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    INDIA REPORT
No. 22
JULY 2005

INTRODUCTION:

Over the past year since the national elections of 2004 the main character of the country is the one about deepening disparities and heightened latent/open social conflicts. The Tsunami disaster of December 26, 2004 sharply defining the unequal societal divisions amidst the massive and tragic human along with infrastructure destruction.

Of course the mainstream media (audio, visual & written) continue to emphasize the economic growth rate, the large pool of high-tech labor, lavish life styles of the "rich" and mega projects of bijli, sarak aur pani (electricity, roads & water) further displacing the earlier quest for roti, kapra aur makan (food, clothing & shelter). Notwithstanding the actually existing stark burdens of not being able to meet the basic needs adequately for a majority of the people of India. This report has consistently noted that the story of India is about the persistent, deepening inequalities between 15-20% of the rich/affluent and the 80-85% of the rest of the population.

The editor of IR, during 2004-2005, traveled to and within India to West coast area between Mumbai (Bombay, Maharashtra) and the lush waterways of South-Central Kerala. Later spending time in Andhra Pradesh and travels to 9 cities in different parts of India.

This report will highlight aspects of the economy, politics and social conditions. There will also be the usual segments about books, films, plays, toons & pics as well as our annual appeal.

IR is pleased to bring to your attention news about the developing prospects regarding a second location for Azad Reading Room in Hyderabad (the existing location being in Secunderabad). Details regarding the specific location will be posted on our web site as soon as they are complete.
Coordinator:Ms. Ambika
Tel.#: 011 91 934 6988 639 (cell phone)

Azad Reading Room -A Resource Centre
The grassroots organisations and activists that belong to diverse faiths, castes, class and gender, will be supported actively in a variety of ways by Azad Reading Room . It is necessary for it to identify firstly existing organizations that are working on peace, secularism and justice issues, and necessary support services will be provided. In the event that there are gaps or additional need, the major activities of this resource centre are listed below.

A governing body will be constituted with individuals/representatives of different organizations of various backgrounds for collective management of the resource center. Through this resource center the following activities will be taken up

o Exchange and share human resources and information with movements in other states about polarization, communalization and efforts at peace building.
o Network/co-ordinate with resource centers in Andhra Pradesh as well as other states.
o Collect and create resource material to disseminate to various partners and new organizations.
o Monitoring of visual and print media to be informed of trends and incidents of polarization as well as peace building efforts.
o Explore, collect and create appropriate forms of cultural expression and prepare theatre activists to campaign for peace building, promote pluralism and arrest polarization.
o Collect films from various sources and make them accessible to peace volunteers and organizations. Arrange screening, generate discussion to motivate people to understand the need of maintenance of social fabric.
o Arrange talks by eminent people and sharing of experiences in promoting communal harmony.
o Take up study of a) situational analysis b) Educational material and textbooks.
o Arrange/co-ordinate orientation and sensitization training for teachers in collaboration with resource agencies who are already in this line of work.
o Link/organize political orientation sessions for activists, volunteers, representatives of organizations and CBOs, public representatives, govt officials, development workers, teaching community and others.
o Arranging organizations/institutions to prepare materials for teaching in slums.
o Prepare materials for campaign like posters, pamphlets, banners, badges etc. and motivate forums to exhibit them.
o Help other groups to access material forms.
o Encourage and co-ordinate field trips for groups and individuals to be exposed to efforts at peace building.
o Form and co-ordinate the activities of vigilance committee to keep track of the situations and tensions created with communal agenda in general, and to go to areas of communal tensions to enquire into incidents in particular.

ASPECTS OF THE ECONOMY:
The summer of 2005 marks over 12 months of the UPA rule/governance under the leadership of the Congress party. Well meaning observers/analysts, both in India and several parts of the world continue to either support/praise the economic programs and/or search for its progressive features. However, the ground reality continues to demonstrate conditions of stagnation and degradation with a proviso that, perhaps, between 15%-20% of India’s population has reaped a concentrated share of income and wealth. A detailed review of conventional macro-statistics covering GDP, NDP, Income & Wealth, Employment, Industry, Agriculture, Health, and Education among other features of the Indian economy leads to the CENTRAL conclusion of economic growth serving the interests of the few (See: Alternative Economic Survey. MAGINIFYING MAL-DEVELOPMENT. New Delhi, 2004). Complementing the above study the explicitly political analysis of RUPE, ASPECTS OF POLITICAL ECONOMY #’s 36,37 & 38 (Mumbai, 2004) notes that the past decade of economic programs (under both the NDA & UPA) has consolidated a parasitic economic system/structure.

For the first 30 years of independent India the popular image of India’s economy was summed up by a quest to achieve tolerable levels of ROTI (food), KAPRA(clothing), MAKAN(shelter). The economic programs followed led to growing disparities and widespread oppression. Over the last 25 years a decisive shift has taken place such that the quest is to focus on BIJLI(electricity), SARAK(roads), PANI(water). Disparities have continued accompanied with human and resource degradation.

In the early months of 2005 there was considerable anticipation regarding the budget of the UPA government. A leading analyst, after examining the main segments of the budget, concludes: "--- are the Congress and the UPA so ideologically committed to neo-liberal reforms that they fail to see the writing on the wall? Budgets that fail to give economic policy a pro-people direction will alienate people over time, even if there is a solid electoral bloc and a charismatic leader, like the RJD had in Bihar". (Kamal Mitra Chenoy. " Where is the Union Budget?" DECCAN CHRONICLE. March 1,2005.pp.1& 6).

The Indian economy continues to remain agrarian, despite the falling proportion agriculture represents in the annual GNP/NNP (gross and net national). Over 70% of the population resides in the countryside and agricultural products (wage goods and raw materials) sustain substantial segments of the industrial, trade and services sectors of the economy. In other words agricultural activity is a key factor in the economic health/well being of the nation.

Annually the months of June, July and August are replete with accounts about the monsoon and its impact on agriculture. This year, 2005 is no exception. At this writing the vagaries of the monsoon rains remain critically uncertain for peninsular India and indirectly for other parts of the country (See: N.Chandra Mohan. "Chasing the Monsoon". OUTLOOK (on-line edn.). June 15,2005).

In some regions of India a consequence of poor rainfall has been the disaster of crop failure and the tragedy of suicide deaths. "In the past few years, over 4000 farmers have killed themselves, trapped in a vicious cycle of debt, crop failure and penury----". What is the government’s response? A declining allocation to the agricultural sector. "From 16.4% in 1979-’80, plan outlay for agriculture slumped to 6% in the 1980’s and to 4.9% in the Ninth Plan – 1997 to2002" (Paromita Shastri. "A Harvest of Misery". OUTLOOK. July 4,’2005; also see: RUPE. ASPECTS OF INDIA’S ECONOMY. #38. Mumbai, 2004. pp.13-16).

Within the services sector, along with its links to industry, the information activities (IT segment) are often praised and highlighted as having brought India into world-class economic levels. As such the IT services are emphasized akin to a locomotive driving the economy to higher growth rates. However a analysis of IT services in the Indian economy notes: "--- a sector whose presence in terms of contribution to GDP and its contribution to India’s currently comfortable balance of payments position is indeed substantial, cannot make much of a direct difference to a substantial section of India’s population". (C.P. Chandrasekhar. "IT Services as Locomotive". FRONTLINE. June 4-17, 2005. Emphasis added).

A major English language news-daily in its opening page of the weekend edition for January 2005 describes some of its concerns regarding growing health insecurity, the widening political divisions, drought and scarce water resources. (See: "Memos for the Future". THE HINDU – Magazine. June 2,2005; also Cf. "Happy New Year". NEW SUNDAY EXPRESS – Magazine. June 2,2005). All of this where about 20% of India’s population experiences degrees of well being/affluence while the rest of the nearly 80% remain in the shadow of economic insecurity, political & social violence as well as cultural commercialization. So what about the modernizing quest for water (pani), roads (sarak) and electricity (bijli)?

Water scarcity is of growing concern and in some parts of the world assuming critical urgency. (See: Varda Burstyn. WATER Inc. 2005. London/New York. Verso; "Water Rights and Wrongs". TERRAIN – Northern California. Winter, 2005; M.Radhika. "And the Government Gamble Goes On". TEHELKA. February 2,2005).

In India cities and towns are confronted with increasing water shortages. Recent reports from Hyderabad (A.P.) are highlighting that the city administration may supply household water once every 2-3 days. Mumbai (Bombay) is exploring ‘privatizing’ to alleviate the shortage of water. Delhi now appears poised to introduce privatization water a-la the World Bank proposals. The likelihood of the success of privatized water provision schemes is questionable. (See: "Pvt. H2O: Mumbai’s new water story". TIMES OF INDIA –New Delhi. November 30,’04; "Water Way To Go". TIMES OF INDIA – New Delhi. December 12,’04; Rajesh Ramchandran. "Smell A Water Rat". OUTLOOK – online edition. August 1,’05).

The major and minor river systems are polluted and because of poor control over seasonal water flow major cause of land degradation/destruction. The Yumuna (Jamuna), one of India’s major rivers crossing the northern plains from west to east, is described as "--- hardly a river now. Its more of a junkyard for India’s capital". The description in the report is both shocking and a horrific example of the degradation of riverine water resources. (See: "Fast Flowing into Oblivion". HINDUSTAN TIMES – New Delhi. January 31,2005).

Travel in urban India is a nerve-wracking experience of clogged roadways, chaotic traffic, rising number and rates of vehicular accidents as well as polluted atmosphere. A report, about Delhi, typifying cities notes: "More private vehicles, poor roads and public transportation and lack of parking space makes Delhi a driver’s nightmare" (See: Caught in a log jam". SUNDAY TIMES – New Delhi. January 30,2005; also Cf. "Progress Inc." DOWN TO EARTH. January 31,2004).

While neglect characterizes urban transport there are mega-road projects such as the ‘Golden Corridor’ linking Delhi-Mumbai-Chennai-Kolkata. This project launched in the early years of the 21st century was to be completed by June 2003, postponed to December 2004 and now is claimed be accomplished by the end of 2005. Cost over-runs have sky rocketed. Corruption is widespread in the awarding of contracts. (See: "Whatever happened to the super-highways?" HINDUSTAN TIMES. January 30,2005).

Power cuts, transmission leakages (faulty lines & theft), rising costs/prices of producing/consuming electricity, corruption and environmental pollution are typical of the power sector in India. The case of the ENRON power project in India highlights both the misdirection as well as the mis-management of the generation, distribution and consumption of electricity. A path breaking study of the ENRON project in the 1990’s documents the misconception of the project, the subversion of legislation, corruption of the process of costs/prices and the callous disregard for the needs of large segments of the population. (See: Abhay Mehta. POWER PLAY. 1999. Mumbai, Orient Longman).

Current attempts to address the serious problems of providing electrical power via privatization has further accentuated the inequalities between the smaller urban and rural consumers and the powerful industrial and agricultural users. A continuing dependence on resources like coal/oil/gas to generate electricity degrades and pollutes the environment. (See: Surinder Kumar. "Power Sector". In, Alternate Economic Survey. MAGNIFYING MAL-DEVELOPMENT. 2004. Delhi, Rainbow Publishers. Pp. 113-116).

ASPECTS OF POLITICS:

Politically India has been a liberal system and structure since independence. This system was regulated through planning and a ‘strong’ central government – this phase lasted through the late 1970’s. Since the early 1980’s, with a quickening since 1991, the regulations are being chipped away and/or eroded. In contemporary India market norms dominate politics in the context of a regional shift of the centers of power. (See: Himanshu Roy. "Party Systems in Indian Provinces" FRONTIER. October 3-30,2004; Kamal Mitra Chenoy. "Systems of political Thought". THE HINDU – folio. September 12,1999).

In 2004, soon after the Congress led UPA government came to power, significant defense/security agreements were forged between India and the USA. The recent visit of Manmohan Singh (India’s Prime Minister) to the USA further underlines the closer alignment with the USA. (See: Seema Sirhoi. "The Power of N". OUTLOOK – online edition. August 1,2005; and Cf. the reports by Prem Shanker Jha and V.Sudarshan in the same issue of OUTLOOK).

Both the long-term systemic foundations and its structural features reinforce tendencies toward political polarization, a deepening network of corruption & oppression accompanied by rather weak voter participation. (See: John Harriss. "Political Participation, Representation and the Urban Poor". ECONOMIC & POLITICAL WEEKLY. March 12,2005; Mona Srinivas. "Political Distribution System". TEHELKA. May 2,2005; Sumanta Banerji. " Need of the Hour – Beyond Detoxification". ECONOMIC & POLITICAL WEEKLY. June 4,2004; Alam Srinivas. " A share in Power". OUTLOOK. June 2,2004; Seema Mustafa. "The Ostrich". DECCAN CHRONICLE. February 26, 2005; Fali S. Nariman. " Tidal Wave of Corruption". DECCAN CHRONICLE. December 17,2004; Ashok Mitra. "Humane Mask". THE TELEGRAPH – Kolkata. June 29,2004.

It is not surprising that currently the interface of politics and economic reform continues to distort/block necessary and needed improvements in the everyday life of a majority of India’s population. (See: N.Chandra Mohan. "Paralysed Reforms". OUTLOOK – online edition. July 29,2005; Supriya RoyChowdhury. "Economic Reforms in Political Space". ECONOMIC & POLITICAL WEEKLY. June 20, 2004).

ANDHRA PRADESH:

Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh, is an attractive city with a moderate climate. Over the years the city has been subjected to several market driven shocks leading to a denuding of green areas along with depleted water resources (rivers, lakes and tanks). (See: I. Malikarjuna Sharma. "Rape of a Lake". FRONTIER. Oct.3-30, 2004).

During December 2004 Hyderabad hosted a regional anti-war (Iraq) assembly. Several hundred participated in the workshops and plenary sessions. A rally, drawing about a thousand people concluded the assembly, which included delegates from Iraq, Palestine, S.E.Asia, Africa and other regions of the world.

Expectations, under the recently elected Congress government, about the possibilities to improve administration and the daily life of Andhra Pradesh citizens have not materialized. (For a background see: K.Balagopal. "Andhra Pradesh: Beyond Media Images: ECONOMIC & POLITICAL WEEKLY". June 12,2004).

Disparities within Andhra Pradesh were highlighted by the persisting, desperate conditions of farmers (particularly in Telengana) in the context of amassed wealth/income of politicians. (See: Moolah Matters". SUNDAY DECCAN CHRONICLE. December 19,’04; V.Sridhar. "An Agrarian Tragedy". FRONTLINE. June 19-July 2,’04).

A recently constituted organization, AMAN VEDICA (regional affiliate of the national organization AMAN BIRADARI) has been expanding its peace/communal harmony activities throughout Andhra Pradesh. The organization is mobilizing people around cultural events, women & children’s issues as well as in the movement to stop the mining of uranium. A recent documentary about the effects of uranium mining, titled ‘Radiating Lies’ has been released and Azad Reading Room has acquired a copy.
Azad Reading Room organized two sets of film screenings – one at the Center for English & Foreign Languages (CIEFL) and the other at the University of Hyderabad. The screenings were received enthusiastically by a large number of participants.

ASPECTS OF SOCIETY:



Indian society is complex. Elements of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ social conditions exist side-by-side. However at the end of 2004, Transparency International released its annual Global Corruption barometer noting: "For us in India it was most unflattering ---- India’s place in the CPI (Corruption Perception Index, range 10 – Highly Clean to 0 – Highly Corrupt) scoreboard --- (was) assessed between 2 & 3 ---." (Fali S.Nariman. "Tidal wave of Corruption. DECCAN CHRONICLE. December 17,2004. P.10).

Mid-year 2005, more than 7 months after the Tsunami disaster. What is that? (See: "Beyond Tsunami". DOWN TO EARTH. January 31,2005). Media reportage eager to scoop the most current story has long moved on. At best, tourism with its emphasis of revived exotic destinations occasionally graces the travel section. Yet ground level conditions in the 11 worst hit nations remain grim as evidenced from Aceh (Indonesia), Andaman Islands (India) and the eastern coast of Sri Lanka. (See: "Fisherman cool to Center’s package". NORTHERN INDIA PATRIKA. February 3,2005; Norman Greenway. "Relief not getting to the poor". THE PROVINCE – Vancouver, B.C. June 26,2005; Jeff Sallot. "Canadian relief for tsunamis still flowing in a trickle". THE PROVINCE – Vancouver, B.C. June 26,2005).

Examining aid/assistance for the Tsunami disaster a analyst concluded: " The slow progress being made in aid delivery combined with the lack of full participation of the communities most affected by the tsunami, demonstrate the undemocratic and unsustainable manner in which reconstruction efforts are being carried out, six months after a devastating tsunami ravaged the coastal communities of South and Southeast Asia". (Debayani Kar. " The Tsunami Aftermath: Reconstruction or Economic Opportunism?" www.fpif.org June 23,2005).

Finally, India Report salutes to well known women of India. On the long road to gender equality these 2 women have tirelessly championed the various causes upholding the rights of women. One of them is a leading historian, Romila Thapar – Professor Emeritus, Jawahar Lal Nehru University, New Delhi. The other, Nandita Das, is a leading actress and social worker. Both reside in New Delhi. (See: R.Champalakshmi. "Forgotten Themes". THE HINDU – Magazine. December 19, 2004; H.Balakrishnan. "Her Own Person" THE HINDU – Magazine. December 19,2004).

BOOKS:



TUTOR OF HISTORY. Manjushree Thapa. Penguin
FORGET KATHMANDU. Manjushree Thapa. Penguin.
DEEPENING OF DEMOCRACY. Madhu Kishwar. Oxford U. Press.
TALKING SONGS. Javed Akhtar. Oxford U. Press.
VEDIC AGE. Irfan Habib & Vijay Kumar Thakur. Tulika.
SURFACE. Siddharta Deb. Picador (India).
THE IDEA OF PAKISTAN. Stephen Cohen. Oxford U. Press.
COLLAPSE. Jared Diamond.
BIG BREASTS & WIDE HIPS. Mo Yan
THE CUBAN ECONOMY AT THE START OF THE 21ST CENTURY. (Eds.) Dominguez, Jorge, Omar Eveleny-Perez & Lorena Barberia.
THE NEW IMPERIAL CHALLENGE. Vols. 1&2. Merlin Press.
COMIC CENTURY. Gautam Bhatia. Penguin.
NO GUNS AT MY SON’S FUNERAL. Paro Anand. Roli.
WAR TRASH. Ha Jin. Pantheon.
THE ROAD TO RAISINA. K. P. Singh. Harper-Collins (India).
GENDER DIMENSIONS IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT. Malalgoda Ariyabandhu & Maithree Wickramasinghe. Zubaan.
SIGNIFYING THE SELF: WOMEN & LITERATURE. (Eds.) Malashri Lal, Shromistha Panja & Sumanyu Satpathy. Macmillan India.
IRANDAM. (Tamil). Jamangalin Kathai. Salma.
ISLAM, MUSLIM & THE US. Asma Barlas. Global Media.
REVISITING INDIAN NATIONALISM. D.A.Low. Oxford U. Press.
DOTS AND LINES. Jayant Kalkini. Indialog.
GOOD MUSLIM, BAD MUSLIM. Mahmood Mamdani. Permanent Black.
MULK RAJ ANAND OMNIBUS. Saros Cowajee. Penguin Viking.
AMU. Shonali Bose. Penguin.
VINEGAR SUNDAY. Kankana Basu.
SANGATI (Events). Bama. Translated From Tamil. Oxford U. Press.
MANAGING WATER SCARCITY. (Eds.) A.Vaidyanathan & H.M.Oudshoom. Manohar.
INDULEKHA. (Translated from Malayalam). O.Chandumenon. Oxford U. Press.
BRICK LANE. Monica Ali.
PRITHVIWALLAHS. Deepa Gahlot.
TWO PLAYS. Girish Karnad. Oxford U. Press.
AFTERMATH – AN ORAL HISTORY OF VIOLENCE. Meenakshi Verma. Penguin.
THE STRAWBERRY PATCH. Nanda Chatterjee. Penguin.

FILMS:
PAGE 3. Dir. – Madhur Bhandarkar.
BLACK. Dir. – Sanjay Lal Bhansali.
BLACK FRIDAY. Dir. – Anurag Kayshap.
SWADES. Dir.- Gowariker
LITTLE TERRORIST. Dir. – Ashwin Kumar.
SHWAAS (Breath). Dir. – Sandeep Sawant.
AITRAAZ (Objection). Dir. – Abbas Mustan.
KHAMOSH PANI (Silent Waters). Dir. – Sabina Sumar. (Pakistan)
KAYA TARAN. Dir. – Sashi Kumar.
TURTLES CAN FLY. Dir. – Bahman Ghobadi. (Iraq/Kurdistan).
CHAI PANI (Tea Party). Dir. – Manu Rewal.
CHAND BUJH GAYA. (Gujrat riots).
RAINCOAT. Rituparno Ghosh.

PLAYS:
KALI BARAF (Urdu). Dir. – Mushtaq Kak.
ADHAANTAR (Marathi). Dir. – Jayant Pawar.
MANTO ISMAT HAZIR HAIN. Dir. – Naseeruddin Shah.
PAYING GUEST. Dir. – Rajiv Nigam.
THE COLLAGE. Dir. – Naseeruddin Shah. (Three Tales).
AAPKI SONIYA (Your Soniya). Dir. – Javed Siddiqui.

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