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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2014
10 THE HINDU WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2014
NOIDA/DELHI
EDITORIAL
T
he Supreme Court verdict holding coal block
allocations made since 1993 illegal conrms a
long-known, but little-acknowledged malaise
pervading the administration: cronyism often
overshadowing merit, and systems and processes being
undermined by power and inuence. The sweeping
nature of the nding that allocation of coal blocks
through the government dispensation route as well as
through a non-statutory screening committee suffered
from arbitrariness is a erce indictment of successive
governments, rendering it difficult to apportion blame
on any particular party or regime. Rather, as the judg-
ment points out, the approach was ad hoc and casual.
There was no fair and transparent procedure, and this
resulted in unfair distribution of national wealth. The
judgment, in essence, sticks to the constitutional norms
the Supreme Court has been applying since the time it
cancelled 122 telecom licences in 2012 based on the
nding that illegal allocation of 2G spectrum had been
made. Of course, a Constitution Bench has now cali-
brated the law that once tended to make competitive
auction the sole basis for the exploitation of natural
resources, and given some policy leeway to the govern-
ment to adopt alternative methods, subject to constitu-
tional principles being adhered to. The court will
deliberate on the consequences of its ndings in further
hearings, but it has already sent out a clear message that
it will no more countenance arbitrary and illegal alloca-
tion of natural resources.
Political parties may seek to blame one another, and
industry may count its losses and lament the verdicts
impact on the cost and availability of power and the cost
of importing or transporting coal. Some may fret over
the viability of existing projects and the fate of in-
vestments already made. They may calculate the impact
on nancial rms with exposure to this sector. All these
factors will now be weighed by the Court when it sits
again to decide whether to cancel the allocations or nd
a just alternative. It has claried that its verdict will not
touch ongoing probes by the Central Bureau of In-
vestigation and the Enforcement Directorate into ille-
galities committed in the allocation of coal blocks. The
judgment also exempts 12 coal blocks linked to Ultra-
mega Power Projects that were allotted on the basis of
competitive bidding. Those who consider the public
interest paramount and are concerned about good gov-
ernance and the integrity of institutions will doubtless
welcome this judgment. The tasks that remain are, rst,
to disgorge the windfall gains made by the players in the
scam; second, to save the mining and power sectors
from the consequences of the illegal allocations; and
third, to bring to book those guilty of criminal conduct.
Blow for
public integrity
U
.S. President Barack Obama has
labelled the jihadist juggernaut
that calls itself the Islamic State a
cancer, while his Defence Secre-
tary, Chuck Hagel, has called it more danger-
ous than al-Qaeda ever was, claiming that its
threat is beyond anything weve seen. No
monster has ever been born on its own. So
the question is: which forces helped create
this new Frankenstein?
The Islamic State is a brutal, medieval or-
ganisation whose members take pride in car-
rying out beheadings and aunting the
severed heads of their victims as trophies.
This cannot obscure an underlying reality:
the Islamic State represents a Sunni Islamist
insurrection against non-Sunni rulers in dis-
integrating Syria and Iraq.
Indeed, the ongoing fragmentation of
states along primordial lines in the arc be-
tween Israel and India is spawning de facto
new entities or blocks, including Shiastan,
Wahhabistan, Kurdistan, ISstan and Tali-
banstan. Other than Iran, Egypt and Turkey,
most of the important nations from the
Maghreb to Pakistan(aninternally tornstate
that could shrink to Punjabistan or, simply,
ISIstan) are modern western concoctions,
with no roots in history or pre-existing
identity.
The West and agendas
It is beyond dispute that the Islamic State
militia formerly the Islamic State of Iraq
and the Levant emerged from the Syrian
civil war, which began indigenously as a lo-
calised revolt against state brutality under
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad before be-
ing fuelled with externally supplied funds
and weapons. From Central Intelligence
Agency (CIA)-training centres in Turkey and
Jordan, the rebels set up a Free Syrian Army
(FSA), launching attacks on government
forces, as a U.S.-backed information war de-
monised Mr. Assad and encouraged military
officers and soldiers to switch sides.
But the members of the U.S.-led coalition
were never on the same page because some
allies had dual agendas. While the three
spearheads of the anti-Assad crusade the
U.S., Britainand France focussed onaiding
the FSA, the radical Islamist sheikhdoms
such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and the
United Arab Emirates as well as the Islamist-
leaning government in Turkey channelled
their weapons and funds tomore overtly Isla-
mist groups. This splintered the Syrianoppo-
sition, marginalising the FSA and paving the
way for the Islamic States rise.
The anti-Assad coalition indeed started off
on the wrong foot by trying to speciously
distinguish between moderate and rad-
ical jihadists. The line separating the two is
just too blurred. Indeed, the termmoderate
jihadists is an oxymoron: Those waging ji-
had by the gun can never be moderate.
Invoking jihad
The U.S. and its allies made a more funda-
mental mistake by infusing the spirit of jihad
in their campaign against Mr. Assad so as to
help trigger a popular uprising in Syria. The
decision to instil the spirit of jihad through
television and radio broadcasts beamed to
Syrians was deliberate to provoke Syrias
majority Sunni population to rise against
their secular government.
This ignored the lesson from Afghanistan
(where the CIA inthe 1980s ran, via Pakistan,
the largest covert operation in its history)
that inciting jihad and arming holy war-
riors creates a deadly cocktail, withfar-reac-
hing and long-lasting impacts on
international security. The Reagan adminis-
tration openly used Islam as an ideological
tool to spur armed resistance to Soviet forces
in Afghanistan.
In 1985, at a White House ceremony in
honour of several Afghan mujahideen the
jihadists out of which al-Qaeda evolved
President Ronald Reagan declared, These
gentlemen are the moral equivalent of Amer-
icas Founding Fathers. Earlier in 1982, Re-
agan dedicated the space shuttle Columbia
to the Afghan resistance. He declared, Just
as the Columbia, we think, represents mans
nest aspirations in the eld of science and
technology, so too does the struggle of the
Afghan people represent mans highest aspi-
rations for freedom. I am dedicating, on be-
half of the American people, the March 22
launch of the Columbia to the people of
Afghanistan.
The Afghan war veterans came to haunt
the security of many countries. Less knownis
the fact that the Islamic States self-declared
caliph, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi like Libyan
militia leader Abdelhakim Belhadj (whom
the CIA abducted and subjected to extraor-
dinary rendition) and Chechen terrorist
leader Airat Vakhitov become radicalised
while under U.S. detention. As torture cham-
bers, U.S. detention centres have served as
pressure cookers for extremism.
Mr. Obamas Syria strategy took a page out
of Reagans Afghanplaybook. Not surprising-
ly, his strategy backred. It took just two
years for Syria to descend into a Somalia-
style failed state under the weight of the
international jihad against Mr. Assad. This
helped the Islamic State not only to rise but
alsotouse its control over northeasternSyria
to stage a surprise blitzkrieg deep into Iraq
this summer.
Had the U.S. and its allies refrained from
arming jihadists to topple Mr. Assad, would
the Islamic State have emerged as a lethal,
marauding force? And would large swaths of
upstream territory along the Euphrates and
the Tigris rivers in Syria and Iraq have fallen
into this monsters control? The exigencies
of the topple-Assad campaign also prompted
the Obama administrationto turna blind eye
to the ow of Gulf and Turkish aid to the
Islamic State.
In fact, the Obama team, until recently,
viewed the Islamic State as a good terrorist
organisation in Syria but a bad one in Iraq,
especially when it threatened to overrun the
Kurdish regional capital, Erbil. In January,
Mr. Obama famously dismissed the Islamic
State as a local JV team trying to imitate
al-Qaeda but without the capacity to be a
threat to America. It was only after the public
outrage in the U.S. over the video-recorded
execution of American journalist James Fo-
ley and the ight of Iraqi Christians and Yazi-
dis that the White House re-evaluated the
threat posed by the Islamic State.
Full circle
Many had cautioned against the topple-
Assad campaign, fearing that extremist
forces would gain control in the vacuum.
Those still wedded to overthrowing Mr. As-
sads rule, however, contend that Mr. Oba-
mas failure to provide greater aid, including
surface-to-air missiles, to the Syrian rebels
created a vacuum that produced the Islamic
State. In truth, more CIA arms to the in-
creasingly ineffectual FSA would have meant
a stronger and more deadly Islamic State.
As part of his strategic calculus to oust Mr.
Assad, Mr. Obama failed to capitalise on the
Arab Spring, whichwas theninfull bloom. By
seeking to topple a secular autocracy in Syria
while simultaneously working to shield ji-
had-bankrolling monarchies from the Arab
Spring, he ended up strengthening Islamist
forces a development reinforced by the
U.S.-led overthrow of another secular Arab
dictator, Muammar Qadha, which has turn-
ed Libya into another failed state and created
a lawless jihadist citadel at Europes south-
ern doorstep.
In fact, no sooner had Qadha been killed
than Libyas new rulers established a theoc-
racy, with no opposition from the western
powers that brought about the regime
change. Indeed, the cloak of Islam helps to
protect the credibility of leaders who might
otherwise be seenas foreignpuppets. For the
same reason, the U.S. has condoned the Arab
monarchs for their long-standing alliance
with Islamists. It has failed to stop these
cloistered royals from continuing to fund
Muslim extremist groups and madrasas in
other countries. The American interest in
maintaining pliant regimes in oil-rich coun-
tries has trumped all other considerations.
Today, Mr. Obamas Syria policy is coming
full circle. Having portrayed Mr. Assad as a
bloodthirsty monster, Washingtonmust now
accept Mr. Assad as the lesser of the two evils
and work with himto defeat the larger threat
of the Islamic State.
The fact that the Islamic States heartland
remains in northern Syria means that it can-
not be stopped unless the U.S. extends air
strikes into Syria. As the U.S. mulls that op-
tion for which it would need at least tacit
permission fromSyria, which still maintains
good air defences it is fearful of being
pulled into the middle of the horrendous civil
war there. It is thus discreetly urging Mr.
Assad to prioritise defeating the Islamic
State.
Make no mistake: like al-Qaeda, the Islam-
ic State is a monster inadvertently spawned
by the policies of those now in the lead to
combat it. The question is whether anything
substantive will be learned fromthis experi-
ence, unlike the forgotten lessons of Amer-
icas anti-Soviet struggle in Afghanistan.
At a time when jihadist groups are gaining
ground from Mali to Malaysia, Mr. Obamas
current effort to strike a Faustian bargain
with the Afghan Taliban, for example, gives
little hope that any lesson will be learned.
U.S.-led policies toward the Islamic world
have prevented a clash between civilisations
by fostering a clash within a civilisation, but
at serious cost to regional and international
security.
(Brahma Chellaney is a geostrategist and
the author, most recently, of Water, Peace,
and War, Oxford University Press, 2014.)
IS, Frankensteins monster unleashed
Like al-Qaeda, the Islamic State has been
inadvertently spawned by the policies of those
now in the lead to combat it. But will anything
substantive be learned from this experience?
Brahma Chellaney

By seeking to topple a secular autocracy in Syria while

simultaneously working to shield jihad-bankrolling monarchies
from the Arab Spring, Barack Obama ended up strengthening
Islamist forces.

Coal block allocation

The Supreme Court verdict that
has found all coal block allocations
since 1993tobe illegal has yet again
exposed the dismal governance
standards of our country. Everyone
who cares for the nation will surely
look forward to stringent punitive
action against all those who, in
pursuit of their interest, subverted
the rules.
That said, one is surprised that
the Court has deemed it t and
necessary to consider the
consequences of its verdict next
week. What is the need to even
consider the investments made by
companies?
A. Venkateswaran,
Chennai
In any project, transparency and
credibility are the key factors, but
unfortunately they have oftenbeen
given the go-by by successive
governments. Evenas bigger issues
such as global recession, economic
downturn, unemployment levels,
drought and high ination have
dented the overall growth of the
country, rampant corruption has
cost the national exchequer dearly.
P. Senthil Saravana Durai,
Tuticorin
The Courts observations on the
irregularities in coal block
allocations have exposed the deep-
rooted nexus between the
corporate sector and elements in
the government. The era of
liberalisation dawned with the
hope that corruption would be
lesser than what it was during the
era of licence raj. Unfortunately,
the hopes have been shattered by
unchecked crony capitalism.
D.V.G. Sankararao,
Vizianagaram
Coal mining is not like the mining
of sand or stone aggregate. It
requires the deployment of heavy
machinery, involving huge
investments, and has a very long
lead time with many uncertainties.
Successive governments adopted a
policy of allotment since the
nationalisation of the coal industry
with these conditions in mind. The
system of auctioning introduced
recently is seriously awed as it
will result in cartalisation, and the
allotments will be cornered by a
few cash-rich companies. This will
result in their dictating tariffs to
user-industries such as power. We
can pat our own backs on following
a transparent and legal policy, and
satisfying the audit agencies, but
the result will be disastrous for the
common man. There might have
been some aberrations in the past
20 years but those should be
treated as mere aberrations.
J.F. Dawson,
Chennai
By-election results
The grand alliance of Lalu-Nitish-
Congress in Bihar has paid off in
the round of by-elections (The
experiment succeeds, Aug. 26).
However, it is still early days, and
the alliance, formed to ght a
common enemy, will nd it tough
to project a united front, given its
apparent fault lines and the
pressure to stay relevant.
Aatish Sharma,
Mohali
The results of the by-elections
underscore the fact that the Modi
wave is fading. It seems that people
have realised that the achche din
promise is but grand rhetoric and
nothing else.
Kiran Jose,
Kottayam
The results will make both the
Congress and the BJP sharpen
their strategy for the 2015
Assembly elections in Bihar. The
two Yadavs may seriously think of
coming together to ght the 2017
Assembly elections in Uttar
Pradesh and the Congress may not
be averse to the possibility either.
H.R. Bapu Satyanarayana,
Mysore
The alliance between Lalu Prasad,
Nitish Kumar and the Congress is
an articial and temporary one. If
at all the secular alliance wins the
Bihar elections at some point,
there will be turmoil in the State
with the RJD, the JD (U) and the
Congress competing for the Chief
Ministers post.
N. Nagesh,
Chennai
Tale of Governors
K. Sankaranarayanan resigned as
Governor after being transferred to
Mizoram from Maharashtra.
Similarly, Kamla Beniwal was
transferred from Gujarat to
Mizoram before she was sacked.
Does the Centre consider Mizoram
a dumping ground for Governors?
K.B. Dessai,
Margao
It appears that the 29 States of the
country belong to different
hierarchical levels. Some are in
great demand while a few are a no-
no. The northeast appears to
belong to the latter category. When
a government wants to sideline a
Governor, it posts himor her to the
northeastern region. Why should a
Governor treat the posting as an
insult and resign? Cant Governors
treat all the States equally?
B. Sasisekhar,
Kottayam
Since Governors are appointed for
their loyalty to the ruling party,
there seems to be nothing wrong or
unethical inremoving themwhena
new government comes to power.
In most cases, Governors posts are
lled by party loyalists who could
not be accommodated anywhere
else like those who have been
defeated in elections.
P.A.V. Narayanan,
Chennai
Great loss
The death of Richard
Attenborough, British actor and
director, is a great loss to the world
of cinema. Through the lm
Gandhi, he made Indians proud.
The strenuous efforts he made to
shoot the lm in India showed his
dedication to bring to fruition a
dream cherished by him for about
20 years. Many Indians learnt
more about the life of the Father of
the Nation from Gandhi than any
published work.
B. Gurumurthy,
Madurai
Gandhi was Attenboroughs most
extraordinary achievement. In the
lm, the Father of the Nation lived
the life of a simple man who guided
India through a turbulent period.
The metamorphosis of Gandhi
from a diffident young lawyer into
a warm, loving leader of the
poverty-stricken Indian masses
was portrayed well in the lm.
Shemeela Sasikumar,
Thrissur
The movie brought Attenborough
acclaim and enormous goodwill
and credit. A friend, working in
Argentina, narrated to me his
experience when he went to the
premiere of the lm with his wife
who wore a sari. After the movie,
the audience recognised them as
Indians, and gave them a standing
ovation at the theatre and in the
foyer. Indian TV channels used to
telecast the movie every year on
Independence Day, but of late that
is not being done. The younger
generation will certainly benet
fromwatching it.
K.V.S. Krishna,
Chennai
The people of India will remember
Attenborough forever for making a
movie on Gandhiji. He faced many
challenges but his commitment to
portray the greatest man of the last
century on screen triumphed.
C.P. Chandra Das,
Arlington
Attenborough became famous in
India through Satyajit Rays lm
Shatranj Ke Khiladi, probably the
best period-lm made in our
country. His role as Lord James
Outramcannot be forgotten.
A.S. Narayan,
Bangalore
A real tribute
It was indeed a pleasure to read the
article, For the love of God, on
Mother Teresa (Aug. 26).
Bureaucrats and planners are more
concerned with quantifying and
dening poverty so that they can
review their performance over a
period of time. But real
development can take place only
when they understand poverty in
the context of societal change.
Poverty will certainly decline when
plans are implemented effectively.
But it also demands a coordinated
and continued personal effort to
lend a helping hand to the poor and
the needy.
P.V. Radhika,
Vijayawada
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Letters emailed to letters@thehindu.co.in must carry the full
postal address and the full name or the name with initials.
S
cotland, which has had a separate Parliament
since 1999, votes in a referendum next month to
decide whether its four million voters want in-
dependence from the United Kingdom, poten-
tially bringing down the curtains on a historic union of
307 years. The September 18 ballot will determine the
need for a second plebiscite to authorise the precise
terms of a separation. The Conservative and Labour
parties, besides the Liberal Democrats, have been
strongly opposed to the demand for Scottish independ-
ence; but not necessarily to a referendum as a means to
decide the question. Arguably, had this device of direct
democracy been deployed more responsibly in the past,
the vote may not have become inevitable. In the event,
the referendum became a reality after the Scottish Na-
tional Party secured an overall majority in the 2011
elections to the Scottish Parliament on the promise of a
plebiscite. Mainstream parties have relied on the re-
course to a referendum as a way of dealing with intra-
party divisions over Europe and, more recently, on elec-
toral reforms. Britains rst-ever referendum of 1975
was beleaguered Prime Minister Harold Wilsons at-
tempt to shore up support for the countrys accession to
the European Economic Community in the wake of
Labours vote against continuation of the membership.
The effect of an emphatic yes to stay inside was but
short-lived, as the eurosceptic backbenchers gained
ground in the subsequent decades. As a result, political
parties were hamstrung when it came to taking difficult
decisions, and London was unable to exercise its legiti-
mate inuence in the bloc. Nearly 40 years after 1975, a
referendum on renegotiating the U.K.s membership,
and worse, on whether the country should quit the EU, is
on the agenda of the current Conservative-led coalition.
The most recent nation-wide plebiscite held in 2011 on
an alternative vote to the rst-past-the-post system of
election for Westminster lacked genuine political back-
ing from any party. For the Conservatives, who prefer
the status quo, the vote was merely a compromise struck
during coalition negotiations with the Liberal Demo-
crats. The situation was no different for the latter, who
have long championed proportional representation. The
Labour party was a divided house, even though it prom-
ised voting reform in the 2010 general election manifes-
to. The U.K. Electoral Commission estimated a cost of
75 million for the 2011 referendum. There is also the
likelihood of the subject of any plebiscite being over-
shadowed by more immediate concerns. The wisdom
behind asking the general population for a precise opin-
ion on a specic matter with implications over the long
term is also not conclusive. The rarer the recourse to a
referendum the better, is the lesson from recent history.
Risky,
if not reckless
CARTOONSCAPE