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Editorial |
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 The Myanmar Factor |
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The increasing camaraderie between democratic India and authoritarian Myanmar, notorious for trampling the democratic aspirations of its countrymen, is obviously frustrating and outrageous to the advocates of democracy in Myanmar as well as the thousands of Myanmarese refugees staying in India for years, but the imperatives of the evolving balance-of-power dynamics in the Southeast Asian region gives India no option at all other than to warm up to the military junta. Times have so changed since India’s strong espousal of the pro-democratic uprising in Myanmar in 1988 led by the iconic Aung San Suu Kyi, as also the collapse of the erstwhile Soviet Union and the consequent shift from Cold War obligations to the multipolarity pragmatism, that Myanmar, despite its blatant disregard of the democratic aspirations of its citizens, has become an all-important foreign policy quotient for India in this region. For one, idealism will create further scope for the other giant, China, to be at the pivot of the Myanmarese business and strategic space — which India must compete with to remain a relevant player in the power play. For another, the safe havens enjoyed by northeastern militant groups in the jungles of Myanmar are a huge disadvantage for the counter-militancy operators in the region. With the Sheikh Hasina dispensation at Dhaka vowing to weed out Indian militant groups based in Bangladesh, and given the recent positive gestures shown by the Hasina government such as in the handing over of the likes of ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa and NDFB chairman Ranjan Daimary, Myanmar’s cooperation in cracking down on Indian militants’ hideouts in that country will prove to be defining in the fight against militancy in the Northeast. Therefore, it was only too natural that India should accord a red-carpet welcome to the visiting Myanmar military ruler, General Than Shwe, last Tuesday. He met Vice-President Hamid Ansari, External Affairs Minister SM Krishna and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj before holding talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Of the five pacts signed after the Singh-Shwe talks over a wide range of issues, including counter-terror cooperation, enhanced energy ties and collaboration in a string of development projects, the one on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters could prove to be crucial in enabling India get access to militants from its northeastern States who are settled in the safe sanctuaries of Myanmar. The treaty seeks to deepen bilateral cooperation in combating transnational organized crime, terrorism, drug trafficking, money laundering and smuggling of arms and explosives. The agreement has been welcomed in the Northeast. One hopes that Gen Shwe’s junta would not renege its mutual legal aid contract with India under pressure from China — one of whose strategic experts had harped on the Chinese desire to see India splintered into 20-30 independent states last year. Given that Beijing will respond in its own way to the latest development in the India-Myanmar relationship as it must increase its clout in Myanmar in order to shift the power equations in China’s favour, New Delhi must nuance its Myanmar policy very smartly, informed by the priorities of the day as well as by Myanmar’s trade-and-commerce expectations from its relationship with India. At the same time, atavistic foreign policy mandarins ought not to be allowed to spoil the new and evolving India-Myanmar friendship framework. While we greatly value the democracy desire of Myanmar’s suppressed populace and stand in solidarity with movements for democracy anywhere in the world, there are practicalities too that we can afford to ignore only to lose our new, widening and deepening global ground. The Myanmar military junta is one such practicality. |
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| The Class of Sohra |
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| What is the class of Sohra, the famed tourist destination in the picturesque State of Meghalaya? It is ‘‘third class’’, according to National Commission for Minorities (NCM) vice-chairman HT Sangliana, a retired IPS officer who hails from Mizoram and was Commissioner of Police of Bangalore City. He was referring to the tourism infrastructure and basic amenities in Sohra after his visit to the wettest place on earth last Wednesday. While many, including some of the Sohra residents themselves, have agreed with Sangliana, State Tourism Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh has termed the description ‘‘third class’’ an underestimation of the amenities available. Tourism, it must be remembered, is a function of not just a spot’s pristine bounties of nature but of also, and more importantly, what man has done to contribute to the elegance of the place by way of infrastructure build-up — by infrastructure here, we mean anything that adds to the comfort of the tourist, such as wonderful eateries and lodging facilities. Let us be honest then: Where does Sohra, blessed with the best by nature, really stand? And yes, the tourist has evolved by the day. Rather than Shillong, the adventurous lot would make Sohra itself his hub for vacation, far away from the urban hurly-burly. For this lot, Sohra must evolve differently. |
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| Mining Menace and India’s Future |
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For years our government turn a blind eye to illegal mining in our country and when Maoists take vicious advantage of the sufferings of displaced tribals to indulge in large-scale killings, our ministers finally wake up. In the first place, ore of any kind should not be exported to any country, least of all to China. We sell to China our precious possessions, ore and not manufactured goods, and think we are increasing our trade. That is cheating ourselves while damaging our future. As Karnataka’s Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa recently — and very wisely — pointed out, “it is high time we discontinued the policy of permitting export of raw materials, particularly precious natural resources, which are not renewable”. The words “which are not renewable” should be underlined. Yeddyurappa is further reported to have said: “There is urgent need to put in place a comprehensive policy to ban export of iron ore and to make it mandatory that iron ore and other such precious minerals are utilized for value addition within the country itself”.
Ores do not grow like trees. They are, when mined, self-exhaustive. We need them badly. If we continue to export them, a time will come, say, 50 to 70 years later, when we shall not have any ore to use for the manufacture of our own metallic needs and may be forced to use clay for our pots and pans and timber for our cars and buses. All building activity will come to a halt and we shall go back to our primitive days. Let our governments not say they have not been warned. Ores, shockingly enough, are not only exhaustively mined, they are mined illegally, and can one believe it, Yeddyurappa himself has admitted that “iron ore worth hundreds of crores of rupees has been exported for the last eight years”. This is nothing short of criminal. The Central government must immediately ban all export of minerals and sentence the lawbreakers even if they happen to be ministers or politicians with clout. A maximum fine of Rs 50 lakh and a jail sentence of five years will not be adequate.
According to information made available in Frontline (July 16, 2010), there are about 15,000 illegal mines spread across the country as against 8,700 legal mines, and “in several parts of the country, the boundaries between legal and illegal mining merge seamlessly”. The journal quotes a recent study by Amnesty International on the Vedanta Group’s operations in Orissa, maintaining that both the State government and the Central government had “breached obligations to respect and protect the human rights of the Dongria Kondh and other communities affected by mining and refining projects”. It is difficult to believe it, but, according to the magazine, “in the first four-and-a-half decades of independence, mining had displaced about two-and-a-half crore people and not even 25 per cent of them had been rehabilitated”. Of the displaced people, more than half were from tribal communities. If today tribal people are revolting, how can we blame them?
Here are a few more facts culled from Frontline. An estimated 1.64 lakh hectares of forest land have already been diverted for mining in the country. In 2006 alone, mining had generated about 1.84 billion tons of waste. The three most devastated States are Orissa, Chattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh. In the course of mining, as much as 77 million tonnes of water had been used just in 2005-2006, enough to meet the needs of more than three million people. It is nobody’s case that mining should be stopped. But three points need to be noted. One, ores should not, under any circumstances, be exported and should be used strictly for domestic industry. Two, people displaced from their forest homes should be taken care of with extra zeal in every possible way and adequately compensated, their culture especially respected and preserved. Indeed, a new law apparently seeks to make sharing of at least 26 per cent profits with local population mandatory. And three, severe punishment should be levied on those indulging in illegal mining. A draft Bill, Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Bill 2010 envisages the setting up of a national mining tribunal which can check independently all decisions, indecisions and delays in its application. It is also stated that the draft bill guarantees assured annuity to the local population deprived of homes and rehabilitations, not to speak of resettlement of displaced people etc. If the State government wants to grant forest area for mining, consultation is declared mandatory with panchayats in tribal areas.
According to the Ministry of Mines, India produces as many as 86 minerals and they include 13 major minerals, namely, iron ore, manganese ore, chrome ore, sulphur, gold, diamond, copper, lead, zinc, molybdenum, tungsten, nickel, and platinum How can anyone think of exporting such precious ores which are our country’s national heritage ?
It is reported that the Karnataka government has ordered authorities to verify the documents of ten companies engaged in exporting ores through ports in Mangalore, Karwar and Delekeri. There are reports indicating that companies have forged transport permits, and it is evident that there has been wholesale bribery of some officials. It is disgrace abounding. One can understand the rapacity of exporters who have literally been earning in billions. According to the Lokayukta Report, between 2000-2001 and 2005-2006, exports of iron went up from 6.19 million tonnes to 90.76 million tonnes and the price of iron ore rose from Rs 274 per ton to Rs 1,061 per ton, the total export value increasing from $184.09 million to $5,216.39 million. Can one imagine how much profit the mining fraternity has made? And how much of that profit has been shared with politicians?
Frontline says that in Jharkhand, “the rise of Koda, an independent legislator, who did not have the backing of a large political organisation, to the Chief Minister’s position and his continuance in office for 23 months itself signifies the power of the mining lobby”. How many bureaucrats also have made themselves rich quietly and on the side? Koda is in jail and surely a few dozen more people should also be in jail. Justice must prevail.
There is so much money to be made that, according to an estimate made by the Indian Institute of Metals in 2009, as much as $300 billion is likely to be invested in the mining and metals sector in eastern India over the next few years. Our law implementors are forewarned. Look out for corrupters and those willing to be corrupted. And give no excuses.
MV Kamath |
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