26

COMFORTING THE AFFLICTED

My expectations of other people,

I double them on myself
JAMES BROWN

To curb black money at its root, make

all political funding cashless and digital

s citizens are subjected to the unrelenting grind of

demonetisation, they are told this is in the interest of
digitising India and ridding it of black money. To make
this argument more convincing than it is currently, the Modi
government must address the very fount of corruption and black
money in our society: political funding. As an Election Commission
background paper points out, money used to fund political parties
or candidates in a non-transparent manner undermines the core
principles of democracy. The rot begins here. It follows, therefore,
that digital sanitisation must begin here too.
For stemming the flow of black money into politics, a most recent
EC recommendation is to lower the cap for anonymous donations
from Rs 20,000 to Rs 2,000. This will
help only at the margins, because
the current practice is to subdivide
unaccounted funds into units below
Rs 20,000 and claim anonymity for
them. The same sharp practice can be
followed if a window of anonymity is
allowed below Rs 2,000: its just
that one will have to claim ten times
more anonymous donations. To give
an example of how preposterous
current claims are, in the election
year 2013-14 BJP reported donations in excess of Rs 20,000 at just
Rs 167 crore, Congress Rs 66 crore and BSP zero.
To end this charade and walk the talk of building a cashless society,
the laws must be amended to mandate that all donations to political
parties can only be in digital format. Prime Minister Narendra Modi
has appealed to 125 crore Indians, small traders and businessmen,
farmers, washermen, vegetable vendors, milk suppliers, newspaper
vendors, tea stall owners and chanaa sellers to bear with the
hardships of transitioning to cashless transactions because that
will take India to new economic heights. In that case, why should
only political parties be exempt and continue to wallow in cash?
With 80% of the 1,800 parties registered in India not having
contested any election in the last few years, many of them look like
setups to launder money. Mandating a digital trail will put paid to
this rot. More broadly the political class cannot be shielded from the
tribulations and trends of the rest of society. If it claims to want to
rid society of black money, it should lead by example.

Spreading Chaos
Global turmoil today is a result of the
collective assault on multilateral institutions

he assassination of Russian ambassador to Turkey Andrei

Karlov by a Turkish policeman incensed over Russias military
intervention in Syria, and the terror attack on a Berlin
Christmas market that has been connected to a Pakistani national,
symbolise the instability and disorder that has set into international
affairs today. Both incidents are symptomatic of a larger process
being driven by a new form of nationalism that rides roughshod
over multilateral institutions. In the Middle East, for example, an
explosion of sectarian tensions mixed with larger geopolitical
rivalries has plunged the region into chaos.
The US military intervention in Iraq in
the previous decade set the template for a
smash-and-grab approach to foreign policy.
Global organisations like the UN came to
be viewed as effete. Russia followed suit by
intervening in Ukraine and now Syria.
China feels it can disregard international
norms and lord it over the South China Sea,
even as it rides roughshod over other Asian nations.
As a result of these aggressive assertions, the authority of
multilateral institutions has been ripped apart. Can the UNs effort
to fight global terrorism be taken seriously if China continuously
thwarts Indias attempts to blacklist known Pakistani terrorists? If
the Berlin terror attack is connected to a Pakistani national it will
affirm, once again, that countrys status as a global terror hub.
Yet the international community molly-coddles it and fails to exert
enough pressure for it to undergo a de-radicalisation process.
Global terror cannot be addressed by just closing national borders,
an argument even more valid for other pressing challenges such as
climate change. Multilateral institutions need to be repaired and
reformed to enforce a fair global rulebook, prevent tragedies like
the destruction of Aleppo, and tackle collective challenges.

How to stop parties from always being in campaign mode and get them to govern
Baijayant Jay Panda

There is much to be proud

of in the democracy that
India has become, not
only the worlds largest
but also its most diverse.
Over the decades, we have
disproved the many critics who doubted
India could remain democratic. But
despite this success, our republic suffers
from a worrisome shortcoming: too much
campaigning, too little governance.
The continual cycle of elections,
with several at the state level every year,
inevitably impacts governance at the
national level. Every such election is a
significant distraction for the Union
government, since it is inevitably seen
as at least a partial referendum on the
governments policies and functioning.
That often leads to policy announcements being held up, lest they impact the
outcome. And in frequently requiring
senior members of the government to be
off campaigning, it also acts as a drag on
the bandwidth available for governance.
Frequent elections impact opposition
parties as well, for similar reasons,
thus repeatedly polarising political
discourse and reducing the room
available for compromise.
For India to adequately grapple with
its many challenges, the ratio between
governing and campaigning must
improve at both its national as well as
state levels. Certainly, no other democracy
has anything quite like this in terms of
continual elections.
The first four general elections, held
in 1951-52, 1957, 1962 and 1967 saw largely
simultaneous nationwide exercises for
both Parliament and state assemblies.
The only two exceptions were Kerala and
Odisha, which had midterm elections in
1960 and 1961 respectively.
Thereafter, this broad alignment
got further disrupted due to frequent
use of Article 356 of the Constitution
(Presidents Rule of a state), and also
a use of Article 352 (Emergency and
extension of Lok Sabhas term by a year).
While Supreme Court judgments
have narrowed the scope for application
of Article 356, there still continue to be
examples of its use, such as in Uttara-

khand and Arunachal Pradesh in recent

months. Moreover, the lack of a clear mandate, or a midterm collapse, of both Union
and state governments have happened
often enough to be another major cause of
disrupting an aligned election cycle.
The disadvantages of misaligned,
continual elections have been long
understood, with many proposed
solutions mooted over the years by
credible individuals and institutions.
These have included the Law Commissions recommendations from as far
back as 1999, to more recent ones by a
parliamentary standing committee, a
white paper by the Election Commission,
not to mention exhortations by both the
prime minister and president.
Some of these proposals largely
focus on a one-time reset. With this aim,
they include detailed consideration of
how to overcome constitutional hurdles,
such as extending or curtailing the
ongoing terms of various state assemblies
in order to synchronise all elections.
While that would indeed serve the
immediate purpose, it would only buy
time, due to the likely resurgence of
misaligned elections. Even if, say, the use

Though all would have the

usual five-year terms, one
election cycle would include
polls for the Lok Sabha and
about half the states, and
the other cycle would be
two and a half years later
for the rest of the states
of Article 356 becomes pass, the odds
are high that over time several state and
national elections would yield fractured
mandates and mid-term elections.
However, the Parliamentary Standing
Committee on Personnel, Public
Grievances, Law and Justice in its report
a year ago has suggested a two-cycle
election process. Though all would have
the usual five-year terms, one election
cycle would include polls for the Lok
Sabha and about half the states, and the
other cycle would be two and a half years
later for the rest of the states.
This elegant alignment would serve

Harendra Singh is coach of Indias

junior hockey team since 2014 and welded
together the winning combination that
won India its first hockey World Cup in 15
years. He spoke to Sanjeev Singh about
how Indias young players changed their
attitude and style of play as well as what
this victory portends for the future:
Has the scale of this victory
sunk in yet?
I told the players that i will not
accept anything less than a gold medal
and they also knew i meant business. I
told them we have to sacrifice a lot. In
sports we need to bring in science and
work with emotions. We need to get
the right emotion out at the right time.
Hockey India and SAI helped us a lot.
You have been the coach of various
Indian junior hockey teams earlier as
well. How different is this one?
Good question. Our past teams had a
lot of individuals and it was failure on
my part that i couldnt make a team. The
best part about this team is that it is a team
and not just individuals put together.
Individuals can help you win matches,
but only a team can win you tournaments.
You have also said Indian teams
tended to be very emotional in the
past. What is their mojo now?
Emotion is of two kinds. One is on the
pitch which has to be controlled and
cannot be shown to the world. Then there
is another emotion which is basically
about why you are playing hockey. One

has to make them realise the importance

of this emotion and why they really
want to play the game. The basic
requirement of the sport is not just
skills but also the mindset.
Earlier coaches would teach
and go away. I would throw a lot of
questions at them and when
they answered it, it meant
that they understand why
a certain thing should
be done. I would hold
a class on mental toughness
everyday where i would
share the mistakes.
What about the role
of
Hockey India?
What changes are
needed to keep the
momentum going?
Hockey India has
been very supportive
and the thought
process
changed
after 2010. Earlier i
would
always
have a four-point
demand: vision,
planning, execution and results.
We were lucky that
we got Narinder Batra and he
implemented this blueprint.
We are hosting the 2018
senior World Cup and i feel we
should be able to play the
semi-final at least. Once we

play in the last four, then we can reach

top three soon. Then we should aim for a
medal in Tokyo. This is a process,
momentum is gathering and
should end with a gold medal
at Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
Explain to us how you
managed to assemble these
players from varied backgrounds into a fighting
unit?
I collected data of
each
player
and
found out that 7-10
players come from
families where their
parents are either
truck
drivers,
farmers or from
low-income
groups. I knew
if i get them
mentally attached to hockey,
they
would
do anything for
the game.
I
would
show them a
Power Point
which
was
titled: One step
forward one step
backward. This was
about how much difference
one step can make between
winning and losing. They had to

dilbert

decide which way to move.

We had no religion or God, but one
slogan: we dream the same dream, we
think the same thing, we are the dream
team, we are the Indian team, and we are
the champion team.
I made a calendar which had hockey
and tricolour printed. I laminated it and
gave it to every player to carry it on their
bag so that they realise their dream.
What is the difference between the
top teams like Australia, Germany
and India?
Earlier during the days of Indian
Hockey Federation, we didnt know if
we would remain coach after one
tournament or not. Everything was ad
hoc. Now we have a professional setup
where everyone has a tenure, has access
to facilities.
The Hockey India League has given
them exposure to foreign players. Our
players share the same dressing room
with foreign players and they realised
that they are just like them.
What have been the main changes
in the team?
We brought in science, physiology,
equipment, diet and workload capacity
into our training. Earlier they would
play, then eat butter chicken at night and
hope for the best in the next days game.
Today, they are given food as per body
requirements. Players realise that
they have to be fit. They have no fear of
being dropped due to Hockey Indias
rehabilitation programme.

Empty Promises
The man who promises
everything is sure to fulfil
nothing, and everyone who
promises too much is in danger
of using evil means in order to
carry out his promises,
and is already on the road
to perdition.

Jug Suraiya

secondopinion@timesgroup.com
http:/blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/jugglebandhi/

The writer is a BJD Lok Sabha MP. Views

are personal

Sacredspace

The way to a truly cashless society is not

less money but more and more megabucks

secondopinion

multiple objectives. First, it would do a

better job of overcoming hurdles. For
example, the ECs earlier idea of a
one-cycle election, where a state with
a fractured mandate would have a reelection only for the balance of its
original five-year term, would likely
generate resentment and objections. It
would also be less cost-effective.
A two-cycle system would simply
align such a states election to the next
cycle, getting it closer to a full five-year
term. And that would work just as well
for the Lok Sabha, if needed.
Second, a two-cycle alignment of all
state and national elections would serve
a fundamental democratic purpose,
that of rendering broad public opinion
to the Union government of the day.
As mentioned above, this happens
inefficiently today, with its continual
distraction and even small, one-state
elections creating disproportionate
drag on governance.
The proposed alternative of a second
election cycle would have voters of about
half the country voicing their opinion
at the mid-point of the Union governments term. This would serve as an
appropriately sized referendum, congealed together rather than in distracting
dribs and drabs.
The US has a somewhat similar
system though their mid-term cycle
includes elections for some senators
and states, and all Congressmen and
it often serves as a wake up call to the
federal government.
Finally, a two-cycle election system
would serve yet another aim of democracy,
that of furthering check and balance in
the polity. That too happens inefficiently
today, stretched out over many individual
elections.
Following the parliamentary standing
committee report, the Niti Aayog has
done a creditable job of going into
the nitty-gritty of how such two-cycle
elections could work. It is worth taking
that forward.
The catchphrase One India, one
election has been gaining traction. In
fact, India would be better served by
One nation, two elections.

Earlier hockey teams would eat butter chicken and hope

for the best ... this one should get gold at Tokyo 2020

To our credit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it clear that the
demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes is only the first step
towards the eventual goal of having a cashless India. Get rid of
all money, and hey presto! youve got rid of black money.
To this highly desirable end, the sarkar has introduced Rs 2,000
note. Hullo? How does a Rs 2,000 note the biggest ever denomination in Indian currency help bring about a cashless, or even cash-less, society?
Simple. Try it yourself. Take one of the new Rs 2,000 notes and with it ask
your local sabziwala to sell you a kilo of onions, or baingan, or whatever, and
give you back change.
The chances are, ten to one, that the sabziwala will be unable to conduct
this simple transaction because, thanks to the currency crunch, he wont have
enough smaller denomination notes to give you change for your Rs 2,000, minus
the price of the aloos, or gobhi, or whatever it is that you bought from him.
However, if your sabziwala wants to remain in business and continue being
a sabziwala, and not end up becoming a loafer and hanging around street corners
with his hands in his pockets, hell probably sell
you the veggies on credit of one form or another,
on Paytm, or a payable-when-able basis.
Taking a tip from an old Hollywood movie,
The Million Pound Note, in which a penniless tramp is given a million pound
currency note by a rich banker and lives a life of luxury on extended credit
because no one can give him change, the government should come up with
notes of ever-higher value, while simultaneously withdrawing hundred, fifty,
twenty and ten rupee notes.
At the current exchange rate, a million pounds in British currency would be
just short of Rs 10 crore. So the RBI should be directed to authorise the printing
of only Rs 10 crore notes or, better still, taking inflation into account, Rs 100
crore notes and withdraw all other cash, including coins.
No one, not even the brothers Ambani, will be able to give anyone change for
a Rs 100 crore note. By putting in more megabucks into the system, well become
a cashless society. For which the sarkar can take what else? due credit, which
will be all well be able to extend to each other.

THE TIMES OF INDIA, NEW DELHI

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2016

One Nation, Two Elections

A thought for today

Lead By Example

AFFLICTING THE COMFORTABLE

Carl Jung

Christmas Thought: A Cue From The Bible

Sri M

very one of us is potentially divine.

Radiance of the divinity within
may be temporarily veiled by
egoistic thought processes; but the jewel
within the lotus of the heart cannot be
hidden forever. At some point, whatever
is obscuring it could disappear,
revealing the truth. Such a one in whom
the core of consciousness shines forth,
exuding selfless love and bounteous
beauty, is called a perfected being: a
Christ, Buddha or Paramahamsa.
Selfless service to humanity,
expecting nothing in return, is the
beginning of this journey to perfection;
an indication that the mind has evolved
enough to sense that the divine spark
in oneself is no different from that
in others.
This happens with the overcoming
of the little self and the spontaneous,
instantaneous understanding of the

Supreme Universal That which

pervades everything the omnipresent
Isha that is described in the Ishavasya
Upanishad as Ishavasyam Idam
Sarvam.
Along with the practice of
meditation, retrospection,
contemplation and other
devotional activities aimed at
stilling the mind and delving
deep into the recesses of ones
consciousness, one could
engage in such activities that
could, to the best extent
possible, allay suffering.
This two-pronged action is
sure to dissolve the little ego
the cause of all misery over a
period of time until the
Supreme Self in all of us shines
forth. Then, what is human gets
transformed into God.
If we have meditated for 30 years,
and seen all kinds of visions and yet

there is not an iota of love and concern

for those who are in misery, we have to
re-examine and re-assess where we have
gone wrong. If the heart does not melt at
the cries of pain around one, all the
years of so-called meditation have
been futile. We have lived in a world
of illusions and imagined
ourselves to be saints.
A true saints heart melts
with compassion at the sight
of misery and he immediately
sets about trying to alleviate
suffering to the best of
his capacity.
All that one requires to
emulate realised ones, is love.
When your heart is clean, you
dont hate anyone. Sometimes,
to discipline oneself, one
might have to be stern, but that too is
done with love, not hate. When you
dont hate anyone, love grows. When
we talk of Hindus and Muslims as

the

speaking
tree

being separate, i am reminded of what

the Bible says: Blessed are the pure in
heart, for they shall see God. And,
Those who are pure in heart are God.
You, i and all people on earth if all of
us purify our hearts and harbour
no hatred for anyone could all
become God. And then, the world could
become Heaven.
This thought has had some impact
on my heart as well. Maybe there is a
sense of gratitude, which is the
precursor to feeling love for all
mankind. As the Bible says, For I was
hungry and you gave me something to
eat, I was thirsty, and you gave me some
thing to drink, I was a stranger and you
invited me in, I needed clothes, you
clothed me, I was in prison and you
came to visit me. (Mathew 25:35-36)
Sri M will speak on Meditation and the
Spiritual Journey, IIC, December 21-22.
Follow Sri M at speakingtree.in and post
your comments there.