Gobind Thukral

SOME people would credit the denial of tickets to two Congress contenders from Delhi for the Lok Sabha to a shoe hurled by a Sikh journalist, Jarnail Singh at the Union Home Minister, P. Chidambaram. It would minimise the strident and justified protests by Sikhs all over the north. This protest was backed by many political parties including the Akali Dal and media too supported this by highlighting the tragic event of 1984. As it is election time, it scared the Congress leadership and forced it to ask Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar to step down. Now our respected Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is telling the country that he was neither informed nor consulted by the Congress leaders. He was also not informed by the Central Bureau of Investigation it was seeking closure of the case against Mr. Tytler in the court, although CBI comes under him as minister. He is the controlling boss of this premier investigation agency that has increasingly become a political weapon in the hands of the ruling parties at the center. Only smug people would believe in this honest prime minister. Does he know that now the CBI has challenged the jurisdiction of this court before which it had been appearing for over two years in this very case against the Congress leader and MP Jagdish Tytler. How come he has taken the airs that the Congress party would consult a regent who has been made prime minister to keep the seat warm for the heir apparent, Mr. Rahul Gandhi? Mrs Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, sister of this aspiring prime minister has made it clear this week.

Both Congress and the BJP have over a period time repeatedly shown tendencies to indulge massacre of minorities. The hands of the Congress are soaked in blood of the innocent people during the Delhi massacre of Sikhs and that of the BJP in the massacre of Muslins in Gujarat during 2002. Both the communities have been struggling hard to get justice. Fortunately there are large number of non Sikhs and non Muslims who have been taking all kinds of risks to protest against the planned genocides. The current protests have their genesis in an atrocious and dirty official cover-up that reveals poorly the Indian criminal justice system. A sloppy and non-serious process of investigation and prosecution meant that the perpetrators of the genocidal violence against thousands of innocent Sikhs in the wake of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s shooting, on October 31, 1984, by her Sikh bodyguards have gone scot-free. The killing spree by Congress activists and supporters allegedly orchestrated and led by some party leaders, left 2,733 people dead in Delhi alone. After two Commissions of Inquiry and eight committees set up to probe various aspects of the horrific violence, and prolonged trials, only 13 persons have been convicted. One has been declared a proclaimed offender.

If the murders were planned, so was the investigation that meant no punishment for the killers and criminal. It puts India and its democracy to shame. A mere apology by Dr Manmohan Singh in parliament and by Mrs. Sonia Gandhi in Amritsar would have little meaning for those who lost their dear ones if the criminals go scot free and enter the precincts of parliament and enjoy privileges. There is an urgent need to exorcise the sad events of 1984.

Right thinking people have been voicing their concerns over the past several years. Media too has frequently focused on the crime committed, some even in a planned manner by the Congress leaders. How come the crimes were committed largely in the Congress ruled states including Haryana and Uttar Pradesh? It is also a fact that the then Marxist leader and the chief minister of West Bengal Mr. Jyoti Basu checked any atrocities against Sikhs in Kolkata and other cities. Why were these two gentlemen and the late minister, HKL Bhagat allowed not only go scot free but provided privileged positions inside the Congress and outside in parliament.

As during Gujarat’s genocidal anti-Muslim pogrom of 2002, there were clear indications of complicity by the police and the official machinery in the terror unleashed. The Congress as a party has also found it difficult to live down Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s notorious rationalisation of what happened: “there are always tremors when a great tree falls.” The Indian experience is that law enforcers and investigating agencies almost invariably incline towards the ruling establishment. This meant that with a Congress government in power for 10 of the next 12 years, the victims of 1984 never got within smelling distance of justice.

in fact, several of the committees indicted Congress leaders H.K.L. Bhagat, Tytler and Sajjan Kumar for their alleged roles in the 1984 massacre. The Nanavati Commission concluded that there was “credible evidence” against Mr. Tytler and that “very probably” he had a hand in organising the attacks. However, in its Action Taken Report, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government under our bale Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh took the stand that a person could not be prosecuted merely on the basis of “probability.” The report had plenty of evidence to draw this conclusion that these leaders were responsible for the reprehensible acts of violence. Has the prime minister ever enquired from the director of the CBI why there is such inordinate delay in the investigation of cases? Massacre occurred in 1984 and now it is 2009. How many more years would be needed to collect the evidence and then get the guilty punished. If the present trend is any indication, by that time both the victims and the tormentors would have departed from this world. The government is waiting for that. Intriguingly, the NDA government led by BJP where Akalis were partners ruled for six long years and did nothing to complete enquires and bring criminals to justice. Both Messers Parkash Singh Badal and LK Advani owe an answer to the Sikhs and the people of this country for their deliberate silence then.

As expected, the Central Bureau of Investigation, India’s premier but demonstrably partisan criminal investigation agency, has concluded that it did not have sufficient evidence to prosecute Mr. Tytler. But after the controversy erupted and the protests mounted during the run for elections, the CBI, which did not raise any jurisdictional issues when it filed a charge sheet in 2006 and a closure report in 2007, all of a sudden challenged the Metropolitan Magistrate’s power to hear the case. Such ungainly efforts to help the ruling party wriggle out of messy situations have further eroded the agency’s credibility. By dumping Tytler and Sajjan Kumar, the Congress has done only damage control. Does it realise that the ghost of 1984 cannot be exorcised unless the victims get complete justice.

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Water crisis could affect billions

Thalif Deen interviews Ger Bergkamp of the World Water Council

THE United Nations has warned that about half the world's population - over three billion people by today's count - may suffer water shortages by the year 2025.

If current trends continue - including drought, rising population, increased urbanisation, climate change, and indiscriminate waste and mismanagement of existing resources - the world may be heading for a catastrophe.

These growing new problems will on the agenda of a major international water conference - the Fifth World Water Forum - scheduled to take place in Istanbul, Turkey, Mar. 16-22.

In an interview with U.N. Bureau Chief Thalif Deen, Ger Bergkamp, director general of the World Water Council, which is organising the Istanbul conference, pointed out that while the world's population tripled in the 20th century, the use of renewable water resources grew six-fold.

"Within the next 50 years, the world's population will increase by another 40 to 50 percent. This population growth - coupled with industrialisation and urbanisation - will bring with it greater demand for water and have serious consequences for the environment," he warned.

Excerpts from the interview follow.

IPS: The United Nations has warned that over one billion people still suffer from a shortage of safe drinking water. Is this crisis expected to improve or worsen in the next decade - particularly in the context of climate change and its negative impact?

GB: Reports from important research centers and international organisations tell us that if human beings do not change their behaviour - from personal habits to industrial processes and public administration - we will have an even greater water crisis on our hands.

We find ourselves at a historical crossroads. We have the capability to reverse the trend and create a new reality. Solutions are at hand - such as rainwater-harvesting, improved storage and conservation systems, more efficient irrigation and drought-tolerant crops.

They must be accompanied by improved 'good enough' governance that will lead to better water resources management and greater access to services by more people.

It's obvious that the unbridled consumption of natural resources - especially water - cannot continue. But we have the know-how and tools to turn things around. What we need now is action. Governments, companies and civil society groups must seize the moment.

IPS: Should the United Nations, and specifically the Human Rights Council, pursue a longstanding proposal for water as a basic human right?

GB: Global consumption of water has increased twice as fast as the population in the last century. Growing water demand is a constant when you have population growth, and it has multiplied with rapid urbanisation. Safe water for people stands at the core of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set by the 192 U.N. member states. The target is to cut in half the number of people who lack access to safe drinking water.

Three years ago, the Fourth World Water Forum in Mexico City put the spotlight on the right to water. City mayors occupy the political and administrative frontlines for water and sanitation, and they overwhelmingly expressed their support for the right to water.

Statements made in Mexico also demonstrated strong support for the idea among parliamentarians, private enterprises, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the Women's Caucus, churches and civil society in general. It also marked the first time that the right to water was discussed by ministers from different countries on the international level.

The World Water Council presented the 'Right to Water Report' in Mexico. That document has provided an important tool for people who are attempting to develop national policies. The report also offered an important contribution to the work of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights.

In the next edition of the World Water Forum, to be held in Istanbul next week, the right to water will again feature prominently in the agenda. We hope to see commitments on this issue - especially from political leaders who can make things happen at home.

Many water issues need to be solved at the local and national levels. To get water and sanitation services to more people more quickly, we must insist on the right to water. We also need to redouble our efforts to find workable solutions wherever water is shared across national borders. Bilateral and multilateral efforts must be launched to find lasting solutions about how to share water.

IPS: How best can the world's water woes be resolved? What role can the World Water Forum play in alerting the world to the global water crisis?

GB: The World Water Forum is a three year process of dialogue and reflection culminating in the world's most important water gathering. Its over 20,000 participants include politicians, scientists, professionals and citizen activists from around the globe.

By working with a wide array of actors through the Forum, the World Water Council can bring together disparate groups and interests to find common ground and practical solutions. The Forum's debates help define the strategic role of water for development, quality of life and security.

The Forum is organised by the World Water Council in collaboration with the host city and host country - this time Istanbul, Turkey. The gathering is preceded by a preparatory process that involves what we might call water dialogues; among other things, the dialogues incorporate regional contributions that address specific challenges in different parts of the world.

The purpose of the Forum is to provide a platform where the water and development community can initiate national, regional and global partnerships; scientists and citizens can offer new perspectives on pressing water problems; politicians and water experts can exchange ideas and develop innovative solutions; world leaders sign agreements on major water issues; media coverage is generated to help give water the prominence it deserves on the world stage.

Large numbers of elected officials - including mayors, parliamentarians, ministers and heads of state - participate in the Forum. This provides a unique opportunity to push wise water management higher up on the political agenda. There is also a Ministerial Conference, around which the World Water Council collaborates closely with the host country and the United Nations.

Amid the rush of all this activity, in my view, we still need to keep our sights on two simple targets: wise management of water resources and access to water and sanitation for everyone. [Courtesy IPS]

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Politics of notes and votes

Gobind Thukral

INDIAN voters would elect a brand new 15th Lok Sabha by May 17. This would be one of the biggest democratic exercises across the world. There are 71.14 crore voters who will visit 8.3 lakh polling stations to elect 543 members of parliament. About 21 lakh security personnel and 61 lakh polling officials will manage what they call free and fair elections. Elections would cost some Rs ten thousand crores, according to one estimate. Politicians assert that India is the largest democracy as China is not considered by some as a good example of western style democracy.

Sadly these elections are not only vitiated by fragmented and fractured polity with over 40 political parties, big or small in the fray in all corners of India, money and criminals are having their dark impact as never before. Both major parties, the Congress and the BJP so unsure of the results that their hobnobbing with any party or individuals. Film actors, jokers, wrestlers, singers and known criminals are being sought to represent major parties. Old alliances are falling by wayside and new sheer opportunist combinations are emerging. we all know how poor has been the performance of many members of the previous 14th Lok Sabha and what should the Indian people known for sound political judgement get from the coming parliament.

Reports for Punjab speak about the impeding distribution of cash, liquor and opium during the elections. “Notes for votes” is now an accepted phenomenon to reckon with during election campaigns. The Lok Sabha itself witnessed a shocking notes-for-votes scene in 2008. It is fast becoming an election practice all over the country with some honourable exceptions. During March 2009 there were more than a dozen instances of television news channels showing cash being transported or distributed by political leaders to win favours of the voters. Big leaders are also shown doing without sense of shame. Cash comes into play in three distinct ways. It is given to party leaders by candidates seeking a nomination. Then it is given to cadres and competitors on the eve of the filing of nominations and it is distributed to voters on poll-eve.

The Centre for Media Studies, a Delhi based reputed undertook such a study at three different points over the last couple of years. In 2007, as part of a study on corruption involving below poverty line (BPL) families, it made a study on the percentage of voters who had ever received cash in return for votes. It covered 23,000 BPL households in 29 States. Realising that the malaise was not confined to the poor, in 2008 CMS did a study among 18,000 voters in 19 States. In a third round, CMS did an exploratory study in December 2008 in eight intensely fought by elections in Karnataka to find out how candidates of different parties gave out money. Together, these surveys showed that a high percentage of voters were being paid.

Going by these studies it appears that while in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar muscle power is more at work, in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu money power is unleashed. Interestingly, it was in these southern States that political parties had more poll surveys conducted and more TV channels had devoted time to cover poll campaigns, including instances of notes-for-votes and other offers in kind.

The CMS study brought out the fact that the notes-for-votes phenomenon had spread across all sections irrespective of age group, income level and educational level, in urban and rural settings.

Where the parties are relatively more cadre-based and party loyalties are higher, as in the case of Left-ruled States, the percentage of voters involved in notes-for-votes acts is lower than elsewhere.

A much higher percentage of voters in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh acknowledged receiving cash as an inducement “in the last 10 years” than in Bihar or Uttar Pradesh. The amount involved in these northern States was much less than in the southern States. The 2009 Assembly-cum-Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh could well be the most “expensive” ever in India: nearly half the voters, it is expected, will be given Rs. 500 or more per vote.

Enquiries indicate three types of influence. First, voters vote for the candidate on behalf of whom they are given money. Second, although they receive money, some voters vote as per their own plan — irrespective of whether they have received money. Third, some voters abstain from voting because they are given money to restrain some otherwise loyal voters of a particular party or candidate. Indeed, notes-for-votes are the “mother of all corruption” with this begins a vicious cycle starts. The candidates who spend such money to make ten or even twenty times from the power her gets as a member of parliament. The effects of the cash-for-votes phenomenon include depriving the true representatives of the people of any chance to get themselves elected on the basis of a contest with a level playing field.

These enquiries, together with reports carried by some news channels, indicate that election-related favours have inflated poll expenditure in India by five times or more since 2004.

Concerned about the malaise, the Election Commission has taken certain initiatives recently. It has been appointing “expenditure observers” to track and validate expenditure on various kinds of campaign activity. It has made it obligatory for candidates to file expenditure statements a couple of times during the campaign period. The provision that candidates must file these statements within a specified period after an election has existed for some time. But there is no evidence that this has made any difference. The Commission, for the first time, has disqualified a number of candidates who did not file their expenditure statements for the earlier election from filing their nominations in 2009. The Commission confiscated more than Rs. 40 crore in cash that was being transported for distribution during the Karnataka Assembly elections in 2008. Beyond that, its actions have not been known to be deterrents. Even the police are on alert now. More than all this, it is the media’s vigilance that has been exposing the practice.

The voters ought to understand the linkage between notes-for-votes and the bribes citizens end up paying to get what they are entitled to get from the government and from their elected representatives. Media should play a more vigilant role and not get in influenced or bribed to hide these nefarious activities during the elections. Civil society groups should step up their efforts at the local level against voters being lured. The Election Commission should take more deterrent measures. Only then will the poll process become truly free and fair and we can hope of a true democracy and not a ritual repeated every five years.

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Gobind Thukral

SINGAPORE: The entire world is passing through a huge economic crisis that was triggered in America six months back when banks, financial corporations and markets started tumbling down. Billions of dollars were lertainty.

Very soon as more turn jobless and poor, the world, particularly the rich countries would witness social tensions, increased crime and lawlessness. The political turmoil would upset many calculations. The gov

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Gobind Thukral

SINGAPORE: The entire world is passing through a huge economic crisis that was triggered in America six months back when banks, financial corporations and markets started tumbling down. Billions of dollars were lertainty.

Very soon as more turn jobless and poor, the world, particularly the rich countries would witness social tensions, increased crime and lawlessness. The political turmoil would upset many calculations. The gov

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