SCI: A Whipping Boy?

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | ISSUE 28 | 2 MAR 2012

SCI: A Whipping Boy?

The rift between various agencies is taking a toll with the shipping services in the Islands. Every time there is someone or other to be blamed for all the ills affecting the shipping sector. Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) is alleged to be a necessary evil, which cannot be hounded out, as Directorate of Shipping Services does not possess the Document of Compliance, which a shipping company is expected to qualify for to operate IRS class vessels. Without technical competence, DSS could never qualify and will have to rely on SCI. Blaming it for all its inherent ills is the easy way to chuck out from the responsibility.

To overcome this barrier, ANI Admn was planning to have Andaman Nicobar Integrated Transport Corporation, which would cover sea, land and air transport. It seems that this will remain a pipedream for the Islanders? Last week, MV Kalighat could not sail as the DSS crew refused to go as the Air-condition in their area had failed. SCI could only sail the next day, putting the passengers to huge misery. DSS too critically failed to address the issue and once again the blame was put on SCI. It seems DSS needs a punching bag to hide its ugly and dark marks. 

MMD: Another Strange Story!

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | ISSUE 28 | 2 MAR 2012

MMD: Another Strange Story!

One vessel has all the documentations ready, but can't sail as it ails from various technical ills. Another vessel is technically healthy and fit, but can't sail, as documentations are not ready.

In both the cases, the villain is Mercantile Marine Department (MMD), who issued documents in a hurry to MV Campbell Bay and sent the ship with all papers intact. But, after a few trials at Port Blair, acute vibration on third deck was observed. The ship is undergoing another trial with Indian Registrar of Shipping (IRS) team in Port Blair this week. The same IRS had conducted the vibration reading at Goa and had overlooked the issue.

MV Samsun, a Turkish vessel on wet lease after a long wait for want of some documents, made its first sailing.  One Mr Sinha of MMD had come to Port Blair and made an exhaustive list of requirements and left to Kolkata. Another official came and took his own sweet time to complete the documentation, putting both the owner and the administration into trouble.

Why MMD plays such gimmicks with Andaman and Nicobar Admn? Nothing comes free anywhere. However, you cannot expect a govt department paying another government dept for quick service. In short, a government department cannot do business as a private firm does.

MMD does not have an office in Port Blair. Every time, an official has to come on requisition for certification purpose from mainland. And, they too work like any other government department.

INTERVIEW: Maj Arun Pathak, President & Exec. Director, ABG Shipyard We are Not Running Away: Maj. Arun Pathak

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | ISSUE 28 | 2 MAR 2012

INTERVIEW: Maj Arun Pathak, President & Exec. Director, ABG Shipyard

We are Not Running Away:

Maj. Arun Pathak

Maj Arun Pathak,
President & Exec Director, ABG Shipyard

MV Campbell Bay, one of the passenger ships built by Western India Shipyard Ltd, an ABG Group Company, has put the Goa-based ship building company in serious discomfort after the Directorate of Shipping Services (DSS) has refused to sign the Protocol of Acceptance and even take over the ship after a major defect of vibration was detected. Maj. Arun Pathak, President and Executive Director, ABG Group alongwith Cdr. Subash Mutreja, Director and Chief Executive Officer, Western India Shipyard Ltd were in town to look into the issue. They spoke to The Light of Andamans about the problem and their future course of action.

"MV Campbell Bay is a state-of-the-art ship manufactured by our firm, with all modern amenities. Our firm has the credit of building about 152 ships and about 90% of our vessels are exported," said Maj Phatak. "We have built ships for Coast Guard and many other prominent companies in India and abroad. Ship building is like a passion for us."

When asked about the defects on the ship, Maj Phatak said that DSS has only communicated about vibration on 3rd Deck, when plied above the speed of 12 knots. "They haven't told us about any other issues," he said.

"We want the ship to ply and we are not running away halfway. We know that there is a major defect of vibration and we are looking into the issue. We are also engaging naval architects," Maj Phatak said.

"When the issue was brought to our notice, a team was deputed and they have carried out a few remedial measures like stiffening to arrest vibration," Cdr Subash Mutreja said. "About 50% of the vibration has been controlled; however, we are not stopping at this. The actual source of vibration is yet to be diagnosed. Once detected, we will rectify it," he said.

"MV Campbell Bay was designed by Prof Sambhandham, a Ship Designer with NSDRC, who expired soon after the construction began. In our country, there is severe deficiency in designs. After NSDRC subsumed by Indian Maritime University, there are no ship designers," he said.

"The design of MV Campbell Bay was approved by everyone including DG Shipping and Shipping Corporation of India (SCI). Besides, SCI had an overseeing team with an office in our yard."

"About seven trials were conducted in Goa in which DG Shipping, representative of SCI and IRS were present. They had certified everything and documentations were complete when the ship left the Shipyard."

"DG Shipping conducted the functional trial and the underwater hull inspection in Port Blair."

"Indian Registrar of Shipping (IRS) is the only agency equipped to conduct vibration analysis. They had taken the reading at Goa and everything was OK. After the defect was notified by DSS, vibration reading was taken at Port Blair, where the defect was detected. Now after the temporary remedial steps like stiffening done under the supervision of Capt Thadani, a Naval architect, IRS would conduct analysis once again this week. The ship can ply comfortably at the speed of 12 knots," Maj Phatak said.

When asked about the delay in responding to the complaint both of them denied any delay and told LOA that at this juncture, they are not even pressing for the balance payment.

COVER STORY MV Campbell Bay: Will Sail, Won't Sail

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | ISSUE 28 | 2 MAR 2012

COVER STORY

MV Campbell Bay:

Will Sail, Won't Sail

A ship is safe in harbour, but it is not meant for that purpose… People have started betting on whether MV Campbell Bay will be returned to the builder or will sail very soon, or will remain a guest on different wharves for a couple of months and later tethered somewhere for good.

By Zubair Ahmed

Nobody can blame the Islanders for imagining the wildest of wild rumours or assumptions about a ship which has not been put to service even after 4 months of its arrival. They are now used to such phenomenon after they experienced MV Chuglum, MV Afra Bay and MV Karmatang.

Who is to blame for such conundrums? Andaman and Nicobar Admn after Cabinet approval plans to acquire a vessel in 2003, an organisation named NSRDC designs the ship, a sick and gasping Shipyard is identified and SCI is made the agency to monitor the process. After a long nine years, a ship is delivered after DG Shipping, MMD and IRS inspect the ship at various stages and provide all approvals and documentation. And finally, the local crew informs DSS that the vessel is unfit for voyage and now it's the turn of the Islanders to pinpoint the blame on any one of the above bodies.

Western India Shipyard Ltd, a ABG Group Company based in Goa was given the contract to build MV Campbell Bay, a 500-pax vessel for Andaman and Nicobar Admn. The Agreement was signed on 8 April 2003. The contractual date of delivery was 12 December 2005, whereas the Ship was delivered on 5 November 2011, after a prolonged delay of 5 years and 11 months. The contract price was Rs 79.20 Crore plus CST @ 4%. Andaman Admn has already paid Rs 64.18 Crore to the Shipyard.  The liquidated damage @0.75% per month of the delay on the final cost was worked out to be Rs 42.174 crore and the amount to be recovered on the account of LD after deducting CST comes to about Rs 23.986 Crore.

Capt Seshasai, Director,
Shipping Services

The design of the ship was prepared by Late Prof. Sambandham of National Ship Design and Reasearch Centre (NSDRC) a premier ship design body which is now subsumed with Indian Maritime University. Speaking to LOA, Maj. Arun Pathak, President & Executive Director, ABG Group said that due to the demise of the Designer, they had to face many issues.

The major problem with the ship is severe vibration on 3rd Deck, and the Shipyard as well as their technical team is yet to diagnose the source. "Due to vibration, many other problems are cropping in like leakage in pipelines and other connections," said a senior official from DSS.

The Directorate of Shipping Services (DSS) is going vigorously against the Shipyard. SCI and ANI Admn has already notified an exhaustive list of shortfalls and defects etc to ABG Shipyard. ANI Admn has observed that the Shipyard is trying to escape from the guarantee obligations some way or other. The DSS also rued that the Shipyard had not placed anyone at Port Blair or onboard and they had to report the defects to one Mr Sunil Sharma sitting at Mumbai office, which never worked. However, speaking to LOA, its President clarified that they are not running away and has placed a senior officer, Amitabh Dutta in Port Blair. "This was done after much pressure was put by the Admn," says a senior official from DSS.

The Steering trial and speed trial of the vessel was conducted on 2 Dec 2011 at Port Blair and the vessel was supposed to achieve a speed of 16.5 knots, which it made on the trial date in presence of SCI, IRS and MMD. Excessive vibration issue was brought up by the crew members only during the trial after the steering and speed trials were signed by MMD, IRS, SCI and DSS representatives. DSS admits that the reports were signed in a hurry with a view to obtain full time "A" certificate for deployment of vessel into service, as the report was urgently required to be sent to DG (Shipping) for issuance of "A" Certificate. It also admits that the Admn was not aware about the magnitude of vibration issue while signing the speed trial report. A report made by the Admn says that excessive vibration issue flared up much after signing of trial report, when the second trial was made.

When the Admn felt that the Shipyard is not paying required attention to analyse or rectify the excessive vibration and other defects, a notice was served upon the Shipyard on 22 Dec 2011. SCI was also requested to analyse the reason for the defect. A team of experts from IRS and SCI conducted sea trial to obtain the readings. IRS has informed SCI that operation of the ship would neither be safe nor pleasant.

After repeated demands by the Admn on 10 Jan 2012 and 17 Jan 2012, ABG Shipyard initially disputed the vibration notice stating that vessel trials had been conducted on seven occasions in presence of MMD, IRS and owner representative without any adverse comments regarding vibration. It also alleged that vessel was issued clean class certificates by MMD without any adverse remarks. The Admn however contested the allegations saying that it had informed the shipyard about the vibration issue.

The report says that ABG Shipyard did not budge to the notices of the Admn to depute their representative for a trial scheduled on 10 Feb 2012. However, after repeated requests, ABG Shipyard attended the trial on 10th Feb along with SCI and Naval representatives. As per the recommendations of the team, ABG Shipyard commenced structural strengthening work, which was completed on 23 Feb 2012. Again a sea trial was conducted on 24th Feb. Vibration was found minimum at 75% maximum continuous rating (MCR) at a speed of 11.5 to 12 knots. Speaking to LOA, Capt Seshasai, Director DSS said that it cannot accept the vessel if it could not achieve the designed speed of 16.5 knots.

The Admn has directed the shipyard to immediately rectify all defects and shortfall in supply. It has asked them to identify the root cause for vibration and arrest it. It has also demanded that the Shipyard submit performance guarantee as per Ship Building Contract, whereas the Yard has only given corporate guarantee, which is not as per the contract.

It has demanded to position qualified guarantee engineers and local workshop to attend guarantee repairs. Considering the remoteness of the Islands and shipping being a 'lifeline' it has advised to identify a competent local workshop and appoint them as local backup service unit to meet all emergency repairs at call and short notices. It is not happy with the arrangement of deputing workshop from mainland which involves huge expenditure, and waste of time. The Admn has also shown concern over incurring huge expenditure every day on manning, fuel, port charges and water charges. It is planning to recover it from the Shipyard.

The Admn is also looking into the contractual provisions to address the current imbroglio. As per the contract, it says that the vessel should be ready for intended service in all respect. Manning and fuel charges shall be recovered in case the vessel is non-operational prior to induction. In case, the builder fails to rectify the defects within 15 days, the buyer is free to rectify at builder's cost. As per the contract, ANI Admn is not obliged to accept the vessel if it is not ready for service. The Builder has to pay for the rectification of excessive vibrations. It also says that the contract can be terminated and the down payments can be recovered and penalty as decided by the Admn can be imposed.

However, the Head of ABG Group told LOA that it has already placed a representative in Port Blair and is vigorously pursuing the matter and has requisitioned IRS to do another round of Vibration Analysis. He also asserted that they are committed to fully rectify the defect.

The Admn in the report about MV Campbell Bay says that it will only sign the Protocol of Acceptance after complete rectification of defects and arrest of vibration. It has also made it clear that it will only accept the vessel only if it achieves the speed of 16.5 knots without any vibration. But, it is notable that the Administration has still not signed the Protocol of Acceptance for MV Kalighat, even after years of its induction.

The Shipyard is yet to identify the root cause of vibration and if it is a major design fault and if the vessel remains a cripple for good, no penalty clauses are going to be a solace as a vessel planned some 9 years back will only push the connectivity to Southern group back by a decade. Planning or execution going awry has been adding to the woes of Islanders since Independence.

Trilok Nath Pandit: Doyen of Andamanese Studies

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | ISSUE 28 | 2 MAR 2012

Trilok Nath Pandit: Doyen of Andamanese Studies

T.N. Pandit is the unquestioned doyen of Andamanese studies and the most deeply learned and most widely-read of anyone who has ever interested himself in matters Andamanese. Pandit's grandfather was a traditional scholar of Persian, Urdu, Hindi and Sanskrit while his father was a professor of English. Other members of the family were Sanskrit scholars, lawyers and judges.

Initially wanting to be a zoologist, T.N. Pandit acquired a BSc degree in botany, zoology, English, Hindi and Kashmiri in 1955. In 1958, he received a M Sc in social and cultural anthropology from Delhi University. Post-doctoral studies on a Government of India Research scholarship in anthropology followed and in 1962 he was appointed to a lecturership in social anthropology at that same university.

In 1966 the young scientist joined the Anthropological Survey of India and was almost immediately posted to Port Blair where he arrived on 20th March 1966. Far from being breathlessly keen to make his first acquaintance with the Andamanese Negrito, he admits today that he had resisted his appointment to such a remote place where he felt terribly alone and home-sick at first.

Dr. Pandit was to remain with the Survey for 26 years and to rise within its ranks through senior anthropologist at Port Blair to Deputy Director of the Survey at Port Blair and Calcutta. For most of the year 1992 he was officiating Director of the Survey at its Calcutta headquarters before retiring at the end of that year.

Dr. Pandit is a well-known figure internationally. He has attended many conferences and has traveled widely in Germany, England and Hungary. Wherever he was, he and his wife made it a point to visit the major local museums and to visit local concerts and other cultural events. (Source: www.andaman.org)

Sensitivity Towards Tribes Need of the Hour: T N Pandit

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | ISSUE 28 | 2 MAR 2012

Sensitivity Towards Tribes Need of the Hour: T N Pandit

For T.N.Pandit who has spent most of his professional life in these islands, the tribal question is all about being sensitive to the basic philosophy that underlines the tribal policy. Hence when he talks about Jarawas his pain in this lack of sensitivity among policy makers and general public is evident.

By Zubair Ahmed

We are converting Jarawas into consumers by introducing barter system among them. Entry into Jarawa territory should be allowed only to sensitive people. With the scale of contact with the tribe, the dye is already cast against the Jarawas. The outside intervention has had adverse impact on the life style of Jarawas, forcing them to bartering and begging with outsiders for tobacco products and other food items." Said Prof Trilok Nath Pandit, eminent Anthropologist and the founder director of ASI, Port Blair regional centre.

Prof. TN Pandit was delivering the BS Guha Memorial Lecture on "Inter-play of Hunt-gatherers at the National Seminar on the Theme "Land, forest, water and people: Competing Interests and Emerging Realities/Issues" held on the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee Celebration of the Anthropological Survey of India's Regional Centre.

Reminiscing the gone days, Prof T N Pandit said, "I was hosted thrice by Andaman and Nicobar Islands. On 20 March 1960, I reached Andamans by M V Andaman for the first time. When I saw the Islands from the deck of the ship, the greenery, swaying palm leaves it looked something fairy-like. I wrote - it's a breathtaking beautiful place. I still feel very sentimental about my yesteryears in Port Blair."

 Anthropological Survey of India has a chequered history in the Islands. Dr. Guha, founder of ASI wanted the organization to be centralized with its office in Kolkata. However, in 1951, the Regional Centre at Port Blair came into existence.

Referring to a rare and amazing comment on Andaman Trunk Road in 1950s by Dr Guha, he read out - "when the country is opened up by North-South Road, Jarawa tribe will be molested with Settlements coming up around their habitat." Dr Guha was not just engaged in study, but was very concerned about the tribes.

On British approach towards the tribe, Prof T N Pandit said that British referred to the tribes as savages and the Indians as natives. British wanted to civilize them and teach them table manners. The close contact with the tribes brought diseases and diseases are the most secret weapons. They wanted friendly relations so that they can occupy their land.

Indian approach was totally different towards the tribes. Jarawas in the end of 1850s were living in Port Blair. They were pushed to the Western side of South Andaman. Jarawas were always a troubled people.

The whole scenario changed in 1950s when the government sends refugees from East Pakistan. The trend continued in 60s and 70s. Economic migrants too started pouring in from states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The colonization process was a peaceful one. In 1967, settlement came up in Little Andaman and Campbell Bay.

In 1966, I estimated the figures of Jarawas to be around 300. Jarawa resistance towards the attitude of the colonizers was natural. Nobody would like to be pushed like this. The Jarawa attacks in 60s were not blind attacks. They would mark the person to be attacked and planned the revenge. They would give sufficient warning signs before the attack. Jarawas never liked anybody hunting in their forests. Dogs as we see today were not friends of Jarawas. They used to kill the dogs first that could raise alarm while attacks.

Great Andamanese were the most affected by colonization. ANI Admn was not doing anything for them. In 1968, Chief Commissioner Mahavir Singh observed the polluted lives of Andamanese and wanted them not to be loitering around and begging in Port Blair. The ASI made a plan to resettle them because they had become drug addicts and alcoholics. The choice of Strait Island was made by the ANI Admn. Resettling Great Andamanese was a good step.

Our greatest failure is Onge. We have pushed them into a corner of the Island, where they could not carry out their hunting gathering activities. We changed their huts and lifestyle. We should educate Onges and even send them outside for studies. Unfortunately, we leave things halfway. We are making mistakes in executing the policy and plans. Our civilization is nothing but greed. How the Little Andaman settlement came up is an open example. We further intervened in their lives by putting a Nicobari settlement close to their habitat.

Anthropologists should respect their subject and people when they study. We need to BE careful about our choice of words. It shows our attitude. Phrases like 'Jarawa-infested forests' are wrong choice of words.

He said that the aboriginal tribes also enjoy the constitutional rights at par with other citizens of the country irrespective of whether they are aware of their rights. The bureaucrats, therefore, have to be more sensitive in ensuring their genuine rights. The officialdom needs to be educated and sentitized about the indigeneous tribes.

On the recent Jarawa Video Dance issue, he said that it's not a new phenomenon. He reminisced when Y B Chouhan, then Home Minister had visited the Islands. Great Andamanese were brought and made to dance.

During this two- day national seminar on "Land, water, and People: competing interests and emerging realities" a number of experts and anthropologists presented their papers. During the deliberations, the participants strongly protested the move to open the tribal islands for the tourism purposes. They categorically stated that the promotion of tourism in the tribal areas even in the name of eco tourism would definitely go against the genuine interests of the tribes of these islands.

EDITORIAL: MF Samsun: Enjoy it!

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | ISSUE 28 | 2 MAR 2012

EDITORIAL

MF Samsun: Enjoy it!

MF Samsun is believed to be the good thing that has happened to the shipping sector after a long period. The jinxed sector had its share of pain in the form of MV Afra Bay, MV Karmatang, MV Chuglum and now MV Campbell Bay.

Chartered by the A&N Administration on wet lease from Turkey, for a period of 24 months, MF Samsun has all the modern passenger amenities and comfort and can travel at a speed of 16 knots. It can also transport 214 cars/28 trucks/500 T break bulk cargo.

The prompt induction of Samsun will naturally ease the connectivity and transportation concern of Southern Group.

The Lieutenant Governor had inducted the vessel on 21 Feb 2012, but made its maiden voyage on 4 March 2012 from Port Blair to Campbell Bay after completion of formalities relating to custom, immigration and flag staff inspection. Passengers onboard have exuded satisfaction with the facilities.

The service aspect of shipping sector in the Islands had hit rock bottom that the Islanders wholeheartedly welcomed any move that reduced their misery. Whether its privatization or wet lease, they don't care a bit. They just need uninterrupted and prompt service.

Many more vessels are on the offing, which will be chartered and put into service in harbour ferry, Inter Island and Foreshore sector. It would be preposterous to question the rationale behind the move as the Islanders have lost all hope they had on the Marine Dept, which has miserably failed to either run or maintain the vessels.

The way crew behaved with the passengers on MV Kalighat last week and a few days ago at Mayabunder is glaring examples of how serious they are in their profession. The way things are moving; in the near future department like DSS would totally stall recruitment process.

The sorry state of affairs at the dockyard shows our apathy. Proper dockyard facilities, trained manpower, adequate supply of spares and an effective management are essential to pull up the department from the bottomless pit. However, there is no light seen anywhere at the end of the tunnel.

With an estranged past, as far as service is concerned and a bleak future as far as employment opportunities are concerned, lets enjoy the new wave of luxurious ships owned and manned by phoren crew and relish their hospitality, which we have been missing for a long time. Let us forget for a while that ours is an Island territory, where we need to rely on some European or South-east Asian country to connect us with our scattered Islands. Let self-reliance for a while remain a delusion! Enjoy the ride!

IGP's Rendezvous with Jarawas, and Army Personnel: How Absolute Power Corrupts

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | ISSUE 28 | 2 MAR 2012

IGP's Rendezvous with Jarawas, and Army Personnel:

How Absolute Power Corrupts

By Zubair Ahmed

The second-in-command in Andaman Police, IGP Sanjay Baniwal has been relieved from his duties after he was charged with facilitating a rendezvous with Jarawas for his guests at Tirur sector. However, the prompt action by police has not gone well as no other charges have been framed against the senior officer.

In the first Jarawa video case, the police has already identified that army personnel were involved and it has been already communicated to the Command, but there is no action from their part.

"In both instances, it's the case of fence eating the grass," commented a senior police official.  IGP Sanjay Baniwal, who had been entrusted the job of protection of Jarawas by keeping a tab on the vehicular movement on Andaman Trunk Road after the huge national and international uproar about exploitation of Jarawas came to light, took the liberty to take his personal guests to Tirur to show Jarawa tribe and take photographs on 28 Feb 2012.

The Jarawa Protection Police Outpost in Tirur had been informed by the officer to make the Jarawas available for his guests. Jarawas, who were staying at the Chadda opposite to the JPP were proceeding towards Temple Myo for fishing. The Jarawas were made to wait for about an hour even after the AAJVS objected to the JPP staff's move.

It is also learnt from sources that the group which visited the Jarawas were lodged in a Type V police quarter at Link Road for last three months. The quarter, declared a guest house, was rented to the guests for a pittance of Rs 4/-. The IGP had facilitated their stay and their meeting with the Jarawas.

IGP Sanjay Baniwal was immediately relieved from his duties after the daily newspaper Andaman Chronicle published the news. But, there is still resentment as the law has not taken the due course in this case. Police had taken prompt action and suspended two of its ground staff for videographing Jarawas. "When a constable is placed under suspension for a crime not heinous as the IGP did, why he was not suspended or dismissed?" asks a police constable. There is huge bitterness that the same law for the same crime is applied differently.

In another issue, although police department acted swiftly and suspended the constables responsible for shooting the second dance video, there has been a implied silence on the side of Andaman Nicobar Command (ANC). Speaking to LOA, a senior police officer said that Police had sent three letters to the Command to identify the culprits. "There is no cooperation from the Command," he said. When contacted, PRO, Command informed that he is unaware of any such communication. Police had identified the vehicles and had also communicated the date of the incident, 25 September 2008. Highly placed sources in the Police Dept told LOA that the Jarawas too have identified the trucks as well as the people behind the video.

The police force, which was appreciated for its stern action in many high profile cases failed to act strongly in this instance, where an IPS officer was involved.

The C-in-C had also said in a press meet on the sidelines of Milan 2012 that the defence forces are a disciplined force and will respect the local laws.

However, the imbalanced application of law in both cases has drawn flak from various quarters.

PAUPER’S LOG: Modern Slavery

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | ISSUE 28 | 2 MAR 2012

PAUPER’S LOG

 Modern Slavery

By Abu Arsh

Our Constitution empowers every citizen a right to lead a life maintaining human dignity and freedom of expression. People elect a government which is governed by the dictates of this supreme Constitution. Government makes policies that should translate into enabling equality for its citizens. Being a welfare state our government should be contributing towards wellbeing of all its subjects. The government over a period of time has been formulating policies and pumping massive amount of finances and resources in providing basic services to its subjects. The major impediment in implementation of these policies and services are the continuation of services of skilled local manpower needed to execute these.

For basic health care, education, food, women and child care, livelihood, connectivity and others, Government comes up with great programmes and even better guidelines. These guidelines have inputs from the best brains available in the country but are finally sharpened and polished by the bureaucrats. What these guidelines show are different layers of scapegoats at all levels and a bureaucrat at the top. This bureaucrat will prevail over technically or educationally competent skilled manpower without they themselves having any significant qualification other than possessing an IAS (I Am Safe) tag. Guidelines are pan Indian and strongly lack much understanding of local issues and conditions. Strangely enough Flagship programmes like Sarva Shiksha Abhyan, National Rural Health Mission, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act likewise are all headed by District Collector at the District level who'll change every two years. A namesake council with the Administrator or the Chief Minister is formed at the top which meets as per the convenience of the bosses to go through statistics which are mere numbers. These numbers though are supposed to be great indicators of efficient deliverability of better service and welfare of the common man; it invariably falls short of any change at the ground for the masses.

Gross mismanagement from the top is always the end result. Lower level functionaries and mid rung officials are favourite punching bags of the Nodal officer or the District Collector when things surface about this mismanagement. There is no continuity or job guarantee for all these staff from mid rung to the lower level. Conversely, if a bureaucrat does not like a face, a tone, someone's dressing or non compliance to unwarranted overture - you stand to be fired. Any shortfall in the implementation of these programmes would automatically blame these goners as the Bureaucrat has layers upon layers of buffoons before he could be blamed. They are there on hire and fire basis. No court of law can be approached as you are a 'Contract employee'. These contract employees comes in with big dreams of making a difference to the society and their own lives but end up being a victim of atrocity and injustice. They waste good part of their lives and are one day told your time is up. A majority of them are no longer eligible to get into any other job by then. What this gives rise to is a section of overage skilled manpower who is neither considered poor to fall into safety net initiatives of the Government nor is accommodated into any other Government department despite good experience earned over the years serving them. These people turn into nervous wrecks that end up doing menial jobs at private firms at a pittance or become morally and socially corrupt to sustain themselves.

We have seen the fate of teachers, instructors and ayahs in education programmes, technical graduates and postgraduates under NRHM and MGNREGA, skilled workers under ICDS and other hoards of educated people as DRM's under various wings of the Administration. Outsourcing is killing jobs in every field. CSC's are great as missions for self patting their backs by the bureaucrats claiming to bring about laurels with giant strides in e-governance for the Islands. In reality all these are trampling over the future of educated skilled job seekers. There is undoubtedly requirement of skilled manpower for all the basic programmes and services of the Administration. The job policy brought about by the Administration is more corporate culture turning the lives of the youth of today into a mess with its hire and fire policy. Contractual/ Part Time Workers become favourite tossing balls of the politicians who enjoy seeing these desperate fired souls running from pillar to post to get a reprieve or justice.  Apart from assurances and mention in their manifestos during elections these people get nothing.

e-Dweep CSCs Create Record with 22000 Transactions

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | ISSUE 28 | 2 MAR 2012

e-Dweep CSCs Create Record with 22000 Transactions

A media team comprising representatives from print and electronic media along with the Director of Press Information Bureau arrived at Port Blair to review the implementation of Information technology related programmes, especially e dweep project under national e governance programme in the islands. 

The head of the team and Director for the Ministry of communication and Information Technology, Press Information Bureau(PIB) Bhupendra Kaintola informed that Common Service Centres known as e dweep kendras functioning in different parts of these islands made a new record of 22000 transactions during the last month and secured first position, while other states including Kerala and Karnataka recorded less than 20,000 transactions during the same month.  To high light the remarkable achievements made under this Pioneering IT project in the national media, the Press Information Bureau organized this press tour with the participation of leading daily the Hindu, news agency PTI and Doordarshan News.

Scream of Silence: A Page from History

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | ISSUE 28 | 2 MAR 2012

Scream of Silence:

A Page from History

By Sajan Gopalan

It was raining torrentially and the paint was getting diluted with rain drops. But for the artist it was not even a distraction. For him the torment within was too intense and the scream of silence too haunting.

A documentary production on the Cellular Jail is in progress. They were portraying the saga of the agonies of the Cellular Jail and the story was being narrated through the eyes of an artist.

If you have to tell the story of Cellular Jail, who else is there other than Sreeprakash whose life is intertwined with the life of these Islands for the last two decades?

This short video titled 'Scream of Silence' is an attempt to recreate the history and human agony behind the saga of the Cellular Jail in Port Blair. It traces the beginning of the penal settlement and continues with the story of inflow of convicts from all parts of Indian subcontinent as it evolves with the great struggle of independence which was spreading like wild fire in all parts of the country.

As the artist moves through the corridors of the jail what he can hear is the silence filled with suppressed cries. But each sight and sound motivates him to capture its mood in to an eternal piece of art through the medium of Acrylic, Oil, Watercolor or pencil.

S.N.Sreeprakash is a self taught artist who is awarded with Honorable LG's commendation certificate in the Republic Day 2010 and he is presently a member of SZCC, for visual art. It was his soul searching wanderings that brought him to these emerald islands long back from his home state of Kerala. But what awaited him in these islands was a mystery wrapped in myriad landscapes and unwritten history trapped in even ordinary buildings. He learned from each such experience and translated that in to an image which will keep those memories alive for the coming generations.

For this documentary Prakash has done more than fifty two drawings and paintings. Paintings on the ruthless execution of freedom fighters, hard life of prisoners, evening bash of Britishers in the Ross Island, the eerie silence of Viper Island. He has been working on those pictures continuously for two months. He had forgotten to eat and even sleep evaded him. It was a torment of the past overtaking the present and transcreating it in to beautiful narrative through images.

V R Ajith Kumar

The script for the documentary is written with commentary notes by V.R. Ajith Kumar, a well known novelist and a script writer who is presently Deputy Director, PRD, Kerala and the documentary is the result of his visit to these Islands to recall those good old days with his childhood friend Prakash.The script for narration and voice is given by Dominic and the documentary is directed by P. D. Santosh. "Maunathinte Nilavili"(Scream of Silence) is in Malayalam and subtitled in English and was screened in the presence of an august gathering inaugurated by the Deputy Speaker of Kerala on 25th January 2012 in Thiruvananthapuram, along with an exhibition of paintings done for the documentary, by S.N.Sreeprakash.