EDITORIAL of NEW YORK TIMES

Rape in the World’s Largest Democracy
Published: December 28, 2012


The brutal gang rape of a young woman in New Delhi this month has cast a cold light on how badly India treats its women.

On Dec. 16, the 23-year-old physiotherapy student was viciously assaulted by a group of men while she was riding a bus with a male companion. The two had just seen a movie. Both she and the man were beaten with an iron rod and eventually stripped, robbed and dumped on the roadside. After three surgeries at an Indian hospital, the woman was flown to Singapore on Thursday for further treatment. She died early on Saturday after suffering what hospital officials said were “signs of severe organ failure.”

This reprehensible crime reflects an alarming trend in India, which basks in its success as a growing business and technological mecca but tolerates shocking abuse of women. Rape cases have increased at an alarming rate, roughly 25 percent in six years. New Delhi recorded 572 rapes in 2011; that total is up 17 percent this year.

And those are just the reported cases. Many victims, shamed into silence and callously disregarded by a male-dominated power structure, never go to the authorities to seek justice. Women are routinely blamed for inciting the violence against them. On Wednesday, an 18-year-old girl from Punjab who had been gang-raped in an earlier incident killed herself after police and village elders pressured her to drop the case and marry one of her attackers.

India’s news media now regularly carry horrific accounts of gang rapes, and this has begun to focus national attention on the problem. But the rape of the 23-year-old woman seemed to take the outrage to a new level, prompting tens of thousands to protest in New Delhi and elsewhere across the country. Still, political leaders were slow to react. It was days before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appeared on television to plead for calm and to promise to make India safer for women.

Since the attack, six suspects have been arrested and the government has announced the formation of two commissions, one to identify police “lapses” and another to recommend ways to speed up sexual assault trials. Reforms are needed in the law enforcement system to make convictions more possible and punishments more convincing. And Indian leaders like Sonia Gandhi, head of the ruling Congress Party, must speak out more forcefully about bringing rapists to justice.

More broadly, India must work on changing a culture in which women are routinely devalued. Many are betrothed against their will as child brides, and many suffer cruelly, including acid attacks and burning, at the hands of husbands and family members.

India, a rising economic power and the world’s largest democracy, can never reach its full potential if half its population lives in fear of unspeakable violence.

India Weeps

Women in India sufferred since the end of the Golden Aryan civilisation. The Moghul period, the British Period and the Independence 1947-2012 were never a good period for women. They were sometime compelled to be Burkha Bandh, sometime not allowed to do job equal to man, sometime lifted/tortured/raped/and murdered.

The unkind Man class remain always as first class citizen. All these deformaties in the society led to the dangerous Man:woman ratio , Haryana being the worst case. If woman is not saved, if she is not respected, if she is not cared, if she is not given full protection which she deserves being a weaker gender and again if the Parliament of India remains quiet and does not make effective laws and Executive effective adminstration of these laws, women class as a gender will vanish from India in the next 50 years because no father and mother will like to give birth to a female child to face this dangerous world. 

Then,India will be a Man country and slowly over time all will get older and older and go to grave with no offspring as there is no women to give birth to a new life.

 Please do not rape a personality which gives birth to a new life . The life that carries forward our civilisation ! Deep Condolences to the brave girl who is no more. The six rapist has made India shame.

S K Sarda

Now in Pune

PM’s Closing Remarks at 57th Meeting of NDC

Following are the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh’s closing remarks at the 57TH meeting of National Development Council in New Delhi today: “We have had a very full and long day of deliberations. I thank all Chief Ministers for complying with the electronically imposed time limit. Had they not complied with the limit, we would not have been able to accommodate 40 speakers even in this long session. I assure all Chief Ministers that we have taken note of the points raised by them, including those in the written speeches. All these points will be carefully considered by the Planning Commission. Many of the points are broadly in conformity with what has been said in the Plan document. There are also some points which suggest a different emphasis. A Plan is not a rigid blue print. It is a broad “directional” and “aspirational” document, which must allow for modification on the basis of experience. We will keep this in mind as we implement the Plan, and make improvements and modifications in consultation with the States as we go along. The lowering of the growth target to 8 percent has been commented on by some CMs. Several CMs have recognized that this is only a realistic refection of the external constraints on growth. Some CMs have asserted that they will aim for a higher growth rate. I welcome this determination to do better. Some states will indeed do better than the average, and I commend their effort. Several Chief Ministers emphasized the importance of sectors such as Agriculture, Power, Other Infrastructure, Health, Education and Skill development. The Twelfth Five Year Plan document reflects these priorities. Several CMs also focused on the need for special consideration for backward States, and also for backward areas within States. I fully share this concern. States with low-income levels already get more resources under the formula used by the Finance Commission, and also the Gadgil-Mukherjee formula, which is used by the Planning Commission to distribute Normal Central Assistance. In addition, we have the modality of the Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF). Under the BRGF, a large number of Districts received special assistance in the Eleventh Plan. There are also State Specific Packages for Bihar, KBK Districts of Orissa, Bundelkhand Districts of MP& UP, and most recently West Bengal. The Planning Commission is currently working on a restructured design of BRGF, which will come into effect from next year. We will try to reflect the concern of CMs by recognizing the special needs of the extremely backward areas. The restructured BRGF will provide substantial additional funds to make an impact. Several Chief Ministers have drawn attention to the problem of fuel availability affecting power plants. This is indeed an urgent problem, which needs to be tackled. I am requesting the Planning Commission to make a quick review of the situation and submit a report to me within three weeks. I would request all CMs to write to the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission giving details of Plants, which they feel are adversely affected. I was happy to hear of initiatives in solar energy in some States. I have asked the Planning Commission to review the innovative steps under consideration in various States to see how we can give greater momentum to this area. With these words, I thank all the distinguished participants for their contribution. We must now devote all our energies to implementing the Plan and I thank each one of you for your contribution and for your participation.”

TEXT OF THE SPECIAL INTERVENTION MADE BY CHIEF MINISTER PAWAN CHAMLING AT THE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL MEETING


28.12.2012 New Delhi

“It is my privilege to place our views on behalf of the people of Sikkim even as we finalize perspective plans and programs for the next five years in this NDC Meet. My written speech already circulated may be taken as read.
Our vision is to achieve inclusive and comprehensive development during the 12th Plan based on three important premises. The first is to sustain and further consolidate on our growth momentum attained so far in all sectors. Second, is to introduce more innovative development programs based on our natural resources in promoting sectors under hydro-power, organic farming, eco-friendly and responsible tourism, horticulture and floriculture. And third is to build productive and socially responsible human capital by imparting best education and skills training.
The last 18 years have witnessed visible transformation in the quality of life and human development index of our people through sustained inclusive growth.
Our range of development strategies have worked. We have maintained peace for our citizens in a border State, achieved great economic momentum, higher growth rate, remarkable progress in education and universal healthcare for our people. Our social safety nets including food security are unsurpassed.
The social fabric of our people have been further strengthened putting the women empowerment on fast track. Recent successful Panchayat Elections bear testimony to this. Fifty percent seats and positions reserved for them have been filled up by women candidates. Substantial fall in poverty is being witnessed in our State. A major thrust in promoting livelihoods and skills amongst our young population is bearing fruit. Our forest cover has increased by several percentage points.
You are all aware that role of geography helps or aggravates, as the case may be, the comparative destiny of Himalayan Mountain States. Ours is a landlocked economy where the cream of development is ploughed back to mainland States. All construction materials and much of food commodities are imported to the mountain States. In addition, we have to take care of many externalities in our development strides arising out of inherent deficits. The psychological pressure of living in a border is another dimension which always looms largest.
We are, therefore, of the firm view that development of border region and states should be taken up as national projects, giving them priority and preference that they deserve. In view, thereof, I would like to flag the following issues before this august forum.
• Need for flexibility of norms under centrally sponsored schemes under central sector schemes. It may be mentioned that some schemes are funded on 50:50 or 75:25 basis. Due to lack of sound resource base, we find it difficult to meet state’s share rendering many schemes ineffective;
• The NEC and NLCPR funding should be more liberal to special category States with timely release of the requisite resources;
• The projects and schemes under SPA/ACA of the State Government may be considered and sanctioned early along with timely release of resources so that the projects are not delayed on the ground;
• Border Area Development Fund may be increased suitably. 
Connectivity is one of the biggest development challenges. We are totally dependent on the National Highway 31A. We need to strengthen transportation networks in order to interlink growth centres, promote tourism and support economic and social needs of the people. The September 2011 earthquake showed how vulnerable we are to natural calamity and the regular monsoon onslaught greatly hampers our development initiatives including infrastructure building. The Central Government needs to display urgency in speedy completion of widening and improvement works on the existing National Highway and for construction of a two-lane alternate highway connecting Gangtok from Sevoke in West Bengal. A two-lane road from the upcoming Greenfield airport at Pakyong to Gangtok is also required including intermediate lane connectivity to all the marketing centres and also strengthening of major district roads.
Change in market dynamics and infusion of modern technology including social networking has led to altered social behaviour. This resets priorities and values among the younger generation. Greater emphasis on social capital formation from the traditional perspective, promoting cooperative social relationship, bond of trust, honesty and reciprocity will further strengthen civil society.
This will create level playing fields, appropriate opportunities and diversification of economic activities among young population.
If I am permitted to make a suggestion, I would strongly make a plea for those bureaucrats and political leaders excelling in their respective duties towards public service and nation building, to be recognized and felicitated to boost their morale and confidence, together with other achievers in different fields.
Development only in material sense tends to upset social equity leading to social dysfunction like anti-social tendencies among people. We belong to ancient land nurtured by civilizational values. We believe in mutual co-existence and where our dharma gurus have left behind enduring ideals for peaceful living. We have been taught that where motherhood is worshipped, there is godliness inferring safety and security of our women folks and weaker sections of people as being our sacred responsibility.
We need to create a strong base to strengthen civil society, peaceful law and order environment, political stability and good governance to ensure steady development and prosperity. Towards these goals, the Government of Sikkim has steadfastly worked ever since with good results. I assure this august forum that we are committed to efficient governance, a high growth regime to achieve self-reliance.
Finally, I take this opportunity to congratulate the Hon’ble Prime Minister, the Planning Commission and all the central ministries for completing the 12th Plan Document which, I am sure, will take the country to the next level of progress and prosperity. 
Thank you
Jai Hind”

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=CM demands new national highway for Sikkim


Chief Minister Pawan Chamling at the National Development Council meeting in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

CHAMLING ATTENDS NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL MEETING IN NEW DELHI

GANGTOK, 27 Dec [IPR]: Chief Minister Pawan Chamling today requested the Union government to sanction a new National Highway from West Bengal to Sikkim to provide reliable physical connectivity to the state.
While speaking at the National Development Council meeting at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi today the Chief Minister demanded 120 km long new national highway from Sevoke in West Bengal to the state capital Gangtok to strengthen transport network to ensure balanced regional development of the state. He stated that the state is solely dependent on the national highway 31 A  and its state highways   to link growth centres  and social needs of the people and demanded the strengthening of  transport network to attract investment from big corporate houses, promote tourism and economic activities in the state.
He demanded the widening and improvement of the existing national highway and construction of a two-lane highway from the under construction Greenfield airport at Pakyong to Gangtok. He demanded central funding for constructing intermediate lane connectivity to all marketing centres and strengthening of major district roads in the state.
Mr Chamling said  that the state has 8000 MW hydro electric potential out of which 3774.50 MW potential will be harnessed during the 12 th five year plan and added that transmission network will be strengthened for evacuation of power to national grid and other regions of the country for sale of surplus electricity from the state .
The tourism and hospitality sector has emerged as the fastest growing  industry in the state and the  state aims to attract 50 lakh tourists annually by the year 2017 through well executed tourism strategy, better planning, aggressive publicity and strengthening of tourism infrastructure in the state, he said.
Mentioning that about seven lakh Indian and 21,000 international tourists visited the state in the year 2010, he said that the state will be developed as a leading domestic and international tourist destination by promoting eco tourism and village tourism during the 12 th five year plan. He added that religious and cultural  tourism  will  be  promoted in a big way in the state while new tourism infrastructure mega projects worth several hundred crores  like construction of  sky  walk at Bhaleydunga,   development of rope ways to the statue of Guru Padmasambhava ,  the sleeping Buddha Statue at Singik in North Sikkim will be commissioned  during the 12 th five year plan.
Construction of the statue of Lord Buddha at Ravangla in North Sikkim has been completed, he added.
The CM requested the union government to release the remaining fund of  Rs 720 crore out of the Prime Ministers package of Rs 1000 crore sanctioned as one time relief package for reconstruction and rehabilitation for earth quake victims. He said that the state has so far received Rs 280 crore and urged the centre to release the remaining assistance at the earliest.
Mr Chamling went on to state that the entire population of the state will be covered under the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Annual and Total Check-up (CATCH) programme by the year 2013 and added that so far 50% population of the state has already  been covered under the programme.
Construction of the 575-bedded multi-speciality hospital at Sichey has been completed and around Rs 735 crore will be spent on construction, furnishing and medical equipment of the hospital which is likely to be commissioned by the year 2014, he said. The government proposes to open a medical college in the hospital once the required infrastructure is created, he added.
Life expectancy ratio in the state has increased by over 3-5 years on average compared to 1994 while the state has achieved literacy rate of 82.2% and aims to achieve 100% literacy in the 12 th five year plan, he mentioned.
Speaking on the Chief Minister's meritorious scholarship launched in the state he said that the target to cover 1000 students under the programme has been fixed and added that so far 350 students are being provided free education in premier public schools under the programme. The state government is providing cash awards for toppers of the class XII and X CBSE examinations and is also sponsoring 146 young educated Sikkimese for undergoing extensive coaching for civil services examinations in top institutions of Delhi, Hyderabad and Tamil Nadu, he further informed.
On achieving the fully organic state status by 2015, the CM said that out of total cultivable area of 58168 hectares in the state , 8168 hectares has already been certified and remaining 50,000 hectares is being taken up in a phased manner under which as on today 39,000 hectares of land is under conversion and remaining 11,000 hectares  will be converted by the year 2015.
Mentioning that a total of 830 youth have been trained and engaged in organic activities in the state through livelihood schools, he requested for central assistance in the form of alternative inputs and resources for construction of rural compost and vermi compost units in the state to meet the growing demand for bio fertilizers and manure of organic farmers .
Mr Chamling informed that the state government has engaged Singapore based consultants to devise urban development plans and added that comprehensive mobility plans have been drawn for the state capital in which sectors such as water supply and sewerage have been included. He said that all bazaars in rural areas will be developed and beautified on the lines of MG Marg Gangtok and Central Park Namchi by providing modern amenities to discourage migration to urban areas.
While speaking on housing, the CM said that all kaccha houses in the state are being converted to earth quake resistant pucca houses under which till now 2000 new houses have been constructed with total cost of Rs 80 crore and added that 8300 new pucca houses will be constructed in the 12th plan period at an estimated cost of about Rs 332 crore.

Sikkim Companies Act 1961 annulled by Companies Bill 2012

December 27, 2012 by iSikkim

Amidst the FDI and reservation in promotions hungama, a bill which brings down curtains one more existing old law of Sikkim was passed along with five other bills without much fuss by the Lok Sabha during its fiery winter session. The month long winter session of the Parliament concluded on December 20.
Two days before the Parliament was adjourned sine die, the Lower House approved the Companies Bill 2012 aiming to replace the archaic Indian Companies Act of 1956. The bill also repeals the Registration of Companies(Sikkim) Act 1961. The Companies Act, 1965 and the Registration of Companies (Sikkim) Act 1961 shall stand repealed, the bill
states. The bill still needs to be approved by the Rajya House where it will be placed for discussion and approval in the next session.
If the Companies Bill 2012 is passed by the Rajya Sabha and becomes an Act upon Presidential assent, companies operating or aiming to work here would no longer have to follow the existing Registration of Companies (Sikkim) Act 1961 as it stands repealed. Till now, companies here had to undertake registration with Law department paying a fee as per the Registration of Companies (Sikkim) Act 1961. Even those companies, outside of Sikkim and already registered under the existing Companies Act 1965, had to register with the Sikkim government if they want to operate here.
An entire floor of the State Law department is devoted on the task of registering companies here. The Registration of Companies (Sikkim) Act 1961 was also protective of local interests. As per the amendment enacted in 2008, no companies would be registered in Sikkim unless it has at least 50 percent local people having Sikkim Subject Certificate or Certificate of Identification in its board of directors.
As per the Companies Bill, companies already registered under the Sikkim Act would continue to be valid. Before our readers assume that the Companies Bill 2012 is all about rescinding the old law of Sikkim, the legislation has been hailed as a great achievement of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs of this year. On its enactment, the new bill will allow the country to have a modern legislation for growth and regulation of corporate sector in India, the Ministry said.
Various reforms proposed in the bill and together with omission of existing unwanted and obsolete compliance requirements, the companies in the country will be able to comply with the requirements of the proposed Companies Act in a better and more effective manner, the Ministry said in its year end review. New concepts of One Person company, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), dormant companies, having woman director and e-governance have been introduced in the bill.
However, it has been difficult to extract response on the bill in Sikkim whose existing law has been directly affected by the Central legislation. Those in corporate sector and are aware about the proposed enactment believes that the Companies Bill 2012 would be positive for Sikkim.

Year End Review for the Department of higher Education , Ministry of Human Resource Development

YEAR END  REVIEW 2012       Central Universities ·         Sixteen Central Universities have been established which include conversion of three State universities inChattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand.  All of them have become functional. Indian Institute of Management ·         Established seven Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and all of them have become functional. Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) ·         Eight new IITs in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Orissa, Punjab, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh have commenced their academic activities. Land for these IITs has been identified and all, except Gandhinagar and Indore, have taken up construction of their permanent campuses. Indian Institutes of Information Technology ((IIITs) under (PPP) mode ·         20 IIITs and approximately 1000 polytechnics are proposed to be set up under this mode. 15 State Governments have identified land for setting up of the Institute. In four cases, the State Governments have also identified the industry partners. National Institutes of Technology (NITs) in each of the larger States/ UTs ·         The Government has established 10 new NITs at Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Goa, Delhi, Uttarakhand and Puducherry. As on date, there are approximately 1600 students pursuing undergraduate programmes. Indian Institutes of Science Education & Research (IISERs) ·         Five IISERs, with objective of promoting excellence in science education have been established in Mohali(Punjab), Kolkata (West Bengal), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) and Pune(Maharashtra).  International Collaborations ·         During the last 3 years, Education Exchange Programme (EEP)/MOUs have been signed with 12 countries, bringing the total number of such exchanges to 41.  Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace & Sustainable Development ·         Agreement has been signed with UNESCO for establishment of Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace & Sustainable Development This is first Category-I Institute of UNESCO in the entire Asia-Pacific Region established at New Delhi. It will serve as a platform for India to emerge as a global leader in the areas of education for Peace and Sustainable Development. Establishment of Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Kannada and Telugu   ·         These research centres identify sources of classical Kannada/Telugu languages to promote, propagate and preserve. Modernization of Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur ·         On its Diamond Jubilee a one-time special assistance of Rs. 100.00 crore has been released for modernization of IIT-Kharagpur. New Polytechnics ·         Out of 300 un-served/under-served districts, 281 have been provided a partial financial assistance of Rs.1915.99 crores till 12.11.2012. ·         A partial financial assistance of Rs.255.50 crores for Strengthening of existing polytechnics has been provided to 500 polytechnics under the Scheme till 31.08.2012. ·         Out of 500 existing AICTE approved polytechnic 487 polytechnics have been provided partial financial assistance of Rs.241.60 crore till 31st August, 2012. ·         2.20 lakh persons have availed training under the Community development through polytechnics scheme during financial year 2011-12. An amount of Rs. 127.98 crores has been released under this scheme till 31stAugust, 2012. ·         More than 2.5 Lakh have been given training in four Regional Boards of Apprenticeship/Practical Training (BOATs/BPOT) located at Mumbai, Kolkata, Kanpur and Chennai during last three years. National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology ·         A total of 400 Universities and 19069 Colleges have been provided with connectivity under the scheme as on 31.10.2012. Low Cost Access-cum-Computing Devices (LCAD) ·         The Low Cost Access-cum-computing Devices, ‘AAKASH-2’ has been launched by Hon’ble President of India on 11.11.2012 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. Aakash-2 is powered by processor running at 1Ghz.,has 512 MB RAM, a 7” capacitive touch screen and a battery which works for 3 hours.  N-LIST (National Library and Information Services Infrastructure for Scholarly Content) ·         As of now more than 74,000 e-books from 297 publishers and 3700 e-Journals are available to 1,08,729students associated to 1,512 Institutions. Similarly for University students more than 7,500 e-Journals to students associated to 297 Institutions are available from INFLIBNET & IIT Delhi. Full text e-Thesis numbering 2224 and more is also available on the INFLIBNET network. Virtual Lab ·         On 23rd February 2012 89 Virtual labs were launched for quality enhancement so that the learners in distance education system and remotely located & backward areas can reap the benefit of quality and relevant education, through ICT mode. Interest subsidy on Educational Loans ·         The scheme, based solely on income criteria and not social background, has become effective from academic year 2009-10. An amount exceeding Rs.800 crores has been released by Government for benefiting about 2155831 students till 31st August, 2012. National Book Promotion Policy ·         The draft of National Book Promotion Policy has been approved by Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) in its 58th meeting held on 7th June 2011. Higher Education for Minorities ·         Academies for professional development of Urdu Medium Teachers have been set up in three Central Universities viz  (i) Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) (ii) Jamia Milia Islamia (JMI) and (iii) Maulana Azad National Urdu University. ·         Rs.61.31 crores has been sanctioned for establishment of ‘Residential Coaching Academics for Minorities, Women/SCs/STs”. ·         Two new campuses of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) have become operational at Murshidabad in West Bengal and Malappuram, Kerala. ·         University Grants Commission has sanctioned 284 women hostels in colleges in 90 Minority Concentrated Districts/Area during XI Plan. ·         374 Minority concentrated Districts/Areas have been identified for Establishment of Model Degree Colleges. Approval has been granted to 14 model degree colleges. ·         An amount of Rs.232.67 crore has been released as initial grants for setting up polytechnics in 46 districts out of 57 districts. Education of Scheduled Castes /Scheduled Tribes ·         Remedial Coaching at UG/PG level ·         Coaching Classes to prepare for National Eligibility Test (NET) ·         Coaching Classes  for Entry in Services ·         Establishment of SC/ ST Cells in Universities to safeguard      their interest. ·         Establishment of Equal Opportunity Cells (EOCs) for sensitizing university/college community on problems faced by SC/ST students in higher education. ·         Post-Graduate Scholarships to SCs/STs and Minorities ·         Post-Doctoral Fellowships for SCs/STsMeasures Initiated by the IITs To Prevent any Form of Caste-Based Discrimination ·         Regional Centre of Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Amarkantak, M.P.has been inaugurated on 9th September, 2009 in Manipur with the launch of M. Phil programme of Political Science. Education of Women ·         Establishment of Day Care Centres in Universities and Colleges. ·         Indira Gandhi Scholarship for Single Girl Child for pursuing Higher and Technical Education ·         Construction of Women Hostels for Colleges ·         Development of Women’s Studies in Universities and Colleges ·         Capacity Building for Women Managers in Higher Education ·                     Post-doctoral Fellowships for Women BK/ VSB

Gangrape victim flown to Singapore hospital renowned for transplants

   |
Pritha Chatterjee : New Delhi, Thu Dec 27 2012, 03:25 hrs



In a last-ditch effort to save her life, doctors on Wednesday night flew the 23-year-old Delhi gangrape victim to Singapore for treatment at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, renowned for conducting multiple transplants.

A private air ambulance with ventilator facility left Delhi airport around 11.10 pm with the woman and nine other passengers, including her parents, Dr Yatin Gupta, the head of Safdarjung Hospital’s Critical Care Unit, and a team of doctors.

The woman’s siblings followed on a commercial flight.

Sources said the government decided to fly her out on Tuesday afternoon, and Safdarjung Hospital authorities were directed that evening to prepare her to move. For a final opinion, cardiovascular surgeon Dr Naresh Trehan was invited to the hospital on Wednesday morning.

Dr Trehan seconded the view of other surgeons that despite a fresh cardiovascular complication in the wee hours of Wednesday, the woman was stable enough to fly. Besides, a successful intestinal transplant, her only shot at a “complete recovery”, has not been performed in India so far.

After hush hush preparations through the day, the woman was finally driven out of the hospital in an ambulance around 10.30 pm. The specialised private Club One air ambulance with the call sign VT ARE was expected to fly her to Singapore in around six hours. The aircraft has a multi-engine turbine that minimises air turbulence, sources said.

Earlier on Wednesday, the government contacted Mount Elizabeth Hospital, which has treated Indian celebrities and politicians earlier. The hospital was intimated them of the woman’s case and condition, and a formal arrangement was made for her admission. The ministry of external affairs completed all passport and visa formalities for the family within hours.

A PTI report quoted the woman’s father as saying the family had not been told where they were being taken. “We don’t know anything. We don’t know where we are going. All we have been told is we are going abroad. Me, my wife and the entire family is going with her (the victim),” he said.

The woman’s brother had repeatedly told The Indian Express that the family was keen she is treated abroad. This was at a time when several private hospitals in India had been asking to treat her.

Late on Wednesday night after the air ambulance had taken off, Dr B D Athani, medical superintendent of Safdarjung Hospital, said the woman had been given “the best of the available medical aid” during her 10-day treatment at the hospital.

“With fortitude and courage, the girl survived the after-effects of the injuries so far well. But the condition continues to be critical. Based on the advice of a team of doctors, the Government of India has made arrangements for the patient being shifted in a well-equipped air ambulance,” Athani said.

He said Singapore had been chosen because it was comparatively close and the hospital has a state-of-the-art multi-organ transplant facility. The treatment might take weeks, Athani said.

Sources told The Indian Express that while experts at Safdarjung Hospital felt they were competent to manage the patient, the suggestion to move her was made by doctors in the team assisting them.

The first signs of moving the patient were seen around 5 pm on Wednesday. At 5.30 pm, with heavy police deployment at the hospital, the woman’s brother was brought to the medical superintendent’s office. Her parents were already waiting there with two duffel bags. A PCR van then brought in more bags and a bunch of files which police officers said were treatment records. The hospital cancelled two health bulletins on her condition at 4.30 pm and 6.30 pm.

Around 10 pm, three ambulances were brought outside the ICU building. Two — one belonging to Safdarjung Hospital and the other to a private charitable organisation — were possibly decoys. The third, a Medanta ambulance in which Dr P K Verma, head of emergency, and other intensivists were travelling, is believed to be the one in which the woman was taken away.

Over the next half hour, two patients, complete with cardiac monitor, oxygen mask and ventilator, and surrounded by teams of doctors, were taken to two ambulances. At 10.35 pm, a third patient — possibly the victim — was brought out and wheeled inside the Medanta ambulance, surrounded by ICU doctors. The patient was on a ventilator and cardiac monitor, and appeared to be covered in bandages from face to abdomen.

(With Geeta Gupta)

IDSA COMMENT

What did China Gain at the End of the Fighting in November 1962?

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R. S. Kalha

November 21, 2012

On 21 November 1962, exactly half a century ago today, China unexpectedly announced to the world that it was declaring a unilateral cease-fire on the Sino-Indian border and, beginning 1 December 1962, would withdraw its troops 20 kilometres from the Line of Actual Control [LAC] existing between the two countries as on 7 November 1959. It was further clarified that in the eastern sector, Chinese troops would withdraw 20 kilometres north of the ‘so-called McMahon Line.’ With this announcement, the fighting in the brief Sino-Indian border conflict came to an end since India did not challenge the Chinese unilateral ceasefire declaration, nor did it hinder or obstruct the withdrawing Chinese troops. All Chinese troops were north of the McMahon Line by 1 March 1963. So what did China gain by initiating the fighting and starting the conflict?

At the very outset it must be admitted that the conflict was an outstanding success for Chinese arms. China demonstrated once again, as it had done in the Korean War, that the PLA was not an army that could be trifled with. It was for the first time that the Chinese had projected their power into the sub-continent1 and beyond the Himalayan crest. But the end result was not as gratifying as has been assessed. For one, the Chinese leadership, because of the international situation rapidly turning adverse for China, thought discretion to be the better part of valour and prudently decided to withdraw their troops north and behind the McMahon Line. The Soviet Russian assessment was probably quite accurate when Khrushchev taunted the Chinese in a report to the Supreme Soviet on 12 December 1962 thus: ‘China had desisted from further hostilities apparently because India had started to receive support from the US and British Imperialists who were supplying it with arms. Therefore China realized that if the armed conflict continued it might turn into a large scale war.’2 Hence, the Chinese took the decision to withdraw unilaterally from territory south of the McMahon Line.

An additional factor was that with winter setting in rapidly and, given the PLA’s extended and tenuous supply line, it would have been extremely difficult to maintain troops across and far south of the McMahon Line. At the extended points reached by Chinese troops on 20 November 1962, it was easier for India to mobilise larger forces, including heavy artillery and tanks. With winter approaching Chinese forces would have been, for the first time, in a precarious and disadvantaged position. While Indian troops might not have fought well on the high mountains, nevertheless they would be more than a handful if fighting took place on the plains. The outcome may not have been as predictable as before.

The net gain in terms of territory for China was an insignificant 2,000 square kilometres of alpine desert in Ladakh between the first and second Chinese claim line. There was nothing to show for Chinese exertions in the east. This was the difference between the Chinese insistence of returning to the so-called line of 7 November 1959 and the Indian insistence of returning to the line of 8 September 1962 when the fighting initially commenced. Once again, Khrushchev taunted the Chinese leadership thus: ‘China is now withdrawing its troops essentially to the same line at which the conflict broke out. Would it not have been better not to have advanced from there?’3

Thus while the withdrawal may be clothed in whatever triumphal terms the Chinese may like, but the hard fact remains that they could not even hold on to Tawang. Had the Chinese stopped after capturing Tawang, which they did, and not penetrated further south into Indian Territory after 24 October 1962, it would have been extremely difficult for India to dislodge them. For one, world public opinion would not have been so deeply aroused; the Western powers would not have taken the issue so seriously and the Chinese supply line would not have been over-extended. It would have been seen as just another border skirmish. And the Chinese would have retained the immensely important and strategic area of Tawang. That would have been a real gain! Extending the war beyond Tawang was a serious Chinese mistake. In any event by first crossing the McMahon Line and then retreating north beyond the McMahon Line on the conclusion of hostilities, the Chinese only served to further reinforce the validity of the McMahon Line as the international frontier between India and China. It also indicated that the Chinese tacitly accepted the McMahon alignment.

A major gain for India was the fact that for the first time the United States announced that the McMahon Line constituted the international boundary in this region. In the early days the American attitude and position on the border question was ambivalent and far short of Indian expectations. On 12 November 1959, acting US Secretary of State Herter publicly proclaimed that the US had not taken ‘any side on the border dispute’ and as far as the legalities of rival border claims were concerned the US had ‘no views’ [emphasis added]. As a result of the conflict, the United States recognized, on 26 October 1962, the McMahon Line as the International Boundary line. This was a huge political gain for India. In addition, the United States underwrote the Indian position by publicly stating that it would not allow China to browbeat India into submission on the boundary question. On 10 December 1962 Secretary of State Rusk stated that, ‘the important thing in the Indian situation is to give such assistance as we can to India so that India is not subjected to a settlement of problems with China by forceful means applied by China…the central issue therefore is….the security of India as a great Asian democracy.’4

The British, apart from re-confirming the validity of the McMahon Line, took a step further than even the US position when the then Foreign Secretary Lord Home told the Foreign Press Association that ‘we have taken the view of the government of India on the present frontiers and the disputed territories belong to India.’5 This statement of support was later reiterated by Lord Home at the United Nations, prompting the Chinese Foreign Minister Chen Yi to remark that Lord Home’s attitude proves that ‘Indian reactionaries and British Imperialists are jackals of the same lair.’ For the former Imperial power on the subcontinent to give such unqualified support to the Indian case both in the western and eastern sectors was indeed hugely important.

The Chinese were livid over these developments. Foreign Minister Chen Yi felt that the  Western powers had not given due consideration to the sense of national pride and self respect of the Chinese people in seeking to recognise the McMahon Line as the international border. When the Chinese Ambassador Wang remonstrated with his US interlocutor, Ambassador Cabot, at their meeting in Warsaw on 13 December 1962 about the change in the US position on the McMahon Line, Cabot not only simply reiterated Rusk’s statement but significantly added that ‘the US wished to see a peaceful settlement, but one which India can accept with honour’ [emphasis added].6

It is quite obvious that Chinese aggression on the border had paid no political dividends. All the three major powers of the world at that point in time – the United States, the Soviet Union and Britain – openly supported the Indian cause. On the other hand, China lost a sincere friend in Jawaharlal Nehru. From that point onwards in the minds of most of the Indian public the perception of China changed conclusively and it began to be associated with perfidy. It is a slur that China would find hard to live down for decades.

1. 1.Roger Hilsman, To Move a Nation, Delta, New York, p. 338.
2. 2.Report to the Supreme Soviet, 12 December 1962.
3. 3.Ibid
4. 4.Department of State Bulletin, Vol. 47, No. 1227, 31 December 1962, p. 1000.
5. 5.Survey of International Affairs, 1962, p. 418.
6. 6.State Department File No. 611.93/12-1392, 113th meeting.

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Sino-Indian Relations: Are Trade Issues Likely To Cause Even More Problems?

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R. S. Kalha

December 24, 2012

When issues pertaining to Sino-Indian relations are discussed, a natural corollary is to focus attention entirely on the boundary question. That may have been a truism in the past, but what is fast emerging on the horizon are difficult questions pertaining to trade, commercial and economic relations that need as urgent attention as the boundary question.

Today, China is India’s largest trading partner; whereas India is within the top ten of China’s trading partners. Bilateral trade between China and India soared from about US $3 billion at the beginning of the 21st century to about US$80 billion in 2012, a phenomenal increase in about 12 years. Leaders of both countries have proposed, with confidence, the goal of increasing bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2015. That being so, what does the future hold?

In the past, trade and related matters were a stabilizing factor and leaders from both countries would point to the development of trade as one of the major benefits from improved relations. However, in recent years, there have been reports of intensified trade frictions. The main complaint has related to the huge imbalance in China’s favour. For every dollar's worth of exports to China, India imports three, leading to a trade deficit of up to $40 billion in the year to March 2012, or about 2 per cent of GDP. China accounts for 25 per cent of India's overall trade deficit with the world and over half if oil is excluded from this list. India has had to frequently initiate anti-dumping investigations on imports from China, based on complaints from domestic manufacturers. India feels that that two-way trade in 2012, which reached $80 billion – consisting of about $20 billion as India’s exports and $60 billion as India’s imports – was grossly unfair. The $40 billion trade imbalance is almost as large as the Indian government’s fiscal deficit! Besides, the trade mix was unreasonable. India mainly imported machinery and manufactured products from China and exported cotton, iron ore and other raw materials to China. India believes that such a trade situation is unsustainable and may lead to protectionist impulses. No bilateral free-trade agreement exists, and India often is forced due to domestic pressures to levy duties on Chinese imports, most recently of power equipment. On the other hand, Chinese companies frequently complain about India’s discriminative policy against Chinese investment and its restrictions on Chinese enterprises through strict security clauses or a restrictive visa policy.

Thus, in the years ahead, given the expected growth in the overall trade, the deficit adverse to India is bound to grow even larger and this is bound to pose an even greater challenge to the leadership of the two countries. It will certainly cause anguish to the Indian leadership. It is beyond the present capacity of the Indian economy to correct the trade imbalance on its own. Unless China decides, perhaps for strategic reasons, to take decisive unilateral steps to rectify this imbalance, this is bound to be an important factor that bedevils bilateral relations.

China is well on its way to making the yuan [RMB] the third international currency, besides the US dollar and the Euro. China has also been active in promoting a regional financial architecture in Asia that would establish its economic pre-eminence. It has taken a series of graduated steps in this direction by bringing the 10 ASEAN countries on a common platform. China is moving towards establishing an Asian Fund, which is expected to allow member countries to make currency swap arrangements and the corpus of which was raised by China from $120 billion to $240 billion. China has also proposed an ASEAN Infrastructure Fund that would channel long-term investment to projects, such as the ambitious ASEAN Connectivity Initiative. These, too, will create opportunities for China to emphasise its role as a key source of capital for the region. These recent developments give substance to China’s stated ambition of internationalising its currency and gain the status of a reserve currency rivalling the US dollar and the euro. The future for India in this regard will be bleak, if it does not take steps to set its economic house in order by pushing through urgently needed reforms.

On the other hand, there are issues at the international level where meaningful co-operation between the two countries is being witnessed. The Copenhagen Conference served to bring out in sharp relief the global and strategic dimensions of China-India relations. The cooperation that was witnessed on climate change between the two countries was largely determined by their similar situation and concerns on this particular issue. To give a boost to the bilateral relationship, the two countries should tap the potential of coordination and cooperation in multilateral economic forums and groups such as the China-Russia-India cooperation initiative, the BRICS grouping and the G20 forum. As both India and China have a fairly similar outlook on most such matters, this is one area where co-operation is possible in the future and every effort should be made to utilize the momentum thus gained to seek cooperation in other areas as well. For example, as their economies further develop both countries are likely to require large inflows of fossil fuel energy [Oil]. Instead of competing with each other or undercutting each other’s bids, every effort should be made to work out mutual requirements. This way competition would be less as also help to stabilize the price mechanism. India–China competition for the same natural resources will only help push up the prices in the producing countries. Recently, Premier Wen had outlined his views on exploring the possibility of establishing overseas economic cooperation zones in the two countries; expanding cooperation in finance, tourism, energy and environmental protection. This too needs serious consideration.

India should carefully assess the implications of these developments. Should India also begin to think of establishing a yuan currency market in India? Should our commercial institutions be permitted to raise yuan funds to finance investment projects in India? Since China is the main competitive source for infrastructure projects, whether in power or in telecommunications, should we attempt to work out a strategic commercial partnership with China particularly for our infrastructure sector? India needs foreign capital [FDI] to boost both its manufacturing and infrastructure sectors. China has accumulated huge surplus funds that it must invest abroad and ideally not just in government bonds—as mostly happens in the United States. Europe too is not that attractive an investment destination as before. Therefore, is Chinese FDI into India an idea whose time has come? We should not confuse FDI as being entirely Western in origin.

China’s leaders are aiming to make their currency fully convertible by 2015 and even if China moves with caution in a more graduated process, the direction and destination are no longer in doubt. When that happens, the overall global balance of power will shift even more dramatically towards China. The Indian political class should seriously ponder without engaging in fruitless ideological debates – for we may be leaving ourselves with no choice – whether to acquiesce to a China-dominated commercial and economic landscape in Asia.