Should Poor get grains or cash?

Will fortune never come with both hands full,
But write her fair words still in foulest letters?
She either gives a stomach, and not food;
Such are the poor, in health: or else a feast
And takes away the stomach, and enjoys it not.
William Shakespeare, English dramatic poet (1564-1616) in Henry IV.
The proposed National Food Security Act is set to be introduced in the coming session of Parliament. A debate is on as to what parcentage of the poor should it cover and whether the poor should be given subsidised food grains and fuel or whether they should be given cash doles. Against this background, some persons have written to the Prime Minister advocating their views on the subject – as excerpted below.

Read More»

Should We Have Compulsory Voting?

Our supple tribes repress their patriot throats,

And ask no questions but the price of votes.

- Samuel Johnson, English author (1709-1784).

Voting malpractices, including selling and buying of votes as implied by Johnson, is an old hat. Not voting gives a chance for someone to be voted for public office without having a popular or representative mandate. In recent years non-voting has become a big issue – more often such non-voters being educated and well off sections of the population. This issue was raised in an article on the subject by Purba Dutt and published in Times Life (17-7-2011 – excerpted here.

Read More»

Should Netas Function in Glass Cages?

States are great engines moving slowly. – Francis Bacon, English philosopher and writer (1561-1626).

Today the saying can be change to “States are great engines moving secretly”. They spend enormous amounts of public money without transparency. The call for transparency in administration is a buzzword today. But, transparency can be stretched to absurd limits, as AJ Philip, a New Delhi-based senior journalist has written in The New Indian Express (21-7-11) under the title Round-the-clock Tamasha – and excerpted here.

Read More»

Shouls India Follow China on Corruption?

thieves at home must hang; but he that puts
Into the overgorgred and bloated purse
The wealth of Indian provinces, escapes.
 -Francis Beaumont, English dramatist and poet (1585-1615) and John Fletcher, English dramatist (1576-1625).

That was another age when colonialists plundered their colonies. Now the plundering is done with near impunity by native netas and babus. But in India they go scot-free amidst noices of about booking the corrupt. In China they do it differently, as reported by Ananth Krishnan in the The Hindu (20-7-11) under the title “China executes vice-mayors for corruption”. Here are excerpts.

Read More»

Following on yesterday’s offer, we are once again visiting the subject in “Should SC Be Encroacher?”

Thieves for their robbery have authority
When judges steal themselves.
 - William Shakespeare, English dramatic poet (1564-1616) in Measure for Measure.
Thieving need not be of material things like goods or currency. There could be theft of power (not of electricity which is thieved widely) allocated by the Constitution. The Indian higher judiciary, headed by Supreme Court, has been encroaching on the powers of the executive. Initially they were lauded; but now alarming voices are surfacing. One of them is from BG Verghese, veteran journalist and commentator who has written in The New Indian Express (17-7-2011) – and excerpted here.

Read More»

Will Indian Charity Gallop?

In the context of the present industrial/business world philanthropy or charity is also corporatised, taking the form of corporate social responsibility, attracting tax incentives from the government. Both at the corporate and personal level it often operates through tax-exempt trusts and sometimes manipulated to benefit family members and cronies. It is often channeled through NGOs some of which are suspect. Against this background it is welcome to note that Indians are becoming more charitable – as per an article in The Times of India (1-7-11) titled Indians lead among emerging mkts in charity and excerpted below.

Read More»

Should Alimony Support Status?

Is not marriage an open question, when it is alleged, from the beginning of the world, that such as are in the institution wish to get out, such as are out wish to get in. – Ralph Wald Emerson, US essayist and poet (1803-1882}

While mutually agreed or contested divorces provided for maintenance of the divorced wife, a new concept of supporting the wife’s lifestyle got the Supreme Court’s imprimatur in a recent case and reported by Dhananjay Mahapatra in The Times of India under the title “SC links alimony to wife’s lifestyle”. Here are some excerpts.

Read More»

Is Judicial Expansionism Alarming?

It doth appear you are a worthy judge;
You know the law; your exposition
Hath been most sound.
-    William Shakespeare, English dramatic poet (1564-16160 in Merchant of Venice.
Modern judges have many more laws to administer and their jurisdiction, in relation to the executive and legislators. Has been defined through written constitutions, as in India. Basically their role is to discover the truth and interpret the law as laid down by the constitution and legislatures. Yet, in India, taking advantage of the decline of the executive and legislators, the higher judiciary has been on an expansionist mode, treading on the powers allotted to the other estates if the state. This is dubbed as judicial activism and ids now provoking retaliatory action, as noted in an article by Sudhanshu Ranjan in Deccan Herald (26-7-11). Here are some excerpts.

Read More»

Bondel Laughter Club - Spreading Happiness

I am pleased to commend “Laugh Your Way To Health – A Laughter Club Operational Manual” to its prospective beneficiaries. Laugh, and the world laughs with you; cry, and you cry alone. Laughter has that positive bonding glue which brings and keeps people together in a happy communion of camaraderie

Read More»

This Website Has Heritage Roots

Many years ago, a few days after I took up a new job as a communications professional, a senior colleague approached me with a strange request. Ram, his son, who was studying in Standard V, had to write an essay on the topic “Honesty is the best policy”. He knew, he said, I had written a well reviewed book (Corruption—Control of Maladministration). So, would I please write the essay for his son?I was initially shocked by the request which was, of course, politely turned down. When I later thought over this incident, I was truck by the irony of the situation of a parent trying to corrupt this child with the help of the author of Corruption.

Read More»

Should ‘cruelty’ justify divorce?

 


What a holler would ensue, if people had to pay the minister (priest, poojari) as much to marry them as they have to pay a lawyer to get them a divorce. – Claire Trevor

As an old saying goes, what is meat for some is poison for others. That is the context in which  judges had to decide when ‘cruelty’ was pressed as a ground for divorce in the Allahahbad High Court, and rejected by them. But, first the facts of the case as reported by Sanjay Pande in Deccan Herald (30-7-11) and excerpted here,

Read More»

Is Red Tape Set To Exit?

The duty of a judge is to administer justice, but his practice is to delay it. – Jean de La Bruyere, French writer and moralist (1644-1696).

In the earlier centuries, the focus of the state was dispensing justice and judges occupied the centre-stage. With the advent and progress of the welfare state, state became the dispenser of goodies to the citizens as per state laws and rules. It gave rise to babu-cntric government. The babus had the power to withhold or delay the dispensation the eligible desserts of the citizens – in the expectation of a bribe for granting or expediting (speed money) the grant. One of the methods of extorting bribe is reed tape – excessive formality and routine required before official action can be taken. The word came into usage around 1730/40, after the red tape used to tie official documents. Now there are moves to eliminate red tape, the latest move coming from Jammu& Kashmir. But first the facts.

Read More»

Are Kids Property of Parents?

Whence do you derive the power and privilge of a parent, when you, do worse things (than your child)? -  Decimus Junius Juvenal, satirical Latin (Italy) poet (AD 40-125)

 This truth is well reflected in  the family courts that deal with divorce and custody of children. These matters often go to the Supreme Court and we have a  rrecent uling of the apex court that answer the question posed in the headline. But, first the facts.

Read More»

Welcometoreason.com re-launched with brand new design

Mangalore, July 16: Students and senior citizens can now vie for awards for best presentation of ideas in competitions promoted by www.welcometoreason.com  website. This was announced at the re-launch of the redesigned website by Mr. M. R. Vasudeva, Mangalore Airport Director, at its fourth anniversary meet at the Mangalore Press Club on July 16, 2011. These awards, with cash and citation, details of which are being worked out for release in the media and on the website later, will be presented annually to mark its anniversary on July 17, 2011.

Read More»

Should We Have Compulsory Voting?

Our supple tribes repress their patriot throats,
And ask no questions but the price of votes.
 - Samuel Johnson, English author (1709-1784).

 Voting malpractices, including selling and buying of votes as implied by Johnson, is an old hat. Not voting gives a chance for someone to be voted for public office without having a popular or representative mandate. In recent years non-voting has become a big issue – more often such non-voters being educated and well off sections of the population. This issue was raised in an article on the subject by Purba Dutt and published in Times Life (17-7-2011 – excerpted here.

Read More»