Extradition is as far-fetched for India as are the arrears of Mr. Mallya: Vijay Mallya Extradition case

 

The power of a particular government is not the only thing that is challenged in a justice system. The resolve of the government is also tested. And not only is this a case of the government’s prestige but is also a matter of prestige of one of the most important banks in India; State Bank. What is the basic problem behind the immediate extradition of Mr. Mallya? The only reason that fits is that he is a billionaire. The UK is quite notoriously known to harbor people of influence and power from being prosecuted. Even though the UK has signed an extradition clause with India in 1992, the only person who was extradited was a person who never even stood to fight the extradition in the 2002 Godhra Riots case. But the case here is not just about an individual but a brand.

Vijay Mallya was the business tycoon of India who defined in-flight luxury for its passengers. His Kingfisher Calender is famous world over and is known to have given some of the most beautiful models in the Indian Film Industry. The liquor baron- as he is known for United Breweries was quite in the news in the time for the purchase of Tipu Sultan’s sword. He is also credited with the possession of a very old vintage of Scotch Whiskey found on a sunken ship. But apart from these the baron is now known to be a squanderer and a cheat who took loans from many banks in India and defaulted on them repeatedly until he fled India in March of 2016.

But the primary culprit behind all this is the government who allowed a defaulter to flee India. Why did not the government put a ban on his movement and revoke his passports. Vijay Mallya is a known figure and he did not abscond, but he left India while everyone was watching and this makes it more difficult to believe whether the government would be able to bring him back or not. But this is not the first time when the UK has harbored people of questionable integrity. The ousted General Pervez Musharaf who fled Pakistan is also on the list of those people who are in the UK, who was responsible solely for the 1999 Kargil War and the stalling of peace talks between India and Pakistan.

It is safe to say that right or wrong is a matter of perspective. But the matter of righteousness surpasses all boundaries of nations and constitutions. What is more important is that the people you are harboring are leaving on a certain impression for the world to see. It is not necessary to be right all the time but to delay the delivery of justice is a denial of justice itself. And this is not just a matter of the UK government but also a matter of the government of India whose callous attitude and underestimation facilitated the fleeing of one of the biggest defaulters in India's banking history. But surely UK has a moral compass that points way to far from India’s and that can be countered only by India’s resolve to bring Mr. Mallya to justice.

The true inflation is the difference between Rs 20 and Rs 120: Farmers underpaid for produce in India

The country is now witness to some of the widespread strikes by farmers who have come to the government to get their loans waived. The MP farmers’ protest in Mandsaur is the latest. Farmers have joined all over the country to protest. But is it the same kind of protests that we see in this country that wane away with the passage of time. It is wise to read between the lines rather than the lines themselves. There is a strong reason why farmers have come out on the roads.

The investigation need not go too far and can condense to the local vegetable market. The small bundle of coriander or cilantro that is available in the market is sold at Rs 120. But the same thing is bought from the farmer who grew it, at Rs 20. Why does this huge gap occur?

The farmer sells it to the local aggregator, who gives him a meager amount for the entire produce. The farmer, who has no storage facility for his vegetables, in order to minimize the loss due to decay, sells it off. Now the aggregator does the same thing and sells it before decay to the next link in the supply chain. In the due course of time the customer at the end of the chain gets the price tag of Rs 120. And this has been the story throughout the 70 years of independence. The farmer has been considered as one of the primary pillars of democracy in India. It is evident from the ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’ of the PM Lal Bahadur Shastri. But this slogan has lost its importance now that the government takes them for granted. Due to the difference in the rate the supply chain tries to squeeze the farmers' end of the chain and increase profits. The farmers are unable to pay back the loans and so either protest or commit suicide.

The main problem arises out of the red-tape bureaucracy that is still stalling people from progressing. The tendency to stick to old practices and not innovation is the main reason behind this farmers’ agitation. The government should have given a cost-effective solution to farmers for storing their produce after reaping to enable fair price deliverance. The government should take and area-wise census each year to determine the number of farmers in each area and allot a local storage system for the farmers for their produce temporarily for storage so that they get a fair price for their produce. Also a representative from the government should ensure that the rate of sale of the produce is not much different than the rate in the market. The number of middlemen must be decreased.

But this will only ensure a government structure. A true implementation is that where people join with the implementation of a reform.  People must realize that the farmers are an important part of the society. Enabling the system like a Panchayati Raj in the rural areas is good. It will enable participation on a greater platform. A national computer network should be enabled to compare prices with various places and enable discussion to make better practices of farming. Farming is not only a pillar of democracy but also a leg of the entire nation. Preventing it from breaking will prevent the nation from being handicapped.

The Opening of bars won’t solve the drug abuse problem Mr. Vijayan: Kerala opens bars again

Popularly Punjabis and Keralites or Malayalis have been proud of their ‘Capacity’. And here I don’t mean the capacity to eat but to drink alcohol. Vivid stories of Malayalis having large quantities of alcohol without becoming tipsy at all. But that was changed about a year ago when the UDF government banned alcohol in the state. Many challenged this idea but the government did not budge. The new government in the second year gave the people a huge present in the form of bar licenses. And the government justifies the move as a counter to the increase in drug abuse in the state.

But that doesn’t add up the earlier incidences of drug abuse in the state when alcohol was not banned. This government has put itself in a strange position with a portion of the society supporting the decision and another portion disliking the decision. But if we consider basic human psychology a lesser evil is not going to stop people from going to the next level. This trade-off by the Kerala government is faulty and will only increase the use of drugs in the state.

Addicts that are used to alcohol will obviously try to get a new high by trying drugs alongwith the alcohol. And people who were already using the two together will get a shot in the arm by this decision. Moreover people who didn’t knew about drugs are now enlightened about this addiction and if they had a try or two with alcohol once, they will do the same with the drugs and thus this vicious circle will continue.

The government of Kerala just gave a stronger thrust to this vicious wheel. This wheel will sure have social impacts as well. Alcohol is not introduced in a situation where people have a choice to stay aloof. It is like a whirlwind, which pulls you in whether you want it or not. And considering the move of the Kerala government which permits three star hotels and restaurants to sell alcohol, the youth of the state and the neighboring states are at risk.

It is clear from the government’s shady reasons that this move is just to introduce a new head of revenue for the state. And the sad part is that this is based on the health of number of youth of the country. Not to mention the relation between drinking and crime in general. And particularly in the case of Kerala, the crime against women, which has been a black mark on the state for so long. You cannot burn an entire forest to weed out one rat, and if you do so the rat will live to see you die soon.