Media Pulse

Painting the Portal to Mizoram

The Colour of Success

High Price of Environmental Pollution

Peaceful Life With Vaastu Shastra

Indian Labour

This refers to the eye-opening article ‘Is Indian Labour Really Cheap’ in The DayAfter dated June 16-30.

I would like to share my comments on this subject:

1. Can India really create jobs for all its surplus labour given that there is no employment policy worth the name in the subcontinent? Amending the Constitution will not protect our labour from exploitation.

2. Before amending existing or enacting new labour statutes, I feel that a review of all existing schemes is necessary for a proper in depth understanding of why most of them are ineffective.

3. It is cheaper to go in for contract or casual labour on the factory floor. I believe there already exist certain legal restrictions on contract labour and ‘contractors’ who supply such labour have certain obligations to provide for their labour force.

4. Our biggest mistake was committed under the Congress rule just after independence when the focus on labour and employment related areas went awry. For instance, our earlier population policy (or lack thereof) has seen India become a country of one billion plus, providing a rich base for unemployment and corruption as well as stunting growth and development. Our Five-Year Plans were either directionless or just not adequately implemented..

5. Is any party ready to bell the cat in initiating an effective and just human resources development policy?

(The author of the article responds: All the comments and questions raised by Mr. Ghosh are valid to a lesser or greater extent. However, my article dwelt principally on the low productivity of Indian labour and the reasons thereof. Mr. Ghosh has added to my reasons. Thank you. Dara Nair)

Kudos

The DayAfter (July 16-31, 2002) is really a collector’s item. You have succeeded in bringing to life various vignettes of the days gone by. The article about how the magazine got its name was interesting. May your magazine grow and prosper and continue to celebrate many anniversaries in the days to come.

Kashmir

Joginder Singh’s analysis of the proposal for the trifurcation of Kashmir needs (The DayAfter July 16-31, 2002) serious thought by the intelligentsia of the country. It has focussed attention on the dangerous practice of continuing to break up the country into so many pieces. The protagonists of such theories refuse to see into the future and are only interested in promoting their own narrow vested interests, that is, to gain power by hook or crook. They believe that a small piece of the cake is better than nothing at all. They would be well advised to sit back and think of the consequences of their folly and what kind of disunited country they will be leaving for the future generations. Have they not heard the saying: "United we stand, divided we fall." I sincerely hope better sense will prevail and thank Joginder Singh for highlighting the issue.

Political Frauds

The article by Janak Singh in The DayAfter (July 16-31, 2002) entitled ‘Focus on Elections, not Problems’ has hit the nail on the head. Practically every political party seems to be interested in merely perpetuating its hold and increasing its voteback rather than on solving the problems that beset the country at every level. In earlier days, especially before Independence, those people entered politics who really wanted to serve the country and its people and the vision that they had and the steps they took to implement it are there for all to see. What contribution have modern-day politicians made to the country?

Every day we read in the newspapers of how they avoid paying their telephone bills, do not pay the rent for their government accommodation, and misuse government property and personnel for their own private use. How long will they be allowed to continue looting the country? It is time they were exposed for what they are. There are the problems of unemployment, drinking water, schools, medical facilities and other basic needs of the common man. Is anyone thinking about them?

It is high time our leaders woke up the ground realities and really thought in terms of the common man.