Agartala (Tripura), Sep 15: Several Political and socio-economic issues were covered in the national media today highlighting pressing topics across the country. Following are some of the issues picked up by the Enewstime desk
Embarrassed Trinamool Congress: The ruling party in WB has been a lot of embarrassments three days prior to the starting of Assembly session. This is because their MLAs have been arrested for reasons like creating disruption in college, for being accused for theft etc. On the other hand, opposition attacks have also increased. (Anandabazar Patrika, Sep 15, 2015)
World Bank study rates PM Modi’s home state Gujarat No.1 in ease of doing business. Chandrababu Naidu’s AP comes 2nd. Armchair intellectuals are surprised how Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, MP and Rajasthan have taken the next four places ahead of traditional industrial powerhouses – Maharashtra (8), Karnataka (9), Tamilnadu (12) and Haryana (14). But, each of the better performing states, barring Jharkhand is led by decisive CMs and they have been ahead of others in implementing reforms. Interestingly, 7 of the top 10 states are BJP ruled, while other major Congress ruled states – Himachal (17) and Kerala (18) fared poorly. Overrall India continued to remain a difficult place to do business, ranking 142nd among 189 nations. (Business Standard, Sep 15, 2015)
Dengue exposes health infra in Punjab, Haryana: The alarming spurt in dengue cases in Punjab and Haryana has exposed the “poor” public health infrastructure in the two states. Most hospitals, private as well as government, lack the basic infrastructure to treat the endemic disease. This year, Punjab has reported 1,035 confirmed dengue cases and 2,371 suspected cases so far, while Haryana has reported 381 confirmed and 1,330 suspected cases. (The Tribune: September 15, 2015)
In landmark order, Bombay High Court stays state ban on sale of meat on September 17, the Ganesh Chaturthi day. Slams BJP led Fadnavis government and Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation for violating basic rights of people and livelihood of meat sellers. (Times of India, September 15, 2015)
Lifting the veil on Netaji files: The West Bengal government’s decision to declassify 64 ‘secret’ files related to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose is welcome. This should prod the Union government to declassify 130 such files in its possession. The government files, which would also contain CID reports of the time would, therefore, be of immeasurable value to historians. The earlier the files are declassified, the better it would be to assess the role of Netaji. (The New Indian Express: Editorial: September 15, 2015)
What the hard figures tell-The Modi Government is yet to change the industrial scene. India’s growth figures were always approximate; they have become even less trustworthy with the last change in base year.
Surveys are less comprehensive than the Central Statistics Office’s gross domestic product figures are supposed to be. But it is impossible to measure every penny of GDP, and the CSO takes many short cuts. So in the end, they are probably no better than the results of sample surveys….
The Prime Minister told them to take risks and invest. He may not have known it, but that is what industrialists do: Joseph Alois Schumpeter pointed it out 125 years ago. But they do not throw away money; they invest when they see a reasonable chance of making a profit. It is this chance that they expect the government to improve. And the government gives the impression that it has not the slightest idea how to do it.
The Finance Minister has been 15 months at his job, but he shows no sign of having learnt it. The Prime Minister needs to act. He is not sitting idle; he travels a lot. Maybe, wherever he goes, he should collect the best economists of those countries and ask them what he should be doing.
He transports a lot of industrialists and hangers-on with him when he goes abroad; maybe, he should instead use Air India 001 to import good economists, consult them, send them to Gir forest, and take them back with him on his plane. In sum, the Prime Minister needs broader exposure. (The Telegraph: Column of Ashok V. Desai: September 15, 2015)
Growing Pains (on Indian economy). The latest round of data available on the Indian economy pertaining to industrial production and the balance of payments reflects improvements. The manufacturing sector’s capacity utilization, particularly in the capital goods sector, has increased. The trade and current account deficits have displayed similar improvements.
The Finance Ministry is keeping its bets unchanged on a curtailed fiscal deficit in relation to GDP. Given a projected growth rate of above seven per cent, and overall consumer price inflation under control, the picture is certainly comforting – more so, when compared to what is happening in the rest of the world. However, there is a strange perception that India is not doing well, or rather not doing well enough.
The promise of dynamism from a new government seems to have been belied. Indian business has been chided by the Prime Minister as not having enough risk-taking ability or “animal spirits”, as John Maynard Keynes might have put it. Captains of industry want an interest rate cut so badly that one would imagine it was the only constraint keeping the economy back from explosive double-digit growth.
For the more ordinary citizens, rising food prices, the lack of new job opportunities and a general lack of demand faced by small businesses has kept the economic mood sombre. Despite the data, why is there a lack of optimism about the economy’s present and future? Is India being over-ambitious in pursuing dreams of double-digit growth?….
However, what is of growing concern, given the experience of stabilizing markets since the financial crisis of 2008, is the ineffectiveness of the standard package. Deep uncertainty is germane to today’s complex, globally interconnected world. No one seems to know how to control it – yet. (The Telegraph: Editorial: September 15, 2015)
Now your daily diet: A number of BJP-controlled States/cities – Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir and cities of Mumbai Ahmedabad – have imposed a ban on meat sale till September 17 on the occasion of the Jain festival of paryushan. The officials reason – call it an ‘excuse’ if you like – given is that the decision has been taken “to respect Jain sentiments”.
Even without going into the legality and constitutional validity of the order, a pertinent question can be asked. If the BJP Government is so‘sentiments’ of the Jains who account for just 0.4 per cent of the population, why should the BJP be so insensitive to the sentiments of Muslims who constitute as much as 13.4 per cent?
Many will see in it a subtle move to test the waters for banning meat in the country. BY adopting such a divisive agenda the Sangh Parivar through the instrumentality of its political wing the BJP is weakening the polity. As a Jain scholar has pointed out, Jainism does not force even Jains to observe Paryushan, not to speak of people of the other faiths. (The Echo of India: Editorial: September 15, 2015)
The lessons taught by Munnar agitation: The nine day spontaneous agitation by women tea estate workers in Munnar, have come to an end on Sunday with the management yielding to their demands to increase bonus. The deadlock was broken after a day-long consultation in Kochi led by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, and attended by his cabinet colleagues, trade union leaders and representatives of the workers and the Kannan Devan Hills Plantations (KDHP) Company Private Limited.
The agitation was a historic and different one as the agitators kept out even their own trade unions away from the strike. In a sector known for its well-oiled trade union system, such an agitation, without the support of trade union leaders, was unheard before. The victory of this strike proves that if the demands are genuine and the agitation can be conducted without caste, political considerations, then it can succeed in ensuring the rights of labour class.
It was a good thing that the protestors recognized the dual nature of the trade union leaders who is enjoying the benefits from estate management and at the same time pretending to be aligning with labour class. The laborers have many times complained about the disparity in wages and rights violation to trade union leaders.
But all their concerns and complaints were ignored. If the trade unions forget their responsibility, labour class will unite under one banner forgetting all political differences. The women labourers even accuse that their husbands who align with trade unions also cheat them. These trade unions are charging the party fund from the meager remuneration that these labourers are getting.
The timely intervention by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has helped to solve the agitation. Idukki district administration and police officials deserve special mentioning for their work which helps to control the situation.
Special Branch has earlier reported that suicide attempt may take place as part of the strike. Police was vigilant and no such incidents took place. As the strike ends, there should be effort to revamp the tourism sector in Munnar which was severely affected by the strike. (Malayala Manorama: Editorial: September 15, 2015)
Sugar coated poison: The Marathwada drought is the result of monsoon failure and faulty water management. Irrigation in Maharashtra is hardly 16% against the national average of 42%. Due to topographical constrains there is not much scope for increasing irrigation potential beyond a certain limit but unfortunately there is no proper management of available surface and underground water resources in the state.
The availability of water in the region for drinking, irrigation for traditional crops and industrial use has gone down over the years as cropping patterns changed and large areas of cultivable lands were brought under the cash crop of sugarcane which is a highly water-consuming. Neither political parties nor leaders had the guts to put a ceiling on the number of sugar factories to save vast tracts of land from being used for water-intensive cash crops.
With over 60 sugar factories in Marathwada, more land is being used for sugarcane cultivation without making any provisions for continuous water supply in this drought-prone region. The state government has been approaching the problem in an ad-hoc manner, without drawing up a long term plan to address the drought issue. (DNA: Column of Prakash Bal Joshi: September 15, 2015)
(These are excerpts from different Newspapers)
