Issue 299 (6) Asian Tribune January 28, 2022www.asiantribune.ca.
English PageIssue 299 (7) Asian Tribune January 28, 2022EditorialFrozen to deathThe horrifying freezing to deathof a family of four Gujaratis, including ateenager and an infant, in the blizzardhitManitoba province of Canada as theyillegally attempted to cross the blindingsnow-laden border over to the US onJanuary 19 is a grim reminder of theunabated human trafficking racketspanning several countries. As theshocking case shakes up thegovernments of India, Canada and theUS and spurs them to respond, it bringsback haunting memories of one of thefirst such human smuggling tragedies tostir the international conscience: theMalta boat tragedy of 1996. Around 170of the 280 persons believed to havedrowned in the icy waters off Sicily in theboat capsize were from Punjab. All hadbeen promised an entry to Italy and arosy future. But all they got was a terriblewatery grave.Unfortunately, in a stark pointer to India’scriminal justice delivery system, not onlydoes the heart-wrenching Malta case stillcontinue to languish in courts, but alsomany more with ‘foreign dreams’ havesince fallen victim to unscrupulousagents’ greed. It is well known that lakhsof youngsters in India, especially fromPunjab and Haryana, are ready to stakeeverything for a passage abroad. Achilling spinoff of the craze is the risingnumbers of ‘abandoned NRI wives’.Hardly a day passes without someonecomplaining of fraud in these matters.Yet, the business of fake travel agentscontinues to thrive.The law enforcers and investigators haverarely caught the culprits even as thecourts are clogged with cases that dragon for years. The victims and theirfamilies sink deeper into despair andpoverty as they fight a system reeking ofcorruption and the power of the mightyand the moneyed. An urgent plugging ofloopholes in the law allowing thefraudsters to go scot-free is needed tocurb this crime. Observing that theincidents of villagers being duped weremore than a few in Punjab, the anguishedPunjab and Haryana High Court onSaturday called for the unearthing of theentire racket run by bogus travel agents.Till then, this deathly trap will keep nettingpeople into its darkness.Yash SharmaEditorial TeamProf . Harjinder Walia,Ph.D (Journalism)Former Head of JournalismPunjabi Universty Patiala. (Punjab) IndiaPatronYash Sharma,M.Sc (Hons), DMMPublisher & Editor in Chief780-200-0246Sat Paul KaushalAssociate Editor, Calgary403 903 8500Raghbir BilaspuriBureau Chief ( Punjabi)Sunny SharmaBureau Chief (English)Atul Seth, CPA,CGAFinancial & Management ConsultantTejinder Singh BhatejaAdvisor(Marketing)587 889 2340Anita SharmaM.A.(Hindi)Bureau Chief (Hindi)Democracy faces headwindsGurbachan Jagat power on a divisivehardly produce any we have a carryover“In Congress, agenda whose fires heworthwhile research from thousands ofJuly 4, 1776. The unanimousDeclaration of the ure and continues to dodents do wonders when tem. In spite of the su-stoked during his ten-whereas the same stu-years — our caste sys-thirteen United States of so now. He has successfullysold his claimand European councessivegovernmentsthey go to the USA, UK perficial efforts of suc-America... We holdthese truths to be self that the election wastries. They even win to undo the injusticeevident, that all men are “stolen” from him andNobel Prizes and many this system has donecreated equal, that they he has a solid baseare heading very importantmultinationals and throughout history, weto millions of peopleare endowed by their which believes it. HeCreator with certain unalienableRights, thatracy. The US stood upalmost mounted a coupothers are engaged in have only perpetuatedwhen he encouragedrigged and other cutting-edge research. it. The caste system isamong these are Life,for democracy in thethe January 6, 2021, attackon the Capitol.used. The UK and haul our system, en-divide and rule systemstrong-arm tactics We will have to over-the foundation of theLiberty and the pursuitworld but at the sameof Happiness — that totime supported dictatorsin Latin America,Meanwhile,western Europe continueto be democra-and dissent and heavily fected and we have folcouragediscussion which the British per-secure these rights, the attacks on thegovernments are institutedamong men, derica.This was to sup-the Middle East and Af-blacks have increased,cies, even here there fund research in universities,if we wish to be-system, employmentlowed in our educationrandom attacks onare growing rightistriving their just powersport their strategic andschools, malls, etc,movements which come a power house of system and elections.from the consent of theeconomic interests, andhave increased and purchasesof variousmocracy.cratic values. I n this by nurturing thespell danger to de-research and demo-The British added togoverned.”they have waged manyThis was thewars to safeguardweapons have gone upThis is a very most democratic societieswhere discussion and we have built uponHindu-Muslim dividevision of the foundingthem.exponentially. Thebrief bird’s-eye view offathers of the USA.During the Coldwhole situation isthe state of democracyin the world. The couraged, the tendency and for settling centu-and dissent are not en-it for electoral purposesHowever, although itwar period, the worldbleak, and the US appearsto be sitting on aquestion arises as to for the leadership is to ries’ old scores. Wesays “all men are createdequal”, yet at thebetween the Soviet andwas quite neatly dividedvolcano which maywhat is the reason for move towards unilateral have weakened democraticprocesses andtime of writing this Declaration,there were miltweendictatorships andWestern blocs — be-erupt anytime.this: why do even decision-making.Simultaneously,a more sinis-to move away from nance decreases and Where do weelected leaders tend Transparency in gover-democracy itself.lions of African Americanswho were slavester the fall of the Berlindemocracies. Even afterdevelopment is takingplace, i.e. the Re-Why does a man tend lic becomes less. The seen that democraticdemocratic norms? accessibility to the pub-go from here? We haveand worked on the farmlandsof the South.Soviet bloc countrieswall, although manypublican-controlledto gather as much leader becomes more values are not encouragedat home, in soci-They were not treatedbroke away from thestates are trying topower as he can, legally,illegally or by pending heavily on the ety or in the govern-isolated and starts de-as human beings andSoviet Union, the onlychange the electoralwere made to do all thechange was that dictatorshipsreplaced com-laws in such a way sosubterfuge? The familyis the first place and the administration better — dictatorship ofarmed forces, police ment. Is dictatorshipjobs that white Americansavoided, on themunist rule. Althoughas to make it difficult forthe minorities to votewhere autocratic setups. These coteries one man or one party?farms or in the households.They were notNATO, and some re-some of them joinedand thus cut the Democrats’base. Efforts areThese continue in the loyal as they come to to go back to that wisetrends are observed. become increasingly I cannot do better thanallowed to move freelymain under Russian influence,wherever elec-on to bring in laws enablingthe state legis-spill over into areas of power and perks. mate politician, a wilyworkplace and finally share some of the old man — a consum-or use governmenttransport — it took ations were held, the dictatorscrushed all Oppolaturesto overturn thegovernance. One of Sometimes even politicalmilitias are raised to torian — Sir Winstonfox in war, a great his-century and more for election results. PresidentBiden realises theobstacles in the way mobilise or intimidate Churchill. He says,the most fundamentalthem to use publicsition, even in the facetransport and sit whereof results adverse tochallenges faced byof an enlightened democracyis lack of a combine to make a ment have been tried,the masses. All of these “Many forms of govern-they wanted to. “Derivingtheir just powersthat communism col-them. The short point isdemocracy and hasappointed the VP toproper educational solid platform for the and will be tried in thisfrom the consent of thelapsed and strong mendevote full attention andsystem. We are still leadership, which havingsecured its space No one pretends thatworld of sin and woe.governed” — the blackstook over, and the US,time and lead the fightnot exposing our studentsto modern ways becomes more brazen democracy is perfect ordid not have the right toRussia and China madeagainst anti-democraticforces. He is un-of learning and think-and bold in its actions. all-wise. Indeed, it hasvote. Even women diddeals with them. Democracywas nowherenot have the right to dertaking a tour of Europeancountries andWestern so-Trump in the US, he racy is the worst forming.As in the case of been said that democ-vote. It was after veryand only frontlong struggles that theyorganisations representingfreedom of speech,the UK, where he iscieties are more open may try to subvert the of government exceptgot the right to vote, going to draw strategiesin this regard, especiallytheir educational mocracy itself. This that have been triedConstitution and de-all those other formswomen in 1918 andreligion, media, etc,to bring all the democraciestogether to unit-system which encour-can be stopped or from time to time. I can-black men in 1870.continue to make someEven today, equalitynoises. Even Vietnam,edly face the antidemocraticforces.search. We, on the lective will of the this system, you and Iages thinking and re-slowed only by the colnotagree more — indoes not exist and athe Philippines, Cambodia,Myanmar, Sriwide chasm divides the I have devotedother hand, do not people. “Eternal vigilanceis the price of lib-voice, we have ourhave a vote, we have ablacks and whites. TheLanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan(chaosso much space to thewelcome questions inTrump years have reversedthe process ofreigns) are governed byUS because we allthe classroom and our erty.” I have not talked views. In dictatorships,looked up to it as theeducational system is of our country because we would have none ofintegration and encouragedwhite suprema-dictators. Voters are in-democratically “elected”beacon of liberty andgeared to learning by it is also open to the these and also be openfreedom and the fountainheadof all democ-this, our universities mocracies. In addition, perhaps loss of liferote — because of same ills as other de-to loss of liberty andcists. Trump rose totimidated, polls arePoliticisation of administrationN.N. VohraWhile the legislatureand the judiciaryare vital organs ofthe Constitution, theexecutive is perhapsthe most important pillaras all our nearly 1.38billion people, in theirday-to-day existence,have to approach one orthe other wing of thegovernmental machineryfor the resolution oftheir grievances. Theexecutive comprisesthe elected representatives,i.e. the politicalexecutive, and the publicservants who are theappointed or the permanentexecutive. Forthe past many yearsnow, the functioning ofthe executive has beenon the decline. Amongthe factors which haveled to its continuing failuresand which, in turn,have resulted in delayingthe achievement ofcrucial nation-buildinggoals, perhaps themost damaging havebeen those generatedby manipulative politics,politicisation andinterference in theworking of the administrativeapparatus, uncheckedgrowth of corruptionand unaccountability.The unfetteredinterplay of corrupt andunlawful practices hasseverely eroded boththe capacity and thecredibility of the governmentalmachinery. It isregrettable that eventhe management of theday-to-day public dealingoffices and agencieshas been invariably entrusted,not to functionariesof proven meritand integrity, but tothose generally selectedon considerationsof caste, communityor proximity tothe political masters.Continuing deficienciesin the delivery of importantpublic services hasled to enormous dissatisfactionamong thepeople. Accountabilityis the foundation of therule of law and constitutionalgovernance.The working of the governmentalapparatusshall become efficientonly when the functioningof every minister,and of all officials whowork in the departmentsunder his control,becomes accountable.However, barringa very small percentage,most of theelected persons whobecome ministers haveno earlier experience inadministration, muchless of formulating andimplementing policies.Also, sadly, most ofthem do not have theurge, and perhaps noteven the capacity, to putin the required effort toadequately understandthe working of the departmentsplaced undertheir charge, identifyproblems which requiresolution, take sounddecisions and ensurethe timely achievementof the targeted goals.Instead, from day one,ministers get accustomedto exercising authorityin an arbitrarymanner and remain perenniallyengaged in orderingpostings andtransfers to favour functionarieswho will collectfunds and carry out theirunlawful directions.Even worse, they pressureand influence theofficers working underthem to see that contractsfor sales, purchasesor other mattersthat involve financialdealings are illegallyawarded to those whomwww.asiantribune.ca.the minister wants tofavour. It is this mannerof unethical and irregularfunctioningwhich has promotedcorruption and failuresin the functioning of theadministrative apparatus,besides seriouslyeroding discipline andaccountability of thepublic services.Due to thepoliticisation of the administrativesystem, acertain percentage ofofficials, of various services,have climbed thepolitical bandwagonand unawkwardlyflaunt their loyalties topowerful elected leaders.Honest officialsare invariably sidelinedand the functioning ofmany others is severelyconstrained bythe threats which emanatefrom the ‘criminalnexus’ which conveysdirections how certainimportant mattersshould be decided.The existingpunishment and appealsystems relatingto the cadres of thevarious services in thecountry do not deterdishonest functionaries.A speedier andperhaps more punitiveapproach is required todeal with corruptionamong governmentemployees. However,the public servicesshall start mendingonly when the politicalexecutive starts functioningconstitutionallyand every ministerstarts enforcing accountability,answerabilityand timelyachievement of the departmentalgoals andtargets in all theorganisations whichwork under his charge.For improvingthe functioning of theadministrative apparatus,it is necessary tocreate an environmentin which every publicservant functions fearlessly,discharges hisduties with efficiencyand is enabled to gainadvancements in serviceon the basis of hisproven performanceand integrity.Towardsthis objective it wouldbe beneficial if the seniorechelons of all services— generalists,specialists, scientists,technologists, militaryleaders and all otherswho assist and workwith Cabinet ministers— are allowed to workwith total independence,without beingconstrained by fear orpressure from any quarter.For rendering soundand objective advice, itis of vital importancethat the functioning ofthe seniormost publicservants remains conspicuouslyapolitical.Many seriousproblems facing us today,including worryinginternal security challenges,arise from corruption,mismanagementand unaccountability.It is, therefore,of prime importancethat the executive functionsconstitutionallyand ensures that welfareprogrammes areefficiently implementedto alleviate the lot ofevery poverty-strickenfamily, special attentionbeing given to ensurethat the problemsof the tribal and othercommunities who live inremote areas arehandled with care andsensitivity.Naxalism,which at one time waslabelled by the UnionHome Ministry as themost serious threat tothe Indian State, wasborn and took root inseveral parts of thecountry where the tribaland other local communitieshad faced neglectand severe economicdeprivation forlong. Having been deniedaccess to resources,even to thenatural produce of forestsin which they lived,they rose against theestablished system.There is notime to lose in puttingour house in order. Themillions of our oppressedand povertystrickenpeople maynot wait endlessly fortheir sufferings to end.Their anger and despairmay lead them to thepath of confrontation.And if such an unfortunateconsequenceemerges, it may not bepossible to control thearising disorder merelythrough the applicationof force — an approachwhich has been unsuccessfullyfollowed fordecades now.
Change language