Age of empowerment

Another bill targeting domestic violence against women will be tabled in Parliament in this session. Realising the helplessness of Indian women to violence from men in their homes, and that most women in India are financially dependent on their husbands, Sonia Gandhi herself oversaw the drafting of bill for two months.

These two legislations are important steps in right direction and will prove to be major milestones in women empowerment, overtaking scores of other useless schemes run by government for women. Hundreds and thousands of crores are enlisted in these schemes for women but I believe not a single deserving woman is even aware of any one of such schemes. All the money simply vanishes.

The country gets millions worth of aid for supplying nutritious food to pregnant women, and state governments in collusion with corrupt contractors gorge on that money. The government must create an independent agency to ensure the money and aid reaches the people it is intended for.

In a broader perspective, granting justice and equality to women is more an obligation of society than its elected representatives. Nevertheless, the women should take heart that the government is doing its duty.

Indian holiday

The Incredible India campaign by Tourism ministry has boosted international tourist arrivals to reach 35 lakh last year, but still the numbers are miniscule. Among the reasons why foreigners are reluctant to travel to India, acquiring an Indian tourist visa is a prime one. Most Indian missions abroad are understaffed. Delays are inordinate and outdated rules and procedures tax an applicant.

Tourism Minister Renuka Choudhary had proposed visa on arrival for citizens of some countries, but I believe her proposal is being blocked by Home Ministry officials on flimsy security grounds. Visa on arrival for certain countries is a must if we are to boost our tourist numbers. Visas apart, traveling to India is a far from pleasant affair. Inexplicable restrictions on foreign chartered planes prevent them from landing at airports of their choice, and in any case most airports outside metros are simply ill-equipped to handle passenger traffic.

In Goa last year, dozens of planes full of tourists were not given permission to land because of lack of parking space! Even immigration officials at Indian airports are a law onto their own. We often complain of filth, corruption and chaos prevailing in India that ‘might’ force a foreigner to keep away, but my point is simple: we are hankering in vain for a clean experience for tourists when we are not even allowing them in, in the first place. Let’s first ensure they can travel to India when they want to and how they want to.

For domestic tourists, it is cheaper to go to Singapore or Bangkok than to Goa or Kerala. Thanks to Praful Patel, competition has set in now and ticket prices have fallen. Praful Patel has initiated a number of airport tax reductions, including exemption of landing charges for aircraft with less than 80 seats. He is now trying to get taxes on ATF reduced, and is seeking support from state governments. He is able to do all this because he knows the aviation sector well. The future of the Indian tourism industry in the hands of the Praful-Renuka duo, and I firmly believe they are up to the job.

A tribute to Lata

It’s unbelievable that Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar will turn 76 next month. She answers her phone herself and to me her voice still sounds as youthful as that of a teenager. I have not seen another singer whose voice is unchanged after 61 years, but Lata’s voice is truly a blessing from heaven. Only last year she sang all the songs for blockbuster film Veer Zaara.

There have been few controversies with her, though she confided in me once that she cannot stand anyone pointing fingers at her family. When I asked her about allegations that she could not stand her sister Asha Bhonsle and conspired to keep her career from taking off, she revealed that even today the way to her bedroom in her flat passes through Asha’s bedroom. She said she cannot live without her brothers and sisters, and a family friend later confirmed that she never leaves home without someone from her family accompanying her.

I once asked her why did she not get married? She told me that her father died when she was 13, and being the eldest daughter she had to shoulder the burden to keep a family of nine going, that there was no time to think of marriage and settling down.

From earning Rs 30 a month singing for Marathi theatre and films, she has come a long way and today even a two-hour television appearance earns her crores. But she still lives a simple life.

Lata had never had any interest in politics, even though Pandit Nehru and later Indira Gandhi pleaded with her to accept a nomination to Rajya Sabha. Years later, L.K. Advani finally managed to make her agree to it. She still has no party affiliations and doesn’t attend Parliament regularly, but she is one of the few who do not claim a single perk or privilege an MP is entitled to.