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14THEINDIANEXPRESS,THURSDAY,JANUARY21,2016

WORDLY WISE

A great deal of intelligence can be invested in

ignorancewhen theneed for illusion is deep.

SAUL BELLOWTHEEDITORIALPAGE

WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM

FOUNDED BY

RAMNATHGOENKA

B E C A U S E T H E T R U T H I N V O L V E S U S A L L

THE NEW QUOTABiharsjob reservation forwomenis a welcomegesture, but

focus hasto beon increasing opportunitiesand capabilities

THEBIHARGOVERNMENTSmovetoreserve35per centofalljobsinthestate

sectorfor womenis anattempt toincrease their presencein theworkforce.

However, withnotmany jobsbeingcreatedin thepublicsector, thepolicy

offersmoresymbolicvaluethanradicalcontent:Itspotentialintransforming

thesocialandeconomicstatureof womenis limited,evenwhencomparedtotheNitish

Kumargovernmentswomen-centricinitiativesin thepast, especiallyin thefield of ed-

ucation.Measureslike providingfree schooling, textbooksand bicyclesfor girls were

trulyempoweringin thesense thatthey endowedthe beneficiarieswith skillsto partic-

ipatein thejob market,including inthe private sector, wheremuch of employment cre-

ationhappens today.

Thelimitations of thelatestinitiativenotwithstanding, thegesture is welcomein a

statewherethe labourforceparticipationrateamongwomenof workingage,at 9per cent,

isone ofthe lowestin India,and farbelowtheall-Indiaaverageof 33percent.Thescale

ofgenderdisparityin Biharis alsoevidentinthelargepresenceof womenin casualem-

ploymentnearly50percentas againsttheall-Indiaaverageof 31percent.Betterrep-

resentation inthe formal workforce, which offers assured incomes andwages,would

helpimprovethestatusof women andmakesociety sensitive towardsgenderequality

in socialand economicspaces. Moreover, publicinstitutionsthat havea representative

workforceare likelyto providebetterservices. Biharhas seenremarkableimprovement

inwomensparticipationin educationand politicsin recentyears.Inthe decadebetween

2001and2011,female literacyrose byover20 percentagepoints,although,at53 percent,

itis still farbehindthe nationalaverage of 65.5per cent. Electiondata points tomore

womenexercisingtheirvotingrightscomparedto men aclear indicationof theformer

becoming awareof thepoliticalprocessand their role init. The2006governmentdeci-

siontoreserve50 percentseatsin panchayatirajinstitutionsfor women hasled tothe

creationofa newsetof leadersand role models,offsettingmanysocialstereotypesand

deepeningdemocracy.

Therecognitionof theeconomicrightsof women andstateinterventiontoaddress

genderdisparityinemploymentwas inevitableconsideringthe trajectoryBiharhas em-

barked onunder Nitish.In a polity where caste hasbeen theprimarymarker of social

identityand political loyalty, Nitish identifieda potential constituencyin womenand

crafteda pollagendathatappealedto them.Some ofhispromises,likeprohibition,may

bedeemedpopulistbutmuchin hiswomen-centric agendahas thepotential totrans-

formBihars societyand economyfor thebetter.

AJUST EXEMPTIONThereis a moral andeconomic casefor

not taxingNPS withdrawals

THE GOVERNMENTIS reportedly considering exempting fundwithdrawals

underthe National PensionSystem (NPS) fromtaxation.If thisproposal

fromthePensionFund Regulatoryand DevelopmentAuthority(PFRDA)does

come through in the ensuing Union budget, it would be a welcome

step. Currently,subscriberscontributionsto theNPS as wellas interestearnedduring

theaccumulationphase aretax-exempt.But withdrawalsfromthe schemeattract

tax,whichis notthe casewiththe Employees ProvidentFund, PublicProvidentFund,

or evenequity-linkedsavingsschemeinvestments thatenjoy exemption at allthree

stages.Suchdifferential taxtreatmentmakesno sense,especiallywhenthe NPSis a

socialsecurityschemeunlikethePPF,whichis apure interest-earning,tax-savinginstru-

ment. Correctingthisanomaly would gosome wayinmakingtheNPS moreattractive:

Currently,out of itsassetsundermanagementof Rs1.08lakhcrore,almost90 percent

areaccountedforby Centralandstategovernmentemployeeswhohaveto compulsorily

subscribeto thescheme.Butthat isnot theonly reason.Unlike theWestand inmany other countries, India

hasnorealsocialsecurityscheme,moreso fortheunorganisedandinformalsectorthat

makesup about88 percentof itstotal workforce.Theseworkers,andalso government

employeesenteringservice after2004, havetobuild theirownretirementnesteggs. The

NPSis onesuchavenueforcitizensto parkhard-earnedsavings generatedduringtheir

working life.The least thegovernment cando tohelpthisvast majority isnot taxthese

accumulationsat thetimeofwithdrawal.Itis only fairthatthosewantingto providefor

themselveswithout relyingongovernmentlargesseshouldbe grantedcompletetaxex-

emptionat contribution,earningsand thefinal corpusstage.

Theremovalof uncertainty over taxtreatmentonwhatcan bea genuinelong-term

social securityschemeis, moreover, important fora countrythat desperatelyneeds to

build roads, railwaylines,powerplants, water supply,sanitationand other infrastruc-

ture.These projectstypicallyhavelong gestations,while offeringno immediatereturns.

Forthatreason,theycanonlybe fundedbylong-termsavings.Whileforeigndirectinvest-

ment, includingoverseaspensionfunds,couldbe onesource,the bulkofit, though,has

tobe generatedinternallyfromwithinthecountry.Indiais todayina demographicsweet

spot, where ithas a large population that isof working ageand canprovidetheselong-

termfinancialsavings. TheNPS shouldbe tax-enabled tofacilitatethat.

TEQUILA SUNSETGlenn Freyhas checkedout, buthe

willnever leaveus

INROCKMUSIC,anerais ending.TributestoDavidBowiearestillappearinginthe

press,rightnexttoobituaries ofGlennFrey,trailbossof theEagles andthewriter

oftheir mostenduringclassics,includingHotelCalifornia.Fourdecades afterits

releasein 1976,thenumber remainsa radiofavouritetheworldover.It stillstands

forthe bizarrehedonismofits time,andperhaps evenfor theidea ofAmerica.Indeed, its

saidthatwhena USspy plane madean emergency landingon Hainanin 2001, Chinese

officialsasked crewmembers tosing HotelCaliforniatoprove theirnationality.

Apartfromwritingand playingthe guitarforthe group,Freyalsolent hisvoiceto clas-

sicslikeTequilaSunrise,HeartacheTonight andPeaceful EasyFeeling.The group

hascreditedhisattentiontodetailfor itssuccess,whichrepeatedlydroveitto thetopof

the charts theyarethe highest-selling USbandever and intothehallof fame the

veryyearthey werenominated.That didnotgo downwellwiththe criticsand theEagles,

whohad alaid-backfolksyfeel, wereexcoriatedfordoing betterinthe marketplacethan

edgiertalents likeBowie.

Both BowieandFrey havegonetothegreatgiginthesky.Ziggyis stardustandthe

Eagleswebsite opens tothe goodbyesongofTheLongRoadOut ofEdenalbum,writtenbyFrey:ItsYour WorldNow.But he willalways be remembered bestfor Hotel

California,whose tantalisinglyrics soundlike a palimpsestontowhich thelistener can

score hopes,fears,evenepiphanies.Now, thelastlinestakeon newmeaning,reaffirm-

ingGlennFreys permanentplacein therockand rollfirmament:Youcancheckout any

time youlike,/But youcanneverleave.

What if law does not dictate how peopleliveor diebutallows oldcustomsand traditions todo their work?

REINING IN THE BULLSA strictlyregulatedandindependentlyaudited jallikattu isthewaytogo

THERE ARETHREEideas inthe West aboutlawthataretakenas axioms.First,thatall so-cieties arefoundedon law;if they arenot,theyoughtto be.Thesecondisthatlawtea-chesandeducatesapeople.Thethirdistheircorollary: Only thusdo a peoplebecomeanation.As faras Iknow,nonehasshowntheirempiricaltruthor provedthattheyarelogi-cally necessary. Buttheir truth-valueis notdoubted.WhentheyruledIndia,the Britishfollowedtheseaxioms:Theytriedtoeducateus throughlaw, they interferedin ourfesti-valsand social practices andthe state triedtoeducatea barbaricpeopleby enactingjust laws. Romulus gave law to Romeandmade itintoa state;Mosesgavelawtoa peopleand madethemintoa nation;Mo-hammedis a lawgiver; sois Manu inIndia.Theseideasarenotdated,apparently.Today,allthese ideasenjoy thesame currencytheyhadduring colonialrule.

Our prime minister launches a prog-ramme,Swachh Bharat,enjoiningthe statetoteachpublichygiene toIndians.Strange,because mostIndiansare focused on theirhygiene:Manybathethree timesa day,evenmore doso twiceand most atleast once.MostIndiansarekeenonsweepingthefloorsoftheirhousesat leastoncea day. Yet,ourpublicspacesdo notenjoy thesameattent-ion. Instead offiguring outhowandwhyahygienicallyoriented people thinkaboutpublicspacesdifferently,thestatetakesuponitselftheroleof a teacherthatshouldedu-catean unhygienicpublic.

A few yearsago,I wasinvitedto meetsomesadhusat theSwaminarayantempleinDelhi.Wewereinformedthatmy femalestudentsshouldnot accompanyme andmyother malestudents,becausethesesadhuspractise strict brahmacharya. Mystudentswereaghast at thisdiscrimination againstwomen,whichincreasedwhentheydiscov-

eredthatwomenare notallowed templeentryduringcertainhours whenthe sadhuscometo perform puja.I tried explaining tothemthat thesepracticesare notdirectedagainstwomen (oranyoneelse) butthatthesearethe practicesof thesadhusas dem-anded bythevowsof strictbrahmacharya.

Theywereas unconvincedas mycolleaguesinEurope:It isclearly a caseof sexdiscri-mination.I amsurethatit will not belongbefore someone inIndia steps tothe court,challenging the practices of the devoteesof Swaminarayan.

Thecourts wouldtheninterferein thepracticesof apeople:TheJainsareviolatingthelawwhenindividualsdecidetoleavethisworldinawaythatisrespectedbyapeople;thepeoplein Karnataka arenot allowedtoobservewaysofservingin templesandper-formoldpracticesbecausetheyviolatehu-mandignity;the devotees of Shabari Ayy-appadiscriminatewhen theydo notallowmenstruatingwomento joinsomepractices;onemustfollowMuslims andChristiansintermsof dresscodes whilevisitingtemples;certaingamesand practices arenot allowedbecause theyinflict paineitheron animalsorbypeopleon themselves.Thelistgoesonendlessly. Practicesof differentcommuni-ties,no matterhowold andvenerated,sho-uldhavetheirfoundationinlaw.Otherwise?They arebarbaric,ofcourse.

However,what ifthe staidideasfrom theWestarenotgodsowntruth?Whatif asoc-ietyis notfoundedon law butsees law asapartof societythat merelyprovides a reas-onablesolutiontohuman conflicts?What iflawdoesnotcreateanationandthatgroupsbecomea peoplepreciselybecause of thecolourfulvariety of their local practices?Whatif lawdoes noteducatepeoplebutmerelyregulates reasonable interactionsamongstthem?Whatif lawdoes notdictatehow peoplelive ordie butallows oldcust-omsand traditionsto dotheir work?Surely,positiveanswersto these questionsdo notmeanthatonecountenancesallpracticesbe-causethey aretraditionallysanctioned.Whatisbeing askedis something different:Allowreason or lawto criticise unreasonablebe-

haviours butdo notmakeeitherof thetwointo a foundation forhumaninteraction.Whatdoes thisstatementmean?

Here, thepracticeofslave-owningis notbeing defendedon groundsof itsvenerableancestry. Noris it being suggestedthat thepracticesof apeople, whichiswhattradition

is,are immutable.After all,traditionalpujas,sayGaneshPuja, have adaptedthemselveswellto moderntechnology. Humantradi-tionscanbe criticisedif foundunreasonable,whichmeans leavingnormative judgementsbehind,or whentheydirectlyharmothers.Butno evaluation, rejectionor change of awayof livingbecause, under a specificdes-cription, itviolates someor anothernor-mativeprinciple.

However,going inthisdirectionrequiresabeliefin thevalidity,acceptabilityandvalueofonesway ofliving.ThewayChristiansandMuslims dressin their places of worshipisnotan argumentfor other Indiansnot todresstheway theynormallydoin theirtem-ples.How theWestarranges itsown societyisnot aknockdownargumentinfavourof itscivilisationalpriorityor primacy, orproof oftheinferiorityof otherwaysoforganisingso-ciallife. Whilethis considerationis perhapsabstractly acceptable, the Indianintellig-entsiadoesnotobviouslybelieveinitstruth.Ifitdid,itis notpossiblethatpeopleseektheinterventionof theapparatusesof thestateinmattersof humanpracticesthatcarry thestampof atradition.

Lookingfromthe outside,my vantagepoint,the Indianintelligentsiais increasinglyimitating theWest. However, apartfrom itsthoughtlessness,thismoveisnotas simpleasitappearsat first sight. When we take overideas fromthe West,we mustremembertounderstandthemasculturalbeings.Thecul-turefromwithinwhichwelookattheWestandappropriateits thoughts remainsunde-niablyIndian.As aresult,whatwethinkthestateis,andwhyandhowweusethecourtsoflaw,haveto dowiththe waywe,Indians,understandtheWestfromwithintheframe-workofourcultureandtraditions.Whatgua-rantees us thatthisunderstanding is notflawed?Howdoweknowwearenotdistort-

ingmeaningfulideas inour attemptsto foll-owWesterntheories?

Thewriter isdirector,ResearchCentreVergelijkendeCultuurwetenschap

(ComparativeScience ofCultures) atGhentUniversity,Belgium

PONGALWASLESSsweetthisyear inTamilNaduwiththeSupreme Court(SC)refusingtoliftthe banon jallikattu.The bull-taming

sport,a partofrurallifestyleandTamilfolk-lorefor overa thousandyears,witnessed asee-sawbattlebetweenthegovernmentandthecourt.Whilethe Pongal festivitieshavepassed, someare still hopingthat jallikattucanstillbe revivedas thecourtisset toheara reviewpetitionon Thursday.

Thecontroversyaroundjallikattuemer-gedsome10years agowhentheMadrasHighCourtpassed orderscurtailing itscon-ductin TamilNadu. Thestate government,soon thereafter, enacted the Tamil NaduRegulationof Jallikattu(TNRJ)Act,2009.Thislawbrought about a regulatory frameworkin organisingjallikattu forthe first time:Organisershadtobevetted,barricadesweremade compulsory, participants hadto regi-ster andthe healthof bullsrequiredto becheckedby governmentveterinariansbeforeandaftertheevent.Thestatelaw,alongwiththe parentlegislation thePreventionofCrueltyto Animals (PCA) Act 1960 thusformeda protectiveframeworkforjallikattu.

However, thepresent banaroseout of

twointer-connectedeventsin 2011.First,anamendmentto thestatutoryrulesunder theparentlegislation, made whenJairam Ra-meshwas theUnionministerfor environm-entandforests,barredbullsfrombeingexh-ibited or trained as performing animal.Second, a writpetition filedby theAnimalWelfareBoardof India(AWBI)in theSC ques-tionedthelegalityofbullsbeinga partof jall-ikattuand bullock-cartraces.

Alandmark judgment,inthe AWBIcase,waspassed inMay 2014upholdingthe 2011amendment,strikingdownthe TNRJactand,

ultimately,banning jallikattu and bullock-cartraces. Consequently,no jallikattuwasheldinTamilNaduduringPongal2015.Withthepetitionforreviewof theAWBIcasejudg-mentnotbeingheard, theUnion governm-entoptedto unilaterallyremovethejallikat-tuban. OnJanuary7,2016, a weekbeforePongal,a notificationwas issued toexempt

jallikattu andbullock-cartracespractisedtraditionallyunder thecustoms or culture.Thenotification drewimmediate criticismforsending confusingsignals; onthe onehand, allowingthe bullto continueas ananimal prohibited frombeingexhibitedortrained, but simultaneously providing abackdoor routefor jallikattu.

Whenthe notificationwas challenged,theSCseemedonlytooeagertostayitsimp-lementation. In its interim stay order on

January 12,the court quotedextensivelyfrom theAWBIcaseto justifythereimposi-tion of abanon jallikattu.The AWBI caseviewedthe PCAact throughan ecocentricperspective as distinguishedfroman ant-

hropocentricangle.Specifically, thecourtheldthat thisact outlawedinflictionof un-necessarypainandsufferingontheanimals.Ina first,thecourt also drew from inter-national principles of animalwelfare andread the five freedoms of the WorldOrganisation for Animal Health into theIndianlaws.By doing so,the court hasbro-ught out strong reasoning in favour of a

jallikattuban.

However, jallikattu supporters are notfazed. Theyare confidentthatthe courtwillseethat theinclusionof bullsinthe category

of performing animalsis ill-founded. Theotheranimalsinthatlistare monkeys,bears,lions,panthersandtigerswildanimalsthathave neverbeen partof therural, agrarianecosystem.

Theotherline ofargumentis theculturalone. Insome parts of theworld,themoregruesome bull-fighting event has beenlegally protected ongroundsthat itis anunquestionable part of intangible culturalheritage. Eventhe SC, inrecenttimes,hasheededtochoosingcustomsand sentimentsascompellingreasons.Inacasedealingwiththe appointment of lower-caste men aspriestsin Hindutemplesof TamilNadu,thecourtweighed infavour of religioustreatise(agamas)toallowonlycertaincastedenom-inationsto qualifyfor priesthood.Anotherbenchofthecourtrejecteda petitionseekinga banon animalsacrifice whileobservingthatcenturies-oldtraditionswereinvolved.

Thedebate,thus,seemsfarfromsettled.With both sidesgettingreadyfor thenextroundofcourt battles,the judiciarywillhave

tocarefully weigh thecompeting interestsof emotionally chargedsentiments againsta liberal interpretationof animal rights. Asolutionmaybe foundintheformof astrictlyregulatedand independently audited jall-ikattu, wheresuffering causedto animalsis minimised.

Thewriter,a lawyer,isaspokespersonofthe DMK

TheJains areviolatingthelawwhen individuals decidetoleavethisworld ina waythat isrespected bya people;the devoteesof ShabariAyyappa discriminatewhenthey donot allowmenstruating women to joinsomepractices; certaingames andpractices are notallowed because theyinflictpain either on animals orbypeople on themselves.Thelist goeson endlessly.Practicesof differentcommunities, no matter howoldand venerated,should

havetheirfoundation inlaw. Otherwise?They arebarbaric,of course. However,what if the staid ideas fromthe West arenot godsowntruth?

Even theSupremeCourt, inrecent times, hasheededcustoms andsentiments ascompellingreasons.Thedebate, thus,seems farfromsettled.Withboth sidesgetting ready forthe next

roundof courtbattles, thejudiciarywill have tocarefullyweigh thecompetinginterestsofemotionally chargedsentimentsagainstaliberal interpretationofanimal rights.

HOPE IN CHASNALARESCUERSWERE ALMOSTcertainof reach-ing, onJanuary22,a panelwhere 19sur-vivorswereexpectedinsidesomeair-pock-etsin theinundatedChasnala colliery, thedirectorgeneralof minessafetysaid.Thirteenbodieshadbeen locatedand10of thembro-ughtto thesurface. Twootherbodieswerefloatingin thesecondhorizonand another

wasburiedunderabout14tonnesof rocks.Althoughbodies werebeingbroughtto thesurface,themainthrust wasto reachthatpanel, 30feet higher thanthe firsthorizonlevel.On theveryfirstday ofthe rescueop-eration,rescuershad wanted toreach thatpanelbuttheiradvancewasblockedbyavast

massoffallendebris.

CIA ON POKHRANUS SPYSATELLITES tookpictures of Indiasatomicinstallations butfailed topredicttheimminenceof its nucleartest intimefora diplomaticoffensive, according totheCIA. The agency told a House of Repr-esentatives committee that the lack of

predictiondeprived theUS of theoption ofconsidering diplomatic or other initiativestotry topreventthissignificant stepin nu-clearproliferation.

MISABILLTHE MAINTENANCE OF InternalSecurity

(Amendment)Billwas introducedin theLokSabha afterstrong opposition fromthe CPIandother oppositiongroups.Under thebill,thegovernmentdid nothaveto disclosethereasonsfor detention.

KIWIS BEAT INDIANEWZEALANDWONtheEasternZoneDavisCup tennis semifinals, beating India 3-2

inAuckland.BrianFairlielost thereversesinglesto VijayAmritraj,but Onny Parunprevailed over Anand Amritraj in theother singles. Onthe first day, Fairlie beatAnandand Parunlostto Vijay.NewZealandhada surprisewin inthedoubleson thesecondday.

JANUARY21, 1976, FORTYYEARSAGO

S.N. Balagangadhara

Manuraj Shunmugasundaram

Questioning the axioms