Warning: This post is a very long one and deals with the Naxalite/Maoist movement.There are no photographs to break the monotony of narration so read only if actually interested in the issue.
What served as an immediate trigger for this post was the beheading of a police inspector (an intelligence officer to be precise) from Jharkhand by Naxalites (or Maoists if you please).For the purpose of this post I shall be using the two terms interchangeably for there is no difference between the two. As for the why part, for those who couldn’t care less about the names, I’d suggest that they skip the rest of this particular paragraph which is just some boring history.The term Naxalite is derived from the name of a village called Naxalbari in West Bengal where a peasant movement first started in 1969 under the leadership of Charu Mazumdar in protest against the landlords who treated them inhumanly-long working hours, petty wages, violating their womenfolk etc. The movement gradually spread and the instigators came to be known as Naxalites.They formed a party of their own-the Communist Party of India(Marxist-Leninist) (which didn’t fight polls for they didn’t believe in democracy.As a fact, Communists don’t believe in democracy, their doctrine tells them that democracy is a sham invented by the bourgeois class.).As the movement spread,these people took inspiration from the Chinese leader Mao who had led Communists to power in China in 1948 and gradually came to be known as Maoists. “The Little Red Book” mandated by Mao for all his countrymen became the book of gospels for these people and they subsequently came to be known as Maoists.It’s a different matter altogether that time and again Mao brought nothing but misery to his people with his policies and committed indescribable atrocities right from the time he gained power(and in the course of taking it as well) till the end of his rule.
Time and again we keep coming across news items on the front page describing either Naxal atrocities or stories of encounters between them and the police. What do these people want? Why all this violence and bloodshed? Simply put, the aim of Maoists is the overthrow of the state and replacement of the existing system of governance with their own which envisages justice, equality and empowerment of the poor and the downtrodden etc. In short,the classic utopian Communist dream. And the path they have chosen is that of direct confrontation with the state in keeping with the Maoist doctrine ,”Political power flows from the barrel of a gun.” Hence the violence.
The officer referred to in the beginning was abducted to make a swap deal with the government wherein the extremists wanted the release of Maoist Kobad Ghandy who was arrested a few days back for his activities. The refusal of the government to bend to their demands sounded the death knell for the officer. The Maoists have shown themselves to be what they really are- a bunch of violent maniacs whose activities amount to treason and who need to be reined in immediately.This is not an isolated incident.There have been several more in the past but the Taliban-style beheading is a novelty. Yet, there is no dearth of intellectuals in the civil society who sympathize with their cause and romanticize their movement. True, those who join the movement at the lower rungs are mostly those who have been discriminated against or wronged in one way or the other. Some of them have even seen their own family members killed, raped or tortured by individuals acting on behalf of the state (the police mostly) and failing to get justice have chosen the violent path. But nothing, nothing whatsoever justifies this kind of gory violence against the society. Ours is a democratic country and there are processes and systems in place to ensure checks and balances. Conceded,the system is not always fair and it is far from perfect but democracy is the best option the world has at the moment. The recalcitrance of the Maoists in trying to replace it with a system that has been successful nowhere in the world and has only brought humongous levels of pain and suffering is exasperating. Agreed that a lot of rot has set in with money doing most of the talking but efforts and energies have to be directed towards eliminating that rot and not uprooting the tree.
In my opinion, the main culprits are the leaders of these outfits who encourage and instigate the disgruntled to rebel and take by force what they deserve; for these leaders are mostly educated people who understand the stakes involved and the consequences of fighting the state.They read Communist and Maoist literature, get influenced by it and seek to influence others. They are people like you and me who see the injustice around them in their youth and college years and try to find a way to end it, some go about it in a manner befitting a vibrant democracy and others in a truculent manner, ending up fighting the state with arms. The irony is that those elements in the system who may have perpetrated crimes against people mostly go unpunished.If I have been wronged by an XYZ policeman and take up arms in response what are the chances of me encountering him again in future? My organization won’t go looking for a particular policeman, would it? It is fighting a planned struggle, seeking to weaken the administrative and defence machinery of the state as a whole, why is it going to expend time and money in helping me settle personal scores with a particular individual when all of its members have their own grievances and their own fish to fry? The organization would never be able to work for its stated goals if it sought to serve the selfish interests of its members so it simply doesn’t; it exhorts you to work for the greater good and the larger cause. Would I not have a better shot at justice and bringing the real culprits to book if I followed the democratic path?In all fairness, it may not be possible for everyone to do so thanks to the rotten system but that still doesn't justify killing somebody else to satiate your anger,does it?It would amount to no better than an act of blinded vengeance,cloaked in the veneer of ideology.
To those sympathizing with the cause being fought for,namely the upliftment of the poor I pose this simple question : If the government were taking affirmative action in backward areas and the rebels hampered those would you still continue to be misled by their purported aims? Not if you really have the people's best interests at heart I believe. I say this because time and again Naxals have exposed themselves to be what they are-a bunch of power-hungry animals-by blowing up railway tracks,cell-phone towers,hampering road construction for public transport and eliminating any and every other semblence of infrastructure in the backward areas.Is this their way of helping their "brethren"?
To those who claim local support for these insurgencies, I would like to counter by claiming that the local support is cultivated by these groups for two selfish purposes- to get information on the activities of the government aimed at rooting them out and to get food,shelter and refuge in times of combing operations by the forces.The morality and propriety of having a state-funded militia such as the Salwa Judum may be debatable but you cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that such a force wouldn't even exist were disillusioned tribals happy with the trigger-happy Naxals.It's a false claim that Naxals don't kill civilians, there is ample record and proof to show the contrary-and I'm not even referring to civilian casualties as collateral damages but calculated,cold-blooded torture and murder in the so-called courts of their "Janatana Sarkar".Human rights activists who are out baying for the blood of the police at the drop of the hat,in response to criticism for their one-sided,hypocritical actions, have lately taken to issuing token statements and press releases condemning violence by the rebels as well.But I never see them filing cases, fighting bitter court battles and taking out marches in favour of police even in the most gruesome and unjustified killings of its men.Since they do all of it for their beloved Naxals,if this is not hypocrisy WHAT IS??Are all human rights only for the rebels and not for the security forces?What crimes have the latter committed to deserve such apathy and negligence?That of taking up the responsibility of protecting you and me at the cost of their own lives,working in the most pitiable conditions at meagre wages with outdated weapons and inadequate training?? If you can't be thankful the least you can do is not to degrade their sacrifices. The truth is that while opposition to the state howsoever spiteful will be tolerated,bitter criticism of Naxals is a sureshot invitation to retribution.While all the onus of being lawful and democratic is put on the state,the Naxal cause is justified,their actions seen as not a cause but a consequence of state violence.Let one thing be clear : human rights are for humans and not animals,I could give umpteen bone-chilling accounts of the ruthless and barbaric killing of police personnel by the Naxals but for now please make do with a small sample.
In Ranibodli in March 2007,one of the rooms of the police camp was bolted from outside by the Maoists and petrol bombs thrown inside towards the off-duty,unaware police personnel.Some escaping security men were targeted from tree-tops,killing a total of 55 police officers.As if this couldn't pacify their quest for sadism they laid down IED's(Improvised Explosive Devices)all around the building to hinder even the evacuation of casualties.The charred bodies of the personnel could not be recognized even by their kin. If the perpetrators still manage to win your sympathy and you still feel that they should be arrested and tried rather than be killed on the spot even if unarmed, I personally can only hope that one of you never becomes in-charge of dealing with these animals.
The next post shall deal with the ideal strategy to counter the movement,discussing the development-first versus action-first debate,the actions taken so far by various states,their successes and failures,the road for the future and finally the dire consequences of not dealing with this menace while there is still time.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Reflections on "A Better India,a Better World" - I
I have been reading this fabulous book by Narayana Murthy for the last few days and it's caught enough of my fancy to get me to park my butt on a chair and dissect and analyse it.The book has been divided into ten sections,each dealing with different though frequently overlapping themes.Each section contains a number of lectures broadly pertaining to the sectional theme.I intend to write a multi-part series on the book and this post shall deal with the issues and ideas espoused in the first two sections.
In this book,Murthy deals with the different aspects that one needs to focus on to ensure a better life for each and every Indian citizen and by extension any global citizen.According to Murthy,the key to eradication of poverty lies in the use of entrepreneurship to create jobs on a large scale.Once a believer in communist and socialist ideas,he describes the one incident of his life in 1974 that convinced him of the philosophy he holds dear to his heart.The horrendous treatment meted out to him by guards in the red bastion of Bulgaria(which incidentally,is the only remaining Communist European country even today) merely on suspicion of his critical attitude towards the government purged all affinities for the Left from his mind and made him a proponent of compassionate capitalism.The only thing ironically,that saved him from being thrown into prison for life was the fact that he "belonged to a friendly country called India"(in the 1970s India was still largely socialist).
Murthy emphasizes the need for constant introspection and learning from experience in order to be able to realize one's full potential.The perception that ability is inherent and not developed "leads people to plateau early in life" and become complacent.While he concedes that chance events play a critical role in shaping an individual's career and life,it's only when people know how to seize an opportunity with both hands that they can get best out of fortuitous events.What helps in making this judgement is ultimately experience gained from toiling hard.
While Murthy feels pride in the accomplishments of Indians in various fields,he cautions against arrogance.He asks the reader to dwell upon why India still lags far behind despite having at its disposal all the necessary ingredients for breakneck economic progress-natural and human resources,technology and talent.According to him these factors rank below the spirit of hardwork and honesty,a strong,able and dependable leadership and the elimination of an elitist mindset amongst the powers that-be.To prove his point he gives the excellent examples of Japan and Switzerland which are deprived of ample natural resources.Also the fact that Japan and Germany bounced back from ruin after the second world war in such a short span of time only seeks to reinforce this convicton.
Murthy sharply criticizes the self-righteous attitude of Indians who refuse to learn and adopt the good aspects of other cultures and countries and are a society of people contemptuous of better societies even with our own meagre progress.We continue to dwell in the glory of the past,endlessly boasting about what we gave the world,without feeling the need to continue doing so in the present.Without the humility of showing the willingless to learn from people more advanced than ourselves,we put ourselves in danger of fading into oblivion.We continue to try rationalizing our failures and shirking responsibility.Accountability is as anathema to us as criticism is to China.The more you rise in the hierarchy the less accountable you become.No project gets completed on time,costs keep spiralling multi-fold and the final product is almost always sub-standard or outdated by the time it's ready.To give a fresh and glowing example,the ATV(nuclear submarine)Project that was envisioned and commissioned in the 70's finally delivered its first baby after decades of labor just the last month.And to add insult to injury,it wasn't even Indian technology that achieved it-as tom-tommed by the Prime Minister on the day of launch.The central problem had always been that of miniaturising the nuclear reactor to make it work for a submarine and after two and a half decades of futile efforts,we took help of Russian designs and engineers to achieve it.That the Prime Minister had the arrogance to make such a statement in presence of 130 Russian engineers present at the launch speaks volumes of our incompetence and the proclivity to hide it.Also,the less said about the development of the indigenous figher aircraft Tejas,the better.Defence bungles merit a separate post in themselves(this one I sincerely intend to write very soon!)
Public sector institutions and jobs of those working in them in India are held more sacrosanct than the millions of consumers they are expected to serve.Unreasonable pampering to the extent of eliminating competition from the private sector through direct or indirect means kills entrepreneurial spirit and breeds complacency in these institutions.As it is,India is one of the lowest ranked countries in the ease of doing business where it takes 3 months to get all the necessary clearances to start a business even after you grease the palms of babus at every level.And if you would like to shut down a business,god help you!It takes an average of 10 years to do so,thanks to our archaic bankruptcy and labour laws.Any hint of a labour sector reforms brings together unions cutting across party lines to protest vehemently in one voice,as was recently seen after the presentation of the Union Budget.
The Indians hardly ever give back to society.Individual interests always dominate community interests and result in creation of abysmal public amenities and community spaces.Scant respect and apathy for what doesn't belong to self results in dirty roads,parks and public toilets,piles of garbage and distasteful graffiti on walls of monuments and public facilities.The responsibility for creation and maintenance of public spaces is deemed solely to be that of the government's.Everybody in India wants to be a thinker and not a doer,(that's hypocrisy for me,for even I belong to the same breed I guess :P)preferring to articulate than implement.We conduct innumerable studies,create a plethora of committees and write endless reports-all resulting in zilch at the ground level.
The only way out of our self-inflicted misery,according to Murthy,is discipline-both in thought and action.Discipline in thought pertains to taking decisions in a strictly objective manner,keeping focus on growth and collective good rather than sycophany.The nature of politics in India is such that it is in the interest of the politicians of all hues to keep their vote-banks happy than focus on growth.A society divided on caste,ethnic and religious lines dampens the spirit of even an honest politician or bureaucrat thereby perpetuating misery and backwardness. Discipline in action pertains to commitment towards meeting deadlines and not indulging in corrupt practices.Corruption results in inflated costs,selection of incompetant contractors and below par final products.We get sub-standard roads,ill-built schools,absent and unqualified teachers and low-quality food stuff.These in turn worsen inequality in an already unequal society,result in dissatisied individuals and social unrest in the long run.The Bandra-Worli Sea Link took years to complete whereas in China six such bridges were commissioned at the same time and were up and functioning before this one saw the light of day.Now we discover that it's of limited use to citizens for various practical reasons thanks to short-sightedness of our esteemed policy makers.Nevertheless,all that political parties can think of fighting about at the moment is the name of the bridge.
What makes a great nation is not the availability of resources but the way it chooses to utilize them.Clarity of purpose and razor sharp focus on implementation are the two indispensable elements if we are to realize our destiny and earn respect.These come only from a disciplined and honest approach towards the task.We may either take the nation to dazzling heights of glory by making sacrifices for the greater good or let it sink into abyss for small,selfish interests borne out of narcissistic mindsets.The choice is ours.
In this book,Murthy deals with the different aspects that one needs to focus on to ensure a better life for each and every Indian citizen and by extension any global citizen.According to Murthy,the key to eradication of poverty lies in the use of entrepreneurship to create jobs on a large scale.Once a believer in communist and socialist ideas,he describes the one incident of his life in 1974 that convinced him of the philosophy he holds dear to his heart.The horrendous treatment meted out to him by guards in the red bastion of Bulgaria(which incidentally,is the only remaining Communist European country even today) merely on suspicion of his critical attitude towards the government purged all affinities for the Left from his mind and made him a proponent of compassionate capitalism.The only thing ironically,that saved him from being thrown into prison for life was the fact that he "belonged to a friendly country called India"(in the 1970s India was still largely socialist).
Murthy emphasizes the need for constant introspection and learning from experience in order to be able to realize one's full potential.The perception that ability is inherent and not developed "leads people to plateau early in life" and become complacent.While he concedes that chance events play a critical role in shaping an individual's career and life,it's only when people know how to seize an opportunity with both hands that they can get best out of fortuitous events.What helps in making this judgement is ultimately experience gained from toiling hard.
While Murthy feels pride in the accomplishments of Indians in various fields,he cautions against arrogance.He asks the reader to dwell upon why India still lags far behind despite having at its disposal all the necessary ingredients for breakneck economic progress-natural and human resources,technology and talent.According to him these factors rank below the spirit of hardwork and honesty,a strong,able and dependable leadership and the elimination of an elitist mindset amongst the powers that-be.To prove his point he gives the excellent examples of Japan and Switzerland which are deprived of ample natural resources.Also the fact that Japan and Germany bounced back from ruin after the second world war in such a short span of time only seeks to reinforce this convicton.
Murthy sharply criticizes the self-righteous attitude of Indians who refuse to learn and adopt the good aspects of other cultures and countries and are a society of people contemptuous of better societies even with our own meagre progress.We continue to dwell in the glory of the past,endlessly boasting about what we gave the world,without feeling the need to continue doing so in the present.Without the humility of showing the willingless to learn from people more advanced than ourselves,we put ourselves in danger of fading into oblivion.We continue to try rationalizing our failures and shirking responsibility.Accountability is as anathema to us as criticism is to China.The more you rise in the hierarchy the less accountable you become.No project gets completed on time,costs keep spiralling multi-fold and the final product is almost always sub-standard or outdated by the time it's ready.To give a fresh and glowing example,the ATV(nuclear submarine)Project that was envisioned and commissioned in the 70's finally delivered its first baby after decades of labor just the last month.And to add insult to injury,it wasn't even Indian technology that achieved it-as tom-tommed by the Prime Minister on the day of launch.The central problem had always been that of miniaturising the nuclear reactor to make it work for a submarine and after two and a half decades of futile efforts,we took help of Russian designs and engineers to achieve it.That the Prime Minister had the arrogance to make such a statement in presence of 130 Russian engineers present at the launch speaks volumes of our incompetence and the proclivity to hide it.Also,the less said about the development of the indigenous figher aircraft Tejas,the better.Defence bungles merit a separate post in themselves(this one I sincerely intend to write very soon!)
Public sector institutions and jobs of those working in them in India are held more sacrosanct than the millions of consumers they are expected to serve.Unreasonable pampering to the extent of eliminating competition from the private sector through direct or indirect means kills entrepreneurial spirit and breeds complacency in these institutions.As it is,India is one of the lowest ranked countries in the ease of doing business where it takes 3 months to get all the necessary clearances to start a business even after you grease the palms of babus at every level.And if you would like to shut down a business,god help you!It takes an average of 10 years to do so,thanks to our archaic bankruptcy and labour laws.Any hint of a labour sector reforms brings together unions cutting across party lines to protest vehemently in one voice,as was recently seen after the presentation of the Union Budget.
The Indians hardly ever give back to society.Individual interests always dominate community interests and result in creation of abysmal public amenities and community spaces.Scant respect and apathy for what doesn't belong to self results in dirty roads,parks and public toilets,piles of garbage and distasteful graffiti on walls of monuments and public facilities.The responsibility for creation and maintenance of public spaces is deemed solely to be that of the government's.Everybody in India wants to be a thinker and not a doer,(that's hypocrisy for me,for even I belong to the same breed I guess :P)preferring to articulate than implement.We conduct innumerable studies,create a plethora of committees and write endless reports-all resulting in zilch at the ground level.
The only way out of our self-inflicted misery,according to Murthy,is discipline-both in thought and action.Discipline in thought pertains to taking decisions in a strictly objective manner,keeping focus on growth and collective good rather than sycophany.The nature of politics in India is such that it is in the interest of the politicians of all hues to keep their vote-banks happy than focus on growth.A society divided on caste,ethnic and religious lines dampens the spirit of even an honest politician or bureaucrat thereby perpetuating misery and backwardness. Discipline in action pertains to commitment towards meeting deadlines and not indulging in corrupt practices.Corruption results in inflated costs,selection of incompetant contractors and below par final products.We get sub-standard roads,ill-built schools,absent and unqualified teachers and low-quality food stuff.These in turn worsen inequality in an already unequal society,result in dissatisied individuals and social unrest in the long run.The Bandra-Worli Sea Link took years to complete whereas in China six such bridges were commissioned at the same time and were up and functioning before this one saw the light of day.Now we discover that it's of limited use to citizens for various practical reasons thanks to short-sightedness of our esteemed policy makers.Nevertheless,all that political parties can think of fighting about at the moment is the name of the bridge.
What makes a great nation is not the availability of resources but the way it chooses to utilize them.Clarity of purpose and razor sharp focus on implementation are the two indispensable elements if we are to realize our destiny and earn respect.These come only from a disciplined and honest approach towards the task.We may either take the nation to dazzling heights of glory by making sacrifices for the greater good or let it sink into abyss for small,selfish interests borne out of narcissistic mindsets.The choice is ours.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Sach Ka Saamna
The game show is barely two weeks old and has already rocked the Parliament!Our so very alert,soaked in "Indian culture" MP's cannot find a better topic to discuss in these difficult times.The country is staring at a drought-like situation,farmers are already crying,drinking water woes plague the nation,industry which was barely recovering from the effects of recession again looks set to be down in the dumps, lakhs are still out of jobs and yet...all of these petty,run-of-the-mill issues can wait while these virtuous, holier-than-cow sages of the modern age go about the onerous task of saving the "Indian culture".Wonder if this phrase ever crosses their minds when they bed prostitutes in their protected,out-of-the-public glare enclaves...
Just for the record,the issue was raked up by a Samajwadi Party MP in the Rajya Sabha. What else can one expect from a party which openly declares English as anathema and is paranoid of computers and all the technology that makes farm-work easier?Of course with the caveat that it doesn't have a problem if the party chief's son gets trained as an Environmental Engineer from a college in Sydney...one's gotta make exceptions once in a while,eh?
Politics apart, the show has definitely been an instant hit with the Indian audience right from the very first episode.I watch it everyday.For those who still don't know,it's the Indianised version of the American show "The Moment of Truth". Participants are asked more than 50 questions in the polygraph test before the actual shooting of the episode and 21 out of those are asked here.So one always knows what to expect in the hot seat.If despite that contestants choose to go ahead I don't think it should be anybody else's problem. Even in the course of the game contestants are repeatedly reminded about their prerogative to call it quits at any point.How much more fairness can you ask for?I'm sure that before signing up, contestants realise the full import of what they're getting into.If despite that they choose to,I think it's the courage of conviction that brings them here.It takes enormous guts to accept your mistakes,secrets,beliefs and convictions in front of the whole world and more than that,in front of your near and dear ones.In a country that believes in keeping its deepest,darkest secrets in the bottom-most drawer of the closet,what is it that's making it flock to the show in drones?Why is it that there hasn't been a dissenting voice from the public over this washing of dirty linen?(I'm not talking of politicians,they don't classify as public except during elections)Is it not because whether we accept it or not,we're all voyeurs at some level?Isn't the itsiest, bitsiest hint of a scandal involving a public figure enough to make us glued to the TV or the net?Forget a public figure,if it's someone you know and you know that your friends know,(confusing,eh? :P)ask yourselves whether or not you go running to tell others about it.Girls are more gossipy but boys aren't all that innocent either.We all want our own houses to be kept sacrosanct but couldn't care less about violating the sanctity of other's.
Whatever the reason for soaring TRP's, I believe every person on the show must've had a reason to be there.The lure of money may've played its part but it's got to be more than just that.It could be a desire to come clean for once and for all to rid self of guilty conscience or a desire to prove to the world one's honesty and integrity.I won't comment upon the accuracy of the polygraph machine whose results are still not admissible as evidence in court but would still implore you to look beyond just that. A criticism being levelled is about the show's potential to break relationships and homes.In response,I'll quote Rajeev Khandelwal,the host,from his blog:
"Also i spoke to Smita Matai a few days back. It was one of the happiest moments of my life when she told me that everyone who walks up to her feels proud to have met her. People on the roads and in multiplexes where she has visited off late do not just recognize her but also acknowledge her courage and confidence. And more then that she and Tony(her husband) have come even more close since the episode was air. Isn't it a reflection of a growing, mature and positive India."
In all fairness to the critics though,the American version of the show has had a mixed impact.Some relationships broke,some got back on track and some got firmly cemented than ever.To know more search on Wiki for "list of the moment of truth episodes".My argument is this: These people chose to be open about their lives and relationships,they wanted their relationships to be built on truth,not deceit.It's a choice they made about the way they wish to lead their lives.And if they were going to go the whole hog,how did it matter if the whole world knew about it in exchange for some moolah?The ones to whom it would really matter would still be their near and dear ones.For the rest,it's just instant gratifiaction of voyeuristic desires.
While the debate doesn't look like it's going to end soon,what with the I&B Ministry serving a show-cause notice to Star Plus,I believe it's a question of choice.Nobody's forcing anyone to go speak the truth.The show is aired at 10:30pm which is a decent enough time to prevent kids from watching the mature content.And oh!I wonder why the Shiv Sena hasn't uttered a word so far...I rather expected them to be ransacking the studio by now.. :P
Just for the record,the issue was raked up by a Samajwadi Party MP in the Rajya Sabha. What else can one expect from a party which openly declares English as anathema and is paranoid of computers and all the technology that makes farm-work easier?Of course with the caveat that it doesn't have a problem if the party chief's son gets trained as an Environmental Engineer from a college in Sydney...one's gotta make exceptions once in a while,eh?
Politics apart, the show has definitely been an instant hit with the Indian audience right from the very first episode.I watch it everyday.For those who still don't know,it's the Indianised version of the American show "The Moment of Truth". Participants are asked more than 50 questions in the polygraph test before the actual shooting of the episode and 21 out of those are asked here.So one always knows what to expect in the hot seat.If despite that contestants choose to go ahead I don't think it should be anybody else's problem. Even in the course of the game contestants are repeatedly reminded about their prerogative to call it quits at any point.How much more fairness can you ask for?I'm sure that before signing up, contestants realise the full import of what they're getting into.If despite that they choose to,I think it's the courage of conviction that brings them here.It takes enormous guts to accept your mistakes,secrets,beliefs and convictions in front of the whole world and more than that,in front of your near and dear ones.In a country that believes in keeping its deepest,darkest secrets in the bottom-most drawer of the closet,what is it that's making it flock to the show in drones?Why is it that there hasn't been a dissenting voice from the public over this washing of dirty linen?(I'm not talking of politicians,they don't classify as public except during elections)Is it not because whether we accept it or not,we're all voyeurs at some level?Isn't the itsiest, bitsiest hint of a scandal involving a public figure enough to make us glued to the TV or the net?Forget a public figure,if it's someone you know and you know that your friends know,(confusing,eh? :P)ask yourselves whether or not you go running to tell others about it.Girls are more gossipy but boys aren't all that innocent either.We all want our own houses to be kept sacrosanct but couldn't care less about violating the sanctity of other's.
Whatever the reason for soaring TRP's, I believe every person on the show must've had a reason to be there.The lure of money may've played its part but it's got to be more than just that.It could be a desire to come clean for once and for all to rid self of guilty conscience or a desire to prove to the world one's honesty and integrity.I won't comment upon the accuracy of the polygraph machine whose results are still not admissible as evidence in court but would still implore you to look beyond just that. A criticism being levelled is about the show's potential to break relationships and homes.In response,I'll quote Rajeev Khandelwal,the host,from his blog:
"Also i spoke to Smita Matai a few days back. It was one of the happiest moments of my life when she told me that everyone who walks up to her feels proud to have met her. People on the roads and in multiplexes where she has visited off late do not just recognize her but also acknowledge her courage and confidence. And more then that she and Tony(her husband) have come even more close since the episode was air. Isn't it a reflection of a growing, mature and positive India."
In all fairness to the critics though,the American version of the show has had a mixed impact.Some relationships broke,some got back on track and some got firmly cemented than ever.To know more search on Wiki for "list of the moment of truth episodes".My argument is this: These people chose to be open about their lives and relationships,they wanted their relationships to be built on truth,not deceit.It's a choice they made about the way they wish to lead their lives.And if they were going to go the whole hog,how did it matter if the whole world knew about it in exchange for some moolah?The ones to whom it would really matter would still be their near and dear ones.For the rest,it's just instant gratifiaction of voyeuristic desires.
While the debate doesn't look like it's going to end soon,what with the I&B Ministry serving a show-cause notice to Star Plus,I believe it's a question of choice.Nobody's forcing anyone to go speak the truth.The show is aired at 10:30pm which is a decent enough time to prevent kids from watching the mature content.And oh!I wonder why the Shiv Sena hasn't uttered a word so far...I rather expected them to be ransacking the studio by now.. :P
Friday, July 17, 2009
UID Project:Vision for a new India - II
Continuing from where I left in the last post,let me list out some of the potential stumbling blocks as well as inherent dangers of not taking care of privacy issues.
There are thousands,may be lakhs of villages in India where they still don't have electricity.Even if there is,it's not available most of the time.How then would the card(which I understand,would need a card reader) and its supporting infrastructure i.e computers etc. work in such places?This clearly demonstrates the need for development of power infrastructure in tandem with the UID project.But is this actually possible?Let's see why I personally think it isn't.
In each of its five year plans,the Indian government sets itself a target for power generation capacity addition over the course of the plan period.There hasn't been a single plan period thus far when the added capacity has ever exceeded 50% of the target.In the ongoing plan period,the target has been fixed at 77,000MW but going by the pace of capacity addition,it can be safely assumed that this time's gonna be no better.In contrast,China is adding 1 lakh MW capacity every year in order to meet its burgeoning requirements with a coal fired power plant commencing operations at an average of 1 per week!!But that's a story for another time...What I wish to merely point out is the fact that India isn't becoming energy sufficient for many more years,maybe decades to come.How then would the benefits of the card reach those for whom it has the potential of being nothing short of a life-changer?Aren't these the very people who have been accorded the highest priority in the project?So much so that the pilot project is going to issue cards to those registered under the NREGA and then to everyone else.
There are a number of privacy issues which need to be sorted out.An elaborate policy framework needs to be outlined which would unambiguously specify who exactly is authorised to access the data of citizens.Failure to protect privacy could result in not only some pesky but innocuous calls from telemarketers,it could actually endanger your life.Imagine this data getting into the hands of crime syndicates and the underworld.A rich businessman could end up receiving threatening extortion calls based on the data of his income tax returns.In case of riots,the data could help rioters identify localities and houses of people belonging to a particular community.If that sounds far fetched,consider this.In the Gujarat riots in 2002,Hindu rioters used data obtained from voter lists to identify shops and houses of Muslims and specifically targetted these installations,leaving those belonging to Hindus untouched.This gross misuse of voter lists would've never come to light but
for the fact that the speed and efficiency with which frenzied mobs targetted Muslims,leaving all Hindu properties unscathed made investigators smell a rat.And this isn't an isolated case.Kashmiri pundits,who have been driven out of the valley in lakhs by Islamic fanatics and are now living as refugees in their own country,were a victim of the same plot.In fact,the former are supposed to have derived inspiration from the latter in use of voter lists.These two instances are enough to show what catastrophic and horrifying consequences unprotected data in the public domain could entail.Certainly this is an aspect that cannot be overlooked.
In an article in the TOI,Mr.Swaminathan Ankleswar Aiyar pointed out that Indian bureaucrats have always sought to scuttle any initiative to give power in the hands of the people.They always manage to find loopholes in anything that seeks to bring about transparency and accountability in the system.I'll concede that RTI Act is a glowing exception but then again,bureaucrats continue to make attempts at diluting the law by pressing for exemption of file notings from the purview of the Act.With this mentality,can one trust these babus not to notch up innovative schemes to beat the system and thereby retain their stranglehold on funds and assets?
The most challenging aspect of the project however,in my opinion,is the source for the data Nilekani is going to use to prepare the database.Multiple sources are being tapped-LPG gas connection holders' list(11 crore connections in all,which assuming an average family size of 5 covers 55 crore people-nearly half the population), voter lists,ration card lists,PANs etc.Of these,ration card lists and voter lists have a large number of phantoms and there are a large number of people holding multiple PANs.How does Nilekani propose to weed out those who are either dead or non-existent from these lists?My hunch is that the compulsion for biometric data would eventually weed out these people but nevertheless large amounts would have been wasted by the time absence of biometric data confirms non-existence(every card is expected to cost Rs.30 at the most conservative estimate.)
Although I wanted to elucidate the technological aspects of the smart card as well in this post,I guess it would make it very long.So if you're more of a tech-oriented person,watch out for the next and final part of this series.
There are thousands,may be lakhs of villages in India where they still don't have electricity.Even if there is,it's not available most of the time.How then would the card(which I understand,would need a card reader) and its supporting infrastructure i.e computers etc. work in such places?This clearly demonstrates the need for development of power infrastructure in tandem with the UID project.But is this actually possible?Let's see why I personally think it isn't.
In each of its five year plans,the Indian government sets itself a target for power generation capacity addition over the course of the plan period.There hasn't been a single plan period thus far when the added capacity has ever exceeded 50% of the target.In the ongoing plan period,the target has been fixed at 77,000MW but going by the pace of capacity addition,it can be safely assumed that this time's gonna be no better.In contrast,China is adding 1 lakh MW capacity every year in order to meet its burgeoning requirements with a coal fired power plant commencing operations at an average of 1 per week!!But that's a story for another time...What I wish to merely point out is the fact that India isn't becoming energy sufficient for many more years,maybe decades to come.How then would the benefits of the card reach those for whom it has the potential of being nothing short of a life-changer?Aren't these the very people who have been accorded the highest priority in the project?So much so that the pilot project is going to issue cards to those registered under the NREGA and then to everyone else.
There are a number of privacy issues which need to be sorted out.An elaborate policy framework needs to be outlined which would unambiguously specify who exactly is authorised to access the data of citizens.Failure to protect privacy could result in not only some pesky but innocuous calls from telemarketers,it could actually endanger your life.Imagine this data getting into the hands of crime syndicates and the underworld.A rich businessman could end up receiving threatening extortion calls based on the data of his income tax returns.In case of riots,the data could help rioters identify localities and houses of people belonging to a particular community.If that sounds far fetched,consider this.In the Gujarat riots in 2002,Hindu rioters used data obtained from voter lists to identify shops and houses of Muslims and specifically targetted these installations,leaving those belonging to Hindus untouched.This gross misuse of voter lists would've never come to light but
for the fact that the speed and efficiency with which frenzied mobs targetted Muslims,leaving all Hindu properties unscathed made investigators smell a rat.And this isn't an isolated case.Kashmiri pundits,who have been driven out of the valley in lakhs by Islamic fanatics and are now living as refugees in their own country,were a victim of the same plot.In fact,the former are supposed to have derived inspiration from the latter in use of voter lists.These two instances are enough to show what catastrophic and horrifying consequences unprotected data in the public domain could entail.Certainly this is an aspect that cannot be overlooked.
In an article in the TOI,Mr.Swaminathan Ankleswar Aiyar pointed out that Indian bureaucrats have always sought to scuttle any initiative to give power in the hands of the people.They always manage to find loopholes in anything that seeks to bring about transparency and accountability in the system.I'll concede that RTI Act is a glowing exception but then again,bureaucrats continue to make attempts at diluting the law by pressing for exemption of file notings from the purview of the Act.With this mentality,can one trust these babus not to notch up innovative schemes to beat the system and thereby retain their stranglehold on funds and assets?
The most challenging aspect of the project however,in my opinion,is the source for the data Nilekani is going to use to prepare the database.Multiple sources are being tapped-LPG gas connection holders' list(11 crore connections in all,which assuming an average family size of 5 covers 55 crore people-nearly half the population), voter lists,ration card lists,PANs etc.Of these,ration card lists and voter lists have a large number of phantoms and there are a large number of people holding multiple PANs.How does Nilekani propose to weed out those who are either dead or non-existent from these lists?My hunch is that the compulsion for biometric data would eventually weed out these people but nevertheless large amounts would have been wasted by the time absence of biometric data confirms non-existence(every card is expected to cost Rs.30 at the most conservative estimate.)
Although I wanted to elucidate the technological aspects of the smart card as well in this post,I guess it would make it very long.So if you're more of a tech-oriented person,watch out for the next and final part of this series.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
UID Project :Vision for a new India - I
One of the most ambitious projects announced by the newly elected UPA government is its intention to issue a unique identification number to each citizen of India.Each person is to be issued a smart card carrying basic information such as name,date of birth etc. as well as biometric data such as fingerprints.For the purpose the government has set up a body called the Unique Identification Authority of India and roped in Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani to head the body.To enable him to pursue his task in a hassle-free manner,he has been given the rank of a Cabinet Minister and given full freedom to choose his own team members-whether from the private or the public sector.It is estimated that the project is going to cost the exchequer 1.5 lakh crores.The first phase is expected to be rolled out in 18 months and 10,000 crores have been earmarked for the same.This phase would cover the beneficiaries of various social sector programmes being run by the government such as the NREGA.
The purposes behind this massive exercise are multiple:
1.)It is expected that the biometric system will help identify and target in a better manner the intended beneficiaries of various government schemes and subsidy programmes such as the NREGA,Public Distribution System and the myriad BPL schemes.At the moment,we have a comic(and outrageous!) situation where the total number of ration cards and BPL cards far exceed the number of people entitled to them.According to Mr.Swaminathan Ankleswar Aiyar,a TOI columnist,we have 223 million ration cards issued against a entitled population of 180 million and 80 million BPL cards issued against an entitled population of 65 million.(Data for the no. of eligible beneficiaries comes from government's own surveys.)In the state of Karnataka alone,the number of BPL card beneficiaries far exceeds the state's entire population,let alone the number of BPL families!!What this basically implies is the existence of 'phantoms' as Mr.Nilekani puts it in his book 'Imagining India'.These are people who exist only on paper i.e either they never were or are long dead.Also taking advantage are people who don't qualify for these benefits. These phantoms are often a creation of the authorities and shopkeepers who use them as a tool to siphon off the subsidised rice,wheat,kerosene and sugar from the allotted quota and sell them in the open market at market rates.As a result PDS is now a totally rotten system with leakages exceeding 50%.Its a double whammy for the state- subsidised goods don't reach the intended beneficiaries and oil marketing companies end up making massive losses on kerosene which is heavily used for transport in place of diesel since subsidised kerosene is much cheaper than diesel. More on the PDS in a later post.The smart card along with a simultaneous drive to increase penetration of banking services in rural India would allow the government to transfer subsidies in cash form to the entitled by depositing them in their accounts,thus eliminating all levels of interaction in between and by implication pilferages.The smart card reader at the outlet providing the subsidised service or good to the consumer would deduct the amount from his account thus ensuring that the cash is not spent on anything it's not intended for.
2.)It is the intention of the government to ensure that the relationship between the state and citizens be made as little traumatizing as possible for the latter by making the process transparent.As of now,the implementation of any scheme and flow of funds is completely at the mercy of corrupt and immoral bureaucrats.The authority levels are too many which ensures that of every rupee spent on the poor,only 5 paise reach them.A smart card linking each citizen to a national database will ensure that they are getting their due since each transaction will be recorded using the card. Bureaucrats won't be able to sit pretty by distributing funds merely on paper.
3.)It will force the government to acknowledge the plight of the poor and helpless by forcing it to acknowledge their 'existence'.The government would no longer be able to draw a veil over large-scale poverty and destitution by simply ignoring the as of now nameless poor.This in turn would force it to ensure that they are provided for.
4.)It will help to check large-scale illegal immigration in India from countries such as Bangladesh.According to estimates there are more than 2 crore Bangladeshis illegally residing in the country.These immigrants not only place a strain on the nation's resources,a large number of them are a serious security threat as well.Ditto for Pakistani intelligence agents,terrorists and other illegal citizens known in diplomatic parlance as 'aliens'.
5.)Citizens will be saved the hassle of carrying on their person a number of different documents such as passport,ration card,PAN card,voter ID card,birth certificate,caste certificate,driving license etc. for different purposes.
6.)It will help in making financial transactions much more transparent,eliminate instances of holding bank accounts using multiple PANs,expose fake voters and fake government employees.Surprised by that last bit,eh?Be prepared to receive the shock of your life by the next few lines.Recently in Delhi,where I've been staying for the last couple of months,a shocking scandal came to light.It has been discovered that 45,000 employees of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi(MCD)are non-existent(are either dead,fictitious or drawing salaries as government employees without working apart from pursuing regular professions).For the past 20 years,salaries and perks were being regularly drawn against their names.These employees were mostly appointed to lower level posts such as sweepers, gardeners etc.Despite repeated complaints by citizens of absence of these workers from their jobs,little or no action was taken by higher authorities.Not surprising considering that these officers were receiving a cut from those salaries to keep their mouth shut!What finally let the cat out of the bag was the municipal commissioner's decision to issue biometric identity cards to employees for attendance purposes.The cards were supposed to be issued when the employees came to give their attendance.Since the phantom employees' attendance used to be marked by the attendance officer himself, the fraud wasn't exposed for a lot of years.When these fictional employees didn't collect their cards,the matter came out into the public domain.There was an immediate uproar and some of the employees reported to work.People in some localities got the shock of their lives when they saw their washerman,gardener or local printer of many years sweeping streets early in the morning!!This shows the power of technology in improving civic facilities and making the government and its employees accountable to the people and gives a peek into what the future might hold for us if the unique ID card project becomes a success.
7.)Transparency in financial transactions i.e. being able to put a name to each transaction taking place will help in detection of financial activities of terrorist and militant organizations,atleast those which are taking place through legal channels.A year back or so,National Security Advisor M.K.Narayan had admitted that terrorist organizations had been active in the stock market.Not only that,a number of sympathisers of these organizations regularly send money through legal banking channels apart from the more popular and illegal hawala route.Being able to track these payments would help in choking supply of funds to these unscrupulous elements.
Howsoever well meaning the intentions of the project may be,the challenge of implementing it on the ground is enormous.By Nilekani's own admission,he expects it to be a challenge greater than he's ever faced when he says,"I'm supposed to work with 600 different departments of the government,no two of which ever work together."
There are a number of factors,circumstances and forces which will test Nilekani's resilience,perseverance and determination as he goes about his task.In the next post I intend to discuss some of the potential bottlenecks,possible misuses of the card as well as provide a detailed description of the technological aspects of the smart card and its supporting infrastructure.
The purposes behind this massive exercise are multiple:
1.)It is expected that the biometric system will help identify and target in a better manner the intended beneficiaries of various government schemes and subsidy programmes such as the NREGA,Public Distribution System and the myriad BPL schemes.At the moment,we have a comic(and outrageous!) situation where the total number of ration cards and BPL cards far exceed the number of people entitled to them.According to Mr.Swaminathan Ankleswar Aiyar,a TOI columnist,we have 223 million ration cards issued against a entitled population of 180 million and 80 million BPL cards issued against an entitled population of 65 million.(Data for the no. of eligible beneficiaries comes from government's own surveys.)In the state of Karnataka alone,the number of BPL card beneficiaries far exceeds the state's entire population,let alone the number of BPL families!!What this basically implies is the existence of 'phantoms' as Mr.Nilekani puts it in his book 'Imagining India'.These are people who exist only on paper i.e either they never were or are long dead.Also taking advantage are people who don't qualify for these benefits. These phantoms are often a creation of the authorities and shopkeepers who use them as a tool to siphon off the subsidised rice,wheat,kerosene and sugar from the allotted quota and sell them in the open market at market rates.As a result PDS is now a totally rotten system with leakages exceeding 50%.Its a double whammy for the state- subsidised goods don't reach the intended beneficiaries and oil marketing companies end up making massive losses on kerosene which is heavily used for transport in place of diesel since subsidised kerosene is much cheaper than diesel. More on the PDS in a later post.The smart card along with a simultaneous drive to increase penetration of banking services in rural India would allow the government to transfer subsidies in cash form to the entitled by depositing them in their accounts,thus eliminating all levels of interaction in between and by implication pilferages.The smart card reader at the outlet providing the subsidised service or good to the consumer would deduct the amount from his account thus ensuring that the cash is not spent on anything it's not intended for.
2.)It is the intention of the government to ensure that the relationship between the state and citizens be made as little traumatizing as possible for the latter by making the process transparent.As of now,the implementation of any scheme and flow of funds is completely at the mercy of corrupt and immoral bureaucrats.The authority levels are too many which ensures that of every rupee spent on the poor,only 5 paise reach them.A smart card linking each citizen to a national database will ensure that they are getting their due since each transaction will be recorded using the card. Bureaucrats won't be able to sit pretty by distributing funds merely on paper.
3.)It will force the government to acknowledge the plight of the poor and helpless by forcing it to acknowledge their 'existence'.The government would no longer be able to draw a veil over large-scale poverty and destitution by simply ignoring the as of now nameless poor.This in turn would force it to ensure that they are provided for.
4.)It will help to check large-scale illegal immigration in India from countries such as Bangladesh.According to estimates there are more than 2 crore Bangladeshis illegally residing in the country.These immigrants not only place a strain on the nation's resources,a large number of them are a serious security threat as well.Ditto for Pakistani intelligence agents,terrorists and other illegal citizens known in diplomatic parlance as 'aliens'.
5.)Citizens will be saved the hassle of carrying on their person a number of different documents such as passport,ration card,PAN card,voter ID card,birth certificate,caste certificate,driving license etc. for different purposes.
6.)It will help in making financial transactions much more transparent,eliminate instances of holding bank accounts using multiple PANs,expose fake voters and fake government employees.Surprised by that last bit,eh?Be prepared to receive the shock of your life by the next few lines.Recently in Delhi,where I've been staying for the last couple of months,a shocking scandal came to light.It has been discovered that 45,000 employees of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi(MCD)are non-existent(are either dead,fictitious or drawing salaries as government employees without working apart from pursuing regular professions).For the past 20 years,salaries and perks were being regularly drawn against their names.These employees were mostly appointed to lower level posts such as sweepers, gardeners etc.Despite repeated complaints by citizens of absence of these workers from their jobs,little or no action was taken by higher authorities.Not surprising considering that these officers were receiving a cut from those salaries to keep their mouth shut!What finally let the cat out of the bag was the municipal commissioner's decision to issue biometric identity cards to employees for attendance purposes.The cards were supposed to be issued when the employees came to give their attendance.Since the phantom employees' attendance used to be marked by the attendance officer himself, the fraud wasn't exposed for a lot of years.When these fictional employees didn't collect their cards,the matter came out into the public domain.There was an immediate uproar and some of the employees reported to work.People in some localities got the shock of their lives when they saw their washerman,gardener or local printer of many years sweeping streets early in the morning!!This shows the power of technology in improving civic facilities and making the government and its employees accountable to the people and gives a peek into what the future might hold for us if the unique ID card project becomes a success.
7.)Transparency in financial transactions i.e. being able to put a name to each transaction taking place will help in detection of financial activities of terrorist and militant organizations,atleast those which are taking place through legal channels.A year back or so,National Security Advisor M.K.Narayan had admitted that terrorist organizations had been active in the stock market.Not only that,a number of sympathisers of these organizations regularly send money through legal banking channels apart from the more popular and illegal hawala route.Being able to track these payments would help in choking supply of funds to these unscrupulous elements.
Howsoever well meaning the intentions of the project may be,the challenge of implementing it on the ground is enormous.By Nilekani's own admission,he expects it to be a challenge greater than he's ever faced when he says,"I'm supposed to work with 600 different departments of the government,no two of which ever work together."
There are a number of factors,circumstances and forces which will test Nilekani's resilience,perseverance and determination as he goes about his task.In the next post I intend to discuss some of the potential bottlenecks,possible misuses of the card as well as provide a detailed description of the technological aspects of the smart card and its supporting infrastructure.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Are EVM's really tamper-proof ?
The recently concluded general elections in India threw up some really astonishing results.Defying all exit polls, pre-election surveys and expert opinions, the Congress-led UPA roared back to power in style with Congress crossing the 200-seat mark for the first time since the Rajiv-era.The same experts who were made to eat crow over the unprecedented results now attributed them to Congress pioneered initiatives such as the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act(NREGA), the multi-thousand crore farm-loan waiver, National Rural Health Mission(NRHM) and last but not the least to the so-called charisma of Rahul Gandhi (sic!) and his youth brigade. Until recently,
nobody thought of questioning the EVMs.Quite surprising for a country where political parties are forever ready to go for each other's jugular over every petty issue!
The reservations expressed by opposition parties may actually not be a case of sour grapes after all.The fears have a very rational basis for a number of reasons.
In an article in "The Hindu" dated 17 June 2009, former Union Law Minister Subramanyam Swamy reveals that there have been a number of instances in European countries where EVMs have been shown to be vulnerable and prone to tampering- to the extent that a number of these countries have abolished the e-voting system and have returned to the old-fashioned paper ballot one.He quotes the examples of Germany, Ireland,Netherlands and even the Californian state of USA where these machines have either been banned or put on hold pending a full investigation.The Dutch Nedap machines used in Netherlands and Germany were hacked live on national television by experts following which they were banned.That reminds me of the US presidential elections where George Bush Junior beat Al-Gore to come to power after a sensational drama where after declaring Al-Gore as winner,authorities retracted their statement and after a recount in Ohio if my memory serves me right, Bush was declared winner.It was alleged at that time that the machines had been tampered with to overturn the verdict.There was even a documentary titled "Hacking Democracy" made over the issue.(Available on DC in case a Bitsian is reading this post)
In India, EVMs are manufactured by Bharat Electronics Limited(BEL) which claims on its website that its machines are entirely tamper-proof.It makes comparisons with Computerised voting systems to emphasise that its machines are a lot better.It claims that its use of customised and proprietary hardware and software scores over commercial,general purpose hardware and OS used by other systems. It also tom-toms the fact that its software is burnt into ICs and therefore cannot be accessed, retrieved or altered, while other systems have their software written in C or C++ which renders them open to manipulation.A forceful argument,I must say,but who said that it's not possible to make a particular lot differently to suit a specific purpose?Just modify the code before it's fused into ICs and bingo!its done.Since once burnt,the software cannot be retrieved,no need to fear being getting caught!For the record, BEL is a public sector company with the government holding nearly 75% of its equity.The possibilities are enormous particularly in light of the fact that Bizta,the company which made the EVMs used for Venezuelan general elections where Hugo Chavez roared back to power with a record majority,had the government holding a 28% stake in the company-something that came to light after the elections were over.
Moreover,these softwares reside in Flash memory and are hence changeable.Lastly it says that its voting data resides on EEPROMs which need no external back-up battery for retention as opposed to other systems where voting data resides in RAM with battery back-up on mother boards and are vulnerable to corruption if battery fails.However in a newspaper item that appeared in Times of India this Sunday,it was claimed that a 1965 batch IAS officer Omaish Saigal made a presentation before the top brass of the Election Commission in which he demonstrated how by entering a specific code the machine could be programmed such that every fifth vote would go to the candidate of a particular party.In a country where election results are drastically altered by a swing of a few percentage of votes(there was merely a 9% difference in the no. of votes polled by Congress and BJP in these elections),the implications are obvious.Although the story was promptly denied by EC functionaries the following day, the denial doesn't come as a surprise.Anything short of a categorical denial would have brought about a wave of litigations and sparked national outrage.This story coupled with the controversial appointment of Navin Chawla as Chief Election Commissioner before elections in face of strong opposition by other parties and a damning report by outgoing CEC Gopalswamy questioning the impartiality of Chawla, leads one to suspect that the smoke is not without fire.Though nothing may ever be proved or disproved in the end, the episode leaves some lingering questions.
How can we ensure free and fair elections in India in the true sense of the words? Is it advisable to return to the paper ballot system of yester years and thereby bring back the days of booth-capturing and mass bogus voting in favour of a particular party? If not, then how to go about it if even technology is helpless in face of those hell-bent on subverting democracy?
The problem lies not with technology but the way one implements it.The fact that the OS used in EVMs is proprietary in nature might leave them open to vulnerabilities others may be able to exploit without anyone else getting wise to it.The best approach would therefore be to leave the code and machine architecture open to public scrutiny.This would ensure that vulnerabilities are patched up and no scope is left for tampering.However since any such move is bound to be protested by companies which manufacture these machines over fears that it would erode their market competitiveness, as a compromise we can have a select group of experts look at the code and suggest modifications. There have also been suggestions that we could use two EVMs manufactured by different companies simultaneously to check foul play.While such a system reduces probability of tampering it doesn't eliminate it.
For those who would like to dismiss any suggestion of foul play in Indian elections as merely another conspiracy theory, let me quote from the article of Mr.Swamy:
"Why are the EVMs so vulnerable? Each step in the life cycle of a voting machine — from the time it is developed and installed to when the votes are recorded and the data transferred to a central repository for tallying — involves different people gaining access to the machines, often installing new software. It wouldn’t be hard for, say, an election official to paint a parallel programme under another password on one or many voting machines that would, before voters arrived at the poll stations, ensure a pre-determined outcome.
The Election Commission of India has known of these dangers since 2000. Dr M. S. Gill, the then CEC, had arranged at my initiative for Professor Sanjay Sarma, the father of RFID software fame at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and his wife Dr Gitanjali Swamy of Harvard, to demonstrate how unsafeguarded the chips in EVMs were. Some changes in procedure were made subsequently by the EC. But the fundamental flaws, which made them compliant to hacking, remained."
If steps are not taken soon,elections may very well lose credibility and faith in democracy lost.Nobody has the right to reduce the world's biggest democratic exercise to a farce.As it is,barring a few,politicians in India are hardly trusted by anyone.A charge of fraud involving EVMs,if ever proved,could very well be the final nail in the coffin- both for politicians as well as the whole democratic set-up.
nobody thought of questioning the EVMs.Quite surprising for a country where political parties are forever ready to go for each other's jugular over every petty issue!
The reservations expressed by opposition parties may actually not be a case of sour grapes after all.The fears have a very rational basis for a number of reasons.
In an article in "The Hindu" dated 17 June 2009, former Union Law Minister Subramanyam Swamy reveals that there have been a number of instances in European countries where EVMs have been shown to be vulnerable and prone to tampering- to the extent that a number of these countries have abolished the e-voting system and have returned to the old-fashioned paper ballot one.He quotes the examples of Germany, Ireland,Netherlands and even the Californian state of USA where these machines have either been banned or put on hold pending a full investigation.The Dutch Nedap machines used in Netherlands and Germany were hacked live on national television by experts following which they were banned.That reminds me of the US presidential elections where George Bush Junior beat Al-Gore to come to power after a sensational drama where after declaring Al-Gore as winner,authorities retracted their statement and after a recount in Ohio if my memory serves me right, Bush was declared winner.It was alleged at that time that the machines had been tampered with to overturn the verdict.There was even a documentary titled "Hacking Democracy" made over the issue.(Available on DC in case a Bitsian is reading this post)
In India, EVMs are manufactured by Bharat Electronics Limited(BEL) which claims on its website that its machines are entirely tamper-proof.It makes comparisons with Computerised voting systems to emphasise that its machines are a lot better.It claims that its use of customised and proprietary hardware and software scores over commercial,general purpose hardware and OS used by other systems. It also tom-toms the fact that its software is burnt into ICs and therefore cannot be accessed, retrieved or altered, while other systems have their software written in C or C++ which renders them open to manipulation.A forceful argument,I must say,but who said that it's not possible to make a particular lot differently to suit a specific purpose?Just modify the code before it's fused into ICs and bingo!its done.Since once burnt,the software cannot be retrieved,no need to fear being getting caught!For the record, BEL is a public sector company with the government holding nearly 75% of its equity.The possibilities are enormous particularly in light of the fact that Bizta,the company which made the EVMs used for Venezuelan general elections where Hugo Chavez roared back to power with a record majority,had the government holding a 28% stake in the company-something that came to light after the elections were over.
Moreover,these softwares reside in Flash memory and are hence changeable.Lastly it says that its voting data resides on EEPROMs which need no external back-up battery for retention as opposed to other systems where voting data resides in RAM with battery back-up on mother boards and are vulnerable to corruption if battery fails.However in a newspaper item that appeared in Times of India this Sunday,it was claimed that a 1965 batch IAS officer Omaish Saigal made a presentation before the top brass of the Election Commission in which he demonstrated how by entering a specific code the machine could be programmed such that every fifth vote would go to the candidate of a particular party.In a country where election results are drastically altered by a swing of a few percentage of votes(there was merely a 9% difference in the no. of votes polled by Congress and BJP in these elections),the implications are obvious.Although the story was promptly denied by EC functionaries the following day, the denial doesn't come as a surprise.Anything short of a categorical denial would have brought about a wave of litigations and sparked national outrage.This story coupled with the controversial appointment of Navin Chawla as Chief Election Commissioner before elections in face of strong opposition by other parties and a damning report by outgoing CEC Gopalswamy questioning the impartiality of Chawla, leads one to suspect that the smoke is not without fire.Though nothing may ever be proved or disproved in the end, the episode leaves some lingering questions.
How can we ensure free and fair elections in India in the true sense of the words? Is it advisable to return to the paper ballot system of yester years and thereby bring back the days of booth-capturing and mass bogus voting in favour of a particular party? If not, then how to go about it if even technology is helpless in face of those hell-bent on subverting democracy?
The problem lies not with technology but the way one implements it.The fact that the OS used in EVMs is proprietary in nature might leave them open to vulnerabilities others may be able to exploit without anyone else getting wise to it.The best approach would therefore be to leave the code and machine architecture open to public scrutiny.This would ensure that vulnerabilities are patched up and no scope is left for tampering.However since any such move is bound to be protested by companies which manufacture these machines over fears that it would erode their market competitiveness, as a compromise we can have a select group of experts look at the code and suggest modifications. There have also been suggestions that we could use two EVMs manufactured by different companies simultaneously to check foul play.While such a system reduces probability of tampering it doesn't eliminate it.
For those who would like to dismiss any suggestion of foul play in Indian elections as merely another conspiracy theory, let me quote from the article of Mr.Swamy:
"Why are the EVMs so vulnerable? Each step in the life cycle of a voting machine — from the time it is developed and installed to when the votes are recorded and the data transferred to a central repository for tallying — involves different people gaining access to the machines, often installing new software. It wouldn’t be hard for, say, an election official to paint a parallel programme under another password on one or many voting machines that would, before voters arrived at the poll stations, ensure a pre-determined outcome.
The Election Commission of India has known of these dangers since 2000. Dr M. S. Gill, the then CEC, had arranged at my initiative for Professor Sanjay Sarma, the father of RFID software fame at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and his wife Dr Gitanjali Swamy of Harvard, to demonstrate how unsafeguarded the chips in EVMs were. Some changes in procedure were made subsequently by the EC. But the fundamental flaws, which made them compliant to hacking, remained."
If steps are not taken soon,elections may very well lose credibility and faith in democracy lost.Nobody has the right to reduce the world's biggest democratic exercise to a farce.As it is,barring a few,politicians in India are hardly trusted by anyone.A charge of fraud involving EVMs,if ever proved,could very well be the final nail in the coffin- both for politicians as well as the whole democratic set-up.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Personality Test
My Personality
77 | |
48 | |
49 | |
60 | |
66 |
| You do not experience strong, irresistible cravings and consequently do not find yourself tempted to overindulge, however you feel enraged when things do not go your way. You are sensitive about being treated fairly and feel resentful and bitter if you think you are being cheated. You are not prone to spells of energetic high spirits. You are not interested in the arts and do not display aesthetic sensitivity. You are tenderhearted and compassionate, feeling the pain of others vicariously and are easily moved to pity, however you are not adverse to confrontation and will sometimes even intimidate others to get your own way. You strive hard to achieve excellence. Your drive to be recognized as successful keeps you on track toward your lofty goals. You often have a strong sense of direction in life, but may sometimes be too single-minded and obsessed with your work. |
| poll maker jewelry |
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Satyam:The Truth "Lies" Beneath...
Satyam first came into news on 16th December with its announcement of purchasing 100% and 50% stakes respectively in his sons’ companies Maytas Properties and Maytas Infrastructure. (Maytas incidentally is Satyam spelled backwards).Ramalinga Raju’s family members own a combined stake of more than 30% in each of these companies. The deal was finalized for $1.6 billion-a figure that raised a number of eyebrows and invited shareholders’ wrath who questioned the rationale of this valuation and the high-handedness of the board members who took such a major decision without consulting or informing investors of the proposed move. The markets reacted sharply and Satyam’s share price took a beating. Many in the industry questioned the role of independent directors in ratifying such a move without due diligence and the issue brought into focus family dominance in corporate affairs.Rattled by the criticism the move was abandoned the very next day. The company’s image took another beating on 23rd December when the World Bank announced an eight –year ban on Satyam for data theft and providing improper benefits to World Bank employees. In the next few days its oldest board member M Srinivasan and independent directors Krishna Palepu and Rammohan Rao,the dean of the Indian School of Business quit on moral grounds. Also Merrill Lynch,which had been tasked with searching for strategic partners for Satyam backed out alleging serious irregularities in Satyam’s account books.Finally on 7th January Ramalinga Raju released a confessional letter to Satyam’s board informing of massive financial fraud and cooking up of company’s account books which had been going on for years for which he assumed sole responsibility claiming that no other board member knew about any of it. The company’s shares came crashing down in the stock markets with the price per share being reduced from Rs.179 to Rs.39 in a single day and shareholders losing massive amounts of money.Raju confessed to having inflated cash and bank balances of the company by Rs.5040 crores,understated Satyam’s liability to other companies by Rs.1230 crores,overstated debtor position i.e. amounts other companies owed to Satyam by Rs.490 crores and inflated interest received on loans issued to other firms by Rs.376 crores.The actual operating profit according to his statement was just 3%-something nobody in the industry seems prepared to digest because even a non-descript IT firm doesn’t operate below a profit margin of 20%. The reason he says all this was done is to prevent a takeover of the company which would have exposed the gap in the real and actual profits. But the gap kept getting bigger and when all attempts to bridge it failed the Maytas deal was conceived as a last-ditch attempt to do so.It was hoped that Maytas’ assets would justify the stated finances of the company and the latter’s payment could be delayed once Satyam’s problem was solved. Thus it was to be a deal in which Satyam was supposed to be paying with non-existent cash.In short it was a matter of money staying in the family.But since the move failed to pass muster, the game was up for the gap had grown too wide to be sustained and couldn’t have been concealed for long.Satyam didn’t have enough cash in its coffers to pay its employees so the fraud would’ve been exposed sooner or latter.
But experts argue that inspite of all his claims Raju couldn’t have done it alone for a fraud of such magnitude requires the connivance of the Chief Financial Officer and his team at the very least.It’s simply not possible to inflate revenues by Rs.588 crores in a single quarter as Satyam did without the CEO,CFOand COO not being in the loop unless they’re blind and dumb.
Another theory doing the rounds is that Satyam did make all the profits it claimed to be making but the promoters quietly invested it in real estate through Maytas companies without anyone’s knowledge.This,it turns out ,is a bigger crime than just inflating profits from a legal viewpoint. With real estate prices crashing in the recent times that investment got wiped off and the promoters were left with nothing in their hands.This theory derives strength from the fact that Rajus own large swathes of land in and around Hyderabad and Maytas needed funds for its own operations.
Raju’s claim in his letter that neither he or his family members have benefited from inflated profits sounds hollow in light of the fact that their holding in the company came down dramatically from 14% to 8% in a period of two months in 2006 when the share price(a direct function of the company’s inflated revenue declarations) was around Rs.700.He had claimed that they hadn’t sold their shares in the last eight years except for a small amount sold for philanthropic purposes.A reduction in holding by 6% translates into a sale of 1.5 crore shares giving a return of Rs.1000 crores- by no means a small amount.
Raju’s credibility is being further eroded by allegations of fraud in the EMRI scheme which is supposed to be a charity providing emergency medical services.95% of the investment has come from state governments and 5% from Rajus and land to the tune of 10-20 acres is being allotted for free in each of the eight states it is operating in-something which is not at all required for such operations.Also the organization is overcharging the government for its services and tenders for contracts by state governments are being issued with terms in favour of EMRI.
Raju also has a past record of defrauding the government by not paying back the loan he took to start the Sri Satyam Spinning Mills in 1983.The loan to the tune of Rs.52 lakh was taken from Andhra Pradesh Industrial Development Corporation. His company ran into losses and Raju sold it to another party without repaying either the interest or the principal.The new owners professed no knowledge of pending dues and Raju dissociated himself from the issue saying that he was no longer associated with the company.Since then the APIDC has been able to do very little except issue notices and in effect has had to write off the amount as bad debt.This shows that this is not the first instance of bad corporate governance with Raju.Ironically Satyam has been awarded the Golden Peacock Award for excellent corporate governance thrice,most recently in 2008.
Another party being seen as hand in gloves with Raju is Satyam’s audit firm Price Water House Coopers which certified all its accounts and financial transactions-something not possible if they’re not in cahoots with the guilty except when they either act dumb or show gross negligence. That PwC wasn’t able to spot an irregularity of Rs.5040 crores in CB&B(cash and bank balances) and Merrill Lynch caught it in two weeks points to two possibilities-either their audit team didn’t bother checking it with the banks or the CFO’s office created forged statements on the letterheads of banks to fool them.Both cases amount to serious neglect of responsibilities by PwC which is supposed to certify to the shareholders that the accounts are “true” and “fair”. In any case the firm has lost its reputation and is already facing lawsuits in the US.Only if it is very lucky it may escape with severe fines,lose many of its clients and shrink into insignificance like Anderson which went bust owing to the Enron scandal(Anderson was its audit firm).
As of now,the government has superseded Satyam’s present board and appointed an interim board of three members-Deepak Parekh(chairman of HDFC),Kiran Karnik(former chairman of NASSCOM) and V.Achutan(legal eagle) to assess the company’s position and try to bring it back on track because despite its woes it remains profitable with solid foundations.The main concern is to arrange for operating capital i.e. money to keep the company’s day-to-day operations running and pay employees’ salaries as well as to ensure that the client base is not eroded. As of now,the government has refused to bail out the company on grounds that it would set a bad precedent and encourage potential scamsters to think they can get away with fraud.The new board has appointed KPMG and Deloitte-two of the “Big Four” audit firms on Wall Street to reassess Satyam’s financial position(PwC is or well! rather was one of the group before this fiasco).The fourth one is Ernst&Young-the firm which carried out the valuation of Maytas companies and declared the proposed deal to be worth the contentious figure of $1.6 billion.
Yesterday the government appointed three more members to the board:Tarun Das-chief mentor of CII(Confederation of Indian Industries) which is an industry association,T.N Manoharan-chartered accountant and past President of ICAI(Indian Chartered Accountants Institute) and S.Balkrishna Mainak of LIC which is a major stakeholder in Satyam.
Ramalinga Raju,his brother Rama Raju and CFO Vadlamani are in judicial custody-another controversial move as it is being alleged that the action was taken to prevent SEBI from questioning them(only the police can interrogate them as long as they’re in judicial custody and are in no way competent enough to question them on corporate affairs).
Although the businessman-politician nexus in this case is not being vigorously probed as of now,as the probe moves forward many skeletons are likely to come tumbling out of the closet for Raju is said to have built his empire by seeking and getting favours from Andhra politicians of all hues over the years who in return used him to further their own political ends by projecting him as the face of Andhra pride in front of the world.
For India this fiasco couldn’t have come at a worst time with economy on a path to slowdown and economic stimulus by the government yet to show any effects.The India story could be badly affected if the issue is not dealt with in an exemplary manner and perpetrators left unpunished for it would dent the country’s image in the eyes of clients and investors who might go elsewhere.It’s for this reason that all IT firms are taking pains to emphasize that this is a one-off case and the standards of corporate governance in the industry are quite high. The biggest question mark hangs over the fate of Satyam’s 53000-strong workforce that has been looking to find new jobs but finding few takers in face of hiring freeze as well as directives from NASSCOM to other IT firms not to poach Satyam’s employees.
But experts argue that inspite of all his claims Raju couldn’t have done it alone for a fraud of such magnitude requires the connivance of the Chief Financial Officer and his team at the very least.It’s simply not possible to inflate revenues by Rs.588 crores in a single quarter as Satyam did without the CEO,CFOand COO not being in the loop unless they’re blind and dumb.
Another theory doing the rounds is that Satyam did make all the profits it claimed to be making but the promoters quietly invested it in real estate through Maytas companies without anyone’s knowledge.This,it turns out ,is a bigger crime than just inflating profits from a legal viewpoint. With real estate prices crashing in the recent times that investment got wiped off and the promoters were left with nothing in their hands.This theory derives strength from the fact that Rajus own large swathes of land in and around Hyderabad and Maytas needed funds for its own operations.
Raju’s claim in his letter that neither he or his family members have benefited from inflated profits sounds hollow in light of the fact that their holding in the company came down dramatically from 14% to 8% in a period of two months in 2006 when the share price(a direct function of the company’s inflated revenue declarations) was around Rs.700.He had claimed that they hadn’t sold their shares in the last eight years except for a small amount sold for philanthropic purposes.A reduction in holding by 6% translates into a sale of 1.5 crore shares giving a return of Rs.1000 crores- by no means a small amount.
Raju’s credibility is being further eroded by allegations of fraud in the EMRI scheme which is supposed to be a charity providing emergency medical services.95% of the investment has come from state governments and 5% from Rajus and land to the tune of 10-20 acres is being allotted for free in each of the eight states it is operating in-something which is not at all required for such operations.Also the organization is overcharging the government for its services and tenders for contracts by state governments are being issued with terms in favour of EMRI.
Raju also has a past record of defrauding the government by not paying back the loan he took to start the Sri Satyam Spinning Mills in 1983.The loan to the tune of Rs.52 lakh was taken from Andhra Pradesh Industrial Development Corporation. His company ran into losses and Raju sold it to another party without repaying either the interest or the principal.The new owners professed no knowledge of pending dues and Raju dissociated himself from the issue saying that he was no longer associated with the company.Since then the APIDC has been able to do very little except issue notices and in effect has had to write off the amount as bad debt.This shows that this is not the first instance of bad corporate governance with Raju.Ironically Satyam has been awarded the Golden Peacock Award for excellent corporate governance thrice,most recently in 2008.
Another party being seen as hand in gloves with Raju is Satyam’s audit firm Price Water House Coopers which certified all its accounts and financial transactions-something not possible if they’re not in cahoots with the guilty except when they either act dumb or show gross negligence. That PwC wasn’t able to spot an irregularity of Rs.5040 crores in CB&B(cash and bank balances) and Merrill Lynch caught it in two weeks points to two possibilities-either their audit team didn’t bother checking it with the banks or the CFO’s office created forged statements on the letterheads of banks to fool them.Both cases amount to serious neglect of responsibilities by PwC which is supposed to certify to the shareholders that the accounts are “true” and “fair”. In any case the firm has lost its reputation and is already facing lawsuits in the US.Only if it is very lucky it may escape with severe fines,lose many of its clients and shrink into insignificance like Anderson which went bust owing to the Enron scandal(Anderson was its audit firm).
As of now,the government has superseded Satyam’s present board and appointed an interim board of three members-Deepak Parekh(chairman of HDFC),Kiran Karnik(former chairman of NASSCOM) and V.Achutan(legal eagle) to assess the company’s position and try to bring it back on track because despite its woes it remains profitable with solid foundations.The main concern is to arrange for operating capital i.e. money to keep the company’s day-to-day operations running and pay employees’ salaries as well as to ensure that the client base is not eroded. As of now,the government has refused to bail out the company on grounds that it would set a bad precedent and encourage potential scamsters to think they can get away with fraud.The new board has appointed KPMG and Deloitte-two of the “Big Four” audit firms on Wall Street to reassess Satyam’s financial position(PwC is or well! rather was one of the group before this fiasco).The fourth one is Ernst&Young-the firm which carried out the valuation of Maytas companies and declared the proposed deal to be worth the contentious figure of $1.6 billion.
Yesterday the government appointed three more members to the board:Tarun Das-chief mentor of CII(Confederation of Indian Industries) which is an industry association,T.N Manoharan-chartered accountant and past President of ICAI(Indian Chartered Accountants Institute) and S.Balkrishna Mainak of LIC which is a major stakeholder in Satyam.
Ramalinga Raju,his brother Rama Raju and CFO Vadlamani are in judicial custody-another controversial move as it is being alleged that the action was taken to prevent SEBI from questioning them(only the police can interrogate them as long as they’re in judicial custody and are in no way competent enough to question them on corporate affairs).
Although the businessman-politician nexus in this case is not being vigorously probed as of now,as the probe moves forward many skeletons are likely to come tumbling out of the closet for Raju is said to have built his empire by seeking and getting favours from Andhra politicians of all hues over the years who in return used him to further their own political ends by projecting him as the face of Andhra pride in front of the world.
For India this fiasco couldn’t have come at a worst time with economy on a path to slowdown and economic stimulus by the government yet to show any effects.The India story could be badly affected if the issue is not dealt with in an exemplary manner and perpetrators left unpunished for it would dent the country’s image in the eyes of clients and investors who might go elsewhere.It’s for this reason that all IT firms are taking pains to emphasize that this is a one-off case and the standards of corporate governance in the industry are quite high. The biggest question mark hangs over the fate of Satyam’s 53000-strong workforce that has been looking to find new jobs but finding few takers in face of hiring freeze as well as directives from NASSCOM to other IT firms not to poach Satyam’s employees.
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