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Calling a spade a spade
A few words on business.
THE STUDENTS of the Dr. GRD College of Science here had a bag of surprises in store.
Never would have they imagined that the face-to-face event they had organised in connection with the "Conclave 2002'', a national seminar on international business, that too in New Delhi, with the Union Minister , Arun Jaitley, would turn out to be so enlightening ,enthralling and heart-warming.
Suave and urbane, ever smiling and at the same time aggressive when someone tries to browbeat him, Mr.Jaitley virtually mesmerised them by his astonishing intellectual repertoire, scintillating articulation and above all by being ready to "call a spade a spade'', a trait that won him immediate acclaim among the young minds. His vigour was palpable and enthusiasm infectious. Even as the questions cascaded on a vast spectrum of subjects, commensurate was the respondent's wit and alacrity that approached the issue with precision and cohesion. Never once did he try to dodge or parry.
Following are a few samples.
Mr.Jaitley opened with positive thinking which is woefully short in India .Society should not let its thinking process get muddled with negative and pessimistic outlook. It should nurture a positive frame of mind.
Access to justice ?
While justice can be achieved only through responsible conduct of citizens, it has got to be conceded that all citizens do not have equal access to it , primarily due to poverty. However, law does not require the weaker sections to cough up a huge sum for organising legal representation. They could utilise the legal aid centres set up all over the country.
How law could become effective ?
Redtapism is attributable to tardiness of procedural laws. Cumbersome procedural laws should be pared to the essentials. Pre-litigative Lok Adalats could help avoid prolonging litigations . Such Adalats could redress the grievances of small clusters of communities.
How to combat corruption ?
Corruption has found its way into the Indian polity as discretionary powers are vested with government bodies. These decision-making powers will have an impact on private sector units eventually bringing them into regulatory mechanism. On the flip side, law is being made toothless thus helping culprits evade culpability.
Accountability and media :
Making a point.
Even some investigating agencies make a song and dance about their findings and jail persons only to be acquitted later. Meanwhile, media spends a big lump of time and space talking about this issue in gay abandon. This reveals how much people love to hear about scams.
Is liberalisation really beneficial ?
In the wake of free market economy, uncalled for debates have become the order of the day.
There was a time when one had to wait with bated breath for years to get phone connections. Liberalisation has brought about a sea change. Now phones are available across the counter. When mobile telephony was introduced , apprehensions were rife regarding the country's security.
Moreover, the country followed a defective model and the cost of mobile phone was so high that it was beyond the affordability of the majority of citizens. But, in the past three years, mobile phone usage has trebled. We could not have achieved this success had we continued to be conservative. There is always a breed that smells a rat in areas that are non-existent.
Need for changes in the Constitution ?
Our constitution has served us well. But, as a democratic country, it is essential to contemplate some changes in it to strengthen some of the basic features.
Impact of MNCs : Competition would have set in without the WTO also.
By G. Satyamurty
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Life
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
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