HVK Archives: Lost glory
Lost glory - The Economic Times
N Narasimhan / V P Naidu
()
April 2, 1998
Title: Lost glory
Author: N Narasimhan / V P Naidu
Publication: The Economic Times
Date: April 2, 1998
When Dag Hammarskjoeld, the UN secretary general, died in an
aircrash, the then super powers, the soviet Union and the US,
decided to back Mr. C V Narasimhan, an outstanding Indian
diplomat and a top level UN of ficial, for the post. The die was
thus cast for his appointment as secretary general.
The Indian embassy in the US wisely kept the bright possibility
nder wraps=94, camouflaging its enthusiasm.
And then came the bolt from the blue! Pandit Nehru wanted his
relative, B K. Nehru, and not CV Narasimhan to be made the UN
Secretary General! B K. Nehru's name was nowhere in the reckoning
for that exalted post. The issue involved was not the personal
fiefdom of the Nehru family, but the prestige of this country.
The super powers then dropped the very idea of selecting an
Indian representative to be the UN secretary general. Jawaharlal
Nehru, the tinsel god worshipped by us, had sabotaged a golden
opportunity for a distinguished Indian to become the secretary
general of the United Nations in the sixties.
Burma, a speck on the world map nurtured to democracy by UN and
Aang Sen, managed to get its representative U Thant elected
sometime later as UN secretary general. He held that post then
for two terms successfully. Unfortunately, democracy collapsed in
Burma and the military thugs who took over did not even permit,
let alone arrange, a decent burial for him.
Nepotism (favouring one's relatives and friends) and democracy do
not go together. They are mutually exclusive. Nehru was the
father of nepotism in India. India is reaping the dangerous
harvest of the seeds of nepotism sown by him.
Contrast this with the sacrifices and suffering self imposed that
Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel underwent.
Food for thought
While appreciating the excellent presentation of the genda for
action (ET, 20 March), I would however like to point out that
your correspondent's anxiety (vide article titled ood for
thought that the ajpayee's Government will have to act real
quick if it wants to avert a sugar crisis this year, what with
production already dwindling to 10 lakh tonnes appears to be
rather exaggerated and misplaced.
It needs to be noted that with a large carry over of over 65
Lakh tonnes at the beginning of the sugar year on October 1, 1997
and with expectations of a revised production figure of 120 to
122 lakh tonnes for the current sugar year, the total
availability of sugar, inclusive of carry over, is likely to be
185 to 187 lakh tonnes (excluding the actual imports of over 3
lakh tonnes till now).
This, against estimated consumption of about 135 lakh tonnes,
would still leave a carry over stock of about 50 to 52 lakh
tonnes on October 1998, which is equivalent to over four months
consumption.
Besides, the factories are likely to commence operations early in
October 1998 in anticipation of a record bumper crop of cane
expected in the next sugar year.
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