Freedom First Between Ourselves… The Liberal Magazine As we go to press two entirely different events have provided round the clock TV ‘spectacles’ in between “breaks.” Number 547 – January 2013 The gruesome gang-rape in a bus in Delhi of a medical student, and Advisory Board: that too in Delhi, drew national anger. TV channels cashed in. Alongside Mr. Sharad Bailur expressions of shock and concern and the hysterical manner in which the Mr. A. V. Gopalakrishnan privacy of the victim and her family was invaded, it lacked dignity and was Mr. Firoze Hirjikaka in poor taste. Couldn’t all this have waited till the doctors had done their Mr. Ashok Karnik bit? There is much deficiency in governance in this country; there is universal Mr. Farrokh Mehta acceptance of the fact that the law is observed more in its breach and a million other issues that could be debated when emotions calm down. But the moment Mr. Jehangir Patel was seized by competing channels for gain - the all important TRP. Mr. Nitin G. Raut Brig. S. C. Sharma (retd.) The other is the return of Narendra Modi. The fact is that he won Mr. Kunwar Sinha convincingly and proved yet again that he continued to enjoy the confidence Mr. Sameer Wagle of a majority of the people of Gujarat. But one couldn’t miss the sarcasm, innuendoes and the disdain regarding this man who trumped the Indira Editor: Congress thrice. It was mostly about how unsuitable Modi was to be Prime S. V. Raju Minister, mocking his ambitions, even asking how he can even dare. Very grudgingly most channels admitted that he campaigned on governance and Associate Editor: development and not on caste, religions or similar divisive issues more as Prof. R. Srinivasan asides. This was of little interest to the purveyors of visual news who had Editorial Team: other axe to grind. Dr. Rca Godbole Editor Ms. Hina Manerikar Dr. Jyoti Marwah In this Issue Mr. Nitin Raut From Our Readers 4 Effective Governance in a Federal Polity Manohar Parrikar 5 Administration, Accounts, The Economy: 7 Subscription, Circulation: The Employment-Unemployment Conundrum Sunil S. Bhandare 8 Industrial Chaos Kashinath A. Divecha 11 Ms. Kashmira Rao A Brush with Nature Contact: “Isn’t it Dangerous?” Ashish Chandola 14 Point Counter Point Ashok Karnik 17 Indian Committee for Cultural Freedom Bal Thackeray: The Only Thackeray! Aroon Tikekar 18 3rd floor, Army & Navy Building Sokal Hoax and Shiv Sainiks Dr. Rca Godbole 22 148, Mahatma Gandhi Road Sting Operations: An Abuse of Press Freedom? Nitin G. Raut 24 Mumbai 400001 Cornucopia Firoze Hirjikaka 26 Telefax. 022 22843416 /66396366 Foreign Relations in the 21st Century Editor’s Cell: 9820016392 Obama-2 : Second Term Activism Abroad B. Ramesh Babu 30 Georgia : A Dream Becomes a Reality Dr. R. G. Gidadhubli 32 Subscription: The Wisdom of C. Rajagopalachari Annual: Rs.200: Two years Rs.350 Folk Genius 34 Three years: Rs.500 From the Memoirs of Minoo Masani 35 A Soldier’s Tale Overseas: Annual only US$20 / £10. What a Rest Day! Brig. Furdoon S. Mehta (Retd.) 36 Cheques/DDs in favour of ICCF Book Reviews When Generals Failed - The Chinese Invasion Email: [email protected] by Brig. Darshan Khullar, Reviewed by Brig. Suresh C. Sharma (Retd.) 37 Web: www.freedomfirst.in Beyond Auditing - An Autobiography by G. Narayanaswamy, Reviewed by Dr. R. Srinivasan 38 Educating Adults G The Right to Education Act (7) Suresh Sharma 40 Published by J. R. Patel for the Indian Committee G Prof. G. Venkatasubbiah B. M. N. Murthy 41 for Cultural Freedom and printed by him at Union G How to Learn Politics from Children Sharu Rangnekar 43 Press, 13 Homji Street, Fort, Mumbai 400001. Tel. G Bhimsen Joshi and the Kaiserbagh Bar Sharad Bailur 45 22660357, 22665526. Typeset at Shubham Print & Web, 59, Dr. V. B. Gandhi Marg, 1st floor, Fort, Nostalgia: Mumbai 400001. Tel. 22842619. Freedom First This month in January 1956 facing page 46 Freedom First January 2013 3 From Our Readers FDI in Retail accumulated over the years. He even pleaded with the The FDI Issue (FF 546 Dec.2012) write up is very auto guy to visit him daily so that he can keep returning enlightening. I think Freedom First ,should get published all his money. In utter shock and disbelief, I came home in regional languages. It is very urgent to save Democracy. and switched on the TV wondering what Arnab Goswami had to say about the new India that I was witnessing. Lalitha Subramaniam. [email protected] The panelists for the evening included the usual * suspects from all the political parties and the topic was The Nov.1962 War corruption. Surprisingly, instead of trading charges at each “A Forgotten Tale of Heroism” by Brig. Sharma other, they were falling over each other in accepting the (FF546,Dec.2012) was an outstanding piece; very crisply blame. Manish Tiwari owned up the 2G, Coalgate and all written and so informative. In fact I did not know much other scams and promised to return the loot to the of this story that we had given a very strong resistance national exchequer. Ravi Shankar Prasad did not like this in the Western Sector. and was defending the Congress stating that BJP was the originator of all the scams and the Congress was merely Why is it that our military historians did not being made a scapegoat. Manish Tiwari was furious and highlight this while we are all the while judging the entire said the BJP’s image has been tarnished by the Congress 1962 operations only through the failure of the Eastern and apologized on behalf of Sonia Gandhi. Sector? V. Balachandran, Mumbai. Friend, Arnab was a mute witness to the proceedings [email protected] and for the first time, he could neither contribute nor * contradict any of the claims or counter claims made by I Had a Dream... the panelists. Arnab, alluding to conspiracy theory, concluded that both the Congress and the BJP have joined I dreamed last night that the whole of India has hands to make him redundant. become honest overnight. This included not only the notoriously corrupt politicians, policemen and government He signed off by saying that he will soon start his servants but also the Mango man or the aam admi who own Dance Reality show along with Saroj Khan and Farah has always grumbled that he has been at the receiving Khan. After this bitter experience he swore never to include end of the stick without acknowledging his part in the any politician to judge his new show. system. While all this wondrous things were happening I I woke up to the knock of the milkman who told awoke to the right of the alarm on my cell. It was about me that from today, milk will cost only Rs. 10/- per litre time for me to get up, dressed and goes to work in my instead of Rs. 35/- that he has been fleecing from me all office. these years by over-charging and contaminating the milk N. R. Balasubramanian. [email protected] with sewage water. As the day progressed, I had to call the electrician to fix a bulb. He arrived within five minutes and did not charge anything for the bulb saying he too Subscripton Renewal has been over charging me all these years and from on he, will not take any money for any repair work as Have you renewed your subscription? If your compensation for past sins. subscription is due (or overdue) check your code number on the envelope. If it says December 2012 it means your The regular vegetable vendor was equally generous subscription is due for renewal effective January 2013. If as he offered 1 kg of free vegetables of my choice for it says January 2010 or 2011it means your subscription is every 200 gms that I bought. After all this shocking kin in arrears for three or two years respectively. episodes since morning, I decided to hit the local bar. First the auto driver and then the bar owner, both of them did The subscription is Rs.200 for one year, Rs.350 for not allow me to even open my purse. All this, they said, two years and Rs.500 for three years. Please do not send was because of Team Anna which had instilled a sense for more than three years. of Desh Bakhti in them. They were also feeling bad for Cheques/DD should be in favour of ICCF preferably cheating the common man all these years. payable at par or add bank charges of Rs.50/- You can On my return journey, a policeman stopped my auto also remit by money order to: Indian Committee for Cultural and handed out a Rs.500/- note to the driver saying he is Freedom, 3rd floor, Army & Navy Building, 148 Mahatma only returning a part of the ill gotten wealth he has Gandhi Road, Mumbai 400001. 4 Freedom First January 2013 Effective Governance in a Federal Polity Manohar Parrikar Basically, indecision and maladministration appear to be transgressing and trespassing each other’s zone of work. It seems to be the highlight of governance these days. Federalism has its own impact; whatever the Centre does obviously has its impact on state governments. a record for the first time. No single party has managed to get a majority of 21 in the state, after attaining statehood. When Goa was a Union Territory, there were governments which enjoyed a single party majority; perhaps that was because they didn’t have much power.