Page 10 - EW JULY PDF

Editorial

DON'T SPURN AMERICAN HANDSHAKE AGAIN out for Prime Minister Modi and tall
promises of technology transfers, US
investment in trade and education are
he warm bipartisan welcome ac- their Soviet bias was junking of the most welcome. Quite obviously, India
corded to Prime Minister Na- subcontinent’s historic ideology of needs to thoroughly cleanse the Au-
Trendra Modi by President Joe private enterprise and free markets in gean stables of licence-permit-quota
Biden and the American establish- favour of Soviet-inspired central plan- raj and get back on to the capitalist
ment on his latest visit to the United ning, promotion of capital-intensive road as communist China did 40 years
States is indicative of belated aware- public sector enterprises (PSEs) and ago, to record extraordinary annual
ness in India and the US that the suppression of private business and rates of double-digit GDP growth.
two countries are natural allies with industry. And there can be no better partner
common interests and objectives. Instead of learning from America in this national re-engineering than
That this awareness dawned on both and adopting a free markets economy the US which since the Second World
countries so late is a tragedy rooted (which communist China did in 1978), War has retained its position as the
in the anti-Americanism of British- national savings were canalised into world’s wealthiest, most secure and
educated Prime Minister Jawaharlal government-run PSEs managed by freest democratic country. As a result
Nehru and his daughter Indira Gandhi business illiterate bureaucrats and of foolish economic development poli-
who shared the disdain of upper class clerks who quickly ran them into the cies, contemporary India with annual
Britons for class-agnostic Americans. ground. The promised profits from GDP of $3.75 trillion is at a severe
Therefore, despite the plainly obvi- PSEs which according to India’s Sovi- disadvantage compared with hostile
ous commonalities shared by the US et Gosplan-style five-year plans would neighbour China ($19 trillion).
and India — democracy, free and fair generate surpluses to fund public To catch up and realise the high
elections, independent judiciary and education and health, never materi- potential of the world’s youngest na-
the seven freedoms (Article 19 of the alised, plunging high-potential post- tion, there cannot be a better partner
Constitution) — although professing independence India into the nether than our fellow democratic country,
neutrality in the American-Soviet Cold ranks of the world’s poorest and most the United States of America. When
War of 1945-89, successive Nehru- illiterate nations. the US extended its hand in friend-
Indira administrations tilted towards Against this backdrop, the reset ship seven decades ago, the opportu-
the Soviet Union on big global issues. in US-India relations evidenced by nity was missed. We should not miss
Yet perhaps the greatest signal of the unprecedented red carpet rolled it again.

THREE LESSONS FROM WRESTLERS PROTEST and says he is “ready to be hanged”
if any of the charges are proved in a
court of law.
he prolonged stand-off between medal winners, notably Bajrang Punia Three important lessons arise from
India’s international medal win- and the Phogat sisters who have also this scandal which given the infamous
Tning wrestlers and Brij Bhushan been conferred national awards. law’s delay in 21st century India, is
Sharan Singh, chairman of the Wres- However despite repeated at- unlikely to be resolved in the near fu-
tling Federation of India (WFI), over tempts, the Delhi police which is un- ture. The first is to make the Attorney
allegations of the latter having taken der the administrative control of the General and under him the Director of
advantage of his position to sexually Union home ministry, declined to Public Prosecution’s offices indepen-
harass seven women wrestlers, high- file an FIR (first information report) dent of the Central and state govern-
lights much that is wrong with Indian which is the mandatory first step to- ments. This has been recommended
sports and the justice system which wards initiating prosecution. This is by several of post-independence In-
seems beyond redemption. because Sharan Singh is a five-term dia’s 22 Law Commissions (whose
On April 21, seven young women BJP Member of Parliament from reports are promptly shelved) and
wrestlers, including a minor, train- the Kaiserganj constituency in Uttar is the reality in several common law
ing under the auspices of WFI mus- Pradesh, the heart of the Hindi belt countries, including the UK and Unit-
tered up courage to complain against from which the BJP receives its major ed States. If also mandated in India,
Sharan Singh’s repeated abuse of support. Singh reportedly commands delay in filing the FIR and initiating
young sportswomen training for inter- considerable obedience, even if not re- prosecution proceedings as witnessed
national tournaments and champion- spect in his pocket borough and neigh- in the case under reference would not
ships. Claims of misconduct included bouring environs. have arisen.
inappropriate touching, soliciting The latest news on this shameful Secondly, even if legislation is not
sexual favours with inducements and imbroglio which has provoked nation- possible, a national consensus needs
stalking. The cause of these young wide outrage is that an FIR has been to be evolved that only people who
sportswomen — many of them village filed and the Delhi police is preparing have excelled in a particular sport
girls who braved rural patriarchy to a case against him. The Union gov- should chair its governance coun-
train for this contact sport to bring ernment has promised to lodge for- cils. And third, girl children should
honours and medals to the country mal prosecution proceedings against be taught from early age that it’s le-
— was taken up by several Olympics Sharan Singh by end-June. Singh gitimate self-defence to clobber sexual
and Commonwealth Games wrestling meanwhile, has denied all charges offenders on the spot of the offence.

10 EDUCATIONWORLD JULY 2023