ज और गिद्ध पत्रकारों के टूलकिट का विघटनकारी ऐजेन्डा का खेल प्रारम्भ होता है। उनकी पत्रकारिता और प्रेस की आजादी हिन्दू शवदाह्ग्रह में हिन्दुऔं की जलती चितायें, लाइन में पड़े हिन्दुऔं के शवों और नदियों में बहते शवों के आंखौं देखा हाल से प्रारम्भ होने लगी। इन पत्रकारौं ने देश नें भय और नफरत की पत्रकारिता करने में कोई कोर कसर नहीं छोड़ी। इतना ही नहीं तड़्पते मरीजों को दिखा कर भी इस लाबी ने निर्लज्ज्ता और घ्रणा की सारी हदें पार कर दीं। इतना ही नही, कुछ पत्रकारों ने तो निर्लज्ज्ता की सारी हदें पार कर दीं अपने अपने कैमरे हिंदुऔं की लाशों और जलती चिताऔं पर ही फिट कर दिये। लेकिन एक भी संगठन हिंदुओं के शवों के अंतिम संस्कार के लिये आगे नही आया।

एक और जहां हजारों मरीज रोज मर रहे थे तथा लाखों अस्पतालों में जिंदगी और मौत से लड़ रहे हैं वहीं एक नया तमाशा और प्रारम्भ हो गया। गुरुद्वारों, सत्संग भवन, स्कूल, कालिज, आदि में आक्सिजन लंगर, कोविड बेड, आईसोलेशन सेंटर, आक्सिजन कैफे, कंसंट्रेटर लाइब्रेली आदि का खेल प्रारम्भ हो गया। जहां डाक्टर, नर्स, वेंटिलेटर, आई सी यू आदि एकदम गायब थे। इसके साथ-साथ सभी ने सेवा के नाम पर चंदा और धन उगाहाना प्रारम्भ कर दिय। ऐसे नाटक मरीजों की सुरक्षा और जिंदगी के लिये गम्भीर खतरा है। सरकार और प्रशासन इस तरह के खिलवाड़ पर सख्ती सख्ती से रोक लगायें।

इस आपदा के समय भी हिंदु विरोधी टूलकिट भी अपनी सामप्रदायिक एवम घ्रणा की राजनिती में भी अत्यंत सक्रिय रहे। एन तत्वों ने हिंदु कुम्भ पर्व एवम हिंदु संतों को कोरोना फैलाने का दोषी मानते हुये बदनाम करने की पूरी साजिश रच डाली। पर ये तत्व ईद, इफ्तार पार्टी, जुम्मा नमाज, नमाजे जनाजा की भीण आदि पर एकदम चुप रहे।  इतना ही नहीं, इन तत्वों ने सेवादार बनकर किसानों को अराजकता और प्रदर्शन के लिये भड़्काया। किसान रैलियां, धरना, सड़्क जाम आदि के कारण भी कोरोना माहमारी देश के अनेक भागों में फैली।

विपक्षी दलों ने देश के लोकतंत्र पर भी कोरोना के नाम पर हमले शुरु कर दिये तथा चुनावों, मतदान और मतगणना को भी कोरोना फैलाने का दोषी होने का आरोप लगाने लगे। इस कोरोना महामारी में जहां एक ओर देश और नागरिक कोरोना महामारी से लड़ रहे थे वहीं दूसरी ओर विपक्षी दल, मीडिया, अल्पसंख्यक वर्ग, एक्टिविस्ट, आदि देश, सरकार और हिंदुऔं को बदनाम करने के लिये अत्यंत विघटनकारी टुलकिट के तहत अपना ऐजेंडा चला रहे थे।

इस वर्णन से स्पष्ट है कि आज देश एक बहुत ही खरब दौर से गुजर रहा है। जहां देश और जनमानस कोरोना माहमारी से लड़ रहा है वहीं दुसरी ओर एक राष्ट्र विरोधी टूलकिट अपनी खतरनाक साजिश के तहत देश में अराजकता और खूनखराबा फैलाने की साजिश कर रहा है। इस संकट की घड़ी में केंद्र सरकार का दायित्व बनता है कि वह इन दोनों खतरों को भापते हुये बहुत समझदारी तथा सख्ती से इन खतरों का सामना करे। 

सरकार का भी दायित्व एवम कर्तव्य है की वो अस्पताल तथा स्वास्थ सेवायें पर युद्धस्तर पर ध्यान दे तथा इन क्षेत्रों में सरकार का निवेश बढाया जाये। डाक्टरों और स्वास्थ कर्मियों को विषेश पैकेज, सुविधायें और अधिकार दिये जायं। अल्पसंख्यक तुष्टिकरण, जातिगत सामाजिक न्याय, मुफ्तखोरी, कर्जमाफी आदि पर धन की बरबादी को रोके तथा इस धन को अस्पताल तथा स्वास्थ सेवाओं पर निवेश करे। अस्पताल तथा स्वास्थ सेवायें पर निवेश को हर प्रकार के कर से मुक्त रखा जाये।

Stop para-dropping academics

The much-hyped controversy on the resignation of Pratap Bhanu Mehta from Ashoka University has got wide space in the media. People have got a chance to discuss the role of academic freedom in universities in India. This is a very well known fact that all want liberal funding from the government but all want full freedom. Now, the government is inviting private investments in the universities and our academics are obsessed with the foreign model of Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard, the interest of teachers and students are not at all a prime concern in the institutions of higher education.

Now, the prime concern of learners is to collect certificates and degrees. They are not at all interested in studies and knowledge. Teachers are more interested in research, projects, seminars, conferences, foreign visits etc and to make their C.V. loaded with paper achievements and collecting points. All these activities and financial resources cannot create world-ranking and high-impact educational institutions. Failure of Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia and Canada is the latest example of this kind.

Singapore invited institutions of higher education in the west to develop their campuses in Singapore and they got very liberal financial assistance from the Singapore government. Yale University established an undergraduate college of liberal arts in Singapore in collaboration with the National University of Singapore (NUS).

However, this experiment failed in Singapore and it never developed as a real equivalent to Yale University. Ultimately, Yale-NUS did not allow students to create branches of political parties and other groups. It also banned strikes, dissent, criticism and any political activity to discipline the students and teachers.

The much-hyped concept of freedom of expression or speech is created by these western institutions. Para-dropped academics who were the production of these western universities but could not get any position there rushed to India with these lifted from the west. However, the too much liberal context in which the Indian universities works, these borrowed concepts disturb the academic environment and keep away serious scholars and teachers.

So financial support is not the prime concern. Experiences of Singapore, Malaysia, Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia have proved this beyond any doubt. Economics historian from Harvard, Alexander Gerschenkron very correctly observed that “intellectual climate” in India is strikingly different from those of early rulers from whom they borrow different concept like “freedom of speech.”
As a result, the need and working of educational institutions cannot ape (such as academic freedom, dissent) the concept of their ousted colonisers.

In India, governments want educational institutions and institutions of the nation to take part in social and national development, even government officials serving in universities. Hence, the refusal of director IIM Ahmedabad, Errol D’Souza was not appreciated by the Ministry of Education (MoE) to review a PhD thesis already approved by the IIM.

In India, academic freedom, the most important and fundamental feature in western universities, has no value and discipline and expertise restrict academics and scholars. This clash of concept and borrowed ideology was seen in Ashoka University. Prof.Mehta followed the borrowed concept blindly in a nation where participation of academics in dissent, politics and criticism of governments is not welcome.

It is not a guarantee of the freedom of expression, dissent, debate promotes excellence and world-class institutions. Academicians and scholars have to be loyal to local needs and local systems. After all, it is their responsibility to loyal to their world. There should be a balance in university affairs and the freedom of speech, debate and dissent to create and flourish world-class institutions.

The governments and the leaders can provide a positive consultative role relevant to the excellence of the institutions. Creating and promoting internal academics in a time-bound manners cum seniority, as professors, deans and vice-chancellors. These faculty members would provide a more efficient and healthy university fraternity and leadership.

A good relationship with students, faculty, authorities and alumni is very critical and important. There must be clarity and division of powers and roles. Academic freedom, duty and discipline go hand-in-hand. The political masters should not dictate governance. The small group of nit-pickers should not be allowed to control all the voices. They should not be allowed to encumber the academic and administrative working of the universities.

Now there are no limits to freedom and debates. All respect diverse points and duty. It is also the responsibility of everyone that ambience prevails on the campuses. A tiny number of students and teachers, guided by their political masters cannot hold the universities to ransom. Media is always there to give oxygen to such elements. This small group of students and teachers are against the very idea of freedom of expression and dissent.

Now tolerants are most intoleranats and liberals are most narrow-minded. They are against the very idea they advocate. The objective of this write-up to understand reality through the lane of divergent opinion. Selective media reporting has created a comedy of strife that suits the ideological composition of a handful of self-styled scholars of eminence. They are so much intolerant to others that they create all the obstacles in the appointments and promotions of others. So, to meet all these problems systems should be simple. All the eligible candidates for the promotions should be promoted automatically as professors, deans and vice-chancellor in a time-bound manner to the democratisation of the university space. This will give a larger segment of the university community a space to work smoothly.

Delink research and teaching

Higher Education system in India is facing so many challenges. The biggest one is quality or the standard of teaching.  In the New Education Policy 2020, the biggest thrust is on research. This makes one believe that developing a big pool of quality research and teaching is enough to conquer the fort.

Teaching is the hinge around which all the system of colleges/universities revolves but hardly anyone is talking about the component of ‘Leadership’ in the teachers. The Fortune 500 survey found that only 5 to 8 percent of managers are effective. So this is also applicable to teachers and due to this ailment, education is acutely ill in India.

Instead of improving the quality of teachers and teaching, the main emphasis in NEP 2020 is to improve the standard of research in colleges and universities. But this is a faulty notion. Colleges and universities are established to teach. They are not research institutions. College and University teachers are poor researchers. Failed and poor teachers opt for projects, research grants and visiting fellowships to hide their failures and grab fat benefits with comforts and promotions. Many such teachers are on leave for years and decades and their contribution to the parent institutions is big ZERO. They manipulate projects and research grants for years and decades.

When one thinks about the great teachers who were great leaders too, the list is very small. Vishvamita, Dronacharya, Parshuram, Chanakya, Rabindranath Tagore, Maharshi Karve, Dayanand  Saraswati, and Dr.S.Radhakrishnan only. So why do teachers lack leadership now?

The government should open a pure research institute. Teachers should not be involved in the projects and researches. They are appointed to teach and are given fat salaries to teach. So, they must teach. Teachers who do not teach and are involved in projects and research for years and decades are a big burden on the institutions. The eco-system is disturbed by such teachers. 

The NEP 2020 endeavours to make a pattern change. So teachers should not be disturbed. They must teach only. This is a big task. The NEP has recommended opening research institutes. So in each district of the country, specialized research institutes should be established. Multi-disciplinary research institutes should not be encouraged. Less developed states like Uttrakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand, Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, the North-East states, Laddakh, Jammu, Andaman and Nicobar and hill states should be given priority.

The success of Multi-disciplinary universities (MDU) institutions is very doubtful. Most of such universities have almost crumbled. Teaching calls for a high level of skills and knowledge. This needs small classes, monitoring the progress and difficulties, clarification of concepts, and motivating students with providing solutions. Teachers should use technologies, pedagogy, mentoring and career counselling.

Setting up of National Research Foundation (NRF) is a very good idea. Teachers and scholars who are interested in projects and research should be transferred permanently to these NRFs so that they may not disturb the teaching in the colleges and play havoc with the future of the students for their gains.

The collaborative teaching for creating effective eco-system for teaching that generates cooperation amongst teachers, students, industry and government should be used. Specialized NRF should also be established for quality research to address the need of society. Research skills are greatly different from teaching skills. This mixture of ‘biryani’ of research and teaching led to ineffective teachers and poor research in the nation. If HE, research and vision of the NEP have to be fruitful, we need to delink teaching and research.

This cocktail will spoil NEP. Such lovers of ‘biryani’ and cocktail of teaching and research should not be given any promotion like from ‘Associate Professor to Professor.’ The shallow publication of articles in journals has neither any value for teachers nor students. They are personal benefits to the teachers. Only dedicated, regular and senior-most genuine teachers should be given promotions. It will be a miscarriage of justice if such cocktail or ‘biryani’ teachers are promoted from ‘Associate Professors to Professors.

Due to the poor standard of teachers, no Indian university ranks among the top 200  universities of the world although historically the country had excellent universities like Nalanda, Takshashila and Patliputra. The nation must think seriously about this aspect. For this, the role of teachers and researchers should not be blurred. It must be demarked.

Sadly, there is no sign that the pattern is possible to modify shortly. Not surprisingly, all want to maintain the status quo since it hand out their agenda well.

The nation had a good foundation as early as September 1944 when an ‘Indian MIT’ was set up. Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, was envisaged on the pattern of MIT and started functioning in 1951. It truly had, with the best faculty and students available. Over the years, as the number of IITs proliferated, these have become outmoded institutions.

Until recently, appointments in IITs were strictly based on merit. IITs became a respected global brand because they selected teachers who were the best in India. With the proliferation of IITs and quota system for appointments, the overall quality of future IIT teachers declined. Now, India has 21 IITs but not a single MIT as in America. Overall, in IITs, nearly 30% of faculty positions are lying vacant due to a lack of quality teachers.

Compare this with China. In 1998, the government of China decided to upgrade only nine universities out of 2100 universities in China. Those nine are now globally among the best universities. After this phenomenal success, China increased a few numbers. Again they are the world-class universities. Germany has also followed the same policies very successfully. In India, in near future, there is no possibility to produce world-class universities. Indian politicians, for the sake of short-term gains, have killed the goose that laid golden eggs!

To achieve excellence within NEP 2020, the quality of teachers and teaching has to be improved significantly so that genuinely deserving teachers are rewarded and students receive the skills they need for employment.