THE TRIBUNE08 CHANDIGARH | FRIDAY | 17 JULY 2015OPINION

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Net neutrality set to stay Popular opinion against curbs on OTT as well

SOCIAL media activists can rejoice after a Department of Tele-

com (DoT) report issued on Thursday upheld the core principle

of net neutrality. Though the last word is yet to be said on the

issue, the report's main recommendation telecom service

providers cannot dictate which websites can be accessed is unlike-

ly to be overturned. Net activists had taken to mass petitioning after

Airtel tried to introduce a free Internet package. The catch was that

Airtel would choose which websites and over the top services (OTT)

could be accessed. The company planned to make its money by

entering into partnerships with OTT and e-retailing companies.

Lakhs of petitions, the highest ever on any telecom issue, were

sent to the telecom regulatory authority and DoT forcing them to

initiate in-depth studies on the issue. Although netizens appeared

to have forced the government into taking a net neutral stand, there

is some bad news as well. DoT has taken into consideration falling

revenues of telecom companies from their traditional voice and

SMS services. It has recommended some kind of regulation for

voice calls by OTT services such as Whatsapp and Viber. Net

activists are likely to oppose this recommendation because they say

they are already paying for data charges for using these services.

But telecom companies, overstretched because of aggressive

bidding for spectrum rights earlier this year, can point to interna-

tional examples of regulation on voice calls from these services to

press for retention of the recommendation. The last word has cer-

tainly not been said on the issue. While the debate may continue, the

need of the hour is also to improve the quality of traditional voice

calls. Mobile companies must tone up their act to get any sympathy

from the Government and the subscribers as they press for regula-

tions on voice calls by emerging rivals in the form of Whatsapp and

Viber. As for regulating voice calls by OTT services, the status quo

might prevail because the matter is so contentious that it will end

up in litigation.

Rules of engagementThe difficulty of being an officer not at ease

AAP sudhar jao (mend your ways), according to Akhilesh

Yadav, is not a threat but a general expression. Netaji

(Mulayam Singh) even scolds me, he might have scolded

him (IPS officer Amitabh Thakur) too. Such well-defined rules

of engagement, so what is the fuss about? The UP-cadre IGP says

he knew he had it coming the moment his activist wife named a

minister in a Lokayukta complaint on illegal mining. He wants a

CBI probe into the false rape charge slapped on him; his plea

to the Centre for protection against harassment has resulted in

the suspension of his services. For the Samajwadi Party govern-

ment, Thakur is a quintessential irritant, with a history of

undue activism. An officer with a tendency to be in the news

by being confrontational, his filing of PILs despite a court

restraint a case in point.

An officer going public with criticism of political bosses knows

well where public sympathy lies but also its impermanence, and

how this would mark the beginning of his career endgame. Yet,

some speak out. More out of conviction, it would be nice to believe,

and not habit or calculation. Some simply stick to their stand. In

Kerala, an ADGP was hauled up for not standing up and saluting the

Home Minister at a public event. Facing the ire of politicians for

indiscipline, the IPS officer said the guests were told to rise only

during the national anthem. Which he did!

Governments are carefully honed in dealing with such tem-

porary annoyances, that too wholly or indulgently by the

bureaucracy itself. Why also overlook the fact that for all the

attention showered on those who speak out, the adulation is

reserved for leaders who know how to crack the whip. Such is

the difficult existence of an officer not at ease with the circum-

stances. The character playing the minister in British satirical

sitcom Yes Minister asks his secretary, Who do you serve, God

or mammon? His reply: I serve you, minister. That surely

must not be the final word.

Harish Khare

IF there is not much talk of aDoval doctrine it is perhaps

because it has had a kind of a soft

launch. It can be reasonably sug-

gested that the doctrine was first artic-

ulated by the newly appointed Nation-

al Security Adviser during his Beijing

visit in September 2014. In a chat with

the China-based Indian media, Ajit

Doval saw the possibility of the Sino-

India relationship undergoing an

orbital jump because both President

Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Modi

are two powerful and very popular,

very decisive leaders. By way of elab-

oration he added that both were seri-

ous leaders and both had the man-

date in the party and parliament,

besides sufficient time ahead of them.

Though Doval was careful to suggest

that the relationship was not necessari-

ly only dependent on [a] single factor,

he did betray the new collective think-

ing in New Delhi. In the new in-house

working wisdom it is understood that

Indias strategic autonomy and options

stand maximised overnight just

because we have a maximum leader.

Many of the diplomatic tantrums of the

past one year can be easily traced to this

new internal operational maxim.

The new accent on a decisive role for

the leader fits in well with the overall

political theology of the Sangh Parivar.

A leaders deshbhakti alone is deemed

to be more than sufficient to overcome

strategic structural limitations. Since

the early Jan Sangh days, this world-

view has favoured a leader(s) who

would be nationalistic enough to take

an aggressive, confrontational attitude

towards one and all, especially our

neighbours, China and Pakistan; the

Parivar is prone to prefer someone who

would not be afflicted with Hindu cow-

ardice, an expression once used by a

Sangh affiliate for Prime Minister Atal

Bihari Vajpayee. The quest for such a

leader has suggested itself in the last

two decades as the Indian middle class

became more and more nationalistic.

During the last Lok Sabha campaign,

Narendra Modi presented himself as

just the man who would look world

leaders in the eye (Aankh me aankh

daal ke baat karenge).

Not much is known of the Doval-Modi

relationship. Till the 2009 Lok Sabha

elections when LK Advani and the BJP

got worsted by a weak Prime Minis-

ter, Doval was very much a part of the

Advani crowd. It is difficult to say

when he switched allegiance. However,

among knowledgeable circles in New

Delhi it is understood that by the time

Modi won a third term in Gujarat in

2012, Doval Sahib had become a val-

ued counsellor. His familiarity with the

secretive world of non-state actors

and the shadowy business of intelli-

gence agencies fitted rather well with

Narendra Modis own preference for

taking a dark view of men and matters.

Doval is known to have been mentoring

Modi in acquiring an appreciation of

the difficult and intricate world of diplo-

macy. Not surprisingly, the two got

along like a house on fire.

The Doval doctrine of a strong

leader became attractive because it

dovetailed itself to the Prime Minis-

ters immense faith in his own popu-

larity, wisdom and capability. Much of

the ruddy vigour that is deemed to

have been injected into our foreign

policy can easily be attributed to

Modis penchant for event manage-

ment. The Doval-Modi duo has provid-

ed wonderful photo-ops, satisfying the

Indian middle class newly aroused

need for global status and respect.

And, Indias corporate classes are

only too happy to go along with Modi

and play the 21st century version of

comprador bourgeoisie.

A year later, the Doval doctrines lim-

its are all too evident, especially in our

neighbourhood. And it is just as well.

The world out there is far too complex

to bend to our current accent on the

leader as the game-changer. Because

of this preoccupation we have failed to

notice that the China-Pakistan jugal-

bandi has acquired a sophisticated but

deadly edge. There was, for example,

no need to make the Prime Minister

take up with Chinese President Xi Jin-

ping Beijings vote on Zaki-ur-

Rehman Lakhvi; and, then going glob-

al with this sophomoric spin

primarily for domestic consumption

of a direct message to the Chinese

leader from a no-nonsense Prime Min-

ister. The next day, there was an open

rebuff though dressed up in high-

sounding invocation of principles for

Beijing. A Prime Ministers willing-

ness to be blunt does not and cannot

go very far unless backed by the

hardwired realpolitik.

A year down the line, the others, too,

have read Modi. Just as bowling

coaches read and spot weaknesses

among new batsmen, strategic ana-

lysts have figured out the Prime Min-

ister, his strengths as also his weak-

nesses. The Chinese and the

Pakistanis are already exploring, in

tandem, his vulnerabilities.

The rest of the world has noted and,

the outsiders are much more brutal in

making such assessments that the

Prime Minister has taken pride in dis-

mantling the national consensus, how-

ever tenuous and however fragile it

was. And no new consensus has been

forged; nor has a need been felt for such

a consensus. The Chinese, who every

scholar tells us, take a long-term view,

must be wondering how a nation of

Indias size and ambition can sustain a

sensible foreign policy without an elite

consensus behind it.

What is more, previous prime minis-

ters respect for personal courtesy and

diplomatic protocol is mocked at as a

sign of weakness. A willingness to be

rude and rough on the global stage

may impress the domestic audience or

the NRI crowd but it does not create a

lasting impression in any chancellery.

As a seasoned strategic observer put it

bluntly, no one will give India a Secu-

rity Council seat just because the

Prime Minister himself led the mega

yoga event at Rajpath.

The problem with the Doval doctrine

is that it puts a disproportionate pres-

sure on the leader to compensate for

the strategic weaknesses. As Henry

Kissinger once remarked, Accepting

the limits of ones capacities is one of

the tests of statesmanship. Additional-

ly, the Doval doctrine tends to induce a

kind of a lazy approach that unthink-

ingly neglects the traditional tools of

diplomacy and instruments of state-

craft. There is even an apprehension

that the leader-centric approach may

encourage a dilution of our national

defence assets, assiduously built over

the last fifteen years.

And, no leader is immune from

unfavourable political winds. Narendra

Modi too will hit a rough patch, sooner

than later. That will be the time when

we would need to firewall our lasting

national interests from getting entan-

gled with personal foibles and political

frailties of the leader.

The Doval doctrine in high definition

Neela Sood

IWAS lucky to be part of the Indianmilieu when, even after acquiringhigh qualifications, a womancould lead a peaceful life at home as a

homemaker. And the best thing was

that a woman married to a doctor

could be a doctorni without being a

qualified doctor, thanedarni without

being an SHO and mantraniji with-

out being a minister, and so on.

As the privileged wife of some bada

sahib, she would be approached for

jobs, promotions and special favours,

even though she would not attend any

office or sign orders.

I cant say about all male officers,

but the ones who went by the recom-

mendation of their wives far exceeded

the others. Even Im a huge benefici-

ary of this culture. When the central

subsidy for my new industrial unit

was not being disbursed, I took up the

matter with the state CMs wife. The

same officer who had put countless

objections to extract his pound of

flesh came running to deliver the

cheque at my home. Not only this, he

spent a lot of time to mollify me and

left only after extracting a promise

that Id put in a good word for him.

But in the last 20 years, a new phase

has started. Be it an IAS officer or

IIM-qualified graduate, or even a

clerk, everyone wants a working

wife, irrespective of his pay package.

Often my husband remarks: I can

understand if a man with a modest

salary looks for an earning life part-

ner, but when eligible bachelors, with

a pay package of Rs 25 lakh or more,

seek working women, it baffles me.

Dont they realise the bliss of having

a homemaker, who ensures that her

husband is well-turned-out for occa-

sions and takes pleasure in attending

to his every whim? How can any man

ignore the joy of fresh meals, every-

thing at his command, someone with

a smile to receive him when he

returns home in the evening? To me,

these acts generate harmony and

love and outweigh the benefit of

higher earnings.

I answered: You wanted a roof on

your head, they want apartments. You

wanted children, they want either one

child or none at all. You would teach

your children, they take them for

coaching. You would talk with them

face-to-face while they communicate

over high-tech phones. You spend hol-

idays with your parents or at some hill

station, they go to foreign destina-

tions, sans peace of mind.

The question is what next? I know

reverting to the old system is not pos-

sible. Women have also become par-

ticular of their identity. But a middle

path is needed, because even after

earning as good as her counterpart, a

woman cant escape her duties as a

mother, a homemaker and a daughter-

in-law. That middle path can be: work

from home; flexible duty hours. But

then women also need to temper their

false sense of achievement in the

interest of their own life. To me, they

should settle for the role of an all-

rounder, like in the cricket team

few runs, a wicket here or there, but

the role of the main batsman or main

bowler should rest with the husband.

Straddling two boats

Thought for the Day

Take a chance! All life is a chance. Dale Carnegie

STATECRAFT

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letters to the editor

Shame on gameApropos the editorial Justice visits

IPL, Justice Lodha has done justice to

purge some shame from the game of

gentlemen. Some more persons

allegedly involved in the 2013 IPL spot-

fixing scam should be probed and

brought to book. The suspension of two

teams, RR and CSK, and their owners

Raj Kundra and Gurunath Meiyappan

may stem the rot in our sports. Captain

Dhoni's wife was shown on TV hobnob-

bing with Gurunath and Vindu Dara

Singh, who was jailed in connection

with the spot-fixing scam. The Lodha

report has left the CSK skipper in lim-

bo. His role and that of some other

players of the team should have been

investigated thoroughly.

The owner of the IPL team CSK and

then BCCI and now ICC president

Srinivasan should be shamed to leave

the ICC post on his own. Till his name

is cleared, MS Dhoni should give up

the captaincy of Team India so that

the fair name of the game is not

smirched any more.

The officials and players connected

with the game of cricket are very well

paid, rather overpaid. So why do they

indulge in illegal activities? It is sick-

ening to see billionaires, made by this

game, stooping to make more money

by cheating their very fans who have

put them on a high pedestal.

LJ SINGH, Amritsar

Credibility restored

The Lodha panel order will go a long

way in reposing faith in the game of

cricket. The IPL, which started off with

a bang, had lost its sheen with the

unearthing of the betting scam. A gener-

al perception had developed among the

fans that almost all the matches were

fixed. The judgment, with its reiteration

of the fact that the game is supreme and

above all individuals, aims to restore the

lost credibility of the IPL. Hopefully, the

BCCI will now initiate measures to

streamline its otherwise opaque func-

tioning. Another serious question that

again crops up is that whether the

BCCI, the manager of the most fol-

lowed game in the country, should be

brought under the ambit of the RTI.

GURMINDER SINGH BEDI, Chandigarh

Legalise betting

Now that the SC-appointed committee

headed by Justice RM Lodha has

ordered punishment to the guilty for

the betting scam of 2013, the big ques-

tion remains whether cricket, known

as the gentleman's game, shall be free

of the malice of gambling. Betting over

cricket matches is widespread and

bookies command great influence

over various sports bodies, players and

gamblers and their clandestine nexus

is difficult to dismantle. With a view to

freeing the police, investigating agen-

cies and courts from the ever-increas-

ing load of work for this all-pervasive

malice, the government should frame

a plausible scheme and legalise bet-

ting in sports whereby the lust of bet-

lovers is satisfied and some extra rev-

enue is generated by the exchequer for

promoting sports.

ASHOK K ASHU, Patiala

Hit wicket

This refers to the editorial Justice vis-

its IPL (July 15). In an effort to clean

the affairs of the BCCI and IPL, the

Supreme Court-appointed committee

has done a commendable job. The sus-

pension from cricket of Rajasthan

Royals and Chennai Super Kings

teams for two years will give a jolt to

the other teams too and they will

refrain from betting, spot-fixing and

match-fixing. Srinivasan's son-in-law

Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra

have also been banned from cricket. It

is hoped that our cricket and IPL will

get cleared of corrupt practices and

conflict of interest.

The BCCI should take this opportu-

nity to form strict rules and regula-

tions so that no wrong can be done.

Vigilance officers of BCCI and vari-

ous teams remained bystanders and

took no action against the corrupt

practices going on.

SC VAID, New Delhi

Game must go on

The Lodha verdict has kindled hopes

for a cleaner game. It would appear

that there are two phases of the dark

side of the Indian cricket: one before

Lalit Modi and the one, after. The post-

Modi muddle seems to have been dis-

posed of in quick time. Though politi-

cians, high and low, have been ruling

over every layer of cricket for ages,

taint has touched none in the current

episode. But the skeletons from the

Lalit Modi era are yet to spill out. The

unpredictable and wily ways of the

IPL former chief are deterrent enough

to dissuade the BCCI from being too

enthusiastic about using hard brushes

to clean up the game. After all, the

game must go on for the sake of its

devotees on either side of the pitch!

R NARAYANAN ,Ghaziabad

Honesty, a noble trait

Even as many leaders are accused of

dishonest deeds these days, I knew a

minister who was not only the embod-

iment of honesty but also a straitlaced

stickler for traditional moral values.

He was Gurbachan Singh Bajwa,

father of Congress MLA Tript Rajin-

der Singh Bajwa. Honesty is one of

the highest attributes of wise and vir-

tuous people. An honest man, said

RG Ingersall, is the noblest work of

God. Although corruption is ram-

pant and honesty keeps upright peo-

ple from growing rich, there are quite

a large number of persons who have

incorruptible soundness of moral

character and they follow the

promptings of their conscience. An

Urdu poet said: Idraak kee hamein

ye hidaayat qabool hai/Insaan ka

zameer khuda ka rasool hai (we

accept the counsel of sanity that the

conscience of a human being is the

messenger of God).

Some of my officers were so scrupu-

lously upstanding that none could

bribe them into doing him/her a

wrong favour though they always

remained in desperate financial

straits. One of them could not partici-

pate in the obsequies of his mother at

his native place in Kerala because he

had no money to meet the travelling

expenses. Veteran Akali leader Master

Tara Singh was so honest that he nev-

er filled the container of his fountain

pen with the ink provided by the

SGPC to its employees.

BHAGWAN SINGH, Qadian

Bhim awardees

The advertisement for Bhim Awards

(July 10) shows that the Haryana

Government recognises its players.

The cash prize has been increased to

~5 lakh. The number of Bhim

awardees has been increased from

five to 11. Paralympics and Special

Olympics have been given equal

respect and importance. The Bhim

awardees should be given monthly

honorarium like Dronacharya and

Arjuna awardees are given by the

Central Government.

RANBIR SINGH, Kapurthala

SA

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P J

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A willingness to be rude and rough on the global stage mayimpress the domestic audience or the NRI crowd but it doesnot create a lasting impression in any chancellery.

Perils of punching above weight