LACK OF LAND REFORMS:BANE OF POVERTY IN BIHAR!

Dream of land reform-land to poor and landless-continues to create Herculean task for successive state governments since independence: Result:- rampant rise in poverty, no home for homeless, no land to cultivate by poor. Because lands continue to be accumulated in the hands of feudal landlords, neo-rich classes, politicians of all hues. Even the government lands (aam and khas lands, vacant since the time of British Raj), have been grabbed by influential political class and big land holders in the successive years. It appeared that there are no land left now even for poor to construct their houses under much-hyped ambitious schemes of the union government and Bihar government.
Except the first government of Dr S K Sinha after independence and mid-way governments of both the Congress and anti-Congress formations have had taken half -hearted measures for land reforms. And in the process, some lands were distributed among landless by the  successive governments and state sponsored non-governmental organisations like Bhoodan Yagya Committee of Binoba Bhave. But the distributed lands were again grabbed by vested interests like big land holders and feudal forces. Matter in Bihar stands where it was long back-Raj of British Raj and landlords. More over here in India, Kings, Nawabas are still being crowned after the death of elder kings and Nawabs-like that of Sindhia family and Nawab of Pataudi family. Such practises  have been abolished long back under the Constitution. But thanks to government, these practises are continuing in almost all parts of the country, specially Bihar, Rajasthan , Madhya Pradesh , Bihar etc..
The present government of the National Democratic Alliance(NDA) , comprising of JD(U) and Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Nitish Kumar was installed over six years back.Poor and land less had have great hopes from Nitish Kumar  for emphasis on the land reforms under the laws and rules , spelt out in the  Constitution. Nitish  Kumar, as promised to the people, has started on right direction, knowing fully well that unequal distribution of lands are the bane of poverty in Bihar. Kumar took some lessons from the West Bengal government of the left Fronts where land reforms measures were taken much headway and landless got title of lands , distributed by the government and also effective laws in that state to implement Barga law (bataidari law) on the basis of Bandopadhaya committee report. Nitish wanted to make West Bengal land reform measures as replica for Bihar. Bandopadhaya was called by Nitish Kumar and entrusted him  for suggestions for land reform measures in Bihar. Bandhopadhaya had recommend to Bihar government a comprehensive measures for the land reforms.
Nitish Kumar was well set to implement the suggesstions of Bandopadhaya committee report in Bihar for land reform. everything was on to take up the matter. But by the time, assembly elections of 2010 was round the corner.Decision of Nitish Kumar started facing hurdles after hurdles. Conservative party like BJP and big landlords, neo-rich classes, upper caste majority, having big chunk of lands, opposed the much-publicised land reform measures of Nitish Kumar. it may be mentioned here that these sections are said to be the main vote banks of NDA. Reluctantly Nitish Kumar side-tracked the issue and under the pressure of dominant  alliance partner-BJP  and land owing classes put the matter in cold storage.Land reforms measures got yet another set back.
Recently, Nitish Kumar has again opened the Pandora's box. While releasing the report cards of his one year rule of his second term, Nitish Kumar announced yet another schemes for the so called land reforms. He announced that all land  will be surveyed and consolidations will be made in the next few years. Such utterances of Nitish Kumar are again being resented by the major coalition partner-BJP as well as big land holders. Nitish has very surreptitiously raised the issue of land survey and consolidations, which may prove an uphill task and it will take a long time. Again the process is likely to be landed in the political cobweb! No doubt this measures of Nitish Kumar have some tangible hopes among the landless. Over 94000 square kilo meters of land , mostly in rural areas, has not been surveyed  in the last over 100 years. And land records in the state is not at all updated.
Here  I must tell about successive land reform measures. Late K B Sahay was the first Revenue minister in the Dr S K Sinha government of the united Bihar. Right to property was incorporated in out Constitution by which anybody could keep as much of property specially lands. K B Sahay under the shadow of the directive principles of state under the Constitution, started aquiring lands of rajas, maharajas, landlords and big holders for distribution among landless for cultivation and homes. The Move of Dr S K Sinha was challenged in the higher court in the name of right to property , enunciated under the Constitution, by Maharaja of Darbhanga. Move of Dr S K Sinha government were defeated as court verdict  had gone in favour of Drarbhanga Maharaja. But progressive leadership of the them prime minister Pundit Jawahar Lal Nehru intervened. First amendment to the constitution was made and the entire right of land holdings was put in seventh schedule of the Constitution. And hurdles, preventing land reforms measures ended. And Different state government had taken measures and lakhs of acres of land throughout the country were taken and acquired by the almost all states in the country. Bihar at time topped the list in acquiring surplus lands from land holders. But half-hearted measures could not fecilitate to distributea surplus lands to land less. Thereafter, the SanyuktaB Vidhayak Dal government of non-congress parties in mid sixties and seventies also initiated some measures. During those days, many agitational programmes were launched by non-congress parties  specially Communist Party of India and Socialist party to grab lands of big land holders and distribute them among landless. And to some extend , it succeeded also!
More over big land holders, specially zamindars, started playing a different games. Many of them in Bihar, specially in Purnia , Darbhanga , Hazaribagh, Ranchi, Palsamu, Bhagalpur, Saharsa, , Champaran etc got their lands transferred in the fake names  like  their dogs, cats, as well as trusted men to escape the surplus land holdings. And Bihar government remained silent spectators. In successive years, lands distributed to poor and landless had been grabbed after they were evicted from their possession by big land holders and neo-rich classes, particularly politicians of all hues in Bihar. These big shark land holders, did not even leave "aam and hkhas lands" of the government and by making laws by the successive governments in Bihar simple. not only in the rural areas but in the urban areas. In urban areas , particularly big politicians and other rich sections of society in Patna have got the khas land in patna in their names and have built multi-storey buildings in different parts of Patna, particularly on Fraser road and Buddha Marg , Kadamkuan etc.
All these slackness of the successive government to bring on effective laws on land reforms have aggravated poverty, which  have gone 80 percent in the state , specially in rural areas. Over 70 percent people have no land for constructing even their houses in the state what to talk of cultivating the lands. On the other hand, big land holders, feudal s,, neo-rich class and political class are thriving on lands in almost all parts of the state.
If we take into account, the global Hunger index (GHI), the poverty in India is on rise.Out of 81 countries, which have been taken into consideration in GHI, India ranks 67 and Bihar state is at the lowest ebb. Surprisingly, India is below Sri Lanka (rank-36), Nepal (rank-54) and Pakistan (rank-59) in the global hunger index chart, released in 2011. More over, on the other hand, India  is advancing when it comes to dollar billionaire in the country as per recent figure, released by the UN Human Development Report(UNHDR). There are totall 134 billionaire in 2011 in India.. UNHDR says that over 55 billionaires have grown their wealth at an astonishing rate in  since 10991 because of new economic liberalisation police of the union government. India's multidimensional poor now exceeds 612 million as per report of the UNHDR-such inequnl India. In bihar , less said is better. While poverty has increased . Over 80 percent poor are poverty -ridden bin Bihar. Many of them hardly get two meals a day what to talk of medical facilities, rise in malnutrition and education in both ur rural and urban areas of Bihar while neo rich, contractors, politicians, businessmen, industrialists are thriving on huge property, earned through foul means!

OLIGARCHY-INDIAN STATE?

We have democracy. India is state or nation or country being governed in the name of so called democratic, socialist , secular Republic parliamentary system under a well defined Constitution. But elections come and go.We exercise our franchise in the successive general elections.But the country is being governed in successive years not by politicians and political classes, we choose but by an microscopic enlightened people, acquiring huge wealth and control over every things including natural resources of the country.Over 80 percent of population of the country of over 120 crore in India have hardly tasted the power in the last over 60 years of the inception of country.Inequality has widened in  menacing proportions in India. Entire wealth have been accumulated in the hands of less than 20 percent people like capitalists, industrialists, corporates, brokers, political class of almost all hues except left parties' politicians.Even the natural resources like forest, water, land etc have come under the control of these sections of people.Fundamental laws land for landless remained on paper only in India!
Many people may have different opinions over the widening gap between few wealthy people, influencing the democratic system in India and ocean of vast population, leading miserable life throughout the country! Some enlightened people of United States, which is also inflicted of such  scenarioo attribute such problem between wide gaps of educated and non-educated in that country. I strongly feel that it is not such that at least in India. Here is growing income disparities between few wealthy and majority of poverty-ridden people.
When we look the entire scenario in India, it is evidently cleared that in our society money are being increasingly concentrated in the hands of few people-hence the gap between equality and inequality is getting wider gradually.Mainly because of such economic imbalances, general masses, numbering over 80 percent of population in India, only manages their things by earning less than Rs 25 a day each! There have been sharp decline in the earnings of lower and middle classes.
Remarkably it is only because of that agitation, dharnans, protests, crimes and criminal activities, naxalites' activities, fight for justice and equalu rights etc, enshrined in the Indian Constitution, have become order of the day throughout India. Hardly a day passes when such things do not happen from east to west and north to south in India. Mainly Maoists are waging relentless war to protest atrocity on poor and tribal, who are being uprooted from jungles, their lands and houses in different parts of the country in the name of industrialising the country, ignoring economic condition of poor and ecological balances.Such situations could be compared with different political upheavals in European , Middle East and other Arabian countries in the globe in recent years. Recent movement in America to occupy Wall Street  and other vital installations in America as well as few month's back protest agitation in Great Britain, mainly because of non-availability employment in that country. Such movements may be usual for advanced countries like US and European countries because they are considered high class society where educated and rich people  are doing well and capitalists are churning economy for getting more and more richer.
But when we think of India, such scenario is ominous signal for the parliamentary democracy and people are in majority illiterate. Time is not so far there may be mobocracy in India taking into account the sufferings of majority of perople and existence of the country may be jeopardised. Indian political system is entirely being influenced by wealthy people. Successive ruling  class appear helpless in tackling the deteriorating situation because of corruption have entrenched their body politico! All these ills have  are being reflected in India since the country's ruling elites have shifted to new economic policy of liberalisation from early 1980s by ignoring socialistic pattern of society for the welfare of the people of the country. Gradually wide gap between rich and poor is growing rapidly in India. Political system is being influenced by big money wallah. And they have corrupted the whole system, particularly of political class and bureaucracy!
Before I conclude my piece on oligarchy -Indian state, I must quote Paul Krugman, a nenowned and Nobel Laureate Economist of America,who has in a recent article in the context of US economy in New York Times said, "But why does this growing concentration of income and wealth in a few hands matter? Part of answer is that rising inequality has meant a nation which most families do not share fully in economic growth. Another part of the answer is that once you realise just how much richer the rich have become, the argument that higher taxes on high income should be part of long run budget deal becomes a lot more compelling-------.The larger answer , however, is that extreme concentration of income in incompatible  with real democracy-the whole nature of our society is at stake."
Just we can also put such perspective or paradigm shift in Indian context also?

INDIA, PAKISTAN VICTIMS OF TERRORISM IN WAKE OF 9\11 ATTACKS IN AMERICA!

After 9\11 devastating terror attack on the World  Trade Centre, killing over 2000 Americans, the course of history and political scenario not only changed in US and Europe but the entire globe, particularly India and Pakistan in South East Asia. In both these  countries, terrorists activities have increased many-fold in the last ten to 13 years. Both countries have become victims of their own follies in supporting openly against the terror attacks on America. Hate Muslim community campaign throughout the world and also to capture oil in gulf and other Muslim -dominated countries by US in the name of fight  terror activities and in the process attacks on  Iraq, Afghanistan and Muslim countries  in  Middle east and Arab world by US security forces and other allied defence forces, the situation had impacted very much the world countries, specially in India and Pakistan..While Pakistan is being considered in the world as a stooge of Washington on every sphere of developments, India, which had  glorious history of non-aligned country and for adopting socialistic pattern of society policy in the globe, has been carrying with the pro-US policy and has gradually surrendered to US interests by signing agreement with America on nuclear deal and civilian nuclear liability bill  under the prime minister ship of Manmohan Singh. Foundation of such nefarious deal with US was laid during the NDA government led by Atal Behari Vajpapee to teach Pakistan a lesson by aligning with US-but it could not materialise that time.Now  US surreptitious and strategic support to India reflected in black and white during the present UPA government led by Manmohan Singh.Now US is encouraging each other by its patting and economic power, furthering more animosity.
Strangely on the eve of commemorating the 9\11 tragedy, the Pakistan government placed an advertisement in the Wall Street Journal of America to show its solidarity on rooting out terrorism. such advertisement of Pakistan has detailed that Pakistan had to pay heavy price to counter terrorism along with America. The advertisement said, " Since 2001, a nation of 180 million has been fighting for the future of the world's seven billion. Can any other country do so? Only Pakistan.".the advertisement also cited many examples of sacrifices the Pakistan has made on war on terror.Over 21,672 Pakistani civilians have been killed since September 11, 2001. In the process 3,486 explosions including 283 suicide attacks have taken place in different parts of the Pakistan. Over 3.5 million people have become homeless and economically Pakistan lost $68 billion apart from 2,795 Pakistan army men killed and 8,,671 injured. The Editor of The Dawn, a popular daily of Pakistan, Rafia zakaria has said that Pakistan suffered more than half tragedies in comparison with America during fight against terror.Many Pakistan people lament that Pakistan was totally a different country ten years back but with open support to US, the country has slipped into death traps as this country is now being considered most dangerous nation in the globe.It economy has gone down to the drains. People are in secured. Government expenditures of Pakistan has showed that Pakistan has spent rs 1500 in the first half of the last financial year, which has increased by 31 percent since 2001 when the figure was about rs 163 billion.Economic survey report 20010-11 of Pakistan said,"the event that trans[pired after 9\11 worsened the security envioronment. this has affected paakistan's exports, prevented the inflows of foreign investments, affected the pace of privatisation programme, slowed overall economic activity, reduced import demands, reduced tax collectin caused expenditure overrun on additional security spending and domestic tourism industry sufferred."
On the other hand India has different terminology to support America on war of terror.Terror in India appeares to be mainly becuase of American Support by the country on various matters, forgetting its past history of non-alingned spcialiostic psattern of society. apart from this , discrimination in society is also said to be only of the main causes of resentment and increase in terror acivities-whether it may be Islamic terror attack on vital instalments of India or Maoists or Ultra Marxists attack s on state power and feudal to protest atrocities on poor and tribal in different parts of the country. Minority community Muslims are being discriminated and randomly called terrorists if any attacks took place in India. Apart from that bad governance, encouragement of communal ism by certain Hindu based organisations are also likely causes for rise in terror activities. One of such examples is demolition of Babri Masjid in Uttar Pradesh's ayodhaya by communal elements over ten years back and worst -ever communal riots in Gujarat state of India in which thousands of Muslims were killed by Hindu fanatics in connivance with Hindu fundamentalitalist chief minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi. Such happening had hurt the Muslim  Sentiments and some time they become revengeful.
More over there were 25 major terrorists attacks in the country in the last ten years. apart from major attack on Indian Parliament in house in December 2001, bomb explosion in busy Sarojinini naganr market in New Delhi in October 2005, Mumbai blast in in July 2006, Mmalegaonbomb explosion in September 2006, samjhauta express bomb explosion in February 2007, Hyderabad mecca masjid attack of may 2007, ajmer dargah blast of octber 2007 and attack on mumbai in most heinous manner in november 26, 2008 had taken place in different parts of india.Curiously in all these incidets muslims were arrested and held responsible for attack, which later in course of deeper investigation tuned untrue. all thse were result of anti-Muslim mind sets of the successive governments at the union and state level. there were many cases in which it was later found that Muslims aware not at all associated with many such incidents. ne of such incidents is Hyderabad mecca masjid attack. initially over 60 Muslims were arrested and out on trial but later on intensive investigation resulted that it was the handiwork of Hindu fundamentalists. Maharashtra police had detected that Hindutva groups had committed this crime in retaliation of jehadi terrorism by Muslims. Many Hindu fundamentalists including Pr Ms Pragya singh thakur, Assemanand of Hindu fundamentalists organisation were later charge sheeted in the case.Demolition of Babari Masjid was an eye -opener when thousands of Hindu fundamentalists mob led by the  former deputy prime minister of India Lal Krishna advani demolished the masjid in ayodhaya and criminal cases were under progress against them.Case of Gujarat riots had different tales-many Muslims were butchered by police and Hindu mobs under the direct supervision of the chief minister Narendra Modi. Many cases were pending in different courts of the country.Muslims of India have genuine complaints that discriminatory treatment of government and majority Hindu fundamentalists m have made life miserable to minority community in India.Not only that poor and tribal in India were being deprived of equal right and they were being uprooted from their lands and houses in the name of setting up industries in the wake of new economic liberalisation policy.In this manner India's rulers were serving the interest of America, resulting into rampant increase in terror activities in the country

GROWTH RATE VIS-A-VIS TRCKLE DOWN THEORY , AN EYE WASH!

"GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT(GDP)" growth has become strange connotation in  the globe, particularly in India and its different states with the advent of new economic liberalisation policy, implemented in India in 1991 under the  union finance minister ship of the present prime minister of India Manmohan Singh during the regime of Narsimha Rao government at the centre. Such measurement of this  growth rate had  for the first time came in United States of America and Europe under a policy-"TRICKLE DOWN ECONOMY", formulated  by Nobel Laureate in Economics Kuznitis of America during the period 1974-75. Under this "Trickle down policy" of economy, as per theory of Kuznitis, the real development of any country will grow in the head of GDP with vast richness of corporates, industrialists, capitalists etc. and when these rich sections will touch highest point of richness, the welfare from such rich economy will automatically percolate to downward trends at the bottom and all sections of society will be benefitted.. Such theory had  become major economic policy formulation in America and Europe. In the entire US and Europe, wealth concentrated in the hands of  rich,corporates, capitalists, industrialists etc following boosting of Trickle down policy in their respective countries. They became rich and poor became more poor. Economy from rich is yet to percolate from the top , resulting into widespread down trend  economy in entire America and Europe.
Significantly this economic policy did not click  and instead of success trickle down economy theory has failed. Noted economists of America Joseph Stieglitz and Pal Krugman, both Nobel prize winners in Economics had vehemently opposed the trickle down economy and had cautioned the US men that such policy will result into disastrous policy  not only for America but for Europe also. "This economic theory had no practical approach and was just imaginary that  wealth will percolates to downward  for poors' welfare when the rich will have enough wealth and would reach at centurion point!
Significantly , the new economic liberalisation policy of India has also copied the trickle  down theory of economics-hence richer getting richer and poor getting more and more poorer in the last 20 years. Present measurement of GDP is the same indicator which indicates that India.s economy like GDP is rising and rising and the country is getting stronger and stronger. Because of heavy boost to corporates, multinationals, industrialists, capitalists by the Indian government the production were increasing but it fails to percolate employment generation and core agriculture sectors, on which even today over 67 percent depend for their livelihood. The India government in the rat race of encouraging production of goods and materials had withdrawn subsidies on agriculture sectors.And farmers are crying for help and assurances-many social sectors are suffering while corporates, capitalists, industrialists, multinationals are being given concessions after concessions.
BIHAR: If entire gamut of growth rate are taken into consideration, India is failing to mitigate the sufferings of common and poor masses and on the another hand concentrating on helping big business houses so that GDP of the country continue to increase to obviously show the people that India is developing-, this is completely an eye wash, said  Uamadhar Singh, ex-MLA and former naxalite leader and associates of late Charu Mazumdar and Kanu sanyal and also pioneering and researching on economic policy in the globe, particularly in india and Bihar. Taking pot shot on the so called increase in the GDP of Bihar, Singh said that in actuality economy of Bihar for benefitting poor and farmers are sharply declining. In the last several years no investment had come in Bihar, unemployment is mounting, agriculture main items in Bihar is suffering-only growth in non-viable sectors including oil mills, hotel business, richness of capitalists, rise in building construction sectors have been taken into consideration  -than it was  obvious that GDP of Bihar will definitely rise to over 14 percent as  per figure released by union government, singh added..
About the increasing economy of Bihar, the figure of 14.15 percent (GSDP) has been released by the union ministry of programme implementation and statistics. The report has said that annual Gross state domestic product (GSDP) of  Bihar is more than developed states including Tamil Nadi , Maharashtra, Punjab , Haryana and Andhra Pradesh, which have recorded 11.75, 10.74,7.21 , 9.69, and 9.22  percent GSDP growth respectively. Significantly Bihar's GSDP rate is better than mineral rich states like Orrisa,(5.87 pc), chhatishgarh (11.57pc) and Jharkhand (6.01pc). Big states like Rajasthan (9.69pc) and Uttar Pradesh (8.08 pc) are also lagging Bihar in the growth parameters.
Economic experts are not entghuisiatc over the increased growth rate of Bihar. Patna university professor of Economics N K Chaudhary said that agriculture , which is backbone of Bihar has shown no growth in the last two years. Growth is only in non-viable sectors and tertiary sectors. such growth generally  does not sustain unless the growth in made in primary and secondary sectors." I do not feel optimistic over GSDP in Bihar", Chaufhary lamented. and added that present growth rate was not pro-poor as evident that poverty is rising.
Senior economist and the Director of Asian research development research institute (ADRI) P P Ghosh  is also apprehensive over present growth rate in Bihar. He said that it was only because of low base of economy was one of the factors for such a high growth rate. If the increase in poverty and almost no attention on primary agriculture sector in Bihar were taken into consideration, such high growth bound to be rebound , Ghosh added.
However, national general secretary of JD(U) Shivanand Tiwari patted the Nitish government for stressing on development of the state, resulting into rise in GSDP.  With regards to rise in poverty Tiwari put blame of union government and said that Bihar needed maximum m support of union government to overcome the problem.
In this way this trickle down economy, adopted from US and Europe is giving ominous signals for Indian economy when look into down-ward trends of economy in the US and Europe. For eliminating poverty, agriculture and social sectors must be given priority-only than fruits of development and employment percolate to common masses in India. It will be foolish to undermine the level of life of masses in India and encourage rich and capitalists to get richer!
Exactly I remember one of the statements of eminent writer Arundhati Roy in which she had ironically commented about this trickle down economy and had said that like rich in abundance percolates benefits to poor from new height of richness like wise naxalites will reach in their revolution from trickle down to trickle up  manner for achieving their goals!
Journalist, Analyst, Columnist based at Patna my blog  www.kksingh1.blogspot.com

MISDEMEANOR OF PROF AMARTYA SEN WHILE CALLING BIHAR A PAROCHIAL STATE IN INDIA WHILE GB-CUM-MENTOR GROUP MEETING OF NU IN BEIGING!

 I strongly  feel Prof Amartya Sen has become senile because of his old-age as told by him in a New YORK meeting recently that he wants to opt out from the active functioning of the Nalanda University as NU Governing board-cum-mentor group chairman and instead want advisory role in the university. Later addressing a meeting in New Delhi, Sen changed his pats and blamed officials for delay in releasing fund for smooth functioning of the university. In the same meeting Sen had also said that  the former President of India Dr A P J Kalam has not dissociated from the university during his talks in Delhi while he (Sen) met him. Sen did not speak even a single sentence about controversy in the appointment of Gopa Sabharwal as Vice-Chancellor of the university, unauthorised opening of the university office in Delhi instead of at Nalanda where theuniversity is to be located, did not give any inkling of meeting of the GB-CUM-Mentor group in Beiging in next few days , about the statement of the minister of external affairs E. Ahmed in Rajya sabha that no V-C has been appointed in the NU etc.Sen came and vanished, telling the people that he was going back to New York, putting a million dollar question over the fate of the NU, which was to be set up as world standard university on the ruins of the ancient Nalanda university, in Nalanda in Bihar!
Now the meeting of GB of the university and discussions over allied matters  concluded on Saturdayiin  Beiging. There Sen's misdenmur had tuched a new height. at a meeting in thePeking university, he used abusive languages against Biharis and Bihar not giving any definite and substantive arguments and logic over the appointment of Gopa as vice-chancellor of theuniversity.Academicians pointed out to Sen that petty Gopa, who speaks good English, that might not be the criteria for appointing her as V-C. In trun Sen spoke in his arrogant style when  Indian academicians in the audiences wanted to know the controversy surrounding the appointment ofGopa sabharwal as  the V-C of the university as well as dissociation of the APJ, who had concieved the idea of the university initially in Nalanda. according to newspapers reports, published in the indian newspapers.
Reports say that Sen appeared flaggerbasted and told the audiences that local media should be blamed for this controversy. Local media reports are not correct," sen told the gatherings and  in the process Sen did not even spare Gopa Sabharwal while replying to the questions of the audiences. Sen further told the audiences  that among top  200 universities in the world, Indian and its state-Bihar state figure no where. He furrthjer said that Bihar is a parachial state. "we wanted to give Bihar NU of the world class but if the people of bihar want to live parachial life than We cannot help." About APJ dissociation from NU , Sen pointed out that He talked to APJ during his recent visit to Delhi on phone (Not met APJ personally as told by him in Delhi meeting) and APJ  told him that He (APJ) is ready to guide us. Sen further blamed the External affairs ministry of India government for not contacting him (APJ)  in the last six months.APJ advised me to send Gopa  for further discussion on NU.Sen admitted that Gopa is handpicked V-C because of various reasons including carrying university affairs in smooth manner. Moreover ,earlier Sen had humiliated eminent historian Prof D N Jha and many other eminent scholars on NU affairs. Sen , however, said that surreptiously Gopa shifted the office of the university in New Delhi..Earlier Sen had called the Bihar acdemicians hierarchia and caste ridden at a meeting on NU in New York  when some of them had raised the issue of appointment of the vice-chancellor and the manner in which funtioning of the university were  being carried out!
Now I consider the union government is mainly responsible for all the ills in the NU. Enacting an Act for developing a wrorld class university in Nalanda on the pattern of theancient Nalanda University and constituting a mentor group-cum-governing borad of the university do not mean that centre has no responsibility-definitely It has all the  responsiblities to frame guidelines under the ACT to  start the university with the cooperation of Buddhhist intrest countries like China, Japan, singapore etc. Prime minister Manmohan singh and union external affairs minister S M Krishna are keeping mum over the issues and Sen not only blatantly humiliating officials but the media and people concerned over the setting up of NU in Bihar.  at least Centre should ask explaination to the mentor group led by Sen that the group had to submit report on infrastructures and other thinfs in nine months-why the group has taken such a long time of over five years in not submitting the repor? Lapses on the part of union external affairs ministry have also come to surface in the recently concluded meeting of GB in Beiging. Embassy of Indiain China has depicted in its credentials that Gopa is V-C of the university when the union external affairs ministry does not consider her V-C of the universityas he had stated recenty in the Rajya sabha that no V-C has been appoiintedin in the Nalanda university! Such type of falacies have created worse type of confusion.
Many loopholes in the NU affairs have come to surface as per replies of the union external affairs ministry under Right to Information Act on various applications of Indian citizens. Gopa has appointed one of her saheli Anjana Sharma as officer on special duty and has appointed many officials and staff for the university in illegal manner. One of appointees Parwez as coordinator of the university at Nalanda is a mediocare and has been appointed under the influences of one of the JD(U) MPs of Rajya Sabha. Parwez is just a typist and does not know abc of university affairs. Parwez appeared helpless when I visited the site of NU a few days back. Parwez told the mediapersons before me that he has not even a register to write about any thing-just he has been appointed and sent here without any work. Parwez   appeared to be a mental case- he was more concerned about his newly wed wife which he had married recently at the ripe age after divorcing his earlier wife and  deserting grown up childrens.
 Such things are not new for NU. Even prof Sen has  three or four marriages-divorcing his earlier wives and childrens and married again and again in United States of America. And this Prof sen is giving us lecture on the culture and civilisation of Biharis and Bihar and calling us parachoal.I do not like to react on the statement of Sen on Bihar because of our culture and civilisation but I must say one thing to Prof Sen he is himself a great parachial. ignoring the claims of the Indian academicians of repute and  Sen became instrumental in appointing as many as his close men including one of his relations "one Sen" working with Amartaya in the same university as member of the GB  -cum- mentor group pressurising uninion government and keeping other foreign members in dark. Sen has  also succeeded in appointing handpicked V-C Gopa of the university, violating the Nalanda university ACT, enacted by the Parliament. and also keeping in dark other  foreign members of the board.
Intrestingly there is surprise   among people of india , particularly Bihar over the silence of the Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar over the entire issue. Nitish used to be very sensitive over the lapses of the centre and used to be past master in criticising union government over drop of hats. But centre's lapses and Amartya sen's humiliating approach towards Bihar have been surreptiously silencing Nitish Kumar. Kumar must intervene so that Bihar must not be deprived of prized opportunity of a world class university. More over his close party colleague and MP N K Singh, a seasone d former bureacrats and efficient politicians mustrspeak about the misdeeds in the university. N K Singh, pouplarly known as Nandu Babu in his close circles had replied my e=mail and informed me that he would raise the issue about controversial appointment of Gopa as V=c in in the next board meeting. But wheather Singh had raised the issue or not- I am waiting for his reply. Let us hope for the best from Singh, who is the loner r from Bihar in the governing board-cum-mentor group of the NU.
Perhaps Sen is after keeping secret his mistakes in all these matters and get provoked and abuses Bihar and Biharis. Sen has not explored opportunity for right candidate of V-C taking into account academic excellences etc. Sen's suspicious approach towards APJ also raises many questions as APJ is considered one of ther top stalwarts on the Indian scene for right action throughout the country.But one thing is  appears very strange , Sen does not lag behind in praising Nitish Kumar and Bihar government on the university affairs instead finding some time to meet  Manmohan Singh to apprise him of  all the related problems and bottelnecks at central level to start work promptly for the university infrastructures in Nalanda. It is on records that Sen had started many NGOs including Pratchchi, which have been assigned lot of jobs and research work by Nitish government worth over Rs 50 lakhs. Such work have been provided by another NDA government led by the BJP government led by Arjun Munda in neighbouring Jharkhand.

By K K SIngh,Columnist, Analyst, based at Patna (Bihar)

DOWN THE MEMORY LANE: ADVANI'S RATHYATRA O F 1990 TO CONSTRUCT RAM MANDIR!

Today's event of beginning nation-wide "Rathyatra " of the senior Bhartaya Janata Party(BJP)  and prime ministerial aspirant for next general elections of Lok Sabha Lal Krishna Advani from Chapra instead of Sitabdiara in Eastern Uttar Pradesh to protest corruption and misgoverning in the country,   has put me into down the memory lane of  similar "rathyatra" of Advani from Somnath to Ayodhaya to p ress for construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhaya at the site of Babari Masjid in 1990 and halting of his yatra and arrest him (Advani) at Samastipur in Bihar by then chief minister Laloo Prasad Yadav of Bihar on the advice of the then Prime minister of India Late Vishwanath Pratap Singh and "gospel truth mantarana "of trusted colleague Nitish Kumar of Laloo., who (Nitish) was that time minister of state for agriculture in the union government Chief minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar, who was in the Janata PARTY THAT TIME and close confidant of Laloo, was the main architect of halting the yatra of Advani and arresting him, is incidentally the alliance partner of the bJP and heading the coalition government in Bihar.
Coincidentally Nitish Kumar, once bitter critic of Advani and BJP to maintain his (Nitish) secular credential will today flag off the yatra of Advani from  Chapra Kumar was that time key advisor of V  P Singh and Laloo to stop yatra of Advani in Bihar obviously to save the country from communal flare-ups.It was 21 years back when I was eye-witness of the entire "arrest operation Advani and stop his rathyatra right from Darbhanga to samastipur "as journalist in  the Times of India, covering the incident.
Before going to cover the flagging off the yatra of Advani by Nitish Kumar to Chapra ,now as a freelance journalists at the age of 67 years as I have retired from the active services of the Times of India, I want to mention few facts-first I salute the then Resident Editor of TOI Sumant Sen for giving me free hand to cover the yatra and related incidents amid communally surcharge d atmosphere during those days and published my all stories, related to Advani and his rath yatra in Biharon national hook -us.Second- my most valuable sources in government quarters, the then Inspector General of Darbhanga range late R R Prasad(later promoted to the rank of DGP and remained DGP of Bihar for several years) and the then Divisional commissioner of Darbhanga V .Jayshankar(a senior IAS official of the Bihar cadre now retired) and other officials and staff of both the districts gave me ample  inputs time to time to write factually correct stories and analysis, related to halting of Advani yatra and arresting him .
Entire atmosphere was that time were surcharged with communal tension in entire north Bihar.P rotest, rallies, burning of trains, beating of minority ccommunity members here and there, blocking of roads had marked the days following the arrest of Advani and halting of his rathyatra , which remained lying abandoned for day together later on in the sprawling  Samastipur Circuit House after the administration in a swift operation arrested Advani in the early morning and airlifted him to the  luxurious guest house in Masan Jore, now in Jharkhand state at that time Bihar was united state. In the process, scores of people were seriously injured in entire north Bihar in police lathicharges, brick batting etc-but major incidents of communal flare ups did not take place because of strict handling of situation by Laloo prasad Yadav government and in next few days calm was  restored in entire joint Bihar. Nitish , at that time, had been camping here to give valuable advices to Laloo to face the situation. More over entire country in next few days flared up with communal incidents killing thousands of people of minority community and subsequently demolition of Babari Masjid by frenzied Hindu fundamentalists in Ayodhaya. But Bihar remained calm and quite!
Since the demolition of Babari Masjid by huge mob of frenzied Hindu fundamentalists  in the presence  of senior BJ leaders including L K Advani , Murali Manhar Joshi. But instead of controlling the crowds-they  encouraged them to demolish the masjid in no time. And this has happened  in three hours and entire masjid was razed to the ground by the  hindu fundamentalists. Incident was condemned throughout the globe and since than India's graph as secular country was being questioned in the world countries. Apart from that ongoing unstable atmoshpher in the world, particularly in the India is said to be the result of the fall outs of Babari Masjid demolition . Such fall out had also resulted into terrorists activities in India where thousands of innocent people had been killed in the last 15 years.
Operation arrest Advani and halting rath of advani were meticulously planned with many alternatives. Darbhanga  aerodrome base of the Indian air force was kept ready to land big plane in case of emergency even in night hour by lighting with "masals" by army officials. hectic activities were seen at the Circuit house in Samastipur where Advani was to stay overnight after his departure  from Patna on his rath. At about two pm Advani and his rath conclaves reached Samastipur. All of them leisurely slept  without any inkling what is at store. All the telecommunication network of entire Darbhanga zone specially with Samsastiur were jammed on the instruction of the Darbhanga divisional commissioner. Jayshankar was seen personally camping in telecommunication centres, monitoring the situation of jamming network. It resulted quite delay in submission of new reports to My editor Sumanta Sen after the arrest of ASdvani there.
Early morning a senior IAS official that time registrar of the cooperative societies R K Singh (now union home secretary) and a senior IPS official Rameshwar Oraon (now retired and two times Congress member of Lok Sabha from Jharkhand) were drafted by Laloo to give final show-down to the enact,ment of arrest Advani  and stop his rathyatra". Both the senior officials reached Patel Maidan , in the centre of Samastipur town,by a helicopter at about 5 am and straight rushed to the Circuit House where advani was styaing. Both of them awoke advani and armed with arrest warrant under National security Act, p plainly told Advani that he was being arrested. advani asked for time to get ready and requested Singh and Oraon to allow another BJP leader late Pramod Mahajan to accompany him. Later both the officials granted such request of Advani. In the meantime Advani wrote a letter to the President of India, informing him to withdrawing support to V P Singh government and handed it to senior BJ leader Kailashpati Mishra to deliver the letter as soon as possible to the President.And in next few minutes both of them were taken out and straight taken away to Patel Maidain where the helicopter was ready.
after sleepless whole night  Amitab of Navbharat Times and myself were there at the Circuit house whole night as I had strong hunch that some thing serious  was cooking up at the administrationand government level in Patna.. Here I must mention that over 300 hundred journalists were accompanying advani during his rathyatra some on the cost of BJP and some on the cost of their respective newspapers but significantly none of the journalists except two-myself and Amitiab were present at the time of the arrest of Advani. Later I could know that almost all journalists  had preferred to stay at Patna and had planned to accompany advani at Samstipur next morning for his advance jurney.I asked a few question to advani  and he readily replied and said that his arrest will create further problems for both union and state government. R  K Singh was angry with me while I was talking to Advani. Any way Singh and myself were old acquaintances at least he did not misbehave with me at that crucial moment. In next few minutes advani andMahajan were airlifted and brought to Masanjore after his arrest as earlier Planned by Laloo government.
With the arrest of Advani  not only communal rights were witnessed in several parts of the country, but whole comlexion of Indian political scenario changed and it is continuing right now also. Coalition era started since then . after a few  midterm poll many union govts came but did not last long. Finally with many political developments in the country, NDA, comprising of many coalition parties,mainly of BJP came to power and stayed in  for more than six years if terms were taken into consideration.
Much avowed rathyatra of advani could not succeed to construct Ram Temple in Ayodhaya at the site of demolished Babari Masjid, becauuse of  coalition compulsion but NDA, particularly tasted the share of power and luxury under the stewardship of Senior BJP leader Atal Behari Vajayee as prime minister of the country.
Paradoxically the same Nitish is today with Advani in his rathyatra. people have serious apprehension that advani's yatra throughout the country might turn violent and communal clash es are not ruled out, political observers are of the opinion.
I just wanted to put the facts before the people , specially young generation  as far as my experience goes and the things which I had seen with my naked  eyes during my journalism profession.
Columnist, Analyst
blog  www.kksingh1.blogspot.com

US NEFARIOUS DESIGN IN WORLD CASTING ITS OWN DOOM?

NEED OF CAUTION TO INDIA!
America's  so called GLOBAL War on Terror  (GWOT) is not only creating instability to the entire Globe  but eating into the vitals of its own viability as super power in the world! After 9\11,terror attacks on the twin towers of the World Trade centre and Pentagon ten years back , there have been many  changes in the political dimension in the entire world. America, once considered the super power and its exconomic bases at its zenith  is passing through one of the most critical phase of its political and economic survival. Its economic downtrend is  posing a big question mark-"will US survive the set back?" America and its major allies in Europe are under severe economic strains.
Like his predecessor Bush of Republican Party, the president of America of Democrat Obama is also  following the same dangerous foot-print in waging war against terror and creating panic in the entire globe.Although such step of the American government on GWOT is giving to the people of dangerous signal to entire America and Europe , they appear helpless. Gradually once known for the "sense of belonging among  Americans", the US  perhaps appears to have deviated from its cherished path.From hindsight view, it appears that US is fighting  for its security in view of 9\11 terror attack,, killing over  3000 people in  Washington,  living in and around the twin towers of World Trade Centre  as well as the targeting of Pentagon building, housing important offices of the American government. Exactly in the aftermath of the attack, the US has developed more of its imperialistic design to spread its influence in the world, particularly West Asia and Arab  world . By such thinking among American leadership, US is alienating the Muslims and their Islamic tenants at all cost particularly in West Asia and also to capture the oil resources of the world under its influence. Such attitude of US has changed the course of  geographically , economically and historically trends in the present day world.
Apparently it appears that GWOT of America is to finish its enemies. a recent of Pew Research Centre's opinion poll, released on September 01, 2011 has indicated that vast majority of people of America are of the opinion that war on Iraq and Afghanistan  have aggravated the threat of terrorism. Many of them have also objected the internal censorship by the  US government about checking their mails and also monitoring personal calls.Only 25 percent people of America admit that  war on terror in Afghanistan and Iraq have decreased the threat of terror.
War against terror by America has witnessed enough blood-letting in different countries and peoples' miseries have aggravated. After 9\11 attack, the US has failed to analyse the things after 9\11 attacks and its indiscriminate war against terror in Arab world, Middle East other  major parts of South-East Asia have resulted into alienation of  the Muslims population of the whole  specially Arab world.
On economic front alone US has suffered much because of prolonged war against terror and economic down trend started.War on Afghanistan has been costing America 8$ billion a month. Apart from that, cost on war on America in both Afghanistan  and Iraq have cost $ 5 trillion so far.Many noted economists in US  have termed that because of expenditure on war have become cause of decline in its economy. The Nobel prize winner in Economics of America Joseph Stiglitz has studied the war expenditures of US on Iraq and Afghanistan and has cautioned the American government in 2003 that war on these two countries would adversely affect the economy particularly on education, health, research and environment in the US. He has pointed out after about seven  years, in an article in 2010 In Washington Post ,that after military action in both the countries oil price has increased by $140 a barrel in 2008 incomparision to $25 a barrel when the war on terror was started in Iraq eight years ago.It has not only hit the economy of US but almost all countries of the globe. Result:: The latest figure of American government, released in the second week of September, has stated " one out every six American today lives below the official poverty line."
According to US Census bureau report, a record 66.2 million Americans are living in poverty. Expenditure of US on defence and homeland security have increased to $6.7 trillion.All these things have added collapse of American economy.
Historically, the last major civil war occurred in America in 1861-65. Over half a million people had died in that civil war. Impact of that industrial civil war was  immense. Columnist Vijay Prasad in his recent article in the Fortnightly-Front Line has said ,"no such  large-scale bloodletting took place within the territory, apart from the wars against the Amerindians in the American west in the last few decades of the 19th century. Henceforth , the US took its battles to other peoples' land, the Philippines,Cuba, Puerto, Rico, Central America, west Asia, the long war in Europe (1914-1945) and the wars of the  Pacific and Africa.the shock of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour (December 7, 1941) has to be understood in this context. No wonder that President Franklin Roosevelt called it "a date which live in infamy."
More over,  apart from GWOT ,the real motive of US has come to surface when foreign policy wing of neoconservatives created the Project for a New American Century (1997-2006) ,on that basis, released in 2000 a report , "Rebuilding America's Defences" for increasing "military spending and using the massive US military power to capture political and physical resources around the world". The project has requested the US government "to build up a military and construct an a foreign policy to spread American values around the planet-thus called "a new Pearl Harbour" policy of US."Significantly between  September 11, 2001 and may 2011, the national priority project shows the US  exchequer spent $7.6 trillion in defence and homeland security. Economy of the US has been rightly and comparatively down graded by Standard and Poor's (S&P), reflecting that the "views that effectiveness, stability and predictably of American foreign policy and political institutions have weakened at a time of ongoing fiscal and economic challenges."The net effect of 9\11 for the US economy has meant downgrading in the US federal debt to AA plus from the risk free rating of AAA.
Significant aspect of GWOT is that in the name of fighting terrorism, the human rights, rule of law, the liberty have been compromised drastically all over the world.According to confirmed and authenticated report, the death figure because of GWOT, have reached over 150,000 in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq. Over 7.8 million have become refugees because the war by America on terrorism."War on Iraq  cost  more than $3trillion," says Stiglithas in his piece in Washington Post. He has observed , " the global financial crisis was due, at last least in part, , to the war higher oil prices meant that money spent buying oil abroad, was money not being spent at home."Significantly US is under heavy debt =-even China and India had given monetary loan assistance to America in this critical juncture.
The 9\11 attack and subsequent fighting terror throughout the globe put its economy at the lowest ebb while China remained engaged to build up its own economic power.The prolonged and unnecessary war by US , knowingly and unknowingly continued to  siphon off American economy .On the other hand China progressed well to maintain its economic strength in the global,economy on the global arena, sitting on trillion of $ in surpluses.It may be recalled here tht in view of might of China among world power, US compromised from its stand of open hostilities with China. in July 2001 secretary of stae Colin Powell had visited Beijing and assuaged the hurt feeling of China because of some uneasy calm wityh US and said, " we are not enemies, we are looking for cooperation********"The Chinese premier Wen Jiabao, while addressing world economic forum meeting in Dalian in September 2011 says about economic Crisis in US and Europe on asking by audiences, "the two advanced economies in the world, the European union and the US should adopt promptly amend resolutely responsible fiscal and financial policies and push forward policy adjustment and institutional reforms as soon as possible so as to cut budget deficit and ease debt pressure."
International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reported  that by 2016, China will have the largest economy in the world. Being separated from the so called war on terror by US, the China is progressing well while India is engaged in hobnobbing with America in many ways although its economy is progressing well in the last few years. Indian must be cautious of America's evil design and take a lesson or two from China to continue its march towards development unmindful of American imperialist theory.

kksingh is a columnist, analyst.

POVERTY, PUBLIC MONEYLOOT, EXPLOITATION:NEED TO CHANGE CONSTITUTION PREAMBLE!

Some thing very serious in my mind and compelling me to express some serious thoughts over what is happening in the country(India) of over 1.20 crores population? I remember Cherukuri Rajkumar, known to his comrades as Azad, a member of the Politburo of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), who had been nominated by his party as its chief nnegotiator for the proposed peace talks with the government of India, and while coming for initiating negotiations was surprisingly and sadly killed on July 02, 2010 in the remote forest of Adilabad by the Andhra Pradesh police. In the process , a Young journalists Hypochondria  Pandey ,who was travelling with Azad, was also killed after his arrest,, perhaps to wipe out evidences of fake killing in the  so called encounter with Azad!
Before his death few months earlier, Azad had replied the eminent journalist B G Verghese, in a piece, probably last before his killing, :"In which part of India is the Constitution prevailing, Mr Verghese? In  Dantewala, Bijapur, Kanker, Narayanpur, Rajnandgaon? In Jharkhand, Orissa? In Lalgarh, Jangalmahal? In the valley of Kashmir?Manipur? Where was your Constitution hiding for 25 long years after thousand of Sikhs were massacred? When thousands of Muslims were decimated? When lakhs of peasants are compelled to commit suicide? When thousands of people are murdered by state-sponsored Salawa Judum gangs? When advasis women  are gang raped?When people are simply abducted by uninformed goons? Your Constitution is a piece of paper that does not even have the value of a toilet paper for the vast majority of the Indian people." Azad  had just replied Verghese following his article in the Outlook, in which he had written, defending the state and big corporations. Verghese had further written , "The Maoists will fade away, democratic India and the CConstitution will prevail despite the time it takes and the pain involved".
Apart from that. there are several aspects of  misdeeds of political class , bureaucrats, capitalists, industrialists, multinationals, taking advantage of new economic liberalisation policy, are rather shaking my conscience to look other hand the sad tales of majority of population of this country.To be precise here, I must refer the report of National Commission for Eenterprises in the unorganised sector, headed by reputed economist late Arjun Sengupta, who had reported that 836 million people people in India live on Rs 20 a day or less. Rrecently the Planning commission of India has filed an affidavit before the Supreme Court in the case of determining poor in  India, detailing that percapita expenditure Rs 20 a day as a viable cut off line for determining poverty in urban India and  in rural India as Rs 15 per day!
On the other hand wealth is being concentrated in the hands of over 20000 capitalists, political class, landlords, company holders, industrialists , corporates and multinationals, operating  in different parts of the country. Sstrange are the ways among political class of all hues. As per recent reports of  Aassociation for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Election Media watch(EMW); politicians of a particular set-up make by and large half million rupees a day while in office and serving the people of India.Number of crorepatis have increased by leaps and bound in almost all legislatures of states in the country and both houses of Parliament. In Maharashtra Legislature alone, they were upto 108 in 2004 to 186 in 2009. Over three-fourth of union council of ministers of Manmohan Singh government is crorepatis. Much of these new wealth had been acquired by them while in office. Senior journalist  P Sainath has rightly remarked that the union cabinet "is getting healthier and wealthier".
Reports have further revealed that one union minister Prafulla Patel, having assets of more than Rs 79 crore, has added on and average, over half a million rupees every day to hs assets in the last 28 months of his minister ship between May 2009 and AAugust 2011-average of Rs five lakh a day! Patel is the richest cabinet minister.
Average assets, worth over a union minister increased from Rs 7.3 crore to Rs 10.6 crore in the last 28 months. Minister of state in Information and Broadcasting ministry S Jagathrakshakan of DMK has taken big jump in accumulating assets while as minister and serving people of India. His assets have grown by 1092 percent in the last 28 months in comparison to Patels growth of assets 53 percent.Patel,s assets grew by  Rs 5.9 crore in 2009 to Rs 70 crore this year.Minister of state for communication Millind Deora has doubled his assets  from Rs 17 crore to Rs 33 crore between 2009 to 2011 adding almost a lakh every day taking into account his election affidavit in 2008 his worth at Rs 8.8 crore. Ssimilarly the union Science and technology minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has added Rs 1.73 crore since 2009. Union minister of state for Parliamentary affairs  Rajeev shukla has added over Rs 22 crore in the last 28 months to his total assets worth over Rs 7 crore in 2009 to over Rs 30 crore this year.
Political class out of power are also not lagging behind in accumulating huge assets during their office in the state legislatures and Parliament the rebel congress leader and MP Y S Jagmohan Reddy of andhra Pradesh has added Rs 357 crore to his just Rs 72 crore in 2009. Strangely, the former  Andhra Pradesh chief minister  Chandrababu Naidu , who was considered one of the richest politicians in the country, has strangely  grown poor. He is not even  worth Rs 40 lakh, thanks to fuzzing the figures. Thus Jagan of Andhra is on rise and Naidu is on decline. Surprisingly the Jubilee hill house of Naidu, which was worth Rs nine crore in 2009 in his affidavit in 2009, has not  been declared as per present market value of that houses and other wealth, acquired by him in the last several years in his political life.
These are the stories in nut and shells  of wealth being acquired by a section of political class. The government is yet to declare assets of crores of rupees of capitalists, industrialists, company holders, corporates, multinationals operating etc in the country . It is said authenticated by facts that over 90 percent of wealth are concentrated in their hands!
Atrocity on poor and tribal population by state terror and feudal forces and so called system in the government are increasing by rapid scales and Maoists are only forces in the country are fighting for their interests and for this they are called  anti-nationals!The sale of tribal lands  to non-tribal in the Schedule five are  prohibited in states. However transfers of land continued in during post-liberalisation period rampantly. Besides tribal are being forced in Jharkhand, Orrisa, MP. Chhatishgrah, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Bihar to vacate the forest lands, violating laws of the lands for making rooms for multinationals  and corporates for installing industrial units in mineral -rich areas. Not only that even in plan areas of the country, farmers are forced to part away their fertile lands for public purposes only to develop the lands by private entrepreneurs for constructing malls, shopping complexes, and developing the areas for earning huge amounts in different parts of the country. Here I think necesasary to quote Saheed Bhagat Singh, who  had in last  petition to the Punjab Governor, before he was hanged by the British Raj government in 1931, the celebrated revolutionary-and Marxist- had said, "' let us declare that the state of war does exist and shall exists so long as the Indian toiling masses and the natural resources are being exploited by a handful of parasites. They may  be purely British capitalists or mixed British and Indian or even purely Indian-----all these things make no difference."
All these  murky affairs in India reminds me a story and version of Che  Guevara over half a century ago before he died. Che wrote, " when the oppressive forces come to maintain themselves in power against established law, peace is considered already broken." Strangely after Azad was killed , several media commentators tried to " paper over the crime by shamelessly inverting what he had said, accusing him of calling Indian Constitution a piece of toilet paper, " remarked eminent writer Arundhati Roy and added that " if government won't respect the Constitution perhaps we should push for an amendment to the preamble of the Constitution, " we , the People of India, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a Sovereign Socialist secular democratic Republic**********, could be substituted with, " we the upper caste and classes of India, having secretly resolved to constitute India into a Corporate, Hindu, satellite state******"Such situation has arisen in India only because " the Government of India's only answer has been repression, deviousness and the kind of opacity that can only come from pathological disrespect for ordinary people. Arundhati further said.
Time is not so far off if the situation continues the union government would "enact a model  so called Act on the pattern of  the Uunlawful Activities (prevention) Act(UAPA) and Chhatishgarh Special Public Security Act, which criminalise every kind of dissent-by word, deed and even intent". The UAPA is enforced in Kashmir, Manipur, Nagaland and Assam depriving the people of their civil rights while the  dreaded Chhatishgarh act is  enforced in that state to create terror among poor , particularly tribal in Forest areas in the name of checkmating naxal activities by forming Salwa judum , which had been declared invalid by the Supreme Court recently as well as silence the voices of advasis against forest land acquisition of for installing industrial units by uprooting them from their houses and lands in forest areas. War of nerves and supremacy of naxalites and state power will continue to grow in time to come as long as poor and tribals are continued to be exploited and gap between rich and poor in India  continue  to create disparity in the society!

THERE ARE TWO INDIAS'-_POOR AND RICH?

Just I am presenting a few hard facts and truths prevailing in our Hindustan-that is called Bharat-"  Before that I must remind you all about the preamble of  the Constitution: We , The People of INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a  SOVEREIGN, SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC AND TO SECURE ALL ITS CITIZENS:JUSTICE, social, economic and political; Liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; EQUALITY of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all FRATERNITY ASSURING the DIGNITY of the all INDIVIDUALS and the UNITY and INTEGRITY of the NATION; (In our CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY ASSEMBLY THIS TWENTY-SIXTH DAY OF NOVEMBER, 1949, DO HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION:
DAYS are passing by since our independence in August 1947 and adoption of the Constitution.Successive governments have assumed power in all these years-but for WE are going to dark age in all the spheres instead of implementing the dreams of an independent Hindustan!We continue to have a part of the 836 million people inthe country, living on less than twenty rupees a day, "the ones who starve while million of tonnes of foodgarins is either eaten by rats in the government warehouses or burnt in bulk (because it is cheaper to burn food than to distribute it to the poor people." Not only that there"are the parents  of ten of millions of malnourished children in our country, of the 1.5 million who die every year before they reach their first birthday. They are the millions who make up the chain gangs that are transported from city to city to build the New India. Is this what is known as enjoying the fruits of modern development?"
One must think, they are these people, about a government that sees fit to spend 240 billion rupees of public money (the initial estimate four billion rupees) for a two week-week-long sports extravaganza which, " for fear of terrorism, malaria, dengue and New Delhi's new super bug, many international athletes have refused to attend?" from these huge amount, enormous amount have been siphoned off by politicians and games officials- Iike eminent social scientist and and a well-known writer , ArundhatiRoy, feels that that "is why corrupt politicians in India never have a problem sweeping back into power, using money they stole to but election! Instead of thinking about their misdeeds, these political classes say, who MAOISTS NOT PARTICIPATE IN election to to protect poo rs  interest?"ll these action of misdeeds of political classes are being reflected in Bhumkal (earth-shaking like celebrations) among Naxalites or Maoists in deep jungles of Chhatishgarh, Jharkhand, Orrisa, west Bengal, Bihar, andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra etc states o the country.
Dignity of the poor are at stake in India! thanks to naxal  comrades for their courage and wisdom in fighting for years, for decades, to bring change or even the whisper of justice to their lives and sufferings masses, being exploited for years after independence of the country. "Whether people are fighting to overthrow the Indian State or fighting against Big dams or only fighting a particular steel plant or mine or SEZ, the bottom line is that the. are fighting for their dignity, for their right to live and smell like human beings. they are fighting because, as far as they are concerned the fruits of modern development stink like dead cattle on the highway.", says Arundhati roy in her recently published  book , "BROKEN REPUBLIC"
Interestingly , this is a story of a country-that is some time called Bharat, as mentioned in the Constitution  instead it should have been  called "Hindustan" as being demanded by some quarters of learned people of the country.Despite  having the second highest economic growth rate in the world, has more poor people in just eight of its states than in the twenty-six countries of sub-Saharan Africa put together. dreams of workers, artisans, farmers have brought the country where it is today. Instead of stakes of every citizens in building new India, majority chunk of people are living without life of honour and dignity and environment of peace and good will are elusive them.
More over, we the fellow citizens of the country, who are building a new India ,in which  "our 100 richest people hold assets worth over one fourth of our GDP".. Wealth of the country are being concentrated in a fewer hands in our present system. That is why the real democracy flows through the barrel of guns", as being propounded by naxalites and Maiosists, who are fighting for poor and tribal. Prime minister Manmohan Singh has very surprising background of reaching to the height of his career. India's economy was at the lowest ebb. according to an autobiography, "A prattlet.s Tale" by Ashok Mira,  the west Bengal's finance minister during left front regime,, has his story of how Manmohan rose to the height of his political career To sum up the facts, Mitra has said in the book that in 1991, when foreign exchange of the country's reserve were acute state of affairs, The P V Narsimha Rao government had approached International monetary Fund (IMF) for an emergency loan. The IMF put forward two conditions-the first was"structural adjustment and economic reforms; the second was the appointment India?.s finance minister of its choice- that man, says mitra , in his book was manmohan Singh. from that point Manmohan started  so called economic reform at the behest of IMF in India and gradually corporatised every things like water, power, mineral, agriculture, land telecommunications, education, health-no matter what the consequences. Later Vajpayee government, which was called pro-US,  left no stoneunturned to formalised rest of the formalities for a free run of free economy in the country. After the ouster of Vajpayee in the Lok sabha elections, AI CC president Sonia Gandhi, got instrumental in bringing back Congress in commanding position and formed UPA government under the leadership of Manmohan Singh,, knowing and unknowingly that Manmohan is pro-capitalists and he would wipe out socialistic pattern of society  a dream Pundit Jawahar Lal Nehru. She wasat that time mired in controversy that she cannot be prime minister because she  is not India in original form! later his son rahul Gandhi also could not realise the follies of Manmohan and both mother and son are tolerating Manmohan at the cost of their earlier mistakes..I n between  Manmohan , who is himself honest man  and politician of proven integrity, was put in dock for defalcation of crores of rupees by his cabinet colleagues and this government was called "most corrupt government ever have in the country".
Now after enough is enough, both mother and son are on fire -fighting modes and Rahul became the first politicians among Congress leaders, who started fighting for tribals' forest right in Orrisa and opposed Vend ant move to set up bauxite factory and other  multinationals
setting up  such factories for steel, power generation in forest areas uprooting the tribal population. Rahul declared that he was a 'soldier for tribal people". He also raised voice for farmers right in Uttar Pradesh and his campaign is going on in almost all parts of the country-let us for the best? Change of leadership in the UPA led by Congress after the next general elections cannot be ruled out!
I have presented a few facts about the state of affairs in the country and plight of over 80 percent population living in rural areas and activities of Maoists and naxal comrades in fighting for poor and tribal.  I have also questioned the preamble of the Constitution, which has shown many dreams to toiling masses but these are yet to be implemented, depriving the poor their basic rights of dignity and honour.
A journalist ,Analyst, based in Patna, Bihar.

OMINOUS SIGN FOR NALANDA UNIVERSITY:KNOWLEDGE BROKERING BY AMARTYA

KNOWLEDGE AND INTELLECTUAL BROKERING OF AMARTYA SEN!
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Will Bihar miss yet another golden  opportunity of setting up Nalanda International University in Nalanda on the ruins of aancient Nalanda University? The ambitious university, which is to be established in Nalanda ,Bihar,under the aegis of East Asia Submit, mainly comprising China, Japan, Singapore, Thailand etc, as a regional initiative ,is gasping at its infancy stage because of "knowledge and intellectual brokering" by the chairman of the mentor group of the university, Amartya Sen, professor of Harvard universityty! With the idea conceived by the former President of India, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, was deeply interested in opening of the university, the union and Bihar government completely agreed to revive the old civilisation and culture and set up the university of international standard nearby the ruins of the ancient Nalanda university, existed in Nalanda from 5th century CE to1197CE.The union government enacted a law for setting up university and Bihar government also provided lands, measuring over 443 acres of land for the university and handed over to the centre about one year back.The Bihar government also informed the mentor group for starting office of the university temporarily and for which a government building was also provided to the mentor group for office of the university at the nearby site.Sadly, today in reply to my e-mail APJ has said that he was now in no way connected with the proposed university!(pls see bihar times.com)
Ssubsequently, the union government constituted  a mentor group in 2007 under the chairmanship of Sen. Other members of the group are Sugat Bose, Professor ,Harvard University, Wang Bunwei, professor of Beizing university,Meghnath Desai, professor of  London School of Economics,George Geo, ex-minister, Singapore, Tansen Sen,AP.Baruch, CUNY, and N K Singh, a former IAS and MP of JD(U) from Bihar. The mentor group, which was entrusted to examine the frame work of international cooperation and proposed structures of partnership, for governing and establishing the university as an international centre of education and learning. The group was to submit report within two years of its constitution and recommend the start of functioning of the university by 2013. But even after the lapse of nearly four years, the mentor group led by Sen is yet to submit the report to the union government despite over a dozen meetings of stake -holders countries in different parts of Asia!
The university, a dream project of APJ, is being funded by stake -holders countries. Japan and Singapore are financing for construction with contribution of over US$ 100 million. China donated US$ one million with assurances and promises of more and more assistance for the university.Over US$ 500 million will be required to create new faculties. Another US$500 million will be spent to sufficiently improve surrounding structures. Everything was going on smoothly over nine months back.
Suddenly and surprisingly, the mentor group chairman Sen appointed glamorous one Gopa Shabarwal , who is reader in the Lady Sri Ram College, Delhi, as the vice-chancellor of the university in illegal manner and also opened office of the university in one of the posh colonies of Delhi when Bihar government was ready to hand over building to locate temporary office at nearby site of the proposed university!. Has Sen ignored members of mentor group in appointing Gopa as V-c of the university?Here I am not throwing blame on other members of the mentor group as one of the important members of the group N K Singh has e-mailed me ,"--------certainly bring its contents to the notice of the next meeting of governing board." I had e-mailed Singh the copy of  my open letter to Amartya Sen about his un justification in appointing a reader as V-C of the international university, violating all norms, rules, laws, UGC guidelines etc and also drawing Singh's attention on critical fate of the proposed university in Nalanda in Bihar! Only a professor of ten years experiences of professorship can be V-C of any university in India not a reader like glamorous Gopa Sabharwal.
More over, Gopa has also appointed one of her close friends and "sakhi" from Delhi university one Ms Sharma as officer on special duty. Sen is so kind and magnanimous that he has allowed monthy salary of over Rs five lakh to Gopa and over Rs 3.5 lakh to Ms Sharma . Not only that Gopa is allowed frequent tours of foreign countries on so called university work-currently she is perhaps in Japan on so called university work. Anybody can imagine the clouts of Gopa and her mentor Amartya Sen in the corridor of power in Manmohan Singh govt in Delhi and Nitish Kumar Kumar government in Bihar!
All these facts have come to notice with a reply to Right to Information Act petitioner from human resource and external affairs ministries. Apart from that the union minister of state for external affairs E Ahmed has also informed the Parliament recently that no V-C has been appointed for the proposed international university. Apart from resentment among people of the country, particularly from Bihar, every bodies are stunt over such nefarious game of Sen and "golden silence of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the issue".  Strangely, the state,national and international media are also silent surreptitiously over the issue. However a news website Bihar Times .com is keeping posted the people of all related development on Nalanda university. IS it really the  fact that media are under under declared censorship in Bihar under Nitish Kumar regime"?
The proposed university was to start with seven schools of learning and more to be expanded later on. Before I conclude my story about nefarious design of vested interests to torpedo in the opening of proposed world-fame university, I must recall the facts about  ancient Nalanda university. Historically ,the university was initially  established during the reign of a King, called Sakradityas. This ancient university in Nalanda attracted the students from Korea, Japan, China, Indonesia, Turkey, Greece, and Persia etc The Tang dynasty Chinese pilgrim and scholar Xuanzang had studied and taught in the ancient university for 15 years. He had depicted the detailed account  o f the university in the 7th century!The gradual destruction of the university, which used to impart learning and teaching to over 10, 000 students with 2000 teachers from different parts of the globe during those period, started firstly by Huns under Mihirkula in the reign of Sakandgupta(455-467AD), second attempt to destroy the university was made by Goudas in early 7th century and final blow to destroy the university completely was initiated by Afghans invaders by Bakhtiyar Khilji -1193 and finally the ancient university was converted into ruins in Nalanda. Currently, the ancient university sites are under excavation by ASI and unique things are being discovered from dug up earth at the sites!
Now the dream project is being ruined nearby the site of ruined ancient university by our own men, led by Sen before it becomes a reality! Thanks to the Manmohan government and Nitish Kumar government, a silent spectators of naked drama of destruction!

WORLD-WIDE POVERTY ALARM S MEN-KIND!

Poverty, hunger,malnutrition , unemployment are  not confined to a particular country on the globe! Almost all countries of the continents are afflicted by these dreaded pproblems, and crores of people in the world are in the grip of such evils.America and European countries are worst sufferers and people there are mainly groaning under poverty and unemployment in the wake economic upheavals in the regions. Less said is better about other parts of the world countries! Crores are dying because of non-availability of food in different parts of the world.Bane of poverty is not only in the poor countries-it has spread its tentacles in rich and capitalists countries also.There are wide gaps in equality in America.Economic growth is powered by and large consumed by the wealthy few.Federal tax money continues to be siphoned off to pay for wars from Libiya to Afghhanistan.An IANS report, quoting United Nations, published in various websites including Yahoo news today has said that over 7.50 lakh people in east Africa are on virtual death traps due to famine. UN report has said that 12 million people of across the region and four million in Somalia are alone in need of food. Over 60 percent are malnourished in southern Somalia because of violence, drought and famine. Kenya , Ethiopia, Djibouti are badly affected because of famine in the region!
Exhaustive reports and expert comments in Washington Post, NY Times, the Economist,BBC news and its electronic channels , Frontline Hindu Business Line, Economic Time s, Business  Standard , different news agencies in  international media are full with reports of poor economy and poverty in the countries of the world!Apart from richest America and European countries to developing countries including China, India are badly affected by rise in poverty and unemployment in the respective countries. Situation has worsened to such great pass that communist countries like China, Cuba, Vietnam are also facing strange situation on poverty front and they have been compelled to deviate from their principled stand and principles of Marxist economy because they failed to implement Marxist economy in proper and suitable manner.
An Opinion column in the Washington Post, published on August 19, 2011, by Joel Berg, Executive Director of New York City Coalition Against Hunger and author of "All You Can eat: How hungry is America", has said that after Clinton regime in US, welfare measures are gradually being restricted -only thing that care is middle class and rich people. He has further said in the article that 44 million Americans are badly affected because of poverty. Over  four million people are  receiving cash welfare each month-now do not exist. Welfare reforms have become forgotten goal in America after the regime of Clinton. From 2005 many more restrictions are being put on welfare. People, receiving cash assistance nation-wide declined from 12.3 million in 1996 to 4.4 million in 2010. In 1990s, during strong economy in America-both overall poverty rate and child poverty rate had decreased in Clinton's regime. Gradually from 2007 economy of America worsened and between  1996to 2009, number of people in severe poverty climbed 36 percent from 14 million to 19 million-highest in decades-now 50 million Americans live in food insecurity zone and also in homelessness. Like India ultra rich flourish in America.
Various other articles in Washington Post, New York Times, The Economists etc have exposed the claims of America, specially conservative and status-quoits of Republican party for poverty aggravation in US.Unnecessary wars by America in different parts of the world have broken the back-bone of economy of that country and people are sufferings because of poverty and unemployment. Similar condition prevails in entire European countries. In America and European countries- no concrete new jobs have been created to tackle unemployment. In an another articles by various writers in the same Washington Post- Writer Greg Jaffa has said that radical ideologies, new technologies, cheap and powerful weapons have led to persistent conflict in entire Europe and America- a decade after constructing a common currency, Europe has been unable to build an integrated economy to match, said Anthony Fariola in the Washington Post. On September two 20011 issue of the Washington Post, it has been pointed out that it is for the first time since February 1945, the government has reported a net job change of zero and the unemployment rate is 9.1 percent. A detailed report has been published in the New york Times on august 19, 2011 by a group of journalists, describing debt crisis in America and consumer price inflation and also drifting of treasury bonds. Today America is in the grip of debt of $14.4 trillion mark! To bail out from financial and economic crisis, there have been substantial increase ON the global debt.A Frontline report  has said that according toMckinsey Global Institute, the total amount of debt incurred by governments across the world rose by by staggering $25 trillion to $41.1 trillion over the decade ending 2010.
A Frontline  has said when we compare the economic crisis of 1929 and 2007, we find one thing common the outrageous level of inequality (both in terms of income and house-hold-to debt ratio)- in both cases middle shrunk and poor despaired.
The recent explosive situation in Britain is perhaps result of socially and economically excluded outburst of the citizens of that country!UK government empathy towards poverty and unemployment led the people, mainly youths to rise in riots and vandalism. Likewise voices of people are rising far and wide in  Arab world , Middle East for right to assert against the monopolised and atrocious governments in the regions, resulting into inequality, poverty, unemployment, corruption etc. In particular case in India-people of middle classes along with rich and capitalists are fighting to end not only corruption menace but also rising poverty and wide gap between 20 percent rich and 80 percent poor , mainly of rural areas , and non-development trend in rural areas !

MySai.Org::Om Sai Ram

MySai.Org::Om Sai Ram

AMBITIOUS NITISH KUMAR,CM OF BIHAR: MY REMINISCENCES-PART ONE

NITISH KUMAR.

Nitish Kumar, a suave and soft spoken since the initial days of students movement in Bihar in middle of 1970s under the leadership of Lok Nayak Jayprakash Narayan, was silent operator in playing the games of politics. After the emergency was lifted and election of Lok Sabha was ordered in 1977, Nitish Kumar was ignored by JP and his coterie, thanks to the manoeuvrings of the then Jansangh and RSS ,which became part of the then Janata Party led by Chandra Shekhar. Almost all important JP movement activists were awarded with Janata Party nominations to contest Lok sabha elections in 1977-but this man Nitish Kumar did not find berth in the nomination of Janata Party from Barh parliamentary constituency. A sad and pained, Nitish Kumar kept silence but creating a little bit murmur in Janata Party political circles.

Many people, sympathetic to Nitish including myself were very much resentful-but the harm is done! The then Jan sangh constituent of the Janata Party, nominated former mayor of Calcutta Ram Lakhan Prasad to contest from Barh because of his RSS background. The Janata Party won the Lok Sabha election with massive votes and majority not only in Bihar but in entire country. Nitish Kumar was left high and dry by hardcore Jansangh and RSS people and he developed deep-rooted hatred towards Jansangh constituent of Janta Party and RSS! At the time of split in Janata Party and fall of first non-congress government led by Morarjee Desai, on dual membership -of party and RSS- Nitish used to speak harshly against them with volume of hatred towards Jan sangh and RSS in public and private conversations.

But time is great healing factor and after many political developments, Nitish became star personality of now Bharatiya Janata party, a coalition partner of his Janta Dal (U) and remained union minister with important portfolios in Atal Behari Vajpayee government and subsequently in coalition with BJP humiliated Laloo Prasad Yadav in the assembly elections-and this is second time that he became chief minister of Bihar, heading Janata Dal(U)-BJP coalition government in Bihar! Nitish was also  a close confidant of former prime minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh and became minister in his government after the ousting of Rajiv gandhi in the Lok sabha elections on Bofor scandal issue.During those days, there were many stories on Nitish, rumoured in Delhi about his personal character-it will be better for me not to write all those things at this time.

Gradually , with passing of time and political circumstances, Nitish also changed his political colours and adjusted with his principles, sauve and soft characters. Nitish was so closed to Laloo Prasad Yadav that both Nitish and Laloo were called "Ranga-Billa" in Bihar politics. But again time changed and being antagonised with Laloo, Nitish split the party and separated from Laloo and formed Samata Party under the leadership of his political Guru of that time George Fernandes.But due to lack of mass base appeal like Laloo, Nitish started changing track of his political workmanship. He started garnering his own caste-Kurmi- and after holding many caste-based rallies during those days, Nitish became a champion of his own caste men and in the process became "Kurmi chieftain" like former chief minister, Satyendra Narayan Sinha as "Rajput chieftain". Since than Nitish became too much aggressive against Laloo after mobilising his own caste men-but this politics of Nitish did not click and in the assembly elections of that time Nitish could not muster enough seats and remained high and dry. Than in the process Nitish had taken  help of many Laloo's own men in politics including Sharad Yadav and got him joined the new party JD(U) and broad based the organisation and to defeat Laloo, Nitish joined hands with BJP, which was once poison for him when he was ditched after emergency in getting party nomination from Barh Lok sabha seat and subsequently he used to consider BJP , an arch enemy of backward class in implementing Mandal commission reservation to OBC during Vishwanath Pratap government at the centre and a bundle of communal forces in demolition of Babari masjid.

Nitish's allergy with media is not new! During Samata party days, Nitish became instrumental in writings to various newspapers and news magazines about unnecessary and uncalled for praise to chief minister Laloo Prasad Yadav. That time , the Samata party got a cupon published in the denomnomination of Rs 50, Rs 100, Rss 200 Rs 500 etc to collect "chanda" in the name of party fund "and removing Laloo from power and becoming chief minister of Bihar". The chanda campaign was mainly taken up by his own caste men. Many kurmi leaders used to collect chanda by selling coupons forcibly- in the process, a group of Nitish caste men encountered  a passerby, who happened to be journalist, and forced him to buy coupon -reluctantly that journalist purchased the coupon and got rid of Nitish hoodlums. But the matter did not end there- the whole fact was published in an national english daily prominently with scanned coupon. lot of furore had taken place and Nitish approached the proprietor of that national English daily through a letter , written by the then general secretary of Samata party Jaya Jaitley, abusing, cursing the journalists and asking the management to dismiss him. A delegation of Samata party , comprising frequent party changer Shivanand tiwari, Lallan singh, now MP of JD(U), and many others met local management and resident editor of the said national english daily. There was time when press freedom and factual  journalism was respected by everyone , particularly proprietor of the newspaper. Everything was looked into and complaint of Nitish against the journalist was ignored and that journalist was  promoted subsequently and retired from that newspaper, may be still living and watching vindictiveness of Nitish Kumar, who is replca ting all his characters vigorously during his chief ministership1 Nitish has become past master in imposing "undeclared censorship" in the last six years- proprietors, journalists are given tasks by Nitish government not publish adverse reports in their newspapers and in lieu Nitish government has opened floods of advertisements to newspapers and other mode of media, putting heavy burden on state exchequer. Nitish looks journalists with contempt and very much helpful to amenable journalists!

Because of his political obstinacy and lack of political farsightedness and his role in not getting reservation to OBC during the chief minister ship of Karpoori Thakur, Nitish remained in political oblivion for many years. Nitish finally , perhaps, became legislator in 1980 from  an assembly constituency in Nalanda district.By look Nitish appears a gentleman par excellence but his real face lies else where. He is shrewed politician, having many merits and demerits, political trade secrets, his hidden agenda of authoritarian style of functioning, ignoring his close party colleagues and dumping them like anything etc unlike a true politician!

Before I forget an important events, this writer had very close liaison with Nitish during his initial and ripe political days. Nitish and myself used to meet very frequently to exchange our views on many political events- he  and myself were very respectful to each other. We shared many political and other developments in Bihar and other parts of the country at national -level- it will not be proper to reveal all those things at this moment.But sadly and strangely , although I am a journalists, myself became the targets of Nitish's ire many times including public meetings in which he used to even call my names. But there were days when I was said to  be useful  for him. A time  had come, Nitish was landed in serious trouble while contesting re-election on Laloo's party nomination from Barh lok sabha seat- T N Sheshan , who was chief election commissioner, found malpractices in the elections and ordered re poll in nearly 80 booths-this would have ultimately changed the impact of result. Nitish and many of his well wishers called me up and asked me a factual report over the issue so that re poll in many booths, which have been included unnecessarily should be reduced . At about 8 in the morning I had gone to meet Nitish in his Punaichak official quarter, allotted to him by Laloo. There were virtual tears in his eyes and he narrated verbatim everything to me that complaints are were exaggerated. I had written a story, based on Nitish version, official and chief electoral officer sources. Result- re poll in booths were reduced to about 28 booths from over 80.Nitish won the election with flying colours and we used to meet regularly either in social calls or in political circles. But his face used to indicate hatred towards journalists1 I must cite one recent example- I was and am in trouble because of block officials high-handedness over a piece of land of mine-i had gone to Janata Darwar of Nitish and after eight hours strenuous efforts I could meet to submit my application to Nitish- he failed to even recognise me what to expect a kind words about my complaints to him in the durwar ( I have written a story on Nitish Janta darwar or feudal darwar, published in many news websites including Bihar times.com, newspapers and news magazines).

Everybody was happy with the installation of Nitish as chief minister six years back and myself was also in the same category that at least one sincere politician  has become chief minister to get rid of misrule of Laloo and his company Ltd. for 15 years. Nitish also started on right tracks- improvement on many fronts were visible, particularly law and order front. people started living in peace- one commoner of remote Purnia district village told me four years back, " what Nitish or Laloo give us -we are living in the same condition -but in Nitish regime -we lead our life peacefully and at least sleep peacefully in the night", he added. I feel this is not an ordinary commentary by a commoner-Nitish efforts started percolating at ground level. but his much-publicised measures on land reforms, health , education, poverty alleviation programmes etc are trapped in bureaucratic cobweb. Less said is better about corruption in Nitish government-it is flourishing  right from  panchayat-block level to secretariat headquarters level. transfers and postings on money changing have taken drivers' seat during Nitish regime like Jagannath Mishra and Laloo regimes. Perhaps Nitish has become tiered! and his coalition compulsion compelled him to go slow. Not only that Nitish is like previous occasions gradually sidelining his trusted colleagues in the party and the government. many of his hardcore supporters and socialist brand politicians have deserted him because of his highhandedness and authoritarian style. Only sychophants in the party and government are ruling in his regime.Nitish , no doubt, was sincerely striving to develop Bihar, but he has become cold in his second term. Let us hope for the best  from Nitish, comparatively a better politician to run the affairs of Bihar in comparison to other politicians of Bihar currently!

(More I will try to write in another piece on Nitish Kumar later on)