Increase in the migration to Mumbai is a concern for all. While the commercial capital of the country may be able to provide a job for all seekers at least to make both ends meet, it certainly won’t be able to provide the housing and other civic amenities. The solution does not lie in intimidating the new immigrants, but in analyzing the root cause.
Maharsahtra has reasonably good governance, especially Mumbai, and it has developed excellent infrastructure to support commercial activities over the years. Other states like UP and Bihar are so badly governed that investment in the state is a nightmare to any entrepreneur. This jobless state of affairs makes locals to migrate to other places and, Mumbai being an attractive destination, the inflow to the city is more than other cities.
Look at Kerala, a state with 100% literacy, but communism has taken deep roots there. A red flag is hoisted there with the foundation stone laid for every factory and the labor unions dictate terms to the managements even before the commencement of production. This unfriendly atmosphere has kept the investors away and neighboring states like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have taken advantage of the situation where industry is doing well.
But the difference with the Keralites is that, being well educated, they seek opportunities in Gulf and other countries outside India unlike their counterparts in UP and Bihar. What plagues UP and Bihar is that their leaders are not educated and hence importance is not given for education. The administration is corrupt and has misplaced priorities. What else can you say when Mayawati keeps building statues all over UP, and now, is thinking of establishing a special police force for the protection of these white elephants.
Kerala has lead the way showing that good quality education can empower its people to get opportunities globally, if not locally or nationally, and their annual remittance home is over six thousand crores of rupees which has improved their standard of living comparable to North Americans. The UPA government should ensure good governance of the states and that education gets top priority which alone can check the rapid migration to Mumbai. There will be no winners if one pursues the intimidatory politics of to solve the problem.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
SENAS: MODERN INDIAN TALIBAN
You call them Shiv Sena, MNS or Ram Sena, they all have one thing in common, i.e., using violence and destroying the property created by others as a means to enforce their ideology on third parties. They have no regard for constitution and what they say is the law. Law enforcing agencies are afraid to book them for any act of vandalism and they are a class by themselves, untouchable. They are the modern Indian Taliban and the only way differ from the original version is that while the Taliban pick target in other countries, their Indian counterparts destroy their own country and their own people. It is something similar to what the elephants do, putting mud on their own head.
If it is Pakistan, we can understand. There, the country is managed by four groups, viz., a weak civil government, the powerful army, the influential ISI and the Taliban. Going by the past experience, any group may get into the driver’s seat and call the shots except the ‘elected’ civil government. The government is just a spokesperson for the rest trying to establish some legitimacy to the elected office.
But, India is not like that. We have constitutionally elected governments both at the centre and states. It will be a dangerous precedence if we allow any extra-constitutional force to dictate terms and disrupt the daily life. Resorting to violence in the pursuit of personal agenda by any political group should not be tolerated, be it a Sena, Telengana group, Naxals or ULFA. Political Parties and other disgruntled elements in the society have always called for Bandh disrupting social life and damaging public property worth crores of rupees. No one should be allowed to take law in hands and politicians who exhort violence should be booked under criminal law.
History has it that it is the infighting between local rulers that lead to the Mugals conquering India followed by the British invasion. By fighting among ourselves, we will be giving easy access to our external enemies, especially Pakistan, who are jealous of our progress. The Senas and other political parties should grind their axes and address more important issues like nation al security, terrorism, corruption, revamping police and judiciary system and so on than fighting over trivial issues.
If it is Pakistan, we can understand. There, the country is managed by four groups, viz., a weak civil government, the powerful army, the influential ISI and the Taliban. Going by the past experience, any group may get into the driver’s seat and call the shots except the ‘elected’ civil government. The government is just a spokesperson for the rest trying to establish some legitimacy to the elected office.
But, India is not like that. We have constitutionally elected governments both at the centre and states. It will be a dangerous precedence if we allow any extra-constitutional force to dictate terms and disrupt the daily life. Resorting to violence in the pursuit of personal agenda by any political group should not be tolerated, be it a Sena, Telengana group, Naxals or ULFA. Political Parties and other disgruntled elements in the society have always called for Bandh disrupting social life and damaging public property worth crores of rupees. No one should be allowed to take law in hands and politicians who exhort violence should be booked under criminal law.
History has it that it is the infighting between local rulers that lead to the Mugals conquering India followed by the British invasion. By fighting among ourselves, we will be giving easy access to our external enemies, especially Pakistan, who are jealous of our progress. The Senas and other political parties should grind their axes and address more important issues like nation al security, terrorism, corruption, revamping police and judiciary system and so on than fighting over trivial issues.
Monday, February 8, 2010
INSULTING OUR HEROES
In the war of words exchanged between Udhav Thackeray and Rahul Gandhi over the former’s regularly repeated slogan ‘Mumbai for Maharashtrians’, the Sena leader, accused Rahul for insulting the local heroes of 26/11 by saying that it was the Bihar and UP units of NSG that came to the rescue. The ill equipped Mumbai police sacrificed three of their top professionals before the NSG could take over the command.
NSG commandos are drawn from all over India and can be deployed in any part of India regardless of the composition of the unit. During the 26/11, it happened to be the UP and Bihar units that were mobilized, and it is unfortunate that Rahul Gandhi made the statement in the wrong context. Top Mumbai police personnel also sacrificed their lives, with the only difference that they did not die at the hands of terrorists, but at the hands of corrupt bureaucrats who procured faulty armor. That is a different story.
It is not the political parties alone that insult our heroes, but the union governments too, do it with stunning regularity. Did we honor the eight servicemen who laid down their lives to protect our cheap politicians when the parliament was attacked? What did we do? We awarded them vir chakra posthumously, but did not have the guts for carrying out the Supreme Court verdict that decreed capital punishment to Afzal Guru. He is enjoying presidential clemency, and will continue to enjoy the same until the day when someone hijacks an airline and demand his release. Another Kandahar like episode will follow and the terrorists will have their way.
A well trained Kasab slaughtered unsuspecting travelers at the VT station, and the court wasted plenty of time establishing his age for, if he is a minor, he could be considered for juvenile crime. Had he been tried under Islamic laws, he would not have survived till today.
It is a pity that we treat our real heroes with scant respect and honor the terrorists. I am ashamed to be part of this system.
NSG commandos are drawn from all over India and can be deployed in any part of India regardless of the composition of the unit. During the 26/11, it happened to be the UP and Bihar units that were mobilized, and it is unfortunate that Rahul Gandhi made the statement in the wrong context. Top Mumbai police personnel also sacrificed their lives, with the only difference that they did not die at the hands of terrorists, but at the hands of corrupt bureaucrats who procured faulty armor. That is a different story.
It is not the political parties alone that insult our heroes, but the union governments too, do it with stunning regularity. Did we honor the eight servicemen who laid down their lives to protect our cheap politicians when the parliament was attacked? What did we do? We awarded them vir chakra posthumously, but did not have the guts for carrying out the Supreme Court verdict that decreed capital punishment to Afzal Guru. He is enjoying presidential clemency, and will continue to enjoy the same until the day when someone hijacks an airline and demand his release. Another Kandahar like episode will follow and the terrorists will have their way.
A well trained Kasab slaughtered unsuspecting travelers at the VT station, and the court wasted plenty of time establishing his age for, if he is a minor, he could be considered for juvenile crime. Had he been tried under Islamic laws, he would not have survived till today.
It is a pity that we treat our real heroes with scant respect and honor the terrorists. I am ashamed to be part of this system.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
