दृष्टिकोण – Indra's Viewpoint

All over Noida through Atta Pir, Botanical Garden, Golf Club to Degree College, one can see the speedy construction and raising of pillars that will support the rails for Metro. Though it has created some inconveniences, the vehicular movement remains pretty smooth assisted by Metro men. One can’t find any building materials lying outside its covered barriers obstructing the road as is the case with any other construction work of Noida authority.

While rushing to the Max Hospital for some pathological tests, one day even in early morning I saw Metro’s men cleaning the barrier covers, and present at all narrow points on the road with light guiding traffic. As I understand, this is the work culture that has been inculcated in all those who work for Metro. And all those who head big and small projects must learn from the work culture of Metro to handle the project execution with world class work standards to complete the project well in time.

Noida Authority management, all its engineers and administrators must take some lessons about project execution from the ongoing project of Metro in Noida. Noida Authority is building service lanes on both sides along the road between Choura Mor and Dadri Road and also pedestrian paths. The project is going on for months, if not years. The pedestrian paths will be of no use for old men and disabled ones because of its height. All along the road, the digging and construction materials lying on road expose the walking population to grave risk of getting hit by speeding vehicles. Why can’t the Noida Authority plan and design the project properly and execute that with speed taking lessons from Metro Project that always completes well within its agreed timeframe?

I found some neem trees in social forestry area of Sector 37 truncated and felt really shocked . I guess it must be for the execution of the Metro project. Is it the cost of development that Noidites will have to bear? Perhaps, the answer is just in affirmative, if the Metro runs above the ground to cut cost. Underground constructions are costlier but it saves the existing habitations. To me, the moving of Metro through Atta will be an eyesore too. It would have gone underground in that area.

However, let the dream connectivity of Noida with New Delhi realized fast.
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My Choicest Readings on April 9, 2007

1. India 2020 by KK Birla
2. Kidney from mum, liver from uncle
3. They just shrunk mobile tower antenna; going rural gets cheaper
4. Tata Tea forms JV with Zhejiang Tea
5. FIIs bullish on India, pump in $6 billion in calendar 2007
6. Govt approves Rs 3,594 cr for five auto SEZs:
7. Tata Power’s wind energy park to be completed by March
8. IBM to invest $6 bn in India
9. TCS to recruit 32,000 IT professionals in ’07

Yesterday, the sector 41 householders had an unique election for its RWA (Residents Welfare Association). All these years, in a meeting on someone’s initiative, people present used to decide on 5 unanimously agreed block representatives for each block (10blocks in Sector 41). However, last year regular election was held to elect the five representatives in each block. These block representatives, in turn, elected the executive committee and President. This year, the incumbent committee after getting the constitution changed went for the election of 11 persons for all the positions including President by direct voting of all the householders of the sector, some 1500 in total (Some 800 in voters list).

Basically, two sets of persons belonging to two groups- ‘Group 41’ and ‘Bansal & His Team’ were in fray. Group 41 was trying to bring a change by dislodging the incumbent ‘Bansal & His Team’. Both groups did a lot of campaigning too, including some very negative ones. While the former promised development work to be undertaken and transparency through some handouts, the later sought ‘vote for a team which stood the test of time’.

It was a scene as one sees in general election of our great democracy. One could see a huge attendance of voters, polling agents, and electioneering management in a single place- the community center. It was a unique ambience of festivity and competition mood all around.

As I understand the incumbent group won the major positions. Bansal is in driver seat of the sector again. But I really appreciate the spirit and involvement of the householders in this election. However, here also I see hardly any representation of the women. Noida represents a highly educated and matured society. The elected body would and must reflect the aspirations of the women folks of the householders too. If Bihar can have 50% women representations in its panchayats, why can’t it be in Noida? Those who are holding the office must look into this issue seriously.

I have few suggestions that I wish the new elected body could put in their priority lists and focus on it.

Can it develop some sports ground for the children and youths? Will it look into the menace of the parking in days to come? Many things are to be done. But what actually comes up will all depend on what are the priorities of the newcomers and Bansal as boss or President.
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Choicest News on April 8, 2007
1. Sinosteel plans $4 bn steel plant in India
2. Finishing schools must for IT : Tharoor
3. HCL to open 100 career development centers
4. Ramachandra Guha
5. The unintended fallout of biofuels
6. The coming boom
7. Infosys BPO gets Level 4 stamping
8. New NCERT books make Maths fun
9. Tata Steel for rehabilitation first
10. IIT, IIM tie up for enhancing skills in manufacturing

Hindustan Motors (HM) is in news again though for a reason that I hate. I got the shock of my life when Dr. Puri who happens to be almost my family doctor in Noida talked about HM and its lockout. How could he know this? After all, for the national newspapers, the news was insignificant. Mr. Puri might have come to know of it from the news channels on TV.

Citu- the official union at HM is with the management. But an union- Sangrami Shramik Karmachari Union (SSKU), unknown to me has come up and has been agitating for some demands. It struck work. Thereon the management declared lockout. Buddha’s government is trying to come with some solutions but many of its attempts have failed till date. The management as reported has taken out the components and toolings that belonged to Tata Motors with help of a court order under police protection.

Perhaps HM may be prepared over years to close down the plant if it comes to that. It hardly produces 10-12 thousand cars a year. All other units such as heavy engineering division and steel foundry are already sold. The auto division is having highly dedicated facilities so far the machining side is concerned. It is only with a significant investment that HM could have become real auto component manufacturer. I don’t think the present management has any such strategy. It must be trying to keep the shop open till it can.

The other day the Financial Express published a report ‘Ambassador on the road to extinction?’ I felt bad about it, as I have spent the prime of my life there. HM could have remained a significant player in passenger car sector but for a very poor family management. It had an opportunity to get into small car much before Hyundai and Daewoo started producing Santro, and Matiz (presently Spark from GM India). But the management was not interested in taking a bold step at that time. HM can’t survive with its Mitsubishi Lancer. Perhaps, it is not interested to continue in car business itself.

But the present strike, fight between the unions, and lockout take me down the memory lane and remind me of similar incidents that kept on happening much before I joined HM in 1961 and thereafter too till Citu took the total control. The management thought it better to have peace with Citu at all cost, as the government in the state remained leftists. HM decided to have its new manufacturing facilities at Vadodara for Isuzu trucks (Halol), Indore for power trains (Pithampur), and then Chennai for Mitsubishi Lancer cars. HM could not grow even in the new locations because of extremely shortsighted management policies.

It is breathing its last. Its cars will be extinct. It will be part of history as a company that pioneered car manufacturing in India.

However, whenever I find someone writing or news about HM and Ambassadors, I get a kick. Aft Shashi Tharoor has been writing ‘A glossary of Indianness’ in his column in Sunday Times of India these days. In its first installment, he had included ‘Ambassador’ and in its second ‘Birla’ that I am quoting below.

Ambassador: Ambassador cars are the classic symbol of India’s post-independence industrial development. Outdated even when new, inefficient and clumsy, wasteful of steel and petrol, overpriced and overweight, with a steering-mechanism like an ox-cart’s and a frame like a tank’s, the Ambassador dominated Indian routes for decades, protected and patronised in the name of self-reliance. Foreigners were constantly amazed that this graceless ugliness enjoyed two-year waiting-lists at all the dealers right up to the 1990s. What they didn’t realise is that if they had to drive on Indian roads in Indian traffic-conditions, they’d have preferred Ambassadors too.

Birla: Is a name attached to a number of leading Indian institutions: mandirs, planetariums, trusts, schools, clinics, institutes of technology, all of which have been made possible by a number of other leading institutions to which the Birla name is not attached, like Century Mills and Ambassador cars.

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The Mobile Republic
Stodgy, clumsy, ugly—these are some of the favoured epithets used to describe an enduring symbol of India’s ill-fated flirtation with socialism: the Ambassador car. But critics of the lumbering Amby need to watch their words. As the car that began its journey by rolling out of the Uttarpara plant in Bengal’s Hooghly district in 1957 celebrates its golden jubilee this year, it is transforming itself into a new symbol of retro chic.

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Many a places you never plan to go, but it happens. Many people you meet and forget. But some remain on your side without any effort, while many go far away and aloof even after your interest and effort to keep them near to you.

It was April 18, 2007. Babulalji kept his words given on a fine morning in Noida while walking. He is posted in Varanasi. He could have found some excuse for not providing that assistance as usually people do. But he proved to be different. He arranged a car for Vindyachal. I had an inquisitiveness about the place. My uncle organizes some religious function in every ‘navratra’ there. A recent visit of Amitabh Bacchan and family to the temple also enhanced my quest.

The driver tells a story. When Ganga was coming escorted by Bhagirathi, the small temple of Bindhyachal came on the way. Ganga had to stop its journey for two days till the Devi of the temple got the boon to have its respectable place. I was always under impression that the temple must be on a mountain top. It is not. It is only by the words of mouth that the temple has become so popular and visited by millions every year. As in most of the Hindu temple, the management is extremely poor. The small entrance was dangerously difficult for old people like us and the so-called student cum assistants (sevaks) appeared to be more a problem rather help. With time changing, the temple must undergo some changes to make a devotee more congenially accessible to the goddess. I am sure for the Big B, the temple would have been closed down for the public for sometime. How can the place be sold to one and all of the intellectual and affluent class? Can’t it be faith plus conducive ambience?

We returned through Chunar that has many pottery shops on the road. As told, the raw material is available in abundance in vicinity and some small factories in the villages nearby produce these. I am sure this can bring some prosperity to the area, if the industry is expanded further to make the quality and design of the products of world-class standard.
On return, I went with Yamuna to meet the members of the family, particularly my cousin sisters that had collected for the marriage in which we were to participate. It appeared to be a very formal one, but my cousin sisters were just loving.

In evening we went for dinner with Kavindra Rai and met his small happy family. His wife is a professor of history. The daughter Ishita is aiming for engineering. I tried to convince her that she may pursue even a science subject that interests her. Kavindra, his daddy is an example of success following that route. He was from rural eastern UP. He studied and majored in Mathematics. He is today the head of mathematics in IT-BHU, no less an achievement.

This is going to be the last entry based on my trip out of Noida. It was just wonderful trip of almost 10 nights.

Ramachandra Guha, the writer of ‘India After Gandhi: The History of the World’s Largest Democracy’ has made some reference about JP. In the interview published in Outlook, May 7, 2007, he is quoted to say, ‘Mrs Gandhi had the instruments of state at her command and because she grossly abused them through the Emergency, she would be the greater culprit. But one can’t let JP off the hook either. One placed too much faith in the state, and the other placed too little faith in the state and in representative institutions. One said I am Parliament, I am India, the other said disband Parliament. I’ve tried to provide a psycho-social interpretation of why JP acted the way he did. I’ve talked about the fact that he was growing old, his wife had died, he wanted to recapture the youthful revolutionary impulses that he once had, he felt his mortality was in question and India had to be transformed before he went. I tried to understand why a man who abjured radical politics for 30 years to become a social worker, had become a street agitator. I also quote other mistakes. These are contemporary criticisms – I mention a man called RR Patil, an ICS officer, a friend of JP’s, who visits Bihar, studies the movement, and says, the genie is out of the bottle, and you can’t control it. You may have unleashed forces that will destroy institutions. There were other critics, like Acharya Ramamurthi, he talks about the RSS taking over the movement. JP was naïve, he was irresponsible, and of course Indira Gandhi over-reacted.’

As I remember Indira Gandhi and her coterie kept on blaming JP for the emergency in the same language in those days that Guha has used. Media used to sing the song in the same tune. But was JP within the norms of the democratic expression or beyond? If at all it was, was it not because Indira Gandhi had only one agenda and that to establish herself firmly in Indian politics taking advantage of her pedigree? Were her all moves of nationalization of banks and Bangladesh war not with the same desperations? Was the frustration of the senior leaders of the country who had made sacrifices more than the great lady for the nation not justified?

I do also remember reading somewhere about Ramdhari Singh ‘Dinkar’, Hindi poet of reputation making an offering of his life to God publicly in a speech in a meeting on Marina Beach, Chennai to save the life of JP who was very sick and in hospital at that time. Could a person whom Dinkarji adored be ‘naïve, and irresponsible’?

I am sure many of the intellectuals who were associated with JP’s movement were also from Bihar. Many of them may be alive. Will it not be in public interest to discuss this controversial statement that many of the followers and friends of JP may not be able to digest? Will it not be prudent for those connected with JP closely to come out with their views if they think otherwise?

Since last so many years, the political leadership in Bihar has been claiming themselves as the disciples of JP, it becomes their duty to do a justice to JP who is no more there to fend his side.

I wish the issue is taken up by the intellectuals in right spirit, if Guha has wrongly come to his conclusion.