Judiciary and its brahmanical prejudices in India
By Vidya Bhushan Rawat
Two Judges of Supreme court recently, for the first time in our judicial history, had the courage to challenge the religious text of the Brahmanical order. In an order favoring tribal women’s land right violating which the powerful in the village termed her as witch
and paraded her in the village. The Judges were very forthright in their statement saying that violation of the tribal right start from ancient period when Guru Dronacharya asked from his tribal disciple Eklavya to donate his thumb to him, in order to protect the interest of Arjuna, the kshatriya warrior to be the best archer of the world.
Not long back the same Supreme Court gave a judgment saying Hindutva is a way of life. It has been criticized. The highest court today is more sensitive than ever. Just a few days back the court amended their old order in which they upheld the life sentence to Dara Singh, the mastermind of burning Grahm Stains with his two sons in Orissa. While court upheld the high court’s judgment, it unnecessary stretched its brief to conversion and then said that Dara Singh was protecting people from converting to Christianity. The court later realize their mistake and amended the order.
The brahmanical prejudices in our system are well known and judiciary is no exception to it. There are number of judgments against dalits on the issues of reservations are well known and can be elaborated here. Even after the Mandal judgment the issues related to OBC reservation has been diluted in many ways and the issue of merit always cropped up as if there is no merit in those who come through reservation. This stand is quite dangerous. In fact, Indian courts have continuously opposed reservation in judicial services terming that it will affect merit in the courts as if all the other sectors where reservation is effective are non meritorious. The fact is judicial appointments are political nature and there is control of several families in top echelon of Indian judiciary. Like every other sector, here also we have judges who have history of their parents in the judiciary. Earlier, the people retiring from the Supreme Courts used to keep themselves off from the politics but today they are openly part of political parties and ideologies. Many of them like Justice V.M.Tarkunde, Justice Krishna Iyer, Justice Rajender Sachar gave monumental contribution in the field of human rights and promoting rule of law in the country and never ever took any official position. Some of them actually gave dangerous judgment and reports. Justice Rangnath Mishra was appointed by Rajiv Gandhi to look into the anti Sikh riots in the aftermath of Indira Gandhi’s death in 1984 and not a single political leader from the ruling party was charged. Justice Mishra got his reward to Rajya Sabha from the Congress Party.
The lower judiciary is more prone to brahmanical biases. In Allahabad, a district judge washed his court room with Ganga Jal when he assumed charge as his predecessor was a Dalit. Just a few days back we heard that a judge in Madhya Pradesh asked the government to get each children’s horoscope checked by the Brahmins and then admit them to school so that they can understand whether the boy or girl is going to be healthy child or not. This story has appeared in the Times of India yesterday though it was abuzz in the internet for long. The Child Rights commission in India has asked for a report on it.
Indian judiciary is like any other sector in India suffers from the inadequacy of understanding the issues and problems of the marginalized. If there are some judgments favoring them they are purely on charitable and good will basis. When ever the issue of the rights of the Dalits and marginalized have come judiciary by and large was seen with powerful. Several years back, the a retired Supreme Court judge was asked by the Supreme Court to report on the inadequacies Public Distribution System in several states. He called up meeting of many people working on the same. I was one of them. In the meeting the former Judge was asking people what would be good for them and then came out with an idea that to improve the efficiency of the PDS they must have computers at their shop. Every body was happy but when they realize that this was nothing but another sale ploy people opposed it. Suddenly, some of the people suggested the issue of quota for the Dalits, Muslims and others in the distribution of these shops. The judge became furious and he asked the others as why don’t they openly oppose it. How one any one who is not known marketing be given charge of shops. And he just stuck down the entire formulations that we can not talk of quota here.
In the past twenty years judiciary paved way for land acquisition process which was responsible for displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. Political craftiness and crookedness forced political leaders to take shelter in the judicial activism which was nothing but turning the issue of executive which is more accountable to the people, in their hands. Land has always been acquired in the name of ‘public interest’ but none could find what the public interest if lakhs of people have been uprooted from their land. There are definitely very good judgments and we always are grateful to them. We still look for some good judgments as people are quite fed up with political maneuvering.
Hence, land acquisition never ever got discussed in Parliament but it has been justified by the judiciary on many occasions.
Thousands of cases related to land ceiling act are lying with courts. Powerful people have time and money to delay judicial process. It’s the poor who bear the brunt of it. It’s difficult to bring all the cases to the court. Justice Y.B.Sabbarwal’s over enthusiasm on implementing Sealing process in Delhi and making our cities ‘world class’ is well known. It uprooted lakhs of people. DDA and other authorities got right to demolish any location and slums without rehabilitating them. It was painful to see how the doors of court remain close for the poor as they feel helpless.
Three years back a 4 year old Dalit girl was thrown into burning fire allegedly by an upper caste boy in district Mathura. The UP government appointed a fast track court to implicate him. The boy was booked under SC-ST prevention of Atrocities Act. The judge after hearing every one exonerated the boy that there is no witness. He rejected the contention that girls mother is a witness saying that she was in veil when the girl ‘fell; into the fire. There was no other witness and hence the judge came to the conclusion that the girl fell the fire out of her own even when it was clear that she was going to defecate with her mother and was pushed to fire by the local landlord who was unhappy with their using his fields to defecate.
It is important that India reform its judicial system and form an all Indian Judicial commission which be made responsible for recruitment of the judges and they be monitored and seen. Let a committee of retired judges observe and read the judgments of these judges and then promote them. Right now most of them are picked up from the practicing lawyers of High Courts, so political favor, relationships and other things matter and unfortunately that reflect in judgments on many occasions. Binayak Sen’s conviction is one such incident of how judges in the lower courts have already made up their mind and do not normally question the government version. The situation is grim as people do not have money and patience to fight for their cases in the High Court and Supreme Court.
I have been fighting for the case of 150 Dalit families in Shaheed Udham Singh Nagar for the past 15 years. The were fighting for implementation of land ceiling act and be given land declared surplus under Ceiling Act. This case went to Allahabad High Court where the judge upheld ceiling. Then the powerful people of a company challenged in the Supreme Court and lost there also. The judgment came in 2004 and we waited with breathe that now the people would get their land. When nothing happened and the judgment was dubiously used to defeat the purpose of it, we went to the Lokayukta of the Uttarakhand state who took about 2 years to come to a conclusion that the violation of Supreme Court Judgment has happened that official need to be punished. Nothing happened. We went to the Supreme Court again. Justice K.G.Balakrishanan accepted the petition but for next three years, he did not give us time to hear it. As soon as it he retired, the petition came to current Chief justice who directed us to go the Uttarakhand High Court, Nainital. Now, it is painful for people to wait for three year and then be asked to go back to High Court. We went to Nainital High Court where the chief justice was not willing to listen to us even when we mentioned that it is under the direction of the Supreme Court. Finally, he fixed up a date to clear the case. We brought to his notice violation of Supreme Court judgment and Lokayukta report but that was clearly rejected. Lokayukta can not be bigger than this court said Chief Justice. Now the question was no body was questioning the powers of judiciary, we just used his report because it took two years for him to come to some conclusion and he himself was a judge in Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court.
The Ayodhya verdict has been shocking. How are the judges going to decide where Lord Rama Was born. Is it the job of the judiciary to decide about it. The matter before them was whether some body installed the statues of Ram in the Babari mosque or not and secondly about the ownership of the land which could have been judged on the basis of their papers yet the judges went on and on to declared it. If such cases become a legality than it would be difficult to find any land in India for human being as under each building the religious thugs are ready to say there resided a ‘god’ and we have over 33 crore of them.
The latest judgment in this series is of Bombay High Court which declared that Astrology is science. Should the judiciary accept such cases? How can they come to such a conclusion? If they want a meaningful judgment why can’t they seek opinion from medical and other department like that of Science and Technology? Isn’t it a fact that our judiciary is taking their role much beyond their defined role and is opening a Pandora’s Box. Such judgment helps the religious manipulators to spread their false massage in the name of judicial approval. It does not bode well to the health of the country. There is a need to control astrologers as there is no mechanism where they be held accountable. There is no mechanism where an Ayurvedik doctor and his activities be monitored under MRTPC act. If they are being declared as science and modern then all the modern day rules and regulation should also be implemented on them. Like any medicine they should also put expiry dates and other things on their products and all their activities should be scrutinized.
It is really needed that judicial system be reformed so that people get justice. This is a great season at the Supreme Court when some of the judges have delivered great judgment favoring tribal and Dalits, on human rights and against corruption. One sincerely hopes that this tribe of honest judges will increase whose judgment will help the marginalized gain their rights and confidence. It is time for reservation in judiciary for the Dalits, Muslims, Adivasis and women so that their confidence level also grows and people feel safe that the judges will understand their feeling and issues. Some of my friends suggest that this is the best moment in the Supreme Court in recent history when we are witnessing some fairly balanced judgment. People are still looking to higher courts for resolution of their problems. On Gujarat they have consistently taken a stand against the communal politics of Narendra Modi. Similarly, on many other things including the tribal rights, common land of the village, on women’s right, the judges have taken bold stand in the Supreme Court. One sincerely hopes that the highest court of the land will do its best to change the set up of judicial appointments as well as speedy process of law so that they are delivered on time. It is also important that Supreme Court take not of what the High courts are delivering and wheverever the judges have gone or commented beyond their jurisdiction should not only be scrutinized but those portion should be withdrawn. In the Graham Stains case the Supreme Court has withdrawn controversial portion of its order which is a welcome sign. One hope that the Supreme Court will support initiative in the direction so that in our judicial officers are more sensitized on the issue of caste, gender and communalism and it is not possible without fair representation of people from affected communities in the services.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Copy of Supreme Court's Historic Order
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
<span>CRIMINAL APPEAL NO(s). 889 OF 2007</span>
ARUP BHUYAN Appellant (s)
VERSUS
STATE OF ASSAM Respondent(s)
<span>O R D E R</span>
Heard learned counsel for the parties.
This Appeal has been filed against the impugned judgment of the Designated Court, Assam at Guwahati dated 28.03.2007 passed in TADA Sessions Case No. 13 of 1991.
The facts have already been set out in the impugned judgment and hence we are not repeating the same here except wherever necessary.
The appellant is alleged to be a member of ULFA and the only material produced by the prosecution against the appellant is his alleged confessional statement made before the Superintendent of Police in which he is said to have identified the house of the deceased.
Confession to a police officer is inadmissible vide Section 25 of the Evidence Act, but it is admissible in TADA cases vide Section 15 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987.
:1:
Confession is a very weak kind of evidence. As is well known, the wide spread and rampant practice in the police in India is to use third degree methods for extracting confessions from the alleged accused. Hence, the courts have to be cautious in accepting confessions made to the police by the alleged accused.
Unfortunately, the police in our country are not trained in scientific investigation (as is the police in Western countries) nor are they provided the technical equipments for scientific investigation, hence to obtain a conviction they often rely on the easy short cut of procuring a confession under torture.
Torture is such a terrible thing that when a person is under torture he will confess to almost any crime. Even Joan of Arc confessed to be a witch under torture. Hence, where the prosecution case mainly rests on the confessional statement made to the police by the alleged accused, in the absence of corroborative material, the courts must be hesitant before they accept such extra-judicial confessional statements.
In the instant case, the prosecution case mainly relies on the alleged confessional statement of the appellant made before the Superintendent of Police, which is an
:2:
extra-judicial confession and there is absence of corroborative material. Therefore, we are of the opinion that it will not be safe to convict the accused on the basis of alleged confessional statement.
For the reasons stated above, we are in agreement with the impugned judgment so far as it has taken the view that the confessional statement in question cannot be acted upon as the sole basis for conviction of the appellant.
However, the TADA Court has convicted the appellant under Section 3(5) of the TADA which makes mere membership of a banned organisation criminal. Although the appellant has denied that he was a member of ULFA, which is a banned organisation. Even assuming he was a member of ULFA it has not been proved that he was an active member and not a mere passive member.
In <span>State of Kerala</span> Vs. <span>Raneef</span>, 2011 (1) SCALE 8, we have respectfully agreed with the U.S. Supreme Court decision in <span>Elfbrandt</span> Vs. <span>Russell</span>, 384 U.S. 17 (1966) which has rejected the doctrine of <span>'guilt by association'</span>. Mere membership of a banned organisation will not incriminate a person unless he resorts to violence or incites people to violence or does an act intended to create disorder or disturbance of public peace by resort to
:3:
violence (See : also the Constitution Bench judgment of this Court in <span>Kedar Nath</span> Vs. <span>State of Bihar</span>, AIR 1962 SCC 955 para 26).
In <span>Clarence Brandenburg</span> Vs. <span>State of Ohio</span>, 395 U.S. 444 (1969) the U.S. Supreme Court went further and held that mere "advocacy or teaching the duty, necessity, or propriety" of violence as a means of accomplishing political or industrial reform, or publishing or circulating or displaying any book or paper containing such advocacy, or justifying the commission of violent acts with intent to exemplify, spread or advocate the propriety of the doctrines of criminal syndicalism, or to voluntarily assemble with a group formed "to teach or advocate the doctrines of criminal syndicalism" is not per seillegal. It will become illegal only if it incites to imminent lawless action. The statute under challenge was hence held to be unconstitutional being violative of the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
In <span>United States</span> Vs. <span>Eugene Frank Robel</span>, 389 U.S. 258, the U.S. Supreme Court held that a member of a communist organisation could not be regarded as doing an unlawful act by merely obtaining employment in a defence facility.
4. We respectfully agree with the above decisions, and are
of the opinion that they apply to India too, as our fundamental rights are similar to the Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution.
In our opinion, Section 3(5) cannot be read literally otherwise it will violate Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution. It has to be read in the light of our observations made above. Hence, mere membership of a banned organisation will not make a person a criminal unless he resorts to violence or incites people to violence or creates public disorder by violence or incitement to violence.
Hence, the conviction of the appellant under Section 3(5) of the TADA is also not sustainable.
The impugned judgment of the Designated Court, Assam at Guwahati dated 28.03.2007 passed in TADA Sessions Case No. 13 of 1991 is set aside and the Appeal stands allowed.
By Order dated 29.10.2007 this Court had directed that the appellant be released on bail on his furnishing adequate security to the satisfaction of the trial court. Security furnished by the appellant in pursuance of Order dated 29.10.2007 shall stand discharged.
..........................J.
(MARKANDEY KATJU)
..........................J.
(GYAN SUDHA MISRA)
NEW DELHI;
FEBRUARY 03, 2011. :5:
--
Vidya Bhushan Rawat
Visit my blog at
www.manukhsi.blogspot.com
For information on the issues, movements and priorities of Scavenger community in India please log on to
www.swachchakar.blogspot.com
For information on civil society initiatives on Muslims in UP please log on to
www.rehnumaa.blogspot.com
Follow me on twitter at freetohumanity
Skype at vbrawat
For Social action, land rights, right to food and hunger issues support Social Development Foundation at www.thesdf.org
Saturday, February 05, 2011
Supreme Court's Historic Judgement
regards,
Vidya Bhushan Rawat
Read more: Just being member of banned outfit not a crime: Supreme Court - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Just-being-member-of-banned-outfit-not-a-crime-Supreme-Court/articleshow/7428601.cms#ixzz1D2vCXIK9
--
Vidya Bhushan Rawat
Visit my blog at
www.manukhsi.blogspot.com
For information on the issues, movements and priorities of Scavenger community in India please log on to
www.swachchakar.blogspot.com
For information on civil society initiatives on Muslims in UP please log on to
www.rehnumaa.blogspot.com
For Social action, land rights, right to food and hunger issues support Social Development Foundation at www.thesdf.org
Just being member of banned outfit not a crime: Supreme Court
NEW DELHI: Members of banned organizations cannot be treated as criminals by police till they indulge in or incite violence, the Supreme Court ruled on Friday.
The apex court's Friday ruling is part of a judgment acquitting Arup Bhuyan, convicted by a Guwahati court under the now lapsed anti-terror law Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act. Bhuyan was a suspected member of the outlawed secessionist outfit United Liberation Front of Assam ( Ulfa) which figures at the top of the home ministry`s list of banned organizations.
"Mere membership of a banned organization will not make a person a criminal unless he resorts to violence or incites people to violence or creates public disorder by violence or incitement to violence," a Bench comprising Justices Markandey Katju and Gyan Sudha Misra said.
The order can have a bearing on the plans of outlawed outfits which include terror and insurgent groups. The list of 32 banned organizations on the website of ministry of home affairs includes al-Qaida, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Students` Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), CPI(M-L) and allied formations, militant groups active in north-eastern states, Khalistan Commando Force, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, International Sikh Youth Federation, Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen and Al Badr.
Exactly a month ago, the same Bench had upheld bail to a doctor arrested for treating a man accused of chopping off the hand of a Kerala professor for setting a controversial question paper.
The January 3 judgment had said, "Mere membership of a banned organization will not incriminate a person unless he resorts to violence or incites people to violence or does an act intended to create disorder or disturbance of public peace by resort to violence."
The trial court had convicted Bhuyan based on his confession to police, admissible as evidence under TADA. Bhuyan had appealed in Supreme Court.
Allowing his petition, the court said his conviction was based on "a very weak kind of evidence" and could not be sustained in the absence of corroborative material.
On the confessions, Justices Katju and Misra expressed strong views. "As is well known, the widespread and rampant practice in the police in India is to use third-degree methods for extracting confessions from the alleged accused. Hence, the courts have to be cautious in accepting confessions made to the police by the alleged accused," the Bench said.
Police often extracted confession from an accused because they were neither trained nor equipped with gadgets to conduct scientific investigation like their western counterparts, the Bench said, adding, "Hence, to obtain a conviction, they often rely on the easy short-cut of procuring a confession under torture." The court added, "Torture is such a terrible thing that when a person is under torture, he will confess to almost any crime. Even Joan of Arc confessed to be a witch under torture."
The apex court's Friday ruling is part of a judgment acquitting Arup Bhuyan, convicted by a Guwahati court under the now lapsed anti-terror law Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act. Bhuyan was a suspected member of the outlawed secessionist outfit United Liberation Front of Assam ( Ulfa) which figures at the top of the home ministry`s list of banned organizations.
"Mere membership of a banned organization will not make a person a criminal unless he resorts to violence or incites people to violence or creates public disorder by violence or incitement to violence," a Bench comprising Justices Markandey Katju and Gyan Sudha Misra said.
The order can have a bearing on the plans of outlawed outfits which include terror and insurgent groups. The list of 32 banned organizations on the website of ministry of home affairs includes al-Qaida, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Students` Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), CPI(M-L) and allied formations, militant groups active in north-eastern states, Khalistan Commando Force, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, International Sikh Youth Federation, Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen and Al Badr.
Exactly a month ago, the same Bench had upheld bail to a doctor arrested for treating a man accused of chopping off the hand of a Kerala professor for setting a controversial question paper.
The January 3 judgment had said, "Mere membership of a banned organization will not incriminate a person unless he resorts to violence or incites people to violence or does an act intended to create disorder or disturbance of public peace by resort to violence."
The trial court had convicted Bhuyan based on his confession to police, admissible as evidence under TADA. Bhuyan had appealed in Supreme Court.
Allowing his petition, the court said his conviction was based on "a very weak kind of evidence" and could not be sustained in the absence of corroborative material.
On the confessions, Justices Katju and Misra expressed strong views. "As is well known, the widespread and rampant practice in the police in India is to use third-degree methods for extracting confessions from the alleged accused. Hence, the courts have to be cautious in accepting confessions made to the police by the alleged accused," the Bench said.
Police often extracted confession from an accused because they were neither trained nor equipped with gadgets to conduct scientific investigation like their western counterparts, the Bench said, adding, "Hence, to obtain a conviction, they often rely on the easy short-cut of procuring a confession under torture." The court added, "Torture is such a terrible thing that when a person is under torture, he will confess to almost any crime. Even Joan of Arc confessed to be a witch under torture."
Read more: Just being member of banned outfit not a crime: Supreme Court - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Just-being-member-of-banned-outfit-not-a-crime-Supreme-Court/articleshow/7428601.cms#ixzz1D2vCXIK9
--
Vidya Bhushan Rawat
Visit my blog at
www.manukhsi.blogspot.com
For information on the issues, movements and priorities of Scavenger community in India please log on to
www.swachchakar.blogspot.com
For information on civil society initiatives on Muslims in UP please log on to
www.rehnumaa.blogspot.com
Follow me on twitter at freetohumanity
Skype at vbrawat
For Social action, land rights, right to food and hunger issues support Social Development Foundation at www.thesdf.org
Friday, February 04, 2011
Pro Democracy Struggle of Egypt
A Historic moment in Egypt
Popular revolt is against symbolic democracy and fake secularism
By Vidya Bhushan Rawat
It is difficult for dictators and despots to leave their power and possessions as things are painful afterwards and you do not have everything at your disposal. Surrounded by hundreds of Chums, these self glorified leaders have virtually lost touch with modern day realities, the pains and agonies of their masses. Every political leader became victim of their own images and egos and developed a larger than life image of their own selves. At the end, when they face the popular music from people, they failed to realize that their time has run out and it was time to say bye. The last big revolt of the masses was seen in the Philippines when military dictator Ferdinand Marcos was overthrown by the masses but not before things were made difficult for him. The exiled opposition leader Benigno Aquino whose wife Corazon Aquino became president of that country later in 1986, was assassinated in August 1983 as soon as he landed at the Manila airport from the United States. Anyone who has seen the life style of the then president could vouch why he became a hate figure in his own country. Popular uprising forced Tunisian President Ben Ali to run away from his country and take asylum in Saudi Arabia. Egypt secular dictator Hosni Mubarak feel that he was still fit to rule the country and that he has more people on his side. To complicate further, he warned the west that if he is forced to quit, Egypt would be under the Islamic Fundamentalist forces. While he could not organize a march of even two thousands people, paid goons of the government and those who felt that they might lose their perks and contacts in the new set up, lost no time in attacking the protestors as the army stood mute and watched the events helplessly. It was a well managed act yet got exposed on Televisions sets world wide. President Mubarak who is not so young today, is still sticking to chair with all dirty tricks wanted to show his masters in the United States that he is still in command and a 'people's representative'. Americans are actually 'experts' in exporting such democracies to the world which create Mubarak or Shah which produce an Ayatollah or Taliban in counter revolution.
When two million people marched at the liberation square in Cairo, Mubarak and his cronies might not have imagined that people would stay whole night and ready to take on the government. Perhaps the most important factor in the power politics is the 'patience' of the governing class and the 'impatience' of the oppressed. They know well that the longer this protest grow, it will get frustrated as people have to ultimately look for their survival as none of them are fortunate enough to survive without working like our powerful people could do with out caring for. Unfortunately, when the protest reached the 9th day, the state apparatus swung into action and started infiltrating in the movement for democracy. Mubarak's thugs came in Cars, Camels and horses and attacked brutally to every one. We saw live coverage how journalists are being targeted and foreigners are being shown the door. In the presence of international media, he knew that US and Europeans were determined to his ouster yet the facts are clear that they all know that once Mubarak is ousted then the new equations might be more dangerous. That this revolution does not go in the hands of allegedly Islamic groups was more problematic for the western diplomats and hence they have been working over time to stop it. The delayed tactics are being used and army is being taught to be a serious player so that a 'secular 'government' stays in power. This 'secular government' clearly means the one which can keep the interest of these powers safe and continue to be 'friendly' with Israel which feel continuously threatened with the growing unease in the entire Arab world against the dictators pampered by the United States. It's the 12th today as thousands of people continue to defy the guns, tanks and power of Hosni Mubarak whose dictatorial powers for past thirty years compelled people to come to the street and fight for their right. The fear of people has disappeared now despite army's dwindling responses. Initially the armed forces said that they would not fire on their own people but they did not do much to protect the protesters from the assault of the paid goons of the president. Though they know it well that they can not fire on its people.
Why has Egypt erupted against the president who looked secular to all of us who were not living in that country? Years ago, when people like Mubarak, Shah of Iran, Nazib, Saddam Hussein, King of Jordan, Hafiz Al Asad of Syria, Ben Ali of Tunisia were leading their nations, the general feeling outside their countries was of secular leadership.
Since no information would come out, a foreign visit of these dictators was always a public relation exercise for all. For US, UK and India, these despots were their secular Islamic face and for them and their public their popularity internationally. It also meant that the policies have got approval by the international community. The fact is that they were indeed secular in their personal lives who had the best materialistic things at their disposal and who denied their people right to freedom of expression and right to make independent political choices. Thousands of political opponents were jailed and constitution became 'keep' of the rulers.
Today, when people all over the world are describing the events in Egypt as Tsunami or major earth quack which has swept across the Arab world, the tremors are being felt everywhere. Nobody ever thought that a slap by a police woman to a vegetable vendor in Tunisia would force the 'secular' dictator to run away and take shelter at Saudi Arabia, the biggest lanky of the United States. It has to be understood why the entire Arab world is in the crisis and why a secular alternative is often out of sight in those countries. Why Arab world has turned so rigid. And the answers lies in Iranian revolution in 1975 when the revolutionary Iranian overthrew corrupted Shah Regime and Ayatollah Khomeini became the new voice of the Islamic world. That is why it is important to understand why Arab world is so different and react negatively to American imposed western democracy and secularism. It is not that the people there do not want democratic secular values. But if secularism is keeping the opponents in prison and allowing a dictator to rule the country unquestionably then we are going to see more problem. Without resolving the Israel Palestinian issue, no Arab government can live peacefully. The present peace that the Western world feels about the Arab world is imposed and purchased by supplying huge arms and keeping the armed forces happy. That is why, each of these despots had unquestioned support from their army as they too know it well that once real democracy comes in these societies the perks and loot in the name of national security will have to be replaced by a more transparent pro people policy of the governments.
In 1981 President Anwar Sadaat was assassinated by the extremists who were unhappy with his signing treaty with Israel. Mubarak was his deputy and took over. Since then Egyptians have to contain with Mubarak and his military commanders. It is equally interesting that none in the western world ever thought of writing about the gross human rights violations in these states. The violence against children and women is rampant and honored killings have official sanction. Blasphemy laws are used to curtail opposition and freedom of expression and right to chose political party and political protest is unknown phenomena in many of these states. Yet, in the name of modernity, Americanisation process started. Big companies had huge land and market in the region. Efforts were made to convert the distinct Islamic values into forced 'secularism'. There was no effort to strengthen democratic voices and dissent. Americans were only interested in their interest and were pumping money to two of its giant like Saudi Arabia and Egypt. It was American money only that was taking care of Israel too so you have both warring groups in your hand. Mubarak despite wide protest in the Islamic world continued to be in the good book of the Western governments and the people in large were unable to protest against him because they were afraid of power.
It has to be understood that just aping the western power will not bring secularism in these states. The fact is that Americans and western interventions had nothing to help secular voices. After all how did Taliban come into force in Afghanistan or now the radicals in Iraq? The things are clear that nobody would accept imposed secularism at the cost of their cultural identities and subjugation of their masses. In the glitter of free market we forgot that the life was becoming hell in all these nations. The free market economy failed Indonesia and Malaysia and then followed by Turkey. The colonial democracy imposed by the western elites in these countries actually was nothing but fancy of a few feudal lords who cared nothing about their people. Human rights violation was a regular affair and the powerful manipulated democracy for their own purposes. Most of them hailed from Army which played an important role in strengthening 'democracy' in their respective countries.
Can a 'secular dictatorship' be allowed to ruin these countries which do not allow freedom of press and freedom of choices? How are they called secular when they violate the basic principles of democracy? How is it that the colonial powers had different sets of rule for democracy in their own country and their colonies? How is that none in US and UK could rule for more than 10 years yet in all the states which are being pampered by them their chums are ruling for over 30-40 years. There is no civil society and political freedom. Keeping army powerful in these countries is the western way of controlling their leadership and that is why what we are witnessing in Egypt and other parts of Arab world is a rejection of these power politics.
The popular unrest in Egypt has been successful though it has not reached to a logical conclusion. Mubarak has threatened an Islamic revolution if he leaves and he does not want his country to convert into an Iraq or Afghanistan. But the fact is that Mubarak will do so till his last breathe as he has now realized that his days are numbered and yet he is there because of the hypocrisy of the Western governments who are unable to find another puppet to serve their interest. The people know it well and that is why most of the protesters as well as the pro government people, shouted slogans and posters against the Western governments. Interestingly the person who is made his deputy hails from the army and intelligence. He is bargaining with west and probably to ensure that the government after him does not go on which hunt against him. US know well that any new entrants may not be instrumental in their plan to control Suez for commercial purposes. One of Mubarak's close-aid in an interview to BBC said that he was an army man first and any army one would like to be killed or shot at rather than run away from the battle ground. According to him, Mubarak will fight this battle with honor as he would not like to quit as Ben Ali did as there is a difference between Egypt and Tunisia.
Whatever happened but the fact is that the Egyptian coup has send tremors not only in the Arab world but also elsewhere. We wait when will such revolutions happen in our part of the world where democratic dictators have made our lives hell. Egyptian people have shown great courage in their fight against one of their mightiest opponent. And this courage needs to be saluted. More importantly, this is not just secularism and democracy debate. Behind every glitter of the free market world is an ugly reality of life. Behind every power of stock market is a dark side where people have no space to live and get two time meals. The western world might change the debate and put it according to their convenience but the fact is lack of employment, increasing inflation and absolutely difficult life style will create more unrest. IMF report has already indicated that the world will face such crisis including food riots in future as situation is absolutely grim. It is therefore important for the Western World to keep away from intervening in the Arab world and allow a democratic transition in those countries. Let their people decide what suits to them as an American solution for an Egyptian problem would be counter productive and will fail. Whatever form of government we have, at the end of the day, if it does not lift the masses and improve their lives, they will always face challenges. Let us not forget these factors that people want a better life style, peace and prosperity in all the regions and the political paratroopers have completely failed to satisfy their basic minimum needs as looking secular was more important for them then creating more work, better jobs for their own people with peace and stability in the region. Egypt's crisis is warning to all those who created these symbolic democracies to fulfill their own market agendas. The war has just begun that market has failed, it will create more chaos in the region and that by and large people want secularism and democracy but definitely not at the cost of their society and country. The protesters who are shouting in the streets want better lives for them, cheap food and more jobs and definitely does not have any hatred towards any one except the ruling elite whether it is Muslim or any one else. Democracy and secularism will never get strengthened with undemocratic despots who are destroying their countries to keep their Western world happy. Their time has come now as this mass uprising will not go in vein. It has already jolted Mubarak and other such governments in the region. May they succeed and a democratic transition takes place in the region soon.
--Vidya Bhushan Rawat
Visit my blog at
www.manukhsi.blogspot.com
For information on the issues, movements and priorities of Scavenger community in India please log on to
www.swachchakar.blogspot.com
For information on civil society initiatives on Muslims in UP please log on to
www.rehnumaa.blogspot.com
Follow me on twitter at freetohumanity
Skype at vbrawat
For Social action, land rights, right to food and hunger issues support Social Development Foundation at www.thesdf.org
--
Vidya Bhushan Rawat
Visit my blog at
www.manukhsi.blogspot.com
For information on the issues, movements and priorities of Scavenger community in India please log on to
www.swachchakar.blogspot.com
For information on civil society initiatives on Muslims in UP please log on to
www.rehnumaa.blogspot.com
Follow me on twitter at freetohumanity
Skype at vbrawat
For Social action, land rights, right to food and hunger issues support Social Development Foundation at www.thesdf.org
Friday, January 28, 2011
Corruption killing honest people
India sinks in corruption and cast-ism
By Vidya Bhushan Rawat
On the eve of our 61st republic day an upright officer in Maharastra was burnt alive by the oil Mafia as he tried to stop them from doing so. No officer of collector level normally travels without a few of his assistants. Additional District Collector of Malegaon Yashwant Sonawane found the Oil Mafia pilfering the oil and adulterating it. To make the case foolproof, he took video of the entire incident on his mobile phone. This resulted in scuffle and Sonawane lost his life in a brutal way. As Mumbai Mid day reported, the officer was allowed to die as none of his assistants tried to douse the flame. He fought with life for nearly 35 minutes before succumbing to burn. Can one believe such incidents where officers and Babus have taken the country for a ride. This incident should not become a tool for these corrupt officers to do away with people’s work and surround them in heavy security cordon. Though every one sympathise with Sonawane yet it does not give certificate of integrity to Indian bureaucrats who remain spineless to political-mafia class and show their spine only to the poor in the villages. Yes, the entire bureaucracy can not be blamed yet India needs cleansing from top to down. Its mindset is not changing. It remains prisoner of caste, gender bias and a corruption. A few years back a bright engineer of Indian Oil Manjunath was brutally murdered by the oil mafias in Uttar-Pradesh.
This incident has shocked the entire nation on the eve of republic day. We are already depressed with the growing unrest and uneasiness in the country. Nothing seems to be working here. When the report of Sonawane’s brutal burning came, the news channels were still busy with whether Sachin Tendulkar would get Bharat Ratna or not. It is business usual for them as they will have other stories to celebrate.
But 61 years after becoming a republic and so-called democratic country, why India is suffering and why it continue to be one of the most corrupted countries in the world. It is ironical that people in India are looking towards despots and dictators for being clean and committed even when they have seen and heard about these in Pakistan, Philippines and elsewhere. Why the situation has arisen when our friends are talking of a Tunisian replication in India. Let us discuss these issues in details.
Corruption did not erupt in India all of a sudden. Indian regimes were heavily corrupted and promoting their own family and relatives. The political system has become victim of this and the ruling Congress Party can not absolve itself from the major ills that the country face today. The Hindutva is a logical illegitimate child of Gandhian variety of politics that Congress and its various offshoots claim to follow. That corruption has a caste angle too needs to be seen in larger perspective.
In 1986, the issue of corruption in high places was highlighted by Late V.P.Singh and he faced not only false accusation and allegation that some of the top ranking editors allowed them to be used by the ruling congress in power games that time. Hence targeting the whistleblower is part of our power polity. All attempts were made to malign him and finish him politically. A fake account in his name was opened in St Kitts and the news for it was leaked through one of country’s top editors Mr M.J.Akbar. Akbar was part of congress party’s cocktail circle and later became spokes-person of the party. The reason for this was that as a finance minister in Rajeev Gandhi’s regime, VP Singh dared to raid the houses of those industrial houses who considered to sacrosanct in this country. Many new things were emerging. Ambanis, India’s most corrupted business house lobbied against it and used CBI and intelligence for its own purpose. State apparatus was playing in the hands of these powerful to lobby for them and thus reducing the state into virtual prisoner of these powers. It was also charged that VP Singh with his confident officials like Bhure Lal and Vinod Pandey were speaking to Fairfax agency to investigate the illegal money of Indian in foreign banks including the Swiss banks. The Prime Minister Gandhi shifted him to defense ministry against the public mood under the impression that India was facing severe challenge from Pakistan. There as a defense minister, he ordered inquiry into German HDW Howitzer deal and found that commission was paid. At the same point of time, news came of the Boforse Gun Deal and commission paid in it and the rest is history. Today, Congress and its most disgusting politicians may claim that this is not an issue but the fact is that Bofors caught the imagination of Indian people and the 1989 mandate against Rajiv Gandhi was a mandate against corruption. Though that government did not survive long yet the contribution of that fight against corruption made congress party virtually defensive and finished its unquestioned monopoly of country’s polity.
V.P.Singh was a hero of the Indian middle classes. He was personally honest and committed to the cause and hence people believed in him. But what happened afterwards. The 1991 acceptance of Mandal Commission Report change his acceptance in the middle classes. From an honest politician, he became one of the most hated one in Indian political scenario who must be shunned and rejected. Those who claimed to be his friends were totally co-opted by the Congress brand of secular politics which meant every thing is accepted as long as you are ‘secular’. They took people for granted and felt that ‘secularism’ is the final chord that this country wants and none is bothered about their deeds. His colleagues could not take themselves to those heights where your moral integrity and individual honesty matters a lot. They took inspiration from Congress’s family world and could not follow that properly. Corruption killed them politically and family world surrounded with their Chamchas was the last nail in their coffin.
BSP founder Kanshi Ram was an exception in this field. He kept himself away from the family and that is why not close to the charges of corruption. Even if some people might have alleged that he took money from Congress party or Rajeev Gandhi, his personal self remained pure. None of his family people could claim that they benefited from his politics and such politics gives you strength. That is why Kanshi Ram remains the idol for many of us who the others might charge as Machiavellian. Whatever he was, he never betrayed his community. The interest of his community was top in his mind. Once you are individually clean and honest, your followers will always ready to fight along with you. BSP’s cadres still remember Kanshiram and get strength from his work for the society. Politicians like Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Yadav, Ram Vilas Paswan could follow neither Lohia, Jai Prakash nor VP Singh or Karpoori Thakur for they all were known for their personal integrity despite their political successes or failures. How will you accept that Karunanidhi is the rightful heir of Periyar. It did not deter them from pursuing their agenda. It is not that there are no politicians of that kind but I am speaking of those who are supposed to be leading figures of their parties.
Unfortunately, the last 10 years, the foundation of Indian republic are under clear challenge from the corrupted. The crony capitalism promoted by the political parties particularly the Congress and BJP has resulted in complete collapse of our system. Bureaucrats are promoting linkages with Industries for their retirement benefits. Industries have controlled media and media is converting the non issues into the issues and avoiding debate on the issues of public interest. None feel shameful when Mukesh Ambani built a five thousand crore empire in Mumbai and his brother promise to create a better one in future. Whose money is this? Is there any shame? Was there any debate as why our Industrialists have no shame in claiming people’s money as their own and spending it on their shameless luxuries. Will there be a law. No, there is no question of a law on private property, say experts. Pranab Mukherjee, India’s finance minister say that the black money put in the Swiss bank can only be brought to India if the names of the people are not made public. Is it in an indirect way approval for an amnesty which Dr Manmohan Singh started several years back to legitimize the illegally begotten money by the corrupt Indian elite? Is it because there are a number of accounts belonging to Indian political class? Is it because we want to save special people from public scrutiny?
According to reports India has the largest number of sum in the Swiss bank followed by Russia but the gap between the first and second is too big and shows how India has sunk further. That this illegal money is of India’s poor is beyond any one’s doubt. It is certain the money has been deposited by politicians, industrialists, moneylenders and others like them as they know well that once they are found guilty in India, they can fly to Switzerland and its beautiful mountains without any problem and can live rest of their lives there.
.
INDIA $1,456 BILLION
RUSSIA $470 BILLION
U.K. $390 BILLION
UKRAINE $100 BILLION
CHINA $96 BILLION
The past 10 years have shown that this nexus between different groups, industrial and business houses and politicians-bureaucrats have influenced India’s policies and planning. So, nothing happened when inflation goes beyond the roof top. Our poor do not earn 50 cent a day while our leaders live in grand style. Their expenses are not questioned. They have discretionary quotas to allot public land to their friends, families and relatives. Y.S.Rajshekar Reddy started it in Andhra Pradesh and BSYadirappa is shameless in doing so and the Hindutva’s ‘soul keepers’ say it is ‘immoral and unethical’ yet not illegal. It is simply Hindutva way of defining corruption. They are calling for strike, stalling Parliament yet remain silent on the marriage of their president’s son. Where has the money come from? Can’t we do it in a simple way Mr Advani? Why our political class want to celebrate their private matter in a Raja-Maharaja style.
Corruption will not become an issue as long as it is not addressed from the root cause. A caste-ist society which is patriarchical believes in spreading the family wings. India’s corruption is basically to strengthen family control. Whether it is bollywood films, politics, industries or judiciary, it is to enlarge their families and circle to control India. You have judges coming from particular families, industrialists strengthening their families and Bollywood and Dollywood (delhi’s dirty political world) ready to fight honesty to promote their families. Political parties with immense benami land and money control will never fight against corruption as they have got ‘people’s mandate. One does not know what is this ‘people’s mandate when more than 50% voters do not even caste their vote. Most of the governments in this country and states are on less than 40% votes of the popular vote caste which actually is 20% of the votes of total eligible voters. That means most of the government in India after independence did not have the popular mandate of the people and that is the reason of their continuous negligence of people’s issues and their deep involvement in the loot of people’s resources. Moreover, when ever they want to change, they would raise some emotive issue and rise on the popular sentiments of the masses. The fact of the matter is that India’s electoral system is corrupted and it is giving rise to more corruption. There is a relative competition with the corrupt politicians who have taken their people for granted as they always felt that it is not going to be an issue. Leaders have become the ‘voice’ and ‘identity’ of their communities as if they are not there the community will be orphaned. This mindset has grown in the communities also and it has now the created the sinking feeling of helplessness and a blank future.
A country of 2 billion people can not be allowed to sink in the blank because of the historical wrongs committed by particular castes, its leaders and mercenaries. A country can not live in the baggage of past as it has to look forward. It can not be a victim of Dronacharya syndrome for ever where definition of corruption was different for different people.
Today, Lal Krishna Adavani and his fellow charioteers are seeking people’s mandate on corruption without ever introspecting on their own deeds of corruption. It is not phenomena that developed suddenly but the way our political system continued to ape the business interest, it was bound to happen. It will happen as long as our political class as a whole is prisoner of business houses, the corporate who will make it dance on their tones. The media will report according to its corporate interest. For getting rid of depression it has cricket and Bolly-wood in its kitty so there is no time for people’s issues. In fact, it is over enthusiastic about World Economic Forum meet in Devos. Hindutva’s cocktail with business and babas is well known to be discussed here. It is tragic that to fight against corruption we will depend on those forces whose basic preamble and ideology is corrupted and based on fanaticism, hatred and brahmanical racist hegemony. Public memory may be short but the facts are clear that in Parliament Congress opposed Mandal Commission Recommendation along with Advani. Lal Krishna Advani started his Kamandal yatra to counter the impact of Mandal on Indian masses and bring the asserting bahujan masses back to the Hindutva fold lead by the caste Hindus. It is beyond doubt that P.V.Narsimha Rao complimented the Hindutva by opening India’s gate for all these companies at the cost of destroying the public sector institutions to eliminate quota system.
At the World Economic Forum, Ajim Premji expressed shock of the collapse of governance in India. But he should introspect also as why the collapse. With the active participation of India’s crony capitalists, the political class alone can not be responsible for bringing us to this stage. It was logical conclusion of the dirt that we thought in the aftermath of the policies initiated by Manmohan Singh as Finance Minister and then followed as Prime Minister. These policies developed in rampant corruption by these companies. Do you think that the political parties and leaders who are selling our farmer’s land and property to private companies are doing it without any personal interest? Why are Vijay Malya, Anil Ambani, elected unopposed in Parliament. Why every political party is looking for an Amar Singh or Pramod Mahajan. Do we respect honesty really? How many of our people know about Madhu Dandwate, Surendra Mohan Karpoori Thakur, Kanshi Ram, Ram Dhan and Indrajeet Gupta. How much did media report about their deaths and their political lives?
Well, a system created to help the powerful class will always deviate from the issues and use media to over turn a mandate. Fortunately, despite all tall claims, people of India still have their own mind to vote and they voted according to their issues and priorities. I always loved what Late Kanshi Ram used to say ‘, we do not need Majboot Sarkar in Delhi but Mazboor sarkar which mean we need a weak government in Delhi and not a strong’. Congress in its second term actually proved how it has drifted from people’s issue and aspirations. Fight against corruption has to come from the above and political parties have to relinquish their family business of promoting their children and imposing on the people of India in the name of what people want. The patience of India’s people should not be tasted for long. If one slap in Tunisia can turn the entire system and brought hope in the Middle East against those despots who ruled in the name of Islam, then we are better prepared. Our people have been cheated and betrayed in the name of democracy. Where is it? In parliament or Assemblies where no discussion takes place and only unanimity is to increase their perks and salaries shamelessly. At the moment, people are not just frustrated with one particular party but with the democratic institutions themselves and that is shocking. The Hindutva want to ride on people’s aspiration and that must be curtailed. It would be worst than the Islamic despots in middle-east. So the challenge is bigger. The very foundation of our corrupt culture has to go and real democracy has to come. Political democracy without social democracy would fail Dr Ambedkar had said long back. Today, we are witnessing how our political democracy is failing as democracy is in the hands of not only corrupted but all those who have no respect for democracy. The depression must take the form of frustration only then we will be able to protect upright officers like Yashwant Sonawane.
By Vidya Bhushan Rawat
On the eve of our 61st republic day an upright officer in Maharastra was burnt alive by the oil Mafia as he tried to stop them from doing so. No officer of collector level normally travels without a few of his assistants. Additional District Collector of Malegaon Yashwant Sonawane found the Oil Mafia pilfering the oil and adulterating it. To make the case foolproof, he took video of the entire incident on his mobile phone. This resulted in scuffle and Sonawane lost his life in a brutal way. As Mumbai Mid day reported, the officer was allowed to die as none of his assistants tried to douse the flame. He fought with life for nearly 35 minutes before succumbing to burn. Can one believe such incidents where officers and Babus have taken the country for a ride. This incident should not become a tool for these corrupt officers to do away with people’s work and surround them in heavy security cordon. Though every one sympathise with Sonawane yet it does not give certificate of integrity to Indian bureaucrats who remain spineless to political-mafia class and show their spine only to the poor in the villages. Yes, the entire bureaucracy can not be blamed yet India needs cleansing from top to down. Its mindset is not changing. It remains prisoner of caste, gender bias and a corruption. A few years back a bright engineer of Indian Oil Manjunath was brutally murdered by the oil mafias in Uttar-Pradesh.
This incident has shocked the entire nation on the eve of republic day. We are already depressed with the growing unrest and uneasiness in the country. Nothing seems to be working here. When the report of Sonawane’s brutal burning came, the news channels were still busy with whether Sachin Tendulkar would get Bharat Ratna or not. It is business usual for them as they will have other stories to celebrate.
But 61 years after becoming a republic and so-called democratic country, why India is suffering and why it continue to be one of the most corrupted countries in the world. It is ironical that people in India are looking towards despots and dictators for being clean and committed even when they have seen and heard about these in Pakistan, Philippines and elsewhere. Why the situation has arisen when our friends are talking of a Tunisian replication in India. Let us discuss these issues in details.
Corruption did not erupt in India all of a sudden. Indian regimes were heavily corrupted and promoting their own family and relatives. The political system has become victim of this and the ruling Congress Party can not absolve itself from the major ills that the country face today. The Hindutva is a logical illegitimate child of Gandhian variety of politics that Congress and its various offshoots claim to follow. That corruption has a caste angle too needs to be seen in larger perspective.
In 1986, the issue of corruption in high places was highlighted by Late V.P.Singh and he faced not only false accusation and allegation that some of the top ranking editors allowed them to be used by the ruling congress in power games that time. Hence targeting the whistleblower is part of our power polity. All attempts were made to malign him and finish him politically. A fake account in his name was opened in St Kitts and the news for it was leaked through one of country’s top editors Mr M.J.Akbar. Akbar was part of congress party’s cocktail circle and later became spokes-person of the party. The reason for this was that as a finance minister in Rajeev Gandhi’s regime, VP Singh dared to raid the houses of those industrial houses who considered to sacrosanct in this country. Many new things were emerging. Ambanis, India’s most corrupted business house lobbied against it and used CBI and intelligence for its own purpose. State apparatus was playing in the hands of these powerful to lobby for them and thus reducing the state into virtual prisoner of these powers. It was also charged that VP Singh with his confident officials like Bhure Lal and Vinod Pandey were speaking to Fairfax agency to investigate the illegal money of Indian in foreign banks including the Swiss banks. The Prime Minister Gandhi shifted him to defense ministry against the public mood under the impression that India was facing severe challenge from Pakistan. There as a defense minister, he ordered inquiry into German HDW Howitzer deal and found that commission was paid. At the same point of time, news came of the Boforse Gun Deal and commission paid in it and the rest is history. Today, Congress and its most disgusting politicians may claim that this is not an issue but the fact is that Bofors caught the imagination of Indian people and the 1989 mandate against Rajiv Gandhi was a mandate against corruption. Though that government did not survive long yet the contribution of that fight against corruption made congress party virtually defensive and finished its unquestioned monopoly of country’s polity.
V.P.Singh was a hero of the Indian middle classes. He was personally honest and committed to the cause and hence people believed in him. But what happened afterwards. The 1991 acceptance of Mandal Commission Report change his acceptance in the middle classes. From an honest politician, he became one of the most hated one in Indian political scenario who must be shunned and rejected. Those who claimed to be his friends were totally co-opted by the Congress brand of secular politics which meant every thing is accepted as long as you are ‘secular’. They took people for granted and felt that ‘secularism’ is the final chord that this country wants and none is bothered about their deeds. His colleagues could not take themselves to those heights where your moral integrity and individual honesty matters a lot. They took inspiration from Congress’s family world and could not follow that properly. Corruption killed them politically and family world surrounded with their Chamchas was the last nail in their coffin.
BSP founder Kanshi Ram was an exception in this field. He kept himself away from the family and that is why not close to the charges of corruption. Even if some people might have alleged that he took money from Congress party or Rajeev Gandhi, his personal self remained pure. None of his family people could claim that they benefited from his politics and such politics gives you strength. That is why Kanshi Ram remains the idol for many of us who the others might charge as Machiavellian. Whatever he was, he never betrayed his community. The interest of his community was top in his mind. Once you are individually clean and honest, your followers will always ready to fight along with you. BSP’s cadres still remember Kanshiram and get strength from his work for the society. Politicians like Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Yadav, Ram Vilas Paswan could follow neither Lohia, Jai Prakash nor VP Singh or Karpoori Thakur for they all were known for their personal integrity despite their political successes or failures. How will you accept that Karunanidhi is the rightful heir of Periyar. It did not deter them from pursuing their agenda. It is not that there are no politicians of that kind but I am speaking of those who are supposed to be leading figures of their parties.
Unfortunately, the last 10 years, the foundation of Indian republic are under clear challenge from the corrupted. The crony capitalism promoted by the political parties particularly the Congress and BJP has resulted in complete collapse of our system. Bureaucrats are promoting linkages with Industries for their retirement benefits. Industries have controlled media and media is converting the non issues into the issues and avoiding debate on the issues of public interest. None feel shameful when Mukesh Ambani built a five thousand crore empire in Mumbai and his brother promise to create a better one in future. Whose money is this? Is there any shame? Was there any debate as why our Industrialists have no shame in claiming people’s money as their own and spending it on their shameless luxuries. Will there be a law. No, there is no question of a law on private property, say experts. Pranab Mukherjee, India’s finance minister say that the black money put in the Swiss bank can only be brought to India if the names of the people are not made public. Is it in an indirect way approval for an amnesty which Dr Manmohan Singh started several years back to legitimize the illegally begotten money by the corrupt Indian elite? Is it because there are a number of accounts belonging to Indian political class? Is it because we want to save special people from public scrutiny?
According to reports India has the largest number of sum in the Swiss bank followed by Russia but the gap between the first and second is too big and shows how India has sunk further. That this illegal money is of India’s poor is beyond any one’s doubt. It is certain the money has been deposited by politicians, industrialists, moneylenders and others like them as they know well that once they are found guilty in India, they can fly to Switzerland and its beautiful mountains without any problem and can live rest of their lives there.
.
INDIA $1,456 BILLION
RUSSIA $470 BILLION
U.K. $390 BILLION
UKRAINE $100 BILLION
CHINA $96 BILLION
The past 10 years have shown that this nexus between different groups, industrial and business houses and politicians-bureaucrats have influenced India’s policies and planning. So, nothing happened when inflation goes beyond the roof top. Our poor do not earn 50 cent a day while our leaders live in grand style. Their expenses are not questioned. They have discretionary quotas to allot public land to their friends, families and relatives. Y.S.Rajshekar Reddy started it in Andhra Pradesh and BSYadirappa is shameless in doing so and the Hindutva’s ‘soul keepers’ say it is ‘immoral and unethical’ yet not illegal. It is simply Hindutva way of defining corruption. They are calling for strike, stalling Parliament yet remain silent on the marriage of their president’s son. Where has the money come from? Can’t we do it in a simple way Mr Advani? Why our political class want to celebrate their private matter in a Raja-Maharaja style.
Corruption will not become an issue as long as it is not addressed from the root cause. A caste-ist society which is patriarchical believes in spreading the family wings. India’s corruption is basically to strengthen family control. Whether it is bollywood films, politics, industries or judiciary, it is to enlarge their families and circle to control India. You have judges coming from particular families, industrialists strengthening their families and Bollywood and Dollywood (delhi’s dirty political world) ready to fight honesty to promote their families. Political parties with immense benami land and money control will never fight against corruption as they have got ‘people’s mandate. One does not know what is this ‘people’s mandate when more than 50% voters do not even caste their vote. Most of the governments in this country and states are on less than 40% votes of the popular vote caste which actually is 20% of the votes of total eligible voters. That means most of the government in India after independence did not have the popular mandate of the people and that is the reason of their continuous negligence of people’s issues and their deep involvement in the loot of people’s resources. Moreover, when ever they want to change, they would raise some emotive issue and rise on the popular sentiments of the masses. The fact of the matter is that India’s electoral system is corrupted and it is giving rise to more corruption. There is a relative competition with the corrupt politicians who have taken their people for granted as they always felt that it is not going to be an issue. Leaders have become the ‘voice’ and ‘identity’ of their communities as if they are not there the community will be orphaned. This mindset has grown in the communities also and it has now the created the sinking feeling of helplessness and a blank future.
A country of 2 billion people can not be allowed to sink in the blank because of the historical wrongs committed by particular castes, its leaders and mercenaries. A country can not live in the baggage of past as it has to look forward. It can not be a victim of Dronacharya syndrome for ever where definition of corruption was different for different people.
Today, Lal Krishna Adavani and his fellow charioteers are seeking people’s mandate on corruption without ever introspecting on their own deeds of corruption. It is not phenomena that developed suddenly but the way our political system continued to ape the business interest, it was bound to happen. It will happen as long as our political class as a whole is prisoner of business houses, the corporate who will make it dance on their tones. The media will report according to its corporate interest. For getting rid of depression it has cricket and Bolly-wood in its kitty so there is no time for people’s issues. In fact, it is over enthusiastic about World Economic Forum meet in Devos. Hindutva’s cocktail with business and babas is well known to be discussed here. It is tragic that to fight against corruption we will depend on those forces whose basic preamble and ideology is corrupted and based on fanaticism, hatred and brahmanical racist hegemony. Public memory may be short but the facts are clear that in Parliament Congress opposed Mandal Commission Recommendation along with Advani. Lal Krishna Advani started his Kamandal yatra to counter the impact of Mandal on Indian masses and bring the asserting bahujan masses back to the Hindutva fold lead by the caste Hindus. It is beyond doubt that P.V.Narsimha Rao complimented the Hindutva by opening India’s gate for all these companies at the cost of destroying the public sector institutions to eliminate quota system.
At the World Economic Forum, Ajim Premji expressed shock of the collapse of governance in India. But he should introspect also as why the collapse. With the active participation of India’s crony capitalists, the political class alone can not be responsible for bringing us to this stage. It was logical conclusion of the dirt that we thought in the aftermath of the policies initiated by Manmohan Singh as Finance Minister and then followed as Prime Minister. These policies developed in rampant corruption by these companies. Do you think that the political parties and leaders who are selling our farmer’s land and property to private companies are doing it without any personal interest? Why are Vijay Malya, Anil Ambani, elected unopposed in Parliament. Why every political party is looking for an Amar Singh or Pramod Mahajan. Do we respect honesty really? How many of our people know about Madhu Dandwate, Surendra Mohan Karpoori Thakur, Kanshi Ram, Ram Dhan and Indrajeet Gupta. How much did media report about their deaths and their political lives?
Well, a system created to help the powerful class will always deviate from the issues and use media to over turn a mandate. Fortunately, despite all tall claims, people of India still have their own mind to vote and they voted according to their issues and priorities. I always loved what Late Kanshi Ram used to say ‘, we do not need Majboot Sarkar in Delhi but Mazboor sarkar which mean we need a weak government in Delhi and not a strong’. Congress in its second term actually proved how it has drifted from people’s issue and aspirations. Fight against corruption has to come from the above and political parties have to relinquish their family business of promoting their children and imposing on the people of India in the name of what people want. The patience of India’s people should not be tasted for long. If one slap in Tunisia can turn the entire system and brought hope in the Middle East against those despots who ruled in the name of Islam, then we are better prepared. Our people have been cheated and betrayed in the name of democracy. Where is it? In parliament or Assemblies where no discussion takes place and only unanimity is to increase their perks and salaries shamelessly. At the moment, people are not just frustrated with one particular party but with the democratic institutions themselves and that is shocking. The Hindutva want to ride on people’s aspiration and that must be curtailed. It would be worst than the Islamic despots in middle-east. So the challenge is bigger. The very foundation of our corrupt culture has to go and real democracy has to come. Political democracy without social democracy would fail Dr Ambedkar had said long back. Today, we are witnessing how our political democracy is failing as democracy is in the hands of not only corrupted but all those who have no respect for democracy. The depression must take the form of frustration only then we will be able to protect upright officers like Yashwant Sonawane.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Time for a Telengana State
Messing up in Telengana would alienate people from rest of the country
By Vidya Bhushan Rawat
Justice Shri Krishna Committee report on Telengana has strengthened the views of the Telengana people that it was meant to create status quo and buying time to create further confusion and depression among the people of the region. That Shri Krishna Committee could not find logical reasons for carving a separate Telengana state is quite distasteful. But what can one do with a committee of ‘experts’ who hails from state apparatus and know to ‘rule’ and ‘govern’ rather than understanding the historical demands and sentiments of the people. Of course, sentiments do not matter for those in powers as for them it is important to calculate here and there to save their governments and further their own agenda for future.
That Andhra Pradesh has been a loyalist to Congress party and important for its future is a well known fact. And it is this tragedy that has averted creation of Telengana State duly declared by home minister P.Chidambaram on December 9th, 20101 last year after a cabinet meet on the issue. After the builders and minor lobby creating ruckus in Andhra Pradesh, the government backtracked its own decision and formed a committee of ‘expert’ to maintain the status quo. The committee members traveled across the state and met a large number of people and found their assumption that the most suitable thing for the development of the region is to maintain the status quo.
Telenagana is burning again. This time, it is silence in the air but tension is visible on each face. Perhaps, the people are waiting for the Budget session of parliament. They are waiting for the government at the center to come for a final solution. It seems, the Congress party is playing a mind game and testing the patience of the people of the region. Congress is known to do no work, a typical P.V.Narsimharao style which means doing nothing means doing everything. And they are waiting for people to respond.
The important thing that has happened this time is usage of media. This self censorship from the media created an atmosphere where the local people are feeling betrayed. The same media which was broadcasting every small event nearly a year ago is keeping a low profile. The day the Commission report was out, momentum was building up and our anchors were playing great hosts. Telengana Rashtra Samiti President KCR’s son was the most visible face on TV channels explaining eloquently why they reject the Shri Krishna Committee Report. The other faces from the regions were a bunch of expert and congress politicians who are unable to express as they are dying in two loyalties – one to their people and the other to their high command. In the congress culture, high command is most important thing and hence these MPs will wait till their last breathe to wait for a positive decision from High Command. An Indian Express story narrated in details how the Congress MPs from Telenagana regions virtually wept at the feet of Pranab Mukherjee, virtually telling him that their political future would be decimated and that they have no other option then committing suicide. The congress MPs should understand better that they have better option than opposition in creation of Telenagana. Congress should understand that it may lose all the regions due to its dilly dallying tactics on the issue.
Telengana, it seems, is the most misunderstood region. Its political struggle does not appear visible outside the region. The current movement and sentiments remains in the state. It is tragic that the other parts of the country, it is becoming like a hot ‘national’ issue which is linked to disintegration of the country. Some parties and experts claimed that it will divide the country further. Then there are arguments that smaller states are not good. The other argument is that states were divided on the basis of languages and hence no further division of one language state. Many argue according to their convenience like a Bahujan ideologue who said there is nothing for us in Telengana. BJP is supporting as it is known to swim in troubled water as it has no stake in Andhra Pradesh. The Hindutva always gained from the smaller state syndrome as the faulty positions taken up the other parties.
Let us understand that there is no meaning of the explanations given in terms of smaller state or bigger state. There are big states which have failed and there are smaller states which have succeeded. States are not created just because we feel they might fail. If that were the reasons, British should not have left from India. States are created on specific movements for their autonomy and people’s struggle, socio-economic conditions, cultural differences. United States of America has over 50 states while India with such huge population has just 29 states. The states that were created immediately after independence were not always on logical grounds. If one see the logic of the work of the state than you have to scratch your head. How states were created and how their capitals were developed. Thiruvananthpuram is capital of Kerala but it is based on the border of Kerala with Tamilnadu. How can one justify such a capital? Chennai is on one side of Tamilnadu. One can visualize the distance of Hyderabad from Vishakapattanam. French scholar said that nation states are bound not by language and common religion but common history which may not be dynastic but earned through common struggle. The Telenagna people’s strength lies in common struggle against not only the autocratic rule of Nizam but also against feudalism.
Unfortunately, the entire issue revolves around the fate of Congress party in the region. One must not undermine the factor that political parties are taking positions according to their possibilities for future. When the congress decided to opt for a Telengana state last year, they were hopeful that there would no reaction against it, as has happened in other cases such as Chhatishgarh, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand state where state assemblies passed resolution in this effect. Hence the protest in coastal Andhra regions were well planned by the lobbyist to thwart the separate Telenagana dream. It is unfortunate that the politicians could go to such strength to sustain their interest. We know well that during the Uttarakhand state, the issue of Shaheed Udham Singh Nagar and Hardwar became bone of contention with Uttar-Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav continue to say they were part of Uttar-Pradesh ignoring the historic reality of the two cities. It was done to deny Uttarakhand the revenue generated from the region and compelling the center to concede the demand of the state in a truncated form. However, that did not succeed. This time too, the center has to take a decision above the party line. Once that is done, they would be able to handle all other issues.
It is well known facts that many voices for more autonomy for Indian states emerged in 1980s. The demands for autonomy with in the states also raised its head. The grievances of the people in particular states need to be looked after. Rajiv Gandhi actually started his governance with much better way as he not only negotiated in Punjab and Assam at the cost of his own party but also brought Mizo rebel leader Laldenga to negotiating table. When state were demanding fiscal autonomy, regional voices with in the states were raising their head. Gorakhaland, Bodoland, Vidarbha, Harit Pradesh, Bundelkhand are some of the logical demands coming out of part of huge states where people of one region find it difficult to travel to the state capitals. The biases can clearly be found in the state bureaucracy.
The government of India should not be very of thinking about demands for separate states. We can not impose super state nationalism on these sub regional demand. It is important that our people stop looking the sub regional identities through the prism of ‘their’ ‘nationalism. Aspiration for saving their culture, identity and most importantly quest for development and being part of it force the people to think about their own state. As we know in big state, the backward regions are looked down upon and their people have a negative image. Definitely people of Uttarakhand did not have a positive image in Delhi and Lucknow. Students from Jharkhand regions were always maltreated in Bihar while we all know what do people in Andhra think of a Telengana person. I have been traveling Hyderabad and other regions and I have found this bias among them in my conversation with them. Even an auto driver would comment that ‘they’ are ‘lazy’ people. We faced it in Delhi many time being termed as ‘Pahadi’ as if the Pahadi’s have no right to exist or live or as if they do not know any thing. Such biases exist in our system and society and hence better governments tackle that. When arguments are given about development in Telengana region by many economists and also justified by the Shri Krishna Committee report, they failed to respond how many Telenganites are part of these Development. How many of them own industries, business, schools.. What is their percentage in our services and elsewhere. These are genuine concern and can not come through the jargons of ‘we develop Telenegana for you’. Today’s slogan is ‘we, the people of Telengana will develop our Telengana. Your support is welcome.
An important point raised by a number of Dalit Bahujan ideologues is about the movement being led by the upper castes. But should that deter the demands for a separate statehood as it is historical. Secondly, Telengana’s has a very substantial Dalit-Backwardcaste-Muslim population and it is definitely not going to be the same for them all the time. Once, the new state come, these power structure will also collapse. After all, who ever thought that Mayawati would become chief minister in the holy land of ‘Uttar-Pradesh’, the main battle field of Aryavrat. After nearly 40 years of our becoming republic people of Uttar-Pradesh realized the caste identities and their importance and post 1990s, we mostly had chief ministers from Dalit-backward communities. Now, we are entering into another phase where people are becoming more inquisitive and asking more questions from their own leaders and Bihar is another example of how the most deprived revolted against the powerful.
It is therefore important for the center government to initiate a process. Telenagna will not come to peace with patch up solutions. The more delay the government do in this case, they face more problem and people from both Andhra and Telengana regions will suffer. Already, the unrest during the past one year has cost a lot to students and business in the region. Such uncertainty fuel dissatisfaction among the people and alienate them from the rest of the country. They tend to become more rhetorical and will develop more hatred towards the neighbors which need to be shunned at all cost. Two people from same regions can not be allowed to hate each other and kill each other. But this will happen as the more we delay the process, the greater would be the feeling of ‘victimisation’ and betrayal among the people of Telengana region.
One hope that the government will bring the bill for a separate state in the Parliament and stop rest the question of what is going to happen in Telengana. The emotional bondage is completely broken in the region with that of rest of the Andhra Pradesh. And it can come back to normalcy once a new state comes into being. In true democracy it is people’s will to live together. In 1882, French philosopher Ernst Renan delivered a lecture in the University of Sorbonne and said that ‘A nation is therefore a large scale solidarity. Its existence is a daily plebiscite. A province is its inhabitants, if any one has the right to be consulted, it is its inhabitants. A nation never has any real interest in annexing or holding onto a country against its will. The existence of nations is a good thing, a necessity even. Their existence is a guarantee of liberty, which would be lost if, the world has only one law and only one master.’
While Ernst Renan was defining Nationhood and hence a large number of points which he mentioned are very much relevant here in terms of sub regional identities and aspirations. The truth is that if there is a plebiscite in Telengana, it would wholeheartedly reject being part of Andhra Pradesh. A state is not a militerised notion where your demands for autonomy are met with lathiweilding policemen and army. That can never bring peace. Time has come for the government of India to grant statehood to Telengana and also constitute a second State Reorganisation Commission to look into other such demands for the state for better governance. If the solutions for people’s aspirations are in the form of policing the people by putting non political governors in the ‘problematic’ states then India will pay a heavy price for this. Political issues need political solutions and not from those top bureaucrats who have deep contempt for the people and who consider themselves as masters of the people and know only language of violence. Nothing is lost at the moment. Shri Krishna Committee report is nothing but balancing acts of bureaucrats and good for research work. It can not bring solution to the issue without granting statehood to Telengana. To hold on to an unwilling people into a state is violation of their fundamental right. It would be good for Congress party to think beyond their immediate political interest and take a decision. Prolonging the decision will only bring chaos and anarchy which in long term would be detrimental for the economy and health of the country.
By Vidya Bhushan Rawat
Justice Shri Krishna Committee report on Telengana has strengthened the views of the Telengana people that it was meant to create status quo and buying time to create further confusion and depression among the people of the region. That Shri Krishna Committee could not find logical reasons for carving a separate Telengana state is quite distasteful. But what can one do with a committee of ‘experts’ who hails from state apparatus and know to ‘rule’ and ‘govern’ rather than understanding the historical demands and sentiments of the people. Of course, sentiments do not matter for those in powers as for them it is important to calculate here and there to save their governments and further their own agenda for future.
That Andhra Pradesh has been a loyalist to Congress party and important for its future is a well known fact. And it is this tragedy that has averted creation of Telengana State duly declared by home minister P.Chidambaram on December 9th, 20101 last year after a cabinet meet on the issue. After the builders and minor lobby creating ruckus in Andhra Pradesh, the government backtracked its own decision and formed a committee of ‘expert’ to maintain the status quo. The committee members traveled across the state and met a large number of people and found their assumption that the most suitable thing for the development of the region is to maintain the status quo.
Telenagana is burning again. This time, it is silence in the air but tension is visible on each face. Perhaps, the people are waiting for the Budget session of parliament. They are waiting for the government at the center to come for a final solution. It seems, the Congress party is playing a mind game and testing the patience of the people of the region. Congress is known to do no work, a typical P.V.Narsimharao style which means doing nothing means doing everything. And they are waiting for people to respond.
The important thing that has happened this time is usage of media. This self censorship from the media created an atmosphere where the local people are feeling betrayed. The same media which was broadcasting every small event nearly a year ago is keeping a low profile. The day the Commission report was out, momentum was building up and our anchors were playing great hosts. Telengana Rashtra Samiti President KCR’s son was the most visible face on TV channels explaining eloquently why they reject the Shri Krishna Committee Report. The other faces from the regions were a bunch of expert and congress politicians who are unable to express as they are dying in two loyalties – one to their people and the other to their high command. In the congress culture, high command is most important thing and hence these MPs will wait till their last breathe to wait for a positive decision from High Command. An Indian Express story narrated in details how the Congress MPs from Telenagana regions virtually wept at the feet of Pranab Mukherjee, virtually telling him that their political future would be decimated and that they have no other option then committing suicide. The congress MPs should understand better that they have better option than opposition in creation of Telenagana. Congress should understand that it may lose all the regions due to its dilly dallying tactics on the issue.
Telengana, it seems, is the most misunderstood region. Its political struggle does not appear visible outside the region. The current movement and sentiments remains in the state. It is tragic that the other parts of the country, it is becoming like a hot ‘national’ issue which is linked to disintegration of the country. Some parties and experts claimed that it will divide the country further. Then there are arguments that smaller states are not good. The other argument is that states were divided on the basis of languages and hence no further division of one language state. Many argue according to their convenience like a Bahujan ideologue who said there is nothing for us in Telengana. BJP is supporting as it is known to swim in troubled water as it has no stake in Andhra Pradesh. The Hindutva always gained from the smaller state syndrome as the faulty positions taken up the other parties.
Let us understand that there is no meaning of the explanations given in terms of smaller state or bigger state. There are big states which have failed and there are smaller states which have succeeded. States are not created just because we feel they might fail. If that were the reasons, British should not have left from India. States are created on specific movements for their autonomy and people’s struggle, socio-economic conditions, cultural differences. United States of America has over 50 states while India with such huge population has just 29 states. The states that were created immediately after independence were not always on logical grounds. If one see the logic of the work of the state than you have to scratch your head. How states were created and how their capitals were developed. Thiruvananthpuram is capital of Kerala but it is based on the border of Kerala with Tamilnadu. How can one justify such a capital? Chennai is on one side of Tamilnadu. One can visualize the distance of Hyderabad from Vishakapattanam. French scholar said that nation states are bound not by language and common religion but common history which may not be dynastic but earned through common struggle. The Telenagna people’s strength lies in common struggle against not only the autocratic rule of Nizam but also against feudalism.
Unfortunately, the entire issue revolves around the fate of Congress party in the region. One must not undermine the factor that political parties are taking positions according to their possibilities for future. When the congress decided to opt for a Telengana state last year, they were hopeful that there would no reaction against it, as has happened in other cases such as Chhatishgarh, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand state where state assemblies passed resolution in this effect. Hence the protest in coastal Andhra regions were well planned by the lobbyist to thwart the separate Telenagana dream. It is unfortunate that the politicians could go to such strength to sustain their interest. We know well that during the Uttarakhand state, the issue of Shaheed Udham Singh Nagar and Hardwar became bone of contention with Uttar-Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav continue to say they were part of Uttar-Pradesh ignoring the historic reality of the two cities. It was done to deny Uttarakhand the revenue generated from the region and compelling the center to concede the demand of the state in a truncated form. However, that did not succeed. This time too, the center has to take a decision above the party line. Once that is done, they would be able to handle all other issues.
It is well known facts that many voices for more autonomy for Indian states emerged in 1980s. The demands for autonomy with in the states also raised its head. The grievances of the people in particular states need to be looked after. Rajiv Gandhi actually started his governance with much better way as he not only negotiated in Punjab and Assam at the cost of his own party but also brought Mizo rebel leader Laldenga to negotiating table. When state were demanding fiscal autonomy, regional voices with in the states were raising their head. Gorakhaland, Bodoland, Vidarbha, Harit Pradesh, Bundelkhand are some of the logical demands coming out of part of huge states where people of one region find it difficult to travel to the state capitals. The biases can clearly be found in the state bureaucracy.
The government of India should not be very of thinking about demands for separate states. We can not impose super state nationalism on these sub regional demand. It is important that our people stop looking the sub regional identities through the prism of ‘their’ ‘nationalism. Aspiration for saving their culture, identity and most importantly quest for development and being part of it force the people to think about their own state. As we know in big state, the backward regions are looked down upon and their people have a negative image. Definitely people of Uttarakhand did not have a positive image in Delhi and Lucknow. Students from Jharkhand regions were always maltreated in Bihar while we all know what do people in Andhra think of a Telengana person. I have been traveling Hyderabad and other regions and I have found this bias among them in my conversation with them. Even an auto driver would comment that ‘they’ are ‘lazy’ people. We faced it in Delhi many time being termed as ‘Pahadi’ as if the Pahadi’s have no right to exist or live or as if they do not know any thing. Such biases exist in our system and society and hence better governments tackle that. When arguments are given about development in Telengana region by many economists and also justified by the Shri Krishna Committee report, they failed to respond how many Telenganites are part of these Development. How many of them own industries, business, schools.. What is their percentage in our services and elsewhere. These are genuine concern and can not come through the jargons of ‘we develop Telenegana for you’. Today’s slogan is ‘we, the people of Telengana will develop our Telengana. Your support is welcome.
An important point raised by a number of Dalit Bahujan ideologues is about the movement being led by the upper castes. But should that deter the demands for a separate statehood as it is historical. Secondly, Telengana’s has a very substantial Dalit-Backwardcaste-Muslim population and it is definitely not going to be the same for them all the time. Once, the new state come, these power structure will also collapse. After all, who ever thought that Mayawati would become chief minister in the holy land of ‘Uttar-Pradesh’, the main battle field of Aryavrat. After nearly 40 years of our becoming republic people of Uttar-Pradesh realized the caste identities and their importance and post 1990s, we mostly had chief ministers from Dalit-backward communities. Now, we are entering into another phase where people are becoming more inquisitive and asking more questions from their own leaders and Bihar is another example of how the most deprived revolted against the powerful.
It is therefore important for the center government to initiate a process. Telenagna will not come to peace with patch up solutions. The more delay the government do in this case, they face more problem and people from both Andhra and Telengana regions will suffer. Already, the unrest during the past one year has cost a lot to students and business in the region. Such uncertainty fuel dissatisfaction among the people and alienate them from the rest of the country. They tend to become more rhetorical and will develop more hatred towards the neighbors which need to be shunned at all cost. Two people from same regions can not be allowed to hate each other and kill each other. But this will happen as the more we delay the process, the greater would be the feeling of ‘victimisation’ and betrayal among the people of Telengana region.
One hope that the government will bring the bill for a separate state in the Parliament and stop rest the question of what is going to happen in Telengana. The emotional bondage is completely broken in the region with that of rest of the Andhra Pradesh. And it can come back to normalcy once a new state comes into being. In true democracy it is people’s will to live together. In 1882, French philosopher Ernst Renan delivered a lecture in the University of Sorbonne and said that ‘A nation is therefore a large scale solidarity. Its existence is a daily plebiscite. A province is its inhabitants, if any one has the right to be consulted, it is its inhabitants. A nation never has any real interest in annexing or holding onto a country against its will. The existence of nations is a good thing, a necessity even. Their existence is a guarantee of liberty, which would be lost if, the world has only one law and only one master.’
While Ernst Renan was defining Nationhood and hence a large number of points which he mentioned are very much relevant here in terms of sub regional identities and aspirations. The truth is that if there is a plebiscite in Telengana, it would wholeheartedly reject being part of Andhra Pradesh. A state is not a militerised notion where your demands for autonomy are met with lathiweilding policemen and army. That can never bring peace. Time has come for the government of India to grant statehood to Telengana and also constitute a second State Reorganisation Commission to look into other such demands for the state for better governance. If the solutions for people’s aspirations are in the form of policing the people by putting non political governors in the ‘problematic’ states then India will pay a heavy price for this. Political issues need political solutions and not from those top bureaucrats who have deep contempt for the people and who consider themselves as masters of the people and know only language of violence. Nothing is lost at the moment. Shri Krishna Committee report is nothing but balancing acts of bureaucrats and good for research work. It can not bring solution to the issue without granting statehood to Telengana. To hold on to an unwilling people into a state is violation of their fundamental right. It would be good for Congress party to think beyond their immediate political interest and take a decision. Prolonging the decision will only bring chaos and anarchy which in long term would be detrimental for the economy and health of the country.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)