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)

POLITICS AND POLITICAL LEADERS ,PARTICULALY CMs IN BIHAR: :MY REMINISCINCES!

TO MY READERS\VIEWERS\ANALYSTS ON BIHAR:

I have planned to write in parts about politics and political and economic developments in Bihar mainly since independence, particularly about the chief ministers in office as well as renaissance and renaissance on Bihar part wise.To begin with I will write about the present chief minister Nitish Kumar.And all these writings, I will dedicate to the memory of the people, who wanted its true development and tears ,wiped out from the eyes of all, groaning under poverty and malnutrition !