MONTH-IN-PERSPECTIVE-NOVEMBER 2021

NEW DELHI: We all know that Reserve Bank of India, the central bank of the country is a regulatory body, with the consent of Union Government. It cannot do many interventions into the performance of individual banks. However, it has its regulatory and enforcement role as specified in the Reserve Bank of India Act of 1948. RBI generally operates under the overall confines of this Act. Within the constraints of the Act, it can honestly take up role to improve the performance of Indian banks in general. There was this report datelined New Delhi “RBI’s ‘displeasure’ letters warn banks over functioning”. In a bid to push some banks to clean up their act, RBI has been, in recent times, issuing letters expressing its dissatisfaction over their functioning. These letters from Department of Supervision does not take enforcement action. But it has larger implications for individual concerned or the entire institution, especially relating to due diligence in credit appraisal, asset quality against advances and loans. According to sources in RBI, such letters give the board of these banks necessary ammunition to address issues that are known but ignored. Reportedly these letters have led to an improvement in the compliance culture among lending banks as they have to be placed before the board and formally discussed. These letters certainly empowers those officials who are committed to transparent financial dealings, unlike those who encourage or accompany crony approaches. After all banks belong to the share holders and depositors, which could be both private and government or public. This practice of issuing such letters of ‘displeasure’, seem to have salutary effect on the positive arithmetic of banks per se. The report mentions about a letter in the past, written by a senior functionary of RBI over the actions of commission and omission of the CEO of a public sector bank led to government asking the RBI functionary to take voluntary retirement. That letter had, reportedly, specifically mentioned the RBIs loss of confidence in the individual and the problems it was causing in the management of the bank, the source in RBI stated. Prima facie, it was a thoroughly professional approach by the RBI functionary concerned, however the government of the day, took the call to snub the concerned senior executive of RBI, after a Supervisory report by RBI. The report does not mention the period and the government of the day, to infer any politics or vested interest in the decision to relieve the RBI official concerned. This is another dimension of Yeh Mera India. UTTAR PRADESH: Incident in Lakhimpur Kheri has been extensively covered by the media, and written about too. Indeed the sad death of some of people, the wanton behavior of those who perpetrated the violence, demanded that the world needed to be told, why and how of it. Of course if farmers’ protest was not there, in all probabilities something like this would not have happened. But can we blame farmers for that. Yes and No. Farmers have their justification, rightly or wrongly for their prolonged and massive protest. May be they had reasons, but their leadership failed them. There is no problem which cannot be solved. It is only a matter of give and take. But may be there were people, who were set to lose a fortune, like the middlemen-or arhtiyas-in mandis and they didn’t want the protest to stop. According to sources in public space they have a very huge stake if these laws become operational against which this protest is going on. To an extent they can be held responsible, for the sheer madness of the driver of the vehicle, reportedly a son of a Union Minister, to go berserk that caused some 4 deaths. These deaths caused completely avoidable retaliatory violence that led to another 4 persons dying by lynching. It is true that the minister’s son is in jail due to the intervention of the apex court. Reportedly, the UP administration was dragging its feet to act on the son Ashish Mishra, who drove into the crowd. But there is a story, that his SUV was chased with brickbats and arms, a dimension which no media has reported. But there is a video making its round. To save himself from the violent crowd he drove fast on the crowd that was blocking his way! How true is this story! Only a court monitored SIT can nail the truth. No doubt, those who have committed the crime should pay for it. Surely apex court, which is overseeing the investigation and judicial intervention, will do justice to all concerned. But, why at all this had to happen! There are currents and cross-currents and stakes are high and India is a chaotic democracy with all political parties trying to be in the lime light, as saviors of aam aadmi and the democracy. Hope apex court will act in some time bound manner, so that not only justice has been done, but also justice is seen to have been done. MAHARASHTRA:Couple of days ago a guy called Aryan Khan was arrested along with few others, little known so far, but will be better known from now on. Name Aryan Khan, was media covered, since he happened to be the son of Hindi film actor Shah Rukh Khan, or else he would have been like so many faceless Indians, Africans and Whites get hauled up for drug consumption, peddling etc. He is all of 23, tells the media, and another small time film actor Sunil Shetty calls him child. Fantastic, isn’t it! Thank God this Aryan Khan is not in teens anymore, or else he would have been called baby! If Sunil Shetty was very ‘considerate’ in calling this 23 year old as ‘child’ stating, “The child should be given an opportunity, let the real report come”, another actress Suchitra Krishnamoorthi has her ‘wisdom’ on display, termed “Bollywood gawking is tamasha”, as if Bollywood characters are Gods. And ‘wisest of all’ Shobha De reacted “Had he not been SRK’s son, people wouldn’t been interested in the case so much”. So you have all and sundry and social media is full of sympathizers besides those who are not concealing the mirth at the actor’s mental agony, only because he is a Muslim. I have no hesitation in branding these, from Sunil Shetty and his ilk to these social media interlocutors as plain and simple JOKERS. Simply put, this Aryan Khan and others are accused of being guilty of some crime and they should be made accountable according to the law of the land, without any political colour being given. Police should act purely as per law without any interference from any quarter. ‘Breaking News’ hunting media should control itself not to fish for sensation quotient. If things have been handled properly, this waste of media space and heartburn would not have been there! MAHARASHTRA:Union Minister of state for social justice Ramdas Athawale, is a political midget, by any standard of comparison. He is in the Union Ministry of NDA led by PM Narendra Modi, not for his capability or ability. It was the political necessity or rather compulsion, that forced the hands of NDA due to the accident of birth so also vote bank compulsions. Be that as it may, he was in the news for whatever it was worth, in the print media. A Mumbai datelined publication had reported “If Kamala can be Vice President, why couldn’t Sonia be PM”. Attributing the above statement to Ramdas Athawale, the Union Minster, the reporter had viewed it as humour. Addressing a press conference in Indore, he is reported to have said “When the UPA got a majority in 2004 elections; I had proposed that Sonia Gandhi should become Prime Minister. I was of the view that her foreign origin issue had no meaning. If Kamala Harris can become Vice President of the US then why couldn’t Sonia Gandhi, a citizen of India, wife of Rajiv Gandhi and elected Loksabha MP, couldn’t become the Prime Minister?” Reportedly, he had also remarked that Sonia Gandhi should have made Sharad Pawar the PM of India, instead of making Dr. Manmohan Singh. It is the same Ramdas Athawale who in October 2017 was reported to have stated “The army provides good food and liquor. Instead of consuming country liquor while being unemployed Dalit youth must join the armed forces-army, navy and air force-where they can get rum”. So according to him joining the army need not be to serve the country but to have food and quality liquor free. If this is what a Union Minister of State can say in public, what his unemployed country cousins should do, what could you expect from him as a responsible statement, on the Prime Minister of India? Sharad Pawar had to leave Congress in 1999, for questioning the foreign origin of Sonia Gandhi and therefore Sonia Gandhi proposing Sharad Pawar, as PM of India, wouldn’t have happened at all. Besides, Sonia Gandhi wanted a well qualified Mouni Baaba, who will act as per her dictates and certainly not Sharad Pawar, who would never have been the one, to take orders, as a PM of India. These details are beyond the comprehension of Ramdas Athawale. Coming to Kamala Harris and Sonia Gandhi comparison is like comparing two diametrically different personalities. Kamala Harris is where she is by her qualification as a brilliant lawyer, and a grass root member of an American political party, who held positions of eminence in American socio-political sphere whereas Sonia Gandhi is a case of accidental politician with no educational qualification at all. At least public space does not show any details of her educational background. There are details about what she was doing while in England, which need not be reproduced here. Kamala Harris is much younger at 56, and Sonia Gandhi is 75. Kamala Harris is an American by birth whereas Sonia Gandhi is an Italian by birth and became Indian after she married to Rajiv Gandhi. She was married to Rajiv Gandhi in 1968, but she didn’t become Indian until 1983, which exposed her reluctance. There are enough and significant reasons, why Sonia Gandhi did not become PM of India in 2004, when UPA got the majority in the parliament. These are details beyond the limited cognitive ability of Ramdas Athawale. But for press, he is a news maker, and they have to fill their pages, sense or nonsense. This is Yeh Mera India. MAHARASHTRA:“Mere possession of fake currency is not a terror act, say court”, was a report datelined Mumbai. A special court under UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act) reportedly acquitted a 27 years old Rafiqul Sheikh, a Thane resident, on purported terror charges, instead convicted for possessing fake currency notes. Special judge RR Bhosale clearly suffers from economic illiteracy. According to him ‘the act of possessing counterfeit currency was not a terrorist act for damaging the monetary stability of the country.’ He also stated in his ruling “the prosecution has not succeeded in proving the charge of currency trafficking. Nothing has been brought on record to prove the intention of a terrorist for damaging monetary stability of the country”. The accused was found in possession of 160 fake currency notes of Rs. 1000 denomination when he was waiting at a bus stop in Kalina, in North Mumbai. There are two aspects of this incident 1) 160x1000: 1,60,000/- is not a small amount meant to spend on groceries or vegetables. It was clearly meant for circulation. If he is not a part of the solution then he is the problem himself, since he is in touch with the source of trafficking. Unless such acts are taken very seriously, it may not be stopped. So the seriousness of fake currency circulation has to be appreciated by all concerned including judiciary. Besides, presently there are no 1000 rupee currency notes, old one is banned. So are these the banned notes!? Then it is another offence. It is a call court should have taken! In economics there is a concept of multiplier effect, which when happens leads to galloping actions and reactions, like the old adage, ‘drops make ocean’. This simple logic, the learned judge of UAPA Special Court, could not understand, or rather refused to understand. Fake currency, like adulteration of food and medicine, is a crime against humanity and therefore to a nation, where such things happen. Fake currency circulation on bigger scale can have a far reaching debilitating effect on the economy. Everything starts-small, like the Chinese proverb, ‘every journey start with a single step’, and then picks up speed and can gallop to swallow the economy of the whole country. To understand this simple logic doesn’t need a PhD from London School of Economics. For a judge to refuse to get convinced of this simple logic tantamount to miscarriage of justice! It’s as simple as that. Hope higher judiciary currently in the grip of judicial reform should also think of awareness programme for judicial officers. MAHARASHTRA:A Mumbai based print media member had carried a story about ‘New Law to set up apex court benches in 4 metros on anvil’, by a lawyer journalist or is it journalist lawyer! Therein he refers to Rajya Sabha member P. Wilson who has proposed setting up of four regional benches of the Supreme Court in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, to make justice accessible to all Indian citizens. A delegation from the Bar Councils of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala met Chief Justice of India (CJI), NV Ramana, recently to ask him to consider setting up a bench for all the southern states in Chennai”. Better late than never! Prima facie, both the Rajya Sabha member P. Wilson so also the delegation of Bar Councils of Southern States need to be commended for this welcome development. Every socio-economic development has an important component which did not receive its due attention and that is “decentralization’. India is a vast country of 3287000+ square kms with equally huge population of some 1300+ million spread across the length and breadth of the country. Socio-economic empowerment is the legitimate desire of every human, either self driven or with the help of the government of the day, or both. Therefore every step that a government takes, if it has to make a difference to the life of its citizens, it should be accessible to all of us pari passu. But the truth is, even after 75 years, this dimension of development has not been appreciated in all its seriousness, by none of those who can influence the course of such a difference, be it political class, be it bureaucracy or even media, the 4th estate. The story also refers to the effort of the present Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, who had in 2019, recommended splitting of Supreme Court into four regional benches. There is also a reference to the indomitable political saint E. M. S. Namboodiripad who had, way back in 1967, at a press conference referred to the class bias of judiciary.“The law and the system of judiciary essentially served the exploiting classes”, he had remarked while alleging that judges of superior courts instinctively favoured the rich against the poor. All that he meant was, rich had access to justice whereas the poor did not, which is so very true even after all these post independent years. Therefore like the idiom, “If Mohammad cannot go to the mountain, mountain has to go to Mohammad”, meaning the accessibility of legal institutions should be as near to the litigant on possible. Be that as it may, let us hope that in not too distant a future apex court opens its regional benches. However, instead of having it in Chennai which is already a developed mega city, why not have it in a smaller city, which can be given the benefit of greater development, with decent infra and nearer for better accessibility, to all litigants! Mysore city, which already prides itself as a clean city, is centrally located for all southern states. Hope the powers that be, thinks in these lines for the larger picture of convenience to all citizens of South India. MAHARASHTRA:When the incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office for the first time and while addressing the nation from the ramparts of Red Fort on his Independence Day speech, he had remarked about ‘the work culture prevailing in Delhi’s corridors of power’. He had said ‘there is always an inter-departmental fight between departments on some decision, which had stopped the file to move further on some or the other pretext concerning some development matter’. The culture of ‘Tu-Tu-Mai-Mai’ has been the bane of our tryst with the destiny for all these years. We are concerned about who is right rather than what is right and every time the nation suffered by inordinate delays caused by these inter-departmental fights. If the story was before 2014, when he entered the parliament, despite Modi, our response to change has been painstakingly slow. No wonder comes this story from Mumbai. A Mumbai datelined story in the print media had reported that “For want of just 533 sq.mtrs, Western Railway project held-up for decade”. Western Railway’s, Mumbai section wanted to develop two additional lines, besides the existing 4 lines. Of the 4 lines, two are for slow trains and two are for fast trains. All these 4 lines are extensively used for local suburban trains between Churchgate in South Mumbai and Virar beyond North Mumbai in Thane district. The two fast lines also facilitate the up-and-down upcountry trains towards north and eastern Indian destinations. Whenever there is an arrival or departure to & from Mumbai, local suburban trains would stop at earlier stations or move over to slow lines to facilitate the movement of fast upcountry trains. This would invariably delay suburban trains due to the inevitable disruption by these upcountry trains. To facilitate smoother and uninterrupted movements of all trains on their respective lines, these two additional lines were planned. This had necessitated some land acquisition along the existing railway lines, and all that the Railway Ministry needed was 533 sq.mtrs cumulative in 3 locations, and they are pending at different levels of state government in Mumbai since last over 10 years. Planned probably in 2010 Railway Budget, nobody took the project seriously. The land along the railway line, to a fair extent is owned by railways for future expansion. But are either leased or encroached upon by unauthorized colonies. In this case a portion of land was leased and the lease holder is not releasing a mere 88.57 sq. mtrs needed for the project. It is only a small portion of the leased land and could have been given-up without much fuss. But the selfish private leaseholder went to court, and us usual it is languishing in the court interminably among hundreds of civil cases. Other two acquisitions are on encroached properties, where slums have come-up, which are regularized and therefore has to have resettlement and rehabilitation plans before acquiring. It is not going fast enough. Things are moving at snail's pace and 10 years have already gone. How many more years would go, only time will tell. This is Yeh Mera India. KARNATAKA: There was this print media report “Government shuts up bureaucrats to help ministers get limelight”. The title appears to be intended to portray Karnataka government or rather ministers of Karnataka government in poor light. It is a human tendency all over the world to bask in the glory, either earned or unearned, and who doesn’t like it! As per the report, it appears some junior officials had gone to the town to tell the media about some projects or some policy initiatives of the government of Karnataka. According to the ‘dos and donts’ for a government employee, he or she is not supposed to make any official statements in print media, electronic media or even social media without the express permission to do so. There have been instances of such nature and ministers concerned were losing out media sound bites due to this over enthusiastic staff wanting to hog the limelight. A minister is a political face of the government, hence needs to be seen in public space. Whether, as the report indicates that “since ministers were not getting due publicity because of bureaucrats jumping the gun”, is an appropriate comment or not, it could have been avoided in the best tradition of journalism. It could also be true that ministers may be lacking in finesse to put the issue in appropriate terminology, that’s how reporters waiting for a slip of the tongue, held on to it to create a ‘breaking news’. The state’s ‘civil service rules and instructions’ are part of all employment conditions. All staff is expected to follow it in letter and spirit, period. If there have been incidents of ‘jumping the gun’ they should be specifically warned and life would have gone on without such unwholesome titles of report by over-excited journos. As it happened, as per report, ministers went to the new CM Basavaraj Bommai and complained that they get no publicity due to the officials going to town and talking to media, about government actions or inactions. CM acts, and asked the Chief Secretary (CS) to set right the emerging development. CS issues a circular, since his colleagues too were unhappy with the junior secretaries hogging the media limelight and developing an online following through their social media posts. And reportedly another senior IAS officer reacted to the issue of latest circular by the C.S, “these directives would affect the morale of young officials eager to project their good work”. So at the end of the day, it is the vested interest of all at play here. And the hallowed declaration on the top of the Vidhana Saudha, “Sarakaarada Kelasa Devara Kelasa” meaning “Governments work is God’s work” is just a hogwash. This is one more dimension of Yeh Mera India. KERALA: Kerala being in the centre of controversies is no news at all. Kerala, under Communists is routinely in and out of controversies. A print media report datelined Trivandrum, “HC Expresses shock over police protection to fake antique dealer”, has kind of opened a pandora’s box of politician police and criminal nexus in Kerala. An antique dealer, Monson Mavunkal, reportedly dealing in fake manufactured antiques, was under police protection in Trivandrum, with the blessing of DGP of the state. High Court in Trivandrum was hearing a petition recently filed by the former driver cum-mechanic of Monson Mavunkal. Ajit EV, the driver had alleged in his plea that he was being harassed and intimidated by this Monson Mavunkal and some police officers, after he gave police some details of cheating by Mavunkal. Report informs that there have been series of complaints with police regarding the cheating by this fraudster antique dealer Mavunkal. Unfortunately for police in Kochi, court found out that this fake antique dealer was being provided with police protection from these complainants. They also found out that police higher ups, like DGP, Additional DGP are his acquaintances. In fact there is a photograph making rounds in the social circuit where former DGP Lokanath Behera sitting on the fake throne of Tippu Sultan. Presently Behera is the Managing Director of Kochi Metro, appointed by the state government. Behera had visited this Monson Mavunkal’s antique museum along with Additional DGP Manoj Abraham, who continues to be in service, clearly indicating that their connection with the fraudster has not upset the state government. Thus, the expression of shock by the High Court in Trivandrum or Thiruvanantapuram is clearly appropriate. Except expressing shock at the unholy nexus among crooks, police and politicians court cannot do much to force the issue of government complicity in the multi-crore scam involving this fake antique dealer Monson Mavunkal. Yeh Mera India. KERALA:The statement of Mar Joseph Kallarangatt, an influential bishop, who heads the Palai diocese of Syro-Malabar Church in Kerala, on ‘Narcotic Jihad’ has not come a day too early. However, as compared to the terms “Love Jihad’ this is different only in terminology but meaning the same ‘Love Jihad’ through drugs, which has been around for quite some time now. Of course as usual, the politicians in Kerala, the left intellectuals, and of course the so-called liberals, are singing the same tune, the so-called Islamophobia. This is not the first time; such allegations have surfaced in Kerala. Back in January 2020, an influential Catholic Church in Kerala had said ‘Love Jihad is a reality’ and alleged that score of women from Christian community from southern states were being lured into the trap of Islamic State and used them in terror activities. The synod of Syro-Malabar, an apex body of Catholic Bishops, chaired by Cardinal George Alencherry, also accused the state police of not viewing the matter seriously and taking timely action in ‘Love Jihad’ cases. So, what bishop Joseph Kallarangatt had remarked and warned has relevance to an emerging scenario within the Kerala socio-political landscape. But sadly, the so-called secular media, propped by liberal writers, have called this ‘Love Jihad’ threat as ‘imaginary’. Is it serving any ideological dogma, or why are they not taking it seriously?! RSS and other Hindu groups have been saying it for pretty long. But the anti-RSS anti-Hindu media in Kerala, always hit out at them saying they are communal and communalizing social intercourse in a secular milieu. Even Christian clergy ignored these allegations of RSS and other Hindu groups but now that the ‘chickens have come home to roost’, these Christian clergy too is making common cause with their Hindu sections of Kerala society. It is true that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has turned down the demand of BJP for an all party meeting to discuss the statement of Bishop Kallarangatt, despite Christian groups taking out rally in support of Bishop. In private some of the government functionaries may be in agreement with the bishop, but they would not want to be seen as supporting the views of BJP and lend credibility to the saffron stand, even if it is right. This is Kerala politics. Here it is pertinent to recollect what Jairam Ramesh had reportedly observed sometime early last year while participating in the Krithi International Book Fair organized by Kerala Department of Culture and Co-Operative Society of Kerala writers. He was commenting on a remark by former Defense Minister AK Antony ‘We (Congress) cannot be seen to be insensitive to the majority community while being soft on minority communalism by not targeting Popular Front of India type of communalism’. It is also true that a Rajya MP Suresh Gopi, who is a Malayalam film actor turned politician had gone on record that centre would soon convene a meeting of church heads in the state to discuss their concern. Hope the issue of this worrying development is brought out into the open, instead of being pushed under the carpet as of no consequence by some interested groups of politicians and self styled social thinkers. WORLD: Cricket, unlike any other game suffers from glorious uncertainties. Being a no-body years ago in the international cricket among greats like West Indies, Australia, England and South Africa, India has inched its way to the top by sheer application and availability of abundant cricket talent within the country. At present India is second to none in defending any total on the board or overhauling any total of the opponent. We have proved time and again our strength with the willow and the cherry. We have proved many times our mettle against our traditional sub-continental opponent Pakistan. But the last match in Dubai we lost. Yes, we lost it rather badly. Our bowlers toiled hard but failed to make a breakthrough. But then again none wanted it that way, especially the team and our bowlers. But the fact is, Pakistan certainly played better. So the better team won. It’s as simple as that. Winning and losing is always a part of the game. There’s always another day to prove one’s worth. Let’s move on. Life has to go on. But the saddest thing is the petty minded sectarian dimension that Pakistani players are indulging in. They have proved themselves completely graceless in victory. A former Pakistani cricket captain Waqar Younis reportedly expressed his happiness after the Pakistani victory against India saying “watching Mohammad Rizwan offering prayers in front of Hindu players was most satisfying”. How cheap one can become that too a sportsman to boot! Pakistani Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed has reportedly remarked “The victory of Pakistan over India is a victory of Islam”. So was it “Defeat of Islam” when Pakistan lost to India umpteen times before this loss in Dubai!? There were jokers in India too. An Indian liberal lunatic saw this loss as “Narendra Modi’s Waterloo moment”. What has Narendra Modi got to do with the India’s loss at a cricket match! Then you had this lady Congress spokesperson. She reportedly asked “Bhakts how’s the taste” commenting on India losing to Pakistan. How self degrading some people can be, politics apart! That a section of Indians celebrating or expressing joy at Pakistani victory against India, has a long history. Unfortunately these ‘kill-joys’ do not realize that they are providing fodder to people in other sections of Indian society waiting to attack them. What happened in Kashmir is not new. But would they ever change! The teacher in Rajasthan sadly paid with her job for her joyous video on the Pak victory going viral. Question asked was “How and what could she teach her young wards in her class?” A sad dimension of an evolving India!