MONTH-IN-PERSPECTIVE
KARNATAKA: A 15 year old girl from Surat, from a poor family had landed in Bangalore and got checked into the common waiting hall at Bangalore central station. Burqa clad, she remained undetected for all the 8 days she stayed there. Reportedly she survived on only biscuits with just Rs: 500/- . One day the cash had to run-out and she approached a female railway police for help. BOSCO, the Child Helpline NGO comes in and takes care of the young girl.
She pleads with all, first with Railway Protection Force, then BOSCO and then the government (CWC), “please do not send me home, my father and brother beat me with belt. I have been forced out of school two years ago by my father and I face much violence at home”. It was very clear that to escape the violence at home she had run away from home and boarded the train from Surat to Bangalore. Now that she found a place of safety at BOSCO, who could have guaranteed her safety and even schooled her until her reaching adulthood. Instead she was sent back to her cruel family. To be fair to all, she could have been kept at BOSCO, with visiting rights to her family members. On reaching the majority age the choice could have been given to the young girl to go back to her family or not. That didn’t happen. It had a tragic filmy end of the young girl being given over back to the family. As she was travelling back in the train, the young girl was lost looking blank not knowing what her tomorrow’s shall hold out. The question is why this CWC did not think of the child first and all else later including the law, which stipulates, that she has to be reunited with parents? By keeping her with BOSCO, under the supervision of CWC, not only she could have legal and appropriate protection, besides being schooled, the family too could have maintained contact with her. If this had happened, it could have sent right signal to parents of girl children to behave properly with their wards.
UTTAR PRADESH: Highly controversial Hyderabadi Asaduddin Owaisi of AIMIM reportedly had remarked “Muslim population in the country will be equal to that of Hindus in the next 250 years.” He was responding in Meerut to the Maharashtra government's move to derecognize Madrasaas in the state.
If the report is true then not only this man is an insult to the secular polity of India, the authorities concerned should explore all possible legal options to take stringent action against this man. He is not only creating unease in the public space with such utterances, he is making things difficult to his co-religionists. And there are many who do not subscribe to his nasty barbs. People like Asaduddin Owaisi are a disturbing factor that needs to be checked and countered in the larger pan-India space.
As against this bluster, we have these two young Muslim girls from Patna, Rukhsana Khatoon and Bismillah Khatoon, who had reportedly conducted Yoga session on the occasion of International Yoga day at Moinul Haq stadium grounds. These teenage girls hailing from Lal Saraiyan village of West Champaran District of Bihar are reportedly highly skilled in Yoga and had represented India at international camps and competitions. These two youngsters and their encouraging parents need to be honoured by the state authorities in Patna, for their boldness, especially in the face of opposition from fundamentalist fringe of their community. They sure are the harbinger of a new dawn, unlike this joker called Asaduddin Owaisi. For sure, this practice of Yoga has not affected their Islamic moorings.
U.P. is perennially in news, mostly for wrong reasons. After journalist Jogendra Singh was beaten and burnt to death by four policemen in Shahjahanpur comes the news of an anganwadi teacher who is the mother of a journalist, burnt to death in Barabanki police station. Reportedly, she managed, before she died, to tell the names of two policemen who tried to physically assault her and having failed, set her on fire. That the two policemen were suspended by the higher ups is not the issue. The issue is of police themselves being criminals committing heinous crimes.
In the former case, four policemen burnt the journalist at the behest of a minister, whose activities the journalist had exposed. And the later case, was to extract money from the wife of a person detained wrongfully to pressure a relation of theirs to surrender.Having failed to extract money, SHO and ASI tried to rape her and poured kerosene when she resisted and set her on fire.
Such policemen should not be just suspended. They should be dismissed, arrested and jailed. They should experience their own medicine sometime, so that they may have realization what it means to be arrested and being in jail. Unless some drastic step is taken police themselves will not change for better. Is somebody listening up there!
MADHYA PRADESH: Vyapam or Vyavasayik Pariksha Mandal is an organisation started in the 1970s in Bhopal. It was established to fill employment vacancies in non-gazetted posts in government departments, so also to manage medical college admissions, all over Madhya Pradesh. Probably it had multiple objectives, not just filling up posts or enrolling medical admissions, but in the process it became a very fertile ground for making money from, every applicant, rich, not so rich and poor. Officials, politicians, middlemen involved in the racket of recruitment and medical admissions for the last almost 45 years, made thousands of crores of money from hapless beneficiaries. So it was not just the current dispensation at Bhopal, but also the earlier ones dating back to Gandhi loyalist Arjun Singh. It has indeed opened up a veritable Pandora’s Box. Despite being a 45 years old scam, it was only in 2013, the matter came up in the public domain following a complaint by Dr Anand Rai, also an RTI activist. Reportedly over 2000 have been arrested by the investigating the scam. Some 44 or so people connected with the scam have died under mysterious circumstances. Under pressure CBI investigation is underway, monitored by Apex Court. While there are many political heavy weights and IAS officers involved in the scam, who have not been touched so far, the arrested included even victims of the scam and their parents who had paid money to get medical seat or employment. Instead of making them approvers in the case against politicians & babus, they have been sent to jail. That is another dimension of our criminal justice system. This is Yeh Mera India.
RAJASTAN: Celebrities all over India are same, be it Sanjay Dutt, Saif Ali Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan or Hema Malini. Difference between Hema Malini and all else mentioned above is, that she is also an MP from Mathura. So, she has more than one reason to play truant and run away from the law. These demigods think, laws are made for ordinary mortals and celebrities & politicians are in a different class altogether.
Driving, reportedly, at 170km speed, Mercedes Benz the German luxury car of over 2000 C.C rams into a Maruti Alto, an 800 C.C. car. And come to think of it, this dream girl Hema Malini had the temerity to accuse the Alto driver as if he was on the wrong. And the police and all authorities were busy attending to the pretty old lady when a small child in the Alto was dying. Rajasthan police attended to the Alto and its injured after full 30 minutes, and the child passed away in the meanwhile with all 4 adults badly injured. What could be the highest speed of an Alto Car loaded with 4 adults and a child, that too entering from the side road! At 9.00 in the night, chances are, the driver of Mercedes was driving at great speed and entry of Alto from the side road would have made the speed of Mercedes uncontrollable, which hit Alto first and then trying to break the top speed and steering it to the right might have landed the luxury heavy duty car on the divider and stopped. Actress turned MP could have been hurt while hitting the divider. Rajender Tyagi, a senior police officer had reportedly remarked “I am being told, the Mercedes was speeding. It drove over the divider.” Doesn’t the death of a child and 4 injured due to excessively high speed of the actor’s Mercedes, make it a case of culpable homicide? Ms. Malini who has accused the Alto driver for alleged breaking of traffic rule should explain under what traffic law her car was allowed to be driven at 170 km speed? Her driver should be immediately booked by cancelling the influential instant bail that was granted to him.
MAHARASHTRA: How many in the public domain know that the government in Mumbai Sachiwaalay (secretariat) spends some Rs:100 crores as payment of salaries to its suspended employees? The internal audit carried by the state finance ministry reveals, according to the finance minister, suspended employees, some of them are under suspension for over 10 years!
Supposedly, the wealthiest state of India, reportedly is in a big mess with its finance management. Audit report, media informs, that close to Rs: 68000 crores of central government receipts are not properly accounted, for close to 25 years! And has a debt of some Rs: 320,000 crores and it keeps paying about Rs: 35000/- crores as interest!
As against this, there are deposits in the commercial banks of Rs: 40,000 crores, from state run public corporations, only to earn interest! This is bizarre.
And believe it or not, reportedly, it does not have recorded details of travel expenditure of ministers, expenses on telephone bills, vehicle hire for its officials, besides buying things for the secretariat use without tender and without verifying prices, ending up paying substantially higher prices than market price.
Indeed, whose father’s what goes! It is your money, my money and money of all those hard working individuals who earn and pay taxes to the government so that they can govern. And look at the way they govern, and we called it ‘Mera Bharath Mahan, isn’t it!
News of, fugitive from the Indian laws, Dawood Ibrahim’s returning to India some years ago, is again making its round in the media. It talks about Ram Jethmalani mentioning the possible return of the fugitive and the response of Sharad Pawar, who was the Maharashtra Chief Minister at that point in time, gave grist to the latest talk. Reportedly Sharad Pawar refused to accept the conditional return of the fugitive on the ground that there cannot be conditions for surrender of a terror accused. However what this terror accused had asked was, he should be allowed house arrest instead of being lodged in a prison. India is a sovereign state and hence managing the tantrums of a semi literate but powerful accused should not have been a problem. Hence, Sharad Pawar’s apparently innocuous refusal to play the ball may have other reasons than those meeting the eye. Reportedly, this fugitive’s telephone number was found in the telephone bill of Sharad Pawar during those difficult days of 1993 serial blast. So could there be some sinister reasons for the refusal of those in power in Maharashtra, lest the fugitive spill the bean! Of course a friendly media, refused to raise these difficult questions, lest it incur powerful Pawar’s displeasure. And they claim to be the fourth estate, don't they !
Fresh controversies from the fresh government always attract more attention. Devendra Fadnavis, a descendent of Nana Fadnavis!, is a fresh face in the corridors of power in Mumbai’s Sachivaalay. When he came in, he carried the impression of being an honest and committed politician, generally spotless. However, in matter of months, his administrative capability was called to question. Whether the rickety co-alition with their former all weather partner Shiv Sena, or hob-nobbing with NCP just to spite Shiv Sena, somehow it did give an impression, he is not in control. Add to the situation of unease came the first whip of a scandal. Pankaja Munde, fresh like Fadnavis into the power game, was caught in the wrong foot. There was a budgetary allocation available, and it had to be spent before it is time barred. Where there is honey, there are bees all the while. The bureaucracy waiting in the wings, probably advised her to act quickly so that the amount do not lapse. And, being a novice in the corridors of power, Pankaja fell for it, and she awarded a huge contract for the supply of chikki to government schools all over the state, probably as a substitute for mid-day meals. The amount was a whopping 206 crores rupees. Misguided by vested interest in Women & Child Welfare Ministry, she jumped the gun and gave the contract away without tender. It may be true that Pankaja did not benefit, even a pie, and she is clean, as she claims. But that does not absolve the responsibility to go deeper to find out, what really happened? How did a contract of Rs: 206 crores, could go to one party without any tender, does not matter who the beneficiary of the contract is. The Chief Minster has only defended Pankaja of any wrong doing. But that is no leadership. The fact is a huge contract has been awarded without the due process and hence those responsible in the ministry, who are really in the know of things, in all probability, acted with malafide intention. Pankaja may be clean, what about the ministry. It is not Fadnavis’ personal money, it is public money and hence accountable to the last pie. He should present to the assembly without fail, and fix responsibility to those who committed the fraud on Pankaja and the state. And Ms Munde, should be told that she has to be responsible for every rupee allotted to the ministry and not just go about telling, ‘I did no wrong’.
NEW DELHI: If LK Advani’s remark about emergency was controversial enough, the remark by Yashwant Sinha, a former NDA Finance Minister has sent a clearer message from septuagenarians and beyond. Yashwant Sinha had stated “All BJP leaders above the age of 75 were declared brain dead on May 26, 2014”. Yes, unlike LK Advani, the former PM aspirant, or the present PM Narendra Modi, Yashwant Sinha, is a former IAS officer, therefore eminently educationally qualified. That he has brain, is never in doubt. There are many like him, Subramaniam Swamy, Murali Manohar Joshi, Arun Shouri etc. who are 75 and beyond. But it is a tragedy, that their wisdom is allowed to go waste.
While, the logic of Narendra Modi, for 75 as cut-off for ministers, has its relevant reasons, but the way he forced it down the throat, has certainly left a bad taste across the spectrum. It is always possible to bring change without pain or with least pain. But then Modi is in a great hurry. He wants to bring about his idea of ‘Rama Rajya’ within the next 10 years. On the 15th Aug. last year, from the ramparts of the Red Fort, he had given a clarion call for an inclusive public discourse with his stirring rhetoric. He had spoken about taking everybody along on the path of faster sustainable growth. He was all praise for the previous governments and their prime ministers for all the development that country witnessed until then. Thus he clearly indicated that he would go for consensual politics rather than confrontational. But the almost 14 months, that have gone by, has left nobody in doubt that he has his own agenda for development and wants to push it, come what may. Having won absolute majority for his party on his own, he realizes that in the immediate short run he is indispensable, hence does not seem to give a damn. If Jairam Ramesh of the Congress has said “The style of government is one man government. It’s a very autocratic, authoritarian form of government where only Mr Modi counts”, he is not too much off the mark.
Hence, if octogenarian leaders of BJP or those who crossed 75 years of age, feel troubled, they have justification. Modi was graceless in dumping these party leaders only because they crossed 75 years of age. Modi may not impose emergency, as some Congressmen dramatised post Advani remark. But, as Jairam Ramesh articulated that “He is running the most centralised government ever in India’s history. He is running a one man government. He has marginalized his cabinet, his party and his MPs.” There is a grain of truth in it, take it or leave it. Of course there is no taking away from the fact that Modi is a very decisive leader. But then most dictators too are decisive!
The accusation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become Maunendra, is flying high and thick. Of course BJP and other opposition parties accused, in the past, Dr. Manmohan Singh, the former UPA Prime Minister for being Maunibaaba. These gentlemen at the top has the ability of thick skin when confronted with controversial issues, not to react. PV Narasimha Rao too was a practitioner of some kind of procrastination, where he used to claim in later days, that inaction too is an action of another kind.
Of course with PM Manmohan Singh, if corruption was the issue, it is mostly conflict of interest of Modi’s cabinet colleagues. Indeed this too is another dimension of corruption. Congress is busy in raising the political temperature by asking the ministers concerned to resign. This is Indian politics, as if resignation would solve problems.
However, what is most important and therefore need intervention of PM Modi is the reported party ticket distribution by NDA allies. Ramvilas Paswan, who only promoted his relations and cronies has, reportedly given tickets to criminals in the coming election in Bihar. Modi has not reacted so far. Criminalization of politics is far more serious than the Sushma/Raje issue. Hope, before Bihar goes to poll Modi cracks the whip to tell, ‘who is the boss’.
Ever since, he tasted power, Arvind Kejriwal has been a kind of Mr Controversial. Nobody in politics of this country has been as controversial as this former IRS man has been. There are a good number of men and women who had come to politics to serve the country and people. Some have tasted some degree of success and some have become corrupt and some have probably got lost in the wilderness. Thanks mainly to the desire for change. Indians wanted, Aam Aadmi Party, as a harbinger of a possible change, was voted to power overwhelmingly. Kejriwal has been in power for the 2nd time since February this year. Except the style of functioning of Arvind Kejriwal, there has been, truly speaking, no change. Every time he appears to be on agitation mode, rightly or wrongly, but mostly wrongly. You have been elected to govern. Differences are bound to be there in every system of governance. With the ruling party at the centre having lost rather badly, it was only expected that they could create hurdles for the smooth functioning of Delhi government. But Kejriwal never believed in taking a course of least resistance. He always confronted all those who did not agree with him, with the perception that he is always right and it is the other side which ‘should see his point’. Anarchist in him is so strong that he never believed in being conciliatory in his approach. The arrogance of his over 95% electorate pass rate (67 seats out of 70), has destroyed his sense of proportion. The very fact that he alone, unceremoniously threw two of the most respected - Yadav/Bhushan - duo from AAP was enough to pass a judgement on this A.K, only because they had disagreed with his style of functioning.
His latest demand of statehood for Delhi too smacks of same arrogance. There have been similar demand from both Congress and BJP in the past, for statehood. But for varieties of reasons, it has only remained a demand. There appears to be a strong school of thought for status quo, with some valid constitutional reasons. Of course there is merit in the demand for greater role for the elected government of Delhi. But there may be ways and means, where a sensible talk and debate can take place. But Kejriwal's confrontationist attitude has certainly hardened the attitude of all concerned. Hence, the demand for referendum by Kejriwal on statehood for Delhi shall be another whistle for wind.
Date lined New Delhi, there was this report in the print media “Shanta Kumar’s remark upset BJP”. Shanta Kumar is a former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister. He has written a letter to BJP president Amit Shah asking for the appointment of Internal Lokpal for the party. Report informs, ‘the saffron party snubbed him for asking for an Internal Lokpal in the party’.
In his letter, Shanta Kumar is reported to have written “fingers from Rajasthan to Maharashtra are being pointed at us. While Vyapam scam has made all of us bow our head in shame”. According to him, it was his ‘Mann ki baath’. Fair enough. For a party soldier, to propose course correction, if needed, has to be taken in the right spirit. It appears the party leadership has not taken it kindly. That’s rather very undemocratic. He is a senior leader of the party, what he said was in the welfare of his party. In fact what he said is perfectly in order. Mr Narendra modi, who speaks about transparency always, should have welcomed it, rather than chiding Shanta Kumar, as if ‘he is being influenced by Congress yaps”. Although Modi as Chief Minister, never had a functioning Lokayukta in Gujarat, this time round he could amend it in the larger picture of BJP party politics. In fact all political parties must have this ‘Internal Lokpal’ within its party set up. AAP was the first party to have a Lokpal but it made joke of itself when they sacked the ‘inconvenient Lokpal, Admiral Ramdas’. Party must go by truth alone and not politics of convenience when it comes to Lokpal. Hope Prime Minister Modi takes the call in the larger interest of the nation. After all ‘Isn’t nation bigger than the party, and party bigger than an individual’!
There was this report in the print media, datelined New Delhi, “No X-Ray machines to scan imported goods at Delhi Airport!” Reportedly there is no X-Ray machine since 2014 at the cargo terminals. Probably for an year’s time! And you have some 100 flights everyday landing at the Delhi International airport. So you can imagine the kind of security risk the city and the country is exposed to. Imports are coming thru this airport from countries like Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, which have elements unfriendly with India and therefore the risk is real. Reportedly in 2014-15, there were close to 4.1 lakh Bills of Entry for imports. Thus the magnitude of the issue can be understood. Reportedly, reacting to the allegation of no X-Ray at cargo imports, the official stand of Delhi International Airport Ltd. (DIAL) which manages the Indira Gandhi International Airport and its cargo centres, has insisted that there is a high degree of security arrangements for all imports and exports. However it added a strange logic to its response, justifying why there is no X-Ray at import section of the cargo. It has said “It is noteworthy that the import cargo which is already prescreened from other International airports, does not pose any security issue at the receiving airport”. It was absolutely a thick headed argument. We are clearly outsourcing our airport security to other countries services, where elements inimical to India & Indians, can join hands with the security apparatus of a country like say Pakistan, and pose a serious risk to life and property in India! Why this simple logic can’t get into the head of DIAL officials! Remember Air India Kanishka bombing where some 360 died? It was airport security lapse. But then our govt. deptts. have always worked at cross purposes even at the cost of security risk. This is Yeh Mera India.
WORLD: China is a regimented state, Pakistan is a theocratic state, and hence decision making process is easier than in a democratic state like India. Only to snub India, China joined hands with Pakistan with its recent veto at the UN in favour of Pak, with regard to Zakiur Rehman Lakhwi. In a fight against global terror, it was unthinkable that China would stoop down only to snub India. It is quite frankly self defeating. Surely, China has issues with India, but issues of terror should have priority on all issues. Earlier it was U.S suffering from their selective treatment of terror by Pak groups in India, now it is China.
It is well known that trade balance is highly in favour of China and is against India. Whether India can officially take the call to reduce the trade with China is difficult to say. But, it is eminently possible to socially boycott the Chinese goods–both buying and selling – to show our unhappiness at the way China is treating India. In India’s national interest this has to be resorted to. Hence this is an appeal to all Indian’s to think about the issue of the larger picture of India’s national interest than the individual interest.
‘Aamdanni Athanni Kharcha Rupaiyya, Natheeja Than Than Gopal’ is an old Hindi film song, describing how stretching limited income to limitless expenses can lead to mess in one’s personal life. We have local idioms like “Stretch your legs as long as your mattress”. These are time tested wisdom needing no elaboration. If at personal level if one needs to check his uncontrolled desires to the level of his income, the same applies to the state as well. After all, state too is the extension of people it has as its citizens or subjects.
Greece, a declared developed state has been living on borrowed money for little too long. Details for public consumption is available in public domain, but has exposed how uncontrolled profligacy can lead to serious consequences. It has reached a stage, where only a major surgery can save the body politic of the country, which has adorned history books as a cradle of civilization. Of course, in human endeavour nothing is beyond hope. There is certainly scope for the citizens, Greeks, to rise to the occasion and declare that ‘GREECE HAS TO BE SAVED’ not by Germans, EU or the IMF, but by Greeks themselves. Hope it happens.
She pleads with all, first with Railway Protection Force, then BOSCO and then the government (CWC), “please do not send me home, my father and brother beat me with belt. I have been forced out of school two years ago by my father and I face much violence at home”. It was very clear that to escape the violence at home she had run away from home and boarded the train from Surat to Bangalore. Now that she found a place of safety at BOSCO, who could have guaranteed her safety and even schooled her until her reaching adulthood. Instead she was sent back to her cruel family. To be fair to all, she could have been kept at BOSCO, with visiting rights to her family members. On reaching the majority age the choice could have been given to the young girl to go back to her family or not. That didn’t happen. It had a tragic filmy end of the young girl being given over back to the family. As she was travelling back in the train, the young girl was lost looking blank not knowing what her tomorrow’s shall hold out. The question is why this CWC did not think of the child first and all else later including the law, which stipulates, that she has to be reunited with parents? By keeping her with BOSCO, under the supervision of CWC, not only she could have legal and appropriate protection, besides being schooled, the family too could have maintained contact with her. If this had happened, it could have sent right signal to parents of girl children to behave properly with their wards.
UTTAR PRADESH: Highly controversial Hyderabadi Asaduddin Owaisi of AIMIM reportedly had remarked “Muslim population in the country will be equal to that of Hindus in the next 250 years.” He was responding in Meerut to the Maharashtra government's move to derecognize Madrasaas in the state.
If the report is true then not only this man is an insult to the secular polity of India, the authorities concerned should explore all possible legal options to take stringent action against this man. He is not only creating unease in the public space with such utterances, he is making things difficult to his co-religionists. And there are many who do not subscribe to his nasty barbs. People like Asaduddin Owaisi are a disturbing factor that needs to be checked and countered in the larger pan-India space.
As against this bluster, we have these two young Muslim girls from Patna, Rukhsana Khatoon and Bismillah Khatoon, who had reportedly conducted Yoga session on the occasion of International Yoga day at Moinul Haq stadium grounds. These teenage girls hailing from Lal Saraiyan village of West Champaran District of Bihar are reportedly highly skilled in Yoga and had represented India at international camps and competitions. These two youngsters and their encouraging parents need to be honoured by the state authorities in Patna, for their boldness, especially in the face of opposition from fundamentalist fringe of their community. They sure are the harbinger of a new dawn, unlike this joker called Asaduddin Owaisi. For sure, this practice of Yoga has not affected their Islamic moorings.
U.P. is perennially in news, mostly for wrong reasons. After journalist Jogendra Singh was beaten and burnt to death by four policemen in Shahjahanpur comes the news of an anganwadi teacher who is the mother of a journalist, burnt to death in Barabanki police station. Reportedly, she managed, before she died, to tell the names of two policemen who tried to physically assault her and having failed, set her on fire. That the two policemen were suspended by the higher ups is not the issue. The issue is of police themselves being criminals committing heinous crimes.
In the former case, four policemen burnt the journalist at the behest of a minister, whose activities the journalist had exposed. And the later case, was to extract money from the wife of a person detained wrongfully to pressure a relation of theirs to surrender.Having failed to extract money, SHO and ASI tried to rape her and poured kerosene when she resisted and set her on fire.
Such policemen should not be just suspended. They should be dismissed, arrested and jailed. They should experience their own medicine sometime, so that they may have realization what it means to be arrested and being in jail. Unless some drastic step is taken police themselves will not change for better. Is somebody listening up there!
MADHYA PRADESH: Vyapam or Vyavasayik Pariksha Mandal is an organisation started in the 1970s in Bhopal. It was established to fill employment vacancies in non-gazetted posts in government departments, so also to manage medical college admissions, all over Madhya Pradesh. Probably it had multiple objectives, not just filling up posts or enrolling medical admissions, but in the process it became a very fertile ground for making money from, every applicant, rich, not so rich and poor. Officials, politicians, middlemen involved in the racket of recruitment and medical admissions for the last almost 45 years, made thousands of crores of money from hapless beneficiaries. So it was not just the current dispensation at Bhopal, but also the earlier ones dating back to Gandhi loyalist Arjun Singh. It has indeed opened up a veritable Pandora’s Box. Despite being a 45 years old scam, it was only in 2013, the matter came up in the public domain following a complaint by Dr Anand Rai, also an RTI activist. Reportedly over 2000 have been arrested by the investigating the scam. Some 44 or so people connected with the scam have died under mysterious circumstances. Under pressure CBI investigation is underway, monitored by Apex Court. While there are many political heavy weights and IAS officers involved in the scam, who have not been touched so far, the arrested included even victims of the scam and their parents who had paid money to get medical seat or employment. Instead of making them approvers in the case against politicians & babus, they have been sent to jail. That is another dimension of our criminal justice system. This is Yeh Mera India.
RAJASTAN: Celebrities all over India are same, be it Sanjay Dutt, Saif Ali Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan or Hema Malini. Difference between Hema Malini and all else mentioned above is, that she is also an MP from Mathura. So, she has more than one reason to play truant and run away from the law. These demigods think, laws are made for ordinary mortals and celebrities & politicians are in a different class altogether.
Driving, reportedly, at 170km speed, Mercedes Benz the German luxury car of over 2000 C.C rams into a Maruti Alto, an 800 C.C. car. And come to think of it, this dream girl Hema Malini had the temerity to accuse the Alto driver as if he was on the wrong. And the police and all authorities were busy attending to the pretty old lady when a small child in the Alto was dying. Rajasthan police attended to the Alto and its injured after full 30 minutes, and the child passed away in the meanwhile with all 4 adults badly injured. What could be the highest speed of an Alto Car loaded with 4 adults and a child, that too entering from the side road! At 9.00 in the night, chances are, the driver of Mercedes was driving at great speed and entry of Alto from the side road would have made the speed of Mercedes uncontrollable, which hit Alto first and then trying to break the top speed and steering it to the right might have landed the luxury heavy duty car on the divider and stopped. Actress turned MP could have been hurt while hitting the divider. Rajender Tyagi, a senior police officer had reportedly remarked “I am being told, the Mercedes was speeding. It drove over the divider.” Doesn’t the death of a child and 4 injured due to excessively high speed of the actor’s Mercedes, make it a case of culpable homicide? Ms. Malini who has accused the Alto driver for alleged breaking of traffic rule should explain under what traffic law her car was allowed to be driven at 170 km speed? Her driver should be immediately booked by cancelling the influential instant bail that was granted to him.
MAHARASHTRA: How many in the public domain know that the government in Mumbai Sachiwaalay (secretariat) spends some Rs:100 crores as payment of salaries to its suspended employees? The internal audit carried by the state finance ministry reveals, according to the finance minister, suspended employees, some of them are under suspension for over 10 years!
Supposedly, the wealthiest state of India, reportedly is in a big mess with its finance management. Audit report, media informs, that close to Rs: 68000 crores of central government receipts are not properly accounted, for close to 25 years! And has a debt of some Rs: 320,000 crores and it keeps paying about Rs: 35000/- crores as interest!
As against this, there are deposits in the commercial banks of Rs: 40,000 crores, from state run public corporations, only to earn interest! This is bizarre.
And believe it or not, reportedly, it does not have recorded details of travel expenditure of ministers, expenses on telephone bills, vehicle hire for its officials, besides buying things for the secretariat use without tender and without verifying prices, ending up paying substantially higher prices than market price.
Indeed, whose father’s what goes! It is your money, my money and money of all those hard working individuals who earn and pay taxes to the government so that they can govern. And look at the way they govern, and we called it ‘Mera Bharath Mahan, isn’t it!
News of, fugitive from the Indian laws, Dawood Ibrahim’s returning to India some years ago, is again making its round in the media. It talks about Ram Jethmalani mentioning the possible return of the fugitive and the response of Sharad Pawar, who was the Maharashtra Chief Minister at that point in time, gave grist to the latest talk. Reportedly Sharad Pawar refused to accept the conditional return of the fugitive on the ground that there cannot be conditions for surrender of a terror accused. However what this terror accused had asked was, he should be allowed house arrest instead of being lodged in a prison. India is a sovereign state and hence managing the tantrums of a semi literate but powerful accused should not have been a problem. Hence, Sharad Pawar’s apparently innocuous refusal to play the ball may have other reasons than those meeting the eye. Reportedly, this fugitive’s telephone number was found in the telephone bill of Sharad Pawar during those difficult days of 1993 serial blast. So could there be some sinister reasons for the refusal of those in power in Maharashtra, lest the fugitive spill the bean! Of course a friendly media, refused to raise these difficult questions, lest it incur powerful Pawar’s displeasure. And they claim to be the fourth estate, don't they !
Fresh controversies from the fresh government always attract more attention. Devendra Fadnavis, a descendent of Nana Fadnavis!, is a fresh face in the corridors of power in Mumbai’s Sachivaalay. When he came in, he carried the impression of being an honest and committed politician, generally spotless. However, in matter of months, his administrative capability was called to question. Whether the rickety co-alition with their former all weather partner Shiv Sena, or hob-nobbing with NCP just to spite Shiv Sena, somehow it did give an impression, he is not in control. Add to the situation of unease came the first whip of a scandal. Pankaja Munde, fresh like Fadnavis into the power game, was caught in the wrong foot. There was a budgetary allocation available, and it had to be spent before it is time barred. Where there is honey, there are bees all the while. The bureaucracy waiting in the wings, probably advised her to act quickly so that the amount do not lapse. And, being a novice in the corridors of power, Pankaja fell for it, and she awarded a huge contract for the supply of chikki to government schools all over the state, probably as a substitute for mid-day meals. The amount was a whopping 206 crores rupees. Misguided by vested interest in Women & Child Welfare Ministry, she jumped the gun and gave the contract away without tender. It may be true that Pankaja did not benefit, even a pie, and she is clean, as she claims. But that does not absolve the responsibility to go deeper to find out, what really happened? How did a contract of Rs: 206 crores, could go to one party without any tender, does not matter who the beneficiary of the contract is. The Chief Minster has only defended Pankaja of any wrong doing. But that is no leadership. The fact is a huge contract has been awarded without the due process and hence those responsible in the ministry, who are really in the know of things, in all probability, acted with malafide intention. Pankaja may be clean, what about the ministry. It is not Fadnavis’ personal money, it is public money and hence accountable to the last pie. He should present to the assembly without fail, and fix responsibility to those who committed the fraud on Pankaja and the state. And Ms Munde, should be told that she has to be responsible for every rupee allotted to the ministry and not just go about telling, ‘I did no wrong’.
NEW DELHI: If LK Advani’s remark about emergency was controversial enough, the remark by Yashwant Sinha, a former NDA Finance Minister has sent a clearer message from septuagenarians and beyond. Yashwant Sinha had stated “All BJP leaders above the age of 75 were declared brain dead on May 26, 2014”. Yes, unlike LK Advani, the former PM aspirant, or the present PM Narendra Modi, Yashwant Sinha, is a former IAS officer, therefore eminently educationally qualified. That he has brain, is never in doubt. There are many like him, Subramaniam Swamy, Murali Manohar Joshi, Arun Shouri etc. who are 75 and beyond. But it is a tragedy, that their wisdom is allowed to go waste.
While, the logic of Narendra Modi, for 75 as cut-off for ministers, has its relevant reasons, but the way he forced it down the throat, has certainly left a bad taste across the spectrum. It is always possible to bring change without pain or with least pain. But then Modi is in a great hurry. He wants to bring about his idea of ‘Rama Rajya’ within the next 10 years. On the 15th Aug. last year, from the ramparts of the Red Fort, he had given a clarion call for an inclusive public discourse with his stirring rhetoric. He had spoken about taking everybody along on the path of faster sustainable growth. He was all praise for the previous governments and their prime ministers for all the development that country witnessed until then. Thus he clearly indicated that he would go for consensual politics rather than confrontational. But the almost 14 months, that have gone by, has left nobody in doubt that he has his own agenda for development and wants to push it, come what may. Having won absolute majority for his party on his own, he realizes that in the immediate short run he is indispensable, hence does not seem to give a damn. If Jairam Ramesh of the Congress has said “The style of government is one man government. It’s a very autocratic, authoritarian form of government where only Mr Modi counts”, he is not too much off the mark.
Hence, if octogenarian leaders of BJP or those who crossed 75 years of age, feel troubled, they have justification. Modi was graceless in dumping these party leaders only because they crossed 75 years of age. Modi may not impose emergency, as some Congressmen dramatised post Advani remark. But, as Jairam Ramesh articulated that “He is running the most centralised government ever in India’s history. He is running a one man government. He has marginalized his cabinet, his party and his MPs.” There is a grain of truth in it, take it or leave it. Of course there is no taking away from the fact that Modi is a very decisive leader. But then most dictators too are decisive!
The accusation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become Maunendra, is flying high and thick. Of course BJP and other opposition parties accused, in the past, Dr. Manmohan Singh, the former UPA Prime Minister for being Maunibaaba. These gentlemen at the top has the ability of thick skin when confronted with controversial issues, not to react. PV Narasimha Rao too was a practitioner of some kind of procrastination, where he used to claim in later days, that inaction too is an action of another kind.
Of course with PM Manmohan Singh, if corruption was the issue, it is mostly conflict of interest of Modi’s cabinet colleagues. Indeed this too is another dimension of corruption. Congress is busy in raising the political temperature by asking the ministers concerned to resign. This is Indian politics, as if resignation would solve problems.
However, what is most important and therefore need intervention of PM Modi is the reported party ticket distribution by NDA allies. Ramvilas Paswan, who only promoted his relations and cronies has, reportedly given tickets to criminals in the coming election in Bihar. Modi has not reacted so far. Criminalization of politics is far more serious than the Sushma/Raje issue. Hope, before Bihar goes to poll Modi cracks the whip to tell, ‘who is the boss’.
Ever since, he tasted power, Arvind Kejriwal has been a kind of Mr Controversial. Nobody in politics of this country has been as controversial as this former IRS man has been. There are a good number of men and women who had come to politics to serve the country and people. Some have tasted some degree of success and some have become corrupt and some have probably got lost in the wilderness. Thanks mainly to the desire for change. Indians wanted, Aam Aadmi Party, as a harbinger of a possible change, was voted to power overwhelmingly. Kejriwal has been in power for the 2nd time since February this year. Except the style of functioning of Arvind Kejriwal, there has been, truly speaking, no change. Every time he appears to be on agitation mode, rightly or wrongly, but mostly wrongly. You have been elected to govern. Differences are bound to be there in every system of governance. With the ruling party at the centre having lost rather badly, it was only expected that they could create hurdles for the smooth functioning of Delhi government. But Kejriwal never believed in taking a course of least resistance. He always confronted all those who did not agree with him, with the perception that he is always right and it is the other side which ‘should see his point’. Anarchist in him is so strong that he never believed in being conciliatory in his approach. The arrogance of his over 95% electorate pass rate (67 seats out of 70), has destroyed his sense of proportion. The very fact that he alone, unceremoniously threw two of the most respected - Yadav/Bhushan - duo from AAP was enough to pass a judgement on this A.K, only because they had disagreed with his style of functioning.
His latest demand of statehood for Delhi too smacks of same arrogance. There have been similar demand from both Congress and BJP in the past, for statehood. But for varieties of reasons, it has only remained a demand. There appears to be a strong school of thought for status quo, with some valid constitutional reasons. Of course there is merit in the demand for greater role for the elected government of Delhi. But there may be ways and means, where a sensible talk and debate can take place. But Kejriwal's confrontationist attitude has certainly hardened the attitude of all concerned. Hence, the demand for referendum by Kejriwal on statehood for Delhi shall be another whistle for wind.
Date lined New Delhi, there was this report in the print media “Shanta Kumar’s remark upset BJP”. Shanta Kumar is a former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister. He has written a letter to BJP president Amit Shah asking for the appointment of Internal Lokpal for the party. Report informs, ‘the saffron party snubbed him for asking for an Internal Lokpal in the party’.
In his letter, Shanta Kumar is reported to have written “fingers from Rajasthan to Maharashtra are being pointed at us. While Vyapam scam has made all of us bow our head in shame”. According to him, it was his ‘Mann ki baath’. Fair enough. For a party soldier, to propose course correction, if needed, has to be taken in the right spirit. It appears the party leadership has not taken it kindly. That’s rather very undemocratic. He is a senior leader of the party, what he said was in the welfare of his party. In fact what he said is perfectly in order. Mr Narendra modi, who speaks about transparency always, should have welcomed it, rather than chiding Shanta Kumar, as if ‘he is being influenced by Congress yaps”. Although Modi as Chief Minister, never had a functioning Lokayukta in Gujarat, this time round he could amend it in the larger picture of BJP party politics. In fact all political parties must have this ‘Internal Lokpal’ within its party set up. AAP was the first party to have a Lokpal but it made joke of itself when they sacked the ‘inconvenient Lokpal, Admiral Ramdas’. Party must go by truth alone and not politics of convenience when it comes to Lokpal. Hope Prime Minister Modi takes the call in the larger interest of the nation. After all ‘Isn’t nation bigger than the party, and party bigger than an individual’!
There was this report in the print media, datelined New Delhi, “No X-Ray machines to scan imported goods at Delhi Airport!” Reportedly there is no X-Ray machine since 2014 at the cargo terminals. Probably for an year’s time! And you have some 100 flights everyday landing at the Delhi International airport. So you can imagine the kind of security risk the city and the country is exposed to. Imports are coming thru this airport from countries like Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, which have elements unfriendly with India and therefore the risk is real. Reportedly in 2014-15, there were close to 4.1 lakh Bills of Entry for imports. Thus the magnitude of the issue can be understood. Reportedly, reacting to the allegation of no X-Ray at cargo imports, the official stand of Delhi International Airport Ltd. (DIAL) which manages the Indira Gandhi International Airport and its cargo centres, has insisted that there is a high degree of security arrangements for all imports and exports. However it added a strange logic to its response, justifying why there is no X-Ray at import section of the cargo. It has said “It is noteworthy that the import cargo which is already prescreened from other International airports, does not pose any security issue at the receiving airport”. It was absolutely a thick headed argument. We are clearly outsourcing our airport security to other countries services, where elements inimical to India & Indians, can join hands with the security apparatus of a country like say Pakistan, and pose a serious risk to life and property in India! Why this simple logic can’t get into the head of DIAL officials! Remember Air India Kanishka bombing where some 360 died? It was airport security lapse. But then our govt. deptts. have always worked at cross purposes even at the cost of security risk. This is Yeh Mera India.
WORLD: China is a regimented state, Pakistan is a theocratic state, and hence decision making process is easier than in a democratic state like India. Only to snub India, China joined hands with Pakistan with its recent veto at the UN in favour of Pak, with regard to Zakiur Rehman Lakhwi. In a fight against global terror, it was unthinkable that China would stoop down only to snub India. It is quite frankly self defeating. Surely, China has issues with India, but issues of terror should have priority on all issues. Earlier it was U.S suffering from their selective treatment of terror by Pak groups in India, now it is China.
It is well known that trade balance is highly in favour of China and is against India. Whether India can officially take the call to reduce the trade with China is difficult to say. But, it is eminently possible to socially boycott the Chinese goods–both buying and selling – to show our unhappiness at the way China is treating India. In India’s national interest this has to be resorted to. Hence this is an appeal to all Indian’s to think about the issue of the larger picture of India’s national interest than the individual interest.
‘Aamdanni Athanni Kharcha Rupaiyya, Natheeja Than Than Gopal’ is an old Hindi film song, describing how stretching limited income to limitless expenses can lead to mess in one’s personal life. We have local idioms like “Stretch your legs as long as your mattress”. These are time tested wisdom needing no elaboration. If at personal level if one needs to check his uncontrolled desires to the level of his income, the same applies to the state as well. After all, state too is the extension of people it has as its citizens or subjects.
Greece, a declared developed state has been living on borrowed money for little too long. Details for public consumption is available in public domain, but has exposed how uncontrolled profligacy can lead to serious consequences. It has reached a stage, where only a major surgery can save the body politic of the country, which has adorned history books as a cradle of civilization. Of course, in human endeavour nothing is beyond hope. There is certainly scope for the citizens, Greeks, to rise to the occasion and declare that ‘GREECE HAS TO BE SAVED’ not by Germans, EU or the IMF, but by Greeks themselves. Hope it happens.
Comments