Opinion Treasonous report

“It is also treacherous to dilute India’s claim on Pak-occupied Kashmir by deliberate use of the words ‘Pak-Administered Kashmir (PAK)’ by these interlocutors,instead of ‘Pak-occupied Kashmir (PoK)’ being used officially by India… ‘Pak-Administered Kashmir’ adds legitimacy to Pakistan’s continued occupation of areas of Kashmir,” the article says.

The article titled,‘A treasonous,insidious document. Throw it in the dustbin’,criticises the authors of the report saying that it has been “authored by the members being alleged to have enjoyed parties hosted by Pakistan-ISI lobbysts”. “The report of the interlocutors should be confined to the dustbin because the motive and commitment of at least two of its members are suspect,” says the Organiser editorial titled ‘Dustbin is the place for Kashmir interlocutors’ report’.

Iranian oil

AN ARTICLE in the RSS’s Hindi publication,Panchjanya,has faulted “economist Prime Minister” Manmohan Singh’s failure to revive the economy. The article has pointed towards rising commodity prices,particularly crude oil and high interest rates as the two major factors hurting India’s economic growth. It suggests India should enhance crude oil imports from Iran to ease the pressure on its currency and import bills.

“Increasingly,more crude oil imports from Iran could be a potential way to reduce our dollar bill of crude oil imports. The government must come out from the influence of America and increase the imports of crude oil from Iran,” the article insists. It advises the government to use “phyto-sanitary” and “anti-dumping” measures against Chinese goods among others to curb imports from China to get a favourable balance of trade. It also suggests a three-year lock-in period mandatory for foreign institutional investors.

Non-partisan EC

THE Organiser has also come out in support of L.K. Advani’s suggestion of the non-partisan selection of heads of constitutional bodies like the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).

An article titled ‘Make Constitutional posts truely non-partisan’ talks only about the CEC and does not spell out its position on the CAG. The article pins its objections to the CEC’s position emerging to be the “preserve of the bureaucrats”. In the process,the article has singled out former CEC T.N. Seshan to highlight its concerns regarding bureaucrats dominating the position. “At times,a CEC,in his zeal to prove different,took arbitrary decisions and even behaved in the most awry manner. That is how the tenure of T.N. Seshan would be remembered,” says the article,adding: “His methodology was arbitrary. He did not care for the confabulations as is the requirement in a democratic tradition… Needless to say,Seshan introduced arbitrariness and rules which are to be found nowhere except in the whims and fancies of the officials’ mind… The high constitutional position and other EC members should now be chosen from those who understand the political psyche and functioning. They can be from political functionaries,journalists and other… citizens,” says the article arguing that “bureaucrat-turned-constitutional functionaries are not masters.” As for the selection process,the article says that “political parties should be tasked for the selection. The selection process should not be vested with the ruling combine. A process of a committee should be set up to ensure the selection of (the) CEC and other EC members. This is a mature nation. Political parties have acquitted themselves well. They should be given the task of selecting the right person to conduct the process,” says the article.

Compiled by Ravish Tiwari