“

On an average 14 abortions are performed per month at the District and Sub-District Hospitals with the Northern States reporting the highest number at 21 per month and Southern States the lowest at 8, according to a study on “An Assessment of Availability of selected CAC components in the Public Health system in India’’ done by Garima Dutta of the Indian Institute of Population Sciences. In the CHC, on an average 14 abortions are performed with the North eastern States reporting the highest number 33 and the least – 8 — being reported from Western states. For the rest of the States, the numbers range between 10 and 15.

The study examines the availability of some CAC components (human resource, drugs, training of health personnel and essential equipment) across different level of facilities and geographical region. The data was taken from the District Level Household and Facility Survey (DLHS-4), 2012-13. The sample size included 1588 District/Sub District Hospitals, 4843 CHCs and 8540 PHCs. The study shows 75.6% District and Sub-District Hospitals had obstetrics and gynaeocologists available, 74.4% had nurses available and in 72.5% obstetrics and gynaeocologists were available round-the-clock.  In the CHC, 26.2% had obstetrics and gynaeocologists while 30.2% medical officers had received MTP training in the last five years.

Here, the scenario was worst in Northern states with only 23.8% CHC having obstetrics and gynaeocologists available and 33.3% medical doctors were MTP trained whereas Western states were the best with 54.2% CHCs having obstetrics and gynaeocologists and 48.6% medical doctors trained for MTP in the past 5 years. When it came to PHCs, a total of 24.1% doctors at PHC had received MTP training. In the Western States, the percentage was the highest at 48.1% and the least at 10.6% in Central States.

There is a dearth of trained abortion providers and functional facilities in the country, Ms Dutta said. Presenting her study at the concluding day of Comprehensive Abortion Care (CAC) Conclave organised by Ipas Development Foundation,  Ms Dutta said efforts should be made in providing medical termination of pregnancy training to more number of medical doctors. Government should give more emphasis on infrastructure and availability of surgical and medical abortion drugs especially at Community Health Centres (CHCs) and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) with special emphasis to be given on post abortion counseling and contraception.”

“India finally has a structured civil aviation policy for the first time after independence. The aim is to make it as easy to fly for the common man as it is to go by rail or road. Currently the country has a middle class that is 350 million strong and is travelling a great deal. Of these, however, only 70 million have the resources to soar into the skies to reach their destination. There is thus a huge market waiting to be tapped.The policy has been announced also in view of the need to lure more investment to this sector. Investors have been cautious in the past in the absence of a stable regulatory framework for the industry. Such investment is needed not just in airlines but in infrastructure like development of airports, ground handling andmaintenance operations.The policy has been unveiled at a time of high growth and low oil prices which has led to competitive air fares. Plus the Indian aviation scene has seen the entry of two big new players with foreign collaboration – Vistara, a joint venture of Singapore Airlines and the Tata group, and Air Asia, headed by the iconic Malaysian entrepreneur, Tony Fernandes. The older more entrenched domestic players had been worried that these new entrants will get an unfair advantage under the new policy provisions. This is mainly in regard to the 5/20 rule laid down for those seeking to make international flights. This decade-old rule meant that aviation companies had to operate within the country for at least five years before launching international operations. In addition, they had to have a fleet of at least 20 aircraft to fly overseas.The new policy has done away with the five year rule but kept the provisions for having a fleet of at least 20 aircraft before being allowed to fly overseas. Since it will probably take the new airlines at least three years to achieve this capacity, it is now being described as the 3/20 rule. The older airlines are annoyed that they had to abide by this rule and it has now been done away with for the new players. But the fact is, it still does not allow them to start international operations immediately owing to the clause that they must have 20 aircraft. The airline industry has always been rife with speculation over lobbying with the government to twist rules but this time it seems that most of the provisions are pro-growth.Regional ConnectivityThe highlight of the new policy is undoubtedly the thrust on regional connectivity which has been talked about for a long time but has not been implemented as it should have been. Remote areas, plus hilly regions and the northeast have suffered greatly due to lack of air connections. Some of the proposals like the levy of a cess on domestic flights to the large metros envisage cross subsidies, a system that had been in vogue in the mid-90s as well. But in this case it is being combined with the revival of small airstrips as well as the reduced prices on short flights. The criticism that the cross subsidies will be complex may be justified but the plans will have to be put to the test to see if they are feasible. If it leads to a shift in passenger traffic even by 10 or 20 per cent from rail to road, then it will be a huge game changer for the transport sector.Besides, currently passenger transport modes are hugely congested. Rail travellers have to book months in advance to get confirmed reservations. Road travel iscomfortable only in some parts of the country like the southern region where bus networks are efficiently organized. The northern states have much poorer publictransport systems. Cheap air travel can provide a viable third option for people seeking to travel to smaller towns and remote areas.Cargo movement will also benefit significantly. Movement of essential goods by road or rail for remote areas has always been problematic. Rail and road transportnetworks have been struggling to meet the needs of efficient movement of goods all over the country. The sight of dangerously overloaded trucks is a common one,reflecting the state of affairs in the road transport sector. The provision of air connections is bound to improve cargo movement and hence development of these regions in the long run.The relaxation of rules relating to bilateral international routes will also promote economic development as export cargo needs to moved quickly in many cases. The plan is to liberalise the bilateral regime by permitting open skies between India and SAARC countries as well as countries beyond a 5000 kilometre radius from Delhi.In other words, there will be no ceiling on bilateral flights from these areas. Maintenance, repair and operations or MRO as it is known in the aviation industry is another area where the government has taken an innovative approach. It is proposed to abolish service tax on MRO services provided in India and increasetax- free period for storage of spares imported by MROs. The ultimate goal is to make this country a hub for MRO services in Asia. Experts say that of the 700million dollar MRO business, only 70 million dollars is carried out in India and this can be increased substantially.This is a brave new world being drawn up by the aviation ministry. The proof of the pudding,however, lies in the eating, as the old saying goes. Whether all thesegrand plans will actually transform the industry is yet to be seen. Even more importantly, the big question is, will it become possible for the common man to go by air as easily and cheaply as by rail or road. This will depend on how sincerely this policy is finally implemented on the ground.(Sushma Ramachandran is a senior journalist and commentator on economic affairs and business. The views are personal.)“

” Vice President M. Hamid Ansari has said that the good that former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao did to the country lives after him; the harm too lives on and continues to extract a heavy toll. He was speaking after releasing the book ‘Half-Lion’, authored by journalist Vinay Sitapati, in the Capital on Monday. The Vice President said that the ‘diligently researched’ book is a useful contribution to our knowledge of that period. Congratulating the author, Mr. Ansari said that Mr. Sitapati had the advantage of having access to the personal papers of Narasimha Rao including information or assessments on situations and personalities given to him by the Intelligence Bureau. Some may enquire if the Oath of Secrecy and the Official Secrets Act extends to the grave and beyond, he added.The Vice President said that the country, and the world, acknowledges Narasimha Rao’s role as the initiator for change in basic economic policies. On external affairs, his success “was due to cultivated expertise” as he made realistic assessment of the shifts in global power patterns and adjusted policy to India’s immediate requirements, he added.The Vice President said that two sections of the book would invite commentary – these relate to the management of Parliament and to the demolition of Babri Masjid. During the trust vote of July 26, 1992, survival at all cost was the government’s objective and unethical tactics were resorted to; these were eventually also found to be beyond the pale of law, he added. On the demolition of Babri Masjid, the Vice President quoted the author’s assessment – ‘Rao wanted to protect the mosque and protect Hindu sentiments and protect himself. He ended up with the mosque destroyed, Hindus un-attracted to the Congress, and his own reputation in tatters.’

The Vice President said that 25 years ago this week, P.V. Narasimha Rao was sworn in as Prime Minister and informed commentators have recalled his achievements. The country, and the world, acknowledges Narasimha Rao’s role as the initiator for change in basic economic policies. The crisis of 1991 was the catalyst; to him goes the credit for grasping the opportunity, for making commendable judgements on selection of personnel, and for manoeuvring the changes very deftly through the shoals and rapids of a divided polity; the budget of July 1991 and its aftermath was a good example.

Observing that two sections of the book — relating to the management of Parliament and to the demolition of Babri Masjid — would invite commentary, the Vice President said the first was a nightmare by any standard. “”The Congress was around 10 seats short of a majority. The opposition was split between a rightwing BJP and a left wing National Front. The Prime Minister was perceived to be weak; so his focus was on wide ranging consultations with the opposition to ascertain issues and seek a consensus on the parliamentary agenda: ‘The areas of agreement we will concentrate on, the areas of disagreement we will keep aside, if possible.’ This was facilitated by the extensive personal contacts he had developed over years.Mr. Ansari said: “”The nemesis came with the trust vote of July 26, 1992. Survival at all cost was the government’s objective. Unethical tactics were resorted to; these were eventually also found to be beyond the pale of law. The author’s judgement is unequivocal: ‘It was the worst political decision of Narasimha Rao’s career.’On the demolition of Babri Masjid, he noted that the author’s assessment is candid and noteworthy: ‘There is no question that Rao made the wrong decision,’ adding that he should have acted between November 1 and 24 and that his faith in sundry interlocutors – whose names are given in chapter 12 – was misplaced: ‘Rao wanted to protect the mosque and protect Hindu sentiments and protect himself. He ended up with the mosque destroyed, Hindus un-attracted to the Congress, and his own reputation in tatters.’Nor has passage of time diluted the gravity of the error of judgement and tactics. Earlier this year, President Pranab Mukherjee has called the demolition ‘an act of absolute perfidy which should make all Indians hang their heads in shame.’ A few days back a commentator, while lauding the transformation initiated by Narasimha Rao, said the event of December 6, 1992 was ‘born out of a combination of gullibility, complicity and incompetency,’ the Vice President said in his observations.”

“

imgeset”” alt=””imgeset”” />Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an interview with Times Now has shared his views on a range of issues. Here are edited excerpts of the Prime Minister’s interviewwith Arnab Goswami, Editor-in-Chief, Times Now which was telecast on June 27, 2016.

ARNAB: Mr. Modi, I want to start now on the issue of foreign policy. In the area of foreign policy, you have taken great personal interest. The amount of personal interest you have shown in foreign policy, probably none of the previous Prime Ministers showed the same kind of interest. Your approach is pro active. What I find interesting about your foreign policy is that you have balanced different powers and different interests. On the one side, your relationship with US, you made sure that India enters the Missile Control Technology Regime with them. A week before that you also signed the historic Chabahar Port Agreement with Iran. So, you have balanced very diverse forces. My question to you over this is that, is it easy to do that as an Indian Prime Minister? Secondly, on the issue of the NSG, you staked a lot of personal interest, personal push, you lobbied actively. How close are we to getting the NSG seat? 

PM MODI: Firstly, about foreign policy, you need to know what has strengthened our foreign policy. For 30 years, in our country, the government was unstable. For 30 years, party with a clear mandate wasn’t given the opportunity to form the government. The world measures the government of a nation on the basis of its condition in its own country, on how strong their word is in their own country. I am thankful to the people of this country, that after 30 years, they chose a government with absolute majority and this has had an impact on world politics. Countries and world leaders have changed their perspective towards India. This is the biggest benefit. Secondly, the world didn’t know me. The world wants to know who the head of the state is. If someone would want to know Modi through the eyes of the media, then he would be disillusioned on which Modi is the real Modi. If this happens, the country will be at a loss. Modi’s personality shouldn’t be a hindrance for the world to have faith in india. But for that unless I meet all those leaders and engage them them one to one, unless I speak to them frankly, they wouldn’t know about india’s head of state, so it was very important for me as I am not from a political family. I never had the opportunity to meet the world leaders earlier. 

ARNAB: You were an unknown entity in foreign policy 

PM MODI: More than foreign policy it was foreign relations. Yes, I was new to it. So for me, being pro active was mandatory. Thirdly, we work as a team. Foreign ministry, Prime Minister’s officer, commerce ministry, finance ministry, defense minister, everyone works as a team, not as separate pieces. The impact that is now visible, is not just because of Modi, it is because of the team. All teams work in a particular direction. That is why the impact is seen, earlier these teams were splintered. We have seen instances where the party would give a statement, the prime minister would say something else, party leaders would say something else. This disunity has had a negative impact. Thirdly, we also need to understand that earlier the world was bi polar. Foreign policy would be centered around two super powers. India was a little late in realizing that this bi polar situation was for namesake. Now the entire world, in changed circumstances, especially in 21st century, it is more interdependent and inter connected, earlier, the foreign policy was possible between governments, but today it is not possible just between governments. Government relations are important but increasing people to people contact is equally important. There’s been a shift in paradigm. Because I do not have any previous baggage, because I’ve had a clean slate, I write everything from beginning and that has a benefit. Today we are building relations with countries across the world. The amount of respect with which I engage Saudi Arabia, I engage Iran with the same amount of respect. The amount of respect with which I speak to America, I speak to Russia with the same amount of respect. So we need to understand this. We also need to understand that we shouldn’t consider smaller countries insignificant. I abide by this principle…….

You must have seen that I made a forum for the pacific island nations. We have had two meetings. I went there once and they came here once. These are small countries with a population of about 10 lakh or 20 lakh. But these small island nations are most affected by global warming. When India took up the international solar mission and 122 nations joined it, the island nations benefitted the most out of it. They are 50 in number now. A group of 50 nations, feels secured with this vision of India. If we try to understand this change, then we would realize that in the world, a few days back, I was sitting with the officers of our foreign services, so as we got talking, in a very poetic way I told them that there was a time when we used to sit by the sea and count the waves, but the time has now changed, we are done counting waves, now it’s time for us to steer ourselves, ride the waves and decide on our direction, destination and speed 

ARNAB: That is apparent. You have a very aggressive foreign policy. But my second question was, you put so much effort for NSG membership. My question was, how close are we to NSG membership and were you disappointed that we did not make it at the very end because of China’s opposition? 

PM MODI: Look the first thing is that India has been continuously making these efforts, no matter which government was in office. Be it the membership of the UN Security Council or the SCO membership or MTCR membership or NSG membership. Every government has made an effort. It’s not that only this government is trying, it’s in continuity. But it’s during our tenure that we achieved SCO membership, we also got the MTCR membership. I have full faith that now we have begun a coordinated effort for the NSG membership too. The process has begun on a positive note. Everything has rules and will work accordingly and move forward 

ARNAB: Is it the problem of mindset with China? There have been 13 engagements at various levels between the Narendra Modi government and the Chinese government. The latest engagement was when you went to Tashkent. You spent some time with the Chinese President Xi Jinping. Yet it was seen that in the case of Masood Azhar, China blocked India’s UN bid to ban him. Now they have stalled India’s NSG bid. Why is China repeatedly blocking us Mr Prime Minister despite your personal proactive measures and your government’s outreach? 

PM MODI: The first thing is that we have an ongoing dialogue with China and it should continue to happen. In foreign policy it’s not necessary to have similar views to have a conversation. Even when the views are contradictory, talks are the only way forward and problems should be resolved through dialogue. We don’t have one problem with China, we have a whole lot of problems pending with China. Slowly and steadily, an effort is on to address these issues through talks and make them less cumbersome. I can say that China has been cooperating with India to search for solutions. On some issues, it’s a question of principles for them. On some issues, it’s a question of principles for us. On some issues they differ with us and there are issues on which we differ with them. There are some basic differences. But the most important thing is that we can speak to China eye-to-eye and put forth India’s interests in the most unambiguous manner. We are a government that takes care of India’s interests. We don’t compromise on this. Three days ago I met the Chinese President. I told him clearly about India’s interests. They are a different country, we are a different country 

ARNAB: Do you think you will be able to change their mindset on the issue of NSG membership? 

PM MODI: See the foreign policy is not about changing mindsets. Foreign policy is about finding the common meeting points. Where do our interests converge and how much? We have to sit and talk with every country. It’s our ongoing effort 

ARNAB: This statement that you just made is also apt in the context of America where you gave a speech in the U.S Congress. By the way Mr Prime Minister it was a fantastic speech 

PM MODI: Thank you 

ARNAB: There was a lot of humour. You were laughing and cracking jokes while you delivered the speech which was very unique. They also appreciated it. Was the speech impromptu? 

PM MODI: I have a humourous side but these days humour can be a risky thing 

ARNAB: Why do you say that? 

PM MODI: In this era of 24/7 news channels, anybody can lift a small word and make a big issue out of it. But I will tell you the truth, the reason for the absence of humour in public life is this fear. I am myself scared . Earlier when I used to make speeches, I would make it so humourous but there would never be any issues 

ARNAB: Have you become more conscious now? 

PM MODI: I am not conscious. I am in fear, there is no humour left in public life because of this fear. Everyone is scared. I am in fear. My speeches used be humourous. I see it in Parliament, that humour is finished there too. It is a matter of concern. I will quote one proverb. 

ARNAB: Yes, go ahead. 

PM MODI: Even if you mention a proverb, they will connect it with something else and begin a conversation. The one who is saying the proverb does not know for what he is speaking. 

ARNAB: But you should not lose your sense of humour Mr Prime Minister 

PM MODI: But it is true that my trip to the United States of America, my speech in their Congress and the respect shown towards India created a lot of hype. Had it not been hyped so much, there would not have been so much criticism on the NSG issue. Government is being criticized not for any mishandling of the NSG issue but because we were so successful over there (in the USA) 

ARNAB: Did China become conscious of your growing friendship with US? 

PM MODI: I am talking about what’s happening here 

ARNAB: But when you delivered that speech in context of America, you used a very interesting phrase. You said ‘We have to overcome the hesitations of history’. My Hindi is not that good. Like hesitations of history. But my question to you is Mr Prime Minister, how close can we get to America because many Indians believe that America is still supporting Pakistan, giving them military assistance. How close can we get? At what point do we stop before we are seen like an American ally? What is your own world view on that? 

PM MODI: I would especially like to appeal to my country’s media that we should stop looking at everything in India from the prism of Pakistan. India is an independent country. It is a country of 125 crore people. Whenever it approaches any country, it will only be concerned about its own interests. It has been our biggest shortcoming and mistake that we have been tagging ourselves with another country and trying to do things. We are an independent country, we have our own policies and future. We have to think about the future of our 125 crore people. There should be no compromise on our interests. We have relations with America in the context of these fundamental points 

ARNAB: How close can we get to them? 

PM MODI: There has been warmth in our relationship. You must have seen the editorials in American newspapers after my visit to that country. One point mentioned in those editorials was that the success of Obama’s foreign policy has been the warm relationship with India. This has been said 

ARNAB: What you are saying Modiji is that we can be close to America but we need not be an ally or seen to be an ally? 

PM MODI: The first thing is that we no longer live in a bipolar world. The world is interconnected and interdependent. You will have to connect with everybody at the same time. Even if there are two opposing countries, they will have to be friends. Now the times have changed 

ARNAB: Mr Modi, on 8th May 2014, I had the opportunity to interview you, the interview took place in Ahmedabad, I think one last phase of elections was left. We were discussing the issue of Pakistan. You have had an uncompromising approach towards Pakistan. Two days back, Lashkar E Toiba killed 8 CRPF jawans in an attack. In the 8th May interview, you put forth a very interesting phrase, you said ‘Can talks be heard amidst the noise of bombs, guns and pistols?’ This is how you had phrased it. Do you believe we have been too generous towards Pakistan? Do you believe we have been too generous towards Pakistan? 

PM MODI: There are two things. One – India has always wanted friendly ties with its neighbours, there can be no debate around it. We want to live in harmony and peace. And I have said it repeatedly, that India has to fight poverty, Pakistan too has to fight poverty, why don’t we come together to fight poverty? I said this before elections and during election campaigns. Also I had invited leaders of SAARC nations to my swearing in ceremony and they had attended it as well. So there has been no change in our intent, our thoughts and our current behaviour. Number two – those who have to work from the table, will work from the table and those who have to work at the border, will work at border with full strength. Each one will fulfill the responsibility entrusted to them. And our jawans are fulfilling their responsibilities. It’s true that pressure on terrorists has increased, their schemes are proving unsuccessful. The intent with which they move forward are foiled and they have to face major challenges. It is because of this disappointment that such incidents are taking place and our jawans are risking their lives and protecting the country. We are very proud of our Jawans 

ARNAB: When your foreign policy is studied, observers analyze what’s happening and what’s not happening. If you give me the opportunity, I want to do a bit of analyses. There was a terrific pace of engagement with Pakistan between October, November and December. On 30th November, you met Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines (of UN Climate Summit in Paris). Both of you were seated on a sofa, talking to each other. A lot of people were speculating the contents of your conversation. This was on the sidelines of Climate Summit. After that, all of a sudden within seven days there were NSA level talks and Ajit Doval spoke to Nasir Janjua in Bangkok. And again after that you went to Russia via Afghanistan, you made an unexpected visit to Nawaz Sharif in Lahore. It was a personal trip but it still had some level of importance. Eight days later, Pakistani terrorists attacked Pathankot. Can you tell our viewers whether Pakistan was proactively responding in the months of October, November and December? Did the Pathankot terror attack change the situation? Is it true that Pakistan was making a lot of movement in those three months? 

PM MODI: Look there are different types of forces operating in Pakistan. But the government only engages with a democratically elected system. Our effort for that engagement is continuing. But our supreme objective is peace. Our supreme objective is to protect India’s interests. We keep making effort toward that objective and sometimes our efforts are successful. As far as meetings and talks are concerned, we signalled right from the day I took oath and sent invitations for the oath taking ceremony, that we seek friendly relations but without compromising on our interests. And that is why I have said that my country’s soldiers have full freedom to answer back in whatever manner they have to and they will keep doing that 

ARNAB: Mr Prime Minister what is the ‘Lakshman Rekha’ that you would draw when it comes to Pakistan. There is some confusion surrounding this subject. I would like you to give an elaborate reply. In 2014, it was believed that if talks are being held, then they should be held between two countries and not with Hurriyat. It should be between the government of India and the government of Pakistan. The other ‘Lakshman Rekha’ is that you must act on 26/11. There’s been no forward movement so far. The third thing is about forward movement on the Pathankot attack case. So what is the ‘Lakshman Rekha’ now and if Pakistan remains within those bounds, so talks can happen at the political level or at any other level? 

PM MODI: The first thing is that with Pakistan, to whom do we talk to decide about the ‘Lakshman Rekha’. Will it be with the elected government or with other actors? That is why India will have to be on alert all the time. India will have to be alert every moment. There can never be any laxity in this. But there is an outcome due to my continuous efforts like my visit to Lahore and my invitation to the Pakistani Prime Minister to come to India. Now I don’t have to explain to the world about India’s position. The world is unanimously appreciating India’s position. And the world is seeing that Pakistan is finding it difficult to respond. If we had become an obstacle, then we would have had to explain to the world that we are not that obstacle. Now we don’t have to explain to the world. The world knows our intentions. Like on the issue of terrorism, the world never bought India’s theory on terrorism. They would sometime dismiss it by saying that it’s your law and order problem. Today the world has to accept what India has been saying about terrorism. India’s dialogue on terrorism, the losses India has suffered due to terrorism, the losses suffered by humanity, the world is now acknowledging that. So I believe we have to take this process forward.”

“In this part of the interview to Times Now Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami Prime Minister Modi speaks on economy, GST Bill, Raghuram Rajan and other issues. Here are edited excerpts:-

ARNAB: Mr Prime Minister I now want to move to questions on the economy. In the past two years you have started many schemes. If we look at the theme of Jan Dhan Yojna for financial inclusion, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna for crop insurance, Swach Bharat, Skill India, Make In India. If we see the theme running through these schemes, is your social agenda at the core of your personal economic philosophy, social transformation? Is the social agenda at the core of your economic philosophy as the Prime Minister? 

PM MODI: The first point is our philosophy is to reach the last man in the line. Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay’s philosophy forms the core of our political, economic and social ideology. And even Mahatma Gandhi used to say that what is there for the last man? So my development parameter is very simple. It is about how the poorest of the poor can benefit from development. The poor is the central focus of my economic agenda. The poor should be strengthened in such a way that they get the willingness to defeat poverty. By helping the poor make ends meet while they remain in poverty is also one of the ways. I am not saying right or wrong but it’s one of the ways. But today the country’s situation is such that we should make the poor strong so that they become partners in defeating poverty. All these schemes are meant to empower the poor and change the quality of life. The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna is not only about opening bank accounts for the poor. Because of this the poor are feeling that they are becoming a part of the country’s economic system. The bank that he was seeing from afar, now he is able to enter that bank. This brings about a psychological transformation. Looked at in another way, did you ever imagine that 40 thousand crores could be injected into the banking system by contributions from the poor. The poor who never had bank accounts, have deposited 100 rupees, 50 rupees or 200 rupees. It means that poor man saved 100 rupees and the change began in his life. We have taken up construction of toilets. I had gone to Chhattisgarh and had the opportunity to get the blessings of one mother. An adivasi mother heard about the scheme for building toilets. She sold her four goats and built a toilet. That 90 old mother uses a walking stick and goes around the cluster of 30 or 40 houses in the tribal village and has been spreading the message to build toilets. This change is becoming the reason for the change in the quality of life. I have begun the cleanliness campaign. It’s estimated an individual spends an average of 7000 rupees for treatment of a disease. The main reason for disease is filth. The poor suffer the most from the filth. If a poor man falls sick, he cannot drive his rickshaw for two days and his children go hungry. So how can we help the poor bring about change in their lives? Now there is a neo-middle class and a middle class in the country. The young have their aspirations. So another aspect of my policies you must have seen are the Start Up India, Stand Up India, Seaport activity, port activity, railways expansion, railway station upgradation. These changes directly appeal to the middle class. The middle class has its aspirations. We have to create jobs? How will job creation happen? Till I invest in the development of infrastructure, there be no job creation. You must have seen that the maximum electricity generation since Independence has occurred this year. The maximum amount of coal mined has been in this year. The maximum length of roads being constructed daily is happening in this year. The fastest loading and unloading of steamers at sea ports is happening now. All these changes are creating opportunities for employment like in Start up India, Stand Up India. For instance in Stand Up India, I have said that every bank should give an economic opportunity to one woman, one dalit or one tribal person to become entrepreneurs. This will create many job opportunities. So this is the basis of my economic philosophy. 

ARNAB: Mr Prime Minister, questions are also being raised on food inflation which has still not decreased. The expectation was that the food inflation would decline. The people had put their hopes on the Prime Minister that you will bring down prices. This not only has a political impact but also has a social impact. Over the past two weeks, there were reports that in some places the price of Arhar dal had touched 150 rupees and 200 rupees for other pulses. The price of tomatoes was also rising. Is this only seasonal because the food inflation is increasing at 7.5 per cent year on year. Global oil prices have fallen. Do you think this creates perception issues for your government? 

PM MODI: You can’t view inflation as a perception issue. Price rise should be seen as a reality. What is available for a consumer should be seen for what it is. There should never be an attempt to view price rise as a perception issue as a means of escaping the reality of price rise. We will have to accept reality. You see the fast pace at which prices were rising under the previous government, today that speed has decelerated a lot. You can see the statistics, you will find it there. Second, the country has gone through two consecutive years of severe drought. Drought has a direct impact on the price of vegetables, food and pulses because all these things are produced from the soil. Now when there is such a big drought, it’s not in anybody’s hands. The second option in such a situation is imports. The Indian government has imported pulses in huge quantities. Third, it is the joint responsibility of the state and Central governments. It is not exclusively the state’s responsibility. It is not exclusively the Centre’s responsibility. It is the joint responsibility of both the state and Central governments. This should not be an issue of blame game that the state government did not do certain things and that the Centre did not do certain things. But it will have to be agreed that it is the joint responsibility of both. That is why the Centre has given rights to the states to make stringent laws. How much stocks to keep or not to keep are decisions which the states can take. All these rights have been given to the states. Some states have performed well, some states are trying. But the Centre and state governments are trying to work together on this. I believe that we have been successful to the extent that the speed with which prices were rising (under UPA), what would have happened if the prices were to rise at that speed. We have been successful in stopping that speedy rise of prices. But as far as pulses are concerned, production in India has been very low. Many farmers who were earlier sowing pulses have started cultivating sugar. That is also an area of concern. We gave special incentives for pulses. We have tried to set up a different MSP for pulses. We have taken steps to procure pulses from farmers with bonus. Our focus is on increasing the production of pulses. We are also focusing on building stocks of pulses by importing from abroad. An all out effort is being made and I believe that nobody doubts the sincerity of this government 

On Raghuram Rajan:
ARNAB: Mr Prime Minister what is your view about the controversy around the exit of Raghuram Rajan as the RBI Governor? A lot has been spoken about this. There was commentary that it may effect India’s image, perception as a global economy. What’s your own view of the controversy around the exit of Raghuram Rajan? 

PM MODI: When my Government was formed in May 2014, you take newspapers from May, June, July 2014 and check television debates during that period. The topic of the television debates would be – Will the new govt let Raghuram Rajan continue? Or Will the new Government oust Raghuram Rajan? And there was more or less consensus that he was appointed by the previous govt and so Modi won’t let him complete his tenure and will remove him. You have seen, that he worked his entire tenure. For the time he was appointed by the previous government, he completing his entire term. So all the misconceptions have been dispelled. Secondly, according to my 2 year experience in Govt, those who are creating controversies, are being unjust to Raghuram Rajan 

ARNAB: Why so? 

PM MODI: I will tell you. Those who say…I believe Raghuram Rajan’s patriotism is no less than any of ours. It will be doing injustice to him if one says that he will serve the country only if he is at a particular post. As much as I know Raghuram Rajan, whatever post he holds, wherever he is, he is someone who will continue to serve the country. He is someone who loves his country. Therefore, it’s not like the nation won’t get Raghuram Rajan’s services, Raghuram Rajan is not that kind of a person. He is a person who loves the country. Those who speak such language are doing great injustice to him. My experience with him has been good.I appreciate the work he has done. And my good wishes will always be with him.

ARNAB: Prime Minister Modi, there’s a question related to this. During your speech at the Executive you used seven words begining with letter ‘S’– ‘Sevabhaav’ (service), ‘Santulan’ (balance), ‘Sanyam’ (restraint), ‘Samvaad’ (dialogue), ‘Samanvay’ (coordination), ‘Sakaratmak’ (positivity) and ‘Samvedna’ (sensitivity). I will ask the question in context with Raghuram Rajan because you used these words in the speech at National Executive Meet speech on June 14 in Allahabad. You said, ‘Our party leaders and party workers should use these qualities in their daily dealings and behaviour.’ Prime Minister, in Raghuram Rajan’s context, your Rajya Sabha MP has made many comments. Later he made critical remarks against senior bureaucrats. My question is, do you think it is right? When we talk about ‘Sanyam’ (restraint) and ‘Santulan’ (balance), is it correct?PM MODI: Whether it is someone from my party or not, I believe that such things are inappropriate. The nation won’t benefit from such publicity stunts. One should be more responsible while conducting themselves. Anyone who believes he is bigger than the system is wrong. 

ARNAB: That’s a very clear message. 

PM MODI: I have a very clear message. I have no two minds about it. On Black Money: ARNAB: And Mr Prime Minister, if I may say so, between May 8 and now, you are speaking as straight as you did before you took over as Prime Minister. I think that answer takes me to the next subject. Mr Prime Minister, the issue is that of Black Money. In a very interesting way you said, prices should not be looked at from the point of perception, equally, Mr Prime Minister it can be said said that an issue like Black Money should not be looked at in terms of perception, but it is perception forming. There are political debates on this. Experts say that the Black Money economy has shrunk, 10-15% economy has shrunk through land dealings and other things. You have passed the Black Money Bill, you have made taxation more transparent, you have started information sharing with other countries, you have taken steps, but Prime Minister Modi, people still expect that a Rs 25 lakh crores will be brought back and put into their bank accounts. How will you address that expectation? The hope that people have taking Black Money, how will you address it? 

PM MODI: How did the black money issue arise and how did it become such a serious issue? We have to look at the background. It is an established fact in the minds of the common man those who steal money park their money overseas. It’s a common perception. Even if I look at it from the common man’s perspective, I also wonder where does this money go? This issue was always stalled in the Parliament. When the matter reached the Supreme Court, the Supreme Court ordered Special Investigation Team to look into it, even then the previous government stalled it for three years, from 2011-2014. It’s after this that political parties, the media and the common man started believing that there’s something wrong. Then the issue of Black Money became an agenda. Even today I can say…that yes, when there is money stashed in foreign accounts, there are some norms of engagement with foreign countries on the issue. But between 2011-2014, these people were given the opportunity to launder money here and there 

ARNAB: Mr. Modi, there have been several corruption cases about the previous government, which have now come out. There is AgustaWestland, many defense scams and defense transactions are now being analyzed seriously. The cases which were quoted in the CAG reports but were ignored are now coming in the forefront. This question is important because this isn’t just about financial corruption but these questions have direct implications on the national security of the country. Do you think, when they say that this is a political witch hunt by Narendra Modi Sarkar, do you think all of these cases would have been possible without political patronage? 

PM MODI: There are many things which are not visible. One can’t imagine the difficulty I am experiencing in taking out things from dirt. One who is working there knows the amount of dirt that exists and how certain things have been caught in a web. There are certain powers behind it. The case about Agusta helicopters. I can’t deny it and I believe that we have the right to doubt that people behind this are very experienced. They have perfectly practiced the art of doing wrong deeds. They are very experienced and knowledgeable. And one can also smell the fact that such a thing wouldn’t have been done without a shield. Now, agencies are probing. Let’s see how far the probe goes. But the investigation shouldn’t go ahead while people are being targeted, neither does my government target anyone. The sin has been committed, but how much is done, How was it done, who did it, probe agencies will find out in a professional way. Whatever comes out, will be put out 

ON GST BILL:

ARNAB: Prime Minister Modi, do you think the GST bill which has been stuck for over one and half years, it is a path-breaking economic reform. It unifies the country. Recently you met Ms Jayalalithaa after she was sworn in as the Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee has extended her support for GST and Congress allies at the state level are supporting the GST bill. Do you feel optimistic that GST bill will be passed in the next session of the Parliament? 

PM MODI: First we need to understand, that we look at GST only within the purview of an economic reform because of which the right information doesn’t come out. Not having GST straight away means loss for the poor of Uttar Pradesh. Absence of GST straight away means loss for the poor people of Bihar. Not passing the GST would mean loss for the poor people of poor states like Bengal, Orissa and Assam. People who sit in the Rajya Sabha must understand this. GST is beneficial for the poor people of the states represented by them, because those states will economically benefit the most from GST. The money will be used for the welfare of the poor people of those states. This is why be it Mamata Banerjee, be it Nitish Kumar, be it Akhilesh Yadav or Naveen Patnaik, all these states want the GST bill to be passed at the earliest. There is just one group which has made it the issue of prestige. Now the kind of arithmetic which is working out, I hope that this decision is passed in favour of the poor. You will be surprised to what extent has the opposition reached to the level of distortion. In the previous session we introduced an act. Indian government has Rs 40,000 crore rupees from the CAMPA Fund. Rs 40,000 crore. we wanted to give that money to the states. States have to use that money for forestry, for greenery, for planting trees and plants. The bill is meant for that. Had this Rs 40,000 crore reached the states before the monsoons, it would have been used for the forests. A lot of people would have got employment, people who plant trees would have been employed. There would be plantation and due to the rains the plants would start growing within a year. But just because of obstructionism, states have been deprived of the benefit of Rs 40,000 crore. The money was meant for the forests and for the tribals. They blocked it. There was no argument on it 

ARNAB: The reason…you had tried 

PM MODI: Made all efforts. 

ARNAB: You had invited former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi here at the Race Course Road 

PM MODI: We held talks at every level 

ARNAB: Still? The word you used ‘ego issue’, why has it become an ego issue? And people would want to know why is the Prime Minister unable to end this? 

PM MODI: The Prime Minister cannot answer this question. Those creating obstructions can only answer this question. But despite this, I will keep trying. I am ready to convince them in which ever way possible. If I have to convoke someone over a cup of tea at their house, I am even ready for that. I have no problem. My only aim is the welfare of the poor of my country and the poor of states like Uttar Pradesh. 

ARNAB: You spoke of Uttar Pradesh. Mr Prime Minister, elections will be held in Uttar Pradesh in 6,7,8 months. The focus of entire nation will be on it. You are the MP from Varanasi. But some comments are made by BJP, some say Sangh Parivar, some independent groups, communal colour is added to it and not just from one party but from other parties as well. Mr Prime Minister are you going to be able to keep development as the sole agenda? The main issue in the Uttar Pradesh polls should be that of development, it shouldn’t get capsized, the focus shouldn’t be elsewhere. Are you confident that communal agenda will not overpower development? 

PM MODI: It’s my conviction, it’s my commitment. You must have seen during the 2014 elections that I fought elections on the issue of development. The new generation of the country only believes in development. I believe that solution to all problems is in development. Development is also the solution to the tension that people talk about. If we provide employment to people, if we ensure there’s food on their plates, if we provide them with facilities and give them education, all the tension will end. And this is why, all those who want good for the nation, I request them to compete towards development and for development. This atmosphere should be created in the country and I think such an environment is being created nowadays. 

Don’t make heroes out of hot heads: PM Modi 

ARNAB: So the hot heads who make extreme comments, is there a necessity to control them? So that there is no politics in the name of religion 

PM MODI: Firstly, I am of the firm belief that the nation should progress on the issue of development. And it is necessary that the country moves forward on the issue of development. I would like to tell the media not to make heroes out of those people who make such comments. 

ARNAB: But they keep making such comments 

PM MODI: Don’t make them heroes, they will stop 

ARNAB: We don’t make them heroes, we make them villains. 

PM MODI: But why do you make them so big? I see such statements by people on TV, whose faces I haven’t even seen and they end up becoming spokesmen on TV 

ARNAB: Self styled spokesmen 

PM MODI: I don’t know why such people are encouraged.ARNAB: Final question to you Mr Prime Minister, what motivates you the most? First of all as I said, will you be able to keep this pace? What motivates you the most and also if you can share with our viewers honestly what is your one greatest source of worry? 

PM MODI: Firstly, I don’t live under the burden of worries. Problems and challenges are there, you can’t deny that. But you must challenge the challenges and not let the challenges turn into worries. This is my principle. I challenge the challenges. I like to face the problems. I don’t run away from them. Whatever loss I have to face for it, I face it. But I can’t leave the country helpless. This responsibility must be taken and I will continue to do so. For all good and bad things, it is my responsibility. I do not regret anything. I believe, people of the country have given me the responsibility and I must fulfill it. Thirdly, when I see the poor in our country, it reminds me of the work that I have to do for them. Day before yesterday, I was in Pune, and met a Shrimaan Chandrakant ji. A retired teacher with a pension of Rs 16000, donates Rs 5000 every month for Swachh Abhiyaan. If a 70 year old retired teacher with children and family at home, without worrying about them, worries about the country, then being the Prime Minister, I should work a thousand times more than Chandrakant ji. This is my inspiration. People of this country who work day and night, they are my inspiration. I look at them and I work even harder.”

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The latest research from the George Institute for Global Health, Public Health Foundation of India and the Centre for Chronic Disease Control, India, highlights the high levels of salt in packaged food sold in India. The survey, which looked at  5796 packaged food products, revealed huge differences in the salt content of similar foods, with some containing almost 10 times more salt than others, and less than a quarter of products would meet the UK 2017 salt targets.

“The high level of salt in processed food is a great public health concern, as we are noticing a shift in dietary habits towards more convenience foods.” said Dr. Vivekanand Jha, Executive Director, The George Institute for Global Health, India. The main problem caused by salt is high blood pressure which greatly increases the risk of stroke, heart attack and kidney failure.  “These are all now leading causes of death and disability in India,” he added.

The research looked at 9 main food categories which contribute salt to the diet in India, and revealed that many food groups contain excessively high levels of salt. In particular, cooking sauces, table sauces and spreads contained on average 5 and a half grams of salt per 100g, with some containing 10 times that amount and others with almost no salt at all.  “This is particularly alarming as sauces and spread are often added to meals, and with such high salt contents, it will add substantially more salt to the diet” said Dr. Jha.

Similarly, papads, a popular meal accompaniment, contained up to as much as 5g salt/100g, whilst others contained no salt. “These findings clearly illustrate that food manufacturers are able to produce these foods with much less salt” said Clare Farrand, Senior Project Manager for salt reduction strategies, WHO Collaborating Centre for Salt reduction at The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney.

“In view of this report and the change in dietary habits, there is an urgent need for the government of India to develop a clear set of criteria or targets to reduce the amount of salt added to food by the food industry.” She added. “This research provides baseline data on the amount of salt in foods sold in India, which can be used to develop reformulation targets to reduce salt levels in food as part of a national salt reduction strategy and reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease related disease death in India.”

The World Health Organisation recommends all member states reduce mean population level salt intake by 30% by 2025. The WHO Collaborating Centre on population salt reduction at The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney has a remit to support countries to achieve these targets.

Further to this, the survey revealed that only a third of products had salt content on the nutrition label, making it impossible for Indians to know how much salt they would be eating, and make a healthier choice.  Almost a quarter of products carried no nutritional details at all.

“We think it’s important that Indian consumers can easily see what’s in their food; there is a clear need for better food labelling” said Dr. Prabhakaran from the Public Health Foundation of India and Centre for Chronic Disease Control, New Delhi. He noted that “It currently isn’t mandatory to display salt levels on food packaging but it’s certainly something we need to consider.” 

Some products contain excessively high levels of salt; for example papads, a commonly consumed meal accompaniment in India have a mean sodium content of 1219mg/100g – with a range of 2-4000mg/100g.  This illustrates that papads can be made with as little as 2mg of sodium/100g, 2000 times less sodium than the papad product with the highest sodium content.

Incomplete nutrition information makes it impossible for people to know what they are eating and hard to make a healthier choice. Absent nutrition information makes it difficult to monitor amounts of salt, fat and sugar in widely consumed food products, and hold the food industry to account to reduce the unnecessary amounts of salt, fat and sugar added to processed foods. The high level of salt in processed food is a great public health concern; salt increases blood pressure, and thereby the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, the biggest killer worldwide.”

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The International Union Against TB and Lung Disease (The Union) is hopeful that India would agree to participate in the second stage of the ambitious STREAM trials for the shortened Multi-Drug resistant (MDR)-TB Regimen. According to I.D. Rusen, Senior Vice President (research and Development) who leads the TREAT-TB Initiative and coordinates STREAM clinical trials for shortened regimens going on since 2010. The Union is in talks with the Indian government on the issue and is hopeful that India would agree to participate in the trials.

India has the largest burden of TB and MDR-TB in the world, and according to the Global Tuberculosis Report 2015, there were an estimated 220,000 TB-related deaths in India in 2014 – marginally lesser than 240,000 deaths reported in 2013. The number of patients living with TB had also declined from 2.6 million in 2013 to 2.5 million in 2014. However, the new cases increased in the same period from 2.1 million to 2.2 million. As per the World Health Organisation, there were 480,000 new MDR-TB in 2014 globally. Only a quarter of these cases are detected and treated, and of the reported MDR-TB patients treated only 50% are treated successfully. The current standard treatment regimen for MDR-Tb lasts up to 24 months and requires frequent injections, which pose a significant burden both on patients and for the health systems tasked with administering treatment. Permanent hearing loss is a serious side effect of the injected medicines used to treat MDR-TB.

“”The Union strongly believes that a more accessible and tolerable treatment for MDR-TB was urgently needed. Experience from a pilot programme in Bangladesh utilizing a nine-month treatment regimen demonstrated impressive outcome,”” Dr Rusen adds. Results of the Phase-1 trial of Bangladesh Project with nine-month treatment regimen, which was a pilot, have shown as overall success rate of 87.9% with a cure rate of 82.5% and only 5.25 death rate. Updated trials showed a success rate of 84.5% with a cure rate of 82.1%. the updated trials had 515 patients.

Further evaluation was conducted on 1,000 patients in West African countries on a modified Bangladesh regimen. The nine West African countries are Benin, Burkina Faso, Burudi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Niger and Rwanda.   An interim analysis of 408 patients in this evaluation demonstrated a success rate of 82.1%. STREAM trial is among the ambitious randomized controlled trial going on at present. In STREAM stage -1, the Bangladesh regimen is compared to the locally used WHO regimen in the participating countries.

Stage-1 trials sites for STREAM were Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, Ulan Bataar in Mongolia, Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam and Sizure, Durban and Pietermartizburg in South Africa.  So far, 424 patients have been enrolled for the trial and the final patient follow-up will be done in the last quarter of 2017 and the results are expected in early 2018. After extensive discussion between the study team, the local investigators and other experts it was agreed that additional regimen would be evaluated which would be a fully oral 9-month regimen and a 6-month simplified regimen. Both include the latest TB drug—bedaquiline.

The first patient was enrolled for STREAM Stage-2 in March this year and so far 10 patients have been enrolled. The size of the patients is likely to be 1155 with the recruitment patient to be completed by middle of 2018. The first patient follow-up is scheduled for early 2021 and the initial end point results are expected to come by the middle of 2030. The project is funded by USAID, DFID, MRC, AFD and bedaquiline provided by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, developers of the new drug.”

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hagman”” alt=””hagman”” />THE HANGMAN’S JOURNAL mixes fact with fiction along with tracing the innermost thoughts of a man who chose being a hangman in the early 1940s for the prison authorities in the Kingdom of Travancore and, after independence the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. For three decades after the courts had passed a death sentence it was left to Janardhanan Pillai as the ‘aratcher’ or the hangman to put the condemned man to death, swiftly and clinically. Each time he returned from the gallows Pillai told himself that it would be the last time. But he went back a hundred and seventeen times.

Authored by Shashi Warrier the book goes into the mind of a man struggling to come to terms with his dharma, his conscience and his shame. It sheds light on the innermost feelings of the hangman. It is a narrative about the goings on inside Pillai’s head who believes his existence and that of his family depends on death. In the epilogue Pillai admits candidly “”I have done something that I never thought I could do. I have written a book. Here it is in these notebooks that you (Warrier) gave me. Here also is the pen you gave me: I return it because I am not going to write another book. I wrote what I had to. I opened many doors in my mind, and closed a few, and laid a few ghosts to rest. As you see the book is not concluded. I do not know how to end it. It is for you to do so. I only know that at this moment I feel free, peaceful and I want this feeling to last.””

They call it the drop which snaps the life of a condemned person. The warders have a little table for it, to tell you what distance the condemned man must fall with the noose around his neck, for him to die cleanly. Experts explain that the person must fall just enough to gather sufficient momentum for the rope to break his neck. The British worked it out as a rule of thumb. However, no hangman worth his salt needs the table or a weighing scale, or a measuring tape. He can guess the weight of the man to within five pounds, and then work out the length of the drop to within an inch.

The hangman lived some 400 Km away in the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu and the Warrier being in Kerala decided to meet him. He telephones a woman to inform her if the situation required then he would like her to join him later which she did. When he reached the hangman’s house he was informed that Pillai had died some two weeks back. Pillai’s wife asked her son to hand over a packet to the author as her late husband had desired. These were seven notebooks in which the Hangman had penned down his feelings and thoughts.

Pillai found it difficult to answer the first question that was posed to him: “”If 117 people you hanged could hear you today, what would you tell them?”” Starting with the heart of the matter the hangman was foxed. “”Ask me something else now. I’ll have to think about it,”” he observed initially. Pillai was also worried that if the author twisted anything he had said and put it in his book it would reflect on him and his sons. Even though trusting a stranger was doubly difficult, the hangman decided to take his chances.

The author and the woman from the publishers who spoke Tamil helped translate whatever Pillai had to say to the questions put to him. Anyhow it was agreed that the hangman would write his story in Tamil for which the notebooks and pen were made available to Pillai. Warrier asked the hangman not to throw away any scrap of paper as it might not be of value to him but might be useful to the former.

It did not matter in the old days because the hangman was the king’s hatchet man. May be two hundred years ago the hangman came from a family of handpicked men, loyal to the death, willing to obey the king’s most ridiculous command without question. They killed without compunction, and one life more or less did not matter to them. But Pillai insisted he was “”no hatchet man. Every life mattered to me. I am of peasant blood, of a family of farmers and tillers of the land, taught over generations to nurture life rather than take it away. The king was my master until independence. I had no choice, really, for I don’t want anybody else to be damned as I have been. I have borne the guilt too long. If what I have written is treason, let them do what they will. I have nothing left that they can take.””

The original grant that the hangman’s family received was some sixty acres of tax free land. The king took no revenue from it. This aside there was more land — fields of paddy. And there was uncultivated land on which cashews grew wild. Along with the grant of land came money: seventeen Rupees a month. The clan grew rich. By decree they became janmis, landed gentry. They had wealth and servants. Every now and then they got a message directly from the king, so regardless of their caste, which was not the highest, they had the grudging respect of everyone in the area.

Since the clan followed the matrilineal system, the right was inherited not by the son of the hangman but his son-in-law, the husband of his eldest daughter, and so on. So they began to look for someone who would do the hangman’s job for them. They found his father, a distant cousin of theirs, close enough to be given the job. He took it because he must have known hunger, and one of the perks of the job was a grant of three large sacks of paddy, each about 85 Kg, from each of the two annual harvests. This supplemented by the allowance that father got for each hanging, saw them through the worst years. But there was never quite enough.

The weight of Pillai’s executions, the weight of the pain of killing at least one man who had done no real wrong, all these burdened his mind. He could not eat and sleep came rarely. He could not go back to his friends, or whatever he had considered normal before Warrier came. There was a distance between him and his wife Chellammal but somehow she did not seem to mind. “”I began to understand how I had changed. After I started on the book I hardly noticed anything. My vision had shifted from the fields outside to those inside my mind, and I still l had no idea what I would find there. I did not know what I was looking for.””

Pillai finally discovered that he was no longer the aratchar. The king’s privy purse had been abolished. With the abolition of the purse his job could come to an end. It is likely that he will have to hang no more. The emptiness persisted, and the thought came again, “”you’ve written enough: stop. Without opening them I held the notebooks I had grown so close to in these few months and felt only a great relief. Death was at the core of it. How could I have killed? How could I atone? The confusion grew, for all the truths I had learnt seemed to have been washed away as if in a flood.”” The book is thought provoking and an unforgettable tale.

TR

(T R Ramachandran is a senior journalist and commentator.)
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The All India Network of Sex Workers (AINSW) has suggested inclusion of representatives from sex workers and transgender communities in the District Anti-Trafficking Committees as proposed in the Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2016. Trafficking of Person’s (Prevention, Protection & Rehabilitation) Bill, 2016 has been proposed to prevent trafficking of persons and to provide protection and rehabilitation to the victims of trafficking so as to create legal, social and economic environment against trafficking of persons. However the Bill should clearly demonstrate the legal and social connotations of the words ‘trafficking’ and ‘sex work’.

Under Chapter II of the Bill, where clauses concerning District Anti-Trafficking Committee has been discussed, alongside District Magistrate, District Judge and representative from DLSA there should be a representative from the sex workers organization as well for better representation. Similarly, at the State Anti-Trafficking Committee representation of neither sex workers nor transgender community has been thought about.

In a statement issued by Kusum, president of AINSW has said that Self Regulatory Board (SRB) and its success stands testimony to the fact that it has been an exemplary model in prevention of trafficking in sex trade, hence our suggestions would be to implement a similar model at local & district level which can work in tandem with District and State Anti-Trafficking Committee. Supreme Court Panel recommended similar suggestions. AINSW and its partner can highly be obliged to produce their services to develop this model to prevent trafficking in Sex Work.

As Under Chapter VI, specifications of Protection Homes and Special Homes have been mentioned, but our opinion is that no more than 1 week of shelter in Protection homes and a maximum of 3 months in Special homes should be provided, Ms Kusum has said. Post such shelter facility vocational and skill development training opportunities maybe facilitated when victims of trafficking can reside with her family (children, in law) and be engaged in other occupations of their choice.   

Chapter VII focuses on rehabilitation and social integration. But there is no clear cut definition anywhere of the term ‘sex work’ and how it is different from trafficking asks Geeta Dutta, General Secretary of AINSW. Those women who are by choice in this profession of sex work should be adequately safeguarded, legally and socially protected against adverse situations, harassment and violence of any sort, she added.

“”We are in absolute support of protection of identity and confidentiality of social or electronic media disclosure of such victims of trafficking as mentioned in Chapter IX, Clause 15.

Those involved in Special Courts, Judges and lawyers should be provided adequate orientation program involving representatives from sex workers and transgender community so that they are in a position to differentiate between sex workers and trafficked victims. Also, in case of Special Public Prosecutor similar orientation program may be arranged, Dr Jana, Chief Advisor of AINSW added.

One who is forcefully kept in any house or brothel is in a different position legally, who should be rescued and legal intervention is of paramount significance in such a case but any such woman or a group of women who by their choice reside in a house or a brothel as a collective of sex workers should be legally protected against any kind of harassment or exploitation, also law should clarify their legal status as opposed to brothel owners.  They may be a part of any Cooperative or Self Help Group to form a collective so as to safeguard their rights as social individuals and they could negotiate in police led harassment and with clients effectively.

The Bill should clearly state that sex work by choice is a profession and any act of trafficking is an illegal step.”

After the two-day National Executive of the party in Allahabad on June 12 and 13, is the BJP viewing Kairana as an opportunity for polarisation in next year’s assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh akin to what the communal frenzy in Muzaffarnagar did in the 2014 general elections? The BJP managed to win a mind boggling 71 seats out of the total 80 seats in the Lok Sabha from the country’s most populous state. With its allies winning two, the NDA finished with a record tally of 73 which catapulted them to power at the centre with a majority of 282 seats on its own and along with its allies the NDA crossed the rubicon of 300 and finished with a comfortable 340 in the 543-member House of the People.

It might be too early to make those assumptions at this juncture as the assembly elections are still about eight months away. The question is will Kairana do the trick for BJP in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. Even though it is a dangerous game, the gambit is clearly to keep the Kairana issue alive to influence the electorate. The alleged exodus of Hindu families from Kairana has given the saffron brigade a handle to indulge in divisive politics in the run up to the most crucial assembly elections in UP.

It is now beyond the shadow of reasonable doubt that BJP MP Hukum Singh representing Kairana in Western UP and neighbouring Kandhla district in Shamli let his imagination go wild. The MP allegedly released a list of 350 odd families from Muslim dominated Kairana township polarising of Hindus having been compelled to bolt from there. However, many of those who figured in the list were either still in residence or had left much earlier in search of better prospects. There is evidence that many of those who moved out of Kairana and Kandhla did so not because of communalism but crime.

Both towns are in the grip of powerful and violent criminal gangs which have had a free run of the area. Fact finding teams irrespective of their political affiliation, have been to that region under the threat of such groups, particuarly one run by Kukem Kala engaged in extortion. After the MP’s list was found to be mischievous exaggeration, Hukum Singh himself backtracked claiming that the migration was essentially a law and order problem. The lie of Kairana exodus exacerbated social tensions in the region which is yet to recover from the communal carnage of 2013.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi has exhorted the BJP rank and file at the party’s Naational Executive to focus on development, others in the party want to exploit Kairana as a campaign plank. Senior police officers posted in Western UP admit that though some of the Hindu families in Kairana had decided to migrate from the area, their decision was guided more by deterioration of law and order than any other reason.

For several years UP has been witnessing some of the worst communal clashes. Unchecked crime affects business and working communities in UP’s mofussil towns has long been associated with Samajwadi party rule. The Akhilesh Yadav government has done little to change this perception. The larger anxiety remains. In regions with mixed populations, the consequences of painting a largely crime related phenomenon with a broad communal brush has the portends of lethal consequences.

The BJP remains unrelenting from its position of a “”Hindu exodus”” and is now projecting the Kairana issue as a forced migration of residents due to fear induced by the police appeasement of criminals belonging to the minority community. The BJP team which visited Kairana has submitted its report to UP BJP president Keshav Prasad Maurya on Thursday. The report will be handed over to BJP president Amit Shah to be submitted to UP Governor Ram Naik. Maurya said the party was preparing a road map to further intensify the issue across the state. What is scary is that BJP activists are looking for more Kairanas in the state.

In its preliminary report submitted to the government, the district administration has listed lack of industries and health and educational centres in Kairana as the reason for economic migration. Reports suggest that along with Hindus, Muslims have also migrated from Kairana in search of jobs. Kairana is not very far from Muzaffarnagar. Historically it has been Muslim dominated.

Meanwhile, BSP supremo and former UP chief minister Mayawati put up a brave front when a heavyweight and and backward castes leader Swami Prasad Maurya quit the party as he felt “”suffocated”” in it. He accused Mayawati with auctioning party tickets for the upcoming polls. He is also the leader of the opposition in the UP assembly. There is speculation that he might join the Samajwadi party.

Expectedly, Mayawati lashed out at Maurya saying she would have expelled him anyway from her party. She said he wanted tickets for his son and daughter for contesting the assembly elections. There are bound to be some queer twists and turns in the run up to the elections as BJP would like break the common refrain that it essentially a party of upper castes. It is in this context that the Lotus party wants to make a determined pitch for the support of the backward castes. That is why it has chosen a backward caste leader in Maurya as the BJP chief in Uttar Pradesh.

This town which has a history of amity between the Hindus and Muslims, Kairana is known for its Hindustani classical music. It is the birthplace of the Kairana Gharana whose practioners include Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Begum Akhtar, Gangubhai Hangal, Roshan Ara Begum among several others.

(T R Ramachandran is a senior journalist and commentator. Views are personal.)