tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77190669393622679862024-03-05T17:38:19.347-08:00KKSA strong believer of destiny as well as pray to almighty for the welfare of people.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10326078181148396361noreply@blogger.comBlogger159125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719066939362267986.post-68257185808723186362016-12-04T21:26:00.001-08:002016-12-04T21:26:47.986-08:00TIT-FOR-TAT DIPLOMACY OF INDIA WITH PAKISTAN WILL NOT WORK ! Baluchistan and Kashmir cannot be equated<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>Will the tit-for-tat diplomacy of India under much-hyped 'DOVAL DOCTRINE" with Pakistan work? Baluchistan is not Kashmir. Unnecessarily raising the issue of atrocity in Baluchistan by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Red Fort speech, will rather harm India. Baluchistan issue cannot be equated with Kashmir problem between Pakistan and India. Baluchistan is integral part of Pakistan since independence of both India and Pakistan. But Kashmir always remained bone of contention among the people of Kashmir, Pakistan and India since its accession with India by Maharaja Hari Singh. Any encouragement of Baluchs by India to create problem will be considered interference of India in the internal affairs of Pakistan ! Kashmir issue is still hanging fire on International platform---UNITED NATIONS ORGANISATION (UNO).</i><br />
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<i> A book--Not War, Not Peace by George Perkovich and Toby Dalton (Oxford University Press,2016) has described, "The American scholar Christine Fair reported that in 2009 she visited the Indian mission in ZXaedan, Iran and concluded that it was an element of a broader covert action program me against Pakistan. I can assure you they are not issuing visits as the main activity ! Moreover, India has run operations from its mission in Mazar-i-Sharif (through which it supported the nothern alliance)and is likely doing so from the other consulates it has reopened in Jalalabad and Kandahar along the border. Indian officials have told me privately that they are pumping money into Baluchistan.Reports and allegations of Indian covert involved in Baluchistan and elsewhere invite distinction to be made and debated. India, like other states and sympathetic outsiders, could draw a line, between providing funds, logistical support, and political encouragement to dissident groups in Pakistan and alternatively providing equipment, training and operational support for violent action. Pakistan naturally would oppose both categories of interference.......From this brief survey, it is safe to say that India has not been purely abstemious in the use of covert agents and actions against Pakistan. This is especially evident when Afghanistan is included along with Pakistani territory as the area of operations for Indian agents--page 147-149.."</i><br />
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<i>Ongoing crisis in Kashmir in the wake of Burhan Wani's murder on July 8,2016 set the entire areas aflame. Days after the crisis erupted in Kashmir, Narendra Modi took the familiar route of blame Pakistan. On the advice of Doval, Modi opened Baluchistan front and on August 12, 2016, Modi said, " Time has come that Pakistan will have to answer to the world about the atrocities being committed on people in Baluchistan and Pakistan-Occupied -Kashmir (POK) Will the world shut eyes to the Indian part of Kashmir ?. A fine invitation to the internationalization", that India dreads. Since than Baluch rebel leaders leaders are coming and going Delhi for united resentment against Pakistan over Baluchistan atrocity. They have also opened front in London against Pakistan,. More over , India has begun to develop cold feet. These squabbling Baloch leaders will ruin India's relation with China as well as Iran. Amid India's haughtiness in the affairs of Pakistan, in August 20, 2015, the Special Assistant of President Barack Obama, Peter R Lavoy, asserted , : Jammu and Kashmir is disputed territory.. There was no change in U S position." To this day, United Nations maps carry the legend--"The final Status of Jammu and Kashmir has not been agreed upon by the parties. Kashmir cannot be put on par with Baluchistan !"</i><br />
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<i>While the final Instrument of Accession was signed by the Khan of Kalat (princely state of Bakuchistan) on Mrach 27, it was placed before Jinnah on March 31,1948 and he accepted it.' There was no kind of resistance to the accession......(Dushka H Saiyid, The Accession of Kalat: Myth and Reality, Strategic Studies, page 43). "Many in India claim that Pakistan forcefully occupied Baluchistan in 1948. But facts are different from fiction. There were four princely states ruled by Baloch leaders in 1947 under Nawab Akbar Bugati, grand father of Brahmdarg Bugti, who is these days rebel.Akbar Bugti, who not only voted for Pakistan but also helped Mohammad Ali Jinnah' s Muslim League........"The Outlook has commented, " Time will prove the speech of Modi on Baluchistan was one of the biggest mistakes,,,,,The Indian PM tried to internationalize Baluchistan but in fact he internationalized hatred between India and Pakistan and helped the hate-mongers--OUTLOOK, September 5)" The result is that India cannot question Kalat's status status nor the Durand line and the Pakistan cannot question McMahon line either ( Partition Proceedings, Vol.-three, Excerpts Committees, nos..three-eleven, Government of India press, 1948, Pages-226-230).</i><br />
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<i>With regards to Jammu and Kashmir, on August 13,1947, Kashmir's prime minister Janak Singh---no friend of Pakistan--opined " the bulk of Muslims will not accept a decision to accede to India." However, the instrument of accession of Jammu and Kashmir was signed by Maharaja Hari Singh in jet-set speed on the pressure of Pundit Jawahar Lal Nehru and his home minister Sardar Ballabh Bhai Patel. People of Kashmir led by Sheikh Abdullah had opposed the accession and was in favor of independent country.. Amid the melee , war between Pakistan and India broke over Kashmir. The matter was internationalized, The UNO intervened. Sir Girija Shankar Vajpayee, the Secretary General of the Ministry of External Affairs, in a letter to the U N Commission for India and Pakistan on November 21, 1949, spoke of "Government of India's determination to abide, in the matter of accession, by the freely declared will be of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Should that will be against the state continuing to be part of India, if and when it comes to be expressed in a constitutional way under conditions of peace and impratiality, the representation of the State in Indian Parliament would automatically cease and the provision of the Constitution of India that govern the relations of the State of Jammu and Kashmir with the Union f India will also cease to operate.."</i><br />
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<i>Since then Jammu and Kashmir issue is hanging fire among the people of the State, India and Pakistan. Modi government must think to drop Baluchistan card and work for a settlement of Kashmir in both its dimension, external and internal.</i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10326078181148396361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719066939362267986.post-76534860144992247362016-11-01T21:08:00.000-07:002016-11-01T21:12:19.965-07:00WOMEN ARE NOT SAFE IN THE WORLD !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Countries in the world are not safe for women ! Violence against women and public harassment to girls is very common and these are widespread problem. Documented facts say that women across the globe fear and experience all manners of sexual violence in public spaces. There are lot of instances from lewd and verbally abusive remarks, touching and groping to rape, there are innumerable instances in some of the safest cities. " Such evils have restricted the freedom of movement of girls and women, leading inability to study, work and participate in the community and recreational activities, the women's right activities said" commented Anupama Katakam in a recent article. Medhavince Namjoshi from Vacha, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that works with adolescent girls, says, "The enormity of the problem has to be understood and the issue has to be addressed on mature and massive scale."</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>The Action Aid UK, this year has conducted survey across four countries has many shocking data on India.The study says that four of the five women in India experience some form of sexual harassment of violence. The north in India is the least safe for women in the overall figures. The average shows a staggering 74 percent of women in the north having experienced harassment. At 67 percent, the south is not far behind. Seventy percent of the women in the north were harassed on the street, says the study. In the north-eastern region, 63 percent of the respondents said they faced harassment while returning after dark.Staring seems to be most common form of harassment. Sixty-two percent of the respondents had experienced it. It may be relatively mild form of abuse, yet uncomfortable and should not be dismissed.Being followed came in second at 53 percent. Insults- name calling and wolf-whistling polled 43 percent and 44 percent respectively. Sexual comments polled 38 percent, groping 38 percent, and indecent exposure 34 percent. The north recorded the highest percentages in all categories.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>The Action Aid UK study says respondents in the 18-24 and 25-34 age groups have emerged as most vulnerable:92 percent and 87 percent of them, respectively, have said that they feel at risk in the cities. Additionally, 84 percent of women between 25 and 34 experience some manner of public harassment. Seventy-nine percent of the women surveyed in the age group of 18 to 55 say they have been publicly harassed. The survey reached out to 502 women living in cities across India. Sahjo Singh, director, programmes and policy. Action Aid in India says, " A girl's or woman's ,movements are seriously hampered by unsafe public areas. This can have an effect on many aspects, including the main one of earning an income. It required a a collaborative effort between the state and volunteer agencies to ensure safer spaces. The system and processes have to reform for us to see improvement."</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>The survey mainly set in two categories:" location of harassment and type of harassment. Public transport was the most unsafe of public spaces, said close to 65 percent of the respondents. Among working women (18-24) and 25-35), 67 percent and 70 percent said this. The next most unsafe things was returning home from work after dark;58 percent of the respondents said they had had experiences.Fifty eight percent said they had been harassed while waking on the streets. In this category 73 percent in the 18-24 age group had experienced abuse. Approximately 40 percent of the respondents felt unsafe and had experienced harassment in parks and other public spaces for leisure activities. About 30 percent of the student categories polled said they dealt with harassment on university campuses; 42 percent said they had to tackle harassment on the way to schools and colleges."</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Anupama says in his article, " the state needs to address the problem Mumbai and Chennai have been listed among the safest cities in India. A Quality of Living Survey, conducted by a private consultancy firm released released in February 2016 rates Hennai as the number one among Indian cities. Mumbai has held the 'safest city' position for decades but in is now grappling with the problem of women's safety.........If such deterioration continues , Mumbai will lose its safe city tag."Sanchal Velkar, programme coordinator for the Youth Change and Safe City projects Akshara, an NGO in Mumbai said," when we interviewed 5,000 women in Mumbai as part of the a study on women and public safety in 2011, 95 percent of them said they had experienced staring, pushing, lewd comments and groping in public transport. The problem is that most of the time the women ignores it and so it is not addressed."</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>In a study conducted by Akshara, Sneha Velkasr said, "public transport was the critical areas of concern in Mumbai. Akshara created a database in 2015 of 522 women and interviewed that extensively on their travelling experiences; 317 were regular commuters while 175 said that they were occasional commuters. Here are the results: staring-56.13 percent, commenting-51.34 percent, unwanted touch-60.92 percent. Some women also named more serious forms of sexual harassment; stalking-29.69 percent, flashing-14.37 percent, pinching-20.50 percent and griping- 15.52 percent. The Ashkara report says, that the percentage of women, who preferred to ignore the harassment meted against them in public places, Many would also hesitate to take action against the harassers for fear of their actions might provoke more harassment."</b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10326078181148396361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719066939362267986.post-4850593013208432732016-10-25T23:08:00.000-07:002016-10-25T23:08:49.054-07:00TALE OF TWO STATES---BALUCHISTAN (PAKISTAN) AND JAMMU AND KASHMIR ( INDIA) !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>Many things and events remind one about the history ! Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently raised the issue of human rights violation in Baluchistan, a so called state of Pakistan , even going to the extent of referring to the Baluch freedom struggle. But Modi forgot to mention such barbarism in Jammu and Kashmir in India. A recent book--A PRINCELY AFFAIRS-The Accession and Integration of the Princely states of Pakistan,1947-1955---, authored by Yaqoob Khan Bangash, Oxford University Press, Karachi, has vividly scripted Pakistan's excesses in suppressing Balooch separatists. And at the same time, separatists continue to find support in Kashmir in India.</i><br />
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<i>Significantly both of these areas--Baluchistan (now in Pakistan) and Jammu and Kashmir (now in India) were parts of princely states before their integration into Pakistan and India respectively. A columnist Vikhar Ahmed Sayeed has written in The Frontline "thus,it is useful to understand the nature and the process of accession of these states to find long-term solutions to the situation there in both India and Pakistan. The story of princely states of India, including Jammu and Kashmir, is fairly well documented, Barbara N Ramusack's The Indian Princes and Their states (2004) is a comprehensive work that discusses the nature of the princely states in India."</i><br />
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<i>The book-A PRINCELY AFFAIRS-The Accession and Integration of Princely states of Pakistan, 1947-1955, has moreover, same tale to tell. The book looks at the events surrounding the accession of Kalat (that forms the large parts of Baluchistan province) apart from several other states, including large entities such as Bahawalpur that bordered India.Bangash's research identifies the flowing states: Kalat (now part of the province of Baluchistan): Bahawalpur (now part of Punjab); Khairpur (now part of Sind); Chitrral , Dir, Swat and Amb (now in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province); and Hiunza and Nagar (now part of the disputed Gilgit-Balistan region) in Pakistan. After the formation of Pakistan, all the princely states, mentioned above did accede to it but not before Bahawalpur and Kalat seriously considered the idea of independence.</i><br />
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<i>Bangash, in the detailed chapter in the book, explains the circumstances under which the state of Kalat (Baluchistan) became part of Pakistan. There was a nascent democratic nationalist movement in Kalat before it became part of Pakistan. The Kalat State Nationalist Party (KSNP) even joined the All -India State People's Conference in 1945 when Jawaharlal Nehru was its president. On the other hand Muslim League could never gain a lot of support in Baluchistan. Bangesh writes, " The democratic ideals of the Khan (of Kalat) and the KSNP was not eager to join a Pakistan-led by the Muslim League and preferred either a relationship with India or, in agreement with the objective of the Khan, complete independence". Support of a democratic movement, led by Khan gained momentum in Kalat even led the formation of Parliament. Kalat's parliament even felt that the state should not accede to Pakistan just because Balochis are Muslims". This resistance was broken by Pakistan government forcibly, which sent its forces to overrun Baluchistan and ensured succession. Later Pakistan enacted ESTABLISHMENT OF WEST PAKISTAN ACT 1955 to include Kalat as state of Pakistan.</i><br />
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<i>Just on that pattern there was a similar Act in India-States Reorganisation Act of 1956. Significantly, govt of India , after independence, also usurped Jammu and Kashmir, which was a princely state. Despite serious objection of even the then National conference Leader and political stalwart of J&K Shiekh Abdullah, people of J&K and King of J&K himself had also vehemently objected the forcible occupation of Jammu and Kashmir and got instrument of accession signed by King of J&K Raja Hari Singh. India has had also sent military to capture Jammu and Kashmir to merge the state with India. Sardar Patel and Pundit Jawaharlal played nasty games to capture the Jammu and Kashmir. Much hue and cry was raised at international forum and India had accepted UN resolution to hold plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir to decide the fate of Kashmir and its people. In the process, a war with Pakistan also broke out over Jammu and Kashmir accession and a huge portion of Kashmir became 'Azad Kashmir' still being controlled by Pakistan.People of J&K wanted to remain an independent state. Now the situation has completely changed in Kashmir and the state is sitting on volcano. People of state demand 'azadi' from India. Since the so called accession of J&K in India, Government of India had sent huge forces to the state in the name of tackling the situation. But the situation became graver and graver gradually and now on the flash point. Rape, loot , murder in encounter have become order of the day in Jammu and Kashmir by Indian security forces. Over 50,000 people have been killed by security forces of India in Jammu and Kashmir since its accession to India</i><br />
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<i>Similar situation is prevailing in Baluchistan state of Pakistan. Pakistan's security forces are maiming Balochas. Baluchistan is also sitting on volcano and Balochas are demanding 'azadi' from Pakistan. The author of the book, in his concluding chapter, uses his research on the princely states in Pakistan to ponder the idea of Pakistan state. He quotes from Mohanned Ali Jinnah, famous August 11, 1947, speech in which he articulated a universal idea of Pakistan of Pakistan citizenship rather a than a state based only on religious identity. In this speech , Jinnah had articulated," You are free, you are free to go your temples, you are free to go your mosques or to any other places w of worship in this state of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion of caste or creed, that has nothing to do with the business of the state." Jinnah died the next year, and the Pakistan state took an Islamic turn with the objective resolution being adopted by the Constituent assembly in March 1949. By the time Pakistan's first Constitution came in effect in 1956, the bureaucracy and the military had a stranglehold on the princely states. Although geographical integration into Pakistan was complete, social integration was yet to happen. In Kkalat, especially, with the lack of space for political activities, much of the underground Balochis discourse turned against Pakistan.Bangesh, in his book, concludes, ""Therefore, by the time of the much-lauded inauguration of one unit in October 1955, Pakistan has achieved only 'notional' sovereignty in the states, no national discourse had been developed, national identity remained uncontested, and the state and society remained in a constant state of flux. These issues still haunt Pakistan."</i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10326078181148396361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719066939362267986.post-45127677840574432682016-09-29T20:27:00.002-07:002016-09-29T20:27:38.086-07:00'JUSTICE' HAS BECOME 'COMMODITY' IN INDIA !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>'JUSTICE' has become 'COMMODITY' in INDIA ! AND the judges and politicians are biggest 'suppliers and buyers' of the system. Perhaps, it is only because of that both the Supreme Court and Union Government want 'Supremacy and hegemony" in the appointment of judges for both the Supreme Court and high courts for their 'smooth sail' of their 'nefarious activities' to bend or destroy the system for their 'enlightened self-interest'. And the poor people are crying for justice in India. Moot point appears that both the Supreme Court collegium and Union Government have become funniest in one aspect at least-that is to accommodate the relatives , and kith and kin of of both judges and politicians, solely to subvert the Judicial System in the country.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Following the revival of the collegium system after scrapping NJAC,, enacted by the Parliament,of the Supreme Court to appoint judges, the Chief Justice of India Justice Thakur is crying for the approval of the appointment of judges to fill up la huge vacancies of judges in the Supreme Court as well as high courts by the Union Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On the other hand, Union Government is crying wolf that recommendations of the Supreme Court's collegium are binding on the government only if they are backed by consensus among the collegium members.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Amid such controversy, there are sharp differences among the member -judges of the collegium of the Supreme Court over the question in public the lack of transparency in the functioning of the collegium. Recently, one of the members of the collegium Justice Jasti Chelameswar of the Supreme Court became the first sitting judge and member of the Supreme Court's collegium to question in public the lack of transparency in the functioning of the collegium. In a letter to the Chief Justice of India Justice Thakur, Justice Chelameswar refused to take part in the collegium meetings until it evolved a proper procedure to records its minutes. However, in three-page letter, he suggested to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) that the record recommendations of the colleagues be sent to him in writing so that he could record his views and return them to him for onward submission to the government. With such development, Justice Chelameswar's protest against collegium's style of functioning has brought to the surface the resentment within the collegium to the absence of any semblance of transparency and openness in its its decision -making process. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>On the other hand, the Union Government is disputing the Memorandum of Understanding for implementing the appointment and transfer of judges of the SC and high courts. The union Law ministry is harping that recommendations of the collegium are binding on the government only if they are backed by consensus. If there is any dissent within the collegium, the CJI is expected to communicate such dissenting views, along with the recommendations to the government. If there is dissent in the collegium regarding a recommendation, the government can ask the collegium to reconsider it in the light of reservations expressed by the dissenting member. The collegium has to reiterate the recommendation by consensus; only then it is binding on the government. In the light of Justice Chelameswar's protest, the union Law ministry is flexing its muscles for confrontation with CJI, resulting into deadlock over the functioning of the collegium.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i> However, CJI has promised that Justice's Chelameswar's views will be thrashed out. In the process CJI, who is expressing anger over the stand of the Union Law Ministry, has warned the centre that court would consider withdrawing judicial in some cases , at least !</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>In the meantime, huge number of vacancies of judges is hampering the already worrisome backlog cases. According to the "State of Indian Judiciary:A Report", brought out by Dakash, A Banglore-based non-governmental organisation, there are currently 17,95,036 pending cases in the high courts. Judicial observers compliment Justice Chelameswar for his boldness in seeking the reform of the collegium even while serving on the bench and interacting with the colleagues on a daily basis although they may have been unhappy with him. One reason, surprisingly, mentioned in the collegium that recording the minutes of the collegium meetings is that the grounds for rejecting a candidate should not be made public. Is it not funniest ?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>V Venkatesan has written in the Frontline " the collegium system has certain aberrations which have so far evaded public scrutiny. One such aberration came to light when a former CJI, during his term in office, wrote to all the high court chief justices to ensure that when they recommended district judges for high courts, their performances during the previous three years was assessed by a committee of judges other than members of high court judges......."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>There are only three vacancies in the Supreme Court with an approval strength of 31, the number of vacancies in the high courts as on September 1 is alarming. The combined approved strength in the 24 high courts is 1,079, which is inclusive of 771 permanent judges and 308 additional judges. Of these, 485 positions are vacant. The number of vacancies include the posts of 268 permanent judges and 217 additional judges. Additional judges not be appointed in a high courts that has vacancies of permanent judges. Currently all the high courts, except that of Meghalaya, have vacancies of permanent judges. The Karnataka and Calcutta high courts have the highest number of vacancies of permanent judges-25 each. The Punjab and Hrayana high courts and the Hyderabad high court have 22 vacancies of permanent judges each. The Allahabad and Bombay high courts have 16 such vacancies each, while the madhya Pradesh and Madras high courts show 19 and 18 vacancies respectively. The collegium system is itself violating its norms, One case is that in Patna High , a few months back that additional judges have been appointed when there is already existence of vacancies of permanent judges!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Apart from that, Poor are left ti fend to get justice while rich and the highest get justice according to their wishes or will. Shall the system survive in the present circumstances in India ? Is it not million dollar question ?</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>REFERENCESS: THE FRONTLINE FORTNIGHTLY MAGAZINE</i></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10326078181148396361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719066939362267986.post-23496657009317921802016-09-18T20:50:00.000-07:002016-09-18T20:50:28.692-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>SEDITION LAW IN INDIA : MISUSE BY SUCCESSIVE GOVERNMENTS !</b><br />
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<b>MUCH TALKED ABOUT use or misuse of sedition law is making headlines these days in India! IN fact sedition law and its incorporation in ( Indian Penal Code ) IPC Section-124-A was first enacted by British Parliament in 1860s for India especially when India was enslaved by Britishers. And successive India governments, after independence, have used and misused the law for enlightened self-interest, mainly to stifle the voices of dissent !</b><br />
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<b>Before I discuss in detail the sedition law, enacted by British Parliament and its fall-out in India, I want to mention that the first person to be convicted under Section-124A was a prominent Nationalist leader, Bal Gangadhar Tilak. His newspaper--Kesari-- had carried a report on Shivaji......Tilak was charged with sedition before Bombay High Court in Queen Empress vs Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1897). Tilak was imprisoned in Burma jail from where it became a boon for Tilak as he authored the famous book---Geeeta Rahashaya---, a critical appreciation of Bhagwad Geeta.</b><br />
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<b>Since than much hue and cry was raised over sedition law. After the independence of India from foreign yoke, the framers of the Constitution decided to adopt the model of the Irish Constitution in specifically enumerating exceptions to the right to free speech. In early draft of the Constitution that were circulated within the Constituent Assembly(CA) 'sedition' was set out as one such exception to the right of free speech. During debate on the floor of the CA, a champion of the 'free speech" K M Munshi moved an 'amendment' to remove the word 'sedition; from the exceptions. Abhinava Chandrachud, in an essay in The Frontline, has written, although the historian Granville considered Munshi to be one of the 'strongest advocates' on the 'limitation of rights', Munshi by contrast, mounted one of the greatest defence of the right of free speech. He argued in the CA that the view taken by the Federal Court ion Majumdar's case was the correct one. It was partly because of his 'efforts' that 'sedition' was finally deleted as an exception to the right to free speech in what would become Article 19(2) of the Constitution. </b></div>
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<b>"....Shortly after the Constitution came into being, in November 1950, The Punjab High Court held Section 124-A to be unconstitutinal. However , thereafter the first amendment to the Constitution was passed in 1951 and the words 'public order' were inserted as an exception to the right to free speech. Soon , in Kedar Nath vs state of Bihar (AIR 1962 SC 955) the Supreme Court held that Section 124-A was vakid restriction on the fundamental rights to free speech.Even so, the court accepted the view adopted by Chief Justice Gawyer in Majumdar's case. Kedar Nath was a communist, who had made a fiery speech in Bihar in which he said, among other things: We believe in that revolution....which will come and in the flames of which the capitalists, zamindars and the Congress leaders of India, who have made it profession to loot the country, will be reduced to ashes."</b></div>
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<b>The SC had held that Section 124-A was aimed at 'rendering penal only such activities as would be intended, or have a tendency, to create disorder or disturbances of public peace by resort to violence.' Merely arousing 'bad feelings or feelings of enmity or hatred towards government would not be considered sedition.</b><br />
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<b>Chandrachud has further written, "In 1941, the Federal Court in India attempted to bring the Indian law of sedition in the lines with Enlgish counterparts. A case was brought befire it by Niharendu Dutta Mazumdar, a member of the Bengal legislature, who had, in the words of the Federal Court, made a 'violent' forthy and irresponsible' speech criticizing the Governor and Ministry of Bengal for their inaction during the Dacca riots. Chief Justice Maurice Gwyer sdopted the post -1832 English law of sedition libel in order to interpreet Section 124-A of the IPC.'The act or words complained of must either incite to disorder or must be such as to satisfy reasonable men that their intention or tendency.' Mazumdar was, however, let off as the court did nit consider his speech 'as inciting those who heard it...to attempt by violence or by public disorder to subvert the government.'"</b><br />
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<b>The court had considered the intention and tendency of speech for framing anybody under sedition law. Under the present circumstances of imposing sedition law in indiscriminately in India Chandrachud has aptly written, " policemen who investigate complaints of sedition must therefore ask themselves a simple question: Does the speech which has been called into question merely express hatred, contempt or illwill against the government, or does it incite others to commit acts of insurrection, rebellion or public disorder? It is only when a speech falls in the latter category that it can be considered as constituting the offence of sedition. Merely raising anti-India slogans, reprehensible though this may be, would by itself be insufficient to sustain a conviction under Section-124A. A public interest petition has been filed in the Supreme Court by non-governmental organisation--Common Cause--, seeking, among other things that before any FIR is filed or arrest made by the police under Section 124-A, the Commissioner of Police or Director General of Police must certify that the test in Kedarnath has been satisfied."</b><br />
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<b>Before 1832 the English law of sedition had provision that a person could be convicted for sedition for saying anything that brought the government into 'hatred or contempt' or even for merely raising 'discontent or disaffection' against the government. Later it was changed to some extend. The original draft of the IPC was drawn up in 1837 by the Indian Law Commission headed by T B Macaulay.Section 113 of this draft made it an offence to 'excite feelings of disaffection against the government................But it was not included in final draft version of the draft of the IPC in 1860.......they considered British India a was a laboratory where they could test how a code would function.......Finally an amendment was introduced in British Parliament in 1870 and Section 113 of Macaulay's draft was inserted into code as Section 124-A. It appears that British government though t of revolution in India for independence and thus 'treacherous section was inserted to curb the freedom of speech in India that time.</b><br />
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<b>Moreover, it has become a fact that India is yet to keep herself for from colonial rule and the pre-1832 English law of seditious libels now become the law of sedition in India. And Narendra Modi government is abusing the provisions to stifle people's voice</b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10326078181148396361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719066939362267986.post-39872463768345758352016-09-14T21:28:00.000-07:002016-09-14T21:28:19.182-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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KASHMIR MAY BE AN INDEPENDENT COUNTRY!<br />
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We Indians must exactly remember the splitting. of Unified Pakistan--East Pakistan and West Pakistan-- within 17 years of independence in 1947.Because of step-motherly treatment, torture and atrocity, committed by the elite political class of West Pakistan on East Pakistan brothers and sisters, A long agitation was launched by the people of East Pakistan under the leadership Sheikh Muzibur Rehman. And at last under the patronage of India led by the then prime minister Indira Gandhi, Bangladesh was created following bloody revolution. And a history was created in the South-East Asia !<br />
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Now history is expected to be repeated. Similar things are happening in Kashmir.Kashmir has long history of the 'so called foreign interference' and ignoring of the sentiments of the people of Kashmir. Kashmir was independent country! "Akbar was the first outsider, who destroyed in 1589 the independence of Kashmir. No body had succeeded in doing so before then"-(Nice Guys Finish Second, page 610) Freedom movement" began with the conquest of Kashmir by the Mughal Armies".Akbar's armies marched into Kashmir on June 28, 1586. Mughal rule lasted in Kashmir for 166 years until 1752, when a brutal reign of the Afghan began. In 1814, Maharaja Ranjit Singh invaded Kashmir The Lahore Darbar was betrayed by its Dogra feudatory. Gulab Singh of Jammu, who was in league with the British. He acquired Kashmir by the infamous Treaty of Amritsar, signed on March 16,1846, for Rs 75 lakh. It was aptly, called a 'deed of sale' And last but not the least, after independence, the India Government led by Prime minister Pundit Jawahar Lal Nehru and union Home minister Sardar Ballava Bhai Patel had forced and coerced Maharaja Hari Singh, son of late Maharaja Gulab Singh to merge the state with Indian Union. Kashmir became part of India despite opposition of Kashmiris.<br />
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Since than Kashmir is practically under seize by India government in the name pf restoring so called peace in the valley.Thousands of Indian security forces were deployed in the valley. In the process, over 25,000 Kashnmiri were killed and many injured and remained paralyzed . Women were raped; children were kidnapped. And in all theses nefarious acts, security forces were involved.. For over last two months, the Kashmir is boiling-unrest and agitation is there in entire Kashmir. And atrocity of security forces are going on. Kashmiris are crying for 'azadi' ! Even on Eid , all mosques and shrines were closed by J&K government, escalating further resentment.<br />
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KILLING THE SOUL OF KASHMIR:--Today the situation is getting grimmer and grimmer in Kashmir. Noted Columnist A G Noorani has written in The Frontline, "The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to kill the soul of Kashmir and has provided ample warning that worst is yet to come. The people's revolt will be crushed by military force, deployed under a thick smokescreen of falsehoods to silence whatever little dissent there is in India on Kashmir,delude international public opinion and appease the United States in the name of combating terrorism.The door is shut on any real dialogue on Kashmir with Pakistan or with the people of Kashmir.The real agenda, which is viciously communal, has been laid bare.Worst of all ,Modi has decided, like his natural ally, the U S , to trample on international law.It is reckless game to play buttress power at home.The Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti, is a willing accomplice, using her own brand of rhetoric to deceive her people."<br />
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Kashmir always remained an open question. But the India government is branding protesters as terrorists and using brute force to stifle dissent. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had said in the Lok Sabha on March 31, 1955 (Selected works of Jawaharlal Nehru, Volume 28, page -318), "We must always remember that Kashmir is not a thing to be bandied between India and Pakistan. It has a soul of its own, it has an individuality of its own.We cannot, certainly much less can Pakistan, play with it as if it were something in the political game between the two countries.Nothing can be done without the goodwill of the people of Kashmir."<br />
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Many reports are pouring up on the present crisis in Kashmir. Well-informed journalist Shankarshan Thakur from New Delhi has written in The Telegraph on August 8, " This newspaper has been given to understand by those close to formulating the strategy in Kashmir that the Centre is inclined to move even further away from political engagement and deploy a stricter security across the Valley. Top army commanders based in the state met Mehbooba Mufti two days ago; they are meant to have discussed contingency plans to deploy the armed forces visibly across the valley and along the national highway to Jammu, a chronic militant ambush zone."Similar report has been published in The Asian Age, written by its Srinagar correspondent Yusuf Jameel, the same day,, which said, " The government is reported to have decided to assign the Army a "bigger and more useful role in resolving the crisis triggered by the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani on July 8."Again on August 9, The Telegraph published Imran Ahmed Siddique's report from New Delhi:" Sources in the Union Hiome Ministry said the government intended to act tough and would deploy more armed forces across the Valley to tackle the surge of protests."<br />
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NARENDRA MODI'S 'S INDIFFERENCE:-----Are these things giving any signal to solve Kashmir crisis by India government ? Narendra Modi spoke after one month of crisis in Kashmir, a month later on August 9 at Bhabra in Madhya Pradesh and said 'Gullible and simple youths" are being misguided. Statement of Modi is just contradictory to the reports on Kashmir situation in different newspapers of the country. Main question is Kashmir is its people's aspiration--neither about any other country nor about terrorism ! Only need of the hour is to "engage with the people of Kashmir and have a sustained dialogue on Kashmir." with Pakistan and other affected people in Kashmir itself..But these things are not happening ! Modi government is not permitting the U N High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'sad al-Hussein to permit his team access to Jammu and Kashmir and PoK, as he requested Pakistan !"India has very bad record of refusal to the U N 's Special Rapporteurs on Human Rights," commented A G Noorani.The Indian Express has written on August 8, "'Mehbooba Mufti's statement that the violent is senseless appears truly juxtaposition. It is senseless because a five-year-old Nasir Ahmed Khan is found on the street with a needle and sand pierced into his eyes---Kashmir has been independent and existed outside of the Indian nation--state for a long time now. Today, if there is a silver lining amid its time of bleeding and mourning, it is that it inches closer to standing independent of those forces that act, oppress and deceive from within........"<br />
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Worse situation is prevailing in Kashmir today since July 8. We must remember Bhagalpur blindings and subsequent uproars and know that how the people of Kashmir are being blinded? People are shot at in order to kill them and not protesters alone. Police and security forces are raiding hospitals to arrest the agitating and injured people. A G Noorani has written, " This technique was tried out by Latin American dictators. It is being used in Kashmir by New Delhi in the name of democracy. This pattern of security forces' intrusion into hospitals was in evidence after July 8, 2016. Incidentally, we had the demolition of the Barbri Masjid which L K Advani called' a political offence'; the Malegaon and Mecca Masjid blasts---all of them evaded accountability before the law." Veteran Economist Jean Dreze wrote in The Hindu, " on march 29,2002, " My initial purpose was to study the schooling situation but it turned out to be difficult not to focus on people's overwhelming concern; the endless zulum unleashed by the security forces.The security forces were rarely out of sight, even in remote villages. As far as local population is concerned, Kashmir is occupied by a foreign army. Everywhere I went, there was sobering tales of harassment at the hands of Indian Army and paramilitary forces; curfews, searches, interrogation, killings of suspected militants and accidental as well as intentional killings of the innocent civilians, to name a few complaints."<br />
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Today pellets and bullets are being fired indiscriminately on Kashmiri. Sonia Gandhi has described "a grave danger to the country." The Indian express reported that being afraid of being harassed by security forces, parents are taking their boys with pellet wounds to Amritsar. Security forces are firing guns above the waist on protesters with intention to killing and maiming them.The CRPF admitted that it has fired 3,000 pellets cartridges, each containing 450 metallic balls between July 9 to August 14. Many more atrocities and harassment in Kashmir. Less said is better.<br />
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Under present circumstances History will repeat itself, And Kashmir will split from India like East Pakistan split from united Pakistan and Bangaladesh was created, Fight for 'azadi' and international support are getting momentum and world will see how India lost Kashmir only because of tactless handling of situation by union government led by Narendra Modi.!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10326078181148396361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719066939362267986.post-58718227109281397632016-07-24T20:01:00.001-07:002016-07-24T20:01:15.460-07:00J<a href="http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/jk-gets-10-of-central-funds-with-only-1-of-population/article8894242.ece#.V5WA5Dk43Bg.blogger">J</a>: Jammu and Kashmir has received 10 per cent of all Central grants given to states over the 2000-2016 period, despite having only one per cent of the country’s population, analysis by of Central and SAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10326078181148396361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719066939362267986.post-4352229173615508812015-10-26T23:13:00.001-07:002015-10-26T23:13:59.208-07:00(Bihar Elections News) | Verdict - Oct 27, 2015 (10 am)<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Mbqs4vRzflk" width="480"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10326078181148396361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719066939362267986.post-77042272572514644002013-10-29T03:50:00.000-07:002013-10-29T03:50:03.579-07:00INDIAN BUREAUCRACY, LEGACY OF BRITISH EMPIRE, ARE MOST CORRUPT IN LEAGUE WITH POLITICAL CLASSES !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Indian bureaucracy -----Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Secrvice ( IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and other central services and states services----have become much-maligned today in the wake of the degeneration of India with creeping corruption, inefficiency and of all lack of vision because of the encouragement of corrupt and thug political classes ,ruling the India successively since independence ! Among the many things our bureaucrats are worse legacies of the British Empire ! The Indian civil servants have become massively corrupt. Even Pundit Jawahar Lal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India had little respect for the bureaucrats in India .As Pundit Nehru put in his autobiography, written in 1935, ' few things are more striking today in India than the progressive deterioration, moral and intellectual, of the higher services, more specially, the Indian Civil Services (ICS). This is most in evidence in the superior officials, but it runs like a thread throughout the services'. Nehru had called officials as 'imperialists stooges'.The time changed. And after independence, Nehru entrusted the officials of the ICS to conduct the gigantic tasks of 1952 general elections, the first elections in independence India hesitatingly because there were no alternatives. Moreover,'great credit is due to those who are in charge of this stupendous first experiment in Indian history. Bureaucracy has certainly proved its worth by honestly discharging the duties imposed on it by a honest prime minister', Lucknow based sociologist D P Mukherji commented. The author of the book-India After Gandhi--Ramachandra Guha has written," in this respect, the 1952 elections was a script jointly authored by historical forces for so long opposed to one another: British colonialism and Indian Nationalism. Between them these forces had given this new nation what could be fairly described jump -start to democracy."<br />
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In fact the bureaucracy, as it exists today, is essentially, a creation of British Raj. At that time, it gave slaved India, and administration that was impartial but insensitivity. Eminent bureaucrat of independent India T N Seshan, in his book---The Degeneration of India---with his co-author journalist Sanjoy Hazarika has written, " the close association of the administration with the ruling colonial regime bred a natural suspicion of them among political activists. After all, the politicians were involved in the independence movement. The job of the administration was to suppress that campaign -any movement that constituted a challenge to colonial authority---and toss people in jail................The suspicion and hostility of the politicians towards civil servant and vice-versa has continued even after independence.. Each saw the other as a threat to his or her position and a competing centre of power...........The main civil service as it operates across the country's districts, which is where its impact is most pronounced, has two arms: the Collector (also known as the district magistrate or deputy commissioner) and the Superintendent of police. Several collector ates are grouped under a senior administrator, known as commissioner to form a division. The senior police officials, who ranks at the same level as the commissioner, is a deputy inspector general of police, some time an inspector general...At the second tier, the state level , the top officials is the chief secretary.......director general of [police is similar.....the top layer in the whole country comprises, the cabinet secretary, who is supposed to do on a national level what the chief secretary of a state does............" In nut sell this is the structures of bureaucracy in India.<br />
There were a few officials like Lalan Prasad Singh, ICS, former union home secretary. P C Alexander, secretary to Indira Gandhi ands Rajiv Gandhi, K Pradhan, former union home secretary, T N Seshan, former chief of the Election Commissioner of India, former rural development secretary N C Saxena etc, who proved their metal and did not buckle under political pressures and remained officials of proven integrity. Although political interferences in administrative work started just after independence ,Pundit Nehru, Sardar Patel, the chief ministers, B C Roy (West Bengal , B G Kher (Bombay), S K Sinha (Bihar), G V Pant (Uttar Pradesh), R S Shukla (central province ), Kamaraj ((Tamil Nadu) were the political personalities, who never tolerated any interferences in the domains of bureaucrats by ruling or opposition political elites and rather, they protected the officials from any wrong-doings of ruling political classes in the respective states and at the centre.<br />
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But the deterioration in civil service began in 1960s. The successive brand of politicians in league with officials started indulging in corruption to mint money. Not only in corruption, they indulged but both officials and political classes bended rules, acts, and some cases even the Constitution for ' wrong doings.' Both the groups ganged up together in defeating India's first post-independence experiment with devolution of power to the villagers or the panchayati raj system. Both the groups ganged up in such way while implementing the system,, the experiment ended up in joke in early 1950s to 1970s. It was corrected only the prime minister ship of Rajiv Gandhi when an Act for Panchayati Raj was enacted .Another casualty in the confrontation between the civil service and politicians was the police, especially the lower constabulary and the general administration. Officials began siding with the ruling politicians because they were more vulnerable. Police connived with the ruling politicians for creating jungle raj instead of rule of law. In the merciless attack on bureaucracy, the American humorist P J O'Rourke says that since the 'actual work of government is too unglamourous for the people who govern us', they create' bureaucratic departments to perform the humdrum tasks of national supervision. Government proposes, bureaucracy disposes. And the bureaucracy must dispose of government proposals by dumping them on us' (O'Rourke, 1992)<br />
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These days civil service is confused It is in search of an identity, but its role is determined by the perception of its political masters, not by the people. In this manner, the Indian bureaucracy , like other arms of governance in India is on 'slippery downward slope' Rewards are sought and given not for merit and efforts but for those who can cut deals, broker arrangements. Seshan says in his book, " India's political structure and philosophy now says that everything is acceptable unless you are caught or being blackmailed. Civil servants have taken a leaf from politicians in this regard:if you find some thing illegal, like accepting or demanding dowry, then there are two options before you. Neither option is honest one. It is a choice, these days, between resorting to influence peddling to get out of a fix or just brazening it out.. In addition, civil servants are battered to death, openly assaulted in their offices, intimidated in other ways including transfers and threat of foisted corruption charges "<br />
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.The Indian civil service is still on the same pattern of frame built by the British Raj. In India, IAS and other allied services men are considered 'highest elite classes' in the society even today. These IAS officials get training in British pattern since they join as probationers in Mussoorie. IAS probationers have been allotted to stay at the grandest, the Charleville, that stood on a ridge in Happy Valley and boasted a stay by the Prince of Wales (later George fifth) and Princess Mary of Teck, who in 1906 could never have envisaged that 50 years later everything devised for their comforts-the kitchens, the stables, the dinning rooms, the linen cupboards--would be in the hands of the people banned from the mall. Ian Jack has written in the Guardian , " everything has changed , nothing has changed. The era that produced hill stations also laid down the foundations of the Indian Administrative Service, the IAS, which together with the Indian Foreign Service used to attract (and arguably still does) the brightest from each generation.. The IAS owes its structures to the British India Civil service, the ICS, which administered the country as a colonial possession from 1858 until 1947 through district officer system, in which a young Briton, public school and Ox bridge educated, passed a highly competitive examination and after some tuition in Indian languages and customs was given charge of an Indian district as populous as an English country, where under various titles (collector, district magistrate, deputy commissioners) he took charge of law and order and land revenues and any other piece of government policy that needed enforcing........."<br />
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"............Lloyd George called it "the steel frame on which the whole structure of our government and of our administration in India rests" and the IAS has kept the steel frame pretty much intact. Its officers exercise enormous authority over a district population of between one and two million, some time barely familiar with the local language, apt to be lonely, forever facing the temptation of bribery. And they start so young, so terribly young. The new recruits in Mussoorie, the lucky thousands who have been chosen from 500,000 candidates by excelling in exams and interviews , are young enough to address visitors as Sir or Madam, but in a year or two they will sit as rulers of their small kingdoms, having been examined in Hindi, the Constitution and the Laws. A young ICS man, setting out from Tilbury to India in 1910, would have felt no less blessed or anxious."<br />
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In a country that over the past 20 years has been transformed -some would say disfigured-by private money, the IAS has survived as a a still-impressive public institution. As the College's deputy director Ranjana Chopra, said, speaking to the IAS's ability to handle natural disasters better than George Bush's Washington. "Everything may not work well in India, but here is something that does."<br />
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But the facts are otherwise about IAS, IFS, IPS and central and state services, these cadre men have now become most corrupt, barring a few. One politicians quipped, " it is the officers who teach us the first lesson of wrong doings by bending rules, laws and ultimately the Constitution, for minting money in present day India". Entire edifice of these cadres have crumbled under the pressure of corruption to mint money and also to give favours to persons of influence and in this game poor people of India are worse sufferers !<br />
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Before I sum up the essay, I think it proper to quote T N Seshan, who has said, " I spend sleepless nights worrying about the degeneration of the country and wandering what my contribution to the regenerative process..........." and also the dream of Mahatma Gandhi for just and equatable society ! In both the sections, these elite bureaucrats have failed miserably by succumbing to the pressure of successive brands of politicians !</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10326078181148396361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719066939362267986.post-64112154590136144022013-10-26T01:02:00.003-07:002013-10-26T01:02:47.864-07:00ACCUMULATION OF BLACK MONEY IN INDIA HOLDING DEVELOPMENT AND WELFARE MEASURES FOR POOR !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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INDIA has notoriety in gaining top positions in many ills in the society , being a largest democracy in the globe ,among the world's nations ! Black money, discrimination against poor and dalits, atrocity on women, malnutrition, illiteracy etc are the few examples, which have put INDIA on 'shanme list' in among the global countries. Today, I will put a few facts on accumulation of black money and deposited by Indian illegally in the foreign countries and cases of corruption , posing a serious threat on the development agenda of India.<br />
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Sadly and curiously, INDIA ranks eighth and among the top ten in developing countries with illicit fund outflow at $ 1.6 billion . India particularly saw black money outflow of $ 123 billion from 2001-2010; according to the Global Financial Integrity (GFI) in December 2012. Apart from these black money of Indian stashed abroad, in the country itself over Rs 10 lakh crore are hidden by Indian capitalists, political classes, professionals, industrialists, corporates and multinationals etc, without being accounted. This is what is happening in India where development projects and welfare measures for over 70 percent of persons , below poverty line , are suffering due to lack of fund !<br />
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The report of the GFI has said that the total outflow of black money from India since independence until 2010 was $ 232 billion. The aggregate value of illicit assets held by Indians from 1947 to 2010 is estimated at $ 487 billion. The report, titled ILLICIT FINANCIAL FLOWS, has found that only 27.8 percent of India's illicit assets are held domestically and 73 percent make their way overseas. But independent surveys have put the figures just vice-versa. Crores of black money inside the country are in the shape of benami illicit money and other assets, owned through black money. These black money are kept in fake bank accounts besides stashed in bags in the respective houses , especially by professionals and industrialists, capitalists etc.<br />
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THE GFI has said, in 2012 alone, India was ranked 94 out of 176 countries in the Transparency Internationals Corruption Perceptions Index. India was tied with Benin, Columbia, Djibouti, Greece, Moldova, Mongolia and Senegal. Apart from that, The Transparency International, which has put India as one of the most corrupt countries in the world, has said, in its report in 2008 ,that 40 percent of Indians have paid bribes to get a job done in public offices. This figure was 62 percent in a study conducted by the same firm in in 2005.<br />
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The Indian government report itself has admitted that as of December 2012, the government has conducted 2603 surveys and has detected Rs 8255 crore in undisclosed income in the country. This figure was Rs 6572.75 crore in the year 2011-12 when 3706 surveys were conducted. In a White paper on black money, tabled in the Indian Parliament in 2012, the Indian government conceded that real estate sector is one of the largest holders of illicit income and unaccounted funds. A large number of transactions are not reported and a vast number are under-reported. As the realty sector contributes 11 percent to GDP, this huge amount of under reporting is a huge dent to the treasury.<br />
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Independent surveys have, however, while confirming the government's facts on realty sectors , also pointed out that professionals like doctors, lawyers, contractors, neo-rich business men etc have huge black money and undisclosed income. BUT successive union and state governments have failed in its endeavour to unearth illicit and black money because of the connivance of political classes in black money holders in last many years. Not only Swiss banks, there are many countries' banks, especially Nepal banks , where Indians have deposited or accumulated huge amount of black and illicit money. In the name of religion, many religious places like temples , matths, mosques, religious trusts are under the control of huge property and cash, totalling over Rs two.five lakh crores without any account to the government.<br />
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According to Yahoo news Website report; Swiss National Bank 's report also states as of end 2012, out of the total 2.18 billion Swiss franc, deposits by Indian individuals and entities-1.34 billion Swiss francs were held directly by Indian individuals and entities and the rest 77 million Swiss franks was via 'fiduciaries' or wealth managers. The Swiss Bank report has said that Indians hold Rs 9,000 crore or 2.18 billion Swiss franks in Swiss banks at the end of 2012, according to data released by Swiss National Bank. The overall amount held in Swiss banks by entities from across the world is estimated at around Rs 90 lakh crore.<br />
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India will now be able to track down the illicit money of Indians deposited in Swiss banks with an international agreement among 58 countries worldwide with Swiss government. The agreement is called, " Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administration Assistance in Tax Matters. Switzerland has finally agreed to share information on funds held in its banks to fight tax evasion and concealment of illicit funds. Switzerland was under tremendous pressure for co-operating with countries across the globe and divulge data on funds parked in Swiss Banks. It may be recalled that Swiss Banks have had strict client confidentiality clause and hence are a popular haven for illicit income. Now with the agreement Swiss Banks will have to bring down the wall of secrecy around its account holders and divulge information regarding overseas money held in the banks.<br />
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REFERENCES:- THE WEBSITES OF INDIA AND SWISS GOVERNMENTS, THE SWISS NATIONAL BANK, THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL INTEGRITY, THE TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL, THE INDIAN PARLIAMENT, The YAHOO NEWS </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10326078181148396361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719066939362267986.post-6633956221275847112013-10-22T08:14:00.000-07:002013-10-22T08:14:55.291-07:00MANMOHAN GOVT BENT TO WEAKEN RTI ACT!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I Have no knowledge of Arabic Text as written in The Koran. Just I am mentioning the English translation of HUD, "In the name of God, the compassionate, the Mercuful" translation of Arabic text in English by the writer J N Dawood, born in Bagdad in his book in the chapetr on on JONAH***"The Koran---with parallel Arabic text" The writer translates the HUD in English---"----they cover up their breasts to conceal their thoughts from Him. But when they put on their garments, does He not know what they hide and what they reveal? He knows their inmost thoughts****"</div>
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Exactly this verse of the Koran reveals the surreptious move of the Manmohan Singh Govternment to exempt the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from the perview of the Right to nformation Act despite vehement opposition by different sections of the society and government's other departments' views. Strangely bringing such move the union government has also ignored the Parliament and even National Advisiory Committee led by Sonia Gandhi. This is what is happening in democratic secular country--India. A very good thing enacted by UPA-1 as weapon to provide the citiozens to secure aceess to information under the control of public authorities in order to promote transparency and accountablity in the working of every public authority. But the Act is being silently and surreptiously being tramplated by the Manmohan Singh Government! What has gone wrong withis great economist Manmohan singh, prime minister of India? Manmohan will ultimately answerable to all these misdeeds not only for future generation but also the people of the country living presently!</div>
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Sadly , the Law Ministry had moooted the partial proposal to exempt CBI from RTI Act-the Department of Personnel initially opposedthe move. And final curtain was down with the Attorney-General of India G E Vanamati pushing for total exemption of the CBI from the perview of RTI Act.</div>
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Suspicion of people arose right from the very beginning over the proposal to keep the CBI from the perview of the Act. Because the CBI handles important corruption cases, involving big politicians, top officials etc. Successive union governments always put the CBI under the thumb to help the big culprits from the net. Now it has been justified hundred percent that union government wants to keep CBI under thumb to suit its political intesrest.Right to Information Act weapons of people were always putting the CBI and the union government under tenterhook by knowing what is happening and progress in the investigations of much-maligned cases, involving big politicians and officials as well as cronies of the ruling elites.</div>
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Originally RTI Act has exempted 18 public authorities under central government from disclosure of information under Section 24 of The Act, which included intelligence and security organisations in the interest of the country. For further exemption, the union govternment could broaden the areas in the name "security of the nation" without seeking any permission from the Parliament for its sanction but it is mandatory to place every such exemption and subsequent notification before each houses of the Parliament. Now the Indian people will must watch how the representatives of different hues in the both houses react over this exemption to the CBI! Moreover the Union cabinet okayed the exemption to the public authorities like CBI, National Investigation Agency, (NIA) And National Intelligence Grid in its meeting in the first week of June 2011 and exemption notices were issued by the Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension on June 9, 2011. Instead of bringing more and arenas for under RTI Act for more and more transparency -this is what union government has been doing gradually to weaken the RTI Act. Vanamati has put very funny logic of the CBI that as the agency that cases are referred to it for lodging cases from the courts as well as the economic cases and economic security of the country at risk etc.Vanamati has placed hollow logic to exempt the CBI-- CBI is not an intelligence gathering organisation and Section 24(1) of the Act clearly states that information pertaining the allegation of corruption andf human right violations shall not be execulded under this sub-section and that such information should be provided after the approval of the central Information Commission.Strangely, many government agencies were violating such provisions and not responding to the petitions, referred by CIC, Subhash agrawal, a noted RTI Act activist said, while deploring the exemption to the CBI.</div>
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Even the member of the A NAC Aruna Roy and Wajahat Habubullah former CIC have opposed the exemption and hacve pointed out that there were conpiracies from the very beginning to weaken this bright and people firiendly Act to expose the governments both at union level and state levels. CBI is not a intelligence gathering organisation but it is investigating serious corruption cases like loot of public funds manily by politicians and officials, they remarked.Vehement opposition are goning on to protest the exemption but the union government is in its deep slumber and opposition leaders do not have time to take up such important issues. Here we must remember the weakening of left parties in the country, which would have initiated protests strongly to condemn such morve of the union government and restore earlier position!</div>
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Sadly what has gone wrong with newsapers, news magazines, electronic channels? Why they are silent over such serious development? Except Hindu and Front line fortnightly , none of of the media have paid attention over such serious issues! Are they realy under "undeclared censorship" imposed by the governments of Union and states and also the proprietors of media houses for their englightened self interest? This is freedom of expression and press , enshrined in the Constitution. And we the people have also become worse than Murda (dead bodies) or this country has become "murdon ka desh( country of dead bodies) and we are tolerating atrocities by the government in our decadent society.</div>
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At this moment I exactly remeber a verse of Upanishad, "uttishth jagrat prapy barniin bodhat! (uttho jago aur bare se gyan prapt karo duniyan to jitene ke liye- awoke from deep slumber and finally become consicious</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10326078181148396361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719066939362267986.post-41348572480344072482013-10-22T07:08:00.002-07:002013-10-22T07:08:42.606-07:00INDIA RANKED FIRST IN PREVALENCE OF SLAVERY AND FORCED LABOUR IN THE WORLD; SURVEY !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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One can never change his or her mind-set in the feudal-minded society in India ! Discrimination of dalits and poor in India is order of the day. Untouchablity Act is rarely implemented hardly in the country. Untouchablity prevails everywhere in India. Cases of untouchablity are again order of the day in Tamil Nadu by Orthodox Tamilians, especially Brahimins.(Essays on discrimination in India on my link-www.kksingh1.blogspot.com).Notwithstanding, the India has abolished three decades back the bonded labour system under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, the system "continues to be prevalent" in the country.. This year also, amendments were, enacted to the Penal Code, in the wake of Delhi gang rape uproar in the Indian Parliament , which Act now criminalises most forms of human trafficking and forced labour !<br />
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India has the largest number of people in the world, who are living in conditions of slavery caused by poverty, handed-down social customs and weak enforcement of anti-slavery laws. Of the 30 million people world-wide, living in slavery-like conditions,14 million are Indians. The west African nation of Mauritania ranked highest in the index in terms of percentage of population living in slavery-like conditions ( with about 150,000 out of a population of 3.8 million)..But in absolute numbers, India ranked the highest; While India leads in forced labour, the Communist China has some 2.9 million and Pakistan just above two million. bonded persons, Nigeria, Ethiopia,Russia, Thailand,the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burma and Bangladesh round out the top ten, measured in absolute numbers. With about 4,000 slaves each, the UK, Ireland and Iceland claim the bottom spot. There are many faces of modern slavery ; according to a global survey report, published recently by the Australia-based rights group-Walk Free Foundation at Chatham House. <br />
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The global survey index, compiled by the Walk Free Foundation, is the first global survey cataloguing forced labour on a country-to-country basis. "modern slavery is a hidden crime,"notes Walk Free Foundation CEO Nick Grono. "it is forced labour, bounded labour. And everyone is tainted by it. The clothes we wear might be made from cotton picked by forced labour in Uzbekistan. The electronic games we play with might contain minerals extracted by forced labour in the Congo," Says Grono. Uzbekistan cotton pickers are not like U S's cotton-picking slaves of past generations; no body owns them. But they are in servitude nonetheless, children and adults forced by the government to work in cotton fields.. The co-founder of the organisation' Free The Slaves' and the index's author Prof. Kevin Bales says, " slavery takes place at the bottom of the ladder with small mom-and-pop criminal enterprises.. But some of these concerns grow. For example, fish and shrimp processing in Bangladesh and India can get very big and these companies are supplying the European and North American frozen seafood market." .<br />
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The report says , " today some people are still being born into hereditary slavery, a staggering but harsh reality, particularly in parts of West Africa and South Asia. Other victims are captured or kidnapped before being sold or kept for exploitation, whether through marriage, unpaid labour on fishing boats or as domestic workers."The index ranked 162 countries based on human trafficking, forced labour, slavery or slavery-like practices including debt bondage, forced or servile marriage, sale or exploitation of children including in armed conflict/ ( INDIA HAS BOOMING SEX TRADE-my essay on www.kksingh1.blogspot.com) The index says, " India, China, Pakistan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Russia, Thailand, Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar and Bangladesh together constitute 75 percent of the total estimate of 29.8 million people in modern slavery. That estimates is higher than the INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANISATION (ILO)'s estimate of 21 million victims of forced labour."<br />
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As the story goes if you visit a Haitian home and see a child making coffee or washing dishes, do not assume it is one of the family's children going about their weekly chores. It is more likely that the child is a restavek, forced domestic labour. A Port-au- Prince-based social entrepreneur and presidential adviser Hans Tippeenhauer has explained, "there is supposed to be a social contract whereby the employees take care of their restaveks and send them to school. But most often that is not the case. these children are abused". Though Mauritania is worse than Haiti, restaveks make up the lion's share of the Caribbean nation's forced labour. Some 250,00 to 3000,000 children cook and clean for families in large cities. they have no choice because their own parents are unable to look after them. A Haitian construction executive Greg Figaro, has explained, " it is not even seen as abuse. It is also a bit of status symbol. If you have a restavek, it means you are better off than the child's parents<br />
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With regards to India, the report (index) points out the failure of the Indian government to make use of its "power and resources" to eradicate slavery. "Until recently, the response to human trafficking focused almost exclusively on the sexual exploitation of women and children and other forms of human trafficking including those affecting men were barely recognised", the report says and adds," national leaders tend not to recognise the violent criminality of bonded labour and instead see it as a vestige of poverty."<br />
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But the hidden crime by definition, is hard to tackle. Andrew Forrest, the Australian mining magnate and founder of the Walk Free Foundation, was not even aware of forced until his daughter unwittingly worked alongside African slaves labourers during gap year. And corporations often turn a blind eye. Nintendo, for example is accused of remaining cavalier about the possibility of slave labour in its supply chain. The anti- slavery group Walk Free has launched a petition to make the electronics company take further steps to ensure slave-minded minerals are not used in their gaming consoles. As the grassroots campaign against blood diamonds has shown, consumers can be a formidable power. : Slaves labour is becoming an increasing reputational problem" says Grono. "Even if companies do not want to end forced labour because its unethical, they will be forced to do so because being tainted by slave labour is bad for business."<br />
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The Guardian Professional essay, written by Elisabeth Braw has disclosed that bowing to customer pressure, H&M and Machael Kors recently banned supplies that use Uzbek cotton. Now activists are pressing Nike to take similar action. While Nike has pledged not to buy Uzbek cotton, it still sources synthetics from Daewoo International, the largest processor of cotton in Uzbekistan. According to a recent report by the Enough Project, while Nintendo has made little efforts to eliminate conflict materials from its devices, manufacturers like Intel and HP have taken decisive action. But the consumer activism will not help the slaves whose toil never touches the global supply chain. In Haiti, no politician would dare tackle the restavek issue, reports Tippenhauer. " we need a law regulating how domestic work should be remunerated. The restaveks get food, board and nothing else.But parties do not win votes by having restaveks on their agendas, and the parliamentarians have domestic workers themselves. Those domestic workers, in turn, often employ restaveks in their own homes. In Order to pay restaveks popular wages, you would have to pay your own employees better. So nothing happens."<br />
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REFERENCES :- Websites of The INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANISATION; The WALK FREE FOUNDATION; THE TIMES WEEKLY; THE GUARDIAN; THE INDIA GOVERNMENT; THE GLOBAL SURVEY INDEX; THE UZBEKISTAN GOVERNMENT; AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT;THE H&M; THE MICHAEL KORS; THE DAEWOO INTERNATIONAL;etc </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10326078181148396361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719066939362267986.post-39717696574443339612013-10-20T04:15:00.002-07:002013-10-20T04:15:38.427-07:00" INDIA'S SEX TRADE IS BOOMING": NEW YORK TIMES<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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".........India's own sex trade is booming. The New York Times recently reported on widespread human trafficking of young girls in the state of Jharkhand and on the trafficking of impoverished girls into India from neighbouring Nepal. Girls are also exported from India and other South Asian countries to the GULF and south-east Asia...." Says an EDITORIAL BOARD OPINION of the NEW YORK TIMES recently.<br />
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I have mentioned in my number of essays on my link------www.kksingh1.blogspot.com----about shames after shames in India, thanks to the lack-lustre approaches and attitudes of India's successive union and state governments in the last over 65 years, even being called one of the largest democracy in the world! Practically women are being treated in this present social structures of India as "toys". And the women are being discriminated without any rhymes and reasons even with the heralding of 20th century. No doubt, in the wake of brutal gang rape in last December ,in Delhi, which grabbed national and international headlines and also caused public outrage, lamentably huge sex-trafficking in India have not attracted the same public attention or provocation in the last several years..India has been identified as a major hub in the international sex trade, a global phenomenon that may involve upwards of 27 million people, by the United States State Department, the United Nations and the India's Human Right Commission.<br />
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Corruption among officials, police and political classes is widespread in India . Trafficking in sex has become a thriving business in India ! Particularly the political classes , except a few, in India give long ropes to the criminals and vested interests to thrive in the nefarious business in trafficking in sex of for money. The political classes get huge share and protection money for encouraging, protecting and shielding the persons, engaged in the business. Now it is generally said in India that these decadent political classes can go to any extent to stay in power and to earn money for their hegemony on the political scenes in the country.People by and large consider in India that politicians , except a few are roots of all the evils in the system! All hues of politicians are strangely united in running the inhuman and dishonest businesses for the sake of money and power secretly but daggers drawn in public . Business in the Parliament is installed invariably on flimsy issues , obviously to show the public that are raising the issues of public interest! Police and civil officials, for the sake of money and good posting involved themselves in corrupt businesses in league with politicians throughout the country. Entire system in India has been corrupted and degenerated.. Trafficking is profitable and corruption is widespread in India! It is all too easy to buy off police and other law-enforcing agencies. by traffickers<br />
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Persistent poverty is a major factor. Many vulnerable women and girls are lured by promises of employment and some parents are desperate enough to sell their daughters to<br />
traffickers, Rapid urbanisation and migration of large numbers of men into India's growing cities creates a market of commercial sex, as does a gender imbalance resulting from sex-selective abortion practices that has created a generation of young men, who have little hope of finding female partners. India's a affluence is also a factor, luring European women into India;s sex trade. The caste system compounds the problem. Victims of trafficking disproportionately come from disadvantaged segments of Indian society.Trafficking is profitable and corruption is widespread. It is invariably seen that traffickers, alluring the women and girls, sold them to Gulf. Many of them are forced to marry and girl lured from rural India are got married to Shiekhs in the Gulf and also sexually exploited. In many cases, women and girls of India are sold to European, American, Australian, African countries and they are either sexually-assaulted or forced to do menial and other domestic work. Women and girls, mainly lured from rural India are brought in cities and towns and they are sexually exploited in "big bazaars of prostitutes" and also sold to big people for sexual pleasures in the name of domestic work ! Women and girls from Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal and other eastern states are trafficked by sex-traffickers and after sexual assaults, they are forced to marry with people of old age in Haryana, Delhi, eastern Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan for giving birth to their children and later they are formalised as wives and husbands after much hue and cry ! Even in rural areas in India, girls and women of lower caste are made show-cases for "nautch and gaan". Nothing substantial is being done to improve the lots of women in India !<br />
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In March, in the wake of Delhi rape, India's Parliament passed a bill amending laws concerning sexual violence and making sex-trafficking a criminal offence. But the gap between enactment and enforcement remains unacceptable wide. Parliament acted in response to the recommendations of judicial committee led by the late Justice Jagdish Sharan Verma. In addition to urging tougher laws protecting women and children from abuse, the Verma report recommended stiffer penalties for sex related crimes as well as swifter justice for the perpetrators.Amending law is good step but law is only as good as its enforcement.Police are mainly very easily saleable, thanks to protection by political classes mainly in trafficking cases, Measures must be initiated so that police must face strong disciplinary consequences for turning a blind eye, and those who commit sex crimes must know that they risk speedy prosecution and stiff sentences.<br />
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Apart from that Indian government should address historic patterns of discrimination and focus increased resources on educating disadvantaged girls. Until attitudes in India towards women change and poor children gain the skills they need to control of their futures, sex-trafficking and the damage it inflicts will continue ! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10326078181148396361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719066939362267986.post-51713070922735593732013-10-17T04:25:00.001-07:002013-10-17T04:25:12.997-07:00BOOK REVIEW:- BOOK ON BIHAR REKINDLES NEW HOPE AND ASPIRATION IN BIHAR MINUS NOT ' NITISHNOMICS' BUT 'NITISHOHYPOCRACY' !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Before I start to come to the points about the book-THE NEW BIHAR: REKINLING GOVERNANCE AND DEVELOPMENT-, authored by N K Singh, retired IAS official and Rajya Sabha Member from Bihar, and his co-author Lord Nicholas Stern, an IG Patel Professor of Economics and Government at the London School of Economics, I want to put some of my old reminiscences of 1980s about Bihar when everybody in India has ruled out the state because of its growing backwardness and no sign of development. Some of them used to comment, " Bihar has withered away." I was in Delhi in late 1980s. Just out of curiosity, I went to meet an acquainted senior IAS official of Bihar cadre that time posted on senior slot in the Union Home Ministry (UHM). In course of talks of over half-an -hour, I usually asked him when he is returning to Bihar to his parent cadre. Just after that senior official first gazed the ceiling of his well-decorated office chamber in the magnificent North Block, which houses UHM and thereafter he started looking towards adjacent India Gate from across the room through big window. After after half a minute, he told me ," who bothers for your Bihar......, which have been ruled out because of misgoverning and no-sign of development........." I was not amazed but simply I smiled ! The senior IAS official was no other but N K Singh. Now after the long gap of over 24 years, the same IAS official, now retired, after holding important position in union government, is Janata Dal (U) MP from Bihar, has penned the book, arising new hopes and aspirations to the people of Bihar with regards to all round development of Bihar, which was in moribund stage over nine years back !<br />
Apart from the NOTES THE PREFACE AND, THE INTRODUCTIONS by authors and co-author, the book is by and large compilations of essays on Bihar's economy and its tempo in all round development in recent years written by eminent economists, writers, analysts, commentators etc Mr N K Singh and Nicholas Stern have introduced the subject about Bihar's development in very lucid style. Other essayists including Nobel Prize winner in Economics Amartya Sen have also traced the facts very aptly about Bihar, its culture, glory, economy, education, society, health etc since ancient and medieval period . The Authors and essayists have simply argued the hopes of desired development of Bihar------"like as straw man lies dead, what is ignored is the development in the room..." Author and his co-author as well as essayists have failed to mention about lack of land reforms measures, the bane of poverty in the state. However here and there there are just passing references. Although the essayists and author and his co-author have heaped praise on the Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar for bringing the backward state on the development path, there are many discernible factors about backwardness and recent tempo of developments in Bihar, which have rarely found place in the book-that is , in my opinion, percolating of the fruits of development at grass-root level for major sections of society in social indicator during the so called sharp rise in GDP. of Bihar in comparision to other developed states of India. Many 'metaphors' like free market paradigm that economic growth in Bihar during Nitish regime has brought wide-ranging development. Whether Bihar developed at desired level or not but essayists have tried to rewrite the history of Bihar, which continues to languish on almost all parameters of development and social indicators. No doubt, both the authors and essayists of the book have been gifted with sense of history but lack in experimenting the economy of Bihar, which is primarily agriculture based..<br />
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After reading the book, exactly I remember the announcements of Nitish Kumar after assuming chief minister ship of the state about eight years back, that his topmost priority will be improving of education and health sectors besides land reforms. But in all the cases, probably Nitish Kumar has failed to achieve desired result. Education and health are most important parameters of development-of course a number of measures have been taken by Bihar government but results are hardly 20 to 25 percent on the surface.All these failures of Bihar government and hammering of the subjects by the essayists for their success , remind me Rabindranath Tagore, who had once said, " In my view the imposing tower of misery which today rests on the heart of India has its sole foundation in the absence of education."<br />
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At least in one aspect, the author and his co-author have admitted that Bihar has long history of backwardness. even as historically, Bihar has glorious past. They have also made honest appraisal of facts in the book that Bihar has lowest electrification rates in the country with only 16 percent of the households having access to electricity much lower than the national average of 67 percent. Forty percent of electricity is consumed only in the.one city-Patna, the state capital, which also does not have constant power supply; the authors point out and add, "that it is surely extraordinary that having reached the nadir Bihar rejuvenated itself in less than a decade to become fastest growing state even as India's own growth gathered momentum. Many have attributed this rapid turn-around to Nitishnomics, meaning improved governance and a more inclusive growth strategy. There are many facetes of Nitishonomics. But the picture appears some thing different.There are many glaring mention of facts in the book , one can imagine how the Bihar is<br />
developing ? There are many instances that it is not Nitishonomics but the so called turn around in Bihar "Nitishohypocracy" !Deprived majority are still languishing because of faulty implementation of welfare measures and large scale corruption, which have become greatest menace during Nitish regime in Bihar. The book does give a clean scenario of what is happenings in Bihar under democratic fabrics of India. Elites and neo-rich class , closure to corridor of power, are cornering all benefits , meant for poor in Bihar.<br />
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When I look such painful pathetic picture of human condition in rural areas in Bihar, it reminds the well-known Mahamta Gandhi's Talisman of 1948 when Gandhi had said , " I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt or when your self becomes too much with you, apply the following test,, Recall the face of the poorest and weakest man and woman, whom you may have seen and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him (her). will he (she) gain anything by it ? will it restore him (her) to a control over his (her) own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to swaraj (freedom0 for the hungry and spiritually starving millions ? Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away." If these things do not reflect the minds of ruling elite in Bihar, then we must call them thieves and looteras of public funds Nitish Kumar does behave like a feudal ruler. of Bihar, which hardly finds place in the book. Nitish Kumar held Janata Darwars at his official residence once in a week After attending the so called darwar for registering their complaints, people returned disappointed and call the janta darwar a feudal darwar like of British Raj and landlords during pre-independence days ! A recent essay on the website of Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (http:\\carnegieendowment,org) has compared Nitish Kumar no less autocrat than Narendra Modi. Both have autocratic tendencies Nitish has developed a worrying reputation for leveraging his state government'd hefty advertisement budget to punish media outlets who dare publish negative stories about his administration. Not only that Nitish Kumar has given free hands to officials and other government staff to carry his programmes and policies without caring even the ruling class politicians, resulting into wide-spread corruption in government machinery. Virtually there is no democracy in Bihar but bureaucracy is prevailing-even ministers are not allowed to speak about officials , thanks to the autocratic style of Nitish Kumar!These are some hard facts which should have found mention in the books either by essayists or authors themselves . Is the book one -side about Nitish's dream Bihar? At one place in the book, one essayist Pawan Kumar Verma has virtually, while praising Nitish Kumar like a sycophant number one , has heaped abuses -like words on Biharis and its culture, prior to what was happenings in Bihar. Were Bihar and Biharis before Nitish Kumar rule have had gone uncultured and forgotten the unique culture of Bihar ? Shame to Pawan Kumar Verma for such remarks in N K Singh's book !<br />
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No doubt Bihar is developing during Nitish regime in the wake of allround economic turn around in India, it does not mean that it is because of Nitishnomics but to some extent streamlining of governance in Bihar, which had lacked during Laloo-Rabri regime as well as new economic policy being implemented in India as a whole and massive funds of centrally-sponsored programmes, Backwardness of Bihar is also contribution successive Congress governments in Bihar. But during Laloo Prasad regime, the poor , the dalits, the adivasis and downtrodden got their voices and Laloo was instrumental for that-but during Nitish regime dalits are being tortured by upper caste people . There are many instances of such atrocities in Bihar during Nitish regime. Both economically and politically, dalits are being deprived of their rights by land-owing classes and neo-rich classes , cropped during Nitish regime One essayist Meghnad Desai, an eminent economist and professor of Economics at the London School of Economics has rightly commented in his writings, " The collapse of the Congress hegemony at the national level in 1989 and the emergence of the Mandal reforms brought about the first profound change in Bihar.....This was assertion of power by the other backward class (OBC)..........The Janata Dal, which later became Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) during its 15 years tenure (1990-2005) concentrated on what one may call the 'respect' agenda. This was to give dignity and respect to the previously downtrodden social groups and challenge the upper caste hegemony with the help of state power. It was acknowledged by the leaders of the RJD that development was not his priority but the righting of the old oppression was It is correct to say that in the respect agenda the RJD was successful. As Jeffrey Witsoe says in his article in the Lall and Gupta volume: While Lalu systematically destabilised the institution of governance and state directed development, i suggest that this was catalysed a meaningful although partial empowerment of lower caste' A [popular RJD slogan was "vikas nahi samman chahiye"........." But what happened to empowerment of dalits and backwards during Nitish regime, the agenda was not cared and today atrocity on them is continuing as reflected ion the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB).<br />
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.The importance of the N K Singh's book would have comparatively lesser impact about the development of Bihar with the recent blasting of Bihar government and its chief minister Nitish Kumar by the well known development economist Jean Dreze, a co-author of the book, written by Amartya Sen-AN UNCERTAIN GLORY: INDIA AND ITS CONTRADICTIONS while delivering a lecture on the food security at Patna. Dreze has said, " Bihar is capital of corruption and exploitation in the world. The living condition of the people in some of Bihar villages is more grim and horrifying than at most places in the world. In fact in terms of scheme implementation, corruption is at its zenith. Bihar is sitting on the hotbeds of poverty, hunger and malnutrition and could be potentially the biggest beneficiary of the National Food Security Act, 2013. Eighty -five percent of rural population and 62 percent of urban residents in Bihar have calorie deficiency during 2009-10 as per reports of the National Sample Survey office. In Fact Bihar ranked 74th in global hunger index of 88 countries, according to Survey of India State Hunger Index -2008. In the same survey Jharkhand ranked 76th, Odisha 67th and UP 61st all in the alarming zone."<br />
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However N K Singh and Lord Nicholas Stern's book has rekindled the hopes and aspiration among Biharis and if the measures to develop the state are taken in right direction till next 15 years , Bihar will regain its lost glory of development once again. For the first time in many years, a book on Bihar has pictured the ways and means for the real development of the State, The book is definitely a good reading in lucidity, style and detailed facts !</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10326078181148396361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719066939362267986.post-53831765159247830472013-10-13T06:10:00.000-07:002013-10-13T06:10:42.121-07:00EU AND INDIA'S LOK SABHA SPEAKER CONCERNED OVER CASTE BASED DISCRIMINATION: DISCRIMINATION HAS CONSOLIDATED DALITS TO PLAY CASTE-BASED VOTING AND EMPOWERED THEM !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The prevalence of consolidation of low caste men , on caste lines to protest against the caste based discrimination in different parts of the world, particularly in South Asia has raised hopes and aspirations for low caste Hindus .in India. known as 'dalits'. And low caste men in India have started asserting and moving for bigger rights in India. Many important personalities including Mahatma Gandhi, Dr B R Ambedkar and a number of Indian right organisations had launched campaign to support dalits for being discriminated and living in India in apartheid conditions since pre-independence days. Dalits are not only beginning discriminated but taken in low stock by feudal mindset landlords, Upper caste men, and rich people!Two important factors of the recent past----the speech of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Meera Kumar, also a former Indian Foreign Service( IFS) official and daughter of veteran dalit leader and former Deputy Prime Minister, Babu Jagjivan Ram, in the Cambridge University on "elections and the factors that influence voting" and a powerful resolution of the Parliament of the European Union (EU) against caste based discrimination in South Asian countries like India, Nepal and Sri Lanka---have amply substantiated that caste-based politics is the need of hour to fight against discrimination and also get lever of power in the governance.<br />
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Notwithstanding many measures, like reservation of seats in Parliament and state legislatures and in services as well as reservation in job to backward classes to them, enunciated in the Indian Constitution, since independence, have been initiated for equal rights to all Indian without any discrimination, discrimination of dalits continued in India. Since their assertions in caste-based politics and vote their caste men, in elections in India have started giving dividends to them in asserting their rights. In her speech in the Cambridge University Lecture recently, Meera Kumar has pointed out that dalits' "preferences on the ballot, there was positive belief that consolidation on caste-lines was leading to empowerment of dalits as it gave them opportunity to assert themselves." Besides caste,she slammed the importance "that religion plays in elections" Reiterating that caste "decides a voter's preference in India ,she, however, said , in her speech, that now "it is high time the caste system was destroyed completely" Kumar further has said in her speech, "generally the deciding factor is the case, which is discussed in hushed tones behind closed door ......caste system has caused and is continuing to cause unimaginable harm to the society. It needs to be destroyed completely and not encouraged to tighten its grip in our electoral system."<br />
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In a related major development, The EU's Parliament, which has recently discussed caste-based discrimination, has passed a resolution endorsing the views of the campaigners from South Asia about discrimination and decided to push the agenda in the ensuing at the trade talks between the EU and countries like India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, where discrimination are very rampant. ( India's lowest caste, such as dalits, are often forced into dangerous work, despite a number of affirmative action initiatives) Speakers in the debate were critical of current EU commitments for tackling caste discrimination. The EU commissioner Cecilia Malmstorm told Parliament that the issue is "being tackled, MEPs disagreed". Alf Svensson, of the European People's Party group said, " I do not really agree that this is put on the agenda quite often." Michael Cashman, of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, said " if we have all these EU instruments and 260 million people still suffer caste discrimination, we are failing."<br />
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Jean Lambert, an MEP for the Green Party in the U K , who has been involved with campaigning on behalf of dalits for several years, says, "it will not be easy to move from a resolution to practical action. It is going to be tough to get anything into trade agreements....It is always a battle to get human rights in , especially some thing as specific as this, but certainty in some programmes in the affected countries we will already be looking at the impact on the most deprived, and that would include dalits." To move towards action, she says, " parliamentarians have to better understand caste issues so they can keep them in mind when they travel on business, trade and development trips. You would have to make sure that the people, who are going from the European Parliament are really briefed to ask about this. They need to know what to ask and who to ask, so awareness-raising is important; seeing it as a human right issue. We are all required to raise issues of human rights."<br />
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ILO SURVEY:-In the meantime, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates that overwhelming majority of bonded labour victims in South Asia are from lower castes, with forced and bonded labour particularly widespread in the agriculture, mining and garment production sectors. Surprisingly, some of these companies involved in these sectors supply [products to multinationals. Many countries of South Asia have launched awareness campaign against discrimination and atrocity against lower caste men. Caste system are very much common in south-east Asia, Campaigners estimate 260 million people around the world are affected. Caste divides people into social groupings; those in the lowest caste are regarded as unclean and are forced into unpleasant and dangerous work. They are put to live in slavery with landlords and feudal, Manjula Pradeedp of India Right Organisation-Navsarjan-point out ,"you are born as a sub-caste within dalits, given the caste identity and an occupation linked to that caste. If I belong to this caste, the first work that is forced upon me is cleaning human excrement with my hands and to carry it my heads. People are not able to get out of this slavery. India is seen as a large democracy, but it would not address these people should do this work; it is mind-set."<br />
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Campaigners from India have welcomed the EU initiatives, particularly discrimination against low-caste Hindus, known as dalits at such high -level forum. Pradeep says, " when we started the process of lobbying the European Parliament in 2007 we had to explain what (caste discrimination) was. Now, we do not have to say what it means to be dalit, so it is reward, but we stll have to do a lot of work." Confirming India's affirmative action programmes to support dalits, Pradeep says ,"some inbuilt prejudices are coming in the way of long-term methodology to tackle the situation.When we were listening to the statements of European Parliament, I thought about my own members of Parliament and I wonder if they are ready to speak on this issue. Very few are ready....they do not want to address it at a larger level, most often these issues related to caste have never been addressed at a national level in our country "<br />
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Pradeep Says, "the EU result is in the positive direction and the result is beginning of recognition that caste-based discrimination can be tackled internationally as well as at domestic level. Non-recognition of dalits and their rights is a challenge to all of us. The Indian government has failed to protect the rights of people who have been living in a situation that is like apartheid . That process has happen in our country, ultimately, it has to happen on the ground. But when you do not get support from your own government, you need to address it internationally. It is not a local issue, it is global issue."<br />
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REFERENCES:- WEBSITES OF THE EU, THE GUARDIAN, THE TIMES OF INDIA, THE ILO, THE GOVT OF INDIA, THE PARLIAMENT, THE CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10326078181148396361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719066939362267986.post-52602081414487569852013-10-11T01:44:00.001-07:002013-10-11T01:44:13.409-07:00WOMEN OF THE WORLD, ESPECIALLY INDIA, MUST UNITE AND TAKE UP ARMS TO FIGHT INJUSTICES !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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One of the saddest aspects in the globe today is that nearly half of the population-female- are by and large have become subjects of rape, atrocity,torture,manhandling, cruelty, domestic violence,discrimination etc in almost all countries of the World The countries of Asian continent, which are the most populous continent with 4.2 billion around 60 percent of world population, have surpassed in this nefarious activities beyond imagination ! Today the women are most in secured in the world. Out of total population on the earth-7.117 billion-, the proportion of sex ratio is approximately 1.01 male to 1 female as per global sex ratio count in 2012 , drawn by the United States Census Bureau (USCB). Almost all countries on the earth, are male dominated with little window of opportunity to the opposite sex. And the women are tolerating, almost silently, all the injustices, meted out to them ! Almost all print and electronic media through out the world are , today, flooded with incidents of rapes and other atrocities on women of the world. My two essays-Women of the Globe becoming Most vulnerable....written on July 20, 2012 and Women are Not Safe in India...., written on July 28, 2012 on my link-www.kksingh1.blogspot.com clearly reflect the such ills in the society. Now the appropriate time has come for women of the world to unite and take up arms to fight against injustices on them throughout the GLOBE !<br />
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WOMEN IN INDIA:-Such inhuman practices are very much common in other cities, towns and villages in India, which is the second largest populous country in the world. Less said is better about developed countries in Europe, America etc. Various surveys and reports by United Nations and other agencies, published in The Guardian and other newspapers and magazines have confirmed the incidents of atrocity on women in the globe. When incidents of such heinous crimes on women happen, much hypes are created but nothing tangible is done to stop such things. Persons, involved in inflicting such crimes on women, usually get away without any sever punishments ! Apart from that women in the world, particularly in India are isolated from the respective mainstreams by successive brands of political classes in the globe. At least in India, efforts of empowering women is not working despite clear cut provisions in our Constitution. Women are almost half of the population in India. Women of India are neglected lots in India since ancient days. They are not allowed to come out from the houses. All political classes are supporting 50 percent reservation to women in the "lever of power" for Parliament and state legislatures. Matter is hanging fire since many years, thanks to the lack of determination and guts power among political classes of all hues! Instead , women are target of atrocities in India openly if one considers reports of abuses on women by dominant and powerful males In India !<br />
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"There is undoubtedly a cultural dimension to violence against women and at the very least the U N Study demonstrates that the legal frame work for dealing with sexual violence in many Asian states is barely fit for the purpose. But we do not solve that problems by exaggerating it to the point of absurdity or pretending that we can treat diverse populations with essentially nothing in common as upholding some kind of ubiquitous misogyny." Instead of giving equal or lever of power under much-publicised social justice, the male bastion of the world believe in looking women as sex symbols.In such inhuman games males including politicians, sadhu, sants , officials are involved in many cases of sexual abuses in the name of blind faiths and belief.They are involved in criminal cases for raping and perpetuating other forms of atrocity on women at least in India today. Almost on daily basis, the crime of rapes are being committed in every parts of the country.Notwithstanding the rape and murder of a young woman in Delhi last year, and the subsequent death handed out to the four perpetrators, has prompted all manner of soul searching in India, women's rights have -finally- come the forefront in a country where the concept remains curiously alien to many of its inhabitants.<br />
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25pc ADMITS RAPES:-Recent verdict in rape case in Delhi in India coincided with the release of U N -led study on sexual violence in Asia and Pacific. Although survey did not include India in its sample-survey, it did not fail to dissuade commentators from drawing a parallel between the findings and the Delhi case. The U N survey has shockingly revealed that 25 percent of the men surveyed admit to raping a partner or a stranger. Such report amply authenticates the unequivocal confirmation that the Asian women are the victims of a deep-rooted- cultural problem. The study, published in The Guardian, covered a small, but diverse number of Asian countries-Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Pappua New Guinea. In each country, men were asked about their experiences both within and outside of relationship. In most cases, the samples were not nationality representative. In case of Papua New Guinea for instance, all of the respondents were based on the island of Bougainvillea. as the samples were not nationally representatives, "it is impossible to use the figures to make any generalisations about the populations in these countries (for less the continent of Asia).-More importantly, out of all of the locations surveyed, the only territories in which positive responses to the questioned on rape were 25 percent or higher were Bougainvillea and the Indonesian province of Papua. In both instances the number "yes" responses from men were staggering: 43.8 percent for Papua and 59.1 percent in Bougainnville. both the areas have a recent history of conflict, which might explain the appalling prevalence of sexual violence indicated by the study. Indeed if the two samples had not been included, the overall figure of men admitting to rape could have dropped to 18 percent. The Guardian essay says "In itself that is still a deeply worrying statistics, but the extent to which two isolated cases cam swing our perception of an entire continent should be enough to prompt a little cautions"<br />
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Perhaps most troubling of all, though, is the nature of questions used which varied across different countries. In Bangala Desh, the first country included in the study, the questions related strictly to "forced sex". In all of the other countries, an additional question was asked which attempted to measure the prevalence of "coerced sex". The wording of these questions made no explicit mention of coercion, however, and simply asked: " have you had sexual intercourse with your partner when you knew she did not want to, but believed she should agree because she was your wife\partner ?" But there are many defence of study-say China has a population of around 1.35 billion while Bougainville sits less that two lakh. It may well be the case that a quarter of the survey's respondents indicated they had raped someone during the course of their life but that is an entirely different thing from saying a quarter of the people in the surveyed countries have committed rape.<br />
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Whatever may be report of UN Study, the Indian women are standing up to "abuse". A recent BBC report says India has cases of atrocity on women in many ways. Women are beaten and tortured in India in case of not delivering male child apart from rampant rise in cases of rapes. Situation is terrible for Indian Women. But one discernible facts have come surface that tortured women have mustered courage to approach police station in case of tortures, rapes etc unlike previously when they used to keep silence despite tortures after tortures. But cases of rapes are increasing in Delhi, the capital of India. Police have registered 1036 cases of rapes up to August 15, 2013. But the fate of such rape incidents in other cities and rural areas, which are flooded with such complaints of rape, are not assailable to the public. If one compares the incident of rapes and subsequent convictions to the culprits in other countries , such rates are far below in India. The National Crime Records Bureau (NRBC) has said that conviction rates in rape cases are only 21.4 percent in s current year in comparison to much higher figures in the last year, says BBC report and adds during October 2013-BBC has organised "100 WOMEN SEASON", which will seek shine on life for women in their respective countries- theme "is risk, challenges and opportunity, the women face everyday in every country".<br />
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Examples of crime and rapes on women are enormous in India ! According to India's NCRB, crimes against women have been on the rise in Indian cities in recent years. In 2012, Delhi accounted for ten percent of all crimes against women, in the 53 cities with more than a million people.. Mumbai followed with 6.4 percent, Bengaluru was third at 6.2 percent and Kolkata had 5.4 percent.<br />
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URBAN PLANNING FAULTY IN INDIA:-According to New york Times report on sexual violence in India; urban planners and designers argue that apart from better policing, gender-sensitive city planning and design can help make India's cities safer for women. Pattern of crimes in a city, according to experts, vary according to its urban design. One of the most striking components of urban infrastructures in New Delhi is the Ring Road, a massive circular road that circles the city. It passes through several desolate areas of the city and has vast stretches without any traffic lights for miles. An Urban designer K T Ravindaran, who retired as the head of School of Planning and Architecture in New Delhi , has said, " one of the most common places of rape in Delhi is a moving vehicle. They can just go on until the fuel runs out." The best -known instance of such a crime was the gang rape and subsequent death of a 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus in Delhi in December last year.Vehicular speeds in Indian cities have increased in the past decades with the construction of multiple over passes and several major road ways that eliminated the need of traffic lights. These changes saw a parallel increase in motor-borne crimes from snatching, road rage and assault on women in moving vehicles. Ravindran said, " the speed of the city is critical. you can have fast-track lanes for public transport and cars because the city has to move. But it should have safe havens for pedestrians. That is primary condition for a city to become safe.<br />
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Usually crimes and rapes on women in India are committed in "dark shadow" or in desolate areas in Indian cities and rural areas.. In most of the Indian cities, street lights are positioned to light roads, foot-paths or side-walks of the roads remain in darkness.The emergence of gated neighbourhoods in India has also added to creation of empty, potentially dangerous spaces outside their confines., vulnerable to crimes. Gsutam Bhan, a senior consultant at the Indian Institute of Human Settlements, has said, " When cities become fortified, they create non-space or residual space outside the walls of their gated colonies. Those spaces then belong to no one and creates empty landscapes that violence then fills." Yet urbanisation experts are aware that sensitive planning is not enough to prevent crime in a city.Amitabh Kundu, an Economics Progfessor in Jawahar Lal Nehru University in New Delhi, who specialises in urbanisation has said, " Creating exclusionary urban spaces tends to develop an atmosphere of deprivation and violence among the excluded." The perpetrators in Delhi gang rape case and the accused of a separate rape, that of a young phot-journalist in Mumbai, came from do called urban zines of exclusion-Ravidas camp slum in New Delhi and Dhobighat slum in south Mumbai.. Bhan further said, "gender-inclusive cities are not just sager for women, they are also more egalitarian for all citizens".<br />
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Moreover,apart from class-based segregation, India also faces the challenges of segregation on the basis of religion, with minority religious groups mostly, living in gutto-like neighbourhoods. Both the 1984 attacks on Sikhs in New Delhi and the 2002 communal riots in Gujarat were characterised by widespread sexual violence against women from Sikh and Muslim minorities.Kundu has pointed out, " Exclusionary cities wherein upper and middle class people create boundaries around their localities and thereby create a degenerated periphery tend to be extremely violent in situations of breakdown of law and order or outbreak of group violence. We saw that in 1984 when the Sikh neighbourhoods were attacked in Delhi and in the attacks on Muslim areas in Gujarat in the 2002 riots."<br />
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Thus, women of the world, especially India must unite and take up arms to fight injustices on them. Women must mobilise the women forces throughout the world to save their chastity !<br />
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References: websites of The UNO, The New York Times, The Guardian , The BBC, India Govt organisations and many more websites !</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10326078181148396361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719066939362267986.post-45096269737844004032013-10-06T04:13:00.002-07:002013-10-06T04:13:36.848-07:00SUPREME COURT AND U.N PANEL CONCERNED OVER LAND GRABBING OF TRIBAL AND POOR IN INDIA FOR BUSINESS PURPOSES, VIOLATING LAWS : POSCO HALTED TO SET -UP STEEL PROJECT IN ODISHA BY U.N !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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IT HAS BECOME COMMON REFRAIN in the Globe that land must belong to tillers, labours, peasants ! But in India, it has different conceptions. Despite so many efforts since independence in India, Lands continue in the hands of landlords and rich people. Now gradually the lands are being shifted in the hands of new -type of landlords-corporates, industrialists, multi-nationals etc in the name of the economic development of the country, thanks to the faulty policy of the Indian government and its states ! Over 85 percent dalits, poor, backwards etc have not even an inch of lands to construct even a roof to cover themselves-what to speak of tilling the lands ! Much-hyped land reform measures are languishing in the last over 65 years because of 'vested interest and apathetic attitude' of the Indian and its state governments. After a long drawn controversy over the ticklish land acquisition procedures, the Union government had okayed an ACT- Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2013 to address 'the injustices involved in the land acquisition' by replacing colonial rule Act-Land Acquisition Act, 1894.<br />
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Notwithstanding the new Act, has brought some far-reaching changes in land acquisition process in the country, the new Act has included one of the strangest and finniest provisions in the new Act, providing to permit to the government to acquire the land for the corporate sectors. The colonial Land Acquisition Act, 1894, although have many drawbacks including the lack of provision for consent of those whose land was proposed to be acquired, did not permit the government to acquire land for the corporate sectors, industrialists etc in the name of so called economic development of India ! Since the liberalization of economy in 1980s, a big quantity of land had been acquired by the government for creating 'Special economic zones' in different parts of the country as well as acquisition of lands for industrialists, corporates, capitalists etc in forest and mines and mineral areas in almost all the states of the country, violating Forest Rights Act and related Environment laws. These lands had been acquired on throw-away rate of acquisition and given to the corporates, industrialists, capitalists on premium prices . Ultimately poor ,dalits and tribal suffered, whose small lands in forest and plan areas, were suffering. <br />
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At least my few essays and topics on the subjects-TRIBAL AND POOR BEING UPROOTED IN INDIA TO BENEFIT MULTI-NATIONALS, CORPORATES-on FEB.22, 2013, LACK OF LAND REFORM, BANE of POVERTY AND HUNGER IN INDIA-NOV.16,2012, another on Bihar, LACK OF LAND REFORM, BANE OF POVERTY IN BIHAR,DEc.04,2012 and GREAT LOOT OF FARM LAND AND FOREST LAND IN INDIA- July 19, 2011 on www.kksingh1.blogspot.com have thrown light on the subject and the governments' in apathetic and callous posture over the burning issues.<br />
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The implication of the new land acquisition ACT will be known in time to come. But some of directives of the courts, particularly the Supreme Court and subsequent fall out in Niyamgiri forest areas in Odisha in the wake of forcible acquisition of Adivasis' land and given to a British mining company Vedanta as well as the report of the UNITED NATIONS ORGANISATION (UNO)'s independent human right experts, terming the forced eviction of the forested lands in Odisha and handing over to the South Korean steel giant-POSCO amid concerns that construction will displace large number people in the forested areas and disrupt the livelihoods of thousands more. have created piquant situation. The Supreme court, in a directive to Odisha government, had asked an independent panel , formed by the court itself, to visit major parts of Niyamgiri and call meetings of respective panchayat samitis-wheather they consented to give lands to Vedanta for mines and minerals production. Majority of panchayat samitis with overwhelming majority rejected the views of Odisha government and voted that they are not in favour of giving their lands to the Vedanta. Reports had been submitted to the Supreme Court recently and the SC will pass appropriate order on the issue soon.<br />
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POSCO HALTED:-Similarly, special rapporteurs of the UNO intervened in land acquisition to the Posco' $ 12 bn project in Odisha after allegation of forced evictions. UN experts have called for an immediate halt of the Posco steel project. Approval for the project-biggest single foreign investment in India-was permitted in 2011 after a six-year struggle between steel giant and environmental campaigners. However, Construction remained paralyzed and delayed because of a number of regulatory hurdles and public protests at plans to clear more than 600 hectares of mostly forested lands.Eight UN special rapporteurs have weighed in calling for the project to be suspended. The have said, " the construction of massive steel plant and port in Odisha, India by South Korean steel giant-Posco must not proceed as planned without ensuring adequate safeguards and guaranteering that the rights of thousands of people are respected." Although India has primary duty to protect the rights of those whose homes and livelihoods are threatened by the project, the experts further said, " Posco has also responsibility to respect human rights and the Republic of Korea, where Posco is based, should also take measures to ensure that businesses based in its territory do not adversely impact human rights when operating abroad."<br />
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The UN experts intervened after allegations of human rights abuse. "Forced evictions constitute gross violation of human rights," said the UN special rapporteur on adequate housing, Raquel Rolnik, "and may only be carried out in exceptional circumstances and in manner consistent with human rights law, including after genuine consultation, without leaving people homeless or vulnerable to further human right violations."The UN special rapporteur on the right of food, Olivier De Schutter, warned that forcible removal of people from their ;lands could be tantamount to depriving them of their means of subsistence. "People who would be evicted for the Posco project have relied on their lands for generations in order to obtain adequate food and sustain themselves and their families," he said.<br />
Remarkably, in a development in July, the Posco, the world's fourth -largest steelmaker by output, dropped plan to build a $ 5.3 bn mill in the southern state-Karnataka- in India but said it would press ahead with the long-delayed and troubled Odisha project. On the website of, Posco India says it "has been highly sensitive to the humans of the local community" and strongly denies having abused rights. Posco has never infringed upon human right of any individual in the course of project implementation. Its policy has been inclusive and protective", the company said. and added "Posoco has therefore, always urged the government of Odisha to first safeguard the human rights and livelihood of innocent villagers and rejects\deplores any unlawful violence against them." The Plant to be based in the port city of Paradip, was conceived in 2005 and is expected to create nearly 50,000 jobs. Posco says the plant has annual production capacity of 12 million tons and will include iron ore mine development over 30 years (total 600 million tons) at mines in the Keojhar and Sundargarh districts of Odisha as well as development of related infrastructures.<br />
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But things started moving otherwise ! Houses of tribal and their farmings, especially betel vine were razed to the ground by Posco and Vedanta with the help of armed forces, provided by Odisha government. Not only that, the union government had announced in the last week of February 2013, that major infrastructures projects will be exempt from obtaining consent for forest clearance from tribal communities living in the forest, a decision that undermines the importance of the country's Forest Right Act-thus a big blow to the land tribal rights in India. " This is serious breach or trust and a huge step back in ensuring the dignity and survival of traditional forest-dwelling people across the country. Forests are going to be cleared to make way for a particular kind of economic development; it would adversely impact, communities and environments," said Dr Swati Shresth of the Ashoka Trust for Research Ecology and the Environment. the 2006 Forest Right Act " is a landmark piece of legislation recognising the rights forest -dependent communities have over the landscape they have traditionally inhabited. It mandates that forest dwellers cannot be resettled unless their traditional rights have been recognised. It is seen as the single most important piece of legislation protecting and preserving the country's biodiversity and the rights of tribal groups. By no longer gaining the consent of communities, the government stands accused of effectively overturning key provisions of the Act. "All traditional forest -dependent communities can be impacted including those who might have procured rights under FRA and those who are still struggling for its implementation in their areas, " said Shresth.<br />
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In 2009,, the union ministry of forest and environment (MoEF) made the consent of affected forest communities mandatory for all projects that would destroy forest. The move was in response to the attempt by British mining company Vedanta to clear swaths of forest in Odisha state belonging to the Dongria tribe. The government orders of February 1913 last effectively, surprisingly, revokes the 2009 order. The government, however, rejects claims that it is diluting rights in the name of streamlining big business, saying it will continue to enforce the provisions of the Act "where there is significant impact on the lives and livelihoods." The proposed changes will enable land grabbing and the violation of rights of traditional forest dwellers and sends a clear message that rights granted under the FRA are not inalienable but subjects to the whims of the government of the day," said Shresth and added that in a letter to the Prime Minsters office by the coalition of international forest rights movements "we believe that it is against the democratic principles to make centralised decisions about the extent of social impact worth considering while diverting forest over which individuals and\or village community may have inalienable forest rights vested through FRRA. Overriding of such process can lead to the danger of assuming that all rights can be mentioned and negotiated."Sanjay Basu Mullick of the All India Forum of Forest Movements has said, " The only objective is mining access. Mining companies need six road highways and optical fibre installations. Tribal communities do not want this, and do not want their precious forest replaced by these . The only beneficiaries of this amendment are the mining companies. This is about GDP and not about the rights of India's tribal communities.<br />
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LAND LOOT:- Story of land grabbing or loot is not new in India. Looters of land is more government, which confiscates lands of small holding -owners, as well as big land-holders like landlords ! Throughout the country, lakhs of acres of land had been acquired by the government in the name of development. Also the governments are yet to implement land reform measures. Lakhs of acres of land of government lands, which are not traceable right now, are to be distributed to the landless for farming or for homes for homeless. But the net result remained big zero. Acquired lands by governments were diverted for some other purposes, violating the laws. Acquired lands changed many hands and the respective governments remained beneficiaries. It was provision in the Land and other related Acts that if the lands are not utilised for the purpose, it were acquired-in that case land must be returned to farmers. But respective governments of state and central never followed the provisions. The governments sold or resold lands to rich people after taking heavy premium money.<br />
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IN BIHAR:-For examples-Bihar has plenty of surplus lands on papers to be distributed or distributed to landless but the facts are otherwise or diverse. All these lands have been grabbed by vested and rich class people inconveniences with the Bihar government in successive years. The Nitish Kumar government has surpassed all governments in making land scams a big business. Hundreds of acres of land of industrial estates in different districts have been sold in the last few years. In the process , big politicians, cine stars, businessmen , industrialists, media houses etc were given lands of industrial estates on through away price by Nitish Kumar government, violating laws, rules and set principles. In turn, many of the beneficiaries including film producer Prakash ha , after constructing shopping complex, malls, multi-storey ed apartments etc had earned crores of rupees and left the venues, thanks to the laxity of the Nitish government. Various cases on these issues are pending in the Patna High Court and the Supreme Court. Both " Khash and AAM lands" were earmarked by the government but in both the cases, lands have been leased out to influential persons in the last several years on cheap "sallami" and at many places these types of lands had been encroached and unauthorisedly by landed classes and in many cases these lands are missing from the Bihar government records.<br />
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REFERENCES:- WEBSITES of The POSCO, The UNO, The India Government, The South Korea govt, The Guardian, The Odisha govt, The Supreme Court etc</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10326078181148396361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719066939362267986.post-6583364527824603272013-10-02T02:41:00.002-07:002013-10-02T02:41:29.523-07:00GLOBAL WARMING CAUSING CONCERN BECAUSE OF CLIMATE CHANGE :ADVERSE AFFECT ON CHILDREN, BIRDS, REPTILES MAMMALS: FOOD SHORTAGE IMMINENT !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A recent report of the United Nation's Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on global warming has created stir in the minds of people throughout the GLOBE ! Much controversy has been generated throughout the world ,subsequent to the release of the report of the IPCC recently The IPCC report underscores that there are still significant uncertainties around climate science, including the role of understudied oceans, which have been absorbing much of the excess heat generated by global warming; the effect of warming on the animals and plants that live on this planet, including us; and perhaps most importantly, the 'actual level of warming we will experience as emissions continue to pile up in the atmosphere".It will be not out of mention here that the report says that scientists are certain that in term of percentage 95 pc "humans are the dominant cause"of global warming since the 1950s. There are physical evidence behind climate change as on the ground, in the air, in the oceans, "global warming is unequivocal" Increase and pause in the warming over the past 15 years is too short to reflect long-trend trends. The continued emissions of greenhouse gases will cause further warming and changes in all aspects of the climate system. Projected temperature increases under two scenarios and average rise in surface temperature by 2081-2100: Lowest Scenario-RCP 2.6 and highest scenario-RCP-8.5. Projection is based on assumption about how much green house gases might be released..<br />
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After a week of intense negotiations in the Swedish capital on physical science of global warming, the IPCC released 36-page document, which is considered the most comprehensive statement on our understanding of the mechanics of a warming planet. It all started badly since the 1950s, and many of us observing changes in the climate system, which are "unprecedented over decades to millennia". Each of the last three decades has been successively warmer at the Earth's surface and warmer than any period since 1850 and probably warmer than any time in the past 1400 years. My recent essays- PLUNDERING OF NATURE BOUND TO HAVE ADVERSE EFFECT IN THE GLOBE:-SEPTEMBER 20, 2013; THREAT TO LIFE ON THE EARTH VIS-A-VIS THE EARTH ITSELF THREATENED-JULY 06, 2013; UTTARAKHAND TRAGEDY DUE TO NATURE'S FURY-ULTIMATELY MAN-MADE TRAGEDY- JULY 03, 2013; DANGEROUS SIGNAL FOR NEPAL BECAUSE OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN HIMALAYAS: INDIA IS ALSO THREATENED and much more on www.kksingh1.blogspot.com amply substantiated the danger signal in respect of global warming and its repercussions on the EARTH !<br />
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PLANET UNDER THREAT:-While releasing the report UN'S IPCC , a co-chair, Prof Thomas Stocker, said that climate change "challenges the two primary resources of humans and ecosystems, land and water, In short, it threatens our planet, our only home" Another co-chair of the IPCC working group one, who produced the report, Qin Dahe said, " our assessment of science finds that the atmosphere and ocean have warmed, the amount of snow and ice has diminished, the global mean sea level risen and that concentrations of greenhouse gases have increased." Rajendra Pachauri was of the opinion confidently the report would convince the public on the global climate change. The IPCC, which is offspring of two UN bodies-the World Meteorological Organisation and the United Nations Environment Programme, has so far issued four strong-worded reports about the assessment of the climate condition on the Earth. These are commissioned by the governments of 195 countries of the world. The reports are critical in informing the climate policies adopted by these governments. The IPCC itself a small organisation, being run from Geneva, with only 12 full-time staff and all the scientists, who are involved with IPCC for doing scientific study on climate change, do so on voluntary basis.<br />
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It is almost man-made climate change. The scientific case for taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for the effects of climate change remains clear, despite nagging doubts about the fact that global temperatures have risen more slowly in recent years despite continued increase in carbon emissions. More over the report has brought important facts to the fore by pointing out that exactly what and how much action should be taken and how politicians should balance tomorrow's threat of climate change against any number of present day challenges, is some thing that would not be answered by another thick sheaf of scientific reports. Notably, IPCC report has formally endorsed a "carbon budget"-a red line for the amount of carbon dioxide created chiefly by burning fossils fuels and through deforestation, that can be emitted without warming increasing beyond an internationally agreed target of 3.6 F (2C). Think of it as a speed limit for the global economy-emit more than one trillion tons of carbon and we will likely to be in red. That should be worrying, given the fact that the are three trillion tons of carbon left on the ground as Bryan Walsh writes in the Time and adds, , "energy companies are developing new technologies like hydrofracking and directional drilling, that are enabling them to find fossil fuels that were long considered uneconomical" An Oxford University researcher and one of the authors of the IPCC report Myles Allen.had spoken to New York Times, saying that limiting the warming to the agreed upon target is "technically doable, but at the moment we are not going in the right direction". Dr Allen said in an interview, "I do not think we will do it unless we bite the bullet and start talking about what we are going to do with extra carbon that we cannot affcord to dump into atmosphere."<br />
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CARBON EMISSION:-Notably, The U N Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is doing some think remarkable to contain extra carbon. Optimistically, many governments are doing more about their carbon emissions: Europe has long been a leader and in the US the Environmental Protection Agency just announced a new draft regulations that would make it all but impossible to build new coal plants without expensive carbon-capture technology. China, the world's biggest carbon emitter, is beginning to realise that it cannot simply keep burning carbon- heavy coal for ever- about more because of the local pollution it causes then out of fears of climate change. but truth is different, the globe countries are no where close to a path that would have the world essentially stop emitting carbon by about mid-century. No body , in realty, actually knows what exactly will happen if global atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide exceed 450 parts per million. Higher emissions mean higher temperatures and greater climate risk. Lower emissions means less.But one thing that appears to be virtual certainty is that emissions, which are rising faster than ever, are likely to go well past 450. The United Nations still hews to the conceit that we must stabilise global emissions below 450 ppm by 2050. But the reality is that world is on track to blow thresh-hold decade earlier.The IPCC report addresses the warming "hiatus" as it has been called, raising a number of possible explanations-the ocean absorbing the warmth, changes in the solar cycle, volcanic eruptions that causes cooling-without pointing the finger at a single one. Although scientists keep working on those question and others, the ball is in the politicians' court now-as it has been for years. Which means, really,, that it is up to us !<br />
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But the so called pause in the increase in temperatures in the period since 1998 has been downplayed in the report. Scientists have described that the period began with a very hot EI Nino year." Trends based on short records are very sensitive to the beginning and end dates do not in general reflect long-term climate trends," the report says. Thomas Stoker, added, I am afraid there is not a lot of public literature that allows us to delve deeper at the required depth of this emerging scientific question-for example, there are sufficient observations of the uptake of heat, particularly into deep ocean, that would be one of the possible mechanisms to explain this warming hiatus."<br />
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CLIMATE SENSITIVITY:- The report, however, does alter a key figure from 2007 study. The temperature range given for doubling of CO2 in the atmosphere, called equilibrium climate sensitivity, was 2.OC to 4.5C in that report. In the latest document, the range has been changed to 1.5C to 4.5C. The scientists say this reflects improved understanding, better temperature records and new estimates for the factors driving up temperatures. In the summary of policy makers, the scientists say that sea level rise will proceed at a faster rate than "we have experienced over the past 40 years". Waters are expected to rise, the document says, by between 26cm (at a low end) and 82cm (at the high end, depending on greenhouse emissions path this century. Scientists further say ocean warming dominates the increase in energy stored in the climate system, accounting for 90 percent of energy accumulated between 1971 and 2010. For the future, the report states that warming is projected to continue under all scenario. Model solutions indicate that global surface temperature change by the end of the 21st century is likely to exceed 1.5 degree Celsius, relative to 1980. Prof Sir Brian Hoskins , from Imperial College London told BBC news:" we are performing a very dangerous experiments with our planet and I do not want my grand children to suffer the consequences of that experiment."<br />
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Twenty-five years of efforts to cap and reduce global emission have utterly failed. Two decades of heavy subsidies for renewable energy have not had any measurable success moving the needle on emissions or clean energy-thus we will be living on a hotter planet. How much hotter depends on what we do now ! The only countries in the world that have moved to zero-carbon energy at the rapid pace that would be required to keep emissions close to 450ppm are FRANCE AND SWEDEN. To some extent USA and UK in 1990s have also achieved significant emissions reduction by switching from coal to gas. In deed since 1950, natural gas and nuclear re vented 36 times more carbon emissions than wind , solar and geothermal combined. Nuclear avoided the creation of 28 billion tons of carbon dioxide, natural gas 26 billion and geothermal, wind and solar just 1.5 billion.. Surprisingly many of the scientists , conservative writers on energy and the environment,including Steve Hayward, formerly of American Enterprise Institute and Robert Bryce of Manhattan Institute are advocating nuclear energy even today despite many dangerous signals from the nuclear energy, mainly in Japan and other places of the world. Need of the hour for great powers like USA and China must step up efforts to develop safe natural gas and next generation nuclear technologies.<br />
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WORSE CONSEQUENCES ON CHILDREN:-Under such situation of alarming rise in global temperature as well as dangerous implication on environment, children of the world will bear the immediate consequences in the impact of climate change. because of their increased risk of heath problems , malnutrition and migration, according to a new study. Food prices are likely to soar as a result of warming, undoing the progress made in combating world hunger.Climate change, almost caused by human actions and that it will lead to a global temperature rise likely to top 2C with related effects including the shrinking of the Arctic ice cap and glaciers, a rise in sea level by nearly one meter by the end of this century and more extreme rainfall in the parts of the globe. UNICEF argues children are most vulnerable to the effects of global warming. UNICEF UK executive director David Bull says in anguish, " we are hurtling towards a future where gains being made for the world's children are threatened and their health, well being, livelihood and survival are compromised.....despite being the least responsible for the causes...we need to listen to them." UNICEF points out children born last year will come of age in 2030 by which time the effect of climate change in the form of an increase in droughts, floods and storms are likely to be more in evidence in the ten most vulnerable countries including THE INDIA, THE BANGLADESH, THE PHILLIP INES where there are 620 million children under 18. UNICEF estimates that 25 million more children will suffer malnourishment because of climate change, with a further 100 million suffering food insecurity where they and their families are on verge of running out. Children among the 150-200 million people estimated to have flee their homes because of climate change will suffer more than adults because of their relatives lack of resources and higher vulnerability to disease. In heat waves likely to grow more intense and frequent under climate change, babies and small children are more likely to die and suffer heatstroke because they find it difficult to regulate their body heat.<br />
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ABNORMAL RISE IN FOOD PRICES:-Like wise a report of Oxfam says that global warming would cause rapid rise in food price, causing severe consequences in poor countries. Disputing the IPCC report, Oxfam listed recent examples of extreme weather condition that have caused food shortage and increased prices, quoting scientific estimates that these are likely to increase in number of warming countries. " Today one person in eight goes to bed hungry. Analysis suggest that the number of people at risk of hunger is projected to increase by 10-20 percent by 2050 as a result of climate change," the Oxfam study found. Tim Gore of Oxfam said, " we want a world in which everyone enjoys the right to affordable and nutritious food and we cannot allow climate change to throw us off course. Leaders listening to the latest findings from climate scientists this week must remember that a hot world is a hungry world. They must take urgent action to s;lash emissions and direct more resources to building a sustainable food system."<br />
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SPECIES LIKE BIRDS,REPTILES, MAMMALS THREATENED:-Australia is expected to experience a 6C average temperature rise on its hottest days, resulting into deaths of reptiles, birds and mammal species as well as the renowned wetlands of Kakadu by the end of the century, the IPCC report says. IPCC figures show Australia will experience an average overall increase of 2C by 2065, with the figure slightly lower at the coast. Beyond that temperature is expected to rise another 3C-$c by 2100.The number of days that do not fall below 20c is projected to rise to 100 a year, with most of the warmer days in the north and on the east coast. Rainfall patterns are set to change, with annual precipitation, humidity and cloud cover predicted to decrease over most of the Australia but for north of Australia and many agriculture areas, rainfall is predicted to get heavier. Soil moisture will decrease, mostly in the south of the country Australia will witness more and more deaths because of heatwaves. A 2C-4C rise in average temperatures will wipe out 21 to 36 percent of Australia's butterflies while the loss of nearly half of appropriate habitat of Queensland will spell doom for 7to 14 percent reptiles, 8 to 18 percent of frogs, one in ten birds and 10 to 15 percent of mammals.<br />
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REFERENCES: WEBSITES OF UNO's IPCC, THE BBC,THE NY TIMES, THE GUARDIAN, TIME WEEKLY, UNICEF</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10326078181148396361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719066939362267986.post-1582581860925114792013-09-24T06:44:00.002-07:002013-09-24T06:44:36.649-07:00EMERGENCE OF NARENDRA MODI FOR PRIME MINISTERSHIP IS THREAT TO INDIA's SECULAR FABRIC ?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Before I start writing on this ticklish issue, I think it proper to just refer the PREAMBLE OF THE CONSTITUTION, which says, " We , The People of India, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a "Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic and to secure to all its citizens: Justice.........................<br />
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Is the emergence of the Hindu Right Leader and the Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Damodar Das Bhai as prime ministerial candidate of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), a threat to the secular fabric of India? Much debate and discussions are taking place nationally and internationally over the issue. I am just putting the facts straight about the way, Narendra Modi is being projected as prime ministerial candidate of India, just seven months away of the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 by the depleted National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by BJP as well as Modi's aggressive and militant postures in his speeches and interviews on the eve of elections. Narendra Modi, a controversial figure, represents an uncompromising stand of the BJP's Hindu Nationalist ideology.<br />
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To begin with only because of such militant approach of Modi, various coalition partners, particularly JD(U)), led by Bihar's Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has withdrawn as coalition partners of the NDA. Secondly, Modi, who is described as "HINDU HRIDYA SMARAT",, is said to be one of the most divisive politician in India's history. He is an unapologetic Hindu chauvinist, who has been accused of mass murder of Muslims in 2002 communal riot in Gujarat during his chief minister ship of the state. Modi is known for dividing the society on communal and religious lines. Thirdly , with his projection as prime ministerial nominee by the BJP and its father organisation-Rashtriya Swamsevak Sangh (RSS), the entire country has been surcharged with communal tension. Recent Hindu-Muslim riots, killing over 48 persons and injuring score of persons as well as 42,000 people were displaced as their villages were raided by rioters is biggest examples of communal divide with the arrival of Amit Sah in Uttar Pradesh as BJP general Secretary In charge of UP , the close protege of Modi and accused in several criminal cases, registered by the CBI against him In Gujarat . And also Babri Masjid demolition like misdeeds, committed by the BJP supporters led by senior BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani in 1980, the Hindu Right Organisations including Vishwa Hindu Parishad , trying to make "chaurasi Kosi parikarma" in and around Ayodhaya to press for construction of "Ram Temple" on the disputed sites of masjid. Such move definitely created surcharged atmosphere in the entire Uttar Pradesh. Not only that, over a dozen states of central and western India have come under the grip of communal tension. And the union home minister has issued alert to all states of the Indian union about the possibility of communal clashes in their respective zones,<br />
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There are many more factors about Modi's decisive politics Although Modi, who initiated anti-Muslim tirade in Gujarat initially, has tried to replace them with message of development based on a record in Gujarat that even worse critics acknowledge is impressive ! But critics do not lag behind that Modi and his party have been benefited from past violence between Hindus and Muslims in Gujarat. It must be mentioned here that India is vast and populous country in the globe and during election campaign in different parts of the country, the campaigns result into violent because of hate speeches by certain fundamentalist leaders. Under the circumstances, the projection of Narendra Modi, who is considered fiery Hiundutava orator mix with anti-Muslim slurs, the forthcoming Lok Sabha election may be one of the deadliest election in the decades!<br />
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According to the report; Hindus have 83 percent voters while Muslims have 13 percent and remaining four percents are other minority communities.Home ministry report has said that there had been already 451 cases of sectarian violence this year, surpassing last year's total of 410. The union home ministry has warned that violence was likely to intensify as election approaches. During his speeches in the meetings in different parts of the country, Modi appears to be darling of youths, making the situation more hot up and surcharged .Modi never apologised for the 2002 riots, killing over two thousands Muslims in Gujarat, now he has shifted his focus recently to development and in the process, Modi ha become chums of business classes including corporates and multi-nationals. A recent report in the New York Times has quoted Talveen Singh, an author and commentator, in which she has made futile attempt to compare Modi with the first Prime minister of India Pundit Jawahar Lal Nehru and has said, " The reason why Modi needs a chance to lead is that he is the first politician since Nehru, who had articulated a clear economic vision"<br />
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. Selecting of Narendra Modi as prime ministerial nominee, the BJP has also thought to implement its old Hindutva agenda vigorously as Modi represents uncompromising Hindu nationalist. But there are factors, which are troubling the BJP also like deepening of sectarian divisions. India is a home of world's second largest Muslim population Modi , who has questionable character during 2002 Gujarat riots,, is accused of doing nothing while Gujarat burned and at worst of having helped to orchestrate the violence. Modi is also known for his arrogance, authoritarian and dictatorial style. In a recent interview to Reuter, Modi did say "I am Hindu nationalist" not not Indian nationalist. Such version clearly reflects that Modi has more love for Hindu India than as a nationalist of secular India , as enunciated .Can it be not be described a slur on the Preamble of the Indian Constitution by Modi ? Not only that when asked about the riots in Gujarat resulting into killings of hundreds of Muslims, Modi replied in strange connotation, apparently showing his deep-rooted aversion with Muslims. Modi told the interviewer of Reuter that his feelings of pain for the tragedy were similar to how he would feel if a puppy had been run over by a car in which he was merely a passenger. Shockingly in another interview to the Wall Street Journal last year Modi had strange justification over prevalent malnutrition in Gujarat. Modi appeared out of his depth when he diagnosed his state's high malnutrition rates as being a result of the vegetarian diet and the state middle class being" beauty conscious than health conscious".<br />
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Narendra Modi cannot be Atal Behari Vajpayee, whose years as prime minister from 1998 to 2004 were largely characterised by a consensual approach to governing. An opinion piece in the New York Times, written by Krishan Pratap Singh has written, " Vajpayee was like Ronald Regan: a true believer in the conservative cause, who packaged his ideological stridency into a narrative that depicted the BJP as a responsible party of governance, palatable to its core voters while allaying the fears of disparate coalition allies. But once Vajpayee left the scene, The BJP steadily drifted toward the far right.The promise of a Modi victory could prove to be mirage. Elections are still decided in rural India, where he is yet to give fully tested. Only L K Advani, the octogenarian -founder of the BJP and the Modi's mentor-turned rival, stands in his path ti leading the party. But Advani's failure as prime minister candidate in the 2009 elections, and the groundswells of rank-and-file support for Modi, may undermine his quest. YEt even if Modi is victorious, he would most likely lead an unwieldy coalition government involving decision making by consultation and consensus, a balancing act that is not his strong suit. With Indians begging for good governance, the BJP must decided whether to choose Modi's ideological path or to recalibrate to Vajpayee-like inclusiveness. On that question hinges the outcome of elections-and the future of India But Modi's message may well prove difficult to resist: From snake charmers, we are now a nation of mouse charmers. Our youngsters are shaping the world with the click of a mouse."<br />
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The son of a tea stall owner, Narendra Modi, 62, has spent most of his life in politics, joining the right-wing Hindu-nationalist Sangh Parivar organisation early on rising through its ranks by displaying impressive organising ablities. He moved to BJP in 1987 and was appointed chief minister of Gujsrat as a midterm replcement in 2001 without ever having fought an election. Like Gandhi-Nehru Gandhi family , Narendra Modi has no such tags. Apart from that , Modi had never been found in the company of his family members including his mother and deserted wife and brothers like Nehru-Gandhi family members , who are seen hobnobbing with each other in politics and other affairs in life. Modi is different metal and is self-made successful politician so far.Of course he brought drastic change in the development pattern in Gujarat. His focus on pro-investment policies, cutting red tape, extensive infrastructure development, while using his personal charm to woo foreign and domestic investments, has been marked contrast to most other state governments.<br />
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Today Narendra Modi has connected himself with the people of India, particularly youths and middle classes especially in towns and cities. Where ever one goes, he finds one name on every body's lip that is Narendra Modi !Huge crowds turn up to listen his speeches. Modi has succeeded in capturing cyber spaces and social media networks are full with Modi's supporters. Like V P Singh, who was once described "Raja nahi fakir hai; desh kaa taqdir d hai." while dethroning the then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi from power, Modi is also gravitating during election like him (V P Singh). But V P Singh, being a Jan Morcha chief that time, had stamina to unite all opposition to support the then Janata party , keeping their distinct identity. But following the path of V P Singh is different. VP had fought election on corruption plank that time. But Modi, although identifying with VP in removing the present UPA government on corruption plank like him (V P Singh), but Modi lacks acumen in uniting anti-congress parties on one front. Modi had of his own started claiming that BJP will win 272 plus seats in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. Modi must take one thing in his mind that without identifying anti-congress parties, will not be possible to garner such huge seats. Different pats of India have different characteristics. Southern and Eastern parts of the country invariably are not very enthusiastic with Modi or with BJP like earlier Lok Sabha poll . Narendra Modi's magic may move in central, northers and western India. The central and northern India, known as "cow belt" may have ground swelling support for Modi and BJP but there are many road blocks in these areas also like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh where regional straps like Nitish Kumar, Laloo Prasad Yadav, Ram Bilas Paswan (Bihar) and Mulayam Singh of Uttar Pradesh have tremendous support bases.<br />
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Apart from that Muslims, who are fearful of Narendra Modi and BJP, are likely to vote in the next election in tactical manner throughout the country. Muslims are expected to vote throughout the country this time on the perception that parties' candidates, most suitable to defeat Narendra Modiu's candidates will get entire support of Muslims in the next elections as situation prevails today ! When one compares victory of NDA led by BJP in previous elections on the basis of strong alliance partners, the victory in the forthcoming election of Lok Sabha by Modi all alone will be a difficult task. Being desperate over such ticklish issues, Taking into account such political scenario , the desperate Narendra Modi , who was initially wanted to contest elections of all alone, and his BJP have started approaching Chandra Babu's TDP as well as Babulal Marandi's Jharkhand Vikas Party in Jharkhand and expelled BJP leader Yedurappa in Karnataka to bring them in NDA alliance -fold. The BJP leadership has also recently appealed to former leaders of the party, who have resigned or expelled to rejoin the BJP.l Making the situation clear the gradual growing of the BJP in election and forming union governments under the leadership of Vajpayee ,Veteran journalist Vidya Subrahmaniam, in her opinion piece in the Hindu,under headline "The BJP's ak;la chalo challenge" has written, " In 2013, the RSS is not just back, it has decreed and ensured that Modi's elevation takes place. This, itself is hard to reconcile with the image that is being crafted for Modi. His national projection is of modern and aspirational leader but he seems ti exist at the pleasure of a mentor seen as a polar opposite to these ideas. .....the man, who changed the things around for the BJP was none other than L K advani through his Ayodhya's yatra and demolition of Babri Masjid till 1996 and subsequent Lok Sabha elections......and had taken back seat to keep alliance partners intact and paved way for middle-roader Vajpayee.........." and BJP succeeded in keeping NDA intact. Today NDA led by BJP is torn, having only two allies-the Shiv Sena and Akali Dal, both in ideological sync with the party..........the calculation obviously is that Modi's early projection will trigger an infectious voting frenzy, enabling him to single-handedly pull off a BJP victory. If this happens Narendra Miodi will be the first since V P singh to set off a personality-induced wave. But for all the adulation he commanded, Singh was nothing without the political support he got------his own Janata Dal was formed by merging the Jan Morcha with the Janata party and two factions of the Lok Dal------formed National Front........even supported by the BJP and left parties. So Singh's illusory single handed victory was a product in fact of support at every stage from a conglomerate of non-Congress parties ...The truth is that there is no unified national vote today and for all the blusters of the RSS, the BJP will need allies and will seek allies.....seven months before the big fight, and notwithstanding the UPA's down-in-the-pit status, the political congregation is around the Congress alliance rather than the BJP alliance. If Modi's manages to win the election by himself or even by winning over new allies, he will have beaten the odds and rewritten India';s political history."<br />
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What ever the outcome of the next Lok Sabha elections, the scenario in the country is presently vitiated by communal frenzies being encouraged by the Hindu Right organisations , led by Narendra Damodar Das Bhai to become prime minister of India by any means?</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10326078181148396361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719066939362267986.post-16987863880341779392013-09-20T07:44:00.002-07:002013-09-20T07:44:23.928-07:00PLUNDERING OF NATURE BOUND TO HAVE ADVERSE EFFECT IN THE GLOBE !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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AMID THE THREAT to the fate of the Planet hangs in balance because of recurring changes in 'climate and weather' and also global warming as well as the over population on the earth in over hundreds of years, based on the several researches by the scientists throughout the world,, a new set of expert opinion has emerged, ruling out misunderstanding of the ecology of human system and any threat to the, Planet ! In a 'opinion essay', recently published in the New York Times, its author Erle C Ellis, an associate professor of Geography and Environmental Systems at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and a visiting associate professor at Harvard's Graduate School of Design, has written that many scientists believe that by transforming the earth's natural landscapes, "we are undermining the very life support system that sustain us." Like Bacteria in a petri dish, "our exploding numbers are reaching the limits of a finite Planet with dire consequences". Disasters looms as human exceed the earth's carrying capacity.clearly, this could not be sustainable."This is non-sense. Even today, I hear some of my scientist colleagues repeat these and similar claims---often unchallenged. And once , I too believed them. Yet these claims demonstrate a profound misunderstanding of ecology of human systems. The conditions that sustain huminity are not natural and never had been. Since prehistory, human population have used technologies and engineered eco-systems to sustain populations well beyond the capabilities of unaltered "natural" ecosystems." Although I am not so qualified on such arguements, I have written an essay "Threat to Life on the Earth vis-a-vis the Earth is Itself Threatened" on July 06, deliberating the threat aspects , based on well researched subjects on the topics on www.kksingh1.blogspot.com<br />
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On the other hand,.Book Review from the London Review of Books, by Thomas Jones, under the headline, " How can we live with it ?" has different opinion on the topic ! Jones has quoted a boy,telling his family members that "global warming is a load of codswallop", trying to explain the difference between climate and weather.."Global warming, he insisted,is load of codswallop" A "Nature Geoscience, published a paper showing summer melting on the Antarctic Peninsula at a level unprecedented over the past thousand years.The codswallop brigade say that even if the climate is changing, it is not our fault. 'We human beings, Boring Johnson wrote, in the Telegraph in January, 'have become so blind with conceit and self-love that we genuinely believe that fate of the planet is in our hands'. On the one hand, then, the modest mayor of London. On the other, a former head of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (as paraphrased by Brian Stone ):Only Newton's laws of motion may enjoy a wider scientific consensus than a human-enhanced greenhouse effect' effect. There is no consensus, however, either scientific or political, about the best ways to respond to the problem; in part because so many possible avenues of research are being explored, and it is still too early to say which, if any, have a reasonable chance of leading us out of the woods (or rather the desert or the flood plains).'<br />
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According to Jones; the green house concept, was first visualized by Joseph Fourier in 1814 and was proved experimentally by John Tyndall in 1859. In the 19th century it could be seebn as unambiguously a good thing: if carbon-dioxide and other trace gases did not trap heat in the atmosphere, the earth would not be warm enough to support life as we know it. But there is now far more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere than there has been at any point in the last 800,000 years (we know thus because researchers have analysed air bubbles trapped in the ice in Green;land and Antartica; the deeper you go, the older the bubbles). The concentration has increased from nearly 320 parts per million ( high but not unprecedented) in 1960 to more than 390 ppm today, 30 percent higher than any previous peak, largely as a result of human activityNot even the most fervent climate change denier can argue with the fact that burning carbon dioxide levels were 280 ppm. Since 1850, more than 360 billion tonnes of fossil fuels have gone up in smoke. Average global temperatures have risen accordingly, for the last quarter century pretty much in line with the predictions made by the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change in its first assessment report in 1990. After every year since 1988, when the IPCC was established, has been the hottest ever recorded. The most opitimistic projections, which governments are nominally committed to (that is to say, the signatories of the Copenhaagen Accord in 2009 greed it would be nice) is that average global temperature will rise no more than 2oC by the end of the century. Sea level has six cm since 1990.The IPCC;s fourth assessment report-2007- projected that it would rise between 18 and 59cc by 2100.<br />
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More over, the aim of the United Nations Frame work Convention on Climate Change, negotiated at the the Earth Summit In Rio de Janeiro in 1992, had decided to stabilize greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. Even after the elapse of 20 , nothing tangible has come out. And the emission of carbondioxide in huge scale is going on , endangering the man-kind. Of the world;s eight biggest national emitters of carbondioxide, which between them account for more than 66 percent of global emissions, only Germany (2.4 pc) has agreed to legally binding reduction in the second commitment period (2013-20),.Canada (1.7 pc ) has withdrawn from the [rotocol; the United States (16 pc) never ratified it; China (29pc), India 5.9pc); Russia (5.4 percent), Japan (3.7pc) and South Korea (1.8pc) are still signatories but do not have binding target. China, which is generating energy through coal firepower stations and burn much of the black stuff as the rest of the world put together, is doing such things to manufacture goods for export to the west. Thus China is pumping as much carbon dioxide into atmosphere as it was 30 yeers ago.There is thinking that if China stop burning coal, everything will be OK. China, however, is trying to switch into renewable energy (hydroelectric, solar, wind, geothermal ) as well as setting up an emission trading scheme like the one the EU had introduced in 2005.<br />
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All these haphazard emissoon of carbondioxide are making the life miserably of people throughout the globe and the time is not so far off when the entire globe will be perished under toxic exercises; researchers have predicted. strange climate change and atmosphere have developed.. Devastating heatwave that swept Europe ten years ago when temperature of 100oF was recorded for the first time ever in UK,are expected throughout the globe and similarly cold -like situation will prevail in the globe. In the EU alone over 70000 citizens of 12 countries died from heat wave in the summer of 2003. Similar heat wave had been recorded in different countries of the globe and over two lakh people die every year in different countries of the world.LBR suggests that the outlook may not be so bad for American and British cities. But the news that there are ways for the global north and west to adapt and to tolerate global warming is hardly reassuring for, say, the 12 million residents of Dhaka, which face a much greater risk of flofding and has far less money to spend on defences. A paper published in Nastural Hazards last year comparing the vulnerablity of flodding nine cities found-unsurprisingly, but is is useful to have quantified-that Shanghai, Dhaka and Calcutta, now Kolkata were far more vulnerable than Rotterdam, Marseille and Osaka. The director of the Research Institute of Global Climate and Ecology at the Russian Academy of Science, has said that "it would be cheaper to resettle Bangaladeshis threatened by sea -level rise than to adhere to the kyoto protocol-and cheaper still to do neither. A recent report of UNICEF has also given warning signal about the impact of vulnerable climate change effect on children of the globe. Despite discussions in the Kyoto conclave on global changes and warming etc and subsequent commitments, global emissions are enormously higher than they were in 1990 and the climate change policy had achieved nothing<br />
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While the entire globe is endangered with such alarming situation, Ellis is optimistic and says that earth would bear the burden of all these evil things in natural manner. He says, in his opinon piece in the New York Times, " The evidence from archaeology is clear. Our predecessors in the genus Homo used social hunting strategies and tools of stone and fire ti extract more sustenance from landscapes than would otherwise be possible. And of course,, Homo sapines went much further, learning poor generations , once their preferred big games became rare or extinct, to make use of a far broader spectrum of species. They did this by extracting more nutrients from these species by cooking and grinding them by propgating the most useful species and by burning woodlands to enhance hunting and forging success. Even before the last ice age had ended, thousands years before agriculture, hunter-gatherer societies were well established across earth and depended increasingly on sophisticated technological strategies to sustain growing populations in landscapes long ago transformed by their ancestors. THe planet's carrying capacity for pre-historic human hunter-gatherers was probably no more that 100 million, But without their Paleolithic technologies and ways of life, the number would be far less-perhaps a few tens of millions. The rise of agriculture enabled even greater population growth requiring even more intensive land-use practices to gain more sustenance from the same old land. At their preak, those agriculture systems might have sustained as many as three billion people in poverty on near vegetarian diets.".<br />
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Ellis, however, admits, and says, " there is no environmental reasons for people to go hungry now or in future. There is no need to use any more land to sustain huminity-increasing land productivity using existing technologies can boost global supplies and even leave more land for nature-a goal that is both more popular and more possible than ever"<br />
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Thus, I feel strongly, that while the nature with the man-kind in sustaining all the menaces, the problem created by ambitious countries to play cruel jokes with nature, is certainly wipe out the globe and its people.<br />
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REFERENCES:- New YORK TIMES ,London Book Review's Books-namely Buy the Carbon Crunch: How We are Getting climate Change Wrong and How to Fix It, by Dieter Helm, BUY Earth Masters: The Dawn of the Age of Climate Engineering by Clive Hamilton, Buy the City and the Coming Climate:Climate Change in the Places We Live by Brian Stone.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10326078181148396361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719066939362267986.post-84811426637409254122013-09-15T10:15:00.002-07:002013-09-15T10:15:44.681-07:00USA, IN PURSUIT OF WORLD HEGEMONY, TRAPPING INDIA !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, in its pursuits, of fulfilling the dream of global hegemony, since the days, of President Roosevelt,has an unending story. A recent book-"Strategic Vision::America and the Crisis of Global Power"-, written by Zbigniew Brazezinski , published by Basic Books, has highlighted many interesting points of growing ambitions of the USA. The book is thought provoking.In the process of of its hegemony, America is browbeating other super powers like Russia , China and many of even European countries and is aiming to strengthening its position by "capturing more slots in Asia" through its own"narrow self-interest". And India, which is developing fast in Asia, has become new target of USA to bring it in its fold ! In my opinion recent closeness of India government of Manmohan Singh to USA in several aspects is point to be noted ! Just I am subscribing below certain portion of the Brazezinski's book to substantiate my apprehension about India, being falling in the trap of USA !<br />
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Brazezinski has written in the book about India, " Contemporary India is a complicated mixture of democratic self-governance, massive social injustices, economic dynamism and wide-spread political corruption. As a result, its political emergence as a force in the world affairs has lagged behind China. India was prominent in sharing leadership of the so called non-alingned nations, a collection of neutral but politically wavering states including Cuba and Yugoslavia, all allegedly opposed to the Cold War. Its brief military collision with China in 1962, which ended in India's defeat, was only practically redeemed by its military successes in the two wars with Pakistan in 1965 and 1971. By and large, the prevailing view of India up til relatively recently has been one of a country with strong moralistic opinions about world affairs but without commensurate influence.............."<br />
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The book further adds, "..... India's political elite is motivated by an ambitious strategic vision focused on securing greater global influence and a conviction of its regional primacy. An the gradual improvement in U.S-Indian relations during the first decade of the twenty-first century has further enhanced India's global stature and gratified its ambitions. However, its simmering conflict with Pakistan, which includes a proxy contest with it for greater influence in Afghanistan, remains a serious diversion from its larger geopolitical aspirations. Therefor-the view held by its foreign policy elite- that India is not only rival to China but also already one of the world's super power lacks sober realism......."<br />
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Brzezinski has also sharply commented on the domestic set-up as well as media;s hysterics on China ! He writes, ".......The Indian political system has yet to prove that it can function as the 'world's largest democracy'........That test will take place when its population becomes truly politically awakened and engaged. Given the country's very high-level of public illiteracy as well as the connection between privilege and wealth at the top of political establishment, India's current 'democratic' process is rather reminiscent of the British aristocratic 'democracy', prior to the appearance of trade unions, in the second half of the nineteenth century. The operational viability of the existing system will be truly tested when the heterogeneous public at large becomes both politically conscious and assertive. Ethnic, religious, and linguistic differences could then threaten India's internal cohesion.......In that potentially conflicted setting, the stability of Asia will depend in part on how America responds to two overlapping regional triangles centred around........."<br />
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The author further writes in the book, " On India's side, the existing tensions and reciprocal national animosities are fuelled by the relatively inhibited hostility towards China expressed in India's uncensored media and in India's strategic discussions. Invariably, China is presented in them as a threat, most often territorial in nature and India's publications frequently make references in China's 1962 occupation by force of disputed borderline territories. China;s efforts to establish an economic and political presence in Myanmar and in Pakistan's Indian Ocean ports are presented to the public as strategic design to encircle India. The Chinese mass media, under official control, are more restrained in their pronouncements but patronise India as a not-so-serious rival, further inflaming negative Indian sentiments......'<br />
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Brzezinski further writes in the book, :" To a considerable extent, such Chinese feelings of aloofness towards India are derived from China's superior societal performance. Its GNP is considerably larger that India's and its population is considerably more literate as well as ethnically and linguistically more homogeneous. In any case, both sides are the strategic captives of their subjective feelings and of their geopolitical context. The Indians envy the Chinese economic and infraststructural transformation. The Chinese are contemptuous of India's relative backwardness (on the social level most dramatically illustrated by asymmetrical level of literacy of their respective populations) and lack of discipline. The Indians fear Chinese-Pakistani collusion, the Chinese feel vulnerable to India's potential capacity to interfere with Chinese access through the Indian Ocean to the Middle East and Africa.........<br />
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"......America's role in this rivalry should be cautious and detached. A prudent U S policy, especially in regard to an alliance with India, should not, however, be interpreted as indifference to India's potential role as an alternative to China's authoritarian political model......The unwise U S decision of 2011 to sell advanced weaponry to India, in contrast to the ongoing embargo on arms sale to China, while also enhancing India's nuclear programmes is already earning the United States the hostility of the Chinese by conveying the impression that America sees China as its enemy even before China itself had decided to be America's enemy."<br />
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Apart from Asia, particularly India, USA has similar approaches towards other nations of the world, looking China , Russia and many other many countries Middle East and Arab world, dangerous potentials and not allowing the global hegemony of America ! Just I have mentioned the references in the book about India, falling in the grips of imperialist USA and it is upto people of India to decide !</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10326078181148396361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719066939362267986.post-61532029037376249312013-09-13T05:53:00.001-07:002013-09-13T05:53:40.012-07:00SITUATION ALARMING IN JAMMU AND KASHMIR: MILITANCY GROWING PUTTING INDIAN GOVERNMENT ON TENTERHOOKS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Kashmir remains apple of discord ! After a long spell of normalcy on security front in Jammu and Kashmir, militants have again pervaded the Kashmir valley, putting Indian government on tenterhooks. Kashmir, which was split controversially between India and Pakistan after the countries gained their independence from the Great Britain in 1947, are again in the news with violence and terror activities usually on India side.Recently seven towns in the Indian side were under indefinite curfew following sporadic clashes between local Hindus and Muslims. Apart from that Pakistan is accused of sending commandos to kill five of its soldiers stationed on the line of control, the defecto border dividing the two parts of Kashmir. Violence in Kashmir, launched by Pakistani army and its "jehadis", have become again matter of concern for the Indian authorities. Overall level of violence are lower side now in Kashmir than at any time since an insurgency that pitted groups of young Muslim Kashmirs enrolled in Islamists groups and later extremists from Pakistan too, against Indian security forces first flared more than two decades ago. In totality more than 50,000 militants, soldiers, police and civilians had reportedly been killed in the fighting in India's only Muslim-dominated state, Human rights abuses , perpetuated by all sides,had become order of the days At its height in 2001, 4,500 deaths were recorded, according to the Institute for Conflict Management, a Delhi-based think -tank. Lass year only, 117 people were killed.<br />
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Now, a new wave of violence have suddenly spurt. Notably matter of main concern is that in this new wave of violence, young and educated separatist militants have surfaced in villages, bordering with "Occupied Kashmir" by Pakistan. Cluster of traditional homes and mosques amid green fields and woods in a fold of the dry hills in the south of the valley have become centre of activities by these elements. Experts on Kashmir have pointed out that these violent activities by militants are result of backlash after the hanging of Mohammad Afzal Guru, who had been sentenced to death in the Parliament attack case, as well as old scars on the wounds of Kashmiris have started etching again ! Capital punishment to Afzal Guru of valley has also been condemned throughout Kashmir as Guru was not present to the site and time of Parliament attack. He was later arrested from Kashmir and made an accused in the case as a conspirator. The judgement giving death sentence to Afzal had drawn national and international criticism on the judicial system of India. Only criminal conspiracy and not being part of the crime cannot draw such harsh punishments, legal experts had commented.<br />
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"Fidayeen" (suicide ) attacks on security forces at several places, especially in Srinagar, and encounters between militants and security forces have become routine affairs in Jammu and Kashmir ! Here , again, according to annual union home ministry report, there was marked decline in the number of terrorists activities and security forces causalities, compared with previous year. " The year 2011 witnessed a 30 percent decrease in the number of terrorist incidents and 34 percent and 52 percent respectively decrease in civilian and security forces respectively compared with the year 2010.", the report said and added. ,"the level of infiltration from across the borders and the resultant terrorist activities in the valley of Kashmir showed a significant decline. The incident of terrorist violence declined from708 in 2008, 499 in 2009 and 488 in 2010 to 340 in 2011. The number of security forces killed declined from 75 in 2008, 79 in 2009 and 69 in 2010 to 33 in 2011. The number of civilians killed also declined from 91 in 2008, 71 in 2009 and 47 in 2010 to 31 in 2011. The number of terrorists killed declined from 239 in 2009 and 232 in 2010 to 100 in 2011; showing the effects of better domination of the Line of Control a d the resultantly lower infiltration." All these factors have brought changes in ground level, paving the way for the arrival of record number of 1.4 million tourists in 2012.<br />
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LIFE IS LIVING HELL:-Than why this spurt in terror activities ? Perhaps because of new wave of active participation of well-educated, even professionally qualified, men in the recent terror attacks. This apart scars of old wounds of the atrocity and rape in the remote villages of Kunan and Pashpora in Kupwara district of north Kashmir on the night of February 23 , 1991 by Indian security forces have also riminiscinced the people of Kashmir. The incident, in brief, was that soldiers of Indian Army , at around 11 pm raided the village and threatened to kill all villagers while hunting the terrorists. All men were told to come out and soldiers barged into the houses and attacked the women, molesting, raping them.. Even today memories of women did not go away. Many of them became hysterectomies. Wounds have healed but scars are very much there. Enquiry after enquiry held. The then district magistrate of Kupwara S M Yasin, had visited the village and recorded the report with remarks that , " the armed forces behaved like violent beasts." The fact-finding team led by the then Chief Justice Mufti Bahauddin Farooqi, interviewed 53 women who had been allegedly raped and tried to determine why a police investigation into the incident had never taken place. Farpooqi had reportedly commented at that time , he had " never seen such a case in which normal investigative procedures were ignored as they were in this one,." There were furore over the issue but nothing tangible came out.Life is living hell for them even today !<br />
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Another factors, responsible for sudden spurt in the terror activities are continuance of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). The union government had enacted the Act when the entire Jammu and Kashmir was passing through critical phase of terror activities. The Act gives blatant power to security forces to cover the measures to filter terrorists by acting through their own modus-operandi.. The Act is being misutilised by Armed forces and it has become a centre of criticism where ever the Act is implemented, particularly in the eastern states also. The Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir has also pleaded for revoking the Act. Security officials in the disputed province exaggerate the threat from extremism to justify wide ranging powers of arrest and detention-and a broad measures of immunity from prosecution for human right abuses-granted earlier in the the conflict..Large number of arrests have been taken place in Kashmir in recent months, creating stir in the state. Kashmiris are scared of arrest and tortures not deaths ! Meantime, educated youths are being lured and encouraged by Pakistan based Lashkar-e-Taiba and many other terror organisations including Pakistan government's ISI. Another factor is declining official support for the extremists in Indian Kashmir from Pakistan over the past decade. Another one is growing disparity between the economies of the two neighbours, which have fought three wars over the state. Indian growth has undermined the argument for accession to Pakistan in Kashmir-though much rhetoric support for independence remains-and sapped enthusiasm for any return to a hugely disruptive violent struggles. Nawaz Shariff, who was elected in landslide victory in May, is keeping stony silence over terror activities added and abetted by Pakistan's terror organisations and Pak military wing ISI !<br />
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The situation has come to such a pass that Indian and Pakistan troops are indulging in unprovoked firings at each other on wire fencing borders, particularly in Kashmir. Violations of ceasefire have become order of the day by Pakistani army. Border is tense. The insurgency is supported by Pakistan began in Indian-administered Kashmir, seeking independence from Indian rule. Villagers on Indian side of border in Kashmir are compelled to hide in army's abandoned bunkers.. Most of these bunkers were destroyed in 2005 earthquake.. Echoes of despair fill the bordering villages in Kashmir. An escalating war of words between India and Pakistan over cross border attacks in Kashmir has practically tarnished hopes that the newly elected government in Islamabad will succeed in reviving peace talks between the feuding neighbours. Accusation and claims and counter claims over border dispute in Kashmir are aggravating the situation gradually.<br />
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Families of militants or terrorists in Kashmir blame security forces for pushing their wards to terrorism or militancy through constant harassment. Interestingly, a new trend has come to fore about the active participation of well-educated, even professionally qualified, men in the recent terror attacks. A recent article in Frontline fortnightly says '"the profiles of militant killed in recent encounters with security forces are reason for worry. For instance, Saifullah Ahangar had a diploma in civil engineering; Musiullah Khan was a mechanical engineer; Sajad Yousuf Mir had an MA in Islamic Studies) he had not completed his MCA); Moar Ahsan had an M.Sc. Physics; and Hilal Ahmad, rather was a mufti (a scholar in Islamic Law) from Deoband. There are many examples that recent encounters have killed were not from less-educated sections of society. And these trends are continuing." Kashmir experts are of the opinion that in Kashmir educated youths , adopting extremism or terrorism, did not believe or tempt in monetary considerations, rather they say Islam is the biggest motivating forces for them to take up arms. They quote from Koran and Hadith (sayings of Prophet Muhammad) and one can see large number of people in Kashmir listening them on video with rapt attention. The Political scientist Gull Mohammad Wani, who heads the Institute of Kashmir Studies at Kashmir university, believes that stifling political environment in mainly responsible for this. For his "it is an alarming situation and I think repressive measures play a role in this as the place is devoid of accountability, a responsive administration and a regime of justice."<br />
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Indian government must initiate reopening dialogue with these elements taking into confidence the Jammu and Kashmir government to neutralise the ugly signs of separatism.Indian government must punish the personnel of army for indulging in rapes and perpetuating other kind of atrocities on Kashmiris taking the help of hated AFSPA !<br />
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REFERENCES: INDIA GOVT WEBSITES OF DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND INDIAN ARMY, FRONT LINE FORTNIGHTLY, THE GUARDIAN, THE NEW YORK TIMES, WASHINGTON POST .</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10326078181148396361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719066939362267986.post-12421413470408405042013-09-05T02:22:00.000-07:002013-09-05T02:22:01.614-07:00WAR OF BOOKS AND ESSAYS ON INDIA'S FAILING ECONOMY-AMARTYA AND BHAGWATI HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Down-turn in Indian economy is not only a subject of animated discussions but a war of books as well as essays in prominent Indian and international newspapers and journals by eminent authors and analysts has broken out in mis-judging or judging in correct perspectives about Indian economy ! I am not qualified to assess and give expert opinions about the down-turn of the Indian economy and fall of rupee. in comparison to US dollar but simply analysing the facts, coming out from the books and essays, which , one section blames,global turbulence or mishandling of the economy by the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh while another section finds fault -line in liberalisation policy in the vast India where over 70 percent of population are below the poverty line and hanker for food, health and education ! I feel the Indian economy is revolving around "jholwallas" in the National Advisory Council (NAC) and "Davoswallahs" in the enlightened power circuit of capitalists, industrialists, multi-nationals, corporates, landlords etc and our economy will improve or not , it all depends how we handle the present crisis situation. Instead of massive welfare measures, the successive rulers since independence are wrongly diagnosing the things and they have brought 'unique and strange measures' for giving free hands to industrialists, capitalists, multi-nationals, corporates etc in the say of so called improving the Indian economy and plight of people in the country. In the process authors and essayists are harping on different models like Kerala model,Gujarat model, Bihar model, inclusive growth and exclusive growth, blame-game against each others etc. One fact is very much clear since the rise in GDP and so called claims of successive ruler that Indian economy is growing and India will be one of the biggest economic power in the globe by 2020-poverty has increased and rich have become richest and there appears hey -day for making maximum money among vested interests including political classes and poor in rural areas, who constitute largest chunk of population are facing agonising moment !<br />
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At least over half a dozen books-authored by prominent economists including Nobel laureate Amartya Sen and his co-author Jean Dreze ( An Uncertain Glory:India and its Contradictions-Penguin Books-London), Jagdish Bhagwati and his co-author Arvind Panagariya (India's Tryst with Destiny-Harper Collins), another economist of the fame N K Singh, IAS retired and Rajya Sabha member of JD(U) (The New Bihar-Rekindling Governance and Development ), another edited book by Akhil Gupta and K Sivaramakrishnan-The State in India after Liberalisation-Interdisciplinary Perspectives; and Globalisation, International Law and Human Rights, jointly edited by Jeffery F.Addicott, Md. Jahid Hossain Bhuiyan and Tareq M R Chaudhary as well as many essays and topics have thrown mixed views about Indian economy and instead of throwing lights to bail out India from economic morass, they have cited their views for their upmanship except a few !<br />
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In one of the Opinion Piece in the Times of India, senior journalist Vinod Mehta has thrown a new debate on welfare measures including Right to Education, RT Act, Food security bill, Land Acquisition Bill, MGNREGA etc through the initiative of AICC president Sonia Gandhi by exercising ground work in National Advisory Committee for poor and middle classes persons and how these measures will percolate to lower -level people of the country?! Mehta writes, " Her critics, starting from Jagdiush Bhagwati (will the Nobel Committee quickly give him the prize Amartya Sen got so that he can resume normal work?) and his domestic followers, want us to believe that the mismanagement of Team Manmohan is directly attributable to the lady in 10, Janpath. She pulls the strings to promote her crazy schemes and the PM capitulates leaving behind all the good economics he learnt at Ox bridge". (MY BLOG ESSAYS-BAD SHAPE OF INDIAN ECONOMY...........August 27, 2013, AMARTYA -BHAGWATI SPAT VIS-A-VIS INDIAN ECONOMY.........AUGUST 15, 2013)<br />
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:The Books, written by Amartya Sen and his co-author and Jagdish Bhagwati and his co-author have different signals about Indian economy. While Bhagwati's book has stressed for "market" instead of "public action" in his book, Amartya Sen and his co-authrors' book , in lucid writings and public reasoning, have advanced the reasons for pain on seeing the pathetic pictures of human condition in India that has emerged gradually.Both Sen and Dreze do not denigrate the poor with contempt. They have humane approach ! Bhagawati -Panagariya believes on free-market concept and have praised the Gujarat model of growth, that has brought wide ranging progress. Both of them have discussed the pros and cons of Kerala Model and Gujarat model in totality. There are vast differences between the two models-while Kerala model stresses for redistributive and stare-driven development and Gujarat model mainly concentrates on growth and and private-entrepreneurship-drive development. Bhagwati and his co-author have mainly concentrated on lambasting Kerala model and praising Gujarat model without much thoughts over history and geography of both the states. A reviewers of the book R Ram Kumar in Frontline says, " a major section in the book is devoted to arguing that Kerala's developmental achievements are due neither to redistributive policies nor to state intervention. In a rather heroic effort to rewrite history, Bhagawati and Paniagariya argue that Kerala's achievements are due, primarily, to "economic growth."<br />
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Both Bhagwati and Panagariya, while concentrating on Kerala and Gujarat, have not threw light on overall economic situation in India-but both of them have justified the Gujarat model for shaping the economy of the entire country. There are many flaws about the truths in the development of Kerala in the book.Both of them have mainly concentrated on discrediting the historic process of as a change as "left wing populist fallacy" I do not want to tell more about well-known economist Bhagwati, who appears frustrated, mainly because that once his bosom economist-colleague Amartya got the Nobel prize and he missed that. Now in the fast changing political scenario in the country, Bhagwati seems to be getting closure to Narendra Modi, vastly criticising Sonia Gandhi and result of the down-grading economy of India under Manmohan Singh 's stewardship.<br />
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.More over, Amarty's book co-authored with Dreze are nearer to the ideas that independent India had promises to the people, especially for the vast majority suffering from poverty, ill health and illiteracy ! And Amartya and his co-author believe the successive governments in India have lacked in this venture. Common men usually do not believe in the so "called gross domestic product (GDP)-they want measures for their welfare. Dreze is one of the best economist, born in Belgium and came to India in 1979 when he was 20. After ten years, he wrote with Sen a book -Hunger and Public Action and now he is Indian citizen. Sen, professor of Philosophy and Economics at Harvard, in my opinion, could be compared with one of the fathers of modern economics Adam Smith, who used to believe in moral economics ! They have written comprehensively about Indian economy and other South-East Asian countries. They have also written about fault-lines like "societal reach of economic progress" in India has been remarkably limited. India is lagging behind in social indicators. Reforms are there in India than to perform.. They have threadbare discussions on different aspects of Indian economy.. The book says as against 55 percent of Indian households that have no option but to resort to open defecation. India and Pakistan are bottom ladder in literacy rates. Amartya has quoted Rabindra Nath Tagore on his preaching on education. Sen and Derze have also referred Mahatma's talisman. Chapter-wise analysis in the book have thrown light on all aspects of India and its people as well as their economy. The book must be considered a best book , written recently. With highlighting of a vast matters on Indian economy and people of India, the decision makers in India must take lessons from the book and try to improve the economy by applying inclusive growth and identifying all sections of society , especially poor !<br />
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These days , Bihar Model is also in news ! And the book of N K Singh', co-authored with Lord Nicholas-The New Bihar-Rekindling Governance and Development, although I have not read the book , has also reportedly threw much light on the much-publicised inclusive growth by CM Nitish Kumar .Two edited books on globalising India, as referred above, have informed much about the globalisation, strongly influenced by the neoliberal ideology. The ideology of globalisation and liberalisation opposes an active role of the state in social and economic affairs, claiming that such intervention will negatively affect the economy of the country as a whole. In both the books much have been said about negative aspects like rise in poverty because of globalisation and neo-liberalisation of economy in India . Many essays and articles on Indian economy have their own perspectives including American Fed measures as well as scams after scams in stealing natural resources of the country, worth lakhs of crores of rupees in recent years , adversely affecting the economy of India.<br />
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Whether these books or essays or articles could be path showing for bringing the Indian economy to sound footings ?-but ray of hopes among common men is still there that situation for India's majority of poor will improve !</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10326078181148396361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719066939362267986.post-1911325018572144912013-08-27T02:21:00.001-07:002013-08-27T02:21:47.411-07:00BAD SHAPE OF INDIAN ECONOMY HAS NOT ONLY DECLINED ECONOMIC GROWTH OF INDIA BUT ITS RUPEE HAS TUMBLED !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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India's economy, growing fast in the last ten years, has taken worse down turn. Alarming bell is ringing in the entire country. The rupee is in trouble and no body is quite sure what to do about it.Today itself, the Indian currency has tumbled to Rs 65.35 paise against a dollar ! There is widespread anxiety over the fact that the Indian government has yet to curb the currency's downfall since it started its down turn in May this year.Inflation and price rise are giving agonising moments to the people of India. Recently, the Deutsche Bank, in its report, says " Indian rupee may reach as low as 70 in the coming months" Echoing the similar sentiments, the Economist Jayati Gosh says, " This is big one.But it has been building up for a while due to many reasons: the growing 'current account deficit' (CAD), the industrial slow-down, the lack of infrastructure development, the negative investment in the country." She sees the crisis as evidence that "the model of development which focuses on only GDP growth" has run its course. What is needed now is "wage and employment-led growth".<br />
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Although, I have little knowledge of Economics, I have ventured to write on Indian economy in a number of essays on my sites-www.kksingh1.blogspot.com-----describing about fault-line with our policy makers in shaping the economy of India since independence. In this very topic, I am just putting forward the alarming proportions of Indian Economy, based on the facts with Indian government as well as national and international newspapers, news magazines and websites !<br />
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In the last few years, Indian economy is going on bad shape, which has slowed from its rapid 9 percent growth rate to a forecast of between 5.5 percent and 5.7 percent for this financial year. After the 2008 world economic crisis , vastly affecting the USA, which had to pump huge money to banks from bankruptcy, India had recorded 9 percent GDP growth for at least two years but in recent weeks rupee have tumbled., losing a sixth of its value against the dollar this month alone, Share price have fallen, commodity prices are rising, investment is stalking, growth is slowing and the Indian government is under a huge balance of payments deficit. A sense of impending doom is building. Compounding the fears are signs that other emerging economies in Asia are also vulnerable, drawing inevitable questions as to whether this could turn into a repeat of the 1997 Asian financial crisis.<br />
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Opinions are badly divided for such beating of Indian economy ! One section believes that part of the problem is not India's alone. With the U S Federal Reserve expected to start tapering off a stimulus programme that has pumped cash into global economy, investors have grown wary on the emerging markets they became so fond of in recent years. Countries running their own current account deficits have borne the burnt of the mood swing: currencies in India, Brazil and Indonesia, among others, have seen drops as investors-pull money out ahead of the Fed's anticipated tightening. Another problem of facts is that Indian economy has some home-grown structural problems has exacerbated the flight of foreign funds. An economist with the Capital Economics in Singapore, Daniel Martin has said, " If you are an investor, you want to put your money where there is going to be growth. The shine has come off India, It is not glaring success story it was a few years ago."Other experts trace problem to the failure of Manmohan Singh's government to push through structural reforms that could boost growth. The ruling UPA led by the Congress Party's emphasis on huge government subsidy schemes, such as jobs for the rural poor, has added to an already big fiscal deficit. Economist Surjit Bhalaa has said, " just trying to accelerate growth from present low level (annual GDP growth is now down to five percent) will help the economy." More over India imports much more than it exports and so the current account deficit is at an unsustainable 4.8 percent. Until, it brought down, there can be very little hope of reviving investors confidence in the economy.<br />
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The intensity of down-turn is so hard that apart from affecting poor and middle classes in the country, riches have also been badly affected. Mukesh Ambani, a towering industrialist and capitalist,, who lives in a one billion $ 27-storey Mumbai skyscraper complete with swimming pools, three helipads and a 50-seat cinema, is down to his last 17.5 billion $ after the plunging value of the rupee wiped out a quarter of his fortune, in dollar terms. Mukesh Ambani, the chairman of the Reliance Industries, which operates the world's largest oil refineries, has lost 5.6 billion $ of his personal wealth since May one, according to the Bloom berg Billionaires index.Ambanies shares in Reliance Industries have dropped 15 percent since mid-July.Developing economies excluding China have seen an outflow of 81 billion 4 in emergency reserves since early May, as central banks try to prop up their currencies. Indonesia has lost 13.6 percent of its reserve, Turkety- 12.7 pc, Ukraine-10 pc, according to central bank data complied by Morgan Stanley.Surprisingly, India's Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram , who has tried to reassure investors that "there is no reason for excessive or unwarranted pessimism , failed to give any tangible result.<br />
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Core issues, slowing down Indian growth are now hurting currency-and by proxy, Indian consumers who want to buy, say, an imported phone or foreign car makers that need to import parts. Those fundamental weaknesses-poor infrastructures, unreliable power supply, difficulty in securing land and lots of sticky red tape-are all keeping foreign investments out of the country and that is problem for a country that imports far more than it exports and thus needs to finance a large current account deficit. When the CAD widens, the rupee's decline accelerates further. So even at a time when many emerging markets are looking risky to investors, India is looking riskier than most. In the process , gold is also a big problem in India.. Gold has played an important role in skewing the trade deficit. A century ago, the Economist John Maynard Keynes wrote that India's irrational love for gold was "ruinous to her economic development" and the obsession still runs deep. India's annual production of gold is barely 10 tonnes, so last year it imported 860 tonnes, which were made into jewellery or stored as coins and bars in family safes ! The government is now trying to stem the hunger for gold by increasing import duties. This has revived gold smuggling, a menace which in the 1960s led to creation of the Bombay now Mumbai, underworld. Not only that, it is estimated that households and Hindu temples are hoarding about 25,000 tonnes of gold bars and coins. Jewellers are lobbying government to implement a scheme that could unearth 10 percent of the hoarded golds.<br />
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Although there is growing anxieties about future, India's middle class may not have lost faith yet in the possibility of economic regeneration. Just we Indian have become afraid of 1997-98 Asian economic crisis.The trigger for the run on the rupee has been news from Washington that the Federal Reserve is considering scaling back-"tapering"- its bound-buying stimulus programme from next month. This has consequences for all emerging market economies: firstly, there is fear that a reduced stimulus will mean weaker growth in the US, with a knock-on impact on exports from the developing world. Secondly, the high-yielding currencies such as the rupee have benefited from a search for yield on the part of global investors. If policy is going to be tightened in the US, then the dollar becomes more attractive and rupee less so. But while the Indonesian rupiah and the South African rand are also feeling the heat, it is India-with its large trade and budget deficits-that looks like the accident most likely to happen.. On past from emerging market crises go through three stages: in stage one, policy makers do nothing in the hope that the problem goes away. In stage two, they cobble together some panic measures, normally involving half-baked capital controls and selling of dollars in an attempt to underpin their currencies. In stage three, they either come up with a workable plan themselves or call in the IMF. Thus India is on the cusp of stage three !<br />
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What ever may the facts of India's economy down turn, the country has also its own compulsions. Tribal population and their forest are facing dangerous situation as union and state governments have allowed multii-nationals and capitalists to open factories in the forest areas depriving them of their homelands by violating Forest and environment laws Large number of poverty prevails in India. Education and health programmes are dismal in the rural areas where most of the people live in the country. I do not oppose economic liberalisation for the development of the Country. But there are certain basic things, which are best needed for the country like subsidies on food, housing, shelter etc. But subsidies are being gobbled up by rich people like subsidies on petrol, LPG, fertilisers and diesel. There must be some yardstick not to provide such benefits to affluent .Food Security Bill has been now enacted and it will definitely eliminate hunger. For education and health , there are many measures, it must be vigorously implemented. For employment, there is guaranteed job under MGNREG- it must be accelerated. For these welfare measures , need of hour is to stop leakage and corrupt practises ! Huge amounts are given as subsidy or remission to the industrialists and capitalists must be stopped without any further delay. Law must be enacted to give 50 percent reservation in Parliament and sate legislatures to women to empower them completely. Women population are about 50 percent but they are being ignored in India. Large number of scams, which have come up with the entry of economic liberalisation, has also cost the country most. Money earned through corrupt practices must not only be stopped but confiscated. Black money stacked in foreign banks by Indian rich must be brought back- All these measures will bring India into a robust ECONOMY in The GLOBE</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10326078181148396361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719066939362267986.post-89013217012698543482013-08-17T09:48:00.001-07:002013-08-17T09:48:26.319-07:00SCARS OF PARTITION STILL HAUNTS INDIA AND PAKISTAN ! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Scars of wounds, pains and anguish, even today,in the wake of partition in 1947 of greater India (Bharat) are giving agonising moments to the population of both India and Pakistan in Asia. Since partition both the countries-India and Pakistan-are indulging in only enmity,war,communal tension, bitter struggles for territories etc. On August 15, 2013 when the people of entire India were celebrating the Independence Day, strange thought started creeping in my mind, "if both India and Pakistan would not have partitioned, we would have "United India", most powerful country on the GLOBE.,Recent border skirmishes and killings and counter-killings of army men of both the countries are not only pained me but old reminiscences have kept me wandering in my thoughts !.<br />
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Finally, Britishers succeeded in dividing India into "India and Pakistan" by adopting 'divide and rule policy'. And both nations were freed from British rule in August 1947.Sadly, this partition resulted in killings of over two lakhs of people in both the countries another over 50 lakh people became homeless because of huge repartition of people from one country to another.Devastating tragedies had shaken both the countries. Exactly I remember the wordings of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the main architect of partition in the wake his sidelining in the Congress party led by 'Mahatma Gandhi and Co.' had said, while making an aerial survey of the situation on the ground because of huge number of persons being killed by each other as well as refugees making their way away from their respective ancestral homes towards villages and towns , they had never seen or been to earlier, expressed pain and anguish and he (Jinnah) plunged plunged into shock. Jinnah had commented. "oh. what have I done ?"-that was the shock, he expressed-no one accompanying him answered !Within months, millions of Hindus and Sikhs would have their ancient homes in Punjab and Bengal and trek to an uncertain future across unknown geography. Millions of Muslims would make their way to Pakistan, convinced that it was there they would live in dignity as masters of their destiny.<br />
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Before discussing other aspects , I must mention the circumstances leading to the partition of the country by British Raj1 A study of the Jinnah papers, the literature that has grown around Jinnah and Pakistan give the impression that essentially an introvert and a narcissist with an insatiable craze for going to the top, Jinnah was given a raw deal as a congressman. He was only utilised and exploited and thrown away when not needed. He had been an ardent Congressman who had taken to be the ambassador of the Hindu-Muslim unity. A statesman like Gokhale had seen in him a front-rank born leader. Sarojini Naidu had said about Jinnah, "......a naive and eager humanity, an intuition quick and tender as woman's , a humour gay and winning as a child's-pre-eminently rational and practical, discreet and dispassionate in his estimates and acceptance of life, the obvious sanity and serenity of his worldly wisdom effectively disguised , a shy and splendid idealism which is very essence of the man".<br />
Jinnah's narcissism and interovertism had thrown a cloak over his core of steel that would not bend although lashed by the furies of circumstances. His domestic life was not very happy. He married late in life and after a short period of bliss the couple separated, His sister Fatima Jinnah sacrificed her life for her brother and looked after him. The brother and sister together weathered many phases in life-some times oblivion, occasional excitements, years of hard thinking and work, careful planning, cautious journeys in India ans abroad, parleys with Muslim Leagures giving up the Congress, , planned interviews where Gandhiji and Sapru could cut no ice then frenzied advocacy of Pakistan, A quite man , who once denounced communal representation and who said he was proud of being a Congressman and an Indian and advocated partition as an inescapable solution of an Indian blazed as the champion of the two-nation theory in India and creation of the Pakistan, the toy-dream of a few Cambridge Muslim scholars as the panacea for the Musilms here.An ardent Congressite, who was not given his proper honour in the inner Congress coterie and who had to say at the Howrah station platform to a friend"-this is parting ways". Subsequently Jinnah had to leave India for a while and settled down in England to start as a lawyer.<br />
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But he was waiting, keeping himself abreast with the thoughts-current in India and in the right moment, he came back to India at the call of Liyaqut Ali Khan . The Muslim League crowned him. The many, who could hardly speak Urdu and seldom wore a sherwani and pyjama in the public over night became the Messiah of Muslims. He had given that time strong confidence and warning to the millions of Muslims.He had his desolate days, exploited and neglected by the Congress.. He started dictating terms to Gandhiji .And thus, after cabinet Mission plan had to go and independent Pakistan and India were created? Did he not through blood sheds, riots, arson and loot. Did Jinnah look for his revenge for all the ignomity poured on himl? Did he not outclass Gandhiji, Jawahar Lal Nehru, Sardar Bhallav Bhai Patel ? Mountbatten was out Gandhi Ji put on the shelf when he wanted to become Governor-General Of Pakistan. Gandhi ji called him "Quaiad -E-Azam" in his parleys prior to the partition of India. Once only years before as a Congressite Jinnah had used the word "Mahatma" about Gandhi . In the later parleys he always addressed him as ""Mr Gandhi" and would not listen to him but only as leader of Hindus. Nemesis works out through mysterious ways but with Jinnah he was clearly given raw deal which he nursed secretly and gave it back when the time came.<br />
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The metamorphosed Jinnah spoke and wrote in the following strains," India of modern conception with its so called present geographical unity is entirely the creation of British who hold it as one administrative unit by a system of bureaucratic government whose ultimate sanction is the sword and not the will or the sanction of the people behind the government so established. This position is very much exploited by Hindu Congress and another Hindu organisation, the Hindu Mahasabha. India is a vast sub-continent. It is neither a country nor a nation. It is composed of nationalities and race but the two major nations are the Muslims and the Hindus. Talk of Indian unity as one constitutional government of this vast sub-continent is simply a myth................Muslims under the subjugation and hegemony of the Hindu Raj over the entire sub-continent of India which means that Muslims shall be merely transferring their bondage of slavery from the British Raj to Hindu Raj."<br />
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When one look back Jinnah as Congressman from 1906 to 1920, he was actively associated with the Indian National Congress. At that time it was observed several times that Jinnah received his political training under Dadabhai Naroji whom he first met in England and later worked as his secretary for 14 years Jinnah had also close association with Surendranath Bennerjee and G K Gokhale and often referred to Gokhale as " a practical politician" Gokhale had also his regard for Jinnah. and had said, " he has true stuff in him and that freedom from all sectarian projects will make him best ambassador for of Hindu-Muslim unity". Jinnah had taken active part in Congress session of 908, 1910, 1913 and 1917 and he used to speak disapproving the scheme of communal representation in local bodies. Jinnah left the Congress on September 30, 1921 when he was convinced that the Congress was going wrong way with Gandhiji at its helm .Later he started giving fiery speech against Congress and Hindu Mahasabha as Muslim League chief .He had spoken for the safeguards for minority. He bitterly criticised Jawahar Lal, Gandhiji, Rajgopalachjari and the Hindu Mahasabha. Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru was described by Jinnah as "most subtle and plausible and therefore all the more treacherous." he asked the Muslims to maintain "complete unity and solidarity". Jinnah's tirade and resentment was so strong for creation of Pakistan that almost all leaders including Gandhiji, Subhash Bose, Jawahar Lal, Tej Bahadur Sapru , Mirza Ismail, Jayakar had failed cope Jinnah. In 1942, it was momentous year for Muslim League under the stewardship of Jinnah . Jinnah had become idol of Muslim League and Muslim -minded people . In between and independence and partition , many incidents happened and ultimately India was partitioned and India and Pakistan were created in August 1947 by dividing from brothers to brothers , fathers , sons, daughters, and eveybodies and every things . And partition left a greatest scar on the Indian sub-continent !<br />
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The Editor of the Daily Star, a newspaper published from Dhaka, Syed Badrul Ahsan, in a recent signed article-"The Legacy of Partition" has written, " Sixty- six years after partition , one would do well to take stock of the ramifications of the vivisection of the land. Hindus and Muslims have only seen their relations worsen through the decades, to a point where communal ism continues to define life all the way from Pakistan through India to Bangala Desh. Hindutva undermines the secular vision that was once Pundit Jawahar Lal Nehru's legacy. In Pakistan and to certain extent in Bangala Desh, religious bigotry threatens to wreck liberalism of all sorts, India's Muslims remain largely backward, poor, and, in a very big way, less than well-educated. In Pakistan, Hindus are as good as non-existent ; and the tiny Christian minority is always the target of blasphemy law peddlers in the Bangala Desh's Hindu population has been on sharp decline, despite the country's self-proclaimed secularism; its Christian community become smaller by the day; and after Ramu, its Buddhists are not sure this is their country any more.. Post -partition Indian has thrown up the likes of Bal Thackrey, who thought all Muslims should be kicked out of the country. Today, it is controversial, none too Muslim-friendly Narendra Modi who dreams of being prime minister.In Pakistan and Bangala Desh, that a Hindu or Christian or Buddhist can not play leading role in politics and in the administration........"<br />
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" ........if India's BJP tout Hindu nationalism, Pakistan's political parties continue to see nothing beyond Islam, while Bangala Desh's right wing discovers, through 'Bangala Deshi nationalism', a clever way of repudiating Bengali nationhood in favour of a shrewd pursuit of religion -based politics. Secular politics never took roots in Pakistan. In India and Bangala Desh , it has been forced to the ropes. The division of India has led to a diminution of politics through the rise of dynasties across the old country. The Bhutto's in Pakistan, the Nehru-Gandhi in India and Mujib and Zia clans in Bangala Desh have created perfect conditions for mediocrity to thrive in politics. Behind these larger dynasties come the little ones-in politics, indeed nearly everywhere. The modern day republic is thus but another name for monarchies in new wrappings", Ahsan writes.<br />
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He further writes lambently , " Partition saw the best among the Hindu community -teachers, philanthropists , doctors,-leave Muslim Pakistan and make new home across the newly drawn frontiers. It was Muslim gentry, as in West Bengal, make the arduous decision to move to the new state of Pakistan in hope of better future. Both groups, as also their descendants, have remained trapped in nostalgia. Artistes and writers have seen their futures devastated by partition. The singer Noor Jehasn went off to Pakistan together with Saadat Hasan Manto, Khuswant Singh, Kuldip Nayar and Inder Kumar Gujaral, their homeland suddenly foreign territory for them, resettled in an India vastly different from the one they had known earlier. Sahibzada Yaqub Khan trooped off to Pakistan even as his parents and siblings decided to stay on in India, Jinnah, Liyaqut Khan, H S Suhrawardy and Buutto abandoned their homes in India and made new homes in Pakistan . Pakistan has seen democracy, to a great extent, minus the aberrations of the 1975-77 emergency, thrive in in India.. In Pakistan, army have undermined prospects of democracy four times and continues to wield unbridled influence over making of policy. In Bangala desh, the ,liberation of which was a revolt against Pakistan , military coups have led to the systematic murder of politicians and leading freedom fighters.<br />
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Louis Mountbatten and Cyril Radcliffe, who gave us divided homes and villages and provinces. It gave us three wars. It gave the people of the sub-continent defence budgets that have left them impoverished .<br />
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And we are , after sixty six years after independence in 1947, in dark over the" legacy of partition remains questionable".<br />
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REFERENCES :-I have written many essays like Ominous Signal for Secularism in India (July 21, 2012); Muslims in Globe vis-a-vis in India (17 July 1912); Communal Harmony in India since Medieval Period (29 March, 2012); Why not Communal Harmony in India and Pakistan ? (August 24, 2013); Why this Hate Campaign Against Muslims of the World ?(16 October 2012) !</div>
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