Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Take Chinese incursion seriously

There has been incursion of 19 KMs deep inside India by Chinese army personnel (PLA) numbering about 19; who have reportedly erected 5 tents inside the Despang Valley of Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir. It is also not out of place about China that it is habituated to usurping Indian Territory by staging this kind of incursion time and again. Samajwadi Party supremo and former Defence Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav has rightly charged the government of Manmohan Singh with acting in a most cowardly manner in regard to Chinese incursions into India. The Indian Military is prepared to act to remove the tents erected by the Chinese army but they are not given order from political master in Delhi. Mulayam says that China is our biggest enemy, and not Pakistan. There may be Muslim vote consideration in his mind while not describing Pakistan as our enemy but we should not be slack in our action. We also must show the world, including China that our meekness must not be seen as a sign of sign of weakness. Mulayam has also taken strong objections to External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid's visit to China on May 9.He has rightly said that China has already insulted us in 1962. Our government needs to be always alive to the activities of Chinese military along our border. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh sees it as a localized problem and the Chinese incursions has taken place only because of the overzealousness of a military commander. PM should also know that it is not a localized problem and the Chinese military personnel involved in the incursion must have taken instruction from the high-ups in Beijing. Chinese soldiers are waving provocative banners with clear writing on them that denotes that it is the part of China. First, the Government of India must get Chinese military personnel cleared and their tents removed either through military intervention or through talks. The sentiment of the entire nation has been hurt by the Chinese incursions. It is true that in the changed world scenario where economic aspect has occupied the top priority and war is the last option but it does not mean that we should continuously be humiliated without any rhyme or reason. There must be talks to resolve any problem, but the talks begin after the statuesque is restored as far as territorial possession is concerned. China has still occupied our vast territory and has been unnecessarily making claims in Arunachal Pradesh of India. The Government of India must act without any loss of time to remove the Chinese tents immediately.

Monday, April 29, 2013

Save Sarabjit's life at all costs

The entire nation is shocked and anguished at the murderous attack on Indian national Sarabjit Singh, who is on death row in Pakistan jail. He was attacked by the fellow jail inmates, who are also on the death row. He was hit in head, abdomen. He has been hospitalised and in deep omma. This is the sheer lapses on the part of jail authorities in Pakistan. Sarabjit was not provided full proof security despite there was threat to his life. He was attacked inside the jail under a well-hatched conspiracy with full backing of the Pakistan notorious intelligence agaency Inter Services Intelligence (ISI). It is a fact that there is dominance of terror elements in every sphere of life in Pakistan.Sarabjit must not have been treated as an ordinary prisoner. He is an Indian falsely implicated in the 1990 bomb blast incident in Pakistan and was arrested when he crossed over the border into Pakistani side in an inebriated condition. Sarabjit has been languishing in Pakistani jail for the last 22 years and also on the death row. After the hanging of 26/11 terror attack convict Ajmal Kasab and Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, the threat to Sarabjit Singh's life in Pakistani jail had increased and because of that his security was tightened to the extent that even the drinking water given to him was tested first. As there was threat to his life, jail authorities should have been alert and provided full proof security to Sarabjit. The Government of India and Pakistan were apprised of the threat to Sarabjit’s life by his family members. Sarabjit had also mentioned about the threat to his life in a letter to his sister Dalbir Kaur in India. Instead of that, his security inside the jail was not beefed up. After the murderous attack, Sarabjit was taken to hospital, and doctors attending on him say that his condition is serious. He is in deep comma. Sarabjit’s daughter in her interview to a TV channel said that her father be shifted to some other specialty hospital so that he could get the best available medical facility to save his life. The Government of Pakistan must shift him to foreign hospital where he could get expert treatment. Sarabjit needs expert treatment without any loss of time. Government of India must put all pressures on Pakistan for shifting him to some other hospital known for expert treatment. It is good that the family members were allowed to visit Pakistan to see Sarabjit there. Government of India must put all pressures on Pakistan to provide best possible medical treatment and bring the perpetrators of attack on Sarabjit to justice immediately. According to the report, he has suffered serious head injury. Pakistan must know that safety and security of Sarbjit Singh and all other Indian nationals in Pakistani jail is of paramount importance. It is its responsibility.

Friday, April 26, 2013

Govt.is in dock

CBI Dir Ranjit Sinha has submitted status report before the Supreme Court on coal allocation scam. He has said that it was shared with Law Min Ashwani Kumar as desired by him and the senior officials of PMO and Coal ministry. The two-page affidavit was filed by CBI on the direction of the apex court. It contradicts the claim made by CBI counsel on the last date of hearing that the Coalgate scam report was not shared with any member of the government. It is a serious violation of the apex court’s direction. The CBI is already facing charges that it acts on the direction of the Central government. It is also no secret that all successive governments irrespective of political party have misused the CBI to protect its interest. The sharing of status report with Govt. strengthens this perception. In the coal block scandal, CBI is probing under the direction of the Supreme Court. In the given situation, it has shown the draft status report to Law Minister as desired by him, PMO and coal ministry official. It is natural that sharing report with the law minister, PMO and coal ministry official will certainly cast doubt on the intention of the government. The CBI in its draft status report has not made clear that whether either the law ministry or the PMO vetted or any of its suggestions were incorporated in it. The sharing of draft status report with law minister is violation of law as it was prepared to be submitted before the Supreme Court. It means that the law minister undermined the direction of the apex court. BJP demands resignation of the Prime Minister and sacking of the law minister. Govt. rejects BJP's demand outright. But no effort is made either by the Government or by the Opposition BJP to find a way out to break deadlock in Parliament so that a threadbare discussion on the coal block scam could be held and the entire nation would know who is guilty or who is not guilty. Though CBI has assured the apex court that it would not share its report any further, 30th April has been fixed for the hearing of the coal scandal case. Government could take decision on the fate of law minister Ashwani Kumar’s continuance in the ministry after 30th April. As far as coal scandal is concerned, the joint parliamentary standing committee report points finger on involvement of both NDA and UPA. Since both Congress and BJP are involved in coal block scandal, both does not want any discussion on the subject in Parliament. Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh's credibility has also come under scanner only because the coal ministry was under him during 2006 to 2008 and coal blocks were allotted during this period. All rules and regulations were thrown to the winds in allotting coal blocks. PM’s honesty and integrity may be unquestioned but it is on him to appear so also in the public.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Loot of poor men’s money

The Kolkata based Saradha Chit Fund Company has looted the common poor people and made them penniless. The Chit Fund Company looted the hard-earned money of the poor men. They were shown castle in the air, but actually they were made bankrupt. It is a Kolkata-based Chit Fund Company. This open loot of public money by fraudulent and forgery means cannot be possible without the help of power politicians, especially of ruling party of the state. Several ruling Trinamul Congress MPs and some other leaders of state and national level have been allegedly involved in the loot of public money. The Saradha Chit Fund Company has proved to be the company of cheats and they carried out their malpractices right under the nose of Mamata Bannerjee government of TMC. Without the protection and favour of the state government, the chit fund fraud of thousands of crores can not be possible. This Chit Fund Scam will certainly have impact on the coming Panchayat elections in West Bengal. It will also hit the politics of the ruling TMC most. This controversy involving corruption cannot easily subside as the previous ones. Hardly two years have passed since the TMC led by Mamata Bannerjee came to power; the scam of thousands of crores has taken place. The Left had ruled the state for 32 years in a row and no fraud of this nature ever occurred. TMC will have to run for cover. Feeling the political heat of the scam as the rural people of Bengal have also been defrauded of thousands of crores of rupees, West Bengal Chief Minister has made announcement of 500 crore rupees as bailout package for the poor investors. It is her bid to insulate her party politically. The Corporate ministry has rightly ordered for a probe into the chit fund fraud of 4 000 crores of rupees made by Saradhana Chit Fund Company. Sudipta Sen, the promoter of the Saradhana Group and kingpin in the chit fund scam, was produced in Bidhannagar court in Salt Lake in the eastern fringes on the city, and remanded to 14-days police custody. He had reportedly written a letter to the CBI in which he had accused two Trinamool MPs, Kunal Ghosh and Srinjoy Bose of exploiting him and squeezing funds, which made his companies bleed. Though Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has rejected the accusation while announcing a corpus of Rs 500 crore for the victims of the fraud, she has a lot to explain before the people of West Bengal. There must be a thorough and time bound probe and whoever is found guilty must be awarded deterrent punish so that no financial company could dare to dupe the hard earned money of the poor people.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Resolve the incursion issue amicably, but on equal terms

India has rightly asked China to revert to the status quo position in Depsang Valley in Ladakh where troops of both countries are in a face-to-face situation after Chinese forces intruded nearly 10kms inside Indian territory. In the first place, it is clear that China has violated the line of demarcation by intruding 10 Kms inside Despang Valley. Chinese troops have made incursions a number of times in the past also to create tension on the border, though the border dispute with China is not new. When the talks to resolve the border dispute amicably have been underway for sometime, the incursion made by Chinese troops 10 kilometer inside India (Despang Valley) in Ladakh is a very serious matter. The incident of incursion also casts doubts on the Chinese intension. So it is necessary for India to be always alive to Chinese military mischievous activities time and again on the border. Chinese leadership must be asked in clear terms that though India would always like to resolve all disputes, including border amicably, it is capable to retaliate in equal measure if any kind of military might is forced on it. India always wants a peaceful solution of all longstanding disputes with all its neighbours, not only China, but at the same time always want not be seen its peace mongering approach as any sort of its weakness. China must be asked to maintain statuesque so that there could be no hurdle in talks, which are underway with us to resolve border issue. China no doubt is emerging super power in the world but India too is not far behind it. China and India are two Asian giants and if both the Asian giants work together in friendly atmosphere, they could even challenge the world's sole super power America in many fields of development. So, it is beneficial for both to be friendly and to have very good neighbourly relations. It is irrelevant if China on the one hand continues to engage India in talks on Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) and its troops intrude inside Indian territory by making deliberate incursions on the other, the relations between the two will be more and more of suspicious nature. Whatever may the result of talks at various levels to resolve the current incursion issue, India must not leave any stone unturned in keeping its military preparedness on full scale to face any eventuality. The term "face-to-face" is not something that India has conjured up, it is something that is referred to in 2005 Protocol for implementation of CBMs in military field in the LAC in India-China border areas.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

BJP demands, Govt. rejects

As is the usual for the last few years, especially since the UPA-II got back to power in 2009, the parliamentary proceedings had hardly been allowed run smoothly for even a week continuously on one issue or the other of corruption. It is also beyond any doubt that the UPA-II led by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has been surrounded by the spate of scandals and unchecked price rise of all essential commodities and food items. It is also due to the escalating corrupt practices in almost all government departments during UPA-II regime that the price is going up and up. In the ongoing session of the Parliament, the main opposition BJP has strongly demanded the resignation of Prime Manmohan Singh and dismissal of Law Minister Ashwani Kumar because of his alleged exertion of influence on CBI to vet its enquiry report to be presented in the Supreme Court. The Govt. has rejected the demand of the resignation of PM outright and the ruling Congress Party President and UPA Chairperson when asked by the reporters on BJP’s demand of PM’s resignation after the Party's Core Group meeting said, "Let the BJP ask" for resignation and PM would not resign. The BJP has become aggressive because of the figuring of its tallest leader and former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's name in the draft report of JPC on 2G Spectrum issue and it has become vociferous excessively because of the nearing of the Lok Sabha elections next year. BJP also knows well that its demand will not make any impact on the ruling conglomerate. To attract the nation's attention, the party has attacked the government strongly and vociferously. BJP is also more inclined to create bedlam in Parliament than going to villages and make the people aware of the failures of the government. It is also not disputable that the image of the UPA-II has been dented beyond imagination because of the surfacing of a number of big scandals during its tenure. Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh's credibility and integrity may not be questionable in all these scandals but he cannot escape from the charge of inaction. He should have been kept abreast of all day-to-day developments taking place in all the ministries. He is the head of the government. It is his duty to the people of India, who have reposed faith in him, to provide corruption free government. It is better for him to hang up his boots to keep his reputation intact rather sticking to chair of prime ministership.

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Delhi disgraced again

Hardly four months have passed when the horrific gang rape of 23-year-old paramedic in moving bus in Delhi and her subsequent death took place, yet another more heinous, bestial, heart breaking and brutal rape of 5-year-old minor girl in Gandhinagar in East Delhi has come to light. It means Delhi police has learnt no lesson from their lapses in 16/12 gang rape incident. The Delhiites in particular and the entire nation in general are in boil over the bestial acts in Delhi. The way the minor girl was raped, her private parts were badly damaged and candles and broken plastic bottle of oil were shoved into her vagina breaks the heart of any human being. Even animal does not do as the human being has done with the minor girl. It appears that our society has become sick and mentally perverted. Police have become callous and insensitive and political leadership does not command any respect in our society. The police showed callousness and complete negligence in investigating the tragic incident and if they had taken up the missing report lodged by the parent with them, the perpetrator of the crime could have been caught and the victim minor girl could have been provided proper medical help at the time. It is two days after the missing report was lodged, the victim minor girl was found traumatized and brutalized in a room in the same building upstairs which the parents were living. The parents heard the cry of the minor girl who was wreathing in pain lying in a pool of blood inside the room. After that Delhi police reached there, they allegedly offered Rs. 2000 as bribe to hush up for their treatment. They also reportedly told the father of the minor girl victim to be happy that he found her girl alive. Not only that when the news of the horrific rape of the 5 year- old- girl spread and people assembled to protest against this heart breaking incident, a Delhi police ACP slapped a young protesting girl in full public view. He slapped the girl so strongly that the blood started coming out of her ear. This is the nature and behaviour of one of our premier police organizations of the nation. At least the police officer of ACP rank is expected to know the latest laws against rape, which have been enacted. These stringent laws against rape were enacted after the 16/12 gang rape and murder, which had shaken the nation. The entire nation is anguished, shocked and ashamed at the horrific and brutal rape of the five year old girl in Delhi. Not only Delhi the entire nation is seething with anger and outraged for the completely callous and negligent approach adopted by Delhi police to deal with not only rape but also all kinds of criminal activities. Delhi appears not only to be rape capital but also the asylum of mentally perverted and proclaimed criminals. Because there is no fear of law here. If this story is true, not only all the policemen deputed with the Gandhi Nagar Area police station, the DCP under whom this police station runs, Police Commissioner of Delhi and the Union Home Minister under whom the Delhi police function must go immediately. Delhi police has totally failed to strike fear among the criminals. Criminals think that the Delhi police are not only callous and negligent but impotent also. It is urgently needed to bring awareness among the people in society how to provide safety and security to girls and women. The onus is on national, state, local political leaders and social workers to come forward and make people aware how to provide safety and security to young girls and women.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Crush terrorism without any delay

Ahead of the Karnataka Assembly elections next month, 17 people, including 11 policemen, were injured in a bomb blast barely 50 metres from the BJP party office here on Wednesday morning. The modus operandi of the bomb blast in Bangalore near BJP office clearly reflected it to be the act of terror. It has also been experienced in the number of terror acts that there is no co-ordination between intelligence and security agencies in dealing with terror acts and thereby they fail to pre-empt most of the terror incidents. Here also, Whether the intelligence agencies had provided any input about the bomb blast in the city in advance to the state police and security agencies or not is a matter of investigation. But one thing is clear that there is complete lack of co-ordination between the security and intelligence agencies entrusted with the tasking of dealing with terror acts that occur in different cities of our nation at regular intervals. A few months back, there was blast in Hyderabad. The main culprit of the bomb blast is still at large. The recurrence of terror act amply makes it clear that the government of India irrespective of political parties has totally failed in chalking out programme and policies to deal with the most burning problem of the nation- the terrorism. It has been experienced repeatedly that political parties jump to take political advantage out of any terror act that takes place in country. The ruling Congress and the opposition BJP always drag terror act into the discussion that reflects diversionary views on terror. That is why the successive governments have failed to deal with terrorism. It is open secret that our hostile neighbour Pakistan is behind sponsoring and fanning terrorism from across the border in our country. When that much we know, why don't we evolve national consensus nation on the policy to deal with terrorism with our full might. Why the ruling as well as opposition party does use the incident of terror for promoting their respective political interest? Terror act will continue to occur at regular intervals if our political leadership irrespective of political affiliations does not act unitedly on this issue. There is urgent need of sincere effort in the interest of the nation to evolve a consensus policy in national interest and going whole hog against terrorism. Terrorism has no colour, creed, religion, principle or any political affiliation. Terrorism is the enemy of the nation and it deserves to be crushed as early as possible.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Terror returns to America

The bomb blast at Boston Marathon Finish line killed three and injured 176. It was a heinous, terror and cowardly act. Boston bomb blast gives clear signal of returning the terror to US. It is no longer sensitized to terror as it was made after 9/11. The terror has returned to America after 12 years. There was no terror act in America after 9/11, which is one of the biggest terror attacks in the world. Two powerful bombs exploded near the finish line of the marathon on Monday afternoon in Boston, as one of this city's most cherished rites of spring was transformed from a scene of cheers and sweaty triumph to one of screams and carnage. Among the three dead was a child, who had been watching the marathon with his family. Two congressional officials were briefed by federal authorities separately. They said that at least one bomb, and probably both, were pressure cookers filled with shrapnel — nails, metal pellets and ball bearings — that had been packed in a bag or backpack of some kind and placed on the ground, perhaps to look like trash or someone's personal bag. The modus operandi in the attack adopted by the terrorists changes according to their convenience. They adopt different types of executing their heinous crimes to hoodwink the police and intelligence agencies. Boston terror act will be investigated by the Amerrican premier investigating agency the FBI. Boston terror attack must be condemned by one and all. Terrorism is against humanity. The time has come to act together by the entire world to wipe out the scourge of terrorism from the face of the earth. After 9/11, the US had taken hardest of steps to wipe out terrorism from at least US. Its unilateral action and highhandedness in approach in nabbing the perpetrators of 9/11 had stunned the world. The entire world surprised when the US declared unilaterally the war on terror and made Pakistan, where terror has taken deep root, a frontline ally in coalition against terrorism. At last after 10 years of 9/11 in 2011, the US killed the chief conspirator of 9/11 and America’s most wanted terrorist Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. As long as the US continues to connive at Pakistan's role in perpetrating terror all over the world, the terror acts would continue to take place in different parts of the world. The US acts against terrorism only when it is beaten. Terrorism cannot be dealt with selective method. There must be level playing field in dealing with terror. US takes no serious move to act against terrorism when it takes place in India at frequent intervals. India has borne the brunt of Pak-sponsored terrorism most. There took place a motor cycle explosion in Bangalore on Wednesday outside the BJP office in which 16 were hurt. It is expected to be a terror attack. It must be equated with any other terror act taking place anywhere in the world. It is not that the terror act that takes place in the US only should be dealt with sternly. There must be a concerted effort everywhere in dealing with terror very stringently.

Monday, April 15, 2013

JD(U) puts BJP on notice

JDU has given clear warning to BJP over the issue of Prime Ministerial candidate for 2014. Either dump Narendra Modi for prime ministerial candidate or break the alliance is clear message from the JD(U) to BJP. It may appear to be the JDU’s posturing and pressure tactics in the beginning but it is most likely to turn out to be real one if the BJP stuck to its position as of now. JDU has already set deadline for the BJP to announce its prime ministerial candidate by the end of the year. It has also set the criteria for prime ministerial candidate of the BJP. Now ball is in BJP’s court. JDU and BJP have been together for the last 17 years and they have shared power together under National Democratic Alliance government headed by former PM and the tallest BJP leader Atal Behari Vajpayee for six years. They are in alliance in Bihar also and sharing power together in the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led JDU and BJP government of NDA there. Despite having been in alliance with BJP, JDU is seen as a secular party and its leaders’ secular credentials are unquestioned. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar claims to be the torchbearer of secularism, inclusive politics and development. Moreover, he has made it clear that no matter whether he is in power or out of it, he cannot compromise with secularism. The relation between JDU and BJP has come under strain since it appeared that the latter’s most popular leader Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who has won three assembly elections in a row for the party and is known for good governance and development, is likely to be BJP’s prime ministerial candidate for 2014 elections. As Modi’s most discernible drawback is his doubtful secular credentials and the stigma of 2002 Gujarat riots on him, JD(U) is averse to his PM candidate. His likely projection by BJP as prime ministerial candidate is the bone of contention between the two most important alliance partners in the NDA. Nitish Kumar in his address to his party national council members has unequivocally said that prime ministerial candidate must be of secular credentials beyond any doubt; votary of backward states and must pursue inclusive development and politics. During his speech at the national council meeting, he fired several innuendos targeting only Narendra Modi in his endeavour to give the message loud and clear to BJP that if it wants to continue the alliance, it must drop the idea of projecting Modi as prime ministerial candidate. However, the BJP instantly rejected Nitish’s suggestion and defended openly its chief minister Narendra Modi. Though the serious differences persist over the name of Modi among some senior BJP leaders within the party, the way Gujarat CM creates wave in his favour all over the nation has naturally upset the alliance partner JDU in NDA whose allegiance to secularism has never been questioned. It was in the government of Atal Behari Vajpayee because of his all encompassing, liberal and inclusive politics under a national agenda. JDU can not afford to loose its muslim minority vote bank and compromise with principled stand of secularism

Friday, April 12, 2013

Politics of violence

It is better for the state of West Bengal and the nation as a whole not to use students for promoting vested political interest as being done by the Left and the ruling Trinamool Congress respectively. The state has been caught in a cycle of violence after the manhandling of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee and Finance Minister Amit Mitra in Delhi allegedly the students belonging to SFI affiliated to CPI(M). The student wing of the ruling TMC took out protest march in reaction to the incident in Delhi and during that protest they allegedly broke the prestigious Presidency College gate in Kolkata entered and ransacked the Baker laboratory where the class of Physics was going on. Teachers and students were also reportedly attacked. TMC vandals allegedly threatened even some girl students with rape and assault. The Presidency College has an illustrious history and it has greatly contributed to the development of the nation by producing brilliant academicians of national and international repute. It is known for imparting education of the highest standard. The student politics has been exploited by the Left in Bengal, which helped them immensely in ruling the state for more than three decades. Trinamool is also following in the same footstep to have firmer grip in Bengal politics. But the ransacking of the prestigious college like Presidency College make the people of West Bengal hang their head in shame. Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee's had promised the people of "Poribartan" for betterment in all spheres of lives than the Left regime. However, whatever has happened so far under TMC rule in West Bengal can not be in anyway appreciable. The way an atmosphere of fear and havoc was created among the students of Presidency College allegedly by the student wing of the ruling Trinamul Congress is highly condemnable. Both incidents one in New Delhi and other in Kolkata are highly condemnable and no democratic and civil society can tolerate this type of hooliganism by the student wings of the Left and the TMC respectively. Left leaders have already condemned manhandling of CM and her finance minister allegedly by their students wing SFI, but no leader of Trinamul Congress has so far condemned the ransacking of Presidency College allegedly by TMC's student wing. The action of police when Presidency College was being ransacked and vandalized amply reflected they had order from above to be mute spectator. Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee must personally visit the Presidency College and see for herself how senseless act was carried out allegedly by the student wing of her party and ask the police to book the students involved in the incident immediately and ensure the college students that there would be not recurrence of this type of vandalism.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Insensitivity of UP police force

The police force of the nation needs to be sensitized to take care of the trauma of rape and all other crime victims when they report the complaint. And this exercise must begin from the lower ranks of policemen if the manner in which all police women behaved with the 10 year old poor rape victim in Bulandshahar of UP. The police officer of the inspector rank put the minor rape victim in police lock-up when she went there with her mother to lodge complaint against the perpetrator of the crime. She had to spend the whole night in lock-up at police station. It means the nationwide public outrage against 16/12 Delhi gang rape did not make any impact on the police force to bring improvement in its functioning. The police force appears to be completely insensitive to rape incidents at least at the police station level when the victims first go there to lodge their complaints. According to the newspaper reports, the police officer of the inspector rank was present at the police station when the minor rape victim was put in lock-up for whole night. It means when the police officer of the SHO rank neither knows about any law of the land nor has he or she sensitivity to the rape victims, what can we expect of any sensibility from the lower rank officer and the simple constable? The Supreme Court of India has rightly taken cognizance of the incident and asked the UP police department to send all reports in detail about the case of minor girl rape and her whole night ordeal in police lock-up. When the apex court intervened, the government of Uttar Pradesh has woken up and put all police personnel deputed with the police station under suspension. It is also not surprising that whether it is police or civil administration, it has always found to be on the side of criminals in UP. And this trend is especially experienced when there is Samajwadi Party government in the state. UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav is young, energetic, forward-looking and of liberal nature but he has failed so far to come up to the expectation of the people in UP. It is only because of his being in the clutches of the senior leaders of the party who never allow him to apply his own mind to deal with any problem in the state. The Supreme Court and the fourth estate is the last hope of the people, especially of weaker sections, for justice. Neither legislative nor the executive delivers its duty honestly and promptly. It is seen and experienced that unless and until the judiciary asks the executive to act, it deliberately avoids taking action.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

SFI’s hooliganism

The manhandling of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee and her finance minister Amit Mitra by the Student Federation of India, the student wing of CPI(M), is highly condemnable and a reflection of the failure of the Delhi police to provide security to them. This incident gives credence to the perception that Delhi is becoming more and more unsafe. When Delhi police is unable to provide security to the Chief Minister of a state in Delhi, it cannot be expected to give safety and security to general Delhiites. Bannerjee and her ministers may not have followed the police instruction how and through which gate to enter the Yojayana Bhavan in Delhi's high security zone to meet the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia but it does not mean that the Delhi police should leave their security to chance. Through whichever gate the WB CM Mamata Bannerjee and entourage were entering the Yojna Bhavan, there must also have been full proof security. It is also open to all that both the CPI(M) and TMC cadres are blood thirsty of each other. The recent incident of the death of a SFI leader in police custody in Kolkata is still fresh. SFI leader's death has brought the two parties on the brink of an open war. Anything can happen at anytime and anywhere with the leaders of both the parties. That should have been kept in view by Delhi police while providing security to CM Bannerjee in Delhi. Mamata Bannerjee's TMC has thrown the Left bastion in West Bengal out of power after 32 years. Therefore, bitter rivalry between the two parties is natural. The violence has no place in politics. The left parties are known for practising violence for achieving their goals. Parliamentary democracy does permit violence of any type. It is natural that there is anger among Left cadres at the death of their young student leader but it does not give them permission to resort to manhandling of their state's CM and ministers in the national capital Delhi. The way Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was gheraoed and her Finance Minister, Amit Mitra, heckled by Left activists outside the Planning Commission's office in New Delhi makes our democratic system and cultured uncivilized and barbaric. Trinamool Congress workers have also retaliated by unleashing violence in West Bengal. At least two former CPM ministers were attacked and over a hundred CPM district and zonal party offices were torched, according to reports. This cycle of violence must stop and all disputes must be resolved through talks and dialogues in a complete democratic way.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Modi in BJP's PM mode

It is most likely that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi would be considered as BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate in 2014 Lok sabha elections, though there are a number of contenders for the job and hurdles within the party for him. Modi leaves nothing to chance in positioning himself as national leader so to be in reckoning for prime ministerial race amongst the leaders of his party. In national capital New Delhi, he participated and shared with two national stages- SRCC and FCCI(Ladies' wing) programme and at a function organized by a private TV news channel wherein he put forth his views on the issue of development and other national and international issues. His uttering at these functions reflects very clearly that he positions himself to be counted as formidable contender for prime ministership. On the front of development, he calls the government of India to follow his Gujarat model. He considers it perfect. However, whether his model of development in Gujarat is inclusive or not is a matter of serious debate and discussion. The situation, parameter, environment, education and economic condition in one state differ from the other. India consists of 28 states and 7 Union Territories. So, it is quiet impossible to experiment with the development model of particular state at national level. India as a whole needs inclusive development wherein no section of the people should feel excluded. The weaker and minority section of the people must be paid special attention by the government to bring them on par with the majority section of the people. Narendra Modi's speech at FCCI (Ladies wing) programme dwelt extensively on the inherent strength of women to be of extra-ordinary entrepreneurship. He has only attached traditional respect to women in society and not outlined measures for their empowerment. Everyone knows that woman is considered as mother, sister and daughter. Nevertheless, all kinds of atrocities are perpetrated on her in home and on the street. Modi did not speak how woman should be given full proof security, good education and made self-dependent in all respects in society. He also did not say what his party is doing to pass Women Reservation Bill that calls for 33 percent reservation in Parliament and assembly. The women have nothing to do with examples like Kalawati and Jessubehen. Despite Modi’s drum beating about all round development in his state of Gujarat, the sex ratio is no better than national average nor is the environment in the state any way more amiable, assured and safe for there. The incident of Female foeticide also happens as elsewhere in the country. Women only want equal status with men in society.

Saturday, April 6, 2013

A tragic case of sheer negligence

The tragic collapse of the building in Thane of Maharashtra has taken the toll of its 72 occupants. Several others were also injured . It is a case of sheer negligence by the Thane Municipal Corporation, police and government authorities. They did not take any safety measures for the occupants of the building. The building was constructed in the most hastily way by the builder, flouting all rules and regulations of building construction. The builder had not followed any by-laws laid down by the Thane Municipal Corporation. It was completed in seven months. The builder had also started constructing the eighth floor without vacating the occupants of the 7th floor despite the objection by the labourers and masons engaged for constructing the building illegally. The construction sector is booming in the entire nation and the municipal, government, police authorities and builders have hand-in glove to make money. The construction is the most flourishing business these days all over the country. Builders are in connivance with municipal authorities and police officials construct buildings illegally even on the land of other departments with sub-standard construction material but no authorities concerned ever paid any attention to the violation of the building by-laws. The Thane building collapse tragedy is the glaring example of how lives of the innocent are deliberately put in danger zone to make money. If there had been timely intervention by the municipal or police authorities in the illegal construction of the ill-fated seven-storey building, the 72 innocent lives would have been saved. The case of illegal building construction is not only of Thane in Maharashtra but this business of illegal construction of building is going on in full swing all over the nation also. Whenever a truck full of bricks is unloaded in any colony anywhere in the nation, a local beat constable reaches first to enquire who is carrying out construction of the building to fleece money from the builder and allow him to do all the illegal things to make money. More or less, this sorry state of affairs about building construction illegally prevails all over the nation. So, the tragic building collapse in Thane can be replicated anywhere if the state government, police and municipal corporation did not stop their malpractices and callousness. The mangled heap of steel and concrete at Lucky Compound in Shil Phata area of Thane shows how the builder ignored rules and safety measures while constructing the ill-fated building.

Friday, April 5, 2013

Impressive interaction

Congress vice Rahul Gandhi president and future of the party throws ample light on inclusive development in his first interaction with the top industry body of the nation CII. His lineage links him with Gandhi-Nehru dynasty that his address to CII reflects clearly. According to his lineage, he has talked of the entire nation and not left anyone else from the vision of development. Addressing the captains of industry in New Delhi, Rahul Gandhi has given clear indication about his model of development. All inclusive development models are his idea. His vision of India is like beehive where all its citizens have their contribution to the development of the nation. He has said that China is referred to Dragon and India to Elephant. But in reality, India is a beehive where voices of all should be heard. And only then we can realize real development. Rahul Gandhi has rightly said that one man cannot solve all the problems. There must be an atmosphere in the nation where everyone feels his involvement in the development process. It has not been realized so far in our nation. The captains of industry must realize that until and unless they feel that they have social responsibility to take along everyone with their development process, there cannot be the development of the nation in real terms. Unequal development in society will only create friction, tension and discontentment among the sections deprived from the benefit of the economic reforms so far carried forward with their help in our nation. Rahul Gandhi was trying to give the message to the industry captains that the nation requires inclusive growth and that will help build harmonious atmosphere in the nation. He in his interaction with the industry captains has given enough hints that the methods of economic reforms should be as such that every section of society irrespective of caste, creed, religion and community should feel that benefit has reached to all in equal measure. As far as the issue of Prime Minister is concerned, he has made it clear umpteen times that he is not in a haste for it. He has always said whenever the scribes ask him about his desire to become prime minister of India, it not the time to talk about it. He has never rejected outright the question about his desire to become PM. Rahul Gandhi is young, energetic and of consultative nature. He always talks of 'We' not 'I' as other opposition prime ministerial contender talks. Rahul mixes with all sections, communities, castes and creed. He never loses sight of their needs while talking about the development before the august gathering of the captain of industry. He has certainly made his mark with his inclusive growth idea.

Monday, April 1, 2013

Modi on top in BJP

It was certain that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi after his third consecutive victory in assembly elections would be brought on the centre stage of national politics by the BJP to play the politics of development. BJP moves step by step in regard to his projection as its prime ministerial candidate in 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Rajnath Singh’s new team is an exercise in this direction. But BJP must know that his appeal outside Gujarat in previous elections is anything to go by, he can not win as many parliamentary seats as are required by it to form the government and dictate its terms in NDA. Undoubtedly, Modi reigns supreme in the BJP and no other party leaders after Vajpayee-Advani duo can match his popularity graph. Not only Modi was brought in the highest decision making body of the party parliamentary board but also his right hand man Amit Shah, who is facing fake encounter case, has been made General Secretarty. Besides Shah, other Modi loyalists have been made party vice-presidents, secretaries and spokespersons that amply reflect that the BJP totally relies on Modi’s charishma in Lok Sabha elections next year. Though before the next year general elections, Karnataka assembly elections are going to be held on May 5 and BJP president Rajnath Singh's new team strength will be put to test whether they help retain the party power there or not. It would also be seen how the BJP plays out Modi’s development politics in Karnataka elections. Modi's national space will also be tested. By forming the new team, Rajnath Singh has accommodated most of the Modi's acolytes. Narendra Modi has been prefrred to the other BJP chief minister like Shivraj Singh Chauhan of Madhya Pradesh for parliamentary board because of his being the senior most. Undoubtedly, Narendra Modi is the most popular leader of BJP among its cadres and workers. However, how much he is acceptable in other parts of the nation than Gujarat is not clear because of the stigma of Gujarat riot of 2002 stills sticks him. It is correct that Modi has an excellent art of managing the media through which he propagates about the development of Gujarat. By bringing Narendra Modi on the Centre stage, the BJP is also testing waters concerning its allies. One of its oldest allies the JD(U) with which BJP is in coalition government of Nitish Kumar in Bihar has already made it clear that the candidate of the NDA for Prime Minister in 2014 Lok Sabha elections must be of secular credentials, and pleading for the development of backward states. Narendra Modi does not fit in its scheme of things. The moment the BJP formally declares Narendra Modi as the prime ministerial candidate for 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the JD(U) would breakaway with NDA. This is coalition era. When Congress despite its presence in length and breadth of the nation cannot form government on its own in the prevailing political scenario, what to talk of BJP which has still not recorded its presence all over the nation. So, Narendra Modi alone can not alone bring the BJP to power.