India- Another People’s Movement

Posted on August 19, 2011 by indra

Alok surprised me when on enquiry on phone, he told me that the local young men are also holding protest rally in Karaghar Block of District Rohtas, Bihar. In evening again, I found a group of young men passing in front of my Noida residence on motor cycles with national flags shouting slogans for Anna again and it amazed me. How have Anna and his movement become so popular?
Arguments coming out of Congress spokespersons be it Manish Tiwari declaring Anna a corrupt, or Rashid Alwai claiming the Anaa’s movement a handiwork of Americans can’t save Congress. As reported, Rahul Gandhi has asked the spokesmen not to do that. I don’t if they will follow.

People of all hues and clans, be the students, lawyers or IT workers, men and women, young and old, folk artists and poets from New Delhi to New York, from remote block head quarters of Bihar to London and San Francisco, are on streets for supporting the mission of Anna in fight to create a corruption-free India. Are they serious about the eradication of corruption? How many of the people on the road will take a written vow against asking for or giving any bribe? How many of them will dare to be a whistle-blower against someone demanding bribe from any acquaintance?

Domestic as well as world media both print and digital are full time busy in exhibiting and providing all the details of the Anna’s protest. Foreign media such as New York Times and Economist have covered the event. Many times, the crowd on the street appears to be as holiday revels with all sorts of painted faces and pushing to come under TV frames. Can they avoid making any inconveniences for the regular movement of the people or vehicles? Will they complete their professional assignments and only after the office hours join the protest? The nation must not suffer.

Many a times, I wonder if whatever is happening today with the whole India on road against corruption and the government that doesn’t assure a strong bill against corruption, will badly affect the image of India. Perhaps it will enhance its image and the depth of its democracy, if the corruption level goes down and transparency index improves.

After Jai Prakash Narayan’s ‘sampoorn kranti’ movement, perhaps it is the first time that India is seeing a people’s movement on such a large scale throughout the country. Even the POIs in metros worldwide are demonstrating. And it’s all peaceful. I pray no amount of instigation by unscrupulous agents to provoke the people for violence to succeed.

I wish the government would have opened the channels of negotiations with Hazare and his team members so that the fast could have ended soon. Hazare continuance in Tihar shows another failure of the government. The government would have persuaded him to move to some respectable guest house. His stay in Tihar sends a wrong message to the illiterate masses.

I hope India emerges stronger after the movement achieves its mission and the governance becomes more accountable and efficient.

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Government Still on Wrong Route

Posted on August 18, 2011 by indra

Even after seeing the mass upsurge all over the country in favour of Anna’s remand and bill on August 16, Manmohan Singh and his government are still in mood of confrontation and don’t wish to learn from its mistakes. Mass movements as clear from the reports in media, are not the wars of arguments and debates that can be faced and fought in court with lawyers and with elocution in legislatures. It requires mass leaderships to face the mass on streets and lanes that has certain perception created by the real or imaginary wrong doing against the people.

Manmohan Singh and his lieutenants still are trying to emphasize on the supremacy of parliament to bring all parliamentarians on their side when they are to focus on changing the perception of the millions on the street. The opposition just slammed the argument. Even if the aggrieved opposition MPs agree it will hardly help against the mass uprising created by Anna’s demand for a strong Lokpal through Jan Lokpal Bill instead of weakly structured government’s bill. Manmohan’s men are also spreading the misgivings in parliament and with media that Anna is rigid. He and his teams want only the bill drafted by them with no modifications to be passed by parliament. Instead of selling their failures, they must go for solutions to get over the unique but dangerous situation.

The solution can be one of the three.

Manmohan’s government agrees for taking over the motherhood of Jan Lokpal Bill and places before the parliament as its own. It’s may be difficult today as the bill is already with standing committee. The government has initiated the bills authored by civil society of NAC. Why should it hesitate now.

Alternatively, some MPs including some from the Congress or UPA but acceptable to Anna negotiate on inclusion of certain key issues or points of difference and make him agree through give and take and incorporate the negotiated aspects.

The government and opposition comes out fast with a new bill that is superior in every respect with Jan Lokpal Bill and perceived so and is sold to Anna
., his team and to the Indian people using mass media.

The sooner Manmohan and his men particularly Kapil Sibal and Chidambaram give up the confrontation, the better it will be for the nation.

Manmohan can have a face saving by retiring and the Congress must allow the better person in Manmohan’s cabinet to lead the nation as Rahul Gandhi will not be the right person at this juncture. According to me, Pranab Mukherji may be one person who can steer the country out of the troubled water.

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@ 65th Independence Day

Posted on August 15, 2011 by indra

On the eve of Independence Day, I was feeling miserable with the news of Team India in a state of free fall. I opened my TV to see something better, but then I came across Manish Tiwari, the repulsive spokesman of Congress vomiting venom and calling Padma Bibhusan Anna as a total corrupt in disrespectful language. He might have got inspiration from the curt letter of Manmohan in reply to Anna’s request for relief from the tyranny of Delhi police. And then Kapil Sibal and Ambika Soni on TV screen to present the government case.

Ambika is an old Sonia loyal and Kapil Sibal, a very successful lawyer joined Congress very late, some say, for vested interest. He is the most important cabinet minister today. Sibal reminds me of Sidharath Sankar Ray of West Bengal, who developed a great relation with Indira Gandhi that brought ultimately the infamous emergency of 1977.

I had decided to boycott watching Manmohan unfurling tricolour on Red Fort, but not going to news websites. I found President’s pre-independence day speech discovering that there is no single remedy to corruption. Manmohan had also filled his speech with his promises to fight corruption. He didn’t make any other promises this time as he usually did in past such as making Mumbai a Shanghai and forgot. Why does the government promise if it can’t deliver? If one compiles the promises made in last seven years from Red Fort or in Budget speeches and sees its present status, the truth will show its effectiveness. Is it not a dishonesty of those who promise? Let me give some promises. According one, all villages above 2000 of population were to have a bank facility. Similarly, all villages were to have a knowledge kiosk with computer, internet and broadband. Where are they?

I had written about the targets of Manmohan’s pet project Bharat Nirman. Has it provided the electricity to the number of villages it promised? Yes, it has at least installed boards declaring that the village is covered by RGGVP. However, the village hardly gets electricity even for an hour or two a day.

The police have denied permission for holding fast to Anna. Is it not against all democratic norms? On one hand even in his speech, Mammohan said, “I am aware of the differences of opinion on some aspects of the bill. Those who don’t agree with this bill can put forward their views to Parliament, political parties and even the press.” I am sure Anna has done only that. But why should Manmohan not allow his points of views to be discussed by MPs?

I am sure that the politicians, its administrators and corporate executives must perceive that they are fast damaging their brand images among the people or so called aam aadami. They are playing with fire. It will cause a serious damage to the dream of the nation to become a super economy.

Why is Manmohan trying to upset the cart of reform that he is credited to initiate? Can’t he understand the mood of the people?

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7T2

Posted on August 14, 2011 by indra

I had called OP Khanna to acknowledge his mail inviting for the golden jubilee meet of our batch mates of IIT. He mentioned in that the special significance of the occasion by reminding that ‘as we are all 70 and above, we don’t know when we meet next’. I mentioned to him not to bother: ‘We will meet perhaps in that ultimate much better or real challenging place, designed by the Almighty’. He understood and we laughed for some time.

As I look back, I realise that I have lived my life in semesters. Most of the semesters are now part of history. It started with a tribal childhood in the rural remote village. It had been exciting. Each semester, be it in the ever shifting school of Pipra, in Birlapur Vidyalaya of the industrial town on the bank of Hooghly River, in the prestigious Presidency College now University, Calcutta, or in the first Indian Institute of Technology started in Hijli prison premises celebrating its diamond jubilee this year, and then in the automobile manufacturing company of Hindustan Motors that pioneered car making, have been unique. I battled and enjoyed each of them well. I am now in the end semesters with its own surprises and excitement as well as small little skirmishes. I don’t know where it will end, and what will I score and how will I be judged. But as it will be others to judge, so I hardly bother.

Thanks a lot to all who have wished me on the occasion and also to those who would have wished but forgotten to do that. As I do. Thanks again.

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Auto Industry: Trends over the Years

Posted on August 12, 2011 by indra

The country intends of raising the share of manufacturing in its GDP or in its economic output to 25% from the existing level of 14% in next twenty years.

As estimated, one sixth of Indian manufacturing is connected with automobiles.

Over the years, the two Indian car manufacturing companies that had once the monopoly of the car business have almost eclipsed. Manufacturers from all major car producing nations, be it American GM and Ford, German BMW, Mercedes, VW or Audi, French Renault or Italian Fiat, Japanese Suzuki, Toyota, Honda and South Korean Hyundai have set up its manufacturing plants in India. Suzuki was the real pioneer to come with Maruti Udyog in 1982

Interestingly, Suzuki that was skeptical even in as late as 1990s in manufacturing the gears for its transmission in India are not only manufacturing gear boxes and engines but putting in all the critical components manufactured by Indian auto components’ vendors.

Most pf the MNCs have now established its research and development centres in India. Some are developing its platforms in India that are meant for global market.

Some like Hyundai, Suzuki and Ford are exporting from India in pretty large quantities.

Surprisingly, from among the Indian manufacturers, Tata Motors and Mahindra and Mahindra have entered in the passenger car manufacturing and competing well with the MNCs. Tata’s Nano made all the global auto experts to rethink about India’s potential.

Almost seven out of every car manufactured in India are still petrol ones. But the demand of diesel cars is on increase with integration of better technologies making its driving experience closer to that of a petrol car and its superiority related to emission. Further today a diesel car travels 25 to 30 % farther for the same amount of fuel. Many manufacturers such as Hyundai and Suzuki have set up seaparte facilities for manufacturing diesel engines.

The growth of Indian passenger car business was very good till May this year.

Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam) estimated the extra addition of 5 million new employees between now and 2012, to support the ever-increasing demand for new vehicles. But sudden upheaval in the global economy and the increase of interest rates and fuel prices may cause a slowdown and revision of growth story. However, that may only be a temporary one.
Labour is still 10 to 20% of the overall cost of manufacturing. While cheap labour has gone in favour of India as manufacturing destination, labour problems including its militancy are the irritants that require careful handling with collective understanding and long term consequences in mind.

MNCs such as General Motors intend to bring in Chinese auto manufacturers through back doors. I think there are already too many players. Following Chinese, further entries must end.

As Americans, Indian younger generation is increasingly buying bigger cars and more SUVs. Inside the habitations, the parking is getting more and more difficult and so is the congestion in market areas.

Cars still remain the status symbol. Perhaps that is one of the reasons for Nano not generating the expected demand. Is it not a malady that a huge SUV or a big car is seen to go for buying few loafs of breads or a bagful of vegetables in this time of energy crisis?

M& M will launch a smaller Xylo and Maruti Suzuki may come out with a mini SUV to satisfy the need of customers who are also to commute on rough roads. Maruti could have used Gypsy platform with a better body work and a little more powerful drive trains.

India is still far behind in hybrid or electric cars. Mandatory and challenging targets for the fuel efficiency of the cars on the line of American may also be coming soon. It, however, may put Indian domestic manufacturers at certain disadvantages.

India’s contribution in innovations and auto design is still limited. I wish there would have been at least two more players in the car manufacturing. I still feel morose about Hindustan Motors disappearance from the race. And that was just because of poor management.

Let me hope India becomes a leader in the auto industry.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Auto Industry: Trends over the Years

Posted on August 12, 2011 by indra

The country intends of raising the share of manufacturing in its GDP or in its economic output to 25% from the existing level of 14% in next twenty years.

As estimated, one sixth of Indian manufacturing is connected with automobiles.

Over the years, the two Indian car manufacturing companies that had once the monopoly of the car business have almost eclipsed. Manufacturers from all major car producing nations, be it American GM and Ford, German BMW, Mercedes, VW or Audi, French Renault or Italian Fiat, Japanese Suzuki, Toyota, Honda and South Korean Hyundai have set up its manufacturing plants in India. Suzuki was the real pioneer to come with Maruti Udyog in 1982

Interestingly, Suzuki that was skeptical even in as late as 1990s in manufacturing the gears for its transmission in India are not only manufacturing gear boxes and engines but putting in all the critical components manufactured by Indian auto components’ vendors.

Most pf the MNCs have now established its research and development centres in India. Some are developing its platforms in India that are meant for global market.

Some like Hyundai, Suzuki and Ford are exporting from India in pretty large quantities.

Surprisingly, from among the Indian manufacturers, Tata Motors and Mahindra and Mahindra have entered in the passenger car manufacturing and competing well with the MNCs. Tata’s Nano made all the global auto experts to rethink about India’s potential.

Almost seven out of every car manufactured in India are still petrol ones. But the demand of diesel cars is on increase with integration of better technologies making its driving experience closer to that of a petrol car and its superiority related to emission. Further today a diesel car travels 25 to 30 % farther for the same amount of fuel. Many manufacturers such as Hyundai and Suzuki have set up seaparte facilities for manufacturing diesel engines.

The growth of Indian passenger car business was very good till May this year.

Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam) estimated the extra addition of 5 million new employees between now and 2012, to support the ever-increasing demand for new vehicles. But sudden upheaval in the global economy and the increase of interest rates and fuel prices may cause a slowdown and revision of growth story. However, that may only be a temporary one.
Labour is still 10 to 20% of the overall cost of manufacturing. While cheap labour has gone in favour of India as manufacturing destination, labour problems including its militancy are the irritants that require careful handling with collective understanding and long term consequences in mind.

MNCs such as General Motors intend to bring in Chinese auto manufacturers through back doors. I think there are already too many players. Following Chinese, further entries must end.

As Americans, Indian younger generation is increasingly buying bigger cars and more SUVs. Inside the habitations, the parking is getting more and more difficult and so is the congestion in market areas.

Cars still remain the status symbol. Perhaps that is one of the reasons for Nano not generating the expected demand. Is it not a malady that a huge SUV or a big car is seen to go for buying few loafs of breads or a bagful of vegetables in this time of energy crisis?

M& M will launch a smaller Xylo and Maruti Suzuki may come out with a mini SUV to satisfy the need of customers who are also to commute on rough roads. Maruti could have used Gypsy platform with a better body work and a little more powerful drive trains.

India is still far behind in hybrid or electric cars. Mandatory and challenging targets for the fuel efficiency of the cars on the line of American may also be coming soon. It, however, may put Indian domestic manufacturers at certain disadvantages.

India’s contribution in innovations and auto design is still limited. I wish there would have been at least two more players in the car manufacturing. I still feel morose about Hindustan Motors disappearance from the race. And that was just because of poor management.

Let me hope India becomes a leader in the auto industry.

Posted in economy, industry, management, manufacturing | Leave a comment

Land Acquisition Act- Some Serious Ticklish Issues

Posted on August 10, 2011 by indra

Jairam Ramesh’s draft bill has proposed a three-in- one bill for land acquisition, compensation, rehabilitation and resettlement, and is known as The National Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2011.

The bill provides compensation not only to the landowners but also for those whose livelihoods depend on the land up for acquisition such as agriculture labour or artisans.

Mamta brought this third dimension of compensation in Singur. Land compensation normally would have gone to the land owners only. But in Bengal the left government had given the land to actual tillers through its famed land reform. But the government didn’t change the ownerships to those tillers and the zamindars, the original land lords, remained as its land owners in the government records. Many zamindars, who had lost their land many years ago, got a good amount of money.

Even today, many states have neither updated the land records nor put it on internet. With India’s might of IT, the records must be digitized as priority. Now the land owners must press for it.

Another problem will also be with getting the consent of 80% of the land owners or perhaps all affected. With land holding becoming marginal around one hectare or less, the number of persons involved will be pretty large. Unscrupulous will become middle men and play havoc with this situation.

I fail to understand how effectively the livelihood losers can be enumerated. Will the government be able to create an effective data? With many villagers following varied means of earnings in different places, it will be next to impossible. It will again create ghost list of livelihood losers and thereby benefiting the middlemen or officers with unscrupulous intentions and expertise of manipulating the system. How will the government control it or should we conclude that the government intends to get their men benefited?

Land acquisition policies that have come out from some states, be it Gujarat, Haryana and then Uttar Pradesh have tried to outdo each other. Will the states when a new party comes in power again make it more attractive and pay from backdates? Will it be part of manifestos of the political party? Will Jairam’s bill supersede all the state’s policies?

Jairam must try through the bill the acquisition transparent, as it involves a lot of black money changes hands. It mustn’t make the acquisition a bottleneck in the overall process of country’s development through industrialization and urbanization process as it is today when around $ 300 or more worth of projects waiting for getting the land in hand for the projects to start.

It’s good thing that Jairam makes it a feather in its government cap. His compensation proposals in the bill are really attractive and will be liked.

But will the bill make the compensation a onetime deal and no demand for additional compensation be allowed through collective protest? The bill must also provide a strict timeframe for using the land for the project to put a pressure for speedy implementation.

And the private companies must not be allowed to dispose of the land acquired for the public purpose at any time in gainful manner that has been observed.

But under the present system of working of the parliament, when can the people of India expect the land bill to be implemented?

Posted in economy, governance | Leave a comment

Land Acquisition Act- Some Serious Ticklish Issues

Posted on August 10, 2011 by indra

Jairam Ramesh’s draft bill has proposed a three-in- one bill for land acquisition, compensation, rehabilitation and resettlement, and is known as The National Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2011.

The bill provides compensation not only to the landowners but also for those whose livelihoods depend on the land up for acquisition such as agriculture labour or artisans.

Mamta brought this third dimension of compensation in Singur. Land compensation normally would have gone to the land owners only. But in Bengal the left government had given the land to actual tillers through its famed land reform. But the government didn’t change the ownerships to those tillers and the zamindars, the original land lords, remained as its land owners in the government records. Many zamindars, who had lost their land many years ago, got a good amount of money.

Even today, many states have neither updated the land records nor put it on internet. With India’s might of IT, the records must be digitized as priority. Now the land owners must press for it.

Another problem will also be with getting the consent of 80% of the land owners or perhaps all affected. With land holding becoming marginal around one hectare or less, the number of persons involved will be pretty large. Unscrupulous will become middle men and play havoc with this situation.

I fail to understand how effectively the livelihood losers can be enumerated. Will the government be able to create an effective data? With many villagers following varied means of earnings in different places, it will be next to impossible. It will again create ghost list of livelihood losers and thereby benefiting the middlemen or officers with unscrupulous intentions and expertise of manipulating the system. How will the government control it or should we conclude that the government intends to get their men benefited?

Land acquisition policies that have come out from some states, be it Gujarat, Haryana and then Uttar Pradesh have tried to outdo each other. Will the states when a new party comes in power again make it more attractive and pay from backdates? Will it be part of manifestos of the political party? Will Jairam’s bill supersede all the state’s policies?

Jairam must try through the bill the acquisition transparent, as it involves a lot of black money changes hands. It mustn’t make the acquisition a bottleneck in the overall process of country’s development through industrialization and urbanization process as it is today when around $ 300 or more worth of projects waiting for getting the land in hand for the projects to start.

It’s good thing that Jairam makes it a feather in its government cap. His compensation proposals in the bill are really attractive and will be liked.

But will the bill make the compensation a onetime deal and no demand for additional compensation be allowed through collective protest? The bill must also provide a strict timeframe for using the land for the project to put a pressure for speedy implementation.

And the private companies must not be allowed to dispose of the land acquired for the public purpose at any time in gainful manner that has been observed.

But under the present system of working of the parliament, when can the people of India expect the land bill to be implemented?

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Anna Wave: Dissenting Voices and Worries

Posted on August 10, 2011 by indra
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Posted on August 9, 2011 by indra

I wish Anna or some other of his stature, may be Shri Shri Ravi Sankar go for fast and that too immediately. However, I want it for a different reason.

Parliament monsoon session has started. But even on the second day MPs didn’t work. Many urgent bills must go through fast because most of them are of national importance.

Corruption and land acquisition are two very important issues. The government and opposition must come out with the bill that sort out the problems that are holding up the growth of the country and damaging its image globally. Similarly, some other bills related to the accountability of judiciary, education sector and finance are also equally important.

Media has already made the Lokpal Bill, Acquisition and Rehabilitation Bill and Women Reservation Bill country wide known. Eleven education-related bills pending in Parliament include the Foreign Educational Institutions (regulations on entry and operation) bill, prohibition of unfair practices in technical educational institutions, medical educational institutions and universities bill, and the educational tribunal bill. Four important and pending finance-related bills are Banking Laws Amendment Bill, Factoring and Assignment of Receivables Bill, Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Bill, Insurance laws Amendment Bill and Life insurance Corporation Bill.

Break the convention, let the parliament work for 16 hours and all days of the week till all the bills are cleared and that too in a manner that the experts don’t call it hasty junks. Let all those parliamentarians who can contribute must participate.
Can the parliamentarians for a change prove that they can work to efficiently and effectively?

If they are not ready to work and solve the problems that are so critical to the nation, let the people make them do that through any innovative way through Gandhigiri or hero of the parliament or even through mass fast.

Let the Prime Minister and the leader of opposition realize that the country men are not interested in knowing whose cupboards are having more skeletons or whose quivers are having more and sharper arrows. They want them and their colleagues in government and parliament to solve the gigantic problems the nation is facing. They want them to take the country ahead.

Let them appreciate they are not being paid by the nation for excelling over each other by being argumentative but to solve the bottlenecks of the country that is holding the country back to compete with other developed and developing countries.

People are getting restless. Please don’t test their patience any more.

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