Gambling has gambled heavily on India. It’s appetite to enter Indian market, over the years, has shown only signs of strengthening. Now it has on its side some of the biggest moguls of Indian industry like Subhash Chandra (Zee) and Vijay Mallya (Kingfisher). Subhash Chandra might be famous as a media biggie but as early as in 2007 he earned almost as much from his lottery brand Playwin as the rest of his media, packaging and real estate businesses added together i.e. a cool Rs. 2400 crore.
According to Playwin website, the company has at least ten games to offer. The lotto & gaming brand of Pan India Network Ltd. claimed in June 2010 to have created 71 crorepatis and over 3,000 lakhpatis from all over India within a short span of 8 years since its establishment. Of course it doesn’t talk about the many people who would have gone bankrupt due to gambling.
But this is the visible picture. According to a story published in the Businessworld in 2008, unlawful betting in the IPL cricket season averaged $100 million per match in 2008. Indians bought over 30 million lotteries a day and the lottery market alone was estimated to be upto Rs 50,000. The total gambling industry was upwards of Rs. 100,000 crore in 2008 itself. There is hardly any doubt that despite all the recessions, the gambling industry has only gone up. Howsoever we frown at the moral aspect of gambling, it remains the most popular vice. That it can’t be stopped is clear. That it be regulated and made legal remains to be tried.
The most recent spate of events has once again highlighted the necessity to legalise it and make its tracking possible. On February 13, 2011, The Guardian reported Indian police being on alert as bookies prepare for betting bonanza duirng the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup.
Not a week passed and reports came of Indian police arresting nine men related to four cricket betting gangs with laptops and cell phones in Delhi and Mumbai. According to AFP, the gambling gangs took illegal bets during the cricket World Cup to the tune of $620,000.
The difficulty of letting gambling unregulated has serious stakes. Mint reported on February 15, 2011 through Enforcement Directorate officials that at least $US4.36 billion (Rs. 20,000 crore) will be gambled during ICC World Cup in India. On February 15, Mint reported through Reuters that an anonymous gambler has struck an £82,000 pounds ($132,300) bet with a London bookmaker on India winning the Cricket World Cup, one of the biggest ever laid in the one-day game.
While the amount of money is worrying, the bigger concern is its misuse. On September 6, 2010 the Daily Star reported that shady Asian cricket betting rings are directly funding Al-Qaida. In September 2010 itself, a Delhi court hearing an appeal for betting during the last World Cup 2007 suggested legalizing betting in India. Additional sessions judge Dharmesh Sharma remarked that legalising will at least help track transfer of funds and revenue generated can be used for welfare of public.
Judge Dharmesh Sharma said the ‘‘alarming” level of illegal betting in India was financing drug trafficking and terrorism. ICC is also favouring legalising gambling in India, as Sri Lanka has done in recent months.
It might be difficult for many of us to accept gambling as legal but experts suggest that legalizing would reduce the threat of betting becoming match fixing. Given the fact that betting is a closed door affair, it is nearly impossible to completely regulate and monitor and finally prove it in the court.
All of this becomes even dicier when politicians join the party. Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and Congress leader Arjun Singh who died recently was blamed for Churhat Lottery scam almost 30 years ago. More recently Pinarayi Vijayan of CPM is an accused in the power graft case and lottery scam in Kerala. In Sikkim, which is the only other state apart from Goa to have legalised gambling, there are unconfirmed reports of some people very close to political parties trying to make money out of gambling. It is for the courts to decide these case but the best advice to law makers in such matters of money would be to ensure transparent accounting.
The article has been published on iSikkim.com
Monday, March 14, 2011
Dharna demanding Gorkhaland enters week 2 in Delhi
What does a hundred and four years old struggle mean to you?
The word ‘104 years old’ in case of we mortals would mean dying or declining. But in the case of Gorkha’s struggle for Gorkhaland and an identity of their own, ‘104 years old’ means a struggle that is rooted into five generations. While there are not many struggles in the world which have survived for more a than hundred years, in case of Gorkhaland, it has not only survived but remains dynamically young. Meet any Gorkha from Darjeeling and they have a story that has descended from their parents and grandparents; a real story of survival, of perseverance, of struggle for identity, of being ignored and at times persecuted.
It’s not spontaneous or reactionary like in Egypt, Libya or Tunisia. It’s a sustained struggle done by people who are as faithful to the idea of India as any other Indian and want recognition for themselves democratically. One of the hundreds who has actively participated in the ongoing 45 days dharna at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, 63 years old Vinod Prasad Sharma from Karseong told iSikkim.com on Sunday, “The demand for other states like Telangana, Bundelkhand or Vidarbha is for socio-economic reasons but we want Gorkhaland to have a national identity of our own.”
Mr. Sharma quotes a letter written by Subhash Chandra Bose to Gorkha leader Dambar Singh Gurung in which he supported the demand for Gorkhaland. In the letter written on August 8, 1938, Bose writes to Gurung, “I was very glad to have a discussion with you regarding the grievance of the hill people of Darjeeling. The grievances as mentioned by you are legitimate and it is time for the government to remedy them. As far as Congress party is concerned, we will do our best to remove your grievances. Congress is party of masses and it is our duty to address the grievances of the masses.” Mr. Sharma says, “Our demand was supported by Bose and many other national leaders. This was because of the sacrifice we made for the cause of our nation. Niranjan Chhetri became a martyr for the national cause in 1897. Durga Malla and Dal Bahadur Thapa are some of the famous names among hundreds of others who fought and died in India’s struggle for independence. Almost forty percent of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s INA was made up of Gorkhas.” He adds, “We have a history of having fought for the national cause but when India became independent and the issue of resolving Gorkhaland issues came, we were termed anti-national and foreigners.”
Mr. Sharma, a veteran of Gorkhaland struggle was in Congress for 17 years until 1986. He decided to quite Congress thereafter since the Congress was considered the demand for Gorkhaland anti-national and was insensitive to the idea of Gorkha identity. Currently, he is a member of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.
Ask the 63 year old Mr. Sharma how long he has been associated with the struggle for Gorkhaland and he says, “It’s has been an issue synonymous with our existence. My father and maternal uncle were freedom fighters. My father was a supporter of Mahatma Gandhi. His father was so active in anti British struggle that he was ousted from home. He was called ‘Harka Bahadur’ (Harka in Nepali means someone who has been chased away). Gorkhaland is part of the consciousness of Gorkhas.”
Mr. Sharma’s generation is still active even as the new generation has stepped in, in their own possible ways. Dimple Kamal is working with ICICI bank in Noida for the last four years. Despite her busy schedule she has been able to make it to the venue more often than not. Talking about her own difficulties in adjusting in Delhi Dimple says, “May be I would have come to Delhi even if we had a state of our own but the feeling that there is no opportunity back home makes survival here more difficult. In any case it would definitely have been much easier to live alone in Darjeeling than here in Delhi.”
As Dimple tries to click another photo of the Gorkha women shouting at the top of their voice, I asked her how does she manage to come to Jantar Mantar while working with a private bank. An emotional Dimple says, “My parents have actively participated in the struggle for Gorkhaland for as long as I can remember. My maternal uncle Saran Dawal continues to be in jail for last ten years for being associated with this. This struggle is to me what I am.”
These columns won’t be able to tell the tale of the hundreds of Gorkha supporters who come to participate in the dharna at Jantar Mantar every day but that doesn’t belittle the need for the government to get up from its slumber and put its act together.
The article has been published on iSikkim.com
The word ‘104 years old’ in case of we mortals would mean dying or declining. But in the case of Gorkha’s struggle for Gorkhaland and an identity of their own, ‘104 years old’ means a struggle that is rooted into five generations. While there are not many struggles in the world which have survived for more a than hundred years, in case of Gorkhaland, it has not only survived but remains dynamically young. Meet any Gorkha from Darjeeling and they have a story that has descended from their parents and grandparents; a real story of survival, of perseverance, of struggle for identity, of being ignored and at times persecuted.
It’s not spontaneous or reactionary like in Egypt, Libya or Tunisia. It’s a sustained struggle done by people who are as faithful to the idea of India as any other Indian and want recognition for themselves democratically. One of the hundreds who has actively participated in the ongoing 45 days dharna at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, 63 years old Vinod Prasad Sharma from Karseong told iSikkim.com on Sunday, “The demand for other states like Telangana, Bundelkhand or Vidarbha is for socio-economic reasons but we want Gorkhaland to have a national identity of our own.”
Mr. Sharma quotes a letter written by Subhash Chandra Bose to Gorkha leader Dambar Singh Gurung in which he supported the demand for Gorkhaland. In the letter written on August 8, 1938, Bose writes to Gurung, “I was very glad to have a discussion with you regarding the grievance of the hill people of Darjeeling. The grievances as mentioned by you are legitimate and it is time for the government to remedy them. As far as Congress party is concerned, we will do our best to remove your grievances. Congress is party of masses and it is our duty to address the grievances of the masses.” Mr. Sharma says, “Our demand was supported by Bose and many other national leaders. This was because of the sacrifice we made for the cause of our nation. Niranjan Chhetri became a martyr for the national cause in 1897. Durga Malla and Dal Bahadur Thapa are some of the famous names among hundreds of others who fought and died in India’s struggle for independence. Almost forty percent of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s INA was made up of Gorkhas.” He adds, “We have a history of having fought for the national cause but when India became independent and the issue of resolving Gorkhaland issues came, we were termed anti-national and foreigners.”
Mr. Sharma, a veteran of Gorkhaland struggle was in Congress for 17 years until 1986. He decided to quite Congress thereafter since the Congress was considered the demand for Gorkhaland anti-national and was insensitive to the idea of Gorkha identity. Currently, he is a member of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.
Ask the 63 year old Mr. Sharma how long he has been associated with the struggle for Gorkhaland and he says, “It’s has been an issue synonymous with our existence. My father and maternal uncle were freedom fighters. My father was a supporter of Mahatma Gandhi. His father was so active in anti British struggle that he was ousted from home. He was called ‘Harka Bahadur’ (Harka in Nepali means someone who has been chased away). Gorkhaland is part of the consciousness of Gorkhas.”
Mr. Sharma’s generation is still active even as the new generation has stepped in, in their own possible ways. Dimple Kamal is working with ICICI bank in Noida for the last four years. Despite her busy schedule she has been able to make it to the venue more often than not. Talking about her own difficulties in adjusting in Delhi Dimple says, “May be I would have come to Delhi even if we had a state of our own but the feeling that there is no opportunity back home makes survival here more difficult. In any case it would definitely have been much easier to live alone in Darjeeling than here in Delhi.”
As Dimple tries to click another photo of the Gorkha women shouting at the top of their voice, I asked her how does she manage to come to Jantar Mantar while working with a private bank. An emotional Dimple says, “My parents have actively participated in the struggle for Gorkhaland for as long as I can remember. My maternal uncle Saran Dawal continues to be in jail for last ten years for being associated with this. This struggle is to me what I am.”
These columns won’t be able to tell the tale of the hundreds of Gorkha supporters who come to participate in the dharna at Jantar Mantar every day but that doesn’t belittle the need for the government to get up from its slumber and put its act together.
The article has been published on iSikkim.com
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
We are not safe in Bengal: Gorkha leader Roshan Giri
Gorkha Janmukti Morcha National General Secretary Roshan Giri tells Tilak Jha on the sidelines of Gorkha meet in New Delhi that Gorkhas don’t want to be part of West Bengal.
How today’s meeting come about?
Today’s meeting is to pay homage to the martyrs who gave their life for the Gorkhaland. Our people were indiscriminately shot dead by the West Bengal Police. We are demanding CBI enquiry into this matter.
Now that the unfortunate incident is almost two weeks old and the government has not yet responded. What will you do now?
We have asked our people to be prepared for massive protests at any time. We are also demanding the separate state of Gorkhaland. So, the protest will be for Gorkhaland and for justice to our people.
The Gorkhaland movement is more than a hundred years old. Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council was formed in between. Is it going to happen?
It has to be because we don’t want to be part of West Bengal. We are in West Bengal by an accident of History. The land was never part of West Bengal. Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) has become redundant. I don’t want to tell anything about Subhash Ghising. (Subhash Ghising was the leader of DGHC) and the way he handled our people. He was a sold leader. Over last three years after Gorkha Janmukti Morcha was formed, we have brought the movement alive. We are going to have our Gorkhaland sooner than later.
Should ethnicity alone be the reason to demand a separate state?
It’s related to our identity. India is a union of states. Our problems can’t get solved until and unless we have a separate state. It’s a quest for Gorkha identity.
You are now demanding Gorkha dominated areas in Dooar and Siliguri. There are many people in these regions who do not want Gorkhaland.
We are not demanding something new. This has been our demand since 1907. You see the Amra Bengali, Jan Chetana Manch, Jan Jagaran Manch and another association called Bangla Bhasha Bachao Samiti…the very name of all such organisations suggests that they are only concerned about Bengali language. Bengali is a very rich language but you can’t ignore the rest.
You have been living with the same Bengalis for hundreds of years now.
Tomorrow also, after Gorkhaland will be formed, they will be living with us. West Bengal will always be our neighbouring state. I don’t see any harm in that. When Uttarakhand can be carved out of UP, Chhatisgarh can be carved out of Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand can come out of Bihar, what’s the harm if Gorkhaland is formed out of West Bengal.
What would you say to those who are concerned that their rights might be harmed in case Gorkhaland is formed?
Their rights will not be harmed. A Bihari, a Bengali or a Muslim will be entitled to similar rights as enjoyed by the Gorkhas in the new state. Now also they are with us. Many minority fronts of these communities are working under the banner of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.
West Bengal elections are nearby. What will be your stand during this election?
There is still sometime for elections to happen. We have not yet decided about that. Whatever decision is taken by the central committee, we will follow that. We are concentrating on the demand for Gorkhaland.
It might happen in this election that Left Front government will not come back. Do you see greater hope from Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress?
Let the result come first. Anything can happen.
Do you believe that media has been unfair?
We feel that our movement is being portrayed in a different way. It’s a communal movement. It’s a violent movement. But that has never been the case.
But there have been case of violence.
It’s is not the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha. Some people with vested interests create problem and blame us. We are a demanding for Gorkhaland as per democratic means and according to the provisions of the constitution.
As a leader of the movement, did you feel at any point of time that there has been too much of violence and that you should give up?
You see the Sipchu incident. Unprovoked firing. Our people were carrying the national flag. What was the need of killing them? What was the need of imposing Section 144? We are not safe in Bengal. How can we give up?
The story was published on iSikkim.com
How today’s meeting come about?
Today’s meeting is to pay homage to the martyrs who gave their life for the Gorkhaland. Our people were indiscriminately shot dead by the West Bengal Police. We are demanding CBI enquiry into this matter.
Now that the unfortunate incident is almost two weeks old and the government has not yet responded. What will you do now?
We have asked our people to be prepared for massive protests at any time. We are also demanding the separate state of Gorkhaland. So, the protest will be for Gorkhaland and for justice to our people.
The Gorkhaland movement is more than a hundred years old. Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council was formed in between. Is it going to happen?
It has to be because we don’t want to be part of West Bengal. We are in West Bengal by an accident of History. The land was never part of West Bengal. Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) has become redundant. I don’t want to tell anything about Subhash Ghising. (Subhash Ghising was the leader of DGHC) and the way he handled our people. He was a sold leader. Over last three years after Gorkha Janmukti Morcha was formed, we have brought the movement alive. We are going to have our Gorkhaland sooner than later.
Should ethnicity alone be the reason to demand a separate state?
It’s related to our identity. India is a union of states. Our problems can’t get solved until and unless we have a separate state. It’s a quest for Gorkha identity.
You are now demanding Gorkha dominated areas in Dooar and Siliguri. There are many people in these regions who do not want Gorkhaland.
We are not demanding something new. This has been our demand since 1907. You see the Amra Bengali, Jan Chetana Manch, Jan Jagaran Manch and another association called Bangla Bhasha Bachao Samiti…the very name of all such organisations suggests that they are only concerned about Bengali language. Bengali is a very rich language but you can’t ignore the rest.
You have been living with the same Bengalis for hundreds of years now.
Tomorrow also, after Gorkhaland will be formed, they will be living with us. West Bengal will always be our neighbouring state. I don’t see any harm in that. When Uttarakhand can be carved out of UP, Chhatisgarh can be carved out of Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand can come out of Bihar, what’s the harm if Gorkhaland is formed out of West Bengal.
What would you say to those who are concerned that their rights might be harmed in case Gorkhaland is formed?
Their rights will not be harmed. A Bihari, a Bengali or a Muslim will be entitled to similar rights as enjoyed by the Gorkhas in the new state. Now also they are with us. Many minority fronts of these communities are working under the banner of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.
West Bengal elections are nearby. What will be your stand during this election?
There is still sometime for elections to happen. We have not yet decided about that. Whatever decision is taken by the central committee, we will follow that. We are concentrating on the demand for Gorkhaland.
It might happen in this election that Left Front government will not come back. Do you see greater hope from Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress?
Let the result come first. Anything can happen.
Do you believe that media has been unfair?
We feel that our movement is being portrayed in a different way. It’s a communal movement. It’s a violent movement. But that has never been the case.
But there have been case of violence.
It’s is not the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha. Some people with vested interests create problem and blame us. We are a demanding for Gorkhaland as per democratic means and according to the provisions of the constitution.
As a leader of the movement, did you feel at any point of time that there has been too much of violence and that you should give up?
You see the Sipchu incident. Unprovoked firing. Our people were carrying the national flag. What was the need of killing them? What was the need of imposing Section 144? We are not safe in Bengal. How can we give up?
The story was published on iSikkim.com
Gorkhas call for sacrifice
It was shock. It was shame. It was anger. And it was determination. The mood in the Gorkha camp in the meet on last Sunday at the Gorkha Bhawan in New Delhi was of the need to not let the sacrifice of those killed go in vain. Gorkha Janmukti Morcha national general secretary Roshan Giri called in his address for sustained and peaceful demonstration for Gorkhaland.
A week after his call, Gorkhas have started 45 days demonstration from 28th of February here at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Simultaneously dharnas (peaceful demonstrations) and hunger strikes are being organised in at least 8 sub-divisions of Darjeeling apart from Kolkata, Varanasi and at all other places where Gorkhas are present.
Around two hundred Gorkhas are sitting on dharna from this Monday at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Of them there are Gorkhas who have come from Darjeeling and all across India to express solidarity with the movement.
Priya Diskshit is an English teacher in Darjeeling. When asked about her non-Gorkha name, she said that, “My great grandparents migrated from UP to Darjeeling. Somehow this title crept into but I am a Gorkha.” Why has Priya come all the way from Darjeeling to New Delhi on her own expenses? She says, “West Bengal government never listened to us. I participated in peaceful demonstration back home in Darjeeling but we were met with force. Many of our children were brutally shot dead. So it became necessary to express our demand from other forums.” As her eyes become moist with tears, she adds, “My grandfather was in the army. My brother is in the army. We have fought for this country as anybody else. May be we will not have Gorkhaland now, but our future generations will rest in peace. We are not going to rest before we have it.”
Priya is not alone. The Gorkhas from across the country and cross section of society are in agreement with her.
Kishore Labar, originally from Darjeeling, is associated with Studio 55, an art gallery and has lived in Delhi for the last 13 years. He fell in love with a UP girl, married her and is settled in Delhi. How does he feel now about the demand of Gorkhaland now that he is practically an outsider? “I am not an outsider. I am still a Gorkha and would love to go back whenever I have an opportunity.” How does he feel working in the world of art where there are a number of Bengalis, the community with whom Gorkhas are in a tussle for Gorkhaland? Labar says, “It also applies to the Bengalis. I have some very good Bengali friends. Even they understand our sensibilities. They are not against it.”
Every single Gorkha who is sitting at the dharna has a story and a reason. It’s surprising why India’s oldest struggle for statehood never struck a chord with the policy makers of India.
Role of media
The role of mainstream media has also come under severe criticism from the Gorkhas and their leadership. The national media has been projecting the agitation of Gorkhaland as a violent secessionist movement. The ground reality has been markedly different. Despite sharing borders with the northeast, known for its insurgency movements, and open support from Maoists, the struggle for Gorkhaland has been largely peaceful, constitutional and democratic. “There have occurred sporadic incidents of blockade of roads and railways. Some of us have resorted to violence at times but those have been reactionary rather than deliberate. When West Bengal police resorts to indiscriminate violence, it is natural that some might get agitated. Even under Gandhi , some resorted to revolutionary methods”, said Ranjan Sharma, the media secretary of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, Delhi.
The fall of Hosni Mubarak in Egypt and success of Maoist in Nepal in uprooting monarchy has been an inspiration for the Gorkhas. As the struggle for Telangana threatens to create a Tehreer Square in Hyderabad, Gorkhas do have the wherewithal to do one in Kolkata.
The story was published on iSikkim.com
A week after his call, Gorkhas have started 45 days demonstration from 28th of February here at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Simultaneously dharnas (peaceful demonstrations) and hunger strikes are being organised in at least 8 sub-divisions of Darjeeling apart from Kolkata, Varanasi and at all other places where Gorkhas are present.
Around two hundred Gorkhas are sitting on dharna from this Monday at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Of them there are Gorkhas who have come from Darjeeling and all across India to express solidarity with the movement.
Priya Diskshit is an English teacher in Darjeeling. When asked about her non-Gorkha name, she said that, “My great grandparents migrated from UP to Darjeeling. Somehow this title crept into but I am a Gorkha.” Why has Priya come all the way from Darjeeling to New Delhi on her own expenses? She says, “West Bengal government never listened to us. I participated in peaceful demonstration back home in Darjeeling but we were met with force. Many of our children were brutally shot dead. So it became necessary to express our demand from other forums.” As her eyes become moist with tears, she adds, “My grandfather was in the army. My brother is in the army. We have fought for this country as anybody else. May be we will not have Gorkhaland now, but our future generations will rest in peace. We are not going to rest before we have it.”
Priya is not alone. The Gorkhas from across the country and cross section of society are in agreement with her.
Kishore Labar, originally from Darjeeling, is associated with Studio 55, an art gallery and has lived in Delhi for the last 13 years. He fell in love with a UP girl, married her and is settled in Delhi. How does he feel now about the demand of Gorkhaland now that he is practically an outsider? “I am not an outsider. I am still a Gorkha and would love to go back whenever I have an opportunity.” How does he feel working in the world of art where there are a number of Bengalis, the community with whom Gorkhas are in a tussle for Gorkhaland? Labar says, “It also applies to the Bengalis. I have some very good Bengali friends. Even they understand our sensibilities. They are not against it.”
Every single Gorkha who is sitting at the dharna has a story and a reason. It’s surprising why India’s oldest struggle for statehood never struck a chord with the policy makers of India.
Role of media
The role of mainstream media has also come under severe criticism from the Gorkhas and their leadership. The national media has been projecting the agitation of Gorkhaland as a violent secessionist movement. The ground reality has been markedly different. Despite sharing borders with the northeast, known for its insurgency movements, and open support from Maoists, the struggle for Gorkhaland has been largely peaceful, constitutional and democratic. “There have occurred sporadic incidents of blockade of roads and railways. Some of us have resorted to violence at times but those have been reactionary rather than deliberate. When West Bengal police resorts to indiscriminate violence, it is natural that some might get agitated. Even under Gandhi , some resorted to revolutionary methods”, said Ranjan Sharma, the media secretary of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, Delhi.
The fall of Hosni Mubarak in Egypt and success of Maoist in Nepal in uprooting monarchy has been an inspiration for the Gorkhas. As the struggle for Telangana threatens to create a Tehreer Square in Hyderabad, Gorkhas do have the wherewithal to do one in Kolkata.
The story was published on iSikkim.com
Monday, February 28, 2011
Lessons for Mamata’s Railway
The speed at which the British, whatever their compulsions were, built railways in India deserves to be remembered at a stage when Indian railway seems to be in a slumber. Probably its time to recall what they did and so did we in the initial years before the slumber crept into our implementation mechanism.
Case I
1858: The first plan to lay railway tracks in eastern India was made by the British when Eastern Bengal Railway (guaranteed railways) was formed in 1858. In 1859 Eastern Bengal Railway (EBR) begins construction on Calcutta-Kushtia line (175km). In 1862 November, EBR’s Calcutta-Kushtia (now in Bangladesh) line opens for traffic. By 1879 North Bengal State Rly. opens Parbatipur-Kaunia (both in northern Bangladesh) MG line.
Case II
1878: A standard gauge railway connected Kolkata and Siliguri in 1878. Siliguri, at the base of the Himalayas, was connected to Darjeeling by Tonga services. Franklin Prestage, an agent of Eastern Bengal Railway Company approached the government with a proposal of laying a steam tramway from Siliguri to Darjeeling. The proposal was accepted in 1879 after review by a committee and construction started the same year. The 86 kilometres Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, nicknamed the “Toy Train” was built between 1879 and 1881.
Case III
The first rail line was laid in 1853. By 1901 total Railway mileage reach at about 24,750 miles in India, of which 14,000 miles are BG (Broad Gauge), and most of the rest MG (Medium Gauge). By 1931 the total track in India jumps to about 43,000 miles.
We also had some of the British efficiency left in the early years of partition.
1947: Post partition two big systems, Bengal Assam Railway and North Western Railway are no longer in India (these included the workshops of Saidpur and Mogulpura, respectively). Assam Railway is cut off from the rest of the Indian system.
Assam Rail Link re-connecting Assam Railways with the rest of the Indian system wholly through Indian Territory: 229 km meter-gauge line is built within 2 years. Link opened to passenger traffic on Jan 26, 1950: Republic Day.
See the speed at which the above project were completed and compare that to the current scenario.
A master plan is announced in 1996 to link all the capital cities of the eight northeastern states by 2006. It’s 2010. Besides Guwahati, only Tripura capital Agartala are connected by the railway network in 2008 after constant struggle. In 2011 rail budget, Mamata Banerjee announces that the seven northeastern capitals will be connected in the next seven years.
On the front of building tracks as well, we have miserably failed. From where the British left, India has hardly done enough to use develop its rail network. True, why the British Raj built railway lines so fast because of its plans to control India and ensure transportation of military and supplies at a quick pace across the country but so are the needs of modern India to provide a cheap and reliable means of all weather transport.
Learn from China Mamata:
China has done it. China’s railway network has grown from 78,000 km at the end of 2007 to 91,000 km at the end of 2010, and is expected to grow to 110,000 km by the end of 2012. That means that China has added almost half of the India’s total rail network in last decade alone.
From 1990 to 2001, China has added, on average some 1,092 km of new railways, 837 km of multiple-track, and 962 km of electrified railways annually. And we, after almost two decades of economic reforms, have added less than one thousand KMs in last 20 years. Our rail route length has grown from 62,367 km in 1990 to only about 63,350 km now. China built over 2,500 km of new lines in 2008, 3,450 km in 2009 and plans to add 6,000 km of new tracks every year till 2020!!!
The fastest Indian trains, the Rajdhani and the Shatabdi average no more than 80 km per hour.
Any train that runs at 55 km per hour or more is called super-fast. We don’t have enough of them either. And our goods trains run no more than 19 km to 30 km per hour in different part of the country. Eight years from now (ignore the delays), some 3,000 km of dedicated freight corridors (forming only a tiny segment of our total network) will, hopefully, be in service. They might be running at 100 km an hour.
The average speed on the Chinese railways has shot up to 200 km per hour from 55 km per hour in 1997. China has almost 9000 KMs of High Speed Rail Network with trains running at between 200 km and 350 km per hour and will have 25000 KMs of High Speed Network by 2015.
Alas! Has India have enough visionary leaders, democracy would have more reasons to justify itself. We have done it before. It's time not to fail ourselves and mourn but to do it, once again.
Case I
1858: The first plan to lay railway tracks in eastern India was made by the British when Eastern Bengal Railway (guaranteed railways) was formed in 1858. In 1859 Eastern Bengal Railway (EBR) begins construction on Calcutta-Kushtia line (175km). In 1862 November, EBR’s Calcutta-Kushtia (now in Bangladesh) line opens for traffic. By 1879 North Bengal State Rly. opens Parbatipur-Kaunia (both in northern Bangladesh) MG line.
Case II
1878: A standard gauge railway connected Kolkata and Siliguri in 1878. Siliguri, at the base of the Himalayas, was connected to Darjeeling by Tonga services. Franklin Prestage, an agent of Eastern Bengal Railway Company approached the government with a proposal of laying a steam tramway from Siliguri to Darjeeling. The proposal was accepted in 1879 after review by a committee and construction started the same year. The 86 kilometres Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, nicknamed the “Toy Train” was built between 1879 and 1881.
Case III
The first rail line was laid in 1853. By 1901 total Railway mileage reach at about 24,750 miles in India, of which 14,000 miles are BG (Broad Gauge), and most of the rest MG (Medium Gauge). By 1931 the total track in India jumps to about 43,000 miles.
We also had some of the British efficiency left in the early years of partition.
1947: Post partition two big systems, Bengal Assam Railway and North Western Railway are no longer in India (these included the workshops of Saidpur and Mogulpura, respectively). Assam Railway is cut off from the rest of the Indian system.
Assam Rail Link re-connecting Assam Railways with the rest of the Indian system wholly through Indian Territory: 229 km meter-gauge line is built within 2 years. Link opened to passenger traffic on Jan 26, 1950: Republic Day.
See the speed at which the above project were completed and compare that to the current scenario.
A master plan is announced in 1996 to link all the capital cities of the eight northeastern states by 2006. It’s 2010. Besides Guwahati, only Tripura capital Agartala are connected by the railway network in 2008 after constant struggle. In 2011 rail budget, Mamata Banerjee announces that the seven northeastern capitals will be connected in the next seven years.
On the front of building tracks as well, we have miserably failed. From where the British left, India has hardly done enough to use develop its rail network. True, why the British Raj built railway lines so fast because of its plans to control India and ensure transportation of military and supplies at a quick pace across the country but so are the needs of modern India to provide a cheap and reliable means of all weather transport.
Learn from China Mamata:
China has done it. China’s railway network has grown from 78,000 km at the end of 2007 to 91,000 km at the end of 2010, and is expected to grow to 110,000 km by the end of 2012. That means that China has added almost half of the India’s total rail network in last decade alone.
From 1990 to 2001, China has added, on average some 1,092 km of new railways, 837 km of multiple-track, and 962 km of electrified railways annually. And we, after almost two decades of economic reforms, have added less than one thousand KMs in last 20 years. Our rail route length has grown from 62,367 km in 1990 to only about 63,350 km now. China built over 2,500 km of new lines in 2008, 3,450 km in 2009 and plans to add 6,000 km of new tracks every year till 2020!!!
The fastest Indian trains, the Rajdhani and the Shatabdi average no more than 80 km per hour.
Any train that runs at 55 km per hour or more is called super-fast. We don’t have enough of them either. And our goods trains run no more than 19 km to 30 km per hour in different part of the country. Eight years from now (ignore the delays), some 3,000 km of dedicated freight corridors (forming only a tiny segment of our total network) will, hopefully, be in service. They might be running at 100 km an hour.
The average speed on the Chinese railways has shot up to 200 km per hour from 55 km per hour in 1997. China has almost 9000 KMs of High Speed Rail Network with trains running at between 200 km and 350 km per hour and will have 25000 KMs of High Speed Network by 2015.
Alas! Has India have enough visionary leaders, democracy would have more reasons to justify itself. We have done it before. It's time not to fail ourselves and mourn but to do it, once again.
Concerns for Sikkim to be Pharma destination
North-East Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy (NEIIPP), 2007 and a 10 year tax exemption does the trick for pharma companies to relocate to Sikkim. Should Sikkim be concerned about its natural identity?
In early 2009 Mumbai-based pharma major Unichem Laboratories was in a fix over its expansion plans. The company’s existing plants at Goa, Ghaziabad and Baddi were already running at full capacity. Acquiring additional land in these places would have meant a pretty high investment. Sikkim was the potential destination, the company began to evaluate. In 2010, in little more than a year, an ultra-modern formulation plant of Unichem Laboratories became operational at a minimal investment of Rs 30 crore.
Opportunity for pharma majors
Indian pharma companies are now using the concept of multi-locational facilities to get Return On Investment (ROI) in the shortest possible time. Unichem is not alone now. More than a dozen pharma companies like Cipla, Sun Pharma, Zydus Cadila, Alembic, IPCA, Alkem Lab, Intas Pharma, Torrent Pharma and of course, Unichem have set up base at Sikkim to maximize the benefits of the new North-East Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy (NEIIPP), 2007 which come with a 10 year tax exemption from the date of commencement of commercial production. In case of Sikkim, there’s 100% excise duty exemption on finished products manufactured there, 100% exemption on income tax, capital investment subsidy of 30% on the investment in plant and machinery, interest subsidy at 3% on working capital loan and even reimbursement of 100% insurance premium. Labour, power and overall cost of manufacturing in Sikkim is already lower when compared to states like Gujarat and Maharashtra. And to top it all, Sikkim also offers attractive freight subsidy. These are the reasons, why of late, pharma giant Lupin is also evaluating the state.
Today, Sikkim is home to 14 major pharma companies with significant investments in the state. By early 2010, Sikkim had already attracted pharma investment upwards of Rs 2,500 crore. After Gujarat, Goa and Baddi, Sikkim is the next hotspot for pharma majors. This could have big implications given the fact that India is world’s fourth largest producer of pharmaceuticals by volume. On the part of pharma companies, having multi location plants prevents over dependence on one site.
Ramesh Kumar, who heads the Cipla plant at Sikkim said to a newspaper in 2009, “Sikkim is a peaceful state and has huge potential for the manufacturing sector. There is minimal interference by the state government. It’s true the state took some time to develop and attract the pharma companies. But now it is surely at a tipping point,”. Cipla has gone on stream in Sikkim since April 2008.
“The new North-East Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy, 2007 is highly beneficial for pharma Investments in Sikkim. The State is not known for issues like labour unrest. The pollution free atmosphere is absolutely conducive to pharma investment. There could not have been a better situation,” said Prof. Prakash V Mallya, director, Centre for Pharmaceutical Professional Advancement, Krupanidhi Institutions, Bangalore.
The big advantage that companies are viewing in Sikkim is the ability to be able to invest in a Greenfield project complying to Good Manufacturing Practice(GMP). The design concepts for GMP can be incorporated the latest technology and equipment in the beginning itself, thus avoiding the problem of trying to change the traditional plant design.
Opportunity for Sikkim
In case of Baddi in Himachal, the pharma sector made a beeline around 2004-05 to cash in on the tax incentives. Within years, as many as 180 pharma units set up base in Baddi. Right now, tourism industry is the key revenue generator for the Sikkim exchequer. If Sikkim can redo a Baddi, the state will be sitting on a pile of cash. Sikkim is offering huge benefits. But despite attractive benefits, poor marketing is a handicap which Sikkim has been suffering from. And it is here that Baddi had scored trumps.
Hiccups
There remain a few hiccups though, especially trained manpower. There is only one pharmacy college which companies will need to approach for candidates and invest in training. Pharma manufacture also need the support of ancillary units like packaging, access to raw materials, components, machinery etc.
According Kaushik Desai, chairman, Industrial Pharmacy Division, Indian Pharmaceutical Association, although the logistics and access to trained manpower are an issue, pharma majors have opted to invest in Sikkim. This is because of financial gains, they can garner from these investments at a faster pace from tax savings.
Concerns
In the Himalayan state of Sikkim, environment is a big concern. And rightly so when the drug majors pay scant regards in exploiting natural resources and run away at the first opportunity of a tax haven. Gujarat, till just a few years ago, manufactured almost 42% of country's drugs. With Baddi coming up, Gujarat's share dropped down to 20%. Now, with Sikkim giving tax breaks, the companies are rushing here.
They will pollute the water, the air and the greenery, enjoy tax benefits and when another tax haven comes, will relocate there. Sikkim can ill afford to have such generous policies to the detriment of its natural identity. Companies are welcome to Sikkim but we can't let Sikkim and its rivers be a dumping ground for these pharma majors. The government of Sikkim needs to put strict regulations to not let Sikkim's natural beauty, cleanliness and purity dilute for short term profit.
The article has been published on iSikkim.com
In early 2009 Mumbai-based pharma major Unichem Laboratories was in a fix over its expansion plans. The company’s existing plants at Goa, Ghaziabad and Baddi were already running at full capacity. Acquiring additional land in these places would have meant a pretty high investment. Sikkim was the potential destination, the company began to evaluate. In 2010, in little more than a year, an ultra-modern formulation plant of Unichem Laboratories became operational at a minimal investment of Rs 30 crore.
Opportunity for pharma majors
Indian pharma companies are now using the concept of multi-locational facilities to get Return On Investment (ROI) in the shortest possible time. Unichem is not alone now. More than a dozen pharma companies like Cipla, Sun Pharma, Zydus Cadila, Alembic, IPCA, Alkem Lab, Intas Pharma, Torrent Pharma and of course, Unichem have set up base at Sikkim to maximize the benefits of the new North-East Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy (NEIIPP), 2007 which come with a 10 year tax exemption from the date of commencement of commercial production. In case of Sikkim, there’s 100% excise duty exemption on finished products manufactured there, 100% exemption on income tax, capital investment subsidy of 30% on the investment in plant and machinery, interest subsidy at 3% on working capital loan and even reimbursement of 100% insurance premium. Labour, power and overall cost of manufacturing in Sikkim is already lower when compared to states like Gujarat and Maharashtra. And to top it all, Sikkim also offers attractive freight subsidy. These are the reasons, why of late, pharma giant Lupin is also evaluating the state.
Today, Sikkim is home to 14 major pharma companies with significant investments in the state. By early 2010, Sikkim had already attracted pharma investment upwards of Rs 2,500 crore. After Gujarat, Goa and Baddi, Sikkim is the next hotspot for pharma majors. This could have big implications given the fact that India is world’s fourth largest producer of pharmaceuticals by volume. On the part of pharma companies, having multi location plants prevents over dependence on one site.
Ramesh Kumar, who heads the Cipla plant at Sikkim said to a newspaper in 2009, “Sikkim is a peaceful state and has huge potential for the manufacturing sector. There is minimal interference by the state government. It’s true the state took some time to develop and attract the pharma companies. But now it is surely at a tipping point,”. Cipla has gone on stream in Sikkim since April 2008.
“The new North-East Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy, 2007 is highly beneficial for pharma Investments in Sikkim. The State is not known for issues like labour unrest. The pollution free atmosphere is absolutely conducive to pharma investment. There could not have been a better situation,” said Prof. Prakash V Mallya, director, Centre for Pharmaceutical Professional Advancement, Krupanidhi Institutions, Bangalore.
The big advantage that companies are viewing in Sikkim is the ability to be able to invest in a Greenfield project complying to Good Manufacturing Practice(GMP). The design concepts for GMP can be incorporated the latest technology and equipment in the beginning itself, thus avoiding the problem of trying to change the traditional plant design.
Opportunity for Sikkim
In case of Baddi in Himachal, the pharma sector made a beeline around 2004-05 to cash in on the tax incentives. Within years, as many as 180 pharma units set up base in Baddi. Right now, tourism industry is the key revenue generator for the Sikkim exchequer. If Sikkim can redo a Baddi, the state will be sitting on a pile of cash. Sikkim is offering huge benefits. But despite attractive benefits, poor marketing is a handicap which Sikkim has been suffering from. And it is here that Baddi had scored trumps.
Hiccups
There remain a few hiccups though, especially trained manpower. There is only one pharmacy college which companies will need to approach for candidates and invest in training. Pharma manufacture also need the support of ancillary units like packaging, access to raw materials, components, machinery etc.
According Kaushik Desai, chairman, Industrial Pharmacy Division, Indian Pharmaceutical Association, although the logistics and access to trained manpower are an issue, pharma majors have opted to invest in Sikkim. This is because of financial gains, they can garner from these investments at a faster pace from tax savings.
Concerns
In the Himalayan state of Sikkim, environment is a big concern. And rightly so when the drug majors pay scant regards in exploiting natural resources and run away at the first opportunity of a tax haven. Gujarat, till just a few years ago, manufactured almost 42% of country's drugs. With Baddi coming up, Gujarat's share dropped down to 20%. Now, with Sikkim giving tax breaks, the companies are rushing here.
They will pollute the water, the air and the greenery, enjoy tax benefits and when another tax haven comes, will relocate there. Sikkim can ill afford to have such generous policies to the detriment of its natural identity. Companies are welcome to Sikkim but we can't let Sikkim and its rivers be a dumping ground for these pharma majors. The government of Sikkim needs to put strict regulations to not let Sikkim's natural beauty, cleanliness and purity dilute for short term profit.
The article has been published on iSikkim.com
Friday, February 25, 2011
Manipur and its women create history in 34th National Games
Manipur did it once again. Leave Services, which is probably the most organised and well funded set up in this country and no other state could match the might of Manipur. 48 gold, 37 silver and 33 bronze; a total of 118 medals, till reports last came in. Manipur has proved once again that it is the sports powerhouse of the country.
The stellar performance of Manipur is not a flicker. In the 33rd National Games in Assam, Manipur held the top slot among states winning a total of 123 medals which included 51 gold. The competition has only increased after Assam National Games in which around 6800 athletes participated. In the ongoing Jharkhand National Games, which is the biggest ever National Game held, more than 8000 sportspersons are participating. And despite increased participation and hence competition, Manipur may well equal and even better its tall in the time left. In any case there is no doubt that Manipur has maintained its edge, .
In the 32nd National Games held in Hyderabad, it was Hyderabad that won the top slot winning 93 gold, 86 silver and 63 bronze. Punjab had won 54 gold and a total of 146 medals. Manipur was way below them. The script was different just after 5 years in the 33rd National Games in Assam in 2007. Andhra Pradesh which had won 93 gold medals as a host in 2002 won a total of just 95 medals in 2007 which included merely 17 gold medals. Punjab had 25 gold and a total of 104 medals to its credit in 33rd Assam National Games.
Many told that in the 33rd National Games held in Assam many players from these states didn’t participate due to militant threats and hence Manipur had a cakewalk. Manipur proved its critics wrong this time by winning a record number of medals. It beat Madhya Pradesh and then Maharashtra after trailing occasionally only to hop back to the top slot. At one time it looked determined to beat event the Services but for some phenomenal performance by Army Jawans. Andhra won just 5 gold medals and 49 medals overall while Punjab won 113 medals which includes 22 gold.
There is a lesson for policy makers and commentators sitting across in Delhi who have never paid the land of Manorama Devi and Irom Sharmila its due. Thanks to the mothers of Manipur who showed to the rest of India that Manipur can do sports better than anybody. Interestingly, in the incredible show of Manipur it is the womenfolk who have emerged on the scene, something we have been writing in these columns for last two weeks.
The number of medals won by Manipuri women bear testimony to this fact. Of the 112 sportsperson in both the group and individual events who won gold medals for Manipur, 75 are women players and only 37 are men. And of the 80 Manipuri sportspersons who won silver medals, 65 are women. Not even bronze was left for men. Of the 55 bronze medal Manipuris won, 31 were won by the female players. That amounts to a total of 171 medals out of 247 medals that was won by Manipur.
India’s mothers have a lesson to learn from the performance of the womenfolk of Manipur. For the sports critics and the rest, wait for the 35th National Games just after a year in Kerala in 2012. On the part of other northeastern states including Sikkim, it’s time to rethink their sports strategy.
The story has been published on iSikkim.com
The stellar performance of Manipur is not a flicker. In the 33rd National Games in Assam, Manipur held the top slot among states winning a total of 123 medals which included 51 gold. The competition has only increased after Assam National Games in which around 6800 athletes participated. In the ongoing Jharkhand National Games, which is the biggest ever National Game held, more than 8000 sportspersons are participating. And despite increased participation and hence competition, Manipur may well equal and even better its tall in the time left. In any case there is no doubt that Manipur has maintained its edge, .
In the 32nd National Games held in Hyderabad, it was Hyderabad that won the top slot winning 93 gold, 86 silver and 63 bronze. Punjab had won 54 gold and a total of 146 medals. Manipur was way below them. The script was different just after 5 years in the 33rd National Games in Assam in 2007. Andhra Pradesh which had won 93 gold medals as a host in 2002 won a total of just 95 medals in 2007 which included merely 17 gold medals. Punjab had 25 gold and a total of 104 medals to its credit in 33rd Assam National Games.
Many told that in the 33rd National Games held in Assam many players from these states didn’t participate due to militant threats and hence Manipur had a cakewalk. Manipur proved its critics wrong this time by winning a record number of medals. It beat Madhya Pradesh and then Maharashtra after trailing occasionally only to hop back to the top slot. At one time it looked determined to beat event the Services but for some phenomenal performance by Army Jawans. Andhra won just 5 gold medals and 49 medals overall while Punjab won 113 medals which includes 22 gold.
There is a lesson for policy makers and commentators sitting across in Delhi who have never paid the land of Manorama Devi and Irom Sharmila its due. Thanks to the mothers of Manipur who showed to the rest of India that Manipur can do sports better than anybody. Interestingly, in the incredible show of Manipur it is the womenfolk who have emerged on the scene, something we have been writing in these columns for last two weeks.
The number of medals won by Manipuri women bear testimony to this fact. Of the 112 sportsperson in both the group and individual events who won gold medals for Manipur, 75 are women players and only 37 are men. And of the 80 Manipuri sportspersons who won silver medals, 65 are women. Not even bronze was left for men. Of the 55 bronze medal Manipuris won, 31 were won by the female players. That amounts to a total of 171 medals out of 247 medals that was won by Manipur.
India’s mothers have a lesson to learn from the performance of the womenfolk of Manipur. For the sports critics and the rest, wait for the 35th National Games just after a year in Kerala in 2012. On the part of other northeastern states including Sikkim, it’s time to rethink their sports strategy.
The story has been published on iSikkim.com
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