மகள்களுக்கு

உயிர்மெய்களுக்கு,
           உங்கள் சித்தப்பாவின் இரண்டாவது கடிதம்.முதல் மடல் மூத்தவளுக்கு.இரண்டாவது இருவருக்கும் சேர்த்தே.

அன்போ,அறிவோ

பண்போ ,பரிவோ

பணிவோ,துணிவோ

இனி எதை தருவதாய் இருந்தாலும் இருவருக்கும் சேர்த்தே தருவதாய் நாம் முடிவு செய்திருக்கிறோம்.ஒருவளை மட்டும் தூக்கி வைத்தால், என்னையும் தூக்குங்கள் என்று அடுத்தவளும் கைகள் விரித்து சொல்லி ,இரு கைகளிலும் எங்கள் எதிர்காலங்களை தூக்கும் சுகத்தை தந்ததால், இது நாம் எடுத்த முடிவு தான். அவ்வாறு தூக்கி, நாம் மூவரும் சூரியனை பார்த்த போது கண் கூசியது சூரியனுக்குமாக  இருந்திருக்கலாம் .அது வேற விடயம்.

கடிதம் எழுத முடிவாகிற்று,என்ன எழுதுவது? இந்த காரணத்திற்காக கடிதம் எழுதுகிறேன் என்று சொல்லி கடிதம் எழுதும் கட்டுப்பாடும்,வரைமுறையும் நமக்குள் இல்லாததால் எதையாவது பேசலாம் என்று நானே  முடிவு செய்திருக்கிறேன். உங்கள் முதல் வருடத்தின் இரண்டாவது பாதியில் உங்கள் நா பேச முனைந்த வார்த்தைகள் போல.

இன்று, இளையவளை சில நிமிடங்கள் கண்காணிக்கும் சுகத்தை ஏற்றுக்கொண்டேன்.தீக்ஷா, நீ அந்த சில நிமிடங்களில் சொல்லி கொடுத்த நித்திய சித்தாந்தங்கள் எத்தனை தெரியுமா.

சிரிப்பு,அழுகை

சோகம்,கோபம்

எதுவாய் இருந்தாலும்

அந்த கணம் தான்.

உன்னை மனம் குளிர்ந்து சிரிக்க வைக்க எந்த செலவும் இல்லை. தலைக்கு மேலாக,கைகளால் தூக்கினால் போதுமானது.கீழிருந்து மேல் போகும் போது சிரிக்கிறாய்.மறுபடியும் இறங்கும் போது சிரிப்பு சிறைபடுகிறது.அழுகையும் அப்படிதான்.

புதிதாய் ஓர் இடம் நீ கண்டால், உன் மகிழ்ச்சிக்கான மதில் சுவர் இருந்ததாய் நான் பார்த்திடவில்லை.அவ்விடத்தில் இருக்கும் பொருள்களும் அதற்கான சிறப்பும் உனக்கு மட்டுமே தெரிந்திருக்கிறது.ஊர்ந்து போகும் எறும்பு முதல் .............................................

அந்த நிமிட வாழ்க்கைக்கு உங்களை யார் பழக்கியது.என்னால் தான் இதை செய்யமுடியாமல் போகிறது.இறந்த காலத்தின் சோகம்.கோபம்,பகை,சூழ்ச்சி,
துரோகம்,காயம்,தோல்வி எதையும் மறக்க முடியாமலும், வருங்கால வாழ்க்கைக்கான சுகம்,பதவி,பொருள்,வசதி,நிம்மதி என்று முடிவு பெறாத தேடல்களிலும் எங்கள் நிகழ் காலம் எங்களிடமே அடமானமாய் இருக்கிறது போலும்.நீங்கள் தான் இதை என்னக்கு சொல்லிக் கொடுக்கிறீர்கள்.


உங்கள் வாழ்க்கையோடு

நானும் தொடர்வேன்....

The Less spoken

                                   In an attempt to record the simplest events of common people around and particularly in my milieu, I am presenting this article. I did not attempt to cogently organize this work and is just conflating different events in sequence.

                                               Young Auto-rickshaw Driver
                                    As like many other commuters, I also have a conviction that whenever I wish to board an MTC bus, there would be a gridlock or the bus-driver would be excessively slow or some neo-liberalists would protest for a petty matter. As like them, I too do not want any rationality or the spirit of inquiry to contest my claim. Hence many a time, I would access the alternative transport service providers--- the share-auto-rickshaws. The minimum governmental regulated price for boarding an auto-rickshaw is 14 Rs for 2 kilo-metres. But legality and practicality are often contradictory or apparently is accepted to be so. So I have to pay 15 Rs for boarding a share-auto-rickshaw for travelling less than 2 km, only to access the nearby sub-urban railway station.
                              As usual, I did not see any MTC bus one night and with no other options around, had boarded a share-auto-rickshaw. Share-auto became one, only when I shared the driver seat. The driver appeared to be a young fellow in his early 20’s and was so demanding when he said “NIGHT CHARGENAA 20 RS SIR, ILLANNA IRANGIDUNGA..”
                                When we had just started, the driver saw another auto-rickshaw stranded in the road and he decided to tow it. The guy did not seem to have any necessary paraphernalia to tow the vehicle and I was really anxious to see how that guy would tow the vehicle. To my surprise, the guy steered his vehicle to the side-left of the stranded auto-rickshaw and put his stretched leg on the back of it and thus accelerated both the vehicles at the same speed. No physics lab experiment could help me understand the Newton’s I law but this adventure. Both the vehicles were accelerated to the same speed and whenever some other vehicle crosses, the ‘towing’ leg would be pulled back. This adventure had lasted up-to the nearest petrol bunk and only then I re-gained my breath.
                              In our short conversation, the guy said “anna, ithellam assaultnaa…I had towed a vehicle in the similar fashion from Madipakkam to Sriperumbudur, to consult an auto-mechanic.”                      He himself declared that the drivers used to repair their vehicles only in particular workshops and for that they would even travel long. The auto-rickshaw races we often hear about are not between individual drivers but between auto-garages usually, he averred. No worry about the demands of any situation, he would send his vehicle to no other garage, he declared.
‘anna, enginelaam pakkaavaa tune panirukreaen..My vehicle would fly like a jetna..”
                           He seems to belong to the ‘racing tigers’ club which was spelled as “rasing tigers” at the back of his vehicle. And I ‘know’ he was a good guy since he had collected just 15 Rs from me.

                                                               A newspaper boy-vendor
                              I guess my newspaper vendor boy is an employee and not self-employed. The boy used to ‘throw’ the newspapers from the ground floor to the first and second floors. That too in the second floor he had to throw 2 newspapers to two neighbourhood houses. The mannerism with which he would throw the paper is so unique. On the fly from his bi-cycle, he would ‘throw’ the paper to the first floor. For the II floor, he would throw it so that it hits the front wall of the house and falls on the corridor. The next paper would suddenly be whisked then.
                           The boy said he had never missed to rightly position the papers and said he would even throw papers to the III floor. “YAARUNAA 3 MAADI VARAIKKUM YERI POI PODRATHU….mokka velainaa….”, he declared. Gratification and luminescence are conspicuous in his face when I enquired about his ability to accurately locate the paper. ‘payapulla, VETKAPATTAN….’
                                  Free elementary education was promised as a fundamental right even in the 1928’s Motilal Nehru Constitutional report and over 80 years had elapsed since but the right is yet to be made completely operational. So what?
                                                     
                                                                 Tender-coconut THATHAA
                               
                                 What purpose would you use a sickle? Or do we actually use it now? My mom uses it to husk the fibrous shells of coco and my sister-in-law wouldn’t use coconut unless it is husked. But a tender-coconut vendor declared that it could be utilized when someone intrudes on our home.


To be continued.......

IAS Exam-Proposed pattern change is discriminatory

                           The UPSC has recently modified the examination pattern for Civil Services Examination, popularly known as IAS examination. Though there are many welcome aspects in the new pattern like more emphasize on general studies, inclusion of moral and ethical values etc the system also has some inherent discrepancies in the name of new regulations. This article exclusively deals with those aspects only as I had found a great deal of mainstream media, both broadcasting and print, concentrate on its positive aspects.
                       Hitherto candidates are permitted to appear in the second level examination, the essay type - Mains Examination, in any language of their choice from amongst the scheduled languages (22 languages in the Schedule-8 of the Indian Constitution). But in the newly announced pattern this is restricted to those candidates who had completed their graduation in those respective languages only. This would certainly impact the professional graduates who appear in Civil Services Exam (CSE) like engineers and doctors as there are a very few colleges that provide such degrees in regional languages.
                         If we take the case of Tamilnadu, only a few years back the State has introduced engineering graduation through Tamil medium and not a single batch has passed out since. The case of arts and science colleges is not much encouraging. Hence it is obvious that students would opt for English medium during their graduation even though they would have had their schoolings in their mother tongue. This would be a de-facto case for students from government run higher secondary institutions, which are predominantly Tamil medium based. Such candidates when they appear for CSE would have a natural proclivity towards their mother tongue and hence a ‘mother-tongue medium’ propensity becomes perforce in the examination.
                        Exacerbating the worries, the new pattern has a new restrictive regulation that ‘a minimum of 25 candidates should opt for a specific language medium for answering the question papers in that language medium. In case there are less than 25 candidates opting for any approved language medium (other than English or Hindi), then those candidates will be required to write their examination either in Hindi or in English only.’ And the rationale for this numerical restriction enumerated in the notification is ‘in the interest of maintaining the quality and standards of examination’. Constitutionally every citizen of India is obliged to develop a scientific temper and the spirit of inquiry, and I find it excessively difficult to fathom such a rationale and its numerical connectivity.
                   This numerical restriction when compounded with the requirement that ‘regional language as a CSE medium only if graduated in that regional language’ would entail that no one would be able to write the examination in any regional languages, for the want of minimum number of candidates. Hence a literature (say B.A Telugu literature) graduate who would have possibly had his graduation in his vernacular language would not be able to write the examination in his vernacular language because not enough candidates might appear in the CSE in his language. As he had had his graduation in a vernacular literature, he might not apparently excel in English and the only other choice is Hindi. What if, if he is a Tamil? Hindi is conspicuous by its absence in Tamilnadu . So neither he can write in Tamil nor in Hindi. This might make a B.A Tamil graduate to look out for a carrier other than the prestigious civil services. The case may be true for all non-Hindi speaking candidates also.
                   Also we have another regulation that only those candidates who had graduated in the literature of a language can opt for the literature of that language as his optional paper in CSE. So the term optional subject becomes fallacious now. The demands of a majority sections of the non-Hindi speaking people that the questions in the preliminary level have to be set in regional languages too, in addition to English and Hindi, or are to be set only in English are also not heeded to for some reasons. All put together it appears ostensibly that this modified examination pattern, discriminates non-Hindi speaking candidates from the Hindi speaking one.
                Finally, I wish to refer to some of the provisions of the reverent institution of Indian Constitution. According to Article:16(1), the state has to  provide equal opportunities to its citizens in matters of public employment. An Official Language Commission has to be set up by the President to look into matters related to official language and the commission shall have due regards to the just claims and the interests of persons belonging to the non-Hindi speaking areas in regard to the public services while giving recommendations, according to Article:344.

BUDGET 2013

                                                   BUDGET 2013

                                  
                                   Some time back my only obsession in budget would be about the income tax slabs and some of the commodities especially electronic gadgets. However in my current capacity with a little theoretical knowledge about financial institutions, I wish to present my views about the Budget 2013-14.Please show some leniency on my naiveties but don’t forget to point out them.

                               I have the proclivity to look out for numbers at the outset in any budget than the policy statements and their concomitant procedures. Hence containing the fiscal deficit (FD) within the promised revised estimate of 5.3% of GDP would be acceptable though the budget estimate was targeted slightly lower at 5.1%. FD refers to the total financial liabilities of the government mobilised through external borrowings from resources outside India and the internal borrowings mainly monetised through sovereign bonds dealt with by RBI.

                             

                             But the fact that the total sovereign debts had been steadily raising and have reached over 50% of the GDP is an ominous caveat which is quite obvious from the data that over 25% of the revenues are raised through debts. I have never seen my mother relying on meeting over quarter of our household expenditure through credits from others. But this is a political reality in a re-emerging economy like ours with a great deal of inequalities both social and natural resources.

                          

                            With not sufficient fuel resources in the country, the dependency on crude oil is enormously large and would be so for a longer period till an Indian surplus fuel alternative is identified. The bureaucratic red-tape procedures and the associated delay in awarding clearances of the energy sector projects when supplemented by the over-envious private sector motivated to increase profit at any cost as seen in the Krishna-Godavery Natural Gas basin and the over-enthusiastic socio-natural activists opposing development projects make dependency on import of energy resources like coal, crude oil incumbent. Hence we have no alternative but to import energy resources which entails larger dependency on foreign currencies.

                          

                          Increase in imports when compared to the exports would increase the Current Account Deficit (CAD). The widening CAD which is indirectly a measure of foreign exchange demand in the economic system makes foreign investment inevitable and the announcements like allowing Foreign Institutional Investors to invest in Debt funds and rationalising portfolio investors are aimed at increasing it. The other source for meeting the CAD is through external commercial borrowings (ECB). So increase in ECB would be a reality considering the current scenario reduction in FII and FDI.  

                          

                      And the Finance Minister had attempted to create an impression as if he has generously provided each ministry with increased funds though the fact is that the increased allocation is with respect to revised estimates (RE) and not the budget estimate (BE) 2012-13.Never wonder we are able to achieve the 5.3% FD target by having a dent on the planned expenditure for about 20%(about 1 lakh crore rupees) compared to the BE-2012.

                      

                       Reduction in Plan Expenditure is akin to my mom withholding expenditure on my educational and health needs without convincing me to reduce my pocket money or denying me a vacation trip. Planned Expenditure would help in boosting productivity by vesting the citizenry with necessary physical infrastructures like transport, irrigation, communication facilities etc and social infrastructure like health, education etc which are necessary for continued employability. Non-plan expenditure includes the maintenance expenditure like running the administration, subsidy etc.

                   

                     Also to his comfort he had called reference to the RE and BE without consistency. For allocation under Food Subsidy, his increased allocation is with respect to BE but to RE in majority of the cases. So it is all about juggling with the numbers for his convenience. The financial and other administrative ministries apparently are ready to appropriate money through supplementary and additional grants which is evident from the larger gulf between BE and RE and also the actual estimate. BE refers to the estimates of revenue and expenditures as initially planned and presented to the legislature for a financial year whereas RE refers to the revised estimate that is modified BE reflecting the recent realities of the ongoing financial year. Fiscal adeptness entails closeness of the financial estimates with the reality.

                       

                        Sector wise, I would rate the proposed plans for agriculture as the most convincing one as good deed know no periodic restrictions. The allocation for crop diversification in the Green Revolution rich areas which had become ecologically vulnerable with increased land salinity and reduced water table level is a ‘delayed’ welcome step. And ideals of extending green revolution in the Eastern areas should keep in mind the sustainable agriculture practices. Promotion of nutrition rich fortified grains in nutrition deficient areas would have to be carefully persuaded.

                      

                 The above prospective plans in agriculture could well be read as the governmental effort of wide-basing its skewed food grains basket which is in favour of wheat and rice.  It is also a positive step that government has promised to create a fund(5000 Cr INR) for promoting decentralised storage of grains at the panchayat level. While total production of food grains is over record 250 million tonnes for the successive years recently, we have seen increasing cases of malnutrition too in the recent times. This paradox could be sternly dealt with through decentralised construction of storage facilities preventing stress selling by farmers for want of storage options and also is an indirect acknowledgement of the role of Panchayat Raj Institutions.

                               But with every penny allocation opens the window for corruption which when compounded with bureaucratic insensitivity makes the total effort futile. The allocation of agricultural loans reaching landlords with agricultural farm house lands and large farm-hold farmers are manifestations of unclear technical procedures and insensitivity. A PSU bank employee promised to provide me with a jewel loan at 6% if I could submit an agricultural land tax chellan even in someone else’s name. Hence procedural formalities of the ambitious allocation of 20000 cr INR for Rural Infrastructure development and 5000 cr INR for rural housing have to be reflective of the needs and the realities with sensitivity to the needy poor.

                              Efforts have been made to create positive investment climate and to boost manufacturing by reducing or parting off the customs and excise duties in textile and traditional handicrafts industries,aircraft MRO(Maintenance,Repair,Operation) machineries and by providing with 15% investment allowance for investments over 100 cr INR in plant and machinery. Ideals of establishing Semi-conductor wafer fabrication is certainly positive so that indigenisation in defence or electronics actually is indigenous.

                               Also the prospects of 10000+ buses to be purchased for improving urban connectivity would be welcomed by commercial vehicle manufacturers. Here the requirements have to be carefully drafted such that the vehicles are accessible to the differently abled persons and the old aged who together constitute over 25 cr of Indian population and thus the promised universal access is complied with.

                            The allocation of 5000 cr INR to SIDBI to refinance Micro Small and Medium Industries would provide relatively easy credit access to MSMEs which contribute over 40% of Indian exports and employment opportunities. But the demand for relaxation of capital norms that would qualify one as a MSME defined very earlier in the past is not heeded to and warrants a re-look reflecting the inflationary tendencies and the value of plant and machineries.

                       Physical infrastructural announcements like new ports, Industrial corridors would provide impetus to investments and also help in increasing productivity. Road Regulatory Authority(RRA) envisaged to be set up is a reflection of the mis-management of PPP mode of road and highways construction contracts and have to be appropriately empowered to deal with dilatory, low service quality in addition to swiftly granting clearances for such projects. The discretion with which the contractors collect user fee for accessing roads and the lack of accountability and transparency in such contracts are matters of immediate concern to the RRA.

                     Renewable energy enthusiasts are enthused by the declaration of generation based incentive for wind energy but the desperate financial situations of the state run power distribution companies(Tamilnadu Discom has over 50000cr INR loss) responsible for purchase of the grid connected power would make them cynical. It is a well known fact that under-pricing of electric energy in order to woo prospective electorates on the one hand and paying at higher rate for private power generators without invigorating public power generation capacity at the other hand are quintessential mal-administrative reasons for such a whopping loss.   

                           Details of the 1000cr INR Public Sector Women only bank are not out and without personnel sensitivities and procedural simplicities, this proposed institution would become redundant. Also is the of 1000cr INR for women safety and security for which details are un-known. Similarly 1000 cr INR for National Skill Development Corporation aimed at imparting employability skills would be fruitful if realistically drafted, to meet the ambitious 10 crore new jobs in manufacturing sector and to facilitate the transition from agriculture to skilled and semi-skilled jobs smoothly. And there is no doubt about the bourgeois interest in inflation-indexed investment schemes as an alternative for non-productive gold, for which the details are to be announced.

                        In the revenue front, the target of 55000 cr INR through PSU disinvestment and allowance of 50000 cr of tax free infrastructure bonds are too idealistic estimate considering the performance in the recent years. The increase in surcharge for super-rich and the excise increase for certain commodities would mobilise extra 19000 cr INR only and hence the ambitious target of reducing FD within 4.8% of GDP is possible only through repeating this year’s tactics or by strictly following the words of Finance Minister himself that it is up to the individual ministries to deliver outcome through good governance,fiscal prudence,close monitoring and swift implementation. Rationalisation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes that entail redundant personnel structure at the states’ level is a step in this direction.

                                    Also the estimated reduction of subsidy by 25000 cr INR ostensibly would be attempted through reduction in fuel subsidy which certainly impact larger sections of vulnerable people. Duel pricing of diesel and domestic LPGs could well be attempted with safe precautions. And a mere allocation of 10000 cr INR for Food Security which would be a political trump card for UPA government is a clear indication that the promised right would not be vested in the immediate future. In food subsidy bill, a reduction of 5000 cr INR from the RE 2012 is planned which seemed to have been decided without considering the actual realities and with governmental ideal of providing food security.

                  Hence I would consider this budget as an attempt to strengthen the macro-economic indicators however without giving up the political demands for wooing the prospective electorates like farmers, women and youth.