Paddy Cultivation – A Key Determinant of Land Revenue Assessment and Inland Water Resource Management in Madras Presidency (1902-1956)

Paddy Cultivation – A Key Determinant of Land Revenue Assessment and Inland Water Resource Management in Madras Presidency (1902-1956)

Introduction

          The History of World Civilizations has taught us that, the creative intelligence of humans manifesting through arts and aesthetics   have always been concomitant with the surplus availability of the basic needs viz., Food, Clothing and Shelter. Of the three needs for human survival, Food gains immense significance. A society facing a huge resource deficit that creates a “resource competition” among men and women can never think of peace and harmony. Apparently the primary responsibilities of the States since the beginning of their evolution have dealt with stabilizing a consistent mode of Food Production by way of a neatly woven system of Agricultural taxes (Land Revenue) and the paramount importance that has been attached to the maintenance of Inland Water Resource management. In Tamil Culture the Water, Food Production and Agriculturists have been glorified. The ‘Sacred Kural’ dating to 2^nd Century BC popularly called ‘Thirukkural’ a book of couplets composed by sage Thiruvalluvar hails water as the basis of life of this world.   Further in ancient text like “Pura Naanooru”, (Four Hundred verses on socio-political life) water management have been given due importance as a sovereign function that is complimented by Paddy Cultivation. Hence in Tamil Culture, the paddy cultivation and inland water resource management have been an essential function of the State and the same must be in the reset of India too. It is also worth mentioning that famines are associated with lack of Food and Water and hence the Governments regardless of their political identity have always attached paramount importance to Inland Water Resource Management and Paddy Cultivation. Numerous folk songs have been sung in Tamil on Paddy Sowing, Irrigation, Cultivation and Paddy harvest. The same followed suit in Colonial Period during British Rule with their scientific knowledge of soil chemistry, cadastral survey, levy of a systematic Land Revenue and above all the legal arrangements they made to preserve inland water resources. There was land that was earmarked exclusively as “Paddy lands” in different parts of South India and in Madras Presidency, in particular. Thanjavur, called the Granary of the South is mainly because of this inland water management and the state support for Paddy Cultivation.

Enough getting romantic of the past, we need to examine the present with the wealth of information of the past on Paddy Cultivation and Inland Water Resource management on the following vital and valid realities:-

1.    That paddy production is steadily getting reduced in those areas called as “exclusive paddy land” that is complimented by

2.    The disappearance of  inland water resources and supply channels with a far reaching impact on

3.    Increasing Food and Water insecurity.

          With the above three present day situations the following issues require to be examined in depth :

1.    What were the Political and Administrative Arrangements made by the Erstwhile Government of India in Madras Presidency (1902-1956) to make paddy Cultivation as sustainable means of Agriculture?

2.    To what extent Inland Water resource Management augmented Paddy Cultivation in erstwhile Madras Presidency (1902-1956)that includes the total Land Revenue Collection inclusive of  ‘Water Cess and the Betterment Levy Contribution’

3.     The trajectory of depletion of the Inland Water Resources and its consequential impact on Paddy Cultivation in select locations of four agro-climatic zones of the erstwhile Madras  Presidency ( 1956 to 2000) and

4.    Identify the vital areas of policy advocacy for restoring Paddy Cultivation and inland water resource management.

Hypotheses

          In order to fix up the research questions for a precise understanding, the following Hypotheses are could be also validated:-

1.    Paddy Cultivation in Madras Presidency  is dependent on the Inland Water Resource management

2.    Paddy Cultivation is the key factor for Land Revenue Assessment in Madras Presidency and

3.    The Inland Water Resource mismanagement had an impact in Paddy Cultivation in the Madras Presidency.

    A research on the above line should be certainly beneficial to the country because The whole effort while taking lessons from the past tend to aaddress the issue of Food Security through Augmenting Inland Water resources Paddy Cultivation, the need of the hour.

Give us a Fishing Rod and the Path to Fishing Lake and not Fishes

In the news yesterday: Some Villagers, the stakeholders (no more beneficiaries), of the expensive Welfare scheme of the Government of Tamil Nadu, distribution of Goats for rural poor free of cost, were being sent to the neighboring Pondicherry’s Meat Market. Those goats with the metal tags in their ears testified that they are the welfare scheme goats. Immediately the beneficiaries were being complaint to Police in the District of Villupuram for selling the goats illegally and other bureaucratic actions would also follow suit. Let us hope the end users of the meat the innocent consumers of Pondicherry would be spared from the wrath of the State Government of Tamil Nadu for eating the goats given by the Government as part of the freebies.

            It is at this point a series of questions arise in my mind:

(1)   What is the offence committed by the beneficiary? and

(2)   If at all an offence made out does the offence confine to the beneficiary alone?

The above news is available in this link, thanks to my dear friend Mr.Bosco Domique of Times of India.

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JQ0gvMjAxMi8wMS8yNSNBcjAwOTAw&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom

The History of Freebies in Tamil Nadu

            An economics post graduate, scholar, playwright, novelist, writer and Tamil Nadu’s ever memorable public speaker and the founder of ‘Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’ (DMK) Mr. C.N.Annadurai came out with a sensational campaign slogan to oust the congress from the power in the year 1967. Since it was nearly twenty years after Independence that the entire country was ruled by the Indian National Congress, and that even Pandit Nehru was no more (He passed away in 1964), the congress party was slowly getting de-institutionalised. Congress men were very complacent during the elections as they thought they would come back. In Tamil Nadu, because of the clash of personal whims and fancies of Mr.Kamaraj Nadar and Mr.C.Rajagopalachariar, the Congress was already weakening.

            It was at that time the DMK was extremely socially mobilizing with every nook and corner of the State and student movements became identical with DMK’s party ideology. CNA( Mr.C.N.Annadurai) anchored his political ideology in Tamil Language and Identity and revived a cultural revolution perhaps from getting inspired from China at that time. In that context to mobilize people, CNA used this slogan ‘Two measures (roughly three or more kilos) of Rice for Re.1”.This campaign slogan was a mega hit and since then started this freebies mania among Tamil nadu Politicians.

Karunanidhi’s Expansion of Populism

            In a short sentence, one can say it was Mr.M.Karunanidhi who expanded the supermarket of Populist Politics and extended to Slum Clearance and free distribution of food, clothing and shelter and paved the way for a new Political culture that party’s political manifestos became a kind of a honey trap of innocent voters.

MGR’s Improvisation

            Mr.M.G.Ramachandran, who eclipsed Mr.M.Karunanidhi and DMK in Tamil Nadu, a very popular cine actor turned Chief Minister ( Since then Tamil Cinema Heroes developed the confidence of becoming the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu) went One step ahead of improvising Karunanidhi’s freebies into “ Transposing the family responsibilities over the State”, that his popular schemes completely made a common lay man of Tamil Nadu to get deeply re-inforced that State Government is a facilitator for a comfortable living, however lazy a person/head of the family is.

Later Days

            Since late 1990’s the DMK has become a party for promotion of family’s welfare of Mr.M.Karunanidhi and for the AIADMK, the welfare of Sasikala and her relatives and in this process, populism was the only dose of opium for the furious voters who lacked choice as they are in between the ‘Devil’ and the ‘Deep Sea’.

            Karunanidhi’s Rs. 2 for One Kilo Rice and now free rice (When the market price of Rice is not less than Rs.20/-) are the utterly foolish and irrational schemes devised without any application of mind. When the food grains are distributed through PDS (Public Distribution System), it is obvious that they get into the markets of the neighboring states that Rice prices went down in Kerala and Andhra because of TN’s free rice scheme!

Goats and Cows and What Not?

            Look at the fate of public policy making in Tamil Nadu. There are no grazing grounds for the cattles to graze, but State spends on free distribution of cattles. There is no market access for end produces as in the case of Punjab, but here in TN free cultivable land is given. When the Government is least bothered about controlling the price of Agricultural inputs such the increasing price of Fertilizers, Farm Equipments Government is boasting of its free electricity. Now to add on to this mockery, free distribution of goats and cows are given without paying any attention for improving the quality of life of an average man.

            We need enhanced public expenditure on service sector especially School Education and Higher Education. We need to eradicate farmer’s suicides and their distress. Instead of improving capacities and capabilities that Amartya Sen always keep pleading to Modern States, we are addicted to ‘adhocism’. Goats sent to Market is a classical example.

All in the Game

            Along with the beneficiaries who sold the goats, the entire political parties of the State are the culprits for maintaining this status of people as if they need to be ever be dependent on the elected Governments. If not AIADMK, then DMK or some others, the Political Parties always seek to keep this situation stable to maximize their survival.

            Undoing and Doing welfare schemes is as wise as the picture afore states – using a correction fluid to correct the sentences printed in a computer’s screen through a word processor. Imaginary Solutions for Real Problems!!!

Let us touch our heart and say, Don’t the people in distress need fishing rod and not fishes and more importantly “ An Access to Fishing Pond” – which is conveniently ignored by the ruling Political Class? What legitimacy we have to open our mouth and speak about “Achieving an All inclusive Growth in the XII Plan?”

My Brain is not your Dustbin: a Silent Cry of a Kindergarten Child

Dear Mom and Dad, My Brain is not your Dustbin: a Silent Cry of a Kindergarten Child

Dear Mom and Dad!

            It's your kid through Raja Uncle through his blog. You may ridicule my effort, you may think I am talking too smart, but when you enjoyed my over smartness even at a smaller age, when I called "elders" a “Fool”, Mom, you clapped your hands and even looked my Nanna and Nanny with pride of my child prodigy. When some joke is played at the cost of thers, you relish, but this is all about you, just you. You may pretend to miss reading/misreading this; but I know your heart will.

I am not your pet Animal but a baby!        

            When you both showered your love and affection and felt my little sickness as your heart attacks, my cries as Ambulance Sirens and reacted promptly, I have been all along thinking I am in safe hands. But Mom and Dad, how come you never realized that I am not a pet animal but a human baby?

            You trained me like a Puppy to smile, to talk and even cry. When a total stranger came to our house, I was the centre of amusement and you taught me the nastiest terms of “Flying Kiss”, “Good Morning” whether it is 7:00 PM or 7:00 PM and just like a circus animal, made me sing and sometimes even dance! If I repeat the same after my teenage with my boy/girl friend starting from “Kiss” to “Flying Kiss”, will you tolerate? So, this means I can do certain things only at your choice and not mine!

            Ma and Pa, mostly you are either second generation or sometimes third generation learners. That is to say my grandparents whether it’s your parents or Dad’s parents, they are illiterates. So, born of illiterate parents, when you have developed so much, why don’t you apply the same logic to me? When at three years of age, you both have not seen an electronic calculator, I am operating “Paint Brush”, that even now you both do not know.

A Factory Called Nursery School

            When the academics of the whole world repeatedly say that age five is the right age to begin primary education, just for your conveniences you dumped me in a dustbin called Nursery School. There I find teachers behaving like saints in front of you and they instantly turn as “demons”, by the time your heads disappear. It is an abdication and a gross dereliction of your duty to dump me in the dust-bins called “Nursery School”

Shameless Boasting

            How come Ma and Pa, you ask me to be honest and not to tell lies when you bribed the school to get me an admission? What hypocrisy is this? Further you without any shame boast to your friends that you paid a huge sum donation to get a seat for me in Nursery? I feel like spitting on your face and even spitted, but you were thinking it’s my act of love! To boast your status am I a scapegoat? When you justify for bribing a nursery school to get my LKG Admission, would you not grumble if I ask you to pay capitation fee for my Medicine Engineering Courses when I grow big? Again shamelessly you will recover from the bride’s house and I would be sold for a dowry. What is it that you gain?

            What is the joy you derive in reducing me as a “commodity” all through my life?

Dual nature – You are my Guru

            The factory called school has teachers who are not even fit to sell bananas. In fact Mom and Dad, I learn lots of filthy language and nasty words only from them and the ‘Aayas”, who are our God Mothers in the factory called Nursery. When you say Potatoes Chips are junk foods to neighbors, then why the hell you pack the same as my morning snack? You scold grandparents in their absence but speak pleasingly in their presence? What sort of creatures you are Mom and Dad? If telling lies is a punishment if God will blind my eyes, then you and mom should be blind for 1000 lives for the manufacture of lies and double tongued talks.

School Activities – Are Status Symbols

            The School views me as a potential target of monetary exploitation and you two people;s ignorance are their investments.

            Each time when I am asked to come with some projects, you spend thousands to get it from outside – an elephant or a Camel or any other! What you have not shown me in real in zoo or in Television, you brought it to school to boast your status.

            In the sports day, all your cheers on me just sounds like “Come on..Come On”, as shouted in race courses – just like betting on winning horse! Remember I am a baby and not an animal.

Preparation for School Tests

Mom and Dad, I know you are very well versed in English Alphabets and Hindu - Arabic Numerals. Just because you know them too well, you cannot demonstrate your scholarship on me a little three year old child. How long can I be trained as a “parrot”. Would you not let me think? I am your baby and not a “Dust bin”.

Just touch your heart and say, what would happen when I go to Higher Secondary. You bloody know nothing of differentiation or Integration ( calculus) or even Complex Numbers, and you never bother to prove your scholarship in telling “ When I was in school” – a boring nauseating 1947 despicable story.

First know that school tests are the traps set for parents by the school managements to create an impression that the money collected from the parents are spent judiciously. In fulfilling consumer satisfaction my tender fingers are crushed. When I say this, you would smile in as sadistic manner – It is all for good future!

Competitive World – may be Correct, but Not for me

            For the inhuman attitude of teachers on young children and your harshness, Mom and Dad, you would say you that it’s the making of a man/woman. Why not you  please note that we are also human beings. We want to study what we want. The famous Jesus was interested in carpentry, but how many priests would like their relatives to become a carpenter?

Mom and Dad, I know you are entangled in a meaningless, mad race. It’s your chosen path. But please do not pull me inside your dirty path.

            Let me choose my hobbies and recreation. You don’t have to suggest because I am well informed by the television. Please recognize me as a free thinking human being a baby

            That I became your child was not in my hand, but what I should become is my decision. It is my right. Please understand my heart.

A Final Word

            Mom and Dad, my nursery school is not the place to prove your social status. All that I want is clean clothes and not always new clothes. All I want it time for playing and not forced like I am subjected to a mad exercise as it happens now. Please Ma and Dad my head is not a dumping yard. Please don’t dump the dust you have accumulated as your unfulfilled ambitions. Those are yours, never mine! Also you are Parents and not Patients!

(This piece is written On seeing the plight of the tender flowers – the young two, three old year kids sent to factory called “Play School”, “Kinder Garten” and subjected to a meaningless mad rat race, witnessed with a sadistic pleasure of the kids parents (patients?). I would call it a gross violation of human rights, a literal child abuse and a heartless act of a ‘dog trainer’)

Indian Government Servants and Alteration of their Date of Birth: Why things Misfire?

Indian Government Servants and Alteration of their Date of Birth: Why things Misfire?

Army General’s Date of Birth Row

            The Chief of the Indian Army General V.K.Singh has become famous over night not for claiming victory over Chinese incursion into Indian territories or for coming out with a code of conduct that could be enforced for Armed Forces under his command for maintaining cordial relationship with Civilian population. Since the six decade of Independence there has never been such a stand-off, an impasse between the Chief of the Army and the Ministry of Defense of the World’s largest Democracy. The issue is this:

1.       The Chief of the Army claims his date of birth as 10^th may 1951 and not 10^th May 1950 as asserted by the Government.

2.      If Government does not recognize that he is born in 1950, the General would not retire from the service with dignity and now the General Fights for his dignity. The very decision of the Government is arbitrary, unfair and unjust – This must be the core argument of the General, who like any other Government Servant have all legitimacy to seek redressal for his grievance.

What I wish to ask with all innocence and ignorance is,

(1)   When the General is so vigilant and cautious and vigilantly opposes the decision of the Ministry of Defense that has wrongly reported his date of birth, when it comes to affect him adversely, whether the same General would have applied the same yardstick of defiance and upheld his straightforward nature towards the orders passed by the Government that he has been implementing day in and day out f his three decade of Army Service?

However, since the whole issue is in the Supreme Court and already satellite televisions have started their trial and adjudication, let me respect the Judiciary and refrain from making any further comment on the ‘Date of Birth Row' until the Judiciary gives a ruling in the matter.

Alteration of Date of Birth and Government Employees

            Unlike in most countries of the world, in India, the tenure is fixed for Government Jobs. For instance, any person appointed by the Government of India would be in service until he attaining 62 years of Age ( Central Government Employees), 65 ( University Teachers and Supreme Court Judges) and 58 ( in the case of ministerial employees of the Government of Tamil Nadu and 55 years ( in Kerala).

            So as long a person is able to maintain he is born as late as possible, so long he/she can be in Government Service with its power, status and social capital. Hence among retiring persons barring a very few there is an inbuilt psyche that he/she need to overcome this retirement and some even think it is like defeating death but ultimately could just postpone it. This is the basic dynamics of Alteration of Date of Birth3of Government Employees.

Implication of Alteration of Date of Birth of an Individual and a Government Employee

            In both cases mentioned above, alteration of date of birth in the first case alters the census database of the population. We all know that Census Data indicates the demographic profile of the country apart from providing inputs for public policy formulation. This is one reason why every hospital whether private or public mandatorily sends the date of birth data of every born baby and in the case of death of a patient, the data same is sent to the concerned Local Government, which eventually gets reconciled and updated with the Demographic profile of the country.

            Hence, the altered date of birth should reflect in Passport, Ration Card, Electronic Photo Identity Card , driving Licence and other documents.

Financial Implications of Alteration of Date of Birth

            We all know that a person’s monthly salary is certainly more than his monthly pension if he retires from service in a proper manner. Now, given a situation that an individual postpones his date of retirement by altering his date of birth, the direct consequence is that the ‘public spending’ on that individual gets more than the amount to be disbursed to him in the event he retires.

Becoming young Over night and Straining Relationship with Junior Colleague

            The other effect, and more visible effect is that in an organization with very little upward movement by way of promotion, only retirement can create vacancies for higher positions and if a person manages to alter his date of birth and continues to occupy the office at the cost of “stomach burn”, “chest burn” and the bad will of his immediate junior colleague and thus win the war of money, perks and benefits at the cost of loosing inter-personal relationship.

What does the Supreme Court say in this matter?           

Supreme Court of India in Civil Appeal No.5422 of 1994 observed that the Rule 49 is to be harmoniously interpreted. The application for correction of date of birth of an in-service employees should be made within five years from the date when the rules had come into force i.e., 1961. If no application is made, after the expiry of 5 years, the Government employee loses his right to make an application for correction of his date of birth. In view of the decision of the Supreme Court of India in O.A.No.6055/94 the Tamil Nadu Administrative Tribunal observed that the instructions of the Government permitting applications for correction of date of birth to be made one year in advance of the date of Superannuation, according to the recorded date would require review. The Rule 49 and 49A of the General Rules for the Tamil Nadu State and Subordinate Services will be applicable irrespective of the date of entry into Government service.

Hence,

(i) Applications for alteration of date of birth should not be entertained under proviso to sub-rule (c) in rule 49 of General Rules for Tamil Nadu State and Subordinate Services.

(ii) Applications for alteration of date of birth now under process under the said proviso should be disposed of according to the observation of the Supreme Court of India.

(iii) The particulars of persons so far allowed alteration of date of birth on or after 3.8.94 should be sent to the Government immediately.

(Source: Government of Tamil Nadu Personnel and Administrative Department, Chennai – 9 Lr No. 154    Dated 24.5.1995. This applies to other states and union territories, because the TN State Subordinate Rules is in consonance with FR and GFR of Government of India)

An Extract of rule 49 of State Subordinate rules of Tamil Nadu, explaining the procedure for alteration of date of birth

49. Alteration of date of birth --(a) If, at the time of appointment, a candidate claims that hisdate of birth is different from that entered in his S.S.L.C. or Matriculation Register or School records, he shall make an application to the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission in cases where the appointment is made in consultation with the Commission and in other cases to the appointing authority stating the evidence on which he relies and explaining how the mistake occurred. The application shall be forwarded to the Commissioner of Revenue Administration for report after investigation by an officer not below the rank of a Deputy Collector and, on receipt of the report, the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission or the appointing authority, as the case may be, shall decide whether the alteration of date of birth may be permitted or the application may be rejected: Provided that in case of a candidate who was born outside the State of Tamil Nadu the investigation through the Commissioner of Revenue Administration shall be dispensed with and the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission or the appointing authority, as the case may be, shall examine and scrutinize the records that may be produced by the candidate and shall decide whether the alteration of date of birth may be permitted or the application may be rejected.

(b) After a person has entered service, an application to alter the date of his birth as entered in the official records shall be entertained only if such an application is made within five years of such Entry into service. Such an application shall be made to the authority competent to make an appointment to the post held by the applicant at the time of his application and shall be disposed of in accordance with the procedure laid down in sub-rule (a).(c) Any application received after five years after entry into service or any application, which is not supported by entries in Secondary School Leaving Certificate, School, College or University records, birth extract from records of local bodies or military discharge certificates, shall be summarily rejected.

(d) In considering the question of permitting an alteration on the date of birth as entered in the official records even when such entry is proved to have been due to a bonafide mistake, the Government or the appointing authority shall take into consideration the circumstance whether the applicant would normally be eligible for appointment to the post at the time of entry into service had his age been correctly stated and what would have been its effect on his service and the service conditions of other officers in the service and may permit the alteration subject to such condition as they or it may deem fit to impose:

Provided that the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission shall be consulted in the case of an applicant who has been initially recruited through the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission, if it is proposed to accept his request for alteration of date of birth.

(e) The Procedure laid down in sub-rule (a) shall be followed in all cases where alteration of date of birth is proposed suo motu by the Head of Office on the basis of medical opinion, in the absence of any other authoritative records.

Explanation - For the purpose of this sub-rule “authoritative records” are the secondary school leaving certificate or University, College, or School records or Discharge Certificate of Army.

(f) The decision of the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission, the appointing authority or the Government, as the case may be, shall be final.

Lessons to be learnt

Altering the Date of Birth is usually done to extend the service and never to reduce. In any case, if you can do it as per rules within five years of entry into service please does it if and only if you have proper, true documentary evidences. The only consoling aspect of the issue is that the problems of altering date of birth arise only in the case of people born mostly before 1960 and not after as gradually some kind of systematization of Registration of Birth is maintained in the country.   

Moral of the Story

            Don’t be greedy. Enough is enough. Death is inevitable; we tend to postpone it but never can we defeat it. Same is retiring from service. Retirement never stops a person’s activities. Many Nobel Laureates have won Nobel Prize for the work done after retirement. So please don’t worry.

If I were a personal friend of the General V K Singh, I would certainly request him to step down dignifiedly because individual’s self respect is not bigger than the esteem of the office he holds. He may be legally right, but morally incorrect (I don’t use the word “Wrong”).

( Picture Courtesy: www.dailymail.uk)

Why Not Tamil Nadu Learn Hindi? A Prayer to DMK

            A reader may be surprised at the title of this essay on two accounts:

(1)   What? People of Tamil Nadu require anyone’s permission to learn Hindi? And

(2)   When the DMK(Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) headed by Mr.M.Karunanidhi is ousted out of power, why this guy prays DMK instead of ‘Amma’ Ms.J.Jayalalithaa, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and the supremo of AIADMK( All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) and a supplementary question may arise as

(3)   Why is learning Hindi is a problem in Tamil Nadu?

Why not Hindi be taught in schools?

I  am not to justify the reason why Hindi should be taught at schools of Tamil Nadu, but wish to raise a question “ Why not Hindi be taught in schools in Tamil Nadu as it is in vogue in other states?”

In view of the changing shift in socialization, mobility of the student population across the country, and in view that Hindi is spoken in almost eight states of India (leave alone the fact that it’s the National Language and the official Language of the Government of India), why not the language policy of Government of Tamil Nadu be revisited?

I wish to underscore that the language policy of Tamil Nadu to promote Tamil and English and to exclude Hindi was a deliberate attempt by the founding fathers of the Non- Brahmin Movement, Self-Respect Movement, Justice Party and the Dravidar Kazhagam that rejected the Oriental construction of a "Hindu ism based nation" with sanskrit and Hindi as the link language in the diverse Indian Sub-continent.

The Crux of the Issue

According to Harold F. Schiffman, the Professor Emeritus of Dravidian Linguistics and Culture ,University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, the ‘Anti- Hindi’ sentiment arises from the hypothesis that Dravidian culture once extended beyond the subcontinent and was represented in its highest development by ancient Tamil culture, but was attacked and destroyed by invading Indo-Aryans, so that Dravidians are now second-class citizens in their own homeland, at least compared to the descendents of the Indo-Aryans, the Hindi speakers. Even if this could have been right, is it valid to uphold the dogma in the 21st century, in the era of Globalization when every social, economic and political institutions are neatly integrated? When Potti Sri Ramulu asserted the Telgu based Andhra Pradesh from ‘Dravida Nadu’ and Karnatak yet another member of the club of the ‘Dravida Nadu’ have evolved its own language policy of not excluding Hindi, should not Tamil Nadu revisit the State’s Language Policy ingrained in the VIII schedule of the Constitution?

·         In the era of “Right to Education”, can’t a child be allowed to exercise his/her choice of learning or not learning Hindi, the National Language of India?

·         Why not a simple referendum conducted and gets the approval of the people? (A Flimsy argument that MLA’s and MP’s are the sole power of attorney of freedom of expression could be just an lame excuse)

·         Will not this bring in ‘Navodaya Schools’ in every nook and corner so that the children of the marginalized and the weaker section get benefited apart from learning Hindi?

·         Why not at least give a choice? If people still are assertive of their Anti- Hindi sentiments, why not they avoid learning Hindi by their choice instead of through a 'prohibition' of the State? What applies to Alcohol can’t apply to Hindi?

·          When almost all the the children and grand children of all political party leaders of Tamil Nadu are fluent in Hindi, is it not a moral crime for the great men to prevent the children's accessibility to India’s National Language?

What would be the Stand of Jayalalitha vis-à-vis Hindi?

            Undoubtedly, since Ms.Jayalalitha have identified her with Nationalist Identity associated with oriental flavour, the BJP could be her ideal choice, which also advocates the resurgence of “Nation State” through religious consciousness. she would never oppose Hindi. Hence Hindi should have a central place in the agenda of National Integration and therefore both Jayalalitha and her natural ally, the BJP should be perfectly comfortable with Hindi. Hence, for Ms.jayalalitha, implementing Hindi as one of the three languages to be studied at school levels would be a cake walk and also a pleasant exercise. However, when she has revamped AIADMK’s ideology replacing with her own whims and fancies, she would never dare to venture into altering language policy because, her political opponent the veteran DMK leader would reduce her party to rubbles with his knack of kindling emotional politics against her, with his successful ammunition of "Anti-Hindi Sentiments".

The Compelling reasons of getting DMK’s consent

With due respects, not only me, even Ms.J.Jayalalitha should have to seek the blessings of the DMK in this regard because they are the ones who authored the ideology of Language, Ethnic identity against the National Identity, which might have had the logical, rational justification before five decades.

            Anti-Hindi agitation of 1960's have been made an  an emotional issue. The DMK has conscientiously using language identity and   the ‘purity of tamil’ as the vehicle for their political consolidation and have infact evolved a successful model that has been both dormant and active intermittently. In short the DMK has the switch for this nuclear button of kindling emotional politics and sentiments that even Jaya cannot withstand.Therfore it becomes necessary that before touching the language policy for  accommodating Hindi, the blessings, assent and the approval of DMK becomes inevitable.

The Possible Road Map

            Again, I am reaffirming that my attempt through this essay is to plead for a revisit of the language policy of Tamil Nadu as it is almost five decades after the “Tri- Language Policy” put forth by Nehru has been rejected by the DMK outrightly. Why not give it a re-look? A trial should cost nothing? This is where political courage is essential. Would our leaders exhibit their courage?

An Easy Way to begin

            Why not the leaders of National Parties ( if they are really national) come forward and get together and organize an all party meet and discuss the issue? Or why not the national parties ask the local bodies under their control ask their representatives to get a resolution passed in favour of “having Hindi as the third language in the primary Schools of the villages in Tamil Nadu”? This would certainly be a good beginning.

            If not now then when?

 Other references: 1. http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/public/finalmarch.pdf and

2. http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/public/

Note: Please note that I am not taking sides. I just wish that learning Hindi or not learning Hindi at school level as a third language should be decided by the parents (if not children) and not the Government in the changed order of the world today. Again, I don’t advocate  Hindi must be taught or not. This is just an opinion which may be accepted or rejected. I feel it is pertinent to write this piece, especially after I have had a bitter experience while working in the Northern part of India without the knowledge of Hindi.

School Teachers, College Teachers and Teachers of Higher Education: Point of Convergence and Divergence

We all are students, whether we attend schools and colleges and universities are not. Learning has been part and parcel of human mind since the dawn of history associated with “intentionality” of humans. When learning has been institutionalized, schools, colleges, Universities and Research Institutes emerged. The ‘Academy’ of Plato could probably the first educational institution that behaved as a school, college, research institution and a university all put together. Since we are all the end products of educational Institutions the school, college and university and training institutions, what are the similarities and differences between them?

In a student’s point of view:

In students point of view see the differences between the school, college and university associated with each other in terms of the degree of

(1)    The Distance between the teacher and taught – both physical and mental.

(2)    Flexibility/Rigidity of the content of education

(3)    The degree of freedom of choice that could be exercised in choosing the institutions one need and above all

(4)    The liberty and freedom for free thinking

In teachers point of view

(1)   Educational Qualification and Specialized Training

(2)   Method of Teaching

(3)   Degree of closer monitoring of students and methods of students evaluation

Point of Convergence

Teachers whether they are in nursery or in school, primary or secondary school, college   or university there could be no second thought that teachers should be role models, ethically serious and should spend their time in reading compared to other professions. This is the blessing according to many and a curse may be for a few.

Inspiration from Teachers

All our first imitation of a professional begins with “imitating our school teacher” since younger days. Apart from family members a child in the process of socialization gets into contact of the teacher, the school teacher first and hence the duties of a school teacher goes beyond legal definitions. He/She is the first inspiration for a child. There is no choice for a kid in this aspect, whether a saint or a beast, his/her teacher becomes his/her role model. Since a pupil’s character and value premises are molded within sixteen to seventeen years, the role played by school education is very crucial and learning in scoop level is mostly teacher centered. If the teacher omits a portion of the lessons in the text book, the student ignores them totally unlike in higher education.

Higher Education

In College and in Higher Education inputs keep adding on improving the incremental rationality of the learner. Teaching becomes often a different experience if the teacher has a better expression, good voice and sharper memory. Since the degree of disciplining and controlling virtually vanishes at higher education unlike the school, here learning becomes student centered. In still higher systems of learning, the teacher gets reduced as a symbol of impart of knowledge and wisdom because he/she is expected to fill the gaps between the syllabus and the topic of the course, for example – In Western Political Thought, the philosophers are at least more than a hundred of which we rationally select just ten so as to accommodate the content in some 90 instructional hours.  This is the limitation of higher education and it is at this point, the teacher need to give an over view of western political thought and need to move out of the syllabus at the same time conscientiously complete the syllabus. I am 100% sure, the scope of a teacher of higher education in inspiring a student, in motivating a student and above all him/her consciously to imitate the good qualities of a teacher are relatively high than in schools and colleges.

A higher education teacher is the last teacher to interact with a student before he is exposed to the job market and it is at this point a teacher of College/University is prone to both good will and curse of a student.

What is common in all Teachers

The quality of education, the commitment of teachers and the ethical standard of teachers are matter of great concern among teachers from all sections. A good student cannot always become a good teacher but a good teacher must be a good student. There must be certain guiding principles of some kind of personal morality, ethics and values for teachers in common. Even if a teacher fails to guide intellectually and emotionally, he/she should never misguide.

Certain Deviancies in Teachers

            In both rural and in urban areas, the teachers of primary schools are mostly money lenders. What is worse is employing young boys and girls to fetch cigarattes and to massage their hands and legs. There are some nasty examples where the students are made to baby sit the teachers’ kids in school during school hours and sporadically there are instances of child abuses by school teachers. If this is the situation, then obviously the young boys and girls get derailed from morality. I came across recently school kids shooting their sexual ventures through cell phones and the same has been circulated.

The Choice of Songs for School Annual Day Programmes – A Dangerous Signal

            If the preceding para depicts the situation in state run government schools, the private schools even run by the coprorates, however they maintain their front office image, get exposed very easily in their annual day programmes where young kids are made to dance to the most vulgar songs of the year – Imagine this is a school day prgramme and the school plays the fundamental role in character formation of students.

Pathetic Situation of Ethics in Higher Education

            Let me just illustrate one sharply contrasting aspect of ethical deviancy in the case of institutions of higher education when compared to the school or college. Taking clue from Tamil Nadu, that in the past five years, not a single principal of school or college would spend money to become the chief of the institution barring the Vice Chancellors. In Tamil Nadu, the post of Vice Chancellors of State Universities were sold for consideration in the past five years. One of the Vice Chancellor have also acknowledged this in the media and eminent Academician Prof.M.Ananda Krishnanan also lamented on this openely.

Vice Chancellors or Chancellor of Vices

            With these thugs as Vice Chancellors, what academic progress would have been accomplished during their tenures? It is still not known how the system has survived with these unethical people in the five years and how would  have been the system of awarding marks and degrees and what message they would have conveyed the students? Or this is just a zero-sum game that the entire universe is corrupt?

Teachers – The Torch Bearers

            In any case just as people have not lost faith in judiciary despite the accusations that it is also corrupt, still people hold faith with Teachers. Teachers are the mirrors of the society and they need to maintain the highest degree of moral standards. If teachers fail, it mean the society fails.

(I thank my teachers from school level to University level for being my role model and I hold my head high as I feel I carry the lessons had from them to my own students)

( Picture courtesy: www.twitter.com)

“The Spirit of ‘Pongal’ Celebrations: Prosperous or Preposterous?

History of the Festival

The 14th or 15th of January every year marks the first day of the Tamil Calander Month “Thai” which marks the first day of the Harvest Festival, celebrated since times immemorial in Tamil Nadu and in the rest of India as “Makar Sankraanthi” a major “harvest festival” of the Agricultural country, India. Pongal is the one festival of Tamil Nadu that encompasses all the people of all castes, creeds and religions. In short, Pongal symbolizes the pride of the occupation of Agriculture the one and only key to Food Security. Agricultural is one of the key function of economic activities of a country, which could be never replaced just because there is no substitute for Food.

The Tamil Nadu Situation

In the case of Tamil Nadu, Agriculture contributes the major part of the the economy with more than 70% of the state’s population engaged in agriculture and allied activities for their livelihood. 

Tamil Nadu has as an area of 1.3 Lakh Square km with a gross cropped area of around 58.43 lakh hectares of which the Gross Irrigated Area is 33.09 lakh hectares which is 57% and the balance 43% of the area are under rainfed cultivation.  Annual food grains production in the year 2007-08 was 100.35 lakh metric tons. But now this is steadily declining due to industrialization, conversion of agricultural lands to real estate as Agricultural has been becoming an expensive affair. The misplaced priorities of public policy dealing with Agriculture sector by the union of India as well as the provinces have left Agriculture to suffer an irreversible and an irreparable loss of livelihood support and sustainability.

Growing Agrarian Stress

With growing import of Food grains with the integration of global markets from countries that heavily subsidize Agricultural sectors and as a sequel the comparatively lower price, a poor Indian farmer is subjected to a take part in an unfair competition while his/her farming activities are poorly supported by the State. In the recent three years, the price of fertilizers have risen almost 120%. When the costs of inputs of Agriculture are steadily rising, it’s obvious that the food producing farmer would also expect a higher return for his produces. The legitimate claims of the agrarian population get vanished in the thin air, with growing imports of agricultural produces with comparatively cheaper price, thus the very occupation Agriculture in India is being strangulated by (1) inconsistent public policy initiatives, (2) rise of market forces that have the ultimate say in fixing the price and (3) the lack of irrigation due to very many anthropogenic (human made) reasons.

Some Inconvenient Truths

            The price of one litre of packaged drinking water almost equals a litre of Cow’s Milk and the price of imported onion is cheaper than indigenous one. When tender coconut with nutrients is sold for Rs.10/-, the choice of people go for Coke or Pepsi that is certainly not good as a Tender coconut in terms of nutritional value. People make argue its “Freedom of Choice” – but for what? ‘Freedom of Choice’ for strangling our indigenous economy?

            The rise of quality standards and safety standards of food and beverages are no doubt essential development of a good living, but to what extent our indigenous food producers are sensitized about these emerging trends in Global Food Market? Is it not the moral duty of the State to provide the required inputs and prepare native food producers to compete with the international market?

            The mushrooming middle men handling the supply of food to market have further worsened the situation where the price for the food crop does not reach the food producer, the economics of opportunities and accessibility have thoroughly sabotaged a food producer and we now shamelessly speak “We need Wall marts, because they give the best price to the food producers”, which is a dark truth. Why not we speak of providing the food producers a gateway of marketing their food themselves? What is the meaning for the silence of the Government in this aspect?

Farmers Suicide a National Shame?

            Should we not be ashamed to celebrate Pongal in a situation when farmer’s commit suicide because of growing debts. What sin has she/he committed other than being a farmer? As my distinguished Professor Muzzaffar H.Assadi raises a fundamental observation: “Suicide is the language of the Farmers under stress. It is an idiom of expression that has gone unnoticed in the deaf ears of the mainstream population. A farmer dies as a farmer, not willing to change his/her occupation, speaks volumes of the culture of cultivation of India, what is called as “Agriculture”. Our future generation would never pardon us if we obliterate the food system and the Agriculture.

Declining Food Security – Are we going to Eat Gold?

            When almost half the population goes to bed with hungry stomachs, when the farmer the backbone of food security commit mass suicides, the poor sensitization for food grain storage that accounts for more than 30% loss of food grain due to storage loss, steadily the conversion of agricultural lands are becoming real estates and industrial establishment, the mushrooming “Special Economic Zones”  unfolding in the cultivation area of the country, the inflow of FDI into Agricultural sector as “Contract and Corporate Farming”, we are slowly becoming victims of Midas touch. We want all to change to Gold by our touch, not realizing that we cannot eat Gold.

Thinking loud

            Why not we urban white collared folks pay a visit to our native place every vacation, stay there midst difficulties (this might also help us realize the harsh living of our rural population) and learn cultivation and also introduce farming to our kids. Even if it an expensive affair, midst other wasteful expenditure, why not makes a resolution that this year, my family will eat the rice cultivated in my native village?

Are we morally competent to celebrate Pongal? What can we as individuals do for restoring our own food security? Wont it means our exchange of SMS/words of Mouth as “Prosperous Pongal”, would mean “Preposterous Pongal”?