25th April

The Endgame

The article expresses concern over the events that are unfolding in Pakistan with respect to Taliban’s insurgency into the nation that began from NWFP. With military action, the only feasible option to stop this, India should also begin preparing for response in case Pakistan collapses.

With Taliban’s push into Buner, the situation in Pakistan is reaching its flashpoint. Even US has acknowledged that Pakistan is now a mortal threat to US and the world. But Pakistan has failed to realize that Taliban, and not India, is its enemy. Taliban’s push into Buner placed them very near to Mardan, the second largest city in NWFP, and the arterial road between Peshawar and Islamabad. Pakistan has in fact blamed India for insurgency in Baluchistan when the fact is that it wasn’t Delhi who called for Sharia laws throughout Pakistan or offered Osama Bin Laden a sanctuary in NWFP. More danger poses with the insurgency because several of the nuclear assets of Pakistan – believed to number about 85 weapons – are situated near Islamabad. If the Taliban advance remains unchecked these assets can be jeopardized, as told by PM Manmohan Singh. In this situation, compromise or political solution is not possible. Only military assertion is the way out if Pakistan wants to exist as a nation state. 

For Delhi, it is best to keep the communication open with Washington. Any unfolding of situation in Pakistan would have the most direct effect on India. This also requires Delhi to be ready with the contingency plans to respond in case Pakistan collapses. 

Urban Futures

The article talks about the speed of urbanization that is going in India and the pressure on building adequate infrastructure and providing services because of it. 

60% of the world population after 20 years would be in cities according to the State of World’s Cities Report 2008-09. For India, it might not be so good news since urbanization is happening at much faster rate then the growth in urban infrastructure expansion and development. The biggest cost of urbanization would be public health and environment. Water, electricity, transport, waste-management and energy-efficient buildings would be some basic urban services that needs to be in place. Governance would be the sixth most important service according to a report by The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI). Inadequate transport facilities lead to more private vehicles and in turn pollution, parking problems and traffic congestion. It also leads to cardiac and respiratory diseases among children. Thus, transport infrastructure is the major aspect of improving city life. India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change has called for intervention to improve quality of urban services to reduce emissions and energy use. TERI has recommended strengthening and empowering local bodies and encouraging PPP to provide urban services, which needs to be taken seriously. 

Thus, government should first of all collect data regarding system of indicators to monitor sustainability in provision of urban services followed by analysis. Actual delivery of services has to be done to put the public on new, urban growth trajectory. Better cities are the way out for a better future of India.