Why do they kill themselves?

As Jiah Khan's suicide shows, expenditure on mental healthcare is minimal

Jiah Khan, a 25-year old Bollywood actress, who committed suicide by hanging herself made news as she was in the show business. While ordinary victims of suicide become statistics, celebrities who kill themselves become the talk of the town. Earlier show business stars like Guru Dutt, Parveen Babi, Nafisa Joseph, ‘Silk’ Smitha, and the legendary Hollywood celebrity Marilyn Monroe also took their lives. Why did these rich and famous celebrities take such a drastic step?

According to World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, India records one of the highest suicide rates in the world, with 1.7 lakh victims every year. Over half the total suicides among women and 40 per cent of suicides among men in India are between the ages of 15 and 29 years.

Jiah Khan, began her career in filmdom with two high profile movies, ‘Nishabd’ and ‘Ghajini’; she was also a part of the multi-starrer ‘Housefull’. She appeared to have had a promising career ahead of her, or so we thought. Why did she then kill herself?

Suicide is synonymous with speculation. Did Jiah suffer from depression? If that was so, was it due to personal or professional reasons? It is believed that she was dissatisfied with her romantic relationship and the roles that she was offered in forthcoming films. Speculation is also rife that she was indeed suffering from depression for a short while. Did she receive appropriate help if that was the case? We cannot be sure but mental health issues, to a large extent, are still a taboo topic in Indian society. It is still looked down upon as a strict no-no, a subject which does not attract much debate in the public domain. One of the main causes of suicide is depression- or what we would generally consider as feeling low or down-and-out. However, depression is not just ‘feeling blue’. All people tend to feel sad sometimes but most are able to move on from that feeling to a more positive state of mind. A depressed person stays with the sadness for a longer period of time and his/her mood also affects and disrupts his/her day-to-day life.

Global statistics regarding the subject are quite revealing. They show that depression affects one in five women and one in 10 men at some point in their lives. Depression is, therefore, a serious public health concern. However in the case of India, there is still a social stigma attached to approaching a mental health professional for help. It need not be so; depression is an illness like any other. If you had diabetes, would you not see a doctor? How does one distinguish an onset of depression from feeling sad or ‘blue’? Some of the symptoms of depression are a prolonged feeling of sadness over a period of more than two weeks, loss of sleep or sleeping more than usual, reduced or increased appetite, irritability, loss of pleasure in normal activities and generally decreased energy levels.

However, the good news is that depression can be treated. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association classifies depression into different types. According to Dr Chittaranjan Andrade, head, Department of Psychopathology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, (NIMHANS), Bangalore, the treatment for depression would vary depending on the type of depression. Treatment usually includes medication and/or psychotherapy.

Today two crore- or about 20 million - Indians suffer from mental illnesses, but between them there are only 3,500 psychiatrists and 1,500 psychiatric nurses to take care of their needs. Otherwise India has only one psychiatrist for every 400,000 people – one of the lowest ratios anywhere in the world. Not surprisingly, the country’s health care budget spends less than one percent on mental healthcare, which is shocking to say the least.

As responsible citizens, we take initiatives to help people suffering from cancer or other physical illnesses. A cancer survivor will be heard and appreciated by many but can we say the same for a survivor of depression? Does he or she get a platform to speak about what they went through or are going through?

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman

ExecutiveMBA

E-waste in India: Time to bell the cat!

ANIRUDH RAHEJA explores how lack of proper enforcement in E-waste management and recycling may lead to far reaching consequences. Government bodies, corporate and consumers need to join hands to tackle this growing menace

After a spectacular class XII results, Abhay is all set to join his choice of college next week. And he’s busy shopping for branded clothes and the latest techcessories like smartphone, tablet that will match his über cool personality. Satisfied with his purchases, he goes home and trashes his old mobile. His simple act of discarding his old mobile is a part of the 350,000 tonnes of electronic waste released by India every year (Centre for Science & Environment data). Just like Abhay, millions of us discard electronics without giving a second thought that how this electronic waste or E-waste is going to be recycled.

For the uninitiated, E-waste is basically all gadgets like computer and mobile phone and their accessories; electronics like TV, refrigerator, microwave, AC and all other household appliances that have reached their end-of-life period, are no longer fit for their original intended use and are destined for recycling or disposal. But the rudimentary methods of E-waste disposal in India are fast becoming a big cause for concern to which the government and corporate sector have just woken up. "The government has recognised the perils of E-waste and has left no stone unturned in implementing the waste management rules,” says Rohan Gupta, COO, Attero Recycling.

With technology changing at a supersonic speed, companies are reacting by launching newer models of their products practically every year, or even earlier in some cases. So from the time when the revered TV was placed in the centre stage of our drawing rooms watched by an entire generation without even a thought of replacement; today people switch their TV sets from plasma to LCD to LED to 3D Smart TV, all in the course of a few years. Ditto is the case with mobile phones. The obsolescence rate of electronic goods is so high that by the time one is able to adjust to a particular model, the company fine tunes the product and flourishes the market with an upgraded model, thereby luring the unsuspected consumer! And in this game of one-upmanship against the competition and with profit maximisation being the only goal, these companies often turn a blind eye to the rising problems of E-waste. However, according to Hitendra Chaturvedi, Founder & CEO, GreenDust, “In India consumer awareness has started but it will take time to reach out to general public due to our demographics, vast population and economic health of majority of people.”

Out of the total 40-50 million tonnes of E-waste generated throughout the world, India’s contribution might not be really big but it is gradually picking up steam. This is because Indian populace is traditionally conservative and don’t like dump old things fast. As a result nearly 70% of the E-waste comes from government offices and corporates. While addressing a seminar on “Management and Handling of E-waste” organised by the Institute of Technical Education and Research (ITER), L. K. Tiwari Member-Secretary of Orissa State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) said, “E-waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world, and a survey conducted in 2007 found that over 3,00,000 tonnes of E-waste was generated in India, which is expected to touch 8,00,000 tonnes in 2013.”

As per a UN report, India will post a staggering 500% growth in generating E-waste by 2020, closely followed by China at 400%. By the year 2020, India’s E-waste generation will touch 1.72 million metric tonnes. In 2010, E-waste (Management and Handling) Rules were passed under the Environment (Protection) Act, but lack of implementation and enforcement has made a mockery of the Act. So the need of the hour is to ensure the proper implementation of the introduced rules and regulations. “While the new law is certainly a step in the right direction, it is important to keep a vigil to ensure that these laws are properly implemented or enforced. We expect government support in ensuring that only credible companies are allowed to recycle the E-waste so that it is processed in an environmentally friendly manner," Gupta asserts. A report from GBI research predicts that global revenues from E-waste recovery market may shoot up to $14 billion in half a decade from now, amidst rising concerns of the governments for safe disposal and even increase recycling across diversified geographies. The recovery market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 10.8% in the ongoing decade till 2020.
According to the Ministry of Environment and Forest, out of the 65 cities that are heavily generating E-waste in India, Mumbai leads the pack with 60% E-waste, followed by Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata. It is encouraging that in India, about 70% of the E-waste generated is recycled for further use, but the underlying issue is that 95% of this recycling is being done in an unorganised manner, without any adherence to rules and regulations, thereby putting human life to risk as well. “India’s E-waste sector is still very unorganised and fragmented,” says Chaturvedi.

It is evident that technological advancements have pushed up the standard of living in urban Indian, but at the same time, in the absence of any proper law, it is also creating health issues for those involved in the recycling of E-waste. A normal home computer contains toxic substances like cadmium, mercury and Beryllium et al. The workers (majorly children in age group of 6-14 years) entrusted with the recycling job are prone to serious health problems and ailments. The average age of their survival is 35-40 years. Another cause for worry is that with stringent laws in their home countries, the developed nations across the world are taking advantage of the legal loopholes, weak environmental laws and availability of cheap labour India and are dumping their toxic E-waste in India. And as of now, we don’t posses technology, legal framework or even infrastructure to tackle these problems.

There have been initiatives by some corporates, who have taken serious note of this issue. Corporate giants like Nokia and Apple have started encouraging their customers to bring back their old electronic gadgets and get them recycled. Even Indian companies like Attero Recycling and GreenDust have been actively promoting recycling of toxic waste under their “take back” model. Attero has recently joined hands with International Finance Corporation (IFC) for their “Clean India” initiative, under which they will be directly in touch with rag pickers and scrap dealers to collect and boost their plans to safely dispose of the electronic waste.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman

ExecutiveMBA

The textual mistake!

School textbooks are full of errors about Indian states

“India's formal education system is failing and government school system is failing - government is not delivering the goods.” This concern was voiced by India’s Chief Economic Advisor, Raghuram Rajan after witnessing the apathy toward the education system of our country.

Education starts at the primary level, but the dismal performance of our students at this level is a testimony that there is a need for an overhaul of our education system. In its seventh Annual Status of Education Report, NGO Pratham had revealed that “more than half of the students in class V in rural India cannot read the text taught in class II in 2011.” This study clearly proves the pathetic quality of elementary education in India.

There is a great need for the Indian government to work on the educational front. With this in mind the ‘Right to Education Act’ was passed in 2010 to improve our creaking school system. But along with the government, our education bodies too have an important role to play as a change agent and social architect, who give importance to upliftment of the education standard in our country.

The credibility of our education bodies has already been compromised with cases of factual errors in printing and biased presentation in board text books coming to the fore. A case in point is the exclusion of Arunachal Pradesh from India’s map in Maharashtra’s Class X Geography text book and the omission of Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar islands from the political map in the Class 10 history textbook. Of course, China’s claim on Arunachal Pradesh as its own must have got a shot in the arm by this exclusion. These incidents have beyond a doubt weakened our international stand as far as the unity and integrity of the nation is concerned.

Former Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Rita Verma admitted in Rajya Sabha that four NCERT history school textbooks contained factual errors and biases. Several reports highlighted that as many as 50 errors were detected in NCERT textbooks. Such cases of textbook errors are being reported from every state. Gujarat government failed to keep their promise of delivering error-free textbooks for Gujarati-medium students of government primary schools in the state, even as they gear up to begin their new academic session from June 1. Currently, 6-7 crore copies of old text books with wrong contents and errors are available in Gujarat.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman

ExecutiveMBA

More lethal, Virulent strains

Coronavirus and H7N9 are the latest to emerge

Another deadly strain of virus is gaining notoriety among the medical fraternity across the world. Its name is Coronavirus and its lethal manifestations have already become a hotly discussed topic among medical practitioners and across health forums in the Middle East. The virus was identified in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, only last year. But in recent months it seems to have travelled afar, making its baleful presence felt in European countries like Britain and France, especially among people who have been late visitors to Gulf countries. Though the attack of the virus has so far been mostly confined to countries in and around the Middle East, there are apprehensions that a serious outbreak could erupt in the near future. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has found that “Coronavirus can be passed between people in close contact,” making people highly susceptible to the virus.

As per the WHO, the virus has already taken 18 lives in the Middle East and Europe. Around 34 cases of Coronavirus infection have been registered across the globe on the basis of blood tests so far. But that could be the tip of an iceberg as there is a huge probability of several such cases having gone ignored, as awareness about the virus is still very low. Most governments and their health establishments are still clueless about the virus and its implications. But the concern that the virus could touch off a global pandemic is not unfounded. Given the genesis and geography of its provenance, several reports have highlighted that the possibility of the virus travelling outside Saudi Arabia is high as the country is expected to witness a huge flux of pilgrims during October for Hajj. Intermixing of people is sure to increase the chances of this virus spreading its wings beyond the originating country.

As with Coronavirus in the Gulf, another virus called H7N9, a new bird flu strain, is creating panic in China, leading to the deaths of 32 people so far. Both these new viruses have the potential to touch off a global pandemic. In the past, policy neglect has led to pandemics fanning across the world. A decade ago, SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) emerged from south China and spread to Hong Kong before going on to engulf the whole world, including America, Africa and Europe. Delays in taking action by the local public health authorities allowed the virus, which was initially confined to just one country, turn into a pandemic and create global havoc . Between November 2002 and July 2003, SARS claimed 775 deaths worldwide. The virus spread the way the Coronavirus and H7N9 are emerging today before becoming virtually impossible to control at a global level.]

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman

ExecutiveMBA

Is Apple losing the plot?

Angry investors and bad press have done Apple much damage. Can CEO Tim Cook do anything to pump some pride into what was until recently a mammoth $658 billion-worth corporation? By Steven Philip Warner
Five months into his tenure at Apple, Tim Cook invited a select group of Apple’s shareholders at the company’s conference center at 4 Infinite Loop building. The idea was to get those investors to understand the company and its new CEO better. In their few and many years as Apple investors, the shareholders had never believed, seen or heard of a calm Apple CEO. Jobs wouldn’t have bothered to entertain a lot of dozen-odd investors, out on a ‘bus tour’ of Apple’s campus. That summer (in August), Apple became the world’s most valuable public company ever (with an m-cap of $623 billion), beating the previous best of $620 billion set by Microsoft in 1999. But that’s when the dream ended.

The past half-a-year has earned Cook a bad name. Today, Apple is battling where it used to crush.


Disappointing reviews of its new launches – MacBook, Siri, Apple iMap – and some grossly misguided HR strategies (like the hiring of John Browett as Head of Apple’s Retail business and his firing in 9 months flat, and the firing and rehiring of Scott Forstall, the man behind the Siri and iMaps fiascos and one who was responsible for failing to make the iOS 5 and iOS 6 seem upgrades to the previous iOS versions) have weighed heavy on Apple’s stock price.

Cook is trying hard to regain lost ground. What is not true is that Apple is dying soon. Each day of his tenure, Cook has added $117.33 million to Apple’s m-cap. In the six quarters gone by, the company has reported a growth in its quarterly revenues and earnings on a y-o-y basis. The topline achieved in the most recent quarter ($54.51 billion; Q1, 2013) was the highest ever in the history of the company. In his year as CEO (FY2012), Apple’s revenues grew 44.58% y-o-y to touch $158.51 billion. Good numbers.


Cook realises that he has made mistakes. If the Siri and Apple Maps were jokes, the launch of the more expensive, thinner iMac, and the iCloud (that works only as well as Maps does) are areas where Cook will have to reinvent.

The form factor and lack of innovation with the iOS 6 introduced on the iPhone 5 and the hardware of the iPhone 5 are two other chapters from which he could dig out a lesson or two. Cook needs to understand that on the OS front, it has to fight with open source forms. One bomb is Android. So what should Cook do? In more ways than one, under Cook, Apple needs to open up. Within 12 months of his becoming CEO, Cook launched the 7.9-inch iPad mini that was 33% smaller and priced about 25-40% less than the iPad. Result? In Q1, 2013, the iPad mini outsold the original tablet 3:1. Today, tablets contribute to 20% of the company’s topline. The same magic needs to be repeated for the iPhone. This needs introduction of larger screen phones and lower-priced models that would give the company more market power in fast growing telecom markets like China and India. There is more to the introduction of the low-priced iPhone – a move that would prove beneficial for Cook and the Apple stock. The low end iPhones that Apple would deliver would call for margins of about 38%. That would be lower than the current 50%-levels that this category contributes, but would have dual benefits of making the company competitive in a tough environment and not dilute earnings at the same time. The right thing for Cook to do would be to introduce such a mid-range quality product at the $320-$340 price range (a low-cost 3G device, with at least 8GB of memory and a hardware similar to the iPhone 5). The low-end iPhone would be an indication if his claim is true.

Additionally, such an introduction would give rivals sleepless nights. As per Credit Suisse, this introduction would also help the iOS capture 40% share in the $300-$400 market. If Cook delivers the low-priced handset soon, when Gartner comes out with its market share findings in Q4, 2013, Apple’s share amongst smartphones will read between 24-28% (currently 20.9%).

In December last, of the 60-plus analysts covering Apple, only one rated Apple’s stock ‘Short Sell’ (as per Bloomberg data). Cook knows that most in the investor community believe it when they hear the sky is falling. It’s over $400 billion-plus in value he puts to risk each time. Cook cannot underestimate competition from Samsung – which is the smartphone leader today and threatens Apple’s dominance in smartphones. Its Galaxy S IIs, S IIIs and the newly launched S4 and the Notepads are ways for the users to consume larger screen phones. Apple could also replicate the Note’s multi-window home screen. It has been Samsung’s best user interface to date. It wouldn’t hurt Apple.

On the OS front, there is much work to be done still. Working along the lines of offering fresh user interface skins with each OS released, offering services web apps (to users who want to access Facebook or Amazon, or YouTube, rather than having to get into the App Store each time), or even doing something similar to Microsoft’s Live Tiles interface (that provides updates from web services to users without bothering to open apps) could be a start. Cook has to self-disrupt the closed world of iApps to an extent.

Finally, there is a big PR problem that Cook has to deal with. And it all starts with flamers and fanboys offerings concerns about Apple’s lack of innovation. At present, Apple spends the least on R&D and absolute terms amongst all bluechip Silicon Valley giants. It spent 2.2% of its topline on R&D in FY2012, as compared to Google, Cisco, Microsoft & Oracle – all of whom spent in excess of 10% of their revenues on R&D. Cook could divert a couple of billion dollars more into his labs and avoid another Maps or Siri debacle.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

IIPM Global Exposure
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IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face

BBA Institute

The new buzz word in Motown: Affordable luxury

 The Indian automobile industry is facing one of its toughest periods in over a decade. In the period between April 2012 and February 2013, the industry registered a negative growth of -4.64% in the passenger cars segment. Sales of small and medium automobile segments are slacking off, which is in sharp contrast to the scorching pace of growth witnessed till a couple of years ago. Between FY2005-06 and FY2010-11, passenger car sales blazed at 15.2% per annum. That fell to 4.7% in FY2011-12, before languishing this past financial year.

The only silver lining has been the luxury end of the car market, which has been an exception to this anaemic trend. While the overall passenger vehicle industry has grown at a CAGR of 19.04% in the past four years, and the luxury vehicle segment has grown at a CAGR of 32.02% during the same period. Currently, of total car sales of 2.5 million, the luxury segment contributes only 1.2%. But the segment has been growing steadily over the past couple of years and is expected to contribute 4% of the total car sales in the next eight years. Experts believe that demand for luxury cars will rise to at least 50,000 vehicles by 2015, from 25,000 units sold in 2012.


Mercedes-Benz, which came to India in 1994, was the largest seller of luxury cars in India till a couple of years ago when fellow German rival, BMW, beat the company to the numero uno position in 2009. That year, Mercedes recorded 3,202 units in sales whereas BMW sold a good 3,587 units, topping the sales chart. Audi, which was then just making its presence felt in the Indian market, registered 58% of whopping yoy growth in 2009, selling 1,987 units. Since 2009, the competition has gotten more intense and scalding hot. The German players have been at each other’s throat, straining their muscles to outperform in the competitive luxury car market, which has grown thicker with the entry of newer players like Volvo and Jaguar Land Rover.

On one hand we have the entry level luxury brands like BMW, Audi, Mercedes and Volvo; on the other hand there are the mid-level luxury brands like Jaguar and Land Rover (starting from about Rs.5 million) and then there are the ultra-luxe brands, some of the biggest names in the sports car and super luxury segment, like Bentley, Lamborghini, Rolls Royce, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Maserati and Bugatti. The arrival of these big guns in the Indian market over the past two years has further redefined and segmented the luxury car market. So we now have the entry-level, mid-level, super luxury, sports cars and SUVs. Another key trend in this luxury space is the sudden upsurge in the entry level cars starting as low as Rs.2.2 million.

The trend was kicked off with BMW launching its X1 SUV model and lowering the entry level of its luxury cars to about Rs.2.2 million (ex-showroom). The idea is to generate volumes and so players like BMW are launching new products in the affordable luxury segment, where the demand actually is. In the process, the traditional luxury segment has now morphed into the premium category with most luxury car makers moving towards affordable luxury. In order to vroom ahead in this new “affordable luxury” category, BMW has introduced its sub-brand Mini Cooper, which it introduced at last year’s auto show in Delhi. It is planning to launch three models of this sub-brand in India − Mini Cooper, Mini Cooper convertible and Countryman, priced aggressively between Rs.2.49 million to Rs.3.19 million. Rivals Audi and Mercedes have also taken steps to create excitement in the entry level luxury segment. Last year saw Audi introduce its Q3 model (priced at Rs.2.67 million) while Mercedes has launched its B-class priced competitively at Rs.2.10 million, which competes with BMW X1 (priced at Rs.2.24 million).

As the churn in the luxury car market gets thicker, players are pulling out all the tricks to stay ahead in the competition by creating new segments and looking for new markets to generate demand. “As we move into the future, we are well positioned with a forward-looking strategy, progressive roadmap along with an exciting and emotional portfolio to tap the available market opportunities,” says Philipp Von Sahr, President, BMW India. So, BMW is tapping the market for commercial use of luxury cars such as premium hotels and cab owners and has gone for selling the stripped versions of its traditional luxury cars to generate incremental demand.

Likewise, Audi is contemplating to launch several initiatives on the pro\duct front this year. It plans to assemble the entry level Q3 SUV, which is giving good competition to the BMW X1, in India by the second quarter of this year. The price of Audi Q3, which starts from Rs.2.6 million, is expected to come down further once Audi starts assembling the Q3 in India. The car maker at present assembles sedan A4, A6 and SUV Q5, Q7 in India. Even, Mercedes has plans for expanding its product portfolio. “We would be launching one or two products, starting this year, with a B-class launch. And soon we would be launching an A-class product as well. Secondly, we are investing heavily on production at our factories. We want to make our CKD (complete knocked down) units because it take 2-3 years to get the CKD portfolio ready,” says Debashis Mitra, who was Director, Sales & Marketing, Mercedes India, before quitting just a few days ago.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
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IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year

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David vs Goliath!

In Maharashtra, domination of the Sharad pawar family over Cooperatives is being challenged, reports Chandran Iyer

People in Maharashtra are “cut up” at the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) for two reasons. One is the infamous foot-in-mouth comment by the Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar whose crass  `urine' remark at a rally to denigrate a farmer who was on hunger strike at Mumbai's Azad Maidan demanding relief from drought, has put the party in a corner. The other and potentially more dangerous - the terrible state of affairs in the state’s powerful cooperative sector which is mainly controlled by the NCP.

Sharad Pawar’s dream of becoming prime minister in a coalition government after the 2014 General Elections stands significantly dented with nephew Ajit Pawar's  freewheeling speech at a rally at Indapur where he  said, “If there is no water in the dams of Maharashtra, how can we release it? Should we urinate into it? If there is no water to drink, even urinating is not possible”.

While the crowd present there cheered momentarily at Ajit’s crass remarks, NCP supremo and his uncle, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, distanced himself from his nephew,  pulling him up publicly at a rally. Ajit, quick to recognize the gaffe, sat on a ‘fast’ to  “atone” for his sins, describing it as “One of the worst political blunders of his life.’’

The token repentance fast which Ajit Pawar undertook under media glare may, perhaps, help soothe the frayed nerves of farmers facing an unprecedented drought this season. But what could take a long time to heal – if it does – is the festering wound in Maharashtra’s cooperative sector, well in control of the Pawar clan and its minions.

But this carefully choreographed family rule and utter domination of the state's cooperative sector is under threat for the first time. The one-man demolition army who has taken on the might of Sharad Pawar’s political muscle is Raju Shetty, farmer and independent MP from Hatkangale constituency of Maharashtra who has been snapping at the big man’s heels giving him sleepless nights by mobilizing farmers against him.

Shetty looks prepared to go all the way. He told TSI, “Until a few years ago, people in western Maharashtra  regarded Sharad Pawar as messiah of the Cooperative movement. His strangle-hold on the state’s sugar lobby and the Maharashtra State Cooperative Banks made him immensely powerful. But that grip is now slipping as I and my organization are holding rallies and exposing the NCP for what it is – a party more interested in feathering their own nests rather than look at the welfare of farmers”.

Like the David versus Goliath story, Shetty has considerably eroded the domination of Sharad Pawar in  western Maharashtra by spearheading a successful agitation for higher sugar-cane prices from sugar cooperatives.

Shetty’s first serious challenge to Pawar came before General Election, 2009. His Swabhimani Paksha party, which was set up the same year, defeated NCP’s Nivedita Mane by 95,000 votes despite a severe fund crunch. It is true though that Shetty has not been able to replicate this success in subsequent elections to local self-government bodies and continues to remain the lone MP from his party.


Says Ashok Kulkarni, top notch consultant to most sugar industries in Maharashtra, “Cooperative sugar factories (CSF) in Maharashtra are the fountainhead of corruption. What is shocking is that the state government doles out sugar factories to MLAs, MLC’s and other political leaders in which 90 per cent of the money invested is that of the public. The CSF and the District Cooperative Banks in Maharashtra often work hand-in gloves as both are under the direct control and tutelage of politicians”.

Since Cooperative sugar factories and Cooperative district banks are not run professionally – their sole existence is to rake in the money – many of them are in a complete mess.

Kulkarni, who has also conducted an in-depth study of corruption in sugar factories, had filed a writ petition in the Bombay High Court to inquire into the working of these factories. Based on his petition the high court on December 13, 2010, had asked the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) to submit ‘performance audit report’ of management of cooperative sugar factories in Maharashtra for the period between April 2007 and March 2010.

In 2006, Kulkarni had written a letter to the Bombay High Court pointing out to wide-spread malpractices in the Cooperative sector. It was turned into public interest litigation (PIL). Among other things, Kulkarni had complained that government was allowing new Cooperative factories to come up in areas where there was no sugarcane available.

Said Kulkarni, “Sugar factories in Maharashtra and District Cooperative banks have more often than not made news for the wrong reasons: corruption, nepotism, favoritism and gross mismanagement.  The state is losing hundreds of crores of rupees in subsidies and soft loans which are provided to the Cooperative factories because of mismanagement. Licences are issued for starting factories in areas where enough sugarcane is not available. Several Cooperative sugar factories in the state have shut down or making severe losses while many district cooperative banks have been dissolved”.

The mess appears to be getting worse. For instance the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on May 29, 2012 dissolved the board of directors of the NCP-controlled Sangli District Central Cooperative Bank for rampant irregularities and blatant violation of the Banking Regulation Act.  This was done following a recommendation made by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard).

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face

BBA Institute

A nation of tax dodgers?

India needs an immediate solution to the tax evasion problem

If filing tax to the government by an individual can anyhow be connected with the degree of patriotism of a person, India presents a dark picture to the world. The Revenue Department recently issued notices to 35,000 assessees who have failed to file I-T returns. Similar notices were sent a few weeks ago to an equal number of people. But the bigger shock was that among those 70,000, only 10,000 felt it necessary to disclose their incomes and filed tax returns in response to the letters. This is putting tremendous pressure on the Revenue Department, which has a target to generate revenue of Rs.5.65 lakh crore under the direct taxes category for the current fiscal year. Evading taxes is more of a norm than an exception in India. Everyone, starting from an individual to a giant corporation, finds it conevenient to cheat the government by evading taxes. This is why in spite of being a country of 120 crore people, there are only 3 crore people who pay taxes. How much does this evasion cost the nation and its economy?

Tax to GDP ratio is a very relevant indicator to understand the strength of an economy. Unfortunately, India scores poorly at it. While 70% of the nation’s income comes from income tax for developed countries, it is only 18% for India. Moreover, the direct tax contribution is 60-65% for rich countries while India gets merely 35%.

That is why India is termed as a ‘poor tax performance’ country, ranking at the bottom even among the BRIC nations in tax collections. However, all this dodging affects the economy severely. According to a research article published by Businessweek, India losses Rs.14 trillion ($314 billion) every year due to tax evasion. For the uninitiated, income tax rate has dropped down to 30% from 97.5% in 1971. In fact, the corporate tax incentives too are diluting our tax collection. For instance, states like Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh provide tax rebate for setting up manufacturing units. So many manufacturers open their subsidiaries in those states only to fully exploit the tax benefits. This way, India ends up losing Rs.800 billion every year.

Thus, the government cannot ignore the implications of revenue foregone as a result of tax evasion. There is a need for spreading greater awareness of tax payment. At the same time it has to show people that it is making the right use of the tax collected as people have lost faith in the government and have no idea how the money is spent.

Read more....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year

BBA Management Education

Brian Keith to Dave

The following moving love letter was written by American World War II veteran Brian Keith to Dave, a fellow soldier he met and fell in love with in 1943 while stationed in North Africa, on the occasion of their anniversary. It was reprinted in September of 1961 by ONE Magazine – a groundbreaking pro-gay magazine first published in 1953. The original letter is held by the Library of Congress.

October 27th, 1945

Dear Dave,

This is in memory of an anniversary — the anniversary of October 27th, 1943, when I first heard you singing in North Africa. That song brings memories of the happiest times I’ve ever known. Memories of a GI show troop — curtains made from barrage balloons — spotlights made from cocoa cans — rehearsals that ran late into the evenings — and a handsome boy with a wonderful tenor voice. Opening night at a theatre in Canastel — perhaps a bit too much muscatel, and someone who understood. Exciting days playing in the beautiful and stately Municipal Opera House in Oran — a misunderstanding — an understanding in the wings just before opening chorus.

Drinks at "Coq d'or" — dinner at the "Auberge" — a ring and promise given. The show 1st Armoured — muscatel, scotch, wine — someone who had to be carried from the truck and put to bed in his tent. A night of pouring rain and two very soaked GIs beneath a solitary tree on an African plain. A borrowed French convertible — a warm sulphur spring, the cool Mediterranean, and a picnic of "rations" and hot cokes.

Two lieutenants who were smart enough to know the score, but not smart enough to realize that we wanted to be alone. A screwball piano player — competition — miserable days and lonely nights. The cold, windy night we crawled through the window of a GI theatre and fell asleep on a cot backstage, locked in each other’s arms — the shock when we awoke and realized that miraculously we hadn't been discovered. A fast drive to a cliff above the sea — pictures taken, and a stop amid the purple grapes and cool leaves of a vineyard.
The happiness when told we were going home — and the misery when we learned that we would not be going together. Fond goodbyes on a secluded beach beneath the star-studded velvet of an African night, and the tears that would not be stopped as I stood atop the sea-wall and watched your convoy disappear over the horizon.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman

ExecutiveMBA

Book Review: The Armies of South Asia

Gung-ho in the Neighbourhood

The economic surge in Asia has been discussed for long. But, there also has always been another aspect attached to South Asian matters. The effect of insurgency and terrorism has not let the economic growth to pan out across the spectrum in the region. Sri Lanka could come out of the civil war after a protracted conflict, Pakistan is yet facing the violent results of its nurturing of religious terrorists, and Afghanistan is mired in a state of total collapse with the international community scrambling to extend support to run the country.

Simultaneously, the other countries are affected similarly. Nepal is struggling to keep the democratic government running with the Chief Justice agreeing to run the ‘election government’. Bangladesh has often been witness to political violence, which has been a major challenge to the socio-political stability of the country. Maldives is in the grip of the politics of vendetta.

The countries in the region are in different stages of the national evolution and so are their key governing institutions. The armies of the countries mentioned above have been playing an active role in these conditions. Although a glance of the Title might let a reader believe that this would be another attempt to pitch the arms and systems and show the graphic representation of India being the strongest. But, nothing can be as wrong as this.

It requires mentioning that once a reader begins, he/she will find the title suitable. This book is an attempt to give the readers a fair idea of the genesis of a strong tool, Army, in the seven countries it has covered. The chapters are country wise and each chapter begins with the security environment of the country. The chapters on each country has information about the security environment and the geopolitical and strategic significance. It moves ahead with the geographical terrain and the respective country’s threat perceptions.

With issues related to security coming to the fore in recent times, the Armies are often in the news. This might generate a lot of questions like will the army take over, will there be a rise in the radical elements within the forces? Here, in the book, one can find issues like structure, civil-military relationship, their recruitment, training, weapon sources and also the future prospects.

In encompassing so much, it demonstrates a thorough knowledge of the country. By reading the chapters one can surmise quite clearly that they have all the important information. The highlight is that country experts, people who have been monitoring developments in the specific countries, have been brought together for this highly informative volume.

Another good point is that this book has not served as another addition the attempts to overlook the negative perceptions about India and its role, which comes out at times. The introduction serves the purpose of placing everything in perspective and is mentioned under the heading ‘India Challenge’. It reads, “The negative perception of India in most of the neighbouring countries, despite India’s sustained confidence-building measures and several unilateral economic and political initiatives, seems near constant.” The above lines from the book on the one side arouse the reader’s interest and sets the stage for an objective assessment of the role of the Army of the respective countries and also to get an understanding of the perception which rests in the minds of the people across these nations.

Every chapter has its own interesting articulation. As in the chapter on Bangladesh, the writer mentions, “Not only does it (Bangladesh) carry the historical baggage of an inherited strategic culture of Pakistan that has been traditionally anti-India, but also the perception of repatriated soldiers and officers who later formed the bulk of the Bangladesh Army.” While, on the one side it is talking about the composition which formed the officers and men of the Bangladesh Army, it also makes a person understand that one needs to approach such issues with sensitivity.

Every chapter has information about the force organisation, which is interesting. The chapter on Pakistan mentions, “In 2006, the government (Pakistan) set up separate commands in its three services equipped with nuclear weapons and missiles capable of retaliating for any first nuclear strike.”

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year

BBA Management Education

The Indo-Uzbek tango

A primer on how Uzbekistan’s affirmative relationship with India and the future

The Uzbek-Indo relations trace back many years. They were always based on mutual respect, appreciation of regional and global role, as well as a common cause to enhance bilateral ties in all fields of interest. In Uzbekistan, we have a strong feeling of admiration and respect for India’s great contribution to the history of mankind through its ancient and marvellous civilization.

Recently, on January 26th, India celebrated the important holiday – The Day of the Republic. At that day of 1950, India adopted its first Constitution, which has laid a foundation on the principles of democracy and secular country. The Constitution was juridically a well-drafted document and it combined all the needs of Indian society. This important detail confirms that the Constitution stands as a guarantor of political stabilization in the country. During more than 60 years of independence, India has excelled in all spheres, such as economy, politics and social reforms. Nowadays, the Indian economy is on a high growth trajectory and is also the second fastest growing economy in the world.

At the moment, India makes its own satellites and launches them; it has progressed in spheres closely associated with exploration of space and has started up several atomic nuclear stations to provide its population with electricity and power. It should be noted that all aforementioned economic and social reforms, as well as achievements were reached only in a democratic way. India aspires to develop peacefully, since there weren’t any significant revolutionary changes and social clashes.

In this light, the significance of the mutually beneficial cooperation with South Asian countries, particularly with India, in the framework of fostering regional security has been repeatedly underscored by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan H.E. Mr. Islam Karimov.

India’s leadership among South Asian countries, thanks to a number of objective geographical, demographic and economic parameters, is bolstered by its active regional policy. India’s position on ensuring political stability in South Asia has a significance for all dimensions of regional security

Now, India is one of the most worthy partners of Uzbekistan. Every year, Uzbekistan’s relations with India have been progressing – this is also because there has been historical friendship between the two nations. The high-level mutual visits are frequent and political trust and friendly cooperation is on the rise. India is closely associated with Uzbekistan historically and culturally. The world recognized India as one of the cradles of civilization, appreciates its ancient philosophy and rich culture. During several high level visits in these decades, the two sides discussed a number of issues such as extending bilateral partnership, talked about international and local conflicts, regional security and providing stability, struggle against terrorism and extremism.

At the moment, Uzbekistan and India have established a solid juridical base between the two countries. It consists of more than 70 interstate, intergovernmental and interdepartmental agreements. There is an exchange of many cultural, economic and other delegations regularly between parliaments and governments of India and Uzbekistan.

On November 29, 2012 in Delhi, the sides held a round of political consultations between the delegations of ministries of foreign affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan and India. The sides discussed the realization of bilateral agreements signed in the framework of the State visit of the President H.E. Mr. Islam Karimov to India in May 2011.

In May 2011, President H.E. Mr. Islam Karimov paid an official visit to India and the two sides signed a list of agreements which provides for and ensures the development of a long-term constructive partnership. It has served as a grand milestone in the history of the bilateral relations, and means that the Uzbek-Indo relations have entered a new stage of development. And it clearly shows that the two sides have a common wish to develop the friendly cooperation.

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman

ExecutiveMBA

Lights.. Camera.. Dance!

choreographer-turned-director, Remo d’souza, had always dreamt of nothing but making every foot tap to the music. his latest f lick, any body can dance, says and portrays pretty much what he has always believed. in conversation with Pratishtha Malhotra, remo shares stories about bringing his passion alive…

From the time of its promos, ABCD was rumoured to be the Indian adaptation of Step Up. Did that preconceived notion about your film bother you?
People just see one visual and tend to say things like ‘Ya it’s a copy of Step Up.’ But those who’ve seen the film would know that not even one scene is anywhere close to Step Up. It is totally an original story, my story. Yes it’s a dance movie shot in 3D and Step Up was also a dance film shot in 3D, but that’s the only similarity. You can’t compare them. Yes, dance is there but the story is different; the characters are different. It’s a totally new movie. You can’t say that it’s a direct rip-off of Step Up.

After FALTU, how did you come up with the idea of making a dance film?
Yes, just because of that. This idea was there before I made FALTU. I always wanted to make a dance film, even before Step Up had come. Since I started dancing, I always thought that if I ever get a chance I will make a dance film.

Musicals and dance films are new concepts for the Indian audience. Was it a huge challenge scripting a film like this?
Correct. This film is not only about dance. That is the biggest difference between Step Up and my film. In Step Up (except Part One), they don’t have a strong storyline. I have a very good storyline, which is told through dance. I know it looks like just a dance film, but it has got an emotional story weaved into it. Dance will look good on its own, but if you have a little story to that dance, it’ll attract you. That’s how I hoped people would get engaged to it..

Indian films in 3D have yet not fared as well as Hollywood films. Were you wary of this fact too while making your film?
We have had few Hindi films that were shot in 3D. I won’t say that they were shot badly but, yes, the equipment was not up to the mark. What I did is that I made sure to get the best equipment and the right technicians to shoot. The technicians who worked on Pirates of the Caribbean and Step Up 3 were with me on this film.

With films like yours are you hopeful that the perception of dance, which is considered just another hobby in our country, would change?
(Smiles). In my films I have always wanted to give a little message, nothing preachy, but just a small message. I did that in FALTU as well. In this film also I have given the message through the title that ‘Any Body Can Dance’. You don’t have to be born a Michael Jackson to dance.  Coming to the profession of dancing, I think the perception has already changed and you can see that in reality shows. People happily come to me with their kids and say, ‘Sir mere bete ko aapke jaisa dancer banana hai (I want my son to be a dancer like you)’. That is such a big thing for me because I would never see somebody say that I want my child to be a dancer. Everyone always wanted their child to be a doctor, lawyer or an engineer. Now I feel very proud and it feels very good when people say dancer banana hai.

How was it working with Prabhudheva? Were you nervous or excited?
I was excited, not nervous. I knew that I have a very good story. I told him that I want you to do it and if you don’t do it, I don’t see anybody else doing it. So he heard the story… well, not even the story. He heard the idea actually. Before writing the story I just went to him with the idea that this is what the film is about and he instantly said ‘yes’. Then I wrote the story, went back to him and said this is your character and he said ‘ok’. I wanted to start shooting right then. He was shooting Rowdy Rathore at that time so he juggled between my film and Rowdy Rathore. I was very excited to direct a dance film with Prabhuheva in it.

Also, I had about 50 choreographers working on my set, on camera and behind the camera. I could only see all choreographers around me. It was fun. We shot the whole film in 67 days, which is a record time. Nobody has ever shot a 3D film in 67 days.

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year

BBA Management Education

Fanatics and hypocrites

Afzal Guru's hanging showcases phony drama, crocodile tears and genuine grief. Aditya Raj Kaul paints an evocative picture

“We all are Afzal”, read a poster held tightly by a JNU Kashmiri Muslim student at a hurriedly-organised protest march by pro-separatist and ultra-leftist groups in New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, hours after Mohammad Afzal Guru, key conspirator of the attack on the Indian Parliament in 2001, was secretly executed at Tihar Jail on February 9.

The air was full of anger, betrayal and fury. ``We won’t forget our martyr”, proclaimed a poster held high by a Kashmiri girl in a veil. By the time the protest was dispersed by the Delhi Police personnel, Guru’s last rites had been carried out inside Delhi's high-security Tihar central prison and the Kashmir valley was clamped down under a curfew not seen since the tense summer months of 2010.

Naturally, it was a busy day for all who have a stake in the omnipresent Kashmir story, especially in the Indian republic's capital – and there are many. While TV anchors tried to grab brownie points by determining the timing of when Guru had been informed about the hanging, a speed post was silently booked by the government at the New Delhi GPO in the name of Tabassum, wife of Afzal Guru, telling her what the world already knew. Shockingly but not surprisingly, in this age of online mobility, the speed post reached Baramulla in Kashmir precisely three days after Guru’s death.

There is little doubt that the action on Afzal Guru has been carefully crafted in the run up to the 2014 General Elections. To stave off immediate repercussions in the valley, the government ensured that the three key vocal separatist voices in Kashmir were sent on guided vacations.

JKLF chief Yasin Malik, a self-confessed terrorist claiming Gandhian lineage, was allowed to visit Pakistan to pay his in-laws a courtesy visit; eventually he sat on a hunger strike at the Islamabad Press Club against the hanging, in tandem with who else, but India's most-wanted terrorist Hafiz Sayeed, himself on a courtesy call to Malik.

Hurriyat hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani, never happy with Kashmir's harsh winters, decided to stay put at his daughter’s Malviya Nagar home in New Delhi, as did chairman of the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, at his apartment in south Delhi's Kalkaji area. Both of them were under house arrest by the Delhi Police and all efforts to reach them by TSI have so far remained fruitless.

While India’s liberal elite mourned the death of a man who they called victim of a “flawed judicial process”, the right-wing swung into action as only they can - by a liberal distribution of sweets and an even more liberal thumping of chests. The BJP, woken up from its slumber and rounds of internecine warfare, stood with the government, but added a caveat saying the hanging was `12 years too late'.

The National Conference (NC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) – both in direct line of fire -  decided to act outraged, accusing New Delhi of acting in haste without realising the negativity it would generate amongst the Kashmiris. The PDP national spokesperson was seen empathising with the family of Afzal Guru and warning New Delhi of further `alienation' of Kashmiris from the Indian mainstream.

As for the oratory skills of Kashmiri analysts and politicians of all shades, their opinions were most difficult to comprehend. Any TV debate, ended inevitably in a fish-market brawl, lacking logic and facts, high on decibel quotient and wholly suited to the demands of light and sound entertainment.

According to insiders, when much crocodile tears had been shed in the day time, a few among the moist-eyed separatists decided to hit a posh south Delhi restaurant known for its Kashmiri delicacies - listening to the famous Kashmiri singer Rashid Hafiz, who belted out one popular number after the other.

Exactly 29 years after Maqbool Bhat was hanged at the same place and about the same time of the year, it seems the central government has learnt no lessons. Bureaucrats at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) seem to have simply copy-pasted the Maqbool Bhat hanging formula, denying the basic right for the family to even meet Afzal Guru.

While there may be wide-ranging similarities between Bhat and Guru, who amongst other commonalities, were recruits of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) and were trained in arms across the border in Pakistan, the UPA government has left no stone unturned to make Guru a martyr for the separatist plank of azadi. The babus of MHA, generally known to engage separatists cleverly, have provided fodder to the virtually dead spectacle of the separatists. Separatists cheerleaders are now crying hoarse from their comfortable bungalows in New Delhi. Afzal Guru, they believe, will be the new Che Guevara - if not in spirit then on on t-shirts.

Among other things in question is the legal representation given to Afzal Guru by the state, even though the two-man Supreme Court bench of P. Venkatarama Reddi and P.P. Naolekar found “no substance in this contention”. The same apex court had earlier acquitted Delhi University professor S.A.R. Gilani of all charges in the same case citing technical grounds.
“Those who are intervening in the campaign to save Afzal but have no commitment to Indian nationalism are not doing any service to his cause”, wrote Supreme Court advocate and human rights activist Nandita Haksar in her book ‘Framing Geelani, Hanging Afzal’. Her conclusions: “We must never underestimate the appeal of nationalism”. Even though she poignantly remembered and wrote about the sufferings of a prisoner accused of ‘waging war against the state’, the reflections were convoluted with anger, raw emotions and a discourse which few could identify with.

A pusillanimous campaign now underway, instead of demanding reform in criminal laws, continues to question the Indian state’s position on Kashmir. Those postulating over the Kashmir issue may do some good by asking local Muslims to internalise on who they strive to be with – a crumbling nation crippled by internal strife or a country which stands for secularism and diversity.

A debate within the stakeholders on Kashmir is need of the hour. Not necessarily the Aman Ki Asha model, neither the misnomer of Kashmiriyat, nor even meetings like those organised annually by Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai in the Capitol Hill, United States, where he invented reasons to abuse India till he was arrested by FBI on charges of being a Pakistani spy. Interestingly, his list of invitees included reputed names from the Indian media, think-tanks, analysts and of course the separatists.

In the wake of a threatening attack on the first-ever girls rock-band from Kashmir, Pragaash, and an acid attack on a Kashmiri girl which went almost unnoticed and unreported, the debate becomes vital. “I do realize and regret that due to us (Kashmiri Muslim terrorists), Muslims in the rest of India get a bad name”, said Afzal Guru in a confession aired on TV channels soon after he was apprehended in 2001.

The tragedy of intolerance developing in the Kashmiri society, fashioned no doubt by some excesses of the Indian state, is best understood by a Kashmiri axiom ‘anyem soi, wavem soi, lagem soi panesei’, or ‘as you sow, so shall you reap’.
Thanks to the government's mishandling of Guru's hanging, it may become an issue of debate and in his death, he may well emerge as the new poster boy of jehad. As Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah put it, the new generation of Kashmiris "who may not have identified with Maqbool Bhat will identify with Afzal Guru”.

Aiding and abetting this sense of alienation are celebrity fiction writers like Arundhati Roy, who remarked famously at an event to discuss Freedom in October 2010 at New Delhi, ``bhooka nanga Hindustan, jaan se pyaara Pakistan’ (hunger-stricken and naked India, Pakistan more beloved than life). To prepare such a dangerous cocktail for her Kashmiri brethren in the garb of liberal discourse only does disservice to the idea of human rights and justice. The hollowness of the leftist diatribe, if not put under introspection, may end up aping right-wing fanatical rhetoric and that is not good news.

The Indian government may now not just have to open its arms but ears as well by listening to the genuine voices of estrangement coming from various sections of Jammu and Kashmir. The farce of a round-table dialogue which will decide the date of next meeting, does not demonstrate serious engagement.

In the days ahead it would be a challenge for the Indian government to contain terror groups from expanding and operating through sleeper cells, as happened months and years after the hanging of Maqbool Bhat in 1984. The judge who delivered the verdict, Justice Neelkanth Ganjoo, was mercilessly killed by suspected JKLF terrorists soon after.

Bhat, who was one of the first from the JKLF to cross the Radcliffe Line for training, could well inspire others to do the same; attempt a violent uprising in the name of religion and ensure a recipe for disaster. After all, terrorism, which spread like gangrene, did not mrerely dent Kashmir, it expanded its base  to all corners of India, most notably the attack on Parliament in 2011.

Read more....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face

BBA Institute

Size doesn't matter

India needs a complete overhaul in its car taxation policies 

In the year 1998, India rolled out policies to encourage CNG based vehicles and also gradually phased out polluting public transport, at least from the metro cities. India has also been advocating policies to address the problem of pollution and vehicle density. However, in spite of arrays of policies and laws, nothing has worked out efficiently. Amidst all policies, the car taxation policies, that could have been a major deterrent, are still being ignored. India still continues with the old formula of levying taxes based on the size of the car while the Western world has rejected it completely and has taken the right measurement to control pollution by implementing vehicle taxes on the carbon dioxide (CO2) emission rates.

From the Union Budget 2012-13, we can easily comprehend how taxes are levied on cars based on its sizes. As per the budget, “excise tax on small cars (not exceeding 4 meter in length and with engines no larger than 1.2 lts) rose from 10 per cent to 12 per cent. For cars longer than 4 meter but engines smaller than 1.5 lts, the tax increased from 22 per cent to 24 per cent. And for all cars with engines greater than 1.5 lts, the budget reinstated the tax rate of 22 per cent plus Rs 15,000 with a flat 27 per cent tax rate.” Indirectly, this treatment was intended to discourage gas-guzzling vehicles and strengthens incentives to cut fuel use and CO2 emissions. But it directly neither imposed taxes on CO2 emission rates nor restricted people to purchase highly polluting vehicles. However, the recent advice by the Supreme Court to levy 25 per cent green tax on diesel cars may be a good initiative if proper action is taken.

The United Kingdom had replaced the car tax rate based on engine size by the car's CO2 emissions rate in 2001. Even Ireland has implemented a policy to levy motor tax charges on the basis of seven CO2 emission bands with lower emissions resulting in lower charges since 2008. In the same light, countries like France, Germany and Sweden have adopted the policy of levying vehicle taxes on the CO2 emissions rates of passenger vehicles. A very recent OECD report has highlighted that “By 2050, the number of premature deaths from exposure to air pollution is projected to more than double to reach 3.6 million a year globally, with most deaths occurring in China and India.” Moreover, car makers are also taking advantages of this taxation policy by coming up with small size, high end cars. So, it seems the days of experiments are over.

Read more......

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year

BBA Management Education