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In This Issue

A Ploy To
Woo The
Page
Restore Credibility And Mutual
Voters
Bangladesh:
Struggle For
3
Trust To Solve The Crisis In Punjab
By K.S. Khosla

T
he announcement of the the Punjab problem are already
Democracy 5 Home Minister, Mr. Buta known. The parties are going to
Singh, at Gurdaspur the plane on his return journey Opposition leader has been invited repeat ad nauseum their well pub-
MEDIA WATCH recently that the process from Stockholm in January 1988 f~r talks. It is to be hoped. that by licised stands on the problem. The
of initiating consultations with the that he would consider the propo- the time this article appears in Prime Minister, Mr. Rajiv Gandhi,
Problems Opposition leaders will start sal to hold an all-party meeting to print, Mr. Buta Singh would have no doubt, took a bold initiative in
~i Before The . immediately to find a political solu-
tion of the Punjab problem should
discuss the problem with his Cab-
inet colle.iigues. Nothing hap-
ca led some Opposition leaders, if
not all, for consultations.
1985 by signing the accord with
the late Sant ' Harchand Singh
Nation 7 not raise' high hopes. The Centre Longowal but everyone knows
has been blowing hot and cold or that the accord is not dead as
CENTRESPREAD carrying on its policy of the stick dodo. Much water has flown down
and the carrot for too long and, the Beas and Ravi-the areas
Steel Workers therefore, the observers of the Any attempt at arriving at a between these two rivers has
of Delhi: At Punjab scene are not taking the solution of the Punjab problem without become the 'battleground '
The Mercy Of latest move seriously. The cynics between the State police and their
among them say 'bluntly that no
restoring the mutual trust and credibility is
terrorists-and there is need' for
The Owner' 8-9 solution will be possible in an elec- not going to be durable signing a new accord. Astute pol-
tion year for the simple reason that iticians here say that -the Prime
RELIGION neither the Congress (I) nor the Minister will not have the courage
Opposition would like to give the to sign a new accord lest the
Path To credit to the other for finding a pened for nine .months. Then the But the question is what is going Opposition should take credit for
Salvation 10 solution when elections to the Lok Prime Minister revived the propo- to be the outcome of these' con- it and vice versa. Political observ-
Interview Wj ~h Sabha are only nine months away. sal in September 1988 during his sultations? What are they going to ers here point out that the compul-
It is worth repeating that the visit to Punjab. More than six discuss particularly when the sions of elections will negate the
Acharya Muni Prime Minister proposed on board months have passed and yet no views of all Opposition parties on Continued on page 4
Sushi! Kumar Ji 10
~. Ram Navami: .
~r;~ Birth Day Of
An Ideal Man 11 "I Know Mr's Gandhi's
SHORT STORY
The Crowning
Third Assassin Personally"
Of A Dream 12

CHILDREN
Mr Satya Narayan Sinha tells THE FORUM GAZETIE
Professor Dandavate wanted to read the
In a recent Issue of THE the same time. The moment
(;rammar 14 FORUM GAZETTE there letter aloud in the Lok Sabha. she was fired at, the camera at
Mr. Satya Narayan appeared a letter that you But the Speaker, Mr Balram 1 Safdarjung Road was
LITERARY Sinha, former Congress wrote to Prof. Madhu Jhakkar intervened and did not switched off. But the same
MP and a close Dandavate, MP, saying that allow him to read it. Then the scene was .again telecasted by
Open Univer- you had witnessed the Speaker assured Mr Dandavate the BBC at 6.00 am.
sities: The Ivory associate of Mrs Indira televised film of what that it would be forwarded to I was sleeping at my
G~ndhi, reveals the happened on 31 October 1984 ' the Home Ministry for further residence in Birmingham when
Towers Thrown
untold story of her picturing one man, other than investigation. this incident took place. A friend
Open 15 assassination. Mr. Beant Singh and Satwant The london Times of mine, who was also an
Singh, who was firing at Mrs lewspaper was aware of the officer of Britain's secret
Sinha claims that he Gandhi putting his sten gun fact that Peter Ustinov was service, woke me up to tell this
SPORTS personally knows who ' making a film on Mrs Gandhi.
on Satwant's shOUlder. And story and he asked me to
Of Borrowed , the real conspirators that Is how she was Mr Ustinov had an arrangement switch on my TV so that we
Stars And are and he adds that murdered, you said In your with the newspaper for direct could watch the morning news
letter. Will you please tell us transmission of what he took on programme. I turned on the TV
Borrowed he can even identify In some more detail about 'the camera to the newspaper's and saw myself that one ,man
Soccer 16 the culprits by face. what you saw on TV on Mrs office. ,It was about 4.30 a.m. in standing behind Satwant Singh
- -----~----1
Here are excerpts from Gandhi's assassination day. England (In India 9.30 a.m.) putting his sten gun on his
PLUS an. interview that 'he when Mrs Gandhi was shot shoulder and firing at Mrs
Yes, I wrote that letter to dead in India . The Gandhi. The verY next moment
MANY MORE WITH had with THE FORUM Prof. Madhu Dandavate. He correspondent in the Mrs Gandhi yelled in agony and
OUR REGULAR GAZETTE: ;, . brought up this issue in the Lok newspaper's office who was fell unconscious on the ground.
FEATURES Sabha while a discussion on monitoring Mr Ustinov's film on
Continued on page 4
Punjab was going on. Mr. the screen saw this incident at
FORUM Gazette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .II..........~.................................................
OPEN FORUM

LETTERS _ _ _ _ _ _ _---'-'---'-_ _ I~I Sound And Fury


The biggest enemy of the Congress(l) has always been the Congress (I).
ordered the young ones to lie mised people to recruit more ter- - Mr. Vasant Sathe.
State Terrorism And down on their bellies. Then the rorists. Is this curre'nt campaign
Violation Of policemen lashed them with'belts not vulnerable for breeding terror- The CPI(M) is basically interested in clipping the wings of Congress(I),
Human Rights and batons. Probably, the idea ism? Should the Government not not its total eclipse
behind that show W etS to terrorisB use tactful means instead of per- - Frontier.
orrible news of State terrorism the villagers not to give she lter to mltting third degree methods to
H have been coming in the
national press since quite some-
terrorists . Is it a logical view'? How
can innocent peop 9 be made to
curb terrorists. Former D.G.P. Mr.
Ribeiro (now Advisor to the Gov-
The Congress' (I) legislators have sent this State Assembly to the dogs.
- Mr. Has~im Abdul Halim, Speaker of the West Bengal Assembly.
time. Amnesty International, the suffer? On the one nand the Gov- ernor) had freely used the "Bullet
organisation which is responsible ernment wants ', ,) rout OJt terror- lor Bullet" exercise but he soon When I see you (Congressmen), I lose my faith in God.
for promoting human rights, has ~sm, whereas these third degree . came to realise that it proved to be - Mr. Jyoti Basu.
been quite active but so far as methods are prone to breed this CQunter:productive. It must be
compliance of its directions on the evils culminating into a spirit of . said to his credit that he had The day Jyoti Basu, son of an upstart, becomes a communist , every-
part of our government is con- vengeance on account of worst immediately turned his force into one will become a communist.
cerned, no success has baen type of humiliation and harass- a fighting torce. Now, in the stated - Nirad C. Chaudhuri.
achieved, by that organisation. rnent to innocent people. In fact, set of circumstances is it not
The main argument of the such people suspected for har, advisable that the Government. I am spiritual. I will come through this stronger1 have great karma.
authorities is that this is a private bouring terrorists are most help- should change its policy of repres- - Mrs. Pamella Bordes.
organisation and it cannot be less creatures, because if they turn sian of people of border districts
allowed to interfere in our dOr.1es- a deaf ear to them they are likely and transfer those who were Politics would be an even duller business without sex.
tic affairs. Moreover, according to to face a gun fire, and if they responsible for committing atroci- - The Independent, London.
the authorities, the representatives accede to the former's request or ties on innocent villagers? Not only
of this organisation would be pressuress they run the risk of that, the SSP of Batala should be I am a member of that exclusive club of national newspaper editors who
having biased views as an inter- police wrath, and state terrorism put to a judicial probe for his have not made love to Miss Bordes.
ested party, with pre-conceived like the one episode mentioned afore-mentioned brutalities - David Montgomery, editor of Today, London.
notions. Mr. V.S.Seigell, Special above. Now, the question arises exceeding,the limits and scope of
Secretary in the Ministry of Home as to which way those innocent his duties and powers by letting People in this country don't buy newspapers for their politics.
Affairs had t91d India Abroad News people choose? loose a reign of terror and bring- - Lord Rothermere, the British Press magnate.
Service that refusing entry to The saddest commentary of the ing bad name to the government.
Amnesty was to "protect our own whole matter is that this Batala Earlier, the Third Estate spoke and the Fourth Estate wrote, now their
national interests and we do not episode provides the most glaring G.S.Chadha roles are different.
. want to exploit the already tense example of actrocities being com. - Mr. V.N. Gadgil AICC (I) general secretary.
situation there for their own pro- mitted by the police: A moot point 0-1/21 . Vasant Vihar,
pagandist reasons". for our consideration is as to New Delhi. Tibet is a mirror in which the people of Hongkong may see their fate.
On1y recently a report of the whether the Government can - Letter in The Independent.
Committee for Information and Ini- successfully achieve its goal by
tiative on Punjab has come . repression within the framework of It is well known that I am the toughest musclewoman in the State.
Acoording to that over a dozen of a democratic set up? It was in - Mrs. Nandini Satpathy.
cases of extra-judicial execution in early January that hundreds of
Punjab had come to light. This sarpanches of various villages had I don't know whether Mr Fotedar leaked the (Thakkar) report. He did
report has elaborately described resigned enbloc due to police not have any access to it.
incidents of State-terro.rism docu- atrocities perpetrated on them. - Mr. Rajiv Gandhi.
menting the terror' unleashed by Formerly.the Government ignored
the in Batala district. It was them treating them as harbourers Readers are If you ask me honestly, he (Mr Arun Nehru) influenced Thakkar.
reported that on the 10th of Jan- of terrorists, but subsequently an requested to send - Mr. Kalpnath Rai.
uary a contingent of Punjab Police enquiry was ordered to be con- in their letters
and Border Security Police ducted by I.G.P. Mr. C.P. Singh. In Indian politics everything eventually returns to Mrs Indira Gandhi
swooped down on the village Sar- It was highly disfressing to learn
typed or neatly - Sunday Mail.
char with a population of about that Mr. Gobind Ram, who had ' handwritten to the
4000 people. ThE! S.S.P. accord- inflicted atrocities on the panches Editor, The ~orum I am not afraid of AIDS.
ing to the report asked the police and sarpanches was a member of . - Ravi Shastri.
Gazette, 3. Masjid
to round up inhabitants of a partic- the probe mission. It is extremely
ular community of that area. He sad i'\nd disgraceful that those who
Road, J~ngpura, Punjab is an international issue.,
made complaints-to the Gover~or New Delhi 110 014. - Captain Amrinder Singh in the Sunday Observer.
were again given a thrashing by Letters may be Every law contrary to Islam will be modified.
Managing Editor the police, the reason being their
Amrlk Singh edited for clarity. - Mr. Benazir Bhutto.
boldness. Only time will tell how
many sarpanches will again come
General Manager Khomeini is a .dog, no t.hat is too good for him. He is a pig.
to the Governor for making fresh
Lt_ Col. Manohar Singh - General Zak, Badr, Egypt's Minister for the Interior.
complaints. Wi Ii such a policy of
(Retd.) woeful repression not distance the
I was I who introduced bottled water into India, you know.
people at large from the Govern-
Editors - Barbara Cartland. . .
ment and encourage the so called
A.S. Narang terrorists to persuade the victi-
Glan Singh Sandhu
- - --, -,- - ,. -.. --. -----------~--~------------. -_... .

NEWSHOUND -
.

Assistant Editor
KH Nazaar (8alju) Hy -Kap
Business ~n8ger
~lH CPI 'ANP c.rM HAV~
Onkar Singh Gujral &UPPORTff) pe~S1ROIKA( BUT
\ SUPP05~ GO'UVC.HOV~ OfPOKE:HT5
Publishers 5ucc~~p--rnc.N WHAT .
Ekta Trust ,
2126, Sarva Priya Vlhar c.oM~A~? '
New Delhi 110016.
Ph. 660738

2 16-30 April 1989


._'------------~~--------------~--------.--~------------------------~~-
VIEWPOINT -F ORUM
1I............................................................IIII..IIIIIIII..IIII..IIIIIIIIII~II..lIiI.. Gazette

///// ., Minority Rights A Ploy


FORU~!I
Civil Liberties

~ ~re~
Equality For Women
,Democratic Values
., Environmental Protection
To Woo The Electorate
their own pursuit of personal gains

R
emoval of poverty has
been a prominent item camouflaged as 'missions' of
By Sampuran Singh public good. The officials, thus

Our-bw~
on the Government
programmes for some wedged in between the two were
Be Guards years, but the problem is still very
much there, staring us in the face,
enthusiasts who soon grew into
mini-centres of power and the pol-
sometimes involved in inconveni-
ent, and at times comical, situa-
despite the Five Year Plans. In tions and had a hostile role to play

E
vents in the Parliament, State legislatures and outside during iticians who saw in them suprecil-
order that the people at the grass- ious, busy bodies, superfJ.Qus in the fate that overtook the
the last fotnight are clear indications of things to come in rela-
tion to forthcoming genera! elections. We have reached,it seems, roots level themselves-the main rivals and constant road-blocks in system . The members of legisla-
at the peak of perversion of politics leading to a politics of beneficiaries-and not the top ech- tive bodies, too, grudged the new
manipw.ation rather than purpose, a quest for power for its own sake. elon are enabled to formulate their local forces of influence and pop-
The fiasco created by the tabling of the Thakkar Commission report needs and aspirations and draw ularity and with the passage of
in Parliament, statements made by the ruling party leaders and the timing up the plans and then to execute time this scenario of friction and
and language of the chargesheet filed against the alleged conspirators them, the Panchyat Raj can be the disharmony continued to deterior-
of Mrs. Gandhi's assassiriation are all an indication that the party is best instrument of such social pro- ate, so that the misuse of, and cor-
repeating its 1984 formula. That is to create a sense of insecurity in gress. Incidentally, this will be a ruption in, the panchayats which
the majority community on the issue of terrorism in Punjab, partic- crucial area for enforcement .of erupted in several areas came
ularly by declaring it resp-pnsible for the assassination of Prime Minis-
democratic decentralisation. handy for the ultimate demise of
ter on behest of a minoritY'oommunity and also put the entire oppc.sition
on the defensive on the baSis of its alleged alliances. Whatever the short a reform of considerablQ promise
Happily there has been a good
term gains, the impact ~d implications of these for India's political deal of talk of late of this reform in The isolation of in 1965.
All this has a lesson for the true
process and developmetit are likely to be deep and lasting.
In 1984 the government was quite successful in manipulating the
all political circles purporti~g its
early introduction. This may be a
politics and religion welwishers of the Panchayati Raj.
The decision to launch the system
d
response of the people on Punjab issue. It made the people ask for what
itself wanted to do. It used the extremists to attack the Akali Dal ploy to woo the electorate, partic- is being correctly in the country afresh is both well-
e~'ld then used the reticence of the latter on the question of extremism ularly the youth, the 18-21 year
or its failure to counteract extremists to create prejudices against them olds who are being enfranchised
advocated, but it conceived and welcome, and it is
.I)oped that sufficient thought will
and the opposition parties. It was thus able to sway the people away and are likely to be attracted to it may remain a be given to the hurdles which will
from real economic and political issues. as a noval experiment which pro-
People's dissatisfaction with the governmental performance and cor- mises them a modicum of power dream in our emerge as of old and will have to
be crossed to ensure success for
ruption at all levels now is much deep. Therefore need to divert their
attention from real economic, social and political issues still greater.
besides providing them a valuable
opportunity for social service.
country of multiple this f.resh exercise in democratic
decentralisation. In the first place,
The rulers are fully aware of their own selfish policies and the con-
sequent resentment of the people against the rising cost of living, tax-
Whether it is a clever gimmick or religious faiths and . the powers that be must make a
a plain strategy, it is a welcome
ation policies of the state, legislation, curtailing civil liberties and
democratic rights, ever increasing corruption and declining law and order .masterly move, worthy of a seri- practiCes. B~t the firm resolve to re-start the system
not as an experiment but as a
situation. They are seeing this resentment getting expressed in various ous trial, albeit belated to promote separation of permanent dependable channel Of
types of struggles. The most damaging of all the actions of the depressed self-government as directed by many-faceted social progress.
people against the rulers can be their conscious use of the electoral Article 40 of the country's Consti- politics:an'dpublic Again, the areas of jurisdiction as
process. So to negate the democratic outcome of elections, they have
to be manipulated and controlled.
tution, Actually this is a revival of
interest is .an between 'the grass-roots level
and political system sponsored by workers, the bvreaucracy and the
The way things are shaping it is becoming clear that two techniques
are being used as the crude ways' for this purpose. One is to increase the Balwant Rai Mehta Committee equally desirable politicians have to be clearly iQen-
the role of money and muscle power in elections so that brilliant and
decent people shy away from them. Second is to whip up communal-
in October, 1959. Rajasthan and
Andhra Pradesh were quick to
slogan. How much tified and rationally codified to
guard against un-healthy, irritating
ism to gain votes. In fact in their urge to retain power the rulers are adopt it in November, followed by one would wish the encroachments and interferences.
not only preserving caste and communal divides but are giving new several other states. The system The state cabinets will do well to
election$;to 'the
~
mieanings to secularism, nationalism and patriotism associating them envisaged direct election to the advise and not impose the will
ith specific parties, communities or groups.
This is time therefore for the concerned to realise and make people
Gram Panchayats at the village
level and indirect to the Panchayat
village panchayats in local and even district level
enterprises so that ministerial
realise that keeping the Punjab pot boiling, releasing the Thakkar Com-
mission Report in 'a peculiar way and filing the chargesheet against
Samitis and Zila Parish ads at ~.e to be conducted on approval and availability of funds
Block and District levels. i'ile are not allowed to block the exe~
the alleged conspirators at a particular time and using the type of lan-
guage are all parts of the strategy to rob the elections of their demo- Gram Panchayat of an area ele~ a party-less pattern! cution of ' properly jesigned
cratic content. People in general and minorities in particular should be ted the Panchayat Samiti, a non :/~' Could not aU sch.emes and projects. The legis-
on their guard, not to be trapped in this design. official body, but assisted by offi~ lation and the administrative struc-
Most important in this is to understand that the people may be pro- cials under the Block Development national and ture will have necessarily to take
vocated for violence. Violence is not only against our religious and Officer looking after tasks relating care of these considerations. The
cultural values and traditions but is in fact helpful only to the adver- to agriculture, education, public
regional parties be young element in the village pan-
saries. Therefor't it should not only be condemned in the severest pos- brought round to a
sible ways but alsb preparators of violence, whosoever they may be,
exposed and isolated. At the same time all concerned must join hands
health, social welfare, etc. (These
samitis were really the main hub
of the system). consensus even In
. chayats, comparatively raw and
rather immature, may need well-
meant ' advice from the' .elders so
in exposing the state oppression and manipUlation and in educating the
people of real issues involved in social, economic and political terms.
The position at the district level
thi~: limited sphere? that their projects are properly
guarded against bec::On,ing victims
There is no threat to unity and integrity of the country from any com- varied in different states, there
munity for all our religious tenets teach their followers love and spirit being both non-official chairmen Are we not in a of wrong direction Of faulty execu-
and the District Collectors in some, tion. . .
of sacrifice for the motherland. The threat is to the social harmony and
that is from the vested interests. Now it is for the people, for the dem- the head, or only the District Col- mood even n:ow to The isolation Of politics and reli-
ocrats and for the concerned to realise that they are being trapped. Can
we do that? On this rests the future of our democracy and let it be known
lector in others, or in still others
even I.A.S. officers working as
li~~n to the pr~ce- ' . gion is being Correctly advocated,
but it may remain a dream jn our
that democracy docs not mean mere conducting of elections. Chief Executive Officers but sub- less advice of]aYi:r<' <0 country of multiple religious faiths
ordinate to the non-official Chair- ~a ' ~ ~ and practices.Bul the separation
man. Undoubtedly, there was
Prakash Narayan? ' .' of politics and public interest is an
initially considerable enthusiasm equally desirable slogen. How
engendered and the system much one would wish the elec-
brought forth many ardent young tions to the village panchayats to be
I am not ashamed to confess that I am ignorant of what I do not know.
men zealously working for public conducted on a party-less pattern!
~ice,o
welfare. But there were orginally Could not all national and regio-
To be ignorant of one's ignorance is the malady of the ignorant. unforeseen weak points in the nal parties be brought round to a
A.B. ALe... system, contradictions in the consensus even in this limited
unc1early marked jurisdictions, sp!"\ere? Are we not in a mood
resulting in clashes and stale- even now to listen to the price~less
mates between these non-official ~vice of Jay Prakash Narayan?
11'"
" ~/

16-30 April 1989


FORUM __- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"I Know The Assassin",
Restore Credibility S.N. Sinha
Continued from page , . will be allowed to meet his follow- Continued from pa.Qe 1
ers 'and other leaders whiie in jail. Why didn't the Thakkar International appealing the Wher.e is he now?
consultation process and the
meetings, if and when held, will There is no harm if Mr. Badal too Commission take this thing Government of India to pardon The November 1, 1984,
end up being 'taking sh.oPs'. is allowed to do politicking from jail into account while they were Kehar Singh. I was shocked to edition of the Times carried a
This is an extreme view of the provided something tangible Investigating on the hear that Kehar Singh was report that "Both he (Satwant)
situation but the realities on the comes out of his efforts. If Mr. assassination? hanged to death as that man and inspector Beant were
ground in Punjab for the last few Tohra, Mr. Badal and Mr. J.S. Tal- had no connection with the themselves shot by other
.years have produced more Cas- wandi, U.A.D. President, are able It seems that Mr. Thakkar has conspirators or any of their guards. Beant died. Satwant
sandras th ~ ., optimists. Every to form a united Akali Dal with the done his work without activities. The next day's issue Singh was taken to hospital
effort after the Punjab accord at help of Mr. S.S. Barnala, who considering all the facts. He of the Times read that the where he was said to be
assuaging the feelings of the cannot be wrilt.en off, it will be never considered the point that whole situation had been recovering. The third assailant
people, particularly the Sikhs, good for Punjab and the country. the assassins of Mrs Gandhi handled in a very secretive was overpowered unharmed
have come to naught. Even the There can be no peace in Punjab came from Birmingham and had manner which raised many
and has not been named."
.gains of Operation Black Thunder, without the help of the Akalis and been pacticing there for a long questions and it indicated that
time. If the facts are ignored the government was trying to Don't the government know
which created a feeling of revul- only a united Akali Dal can deliver anything about this third
sion among the Sikhs against the the goods. like this there is no point in shield some vital facts about
investigating. The commission the gruesome killing of Mrs person's .involvement? If they
terrorists and the . so-called But will the Akalis unite, given know, why Is he being
defenders o"the faith, were frit- their past history and personal should have gone to Gandhi.
Birmingham to find out who the protected?
Yes some vital facts have not
real conspirators were and how been disclosed yet. I am writing
they hatched the plot. The government is fully
a book on this very subject aware of this man's
;Nonnally, an accused in judicial lock-up is The Commission must have which will discuss in detail all
availed the film that was involvement. It seems that the
not allowed to meet anyone except his near these facts. government have no interest in
telecasted by the BBC and they
relatives or his lawyer. But here a whole m'Jst have questioned the other revealing the facts.
You had a very close
range os Akali leaders are .meeting him at witnesses there to prove the relationship with the Nehru Who helped the third
the Khalra rest house ~lmost each day and facts. family. Did you ever warn Mrs person to escape?
Why were Satwant Singh Gandhi against this
Mr Tohra has demonstrated beyond doubt and Kehar Singh hanged conspiracy? I don't know. But the
that he is a force to be reckoned with in without conducting a Supreme Court must investigate
Akali and gurdwara politics. But the thorough Investigation? Six months before the day into it and examine the film that
question is: should a person accused of . she was murdered I told her in the BBC telecasted.
Had all the facts been a very explicit manner that
serious charges be allowed to play politics.
It#! what. is ~he sancti.ty of keeping
considered Satwant Singh and
Kehar Singh would not have
some people are trained in
Birmingham to take out her life.
Were Beant Singh and
Satwant Singh Innocents?
"':"( hun m detention? been sent to the gallows. I have In fact the third person was one
the issue of the Times of of them. And I can even identify Yes, they were.
London in which the Amnesty " im by face.

.tered away by the government by rivalries. Moreover, the Akalis are


the inept handling of the situation. not going to bypass the militants
The government alleged interfer- and the Talwandi Akali Dal has
ence in the religious affairs of the
Sikhs by propping up Mr. Jasbir
already demanded the release of
Mr. Simranjit Singh Mann, a police
Witfi 'Best Comp[C:menb'
Singh Rode, who was arrested on
a charge of sedition, cancelled Ol,lt
officer in detention in Bhagalpur
jail and a leader of the Akali Dal
!From
all the gains. (Mann) led by Baba Joginder
Something similar is happening Singh. In this connection it is rel-
again. Though Mr. G.S. Tohra, evant to point out that both Mr.

Satkar Financial
President, Shiromani Gurdwara Tohra and Mr. Badal have rejected
Prabandhak Committee, has been a suggestion of the government to
set free along with other Jodhpur sign a statement saying that they
detenus, another tenuous case are against Khalistan. They are:,not
has been registered against him
on heresay that he supported
separatist te!1dencies. Normally,
willing to be released on any pre-
conditions.
This brings us to the basic ques-
Corporation r- r
an accused in judicial lock-up is tion of trust, vis a vis the Sikhs and
not allowed to meet anyone the Akalis, which is the root cause
except his near relatives or his of the Punjab Problem. The Prime
lawyer. But here a whole range of Minister'S recent package plan,
Akali le~ers are meeting him at
the Khal ri:i rest house almost each
including the release of the Jodh-
pur detenus and other steps, has .. ."
day and Mr.Tohra has demon- no doubt eased the situation but 2651 Kucha Chelan
strated beyond doubt that he is a not restored its credibility among
force to be reckoned with in Akali the Akalis. The State government Darya Ganj, New Delhi-ll0002
and gurdwara politics. But the. is still pursuing with the assump-
tion that the Punjab problem is one
"'Tele. Nos. 275595, 267628
question is: should a person
accused of serious charges be of law and order. Everyday four to
allowed to play politics. If so, what five persons are being killed by the
is the sanctity of keeping him in terrorists and eight to ten 'hard-
detention? core' terrorists. arrested. There is
A$. Mr. Tohra is not the only no reduction in the arms supply
force"to be reckoned with in Akali from Pakistan nor is there in any
politics, ' Mr.
<I
Buta Singh
.
has. . depletion. in the enrolment of new
already hinted . that Mr. Prakash recurits Tb terrorist gangs. Any
Singh Badal: arrested under attempt at arriving at a solution of
N:S.A., will be brought shortly to the Punjab problem without restor-
.a jail in or near Punjab. The mes- ing the mutual trust is not going to
sage is quite clear. Mr. Badal too be durable.

4 1630 April 1989


The

SPOTLIGHT
~1I1I1I1I1I1I1I1I1I1I1I1I1I1I1I1I1I1I1I1I1I1I1I1I1I1I1I"""IIIIII""IIII"""I1"""""""111
'F ORUM Gazette

Bangladesh
Struggle For Democracy
ent of religion and history and the uppermost and the "Bengali" of ulations to the Awami League military governments, an argu-
By Ludwina A. Joseph traumatic division on religious lines less importance and advocating, Government at the time: no foreign ment hard to resist!
of Bengal are the separating fac- on the one hand, a return (in spirit bases, protection of minorities, no The extent of the deterioration
tors. The educated elite living in at least) to Pakistan and, on the communal problems. To a large of Dhaka's links with New Delhi
angladeshis are often Dhaka, Chittaqonq or the other other, a coming together with the extent (except as far as the Budd- can best be understood by a small

B endearingly emo- cities, constitute less than 20 per-


tional about their his- cent of the population. The rest are
tory and recent past and illiterate or half-literate, poor and
their struggle for identity, even with little or no access to any of the
survival. They had twice to fight for amenities of modern life : health
Islamic fraternity in the Middle East hist tribals from the Chittagong Hill
and Arab world . At the Dhaka Club Tracts, the Chakmas, are con-
and Press Club there are many cerned) Bangladesh has kept its
who still speak of "the good old "Promises" and has in fact a better
days" before the breaking away "communal" track record than
but powerful section of the coun-
try's press, the military and politi-
cial parties substituting India for
Pakistan as the "Number One
Enemy" in their public smear cam-
independence: first from colonial- care, education, sanitation and so from West Pakistan! India. paigns, and both uniting against
ism, then from the domination of on. In India most people would be High -sounding talk of SAARC The fact that Bangladeshis in the common foe, particularly after
West Pakistan and now, a more bilingual. However, outside Ban- and regional cooperation is strictly general have a chip on their normalisation of relations with
insidious sort of patronising, from gladesh's main towns, it is nearly for other forums . Most politicians shoulder where India is concerned Pakistan and the emergence of
big brother India. The violent impossible to make oneself under- would still appeal to the baser feel- . comes as something of a shock to the United States as the main
emergence of the country less stood (even in the tourist resorts) ings of a largely uneducated and Indians who expect gratitude (at donor and provider of develop-
than twenty years ago is still fresh if one does not know a smattering overly-religious majority that is the very least!) for extending sup- ment assistance. The Bangladesh
in people's minds. This is not the . of Bangia. After throwing off the threatened by the big bogey, India, port to Dhaka during the 1971 war, Nationalist Party (BNP) led by
case with the present Indian gen- yoke of Pakistan they have sadly and would attempt to negate any forgetting that it suited New Delhi's Begum Khaleda Zia (widow of the
eration, for instance, which is more enough and for all practical pur- fellow-feeling with the rest of the purpose very well to dismember last assassinated President Zia-
subcontinent. An anti-India Press Pakistan. According to most Indi- ur-Rahman) often whips up anti-
blase and less uptight about poses scrapped Urdu from the
nationalism. school curriculum, the language seems to feed this sentiment. ans there would not have been a India hysteria against Sheikh
Bangladeshis are first and fore- be ing a symbol of the previous Given the realities of its situa- Bangladesh if it was not for India. Hasina Wajed's Awami League.
g:::Tjt Bengali. Islamic revivalism is rulers. tion, no Bangladeshi government While conceding some truth in (Has ina is the daughter of the first
U cent date and has more to do Regrettably also, the upper can afford to be too virulently antic this, many Bangladeshis feel that slain leader and father of the
with resources coming in from classes in Dhaka have little time Indian, whatever the party in New Delhi unnecessarily inter- nation "Sangabandhu" Sheikh
Saudi Arbia, Kuwait and the or concern fortheir more wretched power and whatever the line it may vened and shortened the war: per- Mujibur Rahman). The League
Islam ic Development Bank. In brethren in the countryside. (85 have advocated before it came to haps if their struggle for liberation makes no bones about its very
return Arabic is taught in schools, percent of Bangladeshis live below power. When Bangladesh was had gone on for longer, they might close links with New Delhi and
lavish mosques are built and an the poverty line). The rich are formed in 1971, Mrs Gandhi who ' not so easily have given up the Jamaat-e-Islami (Party) and the .
expensive centre has sprung up in ostentatious in their lifestyle, par- was then Prime Minister of India, freedom won at such great cost , pro-Ersharl Jatiya party. The latter:
Dhaka for the teaching of Islamic ticularly the industrialist middle- .is said to have made certain stip- from that sturggle to successive Continued on page 6
studies. Although Bangladesh has class, and their savings are often
declared itself an Islamic nation in foreign banks to be drawn upon
and joined the Islamic Conference, in case they have suddenly to
it is certainly much less funda- become refugees abroad . Unlike
mental or !anatical about religion the . Non-Resident Indian, who
than other parts of the subconti- often returns to India to settle
nent. Unlike the Muslim minority in down from jobs in the Middle East,
India, the Hindu minority in Ban- Africa, sometimes even America,
gladesh is rather well off despite expatriate and affluent Banglade-
the recent rumblings by pro-Hindu shis would rarely if ever dream of
(Swadhin Bangabhumi) separa- returning permanently to the their
tists. Another important minority country if they had a chance to
l'l the Buddhists who emigrated settle elsewhere. Overseas edu-
~ Burma and live mainly in the cated Bangladeshis, in business
southeast. (In fact Cox's Bazar or in Government, with impecca-
was so named after a certain Brit- ble British accents and a faintly
ish Captain Cox who was supercilious attitude to their less
appointed in 1798 to resettle .fortunate countrymen, are some-
Buddhist emigrants from Burma.) thing of an anomaly.
Apart from Christian, Buddhist The bureaucracy is riddled with
and Hindu minorities, the people corruption, bribery and nepotism
are remarkably homogenous and this is openly spoken of. The
(unlike India) with the same lan- army too is not free from graft.
guage, background, tradition, reli - Bangladesh has its begging bowl
gion, dress and food habits. They firmly held out to all takers, partic-
are not so different from people in ularly in the West, and there is Sunny. A Shampoo /bat
West Bengal but perhaps in a way
.
about .$ 1.5 billion flowing in every
year as aid. How much of mone-
brings JIQII /laillre 's IIniqrle
gift for beauliflll lHiir.
Discover
even more progressive. Bangla-
desh has in fact left West Bengal tary commodity help actually filt-
far behind : the war of liberation, ers down to the lowest levels is,
the first unique SAARC Summit however, open to question. Repor-
Arnie'a: An importanl berlJ
hi bomoeofJllthy /bat ads as a
IoItfc Controls /a/Ii"K hair and
SUNNY
Arnica Shampoo
darJdru//-t(e1It(I'. /la/r,rtllJy.
and the cultural resurgence. tedly, less than 70 percent of food
.Strangely enough, Bangladesh's imports reach the needy in a land And 10 top it till. SlIImy's and rediscover the
cultural links are all with India that faces a yearly deficit of about
(West Bengal) . and not with its 1.5 to 2 .million tons.
("()ndilfmwr smoolbens 0111
ta~, _in/( YOllr hair beauty of .vour hair.
siJIIier, mOfT ma/laxeQb/e.
erstwhile mast~rs (West Paki- Relations With Indla-A roq 'l I /oI'f! Stmnys.spet"iaJ
stan). Many Bangladeshis speak downtrend fmJt:b .frafliN"t:e too.'
of Calcutta nostalgically as their
For best resull~ massaJle
cultural home. They identify better 'When it comes to ties with SUNNY AllMCA HAIR OIL
with Rabindranath Tagore's "Amar India, there appears to be a ~to scalp. Leave for J -2 hcltll'S.
Sonar Bangia" (my golden Bengal) dichotomy in the Bangladeshi
than they ever did with the alien psyche that is hard to reconcile:
UrdulMoghul culture of Islamabad. whether to be a Bengali Muslim or
Apply . .
aJNw."MNK'A',SIWIPOO
to ~ .hiir. Work Intll lather.
Rinse. .'
SUNNY
Arnial Shampoo
In fact cultYJal shows in Dhaka <'fe a Muslim Bengali. Pan Islamic <
with Conditioner
full of songs by Tagore and Nazrul. forces str-ess a return to funda- Gentle, natura/-
just as any in Calcutt~. 1)1e accid- mentalism making the "Muslim" as only bumoeopIIlbic
&."""'- _ _ _ _ 10_ J~

16-30 April 1989 5


FORUM __- - - - - - - - - - - - - - who were always'in the vanguard
The recent violent historyotwo the League and the BNP showed

Struggle For leaders assassinated-indicates


perhaps more turbulence and
upheaval. General Zia-ur-
scant respect for democratic
norms when they were in power
In any case, Khaleda and Hasina
of the freedom struggle and
movements for social and religious
reform in the SUbcontinent, are

Democracy alleged that the Shanti Bahini (the


Rahman, the last assassinated distrust each other more than they
leader, was essentially a popular hate Ershad, which is perhaps the
man. He was also known as an reason why they have not been
now lagging behind New Delhi,
Colombo and Islamabad in ridding
themselves of a Government that
only prete~s to be democratic.
guerrilla wing of the Chakma tri~ incorruptible person, although one able to unite effectively and per-
Continued from page 5 bles fighting for autonomy in the of his most controversial acts still manently to oppose his rule. More violent convulsions are
on occasions, unleashes a well- resource-rich region of the Chitta- rankles with the freedom fighters Ershad's success can also be likely to occur before Bangladesh
orchestrated campaign to mar the gong Hili tracts) has been receiv- was his decision to put to death attributed to this striking up per- can ever achieve a measure of
League's pro-India revivalist ina covert and overt Indian many of those who participated in sonal rapports with other leaders democracy. Ershad has in fact little
image. All in all, India-Baiting support, besides being trained by Bangladesh's independence of the subcontinent and the Arab room to manoeuver. He must pay
appears to be a favourite preoc- the Indian Border Security Force. movement. world, which has increased his lip service to the cause of Islamic
cupation of the political parties and According to the Indian press, the In Dhaka it is said that every personal standing and interna- solidarity, he must protect himself
. New Delhi has become an easy Bangladesh Rifles or border police institution has been infiltrated by tional prestige. from the fundamentalists, he must
target to po,int fingers at and is driving out the Chakmas and the army, which obviously helps dista~ce himself from India and,
President Ershad to perpetuate his After the popular and success- above all, he must assure his
impute imperialistic motives to for Tripuris (another tribe) from the Hill
a Government harried by internal Tracts in order to resettle landless reign, disenchanted Bangladeshis ful upsurges for the restoration of people of a better standard of
feel that Ershad'ds worst offence the democracy in the Philippines living. At home and abroad, the
problems. people from deltaic over-populated
According to the history books, areas such as Faridpur, Barisal is the corrupting of administrative and Pakistan, the people of Ban-. country's economic plight compli-
in the 1971 war, West pakistan . and Noakhali in the trad~ional hab- institutions (not excluding the for- gladesh are more optimistic about cates his political problems. Ban-
"practised genocide" and the ~at of the tribals. However, ~ was eign service) built painstakingly change being round the corner ~or gladesh suffers from the
Americans '1uelled" the effort. The only a few months ago (August over years and which still manage them. But despite the periodic all-too-familiar Third World
turnaround becomes more ironical 1988) that Indo-Bangia relations to survive in New Delhi and Col- turmoil, endless "hartals" and dilemma: too many people, too
when you date back the break.' touched a new low with Dhaka ombo despite government inter- "bandhs" (strikes) and repeatedly few jobs, too little to eat as' well as
ference and ineptitude. rigged elections that fool no one,
down of Indo-US ties to President accusing New Delhi of being the disastrously repeated devasta-
Nixon sending the Seventh Fleet . responsible for the calamitous Ershad has also brought about Ershad has proved that he has tion of cyclones and floods; and
into the Bay of Bengal in 1971 and floods that caused so much havoc a coalescence of Bangladesh's , tremendous staying power. Per- now a new scourge: fear of the
military, bureaucratic and political haps, too, his strength lies in the "greenhous~ effect". An economic
New Delhi viewing this as an inti- and loss of life in Bangladesh
elites in his jatiya party which fact that he is nO,t by any means collapse, on which it has been tot-
mi9atory and provocative gesture New Delhi retaliated predictably by
embraces the right, left and centre. as repressive or as corrupt as tering for years, would surely brinQ
and an excuse to rush into a sign- refusing to q.allow any third party
He has no serious challenge to his Marcos or as ruthless as the late a reversion to more authoritar'
ing the Treaty of Peace and (China, Ne,fal). to be involved in
authority from either of the two Zia-ul-Haq, although there are
Friendship with the Soviety Union. much-needed lon~-term measures rule. It is in the interest of both the
women opposing him (Begum many Bangladeshis who may not neighbouring countries and the
The lurking menace of Indo-Soviet of reafforestation, soil conserva-
Khaleda or Sheikh Hasina) as they agree with this assessment. West to prevent such a collapse
hegemony bothers the Banglade- tion and flood control, and even
are considered to be interested Despite everything, Ershad'$ (and perhaps to ensure a survival
shis. They appear to feel safer with blamed Dhaka for "regional ising"
only ,in ~ersonal vendetta. Many administration is still a remarkably of the status quo) which rather
the friendlier-seeming Pak-Sino- and "internationalising" a purely
have already left Khaleda's Ban- relaxed and tolerant one, moreso puts paid to the democratic aspi,
US axis. "(for India) "bilateral" problem.
gladesh Nationa!ist Party and than Islamabad ever pretended to rations of the Bangladeshi people.
. The Museum in Dhaka has a It is appalling that India's conti.
Hasina herself is not known for her be under Zia.
sectiofl devoted to the "War of Lib- nued hamhandedness in dealing
eration" that has almost glossed ?< with_JbuHying) its small rather
political acum{ln. Moreover, bott, Ironically enough, the Bengalis

over any Indian 'role in the war: a .. prickly neighbours should have
.photograph with Indian General . forced them into a corner and into
Jagjit Singh Aurora and East Pak- ' a situation in which they put

FORUM
istan's martial Law,Administrator together their wits and "gang up"'
AAK Niazi signing the instrument , obs.treperously against the domi-
. of surrender in 1971, has a caption nant apower of the region. Most
, omitting Aurora's name altogether recently this has baen evident with Gazette
and only mentioning Nlazi. The ,officials from both Kathmandu and
support. of the West is graphically Dhaka who just~iably feel that
detailed but not much space is" ,New Delhi does not really want
A NATIONAL FORTNIGHTLY FOCUSSING ON
devoted t~ the six million refugees ,' SMRC to progress as a regional
that poured into India. (Infac;:t groupingorto have contanct with
many eG()nomists feel that the , any other regional grouping. Minority Rights Civil Uberties. Equality for Women
Indian economy : has still not ~, . PolltlGal Scenario
recovered from the steep price rise . Democratic Values Environmental Protection
of that per!od,and the extra burden " BangladeSh has come a long
on t~e Indian exchequer from !luc- " way since 1971 and its strug.
PLUS:
counng t~e r~fug~es. The Assam gle for freedom~ven a tenuous Cinema Sport Book~ People Short Stories
proble~ to? IS dlr.e.~ly related to democracy-snatched from the c,
the ml.gratlo~ of itinerant East midst of battlefields and, blood, SUBSCRJPTION FORM
Beng~hs ~~klng empl~yment and ", shed; but a democracy t~at failed The Manager SUBSCRIPTION NO
ent~nng 1tf~la clandestinely: even miserably in thEi face-of the inev- The Forum Gazette
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Apart from the hlstoncal aspect gratat, corruption, assassinations, NEW DELHI-t10014
and New Delhi's often :nfunatingly coups and military governments,
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NAM, UN and So on, there are as a democracy, having perfected I enclose a M.O. ReceipVchequeibank draft No: ........................................... dated ............................ ..
several other irritant$Jjat mar ties for Rs ...................................... drawn on .............................................................. ............................. being
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The problem of redisirbutbn of the
Farakka waters 'and New Delhi's Most Indians who remember the NAME ............................................................................................................................. .
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issue.:. Another -is the embank- the emergence of Bangladesh, - ADDRESS ......:............................................................................................................... .
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Accord and grant right of way to should now be ensconced in One Year Rs. SO.OO .
Bangladesh to reach its el)claves Dhak~ as president. For them it is
of land.within Indian territory. New shocking, too, and a matter o.f
Delhi has also accused Dhaka of . shame that the killers of Sheikh
aiding China in fuelling separatist Mujibur Rahaman should still be at .. ~n~~
Tripura National Volunteer (TNV) large, pardoned and even politi- Note: Subscriberl hm O!ltSide DELHI should send the subscription by means of a Bank Draft/Cheque in favour
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1630 April 1989


MEDIA WATCH
.........................................................................................
'FORUM _ Gaz~~e_

By Randhir Chhatwal
Problems Before The Nation
T
he Prime Minister while at the problems' and time has tion. Mr, Rajiv Gandhi's remark at discusses the poll strategy from
addressing a rally on 4 come to strive: to reach out to the the convention of the National stu- the Muslim angles in Times of
Apr, at Delhi remarked 'In Sikh mind'. ' dents Union of India that 'opposi- India 5 April, 'from the point of view
Punjab the situation has lion side with those who had been of religious minorities the BJP
improved considerably', As helping the assassins of Mrs. must be banished to the periphery
against this the statistics 6f killing Required Action: Indira Gandhi" show the trend and of national politics' and advises the
given by Governor Ray since the the type of electioneering we wifl - Muslims 'the Muslim leadership
The statistics of
President's rule shows an alarm-
- ing increase in killing and its con- P olice excesses and some fake,
encounters have now been
tinued progressive upward trend , admitted by the Punjab Govt as '
killing giyen by
face now. The attack on Shri Ram shc.uld not lose any time and hold
Jethmalani on 7 Apr appears to be urgent consultations with the lea-
a small part of this design. Cand- dership of other religious monori-
Situation in Punjab is baffling and . well as police. To ascertain
Governor Ray since han Mitra - writes 'Mrs rndira ties as well as harijans and tribals'.
more baffling is the perception and whether excesses have been the President's rule Gandhi, having exhausted most of The media has so far projected
presentation of those who are at done by Police on innocent citizen, ' shows an alarming her political cards after 1980 had that communal and caste divide
the helm of the affairs, there is an urgent need to estab- begun consciously to carve a new will form the core poll compaign in
increase in killing
To check terrorist activity and lish a 'Popular Grievances red res- electroca-I constituency ......to woo the coming election. Congress(l)
support from across the border, S, sal system' both at district and and its continued the so-<:alled Hindu Vote'. He feels with no achievements to its credit
Banerjee (-Times of India 6 Apr) State levels which should have progressive upward that 'it would be tempting for the during the five year rule for which
emphasised the need of 'Provi- respectable persons from public trend. Situation in ruling party again to play the so- it procured massive mandate, the
sions of economic security for the as well as political parties. The called Hindu Card'. Would it not be major political, economic and
least that this system should do
Punjab is baffling
inhabitants of the border more appropriate to call it a "Sikh social issues facing the country
regions-which so far have after it has established excesses and more baffling Card" as anti-Sikh feelings are are likely to be relegated to a
remained as neglected areas, or take encounter is to ensure that is the perception being whipped up again in the corner and made to look-
While Gurbir Singh till recently (he affected innocent person(s) or and presentation of mind of the countrymen. Every irrelevant. Fresh prosecution case
Gen, Secty. State Congress Party family should get a PQrsonalletter party has a right to plan its strat- filed on 7 Apr regarding conspiracy
(in Times of India-24 Mar consid- of apology from the Punjab Gov-
those who are at egy to win the election. But why an to kill Mrs. Indira Gandhi and the
ers the 'State re'pression espcially , ernorto be personally delivered by the helm of the issue which creates hatred threat of 'Hindu Card' being played
during President rule responsible a senior civil and police official. affairs amongst the countrymen. K.K. in the election have again dis-
for continued violence in Punjab. Depending on the scale of the Katyal fears that 'Indira Gandhi's turbed the minds of the Sikhs.
,rJ:he concentration of all power in exce'ss and injury inflicted, com- ' assassination, the main issue in How the opposition parties react
~~rime Minister's office, he regrets, pensation shou'ld also be deter- 1984 Lok Sabha Elections looks to the threat is being keenly
cannot cope with the massive mined and paid immediately. A like dominating the campaign for watched particularly by the
problem of the nation nor spare disciplinary action against the the coming poll as well'. Such affected minority community. In
time for administration details. The police personnel involved would fears are developing in the minds the circumstances, what is the
prevailing feeling of disgust also be essel1tial. This will not only of the people particularly amongst point in sending Cabinet Commit-
(Statesman Edt of 5 Apr) is due to restore the confidence of the the minorities. Syed Shahabudin tee on Punjab to Chandigarh.
'Progressive trivialization of Poli- masses in the return to the role of human rights abuses but will also
tics and manl1er in which real the law in Punjab and enc of enhance the reputation of police
issues are steadily becoming irrel- force and their rapport with the
masses which will ultimately curb
AN APPEAL
evant' and concludes with the
remark - 'The executive have violence. \ HELP THE EDUCATION OF
spurned the principle of ,public
accountability, The onus has
CHILDREN OF NOVEMBER 1984 WIDOWS
shifted to ballot box finally to Poll Issue
determine what is right and what The Sikh Forum is providing financial Assis-
ow the poll compaign will be
is wrong'.

Unabated Terrorism
Fresh prosecution H oriented by the Congress (I)
and opposition parties is the ques-
tance for education of orphan children of the vio-
lence since early 1984. Since January 1988, this
case filed on April
tion before the public. Serious pre-
hy does terrorism con- 7 regarding parations are being made to
has been transferred to a Trust named "Citizens's
~Wtlnue unabated In Punjab? conspiracy to kill capture the votes of the elector- Relief Rehabilitation &Education Fund". This trust
-~t V.M. Tarkunde in Indian Mrs Gandhi and ate. To mould publ ic opinion, ft is is duly registered and have obtained IT exemp-
Express 4 Apr. answers' that reporte-d that Govt. of India under
the threat of 'Hindu tion under section 80G of IT Act 1961 at present
'because it is fed by the ruthless directive of the Congress party, an
and brutal repression to which Card' being played editor of a newspaper has been valid till 30 Nov 1990.
selected families as well as whole in the electiQn have assigned the job to bring out a '
villages are subjected by the again disturbed the weekly column and the news
The sponsoring member/family/organisation
police, and suggests, all police
_ minds of the Sikhs. 'papers in various parts of the who wish to sponsor one or more children will be
excesses must 'be stopped I It is 'country are being urged to take
the duty of the Punjac Govt. to see How the opposition this column by the Govt o,f India
provided with full particulars of the child i.e.,
that police acts Yiit~in the bounds . parties react to the representatives, as they obviously name, age, sex, prese~t address, grade, school
of law and in accordance with
constitution'. While Gurbir Singh,
threat is being feel that they cannor have a better and photograph of the child. Minium month,ly sti-
spokesman for the Govt point of
feels that the draconian laws have keenly watched pend required for educating 2. child is Rs. 75/- or
view' (Indian Post 1 Apr) and at the
altered the basic character of the particularly by the same time 'not-so-subtle hints Rs. 900/- ($75) annually. The number of children
Constitution' and recommends a affected minority are being made to newspapers to
fresh beginning by deleting such
communhy. In the drop those of certain other Colum- who need this assistance is approximately-1200.
laws and dismantling the appar-
circumstances, what
nists. It is abundantly clear th~t We have been able to arrange donors for 910
:ltus of state repression' . Shri S.K. 'the ruling party plans a replay of
Singla another Ex-Secretary of is the point in 1984 campaign dubbing the oppo-
children as well as for those who may withdraw
Punjab Congress in TOI (24 Mar) sending Cabinet sition as supporters of secession- at the end of the year.
ists and destabilisers and
feels that UStl of third degree Committee on
'projecting itself as the main cham-
We are approaching you with an appeal to
method by policEl...and repression
by police on innoaent persons are
Punjab to pion of the country's unity and enrol yourself as a donor to sponsor as many
'built into the prevailing situation'. Chandigarh integrity' writes K.K. Katyal in the
children's education as you can for five years, if
Nikhil Chakravarty TOI 2 Apr Hindu 7.4.89. Shri Chandan Mitra
regrets that 'most Politicalleader& of TOlconcludes under 'Nebulous possible. -
have reconciled themselves to the Hindu Vote'-Barring a situation The draft/cheque should be made in favour of
idea of protracted police action' similar to 1984, .the nation is
and earnestly appeals that, 'what unlikely to rally behind anyone "Citizen's Relief Rehabilitation Education &
we need in our understanding of political party in so spectacular a Fund" 3, Masjid Road, Jangpura,
and sent to
Punjab crisis ,is a clear perception manner' which can be this 'one',
of how the Sikh community looks.. political party needs no elabera- ,
New Oelhi-110014.

16-30 April 1989 7


FORUM Gazette
CENTRE

By Mukul Steel WorkE


n the industrial area of D~lhi at

I Wazirpur, in a factory manu-


facturing steel utensils, works'
Avadh Kishore. 26 year old
Avadh Kishore whose original
home is at Sitamadhi, Bihar, says, AT THE MERCY
"I came to Delhi in 1983. Since
1984,1 have been working in steel The Wazirpur Industrial Area is nised and the victims of extreme are manufacturers frem rura'
factories. Till date I have worked one of the major industrial areas repression. areas who after working for few
in around six to seven factories as of Delhi. There are a large number Most of the small and medium years as servant or helper, start
all the factory owner! throw you out of factories manufacturing stain- steel factories of Wazirpur are working with cutter machine,
of job after some time. There was less steel utensils and thus a large 'Unre~istered and are completely power press of beading machine.
, an accident in March 1988 while number of steel workers are based bypassing the factorylshop legis- They have acquired skill through
working on a machine in a factory. here. As such there are steel fac- lation. Officials of Delhi Admini- their observation, experience and
.The owner immediately threw me tories and workers also at G.T. stration also agree that several practice. In hours of need, even
out. Since then I have been job- Kamal Road, Rajasthan Udyog steel factories of Wazirpur do not the helpers and unskilled workers
less. Since the accident my sto- Nagar, Samayapur Badli, Anand have legal sanction. Most of the are put on machines.
mach aches constantly. Even ill' Parvat and Okhla Industrial Area. steel factories operate in small, There is a total disregard for and
sleep there is pain." According to estimates, tl ,)re are dark, suffocating rooms or sheds
bypassing of labour laws and the
A resident of Gorakhpur, 28 around 500 factories of stainless or even in the open. The work steel workers are victims of
,year old Ra,manand Prasad, has steel utensils and about 50,000 place is full of raw material and extreme exploitation. It would not
been worki~'g for almost ten years steel workers in Delhi. Also it is dirt. At times, on seeing the steel
be an exaggeration to state that for
in the Wazirpur industrial area. He estimated that there are around factories one does not realise that
the steel factories of Wazirpur
works on the 'rela' machine. He .175 steel factories and about such difficult and dangerous work Industrial Area, labour laws and
has worked in 4 factories till now. 25,000 steel workers in Wazirpur is ' performed on those huge labour department of Delhi Admin-
He says, "Since 1984, I have been Industiral area alone. machines. The conditions prevail-
istration do not exist.
working in the same factory. But Most of the factories manufac- ing in these factories cause accid- The steel factories of Wazirpur
there is no record, no ESI card, no . turing stainless steel utensils are ents, illness and death of workers.
operate day and night and the
holiday, no bonus. After working small and medium ones, wtiere There are many type of work
workers have to work 12 hours a
for 10-12 hours, the monthly pay there are 10 to 50 workers. The ers in the steel factories-steel day. The monthly wage of all the
is only Rs. 7001-. While working on process of manufacturing steel moulders, cutter machine opera- steel workers is between Rs. 4001-
the rola machine, many a times utensils is divided into various tors, hydraulic machine workers, and 7501-. Only at times overtime
the steel pieces have pierced my stages and most of the factories those who work with acid, is given. Besides the monthly
body." complete only one or two of these. machine operators, those who wage there is no dearness allow-
25 year old Girija Shah of There are about 15 big factories shape the utensils, polishers, ance or benefit given to them-
Rohtas district of Bihar does the where there are 100 to 250 work- bepding machine operators, etc. no bonus, no loan, no house or
work of plate grinding. He stays at ers. Here all the stages of man- Fo!: these works, besides men, medical allowance. ESI, gratuity,
pension, holiday- these kind of
facilities or benefits have no place.
It is indeed shocking that such a
major industrial area of the capi-
tal has so many workers who are
victims of exploitation and repres
sion of the owners and where
even the minimum of labour laws
are not implemented
Most of the steel factories are
unregistered and function illegally.
Thus there is no record of work-
ers. In a small, ordinary diary their
Work is hard, remUl' ~ \ ftion
presence and overtime ' are
marked daily. And on the basis of
is working in one of th..-!" steel
that their monthly wage is paid. city, gets Rs 300 per month
Even in the registered factories,
very few workers have a proper
reco~ or E.S.I card and many of
these workers also, after working The maximum num
for years and years remain tem- deaths take place on t
porary and are totally dependent
on the wishes of the employer. which 30 inch steel pi
Contractor system also operates inch pieces. While pr
. in a number of these factories. The on the machine, smal
contract workers are even paid like a shot of a bulle
lesser.
There-is no security of jop, wage of the workers' bOI
or life of the steel workers. They worker loses his eye,
work on the wishes of owners and covered with blood j
contractors and their wage is also
Steel is moving, but life is waning fixed arbitrarily. In fact wage cut
stomach or c:
takes place, no compensation is
the slum area ot Wazirpur. tie has ufacturing steel utensils are there are also women and chilO paid at times of accidents and they
-a family of 12 members. After included. workers. For these various pro- are thrown out at any time . To tories have been victims of accid-
working for six years, with eight Most of the workers have come cess involved in making steel ' throw out the old workers in the ents, diseases and deaths. It has
hour.work everyday, his monthly from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. utensils, all kinds of skilled, un- steel fac.tories and to take on new been rightly pointed out by Hari
income is just Rs.5001-. He says SO.me of them are also from Har- skilled and semi-skilled workers ones IS a continuous ongoiug pro- Prasad. A steel worker in Wazir-
"The owner of my factory has yana and Rajasthan. The work at are needed. Women and child cess. The steel workers work in pur Industrial Area, that every
handed over all the work of the steel factories is extremely ted i- labourers especially work with acid these terrible conditions and live in worker working in the steel factor-
factory to the contractcrs. Now we ,ous, full of accidents and diseases. and as helpers. extreme poverty and danger. A
ies of Delhi is a victim of small or
are all on the mercy of contractors. Most of the workers are between But the steel workers performing worker thrown out from one steel big accidents at some stage. He
We have no record, no weekly off. the age of 20 and 35. A large various stages of these hazardous factory of Wazirpur industrial area works with the fear of accident or
The contractor makes us work number of workers in Delhi are NOrk, do not get any institutional is not given another job in the death constantly hovering over
according to his will and tt'lrows us unorganised. But the steel work- training for this difficult and dan- same area. him and after being disabled, job-
off one day, whenever he wants." ers of Delhi are the most unorga- gerous work. Most of the workers The workers of Delhi steel fac-

16-30 ApI
8
SPREAD FORUM Gazette

safety of the workers. The work-

~rs Of Delhi ers just wear a cloth in their neck


by which only a very small part of
their body is covered. Even this
piece is not available in a number

OF THE OWNER
of factories, or even if it is there it
is in a battered shape . Besides,
there are no means available for
the workers who work with fire.
Smoke and dust lead to a number
workers who are constantly ill, the factories go on, the worker's smoke. From the five small pieces of diseases. The power press cuts
extremely weak and who have lost death also go on. of steel keep coming out which the fingers of the workers. The
their health for ever is enormous. The process of manufacturing pierce the body of the workers. beading workers soon develop
From recent examples we can stainless steel utensils is The workers working on the cutter chest and lung diseases.
see how frequent and cruel are the extremely long, difficult, and dan- , machine catch the steel piece in Most of the workers have no
deaths of workers in fatal accid- gerous. First the steel is shaped. their bare hands, thus constantly legai record. They have no ESI
ents. On 3rd Oct. 1988, Ramba- Then the big pieces of steel are cut receiving shocks which can cause card. After an accident. they are
hadur was killed in an accident on the cutter machine. Then these the hand to come in the machine. totally at the mercy of the owner.
while working in a steel factory small pieces are pressed on The workers catch the steel piece Most of them have their own per-
(B-28/3). On the 6th of the same machines to make them 30 inches with a holder and take it to the sonal doctor with whose help a bit
month, in another accident a' long. Then these pieces are put in small hydraulic machine. Many a of medical aid is given to the
worker Birendra had died in an acid tank. After this, these times the hand and the holder are worker and then he is discharged
another factory (C-5511). On 7th pieces are again taken to the engulfed by the fast running permanently. The workers who
another worker Amin Kumar was machine where they are further machine. There is no cover on the are victims of serious accidents,
killed . On 9th two steel machine. Also the pieces of steel due to lack of medical aid, remain
elongated into 65 incnes. This is
workers-Kesh Bahadur and get so hot that if the hand touches unconscious for many hours. Due
followed by heating them on fire.
Shankar Magar-were seriously them, there can be an accident. to this negligence many of them
Again these are put in the acid
injured in another accident. On There are no means to protect the lose their lives. Whatever little aid
tank. Then these pieces are put in
18th another worker, Swami, while hands and feet of the workers. The they do get is also motivated not
the cold 'forh's machine and made
working was injured and later suc- acid tank continuously throws poi- by concern but for housing up the
90 inches long. TI;len the process
cumbed to his wounds. sonous gas. with the danger of incident. There is no confirmation
olmoulding it into a utensil starts.
It is in endless line of accidents hands-legs getting burnt The of the disabled or dead workers.
The 'circle' of the utensil is cut and
and deaths. The dead workers or hands and legs of the workers If at any place the union becomes
put in the press machine. From it
those who have been handicaped the utensil comes out. Then it is working with acid become abnor- powerful and exerts pressure on
receive no compensation, there is cut into the proper shape. It is mal. the owner, then he according to
no adequate medical facility for the twisted and moulded on the bead- The maximum number of accid- his wish gives a small amount in
injured worke'rs, and there is no ents and deaths take place on the the form of compensation.
ing machine. Then it is polished
official enquiry to stop the inhu- 'fork's machine on which 30 inch Thousands of accidents have
Finally it is ready.
man conditions of work and the pieces are made into 60 inch occured in Wazirpur Industiral
Each and every process invov-
extreme negligence of the factory les a lot of hard labour and many pieces. While pressing the steel area in which many workers have
owners. The working conditions
'are so atrocious that a worker who
is injured while working is thrown
out of job. It is extremely grave but
also the bitter truth that in the cap-
ital of the country, in one of the
major industrial areas, so many
workers are dying due to inhu-
man conditions. But tq stop this
and provide minimum health
norms and life security, there is no
government action. Instead the
labour department and the local
r ~am Kumar, who police are residing with the factory
units of our capital owners and defending them in
cases where workers have been
killed.
Most of the factories of Wazir-
pur Industiral Area are located at
extremely dirty, dark and dingy
of accidents and pl~es, with no provision for air to
'fork's machine on pass or light to enter. The
are made into 60 machines are old and they have
poor maintenance. In the last few
,",""'''''''1'0 the steel piece
years new technology has devel-
particles escape and oped regarding manufacture of
they enter any part steel utensils, new norms have
imes the developed regarding workers'
safety but the steel factories c'
or his whole face is Wazirpur have been using the
if they enter his same old, outdated machines and Steel is sold, but life is scarred
t, he dies technology for years. Even a pre-
liminary look at the steel factories of them are highly risky. If .the piece on the machine. small par- lost their lives. But for this crime no
of Wazirpur Industrial Area would workers are not equipped with ticles escape and like a shot from factory has ever been closed and
reveal the fact that their present proper security measures. the
the bullet they enter any part of the no owner even punished. Whether
he dies a slow death amidst structure is bound to lead to accid- danger of accidents increases
workers' body-sometimes the the worker is skilled, un-skilled or
poverty. ents, illness and death. Actually, much more.
worker loses his eye. or his whole semi-skilled-ali have t>een VIC-
While doing a survey of the steel the factories are running at the The steel workers of Wazirpur
face is covered with blood and if tims of accidents. Thus mainly the
of Wazirpur Industrial cost of workers' health and life. have no security measures. The
The sole motive of the owner is to they enter his stomach or chest. inhuman conditions, old
I saw that in practically every workers who mould the steel wrap
he dies. In this process innumber- machines and unsafe technology
in the slums there are make a profit and even basic min- sacks on thier feet and towels on
able nvmber of workers have been are responsible for these accid-
who have deep marks on imum facilities like drinking water, their head. They wear cloth gloves
ents. In spite of all this, there
hands, legs, stomach, back cleanliness, adequate space and on their hands. They catch the seriously injured or had died. The seems to be no action , to bring
any other part of the body. Many light are not Iprovided. If a worker pieces of steel with bare hands machine is without cover and is
about a change in this situation.
them have lost their hand or leg is injured or dies, he is thrown out and a small holder. These work- extremely accident prone, and
working: The number of of job and a new worker kept. As ers work amidst fire, dust and Iso there is no provision for the
~11989 9
RELIGION
FORUM GazeHe

By Baiju

ltimate release from


Path of Salvati
U matter is the ideal
state of existence for
the souls. The right
faith, right knowledge, right con-
duct and chastity lead the wayfarer
along the path of salvation. One
need not have to be a believer for
attaining this. What matters is only
righteousness. He had to see only
his actio"ns right or wrong, then go
ahead. Thus attain the status of
being a perfect human being. Who
said all these glad tidings? Only
Lord Mahavir could. And it su r-
vived 2,500 years as truth only.
It is time to ponder over these
great techings of Lord Mahavir as
Mahavir Jayanti falls on April 18.
Mahavir Jayanti is Celebrated by
the Jainas all over the world with
great enthusiasm. It is an occasion
dedicated to the memory of the
great religious teacher Vardha-
mana Mahavir.
Jainism is one of the oldest reli-
gions of India. In the 6th century
BC, when Vedic religion was
almost extinct and Hinduism wa~
just beginning to put out its roots,
Jainism was a mature and flourish-
ing religion. It greatly influenced all
religious thinkings of the country. The little town that leads to the great temples: Near the river Shetrunji is Palitana, the base
In the history of the Jainas, the town that leads to Shetrunjaya Hill. A devout Jain aspires to visit this hill at least once in
most important figure is Mahavir,
a contemporary of Gautama his life time.
Budha, who was the 24th and last Jutting into the sky about 591 mts. above sea-level, on top or the sacred Shetrunjaya hill, one
tirthankara of the Jains. It was he of the five most sacred hills of the Jains, there is a conglomeration of 863 Jain shrines built
who consolidated the faith and laid by the devotees during a period spann in I! 900 years from the 11th century.
such a firm foundation that it has
existed almost unchanged for over
2,500 years. patronage for a few centuries after Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. It also excavatea from a moiJnd on tne knowledge, right conduct and
At the age of thirty, Mahavir Mahavir's death. People from , flourished in Gujrat, which today is bank of the Gambhir river about chastity lead to the path of salva-
became an ascetic and wandered trade and commerce were greatly the centre for this religion. 400 years ago and placed in the tion. As even the minutest being
about for 12 years, some of them drawn towards it. By the 4th cen- Over 900,000 people are temple. The famous'Ratha Yatra' is believed to have life, the Jain is
spent In great suffering, after ~ury AD, Jainism had spread to expected to participate in the will be taken out on the conclud- very careful not to destroy it. Jain-
which he gained ominiscience and south India with its centre in annual festival of the famous Jain ing day of the festival. ism is a monastic religion and the
becamQ a ~entor. Mahavir died south-west Karnataka where it Shrine of Lord Mahavir at Shrima- The contribution of the Jainas to Jain community consists not only
(attained nirVana) in 527 BC at the was embraced by the rulers, too. " havir in Sawai Madhopur district of the cultural heritage of India has of laymen but also of monks and
.J age of 72. Remarkable relics of this period Gujrat by April "18. been of the highest order. The nuns.
Jainism did not Qet much royal are found in a number of places in The idol of Lord Mahavir was Jains believe that right faith, right

"Politics Without Religion Is Absurd"


Munl JI, how can we attaIn
Acharya Muni Sushil Kumar Ji talks awaken your innerselves, then
nobody can say that you are
total salvatIon?
to Lt. Col. Manohar Singh (Retd) higher or lower, or superior or
inferior.
You have knowledge. But The living being is supreme
think some time and analyse if complete. But physically, .
you have right knowledge or mentally, biologically, or by
wrong knowledge. H your different kind of environments
conduct is right, if your you have no chance to feel that
knowledge is right and if your you are perfect. But human
perception is right, then you are body is the perfect place to
right. And you will get total awake this kind of perfection.
salvation, nobody can object it. Everybody can awake and
obtain it.
Is It posJlble for man to
become p;rfect? Can we survive without killing
the either beings?
We are children of God. God
is perfect, we are also perfect Yes, we can. There was a
beings. The only thing that we belief before Lord Mahavir that
need is that we should awake without killing no living. If you
ourselves, we should know want to live, you have to kill,
ourselves, we should awake Our
innerselves. And once you have Acharya Muni Sushil Kumar Ji
Continued on page 11

10 16-30 April 1989


RELIGION FORUM '. Gazette

RaDl N avaIlli
Birthday of An'Ideal Man
beings being the sale source of his plant Tulsi. Tulsi and Vishnu are
By Neera Swaroop inspiration which provokes him to almost synonymous for Hindus.
fight and thereby conquer the evil There is a story behind . this
forces. For ages people have been association.
~e got shaped ages back. worshipping him and quoting his Oncaa woman called Tulsi

L .
So did the Hindu mythol- . example to their children in order
ogy. It took four long
yugas to reach the
present-day , life of science and
technology. Life has been fluctu-
to make them beUer human
beings.
Ram Navami, which falls on
April 14 this ye<.r,is the time of
used to live happily with her hus-
band, who unfortunately was a
man who,.,used to trouble others
and was really a Rakshasa while
she was a much devoted wife.
ating from good to bad and noble rejoicing. This day is celebrated All the 'Devtas were annoyed with
to evil during all these thousands his deeds and they pleaded to god .
of years. But believes seldom Vishnu, the Presserver in the
change. Hindu Trinity, to get rid of him. This '
To Hindu belief there are three was a difficult task, since it was
most important gods: Brahma, said that no one could harm him
Vishnu and Shiva-the Fathe'r, the . The birthday of until his wife Tulsi diverted hel
Preserver and the Destroyer attention from her husband. Tulsrs
.,; Rama, the hero of .only reality was her husband and
respectively. Out of the three,
Vishnu holds and plays a very sig- the epic Ramayana, nothing else mattered to her. Then
nificant role as far as earthly life is is celebrated as god Vishnu intervened. He
concerned. Whenever the life on Ram Navami. appeared in front of Tulsi in the
earth is confronted with the horror image of her beloved husband and
C n\>ecoming overpowered bV evil,
Embodiment of all succeeded in diverting her mind.
' n~ has taken birth in a human form virtues Rama is Meanwhile all the Devtas gathered
to conquer evil and let peace and symbolic of an and chopped away the head of
goodwill prevail. Although it is said ideal man. His Tulsi's husband. He comes to
that he had to abandon his ether- Tulsi headles~ cursing all the
eal existence in order to cleanse actions are neither Devtas for cheating him. Tulsi is
the world not less than fourteen motivated by baffled and by the time she surfa-
times, his birth as 'Rama' and passion nor by ces Vishnu appeares in his origi-
'Krishna' outstand all the qther nal form and in all humility while
foolishness but are he narrates the deeds of Tulsi's
avtars.
a result of a right husband. But for Tulsi there
The birthday of Rama, the hero thinking remains no meaning in life. She
of the epic Ramayana, is cele- asks Vishnu to guide her as she
brated as Ram Navami because had axcepted him as her husband
he was born at noon on the ninth out. of innocence. Vishnu bless,s '
day of the month of Chaitra. He this devoted w~e ' and says that
was the eldest son of Dashrath, she will be worshipped along with
King of Ayodhya, and Ka1shalya . . with much fanfare and gusto at the . "him and she. was turned into an
Embodiment of all virtue ; he was birth place of Rama, Ayodhya in evergreen plant which was named
born at a time when it was neither Uttar Pradesh. On this day all the Tulsi. Since then it is must for
biting cold nor burning summer, temples are a feast for the ey.es, every devotee to offer Vishnu Tulsi
. ~Jther exactly spring nor autumn, the sacred Ramayana is recited leaf in order to please him.
~t a kind of plea~antness pre- and the devout gather on the The story gives us a glimpse of
vailed. Rama is symbolic of an banks of thJ river Saryu in order over the five senses out of which ing of the fast is preceded by a the kind hearted nature of god
ideal man. His actions are neither to bathe away all their evils and hunger is. the most difficult desire long ceremony of puja, when the Vishnu . It also reveals that when-
motivated by passion nor by foo- purify themselves. Most of the to be overcome. Fast is followed devotees sing the praises of their ever the vessel of evil starts over-
lishness but are a result of a right devotees keep a fast. For Hindus by a feast in the name of Rama on god and offer his idol a variety of flowing, God hims.elf had to
thinking. Welfare of his fellow this is a way of exercising control the evening of this day. The break- delicacies and the leaves of the descend to earth to break it.

"If a politician has no concern for religion, then what he will be"
Continued'rom page 10
that was the principre. 'Survival means oneness. No one can kill all kinds of bad habits and bad beings?
of the fittest', 'Might was right'. any being because basically we nature. If a politician has no was revealed by Lord Mahavir
Thertf IS no baSIC difference
Lord Mahavir did not accept this do not find anything sep~ra,.te or concern for religion then what 2500 years ago. As mind Is the
between animals and human
printiple. We are living in this different from us in those being. he will be. root cause of all diseases, lack
beings. The only difference is
world with the help of each If you can feel oneness with all of spirituality is the fundamental
that human beings are social
other. We are not living by living beings, that is non- Rellgl.on is a creation of cause of all dissatisfaction.
animals, too. If you get
killing . violence. human beings. So the Make the mind strong, all the
connection only with dogs or
The living beings can live politicIans can amend the diseases will disappear.
lions, then your own nature will
only with the help of each What Is the portion of non- tenets of the religion to suit Develop spirituality, all
not have much difference.
other. Without help we cannot violence In politics? their needs. What do you . The most important factor dissatisfaction will die. This can
survive. think? only be achieved by
which helped human beings to
. Can violence be"eliminated Non-violence is a remedy for Religipn is "n6t a creation of dispassi.onate thought and
be social beings is language.
from the world? .". all political problems. You live human beings. It is with him detached action.
But without language animals
NO,it is not po~sible that' you but let others also live. when he takes birth. What man Freedom from attachment
did not develop the qualities of
can remove complete violence makes are the dogmas, rituals and aversion is essential for
human beings like thinking.
from the world. But the Ieast Can politics and religion be and ceremonies. But the - spiritual development. The
more, taking more, doing more
violence or maximumn, on- ,mixed? peacefulness, humbleness, and so on. aspirant, who is free frol!) bodily
violence that should be the truthfulness, service and all What Is your message to the attachment and mental
main ideology. Follow it. A religious person is one who those good qualities are natural. readers on the occasion of agitation, ean come in direct "
is a servant of God. He is a That is religion. Mahavlr Jayantl? . contact ~ith the supreme state
" What do you mean by non- of the self.
selfless person, he is a devotee The self is possessed of
violence or shlmsa?
of all the people. Religion is What Is the difference infinite knowledge, infinite bliss Thank you, Acharya Munl
Ahimsa mean~ love. Ahimsa giving complete freedom from beween animals and human and infinite power. This truth Sushll Kumar JI. .

16-30 April 1989


FO R UM SHORT STORY
Gazette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..

anything to Ratna Sai.

THE CROWNING
each other spoiled their cordial
For the first time, someone had relationship . Whenever she
talked to her about the finer aspect thought of the growing gulf
of the dancing, showing great between them she felt they both

OFADREAM regards to Ratna SaL It looked as


if she would continue her discus-
sion all through the night. When
Ketkar yawned again , she said,
had fulfilled each other's desires
lying about theirJove. Whereas th~
real love is always beyond the
needs of the human body. It is the
"Darling, you look tired! Why don't confluence of the two hearts and
souls.
you sleep in the adjoining room?
. I shall have to discuss a lot of Now, it was not the warmth but
things with Mulgaonkar." Grud- the mist of their lives which had
gingly, Ketkar left the bedroom. No seized them . Conscious of each
one knew when they fell asleep other's existence, they were pas-
after their conversation . sing time effortlessly.
When Ratna Sai woke up, the When, in the morning, Mul-
sun had travelled quite a distance. gaonkar opened ' his eyes, he
Mulgaonkar was fast asleep on found Ratna Sai looking at him.
the adjoining bed, a strange inno- Reclining against the back support
of her bed, she saw straight in his
cence spread over his face. She
eyes trying to guage the intensity
felt as if he were still dreaming in
his sleep. She wanted to kiss him of the upheaval raging in him .
on the brow but gave up the idea When he got up, he was surprised
thinking something else. to find himself in the new and
unfamiliar surroundings. A shade
How strange are the ways .of
of repentence had covered his
life! Sometime some mysterious
radiant face. While bringing tea,
sounds meet with the music of life
Ratna Sai didn 't notice that reflec-
and change its course. Ratna Bai
tion of repentence on his face, for
was forty-five at that time and was
she was lost in her own thoughts.
considered a top ranking dan-
Mulgaonkar held a cup of tea
seuse. She had given her many
offered by Ratna Bai. She sat on
performances in Europe and
the other end of the same b~
America. She had also accompa-
In-between his sips, he talkedY
nied 'Uday Shankar's troupe on a
foreign trip twice and felt that the alaap, varnam and the sun-worship
effect of her performance was in revrentially. She kept on listening
to him spellbound.
no way less than the composite
group. People from all walks of life After sometime when Mul-
came to see her performance in
gaonkar had taken his bath, the
De!h~. Critics wrote reviews app-
servant brought the breakfast.
lauding her fine recital. Ratna Bai came afresh too. KetkaI
Ketkar married Ratna Sai ten also came at the dining table, his
years ago. He found his dreams eyes full of gloom. She didn't
turn ing into realities on the day of notice his despondency. She told

R
atna Sai had had her
dancing shoW in the By Gurmukh Singh .Jeet asked him smilingly. The shiny his marriage when they both him about Mulgaonkar's know-
pattern drawn along her eyebrows carved out their own way of life ledge of the finer aspects of thl:
Jeemkhana Club'a
auditorium that day.
glistened. Ketkar had returned from America dancin~ spiritedly.
"My name! Oh it has no signifi- after getting his D.Utt: in Psychol Suddenly she remembered
She received thunderous ovation
after her performance. It was not The speed with cance. People gnerally address ogy and was appointed as head of something; she asked Mulgaon-
me as Mulgaonkar," the young the department in Poona Univer kar, ''You have not told me what
a new thing for her, she always.got which Ratna Bai
tremendous adulation wherever man said unruffled. But at the sity. Ratna Bai had just completed you do during daytime?"
and Mulgaonkar same time he got curious to know her education in dancing from "I am a sculptor. Have my
she gave her performance. Rather
it had become a matter of routine had come closer, what was in her mind. Guru Chowkalingam. She gave studio on Maharaj Path lane. I try
for her. People who showered she and Ketkar fell "Why don't you have dinner with her maiden performance in the to infuse elements of dancing ar
praises induded professors, law- us just now?" Ratna Bai asked university which was highly music in the stones."
apart. The gap praised. Ketkar congratulated her Ratna Sai was surprised with
yers. 8!t-<ritics and businessmen. looking straight into his eyes smil-.
All of them congratulated her for
between husband ingly and opened the car's door. after the show. He was immensely his reply. She had heard and read
her excellent performance on the and wife widened No other moment could have attracted by her charm . Whether about him and his art, but had not
stage. She accepted their compli- been as more important in his life. it was because of her bright brow met him before. Ketkar began to
ment smilingly taking this to be a He thought himself to be a lucky or well-shaped lips, he could not turn pages of a newspaper he was
guy. He thanked Ratna Bai and decide. holding, he started reading
routine matter. Mr. Ketkar, her she stopped in her tracks for a
husband, was overwhelmed with settled himself in the back seat of The warm sunshine of the reviews of her perfonnance she
moment. He wanted to talk to her
joy to see his wife being showered the car. Mr. Ketkar had to sit on the young age was replaced by the had given last evening.
at length but could hardly utter: "I am thinking to organise my
with unending accolades. He front along with the chauffeur. mist of the middle age. It seemed
"Congratulations! What a fine per-
~alked to the reporters animatedly Ratna Bai talked to Mulgaonkar as if the warmth of their together- one-man show presently. I'm
formance!" Flashes in his eyes
In order to get favourable reviews in details at the dining table, dis- ness was rejected by their desti- really inspired by my last year's
expressed his gestures which
in the morning news papers. Ens- cussing about the gurus, her bal- nies like torn pieces of a paper exhibition in which many of my
Ratna Bai had understood. She
wayed by the applause, she just lets performed in the European lying in the waste-paper basket. At pieces fetched me good prices,"
signalled him to follow her. He
smiled in reply to the people's countries, the performances of her the same time, the warmth of their Malgaonkar said finishing his tea.
began to explain her subtle ges-
compliments, for she thought her contemporaries: Rashan Vajafdar togetherness gave Ratna Sai a gift He took out a cigarette from Ket-
tlJres and formations she had
smile would work as a protective exhibited in her performance of and Rukmani Devi. Mulgaonkar, of two daughters: Lolita and kar's tin, lighted it and began to
shield for herself. Kuchipuri dance given in Karvanji his eyes down with sleep, took Mukta. Jhe girls had begun to look in the void.
keen interest in her lively conver- exude their charms like flowering In the meantime Ratna Bai's
and Bhagwat fair.
That might have been a routine sation, giving his opinion about her buds. daughters came ready to go to
Ratna Bai's face glowed when
evening ' a9ding a set of fresh
she heard all that. She was sur- postures, formations in her per- It was after years of their mar- school. Introducing them to Mul-
memories to" the stock, had she
prised to listen to him when he formances. When he compared riage that Ratna Bai realized that gaonkar, she said, "Pay your
not met Mulgi.onkar. After remov-
talked of gurus and the traditional her postures with the examples Ketkar had little interest in her respects to uncle".
ing her make-up, when she given in the Hust Muktavali and dances, but was only interested The girls folded their hands like
institutes which imparted the edu- dolls and uttered: "Ta ...Ta .. " They
climbed down the stage with her other classical forms, his words either in his research work or
cation of Bharatnatyam. She was
husband, a young man of thirty
so involved in the discussion that sounded sweet like honey. books. He always thought of left the place, for they were
stood before her holding his hands
she had forgotten about her hus- After dinner, they ~" moved to attaining higher status in the field expecting their school bus any
in venration. It was quite late in the
band who was standing idle near the bedroom , but their discussion of education. He could not get moment.
evening; the hall was almost seemed to have no end. Ketkar, along we" with Ratna Bai and the Mulgaonkar had shifted his
the car dusting its bonnet, his eyes
empty except for some workers on
full of sleep. yawning every other second found differences of their thoughts studio to Ratna Bai's bungalow in
the stage. Ratna Sai's attention it difficult to keep himself awake created a gulf between the two. ..Anandvan a few years ago. He
''las diverted by that young man; "What's your name?" Ratna Sai further. But. he .had.no guts to say Their indifferent attitude towards
Continued O!l page 13

12 16-30 April 1989


The ," kUM
________________------FO Gazette

Ratna Bai asked looking sharply names. The words seemed to be

CROWNING OF A DREAM at him. pricking at her. A patch of dark-


"It's nothing like that Ratna! I ness before her eyes. She began
was just tired. There was a discus- thinking over tripes. The figure of
Continued from page 12 Ratna Bai, sitting nearby was Ratna Bai wore jeans and had sion on Elova's Sculptures in the Lolita flashed across her mind in
met Ratna Bai many a time before busy reading a book. When she started smoking. She had atso art gallery where I spoke at the guise of a sister, daughter and
shifting his studio to her bunga- heard Mulgaonkar talking ,to begun to take drinks occasionally length," Mulgaonkar said in his ,then wife.
low, She had also visited him Lolita, she threw an admiring look in the company of Mulgaonkar. plain voice. He picked up a phial But the dark clouds disap-
often asking him to shift to her at him. She wanted to recall her past years lying at the small table and begar. peared soon and her mind became
bungalow when she saw him i~ ,a bid to overcome the gap to read its label. clear. She took pity on Mulgaon- .
Lolita shrivelled sitting beside between their ages. Ratna Bai remained quite. kar. She thought of the long life he
working in a small room . She had
Mulgaonkar. Lowly, she said,"1 When She returned from the Silence descended upon them. was to live. How long co'uld she
read a lot about the art of sculp-
want to join J.J. School of Arts, studio, Mulgaonkar had woken "MulgiiOnkar-do you know I bind that young man with her old
ting and could talk to him about Kaka. Many of my friends are
his works with confidence as he up by that time and was asking am not only Ratna Bai but Ratna and infirm body! Giving a
doing art's course in Bombay." the servant to prepare coffee for Bai Mulgaonkar for you?" she thought over it, she said to herself
used to discuss her performances "Isn't it good if she joins that
authoritatively. Their acquaintan- him . She lighted a cigarette, asked. Her voice trembled like a "A mand should be allowed to
college, Ratna?" Mulgaonkar puffed at it heavily and let out the shadow. enjoy a pure and inaccessible
ces helpeq them to come closer. asked looking straight in her eyes.
Their closeness had mised clouds of smoke. Mulgaonkar sat Mulgaonkar felt she had started thing once in life." She then broke
"Really a good idea. You go to silently. The intensity of silence loathing him now and must be out in a laughter. Her mind as
many qllestions in the literary and Bombay any day and talk to the
art Le. ( f Poona. There was min- increased many fold . Diverting his thinking: "Alas! I would have not now clear from Mulgaonkar's
principal of the college. I think eyes off the newspaper, M ulgaon- met him." He suddenly changed side. She turned sym p~athetic even
imum a gap of fifteen years you know him well." Ratna Bai
between them, and to hide that kar looked at Ratna BaL Tears had his mind when his heart was filled to Lolita.
said expressing her consent. swelled up in her eyes. He low- with the feelings of kindness By the evening her condition
difference of age from others was It was also decided that before
not an easy task. When any other ered his eyes in a state of ner- towards her. He kissed her on her improved. She told Mulgaonkar
getting her. admitted to the arts vousness. forehead and said, "Ratna, how that he must take Lolita out for a
artist visited her in her bungalow college, Mulgaonkar would teach
Neel-sadan, Ratna Bai would call "Darling, we should send Lolita vague by are you taling toda'y?" walk. Mulgaonkar was dumb-
Lolita art and art-criticism. He to Bombay now," Ratna Bai said "You know, my end is very near found over what Ratna Bai was
Mulgaonkar in a way one was bought many books and began to
addressing one's junior, but l.ov- in her soft voice, parting her lips now? I don't want to burden you saying to him. He observed a
teach her regularly. Now, Lolita in a faint smile. in any way. May be the doctor has sort of brightness in her eyes as
ingly. He addressed her as aunt started spending her time with "Sure!" Mulgaonkar said with- told you about this," she said with if they had developed a ne~ kind
giving her motherly stature. He Mulgaonkar in his studio. She had out raising his head. He had no a touch ofbittetness. "You are not of nearness. Lolita got ready. The
never opened up with Ketkar and also learnt the use of chisel and courage to look into her eyes full kind to me even in my last days! weather was a bit hot. They hired
addressed him as Kaka like Lolita hammer on the stone gradully. of tears. He tried to overcome his You must remember those bright a taxi and reached Bund gardens.
and Mukta. Ketkar would simply Ratna Bai presented a ballet uneasiness pressing at his knuck~ days which we enjoyed together."
smile away helplessly. Lolita wore tight jeans and a
based on Tagore's Samanya-Kshiti les.
o,'Q nere had been many perfor- in the Ravindershala auditorium Her words lost direction in the blouse with loose neck. She had
There was the other side of the darkeness. arranged her hair with a hair-do.
' mances by Ratna Bai in Bombay, of Poona. The ballet won her tre- coin for Mulgaonkar. His friends He kept silent when he found The front part of her neck down
Madras, Ca\cuta and Delhi in the mendous acclaim from audiences, had started joking him: "How's her in anguish, thinking his repi
recent past. Mulgaonkar alway!> but the queen's role she played y to the chest was glistening like a
your aunt? Why has she stopped would cause her further pain. peak covered with snow in the
accompanied her whenever and disturbed her. She often com- giving her performances nowa- :'You must say something Mul- rising sun. They strolled there for
wherever she went out of town for plained sick now, for she had been days?" What could he say to them gaonkar, even if you have to recall sometime. Mulgaonkar took her
her concerts. Katkar usually feeling sad for long. Whenever she in reply? Infuriated, a sigh would
stayed back home, crestfallen, pre- saw Lolita and Mulgaonkar dis- the memorie~ of the past," Ratna hand in his. She drew nearer to
escape his lips, but he kept his , Bai said from the bottom of her him. In the last rays of the setting
tending not to have been granted cuss art at night, Ratna Bai would cool. heart. sun, Mulgaonkar looked at her
leave. Ratna Bai gave her best per- let out sighs but in her. stipressed . Ratna Bai had been ailing , for 'i. M~lgaOnkar' stood up, spread- with eyes full of dreams. The
formances in the company of voice. When Mulgaonkar desired most of the time now. He made
Mulgaonkar, who would always to know the reason of her sighs, ing a blanket over her. She fell pores on her neck began to shine
every possible effort that she gO,t asleep.
sit in the front row among audi- a
she put him off with false smile. best medical aid, but her condi-
' once again with the sweat-beads.
Lolita had come to know about Then the beads started rolling
ences. Critics doled out their Instead of talking to each other, tion'did not improv~ much. Some- her mother's condition which had down to her chest.
praise in their reviews, He also they would see each other silently thing seemed to have been eating suddenly become precarious. She Breathing became hard fur
accompanied her once on a trip to with helplessness, lacking courage her vitals like white ants. Black was sitting beside her mother, her Mulgaonkar; he stared at her in
America and Europe. Even Mul- to share their feelings.
gaonkar was rated high as sculp- patches had developed under her eyes full of gloom. The gap had such a way as if he had made up
One day, when Ratna Bai woke eyes; ashen colour subsided the widened between mother and his mind for a certain act. He came
tor these days. up early in the morning, she
The speed with which Ratna Bai glow on her face. Her well mam- daughter. Both of , them weFt. closer to Lolita and took that
walked to the studio. She had
and Mulgaonkar had come closer, suddenly fallen ill at night; even .iained body had withered, chang thinking over the expanding gap~ . string of beads between his lips
(,.and Ketkar fell apart . The gap breathing became difficult for her. ing her face like a burnt-out but were reluctant to discuss ~ before it could vanish in its way
t,.,tween husband and wife wid- Mulgaonkar lay asleep. She candle. Lolita gave her mother a cut; 01 to the deep cave of 'her chest.
ened. Mukta had taken admission in warm milk and left for her room Lolita stirred at once. Her whole
opened the door of the studio and ., '
One day, when Ketkar could came face to face with her own Elphinstone college for her BA after raking her meal. Ratna"Bai body began to hemble as if an
not stand to their leachrous moves classes. Mulgaonkar had begun to saw Lolita's notebook lying on the electric current had passed
nude which Mulgaonkar had
any more, he quietly shifted to the made five or six years ago. When avoid Ratna Bai now. His infat- sidetable. She held it in her hands through it. She took him in her
university campus. Lot , of she saw her own portrait, she was uations for Lolita had increased and began to turn its pages. Many embrace in bewilderment and
rumours kept circling in the art immediately lost in her past day by day. She visited her names were scribbled in different began to suck his burning lips
circles for some days. People were mother once or twice a month to styles on a page: Ketkar, Mul- madly .,
memories. Soon she came out of
worried over the poor state of know about her health. She would gaonkar, Lolita, Mukta, Ratna
her reverie and tried to bring a ')..
Ketkar. He was totally cut off smile on her face. She looked hardly sit for some minutes with BaL. .. She found 'Lolita Mulgaon-
from his wife as if an ordinary around and glanced through the her mother and pass her time in kar' written in a line beneath those (Translat~, py JAIVRAT KOHLI)
thing had happened. Now Ratna various paintings lying there. Her Mulgaonkar's studio. He sculpted .\~ ,.'

Bai and Mulgaonkar were seen gaze suddenly stopped at one a beautiful and provocative bust
moving together on almost all the
occasions. Sometime they would
point, she moved closer to that
place and sat on a stool lying their.
of Lolita during her casual visits .
from Bombay. They would gen- ?#8Jid31<erar,:r
-= -=
erally go out for a walk to Pata-
go towards Furguson hillock for
a walk. While climbing down the
hillock, Mulgaonkar would help
her descend entwining his arm
On a piece of paper 'Mulgaonpr'
was written very artisti~ilY. ~I
ita's brushes lay near the sheet.
leshwar cave and Parvati temple
in the evening.
One day Mulgaonkar came
tHHri
round her waist. He had no more She held a brush in her hand home late in the evening. He
inhibitions in him now. Rather a absentmindedly and began to straightaway went to his room.
feeling of togetherness had seized draw doodles, not knowing when Ratna Bai been waiting for him all
him. LolitSl and MJJkta had begun she wrote her name before Mul- day. When she saw him enterning
to understand the,changing rela- gaonkar's. When she read Ratna his room, she called out her ser-
tionship, but never gave any Bai Mulgaonkar a faint smile vant from the bed where she was I
thought to it. spread across her lips in surprise. lying, "Kasture, tell your saab to
Lolita had passed her senior The doubt that she had become meet me." Mulgaonkar came and
cambridge and was thinking to Ratna Bai Mulgaonkar sent shiver sat beside her quietly, his gaze
join college now. One day Mul- through her body a moment later, fixed at the floor .
gaonkar asked her, "Dear-what although she knew what the tru.t h "Dear, don't you feel like
do you propose to do further?" was. enquiring about my health now?"

1630 April 1'98~


13

FO:Q.UM ,... Gazette
STUDENTS/CHILDREN

Professor Grammar Still In Mystery


ton. 'I'll be down to join you
:,Useful rules to help you with all shortly'.
When the butler entered
. English grammar the room a little later, he
found his lordship lying on
Hello ag.aln! .s . experience, the finites are non- the bed gasping for breath.
anomalous in both British al ld The butler rushed down-
A Verb that you all know, but a
verb that you are always con-
fused with is have. In this 19sson
American usage.
Do you have (=drink) coffee
o.r tea for breakfast?
.
stairs for help, but It was too
late. Lord Lyttleton was
I will try to explain the different Compare (Cf) Have we (got) dead. 'Well,' said one of the
meanings and usages of this (=is there) any coffee In the guests, looking at the bed-
simple but most naughtyl"Word. house? room clock, 'his dream was
The finites have, has had are At vlhat time do you have almost right, but the time
always anomalous when us~d as (=take) breakfast? was slightly wrong. It's now
auxiliaries in the formatioif'bf the Did you have (=experlence) half past twelve.'
perfect tenses: any difficulty in finding the 'No, sir. It Is not,' said the
He has left. He hasn't left_ Has house? ~ butler. 'Because his lordship
"e left? ;; Does your teacher often have
was so worried, I took the
They hacf/eft. They hadn '( left. (=use) visual aids in your class-
Hadn't the} left? room?
guests looked Into the room liberty of altering all the
When these finites are not aux- How often do you have
Dream of death to see how he was and was household clocks earlier
iliaries, they are sometimes (=recelve) letters from your 'surprised to find the Lord in today.' The dream was
n 1n9, Lord Thomas Lyt- highest of ' spirits. 'I've
anomalous and sometimes non-
anomalous. There are differences
brother In Canada?
Cf Have you (got) your broth- I tieton dreamt that he was beaten death,' cried Lyttle-
to die In three days' time at
true-Lyttleton died on the
stroke of midnight.
between British and American er's last letter with you now?
usage. There are differences in How often does your cat have midnight. It upset him so
British usage depending on the (=glve birth to) kittens? much that the following
meaning of the verb. Cf Has your cat (got) any kit- morning he told all his
Have is used to indicate pos- tens now? friends about It. They tried to
session or ownership. When used How often do you. have reassure him that everything
in this sense, the finites of have (-receive) English lessons? . would be all right, but he
are anomalous. In informal style, Cf Have you (=Is there, In the
could not get the dream out
British Engli!h, have got is a pref- time-table) an Engpsh lfi, "$on
erred alternativE!. this morning? .! . " .
of his mind. During the fol-
How many books have you A distinction is made in Briiish : lowing days he suffered
(got)? English between the use of have , bouts of extreme depression
.1haven't (got) enough money
for the journey.
for reference to what is habitual,
general or usual and for reference
as the fatal .hour neared .
On the .thlrd evening, he
Word's "Torld
In ordinary American l!sage, to a particular occasion. This dis- Invited some guests to Rhyming Slang ....
these finites are not anomalous. tinction is not typical of AmeriCan dinner In an attempt to
How many pencils do "you usage'. When the references is to forget about the dream. As
have? what is general or usual, the finites Unscramble the words in the honeycomb to complete the examples of
midnight approached he rhyming slang below.
Tom doesn't have a pencil. of have are not anomalous. When became more and more
Does your brother have a the reference is to a particular
bicycle? .. depressed. Eventually he
occasion, the finites of have are,
Have is used to indicate char- in British usage, anomalous, or the
could take no more, and
acteristics and relationships. A present perfect tense of get may retired to his bedroom to
sentence with a finite of have may be used. The usage of the past await death. He lay on his
often be recomposed with a finite perfect had got is less usual. bed and watched the clock
of b~. tick away his final seconds.
This room has five windows. Do you nave much time for As the clock struck mid-
There are five windows in this tennis? (Ie. as a rule, generally) night, Lord Lyttleton wond-
room. Cf Have you (got) time for a
ered how he was to die but
This jacket has three pockets. game of tennis this afternoon?
Does that poor boy have
no.thing happened! A few
There are three pockets In minutes later one of his
this jacket. en,ough to eat? (Ie. regularly,
Mat;y has blue eyes. habitually)
MIry's eyes are blue. Cf Has he (got enough to eat? so we've got to work tomorrow
What long hair that fellow (Ie. now) morning.
has! Do they have much snow In In the causative use the finites
Isn't that fellow's hair long! Quebec In winter? (Ie. as a rule, are not anomalous.
How many children have generally) How often do you have your
they? Cf Have they (=Is there) much hair cut?
How many children are there snow In Quebec this winter? You don't have your hair cut
I Teeth: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Heath)
In the family? Do you often have colds? every week, do you?

In British usage, the finites,


Cf Yo.u .h aven't (got) a cold
now, I hope.
When did you last have your
hair cut?
2

3 Look :
..
Stairs : (Apples and)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Hook)
when used in this way, are anom- Have is used to indicate obliga- There are numerous verbs
which may be replaced by have 4 Wife : (Trou ble and)
alous. In colloquial style, the per- tion. Some, but not all, British
fect~nses with got are often used. speakers make the distinction and a noun (either identical with 5 Eyes : _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _(Pies)
HO}V many pockets has your between the use of have for what the verb or related to it), e.g. rest,
6 Road : (Frog and)
jacket got? is general or habitual, and for a drink, walk, dine. In these verbal
Hasn't he got long hair! particular occasion ' (as noted phrases, the finites of have are 7 'Phone : (Dog and)
Have you got many friends above) non-~nomalous. 8 Table : _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (and Abel)
here? At what time do you have to Old you have a pleasant
walk? 9 Fist : (Oliver)
In American .usage, the finites (=must you) .be In the office
are non-anomalous. every morning? Why don" you lie down and 10 Boots : (Roots)
How many pockets does your Cf I have to be (or I've got to have a rest? Answers: f..sleo'O' ,
. ~ lS!Ml '6 u!e:) 'S 'euoa 'L 'peol '9
jacket have'? be) In the office half an hour ear- Did you have a good sleep? ' eou!~ s 'alPlS 17 's,Ja40lna '8 'sJead .~ 'pealsdweH . ~
Do you have many friends lier than usual tomorrow. Those who wish to speak col-
here? We don't have to work on loquial English will do well to
~ Compiled by AC Razia
When have is used with such. Saturday mornings. become familiar with the uses of
meanings as take, receive and Cf The firm Is busy this week have set out above.

14 16-30 April 1989


TheORUM.
F
----------------------------
LITERARY

~~
that this university will playa lea-

Open Universi,ties: derstJip role in strengthening dis-


tance education in the country as
it has great potential to equalise
opportunities and take higher edu-

The Ivory Towers Thrown Open Reddy, editor of the volume sug- chapter providing conceptual per- of the experienced graduates con-
cation to the doorsteps of the
people.
Atwi Suparman writes on Uni-
versitas Terbuba of Indonesia,
Yoshiya Abe on the Japanese
g~sts,have triggered a revolution- spective to papers in the volume' sidered the support of their family University of the Air, Chan-Dong
ary process, a process which have been added. and friends ' to be an extremely Kim on the Korea Air and Com~s
holds the promise of bridging the In the introductory chapter the important factor; especially for pondence University, R. Satyan-
Open Universities: The gulf. Distance Education is one . editor G. Ram Reddy explains the women, in achieving success. arayana and B.N. Kaul on ' the
Ivory Towers Thrown significant development that the meaning, importance and role of According to authors this finding, AIIama Iqbal Open University Pak~
new technolgies of education have Distance Education. He points out the importance of the support from istan, Jose Luis Garcia Garrido on
Open,
made possible. All over the world that providing a second opp(lrtun-, family and friends in achieying The Spanish Uned,. D.S. Wijey-
Edited by G. Ram the Open Universities are being ity to study for those who miSsed, , success, has not been taken into sekera on the Open University of
Reddy, New Delh~, organised to provide innovative,. such an opportunity Eiar1ier is an consideration in the designing of Sri Lanka, D. Ravindra Prasad on
-Sterling Publishers, flexible and high quality distance~ objective of almost all the open distance education system till now. the Sukhothai Thammathirat Open
1988, pp 270, education. universities. Generally students of Manoranjan Mohanty evaluates University of Thailand and Ralaph
This obviously also brings to the open universities have more free- the Central Radio and Televi~ion C. Smith writes on the U.K. Open
Price Rs. 200 forth questions of management, dom than their conventional coun- University of China in the context University. all these essays pro-
performance, . Academic Pro- ter parts to choose their courses .' of.current educational reforms in vide information . on the back-
grammes, techniques for orovidinq Almost all open universities follow that country, whHe Zhao Yuhui ground, structure, performances,
instructions, and various implica- the multi-media approach to etiu- delineattls the functioning and role systems of instructions and some
tions involved in the system. All cation. Also educational planners of this university. Mohanty points exPeriences of these universities.
these issues are being dealt with are attracted by the concept of out that China seems to be In the concluding chapter Bak-
By ~.S. ,Narang in one or the other way on the open universities because of their presently overawed by the quar- shish Singh provides broad out-
basis of some accepted norms or . cost-effectiveness., ' tum of advanced knowledge avail- comes of the Seminar in terms of
in accordance with conditions . All these aspects in conditions able in the west and is been to get laentification and preparation of
specific. There is a lot to share specific have been discussed in closer to that lev.el, come what courses, organisational structure,
amongst these and 'Iearn from each case study. Terrence R.. Mor- may. Yet they ere not only con- Role of Media, Admission, ~val
In any living Society edtJcation each other particular:y at the for- rison and Dipak Saraswati provide cerned with quantitative expansion uation, Financing and Student
.as a sociocultural given remains mative stage. G. Ram Reddy, in information on Athabasca Univer- but are serious about making edu - Support Services.
both the substratum as well as a . this respect has done a great ser- sitY, ICanada. Apart from providing cation videspread and purposive. . Of coume most of the essays
driving force, linking dialectically vice in editing a volume containing information on the Mission Gov- G. Ram Reddy and Otto Peters are informative in nature nor eval-
both the process of reproduction the case studies of 13 open uni- ernance, Faculty and Staff, Aca- write on the Fernuniversitat in the uative or analytical. But these pro-
as well as that of change, Yet for versities from different countries. demic Programme, Course FedAral Republic of Germany in vide stimulating information for
centuries all over the world edu- Most of the papers in this volume . Planning, production, and qelivery, :two essays. Two Indian cases of comparative studies and sharing
cation, particularly the higher edu'- were presented at an Internationa) Assessment and Examination Andhra Pradesh Open University the experiences. From this point of
cation has remained restricted to Seminar at the time of the foun- system, etc., the essay also refers and Indira Gandhi National Open view the book is quite useful both
privileged few in one or othel dation laying ceremony of the to perceptions of students as University have been dealt with by as a reference work and as an
.respect. Just as in the economic Indira Gandhi National Open Uni- revealed in a survey of the Univer- C. Narayana Reddy and G. Ram exercine for future planning of the
sphere, in education too there has versity. According to the editor sity. According t6 this the maintain- Reddy in different essays. G. Ram process. It can therefore provide
been a great divide-the gap these papers have been revised ing motivation while meeting Reddy provides the background of necessary background for policy
between the haves and have nots. and updated. Three ' papers o~ various demands of adult and the establishment IGNOU, its pro- makers, administrators and ben-
The emergence of the new edu- countries like Rakistan, Thailand family life seemed to be the great- gram mes, ' structures and eficiaries of the developing
cation technologies, as G. Ram and Sri Lanka and an introductory est challenge of all and 70 percent expected role. He is of the opinion system.

'Academic Stultification By B.S. Rattan


eihl University was

D
the rightful literary criticism is to neo-criticism in the world is nec- also literary critics. The material corrective measure. Children's
the venue of a two- indulge in self-deception of the 9ssary, but this awareness must rewads they have been enjoying Literature ia a much neglected
day seminar on worst kind. And yet for the last operate at the level of mental for so long-including the hand- sphere in Punjabi. We must reflect
Punjab Literary criticism three decades this has been the assimilation, that is, understanding some payment for writing seminar upoQ discovering a viable evalu-
.on March 9 & 10 , 1989. All thE! vogue in Punjab. The professors of the complex inter-action papers-will be the biggest stum- ative criteria to judge t~e worth of
Univer-sities where Punjabi is stu- of Punjab have been living on bor- between literary practice & theory bling blocks in discovering fresh & what is written for children. In
died had sent their top academi- rowed plumes and the system has given a particular _ social-
orig inal ideas on their part. doing this we shall have to be orig-
cians to contribute to the willy-nilly supported them by put- economic-political juncture. How-
But time will fast-approach inal because there is not much in
deliberations. ting at their disposal patronages ever, when we evaluate our own
when these psuedo-intellectuals the world yet that goes by as a
Like most seminars, this sem- and power. The net result has creative effort it must not be done
will be told off by those who are complete theory of children's liter-
inar was also generally reptitive, been total academic stultification in terms of principles arrived at
suffering their brow beatism at ature. At present theatre in Pynjab
monotonous and unpr9ductive' of or at best the production of intel- within a socio-political context that
present. The vigorous creative is a very significant & intense actiV-
any fruitful ideas. The ,only sign if- . lectual clones. This in turn, has not is other than ours. We have to
work that is taking place in Punjabi ity. Our scholars have yet to start
icant fact that was iterated time only prevented the development of study our own soil & our own
Literature will refl,Jse to be strait~ writing worth while theatre-
and again from the floor was hol- a living tradition of literary criticism people who have their own lan-
jacketed by the stultifying 8iC3- reviews. By directing our ,trained
lowness of the contemporary in Punjab but also stalled or mis- guage which obeys its own unique
demic criterion of evaluation minds to the analyses of theatre in
Punjab literary criticism, in general directed creative effort in this lan- ,forces of history. Our principles of
prevalent today. Punjabi we are bOund to turn ong-
and of this seminar in particular. guage by setting up false gods for literary criticism must be devel-
To develop a n~tive tradition of inal. Similarly, we have also- not
The reason for both, however, was worship. oped form our 'sui generi's' liter- . literary criticism we should begin yet become seized of the sigoifi-
,identified as one,that is, the .pre- Most of the papers at this sem- ary practice. The Western
asking three fundamental ques- cance of cinema. Working in this
ocupation of the schdnus in Pun- inar were also narrative, giving the experience can at best act as an
jabi with the theories orcriticism in 'tions. (1 j What Is the nature of direction will also free our minds
story of the origin, growth and analogy, but never as an icon.
experience developed In the given from the intellectual garbarge
the west and the piecemeal appli: death of western principles of poe- The articulation of dereliction is literary work? (2) What is the form which is choking true scholarship
cation thereof to Punjab literature. tics. This kind of narrative itself is a sign of intellectual health and
used? (~) How are the expressive in Punjab today. But for aU this we
second hand being concerned
The above approach has
remained the fundamental tenor of"
a
with reiteration, only in differnt
moral strength provided there is
positive follow-up . action. This
resourees of language being han-
' died?
must begin by making indIVidual
effort without looking for any
language, of what has much better
teachers and students in the uni- seems a far cry at present For pracJical purposes we organizational support or material
been said otherwi$e. .
versities. It may have served some The only gain of this seminar, If because the organization of the should begln\ ~o take our task of reward. It is these determined
examination needs, and perhaps any, may be fOt.lnd in the fact that University departments of Punjabi reviewing boOk\ seriously. It is not efforts on. the. part of individuals
helped students gather informa- the dereliction was articulated. It has buik up stro'ng vested interests a bild idea to " !fIrit!3 ColleCtive which can br8l!;lk the stranglehold
.tion, but to, imagine that this is also was pointed out that awareness of . among the professors who are reviews is an ~ssential self- on our creative energies.

16-30 April 1989 15


Registered wIth thl~-Reglstrar of Newspapers of India Reg. No. 45763 Delhi Postal Registration No. D(SE) 15/86

FORUM Gazett...
SPORTS

aoomg mat extra edge. And in a Young talent will stagnate. The'
short span of time had the soccer state team will suffer and in turn

OF crazy millions of Calcutta eating


out of their hands.
The clubs sensing victory
cashed in on these instant suc-
the national squad . The club will
get its return. the foreign player hisl
soccer buff under the mistaken
belief his. Only Calcutta soccer will

BORROWED cess. What begun as an experi-


ment soon turned into a
permanent fixture .
lose.
There will be no new star. no
Indian hero. Borrowed heFoes and
borrowed soccer will rule the
The clubs have filled their coff-

STARS
MoU~"In.
ers but what returns has the game
ga'ined in the bargain? Other than
...
ensuring a slow but steady pro-
cess for snuffing out the very spirit

AND of the game-talent, the money


that the clubs would have invested
of grooming local talent will be lost
In enticing these foreign players.

BORROWED Chima Okerie: the


These players will be good for the
clubs but for national colours they
Nigerian striker will be ineligible.

SOCCER
an all time low. The Clubs were
By I.Gupta losing membership and money
and the stands the crowds. Added
to this was the need for a hero. A
senior division league

A
hero. because soccer thoug h bas-
match between giants ically a team game has always
East Bengal and mon~ demanded a superstar for the
descript Tollygungs. crowds to worship and especially
Agragami. As the teams take the in the Calcutta brand of soccer
field a rising cresendo reverber- where mob hysteria is probably
ates across the ground as the unmatched ..
crowd chants-'Chima. Chima, The clubs . perceiving the
Chima ... ." impending doom decided te;> go in
This Nigerian's dominance is a for the short cut method. A deci
reflection of the growing depen-
dence on foreign players in Cal-
cutta club soccer. Indeed such is
the dependence that during the
recently conclud~d Durand Cup. Other than
East Bengal lost those to very ensuring a slow but
matches in which Chima had steady process af
failed to strike.
Chima who has captivated the
snuff! ng out the
appreciative soccer crowd of Cal- very spirit of the
cutta since the mid-eighties is game, the money
however not the first foreigner to that the clubs
be inducted into the Big Three .
league. The import had started in would have
the late seventies when two Iran- invested of
ians. Majid Bhaskar and Jamshed grooming local '
Nassiri joined the Bengal ranks. In
the past decade the Maidan has
talent, will be lost
been witness to the skills of David in enticing these
Williams. Christopher. Emeka foreign players.
Ezugo. John Devine and now 11hese players ~l
Chibuzor and Julian Camino along
with Ctfima Okerie. be good for the
flying In from the unexpiored vistas of tele- Special ON-SCREEN DIGITAL CLOCK
Julian Camino shares the clubs but for technology. Robotex .., programmed to enamour ' showing the hr./mln. AM/PM time.
East-Bengal colours with Chima national colours you with Its magnetic looks and conquer 6 COWUR-ll ITEM ON-SCREEN DISPLAY
while Chibuzor sports Mohamme- . teleworld with Its arruoury of sophisticated
they will be features. Some. which you may have never seen
Indicating timer setting, tuning accura(,)"
dan Sportin9s. volume, brightness, colour, contrast etc.
ineUgible before.
But who are these stars? How , SLEEP tiMER f&rfiity to programme the set
good are they? And why was this Robotex. Fusing technological Wizardry with to switch offby Itself after 90, 80, 70, 60, 50,
.style to place luxurious teIe-watchlng at your 40,30, 20 or '10 minutes.
import needed?
finger-tips with a feather touch 28-key
"It is because the influx from the remote control. , Sophisticated 28-KEY REMOTE CONTROL
other states. to Calcutta has sion to blood foreign talent and HAND-SCI that put., you in full command.
stopped. Previously any player thus begun Calcutta's football fal- 'Automatic SWITCH-O~/SWITCH-OFF , Two-way DUAL SPEAKERS en
en
who w~~ted to be a footballer lacy. facility to ensure that you do not miss out on , PANEL LOCK to make pre-set controls X
I-
your favourite programmes.
used to .90me to Calcutta. The The club officials retained their tamper proof. o
greartl.of the country's talent used positions and all that came with it. ~
to be f6undhere. The disgruntled voices died away '"'c:"
But in the late seventies when and the crowds retumed.
the Punjab sides and the teams The foreigners. for their part.
from Goa started offering thier
players more or less equal facili- .
ties. the influx stopped. s~ys PK
Banerjee.
pumped fresh life into the game.
They charmed with their skilful
play but most of all impressed with
I
I
ROBO'rEX.
. . . a breed a .p art!
m.&i.
The right ctloice
their power. speed and stamina.!
By the early eighties standards They helped the clubs win the odd "
in Calcutta soccar had touched on tournaments and trophies by ;' . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -_ _._ _ __

16 16-30 April 1989

Printed and published by AS Narang IQ( Ekta Trust, 2.'26 Sarv Priya Vihar, New Delhi 110 016, at Mercury Printers, Chooriwalan, Delhi
110006. Composed at DTP Services & Consultancy (P) Ltd . 8-2117A, Lawrence Road, Delhi 110035

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