Examine the feminist perspective of state and state security

Examine the feminist perspective of state and state security

The core of the feminism as an ideology lies at the generations old discrimination that the woman has faced just because of her gender. So, obviously the feminist mind has thought about state and the security of the state as a subject where those decimations can be nullified by providing enhanced explanations and revolutionary views.

Existence of a ‘structured’ system of promoting discrimination’ is the belief of feministic mind. Feminists look at the state as the expansion of that patriarchal society as such. Institutionalisation of patriarchy, patriarchal society and systems based on gender is perhaps more dangerous than anything else for a woman to be saved from the attacks of patriarchy proponents. That is what more or less state is all about. The state, because it is a reflection of people’s society more or less a patriarchal society attempts vehemently to control woman’s role. Reproduction – which is woman’s only domain, inheritance – which is actually to be considered as righteous right of a born and sexuality are governed and regulated by the state. The mental stigma that ‘woman’ is to be ‘protected’ by the man actually leads woman giving up her autonomy. The systematic deconstruct of the concept of state by Sylvia Walby quite clearly points out to woman’s labour and reproduction as objects of control by the state. It is evident that the perspective of feminists of the state is perhaps rightly influenced by the discrimination emanates out of patriarchy.

Over the period of time with the advent of feministic movements allied with other social movements, the state is compelled to change with time progressively. High emphasis and respect for democratisation served well to woman good. The woman’s reservation in parliaments, assemblies and institutions of self-government are at the centre stage of national debate in many countries. Electoral pressures and intellectualism have pushed many nation-states to sign conventions like Convention on Eliminating Discrimination Against Woman (CEDAW). Multi-national and international organisations have upped their mark to push change in pre-meditated conceptualisation of state by asking elimination of men’s only views regime is a right approach. From employment to violence, the patriarchal proponents and the philosophy as such have been challenged quite firmly because of positive effects of this new feministic conceptualisation of the state.

Well, it is quite obvious that in every sphere of state affairs the feminists look at the roles affecting woman that is quite different than the conventional. State security too is thought a bit different way. Men are those who fought and fight wars. It is man’s domain. There are the conventional thoughts. The feminists are critical of these views. They find state security affairs help patriarchal enthusiast to propend. Woman has historically been the victim of inhuman wartime crimes like mass rape etc. Feminism argues to broaden the very concept of security. It supports a theory where security related conflicts are not merely managed with the help of security personnel only but there is a need to have a sea change in understanding the idea of security of the state. This idea and perspective to security affairs should be understood and expound to keep peace with democratisation processes. Empowering the affected is one of the core way-outs accepted in this concept. The feministic perspective to state security somehow indicates to adopt peaceful measures as the violent conflicts management has historically dramatically cost more on women who are usually outside the state priority.

The feminist urges for peaceful approaches while dealing with the state security. This perspective is quite remarkable as it propends gender equality in a structured institutionalised system called the state.

Changing dimensions of security in post-cold war period

Changing dimensions of security in post-cold war period

An impactful outcome of the end of cold war on global security affairs is the world where military interventions were became the only threats to the security. There came the era where security affairs have to be thought in relation to environment, economy, culture and perhaps least in relation to military interventions. Changing dimensions of security in post-cold war period cab be discussed efficiently under the following broad topic heads:

®Rise in conflicts related to separatism and ethnic nationalism.

®International terrorism threating global peace.

®Change in approaches to interstate competition since economic worries get the centre stage.

®Rise in threats to environment.

The post-cold war era can be predominantly termed as modern era of civil wars. The established peaceful lines separating a state from the other were and are being challenged. Apart from more conflicts are of intra state nature than interstate. In the middle east, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria,  Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Yemen, Pakistan etc. , in the Africa, Somalia, Sudan, Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Mali, Niger, Congo etc. are few of the states badly affected by advent of civil wars. In civil wars, there nothing ‘civil’ in that. Few of the deadliest weapons of modern era are being used against so called enemy mainly ending us hurting innocent citizens. The highest lose is of innocent civilians and their property. It seems the paradigm of security is now changed to human centric than state centric especially after cold war. Human security is prime is issue now.

Experiences of religious and radical intolerance have been gradually developed as form of terrorism. Radicalisation of religious beliefs is one of the gravest worries especially after the end of cold war. Amalgamation  of drug and trafficking mafia grouping with radical religious fronts with the blessings of selfish political outfits have created cross border networks of important supplies threatening the security of  the state. The havoc and charged atmosphere created after every successful terror attacks do weaken the state’s credulity and subsequently authority. This sort of atmosphere fuels the civil wars.

The most threatening establishment that has got its profound presence is international terrorist organisation. Majority of 35 odd terrorist organizations designated by the United Nations have come into existence after the end of cold war. The signature event showing the malicious and dangerous idea of these organizations was 9/11 in the US. It showed how the mightiest military power in the world could be shaken and faith of millions of peaceful people can be trembled. It is considered as a turning point in global security regime. The London bombings, attacks on embassy, Indian and Afghan parliaments and strong emergence of radical terrorist organization Al Qaeda under the leadership of Osama Bin Laden were few of the grave happenings that have defined the new state security realities in early 2000s. Recent advent of emergence of the Islamic State of Iraq and Levan (ISIL) is considered dangerous threat than the earlier to world peace.

Non-military threats to security are important aspects arose mainly after end of the cold war. There are two main subjects of a state with which threats to state security are being thought: 1. Matters related to economic stability and growth and 2. Matters concerning environmental degradation. Financial stability of a country, foreign flows, energy supplies are few of the most important sectors of economy that are now target in new world order. Economic insecurities are pushing for radical change in political regime as for example the Suhurto regime. It has ignited revolutions too many a times.  States like Nauru, Fiji, Kiribati, Borabora and entire Caribbean are under existential threats due to global environment degradation. The United Nations has recognised this fact for small developing islands. These nations are at the blink of submergence.

The post-cold war era has seen qualitative change and shift in the perception about threats to security. Non-military dimensions occupy considerable space in the imagination of security policy makers. That is a sea change and significant too along with worries for speedily rising civil wars and international terrorism.

Widening of Tax base: Aspiring for new ideas but, not with old approaches, please!

Widening of Tax base: Aspiring for new ideas but, not with old approaches, please!

Written by,

Rajan D. Morbia

M. Planning (Regional Planning)

B. E. (Civil Engg.)

Tax for welfare

        It is a well-known fact that India is a welfare state. Socialism is embedded in the Constitution of India. Basically, for the welfare of the people especially the citizens with deprivations, the Government spends. For that purpose of spending, the Government gets monies from revenue, capital and non-debt receipts from deferent sources under the established law. To comprehend the situation of the Government, one need to have a look at the following facts. India had spent ₹ 1,55,141.47 crore in 1990-91 and ₹ 32,04,965.78 in 2013-14. India had revenue of ₹ 98,018.82 crore in 1990-91 and ₹ 23,23,056.84 in 2013-14. The gap between expenditure and revenue was ₹ 57,122.65 crore in 1990-91 and ₹ 8,81,908.94 crore in 2013-14. The deficit is understandable by comprehending these figures of fact. The most prominent source of revenue is tax receipts. The share of tax revenue in total revenue was 88% in 1990-91 and 87% in 2013-14. One now can imagine how such big role tax revenue has in the development story of India. 

        In India, tax collected is classified in two categories namely Direct taxes and Indirect taxes. Direct Tax is levied on the income, property or wealth of people, group of people, organisations or companies. In case of direct taxes the incidence and burden of tax is on same person or in other words a direct tax is borne entirely by the entity that pays it, and cannot be passed on to another entity. Indirect Tax is levied on production, consumption, expenditure (not on income or property); they are not levied directly on the final user. In case of indirect taxes the incidence and burden of tax may entirely not be on same person or in other words indirect tax may either entirely borne by the entity that pays it or may pass on it to another entity. In 1990-91, the share of direct tax and indirect tax collected in total tax revenue receipts was 14% and 86% respectively; while in 2013-14, those were 33% and 67% respectively. Notable is the fact that the share of direct tax collected has seen significant increase over the period of two and a half decade. The important merits of direct taxation are well known especially in the sphere of maintaining horizontal and vertical equity in the society. Within the kitty of direct tax, the share of taxes on income is quite considerable. In 1990-91, the share was 44% and in 2013-14, it is 35%. A decline in share is visible. Startlingly, the fact of the matter is that in India the total number of income tax payers is around 35 million only, according to a reliable study. It is to note that India is a country of more than 130 crore population with a mandate of being a social welfare state by the constitution of India. Well, astonishingly it is hard to believe that, even, out that 3.5 crore taxpayers, gigantic 85% pays tax for the income of ₹ 0 to ₹ 5 lakh!

Intentions for widening of tax base

        It is quite obvious and sincere of the finance ministry that it feels too much concerned about widening of the tax base. The press information bureau states in a note that at the inauguration of the 31st Annual Conference of Pr. Chief Commissioners /Pr. Directors General/ Chief Commissioners /Directors General of Income Tax, the Finance Minister of India has ‘exhorted’ the senior officers of the income tax department to be prompt in redressing the grievances of the tax payers, expand the tax base in a non-intrusive manner while striving to achieve the revenue generation targets. The importance of tax base widening efforts is a need of the hour to get the economy on a desired growth path and at the same time the government is looking up to an internationally competitive tax regime with a stable policy and a non-adversarial tax administration. Another point to note here is the direction given by the minister of state finance. The minister has urged the officials of the department to brainstorm to come-up with radical ideas to double the tax-GDP ratio. A news piece, in the Economic Times, states that the top brass of the income tax department has been asked to individually give three suggestions, ideas or proposals which will enable the government to augment revenue collection under the direct taxes category in the country and subsequently widen the tax base. There is news that the government has directed the income tax department to take steps to widen the tax base and add at least 25 lakh new assesses every month during the current financial year 2015-16. This is a huge task and if successfully and appropriately done, it has the potential to be proved as a fillip for the efforts of economic development. 

        In the backdrop of this policy level discussion that the officials of the income tax department are keeping themselves busy with the grass root level tax administration carrying out a sort of survey to find out proper proposals and ideas. An opportunity had been there for the interested ones to listen one of the senior most tax administrators of India Shree Amaresh C. Shukla, Indian Revenue Service (IRS) in this regard. He is currently posted as Principal, Commissioner of Income Tax, Rajkot. A 1983 batch IRS officer is a fabulous articulator in Hindi, that is what one may mark if one utilises the opportunity to listen him. Under the ages of businesspersons and tax consultant associations of Kutch district, a lecture was arranged for all on the subject of ‘widening tax base program’ at an expensive hotel in the out skirts of the city of Bhuj on 21st of July 2015.

        The lecture was packed with few announcements of the local income tax department and an explanation by the officer that the income tax department is in an aggressive mode, as such, for widening and deepening of tax base. With a sparkling analogy of ‘kauva’ and ‘hans’, it was made very clear to the tax consultants that the income tax department is in now quite an energetic state of affairs that all need to be alert as well as comfortable while dealing with the income tax administration in India. A non-tax payer, as a one who is not associated with tax administration as such and a tax consultant, can simply observe that the officer was with a positive outlook with a sense of balance in his postures as an authority to curb tax menaces and at the same time as an assertive facilitator for those who wish to pay tax as per the law stipulated. Before the key note speech by the officer, few of the senior tax consultants of the district had asserted their view about tax related compliance producers and related issues, collaboration within department and style of working at local income tax department, department’s and related agencies’ knowledge management approaches and most importantly the inconvenience faced by the tax payers. Few had posted their suggestions for tax base widening and deepening while speaking. But, the approach to the lecture seemed so cursory that many of the times, the speakers were unable to respect that the gathering was there to listen about ‘tax base widening’ proposals and issues but not ‘tax base deepening’ per se. The officer has uttered it bluntly but not without a point, that government is now aiming to be at your door step not to raid you but to facilitate you. There is no reason to feel afraid of the tax administration. The message of the government conveyed quite cunningly and effectively. He assured unsolicited that department is up to 80 per cent computerised and they have skill and will to take ‘tax base deepening’ measures quite rigorously, it is an alarm for those who run away from paying proper tax as per the rules. “Act, not just speak” dictum seems to be quite on his mind that the officer had announce a pakhavada for the refund related issues and asked the local administration staff present there to dispose the applications in following two weeks. He had impressed the gathering that he takes into consideration the grievances of the tax consultants quite smoothly. There were many other announcements and information for tax payers and consultants. 

        Sedate intellect was accompanied by the momentous remembering of the greats like Vivekanada and Vinoba Bhave, as the officer was an inspired human being; it seems, it has culminated in quite a persuasive and articulate speaker in him. Brushing the instances of the Rig Veda, informing the worried tax consultants that ‘except parbrahma, everything is imperfect’, the officer simply blanketed the gathering’s minds with spiritual springs and he asked them to work for Atma when the department asks them to help and assist for widening of tax base. He explained the gathering how it is like ‘working for Atma’ in the tax administration quite wittingly! A polite but powerful as a rock, message by the officer on behalf of the government was that it is high time that be alert and be a responsible citizen. Come out and pay tax for the development of nation; running away is not an option now since we are in the time of quite a robust information technology and communication age! The gathering was astonishingly convinced by the officer of higher rank that the department is looking up to fully automated, transparent, responsive, non-adversarial and non-discriminatory tax administration system. And, it will be a reality sooner or later but surely! Sounds of the national anthem quite all with velour and the gathering dispersed.

Contradictions and way to have new ideas

        Now, notably a thinking mind can establish a contradictory observation by going through the event as such. Note, who were the hosts! The event was hosted by a body related to businesspersons of a district level stature along with the tax consultants association. Most of the tax payers had not encountered any public notice via newspaper or any. Well, observing the present people in the gathering, they were all tax payers- tax consultants and businesspersons of a good stature. Remember, the subject of the event was ‘widening tax base program’. It is understandable that yes, the tax consultants and businesspersons are associated with tax administration with higher degree than the non-tax payers, but the very purpose of the event, as a thinking mind may understand, was to collect the ideas for widening of tax base especially in the sphere of income tax. Since the tax consultants and tax payers know how the income tax department works, their very psychological approach is to get their grievances addressed when they are provided the opportunity to interact with such an officer of higher rank as it is something that is related to her bread and butter. To dispose of the grievances of the consultants of tax payers (who are those who are already in the tax administration system) helps deepening tax base more than widening tax base. The difference between widening and deepening tax base is again subtly to be understood. This interaction between the department and the ones who are already in and associated with the tax administration system perhaps can or may only help to improve the ‘existing’ system, a system based on a bit old and tested ideas. The very fact of the matter is that the system based and built on old and tested ideas is not helping achieving wide tax base that a nation like India deserves especially in the income tax sphere of matters.

        Requesting, interacting and asking a practicing tax consultant to ‘inspire’ her acquaintances to pay tax is not a strategy that goes well with a thinking mind. Supposing an acquaintance of a tax consultant may be requested or inspired genuinely for paying income tax, back of the mind of a social and economic human there will be a birth of a suspicion that, in order to pay the tax I may have to pay fees to the one who is inspiriting me for paying tax- a tax consultant! It is contradiction. Though, it cannot be concluded that this strategy would be unable to produce results at all as the empirical study is not available to support, but one thing can be said surely, psychology it is unviable. It can help but it can’t be the most prominent strategy to widen tax base. Knowing all this, the even hosted was a misfit in the discourses if one may strictly think about having ‘new’ and ‘radical’ ideas for tax base widening. Well, but for sure this event may have provided other benefits to the community per se. 

        Aspiring for ‘new’ ideas, it is certain that ‘new’ minds are to be nurtured and asked. The non-tax payers of the day are the most potential laden pool of ideas which can help the administration. It is but for obvious reasons that they are not in know-how of the issues that the related people (i.e. tax consultants and businesspersons of high stature) find themselves associated with as the issues of mal practices and compliances arise when the norms of higher income slab is applied. It is because the quantum of monies and allied privileges offered are of attractive quality in those cases. After all, to widen the tax base, the government is looking up to the middle income group citizen to be covered in the tax system. With the growth in annual disposable income, India is to have more number of citizens who may pay tax. The concern is to make them feel comfortable to pay it.

        Instead of arranging a talk on widening of tax base with businesspersons and tax consultants only, it would be appraisable to sit with the non-taxpayers. Of course, officers need forums to sit with them to do the advocacy for tax paying systematically. The resolve to this boils down to a creation of a forum. There is an idea around that there needs to be a ‘tax payers association’ affiliated with the tax administration system. The broad aspects of this can be discussed. There should be a ‘tax payers association’ at city and taluk level or according to the jurisdictions of the direct tax departments but at grass root level. To attract the non-tax payers to the system, the government can try to attract them by offering incentives or tax deduction for a fixed time, for example say 3 years. There is a huge benefit out of that. The non-tax payer would be included in the system and thus administration may have his tax related history and profile. At the same time with the measures taken by the department to let the tax payers feel comfortable, they can actually inspire the tax payers directly with their performance per se. No intermediary to contact the tax payers in inspiring them would be needed. Once the system is established, the department will be having a wide base of tax payers with whom they can contact and sit directly and try to govern the world of tax more efficiently with the public participation approach.

        Here are the times where people live in an age where inspiring is only possible by performing. The point of contention is how one will communicate to the ones that they wish to be inspired that one is performing better than the past! Of course with the new approach, it is possible and not by the conventional, well thought older days’ approaches and systems. Let there be wide tax base for nation’s benefits only!

References (links):

http://finmin.nic.in/reports/IPFStat201314.pdf 

http://www.finmin.nic.in/reports/IPFStat201213.pdf 

http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/tax/comparison-between-direct-and-indirect-taxes-with-figure/26391/ 

http://wealth18.com/number-of-income-tax-payers-in-india/ 

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=121992 

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/government-asks-top-income-tax-officers-to-ideate-for-widening-tax-base/articleshow/47663001.cms

નગર નિયોજન અને સમાજની સહભાગીતા

શીર્ષક: નગર નિયોજન અને સમાજની સહભાગીતા

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        ‘વિકાસ’, ‘પ્રગતિ’, ‘ગતિશીલતા’, ‘સર્વપ્રથમ’, ‘સૌથી આગળ’ અને એવા ખબર નહીં કેટલાય લોભામણા અને છાતીને ગદગદ ફુલાવી દે, તેવા શબ્દોના એક વિશેષ પ્રવાહથી કચ્છનું જાહેર જીવન ખદબદતું દેખાઇ રહયુ છે. આ શબ્દોના સાચા અર્થો, અહીંની પ્રજાના હકીકતના જીવનમાં ઉતર્યા છે કે કેમ, એ ઘણાય જાગૃત નાગરીકોના મનનો એક કુતુહલ ભર્યો પ્રશ્ન છે. આ પ્રશ્ન શા માટે થાય છે? ચલો, હાલ પરંતુ કદાચ ગ્રામિણ કચ્છને એક તરફ મુકીએ, પણ જયારે કચ્છના મુખ્ય મથક એવા ભુજમાં રહેતો નીવાસી ઘરની બહાર નીકળે એટલે એનું સ્વાગત એક કાંટાની જેમ ખુચતો અવ્યવસ્થા ભર્યો માહોલ કરે છે અને એ નિવાસીને આ પ્રશ્ન કરવા માટે પ્રેરે છે કે હકીકતે વિકાસ તરફ આવા અવ્યવસ્થાભર્યા માર્ગ થી જ જવાતું હશે કે કેમ? આ અવ્યવસ્થા કે જે નાગરીક શહેર ના ઘોંઘાટમાં, શાહેરની ગંદકીમાં અને એવી ઘણીય તકલીફ પંહોચાડતી બાબતોમાં અનુભવે છે. ઘરે રાત્રે ટેલિવિઝન પર આપણા રાજયના, આપણા જીલ્લા અને કદાચ આપણા શેહર વિશેના મોટા-મોટા અને ભભકાદાર વખાણો સાંભળે અને સવારે ઉઠીને ઘરની બહાર નીકળે એટલે, એજ, એક નીરાશાપુર્ણ અવ્યવસ્થિત શહેરી માહોલ અને એ કાળજાળ ગરમીથી ફેલાતો ગુસ્સો; આ સર્વે પાસાઓ જાહેર જીવનના, એવા છે કે, જે એક નીરાશાવાદી નાગરીક ને જન્મ આપે છે. નાગરીક, કે જે ગંદકીથી શહેરી સુંદરતા તરફ, અવ્યવસ્થાયી સુવ્યવસ્થા તરફ અને ઘોંઘાટથી સભ્ય સંવાદ તરફ વિચારતો હોય એને પણ નિરાશ કરી મુકે એવો કંઇક આ માહોલ છે એમ જણાય છે.

        જયારે “કચ્છ નહી દેખા તો કુછ નહી દેખા” ની લોભામણી ટેલીવિઝન જાહેરાતો થી આકર્ષાઇને, અમુક દાવાઓ પ્રમાણે વિશ્વભરથી લોકો હવે કચ્છની મુલાકાત લઇ રહયા છે, ત્યારે, એવી સ્થિતિમાં, આ કચ્છના શહેરો કે જે ‘તિથિ દેવો ભવ’ ની સંસ્કૃતિમાં માનવાનો દાવો કરે છે, એ કઈ રીતે આ પ્રવાસી બંધુઓનું સ્વાગત કરશે? રસ્તાઓના ખાડાથી, પાણી ભરેલ ખાબોચીયાઓથી, આડેધડ ચાલતા વહાનોથી, એ વાહનોથી સર્જાતા તુચ્છ ઘોંઘાટથી, કે પછી એ અવ્યવસ્થાના સામાનાર્થી રૂ૫ એવા વહીવટ તંત્રના મોટા-મોટા સ્લોગનો થી? કઇ રીતે? એક નીરાશ નાગરીકનો મત કંઇક એવો છે કે, આજ આ બધા પ્રવાસીઓ કદાચ એ બોલીવુડ રંગમંચના અભિનેતાના પાંચ સારા ડાઇલોગ અને બે સારી જગ્યાની ફોટોગ્રાફીથી એક વાર તો કચ્છની મુલાકાત ઉત્સાહભેર લઇ પણ લે પણ પછી? બીજી વાર આવશે? શુ કામ આવશે? એવી તો આપણે એ દુરથી આવેલા પ્રવાસીઓને શું જરૂરી સુવિધાઓ પુરી પાડીએ છીએ? કચ્છના મુખ્ય મથક ભુજના ધિકતા વિસ્તાર એવા બસ સ્ટેશનની આસપાસના બે કીલોમીટર સુઘીના વિસ્તારમાં, એક સ્વચ્છ અને યોગ્ય જાજરૂ-પેશાબની વ્યવસ્થા હજુ સુઘી આપણે ઉભી કરી શકયા નથી; તો શું અહીં હાલાકી ભોગવવા બીજીવાર પ્રવાસી આવશે? આવી ખુબ જ સામાન્ય પણ એક પ્રવાસી તેમજ કોઈ પણ શહેરના સામાન્ય નાગરીક માટે જરૂરી એવી અગત્યની આવી વ્યવસ્થાઓનો હજી કોઇ પતો નથી, તો કયા મોંઢે કચ્છ પ્રવાસીઓને બીજીવાર પધારવા માટે આગ્રહ કરશે એ વિચારણીય છે.

        એવી લોક વાયકા છે કે આપણું નેતૃત્વ કરતાં તેમજ વહીવટ ચલાવતા લોકો દેશ-વિદેશની યાત્રાઓ કરીને, સમજીને અને શીખીને આવે છે, અને કચ્છના વિકાસના કામમાં અવિરત પણે છેલ્લા કેટલાય દિવસોથી સવાયા કચ્છી ની જેમ કાર્યો કરે છે. પણ જમીનની પરિસ્થિતિ કંઇક બીજી જ છે. સત્યતો એવું જણાઈ રહયુ છે કે, દેશ વિદેશની શીખ તો છોડો આપણા દેશમાં રહેલા વ્યષ્ટિટ અઘ્યયનો (કેશ સ્ટડીઝ) ને પણ જો આપણે યોગ્ચ વિચારણા હેઠળ લઇએ તો કયાંય જવાની જરૂર નથી! અને આમેય પણ આજ-કાલ માહોલ કંઇક એવો છે કે, હવે ભારત બીજાને શીખવશે, બીજા આપણને નહી!

બઘી સમસ્યાઓના મુળમાં છે શહેરી વહીવટની કળા. અહીં એ સ્પષ્ટ રીતે નોંધવા જેવું છે કે શહેરી વહીવટએ માત્ર ચુંટાયેલા પ્રતિનિધિઓ તથા અધિકારીઓની જ જવાબદારી નથી પણ એક-એક નાગરીકની છે. પણ હા, એ અલગ વાત છે કે, એક-એક નાગરીક શહેરના વહીવટના કાર્યમાં કઈ રીતે ભાગીદારી-સહભાગીતા આપે, એ અંગેની વ્યવસ્થા પાછી આજ ચુંટાયેલા પ્રતિનિધિઓ તથા અધિકારીઓએ ઉભી કરવાની હોય છે.

ઉપાય: સમાજની સીધી સહભાગિતા

        જયારે “વ્યવસ્થાઓની ઉણપ”ને દુર કરવાની ચર્ચા થાય ત્યારે લોકશાહીમાં પ્રજાએ અપનાવેલા સાધનોની ગોઠવણ વિશે વાત કરવી ખુબ જરૂરી બને છે. કેન્દ્ર સરકાર, રાજય સરકાર અને સ્થાનિક સ્વરાજયની સંસ્થાઓ (જેને આપણે નગરપાલિકાઓ અને પંચાયતો તરીકે ઓળખીએ છીએ) એ લોકશાહી માં પ્રજાએ આપનાવેલ ઉપણ નિવારણના સાધનો છે. એ વાતમાં કોઇ બે મત નથી કે, સુશાસનમાં રાજય સરકાર અને કેન્દ્ર સરકારની ભુમિકા અત્યંત નોંધપાત્ર અને મહત્વની હોય છે, પણ સ્થાનિક આકાંક્ષાઓ અને દ્રષ્ટિકોણો તથા જરૂરિયાતો અને પ્રતિભાવોમાં વિશાળ વૈવિઘ્ય હોવાને કારણે સ્થાનિક કક્ષાના સુસાશનના સંદર્ભમાં રાજય સરકારનું સીધુ સંચાલન એ કદાચ અશકય નહીં તો બહુ જ અઘરી જવાબદારી છે.

બસ આ જ અંતરાય છે કે જેના કારણે એક મજબુત સ્થાનિક સ્વરાજયની  સંસ્થાના નિર્માણ માટે ખાતરીપુર્વકનું ઉન્નત વાતાવરણ બનાવવા કદાચ, ‘સમાજની સીધી સહભાગીતા’ એક માત્ર ઉપાય જણાઈ રહ્યો છે. ‘સમાજની સીધી સહભાગિતા’ ને અંગ્રેજીમાં ‘કમ્યુનીટી પાર્ટીસીપેશન’/‘પબ્લીક પાર્ટીસીપેશન’ કહે છે. સમજવા માટે એ બહુ સીધી અને સરળ બાબત છે, કે સ્થાનિક પ્રશ્નોના હલ, સ્થાનિક કક્ષાએ સામનો કરવી પડતી તકલીફો તેમજ પ્રશ્નો સાથે સંકળાયેલ અન્ય શકય તમામ બાબતોનું જ્ઞાન, સ્થાનિક સમાજને હોય છે. એ કારણે જો સ્થાનિક સમાજના લોકોની સીધી સહભાગિતા વિકાસના કામોની ડિઝાઇન અને અમલીકરણમાં યોગ્ય રીતે કરાવડાવવા માં આવે, તો એ વિકાસના આ ઉધ્યગમ માટે ખુબ જ ફળદાય નિવડે.

        આ પબ્લીક પાર્ટીશીપેશન (સમાજની સહભાગીતા)ના મહત્વને સમજીને જે-તે સમયની કેન્દ્ર  સરકારે શહેરી સ્થાનિક સ્વરાજયની સંસ્થાઓને નકકર સ્વરૂ૫ અને બંઘારણીય માન્યતા આપવા ૭૪-મો બંધારણીય સુધારાનો કાયદો, ૧૯૯૨ પસાર કરી, સ્થાનીક વહીવટમાં સમાજની સહભાગિતાનો માર્ગ મોકળો કર્યો હતો. કેન્દ્ર સરકારે પોતાની જવાબદારી પુરી કરી પણ સાચી કસોટી રાજય સરકારની હતી. આ બંધારણીય  સુધારા થકી કેન્દ્ર સરકારે નગર નિયોજન (ટાઉન પ્લાનીંગ), જમીન ઉપયોગના કાયદાઓ, ગટર, પાણી-પુરવઠો તેમજ, તેવા અગત્યના તમામ અઢાર વિષયો અંગેના વહીવટની જવાબદારી બંધારણની ૧૨મી સુચી દ્વારા નગરપાલિકાઓને સોંપવા માટે રાજય સરકારનો માર્ગ કાયદાકીય રીતે સરળ કરી આપ્યો હતો. પંરતુ આ અંગે રાજય સરકારે કેટલી જવાબદારીઓ ગુજરાતમાં નગરપાલિકાઓને સોંપી એ એક કુતુહલનો વિષય છે, જેની નોંધ લેવા યોગ્ય છે.

‘સશકિતકરણ સાથે સહભાગિતા’ એ લોકશાહી ઢબે સ્વરાજયની સંસ્થાઓના વહીવટ માટેનો, આજનો નહીં પણ સદીઓ જુનો, એક કાર્યદક્ષ અને સ્વીકાર્ય વિચાર છે, જે ભારત અને પશ્ચિમના દેશોમાં વર્ષો પહેલા પણ કાર્યરત હતો. પરંતુ આધુનિક ભારતના ઈતિહાસમાં વર્ષોથી “ટો૫-ડાઉન” અભિગમ વહીવટી તંત્રોની કાર્યકરવાની પધ્ધ્તીની આત્મામાં રહ્યો છે. ઉપર બેઠેલા અધિકારીઓ અને પ્રજાના પ્રતિનિધિઓ નકકી કરે તે નિતિઓ અને કાર્યક્રમો સ્થાનિક કક્ષાએ લોકો પર ઠોકી બેસાળમાં આવે છે.  આ અભિગમ કે, જેને “ટો૫-ડાઉન” અભિગમ કહેવાય છે, તેની હવે મોટાભાગ ની પ્રજાને કદાચ એટલી આદત પડી ગઈ છે કે મોટાભાગે પ્રજા આ અભિગમનો વિરોધ પણ કરતી નથી. બધા ટેવાઈ ગયા હોય એવું લાગે છે.

અંહીની સ્થાનિક પ્રજા આ પ્રકારના “ટો૫-ડાઉન” અભિગમને પડકારવામાં, હાલમાં તો લગભગ  તત્પર દેખાતી નથી, પરંતુ ભારત દેશમાં જેના સ્થાનિક સ્વરાજયની સંસ્થાના વહીવટમાં અને નગરજનોની સુખાકારીના ક્ષેત્રમાં શ્રેષ્ઠ કામગીરી માટે વખાણ થાય છે, તેવા કેરળ રાજયના નગરજનો આ અંગે કઈંક આધુનિક અભિગમ આ૫નાવે છે. તેઓ માટે રાજ્યના કોઈ પણ કક્ષાના વહીવટ માટે પબ્લીક પાર્ટીશીપેશન (સમાજની સીધી સહભાગીતા) લગભગ અનિવાર્ય જેવી છે. આ પ્રકાર ના અભિગમ ને “બોટમ-અપ” અભિગમ તરીકે લોકો ઓળખે છે. તે અભિગમને કારણે તેઓ આજે ભારતભરમાં સામાજીક પ્રગતિના શિખર પર સ્વમાનભરે ચમકી રહ્યા છે.

કેરળ: પ્રજા દ્વારા પ્રજાકીય કાર્યોનું વહીવટ

            મુખ્ય ઉદેશ્ય એવો હતો કે ‘સ્થાનિક વહીવટ’ની સંસ્થાઓ જેવી કે નાગરપાલીકાને ‘સ્થાનીય વિકાસની સ્વરાજય સંસ્થાઓ’માં પરિવર્તિત કરવી. આ પરિવર્તન લાવવા માટે બે પરિબળો ૫ર વજન આ૫વામાં આવ્યુ. પરિબળ 1: વહીવટની જવાબદારીઓ પૈકી મોટા ભાગની જવાબદારીઓ કાયદાકીય રીતે સ્થાનિક સ્વરાજયની સંસ્થાઓને સોંપવી તથા પરિબળ 2: વહીવટ અને વિકાસના કામો અંગેની નિતિઓ અને કાર્યક્રમોની યોજનાઓમાં સમાજની ‘સીધી સહભાગિતા’ના અભિગમને વધુમાં વધુ ઊત્તેજન આપવું. ‘સર્વેના સહકાર અને સામુહીક કાર્યવાહીથી વિકાસને લગતાં પ્રશ્નોનું નિવારણ’ એ સમગ્ર વહીવટનું હ્દય બન્યું અને લોક ભાગીદારી/સમાજ સહભાગિતા એ વહીવટી કાર્યવાહીઓનું અવિભાજય અંગ બન્યુ.

દુરદર્શિતા અને આધુનિકતાના દર્શન કરાવતાં કેરલના રાજ્દ્વારી સમાજે બુઘ્ઘિજીઓની વાતને માન આપી, આ પ્રકારની વ્યવસ્થાને સમગ્ર રાજયમાં ઉભી કરવા માટે વર્ષ 1996 માં એક અભિયાન, ઝુંબેશના ધોરણે ઉપાડી લીધી હતી. આ અભિયાનને ‘પીપલ્સ પ્લનીંગ કેમ્પેન’ તરીકે ઓળખવામાં આવે છે. ‘પ્રજા પોતે પોતાના વિસ્તાર-શહેરનું પ્લાનીંગ કરે’ એ હેતુને સર કરવા “ટોપ-ડાઉન” અભિગમને તિલાંજલી આપી, રાજય સરકારે જરૂરી કાયદાકીય પ્રક્રિયા પુર્ણ કરી પ્રજાને આંમત્રણ આપ્યું કે આપ આ૫ના વિસ્તારનું પ્લાનીંગ (નિયોજન) પોતે કરો. આ અભિયાન અંતર્ગત કુલ છ ચરણો માં સમગ્ર નગરના પ્લાનીંગ ની પ્રકિયા પુર્ણ કરવા માં આવી હતી. પ્રથમ ચરણ માં નગરપાલિકાઓના ઉપયોગથી વોર્ડ કક્ષાએ નાગરીકોની બેઠકો મળી. બેઠકોમાં નાગરીકોએ પોતપોતાના પ્રશ્નો અને વિકાસ અંગેની બાબતોના ઉપાયો રજુ કર્યા. ત્યારબાદ દ્વિતીય ચરણમાં આ રજુ થયેલ બાબતોને યોગ્ય રીતે નોંધ્યા બાદ આ ઉપાયો અને અભિપ્રાયોને સંપુર્ણ મહત્વ આપી, સરકારી અધિકારીઓ અને સ્થાનિક બુઘ્ઘિજીઓની ટુકડીઓએ દરેક વોર્ડના ‘ડેવલોપમેન્ટ પ્લાન’ તૈયાર કર્યા અને તે પ્લાનના અહેવાલ બનાવી તેને ‘ડેવલોપમેન્ટ સેમિનાર’માં વોર્ડ કક્ષાએ પ્રજા સમક્ષ રજૂ કર્યા. આ પ્લાન પર યોગ્ય અભિપ્રાય અને પ્રજાની સહમતિ લેવામાં આવ્યા. સ્થાનિક પ્રશ્નો અને વર્ષોથી અટવાયેલા તેમજ અન્ય વિકાસના કામો જેવા કે ગટરની લાઈનો, પાણીના પ્રશ્નો અને વિજળી અંગેની તકલીફો, એવી તમામ સ્થાનિક લોકોને પરેશાન કરતી બાબતો ને હલ કરવા અર્થે, ત્યાંની જ સ્થાનિક પ્રજા દ્વારા બતાવાયેલા ઉપાયના આધાર પર પ્રોજકેટસ તૈયાર કરવા માટે ‘સ્પેશીયલ ટાસ્ક ફોર્સ’ બનાવવામાં આવી; જેમાં સ્થાનિક નાગરીકો, જે તે ક્ષેત્રના નિષ્ણાતો અને એક-આદ સરકારી અધિકારને સ્થાન આપવામાં આવ્યું. આ રીતે તૃત્તીય ચરણમાં આ ટાસ્ક ફોર્સ દ્વારા વોર્ડ પ્રમાણે તમામ પ્રશ્નો ને હલ કરતાં પ્રોજેકટસ બનાવાયા અને તેના વિગતવાર અહેવાલ તૈયાર થયા. ત્યારબાદ ચોથા અને પાંચમા તબક્કામાં ચુંટાયેલા જનપ્રતિનિધિઓ દ્વારા દરેક વોર્ડ તેમજ સમગ્ર શહેર માટે એક સહીયારા પ્લાનને બનાવવાનું કાર્ય શરૂ થયુ. યોગ્ય ચીવટભર્યા અવલોકનો અને વિસ્તૃત ચર્ચા બાદ, એક શહેર કક્ષાનો ડેવલોપમેન્ટ પ્લાન બનાવવામાં આવ્યો. આવા કેરળના દરેક શહેરના પ્લાનનું ‘પીપ્લસ પ્લાનિંગ કેમ્પેન’ ના અંતિમ એવા છટ્ઠા ચરણમાં, ઉચ્ચ કક્ષાના ક્ષેત્ર નિષ્ણાંતો તેમજ યોજના નિષ્ણાંતો દ્વારા મુલ્યાંકન કરવામાં આવ્યુ અને યોગ્ય રીતે સરકાર દ્વારા મંજુરી આપયા બાદ અમલીકરણ કરવામાં આવ્યું.

આ તબક્કા વારની વ્યવ્સ્થાની આત્મામાં, આપ નોંધશોતો, ‘સમાજની સહભાગીતા’ નો વિચાર મુખ્ય જણાશે. આ પ્રકારની વ્યવસ્થાને જો વહીવટીતંત્ર યોગ્ય રીતે કાર્યરત કરી શકે તો એને સાચા અર્થમાં ‘સામાન્ય નાગરીકનું સશકિતકરણ’ કહી શકાય. શહેરના વહીવટ અને પ્લાનીંગ માટે, આવી નક્કર વ્યવ્સ્થાને કારણે વહીવટી તંત્રને પ્રશ્નો હલ કરવા માટે જરૂરી સહકાર આપો આપ નગર જનો તરફથી મળતો રહે છે. આવી વ્યવસ્થા, જેમાં પ્રશ્નો હલ કરવા માટે વહીવટ તંત્રને લોક સહકાર મળી રહે અને એક સહીયારા પ્રયાસ થકી સામુહીક કાર્યવાહી દ્વારા સરળતાં અને સફળતા પુર્વક પ્રશ્નો હલ કરી શકાય, એ જ હકીકતના લોકતંત્રને સાચી રિતે રજુ કરે છે. અહીં વહીવટી તંત્ર અને પ્રજા એકબીજાના દુસ્મનની જેમ નહીં પણ એકમેકના સહયોગીની દ્રષ્ટીએ વ્યવહાર કરે છે. આ વ્યવસ્થાને સુવ્યવસ્થિત રીતે ચલાવતાં ચલાવતાં આજે કેરળ રાજય સમગ્ર દેશમાં સામાન્ય માનવીને જરૂરી એવા આધારભભૂત સરચનાઓ (ઇન્ફ્ર્રાસ્ટ્રકચર)ના ક્ષેત્રમાં એક આચરણ યોગ્ય ઉદાહરણ બન્યુ છે. જાજરૂ-પેશાબ માટેની યોગ્ય વ્યવસ્થાઓ, શહેરમાં ગંદગીને યોગ્યરીતે સાફ કરવાની પ્રાણીલીકાઓ, પાણી  અને વીજળીના વ્યવને રોકવા તેમજ તેનો કાર્યક્ષમ ઉપયોગ કરવા માટેના વહીવટી તંત્રોના પ્રયત્નો અને દરેક બાબતમાં નગરજનોનો સાથ વહીવટ તંત્રને પુરે-પુરો મળે, તો તેવા કીસ્સામાં એક વાર જરૂર વિચારવા યોગ્યછે કે, શહેરનો વહીવટ કેટલી પદ્ધતિસર, યોગ્ય અને કાર્યદક્ષ રીતે થતો હશે. નગરજનોનો આ સાથ કઈ રીતે મળે? એ સાથ તો જ મળે, જો વહીવટી તંત્ર વિકાસના પશ્નોના નિવારણ માટે, નિર્ણય લેતા પહેલા જ નગરજનો દ્વારા બતાવવામાં આવેલ યોગ્ય ઉપાયો અને અભિપ્રાયોને ધ્યાનમાં લે અને છેઠ અમલવારીના તબક્કા સુધી વોર્ડ કક્ષાએથી જ નગરજનો સાથે રાખે.

કેરળ રાજ્ય એ આજે સમગ્ર વિશ્વમાં કોઇ પણ પ્રકારના દંભ કે બિનજરૂરી દેખાવ કર્યા વિના એક ‘ટુરીઝમ હબ’ તરીકે સ્થાન પ્રાપ્ત કર્યુ છે. તે માત્ર ત્યાના આવકારતાં નાગરીકોને કારણે જ નથી ૫ણ સાથે-સાથે ત્યાંના વહીવટી તંત્રએ નગરજાનોના સાથ થકી, પ્રવાસીઓ માટે આધારભૂત સંરચનાઓ (ઈંફ્રાસ્ટ્ર્કચર) ખુજ જ સુંદર અને કાર્યદક્ષ રીતે ઉભી કરી આપી છે. આ સફળતા માત્ર વહીવટ તંત્રના પ્રયાસથી જ નહીં, પણ પ્રજા અને નગરપાલિકાઓના સહીયાર પ્રયાસથી-‘પબ્લીક પાર્ટીપેશન’ના અભિગમ  થી પ્રાપ્ત થઈ છે. કેરળની સુંદરતા, ત્યાંની સંસ્કૃતિ ઉપરાંત પ્રવાસીઓને અનુભવ થતાં આરામનો પણ કેરળના પ્રવાસનના વિકાસમાં બહુ મોટો ફાળો છે. પ્રવાસીઓને વારંવાર કેરળ ફરવા જવાની ઈચ્છા પ્રગટ કરાવવામાં શહેરની અંદર એંકદરે ઓછો ઘોંઘાટ, ઓછી ગંદકી અને કુદરતના સાનીઘ્યમાં જાણે શેહરની વચ્ચે હોઈએ એવા વાતાવરણનું નિર્માણ, ત્યાંના  લોકો અને વહીવટી તંત્રના ચીવટ ભર્યા પ્રયાસોને કારણે થઈ શકયુ છે.

સંસ્કૃતિતો કચ્છનીય જબરદસ્ત છે. લોકો તો કચ્છનાય અતિથિઓને સત્કારવામાં કોઇથી ઓછા ઉત્સાહી નથી. પણ પ્રવાસીઓને વારંવાર અહી ફરવા આવવા માટે ઉત્સુક કરવા એક રમણીય સ્થળ, એક શાંત અને આરામનો અનુભવ કરાવે તેવા શહેરોને વિકસાવવાની પણ તાતી જરૂર છે. શહેરનું પ્લાનીંગ એક એવી વિરલ વ્યવસ્થા છે કે જે સતત ચાલુ રહેતી હોય છે અને માત્ર વહીવટી તંત્ર અને ઉપર બેઠેલા જન પ્રતિનિઘિઓ કે જેમનો જમીની સત્યો સાથેનો સંપર્ક લગભગ તુટી ગયો હોય છે, તે જ જો શહેરોના પ્લાનિંગનું કાર્ય આજ રીતે ‘ઉપરથી થોપવા’ના અભિગમથી કરતાં રહેશે તો તે કદાચ સંપુર્ણ રમણીય કચ્છી શહેરોના એ સ્વપ્નોને કયારેય પુર્ણ થવા દેશે નહી. જાગવા માટે સવાર જ જોઇએ તેવું જરૂરી નથી. કહેવાય છે કે જાગ્યા ત્યારથી સવાર, શહેરના બુઘ્ઘિજીવી વર્ગને અને સ્થાનિક નાગરીકોને, વહીવટી તંત્ર દ્વારા શેહરના પ્લાનીંગ (નિયોજન) અને વહીવટમાં યોગ્ય રીતે સાંકળવા માટે પ્રયત્નો ચાલુ કરી દેવાની નેમ છે. બાકી એ શબ્દો વિકાસ, સૌથી પહેલા, સૌથી મોટું અને વિકાસશીલએ બધાં માટે માત્ર એટલું જ કહેવાનું રહયું કે, ૫ડછાયા જો કદ કરતાં મોટા દેખાતાં હોય અને વાતો હેસિયત કરતાં મોટી થવા લાગતી હોય તો સમજવું કે, 'સુર્ય' અસ્ત થવાની તૈયારીમાં છે, ઉઅગમવાનીનહીં! આથી નગર વહીવટ અને નગર નિયોજનના કાર્યોમાં હવે નગરજનોને યોગ્ય રીતે સાંકળી સ્વપનોના શહેરને નક્કર સ્વરૂપ આપવાનો સમય પાકી ગયો છે; નહીંતો કયાંક આ એકવીસમી સદીના વૈશ્વિક ધબકારાઓ અને ભુતકાળના દુરંદેશી મહામાનવોના કર્મઠ પ્રયાસોને કારણે આપ મેળે વિકસતા ભારતમાં કચ્છના શહેરી જનો પાછળ ન રહી જાય!

(આ લેખ દિવ્ય ભાસ્કર સમાચાર પત્રમાં પ્રકશિત થયો છે.)
ભાગ 1: http://epaper.divyabhaskar.co.in/thumbnail/bhuj/23/07201202/0/1/ )

References:

1. Kerala’s Approach to Tourism Development: A Case Study, 2005 by CRISIL Infrastructure Advisory on behalf of the Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Government of India.

2. Human Development Report 2005 Published by State Planning Board, Government of Kerala.

3. Kerala – A case study of Classical democratic decentralization, 2009 Published by Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA), Principal Secretary to Govt. Local Self Government Department Government of Kerala, for submission to the XIIIth finance commission.

Hail 'Freedom of Speech' or do hell with it?

Hail 'Freedom of Speech' or do hell with it?

        Now a days, whenever I read newspaper, one may feel a thing very passionately; it is like a churning going on in the country very vehemently about ‘expression’. People are just thriving to express themselves! One may wonder thinking what it is that compels a common man to express. What is it that makes a person express something and that too with urgency greater than the past? Perhaps it is the oppression of the past days which somehow curtailed the right to express in the family and at the family level only. It is an appropriate time to opine on this topic viewing it from the lenses of social system that has rampantly looted by the whims of patriarchal and conservative societal norms. Even today, the youth more or less is compelled to share the old norms not willingly all the time but by force too, and that too many of the times. This opinion writing piece in the context of recent judgment related to section 66A of information Technology (IT) Act 2000.

        Perhaps that completion of old days prompts a person to express a lot once he or she feels comfortable with the mode and medium of expression. That is what the social media platform is- a comfortable space. While using the social media platform, the user is comfortable with ways of expressions that is language and easiness of using the functions available with the social media and the user is comfortable with the audience too. In what sense user is comfortable with audience? A user is sure that after all it would be ended up as social media stuff only. He or she feels a bit sense of being naive and/or care free and/or careless perhaps. It simply means that user is not so serious about the view aired. Now, here is the catch. Since it is not the conviction of a person only that invites or inspires a person to air the views on social media platform, but it is most of the time that sense of (positively or negatively) freedom to be carefree/careless or the comfort that a social media provides to be despotic if one wishes to be. Despotism flourishes in the circumstance of no vigil. And, why is it prevalent? It is prevalent because somehow at the end of lopsided debates and conversations one is always free to and can end up in slander. Immature views usually make the person loose a so called clash of views gently saying debate and/or discussion. And, that is where Socrates words can be felt as the sacred ones for the situation as he once said, “When a debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of a looser!” This is where the story begins in support of the idea and soul of section 66A of the IT Act, 2000 as amended. 

        The text of the section 66A of the IT Act, 2000 is as follows: 

“66A. Punishment for sending offensive messages through communication service, etc.Any person who sends, by means of a computer resource or a communication device,—(a) any information that is grossly offensive or has menacing character; or(b) any information which he knows to be false, but for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience, danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred or ill will, persistently by making use of such computer resource or a communication device,(c) any electronic mail or electronic mail message for the purpose of causing annoyance or inconvenience or to deceive or to mislead the addressee or recipient about the origin of such messages,shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and with fine.”

        Reading is carefully, it can simply be understood that the soul of the section indicates towards not tolerating slanderous behaviour using electronic means. Apart from all the flaws highlighted by others about how this section is helping the state to behave like a modern day Nero, one can also give a thought towards its underlying soul. Can’t it be said that this section helps prevent slanderous behaviour? One may think what is so important about ‘slanderous behaviour’? It is the core of any clash in reality. From personal disputes to communal violence, everything revolves around that stupidity emanates out of a seek mind projecting the dirt of inner side by slanderous behaviour. Slanderous behaviour is a grassland of human conduct which can be richly nourished with injecting elements like senses of causing annoyance, inconvenience, danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred or ill will. 

        And, surveying the society in general, it is easy to find how people are so obsessed with street heckler’s roasting attitude flourishing pampered by sense of despotism growing in the absence of any legitimate vigil. When this situation is coupled with appearance of so called powerful or governing class, the art of ridiculing of a common man simply thrives because of self-developed inferiority! Now imagining a situation where mocking and ridiculing start and it gets explosions of the same just because of reach of social media! What may a human bracketed as ‘powerful’ do to stand by the mocking and ridicule? And, ridiculing and mocking cannot be understood as necessary in any circumstance as per any school of thought of a civilised society. Usually, just because people do not possess proper information about the subject matter they end up not doing legitimate castigation but a splendorous behaviour, ridiculing, mocking etc.; because to do that one needs not to learn it, perhaps our societal values are like that, many learn it at home observing females and poor ones mocked and ridiculed by the ‘powerful’ in his or her eyes like male members of a family. And, that shadow of ridiculing and mocking elders somehow puts an impression on a child that he or she starts growing inferiority about so called ‘powerful’ ones. That inferiority just gets manifestation when she or he is given a platform to voice in the name of freedom but the homework or the legitimate basis to his or her thinking and style of opining is just not provided to him or her just like that! That is where entire concept of ‘giving’ the freedom fails! Freedom cannot be given rather it is to be earned. To earn does not mean you need oppressor all the time to oppose and win the freedom, but to earn means in the time of recent India where you need not oppose colonizers any more but you need to oppose the ‘colonizers’ of your way of life like patriarchy, conservatism, intolerance, in-humanism, pseudo-nationalism etc. Just let not your mind, all the time, find that colonizer in the governing class. The existing leaders and so called powerful are from within us only! They can be castigated severely; it your right, but cannot be ridiculed or mocked since they are humans more than anything else! All these just do not apply to so-called powerful ones, but one may think about anyone who is ridiculed and mocked on social media in this light.

        I ask whether the quashing of this section gives us the ‘right’ to mock or ridicule anyone now using electronic means. Except IPC sections which are very complex, we do not have any other provision to stop and punish this mocking and ridicule? One of my friends suggests almost like ‘social policing’. He suggests that individuals of the society still have the power to shame any ‘offender’ in public. He opines that this method actually works. Showing a bit of sense he draws that the ‘freedom’ ought to be used responsibly; in case of a lapse, the government might be practically toothless, the common man isn't. He simply highlights and gives weight to the ‘enough intellect’ that the common man has to ensure that good sense prevails. This suggestion is more or less proper if one thinks in a faithful manner. But the society is a ‘mass of people’; and masses do not have brains! That is the fact which pushes sensible citizens to worry whether now masses may decide who is ‘offender’ and who is not! Worries get the grave above shadows of the recent events like Dimapur lynching of March 2015 which was the exact case where application of quashed section 66A (b) is totally appropriate, if one may try. It reads: “Any person who sends, by means of a computer resource or a communication device any information which he knows to be false, but for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience, danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred or ill will, persistently by making use of such computer resource or a communication device shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and with fine.” But unfortunately we do not have this section anymore, anyway! 

        Well, all these boils down to one question- who will and how will it be decided that who is offender and how will that be prevented from damaging the society? Sensible mind is damn sure that it cannot be masses who will decide. Sincere citizens are sure it cannot be anybody else then the rule of law that can decide it in a democracy! As the honourable Supreme Court of India has categorically opined in the judgment of the case that ‘..there is no manageable standard by which a person can be said to have committed an offence or not to have committed an offence.”, I think we all need to think about working out that sensible and administrable “manageable standard” rather than celebrating this so called attainment of freedom of speech again!

        Decent is no bout the soul of a debate but the digestion power is not the only thing that keeps a human healthy; a human needs to care what is being given to him or her to eat and what should not be eaten and what to do to stop forcefully or amicably receiving it! 

        Chandelier which alights the hall of peace that promotes harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities and renouncing practices derogatory to the dignity of women (PART IV(A) 51A(e), the Constitution of India) needs a careful handling. The morons of outrageous party culture may hurt the chandelier throwing beer tins and whisky bottles in the air and at the end may give excuse that they are just doing it for fun! We need that chandelier that is celebrated with many glorious diamonds on it of our great past as the nation strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavour and achievement (PART IV(A) 51A(j), the Constitution of India). 

        And remember, no doubt that, as Margaret Heffernan puts it, ‘for good ideas and true innovation, you need human interaction, conflict, argument, debate’ but we don’t need clashes, ridicule or mocking and riots! It is a critical country where now here and there people just ignore the dictate of Friedrich Nietzsche who once opined that ‘those who cannot understand how to put their thoughts on ice should not enter into the heat of debate.’ Direct or indirect a right to ridicule should not be tolerated in this beautiful country of tehzeeb! 

        Save the chandelier! Jay Hind!

Towards fraternity

He was thriving to write something. In his mind, he is always like writing something. He questions a lot. He talks to himself for hours. It is like an endless conversation. It goes on and on; searching for some person or some idea or some thought to guide the conversation. The arguments he makes with his own mind are just very fiery. Many times it seems like he actually wants to prove some point in a very classy academic manner where he believes he is actually following some sort of methodology. No answers are actually found. He usually ends up having some direction. He believes that in these directions he will be able to go ahead following certain absolute rules. At the same time he knows that there are no absolute rules to go ahead in life. This too he has found out through that conversation with himself. Isn't it amazing to think out contradictory things being in the same conversation! This is the beauty of this. This is what he considers.

His views today are fighting with many more ideas that he observes while interacting with society. It is many times very interesting for him and often irritating for him. He feels like irritation is caused not because of somebody’s views but because his own poor appetite to digest those views. He actually admits and believes that ‘digesting a new view’ is the first step to take a thought or an idea to the conversation. Many people told him that his ‘so believed methodology’ would lead him no-where. But he is so stubborn in some strangely arrogant manner, but in many sense he has polite ways to stick to his ideas of his methodology to think. Simply explaining the steps, he has many times asked others to understand or at least try to give a thought. His methodology in simple steps can be described as following. Step 1: have an idea through any channel of communication possible. Step 2: digest it. ‘Digesting’ means receive the idea with no disturbance to your peace of mind. Step 3: analyse the idea or a view from already prevailed lens of ideology and find the questions. Step 4: ask the questions to your mind and try to get some logical answers. Step 5: let the unanswered or the not so satisfactory answers to improve by having more points from the external as well as internal discussions about that. Step 5: iterate the same process unless you figure out some sort of theory or logical fact or some sort of rule Step 6: experiment the outcome in reality and enjoy the results. Step 7: iterate the process aiming improvement in the society and most importantly in you.

It is hard to believe but many times he asks himself how human thinks; rationally or just arbitrarily? If arbitrary is not so celebrated way, why we cannot learn how to think a bit rationally in some organized way! This does not stop anyone to have different views. It does not curtail natural right to think and follow. It does improve our capacity to fraternize; to live together with harmony. How? It is because, if we think in a bit organized way and in some rationale way, we will be able to have views that would be either accepted logically by all or rejected rationally by all since all are following the same system of thinking in life that is rationale thinking. Don’t you think the final solution to all those conflicting-societies lies somewhere in our way to think? Many believe it is my right to think the way I wish. His message does not stop anyone to think in his or her own way of thinking. He just suggest you to add a very effective component in your thinking style and that is of rationality; a minimum level of logic, not more than that. And, in all this the aim is to have more capability in all of us to fraternize among. Human race will prosper with its best positive rate in the environment of fraternity. It is what he believes and it is what he wish all to understand.

Remembering the fundamental duties stoned in the most sacred document of all Indians and perhaps all democrats in the world the  Constitution of India, it is an urge of humble to consider them and reconsider them as many times as one can do in a life to enhance the prevailing circumstance of society towards a thriving culture of the future. 

It  is mentioned in the Part IV (A) of the Constitution that it is a fundamental duty  

(h) to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform;
(j) to strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavour and achievement; 

(e) to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities; to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women;

Well, it is a known fact that the intellectual honesty is a rare phenomenon, but the possession of which is a must if we want to be considered as a dependable, intelligent and foresighted group of people- a nation! It is an expectation perhaps with faith in society's collective acumen. 

Think about...
Towards fraternity..!