DECCAN HERALD | Friday, July 20, 2001 |
Setback to TDP
With Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu himself admitting that the verdict in last week’s local bodies elections in Andhra Pradesh were short of expectations, the results would clearly be considered a setback to the ruling Telugu Desam Party. Elections were held to over 1,000 zilla parishad territorial constituencies and over 1500 mandal parishad territorial constituencies and the TDP could secure a majority in only less than half of the zilla parishads. This marks a steep decline from the position it held after the last elections. The BJP, which was the the TDP’s alliance partner in the elections, has been badly routed. The major gainers have been the Congress(I) and the newly formed Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) which advocates the formation of a separate state of Telangana. The Congress has won a majority in eight zilla parishads while the TRS has emerged victorious in two zilla parishads. The Congress gained in all the three regions of the State where the TDP suffered setbacks. The TRS considers the results as popular endorsement for its demand for a separate state and its leader has said that it would continue its struggle. It sees the setback to the TDP as natural because the Chandrababu Naidu government is opposed to the formation of a new state.
The results are bound to be seen as a sign of growing popular disillusionment with the TDP government which under Mr Chandrababu Naidu has been trying to implement a liberalised economic philosophy and bring in a new technological era. The impact has not been positive, especially in the countryside, where farmers and artisans have been affected badly by the new policies. Farmers have found that their produce is not fetching remunerative prices while the cost of inputs, especially the power tariff, has increased. The protests against the hike in power tariff have been widespread in the state. Difficulties in the repayment of loans have also added to the pressure on farmers. The handloom industry, which is a major provider of jobs, is in dire straits. The government has not been able to provide adequate support to the declining industry. A number of cases of suicide by farmers and artisans have brought their problems to the focus of public attention. The result was a perception that the Naidu government is promoting a model of growth which does not take into consideration the problems and concerns of people at the grassroot level. This should serve as a warning to the government. Though the TDP is still the single largest political force in terms of the results, other parties have gained at its expense. Its alliance with the BJP did not work and in fact both parties are now blaming each other for the faiIure. Mr Naidu also cannot disclaim personal responsibility. He had campaigned hectically before the elections. Therefore the party”s claim that the setback was a result of failure of local leadership and lack of co-ordination among the rank and file will not carry full conviction.
Unwarranted curb
The Supreme Court’s dismissal of a public interest litigation (PIL) writ petition challenging the Centre’s memorandum requiring clearance from the Home Ministry prior to holding seminars or workshops will not be widely endorsed. The petition was filed by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL). The controversy relates to a memorandum issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs in September 2000, which was circulated to registrars of all universities early this year. The circular makes prior permission for holding international seminars compulsory if the subject matter of the conference is “political, semi-political, communal or religious, or is related to human rights,” if it is to be held in areas covered under protected or restricted or inner line regimes or if the participants are from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Pakistan or Sri Lanka. It is believed that ‘security considerations’ are behind the move. This has been confirmed by the Supreme Court ruling, which states that when it concerns the security of the country, the state could impose certain restrictions on the organisation of international conferences.
The Home Ministry guidelines have come under fire from academics across the country as they will undermine academic freedom and restrict a healthy exchange and interaction with academia in the region. Besides, it is difficult to accept that an academic conference – even one on security issues – can pose a threat to India’s security interests. It does raise fears that it is perhaps the process i.e. the exchange of ideas, debate and discussion that is being viewed as threats to security. It is ironic that while the government seems to have no problem about throwing open the gates to foreign investment, it is uncomfortable with allowing academic interaction. It does appear that the move is more to do with control of thinking and intellectual freedom rather than security concerns. The shallowness of the ‘threat to security interests’ argument is clear from the fact that similar permission is not expected of workshops held by international NGO’s or UN agencies in the country. Home Ministry officials are quick to point out that it is difficult for Indian academics to visit the neighbouring countries. This is a fact. Yet it is not justification enough to impose controls on the healthy functioning of our academic institutions. In the 1960s and 70s, research scholars from the West were frequently denied visas. The result was a generation of Western scholars whose perceptions failed to reflect an understanding of Indian concerns. Restricting interaction and exchange of ideas across borders will not only limit Indian academia from being able to draw from a variety of approaches and experiences but it will also close and in the process distort the perception of foreign academia of issues in this country.
Debate needed
There is need for a proper and meaningful public debate before taking any decision on the issue of increasing the quota of promotees among the volunteer cadre officers from the present 33 per cent to 50 per cent as favoured by Chief Minister S M Krishna. The reason adduced for such an increase in the quota of promotees from the Karnataka Administrative Service (KAS) to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is that it would give a fillip to the development of the state. While nobody in a sane frame of mind would be against the proposition of quickening the pace of development of Karnataka, the point that should not be lost sight of at the same time is that the methods chosen for this purpose should not be of doubtful merit and efficacy.
The core issue that actually deserves sparing a serious thought is if the other states were also to take a cue from this and enhance quota of officers from those states would it not eventually impair the very national perspective and even the neutral character of the all India civil service which was once hailed as the steel frame of India. There is also need for a dispassionate and detached appraisal on the assertion within the official circles and elsewhere that the calibre and administrative acumen of the promotees is not on a par with that of the direct recruits. Besides, the much fuss being made about the decline in the number of Karnataka cadre officers at the Centre is also to be seen from the same perspective. In sum, the entire process of any decision on these issues must be insulated from both political and other extraneous considerations.
© Copyright, 1999 The Printers (Mysore)Ltd.
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