NOBEL TO OBAMA; FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE OR FOR WHAT HE IS TO DO

ACHIEVING EVERYTHING TOO EARLY

 The conferment of Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 on Barack    Hussein Obama, the US President has triggered a debate across the world that whether it is a premature decision or it is a wrong decision altogether. Many news channels and newspapers have started online voting on this issue. Prior to Obama, three US Presidents, one after retirement and two in the office have also been awarded this prestigious and perhaps the most coveted and recognised award, they are Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 and  Woodrow Wilson in 1919 and Jimmy Carter in 2002. But in none of the case did controversy and public interests arise to such a magnitude.

The decision was so unexpected and surprising that even Obama himself, who was in sound asleep in White House was made to awake to break this news on him, was astonished on the decision.  Although diplomatically, he reciprocated with words like ‘Humbled and Honoured’, it was not easily palatable to him also; it was like a pleasant dream for him.

The decision of Norwegian Nobel Committee, which was established in 1901 by Alfred Nobel, the ‘Inventor of Dynamite’, the explosive, presently comprising of five eminent people from Europe and headed by Thorbjorn Jagland, the former PM of Norway, to award Obama was not an easy task because a all time record 205 nominations were on the board, including persons like Morgan Tsvangirai of Zimbabwe and Chinese dissident Hu Jia, Martti Ahtisaari etc.

WHAT OBAMA HAS SO FAR DONE FOR PEACE- Many people including some think tanks and world leaders are asking that what Obama has so far accomplished? Walesa, the former President of Poland and himself Nobel Peace Prize winner also openly criticized this decision by saying that Obama has so far accomplished nothing. 

 People say that Obama has opened many fronts in international diplomacy of course, but results or logical conclusions of these ‘back or front door diplomacies’ have not yet come. He has been desperately trying to solve vexed and seemingly unending ‘West Asia problem’ and has appointed ‘George Mitchell’ as special envoy to initiate dialogue with warring factions including Hamas on the one hand and Israeli government on the other. The victory of Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel has made Obama’s task only difficult as former has openly but diplomatically not accepted Obama’s ‘two Nation and Stop Settlement theory’. The famous ‘Cairo Speech’ of Obama which stirred hornest nest in the Muslim world and was termed as Obama’s bold and farsighted effort to avert the imminent ‘Clash of Civilisations’ as propounded by Samuel Huntington. Obama wanted to end or at least mitigate this hatred in the Muslim world for Americans in particular and European in general, a grotesque legacy which both senior and junior George Bush had left for him. Although, a lot more is required to be done both by the international community and Obama in this regard, a humble beginning was definitely made by Obama, for which he rightly deserves appreciation. At least, he could muster courage and showed political sagacity and diplomatic audacity to accept that America has done some wrongs, for which time has arrived to mend ways and rectify and nullify the wrongs done.

On Afghanistan, Obama’s policy is yet to take definite shape and yield results. By appointing Richard Holbrook as special envoy for Afghanistan, he sent signal to the world community, especially the Muslim world, that he is all set to change the old stereotypes and colonial mindset towards South-Asia. Although by the time Obama could arrive at White House, huge collateral damage had been done both in terms of man and money. Many American politicians and many security experts also including Stanley A. McChrystal, the chief of NATO forces in Afghanistan say openly now that America and West is fighting a lost war in Afghanistan. McChrystal in a 66 pages report has demanded 40,000 more troops in Afghanistan; otherwise, he said, US will lose the war. This report has shaken confidence security and defence establishments including Pentagon. Joe Biden in not in favour of sending more troops and Obama is not yet made up his mind, which way he will go. It is not possible for him either to eschew or to end the war abruptly and abjure attacks on Taliban and Al-Qaeda.

The USA is to decide and choose between devil and the deep sea. Eight precious years and loss of billions of dollars has brought for America only causalities, defame and injuries. Obama has to overcome from this; a huge and stupendous task of finding an amicable but lasting solutions. The hope generated during Afghanistan election also is going to be a fiasco. But so far Obama has been able to play very cautiously and intelligently and he requires consistency as well as continuity in this regard and this award is definitely a prize and a go ahead signal for him.

As far as Nuclear disarmament and arms race are concerned, Obama has taken bold and decisive steps. Although, it is premature to give him a certificate of victory or accomplishment, a beginning is made, the process has been incited, which had been in hibernation for a long time. The controversial ‘Europe Missile Defence plan’ has been abandoned by Obama, a decision which was very difficult to take under the prevailing politico-strategic global environment. By doing so, Obama has tried to lessen the tension with Russia, the arch rival even after losing its superpower status.

Even during Georgian crisis, which led to establishment of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent nations, Obama maintained ‘outstanding restraint’, a posture which was unheard of during recent times by White House.

In UN General Assembly session, Obama’s initiative brought CTBT and NPT again on international agenda. In recent times, both these treaties had been put into ‘mode of pause’. The Nobel Committee must have taken into consideration these aspects also before taking a final decision on this issue. The US’ posture of ‘ready to take on those who dare to challenge’ has been bid good-bye by Obama. He repeatedly utters ‘conciliation and not confrontation’ and advocates for ‘peaceful co-existence’ rather than dominance. These are some of the steps taken by Obama, which has definitely ushered in a new era of difference, for which Obama must be encouraged.

The experience of ‘policy of economic and military sanction’ has been proved disastrous and has done more harm than good. This perhaps due to this mindset, Obama did not act the manner his predecessors would have acted with North Korea and Iran on their defiance of international opinion by test firing N-Missiles etc. He is trying to end economic sanctions of Myanmar also, but not unilaterally but by taking into confidence Suu Kyi also.

Last but definitely not the least is the decision of release of hundreds of detainees in Guantanamo bay. Though it was criticised by many including his compatriots, Obama did not hesitate and took a historic decision to show that he really cares for all what he says. The results in terms of prevail of good will in the Muslim world is still a distant dream, but Obama has tried to undo many wrongs which has been done by his predecessors including George Bush, the junior.

Thus there is no denying the fact that Obama’s actions have yet to be translated into achievements, his efforts are inculcated with sincerity and honesty for which he must be praised and suitably rewarded. And Nobel Prize for peace was definitely the best available option for the Nobel Committee.

However this award will ever be remembered for making a departure in the sense that all previous Nobel Prizes had been conferred for ‘What has been done’ but this year’s award perhaps for the first time has been given for ‘What is to be done’. Perhaps due to this departure, even chairman of the committee Thorbjorn Jagland also said ‘If you look at the history of the Peace Prize, we have on many occasions given it to try to enhance what many personalities were trying to do’ he added ‘It was because we would like to support he is trying to achieve’. The message clear; Obama has been awarded for what he is to do and not what he has done.                                                

  

Vulgar salaries; Innovation versus Regulation

TO WHAT EXTENT WILL YOU GET FATTER?


The fattening and getting monster in size the salaries of hundreds of CEOs across India has invited both national an international media attention. The growing number of persons in the list annually published by Forbes Magazine has also invited attention of both common man and politicians in this country. The statement of  Salman Khurshid, the minister for corporate affairs has ignited the debate across the nation as to whether there should be any regulation vis-à-vis vulgar salaries of CEOs in India or not. Only few moths back, Prime Minister Dr. Man Mohan Singh had also advised corporate world to rethink over ever increasing salaries and perks of the CEOs which, he lamented, widens the gulf between rich and poor and haves and have nots. PM was also disapproving the vulgar and gargantuan salaries in social and ethical perspective and said that this heightens the social tensions in the society because when people see this huge gap and wants to imitate the ostentatious life styles of ‘rich and famous’ over TV screens often get frustrated and tend to resort to violent and unlawful means.


HUGE GAP- the list appearing in public domain through media regarding top 10 highest paid salaries CEOs, suggests that the number has increased both in size and numbers. Persons like Mukesh Ambani who tops the list gets more than 44 crore( 440 million) as annual salary, whereas as Pawan Kant Munjal of hero Honda gets more than Rs/-150 million per annum. The list is being added by new debuts every year meaning thereby that more and more people of fat and vulgar salaries are being born in India. Many people may argue that what is wrong in it? Apparently nothing unethical and lamentable appears in this new corporate culture. China, the third largest and fasted growing economy in the globe which has celebrated its 60^th anniversary of its birth of communism with huge pomp and prowess, has also witnessed incredible increase in numbers of HNIs and the number of millionaires  here has gone up to unbelievable  8, 25,000. The Chinese economy grew by 67 times since 1979, the year when Deng Xiaoping took over the rein of this Asian dragon. But this does not justify situation in our countries which is far from satisfaction. Our economy has also grown over a decade or so but at the same time and we too have occasions to celebrate, but we have created more deserts than oasis. More than 80% Indians do not spend even Rs/- 20 on them. Our country has still the stigma of having largest number of under nourished and mal nourished children. The health indicators and socio-economic indicators do not speak eulogy for us. The Human Development Index (HDI) launched by UNDP in 1990 has published its 2009 reports in which India slipped at 134^th position.  According to World Health Organization, about 49% of the World’s under weight children and 34% of the World’s stunted children and 46% of World’s wasted children live in India. On contrary to this, about 83, 000 Indians have liquid assets more than 1 Million dollars. There are millions of people who own more than 5 palatial buildings whereas there are hundreds of thousands of people who sleep under sky.
We have still hundreds of villages and towns which are not electrified and connected with good roads. We use mineral waters in cities whereas; people in many rural areas do not have access to safe drinking water. There are millions of homeless people and Indira Awas Yojna, a flagship scheme for providing homes to BPL families is still to provide even the minimum space required homes to all eligible BPL families. On the other hand there are people who spend 700 crore on one building to live in. what a dichotomy and contrast indeed! Under this backdrop how can India afford such vulgar salaries to some of the CEOs?  


INNOVATION versus REGULATION- Minister’s public utterance against the vulgar salaries of CEO’s has triggered a public debate and the society is vertically divided on this issue.   The people having views of no regulation on the salaries of CEOs suggests that any regulation from outside may be from government, would jeopardize the process of innovation in India. There shall be a brain drain if the salaries are put under a fixed ceiling, they warn. Some of the High Net worth Individuals (HNI) passes sarcastic remarks and say ‘you can keep monkey by paying grams’. But experiences in the past reveal another story. In India for example, all innovations and inventions have come from government aided or owned laboratories or from public sectors. Privates sectors do not simply bother to invest in Research and Development (R&D). The inspiration of opening of economy and pursuing policies of Liberalization, privatization and globalization came from government side. The stimulus of innovations has been coming from regulations and not from de-regulation. In fact the de-regulation and excessive leverage in the financial system has given us worst ever global financial crisis and it is the regulation which is providing stimulus to turn it round. Even in USA, ‘efficient market hypothesis’ of Eugene Fama which later became of less regulation in the financial market of the world did not belong to any commercial or investment bank, rather Fama belonged to academia. Therefore the logic of this kind is rubbish and need not deserve hearing. 
The government must come up with a comprehensive legislation with respect to providing a ceiling on the ever growing size of salaries of the CEOs otherwise it will further the dissent in our society and widen the gap between rich and poor. No society and economy can thrive and grow under such dichotomy and contradictions.  Amartya Sen has rightly said that growth without democratic distribution brings no prosperity in the country.                        

       

GANGA DOLPHIN DECLARED NATIONAL AQUATIC ANIMAL

SAVE ME I WILL HELP SAVE YOU
Ganga Dolphin, locally known as ‘Sauns’ has been declared as ‘National Aquatic Animal’. Decision to this effect has been taken by Forest and Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh on the eve of maiden meeting of Ganga River Basin Authority (GRBA) chaired by PM in New Delhi yesterday on the suggestion of Nitish Kumar, CM of Bihar.

Ganga Dolphin an endemic and endangered species are found in the holy river Ganga mostly between Patna to Bhagalpur. Environmentalists have been agitating for long time to protect this aquatic animal, the number of which is said to be around 2000 only in the world. About 2 to 2.5 meter long saus, the dolphin came into prominence in 1991 when the state government declared it ‘endangered species’ and declared  60 kilometre Ganga strip near Bhagalpur as ‘Ganges dolphin sanctuary’. This is the single zone in which about 160-200 Ganga dolphins have been counted. The fishing of this endangered species has been banned years ago but still then fisher men do not hesitate killing this animal largely due to ignorance. The feature of this endemic animal is such that it looks like ferocious one but on the contrary these saus are very harmless and human friendly. Surprisingly no such attention has so far been given internationally to this animal. Environmentalists are particularly very excited and happy on this decision and say that this declaration would now help in big way to protect and preserve this species.