The opening of a Pandora Box By Vidya Bhushan Rawat Uttar-Pradesh state assembly in its shortest ever session of eleven minutes only passed a resolution for carving out four states from Uttar-Pradesh. The resolution has now gone to the Central government for their perusal. However, we all know, that this is not going to happen that easily for which our political pundits are making noises and parties going for and against it. Let me be clear in the very beginning that I have no objection of Ms Mayawati raising the issue for political purposes. In politics you raise the issue in the people’s court and it is up to them how they react. Rajiv Gandhi went for a national poll immediately after Indira Gandhi’s assassination in October 1984 and won with a landslide majority. Gujarat Chief Minister used the same anti Muslim card for his comeback. Ayodhya’s issue raised by Advani and company finally help BJP to take its tally from 2 to 120 in Parliament and converted it to India’s main opposition party. So, political debate in India has stooped so low that we must not expect too much from them. Now let us examine the issue of division of Uttar-Pradesh. One may ask this question as why should we only divide Uttar-Pradesh and reduce it to nothing. Politically Uttar-Pradesh is an important state for every political party and today, if we are witnessing the assertion among the DAlits and OBC political leadership all over the country, the credit goes to Uttar-Pradesh. In fact, Bihar comes second to Uttar-Pradesh as far as Dalit assertion and political understanding is concern. Today, BSP is the only party based on Ambedkarite principals (whether they work on it or not is not the question here but they claim to follow it), which is in power. In Maharastra, the RPIs failed and that too miserably forcing many of them to even form alliance with Shiv Sena. Can we ever imagine a party formed by Ambedkar and on his principals forming alliance with rabid anti dalit and anti Muslim party like Shiv Sena or MNS? Have we forgotten how Shiv Sena opposed violently the naming of Marathwada University in the name of Baba Saheb Ambedkar in the 1980s? For us who have seen the danger of majoritarian politics, secular polity of India is thankful to Uttar-Pradesh and Bihar for successfully able to thwart the designs of communal fascist forces in the country. We all know that the Sangh Parivar and its offshoots are completely helpless in Uttar-Pradesh and Bihar at the moment as their hegemony has completely destroyed at least politically. The Dalits, OBCs and Muslims are building alliances and coming close. Uttar-Pradesh is the biggest laboratory for that. The second phase of Mandalisation process has already begun in Uttar-Pradesh. It is the reemergence of MBCs and Maha Dalits or excluded dalits. Nitish Kumar played a card in Bihar to gain from it but fortunately in UP, it is the emergence of these segments and they can play their own politics. So, it is second phase Mandal process where even the Mahadalits, MBCs and Pasamanda Muslims are joining hand for their political participation. With BSP increasingly tilting as Chamar-Brahmin alliance, the excluded Dalits and MBCs have no other option than to form an alliance and look for their future. In this background comes the news of division of Uttar-Pradesh. There is no proof that smaller states are better governed or bigger states are worst. Why should then we have a huge country which is ungovernable? Should not we say that India is an unmanageable country? But then, every small identity that merges with India also gets benefit of its strength. It happen same to the states. Question is not whether a state should be big or small. The real question is whether the people in the state want to live together or not. Whether there is a cultural difference or a feeling of isolation by one segment of people or not? We all know when Uttarakhand was created, I protested against it for the fear that the majoritarian upper castes will not allow the Dalits and OBCs to live peacefully. We all know how the condition of Dalits in Uttarakhand where no government till date have been able to spend the SCP meant for SC-STs. The money goes unspent. The job quota is not filled adequately and the social ostracisation of the community is enormous even when there is no physical intimidation in the hills. The conditions in Harit Pradesh or Paschim Pradesh are different. This is the fiefdom of the Jats and Gujjars. The Dalits here are predominantly depended on agricultural work. Ofcourse, they have also grown up but the relationship between them and the upper castes is well known here. In the Bundelkhand region Kurmis, Brahmins and Thakurs dominate. Violence against Dalits particularly the Kol tribal go unreported. The Poorvanchal is the region where BSP remained stronger but that too with the help of ‘poor’ ‘brahmins’ so we can understand how will it help them. It is equally important to see how the state of Uttar-Pradesh can merge Faizabad, Pratapgarh and Sultanpur in the Poorvanchal State though historically they have been part of Avadh. In fact, before the capital of Avadh moved to Lucknow, Faizabad was its capital. Is not it a travesty of truth? Similarly, Agara, Kanpur and Allahbad should be nearer to Bundelkhand rather than Avadh Pradesh or Pooravanchal Pradesh. It would have been great if the serious issue had discussion in the beginning so that people are well equipped with knowledge about the act. Secondly, do we hate Uttar-Pradesh that much that we want to eliminate the very name of Uttar-Pradesh itself. Third, why should only Uttar-Pradesh be divided? Why not other big states like Madhya Pradesh, Maharastra, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Bihar? It is important to understand the dynamics of our political class. Even when the state can be divided for administrative reasons, let there be a state reorganization commission. There are a lot of unfulfilled agenda of the past. A place like Belgaum creates violence on the issue of Marathi verses Kannada in Karnataka. Why should a Marathi speaking town such as Belgaum be part of Karnataka? Similarly, the issue of Abohar and Fazilka in Punjab became bone of contention between Punjab and Haryana. We all know the issue of Naga areas in Manipur for which the state is still facing the blockade. Jammu and Ladhakh have nothing in common with Kashmir valley and have distinct cultural identity of their own. India needs small states to govern efficiently. Ofcourse, India needs to increase its size of parliament too. India requires radical changes including that in our parliamentary structure. Problem is not just with the governance of state. Our states or parliament is not really representative of our communities. Despite sizeable presence in Uttar-Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the Tharus, one of the most celebrated tribes of our country, have just one member of assembly in Uttarakhand. Communities like Balmikis, Khatiks, Kols, Doms, Nais remain unrepresented. Many of the most marginal communities remain outside the realm of our parliamentary politics. So what will these new state offers to them? Frankly speaking, the new state might reduce the already diminishing Dalit-OBC representation so chances for the most marginalized one would be difficult to come. It needs to change India’s parliamentary system. If we see the state of Chhatishgarh and Jharkhand, both are Adivasi dominated yet have been dominated by the non adivasis in political leadership. The least said about Jharkhand’s political leadership the best. In one night, Madhu Koda signed more than 300 deals which could never have happened in a state like Bihar. A big state is a challenge for officials as they fear mass protest if the political leadership is sidelined. A state like Uttar-Pradesh is bigger than many countries and therefore the chief minister of the state is respected and is relatively powerful. No official or bureaucrat can take her for granted but all these small states are being run by the coterie of bureaucrats or the chamchas of the political class. The experience shows that they are ruthless in tackling dissent and opposition. Economically, most of these states are dependent on the Centre for financial support. Creation of new state poses great economic stress. Not only does it need new infrastructure, legislative assemblies, governor’s houses, bungalows etc. Our political class will not live in ordinary areas. In the fifties it was easier for new states to be developed as places like Lucknow, Hyderabad, Madras, Banglore, Thiruvnanathpuram had already had infrastructures for everything. But now the new states will be more burdens to people. Most importantly, in the new state, we will not have new leaders but the same old ones who have been sucking our blood all the time. Example from Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Chhatishgarh and north east clearly indicate that they have become police state. It is also true that big corporate find is easier to tackle the political leadership in these states easily than in the bigger states. While, I do not believe in the argument whether smaller states are better or big states are useful. The question should be addressed according to local demands, cultural issues and most importantly economic viabilities of such states. It would be better if Centre comes out with a specific time frame for a State Reorganisation Commission which should look into all aspect such interstate issues such as Bundelkhand and Poorvanchal which cannot be created just out of Uttar-Pradesh but will have to be carved out of Madhya Pradesh too. Lot of issues but if the petty politics takes over then the whole exercise would be too dangerous for the unity of the country. A country like India can accommodate more state and bigger parliament but for that we need serious discussion and a time found agenda and framework of SRC so that we can address the issue in the utmost national interest. Let the political parties not whip up passion and create a frenzy in the name of ‘small is best’, as it could prove contrary also because at the end the political leadership as well as the working class of each state in India will emerge from ourselves only. Hence , whether it is small or big, at the end of the day, it is we the people of India, who will provide leadership to these states. It is not going to come from anywhere else. There is no denial of fact that people today aspire for more decentralized power structure but at the same point of time, also look for safe guards of communities who have never got representation. So, India need a reorganization of not only its state, but its political system in entirety otherwise, these so called new states or small state will have the same elite dominating with much bigger brutality over minorities as they have been in the past. The issue of creation of states have to be based on demands of people and should not be imposed by the political leadership from the above. An empowered State Reorganisation Commission should be asked to look into it and till then we can make a moratorium on the issue, except the already decided issue of Telangana which need to be created based on popular demands of the people of the region. Denying that in the name of unity and integrity of Greater Telangana will be an injustice to the entire struggle of the people. Such generalization can damage the cause of unity of people. Uttar-Pradesh government’s issue is different as there is neither a mass movement nor a public revolt for creating so many states out of Uttar-Pradesh. Ofcourse, it is good that Ms Mayawati has given it a serious thought but it is equally important that the issue be debated widely and should not be resolved without a State Reorganisation Commission as the stake holders are not just in Uttar-Pradesh but also in other states.

A letter to Chief Minister of Uttarakhand..

How long will you deny justice to Dalits in Uttarakhand.... Mr Bhuvan Chandra Khanduri, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Chief Minister’s Secretariat, Dehradun November 5th, 2011 Re: Honouring the Nainital High Court’s Judgement in the Escort Farm case Sir, We write you with great concern and anguish for the failure of Uttarakhand state to provide justice to nearly 150 Dalit families living in and around village Harinagar and Kundeswari, in Kashipur block of district Shaheed Udham Singh Nagar, who have been waiting for land redistribution for the land declared ceiling surplus under the UPZALR act in 1990s by the commissioner of Kumaon. This was upheld by Allahabad High Court in 1992 which was again challenged by P.N.Mehta of M/s Escorts Farms Ltd yet the Supreme Court in its historic judgement upheld the Allahabad High Court Order in February 2004. After the Supreme Court upheld land ceiling, we thought that the state of Uttarakhand will implement the court order which was clearly meant according to ceiling laws but very unfortunately without caring the human aspect and the issue of social justice as well as the claims of the Dalit families who were actually tilling the land during the time in 1990 when M/s Escorts Farms Ltd of Mr P.N.Mehta in active connivance of administration mercifully dislocated the 150 landless Dalit families who created a new world of their own by dint of their hard work. The administration from the day one was hell bent to deny the Dalits a right to have their land. The dismal state of Dalits and their isolation in Uttarakhand is well known to be described here. The antipathy of the political parties to raise this issue in the past 15 years is an example of how our polity take up the issue of Dalits in the region. Yet, we have fought the issue with great conviction in rule of law and our constitution. After the Supreme Court judgement too, the Uttarakhand authorities were not ready to take over the land from the farm house which used every trick to circumvent the rule of ceiling act by creating fictitious companies and group of people which were clearly described by the Supreme Court as people who should be shown no mercy. In fact, on February 5th, 2001, Shri Bansidhar Bhagat wrote a letter to district magistrate Udham Singh Nagar, ( letter number 831/vip/2000 dated 5.02.2001) on our complaint to investigate the activities of the land mafia in the region who with active connivance of the district administration were allotting the land declared surplus under Ceiling Act, to the people from Punjab without providing any papers etc. In fact none of the residents of the area would have any paper of land but they would claim having been there for ‘years’. On January 2nd, 2006, the State Chief Minister Shri N.D.Tiwari under pressure of violating Supreme Court order asked the state administration to take the possession of the said 1126.67 acres of land. The way the entire issue was dealt showed the farce in the entire exercise. The government demolished various houses of the ‘farmers’ who were declared encroachers by the Supreme Court and later on redistributed the same land to nearly 200 families. Hence the illegal owners have now been legalised by the state government. Ofcourse, the politicians from Punjab, Akali Dal and BJP were in the forefront of fighting for the ‘rights’ of the ‘farmers’. We all know all the land ceiling act has been mercilessly and violently violated in the Tarai region of Uttarakhand. The shocking aspect of all these is the continuous neglect to the issue of the Dalits in the region. Why have the government officials, political parties continue to deny the rights to the Dalits in the region. We filed a petition with the Lokayukta Justice S.H.Raza who declared in his final report that the state of Uttarakhand has violated the Supreme Court order. The attitude of the government officials in Uttarakhand was clearly caste-ist in nature and thoroughly anti Dalit. We wanted to know under which category the land was given to these 200 Sikhs after the government took over the land. We can understand that your government was not there during the period but your party has a role in thwarting the Supreme Court judgement. Land Ceiling Act is clearly design to provide social justice to all the landless people particularly Dalits, addivasis and women but definitely the government officials had other ideas. They felt that the government has enormous rights over their land and can redistribute it to whoever it feels. This was challenged by me in the Uttarakhand High Court on October 19th, 2010 under PIL No 75,2010 about which Justice Barin Ghosh, Chief Justice of High Court of Uttarakhand said “ The petitioner contends that the land acquired under UP Zamindari Abolition and Land Reform Act, 1950 can only be dealt with in the manner provided in Section 198 of the said Act In other words it is the contention of the petitioner that the land, which has come in the possession of the State, in view of the provision contained in the said Act, can only be settled in favour of the persons named and in accordance with the preference specified in Section 198 of the said Act and the State Government has no authority to utilise the said land for any other purpose.’ The state counsel said that the state government has unfettered rights of deciding about the acquired land to any one. On 26th October 2010 Chief Justice of Uttarakhand High Court Justice Barin Ghosh passed the order accepting our position and asked the state government to redistribute the land according to the provisions Section 198 of Uttar-Pradesh Zamindari Abolition and Land Reform Act, 1950. We however want to mention shocking details here and completely lack of coordination between the standing Counsel of the government of Uttarakhand in the High Court, who did not know anything happening at the ground. The standing counsel suggested that the government has not done anything with the acquired land while the government’s own records suggested that over 200 people were already redistributed land which violated the basic principle of the land ceiling act. The officials were unable to convince the Lokayukta that time whether their act was according to the provisions and spirit of Supreme Court order. The court however accepted the contention of the Standing Counsel that the government has not acted there because of various problems, while the fact is that the government on January 1st-2nd and 3rd, 2006 distributed about 450 acres of land to nearly 200 families who were actually declared encroachers by the Supreme Court of India in its judgement in 2004 and suggesting that no mercy should be shown to them. We felt that finally the Uttarakhand government will act and provide relief to the Dalit families hence we did not insist on our charges against the standing counsel for openly misguiding the court about the said land. It is over one year now since the High Court Order came and it is with deep sense of regret that we are approaching you that the government’s in Uttarakhand have not shown any will to implement the Supreme Court order despite a clear guide line from the High Court in Nainital as how should the land be redistributed. We are enclosing all the main documents including the high court order in this regard in the hope that your government will soon take and action. In case it is not done, we will have to approach the High Court and Supreme Court for the clear case of contempt of the Court order by the state of Uttarakhand. We are looking forward for a speedy action from your side so that the Dalits in Uttarakhand may feel that government has honoured its constitutional obligations. It is rare that despite so much of miscarriage of justice by the state authorities the Dalits of the state still are looking for constitutional means to provide them justice. We congratulate for passing a Lokpal bill though without ensuring participation of Dalits and OBCs in it, yet we hope you will find time to read Justice S.H.Raza’s scathing indictment of Uttarakhand government officials for violating the spirit of Supreme Court order. It is therefore not important whether you bring this law or that, but the implementation of it. We hope that your government will act on it and provide justice to the displaced Dalits of village Harinagar and Kundeswari who fought against the might of the land mafias and still opted to believe in the constitution of India and did not pick up guns to get speedy justice. That need to be appreciated by you and your government if it want peace and prosperity in Tarai region as social inequalities and mafia raj on land will only precipitate the matter and no action for the sake of vote will create a big distrust between different communities. Thank you, Yours Sincerely, Vidya Bhushan Rawat

It is Outrageous

Raid on Kavita Srivastava’s house is a case of intimidation by State of Chhattishgarh By Vidya Bhushan Rawat Chhatisgarh police is notorious for its misadventures. We all know its track record of harassing human rights activists all over the country. It has taken a leaf out of the book from Andhra Pradesh police who is notorious to harass people as well as engaged in encounters. Perhaps, all this is happening everywhere. We have seen the notoriety of Gujarat police where an honest police officer is paying price of his honesty of speaking against the chief minister of the state. The threat and intimidation of human rights activists all over the country is well known to be debated here. What we are witnessing now is the outreach of the state agencies to arrest, humiliate and harass activists beyond their states and it is a matter of great concern. The situation in states like Gujarat, Chhatishgarh and Jharkhand is a challenge to all the human rights activists and it is time when the Central government must make it clear to the state to put their own house in order rather than trying to shoot the messenger. It is therefore shocking to hear the news of the raid by the Chhatishgarh police at the house of Kavita Srivastava, the National Secretary of People’s Union for Civil Liberties, in Jaipur. Those who have known Kavita and her work can vouch that her work goes beyond the work of PUCL and her concern for the common people and human rights in the country. Activists deeply rooted in the grassroots traditions of India; we have all seen Kavita completely immersed in issues related to the people. Whether it is the issue of right to food, and various issues related to the same, or the issue of communalism in India, she has been uncompromising in her attitude and perception. She has been an ardent advocate of human rights all over the country and travelled to many state for the cause of the same. Whether preparation of draft National Food Security bill or strengthening the Public Distribution System or raising the issue of minorities in Rajasthan, Kavita has been in the forefront. The ministers and their bureaucrats who have seen Kavita leading or participating in various delegations know her conviction for the cause of human rights in India. Therefore, it is shocking to see a group of Rajasthan police actively assisting their Chhatisgharh counterpart in ‘searching’ for a ‘dreaded’ ‘Naxalite’ at the house of Kavita in Jaipur. They found nothing. What will they report to their Central bosses and state apparatus? This is sheer nonsense and a serious challenge to all the human rights activists all over the country. This is nothing but intimidation and harassment of an activist who has devoted herself for the cause of human rights in the country. If speaking for human rights and expressing our dissatisfaction and dissent to government policies mean being a Maoist, then we should all register ourselves as Maoist. I have no shame in saying so. It is time for P.Chidambaram to train his police and investigators who are completely lost in their effort to ‘control’ ‘terrorism’ and Maoism’, in the country, to understand the meaning of dissent. The policies of the government and it is not necessarily government at the centre but at the state level also have generated mass upsurge all over the country. While, you may define Anna Hazare’s movement as a rightwing nationalist outcry but the dissent against the policies of the government and its surrender to capitalists casteists forces is growing every where. People are revolting and if the government feel that this protest and revolt of the Dalits and Aadivasis is just supported or facilitated by some NGOs or organisations, then they are on the wrong path. It is time for them to see the writing on the wall as they have completely failed in understanding people’s perception and ideas about their rights. It is shameful for the government of chhatishgarh for trying to intimidate an activist and her parents in her absence. This is nothing but a clear case of ‘dadagiri’ by a government that has spread official terrorism in the state. Today, activist can not organise meeting in Chhatishgarh as the state spy them all the time. The life of an activist in Chhatishgarh and Jharkhand is so miserable that they can not even think of organising anything without inviting the government of the state to create obstacles for them. Binayak Sen was charged for helping the Maoists. The government of the state pursued the case shamelessly against him and tried to influence the local courts. He was ultimately granted bail by the Supreme Court. The condition in Bastar and other areas are well known to us. We know chief minister Raman Singh can not visit Bastar or any of the regions which is ‘infected; by the Naxals. Why is the chief minister still unable to win over the tribals despite so much of drama and theatrics by him to claim the sainthood and a leader who has provided people rice below Rs 2 a kilo. It is a well known fact that the most comfortable people in Chhatishgarh are the Babas, the socalled spiritual gurus who have got huge land to fulfil the Hindutva project and the companies like Essar and Jindals. Ofcourse, Jindal is a Congress MP but despite that we all know that corporate interest cross party lines and BJP or Congress will not create any obstacles for them. Chhatishgarh is the best example of the lethal mixture of brahmanical Hindutva and capitalist corporate. The victim of this are the Dalits and tribals who have to vote to any of these great ‘nationalist’ parties to save their interest. The raid on Kavita’s home is a challenge to all of us who do not agree with the fascist nature of the state trying to shun all kind of dissent. It is a signal to all of us to keep our mouth shut or get ready to face various charges of being ‘anti national’, a Maoist or Naxalite. Former Prime Minister VP Singh in an interview had said once that if speaking the truth and fighting for your rights mean being a Maoist then he was ready to be called as a Maoist. It is shameful that political parties and leaders are unable to win the confidence of the tribal and Dalits and are trying to create a fear psychosis about the prevailing situation in Chhatishgarh, Jharkhand and other states. The question is that tribal autonomy is an old issue and with the continuous assault of the corporate on their natural resources is being resisted. If people are speaking and supporting the cause of the human rights of tribal or Dalits or Muslims, it is being seen as a challenge to state. One does not know whether a state could ever be bigger than its people. Can India ever progress and claim as a nation if its tribals, Dalits and minorities remain outside the ambit of development, and constitution. So, the attack on kavita is a clearly a signal to human rights activists, people’s movement leaders, and writers not to speak against the state. That the notorious police of these states will come and search your house is well known. That these states are now spreading their wings outside their limited domain and can take you anywhere is a worrying signal... The Central government can not keep silent on the issue. It will pay a heavy price for playing politics on the issue of human rights. The problem with it is that it is promoting all such rubbish in the name of nationalism which violates basic rights of people. If India wants to claim a democracy then it must not allow itself to surrender to fascists element claiming to democrats just because they got elected. We all know Hitler also got elected from a popular mandate. The threats to human rights are very valid in India and its neighbour. We can not allow human rights activist to be brutalised by state as well as society. We need a regular monitoring of all these states where the state apparatus is being used by the state government to fulfil its nefarious agenda. The issue of Naxalims and Maoism can not be resolved by making them ‘terrorists’. It can not be resolved by Chidambaram and his colleagues through guns and their idiocies in arming the state and terrorising the innocent tribals. To win them over, the Indian state will have to disarm them and not to procure more arms to terrorise the innocent people. State can not be using ‘tit for tat’ techniques. People like kavita Srivastava are actually playing role of a catalyst to increase faith of those who are being violated daily in the state. They are defending human rights even at the cost of their own self. By terrorising them and humiliating them, the state of India will not gain anything. It will only lose whatever little it has acquired in the last sixty years, in the name of democracy. Chhatisgarh government must apologise. The rights of the state government to go anywhere and terrorise citizens of other state can not be expected. How can Rajasthan government allow Chhatisgarh government and its police to raid the house of an activist? We must condemn this incident and warn the Chhatishgarh police to mend its ways. It must be taken to task and improve its style of functioning. The Hindutva government of Chhatishgarh is advised to take care of Adivasis properly. Win the Aadivasis through good work, through land reform and giving them autonomy and not through terrorising the people who speak for the rights of the people. National Human Rights Commission and Union Home Ministry must take action against Chhatishgarh police and must apologise for this shameful incident. They must ask the state to maintain some dignity. State can not be allowed to send their goons everywhere to arrest any one in the name of ‘Maoism’. It is the same that the state apparatus and the central intelligence can not differentiate between dissenters and Maoists. If they do not understand it then they must be taught that there are hundreds of activists and political scientists who differ completely with the government’s approach in handling the issue of tribals and yet they do not approve the ways of the Maoists. If the government does not understand it, it is not the problem of the activists or PUCL or Kavita Sirvastava. If the government and its agencies do not understand it then it is time to train them again. In the meanwhile, we must all salute to the spirit of Kavita and hope that such intimidating tactics will not deter her from her path. There are hundreds like us expressing solidarity with her. .

has India Failed as a Nation to provide justice to all.

No criminal conspiracy in Mirchpur By Vidya Bhushan Rawat A Delhi court yesterday declared that there was no criminal conspiracy in Mirchpur and therefore it honorably acquitted 82 accused while framing charges against the other 15 accused who were found guilty of not committing murder. Mirchpur incident came into focus when on April 21st, 2010, a father and his disabled girl was brutally burnt by some of the Jat villagers as they refused to toe the line of the powerful Jats and were living a relatively better life much to the envy of the powerful Jats. When the Balmikis became enraged and protested the state government ordered an inquiry to the incident and tried to cover up the case. It was only after the intervention by the Supreme Court that the case was transferred to a Delhi court in Rohini yet the end result remain the same. It would have been the same case had the case been filed in Haryana. Mirchpur incident reflect many thing. That the Balmikis and other Dalits often becomes victim of caste violence in Haryana where caste identities are sharpened and mingling is not allowed, when they assert and have a ‘feel good’ factor for themselves. It means that the upper caste will be angry when a Dalit family is happy despite all their troubles as the Hindus most of the time wants them to stick to their traditional occupation and beg them for honor. Now after much harder work, the Dalits in Haryana and Punjab are not moving to cities and charting a different path for their livelihood much to the discomfort of the powerful caste forces. It is also a fact that Mirchpur violence was not first instance of caste violence in Haryana. Prior to that we had seen many places the violence against Dalit including infamous Jhajjhar where a Dalit was murdered for tanning the skin of a cow. Haryana may be boasting too much for its farmers but it has not been able to develop a modern democratic culture. It may have elected governments like any other state but it is more feudalistic in nature than any other state. The Khap rules Haryana. The Khap is the Panchayat as well as the farmers who have developed their own sense of superiority complex. It is not strange therefore that when I attended a farmer’s protest in Haryana against land acquisition, most of the farmers still wanted to be called as ‘Zamindar’. They felt proud of being so. Haryana has the dominance of Jaats and Gujjars since independence. The change of democratic system which allowed these communities to grow has not percolated further. Any effort to change is resisted violently. Unfortunately, the farmers movement in Haryana has just been reduced to bargain better land price for them and not related to anything with farming. It is most to convert farmers to real estate agents like what has happened in Western Uttar-Pradesh. Haryana never had land reform hence despite so called prosperity; it is a few communities who enjoyed the fruits of suppression of Dalits. Most of the Dalits are in to agrarian work making their livelihood through agricultural labors. Now, the Chamars and Balmikis have delinked themselves from the traditional occupation as they want to get educated and do the work which gives them respect. It is not easy for the upper caste to tolerate the new assertion of a Balmiki in Haryana. As a manual scavenger they were prohibited entering the house but that was not the problem. The Jaat or Gujjar pride is hurt when they see the young boys from Dalit communities doing different work than ‘meant’ for them. Secondly, if a Balmiki has relatively a better house in the village or they are enjoying their life, that too becomes a matter of great ‘concern’ of them. And this anger is reflected somewhere else and on some day when the community is targeted. With political power and sheer number games on their side, Jats know that any action against them would cost the political parties their votes in Western Uttar-Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan. That is why the political parties do not speak. Other than that, there are so-called farmer’s support groups, who would talk about them as if ‘ Zamaindari’ is their fundamental right. Such person glorifies the so called farming even at the cost of human lives and the oppression and ostracisation of Dalits in these villages. Not a single person writing about agricultural labour or agrarian question ever mention the condition of agricultural labour in Haryana who are mostly Dalits. Their marginalization and exploitation is complete yet have not attracted the attention of our friends who are worried about ‘kheti-kisani’. Nothing happened to Mirchpur exploiters. They knew it well that such incidents will never get a witness. When an entire village turns against a community or an individual who will lodge a complaint to the police or authorities? Who will dare to become a witness when faced with deep pressure to save the people who saved their ‘pride’? The ‘pride’ of Jats at that moment was to teach a lesson to asserting Balmikis and hence most of the villagers felt they had not done anything wrong. The best way to tell the authorities is that they saw nobody. When the entire village has turned racist and casteist then talk of sanity is not possible. There the rule of law has to be enforced. No decentralization work here. These are the dangers of decentralization. If the central law is not there then the local feudal lords will not allow the Dalits to flourish. So, despite so-called ‘decentralised democracy’, we are still bound by International and national human rights laws. Unfortunately, those who talk of the so-called decentralization process are glamorizing those Khaps which must be destroyed. There is nothing glamorous in these Khaps which are casteist and are a blot to any civilized society. Mirchpur also reflect the poor state of our governance. The issue of Dalits will only get prominence if they are suitable to the ruling elites. Whenever and wherever the issue of Dalits becomes an obstacle to get sympathy or political benefits the issue will be side tracked. Hence, the Haryana police predominantly a Jat-Gujjar enterprise did not do anything to nab the culprits. It just did everything formally. Their counterparts in Delhi have the same mind. I know once I met a senior officer of Delhi police related to a case against Valmiki family in Narela where the police was openly supporting the Jaats who had joined hand to throw a Valmiki family out of that place yet the officer was showing his helplessness. ‘ You see, I come from JNU and have progressive thoughts but our Jawans and our junior officers hail from Haryana and Western Uttar-Pradesh, who still have the same social and cultural prejudices which existed in the village. So, it is not just a legal problem but greater issue of social change, the officer said. My point was that ofcourse, we have to fight for this and social organizations must do it but then how many of the social organizations will get any support if they start working on Caste and untouchability? Secondly, we know all these realities but the state should also show some spine in this case. Even when Mirchpur case was transferred to Delhi for the reason that the powerful people would not be able to influence the witness, the fact remain the same. Delhi is not different than Haryana. We know it well that such things happen. While our media and ‘social activists’ went in the town and at the India gate with candles in their hand to force the court give a favorable verdict in the case of ‘Jessica Lal’ but the same media do not have time to even give some space to this. Mirchpur is a common failure of Indian democracy. It is failure of our civil society which has no time for it. It is failure of the forces of social justice who are unable to join hand and take it to logical conclusion. Our political parties have always been casteist in nature hence if this matter does not suit them they will avoid it. The administration has no will as it remain an administration to save the powerful. Haryana will continue to have more Mirchpurs and bigger Khap challenging the very democratic set up the country when it does not suit them. Mirchpur’s judgment has shown how helpless the case of justice in India is. The forces of caste are so powerful that they have law, political system and media with their side. It is tragic but truth. How can a country living in so much divisions and prejudices be called a society or a nation. When Jessica Lal’s verdict was delivered by the local court acquitting all the accused the Times of India wrote prominently ‘ No one killed Jessica’ and media went overboard to get ‘Jesica’ justice. Her sister became a ‘social activist’ and many more friends also became ‘social activists’. The upper courts were forced to take a matter seriously. Media pressure, in the name of public pressure, finally brought justice to Jessica. But it is tragic that a case of racial violence, caste prejudice, does not get a single column report in front page in the media. The worst are the TV channels who seem to have become the guardians of our morality. But there was no news. It is a shame that these ‘moral guardians’ sitting in the TV studios have no time to discuss Mirchpur which is not even two hours drive from Delhi. Why are they silent? Indian state is nothing but is controlled by the brahmanical manipulators. Unless, we understand it, nothing will move. These manipulators work in media and in our state apparatus. Through media they change the debate, take you somewhere else. There are those who have taken it to them to be our moral guardians. They want to be looked as ‘conscious keeper’ of the country yet such blatant violations of human rights of people are ignored by them. All the people become one for them. It is easier to abuse politicians and government from the loudspeakers of TV studios but please go beyond it. If your caste prejudices are out, then you will see, the people of India, we appreciate too much, are suffering from a big disease of caste prejudices and hidden apartheid. Unless India addresses this, it will never be a nation. It will be a country of a few power elite while others will suffer without our mind and action going to them. Therefore, Mirchpur case is an example where Indian state should show some spine. Our media should stand with the victims and our social movements must understand that just large number of people for a cause may not necessarily be on the right side. It is time to call these majoritarian forces a bluff. India need protection of the individuals’ right and such tendencies of majoritarianism will demolish a great constitution and our society as a whole. The issue of violence against Dalits is a serious matter and if India fail to provide justice, then it has to be prepared for its repercussion and social unrest. The case is a challenge and test of our democratic set up. The higher courts must take note of it. It should not be left to an unwilling government. Time has come when people must file case on their own so that the complicity of state apparatus is exposed in it.

Planning Commission or Real Estate Agency

Do we need a planning Commission By Vidya Bhushan Rawat Do we really need a planning commission which does not even know the anguish and pains of the country. Such a planning commission is a blot on India. In this age, when corruption in each department has run in billions, when salaries of government staff and their counterparts are zooming up, our planning commission shamelessly tells the Supreme Court that Rs 25 ( not even fifty cent) a day is enough to live a life. When we demand that Rs 100 meant for one day work in the National Rural Employment Generation Scheme is much below the inflationary rates. This sham called Montek Singh Ahaluwalia must be be dismissed immediately. Planning Commission's member who do not toe the Montek line are isolated. If this govt continue to go ahead with such attitude, I am sure people of India will push it to dustbins in the coming days. It is nothing but deeply regrettable that such an idea coming from government's planning commission which is supposed to be understanding the issues of people. Every year, the government of India increase the salaries, Dearness Allowances of its officers. The chairman of the planning commission is a well furnished job. It has power, influence and glamor if you do the work for the companies. Ofcourse, if you promote people's policies then you are bad, jholawala and old communist mind. Montek has completely demolished that old pro people ideas of the planning commission. He can go so harsh because our Prime Minister feel that he has the in his pulse the understanding of the country. It is important that planning commission must be revamped. It must have eminent people from social organisation, political leaders and activists. Planning can not be left to a few individuals of the 'great' quality learnt from Washington DC and in the air conditioned chambers of World Bank and International Monitory Funds. Planners need to understand the pain of Bharat. The people of Bharat are really feeling the pinch whether their land is being acquired or they are pushed to further marginalisation. It is time the prime minister of India think serious and completely revamp the planning commission. We have no faith in such a Commission which is a facilitators for the corporate take over of people's resources. People of India have not voted Montek Singh Ahluwalia to sale India's assets to private corporations. He must be desisted to do so. This farce at the planning commission must stop. The government must withdraw its affidavit from the Supreme Court and apologise from the people of India for insulting them. What is the budget of Montek. His coffee must be costing much more than Rs 25/-. Such shameless commission must be disbanded and its head must be shown the door. India can not afford their luxuries at the cost of its own people. For the past 20 years, the planning commission is just meant to reduce government's burden, by reducing its social responsibility and acting as a 'real estate agent' which has actually resulted in huge corruption as state, centre and each one who enjoyed power began selling India's natural worth to private corporations. While people are dying of hunger, losing their land, water and forest, our netas, bureaucrats, industrial houses multiplied their wealth. This shamelessness has resulted in people losing faith in political system of the country and picking up guns. If a large part of india is witnessing a challenge to its sovereignty, it is because of this Montek Manmohan Chidambaram's shameless agenda of looting people's worth. It is time, such rackless loot of India's resources must be stopped so that people do not resort to desperate violence for their survival. India as a nation has to answer to millions of its people who still remain hungry, who still do not have two time a meal.Vandemataram and mera bharat mahan and big nationalist cries mean nothing to them. India will become great and powerful if each one us have two time meal and a work to contribute to the nation. We all know that depending on government is foolishness. India's Aadivasis were never dependent on the government but it is the otherway round. By sucking their resources, which they nurtured for thousands of year, the government has become looter. And over it, the planners in Delhi feel that by making people landless and workless and suggesting that they can survive just on Rs 25 a day, this government insult the people, their work and worth. Chidambaram will not succeed if his friend in planning commission continue to insult people and their livelihood. If you can not give people dignity and right, you have no right to snatch their life, livelihood and resources. Let the government know it otherwise the government will never be able to do justice anywhere. Let the planning commission be an inclusive body, the voice of the people, for their welfare, and benefit and not a facilitating 'real estate' agency for the national and international private corporations.

Modi's Fast or Farce

Looking for a Messiah: Are the Indian elite desperately searching for a Savior? By Vidya Bhushan Rawat It is disappointing and shameful the way BJP and some of its allies have exhibited their support for Narendra Modi’s fast for ‘atma shuddhi’ and ‘sadbhavna’. Gujarat Congress leader Shankar Singh Vaghela has also gone on fast though without much notice of the media. Vaghela comes from the Hindutva background and understand very well the tricks of the game. Those who have read the Supreme Court order know it well that it has given instruction to authorities to file cases as per the SIT report. There is every option for the people to again go the court and seek justice if the local authorities in Gujarat again try to subvert justice. However, the issue here is much bigger and the way the entire game is being played, it has wider political repercussions too and need political understanding of the entire game. While every political party is free to go for its political campaign and can approach any community in India, however there are a few questions before that. In a democratic society there is no space for fasting which is nothing but an act of blackmail and side tracking the real issues. Therefore political battles have to be fought politically and not through apolitical blackmails. Fasting is nothing but re-imposition of the brahmanical values on India. Right from the period of Gandhi all the symbols adopted and exhibited for fasting are brahmanical and widely open to interpretation without saying directly. The war cries during these fasts are so loud that any one who oppose them genuinely face threat of physical intimidation. So, the non violent fasts are actually more violent than the physical violence as they expose your vulnerability. Anyone who has seen the ‘progress’ and ‘peace’ in Gujarat can vouch for Narendra Modi. Gujarat is a very prosperous state and there is little doubt about that. But this is also a fact that it was so much before Narendra Modi as dominant Gujaratis are business mind and they have succeeded in their business world over. But has the business mind in Gujarat really brought a change in the ‘mindset’ of common Gujarati which Narendra Modi and others in the Sangh Parivar boast so much? Can we say that Gujarat is a state which has no discrimination and every body live in peace? Yes, because the Gujarat which Narendra Modi boast and develop actually is a Gujarat of Varna Vyavastha, of caste system and none of them have the courage to stand against that. If we ask these questions and make a checklist then the reality would exactly the opposite. Are inter caste marriages common in Gujarat and the answer is a big no. Similarly, we all know the fate of people marrying beyond their religious identity. So what has changed in Gujrat Mr Modi? Yes, all the Babas, and Sadhus are more popular than ever in Gujarat. The sas-bahus idiocies are too popular in Gujarat and therefore bollywood jump in that market. If you compare Gujarat with Punjab then the differences will be sharp. Gujarati’s are businessmen but by heart not as open as the Sikhs. Sikhs also prospered and traveled world over like Gujaratis have much wider community sense than Gujaratis. They have also developed business and entrepreneurship. But see the difference. The progress in Punjab is over all and inclusive while in Gujarat it is exclusive and those living in margins are still living the same way. Today, the Dalits in Punjab whether it is the Mazhabis or Ravidasis are much better and liberated than their counterparts in Gujarat. Go to any Dalit basti in Gujarat particularly the Valmikis and you can hear the story of the racial prejudices in Gujarat. In Punjab too they face discrimination against the vary tenants of Guru Granth Saheb yet Dalits retaliate in Punjab. They have their own Gurudwaras and strong community leadership has emerged. Gujarat is not just Anand, Ahmedabad, Baroda or Surat. Gujarat is also Kheda, Porbandar, Kutchch and other tribal regions. Ask those regions about the changes and you will realize it. Narendra Modi claims that there were no communal riots in Gujarat since 2002. Yes, there could not have been as the entire state machinery was used so much against the minorities that their life became hell and economy totally collapsed. It take time to rebuild in a state where a complete economic embargo was put on Muslims and Christians. Don’t we know that before the Muslim became direct target of the Hindutva brigade, it were the Christians, their churches and institutions that came under sharp attack from the Hindutva gangs who had clearly got state patronage. Gujarat is very unfortunate in many way. Unfortunate because the cocktail of corporate and religion is working wonder in Gujarat. The powerful upper castes in Gujarat are more than ever powerful. They have migrated abroad. The condition of Dalits and tribal is so bad that none of them have power to stand up at the moment. Most of them have either state government jobs or at maximum private jobs owned by Patels, Sidhis and Jains whose political sympathies with Hindutva are well known to be described here. The Dalits even if they want to revolt may not be able to do so under the grave economic pressure. That has happened in a very systematic way. Whenever the Dalits organize their rallies and programme, their activities are watched and observed and later they are isolated. The economic dependency has hampered their movement for a different political understanding other than the upper caste parties of Congress and BJP. Muslims in Gujarat seems not to have any other option than switching their loyalty here and there as their condition is the worst. Modi’s supporters are proposing Gujarat model for development. One does not know in which world they love. Can Gujarat be really called a developed state? A good state for investment and a better governed state are two different dynamics. If Gujarat is so good that every international company are vying to be here then why the Gujaratis living in Africa, Europe and Americas come back to their original land and restrengthen it. Why they still need to go abroad to earn much. Gujarat riots were engineered to break the backbone of Muslim business. It is the basic tendency of the Hindutva protagonists to engineer riots where the Muslims had a sizeable business presence and the result from various communal riots reflect that. The isolation of Muslims in Gujarat was complete. If peace comes at the cost of leaving in submission and subjugation then Modi and his fanatic friends must understand that it will not be. Injustice anywhere is a threat to peace. If people are unable to get justice in the political set up then obviously it breed communalism on both the sides. Today, Narendra Modi condemns communalism and caste-ism. He blames the policy of appeasement in the past sixty years. The fact is that India has been ruled by the upper caste upper elite during all these years Mr. Modi. And if he means that Indian state has appeased Muslims and given some thing special then Modi must understand that Muslims face the worst form of discrimination in the government jobs and private corporations. Even taking a house on rent is difficult to get and finally the person has to find the ‘Muslim’ locality’. Such ghettosiation helps the communal politicians and their leaders as the more the communication gap between the two communities the bigger the business of these loud mouths who shout at each other posing a threat from the opposing sides. There is no denying the fact that India need to move forward. And for it the shortsighted policies must go. For this, the tamasha of fasting must stop. All these fast are meant against some one. Most of these fast are done by the caste Hindus to regain and retain their leadership and stop the others from gaining any right. Gandhi’s fast against untouchability was a betrayal to Ambedkar’s struggle for social justice and Dalits which he so valiantly fought. Anna’s fast looked intimidating to the Dalits, OBCs, and Muslims of India. Now Modi is fasting to cleanse himself while Congress too is fasting. The political battles are to be fought politically but when the politics is just an adjustment and calculation then we can expect anything sincere from the political class which has become expert in saying things according to its convenience. In the Gujarat University campus, sharing platform with Modi were various political leaders. Modi say ‘ India is run through constitution’, now this is another statement. Why any one has to host tricolor in India or say Vandemataram. While Modi’s supporters have not started following Anna, but such tactics are clear enough in projecting one particular community or people who disagree as traitors. When you say that India is run through constitution, it is because you want to communicate that you have been exonerated by the highest court of the land which is absolutely farcical. The Supreme Court’s Judgment has not exonerated Modi. In fact, Supreme Court must take a suo moto cognigence of such blatant lies and misinterpretations of its order. We all know the agenda of the Hindutva protagonists. Most of them do not have faith in the constitution of India. Modi feel that the past 60 years India appeased to different castes and religion. Modi hate castes because it is obstructing his way. May be true because he is not a powerful Patel of Gujarat and at the initial phase the Patel lobby had actually tried to overthrow him. Gujarat may be having a high growth rates but Gujarat’s Dalits and Adivasis too want Gujarati’s to leave their caste mind. The narrowness of Gujarat’s caste mindset can not be matched to openness in Punjab which a Dalit can feel. And in Punjab the Dalits too retaliate and react if they are under assault. We can not expect that in Gujarat at the moment. The openness that the Muslims have in Uttar-Pradesh and Bihar is much bigger than the peace of Gujarat. The blending of Muslims in the Ganga Jamuni culture is tremendous and despite all problems they too can retaliate when time comes. If Modi say that there were no curfew in Gujarat it is because the social ostracisation of marginalized communities in Gujarat completed with Modi. Along with Modi all the Gujaratis should atone for their caste mind. Gujarati’s want to enjoy liberty and freedom elsewhere but they do not want to give the same in their own state Mr Modi. So, these tamasha being oraganised in Gujarat will serve little purpose. The problem of Gujarat is multifold. The oppression and control of the poor of Gujarat is complete. They will revolt against the elite of Gujarat who have Modi as their hero. That day is not far over. The so-called governance will then crumble. As far as the media is concern, the least say about them is the best. They were the most fascinating observer of YSR Rajshekar Reddy, the former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and today they can see YSR and his corrupt regime. So, Modi is good for them as he serves their interest. Let us ask a question to Modi what radical changes has he made in the lives of a common Gujarati? What is the standard of an ordinary road transport bus of Gujarat? Is it a better transport service than Rajasthan or Haryana? What about the college education in Gujarat? Is it providing better research than others? Yes, Gujarat is have business mind and that is why they can claim to have an IIM in Ahemdabad and one for the rural development in Anand. But what about the common education in school? What about the Panchayats in Gujarat? Finally, Mr Modi, so many people were arrested under POTA in Gujrat, particularly in Godhra. I have visited those families and seen their pain. Old, young, visually impaired, we have seen people virtually living in deep dejection and isolation. How will they get justices who are in jail without any trial? How will people react if so many people without trials are in your jails on the one side while on the other side those who should have been behind the bar, are enjoying the fruits of power. Yes, Mr Modi, caste was not discovered sixty years ago. It is a heritage that you feel proud. All those rishis, munis, sadhus and sanyasis that you bring on your stage and shout Bharat Mata ki Jaya are afraid of caste. They know it better that today thank to constitution of India these people are now standing up and reacting. Yes, Ambedkar’s constitution have given them power, understanding that in democracy number matters and it is here all the good friends of Narendra Modi are afraid of. Not of Modi but so-called opponents are also afraid of that weapon as the real threat to India according to them, does not come from Pakistan but the assertion of Dalit Bahujan. It is actually this feeling which is disturbing India’s ruling elite whether it is Kapil Sibol or Chidambaram or Jayalalitha-Advani and Modi. In this historic war, Muslims are simply becoming the tool to be used. They have to decide which side of the war are they on. It is not a war between Congress or BJP. It is actually a war between India’s minority upper caste elite and those who have suffered India caste based hidden apartheid. The power elite in India is desperate at the moment and looking for some savior such as Anna Hazare or Narendra Modi. Fortunately, India is such a diverse and huge country that despite all the propaganda material at their disposal they know it well, things are not that simple which our news channels want us to believe. Yes, India’s poor understand all these forces much better than those who make their opinion through TV channels. This desperation will not work. The upper caste upper elite in India need to believe in democratic set up and not try to subvert it through desperate means as end of democracy will only open caste anarchy in India. Let us not allow India to go the Afghanistan way by such short sighted policies of ignoring important division and genuinely addressing those issues. For the sake of a few leaders, a country’s unity cannot be put on stake. Coming days are more challenging for India as we need to see whether the perpetrators of crime will be punished as per law of the land or will they use this opportunity to take power in their own hands in the name of people’s verdict by creating hysterical situation and total polarization on religious line. The idea of India is under the threat.

Looking beyond Anna..

Need to shift political system which work collectively By Vidya Bhushan Rawat India at the moment is at the cross roads. Anna Hazare and his team have presented a Janlokpal bill which according to them will wipe out corruption from India. They feel that corruption is the root cause of all our evils. Now, one does not know whether they consider the caste system, untouchability, dowry as corruption or not. We do not know whether billions of rupees of cash, Gold and other treasure in our religious institutions are corruption free or meant for something else. Anna seems to have caught the fancy of India’s upper caste upper elite and middle classes. Right from the film stars to our business tycoons every one is taking oath to fight against corruption. The local businessmen, dibbawallahs, auto-drivers, taxi unions, doctors and government servants also seem to agree with Anna and want that corruption should be ended. The Prime Minister of India also want the corruption should go. Advani and Gadkari want to hang the corrupt except Yadurappa. Anna wants to hang them but do not have the courage to ask the same treatment for Ramdev and Ravishankar or any other religious guru or corporate leader if they are found guilty. He also wants to keep safe the ‘civil society’ from any charges of corruption. This seems to be well planned exercise with solid backing from India’s corporate. Now, it is coming to lime light and sources are alleging that the Tatas and Anil Ambani group may be behind the campaign. Both of them are resourceful and can make our media men and TV anchors workless hence the TV cameras have to be there all the time and make it a truly ‘national event’. The number of people in the ground was never twenty thousand as Times of India describe. It could be around 5000 to 10,000 at the peak hour. Anyway, political rallies have always been huge and to compare it with the political movement lead by either JP or VP would be too naïve. At least VP and JP had an open agenda and asked people to vote. Anna seems to be working on a hidden agenda and that is the real cause of worry. The Lokpal bill that is produced by Anna’s team has positive side but the one important draw back is a super structure which is unaccountable to Parliament. We want balance between different power structures who compliment each other and do not pull leg of each other. We want a Lokpal who can seek responses from officers for their failure. I completely agree that this government had tried to shield corrupt officers. The bill presented by the Central government in Parliament is a betrayal in fact. It punishes the whistleblowers and save the corrupt officials. May be, because the ministers and officials are normally hand in glove together in the corruption cases and know the history of their cases. The question is not of including prime minister or judiciary into the Lokpal bill but we do not want another department harassing and exploiting people. Therefore, a bill need to be prepared after due consultation. Anna’s civil society never bothered to speak to others and take opinion of diverse sections of civil society, social movements in the country. It was the case basically that Sonia Gandhi appointed one set of high profile ‘civil society’ to National Advisory Council which was a ‘super cabinet’ and therefore those who have been left behind in that must have felt that it is time we must have ‘super duper cabinet’ which has ‘people’s mandate. And that is why such a big ‘reality’ show being organized in Delhi. Sonia’s advisory council have elite ‘social activists’ and Anna’s team too had the same criteria. So, there is nothing wrong to say if you call it upper caste upper elite clash of interests. Not every crowd turns into a revolution. We want to look this event as revolution and the reason is that Gandhi, India’s fading icon, must be placed on top despite the known facts that the same upper caste actually hated him and killed him. Gandhi and Gandhisim are the best way to control our mind, preach us fictitious morality of the barbaric age which none of these ‘revolutionaries’ will ever agree in their own personal lives. The caste and religious character of the entire protest is well known to be described here. As reported in many dailies, the main organizers of this crowd management team are not just the corporate jars, former anchors and reporters of television channels who are producing Anna package to the country but the micro level management is also being taken care of by the religious fanatics who have deep rooted hatred towards the Dalits and minorities of the country. It is this class of people who have no interest in India and who are ready to ditch the country for their profits and benefits which are swearing by the tricolor and raising hatred towards the Dalits. Many of my friends have actually disagreed with my contention that Anna’s movement has caste and communal contours but they too agreed that some of the people might take benefit of it. But facts are not that simple. Neither is history that evaporated from us when we have seen the Sangh parivar and its elements intruded in the mainstream politics and got legitimized through electoral alignments in 1975 and 1989. That an organization such as Youth for Equality which has been spreading continuous hatred towards the Dalits and OBC in the name of opposing their legitimate quota in AIIMS and other institutions is a shocking reminder of the nature of the politics being played at Anna’s August Kranti. To add further salt to injury is another hate monger organization called Krantikari Manuwadi Morcha. One can understand from the very ideological ground of this organization how they continue to think that there will not be an India with equality as even today they continue to believe in inequality. How have those who used to clean our shoes are ruling us is a common refrain for the political system. The egalitarian political system is the bone of contention for these caste minds. Anna’s movement actually exposes openly the hidden apartheid of India. If you see the crowd and many of those who are speaking you can find their arrogance and feeling that this country is ‘theirs’ and now they have found Anna who will not allow these politicians to do ‘corruption’ which in other way means ‘vote bank politics’. My fears have always been that the Lokpal case would have more cases against the reservation and if Lokpal is not accountable to Parliament then he is bound to indulge in notoriety which would attract appreciation of the upper castes but would definitely be against the interest of the Dalitsand particularly against OBCs. Lot of anecdotes about Anna’s greatness are being talked about. Anna himself glorified himself and his ‘sacrifices’ for the nation. He said ‘I did not marry for the shake of country.’ Most of those who are there at the Ramleela ground, are using this as a point to promote Narendra Modi, who is not married. Question is if the Indians think that marriage is bad for the country then why are we over one and a half billion. All this could not have happened without marriages as living with out marriage is still not an acceptable idea in this country and children out of wedlock will never be accepted here. Another question is if being unmarried is greatness then why the same upper caste do not respect Uttar-Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati and her mentor Kanshi Ram? There is no law, no rule for these forces of stats quo. They only have their interests and hence can bend their ideological positions to suit their interests. And you can see this during the current campaign. Anna’s many formulations are flawed. There is no doubt that the Congress party behaved in an arrogant way and political leaders claims that they only speak for the people is blunted by Anna’s campaign yet we can not mock at the form of democracy which Anna and his team is indulging. As a civil society you can suggest to the government various points and do things but did Anna and his team ever spoke to any other fellow civil society people. Or this was an attempt to hijack the entire issues of civil society and become their leader. Today, the corporate has provided space for the likes of those who were supporters of civil society as leaders of civil society. That is the danger of the new economic disorder, which claims to makes and unmake leaders. It creates mass hysteria, create news through these histrionics’ and paralyze the administration. It blocks the opposite views as it is an embedded journalism. It is an activist journalism which can not be accepted. Such brand of journalism with hidden agenda and deep rooted caste prejudices exist in the shining India and promote ideas which are detrimental to the interest of India. It is surprising that none talked about the issue as how is this big movement being funded. Who are the forces supporting it from the back? Has any one tried to find out? Yes, an Indian Express story exposed many chinks. So much so that Anna and his team continuously talks about corruption of political class but refrained from talking about the corrupt corporate and the corrupt religious gurus who are happily sitting with Anna and claiming high moral ground. How is this none of us ever think of challenging those who are becoming our moral guardians. The big land owning Babas and Sanyasis and hugely corrupted corporate who were responsible for most of the corruption in the post liberlisation phase remain untouched by our elites. It is because, in today’s packaging, these corporate are required for running a middle class movement which is essentially against government and all praise for the likes of Ambanis who never hesitated in saying that they used the loopholes of the government institutions to promote themselves. Such hysteria on a particular issue is dangerous. Times of India reported that the only solution is to ask for referendum. The Times forgot that there is no difference in the government and opposition on Lokpal at the moment. And you can not discuss nitty-gritty’s of the bill in the referendum. Secondly, if the government is accepting the demand for referendum then there are major issues in the country and many states who want it. Whether it is Kashmir, Nagaland, Manipur or Telengana, the government must listen to people’s voice and come to a conclusion or organize referendum if the demand of Times of India and those who are calling for it, is accepted. India’s problems can not be resolved through a Lokpal or more bureaucrats. The failure of Indian political leadership is happening because our parliamentary system is actually based on a minority voting pattern. First past the Post system is the weakest link of our democracy. You can win election through cobbling together a few people and dividing the other votes. Therefore, India need to switch to Proportionate Electorate System, so that its diversity is represented in is Parliament and assemblies. That will pave the way for state funding and reduce the burden. The current form of democracy is giving way to individualism and any system which is based on individualism is going to be fatalistic. The fancy of an individual become the root cause of our evils. Therefore, it is important that India’s minorities, the Dalits, OBCs, the Aadivasis and other communities get fair representation in it. Unless that is done, these issues raised by certain group of people would snow ball into bigger threat for those who disagree with it. Anna may say that his Lokpal is to cleanse the system but a majority of Dalits, Aadivasis, Muslims, other minorities and OBCs have growing fear of that this campaign is fast turning into a caste-ist campaign whose agenda is not corruption but reestablish the supremacy of the erstwhile ruling elites of India who are losing their grip over power in the parliamentary process and who are looking to control levers of power through non parliamentary process. Such a thought would be dangerous and will be responsible for a caste war in India.

Remembering Shehla

Woman with conviction and Courage By Vidya Bhushan Rawat Shehla Masood became the latest victim of the corrupt Indian system which is unable to defend those who are trying to expose the corrupted. On August 16th, she fell to the bullets of an unidentified assailant near house in Bhopal. The police in Bhopal are on a hunt to nab the killers but have not been able to do so. We do not know whether they would be able to do so or not as the perpetrators of this ghastly crime may have their access to high and mighty. I came to know Shehla several years back and developed an instant rapport with her as she was very keen to do things. She asked me to contribute for her blog ‘Miracles’. She was a curious student to know new things and wanted to do things differently. She has been interested to build a strong organization for wild life and actually discussed with me in April. She shared her frustration also particularly when the state authorities never took action against the police officer she complained. She wrote a letter to home ministry about the said officer and there was no response from the ministry she said. Though she ran a company yet her intention were to build up an international organization for wild life. She called me and we met in Delhi to discuss things further to do our work. She was very happy to inform me that she had now shifted to Delhi and that we would be able to work together. Unfortunately, April and May had been quite engaged tour for me and we spoke once after that when she was in Bhopal. I saw Shehla as a dynamic woman and a role model. In a country where there is a dearth of such strong personalities, I felt she was not utilizing her worth and could really be a source of inspiration of thousands of women in the country in general and Muslim women in particular. And we spoke passionately how Muslim women should be united and organized in their struggle. She had desired to organize something for them in Bhopal. She felt that political interventions are necessary for the empowerment of women and that they must get reservation in Parliament and Assemblies. Last time when we met in Delhi, she was a bit hurt and displayed a sense of betrayal from her erstwhile colleagues. She felt that some of them were using the information collected under RTI to strike a deal. She was very disturbed with it. When I met her in Bhopal to discuss things which we could work together, she was very eager yet I found some thing was missing. The problem I felt was that she lacked some of the friends who had same passion as she had. She realized that some of the friends might be using her and may be leaking some of the information. We all know that she was living in Madhya Pradesh and had to depend a lot on the people who might not have liked her ideological positions or efforts to nail those who were close to power. That was actually her frustration when we met in Delhi and she asked me to do something together particularly on the issues of wild life and forest conversation. She was all appreciation for the then environment minister Jai Ram Ramesh and often talked about her meeting with him related to Bandavgarh Tiger range about which she complained to Ministry of Environment and Forest. Shehla became fifth victim of the mafias who are afraid of getting exposed. But at the same point of time, her brutal murder also reflect how much threat we face in the streets if we raise the issue of corruption in public life and on particular individual issues. Her death also shows how individual activists face threat to life and need to be more careful. There is a growing temptation for media coverage in the individual cases which has made the lives of activists threatening. These issues need the getting of like minded individuals who do not compete with each other for publicity but compliment the work and also keep each other updated about their activities and complains so that in case of difficult time they can be supported. We know that work on human rights is very tough and each of the human rights activist need protection for their life. While we demand protection from the government, we also know that such theoretical formulas do not solve the issue as a society which is deep nick in corruption can not protect individuals fighting against corruption. Therefore we need to be more vigilant and work together. The tragedy of the RTI is that every individual is filing cases and publicizing them and before things are taken to a conclusion he or she become the victim of it. Local media blow issue out of proportion and make the lives of these individuals more dangerous. Therefore, it is essential for all those who are fighting against this to address the issue in broader term and not become a kind of ‘tu-tu main main’. The individual fight would always result in chaos and make life of the complainants more vulnerable. Shehla was bold and daring. She wanted to do things differently. She had passion. And she wanted to do things. I am extremely disturbed and pained at her untimely death. We wanted to do things together and I was more than happy when she said that she was shifting to Delhi. I felt, I will have a friend who is daring to fight against system and have new ideas. Alas, that was not to be. The brutal murder of Shehla has taken her away from us but the ideas always remain. She will always remain a shining star, a woman who fought passionately and with great courage. She will remain a role model for many. Those who killed her must understand that by killing a person they can not kill the ideas, they can not kill the power of people. Shehla had dream. Dream of a society where men and women are equal and complete harmony with nature. She dared to do things differently and I can say she became immortal her death. We salute the spirit Shehla and hope that youngsters who dream for the society will take some lesson from her life. At the end, I am demanding a thorough investigation into the probe of Shehla Masood. The perpetrators must be brought to the books. Madhya Pradesh government should form a special task force to investigate the matter or if they are unable to find anything must hand over the inquiry to CBI. The role of the officials against who she filed cases must be investigated. These officials include forest and police department. Maybe, the information could be gathered from office in Bhopal and the colleagues who were working with her on RTI. While I deeply moan her death, I hope the real tribute to Shehla would be when the people who she filed complaint against, goes to bar and face the court. It is time that the government must ensure protection to the activists. It is equally important for the activists too to take enough precaution in their battle against the corrupt. There is no place for a Dharnaa or protest. There are no TV cameras. There are no newspapers when you are vulnerable. The tragedy is that you become news only after death. The issue raised by Shehla could have been used by media but it did not do that. Today, she has herself become news. That is the biggest irony of people who work for the rights of others. They bring out news but that is rarely used by the media. They become news once they are killed. It would be advisable to all our friends to please take care of yourself and work in unison with others and share your information with friends and organization. We do not want to lose you dear friends. Each life is important and lives of those who live for others is more precious. That is what I would speak to each one of them. The loss of Shehla is tremendous and will be felt by all of us in the coming days. Let us hope that her sacrifice is honored by the government once it is able to reach the culprit and provide her justice.

Need new words for expressions...

Mind your Language By Vidya Bhushan Rawat The feudal caste values of our subcontinent often reflect in our expressions. One of the reasons for the usage of these terminologies is the ‘feeling’ of ‘empowerment’ in our heart. How can a ‘helpless’ or a powerful person shows his empowerment. The powerful can abuse and be violent but a ‘helpless’ has only abuses. And interestingly these abuses get more contemptuous in descending order of our society. It means they are hurled more at the most marginalized and physically weak one. Why should we abuse to the others ? And the answer is provided in the various terminologies of our society which have stereotyped these and justify their aggression or failures in doing so. So, there is a blame game through these abuses and terminologies. Police did not act in Mumbai as it was ‘Napunsak’ i.e. impotent or people saw fellow citizen dying on the street because there was no ‘mard ka bachcha’ ( son of MAN), as if women can not save or have not saved any one. Why is, the non functionality of our governments termed as ‘lame duck’. They call proudly ‘yeh langdi sarkar hai’. How does it feel when a person suffering from physical disability and trying to walk as fast as so-called ‘able’ people do, listens to these ‘macho’ dialogues? Have we tried to understand that? Do the people suffering from physical disability not work efficiently? Can they never be efficient and equal like ‘others’? Often in our political platforms the leaders abuse the government saying ‘yeh sarkar bahri and andhi ho gayee hai’. I don’t know but what that means is that all the men and women who are unable to hear and see are incapable. The other day, I had objection to the terminology of ‘kaladhan’ or ‘black money’ for the illicit or ill-gotten money. Why do we use this terminology? Why is black that bad that all the bad things are linked to it. For me black remains the most beautiful color, a color of change. What will we call to the money obtained by the people whose color are not fare as white skinned. I also maintained that most of this ‘so-called’ black money is actually not owned by the ‘black people’ hence why to defame an entire race. Our society is racist in nature. Not all will realize that what the reason of Mahabharata was. While we all condemn the ‘cheer- haran’ of Draupadi, (if that is a true story), but we should also remember how contemptuously she laughed at Duryodhan when he falls in to pool assuming that a glass floor. And the comment that followed was ‘andhe ka beta agar andha nahee hoga to kya hoga’ (the son of a blind will only be a blind, what else he could be). Actually, this reflects the psychology of Indians. The feeling that we can not change and we must do what we are parents and forefathers have been doing for generations. So, a person whose father was a cobbler must do the same work and not think of change. That is the reason of why people hate reservation because they feel that these children who should have been doing menial work are actually now thinking of coming to power. How can the children of cobblers, goldsmiths, iron smiths, farmers, workers, laborers be allowed to rule the country? What will they bring to us except misfortune? It is this very reason, why our middle classes get very reactive of corruption among Dalits and OBCs. Oh, how have these guys got so much of wealth? Why don’t they go back to the community? But the same questions are not asked as where from Anna Hazare got the money to sit on fast and why were businessmen so concern about ‘corruption’ and were donating handsomely to Baba Ramdev. If the same funds are given by some Christians and Muslims, immediately the question would arise, as why are they interested in our cause? Why can’t we ask the question as why the tax evading class is interested in fighting against corruption? If that fast and crowd was mobilized by Udit Raj, everyone would have been asking where the money has come from. Nobody ask the ‘polite’ upper caste about this. It is assumed that they have it for generations and hence nobody needs to question it. So, the donation to the high quality people is on ‘will’ and for a cause and for the others it is meant for ‘corruption’ and ‘conversion’. One of the biggest comments in our films and political circle is made on the inability or inefficiency of a person or a government is ‘yeh napunsak hai. This is an impotent government. ‘Be man’. What will happen if the government is headed by a woman? So any leader who is involved in all kind of misbehavior is termed as ‘impotent’ as if all the bad deeds and sexual abuse are carried over by the sexually inactive persons. Many sexual scandals of our political leaders are getting exposed these days. Should we call them ‘impotent’ or sexually pervert? It not that just physicality matters in our society. Gender and caste abuses are often part of our discourse. It is shocking to see them being used by the caste Hindus. Some of them are often used by even the ‘so-called’ revolutionaries to score a point and degrade some one’s caste. These are part of our rural culture and their daily language. Aamir Khan’s Bosedeeke is nothing but justifying these stereotype where abuses are hurled at regular basis on gender basis (most of the indigenous abuses are caste and gender biased) and cowardliness and betrayal are related to particular communities. Most of our idioms and local sayings are actually based on deep gender and caste prejudices. These idioms are nothing but glorification of our false caste pride and promote macho values which are anti woman. You can always find dialogues of Hindi films saying ‘are koi mard ka bachcha jo mujhse bhide.’ (Is there any son of a MAN who can fight me?. Often the ‘Mard’ i.e. MAN word has used in the bollywood films to degrade woman and promote patriarchical values. I do not think if there is any English equivalent to this word except MAN with a big ego in heart. This has virtually degenerated our entire system. In the 21st century India, the empowerment of communities and societies will happen through a change in our culture and not through guns and bombs. We all know society can not change over night but at least those who claim for it, work for it and want to change it must change themselves. For a healthy society we need a healthy vocabulary and not rhetoric based on prejudices towards the marginalized and physically challenged people.

Why Manu excites our academic institutions?

A certificate course in racism By Vidya Bhushan Rawat Several years ago, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, in New Delhi became the heart of ‘agitation’ against discrimination in government services. The Hindu students of medical sciences there were perturbed as why the shudras and ati shudras were getting into this institution which was the sole preserve of the high caste Hindus. The media gave lot of stories of them and the ‘poor’ doctors forgot their basic duty of looking after the patience. Instead they were raising slogan for ‘equality’ and started an organisation called ‘Youth for Equality’. Interestingly, these youth for equality do not know the meaning of equality. Equality for them is only possible when we maintain the varna dharma which is based on ‘purity’ of ‘soul’ and ‘merit’ of human being. To strengthen their point they say that they are not against ‘poor’. That the basis of reservation should be ‘economic’ and not ‘ caste’. Unfortunately, the basis of reservation is the social identity of the person and not economic but even for a moment we accept their argument even then it will go to the same people who are getting due to their caste. Anyway, this ‘youth of equality’ was nothing but a tool to maintain the status quo ante and suppress the voices of the Dalits and OBCs. Unfortunately, OBCs are unable to even fight their battle so Dalits took up the lead and also became target of insinuation by the caste forces. OBCs reserved their energy to hit the Dalits in the villages which they are quite expert in and providing fodder to Hindutva’s street thugs against Muslims. The issue of reservation in India has always been burning heart of our friends for years. Unfortunately, none of them raise their voice against the reservation for Brahmins who control our temples and ashrams and which is absolutely birth based, as well as reservation for manual scavengers who hail from a particular community. We still have not been able to eliminate the manual scavenging. Those champions of equality actually usually protest in the street sweeping and polishing shoes which means that if they are not there in the AIIMS, they would have to do such work which is not meant for them. Our students feel it the same way. That cleaning, sweeping, scavenging, farming are not their work. It is the duty for those which is prescribed by Lord Manu. Therefore none should be surprised what IIT Delhi is proposing in terms of ‘educating’ the Dalit students. It is simply following what AIIMS student started several years back. We all know its director Indrasen has been notoriously writing against reservation and has filed a case in the Supreme Court related to OBC quota. Indian Institute of Technology is a brand name world over for high quality technical education. Unfortunately, these institutions surviving on the extraordinary budget of the government do not provide people who have not only quality and ability but also a commitment to India. Today, these institutions have become den of the forces who look down upon anything which reflect diversity of India and fair play. The issue of reservations of seats for Scheduled Castes and other groups like the Scheduled Tribe and OBCs has been powerfully resisted by the IITians of different hues in the name of merit. One can not ignore the fact that merit is important in our life but the basic point is how do you estimate merit? Is there any criterion which can judge merit in India which suffers from Dronacharya syndrome and where academics are turning worst than the former Guru of Mahabharata who created all kind of obstacles for Eklavya, a tribal boy, to become numerouno archer of the world? One does not need to repeat this mythological story as how Dronacharya in his attempt to foil the hard work of Eklavya used his devotion to him as a tool to promote his favourite Arjuna as the number one archer of the world, asked Eklavya to offer him his thumb. So, one can not believe in such teachers for evaluating the merit of those who they feel suffer from inferiority. These are the academics who have not been able to clean their mind and heart. The issue of reservation has to be seen in wider context of respecting diversity of communities at all the level of our academic institutions and governance structure. Unfortunately, it seems, that the caste Hindus feel that merit and nationalism is their domain and therefore they have got the fundamental right to rule and lord over the country. It is an unfortunate situation. Definitely one of the issue is that every one want to be part of these institutions and hence government must increase the strength also but that apart a diverse country like India can not survive if our places of learning do not have space for the vast variety of ethnic, linguistic, religious and caste groups in these institutions. In the absence of the presence of these groups, we only create stereotypes about them. It is more than shocking to hear the circular of IIT Delhi for the Dalit-OBC students to learn etiquettes and manners. What does it mean? Do the students hailing from these categories suffer from cultural inadequacies? Can we really call it like that? What are the learned professors of our IITs going to teach to these students? Why are such classes necessary for the Dalits, tribal and OBCs only? Why the University and these ‘meritorious’ institutions not offer these classes of manners and etiquettes for the so-called upper caste Hindus too. IITs and other such institutions have been domain of caste based discrimination in India. The Dalit students and the students from OBC community face discrimination at every phase right from their admission till evaluation. The female students opting for Ph.Ds often face the sexual harassment. Many of these students were compelled to commit suicide. The dirt in India’s academic world need to be cleaned and it is only possible with diverse participation these institutions. Today, these institutions have high level of nepotism and corruption which is not exposed so far. The links matter a lot in India and particularly in bureaucracy and academics. Better assignment, good postings and wonderful evaluation are hallmark of our wonder world. In such a scenario when these institutions want special training to learn etiquette for the Dalits and OBCs then we have to seriously think of the merit of these teachers and other academic staff. It clearly envisage that the Dalit and others who are not really caste Hindus suffer from lack of etiquettes and hence need to be ‘educated’ for that too. Should we call it a new ‘sansrktisation’ process where students may be asked to condemn themselves rather than questioning the wrong? Indians grow in their caste and have never allowed developing linkages and friendship beyond their caste. The beyond caste friendship is just due to some compulsion otherwise we would not be happy in exploring that. When you grow up in hearing things about the glories of your caste and contempt of others, you only develop a false notion about others. Our academic institutions actually suffer from that as they were educating just one kind of people there. They should understand that thousands of Dalit OBC students are now challenging the status quo and coming up with flying colors. If they do not know, I would like to emphasize that 10 years down the line, the maximum competition and merit would come from the Dalit students. So the education sector is witnessing the biggest change and that is the participation of Dalit-OBC-tribal students and Universities, colleges and other academic institutions need to understand that. It is not scenario of 1980s when they would say that in the absence of ‘eligible’ students they recruited the ‘others’. Today, there is no dearth of students from these communities who have come up and performed much better than others. Hence the institutions have to prepare them to face new realities and not re-impose their outdated caste mind on the young mind. They do not realize that they are living in 21st century and for this they need 21st century ideas. On the one side we want to claim that we have highly talented young minds coming from these ‘prestigious’ institutions but the darker side is that they are churning pathetic caste mindsets who have nothing to with India and mostly who are looking for greener pastures. IITs and academics should come out of their isolated megalomaniac world and face the realities of the 21st century where their act may be pursued as violation of fundamental rights of individuals. They need to learn from the world that there are UN Declaration of human rights and India is signatory to all this. They should also know the political changes in the country. These teachers are a shame to India who suffers from Dronacharya syndrome. In today’s world Dronacharya would not only have been suspended from the job but would have faced prosecution in the court of the law. One sincerely hope that the decision of Delhi IIT and any other institution will be taken back otherwise it will amount to racial and caste based discrimination and the director or Vice chancellor of such institutions must be prosecuted for that. Those champions of ‘merit’ who oppose reservation for Dalits and OBCs keep mum on when their friends buy seats in the technical institutions. They pay money and get admission abroad too. None of them ever raised a slogan against private colleges which levy huge capitation fees or when they can buy ticket for anything by just paying a few bucks extra. Issue of merit is often repeated and Dalit-OBC-Muslim question can not be related to that. It is the question of share in power structure. If the government is so afraid, then we will need more AMUs, more Jamias and more the likes that for the Dalits and OBCs too. If the caste based discrimination against them continue, there is nothing wrong in demanding special universities for each segments of our society. We have seen how the students are bringing fictitious certificates of different categories to get admission in the university and we have plenty of information related to that in the past also. The only point, I wish to make is that the student do not know what to do for the admission. It is there ‘meritorious’ teachers who must have told them to get these fake certificates. What could be the ‘merit’ of these goons who are ready throw away lakhs of rupees to get admission into these ‘prestigious’ colleges. It would be better to rename AIIMS as All India Institute of Manuwadi Studies which actually would really reflect the nature of the institution. Already, we have the statue of Manu inside the campus of Jaipur High Court and nobody dare to remove that. It would be good to install these statues at other places such as IITs and AIIMS so that people world over could know what is the importance of this man Manu. In fact, government of India, should also help strengthen Manuwad all over the country by printing original Manu smriti in all the languages of India so that people could know why Manu excites so much to our academic institutions and IITs.

S.P.Singh : Icon of Hindi media

Tribute SP : Legacy of Ethics and courage in the media By Vidya Bhushan Rawat Surendra Pratap Singh or SP as he was popularly known was one of the most iconic journalists of Hindi media at the time when it was opening up to new realities of television journalism. At the time when media particularly the vernacular media and its journalists were openly hobnobbing with the Hindutva lobby in the corporate and enjoyed the patronage, he was sharply different and committed to the profession of journalism. Yes, unlike many other veterans in the Hindi world, who crossed the thin line between journalism and politics, SP was clear about his motive and work. He never pretended to be a mass leader, nor was he a preacher. Those were the days of Indian media when many of the editors had the habit of coming to the front page under their by-line yet these temptations did not attract SP. He was happy with his contents and stood with the ethics of journalism. We all know that the vernacular journalists are habitual of political patronage and feel proud of their linkages. At the time when Hindi newspapers converted themselves to Hindu newspapers and the way they reported the entire Ramjanmbhumi-babari masjid controversy to say the least was shocking. The newspapers baron was playing tricks. Most of them owned both vernacular and English dailies and hence they cleverly allowed ‘freedom’ to their editors. So that was an interesting phase when the owners put different breed of Secularists and Hindutva sympathisers for their Hindi and English News papers. Many brought them in the name of literature. SP was not enamoured by literary figures. The fact is that after the demise of Rajendra Mathur, perhaps the most respected editors of his time, who actually was editor in chief of Navbharat Times when SP was editor, the Times Management brought a veteran Brahmin Vidya Niwas Mishra as the Editor in Chief of the newspaper and that brought a complete down fall of Navbharat Times, a newspaper who every body would subscribe. He knew how the journalists have openly joined hand with political parties and later Rajya Sabha seat was not a far away job but it was not surprising for him. He always mentioned that this has been happening since independence and journalists and writers were always ‘Promoted’ and ‘awarded’ the state for their own purposes. However, in the Ramjanmbhumi-Ayodhya matter even the owners of various newspapers jumped in and became ‘writers and journalists’. Their writing was completely irrational and unethical. They forced their reporters to twist the facts and distort the news. Even the press council reprimanded many of these newspapers. The Hinduisation or brahmanisation of Indian media is a continuation process with SP a victim of it. He stood against it and provided opportunities to budding journalists in his institution. He had faith in the youths and was that way an iconoclast who never believed in big names of the literature to be the best journalists. He always said that one can be a good writer but may not be a great journalist. And it proved when Vidya Niwas Mishra proved to be disastrous for Navbharat Times, which was a great institution before SP left it. SP continued with his writings and many of them appeared in English press also. However, his best days were yet to come. As Doordarshan allowed a half an hour news based programme Aaj Tak to India Today group with SP its head, the meaning of news changed for many of us. It was a sharply different news style than the boring faces of Doordarshan who would only report about the inauguration and death ceremonies of the political leaders and ministers. (Today, doordarshan seems to be better option than our preachy and self conscious anchors of the private channels). Aaj tak became very popular and SP synonymous to it. People would wait every night to here his voice and analysis. The best quality in him was that he was not judgemental and always left to his viewers to decide. As he said many time, his did not do journalism to fulfil any fixed agenda. He was committed to journalism and its ethics. For him, news should be ethical and should not promote mass hysteria. At a time when the entire country witness the ‘drinking of milk’ by Ganesha, SP had the capacity to send his reporter to a very ordinary shoemaker in Delhi and seek his opinion and explain the science behind the Ganesha drinking milk. He never appreciated such acts which were being promoted in the name of news. Upahar cinema tragedy in June, 1997 at Delhi, shook every one of us. We waited that night to listen to him. As he started speaking and narrating the entire sequence and we saw dead bodies, burnt corpus of young old being taken, people in distress, SP’s voice was choked on TV. He became philosophical too how the administration could be so callous that such kind of things can happen in the capital city of the country. The trauma of the cries of people was too much for him to bear. He struggled for life many days and finally succumbed to it on June 27th. SP is not there but his smiling face always remind us that news can not be just for sale or production. News must be ethical. One important point that our friends must learn from his experience is that not everything that brings crowd is great. It can make great news but there must be news behind the news too. Therefore, he not only showed the news of people queuing up to offer Ganesha milk but also exposed it showing how a common Dalit does not believe in all these miracles by showing an interview of a shoemaker. When Delhi was burning against Mandal Commission report, SP stood strong and refused to toe line of his peers in the media who came out openly asking students to come on the street and immolate themselves. Today, when we remember SP for his immense contribution to India media and how he changed the perception of media and how important it is for the budding journalists not to worship their elders but believe in getting into the depth of the news. He started various products right from Ravivar from Kolkata to Aaj Tak in Delhi and converted them into credible brands. People read him and watched his channel out of deep respect for him and credibility that he brought. You can not build credibility on compromise. It is built on ethics. Nobody ask you to have a particular ideology but commitment to truth and values and SP believed in it. Yes, whatever one say, he proved with his hard work that nothing is invincible and age does not matter. At a young age his left behind a credible legacy to us and hope those who worked with him or read him will actually take forward his legacy of commitment and impartiality to the news.