THE TRIBUNE

08 OPINION CHANDIGARH | FRIDAY | 1 DECEMBER 2017

THE TRIBUNE Punjab’s distorted priorities

established in 1881 Closure of schools reveals muddled political thinking
Nirmal Sandhu A liquor corporation would add to

Reversing slaughter ban the costs and breed corruption and

I
N less than a month the Punjab inquiry commissions. None in the
Government has initiated two government or the Congress party
Hindutva succumbs to common sense moves which are baffling and seem to realise the absurdity of gov-
need to be challenged. It plans to ernment officials selling liquor.

W
ORLD opinion and economic necessity do matter. And that shut down 800 primary schools across
is why the Modi government finds itself constrained to the State — to save money — and
explore a rolling back of the ban on the sale of cattle for enter into liquor trade — to make
slaughter in animal markets. The notification was a natural progres- money. An official announcement has
sion of the Modi government’s strategy to use the cow as a tool for described the proposed closure of
consolidating the Hindu vote bank. It appeared to look the other way schools as education reform, “a novel
when Hindutva vigilantes resorted to extortion and lynching; the plan aimed at ensuring a conducive
state governments too failed to prosecute them; the lumpens academic environment”, and claims
demanded a comprehensive anti-cattle slaughter law. Largely from that it would not affect the legal right
urban areas, these Hindutva cheerleaders were uninformed about the of children to free and compulsory
role of cattle slaughter (not cows alone) in our daily lives and its inte- education. If such are reforms they
grality of rural livelihoods. have in mind, education and other
areas they propose to improve should
But it is unpardonable for the Modi government now to pretend to be
better be left unreformed.
surprised at the consequences. That is what policy making is all about.
Instead of nurturing educational
Didn’t it know the ban will hit more than the meat industry? Or that the institutions back to health with the
cattle let loose were extracting environmental costs and destroying the infusion of additional funds, the Con-
livelihoods of Hindus, Jains and Muslims alike? The fact is only 30 per gress government has chosen the
cent of the carcass is used for meat. The rest goes into the making of at easy option of closing them down on
least 50 items of daily use. As far as cows go, the Modi government need- the ground that there are not enough
n’t have burnt the midnight oil to frame laws or its leaders to go around students. The government is walking
stumping for the cause and leave unbridgeable social tensions in their away from a basic duty towards the
wake. All that the government had to do, if the cow cause was actually citizens. The decision-makers need to
close to its heart, was to implement in spirit a Supreme Court order ponder why parents don’t send their
upholding anti-cow slaughter laws in about 20 states. children to government schools.
However, utopian visions come crashing down in the actual world. Administrative neglect and denial
of funds over the years have resulted
And that is what happened with the ban. New Delhi’s obsession had
in the crumbling of government edu-
begun to disrupt rural lives. Prices of many downstream products from
cational institutions. For 15 years gov-
shoes to buttons were bound to shoot up. A study showed it would cost ernment colleges have got no regular
over Rs 5,000 crore annually to feed all the bulls in Maharashtra alone. teachers appointed by the Punjab
For outsiders, India began to look like Pakistan Lite without the bomb Public Service Commission. The
blasts. The political reward from the ban began diminishing when recruitment process stopped after the
benchmarked against the costs of rural distress and foreign opprobri- 2002 infamous PPSC scam, which sur-
um. Irresponsible politics invariably produces bad politics. faced when, as Chief Minister, Capt
Amarinder Singh was intolerant of
corruption. Since then temporary
staff hired at abysmally low salaries
Back to politics have been contributing to whatever
goes in the name of education.
Abandoned government institu-
Hope tarred with rancour tions being in disarray, well-off and
even not-so-well-off parents have
LOOKS BLEAK: The shutting down of schools, mostly in kandi area, caused no outrage.
Fund squeeze has also hit the qual-
ity of education. It has hurt the poor
as they need quality education the
most to pull themselves out of their
state of deprivation. Substandard
education has held back Punjab
youth from realising their aspira-
tions. Some of the top educational
institutions established in the State
are of no use to most local students
because they can’t compete at the
national level for admission. The
number of Punjab students is less
Lack of a visionary leadership has landed the once number one
state in dire straits with no hope of a rescue. What is more
important — more schools, or even more thekas?
.
than 10 per cent in the PGI, Chandi-
garh; IIT, Ropar; NIT, Jalandhar;
NIPER and IISER, Mohali, and the
gone, without taking note of this and
other crucial issues.
The second official announcement
that has gone almost unnoticed is
about a decision of the Cabinet sub-
committee on finance, headed by the
Chief Minister, to explore the possi-
bility of setting up a corporation to
distribute liquor in Punjab. This
comes from a Chief Minister who had
once held a holy book in hand and
vowed to end the drug menace. The
committee of wise men at the helm,
including Finance Minister Manpreet
Singh Badal, has dredged up this
brilliant idea to earn money for a
None have uttered a word in public
against it. IAS officers, who know
better, also know when to keep quiet.
They have trained themselves to be
on the right side of the political lead-
ership. Maybe some see in the liquor
corporation another opportunity of a
lucrative posting.
Recently an orientation course was
held for first-time MLAs about the
rules of procedure in the Vidhan Sab-
ha. The ministers and MLAs would do
themselves and the State a great
favour if they organise for themselves
similar classes on issues like develop-
ment, governance and leadership.
Experts can teach them what their
duties and responsibilities are other
than enjoying a lavish lifestyle at the
taxpayers’ expense and what role the
State plays, or does not play, as they
seem to have limited their work as
elected representatives of the people
to spending and earning money.
Lack of a visionary leadership has
landed the once number one state in
dire straits with no hope of a rescue.
Instead of playing the leadership role,
politicians in Punjab, including that
elderly gentleman who claims to be a
PhD in politics and who has con-
tributed the most to bringing Punjab
on its knees, allow themselves to be
led by vote banks. Politics of appease-
ment has done the State incalculable
harm, crippling in particular institu-
tions providing education, healthcare,
power and justice. Resources have
been diverted for short-term political
gain. Election manifestos of all politi-
cal parties promise freebies to the
deserving as well as the non-deserv-
ing. None have a credible plan for

O
N the last day of the Winter Session, the Punjab Legislative turned to whatever alternatives are Central University at Bathinda. bankrupt State. arresting the State’s decline and
Assembly functioned as it ought to, for almost the whole day. available, leading to a thriving private The sorry state of education has not The idea of shutting down schools reviving the economy.
Queries were answered in Question Hour, Bills presented by sector education business. Private sufficiently agitated the government, and opening thekas does not seem to The State focus on human resource
the Congress government were debated upon, points made, some sector participation in education and the Opposition or the public at large. weigh on their conscience. With wild development has produced wonders
were conceded, and there was appreciation of certain steps taken by health is unavoidable since govern- The closure of 800 schools, mostly election promises Congressmen have elsewhere, particularly Himachal
the government. Even as the SAD legislators, led by Bikram Singh ment resources are limited and located in the kandi region of tied themselves in knots. There is a Pradesh and Kerala. Haryana is
Majithia, stormed out of the House over a UP strongman Raja demand is huge, but an effective reg- Hoshiarpur, Ropar and Gurdaspur — poverty of ideas. Punjab already has excelling in sports and setting up edu-
ulatory mechanism needs to be in the areas where profit-minded pri- more boards and corporations than it cation hubs. If Punjab has lagged
Bhaiyya meeting Congress MLA Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon, the AAP
place to ensure quality and curb mal- vate schools won’t go — has trig- knows what to do with. Many are non- behind, the political leadership is to
legislators played the role of the Opposition and engaged in legiti-
practices. The government cannot, gered no political storm. The political performing and unwanted, and can be blame since it has strayed from the
mate political sparring in the House. A last-minute resolution criticis- however, withdraw entirely from class has occupied itself with other wound up without any loss to the pub- familiar path of development, followed
ing the Lok Insaf Party MLAs for allegations against a judge created these areas since families with mod- issues. They are busy running one lic. These are kept alive to accommo- in the country post-liberalisation.
an uproar that disrupted the House, as expected. est means cannot meet the high costs another down. The winter session of date political loyalists. Schools obvi-
The reference was to the audio tape released by the Bains broth- of the private sector. the Vidhan Sabha has come and ously have no such use. nirmalssandhu@gmail.com
ers, purported to be a conversation about a bribe discussed to impli-
cate Leader of the Opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira in a drug case.
Capt Amarinder Singh’s earlier stand that this was a judicial matter

Keep the dreams coming

best left to the judiciary, was a mature one. The resolution, asking the
Chief Justice to take action in the matter, smacks of political oppor-
tunism. Naturally, it provoked a sharp reaction from the affected par-
ty. Khaira’s use of unparliamentary language and personal allega-
tions against the Chief Minister are condemnable. Under pressure, he
failed to maintain decorum.
Bipin Malik It feels like a time machine when 12, we always thought she was too stuff and make no efforts to reach
I dream of my parental house, and small to bear puppies. She never home. It always leaves me with a
Capt Amarinder Singh is a seasoned politician. He need not have
used the House to run down a political opponent. The political gains,
if any, are likely to be transitory. Now the feud between the two dom-
inated the discourse, eclipsing some real gains that were seen in the
observance of rules of behaviour and courtesies in the Assembly dur-
I DO not know why I still dream of
my childhood. The dreams come
quite often. It is nice to wake up
feeling the touch of my late mother in
the dream, and the memories of the
generally, I end up teary-eyed
remembering my mother who
always used to wait for my return
from school.
I shiver as I dream of being stuck
became a mother. All her actions
were like a small child’s and she
never heeded when told not to go far
away. She now hounds me in
dreams. When I shout ‘Betty don’t
headache when I wake up.
I believe we dream what we do not
chase, but at the age of 60, it seems
that dreams chase you and bring
along dear ones to meet; the ones
ing this session. It is perhaps futile to hope that the Punjab Assem- guava tree she had planted. in niches or windows of a strangely go, come back’, she keeps moving who loved you, the ones you loved
bly would turn around from its unfortunate tradition of rancour, of I dream of my first school and the designed house and on rooftops, towards danger. It leaves me back. What a wonderful mechanism
raising slogans, staging walkouts, and holding accusatory press con- Christmas celebrations, when we with hardly enough space to stand, exhausted when I open my eyes and our body has! Not only are you trans-
ferences, etc. Punjab expects better from its legislators. used to act in Nativity plays. I and no way to get down. I see this find that it was a mere dream — she ported 50 years back in time, but also
remember Mrs John, a tall lady, at dream often; it isn’t pleasant. had died five years ago. can experience the love of your
Mission School, Roorkee, as a child But the one I really like is the I do not understand why I see mother, smell the sweet fragrance of
of about 5. She had thin, long hands dream of my Apso called Betty. We myself overstaying at Goa, when I school trees and speak to people you
Thought for the Day and I was terrified of her. The treated her like a daughter and nev- should reach home to my mother. loved, in blessed dreams.
school had a large garden with er allowed her to mix with street Most of the time, I do not have train That is why, I still love to hear
The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into scented yellow flowers, where we dogs. Not knowing then that dogs do reservation, which was hard to get in from my grownup children, ‘Sweet
windows. — Sydney J Harris used to eat our tiffin. not usually live beyond the age of the 1970s. I am unable to pack my dreams, Papa.’

letters to the editor

Now, Somnath row
Refer to the article ‘Faith tussle
after Somnath visit’ (November 30);
I visited Dwarka, Gujarat, early this
year. Security check was unsatisfac-
tory and though devotees were in
queue, the temple management
waited for a huge crowd to gather
before opening the gates. This hap-
pened in the scorching heat of May.
Children were crying and the elder-
ly were in a state of discomfort; all
waiting for a glimpse of ‘Dwarikad-
heesh’. Then there were unwanted
pundits who did not miss a chance to
‘loot’ devotees. One is exorbitantly
charged for peetambar or prasad. Is
this the ‘Hinduism’ we know and
our dharma? The bazar adjacent to
the main temple is no more attrac-
tive; one hopes to avoid walking
through it.
HARI OM SHARMA, SHIMLA
What about real issues?
Refer to ‘Faith tussle after Somnath
visit’ (November 30); unfortunately,
the BJP is still banking upon senti-
mental non-issues rather than
issues concerning the common man.
Why is the BJP feeling so insecure
after Rahul Gandhi’s visit to the
temple? Inflation has climbed to
hyperinflation level across the
country. The BJP came to power by
raising a hue and cry over high
prices and with the promise of acche
din, but has failed to control infla-
tion. Today, the public is struggling
for survival as prices of essential
commodities like pulses has gone
up by 60-75 per cent, following the
implementation of GST. The party is
focusing more on narrow compo-
nents like religion and caste and is
least bothered about critical issues
concerning the nation.
RAJESH SHARMA, JALANDHAR CANTT
Delhi-Chd rail corridor
Apropos the report ‘Delhi-Chd at
200 kmph to cost Rs 11,000 crore’
(November 27), the government
should dissuade from making such
huge investments in projects that
aim at serving only the affluent seg-
ment of society. A great majority of
the Indian population does not have
easy access to basic minimum social
services on account of an inefficient
politico-administrative system, poor
infrastructure, rampant corruption,
etc. People-centric and people-
friendly schemes/investments aim-
ing at overall socio-economic devel-
opment should be the concern of the
present government.
PAWAN K KAMRA, CHANDIGARH
A test for all
The judiciary is a citizen’s bulwark
against the might of the State, fami-
ly and religion, and as such, the
Supreme Court has heard Hadiya’s
voice who demanded her freedom
( ‘ Let Hadiya be free’, November 30).
The apex court quite effectively han-
dled the delicate issue. It is a disturb-
ing thought that a father could be so
antagonistic toward his daughter. It
is not only Hadiya who is on trial, it is
also a test for our Constitution which
guarantees her freedom and the SC
that upholds it.
PS KAUR, BY MAIL
Free choice
Refer to the editorial ‘Let Hadiya be
free’ (November 30); we should have
stringent anti-terrorism laws. How-
ever, these should not infringe upon
two consenting adults’ constitution-
al right to marry according to their
choice. Tagore observed that our
apathy towards intercaste/religion
marriages was a stumbling block to
achieving our national unity: ‘Have
we an instance in the whole world
where a people who are not allowed
to mingle their blood, shed their
blood for one another except by coer-
cion or for mercenary purposes?’
SUJIT DE, KOLKATA
Patel vs Nehru
The Sardar Patel-Nehru controversy
is always discussed by the BJP. Was
Sardar Patel so weak that he meekly
carried on in Nehru’s Congress
even after being sidelined and
insulted? He was free to leave and
join the Jana Sangh or any other
party. The truth is that the Congress
under Nehru was democratic, where
people could differ, yet agree on one
thing, that is the welfare of India.
They both worked side by side for
the development of India. If the Sar-
dar built Somnath, it could not have
been without Nehru’s concurrence.
It was the joint vision of the stal-
warts to build a democratic and pro-
gressive India. It was a challenging
task, given the circumstances of dis-
trust and division among different
religious and ethnic communities
after the Partition. Hats off to those
stalwarts who guided India towards
a scientific and progressive tem-
perament. The development of a
country is gauged from, among oth-
ers, how happy are its minorities
and the underprivileged.
PARMIL SINGH, BY MAIL
Just punishment
Apropos the news report ‘Three get
death for Kopardi rape-murder’
(November 30), it is heartening that
India is waking up to the fact that
every crime has a punishment tan-
tamount to it. The misconception
that ‘punishment’ to a crime like
rape is ‘compromise’ has been
belied. For the development of our
country, healthy development of
the mind is equally necessary.
SHRUTI SHARMA, CHANDIGARH
Some meet to inspire
Reference to the middle ‘A teacher
one of a kind’ by RS Mehta (Novem-
ber 20); I went down memory lane,
49 years ago, after reading the piece.
I was posted as a physical education
teacher in Patiala. All teachers were
having lunch and I was a newcomer,
unaware of their qualifications. My
own qualifications were petty. I held
them in high esteem; all were well
versed in English. One of the teach-
ers sarcastically said PTIs did not
even know ABC. His words pricked
me and I decided to work on my
English skills. Under the guidance
of one Mr KC Verma, an MA in Eng-
lish, I burnt the midnight oil to learn
the language. I graduated from the
PU in 1974. What I am today is
because of him. Hard work and
inspiration are a must for success.
BANSI RAM RAHUL, HOSHIARPUR
Losing green cover
I am a student of class VI who feels
strongly about forests. They are the
lungs of our earth and we must make
sincere efforts to conserve them. With-
out forests, life is not possible. If we
don’t want to see trees in museum, we
have to do more than just talk. Devel-
opment at the cost of green cover is no
progress model at all.
DIVYANSH, SHIMLA

Letters to the Editor, typed in double space, should not exceed the 200-word limit. These should be cogently written and can be sent by e-mail to: Letters@tribuneindia.com
THE TRIBUNE
CHANDIGARH | FRIDAY | 1 DECEMBER 2017 OPED 09

Religious beliefs, political personas

Politics should be used to nourish and enrich the unity of the country. By remaining wedded to our multiple identities and
by remaining tuned to the Constitution and not to any shrine or place of worship, we can defend the Idea of India.
Satya Narayana Sahu foster harmony and understanding in soci-
ety and stand up for the Idea of India.
Former Press Secretary to
The Mahatma said he did not want India
President KR Narayanan
to be wholly Hindu, wholly Islamic or whol-
ly Christian but wholly tolerant with all its

R
AHUL Gandhi's visit to the
Somnath temple on Wednesday
and the alleged entry of his
name in the register meant for
non-Hindus has predictably
caused a row. It came to imply that he is not
a Hindu. Photographs of him wearing a
sacred thread were flashed to prove his
credibility as a Hindu. Efforts were made to
demonstrate that his religion is Hinduism
and the entry of his name in the register
meant for non-Hindus is a political mis-
chief. It is strange that the immediate iden-
tity of somebody gets highlighted just to
score a political point and appeal to voters.
Let us take two examples from history
where our leaders refused to be defined
by their religious identity alone:
religions coexisting side by side and flour-
ishing. He also said that to define national-
ism as Hindu nationalism or Islamic
nationalism is a libel on nationalism.
Exactly the same composite dimension of
nationalism was given by Swami
Vivekananda when he said that he wanted
India to have a Vedantic brain and Islamic
body. Dr BR Ambedkar described attempts
to establish the Hindu Rashtra as "arrant
non-sense". In no phase of India's history
was the identity of India defined by the reli-
gious identity of the rulers. When Sardar
Patel wanted to use government funds to
reconstruct the Somnath temple, Mahat-
Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi at the Somnath temple in Gujarat on Wednesday. PTI ma Gandhi advised to create a trust and
appeal the people to contribute money for
Mahatma Gandhi’s example when he declined to meet Jinnah who to distortion and imbalance of multiple that purpose. Sardar Patel paid heed to this

1. In 1965, just before the invasion of Pak-

istan on India, the BBC in a radio broad-
cast stated that the Prime Minister of India
� In the pre-independent India, once
Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri being a Hindu
would attack Pakistan which is a Islamic
Republic. Immediately, Prime Minister
Shastri issued a statement in which he dis-
missed the BBC portrayal of his identity as
PM of India in terms of Hindu religion as
mischievous and asserted that he became
the Prime Minister of India not because of
Hinduism but because people of all faiths
chose him for the post. He then referred to
the secular character of India and the office
of the Prime Minister. He argued that India
did not stand for only one religion and he
being the Prime Minister, and not a Hindu,
would defend India the idea of which could
not be reduced to one religion. It is a
remarkable lesson which teaches us to
stand above religion.
when Mahatma Gandhi was request-
ed to dedicate the Lakshmi Narayan
temple in Delhi, which is popularly
known as the Birla temple, he initially
refused to do so. However, he was
persuaded to come and do the hon-
ours as Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya
who was supposed to do it could not
come to Delhi because of his other
engagements. Gandhiji, while doing
so, delivered a speech and said that
by visiting a temple, a devotee should
pray to get strength to respect faiths
of others and fight against the prac-
tice of untouchability which plagued
Hinduism.
insisted that he should come to see him as
a representative of the Hindus. Gandhiji
wrote a piece on the issue and he defined
his identity beyond Hinduism. He said
that he hailed from Gujarat and, therefore,
he had a Gujarati identity which was coex-
tensive with his Indian identity. Then he
further expanded his Gujarati and Indian
identity by saying that these Gujarati and
Indian identities coexisted with his plan-
etary identity. Stretching further and
broadening all those identities, Mahatma
Gandhi said that he was of the cosmos and
so his Gujarati, Indian and planetary iden-
tities coexisted with his cosmic identity.
These refreshing examples of leader-
ship teach us to go beyond immediate
identity by including manifold identi-
ties which define every individual.
Professor Amartya Sen, in his book
Identity and Violence, and in one of his
identities which an individual has and
which define his overall identity. Such a
process of privileging one identity over
other identities would necessarily lead to
narrowness of mind which, in turn, would
spread violence and venom, cashing fes-
tering sores across the whole body polity.
Glorious legacy
Politics, which is a necessary attribute of
parliamentary democracy, has to be used
to nourish and enrich the unity of our
country. By remaining wedded to the mul-
tiple identities which we have and by
remaining tuned to the Constitution and
not to any shrine or place of worship, we
can defend the Idea of India.
Rahul’s visit to Somnath temple or the
visit of anybody to any shrine should be
seen from the perspective of the Mahatma
who juxtaposed his Hindu identity with his
voice of sanity and desisted from using the
funds of the Government for conducting
religious work. In doing so, Sardar Patel
was setting a splendid example of keeping
the State apparatus away from religion and
temple construction activities. It is gratify-
ing to note that that narrative of Gandhi's
advice to Sardar Patel and the later's
acceptance of it is part of the light and
sound show event being conducted every
evening in the sacred premises of the tem-
ple for the pilgrims who visit the shrine.
Such a glorious legacy to go beyond reli-
gious identity in public life and politics and
not to use the State for religious purposes
is the defining feature of our Republic. It is
every Indian’s duty to uphold this legacy
which is the basic structure of the Constitu-
tion. The leadership must remain tuned to
this legacy to uphold the Idea of India or in
the words of the former President of India,

2. Another shining example of going

beyond religious identity was shown
by none other than Mahatma Gandhi
speeches "Indian Identity" had cautioned
that if one identity of an individual is priv-
ileged over other identities, it would lead
planetary and cosmic identities. Such a
harmonious approach is indispensable to
harmonise our identities to use politics to
the late KR Narayanan, the ideals of Indiat-
va in contrast to Hindutva.
(Views are personal)

Mugabe out, China in

Ashis Ray Lord Nicholas Soames — was restored in
office. This dissolved to ZANU registering
London-based senior journalist
a landslide victory in the 1980 election,
ushering in the 37-year Mugabe era.
imity to North Korea was questionable; his In 2008, China vetoed a UNSC resolution
running of the economy reckless. More which would have imposed arms and
seriously, he indulged in a bloody rigging of economic sanctions on Zimbabwe.
several elections to remain in power. After Consequently, while it has denied this,

A lesson to be learned from
developments in
Zimbabwe is the shrinking
of India's international pro-
activity as compared to
China's expanding vision of
its role in global affairs.
I
N the course of my 40 years as a for-
eign correspondent, I have had the
chance to have a ringside view of sig-
nificant moments in world affairs. One
such was the emergence of black rule in
Zimbabwe, previously Rhodesia.
In December 1979, I was among the
hordes of reporters at London's Lancaster
House, where after more than three
months of protracted negotiations chaired
by the then British Foreign Secretary, Lord
Peter Carrington, an agreement was
reached, which ended the guerrilla upris-
ing in the country and paved the way to a
return to British colonial status from a 1965
unilateral declaration of independence by
its white supremacist leader Ian Smith.
Bishop Abel Muzorewa was Zimbabwe's
PM. But militants Robert Mugabe of the
Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU),
identified with Maoism, and Joshua Nko-
mo of the Zimbabwe African People's
Union (ZAPU), backed by the Soviet Union
and Cuba, were signatories to the treaty.
For four months, a British governor-gen-
eral — Sir Winston Churchill's grandson
Earlier, Southern Rhodesia, as it was
then called, was annexed by Britain in
1923. However, by the 1960s, the UK’s
policy towards Rhodesia had transformed
into "no independence before majority
rule". This was rejected by Smith. Britain
applied to the UN for sanctions against
Rhodesia and was granted these in 1966
and furthermore in 1968. London
frowned upon Smith's resistance; but
refrained from using force against him.
As Brutus said of and in Shakespeare's
Julius Caesar, 'as he was ambitious, I slew
him'. In November 2017, so did the Zim-
babwean army, albeit popularly supported,
when it came to Mugabe's wife Grace — 41
years his junior and with whom she start-
ed an affair while his first wife was ill —
thereby ousting him. The President
resigned under duress; thus, the transition
was neither democratic nor ideal. But it
was bloodless and few have complained.
Mugabe, now unsteady and unloved at
93, was once quite respected in his country
and region. He obliterated his rival Nkomo;
and tightened his grip on power. His prox-
advocating reconciliation with the former
white ruling classes, he forcibly captured
white-owned farms — the granary of SA —
and presented them to his party activists. It
is estimated up to five million educated
Zimbabweans out of a population of 17 mil-
lion may have quit the soil over the years.
The change of personality has been wel-
comed. But is the 75-year-old Emmerson
Mnangagwa, Mugabe's Vice-President
who has now succeeded him as President,
the answer to a quite literate Zimbabwean
people's miseries? He delivered a politi-
cally savvy acceptance speech; but was in
no way in the past distant from the crimes
committed by the regime. The country is
bankrupt and in need of assistance.
A lesson to be learned from develop-
ments in Zimbabwe is the shrinking of
India's international pro-activity as com-
pared to China's expanding vision of its
role in global affairs. Given the inspira-
tion Mugabe derived from Maoism in the
1970s, Beijing's involvement in Zimbab-
we's politics was deep-rooted, translating
into investment in its natural resources.
China's hand in the scenario that unfolded
in Zimbabwe soon after the Zimbabwean
army chief Constantino Chiwenga visited
China, is a matter not to be dismissed.
Mnangagwa, trained in the communist
state (or should I say authoritarian capital-
ist system), was looked upon as being
more reliable than a frail, faltering and un-
pragmatic Mugabe. Besides, Mugabe's
diktat to foreign investors of having to con-
cede to majority black Zimbabwean own-
ership of companies was against Chinese
interests, while his nationalisation of dia-
mond mines also affected China.
In addition, in Beijing's eyes, Mnangag-
wa, a known devil, was much more accept-
able than the diva that was Grace Mugabe,
bolstered by a young brigade not dissimilar
to South Africa's Winnie Mandela's once
dubious support base of a murderous gang.
Interestingly, the Chinese foreign min-
istry made it a point to eulogise the Chi-
na-Zimbabwe friendship after Mugabe
stepped down. Not that Beijing cares or
wishes to conceal matters, but this,
arguably, gave the game away.

on this day... 100 years ago quick crossword su do ku forecast

YESTERDAY’S MEDIUM SUNSET: FRIDAY 17:21 HRS
SOLUTION SUNRISE: SATURDAY 07:03 HRS
Across 2 8
Lahore, Saturday, December 1, 1917 1 Besides, 5 Tacks, 8

THE EDUCATIONAL SERVICE.

Transmissions, 9
Hedge, 10 Precede,
3 5 Sunny Partly Cloudy Cloudy Rainy Foggy
CITY MAX MIN
11 Dilute, 12 Fright,
THE Educational Services Committee appointed by the Punjab Gov-
ernment commences its sitting to-day. We have protested its consti-
15 Anodyne, 17 9 1 3 4 2 Chandigarh 25
New Delhi 27
08
09
Qualm, 19 High and
tution so far as non-representation of the bulk of the Provincial Ser-
vice, both on the collegiate and the inspection side is concerned, and
mighty, 20 Apron, 21
Remorse.
7 2 4 6 9 PUNJAB
Amritsar 25 08
we adhere to our conviction that the so-called "Lower Section" has not Bathinda 26 09
been accorded any representation. The committee's labours will Down 3 4 Jalandhar 25 08
remain infructuous and will fail to achieve the purpose which the 1 Bitch, 2 Ludhiana 25 06
Government had in view. Nevertheless the time has come to exam-
ine the recommendations of the Public Services Commission and the
Scandalmonger, 3
Dissent, 4 Skimpy,
4 8 1 3 7 Patiala 25 08
HARYANA
5 Taste, 6
alternative scheme and to lay before the Government the substantial
grievances under which Indians in general and Punjabis in particu-
Choreographer, 7
Suspect, 11
1 3 9 5 6 Ambala
Bhiwani
25
29
08
09
lar have laboured. The underlying principle of recruitment in the
services should be efficiency alone, and given equal efficiency, the
Drachma, 13
Requiem, 14 6 4 Hisar
Karnal
29
24
08
06
sons of the soil should have a priority in recruitment. But what has Tender, 16 Yearn, Sirsa 28 09
been the case in practice. There have been two services, the so-called 18 Maybe. 4 7 HIMACHAL PRADESH
'Indian' Educational Service with 199 posts with an average pay of Rs. Dharamsala 17 07
970 per mensem, not including the directors who are the heads of the
department in the several provinces, and the Provincial Educational Yesterday’s solution calendar Manali 17 0
December 1, 2017, Friday Nahan 20 09
service with 386 posts carrying an average pay of Rs. 354 per mensem. ACROSS 22To live (5) 5 To drift (5) 6 8 5 7 3 9 1 2 4
■ Vikrami Samvat 2074
Shimla 16 07
1 Capital of Portugal (6) 23As a substitute (7) 6 Incentives (7) 1 7 2 8 6 4 5 3 9 ■ Shaka Samvat 1939 Solan 20 03
Anglo-Indian Despair. ■ Marghshish Shaka 10 JAMMU & KASHMIR
THE Delhi correspondents of several Anglo-Indian papers in
4 To counterbalance (6) 24Period in office (6) 7 To moderate (6) 9 3 4 1 5 2 6 7 8 ■ Marghshish Parvishte 16 Jammu 24 09
India have all sounded a note of despair and gloom in regard to 9 Russian dramatist (7) 25Proverbial example (6) 8 A system of weights (11) 2 9 3 6 7 1 4 8 5 ■ Hijari 1439
■ Leh 08 --10
the various deputations received by the Viceroy and the Secre- 10Hatred (5) 14 Considered view (7) 4 6 8 9 2 5 7 1 3 Shukla Paksha Tithi 12,
up to 7.13 am Srinagar 14 --03
tary of State. Considering their prejudice and even opposition to 11 Praise highly (5) DOWN 15 Contradict (7) 5 1 7 4 8 3 9 6 2 ■ Shukla Paksha Tithi 13, up to 4.20 am UTTARAKHAND
the Secretary of State's mission in India their present attitude is 12 Encroach (7) 1 Servile follower (6) 16 Despairing (6) ■ Vari Yog up to 4.38 pm
Dehradun 23 08
8 5 6 2 9 7 3 4 1 ■ Ashwin Nakshatra up to 2.28 pm
hardly to be wondered at. But it exposes the weakness of their 13 Occasionally (3,3,5) 2 Exhausted (5) 17 Worn away (6) ■ Mussoorie 17 05
position and their inability to face facts and arguments. 7 4 9 3 1 8 2 5 6 Moon in Aries sign
18 Extravagant publicity (5-2) 3 Shakespearean tragic 19 Inhibit (5) ■ Gandmool up to 2.28 pm Nainital 15 07
20Bring upon oneself (5) heroine (7) 21 Statement of beliefs (5) 3 2 1 5 4 6 8 9 7 ■ Pardosh Vart TEMPERATURE IN OC