It is a development that offers a lesson and inspiration for all parliamentary democracies of the world, including India.
The UK Parliament (also called the British parliament) has moved a bill that aims at empowering the British voters with the right to recall an MP elected by them, if the latter is found to be engaged in questionable activities.
If the bill gets passed by the British Parliament, then it will give the voters from a constituency to force a by election if they feel that their elected representative has got engaged in serious wrongdoings. The only condition is that the petition moved to that effect must be signed by at least 10 per cent of the constituents.
I feel everybody will agree that it is a very significant step, likely to play a very effective role in purifying electoral system and curbing malpractices by elected representatives.
I eagerly wait for the day when the Indian parliament will show the courage to come up with one such bill. And I also appeal to the Election Commission of India to study the said bill, and check whether the same can be replicated in India (with necessary modifications, if any).
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Indian Govt. Mulling Institutionalization Of Community Policing
It was heartening to know that the Indian government is planning to institutionalize community policing, by setting up an exclusive wing for the same. The said wing, to be named 'Community Policing' or CoP, will be a part of the existing police department itself.
It is undoubtedly a very significant development. It is now an established fact that appropriate involvement of community always enhances the quality of the governance. This explains why it has now become such a popular practice for governments across the world to partner with local community members for carrying out various tasks and activities (one notable example is that of “Community Forestry”).
And moreover, community policing has been proved to be a very fruitful tool for curbing crime, with the practice being followed in a number of developed countries for quite some time. No matter how much strong network of informers a police force has, there is no parallel for a system where the common, grass roots level citizens act as the “eyes” and “ears” of the force. All of us are aware of at least a couple of incidents where the alertness of a common citizen has helped the police to smell a crime that is about to take place, and prevent it by taking necessary steps at the right time.
I was also happy to know that new courses and programmes were being developed for being taught in police academy, which aim at sensitizing police personnel on the role they have to play in community policing.
Let’s wish the government all the best for this smart move.
It is undoubtedly a very significant development. It is now an established fact that appropriate involvement of community always enhances the quality of the governance. This explains why it has now become such a popular practice for governments across the world to partner with local community members for carrying out various tasks and activities (one notable example is that of “Community Forestry”).
And moreover, community policing has been proved to be a very fruitful tool for curbing crime, with the practice being followed in a number of developed countries for quite some time. No matter how much strong network of informers a police force has, there is no parallel for a system where the common, grass roots level citizens act as the “eyes” and “ears” of the force. All of us are aware of at least a couple of incidents where the alertness of a common citizen has helped the police to smell a crime that is about to take place, and prevent it by taking necessary steps at the right time.
I was also happy to know that new courses and programmes were being developed for being taught in police academy, which aim at sensitizing police personnel on the role they have to play in community policing.
Let’s wish the government all the best for this smart move.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
MP Govt. Admits Involvement Of Forest Staff In Tiger Poaching At Panna
Poachers involved in the killings of tigers at Madhya Pradesh’s Panna Tiger Reserve enjoy support and co-operation from the very people who are supposed to protect those amazing animals from them – the forest staff.
This painful (but probably not very shocking) fact came to light after the state government was forced to share a report submitted to it in January 2011 by the Filed Director, Panna Tiger Reserve. The government was forced to share the report after an application to that effect was filed by RTI activist Ajay Dubey.
Hopefully the state government will take necessary steps to ensure that Panna does not experience what happened to Sariska. And yes, will the government now accept the Central Government’s proposal for a CBI enquiry into the matter?
This painful (but probably not very shocking) fact came to light after the state government was forced to share a report submitted to it in January 2011 by the Filed Director, Panna Tiger Reserve. The government was forced to share the report after an application to that effect was filed by RTI activist Ajay Dubey.
Hopefully the state government will take necessary steps to ensure that Panna does not experience what happened to Sariska. And yes, will the government now accept the Central Government’s proposal for a CBI enquiry into the matter?
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Ms. Manusmriti Of India Becomes The 4th Generation Cop, Makes World Record
Ms. Manusmriti of India has made world record by becoming the 4th generation cop in her family. Manusmriti, who has joined India’s elite Indian Police Service (IPS), comes from a family which has been serving the Indian police force generation after generation since 1921 (which means for 90 years).
Her great grandfather Harihar Prasad Verma had joined the police force of the Indian state of Bihar as a Constable in 1921, i.e. when India was under the British rule. He was followed by his son Arbind Prasad (Manusmriti’s grandfather), who joined the Bihar Police as an SI (Sub Inspector) in 1952. He was again followed by his son Kamlendra Prasad (Manusmriti’s father), who joined the IPS in 1981. He is an IPS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, and is now serving as the Director of the National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Science, New Delhi.
And now Manusmriti has lived up to the legacy of her family by joining the IPS. She has joined the Union Territory cadre. She and her father have also made the record of being the only serving father-daughter IPS duo. A bright student, Manusmriti is an alumnus of Delhi’s St. Stephens College and London School of Economics.
However, there has been an example of a 4th generation cop in Canada as well. There is one David Stewart who joined the police force of Vancouver in Canada on 23rd September, 2011. And he is reportedly the 4th generation cop in his family. However, his family has been serving the police force for 82 years, i.e. eight years less than the number of years for which Manusmriti’s family has served the force.
A bagful of congratulations, Manusmriti. The nation wishes you all the best.
At the same time let us wish all the best to our Canadian friend David Stewart. Both David and Manusmriti have lived up to the legacy of their respective families, and we sincerely hope that both of them will prove themselves to be the assets for the police forces of their respective countries.
Her great grandfather Harihar Prasad Verma had joined the police force of the Indian state of Bihar as a Constable in 1921, i.e. when India was under the British rule. He was followed by his son Arbind Prasad (Manusmriti’s grandfather), who joined the Bihar Police as an SI (Sub Inspector) in 1952. He was again followed by his son Kamlendra Prasad (Manusmriti’s father), who joined the IPS in 1981. He is an IPS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, and is now serving as the Director of the National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Science, New Delhi.
And now Manusmriti has lived up to the legacy of her family by joining the IPS. She has joined the Union Territory cadre. She and her father have also made the record of being the only serving father-daughter IPS duo. A bright student, Manusmriti is an alumnus of Delhi’s St. Stephens College and London School of Economics.
However, there has been an example of a 4th generation cop in Canada as well. There is one David Stewart who joined the police force of Vancouver in Canada on 23rd September, 2011. And he is reportedly the 4th generation cop in his family. However, his family has been serving the police force for 82 years, i.e. eight years less than the number of years for which Manusmriti’s family has served the force.
A bagful of congratulations, Manusmriti. The nation wishes you all the best.
At the same time let us wish all the best to our Canadian friend David Stewart. Both David and Manusmriti have lived up to the legacy of their respective families, and we sincerely hope that both of them will prove themselves to be the assets for the police forces of their respective countries.
Friday, October 28, 2011
AFSPA Withdrawal – Omar To Take Full Responsibility If Something Goes Wrong
For last some days J&K CM Omar Abdullah has been very vocal about his demand for the withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from at least some parts of the state.
This demand, allegedly a ploy to win cheap popularity, has brought the 3rd generation Chief Minister of the state into direct conflict with the armed forces, with the latter being strongly opposed to any such step. And this view of the latter is shared by the nation as well, with the ground situation seemingly not being favourable for any such step.
However, the young and handsome Chief Minister is defiantly sticking to his guns. He seems to be quite confident that the so-called draconian law has now become irrelevant for certain regions of Jammu & Kashmir. And he is apparently determined to get those regions 'liberated' from the clutches of that law.
Fine. If the honourable Chief Minister feels that way, then it is OK. But let there be one condition. Let Omar sign an agreement that if there is an escalation in the terrorist activities in the concerned regions after the withdrawal of AFSPA, then he has to take the full responsibility for it and immediately resign from the position of Chief Minister, and also has to arrange for compensations to be paid to the kith and kin of the security personnel and common people who will be the victims of that escalation.
Are you game, Mr. Chief Minister?
This demand, allegedly a ploy to win cheap popularity, has brought the 3rd generation Chief Minister of the state into direct conflict with the armed forces, with the latter being strongly opposed to any such step. And this view of the latter is shared by the nation as well, with the ground situation seemingly not being favourable for any such step.
However, the young and handsome Chief Minister is defiantly sticking to his guns. He seems to be quite confident that the so-called draconian law has now become irrelevant for certain regions of Jammu & Kashmir. And he is apparently determined to get those regions 'liberated' from the clutches of that law.
Fine. If the honourable Chief Minister feels that way, then it is OK. But let there be one condition. Let Omar sign an agreement that if there is an escalation in the terrorist activities in the concerned regions after the withdrawal of AFSPA, then he has to take the full responsibility for it and immediately resign from the position of Chief Minister, and also has to arrange for compensations to be paid to the kith and kin of the security personnel and common people who will be the victims of that escalation.
Are you game, Mr. Chief Minister?
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
A. Raja’s Ridiculous Attempt To Drag The PM’s Name Into The 2G Controversy
It is really shocking to see that how the former Telecom minister Mr. A. Raja is trying to drag the honourable prime minister’s name into the 2G Spectrum controversy.
Mr. A Raja’s desperation to defend himself is understandable. But he must realize that espousal of any baseless reasoning to wash his hands off can hardly dilute the charge against him. Rather such acts will leave his image to be murkier.
He has said that the prime minister (and the then finance minister Mr. P. Chidambaram) knew about the steps he was going to take about the 2G Spectrum allocation. OK, accepted. But does that establish this that they are equally responsible for the scam? No. We must realize that knowing about the administrative or policy decision of a ministry is something, and realizing the possible outcome of that decision is something else. To study a policy decision and identifying its possible outcome is actually the responsibility of the in-charge of the concerned ministry (i.e. the concerned minister), as he has hands-on connection with the day-to-day activities of the ministry. We can at most say that the prime minister should have sensed the outcome of Raja’s decision, but we can never say that he should must have sensed it. At the end of the day it was Raja’s responsibility to sense the outcome, and back out from the controversial decision that resulted in the scam. That he did not back out from his decision naturally naturally reflects this feeling that he had actually identified the irregularities in his decision, but still went ahead as he had his personal gains in mind.
Mr. Raja must realize that the prime minister can not set up a Group of Ministers for each and every issue, then it is meaningless to have dedicated ministers for the government ministries. Besides, if the prime minister is to mind the pros and cons of every decision and step of a ministry, then what is the role of the ministers-in-charge? Are they there only to execute prime minister’s orders? Cannot they take independent decisions? They have to independent decisions, and will have to take full responsibility for the outcome. Therefore, sorry Mr. Raja, you have to face the music alone. Please do not try to drag the name of your honest prime minister, who is an asset for this nation.
Mr. A Raja’s desperation to defend himself is understandable. But he must realize that espousal of any baseless reasoning to wash his hands off can hardly dilute the charge against him. Rather such acts will leave his image to be murkier.
He has said that the prime minister (and the then finance minister Mr. P. Chidambaram) knew about the steps he was going to take about the 2G Spectrum allocation. OK, accepted. But does that establish this that they are equally responsible for the scam? No. We must realize that knowing about the administrative or policy decision of a ministry is something, and realizing the possible outcome of that decision is something else. To study a policy decision and identifying its possible outcome is actually the responsibility of the in-charge of the concerned ministry (i.e. the concerned minister), as he has hands-on connection with the day-to-day activities of the ministry. We can at most say that the prime minister should have sensed the outcome of Raja’s decision, but we can never say that he should must have sensed it. At the end of the day it was Raja’s responsibility to sense the outcome, and back out from the controversial decision that resulted in the scam. That he did not back out from his decision naturally naturally reflects this feeling that he had actually identified the irregularities in his decision, but still went ahead as he had his personal gains in mind.
Mr. Raja must realize that the prime minister can not set up a Group of Ministers for each and every issue, then it is meaningless to have dedicated ministers for the government ministries. Besides, if the prime minister is to mind the pros and cons of every decision and step of a ministry, then what is the role of the ministers-in-charge? Are they there only to execute prime minister’s orders? Cannot they take independent decisions? They have to independent decisions, and will have to take full responsibility for the outcome. Therefore, sorry Mr. Raja, you have to face the music alone. Please do not try to drag the name of your honest prime minister, who is an asset for this nation.
Friday, July 22, 2011
General Election To Be Held In Egypt – A Good News, But…
It was really heartening to know that Egypt’s Military Council has announced the holding of general election in Egypt in October 2011.
The common Egyptians fought tooth-and-nail to overthrow the dictatorial Mubarak regime. And after that it was understandably frustrating for them to be under the Military Council. It is certainly true that the setting up of the Council was an inevitable decision, as one such caretaker entity was required to run the show till a popularly elected government could take charge. The common Egyptians also realized it, and accepted the development as a stopgap arrangement.
However, of late their patience was running out, as they probably felt that the Military Council was not sincere about holding general election at the earliest. They were not ready to wait for a popularly elected democratic government, their cherished wish, and their displeasure was oozing out through various activities and incidents. Now they must be feeling relieved and happy that at last the military council is going to hold general election, the occasion that they have awaited for so many days.
However, there is one issue that is preventing some people from becoming completely happy and relieved. The Military Council has barred international monitors from observing the poll, and has chosen Egypt’s judiciary to play that role.
I hope everybody will agree that it would have been better if the Military Council gave international monitors to observe the poll process. Probably the Council top brass feels that if international monitors observe the poll, then it will not be in line with Egypt’s national pride, or even sovereignty. But the Council should remember that if the election takes place under the supervision of international monitors, then its transparency and credibility will be unquestionable. Otherwise, people (both from Egypt and outside) might feel that the Military Council has manipulated the election, to ensure that its favourite party/coalition comes into power. Given the sensitive nature of the upcoming general election, if the elected government suffers from even a grain of credibility deficit, even then it can be disastrous for its stability.
So, I feel Egypt’s Military Council should change its decision and permit international observers to supervise the election. I humbly request Egypt’s military bosses to reconsider their decision in this regard. I also remind them that such a decision will also give a huge boost to the Egyptian army’s image.
The common Egyptians fought tooth-and-nail to overthrow the dictatorial Mubarak regime. And after that it was understandably frustrating for them to be under the Military Council. It is certainly true that the setting up of the Council was an inevitable decision, as one such caretaker entity was required to run the show till a popularly elected government could take charge. The common Egyptians also realized it, and accepted the development as a stopgap arrangement.
However, of late their patience was running out, as they probably felt that the Military Council was not sincere about holding general election at the earliest. They were not ready to wait for a popularly elected democratic government, their cherished wish, and their displeasure was oozing out through various activities and incidents. Now they must be feeling relieved and happy that at last the military council is going to hold general election, the occasion that they have awaited for so many days.
However, there is one issue that is preventing some people from becoming completely happy and relieved. The Military Council has barred international monitors from observing the poll, and has chosen Egypt’s judiciary to play that role.
I hope everybody will agree that it would have been better if the Military Council gave international monitors to observe the poll process. Probably the Council top brass feels that if international monitors observe the poll, then it will not be in line with Egypt’s national pride, or even sovereignty. But the Council should remember that if the election takes place under the supervision of international monitors, then its transparency and credibility will be unquestionable. Otherwise, people (both from Egypt and outside) might feel that the Military Council has manipulated the election, to ensure that its favourite party/coalition comes into power. Given the sensitive nature of the upcoming general election, if the elected government suffers from even a grain of credibility deficit, even then it can be disastrous for its stability.
So, I feel Egypt’s Military Council should change its decision and permit international observers to supervise the election. I humbly request Egypt’s military bosses to reconsider their decision in this regard. I also remind them that such a decision will also give a huge boost to the Egyptian army’s image.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
