MIP - MARCH 2024

NEW DELHI: BHARAT RATNAS GALORE

,P>At five, this is the maximum number of the highest civilian award of Bharat Ratnas declared in one year. Beginning with former Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur and then followed by former Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani. After a lull of a few days comes the announcement of Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan or more well known as M.S. Swaminathan, the acclaimed father of Indian Green Revolution, followed by Chaudhary Charan Singh, a former Prime Minister and 2 times Chief Minister of U.P. and P.V. Narasimha Rao, a former Prime Minister.

Truth of the matter is except Lal Krishna Advani, who is past 96 years of age, all others have passed away. This government at the centre is there since last almost 10 years, and attempting to remain continued for another term. This government could have conferred the honor all these years, but it didn’t happen for varieties of reasons. However it’s better late than never. It could even be termed a political master-stroke by NaMo, as someone stated in the media.

Of course, the next election to the Lok Sabha is due within next 3 months and the incumbent government, like all other governments in power anywhere, wants to win another term, and why not!

Having awarded the nations highest recognition, the question naturally arises, as to the background of these significant personalities, who shaped, in some form or the other, certain dimension of India’s socio-political landscape.

Karpoori Thakur was credited with introducing quota for backward classes for the first time in mid 1970s. So also introduced total prohibition of alcohol in Bihar, around the same time. However his quota for backward classes made him a messiah among backward classes. Biharis were happy with this reward.

Lal Krishna Advani having migrated from Karachi in Sindh when Pakistan was created, got into Indian socio-political life through RSS. He is the founding member of BJP, held different positions in political office. Last being that of Deputy Prime Minister under Atal Bihari Vajpayee, besides being Home Minister. He was instrumental in popularizing the Ram Janma Bhoomi issue by his now well-known Rath Yatra and succeeded in keeping the issue of Temple at Ayodhya alive. He must be a very happy man that temple to Shree Ram has ultimately come about. However there is a feeling that he was wronged by the present government of NaMo. He was, by any stretch of thinking, a clean man with impeccable integrity. He could have been India’s President, but didn’t for whatever reasons. This latest recognition as Bharat Ratna would, so late in the day, assuage his hurt feeling, if any. He has been in active politics since over 75 years. He was 11 times Member of Parliament, 7 times in Lok Sabha and 4 times in Rajya Sabha. He was also the 1st President of Delhi Metropolitan Council in 1967 to 1970, when he became the Rajya Sabha Member. It is an acknowledged fact that the temple issue has indeed helped BJP electorally. It is true that there are Indians questioning the Bharat Ratna to LK Advani. But if Sachin Tendulkar, a mere cricketer can be given the highest civilian award of India, then Lal Krishna Advani deserved more than Sachin Tendulkar.

M.S Swaminathan was a global leader of green revolution. As Director General of International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines, he was awarded the First World Food Prize in 1987, supposedly the highest global award in agriculture. Actually his being awarded the Bharat Ratna was long overdue. This too would help electorally in Tamil Nadu.

Bharat Ratna to Charan Singh was for his land reform and for being a champion of farmers. It was also a political move in a sense, to assuage farmers feelings. It can give political dividends, in the short-run.

Awarding P.V. Narasimha Rao, the father of economic reforms of the 1990s, was to, in some sense, to embarrass Congress party. Known as Chanakya of Indian politics, he was very intelligent so also a polyglot. Both Andhra & Telangana are reportedly happy with the award.

Going for the General election due in May 2024, it was indeed a deft move to pick these names or rather personalities for national recognition. This act of being politically correct has touched the emotional chord of people from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Delhi. This is bound to translate at the ballot box in favor of the ruling dispensation in the coming election.

NEW DELHI: LIQUOR SHOPS IN PUBLIC SPACE

The report was generally talking about the confusion or the predicament of the highest court of the land and its bench headed by the CJI himself.

We all know, every legislation or statutory measure that is enacted is always well intentioned. But a good number of these enactments slips from the high pedestal of the hallowed objectives onto slippery slopes of crass commercialization and market driven socio-economic compulsions.

Denial of permissions or prohibiting liquor outlets on highways or near educational institutions or the places of worship is one such legislation that has been followed mostly by breaking the provisions of the law than by following the regulatory measures in letter and spirit.

This writer need not go far at all. He is a resident of Surathkal, a suburb of Mangalore city and is within the Mangalooru City Corporation (MCC) limit. The town of Surathkal is also on the National Highway – NH/66, which was earlier NH/17.

Surathkal is well known for NITK, Surathkal, which was formerly KREC that is Karnataka Regional Engineering College. This institute of higher learning is also on the NH/66. However this deemed to be University is at the end of MCC limits. In the vicinity are 2 high schools.

Coming to the town centre, where the main bus stand is located, there are many educational institutions, all within the radius of 200mts. There is a First Grade College imparting both UG & PG degree education. There is also a Pre-University college. There are 4 high schools and 3 primary schools of upto 7th standard. But the joke is there are not less than 7 outlets selling liquor over-the-counter and those catering to alcohol drinking consumers & diners.

There are also places of worship within this area, a Temple, a Church and 2 Mosques.

In fact, of these 7 outlets, 4 outlets – 2 opposite a mosque and 2 behind the same mosque, are in the close proximity of less than 50mts, selling liquor.

All these places are in existence almost next to each other since decades and no qualms about the proximity or similar issues ever bothered about the existence of liquor outlets near places of learning or worship.

And the law says these outlets should be beyond 500 meters of each other.

Like all other statutes or legislations, this legislation regarding the restriction of distance is loosely applied and allowed to co-habit, take it or leave it.

This is Yeh Mera India or can we call it Mera Bharath Mahaan!

KARNATAKA: St. Gerosa School

Mangalooru based St. Gerosa School was in the news since last week or so for all wrong reasons.

Allegations against a teacher, a nun, having made some derogatory remarks on Shree Ram and Hindu customs besides some remarks on Prime Minister Modi, in one of her classes, were flying thick.

Acting on protest by some parents of Hindu students, the school management has reportedly suspended the concerned teacher.

Primarily, the issue was purely a matter for the PTA (Parents & Teachers Association) of the school to discuss and resolve. But somehow it was blown into a full blown political slug-fest by some BJP MLAs looking for issues, where there were none.

Matter could have been sorted out between parents and teachers of the school. But BJP MLAs, Vedavyas Kamath and Bharath Shetty forced themselves into the matter and reportedly instigated students belonging to Hindu Communities into sloganeering - Jai Shree Raam !Etc.

It was patently political for BJP MLAs to interfere, especially asking those non-political innocent students to sloganeer.

The involvement of these BJP MLAs has invited the involvement of another jobless politician. This is the multiplier effect of such incidents. Former MLA Ramnath Rai, is again trying to muddy the already ruffled water.

It was like the infamous Amnasia Pub Attack, some 15 years ago, which was internationalized by the media to bring bad name to Mangalooru.

Mangalooru is a good city and let's all try to keep the fair name of our Namma Kudla.

MAHARASHTRA: ASHOK CHAVAN

There was this report in the print media “Former Maharashtra Chief Minister joins BJP” a week ago.

The report was about Ashok Chavan, who was 2 times Chief Minister of Maharashtra. He is the son of Shankarrao Chavan, who was also a two times Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Shankarrao Chavan was also Union Finance Minister in Rajiv Gandhi government besides being Union Home Minister in both Rajiv Gandhi government and that of P V Narasimha Rao government.

Father Chavan was in power both as Chief minister as well as Union minister for over 25 years. To be his son and end-up as Chief minister of Maharashtra two times besides other ministership Ashok Chavan is clearly politically a very powerful heavy weight and influential person.

For such a person to desert his party, the Indian National Congress, which gave him and his family, enough and more for over 50 years to both his father and himself, it's patently an ungrateful act.

While giving up the Congress to join BJP he has reportedly remarked “I had taken this decision in the interest of my district, interest of Maharashtra, my state and interest of India, my country ". Sounds very laudable but very hollow as well.

He is in his late sixties, enjoyed the best as a youngster during the days of his powerful father and then he himself became Chief Minister of the richest state of Maharashtra. After having experienced and enjoyed decades of power and pleasure that comes with it, he never felt ' why not allow some youngster to have a political future. Ofcourse he is not alone in wanting to serve the state and the nation despite having lots and lots.

It was during his Chief Ministership in 2010 that he had quit in disgrace the office of Chief Minister of Maharashtra due to the infamous Adarsh Housing Society scam.

Adarsh Housing Society, a 31 storey building in a posh up-market South Mumbai's Cuffe Parade area. The land for the building belonged to Indian Navy. Defence Ministry had planned a residential building for Kargil war veterans. The plot was clearly in the vicinity of the Maharashtra seat of power, the Sachivaalay. So politicians led by the then Chief Minister of Maharashtra Ashok Chavan operating from the same secretariat got together along with some senior babus and some senior army brass planned to deny the housing for Kargil heroes. They indulged in all kinds of irregularities to usurp the premium property.

Of the 103 flats reportedly only 3 flats were allotted to Kargil veterans, rest of the 100 flats were usurped by politicians, bureaucrats and some army glitterati. Ashok Chavan himself and in the names of his family members 3 flats were alloted.

As luck would have it became a juicy media stuff. Over heated by the media exposure Ashok Chavan was forced to resign as Chief minister, in disgrace.

So likes of this Chavan have made enough and more for themselves, their family and friends besides cronies all in the name of service to the nation and its great public. Now that his party, the Indian National Congress is in doldrums, he ditched it and called it quits. He joins BJP, the arch rival of INC.

The irony is, the BJP which talks about anti-corruption, day in and day out, has welcomed this Chavan and even made him a Rajya Sabha MP!

KARNATAKA: JUVENILE TRAFFIC OFFENSE

There was this print media report “Parents fined 25000 each for allowing minor sons to ride bikes".

Reportedly there was an adult suffered injuries and hospitalized due to a bike accident. A minor boy was riding the bike and hit the guy around Sunkadakatte in Bengalooru. Members of public took the injured person to a nearby hospital where the minor boy pleaded with the injured person not to complain to the police. But that didn't stop him from complaining to the police.

Police investigated and found that the minor was riding the sports bike registered in his mother's name. She was made a party to the case. Reportedly court closed the case after fining the mother of the minor Rs.25000

However there were others as well, some 6 of them, which were clubbed together. All Parents/Guardians were also fined with similar amounts.

What the police have done or the courts have decided to fine is only a portion of the solution to this menace of minors riding the bike as well as driving father's 4 wheelers.

There appears to be no fixed treatment of the problem. Just fining 25000 simply cannot stop the menace. There has to be more stringent measures to curb this youthful misadventures.

Police along with judiciary must have a meeting of minds with parents and their wards to discuss the problem of unregulated juvenile automobile adventures

Long ago in Mangalooru a brand new Scorpio was being driven by an unlicensed minor youth who hit a laborer walking by the roadside to his worksite near Netravathi river front around Thannirbhaavi. The young laborer died in the accident.

Both vehicle and the youth were detained. It made news on the first day. Then it was never heard. Probably all loose ends were fixed and in all probability the matter ended with no case. Even newspapers or media didn't rake-up the issue.

Thus the issue of JUVENILE TRAFFIC VIOLATION is a life threatening problem which authorities must take up seriously. Not only vehicle should be seized but also make both parents and minor children caught in action should spend time behind bars as a token measure only to ensure accountability. Only then the issue can be viewed seriously.

Hope authorities act on the issue with a sense of purpose.

ST. GEROSA SCHOOL AFTER EFFECTS

The unfortunate and completely avoidable escalation of the happening in the Mangalooru’s school has found reverberation equally unfortunate and avoidable in another school.

While what happened at St Gerosa English Higher Primary school involving a teacher is reprehensible and the later development involving politicians who dragged minor students into the controversy was eminently avoidable. However what happened later as a repercussion was more blatantly and openly reprehensible.

There is this Kavita, a parent of a child from St Gerosa School had reportedly publicized a video about the St. Gerosa teacher making derogatory remarks on Hindu Gods etc, which had gone viral. She was also working in a privately managed Holy Angel Primary School at Thokkothu on the outskirts of Mangalooru. As if to pay back, the school, in a tit-for-tat act, terminated the services of Kavita.

It could be that the management of this private school was irked by the actions of Kavita in making the alleged happening in St. Gerosa School viral since both are Christian institutions. But by sacking the parent of the St Gerosa student by the Holy Angel Primary School, where she was a teacher too, clearly smacks of communally driven revenge. Even if they wanted to sack her they could have either asked her to resign or could have waited for some more time, so that, it is not apparent that it is a tit-for-tat action. By this, the school management reduced itself to a very low level, to appear very small in its own eyes.

Response of the manager of the school that it was not tit-for-tat, but she was to have been removed since it was purely a temporary job. But, as Kavitha herself has admitted, it was only for a month’s leave vacancy. How the school had continued her services for over a year and a half! So clearly they needed her services but with the St. Gerosa development, they appear to have taken the call, to put her in place.

This development is indeed very sad with some allegations of threatening calls from some Indian faithfuls working in Middle Eastern countries.

However, now that two teachers have lost job for whatever reasons, right or wrong, they need to be rehabilitated. Of course, Sister Prabha, the teacher from St. Gerosa School will find it without any problem in other church managed schools within Mangalooru diocese. But Kavita would find it difficult. To her rescue, these MLAs, who got involved with over-enthusiasm, should show the same enthusiasm in finding job for Kavita, who probably needs the job for economic reasons. Hope MLAs, both Vedvyas Kamath and Bharat Shetty would do their job as peoples representatives in being helpful to Kavita in finding a job.

WEST BENGAL: SANDESHKHALI

Naokhali and Sandeshkhali, don’t they sound similar! Naokhali is in present Bangladesh or former East Bengal and Sandeshkhali is in present West Bengal. If Naokhali is notorious for looting and arson of Hindu properties by the Bengali Muslims in 1946, Sandeshkhali is becoming notorious for the same reason, same communal attack by the mostly migrated Bangladeshi Muslims, on Bengali Hindus, led by a man called Sheikh Shahajahan. He has on record claimed himself to be a Bangladeshi Muslim, but an elected MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly) of West Bengal in India. He is representing Trinamool Congress (TMC).

Mamata Bannerjee is the boss at TMC and she decides who gets MLA tickets. So she is fully aware of the man, Sheikh Shahajahan and his antecedents. He is a law unto himself and surely this Mamata Bannerjee is also aware of his nefarious activities of land grab and grabbing non-Muslim women of the area to use and throw. Police unfortunately is doing nothing. No wonder Calcutta High Court (CHC) had remarked, “Surprising that Sandeshkhali main accused not yet arrested”.

The CHC had reportedly observed expressing its surprise that this Shahjahan Sheikh, the main accused and ‘core’ of the Sandeshkhali unrest has not been arrested by the state police so far and remarked, court does not know “whether he is being protected”, while also observing “If one person can hold the entire population to ransom then that person should be controlled by the ruling dispensation”.

Sandeshkhali, a village on the river front, has been in the news since sometime over the accusation of sexual atrocities and land grab by some ruling Trinamool Congress leaders. Reportedly, there is enough material to show that the local MLA Sheikh Shahjahan has done enough damage to the public instead of doing good as an elected representative in North 24 Panagavas Zilla Panchayat.

The Division Bench of CHC has nailed it succinctly by stating “It is rather surprising that the person who is to be the core of the problem being precipitated cannot be apprehended still and is on the run, defying law. It could mean that the state police machinery does not have the wherewithal to secure him or he is outside the jurisdiction of the state police”. It is a serious indictment of the West Bengal Police and the state government of TMC.

But the fact of the matter is Shahjahan Sheikh, the MLA, has openly admitted to him being a Bangladeshi. Hence in all probability, when Enforcement Directorate (ED) had raided his location and ED officials were attacked by his goons, he had fled the spot. He could be in his Bangladesh location. Thus, he is clearly out of bounds of WB police range. So, may be an Interpol notice, has to be issued to get this fugitive from Indian laws.

KARNATAKA: STORY OF PAYTM’S RISE & FALL

.Bengalooru based Paytm, with headquarters in Noida, was in the eye of the storm since last some weeks. Reportedly Paytm, which is an acronym for PAY THROUGH MOBILE, is a financial technology company specialized in digital payments and other financial services founded in 2010. Among the products it offered is Paytm Payments Bank, where it undertakes money transfer. During the last 13/14 years, it has grown. But like all those who are in a hurry to make a quick buck Paytm too ended up compromising on many aspects of regulations. Paytm reportedly had multiple accounts-running into 100s- on one KYC, meaning hundreds of accounts on one PAN Card. Grapevine has it that it also has some Chinese connection, besides accusation of money laundering.

Reserve Bank of India, the India’s banking regulator is one of the respected institution of the country. It is professionally managed and has impeccable record of its integrity and efficiency. As a banking ombudsman, it has its hawk eye everywhere, and had found glaring infirmities in the affairs of Paytm. Reportedly, it has been continuously warning Paytm to mend its ways. But, as claimed by RBI, due to its ‘persistent non-compliance’ it has asked the banking unit of Paytm to stop operations from March 1, 2024. That’s rather a very serious step.

Ever since the RBI came on board to warn the Paytm, there have been reactions that led to the boards, outside thousands of shops across the country “No Paytm, Pay cash.”

And comes this appeal from a group of startup founders to reconsider the decision of RBI to impose severe restrictions on Paytm Payments Bank’s operations. The group of some 12 entrepreneurs have written in their appeal that “RBIs decision will have far reaching and detrimental consequences for the entire Indian fin-tech ecosystem”. According to the appeal “The directive could potentially stifle innovation and entrepreneurial spirit”. The appeal also brings in ‘global business community ‘for the likely negative signal that could come out of the latest RBI directive, which is seen as punitive by the group. However the group accepts that “safeguarding financial stability remains paramount.” They have also represented to the office of the Prime Minister we are told.

Probably this is the first time that any vested interest group has approached the RBI directly for the ‘RBI directives to be reviewed’. Quite frankly, what is their ‘locus standi’! A chamber of commerce, a trade and industry body or some such organizations could possibly take up the issue. But here is an issue of blatant misuse of the established norms, which even chambers of commerce would think twice before embarking on a ‘course correction’ appeal to the Central Bank of the country!

Paytm or any other institution cannot be allowed to fiddle with the nation’s financial mechanism and RBI is fully within its domain of banking ombudsman in calling out the wrong being committed and continued to commit despite warnings. There are no two opinions on that.

These startups, which includes 13 years old Paytm as well, should know in no uncertain terms, that they cannot take the system for a ride in the name of ‘innovation and entrepreneurial spirit’, period.

The trust and confidence Indians have in RBI’s capacity as a regulator has to be retained and maintained at all costs.

Actually it was in 2017 that RBI had pointed it out, the wrong doings of Paytm, but Paytm persisted with its unlawful practices. In 2021 RBI imposed Rs 1 crore fine to Paytm and repeated it in Oct 2023, by imposing a fine of Rs 5 crores +. Yes Paytm had grown exponentially due to varieties of factors. Demonetization came as a huge blessing. It was a growth that made the founders mad and they gave a damn to the regulations. But then, it’s a universal truth that “LAW CATCHES UP – NO MATTER HOW BIG YOU ARE”! This is the story of rise and fall of Paytm.