Asian Tribune 28 January 2022

English Page
Issue 299 (7) Asian Tribune January 28, 2022
Editorial
Frozen to death
The horrifying freezing to death
of a family of four Gujaratis, including a
teenager and an infant, in the blizzardhit
Manitoba province of Canada as they
illegally attempted to cross the blinding
snow-laden border over to the US on
January 19 is a grim reminder of the
unabated human trafficking racket
spanning several countries. As the
shocking case shakes up the
governments of India, Canada and the
US and spurs them to respond, it brings
back haunting memories of one of the
first such human smuggling tragedies to
stir the international conscience: the
Malta boat tragedy of 1996. Around 170
of the 280 persons believed to have
drowned in the icy waters off Sicily in the
boat capsize were from Punjab. All had
been promised an entry to Italy and a
rosy future. But all they got was a terrible
watery grave.
Unfortunately, in a stark pointer to India’s
criminal justice delivery system, not only
does the heart-wrenching Malta case still
continue to languish in courts, but also
many more with ‘foreign dreams’ have
since fallen victim to unscrupulous
agents’ greed. It is well known that lakhs
of youngsters in India, especially from
Punjab and Haryana, are ready to stake
everything for a passage abroad. A
chilling spinoff of the craze is the rising
numbers of ‘abandoned NRI wives’.
Hardly a day passes without someone
complaining of fraud in these matters.
Yet, the business of fake travel agents
continues to thrive.
The law enforcers and investigators have
rarely caught the culprits even as the
courts are clogged with cases that drag
on for years. The victims and their
families sink deeper into despair and
poverty as they fight a system reeking of
corruption and the power of the mighty
and the moneyed. An urgent plugging of
loopholes in the law allowing the
fraudsters to go scot-free is needed to
curb this crime. Observing that the
incidents of villagers being duped were
more than a few in Punjab, the anguished
Punjab and Haryana High Court on
Saturday called for the unearthing of the
entire racket run by bogus travel agents.
Till then, this deathly trap will keep netting
people into its darkness.
Yash Sharma
Editorial Team
Prof . Harjinder Walia,
Ph.D (Journalism)
Former Head of Journalism
Punjabi Universty Patiala. (Punjab) India
Patron
Yash Sharma,
M.Sc (Hons), DMM
Publisher & Editor in Chief
780-200-0246
Sat Paul Kaushal
Associate Editor, Calgary
403 903 8500
Raghbir Bilaspuri
Bureau Chief ( Punjabi)
Sunny Sharma
Bureau Chief (English)
Atul Seth, CPA,CGA
Financial & Management Consultant
Tejinder Singh Bhateja
Advisor(Marketing)
587 889 2340
Anita Sharma
M.A.(Hindi)
Bureau Chief (Hindi)
Democracy faces headwinds
Gurbachan Jagat power on a divisive
hardly produce any we have a carryover
“In Congress, agenda whose fires he
worthwhile research from thousands of
July 4, 1776. The unanimous
Declaration of the ure and continues to do
dents 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 successfully
sold his claim
and European councessive
governments
they go to the USA, UK perficial efforts of suc-
America... We hold
these truths to be self that the election was
tries. They even win to undo the injustice
evident, that all men are “stolen” from him and
Nobel Prizes and many this system has done
created equal, that they he has a solid base
are heading very important
multinationals and throughout history, we
to millions of people
are endowed by their which believes it. He
Creator with certain unalienable
Rights, that
racy. The US stood up
almost mounted a coup
others are engaged in have only perpetuated
when he encouraged
rigged and other cutting-edge research. it. The caste system is
among these are Life,
for democracy in the
the January 6, 2021, attack
on the Capitol.
used. The UK and haul our system, en-
divide and rule system
strong-arm tactics We will have to over-
the foundation of the
Liberty and the pursuit
world but at the same
of Happiness — that to
time supported dictators
in Latin America,
Meanwhile,
western Europe continue
to be democra-
and dissent and heavily fected and we have folcourage
discussion which the British per-
secure these rights, the attacks on the
governments are instituted
among 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, employment
lowed in our education
random attacks on
are growing rightist
riving their just powers
port their strategic and
schools, malls, etc,
movements which come a power house of system and elections.
from the consent of the
economic interests, and
have increased and purchases
of various
mocracy.
cratic values. I n this by nurturing the
spell danger to de-
research and demo-
The British added to
governed.”
they have waged many
This was the
wars to safeguard
weapons have gone up
This is a very most democratic societies
where discussion and we have built upon
Hindu-Muslim divide
vision of the founding
them.
exponentially. The
brief bird’s-eye view of
fathers of the USA.
During the Cold
whole situation is
the state of democracy
in the world. The couraged, the tendency and for settling centu-
and dissent are not en-
it for electoral purposes
However, although it
war period, the world
bleak, and the US appears
to be sitting on a
question arises as to for the leadership is to ries’ old scores. We
says “all men are created
equal”, yet at the
between the Soviet and
was quite neatly divided
volcano which may
what is the reason for move towards unilateral have weakened democratic
processes and
time of writing this Declaration,
there were miltween
dictatorships and
Western blocs — be-
erupt anytime.
this: why do even decision-making.
Simultaneously,
a more sinis-
to move away from nance decreases and Where do we
elected leaders tend Transparency in gover-
democracy itself.
lions of African Americans
who were slaves
ter the fall of the Berlin
democracies. Even after
development is taking
place, i.e. the Re-
Why does a man tend lic becomes less. The seen that democratic
democratic norms? accessibility to the pub-
go from here? We have
and worked on the farmlands
of the South.
Soviet bloc countries
wall, although many
publican-controlled
to gather as much leader becomes more values are not encouraged
at home, in soci-
They were not treated
broke away from the
states are trying to
power as he can, legally,
illegally or by pending heavily on the ety or in the govern-
isolated and starts de-
as human beings and
Soviet Union, the only
change the electoral
were made to do all the
change was that dictatorships
replaced com-
laws in such a way so
subterfuge? The family
is the first place and the administration better — dictatorship of
armed forces, police ment. Is dictatorship
jobs that white Americans
avoided, on the
munist rule. Although
as to make it difficult for
the minorities to vote
where autocratic setups. These coteries one man or one party?
farms or in the households.
They were not
NATO, and some re-
some of them joined
and thus cut the Democrats’
base. Efforts are
These continue in the loyal as they come to to go back to that wise
trends are observed. become increasingly I cannot do better than
allowed to move freely
main under Russian influence,
wherever elec-
on to bring in laws enabling
the state legis-
spill over into areas of power and perks. mate politician, a wily
workplace and finally share some of the old man — a consum-
or use government
transport — it took a
tions were held, the dictators
crushed all Oppolatures
to overturn the
governance. One of Sometimes even political
militias are raised to torian — Sir Winston
fox in war, a great his-
century and more for election results. President
Biden realises the
obstacles in the way mobilise or intimidate Churchill. He says,
the most fundamental
them to use public
sition, even in the face
transport and sit where
of results adverse to
challenges faced by
of an enlightened democracy
is lack of a combine to make a ment have been tried,
the masses. All of these “Many forms of govern-
they wanted to. “Deriving
their just powers
that communism col-
them. The short point is
democracy and has
appointed the VP to
proper educational solid platform for the and will be tried in this
from the consent of the
lapsed and strong men
devote full attention and
system. We are still leadership, which having
secured its space No one pretends that
world of sin and woe.
governed” — the blacks
took over, and the US,
time and lead the fight
not exposing our students
to modern ways becomes more brazen democracy is perfect or
did not have the right to
Russia and China made
against anti-democratic
forces. He is un-
of learning and think-
and bold in its actions. all-wise. Indeed, it has
vote. Even women did
deals with them. Democracy
was nowhere
not have the right to dertaking a tour of European
countries and
Western so-
Trump in the US, he racy is the worst form
ing.
As in the case of been said that democ-
vote. It was after very
and only front
long struggles that they
organisations representing
freedom of speech,
the UK, where he is
cieties are more open may try to subvert the of government except
got the right to vote, going to draw strategies
in this regard, especially
their educational mocracy itself. This that have been tried
Constitution and de-
all those other forms
women in 1918 and
religion, media, etc,
to bring all the democracies
together to unit-
system which encour-
can be stopped or from time to time. I can-
black men in 1870.
continue to make some
Even today, equality
noises. Even Vietnam,
edly face the antidemocratic
forces.
search. We, on the lective will of the this system, you and I
ages thinking and re-
slowed only by the colnot
agree more — in
does not exist and a
the Philippines, Cambodia,
Myanmar, Sri
wide chasm divides the I have devoted
other hand, do not people. “Eternal vigilance
is the price of lib-
voice, we have our
have a vote, we have a
blacks and whites. The
Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan
(chaos
so much space to the
welcome questions in
Trump years have reversed
the process of
reigns) are governed by
US because we all
the classroom and our erty.” I have not talked views. In dictatorships,
looked up to it as the
educational system is of our country because we would have none of
integration and encouraged
white suprema-
dictators. Voters are in-
democratically “elected”
beacon of liberty and
geared to learning by it is also open to the these and also be open
freedom and the fountainhead
of all democ-
this, our universities mocracies. In addition, perhaps loss of life
rote — because of same ills as other de-
to loss of liberty and
cists. Trump rose to
timidated, polls are
Politicisation of administration
N.N. Vohra
While the legislature
and the judiciary
are vital organs of
the Constitution, the
executive is perhaps
the most important pillar
as all our nearly 1.38
billion people, in their
day-to-day existence,
have to approach one or
the other wing of the
governmental machinery
for the resolution of
their grievances. The
executive comprises
the elected representatives,
i.e. the political
executive, and the public
servants who are the
appointed or the permanent
executive. For
the past many years
now, the functioning of
the executive has been
on the decline. Among
the factors which have
led to its continuing failures
and which, in turn,
have resulted in delaying
the achievement of
crucial nation-building
goals, perhaps the
most damaging have
been those generated
by manipulative politics,
politicisation and
interference in the
working of the administrative
apparatus, unchecked
growth of corruption
and unaccountability.
The unfettered
interplay of corrupt and
unlawful practices has
severely eroded both
the capacity and the
credibility of the governmental
machinery. It is
regrettable that even
the management of the
day-to-day public dealing
offices and agencies
has been invariably entrusted,
not to functionaries
of proven merit
and integrity, but to
those generally selected
on considerations
of caste, community
or proximity to
the political masters.
Continuing deficiencies
in the delivery of important
public services has
led to enormous dissatisfaction
among the
people. Accountability
is the foundation of the
rule of law and constitutional
governance.
The working of the governmental
apparatus
shall become efficient
only when the functioning
of every minister,
and of all officials who
work in the departments
under his control,
becomes accountable.
However, barring
a very small percentage,
most of the
elected persons who
become ministers have
no earlier experience in
administration, much
less of formulating and
implementing policies.
Also, sadly, most of
them do not have the
urge, and perhaps not
even the capacity, to put
in the required effort to
adequately understand
the working of the departments
placed under
their charge, identify
problems which require
solution, take sound
decisions and ensure
the timely achievement
of the targeted goals.
Instead, from day one,
ministers get accustomed
to exercising authority
in an arbitrary
manner and remain perennially
engaged in ordering
postings and
transfers to favour functionaries
who will collect
funds and carry out their
unlawful directions.
Even worse, they pressure
and influence the
officers working under
them to see that contracts
for sales, purchases
or other matters
that involve financial
dealings are illegally
awarded to those whom
www.asiantribune.ca.
the minister wants to
favour. It is this manner
of unethical and irregular
functioning
which has promoted
corruption and failures
in the functioning of the
administrative apparatus,
besides seriously
eroding discipline and
accountability of the
public services.
Due to the
politicisation of the administrative
system, a
certain percentage of
officials, of various services,
have climbed the
political bandwagon
and unawkwardly
flaunt their loyalties to
powerful elected leaders.
Honest officials
are invariably sidelined
and the functioning of
many others is severely
constrained by
the threats which emanate
from the ‘criminal
nexus’ which conveys
directions how certain
important matters
should be decided.
The existing
punishment and appeal
systems relating
to the cadres of the
various services in the
country do not deter
dishonest functionaries.
A speedier and
perhaps more punitive
approach is required to
deal with corruption
among government
employees. However,
the public services
shall start mending
only when the political
executive starts functioning
constitutionally
and every minister
starts enforcing accountability,
answerability
and timely
achievement of the departmental
goals and
targets in all the
organisations which
work under his charge.
For improving
the functioning of the
administrative apparatus,
it is necessary to
create an environment
in which every public
servant functions fearlessly,
discharges his
duties with efficiency
and is enabled to gain
advancements in service
on the basis of his
proven performance
and integrity.Towards
this objective it would
be beneficial if the senior
echelons of all services
— generalists,
specialists, scientists,
technologists, military
leaders and all others
who assist and work
with Cabinet ministers
— are allowed to work
with total independence,
without being
constrained by fear or
pressure from any quarter.
For rendering sound
and objective advice, it
is of vital importance
that the functioning of
the seniormost public
servants remains conspicuously
apolitical.
Many serious
problems facing us today,
including worrying
internal security challenges,
arise from corruption,
mismanagement
and unaccountability.
It is, therefore,
of prime importance
that the executive functions
constitutionally
and ensures that welfare
programmes are
efficiently implemented
to alleviate the lot of
every poverty-stricken
family, special attention
being given to ensure
that the problems
of the tribal and other
communities who live in
remote areas are
handled with care and
sensitivity.Naxalism,
which at one time was
labelled by the Union
Home Ministry as the
most serious threat to
the Indian State, was
born and took root in
several parts of the
country where the tribal
and other local communities
had faced neglect
and severe economic
deprivation for
long. Having been denied
access to resources,
even to the
natural produce of forests
in which they lived,
they rose against the
established system.
There is no
time to lose in putting
our house in order. The
millions of our oppressed
and povertystricken
people may
not wait endlessly for
their sufferings to end.
Their anger and despair
may lead them to the
path of confrontation.
And if such an unfortunate
consequence
emerges, it may not be
possible to control the
arising disorder merely
through the application
of force — an approach
which has been unsuccessfully
followed for
decades now.