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THE TIMES
A T H O U G H T F O R TO DAY
I

OF IDEAS

THE TIMES OF INDIA, NEW DELHI THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

Dont find fault, find a remedy.

HENRY FORD

Indias Achilles Heel

Dependence on foreign suppliers for military hardware is harming national security
Arun Prakash

Terror Is Back
Violence threatens to engulf J&K again unless all stakeholders counter separatist designs in unison

he terror attack on a CRPF camp in Srinagar on Wednesday the first such in three years the fracas in the Jammu & Kashmir assembly a day earlier and the wave of mass protests and strikes engineered by separatist outfits since Afzal Gurus hanging all taken together should leave no one in doubt about the volatile situation in the Valley . The terror attack brings into sharp focus the debate on the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). Across the political spectrum in the Valley , there is a demand to scrap it. The NC-led government, oddly enough, wants to replace it with an Act that empowers the state police with draconian powers. Its adversaries, predictably , have cried foul. After the terror attack, advocates of the retention of the AFSPA are likely to gain the upper hand. In the process, the trust deficit between the Centre and the Valley can only heighten. To make matters worse, the two leading parties in the state the National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party are engaged in a no-holds-barred game of one-upmanship to ensure that they arent outflanked by the separatists. So determined are they to establish their credentials as the true guardians of Kashmiri sentiments that, in a game of competitive populism thats in utter violation of their constitutional obligations, they have not hesitated to deploy anti-India rhetoric to press for the return of Afzal Gurus mortal remains to his family. This much should be obvious from the way they used the words shaheed and sahib as the prefix and suffix to Afzal Gurus name. The Congress, an alliance partner of the NC, objected, quite pertinently, to this language. So did the BJP and the Panthers Party. This is likely to further strain relations between the partners, even to breaking point. The fracas also underlines the extent to which sentiment in the Valley is at odds with that of Jammu and Ladakh. The Centre along with all parties in the state need to swiftly address the genuine concerns, interests and aspirations of people of all communities in all the regions of J&K. Otherwise violence and anarchy that had once engulfed the state aided and abetted by elements across the border threaten to make a comeback.

The latest episode of alleged corruption in a deal to purchase Italian helicopters for the IAFs VIP Squadron constitutes yet another blow to Indias national security. The most detrimental consequence of the ongoing probe into wrongdoing the CBI has registered a case yesterday is the harm that it will cause to the morale, cohesion and self-esteem of the armed forces. No matter what the final outcome of enquiries by the investigating agencies and past precedent shows that they rarely come to any definitive conclusion serious damage has already been done to this esteemed institution. However, a deeper malaise and far more toxic threat to national security, of which this incident is yet one more symptom, is Indias abject dependence on foreign sources for military hardware. It is no secret that the Indian armed forces are equipped, overwhelmingly, with platforms and systems acquired from Russia, Israel, the UK, France, Italy and the US, amongst others. Even when we claim that a tank, ship, submarine or aircraft is indigenously built, the fact that seldom emerges is that 70%-80% of the electronics, weaponry and other vital systems that go into it are imported. Indias past experience has clearly demonstrated the multiple penalties that we pay for this external dependence. The Comptroller and Auditor General, in his annual report to Parliament,

regularly highlights the proportion of our imported tanks, artillery, submarines, fighters and radars that are out of action, thus degrading the combat-readiness of our forces. There does not seem to be any appreciation of the stark fact that every piece of hardware that the Indian armed forces acquire from abroad places them at the mercy of the seller nation for 30-40 years thereafter. The nonchalance with which we continue to import huge quantities of arms not only undermines our security but renders all talk of strategic autonomy meaningless. India is fortunate to have a vast defence technology and in-

Rough skies ahead if we dont change course

Every piece of hardware that the Indian armed forces acquire from abroad places them at the mercy of the seller nation for 30-40 years thereafter
dustrial base (DTIB) which would be the envy of developed nations. This base comprises thousands of talented scientists working in a network of sophisticated DRDO laboratories backed by the advanced production facilities of the ordinance factories and defence public sector units (DPSUs). And yet, Indias DTIB has rendered our armed forces hollow by failing to deliver, for six decades, capabilities they direly need. A willing and capable private sector has been kept out of defence production while the DPSUs

have hoodwinked the nation with spurious claims of technology transfer and indigenisation. It is deeply disturbing to note that no one in Indias national security establishment, comprising the political leadership, scientists and bureaucrats, has seen fit to demand accountability for this gaping void in national capability. Worse still, no roadmap has been drawn up for attaining selfsufficiency in weapon systems. Indias massive arms imports constitute a double jeopardy for the nation. Not only do they constitute a serious security compromise, they also extract a heavy moral price as corruption scandals erupt with regularity, smearing the countrys good name and eroding its self-respect. Banning or blacklisting of arms companies alleged to be involved in malpractices may appear to be a dramatic antidote. But in reality, it is counterproductive

because it harms our security far more than the impugned firm. The armys artillery wing has not received a new gun for 30 years because the MoD has blacklisted every reputed gun manufacturer on the basis of allegations. By disarming ourselves in this manner, we are thoughtlessly fulfilling the fondest dreams of our adversaries. It is time for Indians to ask why every foreign arms manufacturer feels compelled to offer bribes in India even when marketing a product which could win the competition purely on its superior qualities or price. The answer is devastatingly simple: because they are convinced, and know from past precedent, that no arms deal ever goes through in India regardless of the products merit without kickbacks being paid. The only service that the so-called middlemen provide is to advise their principals whom to bribe how much.

So deep-rooted is this conviction amongst foreign companies that no amount of fiddling with defence procurement procedures or insistence on Integrity Pacts will deter them from offering bribes as insurance that their deal is not scuttled either by some influence-peddler in Delhis backalleys or by a frustrated rival. According to one viewpoint, parties across the political spectrum see the arms import business as a veritable golden goose for election funding, and are obviously loath to kill it by encouraging the indigenous arms industry. Since alleged scams come in handy to settle political scores, we have witnessed, since the 1980s, every single major defence contract getting embroiled in allegations of corruption and kickbacks. Consequently Indias defence modernisation has come to a grinding halt at a time when Chinas defence budget has hit a new high and AfPak poses a deadly potential menace. In this grave scenario, Indias decision-makers and politicians can take two major initiatives which will help salve wounded national pride and serve the cause of national security. One is to launch a 25-year public-private national mission to attain self-sufficiency in arms; if we start today, we may wean ourselves off foreign dependence by 2038. The other is to get all political parties to sign an Integrity Pact in which they will, in the national interest, undertake to treat defence purchases as sacrosanct and seek election funding from other sources.
The writer is former chief of the Indian Navy.

Green Shoots?
IIP improves, but big-ticket reforms needed to improve investment climate sustainably
ndustrial production rose 2.4% in January, marking a welcome break after two months of contraction. But to say this means green shoots in the economy may be a stretch. Capital goods output declined for the third successive month, a telltale sign of weak investment appetite. Cheer dissipates further on viewing minings poor show. Bad news has hit from elsewhere too: if car sales plunged in February, food prices pushed up retail inflation. PMEAC chairman C Rangarajan sees a stagflationary trend in Indias high inflation and slowing growth. The government must do more than solicit rate cuts from RBI. Easing monetary policy alone cant remedy the damage years of stalled reforms have done. Our economys structural warts are now so glaring, big-bang reforms are needed to revive the investment climate. We must move fast to streamline clearance-related regulations, push transparency in resource allocation as well as create reliable tax regimes and common markets to ease business transaction costs. Nor can we cling to outdated land acquisition and labour norms if industrys to expand rapidly. Moreover, with FDI dipping, we can no longer count on our image as a high-returns destination for stable capital inflows. Its said that increase or removal of FDI limits is being considered in sectors where such caps are pegged below 100%. Thats the kind of big-ticket signal overseas investors want. Lets however keep in mind that half-baked reform, as weve seen, doesnt work. For instance, the multi-brand retail FDI policy hasnt excited foreign retailers courtesy stringent entry-level caveats. Finally , lets accelerate disinvestment and open up coddled, scam-ridden sectors like coal to show were serious about fighting slowdown. Few will believe in our economys high growth potential unless we act like we do.

Four Australian players suspended from Test team for conduct breaches

Elite athletes, not test-takers

he Australian cricket team managements suspension of four players vice-captain Shane Watson, James Pattinson, Mitchell Johnson and Usman Khwaja has evoked disbelief and sniggers both within Australia and in the larger cricketing world. There is good cause for such reactions. The official reason given for the suspension is that the disgraced four failed to turn in a written exercise, a self-review of sorts demanded by coach Mickey Arthur, I T along with a few other conduct breaches. That athletes representing the country should be tossed out of the team for infractions like these is excessive and hurtful to team interests. This should not be the way of dealing with conduct breaches classified as minor. As any successful man manager will tell you, when you are handling a team of elites in a highly competitive, demanding environment, a one-size-fits-all approach is unlikely to work. Flexibility is called for. Some players may indeed respond to strict rules and regulations; others will not. The coachs job is to find out what works best

Tough action will help the team

grounds for taking action. The captain and the coach Mickey Arthur have already given a great deal of latitude to the young and inexperienced team. Clarkes disciplinary measure, in fact, seems all too reasonable. After all, no individual is bigger than the team and its collective welfare. The critics are unhappy with the captain for treating the cricketers like erring schoolboys and severely pulling them up I COUNTERVIEW I for not finishing homework. But then, why did Meghna Roy action is misplaced in light of the Austra- the quartet behave like rash and flighty lian captain Michael Clarkes public adolescents? They should have behaved statement that not making the presenta- like responsible adults and made the tion was not a one-off breach of the presentations within the mandated deadteam code of conduct. For instance, the line. Its plain bad attitude. cricketers in question have been guilty Cricket demands a certain measure of regularly violating basic disciplinary of discipline for those who play the norms, which has led to whats now being game to shine on the field. Irresponsible described as a cultural breakdown in behaviour, slackening of guard, bad Australian cricket. Heres a list of some attitude are all behavioural problems of the offences: showing up late for meet- that can hurt the teams performance. ings and training, missing important Neither the coach nor the captain can medical and physiotherapy appoint- afford to shrug off the problem as inconments. These are far from frivolous sequential.

for each player. Prowess on the field should count for more than prowess at off-field exercises. But Arthur is a man who, in his own words, considers back-chat or giving attitude among players problems. We need only look at

ustralias tough decision to drop four players just four months ahead of the next Ashes series, though controversial, could eventually be the right thing for the team. The bitter outrage over the

I M E S V I E WI
the Indian teams contrasting experiences with John Wright and Gary Kirsten both wise enough to understand that rigid discipline wasnt the best way to get the most out of the team and Greg Chappell. And as former Australian greats have pointed out, they managed to perform well without this fetishisation of discipline. What matters is how well players perform on the field. Suspending players for poor performance is one thing. But by suspending its best bowler and two players who havent even had a chance to play yet, the Australian team management may have shot their bolt.

Pull-it-sir
The day i came that close to the Pulitzer prize
Bachi Karkaria

SNAP JUDGMENT
Beauty Shouldnt Hurt As You Like It True Lies

The invitation drops out of the blue, which in present-day terms is nothing more poetic than your mailbox. As part of its centennial celebrations, the Columbia Journalism School asks if i would join them at a Showcase Weekend. Of course i would; its the media Gangotri. As it turns out, i get twice-blessed. While we do spend time in the dauntingly hands-on TV , radio and, yes, algorithm classes, the main venue is the World Room in the Pulitzer Hall. This is where the jury deliberates to pick the winners of what is arguably the Oscar of American journalism and literature, drama, music and photography . It outranks every other achievement, past or future, of its recipient. His or her obituary will always begin with XYZ, winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 19xx, was.... Blame it on Coca-colonialism, but the world swathes it in the same aura and awe. And arriving here quietly to tell us about it is the striking Sig Gissler, the present administrator of the awards and updater of Seymour Toppings seminal work on them and their legendary founder. Joseph Pulitzer, who fought corruption as unflinchingly as he did his competitors, also endowed this first university-level course for journalism. Gissler tells us of how Fedex trucks circled the building for days bringing in mountains of scrapbooks containing the entries. Since 2011, all the submissions and judging are online, and this room looks like a language lab with the headphones, laptops, etc. Then, i have the rare honour of sprinkling the fairy dust on the winners. At this Showcase Weekend, we scarily hear only of digital journalists never print ones, but it was only in 1999 that online presentations were permitted to supplement exhibits in the Public Service category which carries the iconic gold medal and no cash award; it is actually silver with gold plating, and is presented only to a media organisation, never to an individual. Online content in all categories wasnt eligible till 2006; and exclusively online media couldnt apply till 2009. The snow swirls and settles on the skeletal branches of the trees outside the large windows. But thats not why i feel a shiver in this austerely formidable room. You can almost sense the presence of the totemic Joseph Pulitzer, son of a wealthy Hungarian Jewish grain merchant and a German mother, who ran away at 17, and became a bounty recruit for the US Union Army , worked as a muleteer, baggage handler and waiter in St Louis while teaching himself English and the law at the Mercantile Library . There, in one of historys quirky moments, he astutely critiqued a move by a chess player who turned out to be editor of a leading German daily . He was offered a job, and four years later he became its publisher. Via a series of shrewd business deals, in 1878, he emerged as the owner of the St Louis PostDispatch, and then of the New York World. Joey the Jew from the St Louis mean streets had come a long way; in the phrase of old despatch journalism, there was MTF more to follow. The stained glass Window of the World from his old newspaper building dominates our meeting room. Pulitzer commissioned it when Frances gift of the Statue of Liberty was finally installed. Its pedestal could be completed only because of his high-octane crusade which in five months raised the needed balance of $1,00,000 from 1,20,000 men, women and children. Were told another story . Annoyed by the mess people made of his surname, hed point to his doorknob and tell the offender, Pull it, Sir thats the way its pronounced. Well, anyone with the push to have won his prize wouldnt need much pull to open any door. *** Alec Smart said: Ram Singh, Dont Rest in Peace.

he EU has banned the sale of cosmetics developed through animal testing. With the Bureau of Indian Standards and the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation already at work on the matter, India should do the same. Its unconscionable that rabbits, guinea pigs, mice and other animals have nail polish and toilet bowl cleaner dumped into their throats or eyes and abraded onto their skin to just prettify our lives.

hether or not we put a ring on it if we like it, as Beyonc peppily advises us, we are handing over the key to our innermost selves alongside our likes. Researchers have been able to use Facebook likes to accurately infer everything from users race and IQ to political views and penchant for substance use! If you wanted to hide your single status, you should have liked scrapbooking instead of Maria Sharapova.
I

he bad news first: on average, couples lie to each other three times a week. Now for the good news: the liars are usually just trying to keep their relationships on an even keel. Researchers call this deceptive affection and they dont mean to be insulting. If love makes the world go around, lies make the love last longer. Dont like his/her haircut? Give it a thumbs-up anyway. Kiss rather than criticise.

SACRED S PAC E
Radiant Beauty

Looking At The Long And Short Of It

ted, but too often feeling intensely pressured to develop or highlight them things like pleasing he Greeks gave us many myths, and others, being obedient, being helpful, never wrapped many life-lessons in the sto- losing our tempers; even things like being ries. As a schoolgirl, an illustration in good-looking, or excelling at studies or sports. my Big Book Of Greek Myths showed a man on Nothing wrong with these; but when we a bed, screaming as his arms and legs were feel that we dont measure up to the desired painfully stretched. standards of pleasantness, obedience, helpfulThis, i learnt, was the work of Procrustes, a ness, even-temperedness, or excellence; or blacksmith-turned-bandit. I also learnt that overlook the fact that to be all of these all the we could frequently meet up with him during time is near impossible we can become very those times in our lives of wanting to be stressed and disturbed. Add to this the stress accepted, having the right friends, being ap- of covering up mistakes, hiding the less proved of, getting into the right college or club. desirable in us, even perhaps feeling forced to In ancient Greece, if you wanted to be deny or hide family background or history all this simply to fit in or be accepted. noticed or famous or influential, you got on the road towards Athens, The Road-to-Athens story, and its where all the important action took tempting but tragic invitation, is played place. On the way, you were sure to out over and over again in our lives. encounter Procrustes. At his inn, he Often others parents, teachers, society offered hospitality to tired travellers, itself stand in for Procrustes; but inviting them in for a good nights equally, we take on his role towards rest in his special iron bed, describourselves. And sadly, too often we can THE ing this wonder as having the unique act as Procrustes towards others. property that its length exactly SPEAKING As we grow in awareness we can matched whoever lay down upon it. slowly begin to recover ourselves. TREE What Procrustes obviously Our healing journey can start with didnt mention was exactly how this was so! As asking ourselves: What was considered acsoon as the guest lay down, Procrustes went to ceptable to your family? Were there things work; if you were too tall for the iron frame, about you that had them say We dont think/ whatever part of you did not fit, he just hacked behave this way? What were your early it off; too short, and you got yanked and pulled definitions of success? What did you force and stretched to fit the bed. yourself to become so that your friends or As a bare-bones definition, the term Pro- colleagues would not exclude you? What was crustean bed has come to mean an arbitrary acceptable to your partner or in-laws? What standard to which exact conformity is forced. did you have to cut off, deny , or pretend to be? It begins when we reveal qualities in childOnce the details are openly faced, it behood that may not be what people around comes easier though not completely easy to admire or even accept. Gently or brutally, in reclaim those parts that we know will help us time these are hacked off . On the other hand, live fuller lives. And we can then say as we pass when people who are important to us support Procrustes on the road again, Thanks, but no things they find acceptable or pleasing, we thanks. Follow Marguerite Theophil on our stretch those qualities; at best feeling motiva- website, www.speakingtree.in
Marguerite Theophil

E D I T PAG EI MAILBOX

Act tough on Italian marines

This is with reference to the editorial A Soft State (March 13). The unfortunate decision of the Italian government not to send the two Italian marines, accused of killing Indian fishermen, to India is a serious breach of trust. With this entirely unwarranted action, Italy has damaged its reputation as a responsible state, which respects the sovereignty and independence of other nations. The lack of seriousness with which our government pursued this case gave the Italian government an opportunity to renege on its promise. Its now time for the Indian government to act tough and ensure the return of Italian marines to stand trial here at the earliest.
M Jeyaram, TAMIL NADU

ERRA TICA

Attractiveness and magnetism of your personality is the result of your inner radiance. Yajur Veda Beauty is not bad by itself, but having forgotten my inner beauty, mistaking the physical beauty for my real Self, is not the truth Many mirrors will be available everywhere, to reveal the scars on the face, but who will unveil the scars on the spirit? Chitrabhanu Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart. Kahlil Gibran Believe yourself, value your inner beauty and be open to opportunities. Chelsea Cooley The quality of beauty lies on how the beholder values an object. Toba Beta

Unwarranted Modi bashing

This is with reference to the Second Opinion Modi Express (March 13) by Jug Suraiya. The media is playing up the Narendra Modi vs Rahul Gandhi debate, creating a lot of hype around the subject. Having said that, and while both these leaders have their flaws, if we compare the two Modi is way ahead of Rahul. The Gujarat chief minister might have created a gulf between rich and poor in his state, but he undoubtedly has an excellent governance record which would be more than handy for him if he gets the coveted seat. The Wharton issue was blown out of proportion. There was no need to be so touchy about such a trivial matter. But while Modi might appear to be a dictator from the outside, he keeps things simple and quickly resolves issues. Why is he then being subjected to so much of criticism? Modi deserves a chance provided he keeps the NDA intact.
Bal Govind, NOIDA
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