Expose
Brute Kashmiri policemen misbehaved with brave BJP workers in Srinagar
Removed turban, dragged by hair, given urine bottle in place of drinking water.
T HE J&K Government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah adopted all unfair and inhuman means to crush the moral of BJP workers in the Valley. The state police, allegedly on the instance of Omar Abdullah, committed inhuman atrocities on BJP workers participating in the Tiranga Yatra and also to check them hoisting the National Flag at Lal Chowk, Srinagar on January 26.
When separatist leader Yasin Malik and others marched to Lal Chowk with black flags, the police offered them hot tea and cigarettes. "But we were arrested for trying to hoist the National Flag... When we asked for water, the police offered us urine."
"The prime objective behind perpetuating inhuman atrocities on BJP workers in the Valley was to eliminate the ground support of BJP and other nationalist forces in the Valley so that the anti-national elements active in the Valley could work freely," alleged BJP leader Shri RP Singh who successfully reached Srinagar on January 26 and tried to hoist the tricolour along with nine other party workers.
According to reports, Miss Halima Akhtar, a woman activist of BJP in Uri, was lifted on January 24 by some policemen in plain clothes and was kept at unknown place till January 28 and was thrown at Jehangir Chowk of Srinagar. She was tortured inhumanly during the captivity. When she was left at the Chowk she was very frightened. She called another party worker, Altaf Thakur, to seek his help. When Thakur reached Jehangir Chowk he found burn marks over her body and found her in semi-conscious condition. Her hairs were cut from the back. Altaf immediately took her to a hospital from where she was taken away by the police. After picking up her from the hospital, Srinagar SSP Asif Bukhari organised a press conference next day in which Halima was forced to give the statement that since she was unable to bring 50 workers for the Tiranga Yatra she burnt herself so that the BJP leaders could not punish her for not brining the workers to the Yatra.
KK Upadhyaya, an engineer from Gurgaon, was the first who tried. He was beaten up. The next group of workers came as close as 20 metres from Lal Chowk. No sooner did one of them take the flag out of his pocket and wave it, that several policemen pounced on him, snatched away the flag, tore it (the National Flag) into pieces and beat him up, fracturing his left hand in the process.
"We were ten workers including two from Delhi and eight from Rajasthan including a lady worker Shikha Rai. We also had three other supporters-two from Jammu and two from Valley but they skipped the police attention when we were being arrested. Immediately being arrested, I informed the vice president of Yuva Morcha over mobile phone that the police was taking us to Ram Munshi Bagh police station. When we were taken to the police station the policemen started torturing us as if we were Pakistanis or anti-nationals. We were beaten mercilessly by lathi and rifle butt. There are still 48 marks of beating over my body. It has been confirmed in the MLC report also. Not only this, they pushed by pagari and used very derogatory words against Sikhism. They said they would tight the screw of the Sikhs also in the Valley and the time is not far when there would be no Sikh in the Valley.
"They also used highly objectionable words against the tricolour while beating us. They uninterruptedly beat us till 7.30 pm. We were ten persons while the policemen were 35. When we were arrested there was no lady police as we had a lady worker also. The whole episode shows that the local police are also with the radicals. Their only agenda is that no nationalist voice should emerge from the Valley," said Shri RP Singh while narrating the trauma he and his associates underwent in Kashmir, while talking to Organiser in New Delhi.
"J&K Police personnel were carrying posters - ‘Indian dogs, go back’. The arrested BJP activists were forced to take off their clothes in sub-zero temperatures. Third degree torture was meted out. Does Prime Minister Manmohan Singh have any explanation for this kind of an action? He should apologise to the nation," BJYM national president Shri Anurag Thakur questioned.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
A lesson for Nalanda University revival
Alexandria Library Restoration
By Priyadarshi Dutta
In 1986, the idea of Bibliotheca Alexandrian resurged after a number of serious scientific studies by a panel of scientists. A preparatory committee consisting eminent writers, thinkers, and intellectuals was formed to chalk out a plan for reviving the library. UNESCO Director-General responded promptly and announced UNESCO was ready to assist in the project. UNESCO took up the project and in March 1987 presented Phase I of the project feasibility study.
WHILE Egypt is the flavour of the season with an ‘Ozymandias’ fighting for his survival in the Nile Valley, an event in the Gangetic plain captured some attention. The mutation papers regarding 446 acres of land meant for proposed Nalanda University were handed over by Bihar administration to Dr Gopa Sabharwal, the Vice Chancellor-designate. The adulatory tone in which some newspapers reported the event betrays a black hole of thinking. We had seen similar panegyrics in the both Houses of Parliament when the Nalanda University Bill was passed in August 2010. Unfortunately, the political class, intelligentsia and media have indulged in little analytical thinking about the project touted as the revival of India’s glorious heritage. It is ironic that the revival of India’s glory should be surrogated by a bunch of NRIs and non-Indian figures in a highly non-transparent fashion. It was never put on the website even though such a project of ‘national importance’ warranted voluntary disclosure and wide public participation. How come Dr Gopa Sabharwal, a Reader of Sociology in the Lady Shri Ram College (Delhi University), who heads a department of three teachers, and has two published books to her credit got catapulted to the position of Vice Chancellor is a secret best known to the Nalanda Mentor Group (NMG) or its head viz. Amartya Sen.
The project has indulged in misusing the brand name of Nalanda in ways more than one. In claiming itself to be a modern avatar of ancient Nalanda it has completely disregarded an already flourishing institution of Buddhist scholarship Nava Nalanda Mahavihara (estd. 1952), working under the aegis of Union Ministry of Culture in the same Nalanda district of Bihar. Its foundation stone was laid by the then President Dr Rajendra Prasad in 1951. It is a living institution whose activities and affairs one can keep abreast of at http://navanalandamahavihara.org/.
We have a strange situation where two ministries of the UPA government viz. Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Culture would claim guardianship of two institutions, utterly unrelated, but both claiming to be heirs of ancient Nalanda. No representative from Ministry of Culture or Nava Nalanda Mahavihara, was ever invited to the Mentors Group meeting as RTIs to both ministries confirm.
The NMG seems to have a love-hate relationship with the idea of ancient Nalanda being a centre of Buddhist scholarship. They seem to be hell-bent on proving that Buddhism was merely one of the subjects pursued at ancient Nalanda, which was also famed for science, mathematics, medicine, chemistry etc. I would be obliged if anybody could name a proper scientist or mathematician produced by ancient Nalanda; or conversely trace any known ancient Indian scientist or mathematician to Nalanda University.
Amartya Sen failed to cite the name of even one scientist in his recent speech themed ‘Nalanda and the Quest of Science’ at Indian Science Congress at Chennai. The truth is that the Nalanda University Bill envisaged Nalanda as a university in humanities, and no scientist or mathematician was ever associated with the project. The NMG wants to gloss over the fact that Ancient Nalanda was a Buddhist Mahavihara, more preciously of Mahayana doctrine and not a university for secular subjects. Its teachers and students were all Buddhist monks.
Ancient Nalanda despite its appeal throughout Asia was after all an Indian institution. Its chancellors and scholars were all from India. But why this obsession with ‘South East Asian friendship’ that the Mentors Group was composed of entirely NRIs and non-Indians. But when it came to Tibetans, they were firmly shunted out. Dalai Lama was kept away, perhaps not to offend China, who has a major stake in the University. Ancient Nalanda had become a centre of Tibetan scholarship. The overseas Tibetans have founded Nalanda Institute (Olympia, Washington State, USA), Nalanda Bodhi Halifax Study Group (Seattle) etc.
Thus Nalanda University is an instance of how one should not approach a project of national importance. We could have done it better without handling over the project to a shadowy cabal. Egypt furnishes an example of heritage revival through international cooperation in transparent and accountable manner. And we are talking about the UNESCO-backed project Bibliotheca Alexandrina or the Grand Library of Alexandria. This state-of-art futuristic library (visit it at www.bibalex.org), inaugurated in October, 2002 is a throbbing centre of activities, attracting over 1.5 million visitors every year.
The ancient library of Alexandria, apparently an integral part of ancient university, flourished during the Ptolemaic rule in Egypt. Ptolemy I ‘Soter’, a top general of Alexander, had received Egypt as part heir to Alexander’s empire. The ancient university amd library at Alexandria, metaphorically, was the true lighthouse of Alexandria. There are several politically-loaded opinions on how the library got destroyed in fire almost without trace. Julius Caesar’s invasion of Egypt, Christian fanaticism against pagan past (4th century AD), and Arab-Muslim invasions (7th century AD) have been blamed.
But Egypt under Mubarak made a concerted and successful effort to re-establish a futuristic version of the grand library. The project was overseen by first lady Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, as the Chairman of Board of Trustees.
In 1986, the idea of Bibliotheca Alexandrian resurged after a number of serious scientific studies by a panel of scientists. A preparatory committee consisting eminent writers, thinkers, and intellectuals was formed to chalk out a plan for reviving the library. UNESCO Director-General responded promptly and announced UNESCO was ready to assist in the project. UNESCO took up the project and in March 1987 presented Phase I of the project feasibility study.
In December 1987 was a momentous hour. The Director-General of UNESCO sent a call for countries of the world to support the project of Bibliotheca Alexandrina as a beacon of culture and civilisation in the Mediterranean region. The Prime Minister of Egypt issued an ordinance to form the Supreme National Committee for Bibliotheca Alexandrina project. The foundation stone was laid by President Hosni Mubarak on June 28, 1988. The UNESCO Director General Frederico Mayor and number of Nobel laureates participated in that function. In October 1988, an International competition was announced to select the best architectural design for the library. 1400 architectural firms from 77 countries invited in this competition. The first prize was awarded to Snøhetta, Norway in association with Hamza Associates of Egypt, who would carry out the engineering designs. The jury cited Snøhetta’s design as one not only meeting all functional aspects of a modern library, but also reflecting the historical dimensions of the city of Alexandria in perspective, expressing as well the Egyptian spirit of Egypt, in terms of heritage and component.
On February 12, 1990 Aswan International Conference was held in presence of several world dignitaries. It resulted in the Aswan Declaration that attracted pledge of financial support from several countries. In Cooperation with UNESCO, a project construction agreement was signed in October 1990.
The conceptual as well as constructional work went into several phases until the inauguration of the library on October 16, 2002. Bibliotheca Alexandrina shape can hold millions of books, has six specialised libraries including digital/microfilming, four museums, a planetarium, eight academic research centres, 15 permanent exhibition, four art galleries, a huge convention centre, a dialogue forum for authors, artists, thinkers besides fast becoming a nerve centre for several Arab and international intellectual network. In 2008-09 it hosted 717 cultural programmes, 44 workshops, 89 training and educational programmes and 316 art workshops.
The librarian of Bibliotheca Alexandrina is Ismail Serageldin, known as the wisest man in Egypt alive. The library has numerous international patrons, donors and panelists but unlike proposed Nalanda it is rooted to Egypt. It is a pity that Amartya Sen, who speaks of Nalanda’s cooperation with Al Azhar, never studied the Bibliotheca Alexandrina revival model.
By Priyadarshi Dutta
In 1986, the idea of Bibliotheca Alexandrian resurged after a number of serious scientific studies by a panel of scientists. A preparatory committee consisting eminent writers, thinkers, and intellectuals was formed to chalk out a plan for reviving the library. UNESCO Director-General responded promptly and announced UNESCO was ready to assist in the project. UNESCO took up the project and in March 1987 presented Phase I of the project feasibility study.
WHILE Egypt is the flavour of the season with an ‘Ozymandias’ fighting for his survival in the Nile Valley, an event in the Gangetic plain captured some attention. The mutation papers regarding 446 acres of land meant for proposed Nalanda University were handed over by Bihar administration to Dr Gopa Sabharwal, the Vice Chancellor-designate. The adulatory tone in which some newspapers reported the event betrays a black hole of thinking. We had seen similar panegyrics in the both Houses of Parliament when the Nalanda University Bill was passed in August 2010. Unfortunately, the political class, intelligentsia and media have indulged in little analytical thinking about the project touted as the revival of India’s glorious heritage. It is ironic that the revival of India’s glory should be surrogated by a bunch of NRIs and non-Indian figures in a highly non-transparent fashion. It was never put on the website even though such a project of ‘national importance’ warranted voluntary disclosure and wide public participation. How come Dr Gopa Sabharwal, a Reader of Sociology in the Lady Shri Ram College (Delhi University), who heads a department of three teachers, and has two published books to her credit got catapulted to the position of Vice Chancellor is a secret best known to the Nalanda Mentor Group (NMG) or its head viz. Amartya Sen.
The project has indulged in misusing the brand name of Nalanda in ways more than one. In claiming itself to be a modern avatar of ancient Nalanda it has completely disregarded an already flourishing institution of Buddhist scholarship Nava Nalanda Mahavihara (estd. 1952), working under the aegis of Union Ministry of Culture in the same Nalanda district of Bihar. Its foundation stone was laid by the then President Dr Rajendra Prasad in 1951. It is a living institution whose activities and affairs one can keep abreast of at http://navanalandamahavihara.org/.
We have a strange situation where two ministries of the UPA government viz. Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Culture would claim guardianship of two institutions, utterly unrelated, but both claiming to be heirs of ancient Nalanda. No representative from Ministry of Culture or Nava Nalanda Mahavihara, was ever invited to the Mentors Group meeting as RTIs to both ministries confirm.
The NMG seems to have a love-hate relationship with the idea of ancient Nalanda being a centre of Buddhist scholarship. They seem to be hell-bent on proving that Buddhism was merely one of the subjects pursued at ancient Nalanda, which was also famed for science, mathematics, medicine, chemistry etc. I would be obliged if anybody could name a proper scientist or mathematician produced by ancient Nalanda; or conversely trace any known ancient Indian scientist or mathematician to Nalanda University.
Amartya Sen failed to cite the name of even one scientist in his recent speech themed ‘Nalanda and the Quest of Science’ at Indian Science Congress at Chennai. The truth is that the Nalanda University Bill envisaged Nalanda as a university in humanities, and no scientist or mathematician was ever associated with the project. The NMG wants to gloss over the fact that Ancient Nalanda was a Buddhist Mahavihara, more preciously of Mahayana doctrine and not a university for secular subjects. Its teachers and students were all Buddhist monks.
Ancient Nalanda despite its appeal throughout Asia was after all an Indian institution. Its chancellors and scholars were all from India. But why this obsession with ‘South East Asian friendship’ that the Mentors Group was composed of entirely NRIs and non-Indians. But when it came to Tibetans, they were firmly shunted out. Dalai Lama was kept away, perhaps not to offend China, who has a major stake in the University. Ancient Nalanda had become a centre of Tibetan scholarship. The overseas Tibetans have founded Nalanda Institute (Olympia, Washington State, USA), Nalanda Bodhi Halifax Study Group (Seattle) etc.
Thus Nalanda University is an instance of how one should not approach a project of national importance. We could have done it better without handling over the project to a shadowy cabal. Egypt furnishes an example of heritage revival through international cooperation in transparent and accountable manner. And we are talking about the UNESCO-backed project Bibliotheca Alexandrina or the Grand Library of Alexandria. This state-of-art futuristic library (visit it at www.bibalex.org), inaugurated in October, 2002 is a throbbing centre of activities, attracting over 1.5 million visitors every year.
The ancient library of Alexandria, apparently an integral part of ancient university, flourished during the Ptolemaic rule in Egypt. Ptolemy I ‘Soter’, a top general of Alexander, had received Egypt as part heir to Alexander’s empire. The ancient university amd library at Alexandria, metaphorically, was the true lighthouse of Alexandria. There are several politically-loaded opinions on how the library got destroyed in fire almost without trace. Julius Caesar’s invasion of Egypt, Christian fanaticism against pagan past (4th century AD), and Arab-Muslim invasions (7th century AD) have been blamed.
But Egypt under Mubarak made a concerted and successful effort to re-establish a futuristic version of the grand library. The project was overseen by first lady Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, as the Chairman of Board of Trustees.
In 1986, the idea of Bibliotheca Alexandrian resurged after a number of serious scientific studies by a panel of scientists. A preparatory committee consisting eminent writers, thinkers, and intellectuals was formed to chalk out a plan for reviving the library. UNESCO Director-General responded promptly and announced UNESCO was ready to assist in the project. UNESCO took up the project and in March 1987 presented Phase I of the project feasibility study.
In December 1987 was a momentous hour. The Director-General of UNESCO sent a call for countries of the world to support the project of Bibliotheca Alexandrina as a beacon of culture and civilisation in the Mediterranean region. The Prime Minister of Egypt issued an ordinance to form the Supreme National Committee for Bibliotheca Alexandrina project. The foundation stone was laid by President Hosni Mubarak on June 28, 1988. The UNESCO Director General Frederico Mayor and number of Nobel laureates participated in that function. In October 1988, an International competition was announced to select the best architectural design for the library. 1400 architectural firms from 77 countries invited in this competition. The first prize was awarded to Snøhetta, Norway in association with Hamza Associates of Egypt, who would carry out the engineering designs. The jury cited Snøhetta’s design as one not only meeting all functional aspects of a modern library, but also reflecting the historical dimensions of the city of Alexandria in perspective, expressing as well the Egyptian spirit of Egypt, in terms of heritage and component.
On February 12, 1990 Aswan International Conference was held in presence of several world dignitaries. It resulted in the Aswan Declaration that attracted pledge of financial support from several countries. In Cooperation with UNESCO, a project construction agreement was signed in October 1990.
The conceptual as well as constructional work went into several phases until the inauguration of the library on October 16, 2002. Bibliotheca Alexandrina shape can hold millions of books, has six specialised libraries including digital/microfilming, four museums, a planetarium, eight academic research centres, 15 permanent exhibition, four art galleries, a huge convention centre, a dialogue forum for authors, artists, thinkers besides fast becoming a nerve centre for several Arab and international intellectual network. In 2008-09 it hosted 717 cultural programmes, 44 workshops, 89 training and educational programmes and 316 art workshops.
The librarian of Bibliotheca Alexandrina is Ismail Serageldin, known as the wisest man in Egypt alive. The library has numerous international patrons, donors and panelists but unlike proposed Nalanda it is rooted to Egypt. It is a pity that Amartya Sen, who speaks of Nalanda’s cooperation with Al Azhar, never studied the Bibliotheca Alexandrina revival model.
Why is China itching for a fight everywhere?
Because war is in the genes of every great power. Why did Hitler take on not only Britain and America, but also Soviet Russia? Because, he knew that without settling scores with these nations, he would never be taken seriously. He would be laughed at as a joker and made fun of, as Charlie Chaplin did in his film.
The next great war is going to be between America and China. China is actually spoiling for a fight, though it doesn’t show it. The presidents of the two countries met in Washington last month but the Americans admit in private that the summit didn’t go very well. There were the usual talks and, of course, the usual state dinner, but neither China nor America came out with what was in their minds. The Chinese are an inscrutable lot and what they kept to themselves is probably more important than what they said for the record.
Just as you cannot force two swords into the same scabbard, you cannot expect two great powers to remain at peace with each other for a long time. The British, once a great imperial power fought with every great nation in the world from time to time. So did Russia, Germany and Japan. Now, there are only two powerful countries in the world-America and China. The latter is still to gain strength, which it will in another 20 or 30 years. According to estimates being made by American experts, China will overtake America in 20 to 30 years, by which time India will also do so. Such calculations do not always prove accurate-there was a time when Japan was supposed to overtake the US-but China is gaining economic strength so rapidly that the experts are unlikely to go wrong.
Why is China itching for a fight? Because war is in the genes of every great power. Why did Hitler take on not only Britain and America, but also Soviet Russia? Because, he knew that without settling scores with these nations, he would never be taken seriously. He would be laughed at as a joker and made fun of, as Charlie Chaplin did in his film. War is the only accepted way of proving to your enemies that you are a genuine power, and can take on the whole world to prove it. War, in fact, is politics in another form, and it does not matter whether you win or lose it. You wage a great war only once, even if you lose it.
In any case, you cannot expect a power to remain at the top for ever, for there are ups and downs in the life of every country, and even the Americans now feel that their days are over. The Americans are not what they used to be. Take their economy. It is still the topmost economy in the world, but others-like China and India-are catching up. There was a time when America used to be the workshop of the world. It manufactured every thing from pins to missiles. Now, if you go to any mall in the US, you hardly come across any thing made in the US. Almost, all textiles are made in Asia or South America. Most other consumer goods, from bicycles to electronics are made in China. The Americans in their search for profits have stuck only to information industry-what in India is called IT, which brings in huge profits, but you can’t eat money. Another industry they specialise in is banking, which also brings in huge profits, so huge that even junior bankers make millions of dollars a year.
But this is just paper money, here today and gone tomorrow. And how do they make this money? Through investment banking, which is nothing but investing somebody else’s money-since the Americans save nothing and are always broke-in somebody else’s industry. So you have bankers like Goldman Sachs investing Saudi money in China or Brazil and taking some commission on it. Sachs is only acting as a commission agent which is what America has become. And this is also what Britain also has become, whose largest industry in tourism-showing Buckingham Palace to tired tourists-not anything solid, like, say, automobiles or machine tools or airplanes. The Americans and the British do have cash-all commission agents have cash-but they have nothing else.
Countries that did not suffer during the recent recession were countries that had real industries, industries you could see and touch like engineering and metals, not bogus industries like IT and investment banking. For instance, Germany and France did not suffer much, and were able to survive. Germany is backed by its engineering industries, among the finest in the world, and France is backed by defense and atomic industries. Their currencies did not fall, nor did their stock markets. The Chinese and Indian economies also survived because of the same reason. The nations that went under and nearly collapsed were America and Britain, where the banks went bankrupt and had to be bailed out by the government.
America has all the money in the world although it is not US money but other nations’ money, but it cannot win a single war. Either it is fighting wrong wars or it does not know how to fight wars. Its soldiers go into battle armed with computers and Coca-Cola tins and are promptly massacred. In Afghanistan, the Taliban has neither computers nor Coke, but it is winning. America has lost almost all wars in the last twenty or thirty years. It lost in Vietnam, where not a single man or soldier had ever seen a computer, also in Somalia, where its soldiers were slaughtered, and is now losing in Afghanistan, where the Taliban is waiting to take over the country as soon as the Americans go home. Ditto in Iraq, where the Shias are lying in wait to take over the country, with the help of Iran. The Americans have spent over 25 billion dollar in the two wars-may be twice as much if you count all the costs-but in the end, has got nothing in return.
The same thing is happening in Pakistan. The Americans are so foolish they do not know whether Pakistan is their friend or foe. They think they are winning in Pakistan but Pakistan is a country you see only on the map, just like Afghanistan, but has neither a proper government nor a proper army. In Pakistan, as in Afghanistan and most other so-called Islamic countries, everyone is for himself and cares two hoots for what is happening to other, or to the country. I won’t be surprised if, within months, may be days, of Americans leaving these countries, which, one day, they will be forced to do, both Asif Zardari in Pakistan and Hamid Karzai in Afghanistan will commandeer one of their planes-which no doubt they have kept in reserve-to flee their countries for the more salubrious climate of Zurich in Switzerland, where their investment bankers, almost certainly some American from Goldman Sachs, will be waiting for them, with cocktails in hand and a couple of cheque books in their pockets.
If you ask me when the Chinese will be ready for their coming war with the Americans, I must say I don’t know. Did Neville Chamberlain know when Hitler would attack his country? I suspect the Chinese have ordered a thousand copies of Mein Kampf and are going through its fine type. And the copies are being printed right now in - where else-America!
The next great war is going to be between America and China. China is actually spoiling for a fight, though it doesn’t show it. The presidents of the two countries met in Washington last month but the Americans admit in private that the summit didn’t go very well. There were the usual talks and, of course, the usual state dinner, but neither China nor America came out with what was in their minds. The Chinese are an inscrutable lot and what they kept to themselves is probably more important than what they said for the record.
Just as you cannot force two swords into the same scabbard, you cannot expect two great powers to remain at peace with each other for a long time. The British, once a great imperial power fought with every great nation in the world from time to time. So did Russia, Germany and Japan. Now, there are only two powerful countries in the world-America and China. The latter is still to gain strength, which it will in another 20 or 30 years. According to estimates being made by American experts, China will overtake America in 20 to 30 years, by which time India will also do so. Such calculations do not always prove accurate-there was a time when Japan was supposed to overtake the US-but China is gaining economic strength so rapidly that the experts are unlikely to go wrong.
Why is China itching for a fight? Because war is in the genes of every great power. Why did Hitler take on not only Britain and America, but also Soviet Russia? Because, he knew that without settling scores with these nations, he would never be taken seriously. He would be laughed at as a joker and made fun of, as Charlie Chaplin did in his film. War is the only accepted way of proving to your enemies that you are a genuine power, and can take on the whole world to prove it. War, in fact, is politics in another form, and it does not matter whether you win or lose it. You wage a great war only once, even if you lose it.
In any case, you cannot expect a power to remain at the top for ever, for there are ups and downs in the life of every country, and even the Americans now feel that their days are over. The Americans are not what they used to be. Take their economy. It is still the topmost economy in the world, but others-like China and India-are catching up. There was a time when America used to be the workshop of the world. It manufactured every thing from pins to missiles. Now, if you go to any mall in the US, you hardly come across any thing made in the US. Almost, all textiles are made in Asia or South America. Most other consumer goods, from bicycles to electronics are made in China. The Americans in their search for profits have stuck only to information industry-what in India is called IT, which brings in huge profits, but you can’t eat money. Another industry they specialise in is banking, which also brings in huge profits, so huge that even junior bankers make millions of dollars a year.
But this is just paper money, here today and gone tomorrow. And how do they make this money? Through investment banking, which is nothing but investing somebody else’s money-since the Americans save nothing and are always broke-in somebody else’s industry. So you have bankers like Goldman Sachs investing Saudi money in China or Brazil and taking some commission on it. Sachs is only acting as a commission agent which is what America has become. And this is also what Britain also has become, whose largest industry in tourism-showing Buckingham Palace to tired tourists-not anything solid, like, say, automobiles or machine tools or airplanes. The Americans and the British do have cash-all commission agents have cash-but they have nothing else.
Countries that did not suffer during the recent recession were countries that had real industries, industries you could see and touch like engineering and metals, not bogus industries like IT and investment banking. For instance, Germany and France did not suffer much, and were able to survive. Germany is backed by its engineering industries, among the finest in the world, and France is backed by defense and atomic industries. Their currencies did not fall, nor did their stock markets. The Chinese and Indian economies also survived because of the same reason. The nations that went under and nearly collapsed were America and Britain, where the banks went bankrupt and had to be bailed out by the government.
America has all the money in the world although it is not US money but other nations’ money, but it cannot win a single war. Either it is fighting wrong wars or it does not know how to fight wars. Its soldiers go into battle armed with computers and Coca-Cola tins and are promptly massacred. In Afghanistan, the Taliban has neither computers nor Coke, but it is winning. America has lost almost all wars in the last twenty or thirty years. It lost in Vietnam, where not a single man or soldier had ever seen a computer, also in Somalia, where its soldiers were slaughtered, and is now losing in Afghanistan, where the Taliban is waiting to take over the country as soon as the Americans go home. Ditto in Iraq, where the Shias are lying in wait to take over the country, with the help of Iran. The Americans have spent over 25 billion dollar in the two wars-may be twice as much if you count all the costs-but in the end, has got nothing in return.
The same thing is happening in Pakistan. The Americans are so foolish they do not know whether Pakistan is their friend or foe. They think they are winning in Pakistan but Pakistan is a country you see only on the map, just like Afghanistan, but has neither a proper government nor a proper army. In Pakistan, as in Afghanistan and most other so-called Islamic countries, everyone is for himself and cares two hoots for what is happening to other, or to the country. I won’t be surprised if, within months, may be days, of Americans leaving these countries, which, one day, they will be forced to do, both Asif Zardari in Pakistan and Hamid Karzai in Afghanistan will commandeer one of their planes-which no doubt they have kept in reserve-to flee their countries for the more salubrious climate of Zurich in Switzerland, where their investment bankers, almost certainly some American from Goldman Sachs, will be waiting for them, with cocktails in hand and a couple of cheque books in their pockets.
If you ask me when the Chinese will be ready for their coming war with the Americans, I must say I don’t know. Did Neville Chamberlain know when Hitler would attack his country? I suspect the Chinese have ordered a thousand copies of Mein Kampf and are going through its fine type. And the copies are being printed right now in - where else-America!
Get your facts right before you stump on two-nation idea!
Sir Syed Ahmed: Have you heard of him Digvijay?
Get your facts right before you stump on two-nation idea!
By OP Gupta, IFS (Retd)
Digvijay Singh, general secretary of Congress Party, was quoted asserting that Savarkar was the first person to have mooted the two-nation theory, which was later adopted by Jinnah. Insinuation is that Hindutva forces are responsible for Partition. My research shows that Sir Syed Ahmed was the first person to have talked in terms of two-nation theory.
THE two-nation theory basically implies that Hindus and Muslims cannot live in peace and harmony with each other as they with different history and different socio-cultural-religious norms constitute two different nations.
A handful of Congressi, communist and socialist Hindus and some Hindu historians falsely assert time and again that Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (1883-1966) is the first person to have propounded the two-nation theory. The Hindustan Times of January 28, 2011, has quoted Digvijay Singh, a general secretary of the Sonia Congress Party asserting: "It is a historical fact (that) Savarkar was the first person to have mooted the idea of a two-nation theory..........it was later adopted by Muhammad Ali Jinnah." This is totally false accusation by Digvijay Singh.
Muslim separatism has its roots in Islamic jurisprudence as Qur’an divides humanity into two watertight compartments- momins (Muslims who believe in Muhammad Sahib as the last Prophet) and, kafirs (who do not accept Muhammad Sahib as their Prophet). Under Islamic laws Muslims and non-Muslims do not have equal rights.
There are about 125 verses in Qur’an which are quoted by al Qaeda and jihadi Muslims to incite and justify violence against non-Muslims. Therefore there is inbuilt conflict everywhere between Muslims and non-Muslims, between Hindus and Muslims in India, and, between Muslims and Christians in Indonesia, Nigeria, Egypt, Iraq, UK, USA etc, and; between Jews and Muslims. Shias and Sunnis too are at war against each other.
According to al Qaeda interpretation, Qur’an prohibits friendship between Muslims and non-Muslims. Surah III.28 reads: "Let not the believers take unbelievers for friends......" Surah III.73 "and do not believe but in him who follows your religion." Surah III.12 reads: "Say to those who disbelieve, you shall be vanquished and driven together to hell." Surah IX.29 reads: "Fight those who do not believe in Allah." Surah IX. 123 and 5 also refer. Surah II.221 prohibits giving a Muslim girl in marriage to a non-Muslim and asks to convert a non-Muslim girl into Islam before marriage. Islamic writers and some Hindus often hide these Surahs.
Killing a kafir or an apostate is not always a crime for a Muslim under Islamic laws. On January 4, 2011 a police bodyguard of the Governor of Pakistani Punjab shot dead Governor Salman Taseer. In the court Qadri, assassin commando, accepted that he had killed Taseer but denied it was murder saying he had acted on the directives of the Qur’an and the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed "regarding an apostate" (Dawn, February 14, 2011). So it would be wise for all Hindus to take serious note of above verses of Qur’an.
Most Muslim authors, fundamentalist or liberal, hold the Congress leaders, especially Jawaharlal Nehru personally responsible for Partition of India. They argue that, among others, by refusing to share power in the United Provinces Ministry in 1937; and, by sabotaging the Cabinet Mission Plan in 1946 after first having accepted it Jawaharlal Nehru forced Jinnah to stick for Pakistan. This line was often taken by Pakistan ambassadors in discussions with me.
MJ Akbar in his recent book Tinderbox: The Past and Future of Pakistan, has followed the same Muslim line of putting primary blame on Jawaharlal Nehru for Partition. By implication Muslim authors try to free Indian Muslims of their guilt for Partition though in the 1945-46 elections, bulk of Indian Muslims had wholeheartedly voted for the Muslim League, which was demanding Partition, as the Muslim League won 425 out of 492 seats reserved for Muslims in the central and provincial legislatures.
And, Congress leaders in order to protect Jawaharlal Nehru and as per their Muslim appeasement policy try to divert responsibility for Partition away from Congress and Jawaharlal Nehru to Hindutva forces by resorting to canards and lies about Savarkar, as Digvijay Singh did on January 28.
It is true that Savarkar is the first person to have coined the term ‘Hindutva’ but he is certainly not the first person to have propounded the two-nation theory. Savarkar gave his Hindutva theory in his book Essentials of Hindutva around 1923 in which he said that Hindus constituted a nation.
AG Noorani, a Muslim critic of Hindutva, wrote in The Frontline of March 2003; "He (Savarkar) pronounced the two-nation theory, first, in 1923 in his essay Hindutva and next in 1937 in his presidential address to the Mahasabha". According to Noorani, in 1923 Savarkar wrote: "We Hindus are bound together not only by the love we bear to a common fatherland and by the blood that courses through our veins... but also by the tie of the common homage we pay to our great civilisation - our Hindu culture... we are one because we are a nation, a race and own a common Sanskriti (civilisation)."
In this 1923 quote, Savarkar merely asserted Hindus being a Nation without conceding that Muslims too constituted a nation. So this quote does not support Noorani’s charge that Savarkar propounded the two-nation theory in 1923.
According to Noorani, Savarkar at the Ahmedabad session of Hindu Mahasabha in 1937 said: "I warn the Hindus that the Mohammedans are likely to prove dangerous to our Hindu Nation... India cannot be assumed today to be a unitarian and homogenous nation, but on the contrary there are two nations in the main: the Hindus and the Moslems in India." So it is in 1937 that one could say that Savarkar too talked about Muslims constituting a nation.
At his 1937 presidential address at Ahmedabad, Savarkar said Hindus and Muslims were two-nations and called for a scientific study of the Muslim separatist problems, and, how to accommodate Muslims in united Hindustan. In fact, the Hindu Mahasabha led by Savarkar had opposed the very creation of Pakistan.
Political insinuation of this Jaichandi canard (that Savarkar was the first to moot this theory in 1923) is to blame the Hindutva forces for Partition. Congress Party spreads this canard so as to absolve itself as well as Jawaharlal Nehru of the guilt of half cooked Partition which caused death and rape of millions of Hindu men and women.
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan (1817-1898) of the Aligarh Muslim University fame is the real godfather of the two-nation theory, as he is the first person to have advocated that Muslims of India were a separate nation.
Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada, a Pakistani writer, in his book Evolution of Pakistan (The All-Pakistan Legal Decisions, Nabha Road, Lahore, 1963) has proudly asserted that (page 48): "Sir Syed was the first statesman who openly denounced Hindu domination and declared that Mussalmans are a separate nation."
Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada has written in his book Evolution of Pakistan chapter 3: (i) In 1867, in his conversation with Mr Shakespeare, Commissioner of Benares, Sir Ahmed said; "Now I am convinced that both these nations (Hindus and Muslims) will not join wholeheartedly in anything." (page 48, Pirzada). (ii) In a speech in 1883, Sir Syed said, "Now suppose that all the English were to leave India... then who would be the rulers of India? Is it possible that under the circumstances the two-nations-the Muslims and the Hindus-could sit on the same throne and remain equal in power? Most certainly not. It is necessary that one of them should conquer the other and thrust it down. To hope that both could remain equal is to desire the impossible and the inconceivable." (Page 49 Pirzada). (iii) In his letter dated 14th November 1911, Syed Ameer Ali wrote to Sir Mohammed Shafi that "the only sound basis of cooperation is a modus vivendi by which two-nations (i.e. Hindus and Muslims) may work together for the common good whilst retaining their own communal existence and their communal rights"(page 69, Pirzada).
KK Aziz in his book Rahmat Ali-A Biography (Vanguard 45, The Mall, Lahore) has quoted Sir Syed Ahmed Khan saying: (i) 1867... "Hindus and Muslims are two-nations; they will never join together in anything". (ii) 1883....... "One of the two-nations, Hindus and Muslims must conquer the other, the two cannot remain equal" (iii) 1883...... "India contains many nationalities and they are unfit to have representative institutions." (quoted by Khaliqazzaman) (iv) 1888....... "India is not a nation and can never become one".
Allama Muhammad Iqbal’s presidential address to the Muslim League on December 29, 1930 was the first deployment of the two-nation theory from a political party forum.
Thus, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan (1863 and 1883), Syed Ameer Ali (1910), Iqbal (1930) and other Muslim leaders much before Savarkar (1937) had propounded the two-nation theory which was later used by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, in forcing Partition of India. But in true Jaichandi style Shri Digvijay Singh, a Hindu, has chosen to level false charge against another Hindu, Savarkar.
Get your facts right before you stump on two-nation idea!
By OP Gupta, IFS (Retd)
Digvijay Singh, general secretary of Congress Party, was quoted asserting that Savarkar was the first person to have mooted the two-nation theory, which was later adopted by Jinnah. Insinuation is that Hindutva forces are responsible for Partition. My research shows that Sir Syed Ahmed was the first person to have talked in terms of two-nation theory.
THE two-nation theory basically implies that Hindus and Muslims cannot live in peace and harmony with each other as they with different history and different socio-cultural-religious norms constitute two different nations.
A handful of Congressi, communist and socialist Hindus and some Hindu historians falsely assert time and again that Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (1883-1966) is the first person to have propounded the two-nation theory. The Hindustan Times of January 28, 2011, has quoted Digvijay Singh, a general secretary of the Sonia Congress Party asserting: "It is a historical fact (that) Savarkar was the first person to have mooted the idea of a two-nation theory..........it was later adopted by Muhammad Ali Jinnah." This is totally false accusation by Digvijay Singh.
Muslim separatism has its roots in Islamic jurisprudence as Qur’an divides humanity into two watertight compartments- momins (Muslims who believe in Muhammad Sahib as the last Prophet) and, kafirs (who do not accept Muhammad Sahib as their Prophet). Under Islamic laws Muslims and non-Muslims do not have equal rights.
There are about 125 verses in Qur’an which are quoted by al Qaeda and jihadi Muslims to incite and justify violence against non-Muslims. Therefore there is inbuilt conflict everywhere between Muslims and non-Muslims, between Hindus and Muslims in India, and, between Muslims and Christians in Indonesia, Nigeria, Egypt, Iraq, UK, USA etc, and; between Jews and Muslims. Shias and Sunnis too are at war against each other.
According to al Qaeda interpretation, Qur’an prohibits friendship between Muslims and non-Muslims. Surah III.28 reads: "Let not the believers take unbelievers for friends......" Surah III.73 "and do not believe but in him who follows your religion." Surah III.12 reads: "Say to those who disbelieve, you shall be vanquished and driven together to hell." Surah IX.29 reads: "Fight those who do not believe in Allah." Surah IX. 123 and 5 also refer. Surah II.221 prohibits giving a Muslim girl in marriage to a non-Muslim and asks to convert a non-Muslim girl into Islam before marriage. Islamic writers and some Hindus often hide these Surahs.
Killing a kafir or an apostate is not always a crime for a Muslim under Islamic laws. On January 4, 2011 a police bodyguard of the Governor of Pakistani Punjab shot dead Governor Salman Taseer. In the court Qadri, assassin commando, accepted that he had killed Taseer but denied it was murder saying he had acted on the directives of the Qur’an and the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed "regarding an apostate" (Dawn, February 14, 2011). So it would be wise for all Hindus to take serious note of above verses of Qur’an.
Most Muslim authors, fundamentalist or liberal, hold the Congress leaders, especially Jawaharlal Nehru personally responsible for Partition of India. They argue that, among others, by refusing to share power in the United Provinces Ministry in 1937; and, by sabotaging the Cabinet Mission Plan in 1946 after first having accepted it Jawaharlal Nehru forced Jinnah to stick for Pakistan. This line was often taken by Pakistan ambassadors in discussions with me.
MJ Akbar in his recent book Tinderbox: The Past and Future of Pakistan, has followed the same Muslim line of putting primary blame on Jawaharlal Nehru for Partition. By implication Muslim authors try to free Indian Muslims of their guilt for Partition though in the 1945-46 elections, bulk of Indian Muslims had wholeheartedly voted for the Muslim League, which was demanding Partition, as the Muslim League won 425 out of 492 seats reserved for Muslims in the central and provincial legislatures.
And, Congress leaders in order to protect Jawaharlal Nehru and as per their Muslim appeasement policy try to divert responsibility for Partition away from Congress and Jawaharlal Nehru to Hindutva forces by resorting to canards and lies about Savarkar, as Digvijay Singh did on January 28.
It is true that Savarkar is the first person to have coined the term ‘Hindutva’ but he is certainly not the first person to have propounded the two-nation theory. Savarkar gave his Hindutva theory in his book Essentials of Hindutva around 1923 in which he said that Hindus constituted a nation.
AG Noorani, a Muslim critic of Hindutva, wrote in The Frontline of March 2003; "He (Savarkar) pronounced the two-nation theory, first, in 1923 in his essay Hindutva and next in 1937 in his presidential address to the Mahasabha". According to Noorani, in 1923 Savarkar wrote: "We Hindus are bound together not only by the love we bear to a common fatherland and by the blood that courses through our veins... but also by the tie of the common homage we pay to our great civilisation - our Hindu culture... we are one because we are a nation, a race and own a common Sanskriti (civilisation)."
In this 1923 quote, Savarkar merely asserted Hindus being a Nation without conceding that Muslims too constituted a nation. So this quote does not support Noorani’s charge that Savarkar propounded the two-nation theory in 1923.
According to Noorani, Savarkar at the Ahmedabad session of Hindu Mahasabha in 1937 said: "I warn the Hindus that the Mohammedans are likely to prove dangerous to our Hindu Nation... India cannot be assumed today to be a unitarian and homogenous nation, but on the contrary there are two nations in the main: the Hindus and the Moslems in India." So it is in 1937 that one could say that Savarkar too talked about Muslims constituting a nation.
At his 1937 presidential address at Ahmedabad, Savarkar said Hindus and Muslims were two-nations and called for a scientific study of the Muslim separatist problems, and, how to accommodate Muslims in united Hindustan. In fact, the Hindu Mahasabha led by Savarkar had opposed the very creation of Pakistan.
Political insinuation of this Jaichandi canard (that Savarkar was the first to moot this theory in 1923) is to blame the Hindutva forces for Partition. Congress Party spreads this canard so as to absolve itself as well as Jawaharlal Nehru of the guilt of half cooked Partition which caused death and rape of millions of Hindu men and women.
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan (1817-1898) of the Aligarh Muslim University fame is the real godfather of the two-nation theory, as he is the first person to have advocated that Muslims of India were a separate nation.
Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada, a Pakistani writer, in his book Evolution of Pakistan (The All-Pakistan Legal Decisions, Nabha Road, Lahore, 1963) has proudly asserted that (page 48): "Sir Syed was the first statesman who openly denounced Hindu domination and declared that Mussalmans are a separate nation."
Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada has written in his book Evolution of Pakistan chapter 3: (i) In 1867, in his conversation with Mr Shakespeare, Commissioner of Benares, Sir Ahmed said; "Now I am convinced that both these nations (Hindus and Muslims) will not join wholeheartedly in anything." (page 48, Pirzada). (ii) In a speech in 1883, Sir Syed said, "Now suppose that all the English were to leave India... then who would be the rulers of India? Is it possible that under the circumstances the two-nations-the Muslims and the Hindus-could sit on the same throne and remain equal in power? Most certainly not. It is necessary that one of them should conquer the other and thrust it down. To hope that both could remain equal is to desire the impossible and the inconceivable." (Page 49 Pirzada). (iii) In his letter dated 14th November 1911, Syed Ameer Ali wrote to Sir Mohammed Shafi that "the only sound basis of cooperation is a modus vivendi by which two-nations (i.e. Hindus and Muslims) may work together for the common good whilst retaining their own communal existence and their communal rights"(page 69, Pirzada).
KK Aziz in his book Rahmat Ali-A Biography (Vanguard 45, The Mall, Lahore) has quoted Sir Syed Ahmed Khan saying: (i) 1867... "Hindus and Muslims are two-nations; they will never join together in anything". (ii) 1883....... "One of the two-nations, Hindus and Muslims must conquer the other, the two cannot remain equal" (iii) 1883...... "India contains many nationalities and they are unfit to have representative institutions." (quoted by Khaliqazzaman) (iv) 1888....... "India is not a nation and can never become one".
Allama Muhammad Iqbal’s presidential address to the Muslim League on December 29, 1930 was the first deployment of the two-nation theory from a political party forum.
Thus, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan (1863 and 1883), Syed Ameer Ali (1910), Iqbal (1930) and other Muslim leaders much before Savarkar (1937) had propounded the two-nation theory which was later used by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, in forcing Partition of India. But in true Jaichandi style Shri Digvijay Singh, a Hindu, has chosen to level false charge against another Hindu, Savarkar.
Report on North-East scams
BJP report on North-East scams
Thousands of crores swindled in the name of development
By Pramod Kumar
EVERY individual in Damin, a revenue circle in Kurung Kumey District of Arunachal Pradesh, consumed at least 24 kg of salt per month. This salt was ‘distributed’ through Public Distribution System (PDS). Similarly, in Koloriang circle of the same State, every individual consumed 64 kg of rice per month. Under the Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojna (SGRY) scheme in the State, a bill of Rs 2.31 crore was raised for lifting just 2,500 quintals load to cover a 5 km distance. In Manipur, more than Rs 300 crore were spent on cleaning the Loktak Lake. The firm to which the contract was awarded was found dubious and is reportedly owned by Manipur Chief Minister’s nephew. The hydro power scam of Arunachal Pradesh alone is another 2G scam.
These are some of the incidents of grave corruption that have been recorded by BJP’s Fact Finding Committee in its report which was presented to party president Shri Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi on February 12. The Committee pegged the total value of the scams in north-east at around a whopping Rs 58,000 crore including Rs 20,000 crore kickbacks in Arunachal Pradesh alone.
Shri Gadkari had appointed this three-member Committee to probe in to various scams of north-east last year. The team comprising of vice president Smt Bijoya Chakravorty, general secretary Shri Tapir Gao and national secretary Dr Kirit Somaiya visited Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and other parts of the region to unearth and document various scams. They submitted a preliminary report at party’s National Executive Meeting in Guwahati on January 9 this year.
After going through the whole report it appears that when the country was busy in discussing Congress loot in 2G spectrum, Commonwealth Games, Adarsh Housing Society, etc, away from the limelight it was indeed raining corruption in north-eastern states. All the seven sisters and Sikkim were witnessing systematic loot of the State exchequer by politicians in power and the officials in all these states.
In all, the Committee recorded 50 different major scams in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim and Nagaland. It said the projects worth Rs 4,00,000 crore were given in non-transparent manners in the region. The maximum corruption was reported in hydro power projects. Direct MOUs were signed and highly technical projects of hundreds of crore rupees were allotted to newly formed companies with NIL experience in Arunachal Pradesh. A total of 137 MOU/MOA’s were signed by Dorji Khandu government in 2 years.
In the report, Assam was described the most corrupt State on the basis of corruption in 11 vital services as also exposed by Transparency International and Centre for Media Study in their joint study. These 11 services included ‘basic services’ like PDS, hospital service, school education, electricity and water supply services and ‘need-based services’ like land records, registration, housing service, forest, NREGA, banking service and police service. "The total bribe involved in a year in BPL households availing the 11 services is estimated at Rs 8,830 crore. This is the condition of the State from where the Prime Minister of the country (Dr Manmohan Singh) is elected," the report said.
It is not that these scams remained unnoticed. All the investigative agencies, regulators, authorities, social activists, NGOs, opposition parties raised questions and concern about them. Courts also passed orders, CAG passed strictures in its reports, CVC and SIT (Special Investigative Team appointed by the Court) and media also castigated the authorities.
"The Congress leaders manipulated PDS not only in Assam but also in Arunachal Pradesh and other states. Its costs the region over Rs 3,000 crore. The NIA unearthed a scam of Rs 1,000 crore in North Cachar Hills Autonomous District Council. Seven ministers and several bureaucrats have been identified by the NIA as the beneficiaries of the scam. Rs 13.45 crore cash was recovered by the CBI from the house of one of the Ministers," the report says.
Arunachal Pradesh witnessed the country’s biggest PDS scandal. Former Congress Chief Minister Gegong Apang along with 96 other ruling party leaders and officials were found involved in black marketing of PDS foodgrains. In this Rs 1,000 crore fraud, the former CM was arrested by the Special Investigation Cell constituted by the Guwahati High Court. The list of accused in this case also includes Pema Khandu, the son of present CM Dorjee Khandu, Jarkar Gamlin who is sitting MLA and brother of Cabinet Minister Jarbom Gamlin. It is intriguing to know that out of 96 accused not a single, except former CM Apang, has been arrested so far. The SGRY scam and Hydro power allotment of the State are also catching attention of the courts. There are also scams in the mines and mineral allotments, construction of dams, implementation of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban
Renewal Mission (JNNURM), food control and distribution, police recruitment and even drinking water. "Instead of providing employment to poor, the Khandu Government gave transport contract to Chief Minister’s wife’s company," the report said. The Committee also found Nayuma Cable, owned by the family of Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling, involved in an Entertainment Tax scam wherein the firm acknowledged 2,200 cable subscribers, but deposited tax for only 170 of them for several years in row. The Sikkim Government also gave contract for supply of TB medicine to the families of Ministers, who in turn supplied substandard medicines. There are also shoe scam, Khadi Board scam Kanchendzonga tourist Villa scam, fraudulent bank deposit scam, etc. in the State.
Receiving the Report in New Delhi Shri Nitin Gadkari deplored the massive atmosphere of corruption in North-Eastern States under the Congress rule there. He said on one hand the Congress president Sonia Gandhi makes declarations of intent to curb corruption, on the other hand the states ruled by Congress Party, especially in the North-East, are openly indulging in loot of public wealth.
The BJP has sought the constitution of special courts to speed up the judiciary process and to punish the scamsters. Demanding special audit of all these scams, and speedy and coordinated investigation by NIA, CBI and other agencies, the BJP stressed on time-bound action by the Government on the observations/strictures of Courts, CAG and other investigative agencies. The Party also demanded seizing the property of the scamsters to recover the public money from them. Leaders of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Smt Sushma Swaraj and Shri Arun Jaitley respectively are expected to meet Prime Minister in this regard while Shri Nitin Gadkari would personally lead a delegation to the President to submit this report.
Major scams of North-East
NC Hills Scam: Assam
Subsidy (transport) Scam: Assam
Irrigation Scam: Assam
Guwahati Municipal Corporation Scam: Assam
Guwahati Urban Development (JNNURM) Scam: Assam
Police Constable Recruitment Scam: Assam
Teachers Appointments Scam: Assam
National Highway Scam: Assam
PDS Scam of Rs 1,000 crore: Assam
Flood Control Scam: Assam
Fake/Fraudulent Payments Scam: Assam
SGRY Funds Scam: Assam
NREGA Funds Misappropriation Scam: Assam
Rural Development Fund Embezzlement Scam: Assam
Hydro Power Scam: Arunachal
SGRY Scam: Arunachal Pradesh
PDS Scam of Rs 1,000 crore: Arunachal Pradesh
Mines & Mineral Allotment Scam: Arunachal Pradesh
Drinking Water Mission Scam: Arunachal Pradesh
Hydro Power Projects Scam: Arunachal Pradesh
PDS Scam: Arunachal Pradesh
Public Private Partnership scam: Arunachal Pradesh
NREGA Scam: Arunachal Pradesh
Siphoning of Entertainment Tax: Sikkim
Scam of Nayuma Cable (NC): Sikkim
Fraudulent fire to declare burning of 25,000 pairs of shoes meant for poor children: Sikkim
Smuggling of Red Sandalwood to China: Sikkim
Sikkim Power Development Corporation Scam: Sikkim
Ranka Tourist Villa Scam: Sikkim
Sikkim Khadi Board Fraud: Sikkim
Kanchandzonga Tourist Villa Scam: Sikkim
TB Medicine Scam: Sikkim
Fake/Stolen Bank Deposits Scam: Sikkim
Rs 150 crore Fraudulent Bank Deposit Scam: Sikkim
Hydero Power Scam: Sikkim
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana Scam: Sikkim
SGRY Scam: Sikkim
NREGA Scam: Sikkim
Midday Meal Scam: Sikkim
PDS Scam: Sikkim
Rajiv Gandhi Vidyutikaran Scam: Sikkim
Loktak Lake Cleaning Scam: Manipur
Teachers Appointment Scam: Manipur
Road Construction Scam: Manipur
Big Dam/Irrigation Scam: Mizoram
Cement Land Scam: Meghalaya
North-East Subsidy Scam
AIBP Scam: Nagaland
Rural Infrastructure Development Fund Scam: Nagaland
NREGA Scam: Nagaland
Thousands of crores swindled in the name of development
By Pramod Kumar
EVERY individual in Damin, a revenue circle in Kurung Kumey District of Arunachal Pradesh, consumed at least 24 kg of salt per month. This salt was ‘distributed’ through Public Distribution System (PDS). Similarly, in Koloriang circle of the same State, every individual consumed 64 kg of rice per month. Under the Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojna (SGRY) scheme in the State, a bill of Rs 2.31 crore was raised for lifting just 2,500 quintals load to cover a 5 km distance. In Manipur, more than Rs 300 crore were spent on cleaning the Loktak Lake. The firm to which the contract was awarded was found dubious and is reportedly owned by Manipur Chief Minister’s nephew. The hydro power scam of Arunachal Pradesh alone is another 2G scam.
These are some of the incidents of grave corruption that have been recorded by BJP’s Fact Finding Committee in its report which was presented to party president Shri Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi on February 12. The Committee pegged the total value of the scams in north-east at around a whopping Rs 58,000 crore including Rs 20,000 crore kickbacks in Arunachal Pradesh alone.
Shri Gadkari had appointed this three-member Committee to probe in to various scams of north-east last year. The team comprising of vice president Smt Bijoya Chakravorty, general secretary Shri Tapir Gao and national secretary Dr Kirit Somaiya visited Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and other parts of the region to unearth and document various scams. They submitted a preliminary report at party’s National Executive Meeting in Guwahati on January 9 this year.
After going through the whole report it appears that when the country was busy in discussing Congress loot in 2G spectrum, Commonwealth Games, Adarsh Housing Society, etc, away from the limelight it was indeed raining corruption in north-eastern states. All the seven sisters and Sikkim were witnessing systematic loot of the State exchequer by politicians in power and the officials in all these states.
In all, the Committee recorded 50 different major scams in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim and Nagaland. It said the projects worth Rs 4,00,000 crore were given in non-transparent manners in the region. The maximum corruption was reported in hydro power projects. Direct MOUs were signed and highly technical projects of hundreds of crore rupees were allotted to newly formed companies with NIL experience in Arunachal Pradesh. A total of 137 MOU/MOA’s were signed by Dorji Khandu government in 2 years.
In the report, Assam was described the most corrupt State on the basis of corruption in 11 vital services as also exposed by Transparency International and Centre for Media Study in their joint study. These 11 services included ‘basic services’ like PDS, hospital service, school education, electricity and water supply services and ‘need-based services’ like land records, registration, housing service, forest, NREGA, banking service and police service. "The total bribe involved in a year in BPL households availing the 11 services is estimated at Rs 8,830 crore. This is the condition of the State from where the Prime Minister of the country (Dr Manmohan Singh) is elected," the report said.
It is not that these scams remained unnoticed. All the investigative agencies, regulators, authorities, social activists, NGOs, opposition parties raised questions and concern about them. Courts also passed orders, CAG passed strictures in its reports, CVC and SIT (Special Investigative Team appointed by the Court) and media also castigated the authorities.
"The Congress leaders manipulated PDS not only in Assam but also in Arunachal Pradesh and other states. Its costs the region over Rs 3,000 crore. The NIA unearthed a scam of Rs 1,000 crore in North Cachar Hills Autonomous District Council. Seven ministers and several bureaucrats have been identified by the NIA as the beneficiaries of the scam. Rs 13.45 crore cash was recovered by the CBI from the house of one of the Ministers," the report says.
Arunachal Pradesh witnessed the country’s biggest PDS scandal. Former Congress Chief Minister Gegong Apang along with 96 other ruling party leaders and officials were found involved in black marketing of PDS foodgrains. In this Rs 1,000 crore fraud, the former CM was arrested by the Special Investigation Cell constituted by the Guwahati High Court. The list of accused in this case also includes Pema Khandu, the son of present CM Dorjee Khandu, Jarkar Gamlin who is sitting MLA and brother of Cabinet Minister Jarbom Gamlin. It is intriguing to know that out of 96 accused not a single, except former CM Apang, has been arrested so far. The SGRY scam and Hydro power allotment of the State are also catching attention of the courts. There are also scams in the mines and mineral allotments, construction of dams, implementation of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban
Renewal Mission (JNNURM), food control and distribution, police recruitment and even drinking water. "Instead of providing employment to poor, the Khandu Government gave transport contract to Chief Minister’s wife’s company," the report said. The Committee also found Nayuma Cable, owned by the family of Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling, involved in an Entertainment Tax scam wherein the firm acknowledged 2,200 cable subscribers, but deposited tax for only 170 of them for several years in row. The Sikkim Government also gave contract for supply of TB medicine to the families of Ministers, who in turn supplied substandard medicines. There are also shoe scam, Khadi Board scam Kanchendzonga tourist Villa scam, fraudulent bank deposit scam, etc. in the State.
Receiving the Report in New Delhi Shri Nitin Gadkari deplored the massive atmosphere of corruption in North-Eastern States under the Congress rule there. He said on one hand the Congress president Sonia Gandhi makes declarations of intent to curb corruption, on the other hand the states ruled by Congress Party, especially in the North-East, are openly indulging in loot of public wealth.
The BJP has sought the constitution of special courts to speed up the judiciary process and to punish the scamsters. Demanding special audit of all these scams, and speedy and coordinated investigation by NIA, CBI and other agencies, the BJP stressed on time-bound action by the Government on the observations/strictures of Courts, CAG and other investigative agencies. The Party also demanded seizing the property of the scamsters to recover the public money from them. Leaders of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Smt Sushma Swaraj and Shri Arun Jaitley respectively are expected to meet Prime Minister in this regard while Shri Nitin Gadkari would personally lead a delegation to the President to submit this report.
Major scams of North-East
NC Hills Scam: Assam
Subsidy (transport) Scam: Assam
Irrigation Scam: Assam
Guwahati Municipal Corporation Scam: Assam
Guwahati Urban Development (JNNURM) Scam: Assam
Police Constable Recruitment Scam: Assam
Teachers Appointments Scam: Assam
National Highway Scam: Assam
PDS Scam of Rs 1,000 crore: Assam
Flood Control Scam: Assam
Fake/Fraudulent Payments Scam: Assam
SGRY Funds Scam: Assam
NREGA Funds Misappropriation Scam: Assam
Rural Development Fund Embezzlement Scam: Assam
Hydro Power Scam: Arunachal
SGRY Scam: Arunachal Pradesh
PDS Scam of Rs 1,000 crore: Arunachal Pradesh
Mines & Mineral Allotment Scam: Arunachal Pradesh
Drinking Water Mission Scam: Arunachal Pradesh
Hydro Power Projects Scam: Arunachal Pradesh
PDS Scam: Arunachal Pradesh
Public Private Partnership scam: Arunachal Pradesh
NREGA Scam: Arunachal Pradesh
Siphoning of Entertainment Tax: Sikkim
Scam of Nayuma Cable (NC): Sikkim
Fraudulent fire to declare burning of 25,000 pairs of shoes meant for poor children: Sikkim
Smuggling of Red Sandalwood to China: Sikkim
Sikkim Power Development Corporation Scam: Sikkim
Ranka Tourist Villa Scam: Sikkim
Sikkim Khadi Board Fraud: Sikkim
Kanchandzonga Tourist Villa Scam: Sikkim
TB Medicine Scam: Sikkim
Fake/Stolen Bank Deposits Scam: Sikkim
Rs 150 crore Fraudulent Bank Deposit Scam: Sikkim
Hydero Power Scam: Sikkim
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana Scam: Sikkim
SGRY Scam: Sikkim
NREGA Scam: Sikkim
Midday Meal Scam: Sikkim
PDS Scam: Sikkim
Rajiv Gandhi Vidyutikaran Scam: Sikkim
Loktak Lake Cleaning Scam: Manipur
Teachers Appointment Scam: Manipur
Road Construction Scam: Manipur
Big Dam/Irrigation Scam: Mizoram
Cement Land Scam: Meghalaya
North-East Subsidy Scam
AIBP Scam: Nagaland
Rural Infrastructure Development Fund Scam: Nagaland
NREGA Scam: Nagaland
Golwalkar message
Shri Guruji sent this message from Lucknow where he was attending a camp on September 21, 1960
Shri MS Golwalkar's message to the people of USA
IT was not an accident-but Divine Dispensation, it seems, that Swami Vivekananda proclaimed the Universal Gospel as manifested in the life of his Master Bhagwan Shri Ramakrishna first in the USA, the youngest and therefore, the most virile of the peoples believing in the freedom and dignity of man. By force of world events the USA has emerged as the leader of the free world and it can successfully discharge the great responsibility by recalling the Swami’s prophetic words and striving to live up to them.
The world is torn into two sections desperately trying to establish supremacy over all the peoples. The conflict is not of democracy versus communism as appears to superficial observers. Communism stands for the former and tries to manifest itself as an universal ideology. It can be countered not by make-shift materialistic arrangements, nor by sectarian religious dogmas but only by Universal Religion founded on the unshakeable realistic foundations of Advaita, wherein all sectarian religions come to an understanding and find concord and ultimate fulfillment. It is not a negation of personal beliefs but a sublimation of them into something higher, real and universal. This alone is a world ideology with common appeal, which, backed with right conduct, correct policies and indomitable determination to fight the forces of destructive materialism that can lead the free world to ultimate success over the growing menace of what is called communism.
The present day Bharat may not be as prosperous materially as some other countries, but despite its many vicissitudes of life has held firmly to this Universal Gospel of Advaita and is once again standing on its feet and finding its mission in life to supply this world ideology to the free peoples and thus help them to victory in the present crisis enveloping the world.
May the people of the USA remember the clarion call of Swami Vivekananda, join with Bharat in bonds of inviolable friendship and victory to the forces of Dharma is assured; the world will be freed from interminable wars and Peace and Prosperity descend upon Man.
Sd./-
MS Golwalkar
Shri MS Golwalkar's message to the people of USA
IT was not an accident-but Divine Dispensation, it seems, that Swami Vivekananda proclaimed the Universal Gospel as manifested in the life of his Master Bhagwan Shri Ramakrishna first in the USA, the youngest and therefore, the most virile of the peoples believing in the freedom and dignity of man. By force of world events the USA has emerged as the leader of the free world and it can successfully discharge the great responsibility by recalling the Swami’s prophetic words and striving to live up to them.
The world is torn into two sections desperately trying to establish supremacy over all the peoples. The conflict is not of democracy versus communism as appears to superficial observers. Communism stands for the former and tries to manifest itself as an universal ideology. It can be countered not by make-shift materialistic arrangements, nor by sectarian religious dogmas but only by Universal Religion founded on the unshakeable realistic foundations of Advaita, wherein all sectarian religions come to an understanding and find concord and ultimate fulfillment. It is not a negation of personal beliefs but a sublimation of them into something higher, real and universal. This alone is a world ideology with common appeal, which, backed with right conduct, correct policies and indomitable determination to fight the forces of destructive materialism that can lead the free world to ultimate success over the growing menace of what is called communism.
The present day Bharat may not be as prosperous materially as some other countries, but despite its many vicissitudes of life has held firmly to this Universal Gospel of Advaita and is once again standing on its feet and finding its mission in life to supply this world ideology to the free peoples and thus help them to victory in the present crisis enveloping the world.
May the people of the USA remember the clarion call of Swami Vivekananda, join with Bharat in bonds of inviolable friendship and victory to the forces of Dharma is assured; the world will be freed from interminable wars and Peace and Prosperity descend upon Man.
Sd./-
MS Golwalkar
Breaking India
Breaking India : Western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit Faultlines. The book launch
The ploy against India exposed
BREAKING India: Western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit Faultlines, a book jointly authored by Shri Rajiv Malhotra, chief of the Princeton based Infinity Foundation and a Distinguished Fellow at Vivekananda International Foundation, New Delhi and Shri Aravindan Neelakandan, intellectual activist, columnist and popular science writer from Tamil Nadu, was launched in New Delhi on February 9. A galaxy of speakers participated in the discussion on the book.
Releasing the book, eminent international jurist and Member of Parliament Shri Ram Jethmalani said the book is ‘an eye opener, a warning to us’ about not only of internal enemies but external enemies outside our border who are collaborating with dummies, proxies inside our border trying to weaken India, break her unity, integration and ultimately to jeopardise our freedom, sovereignty, culture. Mentioning the area of South Asian studies in Western universities, as discussed in the book, Shri Jethmalani said that South Asian Studies in Western universities often invite those organisations and individuals who in India give support to separatists and terrorists. He said the book dwells in great details on 3 principal threats to India - such as the Islamist radicals spawned in the neighbouring countries and elsewhere, the Maoists used as a pawn by China to further its design and finally groups that are trying to create a new race of Dravidians by taking into account the large body of dalits and instigate separatism and further weaken the country. "The greatest success of those who wish to break India", he said, "will be when we cease to be ourselves, give up our culture".
Shri Aravindan Neelakandan while introducing the book said that it essentially seeks to put in spotlight foreign-based organisations that seek to shape and govern certain political and ideological movements inside India so that hatred and violent conflicts can be generated inside Indian communities leading to eventual balkanisation of the country. "We wrote the book for all Indians for you and me because we do not want our children to end up in refugee camps", he said. Shri Neelakandan also quoted noted Tamil epigraphist and leftist scholar S Ramachandran as saying after reading the book, that foreign interventions in the Dravidian movement was documented by early Marxists but regretfully that recent Marxists have been co-opted by that same divisive doctrine.
Shri S Gurumurthy, columnist, public intellectual and financial analyst in his intervention observed that Tamil Nadu has been the playground of dalit politics. And the people’s emotional attachment to their language has been transformed into some kind of racial, ethnic identity promoted, funded, weaponised by political ideologies. He said how the introductory passage in classic Tolkapiyyam which talked about the work being for all who have studied the four Vedas was removed for the last fifty years from editions of the book. He observed that an idea weaponised in politics can transform a society into hating mutually each other. Talking about the plight of Dalit groups in Tamil Nadu he said they have been converted into private armies.
Professor Upendra Baxi, former Vice-Chancellor, Delhi University, said that the book essentially focuses on 3-S- Subordination of India’s independence, Surveillance of independent India and Subversion of independent India.
Shri Rajiv Malhotra presented a whole background to the book and his experiences and findings while working on it.
(FOC)
The ploy against India exposed
BREAKING India: Western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit Faultlines, a book jointly authored by Shri Rajiv Malhotra, chief of the Princeton based Infinity Foundation and a Distinguished Fellow at Vivekananda International Foundation, New Delhi and Shri Aravindan Neelakandan, intellectual activist, columnist and popular science writer from Tamil Nadu, was launched in New Delhi on February 9. A galaxy of speakers participated in the discussion on the book.
Releasing the book, eminent international jurist and Member of Parliament Shri Ram Jethmalani said the book is ‘an eye opener, a warning to us’ about not only of internal enemies but external enemies outside our border who are collaborating with dummies, proxies inside our border trying to weaken India, break her unity, integration and ultimately to jeopardise our freedom, sovereignty, culture. Mentioning the area of South Asian studies in Western universities, as discussed in the book, Shri Jethmalani said that South Asian Studies in Western universities often invite those organisations and individuals who in India give support to separatists and terrorists. He said the book dwells in great details on 3 principal threats to India - such as the Islamist radicals spawned in the neighbouring countries and elsewhere, the Maoists used as a pawn by China to further its design and finally groups that are trying to create a new race of Dravidians by taking into account the large body of dalits and instigate separatism and further weaken the country. "The greatest success of those who wish to break India", he said, "will be when we cease to be ourselves, give up our culture".
Shri Aravindan Neelakandan while introducing the book said that it essentially seeks to put in spotlight foreign-based organisations that seek to shape and govern certain political and ideological movements inside India so that hatred and violent conflicts can be generated inside Indian communities leading to eventual balkanisation of the country. "We wrote the book for all Indians for you and me because we do not want our children to end up in refugee camps", he said. Shri Neelakandan also quoted noted Tamil epigraphist and leftist scholar S Ramachandran as saying after reading the book, that foreign interventions in the Dravidian movement was documented by early Marxists but regretfully that recent Marxists have been co-opted by that same divisive doctrine.
Shri S Gurumurthy, columnist, public intellectual and financial analyst in his intervention observed that Tamil Nadu has been the playground of dalit politics. And the people’s emotional attachment to their language has been transformed into some kind of racial, ethnic identity promoted, funded, weaponised by political ideologies. He said how the introductory passage in classic Tolkapiyyam which talked about the work being for all who have studied the four Vedas was removed for the last fifty years from editions of the book. He observed that an idea weaponised in politics can transform a society into hating mutually each other. Talking about the plight of Dalit groups in Tamil Nadu he said they have been converted into private armies.
Professor Upendra Baxi, former Vice-Chancellor, Delhi University, said that the book essentially focuses on 3-S- Subordination of India’s independence, Surveillance of independent India and Subversion of independent India.
Shri Rajiv Malhotra presented a whole background to the book and his experiences and findings while working on it.
(FOC)
Hindus not tandoori chicken to be relished!
By Dr Pravin Togadia
GENERALLY, restraint in language is expected in the civilized society. Generally Hindus abide by this social norm. Generally, Hindus abide by not only all social norms but also the legal processes set up in a democracy named Bharat. But as a practice what civilised behaviour is so very natural for Hindus, is being specially treated as a ‘general weakness’ in the same democratic Bharat by the vote-mongers, news-mongers and international attention seeking Human (?) Rights award mongers. Therefore, generally, even if Hindus are docile, are known to use most civilised language and tolerate persecution to the hilt, NO MORE! When there was jehadi attack on Mumbai on 26/11, there followed a candle light march holding placards ‘Enough is Enough’.
Hindus should have said it much earlier: 1,000 years back when Bharat was first attacked by the very 1st jehadi. Then it continued and Bharat was ruled for 400 years by jehadis. The rule is over long back but its Hindu persecution mentality got transferred on to today’s ruling class for vote-bank politics. Political band wagon has been riding on the Muslim vote boogey for long now in the name of minority welfare. To tom tom about love for the so-called second largest majority but for benefits - minority - even the 58 Hindus burnt alive in Godhra Gujarat in the train from Ayodhya were too not allowed to rest in peace! This vote beggar political class, pseudo-secular media and those so-called Human Rights activists made a tandoor chicken out of those burnt Hindus - they relished 58 Hindus’ burnt bodies and their families’ pain for 9 years now! Sounds crude? Then think of little girls and boys who saw their parents being burnt in that train; think of old parents who hoped that their sons would look after them; think of young wives who had dreams of a simple family... Any kind-hearted person would weep with their pain; but this crude political class, voyeuristic media and sadistic activists cry only for jehadis! We all saw the recent example of how one award winning writer claimed that Kashmir is not Bharat and the political class had to be directed by the highest court to slap case against her.
And when Hindus speak of their pain and agony of about all such jehadi attacks-not just in Godhra but also in Mewat, Assam, Kashmir, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi, Coimbatore, Pune, Hyderabad, Bengal, Somnath, Kashi, Ayodhya, Malaysia, Libya, America, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bali in Indonesia etc, these tandoor chewers make a mockery of them and showcase post Godhra Hindus do not truly believe in killing any living thing themselves. ‘Eye for an eye’, ‘Blood for blood’ are Islamic concepts from Sharia law. Every time there is any jehadi attack on Bharat, the ruling political class appeals to Hindus to be peaceful and give a lame excuse that because of the govt’s development, terrorists are desperate. Governments never seem to get desperate to save majority of Bharat that is Hindu.
Godhra train carnage was not a one off act; it was a part and parcel of a larger conspiracy to kill Hindus. The Honourable Court says so. Killing anyone who is not like them is always a jehadi conspiracy. But these tandoor chewers do not accept even the judiciary when it comes to Hindus getting a bit of justice. One such activist was heard saying on media after the punishment announcement that there was not an iota of evidence against the convicts of Godhra. This is contempt of court. Those who piled on Hindus to accept the court judgment in Ram temple are shouting against the death penalty to 11 conspirators of Godhra. Hindus will get justice only when all 95 accused get death penalty by the honorable courts and obviously the concerned governments must appeal ahead.
Bharat has seen how viciously many governments are going after Hindus, creating NIA and giving simple cases to NIA so that they get Muslim votes. Why blame them when Hindus do not stand together in voting against such vote - mongers? Until Hindus are divided in castes, regions, languages and so on, Hindus will be treated as non-human beings in Bharat. No human rights will ever be for Hindus if Hindus do not stand united democratically against such vote-mongers, cruel lop sided media and sadistic activists.
Solution? There should be voting rights only to the Hindus. Those whose forefathers opted out for Pakistan and those who do not follow 2 kids norm have no right to vote in Bharat. The political parties who loot national coffer on Muslims in the name of minority should be banned from elections. There must be a common civil code - if it is not now then there will sure be a common civil code but that will be Sharia in Bharat.
Now, at this moment, Hindus in Bharat are watching if the governments, work for bringing all 95 accused - not just 31 convicts - of Godhra train carnage are brought to final justice or not by further appeal by the concerned government. Any interference by anyone in full and final justice to the victims’ families will be definitely perceived-and correctly so-as anti-Hindu and therefore, anti-national. Hindus are not tandoor chicken to be chewed and relished; Hindu is a formidable majority in Bharat and its not time to teach civilised language!
GENERALLY, restraint in language is expected in the civilized society. Generally Hindus abide by this social norm. Generally, Hindus abide by not only all social norms but also the legal processes set up in a democracy named Bharat. But as a practice what civilised behaviour is so very natural for Hindus, is being specially treated as a ‘general weakness’ in the same democratic Bharat by the vote-mongers, news-mongers and international attention seeking Human (?) Rights award mongers. Therefore, generally, even if Hindus are docile, are known to use most civilised language and tolerate persecution to the hilt, NO MORE! When there was jehadi attack on Mumbai on 26/11, there followed a candle light march holding placards ‘Enough is Enough’.
Hindus should have said it much earlier: 1,000 years back when Bharat was first attacked by the very 1st jehadi. Then it continued and Bharat was ruled for 400 years by jehadis. The rule is over long back but its Hindu persecution mentality got transferred on to today’s ruling class for vote-bank politics. Political band wagon has been riding on the Muslim vote boogey for long now in the name of minority welfare. To tom tom about love for the so-called second largest majority but for benefits - minority - even the 58 Hindus burnt alive in Godhra Gujarat in the train from Ayodhya were too not allowed to rest in peace! This vote beggar political class, pseudo-secular media and those so-called Human Rights activists made a tandoor chicken out of those burnt Hindus - they relished 58 Hindus’ burnt bodies and their families’ pain for 9 years now! Sounds crude? Then think of little girls and boys who saw their parents being burnt in that train; think of old parents who hoped that their sons would look after them; think of young wives who had dreams of a simple family... Any kind-hearted person would weep with their pain; but this crude political class, voyeuristic media and sadistic activists cry only for jehadis! We all saw the recent example of how one award winning writer claimed that Kashmir is not Bharat and the political class had to be directed by the highest court to slap case against her.
And when Hindus speak of their pain and agony of about all such jehadi attacks-not just in Godhra but also in Mewat, Assam, Kashmir, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi, Coimbatore, Pune, Hyderabad, Bengal, Somnath, Kashi, Ayodhya, Malaysia, Libya, America, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bali in Indonesia etc, these tandoor chewers make a mockery of them and showcase post Godhra Hindus do not truly believe in killing any living thing themselves. ‘Eye for an eye’, ‘Blood for blood’ are Islamic concepts from Sharia law. Every time there is any jehadi attack on Bharat, the ruling political class appeals to Hindus to be peaceful and give a lame excuse that because of the govt’s development, terrorists are desperate. Governments never seem to get desperate to save majority of Bharat that is Hindu.
Godhra train carnage was not a one off act; it was a part and parcel of a larger conspiracy to kill Hindus. The Honourable Court says so. Killing anyone who is not like them is always a jehadi conspiracy. But these tandoor chewers do not accept even the judiciary when it comes to Hindus getting a bit of justice. One such activist was heard saying on media after the punishment announcement that there was not an iota of evidence against the convicts of Godhra. This is contempt of court. Those who piled on Hindus to accept the court judgment in Ram temple are shouting against the death penalty to 11 conspirators of Godhra. Hindus will get justice only when all 95 accused get death penalty by the honorable courts and obviously the concerned governments must appeal ahead.
Bharat has seen how viciously many governments are going after Hindus, creating NIA and giving simple cases to NIA so that they get Muslim votes. Why blame them when Hindus do not stand together in voting against such vote - mongers? Until Hindus are divided in castes, regions, languages and so on, Hindus will be treated as non-human beings in Bharat. No human rights will ever be for Hindus if Hindus do not stand united democratically against such vote-mongers, cruel lop sided media and sadistic activists.
Solution? There should be voting rights only to the Hindus. Those whose forefathers opted out for Pakistan and those who do not follow 2 kids norm have no right to vote in Bharat. The political parties who loot national coffer on Muslims in the name of minority should be banned from elections. There must be a common civil code - if it is not now then there will sure be a common civil code but that will be Sharia in Bharat.
Now, at this moment, Hindus in Bharat are watching if the governments, work for bringing all 95 accused - not just 31 convicts - of Godhra train carnage are brought to final justice or not by further appeal by the concerned government. Any interference by anyone in full and final justice to the victims’ families will be definitely perceived-and correctly so-as anti-Hindu and therefore, anti-national. Hindus are not tandoor chicken to be chewed and relished; Hindu is a formidable majority in Bharat and its not time to teach civilised language!
Amar Chitra Katha
Tribute to Anant Pai, the creator of Indian comic Amar Chitra Katha
THE creator and founder of Indian comic series Amar Chitra Katha, Anant Pai popularly known as Uncle Pai, passed away in Mumbai on February 24. He was 81. He suffered a heart attack. He is survived by his wife Smt Lalitha.
Pai launched the Amar Chitra Katha series in 1967, which was an instant hit. In 1980, he launched Tinkle, a children’s anthology, which was started under Rang Rekha Features, India’s first comic and cartoon syndicate that lasted till 1998.
Today, Amar Chitra Katha, sells about three million comic books a year, in English and more than 20 Indian languages, and has sold about 100 million copies since its inception in 1967 by Anant Pai, and in 2007 was taken over by ACK Media.
Born on September 17, 1929 in Karkala, Karnataka, Pai lost his parents at the age of two. At the age of 12, he came to Mumbai, where he studied in Orient School, Mahim. He studied Chemistry, physics and chemical technology at the University of Bombay Department of Chemical Technology (UDCT now UICT) and was a dual degree holder from the University of Bombay.
Endowed with a passion for publishing and comics, his failed attempt at creating a children’s magazine (Manav, 1954) was followed by a career as a junior executive in the Times of India books division, putting him in the thick of affairs when Indrajal comics was launched by the Times Group.
The idea behind starting a comic book series devoted to Indian culture and history came to Pai from a quiz contest aired on Doordarshan in February 1967, in which participants could easily answer questions pertaining to Greek mythology, but were unable to reply to the question "In the Ramayana, who was Rama’s mother?"
He left his job and started Amar Chitra Katha the same year, with the help of the late GL Mirchandani of India Book House, when most other publishers had rejected the concept. Later, he took on the role of writer, editor and publisher. The series went on to become a publishing milestone for the Indian comic book scene, selling over 86 million copies of about 440 titles.
In 1969, Anant Pai founded Rang Rekha Features, India’s first comic and cartoon syndicate, and started the children’s magazine Tinkle in 1980. His involvement with the above and the rapport he shared with his readers earned him the title "Uncle Pai".
Ramu and Shamu, Kapish, Little Raji, Rekha, Fact Fantasy, Funland and Funtime are some of the comic strips created by Pai, most of which continue to appear in newspapers and magazines. He has written and produced two video films, Ekam Sat (the Vedic Concept of God) and The Secret of Success, in English and Hindi. Pai’s other works include a number of books on personality development for children and teenagers, (How To Develop Self-confidence, How to Achieve Success, How To Develop A Super Memory) and a series of audio book versions of Amar Chitra Katha stories, Storytime with Uncle Pai (Universal Music India, December 2001), where he plays the role of narrator-storyteller.
THE creator and founder of Indian comic series Amar Chitra Katha, Anant Pai popularly known as Uncle Pai, passed away in Mumbai on February 24. He was 81. He suffered a heart attack. He is survived by his wife Smt Lalitha.
Pai launched the Amar Chitra Katha series in 1967, which was an instant hit. In 1980, he launched Tinkle, a children’s anthology, which was started under Rang Rekha Features, India’s first comic and cartoon syndicate that lasted till 1998.
Today, Amar Chitra Katha, sells about three million comic books a year, in English and more than 20 Indian languages, and has sold about 100 million copies since its inception in 1967 by Anant Pai, and in 2007 was taken over by ACK Media.
Born on September 17, 1929 in Karkala, Karnataka, Pai lost his parents at the age of two. At the age of 12, he came to Mumbai, where he studied in Orient School, Mahim. He studied Chemistry, physics and chemical technology at the University of Bombay Department of Chemical Technology (UDCT now UICT) and was a dual degree holder from the University of Bombay.
Endowed with a passion for publishing and comics, his failed attempt at creating a children’s magazine (Manav, 1954) was followed by a career as a junior executive in the Times of India books division, putting him in the thick of affairs when Indrajal comics was launched by the Times Group.
The idea behind starting a comic book series devoted to Indian culture and history came to Pai from a quiz contest aired on Doordarshan in February 1967, in which participants could easily answer questions pertaining to Greek mythology, but were unable to reply to the question "In the Ramayana, who was Rama’s mother?"
He left his job and started Amar Chitra Katha the same year, with the help of the late GL Mirchandani of India Book House, when most other publishers had rejected the concept. Later, he took on the role of writer, editor and publisher. The series went on to become a publishing milestone for the Indian comic book scene, selling over 86 million copies of about 440 titles.
In 1969, Anant Pai founded Rang Rekha Features, India’s first comic and cartoon syndicate, and started the children’s magazine Tinkle in 1980. His involvement with the above and the rapport he shared with his readers earned him the title "Uncle Pai".
Ramu and Shamu, Kapish, Little Raji, Rekha, Fact Fantasy, Funland and Funtime are some of the comic strips created by Pai, most of which continue to appear in newspapers and magazines. He has written and produced two video films, Ekam Sat (the Vedic Concept of God) and The Secret of Success, in English and Hindi. Pai’s other works include a number of books on personality development for children and teenagers, (How To Develop Self-confidence, How to Achieve Success, How To Develop A Super Memory) and a series of audio book versions of Amar Chitra Katha stories, Storytime with Uncle Pai (Universal Music India, December 2001), where he plays the role of narrator-storyteller.
Chera History
Ancient inscription throws light on Chera history
By Mallikarjun Janardan
MALAPPURAM: An inscription that could prove to be a landmark in the history of Chera rule in South India has been found at a temple in Kurumathur, near Areekode here.
Epigraphist MR Raghava Varier, who deciphered the inscription, said "the epigraph provided the first objective and direct proof to establish the date and rule of the first Perumal of Mahodayapura (Kodungallur)."
The inscription, unearthed during the renovation of the Kurumathur Vishnu Temple, gives not only the date of the first Chera king but also his name in full. It validates the inferences made by historian M.G.S. Narayanan about the name of the first Chera king.
The inscription, engraved on a granite slab in the Pallava Grantha Script, is in the form of eulogy or "prasasthi," praising and legitimising the rule of King Rama Rajasekhara of Mahodayapura.
Composed in Sardula Vikridita Metre in Sanskrit, the three-stanza inscription says that King Rama Rajasekhara’s glory be spread across the oceans. Even when connecting the ancestry of Perumals to the epic hero Sri Rama, the inscription gives May 24, AD 871, as an exact regnal date of Rajasekhara Perumal in the form of a "kali dina" chronogram. "You will get this exact regnal date if you decipher the chronogram with the help of Swamikannu Pillai’s Ephemeral Calculator," said Dr. Varier.
This was the first record to give an exact date of the first Chera king, he said. So far, historians were dependent on the Vazhappalli Copper Plate found near Changanassery to link the Chera rule to the ninth century.
According to Professor Narayanan, who studied extensively about the Chera rule, the Vazhappalli Copper Plate mentions the 11th regnal year of a Chera king.
Professor Narayanan, after referring various supplementary records, had inferred that King Rajasekhara’s first name was Rama. The Kurumathur inscription has validated his finding.
"This inscription has proved to be the earliest document of Chera Perumal. It demands some revision in the existing chronology of the formative period of Kerala history," said Dr Varier.
Professor Narayanan, a former Chairman of the Indian Council of Historical Research, congratulated Dr Varier for this "valuable discovery." He told The Hindu that he concurred with the decipherment, but felt the dating of the inscription needed further investigation.
By Mallikarjun Janardan
MALAPPURAM: An inscription that could prove to be a landmark in the history of Chera rule in South India has been found at a temple in Kurumathur, near Areekode here.
Epigraphist MR Raghava Varier, who deciphered the inscription, said "the epigraph provided the first objective and direct proof to establish the date and rule of the first Perumal of Mahodayapura (Kodungallur)."
The inscription, unearthed during the renovation of the Kurumathur Vishnu Temple, gives not only the date of the first Chera king but also his name in full. It validates the inferences made by historian M.G.S. Narayanan about the name of the first Chera king.
The inscription, engraved on a granite slab in the Pallava Grantha Script, is in the form of eulogy or "prasasthi," praising and legitimising the rule of King Rama Rajasekhara of Mahodayapura.
Composed in Sardula Vikridita Metre in Sanskrit, the three-stanza inscription says that King Rama Rajasekhara’s glory be spread across the oceans. Even when connecting the ancestry of Perumals to the epic hero Sri Rama, the inscription gives May 24, AD 871, as an exact regnal date of Rajasekhara Perumal in the form of a "kali dina" chronogram. "You will get this exact regnal date if you decipher the chronogram with the help of Swamikannu Pillai’s Ephemeral Calculator," said Dr. Varier.
This was the first record to give an exact date of the first Chera king, he said. So far, historians were dependent on the Vazhappalli Copper Plate found near Changanassery to link the Chera rule to the ninth century.
According to Professor Narayanan, who studied extensively about the Chera rule, the Vazhappalli Copper Plate mentions the 11th regnal year of a Chera king.
Professor Narayanan, after referring various supplementary records, had inferred that King Rajasekhara’s first name was Rama. The Kurumathur inscription has validated his finding.
"This inscription has proved to be the earliest document of Chera Perumal. It demands some revision in the existing chronology of the formative period of Kerala history," said Dr Varier.
Professor Narayanan, a former Chairman of the Indian Council of Historical Research, congratulated Dr Varier for this "valuable discovery." He told The Hindu that he concurred with the decipherment, but felt the dating of the inscription needed further investigation.
A scam a day..congress motto
A scam a day, each new scam dwarfs the previous ones
By Dr Rakesh Kumar Pandey
CORRUPTION has now spread its roots deep into the soil of our conscience. In our arguments we all silently acknowledge the existence of some acceptable limits in corruption. It is in this light that recently we have developed a dangerous trend of pleading innocence by showing that the scale of irregularity in which the person cornered is involved is negligible as compared to the other scams. This trend is visible in the parliament which has come a long way in finally establishing that the Bofors scam falls under ignorable limits.
In this run up, instead of taking measures to nail the scamsters, a new scam is being unearthed each day that dwarfs all other scams known till then. Taking money for something that you don’t deserve to demand legally and use/misuse of your facility/power beyond what the rules permit, defines corruption. Ignoring filing of income tax returns; paying agents to get some work done in any office; paying/demanding a payment over and above or sometimes less than the metered or billed amount; making cash transactions; paying bribe in return of favor; using the official vehicle/phone or such facilities for personal purposes and forcing your subordinates to work for your personal needs, all these are different forms of corruption.
You want to buy/sell a property, you want to construct your house, you need to throw a huge party, you want to get a loan sanctioned or you want to get your project approved, you can neither avoid cash transactions nor withhold payments to the commission agents. If you are picked up for scrutiny under income tax act, believe me probably you will never be able to convince them that you were observing all the rules. If you are under police custody for any reason it will be difficult to plead your innocence without paying bribe. No business can survive if you try paying all kinds of taxes. Nobody will be able to explain/remember each entry in his/her passbook for a period spanning last three years.
There is no way that one can avoid corruption in India. We must finally admit that we all are corrupt and the difference is only in the scales involved in each case.
Let us try to find a way out from this desperate situation.
Hope lies in the conclusion that this state of hopelessness is actually forced one on us. It seems we have not changed even after becoming independent. We somehow still live in a situation similar to the pre-independence era. The government still identifies itself with the ruler-class and engages itself in enacting rules that are simply non-observable so that it only helps them in providing teeth to bite the commoners and get away with any corruption in return. On the other hand we posses no respect to the rules, the attitude that we used to carry proudly before independence, as we still think that government is an entity separate from us and working against our welfare. With this sense we feel committing nothing wrong while draining out the government funds. Another factor that hugely contributes to the unlimited rise of corruption is the non-existence of social security to the citizens. While high end corruption is driven by an urge for acquiring luxury, the seeds of low scale corruption are generally sown with the social insecurity prevailing everywhere in our country. We become corrupt in our resolve to secure future of all our future family members.
Instead of raising the acceptable limits of corruption by each passing day, let us resolve to wipe out corruption from our attitude itself. Let us urge the government first to make rules with an intention to make all of us feel that we all are living in an independent country where we are not merely stakeholders but also part of the policy makers and then follow a zero tolerance regime for any kind of corruption. Let us have simple rules to follow. Let us follow 5 per cent tax rule on all our expenditures. Let us abolish all tax saving schemes. Let the government start a decent social security scheme. Let us also end the era of cash transactions as these have the potential to go unnoticed. After this let us follow the rules strictly as now there are no soft options left. We must confront this menace by declaring a war against this or otherwise this has a potential to end our independence.
By Dr Rakesh Kumar Pandey
CORRUPTION has now spread its roots deep into the soil of our conscience. In our arguments we all silently acknowledge the existence of some acceptable limits in corruption. It is in this light that recently we have developed a dangerous trend of pleading innocence by showing that the scale of irregularity in which the person cornered is involved is negligible as compared to the other scams. This trend is visible in the parliament which has come a long way in finally establishing that the Bofors scam falls under ignorable limits.
In this run up, instead of taking measures to nail the scamsters, a new scam is being unearthed each day that dwarfs all other scams known till then. Taking money for something that you don’t deserve to demand legally and use/misuse of your facility/power beyond what the rules permit, defines corruption. Ignoring filing of income tax returns; paying agents to get some work done in any office; paying/demanding a payment over and above or sometimes less than the metered or billed amount; making cash transactions; paying bribe in return of favor; using the official vehicle/phone or such facilities for personal purposes and forcing your subordinates to work for your personal needs, all these are different forms of corruption.
You want to buy/sell a property, you want to construct your house, you need to throw a huge party, you want to get a loan sanctioned or you want to get your project approved, you can neither avoid cash transactions nor withhold payments to the commission agents. If you are picked up for scrutiny under income tax act, believe me probably you will never be able to convince them that you were observing all the rules. If you are under police custody for any reason it will be difficult to plead your innocence without paying bribe. No business can survive if you try paying all kinds of taxes. Nobody will be able to explain/remember each entry in his/her passbook for a period spanning last three years.
There is no way that one can avoid corruption in India. We must finally admit that we all are corrupt and the difference is only in the scales involved in each case.
Let us try to find a way out from this desperate situation.
Hope lies in the conclusion that this state of hopelessness is actually forced one on us. It seems we have not changed even after becoming independent. We somehow still live in a situation similar to the pre-independence era. The government still identifies itself with the ruler-class and engages itself in enacting rules that are simply non-observable so that it only helps them in providing teeth to bite the commoners and get away with any corruption in return. On the other hand we posses no respect to the rules, the attitude that we used to carry proudly before independence, as we still think that government is an entity separate from us and working against our welfare. With this sense we feel committing nothing wrong while draining out the government funds. Another factor that hugely contributes to the unlimited rise of corruption is the non-existence of social security to the citizens. While high end corruption is driven by an urge for acquiring luxury, the seeds of low scale corruption are generally sown with the social insecurity prevailing everywhere in our country. We become corrupt in our resolve to secure future of all our future family members.
Instead of raising the acceptable limits of corruption by each passing day, let us resolve to wipe out corruption from our attitude itself. Let us urge the government first to make rules with an intention to make all of us feel that we all are living in an independent country where we are not merely stakeholders but also part of the policy makers and then follow a zero tolerance regime for any kind of corruption. Let us have simple rules to follow. Let us follow 5 per cent tax rule on all our expenditures. Let us abolish all tax saving schemes. Let the government start a decent social security scheme. Let us also end the era of cash transactions as these have the potential to go unnoticed. After this let us follow the rules strictly as now there are no soft options left. We must confront this menace by declaring a war against this or otherwise this has a potential to end our independence.
Granting minority status to Jamia Milia
Granting minority status to Jamia Milia
Opening of another den of Islamic politics
By Ram Gopal
The NCMEI has argued that this University was established by the Muslims in 1920 for the benefit of the Muslims and, therefore, it has only been given its due as a minority institution. If this is true, why should the Central government of India finance it?
THE recent decision of the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) granting minority status to the Jamia Milia Islamia, Delhi, is unfortunate and satisfies only the fissiparous and secessionist elements of India. It will mean just converting this Central University into another pocket of Islamic politics, at the cost of the Hindu majority, like the Aligarh Muslim University. Already, the Jamia Milia Islamia is wholly funded by the Government of India. In its editorial, "A flawed decision", of February 25, the pioneer daily has rightly stated: "What is jarring is that a Central university in a secular country such as ours should have a communal colour".
The NCMEI has argued that this University was established by the Muslims in 1920 for the benefit of the Muslims and, therefore, it has only been given its due as a minority institution. If this is true, why should the Central government of India finance it?
Article 30 (1) gives all minorities, whether based on religion or language, the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice. There is nothing in it or any other part of the Constitution saying that such minority institutions should be financed by the State. Article 30(2) only states that, in granting aid to educational institutions, the State will not discriminate against any educational institution on the ground that it is under the management of a minority. So, after getting State aid, the aided minority educational institutions come under Article 29(2), which reads, "No citizen shall be denied admission into any educational institution maintained by the State or receiving aid out of State funds on grounds only of religion, race, caste, language or any of them". If a minority education institution is wholly maintained out of State funds, it will also be subject to Article 28 (1) which reads, "No religious instruction shall be provided in any educational institution wholly maintained out of State funds". In all probability, it is under this Article that the Central and State government do not allow religious instruction in aided educational institutions under Hindu management. Strangely enough, but aided or even wholly financed minority institutions, especially the madrasas, seem to be exempt from it.
The question whether admission of students to aided or unaided minority educational institution can be regulated by the government or by the university to which it is affiliated, was examined in detail by an eleven Judges Bench of the Supreme Court in the famous T.M.A. Pai Foundation case, ((2002) 8 SCC 713). The majority judgment of six Judges, dated October 31, 2002, ruled, "The moment aid is received or taken by a minority educational institution it would be governed by Article 29(2), and would then not be able to refuse admission on grounds of religion, race, caste, language or any of them. In other words it cannot then give preference to students of its own community". The judgment also said "whilst giving aid to professional institutions, it would permissible for the authority giving aid to prescribe bye-rules or regulations, the conditions on the basis of which admission will be granted to different aided colleges by virtue of merit, coupled with the reservation policy of the State". According to it, it is also permissible for the State to provide that the consideration should be shown on the weaker sections of the society.
Already, 51 per cent of the seats of the Jamia Milia are reserved for the Muslims and the rest are equally divided between the SC/ST and the general category students. With the minority status, the intention of the institute is to do away with the quota of the SC/ST and divert it also to Muslim community. Thus, Muslims would be having 75 per cent of the seats, leaving 25 per cent only for the general category candidates.
Incidentally, in answer to a question (no.11), whether non-minorities have also the right to establish and administer educational institutions under Articles 21 and 29(1), read with Articles 14 and 15(1), in the same manner and to the same extent as minority institutions, the above mentioned Bench stated: "The right to establish and administer educational institutions is guaranteed under the Constitution to all citizens under Articles 19(1)(g) and 26, but this right will be subject to the provisions of Articles 19(6) and 26(a)". It may be stated that Article 19(6) relates to the State power to impose restrictions and to provide qualifications for professional or technical subjects and Article 26(a) is bout the normal State power of putting restrictions on account of public order, morality and health.
On the first question of the above mentioned case, namely, meaning of the term "minorities" in Article 30, the Bench ruled, "Since reorganisation of the States in India has been on linguistic lines, therefore, the purpose of determining the minority, the unit will be the State and not the whole of India." Thus, religious and linguistic minorities who have been put on a par in Article 30, have to be considered State wise.
Ground reality is that every metropolitan city - like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai - has around linguistics minority communities. Suppose, on the basis of the above interpretation of the Supreme Court, every linguistic minority in each cosmopolitan city starts establishing and administering educational institutions of its choice and claims State funds for them, there will be all round anarchy. It would be difficult to find where India exists. In a way, Articles 29 and 30, as interpreted and executed by the Indian governments, have become the gateway of complete disintegration of India and its people.
It is actually a test case for the Indian nationalists, especially Hindus, both in their individual and collective capacity, to force the government and the Parliament to rectify the existing perverse policy of giving extraordinary privileges to the Muslims and Christians in the deceptive name of minority protection, and that too at the cost of the majority, by way of huge financial aid to their educational institutions, various scholarships to their children and setting up various commissions and committees with a view to empowering them, obviously against the docile Hindu majority.
Besides the above, the decision of the NCMEI is a violation of the HRD Ministry’s stand to defer consideration of the matter about declaring Jamia Milia Islamia as a minority institutions so long as the question of declaring the AMU, (a similar university), as a minority educational institution is not decided by the Supreme Court. It raises an important question of law as to whether the NCMEI is a superior executive authority over the HRD Ministry or a semi judicial body as generally understood. Needless to say that granting a minority status to an educational institution is an executive matter falling within the jurisdiction of the HRD Ministry. Tht Ministry will be well advised to take up the issue with the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Law and if necessary, the Supreme Court.
Opening of another den of Islamic politics
By Ram Gopal
The NCMEI has argued that this University was established by the Muslims in 1920 for the benefit of the Muslims and, therefore, it has only been given its due as a minority institution. If this is true, why should the Central government of India finance it?
THE recent decision of the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) granting minority status to the Jamia Milia Islamia, Delhi, is unfortunate and satisfies only the fissiparous and secessionist elements of India. It will mean just converting this Central University into another pocket of Islamic politics, at the cost of the Hindu majority, like the Aligarh Muslim University. Already, the Jamia Milia Islamia is wholly funded by the Government of India. In its editorial, "A flawed decision", of February 25, the pioneer daily has rightly stated: "What is jarring is that a Central university in a secular country such as ours should have a communal colour".
The NCMEI has argued that this University was established by the Muslims in 1920 for the benefit of the Muslims and, therefore, it has only been given its due as a minority institution. If this is true, why should the Central government of India finance it?
Article 30 (1) gives all minorities, whether based on religion or language, the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice. There is nothing in it or any other part of the Constitution saying that such minority institutions should be financed by the State. Article 30(2) only states that, in granting aid to educational institutions, the State will not discriminate against any educational institution on the ground that it is under the management of a minority. So, after getting State aid, the aided minority educational institutions come under Article 29(2), which reads, "No citizen shall be denied admission into any educational institution maintained by the State or receiving aid out of State funds on grounds only of religion, race, caste, language or any of them". If a minority education institution is wholly maintained out of State funds, it will also be subject to Article 28 (1) which reads, "No religious instruction shall be provided in any educational institution wholly maintained out of State funds". In all probability, it is under this Article that the Central and State government do not allow religious instruction in aided educational institutions under Hindu management. Strangely enough, but aided or even wholly financed minority institutions, especially the madrasas, seem to be exempt from it.
The question whether admission of students to aided or unaided minority educational institution can be regulated by the government or by the university to which it is affiliated, was examined in detail by an eleven Judges Bench of the Supreme Court in the famous T.M.A. Pai Foundation case, ((2002) 8 SCC 713). The majority judgment of six Judges, dated October 31, 2002, ruled, "The moment aid is received or taken by a minority educational institution it would be governed by Article 29(2), and would then not be able to refuse admission on grounds of religion, race, caste, language or any of them. In other words it cannot then give preference to students of its own community". The judgment also said "whilst giving aid to professional institutions, it would permissible for the authority giving aid to prescribe bye-rules or regulations, the conditions on the basis of which admission will be granted to different aided colleges by virtue of merit, coupled with the reservation policy of the State". According to it, it is also permissible for the State to provide that the consideration should be shown on the weaker sections of the society.
Already, 51 per cent of the seats of the Jamia Milia are reserved for the Muslims and the rest are equally divided between the SC/ST and the general category students. With the minority status, the intention of the institute is to do away with the quota of the SC/ST and divert it also to Muslim community. Thus, Muslims would be having 75 per cent of the seats, leaving 25 per cent only for the general category candidates.
Incidentally, in answer to a question (no.11), whether non-minorities have also the right to establish and administer educational institutions under Articles 21 and 29(1), read with Articles 14 and 15(1), in the same manner and to the same extent as minority institutions, the above mentioned Bench stated: "The right to establish and administer educational institutions is guaranteed under the Constitution to all citizens under Articles 19(1)(g) and 26, but this right will be subject to the provisions of Articles 19(6) and 26(a)". It may be stated that Article 19(6) relates to the State power to impose restrictions and to provide qualifications for professional or technical subjects and Article 26(a) is bout the normal State power of putting restrictions on account of public order, morality and health.
On the first question of the above mentioned case, namely, meaning of the term "minorities" in Article 30, the Bench ruled, "Since reorganisation of the States in India has been on linguistic lines, therefore, the purpose of determining the minority, the unit will be the State and not the whole of India." Thus, religious and linguistic minorities who have been put on a par in Article 30, have to be considered State wise.
Ground reality is that every metropolitan city - like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai - has around linguistics minority communities. Suppose, on the basis of the above interpretation of the Supreme Court, every linguistic minority in each cosmopolitan city starts establishing and administering educational institutions of its choice and claims State funds for them, there will be all round anarchy. It would be difficult to find where India exists. In a way, Articles 29 and 30, as interpreted and executed by the Indian governments, have become the gateway of complete disintegration of India and its people.
It is actually a test case for the Indian nationalists, especially Hindus, both in their individual and collective capacity, to force the government and the Parliament to rectify the existing perverse policy of giving extraordinary privileges to the Muslims and Christians in the deceptive name of minority protection, and that too at the cost of the majority, by way of huge financial aid to their educational institutions, various scholarships to their children and setting up various commissions and committees with a view to empowering them, obviously against the docile Hindu majority.
Besides the above, the decision of the NCMEI is a violation of the HRD Ministry’s stand to defer consideration of the matter about declaring Jamia Milia Islamia as a minority institutions so long as the question of declaring the AMU, (a similar university), as a minority educational institution is not decided by the Supreme Court. It raises an important question of law as to whether the NCMEI is a superior executive authority over the HRD Ministry or a semi judicial body as generally understood. Needless to say that granting a minority status to an educational institution is an executive matter falling within the jurisdiction of the HRD Ministry. Tht Ministry will be well advised to take up the issue with the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Law and if necessary, the Supreme Court.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)