ANECDOTES ON ENVIRONMENT

ANECDOTES ON ENVIRONMENT-A SHORT JOURNEY INTO THE PAST         

Post retirement activities can be very challenging and occasionally very stimulating and satisfying too. Faced as I am, with wide ranging activities , I declined an invitation to be on a distinguished panel of experts on Environment- an occasion designed to involve corporates, educationists, academics and students- in the cause of protecting the environment.

A young but determined founder of a NGO for Tree Planting, who was the organizer of the event, refused to accept my plea of ignorance. He repeatedly drew my attention to the sterling work undertaken by the Armed forces of India, towards protecting and improving our environment. Confronted by a fiercely committed young man, I was obliged to put my thinking cap on, so that in the presence of highly qualified experts, I could voice a layman’s perspective of the last 60 years, before articulating the determination displayed by the Armed Forces to fight all types of pollution in regard to environment.

Thanks to this unique call, I was able to journey into my past to introspect based on my observations; also with hind sight. This blog only covers the journey backwards in time. Perhaps many of you of my vintage can relate to my experience. If so, we stand exposed, as those who let down the next generation, on crucial issues pertaining to protection of our environment.

Economists will tell us the relationship between per capita income and the will to address environment related issues. It is said that crossing the barrier of US Dollar 5000(in PPP terms) is significant in appreciating the need to address pollution related problems and taking proactive measures to reduce damage to the environment. My early child hood memories are all about villages’ enroute to coffee estates of the south. Poor and illiterate as they were, their commitment to Mother Nature was so rich and their folk lore and anecdotes so telling on the need to protect the environment from all forms of pillage and plundering, that it had indeed left a deep impression on my sub-conscious mind. Nothing to do with income or affluence? We were taught at every stage to understand flora and fauna, coexist with nature, use herbal medicines for all forms of diseases, and appreciate the interdependence of humans with flora and fauna. Most of all we were urged to pass on by word of mouth so that knowledge acquired over centuries is not forgotten or obliterated in the name of modern science.

If Yajnavalkya Smriti the Indian Text on State craft and Jurisprudence, written in 5^th century AD had a chapter on the ill effects of felling trees and Kautalya’s Arthashashtra had advice on Forest Administration, why and how did we lose track of our responsibilities towards protecting environment.?

Continuing with the past, if I were to list the positives of our way of life in 1950’s, some features stand out. Discipline and strict adherence to rule of law were cornerstones of life. Even a simple Government run school in a taluka,was clean, well maintained and well managed. The teachers were dedicated to the profession and hence were much respected in the community. Punishments to erring students were instant and the support of the parents to enforce such punishments was unshakeable. Great emphasis was laid on environment consciousness and customs and traditions. Energy efficiency even when electricity was inaccessible was ingrained in us. Gobar, camphor, thatched roofs etc were eco friendly pesticides, insecticides and renewable and affordable ingredients of consumption. Rivers and lakes were kept spotlessly clean-no plastics, no effluents, least of all human and animal faeces. Quality of water down -stream was the responsibility of those dwelling up stream. Water holes and ponds were kept clean by village and town administrators who were always at the service of the people. Trees were never harmed.

And then came the rat-race of my generation. Urbanisation, unruly, unplanned spread of towns and cities and a strong urge to look outwards(towards the west) rather than learn from our past. Overpowering consumerism and wanton destruction of the environment soon followed. Rest is history.

The silver lining is the reappearance of a little emphasis on the subject, in schools. My 13 year old granddaughter can lecture me on how to protect our environment and show our concern for the generations to follow. There is hope. After the terrible destruction caused during WW1&2, in particular, destruction of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, have we not recovered and to a great extent alleviated horrors of such destruction? Let us put our shoulders to the wheel, no matter how weak!

Abhishek, this is dedicated to you and your gallant friends.

(753 words)

CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS

UNIVERSAL TRADITIONS OF THE MILITARY

NEED FOR INTROSPECTION

The recent sequence of events with respect to the Army and the Government of India (GOI) that enabled the media to make hay,, perhaps points to the immaturity of a young nation state. What we have learnt in six decades of democratic governance cannot offset the experience gained by mature, older democracies. With the well documented example and experience of other successful democracies available we could perhaps have compressed the learning curve. But we have not fought a great war lasting many years and, what is more, one which perforce involved the entire population, if not in the actual conduct of war, then in mitigating the consequences of such conflict. In the absence of mature and informed leadership, both political/ bureaucractic as well as military, which has barely had time to groom officers as a result of long and continuous involvement in fighting insurgents, we could not have avoided the present situation.

Since the skills imparted to officers basically relate to the “management of violence”, some common qualities bind them. They undergo a rigorous process of selection and training which prepares them for a special career. They are taught to suppress their own needs and aspirations for the greater cause of their units, academy, service, and nation-as the case may be. Second, they are systematically trained, through courses designed to provide “just in time” inputs to shoulder the next higher assignment. Intellectual and technological inputs are an integral part of all mid-career courses. Third, no individual, irrespective of his brilliance, can replace the military officer by lateral induction, whereas the military officer can within a short span of time step into any other vocation. Hence, a commercial pilot cannot replace an Air Force fighter or transport pilot, while the reverse is possible.

Management of violence is an integral part of the grooming process of Military officers all over the world. Higher assignments in which strategic and policy requirements entail control over large forces, can only be handled by those with sufficient exposure and stature gained through long service. This is axiomatic and hence universally accepted.

The license to practise his military profession is granted by a Commissioning Parchment signed by no less than the President of the country. Just as a Doctor cannot practise without his license, a Military Officer is not recognised without his Commissioning Parchment.

Since the profession is unique and management of violence needs to be well regulated, the state monopolises the Military. The military, in turn, is expected to perform only such functions as have a socially approved purpose. It is in this context that I quote Samuel Huntington, “The employment of his expertise promiscuously for his own advantage would wreck the fabric of society”.

So, the military uses a combination of rules, regulations, instructions, etc, to create a cohesive, disciplined and dependable force. Traditions in particular constitute a cementing force. Military ethos, discipline and swift punishment to erring personnel are the hallmark of any well managed force.

While society expects the highest standards of probity and loyalty to the nation from a soldier, it has in return to ensure that the soldier is reasonably well paid, not only whilst in service but cared for after his retirement. The recent unresolved issues pertaining to one rank-one pay and soldiers returning their medals on the streets of the capital are symptoms of a deep- rooted sense of neglect and injustice. Manifestations of this hurt are bound to surface until the root cause is addressed.

When an officer joins the forces he willy-nilly surrenders some of his fundamental rights. Freedom of speech, freedom of association with foreign nationals and the freedom directly to access the media are but a few examples. If, however, redressal mechanisms prove inadequate and justice is deemed to be denied, the best course of action suggested to the Military is to shed the uniform and resort to legal remedies. This is a tradition and a strong one at that. Gen MacArthur, arguably the most popular U.S General at that point in time in 1951 did not seek justice from courts of law when he was sacked. He merely faded away. So did Gen Michael Dugan, who was sacked in 1990, during the Gulf War for making irresponsible statement to the media. Gen Mc Chrystal’s sacking is the most recent case of assertion in the U.S. of Civilian authority over the Military. They did not seek justice from courts of law.

We have had our share of defiance even in our short history. Equally we had a Manekshaw who handled a very difficult politico-military confrontation with great élan. While Manekshaw fought for the cause of the armed forces and not for himself or his promotion, the others who chose to break established and valuable traditions of the Military, perhaps, did not fight for a socially approved cause.. We can only hope that it does not confuse young officers and tempt them to take to legal recourse, in the belief that such actions are lawful and a fundamental right. Fortunately our courts are well aware of the executive’s functions and the powers exercised by superiors in the military hierarchy.

The responsibilities of the soldier to the State and those of the State to the soldier need to be inculcated in Officers while under training and parliamentarians and commentators should be more generally groomed to protect the soldier’s interests. Civilian control of the military has historically been exercised by Parliament. This is done through Ministers, constituting as they do, the political executive, and by bodies such as the Cabinet Committee on Security.  Repeatedly complaining that the bureaucracy has usurped these powers as politicians are reluctant to deal directly with the military, reflects poorly both on such politicians and Military personnel. This issue must be resolved at the earliest through well considered processes already suggested by numerous committees such as the Kargil Review Committee.

Even as we refine and evolve our structures, it is essential to ensure that the Armed forces remain apolitical, secular and unique as they are meant to be.

How Institutions are Destroyed

PLUNDERING OF INSTITUITIONS BY A BLUNDERING GOVERNMENT-NOW THE ARMY: 

January 19th, 2012 | Professionals Party of India

Just when we felt that we had seen it all, the Government in power (PPI likes to call it “Government in office”) decides to prove us wrong. Every Institution so carefully built to protect the citizen and provide good governance is being embarrassed or neutered systematically..CVC, CAG, UPSC, Minorities commission, Election Commission, etal. Rampant corruption, non adherence to well outlined procedures and practices and lack of coherence in decision making have been exacerbated by ‘foot-in-mouth’ disease  of senior Ministers and inability to communicate and connect with the Nation when it was most required.
The saga of age controversy of the Army Chief is perhaps the last straw. There is not a country in the world which could have blundered and prevaricated in the manner that this Government has. All it needed was good communications with the Army Headquarters and decisive action without delay.
The story of this controversy has been discussed adnauseam, thanks to the media. PPI would merely look to focus on the lessons of this episode with the sole objective of underscoring the importance of Good Governance. 
The Army has undoubtedly created a situation which should not have been referred to the Govt in the first instance. The systemic inadequacies and delineation of duties between two principal divisions i.e.MS branch and Adjutant General would have by now been addressed and corrected to avoid such embarrassments in future.
What needs to be addressed is the Civil-Military relation in the Indian Context, which has shown a continuous down slide since Independence. The containment of Service Headquarters by the Ministry of defence, relegating the service headquarters to an attached office status with neither decision making powers nor adequate financial powers, are some of the reasons pointed out by various committees set up by Governments in the past. These recommendations have not been implemented or selectively implemented to maintain status quo.
The Kargil review committee chaired by late Sri K Subrahmanium,a reputed Security analyst, had recommended integrating the Ministry of Defence with the service headquarters so that policy making bodies are a mix of civilian and Military personnel and seamless functioning is facilitated for better planning and deployment of our scarce resources. Had it been implemented in letter and spirit, there would have been no differences between the MOD and the services, since they would have been one entity.
There are some seminal lessons on which the Govt needs to concentrate instead of knocking at the doors of Supreme Court. Do read the Security Manifesto of PPI. You will notice we have underscored institutional remedies, such as integration, many years ago. Don’t you want professionals in Govt. Do not shun politics if you want your children to have a happy life.

SEMINAR ON PIRACY AT KARACHI

Despite all the right noises that Diplomats and politicians make on both sides of the Indo-Pak border,a genuine visitor still has to go through a harrowing experience to merely seek a visa.The situation is perhaps the same whether you are an Indian or a Pakistani who wants to cross the border.People to people contact which has been on the priority list for decades has made no progress whatsoever,as I discovered during a recent memorable visit to Karachi.

The organizers of a seminar on "The Human Face of Piracy" which was jointly conceived by a group of Indians and Pakistanis and supported by Dalhousie University of Canada(which has done seminal work on the subject) NDU of USA and conducted at the campus of Bahria University at Karachi;, were determined to ensure that the two players(India and Pakistan) who contribute substantial seafarers to the Merchant Marine participated in the seminar. To those who are not aware of the complications of conducting a seminar in either Pakistan or India, let me explain.The respective Ministries of External Affairs and Internal security have to scrutinize the proposal and satisfy their "curiosity" on why it should be held in the first instance. Thereafter the participants from India/Pakistan have to submit all their papers defining their profession and interests while filling the visa appliction form-which by itself is a very unique one. It becomes more complex if the applicant had anything to do with the Armed forces or other "Interesting Services" run by the respective Governments.

Adhering to every rule laid down by our Govts, the organizers processed each of the papers and followed it up at regular intervals. But then there is a very strict code of conduct based on the principle of quid pro quo-which somehow conspires to harass the applicant till almost the day of departure.People tp people contact is just not on the agenda of our officials who continue to treat every visitor as a possible threat to national security.   All this when the youth and the electronic media- enabled citizens  on bothsides have moved on from the post partition trauma. The information flow which cannot easily be controlled has brought about a realistic assessment of each others intentions and capabilities. That ,India under sustained democratic polity has gained substantially in all walks of life, is an acknowledged fact at the' people- level.' There is quite a desire to see what has empowered India to enable her to leverage her soft power under the overarching umbrella of economic growth. There is genuine desire to participate in a similar growth venture through exchange of ideas rather than confrontation through outdated and bankrupt politico-military strategies which have kept the two apart.
 How will any of us know that such a desire among the youth of Pakistan in particular is going viral, unless we visit each other as tourists,businessmen,scientists,scholars and simply professionals.
This visit of mine after a lapse of 25 years bewildered me.There were no signs of violence on the streets of Karachi as one is made to believe by the media. The students,a large cross section of them,were as global in their thinking as they were gizmo savvy. A mirror image of an upper middle class section of India.Commerce,business,bollywood,music,the Delhi Metro,the new international airports of Delhi,Bengaluru and Hyderabad etc were the subjects of curious and admiring youth with a strong desire to visit. Why not study in one of the IIM's or IIT's. When can we travel freely? Can we stay with you? These were the exchanges and not religion,mullas,fundamentalism or even talibanisation-not even mentioned in passing. They are too busy looking ahead at their future prospects and appear to have little or no time to worry about possibility of a failed state.

 Had I not been there during the regime of President Zia, I would not have pinched myself so many imes to remind myself that I was indeed in Karachi. Some may say that Karachi was always different-the Mumbai of Pakistan where the next meal was more important than everything else. But then the spontaneous warmth, the ready engagement even after being told that I was an Indian and the tears at farewell cannot easily be enacted. In any case at 65, I have seen enough to judge what is genuine. I suggest you judge for yourself when the borders are opened with a new vias regime. I am told it is round the corner.!!That will be the beginning of a new era in the sub-continent. 

SAM RETURNS-A MIRACULOUS EPISODE

Under tragic circumstances,when the whole family was stunned by the sudden departure of Sam, our African Grey,I blogged on 04 January and promised to say more when he returns. I had used the title "--God's Gift"-- without perhaps understanding the significance of my statement. Here is the narrative of what transpired between the 3rd of January and 30 jan when we finally recovered him about 15 kms from our residence. Those who question the existence of God in whatever form, may want to study the narrative to interpret the events in scientific terms, if possible. I couldn't.
Assuming that Parrots tend to remain in the vicinity of their abode, we concentrated on all the residential colonies in the vicinity by circulating posters and using the Internet.While cable TV carried an advertisement and a picture, Geeta,visited every apartment and spoke to occupants,drivers, domestic staff and car cleaners. We had hoped that Sam would enter one of the many hundred apartments near NIBM,which is also surrounded by a forest area. We found a great deal of sympathy,understanding and concern from pet lovers. A number of sighting calls followed and each had to be attended to.
Geeta had already contacted Pundits in three cities through close relatives and lovers of Sam.Surprisingly,all the predictions had one thing in common,that Sam was alive and in captivity. One even ventured to suggest that he had entered a friendly home. Most of them rated our chances of recovering Sam at 98%.
A week is about the outer limit for Sam to survive in an alien environment being an African and so with each passing day theoretically the percentage of survival diminished rather rapidly in my mind.

Sam Bangara is a legend in the family. Many had started prayers and poojas and vows to St Antony. Jakarta and Singapore had joined the prayer campaign . Geeta as a mother, could never accept that we had lost him. So she started a news paper campaign localised to Kondhwa, our area of Pune.Predictably, many sighting calls followed with no results.Scouring through news paper advertisement, Geeta established a link with a well educated lady numerologist/rekhi expert. An appointment for 30 minutes dragged on to an hour and a half. The lady claimed to feel the vibrations of Sam and recommended a few measures to locate him including a special pooja at an unique Hanuman temple. On 29th, when most of us had reconciled to the inevitability of the tragic loss supported by a sudden absence of sighting reports, the tenacious wife of mine,went in for another round of newspaper ads, which also contained a picture and a vivid description of Sam and his favourite hobby of calling out names of those close to him.He had adopted our part -time maid Renuka as one who was at his service. He often called her with a loud authoritative voice and when he wanted her to humour him she became his "Bahu". This call was a gentle and a loving one reserved only for her. Hence the newspaper advertisement included 'Renuka' as part of Sam's  repertoire of vocabulary.

On 30th we get a call from a young lady who announced that Sam had travelled to their house about 15 kms away and had entered their first floor residence full of pets, in a thickly populated residential colony, at the IT city of Magarpatta.Our visit to the Rosario family and a joyful reunion with Sam, could form the part of a full story. He could not have found a better house to take shelter after five days in the wilderness,exhuasted, hungry and having been attacked. He entered their house on 07 January and was well cared for till the young Rosario chanced upon the newspaper advertisement lying on the table of a friend in Kondhwa. The name Renuka rang a bell!!!!!

Sam is back and all the vows made are being honoured at temples,gurudwara and churches in many cities.Secularism and faith in all religions were on display throughout.. The most sympathetic calls and a ready heart to help came from the followers of Islam,whose gracious houses we did visit on receipt of sighting calls. Many knew only our cell numbers and not our names and we visited their homes without asking for their names.

Two striking features of this episode are worth noting.Not a single Pundit,priest. numerologist etc accepted any fee from us for their efforts. They simply attributed their free service, to the divine qualities of Sam who in their appreciation was sent to us by powers beyond human comprehension.How else can you explain how Sam entered the first floor apartment of the Rosario's, which in a maze of hundreds of multi-storey buildings is  not even visible from the air. In fact there is a small gap in the sequestered balcony of the house in which live a number of birds and four dogs in perfect harmony. Can you explain the series of coincidences in retrieving Sam?. Or was it a miracle which had been pre ordained. Indeed Sam is Gods gift to us and so we continue to bask in His glory. 

THE AGE ROW

THE AGE ROW-AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A NEW BEGINNING

Both the Army and the Government have cut a sorry figure, having brought in the media and the Court to solve what was essentially an in-house problem. The Army failed to remedy a mundane institutional weakness which caused two separate departments i.e. the Military Secretary who is responsible for career planning, promotions and postings of all officers and the Adjutant General who is the custodian of all records including personal data of officers at the time of induction, to clash and embarrass the whole nation. Incidentally, such a division does not exist in the Navy and Air force as the Personnel department is wholly accountable for all aspects including record keeping of their personnel.

The Media, both print and electronic participated with much enthusiasm and held kangaroo courts to condemn those involved in precipitating the age row concerning no less a person than the Chief of the Army Staff of India. .. While this saga has created much confusion within the Armed forces, the civilians are amused with the hullabaloo, over what they perceive to be a mole hill with no consequence whatsoever. All they want is to see the right general officer placed in the exalted chair of COAS.

For those of us who have spent decades on the subject of Civil-Military relations and the absence of a healthy and productive interface between the Govt and the Armed forces, it came as no surprise. The two imperatives that shape the military institution are, ‘functional’, stemming from the threat to society and ‘societal’ consisting of social forces, ideologies and institutions. In a democracy, these are evolving processes based on the experience gained during wars and the care and attention paid to the soldier to make soldiery a special and exalted profession. India has had very little of both. India has not been involved in long drawn out and debilitating wars which perforce involve the entire nation and demand the participation of all able bodied citizens in direct battle or support functions. In countries which faced hardships of great wars, a generation or more of people with knowledge of affairs Military, have made significant contributions towards preparedness for war. While those governments have utilized their expertise to plan the shape and size of the Armed forces, the Private sector has used their competence to equip the Military with appropriate weapons, sensors and ordnance.

In the Indian context, very little has been discussed on the vital need to nurture healthy civil-military relations. Most politicians do not educate themselves on the nuances of handling a highly professional and motivated Military. Some have equated the Military and the Police without realizing the professional and cultural differences between them. Politicising the Police force has been quite routine but the damaging consequences of politicising the Armed forces have not even been adequately addressed. Consequently most political leaders are uncomfortable dealing with the military and issues of National security. The natural buffer between the two is the civil servant who interprets the Military message to the politician and the political message to the Military. It was therefore most convenient for all to discourage direct contact between the Prime Minister and the Chiefs. The latter ought to be interacting with senior political leadership on all matters pertaining to management of the Armed forces without the need to interface with a layer of bureaucracy. Hence the proposal to create a Chief of defence staff, providing financial and administrative powers to the Chiefs etc have been opposed on specious grounds whenever specially constituted committees recommended this course of action.

Since the end of the Great Wars and the Cold war, many Western democracies have created better functional structures such as, more integration to fight modern wars and delegated powers with checks and balances, all to get the best bang for the buck.

In India, many eminent committees have been tasked by governments in power to find solutions to improving efficiency of the system...Among the many recommendations made by the Subrahmaniam Committee after the Kargil action (which cannot be termed as a war) some crucial ones which would have significantly enhanced the fighting potential of our Armed forces through synergy and integration were ignored by successive Governments. Integrating the Ministry of defence with the service headquarters was one, which, if it had been carefully executed, would have acted as a  multiplier in terms of efficiently administering the Armed forces. Professionals from the services would have occupied desks which need to have knowledgeable personnel to service the complex matrix of demand versus limited resources. Suitably qualified civilian experts would have supported personnel related issues and those of logistics..

The age row, as the one on show today, would not have happened simply because the ministry would have been one entity and the “us versus them” syndrome would have been a thing of the past. This is how democracies in the west function today

Finally,, why has age assumed such importance in selecting a Chief? Many modern and forward looking administrations have opted for a combination of merit and age. In the Indian context anything to do with discretionary powers to select the best officer for the assignment is fraught with danger as none would trust a political set up to be objective and impartial.. Yet, if we are to find the right man for the exalted chair, just the seniority or date of birth cannot possibly be the right methodology. We then have to create institutional mechanisms with transparent processes to recommend the right man. This will ultimately remove the less capable from the race. Bangladesh has opted for a system of contract for the Chief which provides a relatively long tenure and the powers to the Govt to terminate the contract if necessary. It is worth learning from countries that are willing to think out of the box.

India cannot afford to blunder along without correcting processes and mechanisms that are critical to its stature in the comity of nations. We have enough committee reports on almost any subject. What is required is the will to professionalise our decision making process. Here is an opportunity begging to be grabbed. Will we?

.

MY SAM