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Jyoti basu is dead

Dr.B.R.Ambedkar

Monday, July 25, 2011

Free Market Corporate Governance has INFLICTED the ROT within Political Economy! Faces IRRELEVANT in the CORRUPT System. Civil Society and Media focuses only the Faces while defending Die Hard the Free Market Corporate Governance! I had been writing


Free Market Corporate Governance has INFLICTED the ROT within Political Economy! Faces IRRELEVANT in the CORRUPT System. Civil Society and Media focuses only the Faces while defending Die Hard the Free Market Corporate Governance! I had been writing and speaking this since Beginning of the Exposures! The attack limited to the Political faces only SAVES and Strengthens the System and the Market Dominating Community. The so much so Hyped Anti Corruption Movement speaks NOTHING against the system, the Economic Reforms, Policy Making, Extra Constitutional Governance, Corporate Lobbying and Ethnic Cleansing in the EXCLUSIVE Political Economy!

2G transactions known to PM Manmohan Singh, P Chidambaram: A Raja


Indian Holocaust My Father`s Life and Time - SIX HUNDRED  NINETY THREE

Palash Biswas

http://indianholocaustmyfatherslifeandtime.blogspot.com/



http://basantipurtimes.blogspot.com/


Free Market Corporate Governance has INFLICTED the ROT within Political Economy! Faces IRRELEVANT in the CORRUPT System. Civil Society and Media focuses only the Faces while defending Die Hard the Free Market Corporate Governance!

I had been writing and speaking this since Beginning of the Exposures! The attack limited to the Political faces only SAVES and Strengthens the System and the Market Dominating Community.

The so much so Hyped Anti Corruption Movement speaks NOTHING against the system, the Economic Reforms, Policy Making, Extra Constitutional Governance, Corporate Lobbying and Ethnic Cleansing in the EXCLUSIVE Political Economy!

last Evening, I was involved an unexpected discussion in the Railway Compartment of Down Princep Ghat Local. The debate was on the Change Scenerio.

The Bengali Intelligentsia, Civil Society and Media supported Mamata Wave just because of its show of Resistance against Indiscriminate Land Acquisition, Urbanisation and Industrialisation and the Marxist Ways of attaining Foreign Capital Inflow!

The Same Class which poses Apolitical is Politically so blinded now that they would not speak anything against the Monopolistic aggression and the Private Investment just because Mamata has taken over Helms and she is Partner in the Economic Drive!

In Bengal the masses are vertically divided in between CPIM and TMC!

They just support or criticize the Political Leaders and fail to see the sustenance of the System as they are Politically INFORMED only while ECONOMICALLY everyone is MISINFORMED or IGNORANT! No one is in touch with the Process of Policy Making, Governance and the system.

The same Economists and Officials doing the Havoc against the Masses are the chief Lieutinants of Mamata Banerjee.

In the Centre, Neo Liberal Policies continued since the INTRODUCTION of Exclusion in Politics, society and Economy since the very moment of Transfer of Power.

The Development Models were Nothing but Political. The Economics NEVER changed since Dr Ambedkar wrote his Economic theories!

Change of Political COLOR Never did change the System which is sustained by the Zionist Hegemony.

For Example, NDA or UPA Regime whatever it is the Centre Government has PUSHED for REFORMS and Disinvestment as the STATE is Reduced into the Best TOOL of REPRESSION and Continued Holocaust.

This afternoon , our friend from Banagluru, PRABHAKR called me and we discussed the issue at large! I explained my Point of view and he agreed.

But the basic problem remains as the tools and mediums of INFORMATION have been HIJACKED we may NOT Communicate the Masses! How to break through ! Think friends ! Just think!

Transactions made in the allocation of 2G spectrum were known to Prime MinisterManmohan Singh and the then finance minister P. Chidambaram, former communications minister A. Raja alleged on Monday.

Raja's counsel told Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge O.P. Saini that his client had not done anything wrong in his decision of not auctioning 2G spectrum and that he was merely following the policies pursued by his predecessors and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.

"The decision to increase the cap on foreign direct investment (FDI) from 49 percent to 74 percent was a cabinet decision of which prime minister was a part," said Senior counsel Sushil Kumar, appearing for Raja.

"The matter (about sale of equity by spectrum licencees) was discussed between the prime minister and the then finance minister," he submitted.

"The then finance minister, who is now home minister, had said in front of the prime minister that dilution of shares does not amount to sale of 2G licence as per the corporate law," said Sushil Kumar.

Raja's counsel stated that if my client was being prosecuted for following a certain policy then all telecom ministers since 1993 were liable to be prosecuted as they too followed the same policy.

"If the policy pursued by Raja was wrong, then all former telecom ministers since 1993 should also be lodged in jail," said Sushil Kumar.

"Astelecom ministerArun Shourie distributed 26 licences while Dayanidhi Maran distributed 25 and Raja distributed 122 licences," he said, adding that the numbers made no difference.

It was to be noted that none of them auctioned the spectrum, he said.

"If they had done no wrong, why am I being questioned? Let them deny that they had not done what I did. I was just following the 2003 cabinet decision that is not to auction 2G spectrum. If I am following the law, I am not liable to be prosecuted. Infact, I should be rewarded," said Raja.

Defending Raja, his counsel said that because of his policy mobile phone call rates came down.

"The CBI, however, is maintaining that whenDB Realty gave its shares (in Swan Telecom) to bring in money, it amounted to sale and so is the case withUnitech (Wireless). But, when Tata Tele services gives its shares to bring in foreign direct investment, it, according to the CBI, does not amount to sale," Raja's counsel said.

"Telenor buying a stake in Unitech wireless and Etisalat buying a stake in DB Realty - the finance minister approved it in the presence of the prime minister. Let the PM deny it," he said.

The CBI Saturday concluded its arguments on the framing of charges in the 2G phone spectrum case.

Fourteen accused and three companies are charged with causing a loss of Rs.30,984 crore to the exchequer by selling the scarce resource, also called radio frequency that helps carry telecom signals, to private players cheap.

Raja, who was arrested Feb 2 for his alleged role in the 2G scam, Monday began his arguments opposing charges of cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy against him.

All the 14 accused, includingDMK MP Kanimozhi, are presently lodged in Tihar Jail here.

Toothless LokPal Bill will once again take India  for a ride : corrupt crooks can't  be controlled

It is very easy to deceive the Indians. Particularly those classified as Hindu. Though the SC/ST/BC (65%) are not Hindu and never Hindu, they have been Hinduised (made  unthinking morons) in the past thousands of years under this violent and also non-violent Hinduaisation drive.  The shudra section, forming the fourth order of the chathur varna (caste system) have been also made unthinking fellows.
That means over 80% of the Hindu social order can be easily fooled by the upper castes (dwijas),meaning Brahmins, Kshtriyas and Vaishyas
The first person who successfully fooled the unthinking, poor, gullible masses was M.K.Gandhi. Then came another bogus fellow hailed Lok Nayak J.P. the latest to enter this lucrative business is the Marathi Brahnin, Anna Hazare, also "Gandhian".
The multi-million dollar   yoga guru, Ramdev Yadav, gate crashed into this field. His yoga clients are the overfed upper castes but they did not join his June 5 Ramlila ground circus in Delhi fearing violence. It is again the unthinking "low caste" morons, made monkeys by the myths manufactured by Brahminism. Ramdev is being groomed by the Hindu terrorist party which wants to seize the initiative taken by the other fake Gandhian who is also close to the Hindu terrorist party.
  Thanks to the "khatri sick" PM's June 5th midnight foolishness, the two rival "saviours" are merging.
This is an important development in the crisis- ridden history of India manipulated by its less than 3% Brahminical upper castes.
  This is incident clearly proved that the Indian constitution and all the creatures it created, namely parliament, executive, judiciary-have all failed. And this country of 1,300 millions, the   second largest in the world, is being taken hostage by extra-constitutional mischief-makers.
Every effort is being made by the ruling class to bury the LokPal Bill after raising sky high the hopes of the oppressed millions. Both the nakli Gandhi, Anna Hazare, and the "Khatri sick" PM--the two sides of the same coin--are party to the conspiracy which once again took the country's innocent   millions for a ride.
If you closely observe, the "Gandhian" Anna's gang leaders are all urban-based corrupt parasites. Do you remember the same fellows once hoisted the Lok Nayak Jayprakash Narayans(JP)   whose bogus  "Total Revolution" brought the Hindu terrorist party to power? Anna is a great admirer of Gandhi, JP, Gujart's Modi and Karnataka's Yediyurappa. This is enough to sum up Anna.
Financial crooks: If the PM and the Supreme Court are so pure and lily white why they should not be subjected to LP probe?   If the PM is so honest, as he pretends, why should he not himself volunteer for scrutiny?
DV was the one and only paper in India to declare that the country's biggest financial crooks and criminals have all flourishied under the PM.
Swiss bank stolen money:  The one single case of Harshad Mehta is enough to prove our point. Now look. The Supreme Court has been repeatedly asking the govt. to get back the stolen money kept in Swiss Bank. But it is our "Khatri Sick" PM who is side-tracking the issue. The latest proof for this is the govt. appointing an "expert committee" to count the quantum of   money and where it goes funny. This is a typical "Hindu style". When you want to kill an inconvenient problem, appoint a committee.
The country's topmost frauds have all kept their stolen money in Swiss banks but the "Khatri Sick" PM is shielding them.
DV never proved wrong: Telecom Minister Raja had repeatedly said he had kept thePMfully briefed at every stage on the spectrum issue. Kalmadi also had kept PM fully informed. But Raja and Kalmadi are sent to jail. Why commission   yet another yoga guru Ramdev (54) darling of the Hindu terrorist party, fraud to say PM should be kept out of the LokPal? The entire economic portrait of the country was painted by him, right from his days as the Governor of the Reserve Bank, then as Financial Minister and later as PM.  All the biggest sharks are sheltered under   his broad wings. Our suspicions and criticisms will continue to stick until the "Khatri Sick" PM and the Supreme Court voluntarily subject themselves toLPprobe.
The ruling class is very effectively shielding us the "Khathri Sick" PM who is the principal cause of India's fall and fall. DV has been consistently telling it. And we have never proved wrong.

http://www.dalitvoice.org/Templates/july2011/editorial.htm

25 Jul, 2011, 04.13PM IST, Sutanuka GhosalSutanuka Ghosal,ET Bureau

FICCI signs MoU with West Bengal government for skill development through PPP initiatives

KOLKATA: Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding with theWest Bengal government to scale up skill development initiatives in the state throughPPP initiatives. The state minister of technical education and training Mr Rabiranjan Chattopadhyay was present at the signing ceremony.

West Bengal Government is planning to increase the number of polytechnic colleges to 100 and ITI s to 300 in the next 3-5 years to meet the gap in skill development. Even after the increase in ITI's and polytechnic colleges only 10% or 3 million of the population can be trained.

This leaves a huge skill gap specially in the manufacturing and service sectors such as iron & steel, petroleum and petrochemicals, IT& ITes, real estate & construction, retail, health care, tourism etc. Thus there is immense scope for private participation in addressing the skill gap,Ficci said in a release.

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West Bengal has 75 ITI/ITCs (0.86% of the total ITIs/ITCs in the country) among which 24 are private ITI/ITCs. West Bengal has 79 engineering colleges which accounts for 3.3% of the total number of engineering colleges in India and 65 polytechnics colleges (40 government and 25 private) accounting for approximately 3% of polytechnic colleges in the country.

A large pool of skilled workers is critical for attracting investment into the state. The process of repositioning and developing the West Bengal economy through Skill Development initiatives would require creative planning and efforts to create various forms of public-private partnerships (PPPs).

FICCI would act as a conduit between the private players and the department of technical education & training to build sustainable business models which would institutionalize and scale up the skill development drive. FICCI will conduct workshops and seminars, providing necessary guidance on developing curriculum as per the need of the industry to improve employability on priority sectors such as manufacturing (leather, textile etc), construction, automobiles, service sector (retail, hospitality, BPO operation).
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/ficci-signs-mou-with-west-bengal-government-for-skill-development-through-ppp-initiatives/articleshow/9358885.cms

25 Jul, 2011, 09.08AM IST, TNN

Rahul's ideas will be at the centre of UPA-2's land bill: Jairam

Jairam Ramesh has not lost his capacity to get to the point in his shift from the environment ministry to the politically crucial rural development portfolio. In an interview with Subodh Ghildiyal , the minister makes it clear thatCongress leader Rahul Gandhi's views on land acquisition will form the cornerstone of UPA-2's policy. He also said he was against acquisition of land with multi-crop yields .


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Q: In your first ministerial review of land acquisition, you said "things have changed after Rahul's padyatra".


A: Rahul has raised a number of public issues. He has expressed very strong views on land acquisition, spoken about fair compensation for farmers. He has travelled, met all these people, given expression to things. Even in my previous job (environment), he expressed very strong views on land acquisition from tribals, on projects. What I meant was that those views have to get reflected (in the land acquisition bill).


Q: Critics say land activism of the Rahul variety will hit industrialization.


A: I think we need a law for land acquisition, the 1894 Act has clearly run its course. We need faster industrialisation, faster urbanization. But we need a regime of rehabilitation which is fair and adequately compensates landowners and livelihood dependers. The idea is not to choke off industrialization. We have not discovered a landless way of industrialisation. But I am firmly of the view that multiple-crop land, fertile farm land, irrigated land, should not be acquired because we are endangering our food security. Long before Mamata Banerjee raised Singur, I asked my friends in Tatas why are you acquiring this triple-crop land, there must be some other option.


Q : In environment, you were accused of a political approach to benefit Congress and trouble rivals?


A: I am a political man, a Congressman, It sent me to Parliament, made me minister. But I have to walk on two legs, one is the Congress leg and another is all-party. I have to be political - I cannot be technocratic in RD -- but I cannot be partisan. In my previous job, I was accused of being anti-Orissa (because of Niyamgiri). But when I opposed Polavaram in Andhra, I was hailed in Orissa. Look at the projects I stopped in Congress states -- Renuka dam in Delhi, power projects in Rajasthan, Lavasa in Maharashtra, Polavaram in AP... among all the jobs I have held, RD is the most political of all.


Q: What's the schedule for the land bill which has been pending for five years?


A: It is my priority. I want to put it in the public domain. But we need some more debate on this, so I don't want to rush into anything. What I have committed is a reasonable draft which balances need for land for industry and need for good compensation. Q: You have involved NAC. You are opening yourself to attacks from BJP which sees it as unconstitutional? A: How can I forget that I started my government, political career in NAC. I was privileged to be member ofNAC from July 2004 and I was there throughout NAC-1. We should not take antagonistic positions. I am using them as a sounding board because they have ideas. Let BJP attack me, I don't have any problem. NAC is an institution and an important one, and it will help in the cause of rural development


http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/rahuls-ideas-will-be-at-the-centre-of-upa-2s-land-bill-jairam/articleshow/9354801.cms

25 Jul, 2011, 05.31AM IST, Surojit Gupta & SidharthaSurojit Gupta & Sidhartha,TNN

Food security law could push up world prices, widen subsidy bill

The proposedFood Security Act has the potential to stoke global food prices and significantly increase the country's food subsidy bill, officials and experts say.


The government plans to introduce a legislation which aims to ensure food security for 75% of the rural households and 50% of the urban areas and includes both below poverty line and above poverty line families.


Experts say that in case there is a drought in future and procurement drops below the desired level, the government may have to resort to imports to meet the commitment under the proposed Act and this is bound to trigger a sharp increase in global prices, given the likely scale of the imports.


"Historically we have exported at low prices and imported at high prices. The global market keeps a close watch on production around the world and India is not a regular importer or exporter. So whenever India enters the global market, for example as they did in 2008, we had to import at high prices," said Vinod Kapoor, an independent trade expert.


Officials say the costs involved for running the scheme could also pose a serious challenge. They say monitoring and implementing the provisions of this gigantic plan would also prove to be a huge obstacle for the government machinery and put a huge strain on the procurement agencies.


This year the government has procured record amount of grains but in the past 10 years there have been times when the procurement was below expectation. While the option to mop up grains from the open market is available, it would put a huge strain and lead to market distortions. According to government estimates, the total requirement to implement the plan would be around 61 million tonnes.

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"In 1972-73 , there was a complete takeover of the wholesale market for grains and had to be reversed within weeks. That danger is there now," a senior official, who did not wish to be identified, told TOI. Then prime minister Indira Gandhi nationalized the wholesale trade in foodgrain but had to reverse the decision after the decision led to market chaos and bumped up prices.


Some experts suggest that providing cash compensation should be made an upfront provision in the legislation. Too much emphasis on wheat and rice may also hurt the process of diversification of agriculture, they argue.


"Why only wheat and rice. There should be a choice that the household can purchase eggs, maize, etc. This will reduce the burden on wheat and rice," said an official. Another worry which has emerged is the fiscal burden that the move will impose. Officials do not expect any major burden this year as the implementation could take place by around December or January, after the legislation is approved by Parliament . But things would be different from next year.


"For the full year the foodsubsidy bill next year could touch Rs 90,000 crore if not Rs 100,000 crore," said another senior official, closely linked to the discussion, who did not wish to be identified. Economists said while such a programme was desirable, the government would have to restructure its spending to cushion the impact on finances.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/food-security-law-could-push-up-world-prices-widen-subsidy-bill/articleshow/9353459.cms

23 Jul, 2011, 12.36AM IST, Sruthijith KKSruthijith KK,ET Bureau

NAC working on a more generous public policy for slum dwellers & migrants in urban India

NEW DELHI: Sonia Gandhi-headedNational Advisory Council is reorienting its focus from rural tourban India, heralding a more benevolent public policy for millions of slum dwellers and migrants, the silent workforce that keeps the economy of big cities humming.

After setting the ball rolling on the landmarkNational Food Security Bill and Communal Violence Bill, urban poverty has become the next big focus area for the council, which is the moving force behind the UPA government's vote-winning employment guarantee scheme and enjoys an outsized influence on official policymaking because of its links with theCongress president.

The NAC's new focus stems from the recognition that much of policymaking focuses on rural poverty while a large number of urban poor suffer equally bad conditions.

Most the urban poor lack basic amenities, live in ramshackle conditions, and frequently suffer at the hands of the police and other agencies because of a policy approach that criminalises them.

"They suffer from a lack of legitimacy," said NC Saxena, a member of the NAC's working group on urban poverty and a former senior bureaucrat. "They are seen as outsiders, encroachers and a nuisance. They are always at war with the municipal authorities. Their contribution to the city's economy is hardly appreciated."

An explosion in urban population has meant a steady deterioration in the quality of life in cities. As occupants jostle for their share of water, electricity, housing and other amenities, the poor suffer the most and are pushed to the margins. Between 1901 and 2001, India's urban population grew 12-fold to 285 million, or about a third of the population. Mumbai and New Delhi now have 21 million and 13 million people, respectively.

A survey on urban slums by the National Sample Survey Organisation in 2002 showed nearly half the people living in non-notified slums had no access to toilets or drainage. "In Delhi slums, only 45% of the children attend schools, only 13% households in the settled colony of Bhawana have sanitary toilets, and none of the six areas recently studied by UNDP in Delhi had solid waste collection service. Many families have no access to piped drinking water," noted Saxena in a paper he has tabled before the NAC on the subject.

"Over the next year or so, we hope to make a number of policy interventions," said Harsh Mander, convenor of the NAC working group on urban poverty. FormerThermax chief Anu Aga is the group's co-convenor.

Mander said, "This is not a problem that can be solved with a big-ticket legislation. This requires working with a range of agencies. Some of this will take the form of legal intervention." The group would push for the present beggary law to be replaced by a more humane one, he added.


Budget 1991: What Manmohan Singh promised and what was delivered
Singh gave his first budget speech on July 24, 1991. ET analyses that famous budget, tells untold story of reforms.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/Parliamentary-Committee-questions-move-to-introduce-Food-Bill/articleshow/8984561.cms

25 Jul, 2011, 11.16PM IST, ET Bureau

FDI in retail: Left trade arm of Forward Bloc, United Trade Union Congress (UTUC) to protest

KOLKATA:Left trade unions in West Bengal will organise a movement against the UPA government for its move to allow 51 per cent ownership in FDI retail. The trade union arm ofForward Bloc,United Trade Union Congress (UTUC), will hold a protest demonstration across West Bengal on August 5 and 6 to oppose the Centre's initiative.


TheUTUC leader Naran Chatterjee said on Monday that they will hold the demonstration to alert the people about the Centre's plan. "We will hold such demonstrations in front of all the important markets across the state. Later, we might go for similar protest demonstrations in front of major outlets like Metro Cash & Carry," Chatterjee informed.


The CPIM's trade union arm, Citu, has also opposed the Centre's plan. Citu state president Shyamal Chakraborty said in a statement on Monday that "about 16 crore people of our country are involved in retail business. The Centre's move will destroy their business prospects as there is no guarantee that the upper limit for FDI ownership will remain at 51 per cent."

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Quoting a FICCI report, Chakraborty also said that "in the coming few years, retail trade in our country will contribute 44 per cent of the capacity of our internal production. Presently, there is 11 retail outlets in our country for every 1,000 population. Same is the ratio in West Bengal. All the trade unions and organisations of retail trade business will have to fight vehemently against the Centre's move."


Chakraborty also did not spare the Trinamool Congress-run West Bengal government. "We are also warning the state government. If they try to pursue the Centre's move in West Bengal, we will thwart the same at any cost. We also want to remind those who had voted for the Trinamool Congress in the previous elections that the Trinamool, too, in their election manifesto, had opposed the Centre's plan," Chakraborty added.


The Left parties in West Bengal are not getting any major issue on the basis of which they can organise a movement against the Trinamool Congress-run government. Naturally, the Left parties and their trade unions are trying to mobilise public opinion against Mamata Banerjee's government by giving an impression that her government was supporting theCentre on the FDI issue.


The Citu will also go for a statewide movement against the Centre's plan. A senior Citu leader said that they will soon announce their agitation programme.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/fdi-in-retail-left-trade-arm-of-forward-bloc-united-trade-union-congress-utuc-to-protest/articleshow/9363169.cms

Raja: why were other telecom firms not chargesheeted?

The Hindu - ‎23 minutes ago‎
Arguing on the charges against him in the 2G spectrum allocation scam, the former Union Telecom Minister, A. Raja, on Monday came down hard on the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for not chargesheeting other telecom companies, including Tata...

2G case: Congress dismisses Raja's claim

Express Buzz - ‎56 minutes ago‎
NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Monday seized on the allegations of former communications minister A. Raja in the 2G spectrum controversy to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P. Chidambaram, ...

2G Scam | Raja targets PM, former FM, Tatas

Livemint - Nikhil Kanekal, Liz Mathew - ‎3 minutes ago‎
New Delhi: A. Raja's lawyer on Monday put the government and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a politically difficult situation by claiming that some of the former telecom minister's actions in the controversial 2008 sale of second-generation (2G)...

2G: BJP asks PM, PC to resign, Sibal hits back

IBNLive.com - ‎1 hour ago‎
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday demanded the resignations of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and then finance minister P Chidambaram after allegations by former Telecom Minister A Raja that both knew about transactions in the 2G ...

2G case: DMK silent on Raja's arguments

Express Buzz - ‎55 minutes ago‎
CHENNAI: The DMK Monday maintained a stoic silence over the statement to court by party leader and former communications minister A. Raja that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former finance minister P. Chidambaram were in the know of the happenings ...

2G: Raja targets PM, Chidambaram in self-defence

IBNLive.com - ‎2 hours ago‎
New Delhi: In dramatic courtroom allegations, arrested former telecom minister A Raja, on first day his defence, has directly embarrassed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and then finance minister P Chidambaram in the 2G scam. Raja's council claims the ...

Shourie refutes Raja's claim of following NDA policy

Hindustan Times - ‎1 hour ago‎
PTI Former telecom minister Arun Shourie on Monday agreed with A Raja that the latter had discussed the 2G spectrum issue with Prime minister Manmohan Singh and then Finance minister P Chidambaram before going ahead but refuted his claim of following ...

2G spectrum scam: Inherited policy of predecessors, says A Raja

Economic Times - ‎2 hours ago‎
NEW DELHI: Former Telecom MinisterA Raja defended himself in 2G spectrum allocation scam by saying he had continued the policy inherited from NDA government and his predecessors were backed by the union cabinet and his effort was to make cellular phone ...

2G scam: PM a man of honesty, integrity, says Congress

Times of India - ‎5 hours ago‎
PTI | Jul 25, 2011, 06.44PM IST NEW DELHI: Congress on Monday dismissed BJP's demand for resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the 2G issue, saying that he is a man of "honesty, integrity and rectitude". ( Read : BJP demands resignations of ...
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Raja: why were other telecom firms not chargesheeted?

STAFF REPORTER
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Arguing on the charges against him in the 2G spectrum allocation scam, the former Union Telecom Minister, A. Raja, on Monday came down hard on the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for not chargesheeting other telecom companies, including Tata Teleservices, which were also awarded 2G spectrum and went on to divest stakes through the FDI route as was done by Unitech Wireless and Swan Telecom.

"NOT BLACK MONEY"

Mr. Raja's counsel and senior advocate Sushil Kumar told a special CBI court: "Everyone [telecom companies] has got foreign equity induction. Tata Teleservices has got Rs.14,000 crore in this … Induction of equity by permissible route is not black money. The CBI calls it illegal money as I did not auction the licences."
"Prosecution case is that each one of these companies has sold their licence and on this, the presumptive loss is about Rs.22,000 crore. Out of these nine companies, only two are before this court as accused. Why are the other seven companies not there?"

PM'S STAND

On the issue of cheating the government exchequer through non-revision of entry fees, Mr. Kumar said: "The stand of the Prime Minister in Parliament is that there is no loss [to the exchequer] in this case. I have the statements of the Prime Minister and Minister of Information Technology in Parliament saying there is no loss."
He asked the CBI to explain its failure to get a report from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on the actual loss suffered as a result of the scam.

CABINET DECISION

Mr. Raja claimed that the Cabinet had decided in 2003 not to auction spectrum and the same decision was followed right up to his tenure as Telecom Minister.
He also challenged the CBI to point out at least one document or a prosecution witness statement which said he was "obliged" to auction 2G licences.
Keywords: 2G spectrum case, CBI probe, court arguements
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2293534.ece

Manmohan, Chidambaram aware of dilution of shares by Swan, Unitech: Raja

JIBY KATTAKAYAM
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In this file photo A. Raja is being taken to the court by a CBI official. Mr. Raja says the decision of not auctioning spectrum was in continuity with the policy pursued by the NDA government. Photo: Ramesh Sharma

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NEWS

Raja: why were other telecom firms not chargesheeted?Spectrum was not sold to foreign partners: ChidambaramRaja's court argument is not evidence: Sibal'First-come-first-served policy was not carried out in letter and in spirit'Arguments on framing of charges in 2G case beginNo DMK nominations for Union Cabinet vacanciesDMK sees "ulterior motive" in CBI opposing bail to KanimozhiRaja to begin arguments against charges tomorrowBJP seeks PM, Chidambaram's resignation

TOPICS

crime, law and justicecorruption & bribery
judiciary (system of justice)
trials

The former Telecom Minister, A. Raja, told a special CBI court here on Monday that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the former Finance Minister, P. Chidambaram, were aware of the dilution of equity through the foreign direct investment (FDI) route by two companies that were awarded 2G spectrum.

Commencing arguments on the charges levelled against him, Mr. Raja said he had worked in the "public interest" to provide mobile services at cheap rates and was only following the telecom policies established since 2001. He claimed that Mr. Chidambaram, when he was Finance Minister, informed the Prime Minister about foreign companies buying stakes in the two firms. The decision to award 2G licences at entry fees fixed in 2001, instead of going in for an auction was a Cabinet decision, he alleged.

"Etisalat buying a stake in Swan Telecom and Telenor buying a stake in Unitech Wireless was cleared by the Finance Minister in the presence of the Prime Minister. Otherwise, let the Prime Minister deny it," said Sushil Kumar, counsel for Mr. Raja.

Mr. Kumar said Mr. Chidambaram told the Prime Minister that the "dilution of shares" by the now accused licensees to attract FDI was not illegal and did not amount to "sale of licence," so Mr. Raja could not be accused of corruption in the spectrum allocation.

On why the pan-India entry fee for 2G licences was not revised from Rs.1,659 crore fixed in 2001, Mr. Raja pointed out that the former Telecom Minister, Arun Shourie, and his successor Dayanidhi Maran had awarded 2G licences at these same rates without going in for an auction. "I have implemented only what I have inherited," he said. The Cabinet had decided to auction 3G licences while placing no such "obligation" on him to auction 2G licences.

Launching a spirited defence of himself and his fellow accused, Mr. Raja explained the government's policy to offer tele-services at low rates. "I have done the act in public interest to make mobile services cheap."

When the court resumed proceedings after lunch, Mr. Kumar took exception to the reporting by news channels that his client had blamed Dr. Singh and Mr. Chidambaram. "I am not shifting the blame to the Prime Minister or the former Finance Minister. I am only defending my conduct in court."

Mr. Kumar alleged that the CBI was making selective allegations against some persons while leaving out others. He asked why the CBI was not accusing other 2G licensees who sold stakes to foreign players, and other bureaucrats who were in the Telecom Ministry when controversial decisions were taken.

On the charge of criminal conspiracy, Mr. Kumar wondered how Mr. Raja could conspire with Shahid Balwa of Swan Telecom and Sanjay Chandra of Unitech Wireless when the two were "competitors" for spectrum in the same circles.

Counsel also took exception to the court insisting on beginning arguments on charge without completing investigations into the scam. Mr. Raja completed arguments on the criminal conspiracy and cheating charges against him. He is expected to begin arguments on the charges of "forgery" (Section 468 of the IPC) on Tuesday.

Keywords: A. Raja, 2G spectrum scam, CBI probe, Delhi court arguments

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2292316.ece

Reports

Anna Hazare's Gandhian  stunts to fool innocent Indians

OUR CORRESPONDENT
Mangalore: Take it from us, "Hindu India" can never eradicate corruption.
  Why? Because the very Indian social system is corrupt. We have said it in our report in DV of Oct 16,2010
 Neither the anti-corruption crusader, Anna Hazare, nor his opponents in the govt. are above corruption. Because corruption (meaning money corruption).flows from the top. It is the ruling upper castes, as the leaders of society, who taught us corruption. And that is how the whole society is today buried in corruption. There is not a single wing  of the  society  which is  free from corruption.
Hazare defends the corrupt:   If the current "Khatri Sick" PM or future PMs are free from corruption, why are they afraid of including the office of the PM in LokPal Bill?
If Anna Hazare is lily white why did he defend Narendra Modi, the killer, and also the country's most corrupt CM of Karnataka?  Anna Hazare is said to be a Gandhian-but it is the Muslims, Christians and Sikhs who became victims of Gandhi and his Gandhism
  Dr. Ambedkar, the Father of India, called Gandhi a top class fraud in his writing and speeches.
The whole excercise on Lokpal Bill is a waste of time. The frauds on both sides are united while publicly quarreling. But they are secretly trying to take the country on a joy ride, and thereby fool all of us. This is what is happening in the current Anna Hazare's Gandhian drama.
 As our memory is short-lived, we would like to remind our DV family how the whole Indian social system is corrupt by reproducing our DV report of Oct 16, 2010. "The very Indian system is corrupt".


The Very Indian System Is Corrupt

OUR CORRESPONDENTR
The fence is erected to protect the field. Now, we get the high-voltage shock that the fence itself is eating the field. This shocking revelation has come from an ex-Union Law Minister who named eight corrupt former chief justices of the Supreme Court.
That the judiciary, including the highest court, is not above suspicion is well known. Not only the judges, even the Supreme Court top lawyers.

KALMADIS CORRUPTION

Shanti Bhushan has named the corrupt CJS and many of them are Brahmins. Corruption is not the monopoly of any caste but the Bhoodevatas are leaders in this field also.
The whole world is shocked by the Brahmin culprit Kalmadi's corruption in the Commonwealth Games. But we are not.
Because it is not possible in "Hindu India" to exist without being corrupt.
The problem we face in India is we always have different meaning to every act.

DEFENDING MANU'S LAW

When a person is accused of corruption, what we mean is "money corruption". But we have said in our book, India's Intellectual Desert (DSA-1999, Rs. 50) that money corruption is the last and the least dangerous of the four forms of corruption. "Intellectual corruption" is the most dangerous form of the four.
A Supreme Court sitting judge recently delivered in Bangalore three lectures on a working day at Brahminical institutions on different aspects of Brahminical law. And fully defending it. When the country and its SC are governed by the constitution how could this Brahmin judge uphold the hated anti-human law of Manu?
Nobody criticised this judge's conduct in defending Manu which is more dangerous than crores of corruption.
There is yet another important side to the "corruption stories" which always get front-page publicity. Why the readers love "corruption stories", like to see corrupt fellows pictures and punished by the law of the land?

BRIBE-GIVER IS ALSO CORRUPT

An official, judge or a minister takes money. And this is called corruption.
But did we ever think that the "corrupt fellow" took the bribe because it was willingly given to him by the interested party? Then why don't we criticise the bribe-giver? Without the bribe-giver how can there be a bribe-taker? Both are too sides of the same coin.
In this Brahminical India there is no single govt. dept., central or state, which is not corrupt. It is top to bottom. Corruption begins from the top. Not the bottom.

TEMPLE CORRUPTION

It is also wrong to say that corruption is confined to only govt. sector. The private sector is equally corrupt. All private education institutions collect heavy capitation fees — all unaccounted. Private hospitals, loot the patients.
All shops cheat the customers with faulty weighing machines. Drug stores dispense spurious medicines. Taxis and autos cheat people. There is no place without corruption.
What about temple corruption? Yes.  The list of bribe amount is displayed at the very entrance. All auditors bribe income tax officers. Traders avoid paying tax. Liquor stores sell adulterated stuff.
Cricket is top to bottom corrupt.
Newspapers and journals resort to all sorts of corruption. If you give Scotch and chicken tikka you will get a good report.

WORST CORRUPT COUNTRY IN WORLD

Every Press Club in big cities get big money from the powers-to be. "Paid News" is the latest corruption charge against the daily papers. Even the Press Commission is trying to hush up the crime.
In another two years newspapers will have to devote almost every page to report corruption stories.
You will be shocked to hear even village voters have started demanding money for votes. That means our Brahminical system has made even the people corrupt.
The top in every branch of the society is corrupt. Those in the bottom are watching and learning. India will then become the worst corrupt in the world.

HARSHAD MEHTA &BAL THACKERAY

Who is not corrupt in India?
Our very system itself is corrupt. Our entire socio-economic-cultural-political machinery has become totally corrupt.
Harshad Mehta was not a govt. servant. Bal Thackeray, sitting on a mountain of money today, too was never in govt. Our Dalal Street Dagalbajis are not govt. servants.
The Kanchi Shankarachari nogetting any conviction despite his proven scandals and murders is neither a govt. servant nor a politician.
The whole lot is corrupt. Our very system is corrupt.
The Christian church, the Muslim masjid, the Sikh gurdwaras are not above corruption.

ARMY GENERALSENTENCED

The No.2 man in the Army is today facing court martial for corruption,. We saw the army corruption in the purchase of coffins when George Fernandes was the Defence Minister.
To repeat: Our very system itself is corrupt — rotten. The "Khatri Sick" PM himself defended CW Games corruption.
What is this system?

GLORIFYING THE RICH

This system glorifies the rich. Ambanis are praised and paraded. They are always front-paged. Why the people "respect" the Ambanis even when they don't pay the tax?
Why the papers always front-page news of "India's richest"? Because we are silently admire the rich and would like to emulate them.
Get-rich-quick is the advice given to every youth by the father and mother.
About 20 years ago the parent wished his son to study well and lead a happy life.

HOW TO MAKE MONEY?

Now, this has changed.
The common talk is: "Do you know so and so is doing very well?" What he means by that "wellness" is the fellow has made pots of money. But nobody asks how he has made that money.
Nobody is interested in knowing it. So when the rich are glamourised, praised and paraded, get front page in Times of India, our value system changes. We aim at making money by hook or crook.
But making money is the easiest. You must have no scruples, no principles. Cheat, rob, bribe or take bribe, resort to any means including murder — you become rich. And once you become rich you become the Ambani. Your past is quickly forgotten. And get all awards, rewards. Front page pictures, TV interviews, Rotary Club honour.
Your wife, mother, father will all love you, run after you only if you are rich.

DESPISED BY FAMILY

This writer is the eldest in the family and yet poorest. The family is not interested in our intellectual attainments. Who is interested in all this useless things? "All his brothers and sisters live in their own bungalows but this fellow lives in a rented house and always clad in a jungle dress". This how we are ridiculed.
Look at the value system of the society. It honours, loves, adores only the rich. So the natural rush to make money and be known to the society as a crorepati.
Our value system has changed. It does not give any mark to your character, values, intellectual attainments, your work and suffering for social change. Nothing.

CORRUPTION IS KILLING INDIA

In a temple .no poor man is allowed inside. Only the one who comes in a big car with post of money to the "god"(meaning the priest)gets the first preference
The god also respects the rich.
What is the point in blaming the Supreme Court CJs? Poorfellows. They are all victims of the socio-cultural system that governs this Brahminical society.
The whole thing is sickening.
That is why nothing in India is progressing. Nothing in India is moving. Corruption is killing India.
CW Games is the best proof. The whole country has become one vast CW Games village. (See p.3 Edit)
Our entire traffic, railways, police system, banks, education, health system — are all cracking, collapsing.

"KHATRI SICK" PM

The "Khatri Sick" is called India's most "honest PM". But just because he is not taking bribes (we do not know it) does not mean he is not corrupt.
Corruption is not "money corruption" alone. We have explained this in our book, India's Intellectual Desert.
Corrupt thoughts are more dangerous than mere money corruption. The "Khatri Sick's" thoughts itself are corrupt. A World Bank (Jewish-owned) nominee, he is supporting the "Jews of India" blindly. Is it not corruption?
Over 150 stone-pelting students were fired at and killed in Kashmir. Amnesty International has taken serious objection to this action but the country's ruling class is fully backing this PM. Our ruling class is itself corrupt to the core and this corruption is spreading deep into villages. Dangerous days are ahead.
As the PM, he is responsible for every action of the govt. All the actions of the govt under him are in favour of the rich who in India are none but the upper castes (15%). It is only after he took over more Indians were pushed below the poverty line.

DALIT CHRISTIANS

Money corruption is the last and the least dangerous part of the over all world of corruption.
The church (both Catholic and Protestant) keeping the Dalit Christians (2.5%) out of power is corruption. Syrian Christians dominating the entire North East Mongoloid church is corruption.
Hindu temples not allowing Dalits to enter is corruption.

MARATHA CASTEM RULE

Kashmiris not being allowed self-determination is corruption.
Upper caste Muslims opposing separate reservation for Pasmanda Muslims is corruption.
Jat Sikhs abandoning the Guru Granth and taking to Dasam Granth is corruption.
Casteist rule of the Marathas in Mahrashtra, Reddi-Khamma rule in Andhra Pradesh, Brahmin-Kayasth, Baidya rule in Bengal, Brahmin-Nair-Syrian Christian rule in Kerala, Brahmin-Lingayat rule in Karnataka all these are part of the overall world of systemic corruption.
Our whole body itself has become corrupt, diseased. The disease has entered all parts of our body through the roots or shoots and freely transported within every tissue.
Nothing can save this country from this systemic disease.  It is sure death.
Eliminating corruption is impossible in "Hindu India". Because the cancer is too deep, spreading its roots all over.

IMPOSSIBLE TASK

What is needed is not a drive to curb corruption but to destroy the very value system that prompts you to become corrupt. But the value system comes mostly from the religion. Who is ready to touch the religion?
May be the Brahminical India will rot, stink and degenerate — until another foreign invader comes and takes over. China stands a good chance.


Who killed constitution & how?

OUR CORRESPONDENT
Mangalore: upper castes less than 15% are playing a very dangerous game of sub vesting the very constitution of India and the fragile democratic structures—using a Hindu party nominee
In the course of the past 64 year, they successfully  Hinduaised, the meaning enslaved, the non-Hindu SC/ST/BCs (65% ,instigated   them against –Muslims/ Christians/ Sikhs(20%), and after making them  unthinking slaves they are  bend upon breaking the constitution itself setting up two phantoms- Anna Hzare and Baba Ramdev who flies in his own jet.
Bogus J.P movement: Earlier, (1970s) another (J.P) messiah came promising heaven and pushed us to hell.
 Brahmana Jati Party (BJP) created Hindu terrorists, the Congress the orginal  brahminical Prarty blessed by Gandhian frauds mislead whole  country and finally the Manuvadi Marxists built their upper caste empire  shouting socialist slogans.
DV said  all this:  Every party deceived the people and finally the two unelected extra- constitutional authorities, Hazare and Ramdev had to come to prove the parliament, state legislature, functioning under the constitution have totally failed.
 What they are telling is true. DV has been telling the very same thing for the past 32 years.
But none botherd
 Now the two unelected fellows- exploiting the blind beliefs of the poor suffering, unemployed, illiterate masses—had to come to announce that the constitution has been killed. Who is telling it?   The very representatives of the ruling class who killed the constitution.
 How do you like this?  Is it not clear that India that is Bharat is slowly dying.


DV prove right on "Khatri Sick" PM

OUR CORRESPONDENT
Mangalore: The Ramdev Yadav is a multi-multi-billionaire, a Hindu terrorist party fan and person of doubtful character are all known facts.
 Still knowing all these, why "Khatri Sick" PM and his govt. beg before him, allow the Ramlila thamasha.  And then suddenly the crack down?
 Does it not prove that the highest level of the country there is utter anarchy? Does is not prove our oft-epeated charge of "Khatri Sick" PM's soft coroner for the crooks and the corrupt?
 Whether it is left, right or the centre, the upper castes (15%) are in full control of India. No govt. will not allow to function if it goes against their interests.
Did we not say India as a failed state (2004-pp-25-Rs.35)


Saudi must mend before it ends

OUR CORRESPONDENT
Mangalore: From the very beginning, DV has been criticizing Saudi Arabia for being the stooge of America and acting as the protector of a monarchy which is not recognized under Islam. Yet Saudi poses as the custodian of Islam.
  Today, the Saudi rulers, controlled by the American Jews, are deeply worried as revolutions are sweeping over the whole Arab world and killing its tyrannical   rulers. But Saudi is spending and even sending   troops   to defend the corrupt, anti- people rulers and suppress the people's revolt.
US double game: US as usual is a playing double game. It is pretending to support the Arab revolution but also friendly with the oil-rich Saudi.
You can take it that neither Saudi's oil (money) power   nor the Islamic pretensions   will stand before people's revolution.
 Two major revolutionary   countries are fast coming up: Iran and Turkey Muslim Brotherhood influence is   spreading.
Revolutionary Islam will take over with the doomsday of Zionist Israel fast nearing.


Powerful castes get the cake

Our correspondent
Mangalore: "Khatri Sick" PM's Congress-led UPA Govt. has pleased the ruling upper castes much more than the Hindu terrorist party.  Upper castes are enjoying a heaven on earth.
  The PM and his cronies have given a free hand to the corrupt. But inconvenient fellows among Dalits, OBCs and Muslims are thrown into jail.
Dalits deceived: It deceived the Dalits by rejecting their demand for quota within the quota but accepting the same principal in the case of OBCs.  The govt. is likely to split the 27%BCs quota among different OBCs to oblige the influential   OBCs like the Yadavas and Kurmis.
At the same time it rejected the Dalit demand for quota within the quota.
Caste-based census rejected:  In yet another mischief, it rejected the over-whelming demand for caste-based census but the Cabinet has approved a count aimed at segmenting the population economically-below and above the poverty  line—and socially  into numerous caste groups.
The BPL census and the caste census is a mammoth task involving identification of the real poor in the country along with listing of caste affiliation of the entire population .the counting will begin in June. Excellent diversion.  But the OBC communities would not be counted as demanded. The six-month long census for conducting a head count of "poor people", along with their caste and religious affiliations, will be almost paperless as the enumerators will be armed with low-cost tablet computers.

http://www.dalitvoice.org/Templates/july2011/reports.htm


25 Jul, 2011, 08.03PM IST, AFP

Cricket: Sachin Tendulkar misses century at Lord's

LONDON:Sachin Tendulkar was left stranded on 99 international hundreds after falling for 12 in India's second innings in the first Test against England at Lord's here on Monday.


Tendulkar, whose 51 Test hundreds and 48 in one-day internationals are both world records, was lbw to England paceman James Anderson to end a scratchy 85 minute innings where he faced 68 balls and struck just the one boundary.


'The Little Master' spent 38 balls on 11 and it was on that score where he survived an lbw appeal fromStuart Broad that replays showed would have been out. But, because of Indian objections to ball-tracking technology, there are no reviews of lbw decisions this series.


Tendulkar, trying to withdraw the bat, was then dropped by England captain Andrew Strauss at first slip off Anderson on 12.


But two balls later fast-medium bowler Anderson nipped one back to strike Tendulkar in front of his stumps and this time New Zealand umpireBilly Bowden ruled in England's favour to leave India, chasing an unlikely 458 for victory, in trouble at 165 for five.


Tendulkar's exit, in what could be the 38-year-old's last Test at Lord's, left him with a modest record at the 'home of cricket' of 195 runs in nine innings, spanning five Tests, at an average of 21.66 with a best of 37 made four years ago.


Both Australia'sRicky Ponting and now retired West Indies starBrian Lara, the other two great batsmen of the last 20 years, have also failed to make a Testcentury at Lord's.


Tendulkar's next chance to become the first batsman to score a 100 international hundreds is set to come in the second Test of this four-match series at Trent Bridge in Nottingham, central England, starting on Friday.


2G spectrum scam: Arun Shourie refutes A Raja's claim of following NDA policy

FormerTelecom MinisterArun Shourie on Monday agreed with A Raja that the latter had discussed the 2G spectrum issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and then Finance Minister P Chidambaram before going ahead but refuted his claim of following the NDA policy.

Reacting to Raja's contention in court on Monday that he had discussed the 2G spectrum allocation issue with Singh and Chidambaram, Shourie said, "If we go by the documents, Raja seems to be right."

He insisted that he was making this statement based on the Prime Minister's file on this issue. He added that the government argument about the Prime Minister being concerned about dilution of equity by the licence-holders and not divesting does not stand.

"If it had been in line with foreign equity policy of the government why has this government issued a show cause notice of penalty to Etisalat for Rs 7,100 crore for violating FEMA?" Shourie asked.

The former Telecom minister said Raja has been "very clever" as he wrote letter after letter to the Prime Minister stating that the PM had been informed and that he (Raja) had the "benefit of the advice of the Finance Minister".

"Raja issued press statements and said he was enlightened by not only the Solicitor General Goolam Vahanvati but also by the External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.... On November 7, 2007, Raja said these matters had been discussed with the Finance Minister," Shourie said.

Referring to a file noting by the Principal Secretary to PM on January 15, 2008, Shourie said, "He wrote that the PM wants this informally shared with theDepartment of Telecom and does not want any formal communications. The PM wants the PMO to be kept at an arm's length."

Cong, BJP indulge in politics over Raja, BSY

IBNLive.com - ‎39 minutes ago‎
New Delhi: A Raja's accusations in court have intensified the war over corruption between the BJP and the Congress. While BJP President Nitin Gadkari asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P Chidambaram to resign, the Congress has hit ...

Raja blames some telecom cartel for his ordeal in 2G scam

Indian Express - ‎1 hour ago‎
Former Telecom Minister A Raja alleged in a Delhi court that a cartel of telecom players were behind his ordeal as they wanted to put spokes on the entry of new telecom companies in the sector. "Behind this (his ordeal), there is cartel of some ...

Statement by accused can't be taken seriously: Congress

The Hindu - ‎49 minutes ago‎
The Congress on Monday forcefully dismissed the Bharatiya Janata Party's demand that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh quit on the 2G spectrum issue. It described him as a man of "honesty, integrity and rectitude," while stressing that "to denigrate him is ...

The PM-Raja letters

Times Now.tv - ‎1 hour ago‎
It is a last ditch attempt by A Raja firing his last and perhaps the most dangerous weapon, putting for the first time the Prime Minister in spot. This is perhaps Congress' worst nightmare. Congress has done all it can to keep Prime Minister out of the ...

2G scam: A Raja drags PM, Chidambaram in the scam

Daily News & Analysis - ‎23 minutes ago‎
By Team DNA | Place: New Delhi | Agency: DNA A Raja, former telecom minister and an accused in the 2G spectrum allocation scam, on Monday dragged the prime minister and the home minister into the case, naming them in the court trying the 2G spectrum ...

Sibal defends Manmohan, Chidambaram

The Hindu - Sandeep Joshi - ‎43 minutes ago‎
Defending Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Cabinet colleague P. Chidambaram, Communications and IT Minister Kapil Sibal on Monday said any "submission by an accused before a court at the time of framing of charges cannot be construed as evidence. ...

New Delhi Raja hits back, drags in PM, Chidambaram

Hindustan Times - ‎40 minutes ago‎
Former telecom minister A Raja on Monday dragged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the then finance minister P Chidamabaram in the 2G spectrum scam, saying he had discussed sale of equity by spectrum licence-holders with them. ...

PM, Chidambaram should resign over 2G scam says BJP

Business Standard - ‎39 minutes ago‎
Accusing the Congress-led UPA government of being directly responsible for the multi-crore 2G spectrum allocation scam, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P Chidambaram must resign immediately. ...

2G case: Congress dismisses Raja's claim

Express Buzz - ‎1 hour ago‎
NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Monday seized on the allegations of former communications minister A. Raja in the 2G spectrum controversy to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P. Chidambaram, ...

Raja challenges PM on Unitech, Swan stake sale

Business Standard - ‎59 minutes ago‎
Former telecom minister A Raja on Monday said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was present when the then finance minister, P Chidambaram, had approved Telenor and Etisalat's proposals to pick up stakes in the new licensees, Unitech and Swan, respectively. ...

Timeline of articles

Timeline of articles
Number of sources covering this story
Cong, BJP indulge in politics over Raja, BSY
‎39 minutes ago‎ - IBNLive.com
Uncertainty harming telecom sector: Kapil Sibal
‎12 hours ago‎ - Times of India

Images

Hindu Business ...
NDTV.com
Star News
BBC News
NDTV.com
AFP
Star News
Rediff
Firstpost
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Manmohan Singh

Statement by accused can't be taken seriously: Congress

The Hindu - ‎50 minutes ago‎
The Congress on Monday forcefully dismissed the Bharatiya Janata Party's demand that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh quit on the 2G spectrum issue.

Poor economics

Hindustan Times - ‎1 hour ago‎
It was July 24, 1991, when former finance minister Manmohan Singhpresented his first budget. It's widely hailed as a landmark event that has irreversibly and positively changed India.

India to set up independent environmental body

Times of India - ‎11 hours ago‎
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says the environment should no longer be treated with ``passive disregard.'' The government has worried markets and irked investors in recent years by holding up or canceling major projects over environmental concerns.

Indore: Fake CM profile on Facebook makes fun of PM, Sonia

Daily Bhaskar - ‎12 hours ago‎
Reason, a fake profile of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singhhas been created on one of the largest social networking sites in the world.

Cash-for-Votes: Samajwadi Party MP grilled

indiablooms - ‎5 hours ago‎
Hindustani said Amar Singh told him that he was working on Manmohan Singh and Patel's directions. The Delhi Police earlier obtained permission from the Home Ministry to question Amar Singh over the controversial cash-for-votes scam.

Budget 1991: What Manmohan Singh promised and what was delivered

Economic Times - ‎Jul 23, 2011‎
I do not minimise the difficulties that lie ahead on the long and arduous journey on which we have embarked. But as Victor Hugo once said, "no power on earth can stop an idea whose time has come".

BSY tries to turn the tables

Deccan Herald - ‎39 minutes ago‎
Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has tried to score political points in his letters - one to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and another to BJP National President Nitin Gadkari - requesting them to constitute committees to probe the allegations of phone ...

Talks only way forward for Pakistan, India: Gilani

Associated Press of Pakistan - ‎1 hour ago‎
Gilani said he had meetings with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to improve relations with both the countries.

20 years of reforms: C Rangarajan's views

IBNLive.com - ‎Jul 21, 2011‎
It's been 20 years since Manmohan Singh opened up Indian economy and freed up Indian entrepreneurship. In 1991, when Singh became the finance minister in the PV Narasimha Rao-led Congress government, the country was close to bankruptcy and had ...

Honouring Indira Gandhi

The Daily Star - ‎1 hour ago‎
This has been enhanced by the fact that the visit precedes that of Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, in the first week of September which "is expected to infuse fresh dynamism into the multi-faceted, multi-dimensional relationship between the two ...
Courting B'desh Deccan Herald

Sponsoring India's 'rise'

The News International - ‎18 hours ago‎
It was communicated to Manmohan Singh in March 2005 by Condoleezza Rice, then secretary of state, who told the Indian prime minister that Washington wanted to make India a global power.

India signs civil nuclear deal with South Korea

The Hindu - ‎10 hours ago‎
Both India and South Korea decided to start talks on civil nuclear cooperation during a meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singhand South Korean President Lee on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Hanoi in October last year.

PM condemns Oslo violence

IBNLive.com - ‎4 hours ago‎
PTI | 08:07 PM,Jul 25,2011 New Delhi, Jul 25 (PTI) Prime MinisterManmohan Singh today condemned last week's massacre in Oslo, saying it was a grim reminder about the threat that extremist violence poses to open societies and underlined the need for ...

Bangladesh willing to tango much faster than Delhi realises

Business Standard - Jyoti Malhotra - ‎1 hour ago‎
Clearly, Dhaka seems to be bravely papering over the recent hiccup over Prime MinisterManmohan Singh's comments on the allegedly growing Islamic radicalisation of Bangladesh, by proceeding with the common understanding that economic connectivity is...

We envy the BJP for its media clout: Cong

Rediff - ‎Jul 24, 2011‎
"It was on this day that 20 years ago Manmohan Singh [ Images ] introduced his economic reforms under Narasimha Rao. There is not even a single Samadhi for Rao, even though without him, Manmohan Singhcould not have introduced his economic reforms," ...

UPA again tries to derail Mumbai blast probe

Organiser - ‎15 hours ago‎
Conveniently nobody reminded Manmohan Singh that he had promised to make a Shanghai out of Mumbai nearly a decade ago. The TV anchors asked all questions to all kinds of 'experts' on the latest blast, wanting to solve the case then and there.

Pakistan foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar arrives for talks on Tuesday

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Anna Hazare

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kisan Baburao Hazare
किसन बाबुराव हजारे
Born15 June 1937 (age 74)
Bhingar, Bombay Province,British India
NationalityIndian
Other namesAnna Hazare
Known for Watershed development programmes
Right to Information movement
Anti-corruption movement
ReligionHinduism
Spouseunmarried
ParentsLaxmibai Hazare (Mother)
Baburao Hazare (Father)
Awards Padma Shri
1990
Padma Bhushan
1992
Website
www.annahazare.org

Kisan Baburao Hazare About this sound pronunciation (help·info)(Marathiकिसन बाबुराव हजारे) (born 15 June 1937), popularly known as Anna Hazare About this sound pronunciation (help·info)(Marathiअण्णा हजारे), is anIndian social activist and anarcho-pacifist who is especially recognised for his contribution to the development and structuring of Ralegan Siddhi, a village in Parner taluka of Ahmednagar district,MaharashtraIndia and his efforts for establishing it as a model village, for which he was awarded the Padma Bhushan—the third-highest civilian award—by the government of India in 1992.[1]

After leading a number of nonviolent protests in Maharashtra state against corruption, Hazare started a fast unto death on 5 April 2011 to exert pressure on the government of India to enact a strong anti-corruption act as envisaged in the Jan Lokpal Bill, a law to establish a Lokpal(ombudsman) with the power to deal with corruption in public offices. The fast led to nationwideprotests in support of Hazare. The fast ended on 9 April 2011, the day after all of Hazare's demands were agreed by the government of India. The government issued a gazette notification on the formation of a joint committee (of government and civil society representatives) to draft an effective Lokpal Bill.[2][3]

According to the July 2011 findings of a CNN IBN-Hindustan Times Opinion poll, the Indian public prefers Anna Hazare to the Government of India to tackle corruption and also see him as more trust-worthily than the government.[4]

Contents

 [hide]

[edit]Early life

Kisan Hazare was born on 15 June 1937 in Bhingar, a small village near the city of Ahmednagar, in Bombay Province (present-dayMaharashtra).[5] Hazare's father, Baburao Hazare, worked as an unskilled labourer in Ayurveda Ashram Pharmacy. His grandfather was in the army, posted at Bhingar, when he was born. His grandfather died in 1945 but Hazare's father Baburao continued to stay at Bhingar. In 1952, Hazare's father resigned from his job and returned to his own village, Ralegan Siddhi. Hazare had six younger siblings and the family faced significant hardships. Hazare's childless aunt offered to look after him and his education, and took young Kisan to Mumbai. Kisan studied up to the seventh standard in Mumbai and then sought employment, due to the economic situation in his household. He started selling flowers at Dadar to support his family. He soon started his own shop and brought two of his brothers to Bombay.[6]

[edit]Military service

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In 1962, events in South Asia meant that large-scale army recruitments were being undertaken. Despite not meeting the physical requirements, 25-year-old Anna was selected, as emergency recruitment was taking place in the Indian Army.[7] After training at Aurangabad in Maharashtra he started his career in the Indian Army as a driver in 1963.[8] During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Hazare was posted at the border in the Khem Karan sector. On 12 November 1965, Pakistan launched air attacks on Indian bases, and all of Hazare's comrades became martyrs; he was the only survivor of that convoy. It was a close shave for Hazare as one bullet had passed by his head.[9] He was driving a truck.[6][10] This led him to dwell on the purpose and meaning of life and death. He came across a small booklet titled "Call to the youth for nation building" by Swami Vivekananda in a book stall at the New Delhi railway station.[11] He realized that saints sacrificed their own happiness for that of others, and that he needed to work towards ameliorating the sufferings of the poor. He started to spend his spare time reading the works of VivekanandaGandhi, and Vinoba Bhave.[12] During the mid-1970s, he again survived a road accident while driving.[13] It was at that particular moment that Hazare took an oath to dedicate his life to the service of humanity, at the age of 38.[9] In 1975, he left the army as soon as he become eligible for receiving pension.[7]

[edit]Transformation of Ralegan Siddhi

"The dream of India as a strong nation will not be realized without self-reliant, self-sufficient villages, this can be achieved only through social commitment and involvement of the common man. "

—Anna Hazare[14]

In 1975 after a voluntary retirement from the Indian army, Hazare went to his native villageRalegan Siddhi, a village located in the acute drought-prone and rain-shadow zone of Parner Tehsil of Ahmadnagar district, in central Maharashtra. It was one of the many villages of India plagued by acute poverty, deprivation, a fragile ecosystem, neglect and hopelessness. Hazare made remarkable economic, social and community regeneration in Ralegan Siddhi. He reinforced the normative principles of human development – equity, efficiency, sustainability and people's participation and made Ralegan Siddhi an oasis of human-made regeneration in a human-made desert without any inputs of industrialisation and technology-oriented agriculture.[7][15]

[edit]Uprooting alcoholism

Anna Hazare recognised that without addressing the menace of alcoholism, no effective and sustainable reform was possible in the village. He organised the youth of the village into an organisation named the Tarun Mandal (Youth Association).[16] Hazare and the youth group decided to take up the issue of alcoholism. At a meeting conducted in the temple, the villagers resolved to close down liquor dens and ban alcohol in the village. Since these resolutions were made in the temple, they became in a sense religious commitments. Over thirty liquor brewing units were closed by their owners voluntarily. Those who did not succumb to social pressure were forced to close down their businesses when the youth group smashed up their liquor dens. The owners could not complain as their businesses were illegal.[17]

Some villagers continued to drink in Ralegan Siddhi, as they obtained their liquor from neighbouring villages. The villagers decided that those men would be given three warnings, after which they would be punished. Twelve men who were found in a drunken state after warnings were tied to a pole in the center of the village in front of the temple. There was no beating but just a public shame.[17] Hazare said, "Doesn't a mother administer bitter medicines to a sick child when she knows that the medicine can cure her child? The child may not like the medicine, but the mother does it only because she cares for the child. The alcoholics were punished so that their families would not be destroyed."[18]

Hazare appealed to the government of Maharashtra to bring in a law whereby prohibition would come into force in a village if 25% of the women in the village demanded it. In July 2009 the state government issued a government resolution amending the Bombay Prohibition Act, 1949. As per the amendments, if at least 25% of women voters demand liquor prohibition through a written application to the state excise department, voting should be conducted through a secret ballot. If 50% of the voters vote against the sale of liquor, prohibition should be imposed in the village and the sale of liquor should be stopped. Similar action can be taken at the ward level in municipal areas. Another circular was issued making it mandatory to get the sanction of the Gram sabha (the local self government) for issuing new permits for the sale of liquor. In some instances, when women agitated against the sale of liquor, cases were filed against them. Hazare took up the issue again. In August 2009 the government issued another circular that sought withdrawal of cases against women who sought prohibition of liquor in their villages.[19]

It was decided to ban the sale of tobacco, cigarettes, and beedies (a speciality cigarette) in the village. In order to implement this resolution, the youth group performed a unique "Holi" ceremony twenty two years ago.[when?] The festival of Holi is celebrated as a symbolic burning of evil. The youth group brought all the tobacco, cigarettes, and beedies from the shops in the village and burnt them in a 'Holi' fire. Tobacco, cigarettes, or beedies are no longer sold in any shops at Ralegan Siddhi.[20][21][22]

[edit]Grain Bank

In 1980, the Grain Bank was started by him at the temple, with the objective of providing food security to needful farmers during times of drought or crop failure. Rich farmers, or those with surplus grain production, could donate a quintal to the bank. In times of need, farmers could borrow the grain, but they had to return the same amount of grain they borrowed, plus an additional quintal as an interest. This ensured that nobody in the village ever went hungry or had to borrow money to buy grain. This also prevented distress sales of grain at low prices at harvest time.[7]

[edit]Watershed development programme

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"It is not the water in the fields that brings true development, rather, it is water in the eyes, or compassion for fellow beings, that brings about real development. "

—Anna Hazare[23]

Ralegan is located in the foothills, so Hazare persuaded villagers to construct a watershedembankment to stop water and allow it to percolate and increase the ground water level and improve irrigation in the area. Residents of the village used shramdan (voluntary labour) to build canals, small-scale check-dams, and percolation tanks in the nearby hills for watershed development. These efforts solved the problem of water scarcity in the village and made irrigation possible.[12][13] The first embankment that was built using volunteer efforts developed a leak and had to be reconstructed, this time with government funding.

In order to conserve soil and water by checking runoff, contour trenches and gully plugs were constructed along the hill slopes. Grass, shrubs and about 3 Lakh ( 300,000 ) trees were planted along the hillside and the village. This process was supplemented by afforestationnullah bunds, underground check dams, and cemented bandharas (small diversion weirs) at strategic locations.[17] Ralegan has also experimented with drip and bi-valve irrigation. Papaya, lemon, and chillies have been planted on a plot of 80 acres (32 ha) entirely irrigated by the drip irrigation system. Cultivation of water-intensive crops like sugar cane was banned. Crops such as pulses, oil-seeds, and certain cash crops with low water requirements were grown. The farmers started growing high-yield varieties of crop and the cropping pattern of the village was changed. Hazare has helped farmers of more than 70 villages in drought-prone regions in the state of Maharashtra since 1975.[24] When Hazare came in Ralegan Siddhi in 1975 only 70 acres (28 ha) of land was irrigated, Hazare converted it into about 2,500 acres (1,000 ha).[17]

The Government of India plans to start a training centre in Ralegan Siddhi to understand and implement Hazare's watershed development model in other villages in the country.[25]

[edit]Milk production

As a secondary occupation, milk production was promoted in Ralegan Siddhi. Purchase of new cattle and improvement of the existing breed with the help of artificial insemination and timely guidance and assistance by a veterinarian resulted in an improvement in the cattle stock. Milk production has increased. Crossbreed cows are replacing local ones which gave a lower milk yield. The number of milk cattle has also been growing, which resulted in growth from 100 litres (before 1975) to around 2,500 litres per day. The milk is sent to a co-operative dairy (Malganga Dairy) in Ahmednagar. Some milk is given to Balwadi (kindergarten) children and neighbouring villages under the child nutrition program sponsored by the Zilla Parishad.[26]

From the surplus funds generated, the milk society bought a mini-truck and a thresher. The mini-truck is used to transport milk to Ahmednagar and to take vegetables and other produce directly to the market, thus eliminating intermediate agents. The thresher is rented out to farmers during the harvesting season.[7]

[edit]Education

In 1932, Ralegan Siddhi got its first formal school, a single classroom primary school. In 1962, the villagers added more classrooms through community volunteer efforts. By 1971, out of an estimated population of 1,209, only 30.43% were literate (72 women and 290 men). Boys moved to the nearby towns of Shirur and Parner to pursue higher education, but due to socioeconomic conditions, girls could not do the same and were limited to primary education. Hazare, along with the youth of Ralegan Siddhi, worked to increase literacy rates and education levels. In 1976 they started a pre-school and a high school in 1979. The villagers formed a charitable trust, the Sant Yadavbaba Shikshan Prasarak Mandal, which was registered in 1979.[27]

The trust obtained a government grant of Indian Rupee symbol.svg400,000 (US$8,920) for the school building using the National Rural Education Programme. This money funded a new school building that was built over the next two months using volunteer labour. A new hostel was constructed to house 200 students from poorer sections of society. After the opening of the school, a girl from Ralegan Siddhi became the first female in the village to complete her Secondary School Certificate in 1982.[20] Since then the school has been instrumental in bringing in many of changes to the village. Traditional farming practices are taught in this school in addition to the government curriculum.[13]

[edit]Removal of untouchability

The social barriers and discrimination that existed due to the caste system in India have been largely eliminated by Ralegan Siddhi villagers. It was Anna Hazares moral leadership that motivated and inspired the people of Ralegan Siddhi to shun untouchability and discrimination against the Dalits. People of all castes come together to celebrate social events. Marriages of dalits are held as part of community marriage program together with those of other castes. The Dalits have been integrated into the social and economic life of the village. The upper caste villagers have built houses for the lower caste Dalits by Shramdaan (voluntary work without payment), and helped to repay their loans to free them from their indebtedness.[28][29][27][30]

[edit]Collective marriages

Most rural poor get into a debt trap as they incur heavy expenses at the time of marriage of their daughter or son. It is an undesirable practice but has almost become a social obligation in India. Ralegan's people have started celebrating marriages collectively. Joint feasts are held, where the expenses are further reduced by the Tarun Mandal taking responsibility for cooking and serving the food. The vessels, the loudspeaker system, the mandap, and the decorations have also been bought by the Tarun Mandal members belonging to the oppressed castes. From 1976 to 1986, 424 marriages have been held under this system.[27]

[edit]Gram Sabha

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The Gandhian philosophy on rural development considers the Gram Sabha as an important democratic institution for collective decision making in the villages of India.[31] Hazare campaigned between 1998 and 2006 for amending the Gram Sabha Act, so that the villagers have a say in the development works in their village. The state government initially refused, but eventually gave in due to public pressure. As per the amendments, it is mandatory to seek the sanction of the Gram Sabha (an assembly of all village adults, and not just the few elected representatives in the gram panchayat) for expenditures on development works in the village. In case of expenditure without the sanction of the Gram Sabha, 20% of Gram Sabha members can lodge a complaint to the chief executive officer of the zilla parishad (the district-level governing body) with their signatures. The chief executive officer is required to visit the village and conduct an inquiry within 30 days and submit a report to the divisional commissioner, who has the power to remove the sarpanch or deputy sarpanch and dismiss the gram sevak involved. Hazare was not satisfied as the amended Act did not include the right to recall a sarpanch. He insisted that this should be included and the state government relented.[19]

"Anna is a shining example of creativity and service by an ex-Serviceman. "

Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa[32]

In Ralegan Siddhi, Gram Sabha meetings are held periodically to discuss issues relating to the welfare of the village. Projects like watershed development activities are undertaken only after they are discussed in the Gram Sabha. All decisions like Nashabandi (bans on alcohol), Kurhadbandi (bans on tree felling), Charai bandi (bans on grazing), and Shramdanwere taken in the Gram Sabha. Decisions are taken in a simple majority consensus. The decision of the Gram Sabha is accepted as final.

In addition to the panchayat, there are several registered societies that take care of various projects and activities of the village. Each society presents an annual report and statement of accounts in the Gram Sabha. The Sant Yadavbaba Shikshan Prasarak Mandal monitors the educational activities. The Vividh Karyakari Society gives assistance and provides guidance to farmers regarding fertilizers, seeds, organic farming, and financial assistance. The Sri Sant Yadavbaba Doodh Utpadhak Sahakari Sanstha gives guidance regarding the dairy business. Seven co-operative irrigation societies provide water to the farmers from cooperative wells. The Mahila Sarvage Utkarsh Mandal attends to the welfare needs of women.[31]

[edit]Activism

[edit]Anti-corruption protests in Maharashtra

Anna Hazare listening the problems of people at Nanded ,Maharashtra.

In 1991 Hazare launched the Bhrashtachar Virodhi Jan Aandolan (BVJA) (People's Movement against Corruption), a popular movement to fight against corruption[33] in Ralegaon Siddhi. In the same year he protested against the collusion between 40 forest officials and timber merchants. This protest resulted in the transfer and suspension of these officials.[34]

In May 1997 Hazare protested against alleged malpractices in the purchase of powerlooms by the Vasantrao Naik Bhathya Vimukt Jamati Vikas Manch and theMahatma Phule Magasvargiya Vikas Mandal. These institutions were directly under the charge of then Maharashtra Social Welfare minister Babanrao Gholap of theShiv Sena, since their managing committees were dissolved after the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party government came to power in the state in 1995. Hazare also raised the issue of an alleged massive land purchase by Gholap's wife Shashikala in Nashik between April and September 1996. He forwarded the available documentary evidence to then Maharashtra Governor P. C. Alexander.[35]On 4 November 1997 Gholap filed a defamation suit against Hazare for accusing him of corruption. He was arrested in April 1998 and was released on a personal bond of Indian Rupee symbol.svg5,000 (US$110).[36] On 9 September 1998 Hazare was imprisoned in the Yerawada Jail to serve a three-month sentence mandated by the Mumbai Metropolitan Court.[10][37] The sentencing came as a huge shock at that time to all social activists. Leaders of all political parties except the BJP and the Shiv Sena came in support of him.[38][39] Later, due to public protests, the Government of Maharashtra ordered his release from the jail. After release, Hazare wrote a letter to then chief minister Manohar Joshidemanding Gholap's removal for his role in alleged malpractices in the Awami Merchant Bank.[40] Gholap resigned from the cabinet on 27 April 1999.[41]

In 2003 corruption charges were raised by Hazare against four NCP ministers of the Congress-NCP government.[42] He started his fast unto death on 9 August 2003. He ended his fast on 17 August 2003 after then chief minister Sushil Kumar Shinde formed a one-man commission headed by the retired justice P. B. Sawant to probe his charges.[43] The P. B. Sawant commission report, submitted on 23 February 2005, indicted Sureshdada Jain, Nawab Malik, and Padmasinh Patil. The report exonerated Vijaykumar Gavit. Suresh Jain and Nawab Malik resigned from the cabinet in March 2005.[44]

Three trusts headed by Anna Hazare were also indicted in the P. B. Sawant commission report. Indian Rupee symbol.svg220,000 (US$4,910) spent by the Hind Swaraj Trust for Anna Hazare's birthday celebrations was concluded by the commission as illegal and amounting to a corrupt practice,[45][46]though Abhay Firodia, an industrialist subsequently donated Indian Rupee symbol.svg248,000 (US$5,530) to the trust for that purpose.[47] The setting apart of 11 acres of its land by the trust in favour of the Zilla Parishad without obtaining permission from the charity commissioner was concluded as a case of maladministration. The commission also concluded that the maintenance of accounts of the Bhrashtachar Virodhi Janandolan Trustafter 10 November 2001 had not been according to the rules and Indian Rupee symbol.svg46,374 (US$1,030) spent by the Sant Yadavbaba Shikshan Prasarak Mandal Trust for renovating a temple was in contravention to its object of imparting secular education.[45][46]

[edit]Right to Information movement

In the early 2000s Hazare led a movement in Maharashtra state which forced the state government to pass a stronger Maharashtra Right to Information Act. This Act was later considered as the base document for the Right to Information Act 2005 (RTI), enacted by the Union Government. It also ensured that the President of India assented to this new Act.[48] Law professor Alasdair Scott Roberts said:

The state of Maharashtra – home to one of the world's largest cities, Mumbai, adopted a Right to Information Act in 2003, prodded by the hunger strike of prominent activist, Anna Hazare. ("All corruption can end only if there is freedom of information," said Hazare, who resumed his strike in February 2004 to push for better enforcement of the Act).[49]

On 20 July 2006 the Union Cabinet amended the Right to Information Act 2005 to exclude the file noting by the government officials from its purview. Hazare began his fast unto death on 9 August 2006 in Alandi against the proposed amendment. He ended his fast on 19 August 2006, after the government agreed to change its earlier decision.[50]

[edit]Regulation of Transfers and Prevention of Delay in Discharge of Official Duties Act

Before 2006 in the state of Maharashtra, even honest government officers were transferred to other places according to ministers wish. Sometimes within months of being posted to a place, whereas some corrupt and favored officials were cozy in their postings for many years in some cases even for 10 to 20 years and since there was not any guideline or law many government officials were reluctant to process files that contained important public proposals and decisions. Anna fought hard for a law whereby a government servant must clear a file within a specified time and that transfers must take place only after three years. After many years of relentless efforts of Anna, finally on 25 May 2006 state government of Maharashtra issued a notification announcing that the execution of the special act, The Prevention of Delay in Discharge of Official Duties Act 2006, aimed at curbing the delay by its officers and employees in discharging their duties. This act provides for disciplinary action against officials who move files slowly and enables monitoring officials who stay too long in a post, or in a department, and for involvement in a corrupt nexus. Within this act, it is mandatory for the government to effect transfers of all government officers and employees, except Class IV workers, after the stipulated three years. Act also prevents the government from effecting frequent transfers of officers before the stipulated three-year tenure, except in case of emergency and under exceptional circumstances. Maharashtra is the first state in the country to have introduced such act.[19] However, like others, this law has also not been followed in its true spirit.[51][52]

[edit]Campaign against liquor from food grains

Constitution of India Article 47 commits the State to raise the standard of living and improve public health, and prohibit the consumption ofintoxicating drinks and drugs injurious to health.[53][54][55]

In 2007 Maharashtra Government rolled out the grain-based liquor policy aimed to encourage production of liquor from food grain in the light of the rising demand for spirit – used for industrial purposes and potable liquor and Issue 36 licenses for distilleries for making alcohol from food grains.[55]

Anna Hazare opposed the governments policy to promote making liquor from food grains in Maharashtra. He argued the government that Maharashtra is a food-deficit State and there was shortage of food grains and it is not logical to promote producing liquor from food grains.[56]One of the State ministers Laxman Dhoble said in his speech that those opposing the decision to allow use of food grains for the production of liquor are anti-farmers and those people should be beaten up with sugarcane sticks.[57][58] Hazare initiated fast at Shirdi, but on March 21, 2010 government promised to review the policy and Anna ended his 5 day long fast.[59] But the government later granted 36 licences and grants of of Rs 10 (per litre of alcohol) to politicians or their sons who were directly or indirectly engaged in making alcohol from foodgrains. Some of the main beneficiaries of these licences includes Amit and Dheeraj Deshmukh, sons of Union Heavy Industries Minister Vilasrao DeshmukhBharatiya Janata Party leader Gopinath Munde's daughter Pankaja Palwe and her husband Charudatta Palwe, sons-in-law ofP.V. Narasimha Rao, Rajya Sabha MP Govindrao Adik.[60][56][61] The government approved the proposal for food grain-based alcohol production in spite of stiff opposition from the planning and finance departments saying there is a huge demand in other countries for food grain made liquor in comparison with that of molasses.[62] Anna filed a Public Interest Litigation against the Government of Maharashtra for allowing food-grains for manufacturing liquor in the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court. On August 20, 2009 Maharashtra government stopped the policy. However, distilleries sanctioned before that date and those who started production within two years of sanction were entitled for subsidies.

On May 5, 2011 court refused to hear a Public Interest Litigation saying "not before me, this is a court of law, not a court of justice" as a reason of not hearing the plea.[63][64] One of Principal Secretary in Maharashtra state C.S. Sangeet Rao, enlighten that there is no law exists to scrap these licences as this is a government policy.[56]

[edit]Lokpal Bill movement

Anna Hazare's hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in Delhi

In 2011, Hazare initiated a Satyagraha movement for passing a stronger anti-corruption Lokpal (ombudsman) bill in the Indian Parliament as conceived in the Jan Lokpal Bill (People's Ombudsman Bill). The Jan Lokpal Bill was drafted earlier by N. Santosh Hegde, former justice of the Supreme Court of India and Lokayukta ofKarnatakaPrashant Bhushan, a senior lawyer in the Supreme Court and Arvind Kejriwal, a social activist along with members of the India Against Corruptionmovement. This draft bill incorporated more stringent provisions and wider power to the Lokpal (Ombudsman) than the draft Lokpal bill prepared by the government in 2010.[65]

[edit]Hunger strike in Delhi

Hazare began his fast unto death on 5 April 2011 at Jantar Mantar in Delhi to press for the demand to form a joint committee of the representatives of the Government and the civil society to draft a stronger anti-corruption bill with stronger penal actions and more independence to the Lokpal and Lokayuktas (Ombudsmen in the states), after his demand was rejected by the Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh.[66] He stated, "I will fast until Jan Lokpal Bill is passed".[67]

The movement attracted attention in the media, and thousands of supporters. Almost 150 people reportedly joined Hazare in his fast.[68]Social activists, including Medha PatkarArvind Kejriwal, former IPS officer Kiran Bedi, and Jayaprakash Narayan lent their support to Hazare's hunger strike and anti-corruption campaign. People have shown support in Internet social media such as Twitter and Facebook. Online Signature Campaigns like avaaz got 6.5lakh signatures in just 36 hours. In addition to spiritual leaders Sri Sri Ravi ShankarSwami RamdevSwami Agnivesh and former Indian cricketer Kapil Dev, many celebrities showed their public support through Twitter.[69][70] Hazare decided that he would not allow any politician to sit with him in this movement. Politicians like Uma Bharti and Om Prakash Chautala were shooed away by the protesters when they came to visit the site where the protest was taking place.[71] On 6 April 2011 Sharad Pawarresigned from the group of ministers formed for reviewing the draft Lokpal bill 2010.[72]

Wikinews has related news:Indian activist begins "fast-unto-death" hunger strike to end corruption

The movement gathered significant support from India's youth, visible through the local support and on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.[73] Protests spread to Bangalore,MumbaiChennaiAhmedabadGuwahatiShillongAizawl and a number of other cities in India.[74]

[edit]End of hunger strike after meeting demands

On 8 April 2011 the Government of India accepted all demands of the movement. On 9 April 2011 it issued a notification in the Gazette of India on formation of a joint committee. It accepted the formula that there be a politician Chairman and an activist, non-politician Co-Chairman. According to the notification, Pranab Mukherjee will be the Chairman of the draft committee while Shanti Bhushan will be the co-chairman. "The Joint Drafting Committee shall consist of five nominee ministers of the Government of India and five nominees of the civil society. The five nominee Ministers of the Government of India are Pranab Mukherjee, Union Minister of Finance, P. Chidambaram, Union Minister of Home Affairs, M. Veerappa Moily, Union Minister of Law and Justice, Kapil Sibal, Union Minister of Human Resource and Development and Minister of Communication and Information Technology and Salman Khursheed, Union Minister of Water Resources and Minister of Minority Affairs. The five nominees of the civil society are Anna Hazare, N. Santosh HegdeShanti Bhushan Senior Advocate,Prashant Bhushan, Advocate and Arvind Kejriwal.[75][76]

On the morning of 9 April 2011 Hazare ended his 98-hour hunger strike by first offering lemon juice to some of his supporters who were fasting with him. Hazare then broke his fast by consuming some lemon juice. He addressed the people and set a deadline of 15 August 2011 to pass the Lokpal Bill in the Indian Parliament.

"Real fight begins now. We have a lot of struggle ahead of us in drafting the new legislation, We have shown the world in just five days that we are united for the cause of the nation. The youth power in this movement is a sign of hope."

Anna Hazare said that if the bill does not pass he will call for a mass nation-wide agitation.[77][78] He called his movement as "second struggle for independence" and he will continue the fight.[79]

[edit]Differences with the government on draft bill

During the meeting of the joint drafting committee on 30 May 2011, the Union government members opposed the inclusion of the prime minister, higher judiciary and the acts of the MPs under the purview of the Lokpal in the draft bill.[80] On 31 May 2011, Pranab Mukherjee, chairman of the joint drafting committee sent a letter to the chief ministers of all states and the leaders of the political parties seeking their opinion on six contentious issues in the proposed Lokpal Bill, including whether to bring the prime minister and judges of Supreme Court and High Courts under the purview of the proposed law.[81] But the civil society members of the drafting committee considered that keeping the prime minister and judges of Supreme Court and High Courts out of the purview of the Lokpal would be a violation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption.[82]

Anna Hazare and other civil society members decided to boycott the meeting of the joint Lokpal Bill drafting committee scheduled on 6 June 2011 in protest against the forcible eviction of Swami Ramdev and his followers by the Delhi Police from Ramlila Maidan on 5 June 2011, while they were on hunger strike against the issues of black money and corruption and doubting seriousness of the government in taking measures to eradicate corruption.[83]

On 6 June 2011, the members of the civil society of the joint Lokpal bill drafting committee in New Delhi sent a letter to Pranab Mukherjee, the chairman of the committee, explaining reasons for their absence at the meeting and also asked government to make its stand public on the contentious issues related to the proposed draft legislation. They also decided that the future meetings will be attended only if they were telecast live.[84] On 8 June 2011 at Rajghat, describing his movement as the second freedom struggle, Anna criticized the Government for trying to discredit the joint Lokpal Bill drafting committee and threatened to go on indefinite fast again from 16 August 2011 if the Lokpal Bill is not passed by then. He also criticised the Government for putting hurdles in the drafting of a strong Lokpal Bill and its attempts to malign the civil society members of the joint Lokpal panel.[85][86][87]

[edit]Electoral reform movement

In 2011, Anna Hazare demanded for an amendment to the electoral law to incorporate the option of None of the above in the electronic voting machines during the Indian elections.[88][89] The "None of the above (NOTA)" is a ballot option that allows an electorate to indicate disapproval of all of the candidates in an electoral system, in case of non-availability of any candidate of his choice, as his Right to Reject. Soon, the Chief Election Commissioner of India Shahabuddin Yaqoob Quraishi supported Hazare's demand for the electoral reforms.[90]

[edit]Protest against atrocities against Swami Ramdev and his supporters

"How can the government stop anyone from protesting? The land is not their 'father's property'. The citizens are the masters of this country and the ministers are their servants". "

—Anna Hazare [84]

On 8 June 2011, Anna Hazare and thousands of his supporters observed fast from 10 am to 6 pm at Rajghat to protest against the midnight crackdown of 5 June 2011 by the Delhi Police on Swami Ramdev's fast at Ramlila Maidan, New Delhi. The fast was initially planned to be held at Jantar Mantar, but the venue was shifted after the denial of permission by the Delhi police.[91][85] Anna Hazare held the Prime Minister of India responsible for the atrocities[92] and termed the police action as a blot on humanity and an attempt to stifle democracy.[85] According to one of the Anna's young supporters, the large presence of youths in the protest was due to their support to his use of nonviolence means of protest similar to Gandhi.[93]

[edit]Controversies

Views on Narendra Modi

In a press conference in April 2011, Anna Hazare praised Narendra Modi, the chief minister of Gujarat for his efforts on rural development along with Nitish Kumar, chief minister of Bihar, saying that the same should be emulated by the chief ministers of all states.[94]Subsequently, Modi wrote an open letter to him, hailing him as a Gandhian and anti-corruption activist[95] while Digvijay Singh, the General Secretary of the Congress party, criticised him for his comment.[96] In May 2011, Hazare, during his visit to Gujarat, changed his view and criticised Modi for rampant corruption. He urged Modi to appoint a Lokayukta in Gujarat. He also commented that the media had projected an incorrect image of Vibrant Gujarat, very different from the prevalent situation.[97]

[edit]Conspiracy to kill him

Anna Hazare has exposed large corruption in co-operative sugar factories of Maharashtra. One of the sugar factory which Anna exposed corruption is controlled by Padamsinh Bajirao Patil, a member of Parliament of 15th Lok Sabha and higher-ranking Leader of Nationalist Congress Party from Osmanabad, and also a prime accused and conspirator in the 2006 murder case of Indian National Congress leader Pawanraje Nimabalkar.[98][99]

The conspiracy to kill Hazare was exposed when Parasmal Jain, an accused in the Nimbalkar murder case, in his written confession before a magistrate said that Padamsinh Bajirao Patil had paid a sum of Indian Rupee symbol.svg3,000,000 (US$66,900) to murder Nimbalkar, and also offered him supari (contract killing sum) to kill Anna Hazare.[100][101] After this written confession, Anna appealed to the state government of Maharashtra to lodge a separate First Information Report ( FIR ) against Padamsinh Bajirao Patil for conspiring to murder him but the government did not take any action in this regard. Anna Hazare decided to lodge a complaint himself and on September 26, 2009, he lodged complaint at Parnerpolice station of Ahmednagar District in Maharashtra against the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP Padamsinha Patil for conspiring to eliminate him.[102] Padamsinh Patil approached the High Court seeking anticipatory bail but on October 14, 2009, the Aurangabad bench ofBombay High Court rejected the anticipatory bail application of Padamsinh Patil in connection with a complaint filed by Anna after observing that there is a prima facie evidence against him.[103][104]

Padmasinh Patil appealed for an anticipatory bail in Supreme Court of India which the court rejected on November 06, 2009.[105] On November 11, 2009 Padmasinh Patil surrendered before the sessions court in Latur as per a directive of the Supreme Court and was sent to judicial remand for 14 days.[106] On December 16, 2009 Aurangabad bench of Bombay High Court granted bail to him.[107] As of June 12, 2011 the verdict is pending.

[edit]Honours, Awards and International Recognition

Year of Award or Honor Name of Award or Honor Awarding Organization
2008 Jit Gill Memorial Award World Bank.
2005 Honorary Doctorate Gandhigram Rural University.
2003 Integrity Award Transparency International.
1998 CARE International Award CARE (relief agency).
1997 Mahaver Award
1996 Shiromani Award
1992 Padma Bhushan President of India.
1990 Padma Shri President of India.
1989 Krishi Bhushana Award Government of Maharashtra.
1986 Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshamitra Award Government of India.

[edit]Personal life

Anna Hazare is unmarried. He lives in a small room attached to the Sant Yadavbaba temple in Ralegan Siddhi since 1975. He never visited his home though it is in same village. On April 16, 2011, he declared his bank balance of Indian Rupee symbol.svg67,183 (US$1,500) and Indian Rupee symbol.svg1,500 (US$30) as money in hand.[108] He owns 0.07 hectares of family land in Ralegan Siddhi which is being used by his brothers. Two other pieces of land donated to him by the Indian Army and by a villager have been donated by him for village use.[109] He receives pension from the Indian army.

[edit]Writings

[edit]See also

[edit]Bibliography

Citations
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  58. ^ Laxman Dhoble- "people should be beaten up with sugarcane sticks" - Youtube video
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