The problem of illegal immigration in Assam

Illegal immigration from Bangladesh is a problem not only affecting Assam but also other regions such as Meghalaya,Tripura and West Bengal.However,in Assam,it has been a long-drawn problem which has posed a threat to the demographic profile of the state.The Assam agitation in 1979-85 and the resultant tripartite agreement popularly known as Assam accord was signed with the aim to contain the problem of illegal migration.Despite the agreement,much less has been achieved so far and illegal immigration continues unabated till date.

The Bangladeshi people migrate in search of greener pastures in India.They often take up menial low-paying jobs in construction sector and as domestic help.India and Bangladesh share a porous border thus providing them the safe route to cross the border illegally.There seems to have been a lack of political will to stem the flow of illegal immigration.Some political parties even eye them as a potential vote-bank which has further aggravated the problem.

The ill-effects due to uncontrolled illegal migration are manifold.First.it is a grave security issue for the nation.Since they can't be easily tracked of their movements,they may give rise to insurgency problem in the state.The recent arrest of a person in Guwahati in relation to the Burdwan blasts is a grim reminder to the security problem.Second,it results in the mis-allocation of domestic resources.That said,they encroach land illegally,avail public goods and employment avenues meant primarily for the citizens.In extreme cases,they even attain the right to vote by dubiously getting enrolled in election rolls.Third.it leads to social unrest.The inter-community clashes between Bodo and muslims in 2012 and 2014 was partly due to the apathy of the government in tackling the issue of illegal immigration.

How can we best tackle this problem?There should be an effective monitoring system in place for proper documentation of these migrants and should be regularly tracked.The Assam government had announced its intention to upgrade the National Population Registrar(NPR),but the efforts are short of effective implementation at the ground level.Technology plays an important role here.They should be subjected to biometric identification which would prove handy in tracking them easily.They may be issued temporary work-permits.But after the expiry of these permits,they must be sent back to their homeland.However,in the long run,India should try to help Bangladesh in its economic development through greater investments.This would provide employment opportunities to Bangladeshis at home thus disincentivizing their migration across the border.

Why are the airlines making losses in India?

The airlines in India have been making huge losses recently.The Kingfisher airlines had to halt its operations and even struggled to pay its employees.Currently,Spice-jet has reduced its fleet and reported to have made losses of around 2000 crore in the ongoing financial year.Air India has managed to survive only because of the bail-out package announced by the government by pumping in tax-payers' money.Thus airlines incurring losses have become a norm rather than exception.

What are the reasons for airlines going in red in India?First,fuel expenses constitute almost 40 percent of the operational costs of the airlines.Nowhere in the world is the fuel as expensive as in India.The central government as well as state governments impose high taxes on Aviation Turbine Fuel(ATF) consequently raising the operational costs.

Second,all the costs of the airlines are borne in the denominations of dollars rather than rupee.The depreciating Indian rupee vis-a-vis dollar has made the overall transactions very expensive in aviation industry.Moreover,airlines like Kingfisher and Spice-jet enter into the aviation industry without having an adequate capital-base.Thus.even a slight fluctuation in business parameters render them highly vulnerable against losses.

Third,India lacks a robust manufacturing as well as maintenance base for aircrafts within its territorial boundaries.As a result,the purchasing cost as well as operational costs(other than fuel)increases manifold.Moreover,India used to hire foreign pilots and engineers due to the shortage of experienced manpower at home,which further escalates the overall costs.

The government would do well to treat aviation as an essential rather than luxury enterprise.The taxes on fuel could be lowered so that airlines have the scope to increase their profit margin.Also,foreign investments in domestic aviation industry is the need of the hour.Airlines like Jet-Ethiad,Air-Asia and Tata-Singapore airlines are likely to weather the storm as they have huge capital base.There is a need to bring in greater operational and management efficiency in its operations.In the long run,privatising Air India could be considered so as to make it efficient and profitable.

Ahimsa is not just physical non-violence-Mahatma Gandhi

In common parlance,we often associate ahimsa or non-violence with just physical non-violence.But,non-violence has several aspects.As Gandhi said in 1918,"satyagraha must be non-violent in thought,word or deed towards the enemy or among ourselves".Therefore,what we think or what we say is squarely related with the idea of non-violence.The title 'Mahatma' sits very well on Gandhi because of his emphasis on verbal non-violence too.

But why do we not treat verbal non-violence as the integral part of ahimsa?It is because unlike physical non-violence,verbal non-violence is intangible in nature.Those political leaders who claim to be pure Gandhian,often miss the fact that the unsavoury language that they use in day-to-day life goes against the Gandhian principles.Also the hate mongers who seek to divide people on communal lines forget that Gandhi was truly non-compromising on non-violence in every form-thoughts,words and actions.
For Gandhi,truth and ahimsa were not just for yogis,but also for the common citizens.This vindicates that non-violence furthers the democratic principles in a society rather than confining itself to the religious aspects.Thus,Gandhi espoused 'sweet persuasion' and 'beauty of compromise' in dealing with our opponents.Anyone who resort to physical harm,had failed to win the argument by using reason and rationale judgement.It is not to be forgotten that tongue is sharper than the sword.

Is dehorning a wise alternative to control poaching of one-horned rhinoceros?

Rhino poaching in one of the major environmental issues in India,which continues unabated in certain parts of Assam.The one-horned rhinoceros was originally widespread in Indo-Gangetic plains.Its population has declined considerably in the 20th and 21st century due to illegal poaching and trade.Today,hardly they are numbered 2500 in India.The Kaziranga national park,Orang national park in Darrang and Pobitora wild-life sanctuary in Morigaon constitute almost 95 percent of the one-horned rhinoceros found in the world.Owing to its declining population,the IUCN Red List has categorised it as vulnerable species in its list of threatened species.

Recently.some scholars had recommended dehorning of rhinoceros as a possible alternative to contain the menace of illegal poaching.Dehorning may sound as a credible option,per se,but it will have serious unintended ramifications.First,it amounts to a tacit admission by the state that it is helpless against notorious poachers and unauthorised forces.The poachers,in utter desperation,would search frantically for other measures like poaching of tigers for its nail,hides and skin.

Second,there is no guarantee that the horns of rhinos would be safe in the custody of state after dehorning it.The collusion between bureaucrats,politicians and illegal traders may create yet another problem so as to ensure its safety.Instead,the diligent monitoring of the movement of rhinoceros with its horn intact would be doubly effective in controlling the menace of rhino poaching.

Third,dehorning would render the rhinos vulnerable because it would be unable to defend itself against attacks by other species.The horn is a hard material made up of calcium and melanin,which provides the requisite bone strength making it capable for effective defence.It would have unknown impact on life and ecology of the animal.Also,one-horned rhinoceros is the symbol of Assam oil.Dehorning is equivalent to the loss of cultural pride of Assam.

Therefore,the best measure to control the menace is through effective monitoring and increased vigilance.The government should train the security forces effectively on how to deal with the poachers.Anti-poaching camps should be created with adequate infrastructure and capacity building.The government may emulate the African model wherein the horns were dyed with pink color.Consequently,they could be traced easily by X-ray scanning even if it was ground to a fine powder,thus preventing illegal smuggling through important installations like air-ports and other check points.The government may also fast-track these cases to ensure higher conviction rates.This would certainly serve as a deterrent for the wrong-doers.

India's foreign policy

Foreign policy is an instrument available to a nation by which it promotes its national and security interests.India's foreign policy has undergone a paradigm shift since its independence from British rule in 1947.Also,there has been a sea change in our relations with the first world,second world and third world countries with its impressive economic growth in recent decades.

Gone are the days when we were following an isolationist foreign policy in 1950s .India emerged out of decades of colonial rule in 1947 but quickly found itself in tangles of cold war,which made it necessary to adopt a foreign policy based on non-alignment.This was perhaps a wise decision based on the prevailing geo-political situation.The immediate aim of  India was to eradicate poverty and hunger as well as to become self-sufficient which could have been possible through the nature of foreign policy adopted at that time.

With the fall of Berlin wall and India's transition towards globalisation and liberalisation in 1990s.the global geo-political scenario underwent a profound change.India could no longer afford to remain isolated so as to achieve growth and prosperity.Also with the rise of Asian tigers and emerging economies like India and China,India had to shed its inflexibility and blind-patriotism in multi-polar,multi-interest world.India thus followed an open approach in foreign policy.The increasing focus on look-east policy and growing inter-linkages with western nations is a testimony to the fact.

Another important aspect has been India's efforts towards becoming a regional leader among the South-Asian nations.However,at times India erred on its sense of judgement by trying to impose upon its neighbors by adopting a big-brotherly attitude rather than a true guiding spirit.Therefore,the neighboring nations occasionally followed an obstructionist approach so as to halt India's influence.India has been trying to shed its negative image and follow an all-inclusive model thus taking our neighbors along in the path of development.

India can prosper well in foreign-policy domain only when it creates an atmosphere of trust among other neighboring countries.New age foreign policy must be based as much on enlightened self-interest as on pragmatism.India must be open and tolerant and at the same time have the ability to build bridges,reach out and leave the past behind.

Impact of Land-boundary settlement agreement on North-east India-an overview

The land boundary agreement between India and Bangladesh was conceived originally in 1974.The then prime ministers of India and Bangladesh agreed upon to sign the agreement.But,the agreement couldn't materialise for nearly three and a half decades due to lack of political consensus on both sides.It was in 2011,that the UPA government led by Manmohan Singh and his Bangladeshi counterpart,Sheikh Hasina decided to end the impasse on border issue.However,no consensus prevailed even during this period,which further delayed its immediate ratification.

The BJP government has now decided to solve the border row after getting a massive mandate in recent Lok Sabha elections.It has decided to forge a consensus on primarily three issues.First,approximately 6 kilometers of the nearly 4000 km long boundary is virtually unsettled.The unsettled boundary land falls within the territorial domain of Assam. Tripura,
Meghalaya and parts of West-Bengal.It has spurred illegal migration,cattle-smuggling and drug-smuggling over decades,which would be put under control if the agreement is signed.

Second.India has almost 111 enclaves in the territory of Bangladesh,while 51 Bangladeshi enclaves are in Indian territory.For decades,the people in these enclaves have suffered immensely as they could not avail the citizenship rights of either of these nations.Moreover these enclaves have too become a safe-haven for illegal migration.The apprehension of territorial loss for Assam is rather unfounded because India does not govern the Indian enclaves in Bangladesh,and vice-versa.

Third,certain territorial lands are in adverse possession of both the nations.That said,Bangladesh land contiguous with the border, inhabitated by its citizens,and de facto under its control.but falling within the Indian side of the border,and vice-versa. The solution to the issue of adverse-possession is pre-requisite for demarcating the border and also facilitating trade.

It is a well-known fact that India shares a 4000 km long boundary with Bangladesh.Yet.most of the trade is conducted by sea resulting in avoidable trade barriers.It is essential to carry out both the land and sea-based trade for greater integration of both the nations.The regional trade between Bangladesh and North-east India is also expected to grow.Further,the agreement would put an end to illegal migration and smuggling across the border,which until now has been a cause of concern for the demographic profile of Assam and its adjoining states.The demarcated boundary would encourage effective monitoring thus preventing cross-border crimes.

Thus,the land-border agreement between the two nations is a long overdue step.India and Bangladesh must exhibit the political will which will have salutary effect on the long-term economic and security interests of both the nations!

Can we effectively rein in tobacco consumption?

It is a well-established fact that almost 9 lakh people die in India annually due to tobacco consumption.The economic loss incurred by the nation amounts to almost 15,000 crore annually as a result of tobacco consumption.Considering the enormous deaths and the resultant loss in nation's productivity,reining in tobacco consumption has become a necessary imperative.

The government has also taken stock of the alarming situation and initiated several measures to control its consumption.A major chunk of tobacco consumers fall in the age group of 15-27 years,which doesn't bode well for the state of health in the country.Initially,the government banned the sale of tobacco within 100 meters away from the school premises.Though the step curtailed the easy accessibility of tobacco products for school-going children,it was still affordable for many of them,including the grown-ups.

In the fiscal year 2014-15,the government increased taxes on tobacco products,particularly cigarettes.Moreover,the government is willing to enforce stricter packaging norms in the days to come.Starting April 2015,almost 85 percent of the cigarette packets would mandatorily entail pictorial warnings.This would certainly serve as a deterrent for tobacco consumers.Also the prohibition of selling of loose cigarettes while increasing the minimum age limit from 18 to 21 years for buying cigarettes,as per the recent government guidelines,would do well to reduce its consumption.

However.one of the overlooked aspects is that there is relatively no restriction on the sale of bidis and chewing tobacco.These products are easily available across the small shops and stores. The poor people,both urban and rural,have unhindered access to these products which is a cause of concern. Bidis and chewing tobacco causes oral and lung cancer among the poor which is compounded by their inability to afford a well-to-do medical treatment.

Therefore,the government should strive towards initiating inclusive policies for tobacco control,including cigarettes,bidis and chewing tobacco.It should effectively resist the lobbying by the tobacco-manufacturing companies to derail the positive efforts towards health care.An all-inclusive policy measures accompanied by the political will would go a long way in ensuring proper health care towards its citizens.