from:"Sukla Sen"

[GreenYouth] Gujarat Model: A Corrupt Government from Top to Bottom: The rise of Adani’s business empire coincides with the ascent of Narendra Modi, which can be a text book example of crony capitalis

2017-10-27 Thread Sukla Sen

[While the Adani Group’s revenue increased 20 times in a span of 12 years
from Rs.3741 crore in 2002-03 to Rs.75659 crore in 2014-15 in the times
when Narendra Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat, here is the
Adani-Modi Nexus and the reality of the Gujarat Model.
These scams involve selling of state’s natural resources at low prices to
people like Adani and others, defrauding the people of Gujarat; making
illegal profits from food meant for the state’s poorer people and even
diverting it elsewhere; selling off land at throwaway prices to various
super-rich friends and associates, etc. Can the Gujarat model or the BJP be
called corruption free after this?]

https://newsclick.in/gujarat-model-corrupt-government-top-bottom

Gujarat Model: A Corrupt Government from Top to Bottom
The rise of Adani’s business empire coincides with the ascent of Narendra
Modi, which can be a text book example of crony capitalism.

Prudhviraj Rupawat  27 Oct 2017

With the Election Commission announcing that elections for Gujarat Assembly
will be held on 9 and 14 December, it is time to look at the BJP’s track
record in the state. It has been ruling Gujarat continuously since 1998. PM
Modi was chief minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 before becoming the
Prime Minister. He and the BJP have constantly harped on the ‘Gujarat’
model of governance claiming that it was perfect and corruption free.

As we see below, this is far from the truth. The state was mired in a
variety of scams and corruption scandals according to media reports and
documents collated by NewsClick. In this, it was in no way different from
the Congress and several other parties, but a mythology has been created by
the BJP’s propaganda machinery about the great Gujarat model.

One of the ways in which Gujarat did become a model was this: it became a
crucible for crony capitalism. Apart from favoring a bunch of local
industrialists, traders and land sharks, the shining example of this is the
Adani Group, the prime favourite of Modi.

The rise of Adani’s business empire coincides with the ascent of Narendra
Modi, which can be a text book example of crony capitalism. There must have
been a quid pro quo of course.

While the Adani Group’s revenue increased 20 times in a span of 12 years
from Rs.3741 crore in 2002-03 to Rs.75659 crore in 2014-15 in the times
when Narendra Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat, here is the
Adani-Modi Nexus and the reality of the Gujarat Model.

These scams involve selling of state’s natural resources at low prices to
people like Adani and others, defrauding the people of Gujarat; making
illegal profits from food meant for the state’s poorer people and even
diverting it elsewhere; selling off land at throwaway prices to various
super-rich friends and associates, etc. Can the Gujarat model or the BJP be
called corruption free after this?

Land Scam

>From 2005 onwards, the Adani group was given land for setting up a port and
a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Rs. 1.32 per square metre (sq. m) while
the average market price was Rs.1100 per square metre which resulted in an
estimated loss of Rs. 6546 crores to the State government. Also in 2016,
Department of Commerce, Government of India has amended SEZ rules allowing
refunds benefitting Adani group with Rs. 500 Crore.

In 2010, associates of Anandiben Patel’s daughter Anar Patel got 422 acres
of land in 2010 from the Narendra Modi’s government at Rs 15 per sq. m, a
huge 91.6% discount to the government's stamp duty rate of Rs 180 per sq.m.
with an overall loss of Rs. 143.5 crore to the state government.

At Sanand, The Tata group was given land for the Nano car project at Rs 900
per sq. m against the market price of Rs 10,000 sq. m with an estimated
loss of Rs. 33000 crores to the state.

In 2011-12, Narendra Modi while on a spree of selling government land to
private giants such as Ford, L&T, Reliance and Essar resulted in an
estimated loss of Rs. 500 crores.

Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC) scam

In 2005, Modi claimed that a block in Krishna Godavari (KG) basin owned by
Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC) had 2 trillion cuft (cubic feet)
of gas worth Rs. 2.2 lakh crore. A decade later, GSPC is in the red for Rs.
2 crore with negligible presence of gas as claimed as earlier. Now, the
BJP government is forcing the public sector company Oil and Natural Gas
Corporation (ONGC) to buy GSPC with all its losses by.

Between 2006-09, natural gas owned by GSPC was sold to Adani Energy at
cheaper prices at a loss of Rs. 70.5 crore to the state government.

Also in 2010, 49% shares in GSPC Pipavav power station were sold to Swan
Energy for only Rs. 381 crore without inviting any tenders.

Adani Coal Scam

The Adani Group was accused of inflating prices of imported coal and
equipment and of charging them to consumers. Reportedly the pending
Enforcement Directorate case which has earlier levied a fine of Rs. 5500
crore and can rise up to Rs. 15000 crore on the group was being

[GreenYouth] Former BBC journalist’s arrest: Congress accuses BJP of curbing press freedom

2017-10-27 Thread Sukla Sen

https://scroll.in/latest/855703/former-bbc-journalists-arrest-congress-accuses-bjp-of-curbing-press-freedom

PRESS FREEDOM
Former BBC journalist’s arrest: Congress accuses BJP of curbing press
freedom
Party leader Ajay Maken demanded Vinod Verma’s immediate release and an
inquiry against Chhattisgarh minister Rajesh Munat for allegedly making a
sex CD.

by Scroll Staff
Published Yesterday · 09:51 pm

Former BBC journalist’s arrest: Congress accuses BJP of curbing press
freedom
Vinod Verma/Facebook

The Congress on Friday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of curbing press
freedom, after the police arrested former BBC journalist Vinod Verma from
his home in Ghaziabad, PTI reported. Verma was arrested for allegedly using
a sex CD to try to extort money from Chhattisgarh minister Rajesh Munat.

“The Narendra Modi-led central government and the Chhattisgarh government
have been attacking, squeezing press freedom,” Congress leader Ajay Maken
said. “We strongly condemn Verma’s arrest and demand that he be released
immediately, and a judicial inquiry into the allegations against the state
minister be announced.”

After his arrest, Verma had claimed that the BJP government in Chhattisgarh
was framing him because he had a sex CD involving Munat.

Maken said the journalist’s arrest should not be seen as a “one-off”
incident. The Congress leader wondered whether a junior journalist would
dare to do investigative stories after “the way Verma was picked up from
his residence” merely for investigating allegations against a state
minister.

Maken also demanded a judicial inquiry into allegations levelled by Patidar
leader Narendra Patel that the BJP had bribed him with Rs 1 crore to join
the party.
--
Peace Is Doable

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[GreenYouth] Sexual Harassment (or Worse) in Indian and Academia and the "List" of Shame: A murky controversy getting murkier

2017-10-28 Thread Sukla Sen

A murky controversy getting murkier.
The (views of the) principal player at <
https://www.facebook.com/RxyaSxrkar?fref=mentions>.
A major antagonist - a well-known LGBT activist, openly countering: <
https://www.facebook.com/ashley.tellis>.

Other significant links:
<
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1686281001419245&id=11120831895&fs=4&hc_location=ufi
>
<
https://www.buzzfeed.com/karthikshankar/why-i-published-a-list-of-sexual-predators-in-academia?bffbdialogue&utm_term=.shGreMMJa#.sramk77Qb
>
<
https://kafila.online/2017/10/24/statement-by-feminists-on-facebook-campaign-to-name-and-shame/
>

<
https://scroll.in/article/855399/its-like-blackening-faces-why-i-am-uneasy-with-the-name-and-shame-list-of-sexual-harassers
>

There's obviously, a rather unresolvable, strong two-way tension.
On the one hand, the stark inadequacies of the "due process", on top of the
highly asymmetric power architecture, acknowledged across the whole
spectrum. Leading to "helplessness" of the accusers and thereby their
recourse to this action.
On the other, the issue of ethicality of a list (of "harassers" or worse),
with no context, no charge indiacted, let alone proved. Or the
complainants. And, of course, the version(s) of the "accused" - who must be
a "mixed" crowd, with widely varying degrees of of offenses committed and,
at least, in a few cases just none, nowhere captured.

Additionaly, an element of "Savranas" vs. "Dalits" was subsequently added.
Specifically to counter the acknowledged feminists, given the "parity" in
terms of gender leading to a sort of "tie". Just to break it and regain the
initial "advantage" in the debate by bringing in the "oppressed caste"
element vis-a-vis the much reviled Savarna "elite".
(Tellis, btw, has, among other things, emphatically contested the claim
that Sarkar is a Dalit.
He has also highlighted the fact of his belonging to an oppressed "sexual
minority".
That makes the equation and match of "identity politics" rather
interesting.)

The essential point that, however, remains is what purpose the whole
controversy is serving?
--
Peace Is Doable

[GreenYouth] 'Savarkar Apologised to British 6 Times to Fight them': BJP Leader’s Claim Triggers Jokes in Kerala

2017-10-28 Thread Sukla Sen

https://newsclick.in/savarkar-apologised-british-6-times-fight-them-bjp-leaders-claim-triggers-jokes-kerala

'Savarkar Apologised to British 6 Times to Fight them': BJP Leader’s Claim
Triggers Jokes in Kerala
BJP Kerala spokesperson JR Padmakumar's claim has triggered an avalanche of
jokes in the Malayalam cyber space.
Newsclick Bureau 26 Oct 2017

Savarkar memes
The claim by JR Padmakumar, the BJP Kerala spokesperson, that Hindu
Mahasabha leader VD Savarkar had apologised not once, but six times to the
British so that he could participate in the Indian freedom struggle, has
triggered an avalanche of jokes from Kerala’s famed meme factories.

The argument was made by Padmakumar during the course of a news debate in
Manorama News channel on Tuesday. The comment can be seen in the clip below
(with English subtitles):

Padmakumar’s comments have resulted in an explosion of jokes in the
Malayalam cyber space. A small sample of translated memes can be seen below.

Savarkar meme - 03.jpg

Savarkar meme - 02 (split personality).jpg

Savarkar meme - 01.jpg

Since the RSS was not part of the freedom struggle, claiming that Savarkar
was a participant in the freedom struggle has been the only option for
Sangh Parivar spokesperson to claim some link with the Indian people’s
fight against British colonial rule. But Savarkar had petitioned the
British several times during his jail term at the Andamans and subsequently
after his release, seeking forgiveness and offering complete cooperation.

While Savarkar was lodged in the Cellular Jail in the Andaman and Nicobar
Islands, he had written in his mercy petition on 14 November 1913:

"If the government in their manifold beneficence and mercy release me, I
for one cannot but be the staunchest advocate of constitutional progress
and loyalty to the English government which is the foremost condition of
that progress... Moreover, my conversion to the constitutional line would
bring back all those misled young men in India and abroad who were once
looking up to me as their guide. I am ready to serve the government in any
capacity they like, for as my conversion is conscientious so I hope my
future conduct would be."

As Rajendra Prasad notes in a 2002 article , Savarkar wrote an article in
Mahratta of Pune on 1 March 1925, to which the government objected. He
subsequently sent an explanation, at the end of which he thanked the
government for having given him an opportunity to explain himself. He hoped
that in the future too they would be pleased to be as kindly disposed
towards him. The conditions of his release remained in force till 1937 when
the elected government revoked them. Savarkar became the president of the
Hindu Mahasabha immediately thereafter.

Savarkar advanced the argument that Hindus constitute a nation in his 1923
book Hindutva. He laid out the theory that Hindus and Muslims are separate
nations in his 1937 presidential addressed to the Hindu Mahasabha, and a
resolution to that effect was passed by the Mahasabha. This was three years
prior to the Muslim League's 1940 resolution demanding Pakistan on the
basis of the two-nation theory.

"India cannot be assumed today to be a unitarian and homogeneous nation,
but on the contrary, there are two nations, in the main, the Hindus and the
Muslims," he said in the address.

--
Peace Is Doable

[GreenYouth] Re: UN report blames gas attack on Syrian regime

2017-10-28 Thread Sukla Sen

On another list, the veracity of the AFP report was questioned.

Reproduced below is the relevant extract from a press release by the UN:

<>

(Source: <
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=22030&LangID=E
>.)

The full report can be accessed by clicking on 'E', below '6 September
2017' at <
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/IICISyria/Pages/Documentation.aspx>.

That settles the issue of provenance at least.

Sukla

On 27 October 2017 at 17:11, Sukla Sen  wrote:

>
> [More than 80 people died on April 4 this year when sarin gas projectiles
> were fired into Khan Sheikhun, a rebel-held town in the Idlib province of
> northwestern Syria.
> Images of dead and dying victims, including young children, in the
> aftermath of the attack provoked global outrage and a US cruise missile
> strike on a regime air base.
> The UN placed the death toll at 83 while the UK-based Syrian Observatory
> for Human Rights said it was 87.
> Syria and its ally Russia had suggested that a rebel weapon may have
> detonated on the ground but the UN panel confirmed Western intelligence
> reports that blamed the regime.
> "The panel is confident that the Syrian Arab Republic is responsible for
> the release of sarin at Khan Sheikhun on 4 April 2017," the report, seen by
> AFP, says.]
>
> https://www.afp.com/en/news/15/un-report-blames-gas-attack-syrian-regime
>
> UN report blames gas attack on Syrian regime
>
>
> AFP/File / Omar haj kadour
> Images of suffering children in the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhun, such as
> this one taken on April 4, 2017 triggered global outrage and the UN
> investigation that concluded Bashar al-Assad's regime carried out a nerve
> gas attack
>
> United Nations investigators on Thursday blamed a sarin gas massacre on
> Bashar al-Assad's regime, as the United States renewed its warning that he
> has no role in Syria's future.
>
> The expert panel's report and tough remarks by US Secretary of State Rex
> Tillerson overshadowed the announcement that UN-sponsored peace talks will
> resume next month.
>
> More than 80 people died on April 4 this year when sarin gas projectiles
> were fired into Khan Sheikhun, a rebel-held town in the Idlib province of
> northwestern Syria.
>
> Images of dead and dying victims, including young children, in the
> aftermath of the attack provoked global outrage and a US cruise missile
> strike on a regime air base.
>
> The UN placed the death toll at 83 while the UK-based Syrian Observatory
> for Human Rights said it was 87.
>
> Syria and its ally Russia had suggested that a rebel weapon may have
> detonated on the ground but the UN panel confirmed Western intelligence
> reports that blamed the regime.
>
> "The panel is confident that the Syrian Arab Republic is responsible for
> the release of sarin at Khan Sheikhun on 4 April 2017," the report, seen by
> AFP, says.
>
> The report will increase pressure on Assad's regime just as Washington, in
> the wake of battlefield victories against the Islamic State group, renews
> calls for him to step down.
>
> Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's comments to reporters came during a
> visit to Geneva in which he met UN envoy Staffan de Mistura, who is trying
> to convene a new round of peace talks next month.
>
> The secretary said US policy has not changed, but his remarks represented
> tougher language from an administration that had previously said Assad's
> fate is not a priority.
>
> "We do not believe there is a future for the Assad regime, the Assad
> family," Tillerson said.
>
> "I think I've said it on a number of occasions. The reign of the Assad
> family is coming to an end, and the only issue is how should that be
> brought about."
>
> Russia, which is running a parallel peace process with Iran and Turkey in
> a series of talks in the Kazakh capital Astana, reacted coolly to
> Tillerson's remarks.
>
> "I think we should not pre-empt any future for anybody," said Moscow's UN
> ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, who on Tuesday had vetoed a US attempt to
> extend the gas attack probe.
>
> British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the UN panel's report had
> reached a "clear conclusion" and urged the "international community to
> unite to hold Assad's regime accountable."
>
> "I call on Russia to stop covering up for its abhorrent ally and keep its
> own commitment to ensure that chemical weapons are never used again," he
> said.
>
> - Civil war -
>
> De Mistura hopes to convene an eighth round of Syrian peace talks between
> Assad's regime and

[GreenYouth] 'I'M SAYING NO TO AADHAAR': Pls. sign the online petition by clicking on the link provided below

2017-10-29 Thread Sukla Sen

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/petition_59f55efa93d43/?zArFdab&utm_source=sharetools&utm_medium=whatsapp&utm_campaign=petition-454858-petition_59f55efa93d43&utm_term=ArFdab%2Ben

I'M SAYING NO TO AADHAAR

Why this is important

Aadhar violates our Constitutional rights and freedoms as citizens.
Aadhar undermines the foundations of our democracy. Aadhar disempowers us
as citizens while giving government the means to control every aspect of
our lives.

We are being forced and coerced to close our eyes to these concerns and
sign up with Aadhar. The government is ignoring and violating the orders of
the Supreme Court to declare Aadhar mandatory for all kinds of activities,
hoping to present it as a fait accompli when the Supreme Curt hears the
Aadhar petitions in a few weeks.

The mess created by Aadhaar is NOT a matter of poor implementation or
“teething troubles” as claimed by the government.

Aadhaar cannot be fixed with some tweaking and tinkering. It is
fundamentally flawed and must be scrapped.

We are no longer willing to stand by and let this scam go unchallenged. We
demand that the Aadhar scheme be completely SCRAPPED.

We the undersigned wish to place on record our opposition to the Aadhaar
scheme which is being aggressively pushed by the government in complete
violation of norms, procedures and Supreme Court orders.Many of us have
resisted enrolment. Many of us are already enrolled. But today, we stand
together to say NO To Aadhaar. 1. Aadhaar has been foisted on us under
false pretences. When it started, it was touted as a fool‐proof mechanism
to streamline delivery of social benefits. Then, we were told that it was a
tool for good governance. Then, it was marketed as a weapon to eliminate
corruption. Then we were told that it is the vehicle to create a “digital
society”. It has finally revealed itself in its true colours as an
instrument of surveillance and government control over the lives of
citizens. 2. It is useless. Aadhaar has spectacularly failed to achieve any
of its stated aims of plugging leakages in welfare schemes, of serving as a
single window to access entitlements and benefits, of eliminating
corruption and making life easier for law‐abiding citizens. Official data
and figures confirm that grandiose claims about “huge savings” enabled by
Aadhaar have no basis whatsoever in fact . Not a single government agency
or private company accepts Aadhaar as the sole proof of identity – in every
case, it must be backed up by at least two other documents. 3. It is
destroying the lives of the poor. By making essential services conditional
on Aadhaar, children have been deprived of school admission and mid‐day
meals, pregnant women have been deprived of hospital admission, TB patients
have been denied medicine, workers have been denied job cards under MNREGA,
retired senior citizens have been denied their pensions, and starving
families have been denied foodgrains under the PDS scheme. Aadhaar has now
been made mandatory for more than 50 welfare schemes. Surveys and public
hearings across the country are confirming the scale and seriousness of
exclusions created by Aadhaar.4. It is coercive. Millions of people have
enrolled not because they wanted to or chose to but because they were told
it was required for exercising their rights such as getting a passport,
filing tax returns, operating a bank account, renewing a driving licence,
booking a train ticket, getting admission to an educational institution,
getting an income certificate, registering a land deed and anything else
that anyone chooses to come up with. Once enrolled, there is no way out of
the database. 5. It is technically unreliable. The Aadhaar scheme is based
on the naive and unscientific notion that fingerprints and iris scans are
unique and infallible personal identifiers. This claim has no basis in
fact. The biometric database is full of errors and the authentication
process is riddled with “false positives” and “false negatives”. 6. It is
insecure. The claim that the Aadhaar database is secure and tamper‐proof
has been repeatedly debunked by data security experts, who call it a
“honeypot for hackers”. UIDAI itself has taken action against Axis Bank for
storing and using biometric data for multiple transactions. The Centre for
Internet and Society (CIS) and others who have blown the whistle on the
vulnerability of the Aadhar database have had charges filed against them by
UIDAI. 7. It puts sensitive data into unreliable hands. Thousands of
fly‐by‐night operators have been authorised to run enrolment centres and
collect biometrics and personal data. These private agencies are also
collecting demographic information such as name, age, address, mobile
number, bank account numbers and other personal data. As many as 34,000
operators have been blacklisted for malpractices. Contracts for
de‐duplication and building the database have been given to foreign firms,
some of them closely linked to intelligence agencies in the US a

[GreenYouth] Re: Sexual Harassment (or Worse) in Indian and Academia and the "List" of Shame: A murky controversy getting murkier

2017-10-29 Thread Sukla Sen

Here's a very detailed, and reasoned, response from a major participant in
the current debate, one of the signatories of the "statement": <
https://kafila.online/2017/10/28/from-feminazi-to-savarna-rape-apologist-in-24-hours/
>.
(And, here's the statement, for ready reference, so that one can oneself
look for any "defence" - "vociferous" or otherwise, of any of the accused: <
https://kafila.online/2017/10/24/statement-by-feminists-on-facebook-campaign-to-name-and-shame/
>.)

Worth a careful read.
In fact, as far as I'm concerned, a very significant intervention.

The opinion that one forms and conveys is, of course, very much one's own
prerogative.
That goes even without saying.

Sukla

On 28 October 2017 at 23:50, Sukla Sen  wrote:

>
> A murky controversy getting murkier.
> The (views of the) principal player at <https://www.facebook.com/
> RxyaSxrkar?fref=mentions>.
> A major antagonist - a well-known LGBT activist, openly countering: <
> https://www.facebook.com/ashley.tellis>.
>
> Other significant links:
> <https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1686281001419245&id=
> 11120831895&fs=4&hc_location=ufi>
> <https://www.buzzfeed.com/karthikshankar/why-i-published-a-list-of-sexual-
> predators-in-academia?bffbdialogue&utm_term=.shGreMMJa#.sramk77Qb>
> <https://kafila.online/2017/10/24/statement-by-feminists-
> on-facebook-campaign-to-name-and-shame/>
> <https://feminisminindia.com/2017/10/26/calculated-risks-
> naming-and-shaming/>
> <https://scroll.in/article/855399/its-like-blackening-
> faces-why-i-am-uneasy-with-the-name-and-shame-list-of-sexual-harassers>
> <https://www.facebook.com/ashley.tellis/posts/1593616980701308>
>
> There's obviously, a rather unresolvable, strong two-way tension.
> On the one hand, the stark inadequacies of the "due process", on top of
> the highly asymmetric power architecture, acknowledged across the whole
> spectrum. Leading to "helplessness" of the accusers and thereby their
> recourse to this action.
> On the other, the issue of ethicality of a list (of "harassers" or worse),
> with no context, no charge indiacted, let alone proved. Or the
> complainants. And, of course, the version(s) of the "accused" - who must be
> a "mixed" crowd, with widely varying degrees of of offenses committed and,
> at least, in a few cases just none, nowhere captured.
>
> Additionaly, an element of "Savranas" vs. "Dalits" was subsequently added.
> Specifically to counter the acknowledged feminists, given the "parity" in
> terms of gender leading to a sort of "tie". Just to break it and regain the
> initial "advantage" in the debate by bringing in the "oppressed caste"
> element vis-a-vis the much reviled Savarna "elite".
> (Tellis, btw, has, among other things, emphatically contested the claim
> that Sarkar is a Dalit.
> He has also highlighted the fact of his belonging to an oppressed "sexual
> minority".
> That makes the equation and match of "identity politics" rather
> interesting.)
>
> The essential point that, however, remains is what purpose the whole
> controversy is serving?
> --
> Peace Is Doable
>
>
>


-- 
Peace Is Doable

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[GreenYouth] Aadhaar of 300 people stolen, Rs 40 lakh pension money swindled

2017-10-29 Thread Sukla Sen

[In a classic case of identity theft, a possibility repeatedly denied by
the Centre and UIDAI officials, Aadhaar details of nearly 300 people were
stolen their pension money swindled. City police estimate that around `40
lakh was stolen in this manner by three members in a series of frauds since
mid-2015. The accused, who have been arrested, were working in the public
sector.While Mohammed Abdul Khader Nakshbandi Aziz (39) was employed at an
SBI kiosk customer service point at Kummarwadi, Shaik Shabbir Hussain was a
former e-seva operator and Md Aslam a junior assistant with Telangana State
Southern Power Distribution Company Limited in Nalgonda district.]

http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/telangana/2017/oct/28/aadhaar-of-300-people-stolen-rs-40-lakh-pension-money-swindled-1685237.html

Aadhaar of 300 people stolen, Rs 40 lakh pension money swindled

By Express News Service | Published: 28th October 2017 01:52 AM |
Last Updated: 28th October 2017 07:30 AM |

HYDERABAD: In a classic case of identity theft, a possibility repeatedly
denied by the Centre and UIDAI officials, Aadhaar details of nearly 300
people were stolen their pension money swindled. City police estimate that
around `40 lakh was stolen in this manner by three members in a series of
frauds since mid-2015. The accused, who have been arrested, were working in
the public sector.While Mohammed Abdul Khader Nakshbandi Aziz (39) was
employed at an SBI kiosk customer service point at Kummarwadi, Shaik
Shabbir Hussain was a former e-seva operator and Md Aslam a junior
assistant with Telangana State Southern Power Distribution Company Limited
in Nalgonda district.

According to the police, the trio misused Aadhaar details of other people
to obtain their pension money granted under the Aasara scheme. The issue
came to light after one Chavan Dashrath, resident of Rajannabowli in
Falaknuma, lodged a complaint on Thursday, stating his 12-digit UID was
misused to swindle his pension money. On enquiry, police found that Aziz
and associates had downloaded Aadhaar numbers from the internet and used it
to open separate bank accounts through an SBI kiosk in Edi Bazaar. Police
estimate that 300 such fraudulent accounts were created with ficticious
names and addresses by the accused to swindle money.

The accused then posed as persons authorised to process the Asara Pension
Health Scheme for senior citizens at the Bandlaguda Tahsildar Officer and
collected money from the government on the pretext of sanctioning it to
beneficiaries. “They have cheated government and public to the tune of `40
lakh,” said deputy Commissioner Avinash Mohanty.

Aadhaar numbers made public
Ironically, explaining the theft of Aadhaar number and subsequently the
identity of several persons, the police in its press note also made the
12-digit UID numbers of a couple of victims public.

--
Peace Is Doable

[GreenYouth] I. 'Aadhaar overkill: Originally conceived as an empowerment tool, it is disempowering citizens now' and II. 'Supreme Court to Hear Aadhaar Linking Case Today: Five Things to Know'

2017-10-29 Thread Sukla Sen

I/II.
[Making biometrics a keystone to access so many essential services invades
privacy, increases the potential for abuse, makes doing business difficult
and ties up everyday activities in red tape. Fake Aadhaar card rackets have
been busted that allegedly exploited vulnerabilities in the UIDAI
enrollment ecosystem. Biometric verification is susceptible to failures and
unauthorised usage. Poor connectivity, lax cyber security and data storage
standards heighten the risks. All-encompassing Aadhaar linkages create the
framework for mass surveillance and enhanced cybercrime. It’s time to roll
back the Aadhaar empire and initiate restrictions on its mandatory use.]

https://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/toi-editorials/aadhaar-overkill-originally-conceived-as-an-empowerment-tool-it-is-disempowering-citizens-now/?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=TOIBlogs

Aadhaar overkill: Originally conceived as an empowerment tool, it is
disempowering citizens now

October 30, 2017, 2:03 AM IST TOI Edit in TOI Editorials | Edit Page, India
| TOI

After months of pestering customers to mandatorily link bank accounts with
Aadhaar numbers by December 31, the deadline has been extended till March
31. Where bank accounts are linked with PAN, and PAN is seeded with
Aadhaar, the government demand for Aadhaar-bank account linkage of PAN
holders becomes redundant. Technology can do this coupling instead of the
constant badgering for Aadhaar numbers, which is plain annoying for those
not availing benefits like cash transfers, subsidies, pensions and
scholarships.

Threats of suspension of bank accounts, where people save their hard-earned
money, for non-compliance under Prevention of Money Laundering Rules add
insult to injury, particularly considering that the Aadhaar Act 2016 has no
provision making enrollment compulsory. No different is the insistence on
Aadhaar to verify mobile connections, when the government should instead be
trying to enhance mobile connectivity. The fear of local SIM cards falling
into terrorists’ hands fails to take note of facilities like international
roaming, prepaid cards, or satellite and internet telephony.

Unique identification was originally sold to citizens as a way to
efficiently deliver welfare benefits without duplication and pilferage by
intermediaries. In the last couple of years, however, it has grown into an
all-encompassing Leviathan even as there has been little progress on
welfare. On one hand we have central and state governments conceiving uses
for Aadhaar in everything from property to death registration, hailing
ambulances to getting rations. The enthusiasm has rubbed off on the private
sector too, with three-year-olds requiring Aadhaar for nursery admissions
and job opportunities tied to Aadhaar submission.

Making biometrics a keystone to access so many essential services invades
privacy, increases the potential for abuse, makes doing business difficult
and ties up everyday activities in red tape. Fake Aadhaar card rackets have
been busted that allegedly exploited vulnerabilities in the UIDAI
enrollment ecosystem. Biometric verification is susceptible to failures and
unauthorised usage. Poor connectivity, lax cyber security and data storage
standards heighten the risks. All-encompassing Aadhaar linkages create the
framework for mass surveillance and enhanced cybercrime. It’s time to roll
back the Aadhaar empire and initiate restrictions on its mandatory use. The
passport, driving licence, PAN, ration and voter cards all serve specific
purposes unlike Aadhaar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi once declared,
rightly, “minimum government, maximum governance”. But it’s important to
remember the converse of that proposition is equally true: maximum
government, minimum governance.

II.
http://www.news18.com/news/india/supreme-court-to-hear-aadhaar-linking-case-today-five-things-to-know-1560799.html

Supreme Court to Hear Aadhaar Linking Case Today: Five Things to Know
A plea against Aadhaar filed by Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government
will also be heard on Monday by a bench comprising justices AK Sikri and
Ashok Bhushan.
News18.com

Updated:October 30, 2017, 8:57 AM IST

Supreme Court to Hear Aadhaar Linking Case Today: Five Things to Know In
this file photo, a villager goes through the process of a fingerprint
scanner for the Unique Identification (UID) database system at an
enrollment center (File Photo/ REUTERS)
New Delhi: The Supreme Court will on Monday examine if linking of Aadhaar
to various schemes should be mandatory and whether the deadline should be
extended till March 31, 2018, for everyone and not just those who do not
have the biometric ID yet.

Here’s all you need to know about the crucial hearing:

— The central government had told the Supreme Court last week that deadline
for linking Aadhaar to various programmes will be extended from December 31
to March 31, 2018. The extension, however, was only applicable to those who
do not have an Aadhaar

[GreenYouth] Land of Hindus? Mohan Bhagwat, Narendra Modi and the Sangh Parivar are using ‘Hindustan’ all wrong: Not only is it not the official name of the country, it doesn't mean what they think it

2017-10-30 Thread Sukla Sen

[Getting the meaning of Hindustan wrong, Bhagwat might be pleased to know,
is a hallowed tradition going right back to the founder of Hindutva,
Vinayak Savarkar. Savarkar assumed that the name “Hindustan” traces back to
a Sanskrit word “Sindhustan” since the “S in Sanskrit gets at times changed
into an H in India”.
This is, to not put too fine a point on it, totally wrong. Hindu and Sindhu
are cognates, words with a common root in the Iranian and Indic languages
respectively. While the latter was used to name the region of Sindh as well
as the Sindhu river that ran through it in various Indic languages, the
Iranian languages used theirs to name the people across the river, calling
them “Hindus”.
The word “Hindustan” came about by affixing a common Persian suffix, -stan,
meaning land. This Persian suffix not only gives us Hindustan, but also
Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Kazakhistan and so on, all places where
once Persian was the lingua franca and language of the state. This
“Hindustan”, used by the Persian and Arabs, is – like all premodern terms –
hazy but roughly maps to the entire Indian subcontinent today. In 1305, the
Iranian scholar al-Biruni, for example, called “Hind”, the Arabic version
of “Hindustan”, as “limited in the south by the above mentioned Indian
ocean and on all three sides by the lofty mountains, the waters of which
flow down to it”.
...
While common in Hindi-Urdu, India’s founding fathers, however, did not
accept “Hindustan” as a synonym for India. The Persian-origin Hindustan is
not an official name for the country which is restricted to the Sanskrit
“Bharat” and the English “India”.]

https://scroll.in/article/855876/land-of-hindus-mohan-bhagwat-narendra-modi-and-the-sangh-parivar-are-using-hindustan-all-wrong

HINDUTVA WATCH

Land of Hindus? Mohan Bhagwat, Narendra Modi and the Sangh Parivar are
using ‘Hindustan’ all wrong
Not only is it not the official name of the country, it doesn't mean what
they think it does. Even worse: it's a Persian word.

by Shoaib Daniyal

Published 6 hours ago

Land of Hindus? Mohan Bhagwat, Narendra Modi and the Sangh Parivar are
using ‘Hindustan’ all wrong
PTI File photo

“Whose country is Germany?” asked Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan
Bhagwat rhetorically on Saturday, addressing a crowd in Indore. “It is a
country of Germans, Britain is a country of Britishers, America is a
country of Americans, and in the same way Hindustan is a country of Hindus”.

That Hindutva, the core ideology of the Sangh Parivar equates Indian and
Hindu nationalism is not news. In fact, for some time now, the Sangh
Parivar has used this linguistic formulation to supposedly prove its
contention. If the name of the country is Hindustan, that means it’s the
land of the Hindus, argues the Sangh.

The use of “Hindustan” for India, therefore, is common on the Hindu right.
Even Prime Minister Modi, who earned his spurs in the RSS, before moving to
the Bharatiya Janata Party, used the word “Hindustan” in his Independence
Day speech earlier this year.

Yet, the Sangh Parivar might be disappointed to learn that the word
Hindustan has got little relation with the term “Hindu” as it is used
today. In fact, it’s not even a native word, being imported from the
Persian language – an uncomfortable fact given Hindutva’s fierce nativism
on these matters. The word has, in fact, had a few meanings through the
ages, all of them geographic with little to indicate nationality as Bhagwat
would desire.

Hindustan beginnings
Getting the meaning of Hindustan wrong, Bhagwat might be pleased to know,
is a hallowed tradition going right back to the founder of Hindutva,
Vinayak Savarkar. Savarkar assumed that the name “Hindustan” traces back to
a Sanskrit word “Sindhustan” since the “S in Sanskrit gets at times changed
into an H in India”.

This is, to not put too fine a point on it, totally wrong. Hindu and Sindhu
are cognates, words with a common root in the Iranian and Indic languages
respectively. While the latter was used to name the region of Sindh as well
as the Sindhu river that ran through it in various Indic languages, the
Iranian languages used theirs to name the people across the river, calling
them “Hindus”.

The word “Hindustan” came about by affixing a common Persian suffix, -stan,
meaning land. This Persian suffix not only gives us Hindustan, but also
Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Kazakhistan and so on, all places where
once Persian was the lingua franca and language of the state. This
“Hindustan”, used by the Persian and Arabs, is – like all premodern terms –
hazy but roughly maps to the entire Indian subcontinent today. In 1305, the
Iranian scholar al-Biruni, for example, called “Hind”, the Arabic version
of “Hindustan”, as “limited in the south by the above mentioned Indian
ocean and on all three sides by the lofty mountains, the waters of which
flow down to it”.

“Hindustan” is, therefore, what is known an exonym – a name given by
outsiders. Exonyms are quite common

[GreenYouth] Supreme Court LIVE: Constitution Bench to Hear Pleas on Aadhaar Linking, Govt Unwilling to Extend Deadline (Issues Directive to Produce Hadiya on Nov. 27)

2017-10-30 Thread Sukla Sen

[In the US, under the "federal structure", the individual states can
challenge (and thereby block) Presidential orders; but, in India, under the
"federal structure":
<>]

I/II.
Gautam Bhatia‏ @gautambhatia88 6h6 hours ago
More Gautam Bhatia Retweeted Krishnadas Rajagopal
By November 27, it will have been five months since the Kerala HC sent her
into her father's "custody". Right call today, but much too late.

Krishnadas Rajagopal‏
@kdrajagopal
Follow Follow @kdrajagopal
More
SC orders #Hadiya to be produced before it on Nov 27 @ 3 pm. SC will ask wh
she converted to Islam/married with free consent @the_hindu
12:07 AM - 30 Oct 2017

II.
[Gautam Bhatia‏ @gautambhatia88 4h4 hours ago
More
Replying to @gautambhatia88
CJI says he will try to constitute a bench (to hear the pleas regarding
Aadhaar) at the end of November.]

http://www.news18.com/news/india/supreme-court-live-constitution-bench-to-hear-pleas-against-aadhaar-linking-govt-wont-extend-deadline-1560875.html

Supreme Court LIVE: Constitution Bench to Hear Pleas on Aadhaar Linking,
Govt Unwilling to Extend Deadline
News18.com | October 30, 2017, 4:26 PM IST facebook Twitter google skype

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
Govt Not Willing to Extend Aadhaar Deadline
Hadiya to be in Court on Nov 27
Mullaperiyar Case
Gandhi Assassination Case
SC Pulls up WB Govt on Aadhaar

The Supreme Court has decided to set up a Constitution Bench to hear pleas
against the mandatory linking of Aadhaar with mobile numbers and bank
accounts as the government remained unwilling to extend the December 31
deadline for those who already have the biometric ID. Aadhaar is one of the
high-profile cases in the top court today. Earlier in the day, the court
heard the Kerala Love Jihad case and ordered Hadiya, the woman at the
centre of the controversy, to be produced before it on November 27. The SC
will later take up the challenges to Article 35A, which provides special
rights and privileges to permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir.

It’s an action-packed day in the Supreme Court. Stay tuned for all the LIVE
updates:
Oct 30, 2017
4:26 pm (IST)
In a press conference, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said that
she respects the Supreme Court’s directive asking her to challenge the
linking of Aadhaar in an individual capacity. “They have not rejected my
petition,” she says. "How can a state file such a plea. In a federal
structure, how can a state file a plea challenging Parliament's mandate," a
bench comprising Justices AK Sikri and Ashok Bhushan had said earlier in
the day.

Oct 30, 2017
4:24 pm (IST)
The Surpeme Court has deferred the hearing in the Article 35-A case by two
months. While the Centre had sought a time of six months, the apex court
decided to adjourn the case for eight weeks. Article 35-A provides special
rights and privileges to permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir.

Snipped
--
Peace Is Doable

[GreenYouth] Supreme Court wants to hear Hadiya but allows her forcible confinement to be prolonged (by another full month)

2017-10-30 Thread Sukla Sen

[<<“We are inclined to modify the order dated 16th August and is directing
the presence of the daughter of the 1st respondent at 3PM on 27th November.
We may further add that this court shall speak to her not in-camera but in
open court”>>

(Source: <
http://www.livelaw.in/breaking-sc-orders-hadiyas-production-know-mind-stiff-objection-nia-father-brushed-aside/#.WfbbpU3BAhQ.facebook
>.)

That's undoubtedly a very remarkable and welcome departure from the stand
taken by the earlier Supreme Court bench, not to speak of the Kerala High
Court, on this case.

What, however, one finds utterly puzzling is why the Court, on Monday, has
given one month's time to produce Hadiya, currently under her parents'
"custody" in Kerala.
In fact, she could have had very well been produced Wednesday, even if not
today, Tuesday, had the Court so directed.

This one (full) month, one can very well imagine, ther (custodian) family
will put to rather good use.
She may be subjected to a range of treatments, stretching from brutal
physical torture (beating, denial of food and use of toilet etc.) to
emotional blackmail (mother'd commit suicide and such) likes.
Maybe all at the same time, by different palyers playing different roles.
Even drugging and subjecting to hypnotic suggestions cannot be ruled out.
And, in this ("righteous") venture, the "family" would be duly mentored and
backed up by the Hindutva Brigade.
Maybe even the NIA.

Of particular relevance: <<"It is a well-oiled machinery. Consent is
manipulated by indoctrination, radicalisation. In fact, people with
Hypnotic expertise have been employed to manipulate young women," says NIA
to the Supreme Court (on Monday).>>
(Source: <
http://www.news18.com/news/india/supreme-court-live-constitution-bench-to-hear-pleas-against-aadhaar-linking-govt-wont-extend-deadline-1560875.html
>.)
Also of relevance: <>
(Source; ibid.)

Maybe, for a clue we're to look here: <<“We will be failing in our duty if
we do not take on record the submission of ASG Maninder Singh and Senior
Advocate Shyam Divan that in a case of present nature when there is
sufficient material on record and a pattern of indoctrination the choice of
the (adult) person may not be treated as absolute”>>
(Source: <
http://www.livelaw.in/breaking-sc-orders-hadiyas-production-know-mind-stiff-objection-nia-father-brushed-aside/#.WfbbpU3BAhQ.facebook
>.)

So, the window of one month allows a good opportunity for
counter-indoctrination, by whatever means.]

https://scroll.in/article/856014/though-supreme-court-wants-to-hear-hadiya-it-has-allowed-her-forcible-confinement-to-be-prolonged

LOVE JIHAD

Supreme Court wants to hear Hadiya but allows her forcible confinement to
be prolonged
The case has attracted widespread attention because Hindutva supporters
claim that the Kerala woman is a victim of so-called love jihad.

by Sruthisagar Yamunan

Published Yesterday · 08:46 pm

The Supreme Court on Monday said on Monday that it would question Kerala
woman Hadiya in the open court on November 27 about whether her marriage to
a Muslim man occured with her consent. In May, the Kerala High Court had
annulled the marriage.

Hadiya’s case has attracted nationwide attention because Hindutva activists
have claimed that it is a case of so-called love jihad – a campaign waged
by Muslim men to woo Hindu women in order to convert them to Islam. Hadiya,
who was born Hindu, said she converted to Islam willingly before her
marriage. But her father, Ashokan, alleged that her former husband Shafin
Jahan was conspiring to take his daughter to Syria to fight for the Islamic
State group.

He filed a habeas corpus petition in the Kerala Court. The court eventually
annulled Hadiya’s marriage and ordered her to return to her parents’s home
under police guard.

But on October 3, the Supreme Court wondered how a High Court could annul a
marriage using its special powers under Article 226 of the Constitution,
which was framed to help the court protect fundamental rights. The
annulment of a marriage requires a civil trial.

On Monday, Chief Justice of India Deepak Misra made it clear that the court
would decide on the matter only after hearing Hadiya in person. The bench
dismissed her father’s plea to conduct the proceedings in camera and
ordered him to produce his daughter at 3 pm on November 27.

‘Pattern of indoctrination’
In the course of Monday’s proceedings, Misra asked the lawyers appearing
for Ashokan and the National Investigation Agency if there was any legal
bar to an adult woman in falling in love with a criminal. The NIA had been
brought into the picture by a bench headed by former Chief Justice JS
Khehar on August 24, when it asked the agency to investigate whether there
was a larger trend of religious indoctrination in Kerala. After Misra as
chief justice took over, the court’s position changed. The new chief
justice even asked if there was any scope in law for the Supreme Court to
move beyond the proceedings in the High Court and order an NIA

[GreenYouth] Partha Chatterjee’s Statement (of denial) on the ‘Name and Shame’ Campaign

2017-10-31 Thread Sukla Sen

[<>

That appears to be quite a fair demand regardless of from whom it's coming
- a Savarna or a Dalit, a male or a female, a noted or a faceless one.
He doesn't ask the complainant to be identified.]

https://thewire.in/192796/partha-chatterjees-statement-name-shame-campaign/

Partha Chatterjee’s Statement on the ‘Name and Shame’ Campaign
BY PARTHA CHATTERJEE ON 31/10/2017 • LEAVE A COMMENT
SHARE THIS:

inShare

More
“I believe it is fair for me to demand that the nature of the allegation
against me be made known to me so that I could make a specific response to
it,” says the noted scholar.

I recently came to know of a circulating spreadsheet that claims to be a
list of Indian male academics who have been accused of sexual harassment.

I find that my name occurs twice in that list.

In the first instance, my institution is named as the Centre for Studies in
Social Sciences, Calcutta, with the figure 1 under the column “Number of
victims”; the rest of the columns including “Description of complaint” and
“Year of violence” are blank.

The second entry mentions my institution as Columbia University with the
“Number of victims” column left blank. It is unclear why the second entry
appears on the list.

I wish to state that there has never been a single complaint of sexual
harassment made against me. Moreover, I am certain that in 44 years of my
association with the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, I have never
been involved in an incident in which I could be accused of having sexually
harassed a student.

I believe it is fair for me to demand that the nature of the allegation
against me be made known to me so that I could make a specific response to
it. Otherwise, I demand that my name be removed from the list.

Partha Chatterjee is a social scientist and historian.

-- 
Peace Is Doable

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[GreenYouth] Statement Condemning the Appropriation of Women's Movement and Muslim Women's Voices by the BJP Government

2017-10-31 Thread Sukla Sen

From: 'hasina khan'

.

STATEMENT CONDEMNING THE APPROPRIATION OF WOMEN’S MOVEMENT AND MUSLIM
WOMEN’S VOICES BY THE BJP GOVERNMENT

We, as Bebaak Collective (Voices of the Fearless), are writing this
statement univocally condemning  the comment made by the BJP leader
Subramanian Swamy in an event in Mumbai on Friday, 27th October that the
party could win in Uttar Pradesh elections because Muslim women believed
that it was BJP who could save them from ‘triple talaq’. (See, “Muslim
women felt only BJP could save them from triple talaq says Swamy” Indian
Express, 28th October) BJP leaders have time and again celebrated the
victory of the recent judgement that invalidates the instantaneous practice
of triple talaq and the leadership have often claimed the victory to
itself, strategically pointing out the silence of the Congress government
during the Shah Bano case.

The enormous media debate, after the judgement, underplayed the efforts of
women’s movement and turned it into a game of political rivalry between BJP
and Congress. In fact, BJP’s constant reference to the violent and gender
discriminatory practice of triple talaq seems to feed into the imagination
that the Muslim community is conservative and violent which also creates
fractures within the community and legitimises the targeted violence of the
men of the community in beef cases or in fabricated terror cases.
We strongly condemn the appropriation of the struggle of women’s groups and
want to reiterate that triple talaq could be declared unconstitutional
owing to the sustained work of women’s groups in the community and also,
because of the legal intervention made by grass-roots women’s groups in the
apex court supporting Shayara Bano’s petition who challenged the validity
of unilateral triple talaq in the court. Bebaak Collective, which is a
campaign group, and works with several other grassroots organisations
across states, was one of the petitioners to intervene in the court
supporting Shayara Bano.

On 22nd August 2017, the honourable Supreme Court of India adjudicated that
instantaneous triple talaq will not be acknowledged by the law on a 3-2
majority in a five bench trial while maintaining the ethos of equality as
enshrined in the Indian Constitution. This judgement is ‘historic’ in terms
that it gives a legal acknowledgement to the demands of Muslim activists
across the country and also occult the self-styled ‘authentic’
representatives of the community--All India Muslim Personal Law Board
(AIMPLB).
However, in the aftermath of this judgement, there have been series of
occasions where the standing government consciously tried to hijack the
victory and misrepresent the events. It must be remembered that it was
women’s groups who approached the court and not the current government who
only filed an affidavit when directed by the court. However, the successive
statements from BJP ministers congratulating Muslim women and projecting
BJP as the sole messiah of the community has resulted into further
polarization within the community and makes it appear as if the Muslim
women’s leadership aligned with the right-wing government around this issue.

It appears that these stories before the Gujarat elections and assembly
elections of 2019 will strengthen the image of the current government as a
champion of women’s rights which will successively translate into winning
election booths. We strongly resist this appropriation and unabashed
manipulation of the Muslim community and especially the women.

On this occasion, we want to ask whether the government has made any real
policy level intervention to better the social security of the Muslim
community or even whether the government is bringing any schemes or
policies to change the material realities of the Muslim women and girls in
particular who seem to have evoked this government’s sudden empathy. While
it must be remembered that as soon as this government came to power, it
criminalized beef consumption and trading; there is an increasing number of
cow vigilantes under the patronage of the government and other right-wing
forces. Incidents of the killing of Muslims and Dalits on suspicion of beef
possession are a much-reported reality while the perpetrators of the
violence against Md. Akhlaque, Pehlu Khan, Junaid are roaming scot-free.

 Besides, where was this government when the incidents of mass rape in
Gujarat massacre and Muzaffarnagar riots were being pushed below the carpet
or orchestrated?  What has the government done to recuperate the lives of
several Muslim families who were victims during Muzaffarnagar riots and
those who migrated to neighbouring villages and towns? What did the
government do when the hindutva strategies like Love Jihad were getting
strengthened and anti-Romeo squads were functioning in the states like
Uttar Pradesh? These protectionist agenda not only led to the social
segregation between the majority and minority communities but also impacted
the lives of Muslim women whos

[GreenYouth] Donald Trump just had his worst day in office — and he has more trouble coming: Analysis

2017-10-31 Thread Sukla Sen

<>

(Excerpted from: 'Donald Trump just had his worst day in office — and he
has more trouble coming: Analysis' at <
https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2017/10/30/donald-trump-just-had-his-worst-day-in-office-and-he-has-more-trouble-coming-analysis.html
>.)
-- 
Peace Is Doable

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[GreenYouth] Re: Partha Chatterjee’s Statement (of denial) on the ‘Name and Shame’ Campaign

2017-10-31 Thread Sukla Sen

>From a friend on another list:

<>

END

Sukla


On 31 October 2017 at 13:03, Sukla Sen  wrote:

>
> [< against me be made known to me so that I could make a specific response to
> it.>>
>
> That appears to be quite a fair demand regardless of from whom it's coming
> - a Savarna or a Dalit, a male or a female, a noted or a faceless one.
> He doesn't ask the complainant to be identified.]
>
> https://thewire.in/192796/partha-chatterjees-statement-
> name-shame-campaign/
>
> Partha Chatterjee’s Statement on the ‘Name and Shame’ Campaign
> BY PARTHA CHATTERJEE ON 31/10/2017 • LEAVE A COMMENT
> SHARE THIS:
>
> inShare
>
> More
> “I believe it is fair for me to demand that the nature of the allegation
> against me be made known to me so that I could make a specific response to
> it,” says the noted scholar.
>
> I recently came to know of a circulating spreadsheet that claims to be a
> list of Indian male academics who have been accused of sexual harassment.
>
> I find that my name occurs twice in that list.
>
> In the first instance, my institution is named as the Centre for Studies
> in Social Sciences, Calcutta, with the figure 1 under the column “Number of
> victims”; the rest of the columns including “Description of complaint” and
> “Year of violence” are blank.
>
> The second entry mentions my institution as Columbia University with the
> “Number of victims” column left blank. It is unclear why the second entry
> appears on the list.
>
> I wish to state that there has never been a single complaint of sexual
> harassment made against me. Moreover, I am certain that in 44 years of my
> association with the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, I have never
> been involved in an incident in which I could be accused of having sexually
> harassed a student.
>
> I believe it is fair for me to demand that the nature of the allegation
> against me be made known to me so that I could make a specific response to
> it. Otherwise, I demand that my name be removed from the list.
>
> Partha Chatterjee is a social scientist and historian.
>
> --
> Peace Is Doable
>
>
>


-- 
Peace Is Doable

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[GreenYouth] Re: Supreme Court wants to hear Hadiya but allows her forcible confinement to be prolonged (by another full month)

2017-10-31 Thread Sukla Sen

From: Sumanta Banerjee (on John Dayal's FB wall)

<>

END

Sukla

On 31 October 2017 at 12:28, Sukla Sen  wrote:

>
> [<<“We are inclined to modify the order dated 16th August and is directing
> the presence of the daughter of the 1st respondent at 3PM on 27th November.
> We may further add that this court shall speak to her not in-camera but in
> open court”>>
>
> (Source: <http://www.livelaw.in/breaking-sc-orders-hadiyas-
> production-know-mind-stiff-objection-nia-father-brushed-
> aside/#.WfbbpU3BAhQ.facebook>.)
>
> That's undoubtedly a very remarkable and welcome departure from the stand
> taken by the earlier Supreme Court bench, not to speak of the Kerala High
> Court, on this case.
>
> What, however, one finds utterly puzzling is why the Court, on Monday, has
> given one month's time to produce Hadiya, currently under her parents'
> "custody" in Kerala.
> In fact, she could have had very well been produced Wednesday, even if not
> today, Tuesday, had the Court so directed.
>
> This one (full) month, one can very well imagine, ther (custodian) family
> will put to rather good use.
> She may be subjected to a range of treatments, stretching from brutal
> physical torture (beating, denial of food and use of toilet etc.) to
> emotional blackmail (mother'd commit suicide and such) likes.
> Maybe all at the same time, by different palyers playing different roles.
> Even drugging and subjecting to hypnotic suggestions cannot be ruled out.
> And, in this ("righteous") venture, the "family" would be duly mentored
> and backed up by the Hindutva Brigade.
> Maybe even the NIA.
>
> Of particular relevance: <<"It is a well-oiled machinery. Consent is
> manipulated by indoctrination, radicalisation. In fact, people with
> Hypnotic expertise have been employed to manipulate young women," says NIA
> to the Supreme Court (on Monday).>>
> (Source: <http://www.news18.com/news/india/supreme-court-live-
> constitution-bench-to-hear-pleas-against-aadhaar-linking-
> govt-wont-extend-deadline-1560875.html>.)
> Also of relevance: < heard pleading with activist Rahul Eashwar to help end her confinement.
> "Get me out of here. Today or tomorrow, I am going to die. I am sure about
> this. My father is getting angry, I can make out. He pushes me, stamps at
> me," says the 24-year-old. Hadiya has been living with her father after the
> Kerala High Court annulled her marriage to Shafin Jahan in May this year
> and ordered her to return to live with her parents in Kottayam.>>
> (Source; ibid.)
>
> Maybe, for a clue we're to look here: <<“We will be failing in our duty if
> we do not take on record the submission of ASG Maninder Singh and Senior
> Advocate Shyam Divan that in a case of present nature when there is
> sufficient material on record and a pattern of indoctrination the choice of
> the (adult) person may not be treated as absolute”>>
> (Source: <http://www.livelaw.in/breaking-sc-orders-hadiyas-
> production-know-mind-stiff-objection-nia-father-brushed-
> aside/#.WfbbpU3BAhQ.facebook>.)
>
> So, the window of one month allows a good opportunity for
> counter-indoctrination, by whatever means.]
>
> https://scroll.in/article/856014/though-supreme-court-
> wants-to-hear-hadiya-it-has-allowed-her-forcible-
> confinement-to-be-prolonged
>
> LOVE JIHAD
>
> Supreme Court wants to hear Hadiya but allows her forcible confinement to
> be prolonged
> The case has attracted widespread attention because Hindutva supporters
> claim that the Kerala woman is a victim of so-called love jihad.
>
> by  Sruthisagar Yamunan
>
> Published Yesterday · 08:46 pm
>
> The Supreme Court on Monday said on Monday that it would question Kerala
> woman Hadiya in the open court on November 27 about whether her marriage to
> a Muslim man occured with her consent. In May, the Kerala High Court had
> annulled the marriage.
>
> Hadiya’s case has attracted nationwide attention because Hindutva
> activists have claimed that it is a case of so-called love jihad – a
> campaign waged by Muslim men to woo Hindu women in order to convert them to
> Islam. Hadiya, who was born Hindu, said she converted to Islam willingly
> before her marriage. But her father, Ashokan, alleged that her former
> husband Shafin Jahan was conspiring to take his daughter to Syria to fight
> for the Islamic State group.
>
> He filed a habeas corpus petition in the Kerala Court. The court
> eventually annulled Hadiya’s marriage and ordered her to return to her
> parents’s home under police guard.
>
> But on October 3, the Supreme Court wondered how a High Court could annul

[GreenYouth] How the Japanese Loan for India’s Bullet Train Is a Rip Off

2017-10-31 Thread Sukla Sen

[Today Re 1 buys 1.72 yen, ten years ago Re 1 could buy 2.80 yen and, 32
years ago, say on February 26, 1985, Re 1 could buy 19.77 yen.  On February
26, 1985, the exchange rate of dollar/yen was 261 and that of dollar/rupee
was 13.20. Divide 261 with 13.20, you get 19.77. So, had India borrowed
150,000 crores yen on February 26, 1985, today, that is after 32 years, the
principal amount of loan (without interest) would have swelled  11.49 times
(divide 19.77 by 1.72). Depending on repayment schedule and lock-in period
of loan, the multiplication factor could have reduced from 11.49 to 6 or 7
on a conservative estimate. This is simple arithmetic and no rocket science.
...
It is axiomatic that forward delivery of a currency yielding lower rate of
interest would always be at a premium vis-à-vis the currency yielding
higher rate of interest. The yen interest rate is now close to zero. The
rupee repo rate (rate at which banks borrow from the Reserve Bank of India)
is 6%. Thus, multiple swaps executed till the currency of the loan would be
hugely expensive as forward premia would have to be paid by India on each
swap. India would thus end up paying well over Rs 300,000 crores
(multiplication factor 3.4 taken) on a most conservative estimate. Notably,
rupee/yen quote will not be available directly in the international forex
market; consequently, dollar being the intervention currency for India,
swaps would have to be performed through dollar/yen quotes. Rupee would
thus have be converted into yen only through dollar.]

https://thewire.in/192863/india-japan-yen-loan-mumbai-ahmedabad-bullet-train/

How the Japanese Loan for India’s Bullet Train Is a Rip Off

BY BISHWAJIT BHATTACHARYYA ON 31/10/2017

If the rupee’s purchasing power has dipped from 19.77 yen in 1985 to 1.72
yen today, then after 50 years can a rupee buy anything more than just a
fraction of a yen?


Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Credit: PTI
Now that the hype over the bullet train has subsided, it is time to do some
cold calculations. India will borrow Japanese yen 150,000 crores [equal to
Rs 88,000 crores today], bearing 0.1% interest, with a 15 year lock-in
period, repayable in 50-60 years. Looks attractive indeed. Prime Minister
Narendra Modi is reported to have commented: the loan is “in a way free”.
The prime minister was evidently not briefed properly, as the following
analysis will indicate.

Today Re 1 buys 1.72 yen, ten years ago Re 1 could buy 2.80 yen and, 32
years ago, say on February 26, 1985, Re 1 could buy 19.77 yen.  On February
26, 1985, the exchange rate of dollar/yen was 261 and that of dollar/rupee
was 13.20. Divide 261 with 13.20, you get 19.77. So, had India borrowed
150,000 crores yen on February 26, 1985, today, that is after 32 years, the
principal amount of loan (without interest) would have swelled  11.49 times
(divide 19.77 by 1.72). Depending on repayment schedule and lock-in period
of loan, the multiplication factor could have reduced from 11.49 to 6 or 7
on a conservative estimate. This is simple arithmetic and no rocket science.

So, can we not predict what fraction of a yen, Re 1 would buy after 50
years? If the rupee’s purchasing power has dipped from 19.77 yen in 1985 to
1.72 yen today, then after 50 years can a rupee buy anything more than just
a fraction of a yen? Unlikely, unless yen interest rate shoots up and rupee
rate becomes close to zero, which is highly improbable. Therefore, this
50-year yen loan, with a 15 years lock-in period, is anything but free. It
is in fact a rip off. By the time the loan is repaid in 50 years, India
would have shelled out  Rs 300,000 crores at least, or even more, depending
on how quickly the loan is extinguished. This excludes interest of 0.1% on
yen loan which would add to the cost. Yen is a dangerous currency and it
would be imprudent to ignore its track record.

Also read: The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Is Many Things, But It’s Not
Free

India can ill-afford to keep such a huge liability in yen unhedged. But
even the cost of hedging rupee/yen exchange risk would be prohibitive.
Initially India would be required to buy Yen 150,000 crore forward outright
in the international market, and keep doing rupee/yen swaps – sell yen spot
and buy yen back forward, matching with each due date of loan repayment
installment. This process would continue till the entire loan is
extinguished. This is called roll-over swap, which corporate in India
execute to hedge currency exchange risk in external commercial borrowings.
But, such swaps, on each occasion, would entail huge costs for the simple
reason that forward delivery of yen against rupee would be at a premium so
long as yen interest rate remains lower than rupee.

It is axiomatic that forward delivery of a currency yielding lower rate of
interest would always be at a premium vis-à-vis the currency yielding
higher rate of interest. The yen interest rate is now close to zero. The
rupee repo rate (rate

[GreenYouth] Trump Presidency: Patronising Reports:I&II. Patronising the Corrupt, III. Prmotion of White Supremacy and IV. Fomenting Xenophobia

2017-11-01 Thread Sukla Sen

I/III.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia/court-document-shows-manafort-wealth-ties-to-russian-oligarchs-idUSKBN1D14YH

NOVEMBER 1, 2017 / 7:48 PM / UPDATED AN HOUR AGO
Court document shows Manafort wealth, ties to Russian oligarchs
Doina Chiacu

4 MIN READ

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Paul Manafort, former campaign manager for President
Donald Trump, had three U.S. passports, millions in assets and ties to
Russian oligarchs, according to federal court documents after his
indictment on tax fraud and money laundering charges.

Former Trump 2016 campaign chairman Paul Manafort leaves U.S. Federal Court
after being arraigned on twelve federal charges in the investigation into
alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election in
Washington, U.S. October 30, 2017. REUTERS/James Lawler Duggan

Manafort and associate Rick Gates pose a significant flight risk because of
the serious nature of the charges, the strong evidence of guilt, their
wealth and “their history of deceptive and misleading conduct,” federal
prosecutors said in a filing Tuesday in U.S. District Court for the
District of Columbia.

Manafort, 68, and Gates, who also worked on Trump’s campaign, pleaded not
guilty on Monday in a 12-count indictment, ranging from money laundering to
acting as unregistered agents of Ukraine’s former pro-Russian government.

The charges came as part of federal special counsel Robert Mueller’s
5-month-old investigation into alleged Russian efforts to tilt the 2016
presidential election in Trump’s favor and potential collusion by campaign
aides.

The allegations are not related to campaign activities but reveal close
ties to Russia, and include activities from 2006 to 2017, which overlaps
with the mens’ work on Trump’s campaign.

The two men are under house arrest and have relinquished their U.S.
passports, with a $10 million bond set for Manafort and a $5 million bond
for Gates.

“Both defendants have substantial ties abroad, including in Ukraine, where
both have spent time and have served as agents of its government,”
according to the government’s memorandum in support of the conditions of
release.

“And both Manafort and Gates have connections to Ukrainian and Russian
oligarchs, who have provided millions of dollars to Manafort and Gates.”

The next hearing in the case, set for 2 p.m. (1800 GMT) on Thursday, will
concern the bail conditions that were set at Monday’s arraignment.

II/IV.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/paul-manafort-apos-daughter-texted-174134840.html?soc_src=community&soc_trk=fb

Paul Manafort's Daughter Texted Friends About How Tight Her Dad Was With
Trump
HuffPost

Ashley Feinberg
,HuffPost•October 31, 2017

Paul Manafort, the former Trump campaign chairman who was indicted on
federal conspiracy and money laundering charges Monday, has a long history
of ties to pro-Putin groups in Ukraine. He also has a long history of
connections to Donald Trump. According to leaked texts sent and received by
his daughter, Andrea Manafort Shand, the two pals were “perfect allies.”

The Trump administration has been workingovertime to downplay Manafort’s
role in last year’s campaign.

“Paul Manafort was brought in to lead the delegate process, which he did,
and was dismissed not too long after that,” White House press secretary
Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Monday. “Paul was brought on sometime in June,
and by the middle of August he was no longer with the campaign,” then-press
secretary Sean Spicer said in March.

Spicer’s statement was untrue, and Sanders’ claim was misleading.

The public record shows that Manafort, who had known Trump for decades,
joined his campaign toward the end of March 2016. And Manafort’s eventual
resignation didn’t necessarily indicate he was leaving Trump’s orbit,
according to his daughter’s texts. Manafort Shand may have wanted to
inflate her father’s role to impress her friends. But even after her father
stepped down from the campaign last August, Manafort Shand was under the
impression that he had continuing influence within the Trump campaign and
beyond.

The following texts, sent by Manafort Shand to her sister, Jessica
Manafort, and to friends and discovered by the website Krypt3ia earlier
this year, offer a markedly different understanding of the Trump/Manafort
relationship than the president and his allies are attempting to sell.
(Manafort previously confirmed the authenticity of several of the texts to
Politico.)

Snipped

III/IV.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/filmmaker-ken-burns-reminds-john-232347091.html?soc_src=community&soc_trk=fb

Filmmaker Ken Burns Reminds John Kelly What Caused The Civil War: Slavery
HuffPost

Chris D'Angelo
,HuffPost•November 1, 2017

WASHINGTON — Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns has weighed in on White House
Chief of Staff John Kelly’s controversial comments about the Civil War,
saying that while many factors contributed to the conflict, one caused it:
slavery.

Ken Burns ✔@KenBurns
Many factors contributed to the Civil War. One caused

[GreenYouth] Why is a Muslim body backing BJP’s plan to build Ram temple on the site of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya? The minority Shia sect in Uttar Pradesh has long been aligned with the saffron party

2017-11-01 Thread Sukla Sen

[The plan to build a Ram temple at the site of the demolished Babri Masjid
in Ayodhya has received unlikely support – from a Muslim body. On Tuesday,
Uttar Pradesh Shia Central Waqf Board Chairman Waseem Rizvi met Art of
Living founder Ravi Shankar and pledged his support for the temple. “I met
Gurudev Sri Sri ji and insisted that the Ram Temple should be built on the
Ram Janmabhoomi site itself and that there was no need to construct a
mosque there,” Rizvi told the Hindustan Times.
A Muslim body supporting the construction of a temple where the Babri
Masjid once stood may seem odd given the highly polarising nature of the
dispute. Yet, this is not the first time Shia bodies and clerics in Uttar
Pradesh have taken positions favouring the Bharatiya Janata Party. Bitter
sectarian tension between Sunnis and Shias means the latter – a minority
within the state’s Muslim community – often looks to the BJP for political
support.]

https://scroll.in/article/856328/why-is-a-muslim-body-backing-bjps-plan-to-build-ram-temple-on-the-site-of-babri-masjid-in-ayodhya

SECTARIAN RIVALRIES

Why is a Muslim body backing BJP’s plan to build Ram temple on the site of
Babri Masjid in Ayodhya?
The minority Shia sect in Uttar Pradesh has long been aligned with the
saffron party.

by Shoaib Daniyal

Published 4 hours ago

Why is a Muslim body backing BJP’s plan to build Ram temple on the site of
Babri Masjid in Ayodhya?
PTI

The plan to build a Ram temple at the site of the demolished Babri Masjid
in Ayodhya has received unlikely support – from a Muslim body. On Tuesday,
Uttar Pradesh Shia Central Waqf Board Chairman Waseem Rizvi met Art of
Living founder Ravi Shankar and pledged his support for the temple. “I met
Gurudev Sri Sri ji and insisted that the Ram Temple should be built on the
Ram Janmabhoomi site itself and that there was no need to construct a
mosque there,” Rizvi told the Hindustan Times.

A Muslim body supporting the construction of a temple where the Babri
Masjid once stood may seem odd given the highly polarising nature of the
dispute. Yet, this is not the first time Shia bodies and clerics in Uttar
Pradesh have taken positions favouring the Bharatiya Janata Party. Bitter
sectarian tension between Sunnis and Shias means the latter – a minority
within the state’s Muslim community – often looks to the BJP for political
support.

Sectarian tension
The Babri Masjid isn’t the only casualty of the Shia-Sunni rift. The Shia
Central Waqf Board has even written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi with
the highly unusual request to demolish Mughal emperor Humayan’s tomb, one
of Delhi’s most famous monuments. In the letter sent on October 18, Rizvi
made it clear that he subscribed to the BJP’s politics by calling the
Mughals “cruel kings who looted the country” and rulers who “misused their
power to demolish 3,000 temples”.

Rizvi also made no secret of the fact that the Shia-Sunni rift provided the
background for his bizarre demand by saying Saudi Arabia allowed for the
destruction of historical tombs and claiming that “the Muslim community to
which Humayun belonged [Sunnis] do not recognise any tomb as a part of its
ideology and theology”.

Claim to Babri Masjid
Though the Shia Central Waqf Board has always been a party to the Ayodhya
dispute, it had remained quiescent on the matter following a 1946 court
order holding the mosque to be a Sunni structure. In August this year,
however, the board challenged the 1964 order, arguing that Mir Baqi, the
Mughal general who had built the mosque, was a Shia.

Unlike the Sunni Waqf Board, though, the Shia board is not fighting to
rebuild Babri Masjid. In an affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court on
August 7, the board maintained that it wanted a Ram Temple built on the
spot where the mosque stood until it was demolished in December 1992. A
mosque can be built at a “reasonable distance from the most revered place
of birth of Ram,” the board contended.

Shias for BJP
Shias are a minority among Uttar Pradesh’s Muslims with a
disproportionately large share in the old zamindari elite. After
Independence, the state witnessed bitter squabbles between Sunnis and
Shias, resulting in a ban on the Shia practice of taking out large
processions on Muharram in Lucknow as the marches would end up sparking
sectarian skirmishes.

The ban was in place for 21 years until 1998, when it was lifted by the BJP
government of Kalyan Singh. This move was greatly appreciated by Shias who
saw the BJP as more responsive to them than, say, the Samajwadi Party,
which was more interested in wooing the numerically stronger Sunnis.

Since then, prominent Shias have openly supported the BJP even as Sunnis
mostly opposed the saffron party. In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, Shia
leaders lend support to Narendra Modi’s candidature in Varanasi as well as
Rajnath Singh’s in Lucknow.

The BJP has a small number of Muslim leaders and it is no coincidence the
tallest among them is a Shia – Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, the only Muslim
m

[GreenYouth] A BJP Propagandist Predicts Victory for Modi in Gujarat: A Serious Contribution, Nevertheless

2017-11-02 Thread Sukla Sen

[That encapsulates the mood of voters across Gujarat. They dislike GST,
were hit by demonetisation and suffered during the floods. Farmers are in
distress, Dalits angry and Patidars resentful. But when it comes to the
crunch, they will vote for Gujarati pride — which means Modi.
...
In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, the BJP rode a Modi wave and swept all 26
parliamentary seats in the state with 59.10 per cent vote share. That was a
sharp rise over the 47.90 per cent vote share it received in the 2012
Assembly poll.
The Congress won 38.90 per cent vote share. It has been unable to reduce
the 8-10 per cent vote share gap that the BJP has enjoyed since 1995. It is
unlikely to do so in 2017, though the BJP is taking no chances. Modi will
campaign extensively across the state. So will party leader Amit Shah and
for the first time a phalanx of senior non-Gujarati ministers like Sushma
Swaraj.]

https://www.dailyo.in/politics/gujarat-polls-dalits-patidars-obcs-narendra-modi-rahul-gandhi-congress-bjp/story/1/20361.html

What we know about who's winning Gujarat Assembly elections
While Congress focuses on disenchanted Dalits, Patidars, OBCs and Muslims,
the women of Gujarat could tip the poll in BJP’s favour.

POLITICS | 5-minute read | 02-11-2017
Minhaz Merchant
MINHAZ MERCHANT @minhazmerchant

Two recent opinion polls on the Gujarat election gave the BJP, on average,
around 120 seats in the 182-seat Assembly. That’s five more than the party
won in the 2012 Assembly election. The Congress was projected to win around
55 seats, six fewer than in 2012.

A closer look reveals interesting nuggets. One of the opinion polls
concluded that if Patidar leader Hardik Patel enters into a seat
arrangement with the Congress, the BJP would lose up to seven seats,
bringing its tally down to around the level of the last Assembly election.
But with the fiery Patidar leader threatening to cut into Congress votes if
it does not extend reservations to all OBCs and not just EBCs (as the
Congress has declared), the BJP could gain from vote cannibalisation.

Chances

The Congress knows it is unlikely to win Gujarat in 2017 but seeks to chip
away at the BJP’s majority. With opinion polls showing a BJP sweep in
Himachal Pradesh, the Congress is girding itself for bad news on December
18 when counting takes place. Keeping the BJP to below 110 seats in Gujarat
would be a balm. It will also be a good omen for Rahul Gandhi’s incipient
elevation as president of the party.

What are the Congress’ chances of restricting the BJP to below 110 seats?
Slim. The Congress lays great store by its “rainbow coalition” of Dalits,
Patidars, OBCs and Muslims (DPOM). Together these groups comprise over 60
per cent of the Gujarat electorate. But there are already fissures among
the Patidars. Several mid-level Patel leaders have joined the BJP.

Aplesh Thakor’s OBCs (who make up 40 per cent of Gujarat’s population)
could pose a bigger problem for the BJP though Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s own OBC status will be deployed during the campaigning to stem the
flow of OBC votes to the Congress. Dalits, while only 7 per cent of
Gujarat’s electorate, could also cause problems for the BJP. There have
been frequent atrocities against Dalits in the state in recent months.
Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani may turn of to be a wild card in the elections.

The BJP has to deal with yet another factor: rising anger among the trading
community over GST. Traders are the BJP’s bread-and-butter voters and the
Congress hopes to wean enough of them away over the flawed implementation
of GST.

The sops offered by the BJP — including the self-serving decision to reduce
tax on khakra, a Gujarati snack staple — will not assuage the anger. As one
Gujarati computer peripherals trader told me: “We hate GST, especially the
cumbersome online filing and complicated tax slabs on different components
in a single product like a computer printer.”

So will he vote for the Congress in December? A look of resignation crosses
his face. “No, despite all this I will still vote for Narendra bhai.”

modi4-copy_110217095352.jpg

Setback

That encapsulates the mood of voters across Gujarat. They dislike GST, were
hit by demonetisation and suffered during the floods. Farmers are in
distress, Dalits angry and Patidars resentful. But when it comes to the
crunch, they will vote for Gujarati pride — which means Modi.

On a visit to Surat and Vadodara, this sentiment was starkly evident: “It’s
the first Assembly election since Narendra bhai became prime minister and
we will stand by him,” was the common refrain. Warning bells though are
sounding across the state. Farmer distress is real; so is Dalit alienation.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, the BJP rode a Modi wave and swept all 26
parliamentary seats in the state with 59.10 per cent vote share. That was a
sharp rise over the 47.90 per cent vote share it received in the 2012
Assembly poll.

The Congress won 38.90 per cent vote share. It has been unable to red

[GreenYouth] 'A Hundred Years After October Revolution, Rethinking the Origins of Stalinism' by Jairus Banaji: A Serious Contribution

2017-11-04 Thread Sukla Sen

https://thewire.in/193957/russian-revolution-stalinism-origins/

A Hundred Years After October Revolution, Rethinking the Origins of
Stalinism

BY JAIRUS BANAJI  ON 05/11/2017


To learn from October is to learn from and about its defeat, about why a
truly workers’ state never emerged and developed in the years when it
should have, and what went wrong to preempt that from happening.

*A hundred years ago, the Russian revolution changed economic and political
configurations across the world. Through a series of articles, *The
Wire* revisits
the making of *The Soviet Century
*. *

It should be obvious by now that the regime that came to be known as
Stalinism wasn’t born overnight, but emerged in a succession of fatal steps
over the greater part of the early 1920s. If this was not sufficiently
clear already from E.H. Carr’s magisterial, multi-volume *History of Soviet
Russia*, it is now abundantly evident in the most recent accounts to
appear, based on the wealth of new documentation that has been thrown open
in the post-Soviet state and party archives, in work like Barbara Allen’s
fascinating biography

of
Alexander Shlyapnikov and Simon Pirani’s methodical analysis of the
revolution’s “retreat” which deals with the period from 1920 to 1924. To
this new, post-Soviet scholarship one can now add the expanded translation
of Victor Serge’s *Memoirs of a Revolutionary
<
https://www.nyrb.com/collections/victor-serge/products/memoirs-of-a-revolutionary?variant=1094930205
>*
published
in 2012, restoring nearly 200 cuts that Serge’s translator Peter Sedgwick
had been forced to make to the original translation.

That the October Revolution ended in the monstrous counter-finality of
Stalinism remains the real challenge for the Left, especially those sectors
of it that claim some part of the revolution’s legacy. To learn from
October is to learn from and about its defeat, about why a truly workers’
state never emerged and developed in the years when it should have, and
what went wrong to preempt that from happening.

Given the fact that Bolshevism stemmed from a tradition of revolutionary
socialism, the most startling fact about the revolution itself was how
rapidly the goal of workers’ control of the economy was *given up*.
“Workers’ control had been abandoned in the winter of 1917–18,” Carr states
laconically in *The Interregnum 1923–1924*. “The factory committees
launched the slogan of workers’ control of production quite independently
of the Bolshevik party”, but it was the “willingness of the Bolsheviks to
support this demand which was a central reason for their growing appeal”,
so runs a crucial argument in Steve Smith’s book *Red Petrograd
<
http://www.cambridge.org/gb/academic/subjects/history/twentieth-century-european-history/red-petrograd-revolution-factories-19171918?format=PB#ZFrgu7Uv2UOQuqIq.97
>*.
Yet Vladimir Lenin saw the factory committees “as a means of helping the
Bolshevik Party to seize power”. They were, for him, simply organs of
insurrection, not, as the Turin factory councils would be for Antonio
Gramsci in 1919, “embryos of the proletarian state”. If Lenin abandoned the
factory committees in the early part of 1918, as Allen tells us
,
this was doubtless because “the ‘proletarian’ nature of the regime was seen
by nearly all the Bolshevik leaders as hinging on the proletarian nature *of
the Party *that had taken state power” (this is the substance of Brinton’s
critique in *The Bolsheviks and Workers’ Control
<
https://libcom.org/library/the-bolsheviks-and-workers-control-solidarity-group
>*).
Embedded in this assimilation between party and class was the
‘ultra-Bolshevik’ idea that the party was by definition a sort of distilled
repository of class consciousness, an incarnation of the ‘advanced sectors’
of the working class.

Following this fatal initial regression, the political trajectory of the
revolution is best summed up by a two-fold movement – a growing rift
between the party and its working- class base; and a growing culture of
repression. It is no accident that both of the strongest challenges to the
Bolshevik leadership came from ‘worker communists’, workers who had
identified with Bolshevism at an early age and remained in the party till
they were either expelled (Gavril Myasnikov’s expulsion was one of the
earliest, dating from February 1922) or murdered in Stalin’s great purge of
1937 (Shlyapnikov was executed in September 1937). Myasnikov was a
metalworker from the Urals who had joined the party in 1906. He was deeply
troubled by the “oligarchical tendencies within the party, the drift
towards authoritarianism and elite rule” and lashed out at the rise of
bureaucratism, the “arbitrariness a

[GreenYouth] Re: [progressive-interactions] Fwd: [NWMIndia] The list: Scroll

2017-11-05 Thread Sukla Sen

The "two lists", as has been acknowledged here
(),
are no longer publicly available.

Guess, Raya Sarkar entered on her FB wall that the google doc had been
taken down.
Since then, Sarkar's FB page has been blocked to the non-Friends.
So the slightly shorter list, directly administered by her, is no
longer available/accessible to the "public".
No idea whether the "list" still at all exists or not.
One only wonders what made Sarkar block her page to non-Friends.
Or it has been taken down or blocked?

Anybody any idea?

Sukla


>>
> Date: 4 November 2017 at 16:57
> Subject: [NWMIndia] The list: Scroll
> To: nwmin...@yahoogroups.com
>
>
>
>
> https://scroll.in/article/856589/universities-respond-
> to-raya-sarkars-list-of-alleged-sexual-predators-mostly-silence-some-denials
>
> __._,_.___

-- 
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[GreenYouth] Re: [haqmein] Re: [whyremember:11762] Re: [progressive-interactions] Fwd: [NWMIndia] The list: Scroll

2017-11-06 Thread Sukla Sen

Hi Geeta,

Thanks again.

So, that solves the second element of the puzzle: the "list" is deleted.
And, presumably, provides a strong clue as regards the third.
Quite plausibly, after all the militant noises, Sarkar didn't want to
make the fact of "deletion" too public.

Btw, as far as the google doc list is concerned, as per Sarkar it had
been taken down even earlier.
That's what she (reportedly) wrote on her wal in response to Partha
Chatterjee's public statement carried by The Wire:
<>
(Then the page was accessible to "all".
Though non-Friends could n't enter any comments even then.)

Inji Pennu's FB page is, of course, accessible.
And, one can enter a comment as well.

Sarkar has, of course, every right to get her "security setting"
changed in whaatever way she likes to.
That's beyond question.
The issue was "why"?
That also appears to be solved.

Sukla

On 06/11/2017, geeta seshu  wrote:
> the latest on the lists is that both have been deleted. Do check Inji
> Pennu's FB page. And about Raya - i suspect she changed her privacy
> settings, Sukla. She accepts friend requests on some criteria...its on her
> page.
>
>
>
>
>
> On Mon, Nov 6, 2017 at 11:18 AM, Sukla Sen  wrote:
>
>> Hi Geeta,
>>
>> Thanks for sharing.
>>
>> So, her FB page is up and running; she's active too.
>> That's good.
>> Thus one componentt of the puzzle is solved.
>>
>> The other two still remain.
>>
>> I. Whether the "list" is still there, or it has been deleted?
>>
>> II. Why non-Friends have been blocked from accessing her page?
>> Just tried to visit: <https://www.facebook.com/RxyaSxrkar?fref=mentions>.
>> The message that appeared: <> or the Page may only be visible to an audience that you aren't in.>>.
>>
>> Sukla
>>
>> P.S.: It's good, and in fact inspiring, that Nisha Biswas has rejected
>> the veil of anonimity.
>> Has named "name(s)".
>> Of course, it has a "cost" attached. No doubt. And, everyone just can't
>> afford.
>>
>> On 06/11/2017, geeta seshu  wrote:
>> > Hi Sukla,
>> >
>> > That's the excuse she put out for pulling out. But I notice she's back.
>> And
>> > shared Nisha Biswas's disturbing and thought-provoking testimony on her
>> > horrible experience of several years against SH in a central scientific
>> > institution. I also notice that Inji Pennu too spoke about the need for
>> > 'due process (I prefer mechanisms, btw and the acknowledgement that
>> > existing ones have failed miserably).
>> >
>> > Pasting below:
>> >
>> > Thanks Kunjila, I think time has come we all must come around and share
>> our
>> > experiences of 'due process' and how it is failing women for years.
>> > Here
>> I
>> > would like to narrate, the story of mine and what the said 'due
>> > process'
>> > did to me.
>> >
>> > The incident happened nearly 16years back. I was then working in a CSIR
>> Lab
>> > in Kolkata. Okay the laboratory was Central Glass and Ceramic Research
>> > Institute (CGCRI) and the then Director was Dr H S Maiti. My abuser was
>> Dr
>> > R Debnath, he was then heading the department I was working in.
>> >
>> > He used to shout at me and one fine day he abused me with sexist
>> remarks. I
>> > complained about this to the Director Dr Maiti.  Director Maiti, who at
>> the
>> > first instsnt was sympethatic quickly changed his position and I was
>> asked
>> > to put a written complaint. Imagine a time, 15 years back, even
>> > Vishakha
>> > guidelines were not known, and I made a representation to provide me
>> > justice according to Vishakha Guidelines.
>> >
>> > All hell broke, I  immediately became a "trouble maker", a scientist
>> whose
>> > work till that day was of great value became "nuisence". It took me
>> nearly
>> > two years to get ICC made. And what ICC did, there was one line
>> > statement
>> > "no sexual harrasment happened". On the plea of natural justice, it
>> > took
>> me
>> > another year to make ICC sit again. And this was wonderful experience.
>> > Nearly a hundred employees (including the retired) were called to
>> > depose
>> > before ICC, keeping me in dark, on a Sunday. I do not know what
>> > happened
>> > whole day, no proceedings w

[GreenYouth] Why Paradise Papers Matter: Two Explanatory Notes

2017-11-06 Thread Sukla Sen

[One may also additionally look up: <
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/nov/05/what-are-the-paradise-papers-and-what-do-they-tell-us
>.

The 'Anti-Black Money Day' is just two days away.
It'd be interesting to note the impact of this latest round of revelations
via private investigations.]

I/II.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-41880153?ocid=global_bbccom_email_06112017_top+news+stories+india+

Paradise Papers: Everything you need to know about the leak

5 November 2017

Media captionParadise Papers: How to hide your cash offshore

What are the Paradise Papers?

The Paradise Papers are a huge leak of financial documents that throw light
on the top end of the world of offshore finance.

A number of stories are appearing in a week-long expose of how politicians,
multinationals, celebrities and high-net-worth individuals use complex
structures to protect their cash from higher taxes.

As with last year's Panama Papers leak, the documents were obtained by the
German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, which called in the International
Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) to oversee the
investigation. BBC Panorama and the Guardian are among the nearly 100 media
groups investigating the papers.

The Paradise Papers name was chosen because of the idyllic profiles of many
of the offshore jurisdictions whose workings are unveiled, including
Bermuda, the HQ of the main company involved, Appleby. It also dovetails
nicely with the French term for a tax haven - paradis fiscal. Then again,
the Isle of Man plays a big part.

Who is being exposed?

The offshore financial affairs of hundreds of politicians, multinationals,
celebrities and high-net-worth individuals, some of them household names,
have been revealed. The papers also throw light on the legal firms,
financial institutions and accountants working in the sector and on the
jurisdictions that adopt offshore tax rules to attract money. The top
stories so far include:

The Queen's private estate invested about £10m offshore including a small
amount in the company behind BrightHouse, a chain accused of irresponsible
lending

One of President Donald Trump's top administration officials kept a
financial stake in a firm whose major partners include a Russian company
part-owned by President Vladimir Putin's son-in-law

A key aide of Canada's PM has been linked to offshore schemes that may have
cost the nation millions of dollars in taxes, threatening to embarrass
Justin Trudeau, who has campaigned to shut tax havens

Lord Ashcroft, a former Conservative party deputy chairman and a
significant donor, may have broken the rules around how his offshore
investments were managed. Other papers suggest he retained his non-dom tax
status while in the House of Lords, despite claiming to have become
resident in the UK

How questions were raised about who is controlling Everton FC

An oligarch with close links to the Kremlin may have secretly taken
ownership of a company responsible for anti-money laundering checks on
Russian cash

This is by no means everything - far more will be coming out over the next
few days, much of it with strong UK links.

You can find our stories on the revelations here.

Where do the Paradise Papers come from?

There are more than 1,400GB of data, containing about 13.4 million
documents. Some 6.8 million come from the offshore legal service provider
Appleby and corporate services provider Estera. The two operated together
under the Appleby name until Estera became independent in 2016. Another six
million documents come from corporate registries in some 19 jurisdictions,
mostly in the Caribbean. A smaller amount comes from the Singapore-based
international trust and corporate services provider, Asiaciti Trust. The
leaked data covers seven decades, from 1950 to 2016.

What is Appleby?

A law firm that helps corporations, financial institutions and
high-net-worth individuals set up and register companies in offshore
jurisdictions.

With its headquarters in Bermuda and a history dating back to the 1890s, it
has become one of the largest and best known of about 10 major companies
involved in the specialist arena. The leak shows the US dominates Appleby's
client register, with more than 31,000 US addresses for clients. There were
more than 14,000 UK addresses and 12,000 in Bermuda.

Graphic showing facts & figures about Appleby. The company has 470
employees, 200 lawyers and 60 partners. It operates from 10 offices
wordwide in the Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, Bermuda, the Isle
of Man, Jersey, Guensey, the Seychelles, Mauritius, Hong Kong and Shanghai.
The company was started in the 1890s in Bermuda by Major Ronald Appleby.
Over 125 years and through a process of mergers and expansion, is it now
ranked as one of the world's largest providers of offshore legal services.

Who are Appleby?

Who leaked the Paradise Papers?

As with 2016's Panama Papers, German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung obtained
the original material and was the stepping off poi

[GreenYouth] Who is to blame for the crisis of the Left in India? The Communist Part of India (Marxist)’s atrophy in West Bengal has dealt a body blow to the Left’s influence in Indian politics

2017-11-06 Thread Sukla Sen

[To be sure, the Indian Left is not confined to the CPM. A broad spectrum
of parties and even non-party led struggles would fit in this category.
However, it is also true that the fortunes of most of these have been tied
to the performance of the CPM-led parliamentary Left. The Left’s
parliamentary decline in the recent period has adversely affected all of
them. What explains this debacle?
The contradictions of caste politics and the weakening of trade unions in
urban centres had severely squeezed the Left’s support in many parts of
India since the 1990s. Despite this, the CPM maintained its dominance in
West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura. The biggest reason for a major decline in
the Left’s parliamentary fortunes is its collapse in West Bengal. Why did
this happen?
...
Why could this not be arrested in time? In her book Rebuilding The Left,
Chilean sociologist Marta Harnecker sees “hegemonist attitude” as one of
the biggest reasons for the crisis of the Left. She describes this as a
tendency to steamroll any opposition and sees this as a complete opposite
of hegemony which refers to widespread support for somebody’s ideas. The
West Bengal CPM leadership’s refusal to pay heed to the warnings of many
fellow travellers on land acquisition-related discontent was a result of
this hegemonist attitude. ]

http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/AlQlVJ8thUoei3LSTiL7TP/Who-is-to-blame-for-the-crisis-of-the-Left-in-India.html

Who is to blame for the crisis of the Left in India?
The Communist Part of India (Marxist)’s atrophy in West Bengal has dealt a
body blow to the Left’s influence in Indian politics

Roshan Kishore

If the Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPM, is to make a comeback,
it will have to regain its lost hegemony in West Bengal. Photo: HT
If the Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPM, is to make a comeback,
it will have to regain its lost hegemony in West Bengal. Photo: HT

In a 2010 interview to the New Left Review, Marxist historian Eric Hobsbawm
was asked to list the global events that have surprised him in the
post-1991 period—which is when The Age Of Extremes, the last of his
four-part magnum opus, ends. Among things such as the growing crisis of
capitalism and the global economy’s centre shifting from the north Atlantic
regions, Hobsbawm talks about the imminent debacle of the three decade-long
Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPM, led government in West Bengal.
One might disagree with the importance Hobsbawm attached to the CPM losing
power in West Bengal. However, it is definitely a watershed event as far
the Left is concerned in India.

To be sure, the Indian Left is not confined to the CPM. A broad spectrum of
parties and even non-party led struggles would fit in this category.
However, it is also true that the fortunes of most of these have been tied
to the performance of the CPM-led parliamentary Left. The Left’s
parliamentary decline in the recent period has adversely affected all of
them. What explains this debacle?

The contradictions of caste politics and the weakening of trade unions in
urban centres had severely squeezed the Left’s support in many parts of
India since the 1990s. Despite this, the CPM maintained its dominance in
West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura. The biggest reason for a major decline in
the Left’s parliamentary fortunes is its collapse in West Bengal. Why did
this happen?

Anybody interested in this question must read Government As Practice:
Democratic Left In A Transforming India by Dwaipayan Bhattacharya, a
professor of political science at Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Bhattacharya’s analysis is important because it tries to explain the Left’s
decline in the state as the result of a long-drawn process rather than the
fallout of individual decisions or events.

Even after the Nandigram police firing, Nirupam Sen, a CPM politburo member
and then industry minister of the state, maintained that there was no
large-scale opposition to land acquisition in West Bengal. Was this just
smugness? Bhattacharya does not think so. He argues that gradual churning
in West Bengal’s rural economy and society had led to contractors and
middlemen gaining control of the CPM’s rural organization. Their class
interests were quite different from those of the rural poor. The former
stood to gain from the boom in land acquisition for industrialization. The
latter were anxious at the prospect of losing their sole source of
livelihood and increasingly getting alienated due to the refusal of the
local Left leadership to empathize with their concerns. The ground-based
intelligence that the party leadership was getting from its cadres was
simply wrong. There are multiple examples of this kind in Bhattacharya’s
book. All of them point to one thing. Those who were tasked with taking the
Left’s politics to the masses had little incentive to adhere to Left praxis.

Why could this not be arrested in time? In her book Rebuilding The Left,
Chilean sociologist Marta Harnecker sees “hegemonist attitu

[GreenYouth] As Trump Visits Asia, Civil Society in the U.S., South Korea, and Japan Call for Bold Shift in Policy to Avert War in Korea

2017-11-06 Thread Sukla Sen

As Trump Visits Asia, Civil Society in the U.S., South Korea, and Japan
Call for Bold Shift in Policy to Avert War in Korea

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, November 6, 2017

Contact: Christine Ahn (310) 482-9333
Jackie Cabasso (510) 306-0119

HONOLULU -- Today, hundreds of national civil society organizations from
Japan, South Korea and the United States issued a joint statement calling
for a diplomatic resolution of the crisis of belligerent rhetoric between
the United States and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North
Korea). Based in countries whose populations could greatly suffer in the
event of war, they call on their respective governments to take bold action
now to safeguard peace and build long-lasting trust in the region.

“Washington is forcing a trilateral military alliance and provocative war
drills on Tokyo and Seoul that threatens North Korea and the region,” said
Christine Ahn, international coordinator of Women Cross DMZ. “The people of
Japan, South Korea and United States oppose war. Our demands are an urgent
pivot towards peace.”

“In Japan, Prime Minister Abe utilizes the U.S.-North Korea crisis to
promote public hysteria and fear and encourage right-wing groups that call
for Japan’s militarization, including the acquisition of nuclear weapons
for itself,” explains Yoshioka Tatsuya, Co-Founder and Director of Peace
Boat, Japan’s largest peace organization. “But we really have to understand
that the joint military exercises by the U.S., Japan, and South Korea
increase the risk of war in this region. Japan has the experience of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We have to work to abolish nuclear weapons, but
it’s unreasonable to demand that North Korea be the only one to give up
theirs. All of us, including the U.S. and Japan, must say no to them.”

“The South Korean public is highly critical of Trump for making threats of
war and dismissing the gravity of its consequences as something ‘over
there,’” says Choi Eun-a of the Korean Alliance for Progressive Movements,
which is among the 222 South Korean civil society organizations from the
Candlelight Revolution that have called for nationwide protest timed with
Trump’s visit to South Korea. “The war-threatening, weapons salesman Trump
is not welcome here, especially as he demands that South Korea pay more to
host U.S. troops and set aside land for useless weapons like the THAAD
missile defense system.”

“Peace-loving people in the United States, Japan, and South Korea reject
the war-mongering policies of our governments and express our friendship
and solidarity with the people of North Korea,” said Jackie Cabasso,
Executive Director of the Western States Legal Foundation in California,
and the National Co-Convener of United for Peace and Justice. “The U.S.
government must end its policy of sanctions and military threats against
North Korea, cease the deployment of more weapons of mass destruction to
the Korean peninsula and the region, and halt large-scale military
exercises that impede dialogue with North Korea.”

"It's time for peace-makers, for diplomats, and particularly for the people
of South Korea, Japan and the U.S. to demand a peaceful resolution from our
governments,” noted Kevin Martin, President of Peace Action, the United
States' largest grassroots peace and disarmament organization. “While not
excusing its behavior, North Korea has legitimate security concerns that
need to be addressed in order to move toward an enduring peace on the
Korean Peninsula.”

On 2 November 2017, American lawmakers announced new bipartisan, bicameral
legislation to ensure that President Trump cannot attack North Korea
without the consent of Congress. Under this legislation, Congress would be
empowered to prohibit any expenditure of funds for such a strike. The No
Unconstitutional Strike Against North Korea Act of 2017 prohibits funds
available to the Department of Defense or to any other federal department
or agency from being used to launch a military strike against North Korea
without the prior approval of Congress. The bill reflects the wishes of
citizens seen in recent polls, which show that more than two-thirds of
Americans oppose military action in dealing with North Korea.

   Joint Statement
U.S., South Korean, and Japanese Civil Society Organizations Call for a
Bold Shift in Policy for Peace in Korea and Northeast Asia

As U.S. President Trump travels to Asia, we civil society groups from the
United States, South Korea, and Japan call for a diplomatic solution to the
dangerous conflict between the United States and the Democratic People’s
Republic of Korea (North Korea). As those who would be directly impacted by
the outbreak of such a conflict, we call on our leaders to take bold steps
to ensure lasting peace.

Recent events have set the stage for a possible catastrophe on the Korean
Peninsula and even throughout the greater Northeast Asian region. Any
further escalation of tensions could rapid

[GreenYouth] Re: Who is to blame for the crisis of the Left in India? The Communist Part of India (Marxist)’s atrophy in West Bengal has dealt a body blow to the Left’s influence in Indian politics

2017-11-06 Thread Sukla Sen

The following is an exchange from another list, which one may find relevant.

Dear XXX,

The subject article, which actually is a book review, has a far more
narrow focus.
It concerns itself not with the issue why the CPI (M) failed to spread
its wings beyond the confines of West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura, but
why it managed to lose out, and that too too badly, after having
struck deep roots in West Bengal, which had been demonstrated in
elections after elections, 1977 onwards.

I'd consider the following as crucial:
<>

Singur, Nandigram and then, to an extent, Lalgarh brought out the
metamorphosis of the CPI (M) in Bengal, from a party of the "wretched
of the earth" to a power broker unabashedly promoting the interests of
the middle-level priviledged strata along with the accompanying
readiness to employ brutal methods, both by the administration it led
and its formidable brigade of cadres, just too very graphically.
Mamata Banerjee, a dubious character by any standard, displayed the
consistency and courage to stand up to this brutality.
And, at some point, the tipping pont came.
There was a silent revolt.
The LF lost the panchayat polls. Something just undreamt of, till the other
day.
But once it was demonstrated that even the LF can be defeated, there
was no stopping of the mass outrage and mass upsurge. It was no longer
silent.
The LF's electoral performance started just falling like a stone.

One can only gape at the arrogance and stupidity of the party when one
comes avross the CPI (M) candidate in Singur, a veteran leader Rabin
Deb, conducted his poll campaign riding in a Nano car.
A constituency where people have shed their blood, facing all odds, to
scuttle the Tata's Nano car project.
It's hardly any wonder that what had to happen has happened.

I had the good fortune of rather accidentally watching a film, Lives
of others, depicting the last days of the fearsome authoritarian
Communist rule in East Germany.
How resistance grew so unobtrusively underground, then just one fine
morning burst out in the open. And the Berlin Wall finally came down.
Even then, people were initially sort of hesitant to believe their own eyes.
Then just joined the endless caravan.
Brought down a severely hollowed out structure presenting,
nevertheless, a look of deeply intimidating invinciblity.
At the end, it just turned to dust, without so much of resistance.
Its life force had already been sapped, though no one suspected it.

The uninterrupted rule of the LF in West Bengal led to somewhat a
similar situation, though it was, of course, not a sovereign state.

Here's an immortal poem by Bertolt Brecht.

The Solution by Bertolt Brecht

After the uprising of the 17th June
The Secretary of the Writers Union
Had leaflets distributed in the Stalinallee
Stating that the people
Had forfeited the confidence of the government
And could win it back only
By redoubled efforts. Would it not be easier
In that case for the government
To dissolve the people
And elect another?

That captures the attitude [of the] party apparatchik, when in power for a
prolonged period, as nothing else can.

Sukla

P.S.: This is what I had written in the wake of the panchayat poll.

<>

(Source: <https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/india-unity/
conversations/topics/31753>.)

From: XXX

I had been wondering and wondering what went wrong.
Now, I have an inkling. But just an inkling is not enough.
It has to be understood more clearly, in greter detail.

Then, is it ONLY a question of West Bengal ? I'd say NO.
Is it even a question of just WB, Kerala & Tripura ? Again, I'd say NO.
My question is : WHY ON EARTH, has CPM remained confined to
a few pockets ? There have been problems galore all over India.
WHY was the Party just ABSENT everywhere ?
Why was it always : "Hamaaray hum-safar na jaanay kis taraf
chalay gae, akela hum koe chhode kar ?"
I'm asking because I remeber the time when there was vibrant
progressive movement in Telengana, in Punjab, in all Industrial cities
and in many rural areas even. I never felt alone. There were Comrades
everywhere and most vocal, active, energetic, revolutionary. In fact,
sometimes we felt they were too all this, more than needed.

And, what about students ? I remeber time when at-leat in almost all
Universities and major Degree Colleges even, either the President
or the Cecretary of the Students Union was a Comrade. In many noth.
What has hapened to the Progressive Students' Movement of India ?

Aakhir-e-shab ke hum-safar, FAIZ, na jaanay kyaa huey ?

XXX

On 6 November 2017 at 18:26, Sukla Sen  wrote:

>
> [To be sure, the Indian Left is not confined to the CPM. A broad spectrum
> of parties and even non-party led struggles would fit in this category.
> However, it is also true that the fortunes of most of these have been tied
> to the performance of the CPM-led parliamentary Left. The Left’s
> parliamen

[GreenYouth] People Fed Up With ‘Thoughts And Prayers’ Demand Action After Texas Church Massacre "Maybe we can try a legislative solution now?"

2017-11-07 Thread Sukla Sen

[<>

The shooter here is understandably a White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP).
So, "thoughts and prayers", no talk of tightening immigration laws. And, no
talk of "death sentence" either. Of course, in this case, the shooter is
already dead.

The talk of a stricter "gun control" is just an emphatic "no-no".
Regardless of the price.
Even one with criminal antecedents must not face any difficulty in having a
gun. That's simply non-negotiable.]

http://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/sutherland-springs-thoughts-and-prayers_us_59ffd663e4b0c96530005a31

People Fed Up With ‘Thoughts And Prayers’ Demand Action After Texas Church
Massacre
"Maybe we can try a legislative solution now?"

06/11/2017 10:56 AM IST | Updated 06/11/2017 9:01 PM IST

Ed Mazza Overnight Editor, HuffPost

President Donald Trump, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and many other
political leaders sent their “thoughts and prayers” to Sutherland Springs,
Texas, on Sunday after a gunman killed 26 people and injured 20 more at the
First Baptist Church.

But many on Twitter pointed out that the victims were attending church,
likely already engaged in prayer, and still suffered at the hands of a
gunman. Now, they say, it’s time for politicians to offer something more
than thoughts and prayers:

rosanne cash ✔@rosannecash
They were in a church that was full of prayers. They need a government who
will enact common sense gun laws. #GunControlNow
https://twitter.com/SpeakerRyan/status/927269491045695488 …
3:59 AM - Nov 6, 2017
258 258 Replies 2,207 2,207 Retweets 6,081 6,081 likes
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Karen Tumulty ✔@ktumulty
thoughts and prayers for people who were mowed down in a church sounds
especially hollow.
4:10 AM - Nov 6, 2017
80 80 Replies 472 472 Retweets 1,645 1,645 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy
Michael McKean ✔@MJMcKean
Replying to @SpeakerRyan
They were in church. They had the prayers shot right out of them. Maybe try
something else.
2:25 AM - Nov 6, 2017
2,152 2,152 Replies 989 989 Retweets 4,049 4,049 likes
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Keith Olbermann ✔@KeithOlbermann
“Thoughts and prayers” again, @realDonaldTrump, idiot?

These people were in CHURCH. They WERE praying.
3:23 AM - Nov 6, 2017
1,086 1,086 Replies 3,232 3,232 Retweets 9,617 9,617 likes
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Katie Mack ✔@AstroKatie
At this point, "thoughts and prayers" just means "shut up and take it"
2:54 AM - Nov 6, 2017
145 145 Replies 4,845 4,845 Retweets 11,331 11,331 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy
Wil Wheaton ✔@wilw
The murdered victims were in a church. If prayers did anything, they'd
still be alive, you worthless sack of shit.
https://twitter.com/SpeakerRyan/status/927269491045695488 …
2:49 AM - Nov 6, 2017
7,561 7,561 Replies 20,518 20,518 Retweets 70,717 70,717 likes
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Chris Evangelista ✔@cevangelista413
They were already in a church, Paul. It’s almost like prayers do absolutely
nothing and actual reform is needed.
https://twitter.com/speakerryan/status/927269491045695488 …
1:56 AM - Nov 6, 2017
47 47 Replies 670 670 Retweets 1,851 1,851 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy
Marina Sirtis ✔@Marina_Sirtis
To all those asking for thoughts and prayers for the victims in
#churchshooting , it seems that your direct line to God is not working.
8:50 AM - Nov 6, 2017
527 527 Replies 309 309 Retweets 1,534 1,534 likes
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Josh Gad ✔@joshgad
Terror attack that kills 6 gets travel bans same day; Deadliest mass
shooting & deadliest church shooting ever get prayers & 2 soon to talk
2:10 AM - Nov 6, 2017
123 123 Replies 1,817 1,817 Retweets 5,460 5,460 likes
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roxane gay ✔@rgay
Replying to @rgay
After a mass shooting in a church, the phrase "thoughts and prayers" from
the mouths of useless politicians becomes even more asinine.
3:38 AM - Nov 6, 2017
43 43 Replies 1,363 1,363 Retweets 3,990 3,990 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy
Robert McNamara @romc
We need more than prayers @RepStevePearce. Today’s victims were at church
praying. We need sensible gun regulation and a ban on AR15 weapons
https://twitter.com/repstevepearce/status/927362438537805824 …
8:57 AM - Nov 6, 2017
43 43 Replies 44 44 Retweets 125 125 likes
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View image on Twitter
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Red T Raccoon @RedTRaccoon
Prayers can't bring back the people who were taken from us at the First
Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, TX.

We need laws enacted now!
2:44 AM - Nov 6, 2017
55 55 Replies 229 229 Retweets 583 583 likes
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Sara Bonaccorsi @SNBonaccorsi
Clearly your prayers aren't working if a mass shooting can take place in a
church. Maybe we can try a legislative solution now?#GunControl
7:09 AM - Nov 6, 2017
44 44 Replies 83 83 Retweets 204 204 likes
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Ira Madison III ✔@ira
Prayers? What the fuck do you think the

[GreenYouth] What Delhi hasn’t learned: Lessons from Mexico City: Series of steps needed to signal that life can’t go on as usual when air so toxic

2017-11-09 Thread Sukla Sen

[The repeated episodes (see: e.g.: <
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/08/world/asia/india-delhi-smog.html?_r=0>)
of environmental vandalism of shocking proportions in Delhi, the Indian
capital, shows up the much trumpted Swachh Bharat Abhiyan as, at best,
hugely inadequate and, at worst, a sly diversionary tactic to fool those
who're not too smart anyway.

And, it's just not Delhi.
Moreover, things are getting worse and worse.]

http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/what-delhi-pollution-smog-air-quality-index-aqi-mexico-4930351/

What Delhi hasn’t learned
Lessons from Mexico City: Series of steps needed to signal that life can’t
go on as usual when air so toxic

Written by Melba Maria Pria Olavarrieta |
Updated: November 10, 2017 5:28 am

Thick smog at the North block in Vijay Chowk, New Delhi. (Express Photo by
Tashi Tobgyal)

Some months back, while training at a park in Mexico City, I distinguished
the sound of what seemed like running steps behind me. I stopped and turned
around to see a policeman stumbling behind me, panting: “Lady, no running,
no running!”

I was taken aback by his consternation, so I asked why. Pat came the reply,
“You should really check your TV reports before getting out of the house
for a run, lady, we are in the middle of an environmental contingency!” I
took a look at the Air Quality Index on my phone. It was marked 156.

As I write these lines from New Delhi, the calculation from the same World
Air Quality Index Project website for my nearest station at R.K. Puram was
712 on Wednesday evening. This is within the “hazardous” category, which is
further described as a “health alert, since all groups may experience
serious health effects.”

Oblivious to this sage advice, life in the Indian capital carries on as
normal, just as it did during Diwali, when the suspended particulate matter
measures hit 999, the highest capacity on this scale, indicating it had
literally gone off the charts. I thought back to my home-town, Mexico City,
which was considered to be the most polluted city in the world by the
United Nations in 1992, but which has made considerable progress in air
quality during the last 25 years. As any city with over 20 million people
and unfortunate geographical features for air circulation will show to you
— Mexico’s capital is located in a valley, which makes it difficult for
poisonous air to escape, which means it still has periods in which it
struggles with its air quality — the battle to build a sustainable urban
ecosystem is an everyday one.

IMA Declares ‘Public Health Emergency State’ In Delhi

It was in the early 1990s when Mexico City’s inhabitants first became aware
of the extent of the devastation that could be caused by pollution. Ever
since, the local government has mandated a series of measures on a war
footing. These include the compulsory use of catalytic converters in every
car, mandatory verification of car emissions every six months, a serious
improvement of public transportation, including the expansion of metro
lines, a bus rapid transit system by the name of Metrobus, a bike sharing
programme, among others. A road space rationing strategy called “Hoy No
Circula” (roughly, A day without a car), which was started by civil society
and then adopted by the government, restricts the circulation of cars one
day per week depending on the last number of their license plates.
A two-phase “Programme for Atmospheric Environmental Contingency” was also
created in case of serious spikes in the levels of pollutants. Phase 1 is
declared when the levels of ozone reach an equivalent of 0.166 ppm (1 hour
average) or when levels of PM10 reach 221 µg/m3 (24 hour average).

With Phase 1, the authorities set in motion actions to protect the health
of citizens in four different categories: Recommendations, transportation,
services, and industries. Schools and government institutions are expected
to cease all outdoors activities, civic and recreational. Citizens are
advised (as was I) that exercising outdoors represents a health hazard.
Healthcare professionals are on alert to receive vulnerable patients and
are responsible for spreading information.

Some vehicles are further restricted to circulate from 0500 hours to 2200
hours. All activities pertaining to paving, transit painting, and any
public works that hinder fluid transit are prohibited, as well as all
burning of firewood or coal. Several industries are forced to reduce their
operations to a certain level. All these measures and many others are
suspended until pollution descends to the prescribed levels, even if it
takes some days, or even some weeks.

The Programme for Atmospheric Environmental Contingency is not intended to
attack the root causes of pollution, but it is an emergency policy. It can
be a powerful tool for shielding vulnerable groups from intense exposure to
pollutants, as well as generating awareness among the population about the
health risks that extreme air pollution poses. A contingen

[GreenYouth] Modi blues: India’s prime minister focuses too much on appearances: The consequences are beginning to catch up with him

2017-11-10 Thread Sukla Sen

[Until recently another landslide at the next national election in 2019
seemed inevitable. The BJP is still likely to win, but Mr Modi is losing
his sheen—and for that, he has only himself to blame (see article). All
governments have their ups and downs. Mr Modi’s recent setbacks, however,
stem in large part from his preoccupation with presentation over substance.
Start with the economy. Growth has slowed, from 9.1% year-on-year in the
first quarter of last year to 5.7% in the second quarter of this year. That
is in part because of his policy of “demonetisation”, in which 86% of the
banknotes in circulation were abruptly voided. Mr Modi presented it as a
crushing blow to gangsters and tax-dodgers, but in fact it caused great
hardship and disruption, without any clear benefit.
The shambolic implementation of the GST is likely to make matters worse.
The government convened a midnight session of parliament to herald its
adoption—something that had previously been staged only to mark India’s
independence and associated anniversaries. Mr Modi triumphantly declared
the GST a “good and simple tax”. But he did not listen to his own advisers’
suggestions on how to make it so. He plumped for six rates instead of
three, burying small businesses in paperwork and allowing politics to seep
into the rules (the government recently cut the rate on khakras, a popular
snack from his home state of Gujarat, from 12% to 5%). He is now suffering
the consequences, as businessmen across India howl at the complexity.]

https://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21730880-consequences-are-beginning-catch-up-him-indias-prime-minister-focuses-too-much

Modi blues
India’s prime minister focuses too much on appearances

The consequences are beginning to catch up with him

| Leaders [Editorial - Sukla]
Nov 2nd 2017

HE change in mood is remarkable. Earlier this year Narendra Modi, India’s
prime minister, had an air of invincibility. His government, although more
than halfway into its five-year term, seemed more popular than ever. In
March his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the most lopsided electoral
victory since the 1970s in the country’s most populous state, Uttar
Pradesh. In July he launched a reform that had eluded his predecessors for
decades: a national goods-and-services tax (GST). Later that month he
persuaded an ally of the main opposition party, Congress, to defect to the
BJP’s camp, securing control of yet another state government.

Until recently another landslide at the next national election in 2019
seemed inevitable. The BJP is still likely to win, but Mr Modi is losing
his sheen—and for that, he has only himself to blame (see article). All
governments have their ups and downs. Mr Modi’s recent setbacks, however,
stem in large part from his preoccupation with presentation over substance.

Start with the economy. Growth has slowed, from 9.1% year-on-year in the
first quarter of last year to 5.7% in the second quarter of this year. That
is in part because of his policy of “demonetisation”, in which 86% of the
banknotes in circulation were abruptly voided. Mr Modi presented it as a
crushing blow to gangsters and tax-dodgers, but in fact it caused great
hardship and disruption, without any clear benefit.

The shambolic implementation of the GST is likely to make matters worse.
The government convened a midnight session of parliament to herald its
adoption—something that had previously been staged only to mark India’s
independence and associated anniversaries. Mr Modi triumphantly declared
the GST a “good and simple tax”. But he did not listen to his own advisers’
suggestions on how to make it so. He plumped for six rates instead of
three, burying small businesses in paperwork and allowing politics to seep
into the rules (the government recently cut the rate on khakras, a popular
snack from his home state of Gujarat, from 12% to 5%). He is now suffering
the consequences, as businessmen across India howl at the complexity.
Unfunny business
It does not help that the government bridles at criticism and harries its
critics. Media firms are anxious not to offend it; journalists who take it
on often lose their jobs. The press has been asking awkward questions about
the finances of a firm owned by the son of Amit Shah, the BJP’s number two;
they were greeted with rebukes from ministers and a lawsuit. Even comedians
who imitate Mr Modi have mysteriously disappeared from the airwaves. The
resulting culture of adulation means that the government’s proposals seldom
receive the sort of scrutiny and debate that might improve them.

In fact, the BJP is not that interested in policy. It offers voters mainly
distraction. The new government in Uttar Pradesh, for example, has painted
buildings and buses saffron—a shade associated with Hinduism—and picked
fights with Muslims, leaving the Taj Mahal (built by a Muslim emperor) off
a list of the state’s main attractions.

The party’s overriding focus is extending its own authority. Earlier this
year

[GreenYouth] Days before Centre’s move, US diplomat visited Srinagar to check on feasibility of talks

2017-11-11 Thread Sukla Sen

[<<(Rajnath) Singh named former Intelligence Bureau director Dineshwar
Sharma as the Centre’s representative who would “initiate and carry forward
a dialogue with the elected representatives, various organisations and
concerned individuals in the State of Jammu and Kashmir”.
This announcement was made on the eve of the visit of US Secretary of State
Rex Tillerson to India who visited New Delhi on October 24.>>

Vajpayee had gone to Lahore (ref.: <
mea.gov.in/in-focus-article.htm?18997/Lahore+Declaration+February+1999>)
following Strobe Talbott's visit (Ref.: <
http://articles.latimes.com/1998/jul/20/news/mn-5492>) to India and
Pakistan.
Bill Clinton personally intervened to put an end to the Kargil War
threatening to go out of hand (ref.: <
http://foreignpolicy.com/2013/05/14/the-story-of-how-nawaz-sharif-pulled-back-from-nuclear-war/
>).
Musharraf came to Agra (ref.: )
after Richard Armitage's trip to India and George Tenet's to Pakistan
(ref.: ).]

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/days-before-centres-move-us-diplomat-visited-srinagar-to-check-on-talks-feasibility-4932157/

Days before Centre’s move, US diplomat visited Srinagar to check on
feasibility of talks
Sources said the US diplomat was interested to “know the ground situation
and viability of a reachout from Delhi, a dialogue process”.

Written by Muzamil Jaleel | New Delhi | Updated: November 11, 2017 5:16 am

Dineshwar Sharma Dineshwar Sharma, the Centre’s special representative for
talks on Kashmir (PTI Photo/File)

Twenty seven days before the Centre announced the appointment of an
interlocutor to initiate dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir, a United States
diplomat visited Srinagar and met three state ministers and civil society
activists. Sources said the diplomat wanted “to know the ground situation
and understand the feasibility of a dialogue”.

On September 27, Joshua Goldberg, political unit chief at the Bureau of
South and Central Asian Affairs in Washington DC, visited Srinagar along
with David Arulanantham, an official from the US Embassy in New Delhi.

Sources said Goldberg and David stayed for a night and met three ministers
in the Mehbooba Mufti government, human rights lawyer Parvez Imroz, Khurram
Parvez of Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society and two journalists.

US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis had arrived in India a day earlier — the
first cabinet-level visit to India under the Trump administration.

Days before Centre’s move, US diplomat visited Srinagar to check on talks
feasibility haven’t been meeting separatists during their Kashmir visits
ever since the previous UPA government questioned the practice. Sources
said Goldberg was interested to “know the ground situation and viability of
a reachout from Delhi, a dialogue process”.

“He was, in diplomatic style, enquiring about the scope for dialogue and
whether Kashmiris would welcome dialogue,’’ one among those who met
Goldberg told The Indian Express. “He also wanted to know the ground
situation, especially after last year’s agitation and spurt in militant
recruitment.”

Reached for comment, a spokesperson for the US Embassy said: “Officers from
the US Embassy in New Delhi routinely travel throughout the country to
learn about conditions in different states and meet with members of the
government and civil society. As a matter of policy, we do not discuss
specifics of our meetings.”

On October 19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spent Diwali with soldiers in
the Gurez sector along the Line of Control.

On October 23, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh called a press conference
in New Delhi to announce the Centre’s decision to appoint an interlocutor —
the government’s first major policy shift on Kashmir.

Singh named former Intelligence Bureau director Dineshwar Sharma as the
Centre’s representative who would “initiate and carry forward a dialogue
with the elected representatives, various organisations and concerned
individuals in the State of Jammu and Kashmir”.

This announcement was made on the eve of the visit of US Secretary of State
Rex Tillerson to India who visited New Delhi on October 24.

Sources said Goldberg met Social Welfare Minister Sajjad Lone at his
official residence. A former separatist who contested elections and won
from Handwara assembly constituency, Lone is aligned with the BJP. Ahead of
the assembly elections in 2014, Lone met Prime Minister Modi and said “we
talked like two brothers”. He was inducted into the PDP-BJP coalition
government in the BJP’s quota of ministers.

Reached for comment, Lone said he does not remember the meeting with
Goldberg. “I do meet visiting diplomats. I don’t remember this particular
meeting,’’ he said.

Goldberg also met Molvi Imran Raza Ansari, senior PDP leader and Minister
for Information Technology, Technical Education and Youth Services &
Sports, at his Rainawari residence.

Considered close to New Delhi, Ansari is a wel

[GreenYouth] 'The Revolution and Russian Imperialism': Rohini Hensman

2017-11-12 Thread Sukla Sen

[Lenin has rightly been criticized for the part he played in the
inauguration of a post-revolution authoritarian state, but he has not been
given sufficient credit for fighting against Russian imperialism. Mikhail
Gorbachev attempted to go back to Lenin’s anti-imperialism by refusing to
invade East Germany in 1989 when the Berlin wall came down, and tried to
move to an equal and voluntary association between Russia and the other
Soviet republics in 1991. But Stalinist hardliners staged a coup and put
him under house arrest. Paradoxically, this hastened the disintegration of
the Soviet Union by sidelining Gorbachev, who wanted to democratise it, and
empowering Boris Yeltsin, who headed the opposition to the coup but had no
interest in preserving the Soviet Union because Gorbachev was not just
trying to democratise Russia (the nation) but the Soviet Union as a whole.
Vladimir Putin, who succeeded Yeltsin, returned to imperialist policies,
from his brutal war to crush the Chechen independence struggle to the
annexation of Crimea. It is a pity that Lenin’s legacy against Russian
imperialism has been overshadowed by that of his genocidal successor.]

https://thewire.in/195873/revolution-russian-imperialism/

HISTORY

The Revolution and Russian Imperialism

BY ROHINI HENSMAN ON 11/11/2017

Even as Lenin staunchly opposed Russian imperialism, his successor Stalin
remained its strong advocate.


León Trotsky (left), Vladimir Lenin (middle), Lev Kámenev. Credit: Flickr
CC BY-SA 2.0
A hundred years ago, the Russian Revolution changed economic and political
configurations across the world. Through a series of articles, The Wire
revisits the making of The Soviet Century.

Unlike Western imperialism, which colonised overseas territories, the
Tsarist empire expanded by annexing adjacent territories from the Arctic
Ocean in the north to the Black Sea in the south, from the Baltic Sea in
the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. As a genuine anti-imperialist,
Lenin was as opposed to Great-Russian imperialist annexation of the
territories of non-Great-Russian peoples as he was to Western imperialism,
and he made this clear in his Preface to Imperialism, the Highest Stage of
Capitalism, when it was published in 1917.

However, many of Lenin’s colleagues opposed his policies favouring the
right of Russia’s colonies to national liberation. After Finland’s
independence was recognised in 1917, no other nation received the same
treatment; but the larger nations of Ukraine, Belorussia, Georgia, Armenia
and Azerbaijan became independent Soviet republics, while smaller nations
within the boundaries of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
(including the Central Asian nations) became autonomous republics and
autonomous regions responsible for matters of local government, education,
culture and agriculture. A range of policies aimed at promoting the
national, economic, and cultural advancement of the non-Russians were
pursued: priority to the local language, a massive increase in native
language schools, development of national cultures, and staffing the Soviet
administration as far as possible with local nationals.



Lenin did not arrive at this position entirely on his own; indeed, in the
early 20th century, his position and that of the Iskra current to which he
belonged was extremely unsympathetic to national liberation struggles in
the colonies of the tsarist empire. Eric Blanc shows that it was
non-Russian Marxist parties in the empire’s periphery – especially in
Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine and the Caucasus – who were arguing the
positions subsequently articulated by Lenin. These parties, despite being
committed in theory and practice to opposing ethnic nationalism and
building proletarian unity across national divisions, emphasized the need
for national independence as well as the autonomy of their own parties in
relation to the Russian Social Democratic Workers’ Party. He was also
influenced by the Tatar Bolshevik Mirsaid Sultan-Galiev, who argued that
the socialist revolution could not succeed without the participation of the
colonised peoples of the East.

Lenin became supportive of national liberation struggles as a result of the
debate with these borderland Marxists, the capitulation of Second
International leaders to their ruling classes’ war drive in World War I,
and because of his own analysis of imperialism. The central leadership in
the party largely stood with him, but many Bolsheviks opposed him,
including ‘Russified’ party members from some of the colonised territories.
Foremost among them was Joseph Stalin.

Stalinist imperialism

Lenin suffered a stroke that left his right hand and leg paralysed and his
speech impaired in May 1922, the year in which Stalin was appointed general
secretary. Subsequently, Lenin suffered two more severe strokes. As Lenin
was marginalised Stalin’s power increased. The dispute over national
liberation came to a head during this period. Lenin opposed Stalin’s
attempt

[GreenYouth] Why ABBA (Aadhaar-based Biometric Authenticatio) must go: Reetika Khera

2017-11-13 Thread Sukla Sen

[Seeding is just one of the many barriers that the ABBA has created in the
smooth functioning of the PDS. The ABBA requires that family members be
enrolled for Aadhaar and correct seeding. At the time of purchase, the ABBA
requires power supply, a functional PoS machine, mobile and Internet
connectivity, State and Central Identities Data Repository (CIDR) servers
to be ‘up’, and for fingerprint authentication to be successful.
...
What most people don’t realise is that the ABBA has no role in reducing
corruption. If the ABBA helps reduce corruption, it might be worth fixing
these failures. Quantity fraud is the practice of cheating on quantities
sold. Neither seeding nor the ABBA can stop quantity fraud. In a survey in
Jharkhand, dealers continue to swindle people by cutting up to a kg of
their grain entitlement despite successful ABBA authentication. Identity
fraud, for example in the form of duplicate ration cards, only requires
Aadhaar-seeding; the ABBA is unnecessary. Two caveats on seeding: it can be
foolproof against identity fraud only in a universal system. More
seriously, it raises privacy issues.
Further, in Aadhaar’s rulebook for example, an elderly person asking a
neighbour to fetch their grain would count as identity fraud. In fact, it
is flexibility that is lost when the ABBA is made mandatory.]

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/why-abba-must-go/article20376164.ece

OPINION

Why ABBA must go

Reetika Khera

NOVEMBER 13, 2017 00:00 IST
UPDATED: NOVEMBER 13, 2017 03:33 IST

Aadhaar-based Biometric Authentication does nothing in the battle against
graft — there are better alternatives

In a sickening way, October 2017 was like October 2002.

Fifteen years ago, in Rajasthan’s Baran and Udaipur districts, there was a
spate of starvation deaths. The government of the time made up fanciful
stories to deny that the deaths had anything to do with hunger or
government failure.

In October 2017, the death of an 11-year-old Dalit child, Santoshi Kumari,
of Jharkhand, was widely reported. She had been pleading with her mother to
give her rice as she slipped into unconsciousness and lost her life. The
government insists that she had malaria but in video testimonies, her
mother, Koyli Devi, says she had no fever. After Santoshi’s death, more
hunger deaths have been reported, of which at least one, Ruplal Marandi, is
related to the government’s Aadhaar experiment.

The starvation deaths in 2002 became the springboard for positive action on
many fronts, which included the passing of judicial orders and even
political action. Since then, there has been a perceptible improvement in
programmes of social support including, but not limited to, the Public
Distribution System (PDS). In Baran, it led to a recognition of the
vulnerability of the Sahariyas — a tribal community in Baran — and a
special PDS package consisting of free pulses and ghee being announced.

Similar action is required today. Instead, the government remains in
denial. The Food Ministry in Delhi issued an order in late October that is
silent on the crucial issue of reinstating wrongly cancelled ration cards
and makes token concessions (with no guarantee of implementation).

Targets and the reality

For months, the Central government has been insisting on 100% Aadhaar
“seeding” across schemes such as the PDS, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and pensions. Seeding refers to the
practice of entering Aadhaar numbers for each household member on the
ration card. It is a pre-requisite for the Aadhaar-based Biometric
Authentication (ABBA) system, the practice of using an electronic point of
sale (PoS) machine to authenticate each transaction. The government has
made seeding and the ABBA mandatory in the PDS. As explained below, the
distinction between seeding and the ABBA is important.

In their zeal to achieve 100% Aadhaar-seeding targets, some field
functionaries just deleted the names of those who did not submit Aadhaar
details. Others waited till the deadline and then struck off names. The
government claims that all of these were “fake”, detected due to Aadhaar,
thus saving crores of rupees. Santoshi’s family was one such example.
According to the State Food Minister, their ration card was cancelled in
July because they failed to seed it with Aadhaar.

Exclusions are not savings

Some people blame the aggrieved for failing to seed Aadhaar. But many of
them are unaware of the seeding requirement. When pensions in Jharkhand
suddenly stopped for many pensioners, they had no idea why. No one had told
them about Aadhaar. In some cases, the middlemen had seeded it wrongly.
Others still had tried repeatedly and failed. Seeding is not as simple as
it sounds.

Seeding is just one of the many barriers that the ABBA has created in the
smooth functioning of the PDS. The ABBA requires that family members be
enrolled for Aadhaar and correct seeding. At the time of purchase, the ABBA
requires power supply, a functional

[GreenYouth] Supreme Court of India: Crisis of Credibility: Two Disturbing Comments/Accounts

2017-11-13 Thread Sukla Sen

I/II.
https://scroll.in/article/857610/this-is-the-gravest-crisis-the-judiciary-and-the-legal-profession-have-ever-faced-in-india

OPINION

This is the gravest crisis the judiciary and the legal profession have ever
faced in India
The events of November 10 in the Supreme Court show its unwillingness to
even address the most basic questions of institutional integrity.

by  Alok Prasanna Kumar
Published Yesterday · 06:30 pm

This is the gravest crisis the judiciary and the legal profession have ever
faced in India

November 10, 2017, witnessed a gross and unconscionable abuse of power by
the Chief Justice of India, Justice Dipak Misra, unparalleled in the
history of the Supreme Court of India. As other commentators have pointed
out (here, here, here and here) it is, if not the lowest, then certainly
one of the lowest points in the history of an institution that ordinary
citizens of India look up to. The credibility of the institution, built up
over several decades, already under stress in the last few years, crumbled
in two hours of high drama. It is important to remember how we got here,
why the Chief Justice of India’s actions are so unpardonable and why things
may never be the same again.

Sequence of events
The immediate sequence of events leading up to the events of November 10,
2017 are detailed here, but some more background is needed to understand it
fully. The story really starts with the Central Bureau of Investigation’s
arrest of a hawala operator who led them eventually to a retired judge of
the Orissa High Court, IM Quddusi who, it was claimed, had taken money from
a medical college with a promise to help them get a favourable judgement
from the Supreme Court on the question of permissions to admit students for
the 2017-’18 academic year from the Medical Council of India.

The Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms led by Prashant
Bhushan and later, Kamini Jaiswal, filed a petition asking for a Supreme
Court monitored supervision of this ongoing investigation into possible
judicial corruption. On Thursday, a bench led by Justice J Chelameswar
directed that a Constitution bench be formed of five senior-most judges to
deal with Jaiswal’s petition. The order said that the bench should consist
of the five senior-most judges of the Supreme Court. But on Friday, this
order was nullified by a fresh Constitution bench led by Misra and a new
bench set up by him.

The medical college in question, run by Prasad Education Trust, had
approached the Supreme Court earlier this year in a case which was heard by
a bench of Misra, Justice Amitava Roy and Justice AM Khanwilkar. It cannot
be missed that both Justices Roy and Khanwilkar were also on the
“Constitution Bench” that Misra set up on Friday.

It is true that the names of Misra or his two colleagues on the bench are
not mentioned in the first information report filed by the CBI. But we must
remember that according to the judgement of the Supreme Court of India in K
Veeraswami v Union of India, no complaint can be made against a judge of
the Supreme Court without the written permission of the Chief Justice of
India, and if the complaint is about the Chief Justice of India, then
permission has to be obtained from such judge or judges of the Supreme
Court as the Union Government sees fit. The CBI thus could not, by itself,
have named any Supreme Court judge in the FIR, without the government
taking the requisite permissions.

The alleged offence of bribery of a public official does not actually name
a specific public official yet. The investigations have not made any
progress on the involvement of any sitting Supreme Court judge, yet. It is
public knowledge that the writ petition filed by the other accused, for
permission, was heard by Misra, Roy and Khanwilkar on July 26 and an order
was passed on August 1, asking for a fresh decision to be taken regarding
permission denied to petitioner colleges. Crucially, it was heard as part
of a batch of matters challenging decisions of the Union Government and the
committee overseeing the functioning of the Medical Council of India in
respect of permission given to medical colleges.

The obvious questions arise: Would it not be the most logical thing to do
to include the above judges in the ongoing investigation, after going
through the proper procedures? Does this not warrant an inquiry into the
functioning of the Supreme Court? Is it not reasonable to investigate if
the alleged bribery in the Prasad Education Trust case was a one-off or
could there be more such cases? Would it not have advisable for Misra to
have welcomed such a probe as it would have once and for all cleared all
controversy?

These questions have no answers and thanks to Misra’s actions on Friday,
the truth looks further away than ever.

While Chelameswar’s orders early listing of the petitions by CJAR and
Kamini Jaiswal and reference to the Constitution Bench of five senior-most
judges were debatable, they did not per se cause any prejudi

[GreenYouth] Mind-boggling IT evasion!? But no one talks of it in the very midst of "war on black money!

2017-11-14 Thread Sukla Sen

[But more astonishing is the amount of money involved. Collectively, the
amount claimed as agricultural income was Rs 84,742 crore (average amount
per assessee Rs 19.lakh) in 2010. If that made you gasp, watch the amount
declared for 2011. It jumped to (hold your breath) Rs 19,971,098 crore (Rs
3,040 lakh average per assessee) in 2011. It did not stop at this level. It
climbed further to Rs 67,431,358 crore (average Rs 8,300 lakh) in 2012.
The collective amount for the three years comes to an astounding Rs
86,486,197 crore (Rs 865 lakh crore). It is astounding, because the GVA
(gross value added) for the country was only Rs 8,546,552 crore, Rs
9,084,369 crore and Rs 9,727,490 for 2010, 2011, and 2012, respectively.
The total GVA for the three years together comes to Rs 27,358,411 crore.
What this means is that the total agricultural income filed with the IT
authorities was three times the total GVA for the three years. If only 2011
and 2012 are taken into account, agricultural income declared was almost 5
times the GVA for those two years. Preposterous! That effectively means
that agricultural income was even greater than India’s GDP or GVA!
Unbelievable!]

India’s farms report income greater than our GDP! Target them in the war on
black money
The opposition is baying for the government’s blood over demonetisation and
GST. The first is done and over with. But its effects are not yet over. The
second has been modified to assuage large sections of the population.

RN Bhaskar


RN Bhaskar

The opposition is baying for the government’s blood over demonetisation and
GST. The first is done and over with. But its effects are not yet over. The
second has been modified to assuage large sections of the population.

The government continues to insist that demonetisation will help curb black
money. Maybe it will. The money that has been put into bank accounts (since
very few of high value notes got ‘impounded’ or cancelled by the
government) will help the government track down accounts which saw a surge
in deposits. That will enable the tax authorities to track down the sources
of these deposits.

According to media reports, attributed to highly placed tax authorities,
more than Rs 2 lakh was deposited in over 60 lakh bank accounts
post-demonetisation. The total amount involved is over Rs 7.34 lakh crore.
These accounts are now under scrutiny.

RELATED NEWS
Religare Enterprises Q2 loss narrows to Rs 31 crore
Judiciary's independence can't be at mercy of CBI or police: Supreme Court
Gawahati High Court rejects APSC chairman's bail plea
8 lakh or 60 lakh?

That may be so.  However, there are good reasons to believe that the
Finance Ministry could haul up bigger fish by just scrutinizing some 8 lakh
accounts, instead of pursuing 60 lakh accounts.

These are the people who submitted agricultural income tax returns in
2011-2013 (see chart alongside). Watch the table closely.  The total number
of returns filed and which showed agricultural income surged from 425,085
in 2011, to 656,944 in 2011.  This number climbed further in 2012 to
812,426 in 2012.

Capture

But more astonishing is the amount of money involved. Collectively, the
amount claimed as agricultural income was Rs 84,742 crore (average amount
per assessee Rs 19.lakh) in 2010. If that made you gasp, watch the amount
declared for 2011. It jumped to (hold your breath) Rs 19,971,098 crore (Rs
3,040 lakh average per assessee) in 2011. It did not stop at this level. It
climbed further to Rs 67,431,358 crore (average Rs 8,300 lakh) in 2012.

The collective amount for the three years comes to an astounding Rs
86,486,197 crore (Rs 865 lakh crore). It is astounding, because the GVA
(gross value added) for the country was only Rs 8,546,552 crore, Rs
9,084,369 crore and Rs 9,727,490 for 2010, 2011, and 2012, respectively.
The total GVA for the three years together comes to Rs 27,358,411 crore.

What this means is that the total agricultural income filed with the IT
authorities was three times the total GVA for the three years. If only 2011
and 2012 are taken into account, agricultural income declared was almost 5
times the GVA for those two years. Preposterous! That effectively means
that agricultural income was even greater than India’s GDP or GVA!
Unbelievable!

But that is what the numbers say. Some taxmen tried to pass this off as
data-entry errors. But that is implausible. This is because any income over
Rs 20 lakh has to be fed into the income tax servers directly by the
assessees. If the figures are wrong, the assessees should be hauled up and
penalised for wrongful entries. The entries should then be cancelled and
treated as null and void. Else, they should be prosecuted and fined for
concealment of income. Neither has happened. The Finance Ministry is silent
about this. So are the income tax authorities.

In fact, the income tax on such declarations could be large enough to
account for almost 100 years of total taxes collected. That could actually
make Prime Ministe

[GreenYouth] Parliament's Winter Session: Victim of GujaratPoll!? Yet Another Assault on Democratic Norms and Conventions: 'Hold winter session of Parliament immediately: Congress tells PM Modi, BJP'

2017-11-14 Thread Sukla Sen

[Tewari further said, “We would like to inform the government that there
is a certain timetable to the Parliament. It is structured in a manner
whereby the budget, monsoon and winter sessions can happen. What is it that
the government is so scared of that it is running away from convening
Parliament?” he asked.]

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/hold-winter-session-of-parliament-immediately-congress-tells-pm-modi-bjp/story-ftqgJmHeeYpT1kxZkH9VpK.html

Hold winter session of Parliament immediately: Congress tells PM Modi, BJP
The Congress-led opposition plans to raise issues like demonetisation, GST,
the Kashmir situation, and the Doklam standoff with China.

INDIA Updated: Nov 13, 2017 23:33 IST

HT Correspondent
Hindustan Times, New Delhi

The Congress asked the BJP-led government if it was scared of facing the
opposition on issues such as note ban and GST.
The Congress asked the BJP-led government if it was scared of facing the
opposition on issues such as note ban and GST.

The Congress demanded on Monday that the BJP-led NDA government immediately
convene the winter session of Parliament, asking if it was scared of facing
the opposition on issues such as note ban and the Goods and Services Tax
(GST).

“Why is the BJP government not convening the winter session of Parliament?
We would like to ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi if the Cabinet Committee
on Parliamentary Affairs (CCPA) has met. What are its recommendations? And
if it has not met, why so?” asked Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari.

He said assembly elections should not become “an excuse” for the government
in “running away from facing” Parliament.

The government had considered calling a short session after the second
phase of polling in Gujarat ends on December 14.

Tewari further said, “We would like to inform the government that there is
a certain timetable to the Parliament. It is structured in a manner whereby
the budget, monsoon and winter sessions can happen. What is it that the
government is so scared of that it is running away from convening
Parliament?” he asked.

The Congress-led opposition plans to raise issues such as the anniversary
of demonetisation, how it impacted the economy, the “completely failed”
implementation
of the GST, the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, and the Doklam standoff
with China.
--
Peace Is Doable

[GreenYouth] Trump Presidency: More Startling Revelations: Tightening Noose? Two Analytical Reports

2017-11-14 Thread Sukla Sen

[One may better look also up: <
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/11/the-secret-correspondence-between-donald-trump-jr-and-wikileaks/545738/
>.]

I/II.
[<>]

http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a13581539/donald-trump-jr-julian-assange-wikileaks/

Apologies to Eric, But There's a New Dumbest Trump
Junior got tangled up with Julian Assange, and now he's caught up in a
whole lot more.
Getty

BY CHARLES P. PIERCE
NOV 14, 2017

Julia Ioffe of The Atlantic has broken an amazingly detailed story about
Donald Trump, Jr. and how haplessly he leaped at the poisoned bait dangled
by WikiLeaks and its proprietor, fugitive sex-crime defendant Julian
Assange. In short, in our assessment of the president*’s valueless
spalpeens, we all may owe Eric an apology for calling him the dumb one,
because Junior pretty plainly is as dumb as the stumps on which he poses.

Assange sized this hungry fish up with a master’s eye. At which point, he
pretty much shot the moon.

WikiLeaks made a series of increasingly bold requests, including asking for
Trump's tax returns, urging the Trump campaign on Election Day to reject
the results of the election as rigged, and requesting that the
president-elect tell Australia to appoint Julian Assange ambassador to the
United States.
I’d say that last one had only about a 60-percent chance of happening.

According to a source familiar with the congressional investigations into
Russian interference with the 2016 campaign, who requested anonymity
because the investigation is ongoing, on the same day that Trump Jr.
received the first message from WikiLeaks, he emailed other senior
officials with the Trump campaign, including Steve Bannon, Kellyanne
Conway, Brad Parscale, and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, telling them
WikiLeaks had made contact. Kushner then forwarded the email to campaign
communications staffer Hope Hicks. At no point during the 10-month
correspondence does Trump, Jr. rebuff WikiLeaks, which had published stolen
documents and was already observed to be releasing information that
benefited Russian interests.
Modern McCarthyism! The more I think about it, the more I come to believe
that Assange is not a neutral participant in the whole project of creating
a new paradigm for information and global knowledge in the hopes of making
this a better world. Or as Himself put it on the electric Twitter machine,
with his usual sub-Utopian wha-dee-doo-dah:

If you actually had taken 3 minutes to be a journalist like you claim to be
you would know: to generate a transformative discussion about corrupt
media, corrupt PACs and primary corruption.
Boy, is that all my balls.

Two minutes later, Trump Jr. wrote again, asking, “What’s behind this
Wednesday leak I keep reading about?” The day before, Roger Stone, an
informal advisor to Donald Trump, had tweeted, Wednesday@HillaryClinton is
done. #WikiLeaks. WikiLeaks didn’t respond to that message, but on October
12, 2016, the account again messaged Trump Jr. “Hey Donald, great to see
you and your dad talking about our publications,” WikiLeaks wrote. (At a
rally on October 10, Donald Trump had proclaimed, “I love WikiLeaks!”)
That’s just beyond adorable. But then, it was time to get down to some
serious ratfcking.

“Hi Don if your father ‘loses’ we think it is much more interesting if he
DOES NOT conceed [sic] and spends time CHALLENGING the media and other
types of rigging that occurred—as he has implied that he might do,”
WikiLeaks wrote at 6:35pm, when the idea that Clinton would win was still
the prevailing conventional wisdom. (As late as 7:00pm that night,
FiveThirtyEight, a trusted prognosticator of the election, gave Clinton a
71 percent chance of winning the presidency.) WikiLeaks insisted that
contesting the election results would be good for Trump’s rumored plans to
start a media network should he lose the presidency. “The discussion can be
transformative as it exposes media corruption, primary corruption, PAC
corruption, etc.,” WikiLeaks wrote.
Ioffe makes it clear that Junior didn’t respond to this email, but anyone
who listened to the Trump campaign down the stretch cannot doubt that this
suggestion was a strategy that appealed to it. The candidate leaned hard
into “fake news” and “fake polls,” and he was already raving about the
millions of undocumented immigrants who were going to vote against him.
They were prepared to scorch the earth if the election went narrowly
against them.

Getty
In this, of course, the president* wasn’t planning to do anything that
Republicans before him had not done. After all, in 2000, among other
escapades, the party flew in congressional aides to disrupt a perfectly
legal recount being conducted in Dade County and, a month or so later, many
of these same people were celebrated at a Washington fundraising gala. As
we have to make clear, over and over, Trump did not come out of nowhere. He
is an inevitable consequence of modern conservative Republican politics,
not an aberration of the

[GreenYouth] Re: Mind-boggling IT evasion!? But no one talks of it in the very midst of "war on black money!

2017-11-14 Thread Sukla Sen

Sorry!

The link to the article was missing.
Here it is: 
<http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/economy/indias-farms-report-income-greater-than-our-gdp-target-them-in-the-war-on-black-money-2437801.html>.

Sukla

On 14/11/2017, Sukla Sen  wrote:
> [But more astonishing is the amount of money involved. Collectively, the
> amount claimed as agricultural income was Rs 84,742 crore (average amount
> per assessee Rs 19.lakh) in 2010. If that made you gasp, watch the amount
> declared for 2011. It jumped to (hold your breath) Rs 19,971,098 crore (Rs
> 3,040 lakh average per assessee) in 2011. It did not stop at this level. It
> climbed further to Rs 67,431,358 crore (average Rs 8,300 lakh) in 2012.
> The collective amount for the three years comes to an astounding Rs
> 86,486,197 crore (Rs 865 lakh crore). It is astounding, because the GVA
> (gross value added) for the country was only Rs 8,546,552 crore, Rs
> 9,084,369 crore and Rs 9,727,490 for 2010, 2011, and 2012, respectively.
> The total GVA for the three years together comes to Rs 27,358,411 crore.
> What this means is that the total agricultural income filed with the IT
> authorities was three times the total GVA for the three years. If only 2011
> and 2012 are taken into account, agricultural income declared was almost 5
> times the GVA for those two years. Preposterous! That effectively means
> that agricultural income was even greater than India’s GDP or GVA!
> Unbelievable!]
>
> India’s farms report income greater than our GDP! Target them in the war on
> black money
> The opposition is baying for the government’s blood over demonetisation and
> GST. The first is done and over with. But its effects are not yet over. The
> second has been modified to assuage large sections of the population.
>
> RN Bhaskar
>
>
> RN Bhaskar
>
> The opposition is baying for the government’s blood over demonetisation and
> GST. The first is done and over with. But its effects are not yet over. The
> second has been modified to assuage large sections of the population.
>
> The government continues to insist that demonetisation will help curb black
> money. Maybe it will. The money that has been put into bank accounts (since
> very few of high value notes got ‘impounded’ or cancelled by the
> government) will help the government track down accounts which saw a surge
> in deposits. That will enable the tax authorities to track down the sources
> of these deposits.
>
> According to media reports, attributed to highly placed tax authorities,
> more than Rs 2 lakh was deposited in over 60 lakh bank accounts
> post-demonetisation. The total amount involved is over Rs 7.34 lakh crore.
> These accounts are now under scrutiny.
>
> RELATED NEWS
> Religare Enterprises Q2 loss narrows to Rs 31 crore
> Judiciary's independence can't be at mercy of CBI or police: Supreme Court
> Gawahati High Court rejects APSC chairman's bail plea
> 8 lakh or 60 lakh?
>
> That may be so.  However, there are good reasons to believe that the
> Finance Ministry could haul up bigger fish by just scrutinizing some 8 lakh
> accounts, instead of pursuing 60 lakh accounts.
>
> These are the people who submitted agricultural income tax returns in
> 2011-2013 (see chart alongside). Watch the table closely.  The total number
> of returns filed and which showed agricultural income surged from 425,085
> in 2011, to 656,944 in 2011.  This number climbed further in 2012 to
> 812,426 in 2012.
>
> Capture
>
> But more astonishing is the amount of money involved. Collectively, the
> amount claimed as agricultural income was Rs 84,742 crore (average amount
> per assessee Rs 19.lakh) in 2010. If that made you gasp, watch the amount
> declared for 2011. It jumped to (hold your breath) Rs 19,971,098 crore (Rs
> 3,040 lakh average per assessee) in 2011. It did not stop at this level. It
> climbed further to Rs 67,431,358 crore (average Rs 8,300 lakh) in 2012.
>
> The collective amount for the three years comes to an astounding Rs
> 86,486,197 crore (Rs 865 lakh crore). It is astounding, because the GVA
> (gross value added) for the country was only Rs 8,546,552 crore, Rs
> 9,084,369 crore and Rs 9,727,490 for 2010, 2011, and 2012, respectively.
> The total GVA for the three years together comes to Rs 27,358,411 crore.
>
> What this means is that the total agricultural income filed with the IT
> authorities was three times the total GVA for the three years. If only 2011
> and 2012 are taken into account, agricultural income declared was almost 5
> times the GVA for those two years. Preposterous! That effectively means
> that agricultural income was even greater than India’s GDP or GVA!
> Unbelievable!
>
> But that is what the numbers say. Some t

[GreenYouth] GST aftershock creates widening two-speed economy in India

2017-11-15 Thread Sukla Sen

[India’s biggest tax overhaul since independence has driven a wedge between
companies that have adapted to the new levies and a vast swathe of small
businesses, representing almost half the economy, that are struggling.
The trend emerging from the first quarter of earnings since the goods and
services tax, or GST, was introduced on 1 July shows bigger companies such
as the Tata Group’s Titan Co. Ltd, India’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki
India Ltd and Godrej Consumer Products Ltd have used the disruptions to
gain market share. Smaller operations are reporting that increased
compliance costs, supply-chain disruptions and policy changes have hurt
profits and forced some to shed workers.]

GST aftershock creates widening two-speed economy in India
GST has driven a wedge between firms that have adapted to the new levies
and a vast swathe of small businesses, representing almost half the Indian
economy, that are struggling

Anirban Nag P R Sanjai

India’s GST has been more than a decade in the making and is expected to
make dodging taxes more difficult, bringing the nation’s vast cash economy
into the mainstream. Photo: Pradeep Gaur/Mint
India’s GST has been more than a decade in the making and is expected to
make dodging taxes more difficult, bringing the nation’s vast cash economy
into the mainstream. Photo: Pradeep Gaur/Mint
Mumbai: India’s biggest tax overhaul since independence has driven a wedge
between companies that have adapted to the new levies and a vast swathe of
small businesses, representing almost half the economy, that are struggling.

The trend emerging from the first quarter of earnings since the goods and
services tax, or GST, was introduced on 1 July shows bigger companies such
as the Tata Group’s Titan Co. Ltd, India’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki
India Ltd and Godrej Consumer Products Ltd have used the disruptions to
gain market share. Smaller operations are reporting that increased
compliance costs, supply-chain disruptions and policy changes have hurt
profits and forced some to shed workers.

Last week the government cut the tax payable on about 200 items and eased
filing norms after it was criticized by some for a chaotic roll-out as
companies grappled with the multi-tier structure and onerous reporting
system.

The disruptions have hit traders, traditionally a large vote base for Prime
Minister Narendra Modi’s party. Addressing any slump in activity among the
country’s 58 million small enterprises, and the businesses they supply,
will be crucial for growth to rebound in Asia’s third-largest economy.

Modi’s challenge

It will take time for small and medium-sized enterprises to recover from
the “GST blues” as many weren’t prepared and couldn’t deal with the
changes, said M.S. Mani, a partner overseeing GST at Deloitte India. “This
led to some of them putting all operations on hold and it will now take
some time for them to revive their business. Many smaller companies are
suppliers to large businesses and they were worried about business
continuance and tax challenges.”

India’s GST has been more than a decade in the making and is expected to
make dodging taxes more difficult, bringing the nation’s vast cash economy
into the mainstream. But its disruptive roll out and concerns about a
widening gap between better-run companies and the laggards—often smaller
firms and those in the informal sector—poses a challenge to Modi who rode
to power in 2014 on the promise of more inclusive growth.

The difference for Mithun Chittilappilly, managing director at V-Guard
Industries Ltd, which deals with both large and small companies, is down to
how cash intensive a business was as well as how prepared they were to make
the necessary accounting and technology changes. The consumer durable goods
sector, which is more formalized, has better transitioned than others
including electrical goods players, said Chittilappilly, whose company
manufactures stabilizers, pumps, cables, electrical and solar water heaters.

“In the case of the electrical trade, in many other parts of the country we
saw that they were not doing really anything. There is a lot of unorganized
sales happening,” he said, adding that many companies didn’t even have
technology systems in place on 1 July.

Technology hiccups

Citigroup Inc. analysts Jamshed Dadabhoy, Aditya Mathur and Arvind Sharma
travelled through the state of Madhya Pradesh in October to meet local
companies, wholesalers and traders. In most conversations, owners indicated
increased compliance costs and difficulties with the technology and network
to upload tax invoices.

On the other hand, Nisaba Godrej, executive chairwoman of Godrej Consumer
Products Ltd, said remaining “agile” helped her 120-year-old soap company
navigate channel disruptions and deliver 10% volume growth.

The gold and jewellery industry is another example of how organized retail
has side-stepped any overall volume declines. Titan—which gets 80% of its
revenue from jewellery—reported a 71% rise in

[GreenYouth] Now, even the fingerprints of urban Indians are failing during Aadhaar authentication

2017-11-15 Thread Sukla Sen

[(A)uthentication failures – because of incorrectly captured fingerprints,
poor internet connectivity or a change in biometric details because of old
age or wear and tear – have already caused disruption in rural India. Cases
of vulnerable people being left out of the ambit of welfare schemes because
of Aadhaar have been widely reported over the last two years.
Within urban India, until this year, the debate over Aadhaar was limited to
security and privacy concerns related to providing biometric data to the
government. But now, with the government asking people to link their banks
accounts, mobile phone connections and Permanent Account Numbers used for
income tax purposes with Aadhaar, the practical difficulties of biometric
authentication have begun to pinch even affluent urban Indians.]

IDENTITY PROJECT
Now, even the fingerprints of urban Indians are failing during Aadhaar
authentication
With Aadhaar verification being insisted upon for bank accounts, mobile
numbers and income tax returns, even the affluent are feeling the pinch of
exclusion.
by  Aroon Deep
Published 14 hours ago
Now, even the fingerprints of urban Indians are failing during Aadhaar
authentication
Noah Seelam/AFP
Bengaluru resident Shashidhar Rao went to an Airtel store last month to get
his Aadhaar number linked to his mobile connection. He had received
repeated reminders from the telecom operator, which, along with other
carriers, have been warning users to re-verify their connections by linking
them to their 12-digit unique identity numbers to avoid discontinuation of
services.

But when Rao placed his fingerprints on the reader, they showed up as
invalid. “I tried a thousand times, with every single finger,” said Rao.
Nothing worked.

Employees at the Airtel store told him he would need to get his biometrics
updated. But when Rao went to an Aadhaar enrolment kiosk operated by
BangaloreOne, a company set up by the Karnataka government to help citizens
with technology-related matters, he ran into a different problem. “They
told me that they are not able to capture my fingerprints, and asked me,
‘What do we do?’. I said to them, ‘You tell me what to do.’”

When he called the Aadhaar helpline, an agent asked him for his enrolment
number from when he applied four years ago. Rao said the agent then told
him, “We don’t have any records for you.”

Biometric authentication lies at the heart of the Aadhaar project. The
government has argued that by creating a database of citizens’ biometrics,
which can be used to verify their identities, Aadhaar helps prevent leakage
of funds in welfare schemes like subsidised food ration supplies.

But authentication failures – because of incorrectly captured fingerprints,
poor internet connectivity or a change in biometric details because of old
age or wear and tear – have already caused disruption in rural India. Cases
of vulnerable people being left out of the ambit of welfare schemes because
of Aadhaar have been widely reported over the last two years.

Within urban India, until this year, the debate over Aadhaar was limited to
security and privacy concerns related to providing biometric data to the
government. But now, with the government asking people to link their banks
accounts, mobile phone connections and Permanent Account Numbers used for
income tax purposes with Aadhaar, the practical difficulties of biometric
authentication have begun to pinch even affluent urban Indians.

Can’t put a finger on it

When Pune resident Yogesha S, who works for a public sector company, tried
to link his bank account to Aadhaar, he was informed that his 12-digit
number had been deactivated because of biometric mismatch issues. “I went
to get a SIM card also and got the same error,” he said.

He went to an Aadhaar enrolment centre to get his fingerprints updated
twice. Both times, he was sent a new Aadhaar card, indicating the process
had been successful. But when he tried to link his PAN with his Aadhaar
number and phone number, his Aadhaar card still showed up as deactivated.
He said he contacted an Aadhaar helpline two months ago but there has been
no movement on his complaint since.

In Delhi, Priya Talwar, who had moved to the city with her family recently,
also faced trouble with biometric verification when she tried to get her
daughter’s address changed on her Aadhaar card. “My daughter has a
condition called hyperhidrosis, which makes her palms and fingers sweat a
lot, so her fingerprints did not work with the scanner,” she said.

Talwar said that the enrolment centre did not give her daughter the option
getting her iris scanned for biometric verification, even though the Unique
Identification Authority of India takes both fingerprints and iris scans
from citizens signing up under the Aadhaar project.

Talwar said her daughter will turn 16 soon and needs to update her Aadhaar
information to apply for documents like driving licence and passport. “She
does have other ID documents, but seeing how important Aadh

[GreenYouth] 'Woman Died Hungry, Ration Shop Denied Food Over Aadhaar, Says UP Family': So very horrifying and heartless!

2017-11-15 Thread Sukla Sen

[Shakina Ashfaq, 50, was practically skin and bones when she died at her
home in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly on Tuesday. Her family says she had not
eaten for five days. The state government is investigating whether the
family was denied their monthly quota of cheaper food-grain because
Shakina, who was paralysed, could not be present at the ration shop for her
fingerprint authentication for Aadhaar.
The Yogi Adityanath government says its initial inquiries suggest Shakina
died of an illness, not starvation.
The family alleges that it had been denied ration under the Public
Distribution System for November, because Shakina - marked as the head of
the family in the ration card - was too unwell to be even taken to the shop
in a rickshaw, as she was every month.]

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/bareilly-woman-died-hungry-ration-shop-denied-food-over-aadhaar-says-uttar-pradesh-family-1776071

Woman Died Hungry, Ration Shop Denied Food Over Aadhaar, Says UP Family
The Yogi Adityanath government says its initial inquiries suggest Shakina
died of an illness, not starvation. The family alleges that it had been
denied ration under the Public Distribution System for November, because
Shakina was too unwell to be even taken to the shop in a rickshaw, as she
was every month.

All India | Written by Alok Pandey | Updated: November 16, 2017 11:05 IST

Woman Died Hungry, Ration Shop Denied Food Over Aadhaar, Says UP Family
Click to Play

Shakina's family says they were denied foodgrains at the ration shop
without her biometrics.

BAREILLY, UTTAR PRADESH:

Shakina Ashfaq, 50, was practically skin and bones when she died at her
home in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly on Tuesday. Her family says she had not
eaten for five days. The state government is investigating whether the
family was denied their monthly quota of cheaper food-grain because
Shakina, who was paralysed, could not be present at the ration shop for her
fingerprint authentication for Aadhaar.

The Yogi Adityanath government says its initial inquiries suggest Shakina
died of an illness, not starvation.

The family alleges that it had been denied ration under the Public
Distribution System for November, because Shakina - marked as the head of
the family in the ration card - was too unwell to be even taken to the shop
in a rickshaw, as she was every month.

"My wife died because of hunger. She was very ill. We used to take her
there in a rickshaw. This time she was very ill. We begged the Kotedar
(ration shop owner), but he said he would not give anything without the
biometrics," said Mohd Ishaq, Shakina's husband.

shakina husband ishaq uttar pradesh
Shakina's husband Mohd Ishaq says they begged the ration shop owner for
grains when she was paralysed.
The ration shop owner insisted that Shakina come for her biometric
identification using a fingerprint machine at the ration shop, says the
family.

The family is entitled to 35 kg of subsidised wheat, rice and sugar each
month under the central government-sponsored Antyodaya scheme for the
poorest.

Seema Tripathi, the official in charge of foodgrain supply in Bareilly,
said there is no order to deny food if anyone can't be present to
authenticate their biometric data.

"We found out through the newspapers. She had an Antyodaya card. We are
trying to find out the exact cause of the death. There is no provision of
the government that people will be denied rations because of an Aadhaar
card. We have alternative systems in place. If the person in whose name the
Antyodaya card is cannot go, then there is a provision for other relatives
to be given ration," Ms Tripathi said.

Sources in the local administration also question the starvation allegation
because they say Shakina had about Rs. 4,000 in her bank account. However,
they have no answer to the question of why the ration shop insisted on
Aadhaar biometrics to provide their share of food.

In September, an 11-year-old girl died crying for "bhaat, bhaat (rice)" at
her village in Jharkhand, allegedly because her family had been denied
ration for not linking it with an Aadhaar ID. The state government ordered
that no one should be denied food benefits for want of Aadhaar-linking.
--
Peace Is Doable

[GreenYouth] UP ministers watching, BJP leader warns Muslims: vote for us or else face ‘difficulties’

2017-11-16 Thread Sukla Sen

[A video of his speech is doing the rounds of social media. “Samajwadi ki
sarkar nahi hai. Yahan par tum jaa kar ke DM, SP se apna kaam nahi kara
sakte ho. Yahan par tumhara koi neta tumhari koi madad nahi kar sakta hai.
Sadak, khadanja, naali nagar palika ka kaam hai. Doosri bhi kuch
museebatein tumhare upar aa sakti hain. Aaj tumhara koi pairokar BJP ke
andar nahi hai. Agar hamare sabhasadon ko tumne bagair bhedbhao ke chunav
nahin jitaya… Agar Ranjeet Sahab ki patni ko tumne vote de kar ke chunav
nahi jitaya… To yeh doori jo tum banane ja rahe ho, ab agar yeh doori
banegi to tumko Samajwadi Party bachane nahi aayegi. BJP ka shashankaal
hai. Jo kasht tumko nahi jhelne pade the, woh kasht tumko uthane pad sakte
hain,” said Srivastava. (This is not a Samajwadi Party government. You
cannot go to the DM, SP to get your work done. None of your leaders can
help you. Roads, lanes, drains are the work of the municipal board. You may
face some other difficulties as well. Today, you don’t have any advocates
inside the BJP. If you do not, without any discrimination, get our
corporators elected… If you do not vote for Ranjeet Sahab’s wife and get
her elected… then you will distance yourselves and Samajwadi Party won’t
come to your rescue. This is the BJP’s reign. You may have to face the
difficulties which you did not have to undergo earlier).]

UP ministers watching, BJP leader warns Muslims: vote for us or else face
‘difficulties’
Two ministers in the Yogi Adityanath cabinet, Dara Singh Chauhan and
Ramapati Shastri, were present on stage when Srivastava made the remarks at
a public meeting in Nawabganj area on November 13.

Written by Lalmani Verma |

Lucknow | Updated: November 17, 2017 8:03 am

 BJP leader warns Muslims A video grab of Ranjeet Srivastava at the event
Campaigning for his wife who is contesting the civic polls in Barabanki
district, a local BJP leader, Ranjeet Kumar Srivastava, warned Muslims to
vote for her or face “difficulties” (kasht). Two ministers in the Yogi
Adityanath cabinet, Dara Singh Chauhan and Ramapati Shastri, were present
on stage when Srivastava made the remarks at a public meeting in Nawabganj
area on November 13.

A video of his speech is doing the rounds of social media. “Samajwadi ki
sarkar nahi hai. Yahan par tum jaa kar ke DM, SP se apna kaam nahi kara
sakte ho. Yahan par tumhara koi neta tumhari koi madad nahi kar sakta hai.
Sadak, khadanja, naali nagar palika ka kaam hai. Doosri bhi kuch
museebatein tumhare upar aa sakti hain. Aaj tumhara koi pairokar BJP ke
andar nahi hai. Agar hamare sabhasadon ko tumne bagair bhedbhao ke chunav
nahin jitaya… Agar Ranjeet Sahab ki patni ko tumne vote de kar ke chunav
nahi jitaya… To yeh doori jo tum banane ja rahe ho, ab agar yeh doori
banegi to tumko Samajwadi Party bachane nahi aayegi. BJP ka shashankaal
hai. Jo kasht tumko nahi jhelne pade the, woh kasht tumko uthane pad sakte
hain,” said Srivastava. (This is not a Samajwadi Party government. You
cannot go to the DM, SP to get your work done. None of your leaders can
help you. Roads, lanes, drains are the work of the municipal board. You may
face some other difficulties as well. Today, you don’t have any advocates
inside the BJP. If you do not, without any discrimination, get our
corporators elected… If you do not vote for Ranjeet Sahab’s wife and get
her elected… then you will distance yourselves and Samajwadi Party won’t
come to your rescue. This is the BJP’s reign. You may have to face the
difficulties which you did not have to undergo earlier).

“Isliye, main Mussalmano se keh raha hun, vote de dena. Bheekh nahi maang
raha hun. Agar vote doge, to sukhi rahoge. Agar vote nahin doge, to jo
kasht jheloge uska andaza tumko swatah lag jayega,” he said. (Therefore, I
am asking Muslims to cast your vote (for us). I am not begging. If you vote
(for us), you will be better off. If you don’t vote (for us), the
difficulties will become obvious to you.)

While Srivastava is the outgoing chairperson of Nawabganj Nagar Palika, the
BJP has fielded his wife, Shashi, this time since the seat has been
reserved for women. While Srivastava was not available for comment, his
spokesperson, R P Singh, said: “He wanted to say that Muslims did not
support him in 2012, but he still carried out development work in their
areas, without any discrimination. He was appealing to them that since the
BJP is in power in the state, if a non-BJP candidate wins, the elected
chairperson may not be able to get their work done.”

Dara Singh Chauhan, who is also minister in charge of Barabanki district,
said: “People should avoid making such remarks. The BJP believes in ‘sabka
saath-sabka vikas’. Party leaders associated with local polls will
certainly take cognizance of this matter.”

When contacted, BJP’s Barabanki district president Avadhesh Srivasatava
said he had not watched the video yet. When told that he was also present
at the public meeting, he said: “I did not hear any such remarks, but I
will check now.” Barab

[GreenYouth] The Myth of Padmavati and Its Sinister Contemporary Political Use: Historian Harbans Mukhia Deliberates

2017-11-16 Thread Sukla Sen

[Khalji defeated the Rana of Chittor in 1303 and died in 1316. No one by
the name of Padmini or Padmavati existed then — or at any time — in flesh
and blood resembling the story. She was born in 1540, 224 years after
Khalji’s death, in the pages of a book of poetry by Malik Muhammad Jayasi,
resident of Jayas in Awadh, a very long way from Chittor. Jayasi was a Sufi
poet and followed the poetic format where God is the beloved and man is the
lover who overcomes hurdles to unite with the beloved. Khalji embodied the
many hurdles. There are just two historical facts relevant to the story:
Khalji’s attack on Chittor and Rana Ratan Singh’s defeat.
...
... It was in Bengal in the 19th century that Padmini acquired the persona
of a heroic queen committing jauhar in order to save her honour against a
lusty Muslim invader. Concealed in it was a vicarious patriotic resistance
to colonial dominance which also characterised other literary productions
in the region such as Bankim Chandra’s celebrated Anand Math.
...
It is strategic for it to create the image of the 80 plus per cent Hindu
community under siege by the Muslims and to create a long “history” to back
it up. If historical facts point to a more mixed picture of interaction,
one where Hindus and Muslims do not stand in exclusive, opposing camps,
manufacture a dispute, change the text books and let MLAs and ministers
have the final word on what constitutes true history. There is the popular
memory to be mobilised as its authentic version.]

http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/padmavati-alauddin-khalji-rana-ratan-singh-chittor-rajasthan-stories-of-a-rajput-queen-4940877/

Stories of a Rajput queen

Written by Harbans Mukhia |

Published:November 17, 2017 12:00 am

To begin with, in Jayasi’s version and its several Urdu and Persian
translations between the 16th and 20th centuries, Khalji was courting
Padmini with a view to marrying her. File photo

The Mewar royal descendant Vishwajeet Singh’s recent differentiation, in a
newspaper article, between history and fiction with regard to the film
Padmavati, came as a refreshing surprise. I recount here the historical
facts and the popular versions of the story.

Sultan Alauddin Khalji had earned a reputation among contemporary and
modern historians for several achievements: Successfully thwarting Mongol
invasions of India, conquest of large territories, strictly enforcing low
prices of commodities in the markets for the common people’s daily
purchases, declared defiance of the Shariat in matters of governance etc,
but not for lustful pursuit of women. So how does he get tied up with
Padmavati?

Khalji defeated the Rana of Chittor in 1303 and died in 1316. No one by the
name of Padmini or Padmavati existed then — or at any time — in flesh and
blood resembling the story. She was born in 1540, 224 years after Khalji’s
death, in the pages of a book of poetry by Malik Muhammad Jayasi, resident
of Jayas in Awadh, a very long way from Chittor. Jayasi was a Sufi poet and
followed the poetic format where God is the beloved and man is the lover
who overcomes hurdles to unite with the beloved. Khalji embodied the many
hurdles. There are just two historical facts relevant to the story:
Khalji’s attack on Chittor and Rana Ratan Singh’s defeat.

But then, besides recorded and verifiable historical facts, there is
another set of facts too, culturally constructed and embodied in popular
memory, told, retold and retold yet again. Untrained to distinguish
historical facts from cultural memory, these acquire the status of history
for common people. Jawaharlal Nehru was particularly sensitive to this
blurring in people’s minds. As memory does not follow the norm of
verifiability, it is subject to quick metamorphoses.

The Padmavati story, like many others, has undergone several mutations.
Ramya Sreenivasan has traced the wide circulation and mutation of the story
from North India and Rajasthan to Bengal from the 16th to the 20th century
in her magnificent book, The Many Lives of a Rajput Queen. To begin with,
in Jayasi’s version and its several Urdu and Persian translations between
the 16th and 20th centuries, Khalji was courting Padmini with a view to
marrying her. In Rajasthan, during the same period, the emphasis changed to
the defence of Rajput honour which had come to be invested in Padmini’s
body. It was in Bengal in the 19th century that Padmini acquired the
persona of a heroic queen committing jauhar in order to save her honour
against a lusty Muslim invader. Concealed in it was a vicarious patriotic
resistance to colonial dominance which also characterised other literary
productions in the region such as Bankim Chandra’s celebrated Anand M

[GreenYouth] Across India, HIV positive people drop out of treatment programmes as centres insist on Aadhaar

2017-11-17 Thread Sukla Sen

[In 2015, the National Aids Control Organisation or NACO started urging
states to collect the Aadhaar numbers of people living with HIV. They were
asked to submit their Aadhaar numbers to their antiretroviral therapy
centres to be linked to their patient identity cards issued by these
centres so that they can more easily avail of social security entitlements.
...
The government first started linking the Aadhaar cards with food ration
services. Over the past year, the government has been asking citizens to
link Aadhaar card to PAN cards and now mobile phone connections. Many HIV
positive people, sex workers, gay men and women and transgender people fear
that by linking Aadhaar to all these services, they run the risk of having
their carefully guarded identities exposed.]

https://scroll.in/pulse/857656/across-india-hiv-positive-people-drop-out-of-treatment-programmes-as-centres-insist-on-aadhaar

Identity Project
Across India, HIV positive people drop out of treatment programmes as
centres insist on Aadhaar

While the government claims Aadhaar is not mandatory for accessing
healthcare, HIV patients across the country say they are being coerced into
submitting it.

by Menaka Rao

Published 3 hours ago

Across India, HIV positive people drop out of treatment programmes as
centres insist on Aadhaar

Transgender person Seema, displays an anti-retroviral drug used to treat
HIV/AIDS, inside his residence in New Delhi. | Adnan Abidi/Reuters

In December 2016, Priya*, a 30-year-old HIV positive sex worker in
Secunderabad near Hyderabad, stopped taking her life-saving medicines. The
reason: the antiretroviral therapy centre from where she used to get her
medicines every month asked for her Aadhaar card.

Priya’s husband and children do not know that she is HIV positive or that
she is a sex worker. She worries that if she submits her Aadhaar number to
the antiretroviral therapy centre, that information may be leaked,
revealing these details about her life.

“Can the officials guarantee that that my status will not be leaked?” she
asked. “My husband will throw me out if he knows all about me.”

She now frequently falls ill with fever and gastritis, possibly because her
immunity has been compromised because she has not been taking
antiretroviral medicines for 11 months.

In 2015, the National Aids Control Organisation or NACO started urging
states to collect the Aadhaar numbers of people living with HIV. They were
asked to submit their Aadhaar numbers to their antiretroviral therapy
centres to be linked to their patient identity cards issued by these
centres so that they can more easily avail of social security entitlements.

This linking of Aadhaar with HIV patient identity cards has been very
gradual and has not been implemented uniformly across the country, within
states or even within cities. Antiretroviral centres in states like
Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka have been asking patients for their
Aadhaar numbers. For almost a year now, the Telangana State Aids Control
Society has been collecting Aadhaar numbers of HIV positive patients
registered with it.

National and state authorities claim linking Aadhaar to HIV patient ID
cards is not mandatory.

“We are only encouraging state programme officers to collect Aadhaar
number, but it is not at all compulsory,” said Dr RS Gupta, deputy director
general of NACO.

Pressure tactics

But patient groups say that authorities push hard to get Aadhaar details,
sometimes even denying treatment till this information is submitted.

Over the past year, Geeta Moorthy, an outreach worker who helps HIV
patients, has seen seven patients drop out of the government’s HIV
programme in Secunderabad. Moorthy works with the non-profit organisation
Chaitanya Mahila Mandal, which has been working for 12 years towards
prevention and treatment of HIV among high risk group of sex workers.

“Patients drop out of the programme for several reasons,” said Moorthy.
“But this is the first time I am seeing people drop out of the programme
because they do not want to give Aadhaar.”

Moorthy claims that one sex worker, who stopped getting her medicines
because she refused to submit her Aadhaar details, died this year.

“Around this time, last December, the antiretroviral therapy centre in the
government hospital started insisting on Aadhaar,” said Moorthy. “She just
stopped taking medicines because she was scared of her identity being
revealed.”

Several HIV positive people told Scroll.in that they had Aadhaar cards but,
like Priya, did not want to share them at antiretroviral therapy centres
because their identities as people living with HIV may be revealed.

The government first started linking the Aadhaar cards with food ration
services. Over the past year, the government has been asking citizens to
link Aadhaar card to PAN cards and now mobile phone connections. Many HIV
positive people, sex workers, gay men and women and transgender people fear
that by linking Aadhaar to all these service

[GreenYouth] Moody's upgrades India's rating citing government reforms (causing palpable damage to the economy)

2017-11-17 Thread Sukla Sen

[The "rating" is a tool to goad, if not coerce outright, a "national"
government to adopt policies that favour large private capital.

The subject "upgrading", while, therefore definitely perks up "business
sentiments, at least for the larger ones, it'll not necessarily bring
cheers for a common Indian.
Nor does it guarantee better performance for Indian economy as a whole.
The jubilation may prove to be rather short-lived.

Last time, the incumbent Vajpayee regime got unseated in the general
election, despite "upgradation".
In the people's court, it got downgraded.]

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/moodys-upgrades-indias-rating-citing-government-reforms/articleshow/61681086.cms

Moody's upgrades India's rating citing government reforms

Mayur Shetty |

TNN | Updated: Nov 17, 2017, 15:29 IST

HIGHLIGHTS
The cost of international borrowing will now become cheaper for Indian
government and Indian corporates
The move will also improve the sentiment in the equity markets
The upgrade comes as a major boost to govt which has been under fire for
the fallout of GST and demonetisation

(TOI photo used for representation)

Moody's upgrades India's rating citing government reforms

MUMBAI: International rating agency Moody's has upgraded India's local and
foreign currency issuer ratings to Baa2 from Baa3 and changed the outlook
on the rating to stable from positive. The rating agency has cited+ the
government's implementation of its reform programme which includes
introduction of the Goods and Services Tax, Aadhaar system of biometric
accounts and direct benefit transfer schemes and measures taken to address
bad loans in the banking system.

The rating upgrade comes after a gap of 13 years - Moody's had last
upgraded India's rating to 'Baa3' in 2004. Interestingly, the last upgrade
also came under a NDA-regime led by Atal Behari Vajpayee.

The immediate impact of the rating upgrade is that the cost of
international borrowing will become cheaper for Indian government and
Indian corporates whose ratings are constrained by the sovereign rating.
Issuers of lower rated paper have to pay higher rates to make up for the
perceived credit risk. The move will also improve the sentiment in the
equity markets.

" Moody's believes+ that those (reforms) implemented to date will advance
the government's objective of improving the business climate, enhancing
productivity, stimulating foreign and domestic investment, and ultimately
fostering strong and sustainable growth. The reform program will thus
complement the existing shock-absorbance capacity provided by India's
strong growth potential and improving global competitiveness," the rating
agency said in a statement today.

Read also: Amid Modi wave, Arvind Kejriwal's popularity wanes, Pew survey
finds
The upgrade comes as a major boost to the Narendra Modi government which
has been under fire for the fallout of GST and demonetisation on business.
"The decision to upgrade the ratings is underpinned by Moody's expectation
that continued progress on economic and institutional reforms will, over
time, enhance India's high growth potential and its large and stable
financing base for government debt, and will likely contribute to a gradual
decline in the general government debt burden over the medium term. In the
meantime, while India's high debt burden remains a constraint on the
country's credit profile, Moody's believes that the reforms put in place
have reduced the risk of a sharp increase in debt, even in potential
downside scenarios," said the rating agency in a statement.

Demonetisation which has been facing severe criticism after most of the
currency was returned to banks has also been viewed positively by Moody's.
"Government efforts to reduce corruption, formalize economic activity and
improve tax collection and administration, including through demonetization
and GST, both illustrate and should contribute to the further strengthening
of India's institutions," the agency said.

--
Peace Is Doable

[GreenYouth] The restive citadel: But as Gujarat elections near, it’s hard to imagine a breach in BJP’s fortress

2017-11-17 Thread Sukla Sen

[Briefly, the gap the opposition must bridge is wide (an 8% deficit in vote
share in the 2012 assembly polls), and there are questions about Congress’s
ability to translate disaffection into support for itself. It does not have
the party structure or resources to match BJP and there are little towns
where people look blank when asked for directions to the Congress office.
Still, there are pockets such as Surat, where sections of the Patel and
other communities are seriously contemplating abandoning BJP.
Yet, for all the discomfort from recent economic changes, a large section
of Gujarat is also ideologically committed to Hindutva combined with a near
adoration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The sitting chief minister has
hardly registered on the electorate’s consciousness, as revealed in an
election tour that touched four districts.
...
What is noteworthy is that on the eve of becoming Congress president, Rahul
Gandhi has shown the gumption to put up a genuine fight in the Modi lair.
The campaign is fresher, sharper than other recent Rahul outings. Congress
would like to posit it is about youth and change in a state where a
generation has grown knowing only BJP rule. Still, it’s hard to imagine a
serious breach of the Great Wall of BJP.]

https://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/et-commentary/the-restive-citadel-but-as-gujarat-elections-near-its-hard-to-imagine-a-breach-in-bjps-fortress/

The restive citadel: But as Gujarat elections near, it’s hard to imagine a
breach in BJP’s fortress

November 17, 2017, 2:05 AM IST Saba Naqvi in ET Commentary | Edit Page,
India, politics | TOI

A noisy panchayat meeting has just ended in a village in Gujarat’s Mehsana
district. It is dominated by Patels and it swiftly becomes clear that
sarpanch Dinesh Patel is annoyed at the talk of his community supporting
either Hardik Patel or Congress. In a room that has a picture of BR
Ambedkar on the wall, he speaks passionately about nationhood as defined by
Narendra Modi.

We have built Gujarat with Narendrabhai who is now building India, he says,
there may be some problems but we are part of a great enterprise. Ujwal
Patel, who works as a software engineer in Ahmedabad, says that all of them
have attended one year of RSS shakhas and fundamentally believe in Hindu
unity. Current economic problems, in his view, are a small matter in the
larger enterprise.

At another Patel village a few kilometres down the road, young men are
loitering. Yes they attended Hardik Patel rallies, yes they have many
problems but in the end they will either not vote or vote BJP. That could
only change if Congress really picks up momentum in rural seats – most
urban seats in India’s most urbanised state are safe for BJP – and appears
to project strong Patel leaders.

So one may well ask if there is really a contest or just some election
noise in BJP’s fortress? There are genuine tales of disenchantment (low MSP
for crops in rural parts, GST in urban parts) but, equally, on the ground
one also encounters belief in the inevitability of BJP returning to power.

Illustration: Uday Deb

Briefly, the gap the opposition must bridge is wide (an 8% deficit in vote
share in the 2012 assembly polls), and there are questions about Congress’s
ability to translate disaffection into support for itself. It does not have
the party structure or resources to match BJP and there are little towns
where people look blank when asked for directions to the Congress office.
Still, there are pockets such as Surat, where sections of the Patel and
other communities are seriously contemplating abandoning BJP.

Yet, for all the discomfort from recent economic changes, a large section
of Gujarat is also ideologically committed to Hindutva combined with a near
adoration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The sitting chief minister has
hardly registered on the electorate’s consciousness, as revealed in an
election tour that touched four districts.

Towards the end of the campaign that will peak in December, both the
personality and the ideology pitch will be taken to feverish heights. Modi
campaigns in Gujarat have traditionally inspired cult like devotion. As
chief minister he would attack the ‘Delhi Sultanate’ and now that he sits
on the throne, it would be interesting to see how the rhetoric proceeds as
Gujarati subnationalism can no longer be pitted against the Centre. Yet the
CM turned PM has the advantage of power both in state and Centre.

Given the sheer scale of the challenge and the fact that it has been out of
power for two decades in Gujarat, Congress must be congratulated for
actually putting up a fight and coming up with a strategy. In past state
elections it had no narrative of its own and just tiptoed around the Modi
persona. This time it is offering a caste plus community arithmetic besides
the projection of a more articulate Rahul Gandhi (along with the young
caste leaders who have emerged in Gujarat).

What is noteworthy is that on the eve of becoming Congress presi

[GreenYouth] 'Rs 5 crore reward for beheading Deepika Padukone, Sanjay Leela Bhansali? Chatriya Samaj jumps into Padmavati row': Where's India descending to!?

2017-11-17 Thread Sukla Sen

http://zeenews.india.com/india/rs-5-crore-reward-for-beheading-deepika-padukone-sanjay-leela-bhansali-chatriya-samaj-jumps-into-padmavati-row-2057618.html

Rs 5 crore reward for beheading Deepika Padukone, Sanjay Leela Bhansali?
Chatriya Samaj jumps into Padmavati row
Demanding a ban on Padmavati, Thakur Abhishek Som, an office-bearer of the
Chatriya Samaj announced the reward. Deepika has played the titular role of
Queen Padmavati in the movie.

By Zee Media Bureau |

Last Updated: Nov 16, 2017, 23:24 PM IST

Rs 5 crore reward for beheading Deepika Padukone, Sanjay Leela Bhansali?
Chatriya Samaj jumps into Padmavati row
File photo

Highlights
The Chatriya Samaj in Uttar Pradesh announced a reward of Rs 5 crore to
anyone beheading Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Deepika Padukone.
Thakur Abhishek Som, an office-bearer of the Chatriya Samaj announced the
reward.
He had also threatened the Bhansali to withdraw release of the
controversial film or be ready to face the consequences.

LUCKNOW: Following Shri Rajput Karni Sena's threat to Deepika Padukone, the
Chatriya Samaj in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday announced a reward of Rs 5
crore to anyone beheading Padmavati's director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and
the actress.

Demanding a ban on Padmavati, Thakur Abhishek Som, an office-bearer of the
Chatriya Samaj announced the reward. Deepika has played the titular role of
Queen Padmavati in the movie.

Thakur Som, who is an active member of the Samajwadi Party, warned the
Bollywood actress to leave the country or face beheading. He had also
threatened the Director Sanjay to withdraw release of the controversial
film or be ready to face the consequences.

"The role played by Deepika has hurt the sentiments of Rajput women. No
Rajput woman dances in public. Director Sanjay has no knowledge of the
history of Rajputs in the country. He has distorted historical facts and
should be punished," stated Som.

Earlier in the day, the Union Home Ministry said that it will provide all
help to the authorities to maintain law and order amid ongoing protests
against the film.

Also, the Sarv Brahmin Mahasabha members had signed a letter in blood to be
sent to the Central Board of Film Certification as a mark of protest.

The members of the unit have been asserting that the movie hurts the
sentiments of the Rajputs and should not be allowed to be released. The
film is slated for release on December 1.

The Karni Sena had called for 'Bharat Bandh' on December 1, which is slated
as the release date of the film.

(With DNA inputs)
--
Peace Is Doable

[GreenYouth] The Rafale Deal: A Ticking Time Bomb for the Modi Regime? Two Reports Raise Deeply Disturbing Questions

2017-11-18 Thread Sukla Sen

[Perhaps this "deal" is also a factor, may even be a major one, making the
incumbent regime go completely mum as regards the much anticipated Winter
Session of the Parliament, as per time-honoured conventions due by the end
of this month.]

I/II.
[The previous deal with Dassault Aviation was cancelled in July 2015 and
the Modi government signed a new deal with the company on September 23,
2016 for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a price of $8.7 billion.
Effectively, this means that 36 jets would now be obtained at Rs 58,000
crore whereas the previous agreement would have entailed the procurement of
126 Rafale jets at a lesser price – around Rs 54,000 crore.
Transferring technology was no more an obligation for Dassault Aviation.
Instead of HAL getting to manufacture and maintain the Rafales, RDL
undertook the offset obligations of Rs 30,000 crore with the French company
for the newly-purchased fighter planes. The government also decided that
apart from the 36 jets in fly-away condition, no more jets would be
purchased]

https://thewire.in/197682/rafale-fighter-jet-deal-reliance-bjp-modi/

DEFENCE

Explainer: Questions the Modi Government Needs to Answer on the Rafale
Fighter Jet Purchase

BY AJOY ASHIRWAD MAHAPRASHASTA

ON 17/11/2017 • 8 COMMENTS

Breaking down the details of the defence contract and key political debates
around it.

A Dassault Aviation logo is pictured on the company booth during the
European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) at Cointrin
airport in Geneva, Switzerland, May 24, 2016. Credit: Reuters/Denis
Balibouse/Files

New Delhi: “Listen, all of you keep asking me so many questions and I
happily answer them. I want to ask why don’t you question the prime
minister over the Rafale deal.” Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi
interrupted journalists to raise this point while answering their queries
at the Congress headquarters on November 16.

For the last two days, at almost every political platform, Congress leaders
have alleged that the Narendra Modi government’s 2015 deal to purchase 36
new Rafale fighter aircrafts from the French company, Dassault Aviation,
has caused a great loss to the public exchequer. It has also indicated that
the deal has benefitted a private company, Anil Ambani-owned Reliance
Defence Limited (RDL),  at the cost of India’s own public sector aerospace
and defence unit, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).

The matter had become a huge point of discussion when Prime Minister Modi
had announced his decision to purchase the aircrafts in April 2015. The
grand old party has decided to flag the issue once again, more than two
years after the announcement, with new worries to point out.

In the coming few days, the party plans to take the issue in public debates
and its political campaigns. According to sources in the Congress, the
party intends to convert the issue into one of its election agendas as 2019
general polls near through a pointed, concerted attack on the BJP. The
matter will also be a part of a larger campaign against what it has called
rampant crony capitalistic practices under the Modi government.

What actually happened during the purchase of Rafale aircrafts? Did it
actually benefit the RDL as claimed by the Congress? What is the BJP’s
response to the allegations? Finally, are India’s losses more than its
gains in the said deal? The Wire breaks it down.

The initial agreement

The negotiations with Dassault Aviation go back to 2007, when the
Congress-led UPA was in power. To fulfil the increasing demand for fighter
planes, the UPA government floated a tender for the purchase of 126
twin-engine “Medium Multi Role Combat Aircrafts” for the Indian Air Force
(IAF) in August 2007. After months of hectic bidding by various foreign
companies – Lockheed Martin’s F-16, Dasssault’s Rafale, Boeing’s F/A-18s,
Russia’s MIG-35, Sweden’s Saab’s Gripen, Eurofighter Typhoon – Rafale won
the contract.

The agreement between Dassault and the Indian government was finalised in
late 2012 after multiple rounds of talks. The company settled to sell its
aircrafts at a base price of $10.2 billion (approximately Rs 54,000 crore
as per the 2012 conversion rate). It was decided that out of 126, 18 planes
will be imported in a finished state, or what the government called “in a
fly-away condition”, and the rest of them (108) would be manufactured by
HAL, to which the French company was obliged to transfer its technology.
Dassault was also required to invest half of the total transaction amount
in India, according to the agreement.

The deal was seen as fair and one in which both parties got into a
long-term mutually beneficial association. The workshare agreement between
HAL and Dassault Aviation was signed on March 13, 2014.

Modi government and the alleged U-turn

A year after the NDA government came to power, Modi, in his first visit to
France, suddenly announced that India would buy 36 Rafale aircrafts, all in
a fly-away condition. The announcement came in

[GreenYouth] 'The Gujarat stable' by Coomi Kapoor: A Bird's Eye View of Who's Who in the Central Administration under Modi from the Gujarat Cadre IAS Fraternity

2017-11-19 Thread Sukla Sen

The Gujarat stable

Anil Mukim, Additional Chief Secretary, Gujarat government, is soon to be
transferred to the Centre and is most likely to be given a high-profile
position. Mukim will follow in the footsteps of a string of Gujarat-cadre
officers who have been accommodated in powerful posts in Delhi. The roll of
honour of the Gujarat cadre includes: Additional Principal Secretary to the
PM P K Mishra, Finance Secretary Hasmukh Adhia, Chief Election Commissioner
A K Joti, CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana, Commerce Secretary Rita
Teotia, Water Resources Secretary Amarjit Singh, Private Secretary to the
PM Rajiv Topno, OSD to the PM Sanjay Bhavsar, CBI Joint Director A K
Sharma, who is in charge of the key Public Policy Division, Joint Secretary
to the President Bharat Lal and Director General of Hydrocarbons Atanu
Chakraborty.

(Source: <
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/inside-track-the-gujarat-stable-anil-mukim-4943937/
>.)

Sukla


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[GreenYouth] 'With Triple Talaq Still Taking Place, Government Ready With New Plan': Yet Another Ploy to Stir Up the Communal Pot?

2017-11-21 Thread Sukla Sen

[For the BJP, it's obviously yet another convenient peg to further polarise
the Indian nation across religious divides.

They care not a fig for the welfare of Muslim women. (Ref., e.g.: ''Should
We Run Relief Camps? Open Child Producing Centres?'' (asks Narendra Modi)
at <
https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/should-we-run-relief-camps-open-child-producing-centres/217398>
and 'Adityanath on stage speaker asks to rape muslim women by taking them
out of graves- Hate Speech' at .)

Nor they, or their predecessors, have a track record of fighting for
progressive social reforms favouring women's empowerment in general. (Ref.,
e.g.: 'They Need Protection, Not Independence: How CM Yogi Views Women' at <
https://www.thequint.com/news/politics/yogi-adityanath-views-on-women-uttar-pradesh-chief-minister>
and 'Nehru And The Hindu Code Bill' at <
https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/nehru-and-the-hindu-code-bill/221000
>.)

That makes the fight against the regressive forces within the Muslim
community, even otherwise quite formidable, still trickier.

Also look up: 'Muslim Women’s Rights Activists Condemn BJP’s
‘Appropriation’ of Historic Triple Talaq Judgment' at <
https://thewire.in/192909/muslim-womens-rights-activists-condemn-bjps-appropriation-historic-triple-talaq-judgment/
>.

The abolition of unilateral divorce is, of course, by itself, a commendable
step.]

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/bill-to-end-triple-talaq-likely-in-winter-session-say-sources-1778211

With Triple Talaq Still Taking Place, Government Ready With New Plan
In a landmark ruling in August, the Supreme Court said the practice of
triple talaq was unconstitutional. Many Muslim women say that it violates
their rights.

All India | Reported by Sunetra Choudhury, Edited by Divyanshu Dutta Roy |
Updated: November 21, 2017 18:06 IST

With Triple Talaq Still Taking Place, Government Ready With New Plan
Click to Play

PM Narendra Modi has been vocal against the practice of triple talaq.
NEW DELHI:

HIGHLIGHTS
Triple talaq declared unconstitutional by Supreme Court in August
Some cases of divorce via WhatsApp or text still occurring
Government wants MPs to clear new legislation against triple talaq

A new bill to ban "triple talaq" will be presented by the government
lawmakers when they meet for the next session of parliament. In August, in
a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court said the practice of Muslim men
uttering "talaq" three times for an instant divorce is unconstitutional.

Muslim women say they have been left destitute by husbands divorcing them
through "triple talaq", including by Skype and WhatsApp.

Judges agreed that it violates their right to equality and abolished the
practice. Government sources said that despite the ban, triple talaq is
still in effect; they pointed to the recent controversy over a professor
from the famous Aligarh Muslim University or AMU who has been accused by
his wife of divorcing her by text.

triple talaq pti 650
The triple talaq verdict in August sparked celebrations among Muslim women.

The winter session of parliament has not been scheduled yet because Prime
Minister Narendra Modi and other top ministers are busy campaigning in
Gujarat, which votes next month. Amid fierce criticism from the opposition
which has alleged "sabotage" by the PM in delaying the winter session,
which usually begins in November, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said
yesterday that the dates for it would be finalised shortly.

The government's seeking of a ban against triple talaq because it was
derogatory and discriminatory against women created an unlikely coalition
between Muslim woman and PM Modi's administration as they took on Muslim
groups which say the state has no right to interfere in religious matters.

Parties like Mulayam Singh Yadav's Samajwadi Party and the Trinamool
Congress, who count on Muslim voters, argued against a ban, and said reform
should be encouraged from within the community and not imposed on it.
However, they later endorsed the Supreme Court verdict.

Many Muslim countries have banned triple talaq, including Pakistan and
conservative Saudi Arabia. It survived in India because religious
communities are allowed to apply their own laws in personal matters such as
marriage, divorce and property inheritance.

--
Peace Is Doable

[GreenYouth] Family of Deceased Judge Claims He Was Offered Rs 100 Crore for ‘Favourable Order’ in Amit Shah (Sohrabuddin Shaikh Murder) Case

2017-11-21 Thread Sukla Sen

I/II.
[In the months leading up to his sudden death three years ago, the judge
who was hearing the Sohrabuddin fake encounter case in which BJP chief Amit
Shah was the prime accused was allegedly offered a bribe of Rs 100 crore
for a “favourable” judgment.
The sister of Brijgopal Harkishan Loya – who presided over the CBI special
court in the matter till his death on December 1, 2014 – told The Caravan
that some weeks before his death, the judge had confided in her about the
bribe offer which she alleged had been made by the then chief justice of
the Bombay high court, Mohit Shah. This, she said, had also been confirmed
to her by Loya’s father Harkishan. Shah, she says, also allegedly offered
Loya a house in Mumbai. Caravan magazine says it reached out to Mohit Shah
for his reaction to this accusation but did not receive a response.]

https://thewire.in/198843/sohrabuddin-encounter-judge-bribe-brijgopal-loya-amit-shah/

Family of Deceased Judge Claims He Was Offered Rs 100 Crore for ‘Favourable
Order’ in Amit Shah Case

BY THE WIRE STAFF ON 22/11/2017 • LEAVE A COMMENT

The late judge’s sister says in an interview to Caravan magazine that the
then chief justice of the Bombay high court also offered her brother a
house in Mumbai.

BJP chief Amit Shah and the late judge Brijgopal Harkishan Loya. Credit:
PTI/Caravan
BJP chief Amit Shah and the late judge Brijgopal Harkishan Loya. Credit:
PTI/Caravan
New Delhi: In the months leading up to his sudden death three years ago,
the judge who was hearing the Sohrabuddin fake encounter case in which BJP
chief Amit Shah was the prime accused was allegedly offered a bribe of Rs
100 crore for a “favourable” judgment.

The sister of Brijgopal Harkishan Loya – who presided over the CBI special
court in the matter till his death on December 1, 2014 – told The Caravan
that some weeks before his death, the judge had confided in her about the
bribe offer which she alleged had been made by the then chief justice of
the Bombay high court, Mohit Shah. This, she said, had also been confirmed
to her by Loya’s father Harkishan. Shah, she says, also allegedly offered
Loya a house in Mumbai. Caravan magazine says it reached out to Mohit Shah
for his reaction to this accusation but did not receive a response.


On December 1, 2014, the family members of Loya received calls informing
them that the 48-year-old judge had died after suffering a massive cardiac
arrest. Less than a month after that, a replacement judge ruled that Amit
Shah had no case to answer and discharged him before the trial had even
started.

The discharge of the BJP president wasn’t appealed by the CBI, which was
the prosecuting agency in the case. The CBI’s failure to appeal was
considered highly unusual given the fact that it had investigated the case
– involving the ‘encounter’ killing of Sohrabuddin and his wife Kauser Bi –
following directions from the Supreme Court.

M.B. Gosavi – who took charge after Loya – began hearing Shah’s application
for relief on December 15, 2014, and concluded hearings two days later on
December 17, reserving his order.

Loya was appointed judge in the case weeks after the earlier judge, J.T.
Utpat, was transferred from the special CBI court. Piqued by Amit Shah’s
repeated failure to appear in court, Utpat had ordered the BJP leader to
present himself on June 26.  But one day before that, on June 25, 2014, he
was transferred to the Pune sessions court.

According to Mihir Desai, lawyer of Sohrabuddin’s brother, Rubabuddin, Loya
was keen on examining the entire chargesheet – over 10,000 pages long.

Desai further told The Caravan that on October 31, Loya questioned the
absence of Shah in court during a hearing and instructed his lawyers to
ensure that the BJP chief was present when he was in the state and
scheduled the next hearing for December 15.

Loya’s sister, Anuradha Biyani, a medical doctor based in Dhule,
Maharashtra, said that Mohit Shah tried to pressure him to “issue the
judgment as soon as possible and to ensure that it is a positive judgment”.
Speaking about the alleged offer of a bribe of Rs 100 crore, she told
Caravan, “Mohit Shah, the chief justice, made the offer himself.”

This accusation was repeated, says Caravan, by Loya’s father Harkishan: “Do
you want a house in Mumbai, how much land do you want, how much money do
you want, he used to tell us this. This was an offer.”

While upholding Shah’s plea to be discharged, Gosavi on December 30 said
that the CBI had implicated him for political reasons. Since then, 11 more
persons – mostly senior police officials from Gujarat – have been
discharged from the case.

The discharge of Shah came about a month after Loya’s death, which the
hospitals had concluded was due to natural causes. His family now disputes
that claim, pointing to various discrepancies in the manner the post-mortem
report was prepared, the condition of his clothes and body, the time of his
death and the wiping clean of his mobile phone data.

II.
https://

[GreenYouth] More Rafale Questions: A Huge Scam In The Making? Two Write-Ups

2017-11-22 Thread Sukla Sen

[<>
(Source: <
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/rafale-row-shameful-that-boss-is-silencing-you-rahul-gandhi-hits-back-at-nirmala-sitharaman/story-B4HuKZsbNV6ezLQfVQKK0J.html
>.)

I/II.
[Five Posers by opposition Congress spokesperson.]]
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/rafale-questions-4948541/

Rafale questions
Government’s reluctance to share data on the price of the aircraft has
raised several scenarios, none of them flattering to it

Written by Randeep Singh Surjewala |

Published: November 22, 2017 12:40 am

The IAF conducted extensive testing and evaluation and Rafale was announced
as the lowest bidder in 2012 (File)

RELATED NEWS
No overpricing in Rafale deal, says Indian Air Force ChiefNo overpricing in
Rafale deal, says Indian Air Force Chief
Why don’t you question PM Modi on Rafale deal, Amit Shah’s son: Rahul
Gandhi asks mediaWhy don’t you question PM Modi on Rafale deal, Amit Shah’s
son: Rahul Gandhi asks media

Rafale deal to be signed on September 23Rafale deal to be signed on
September 23

When the country’s defence minister conducts an official press conference
from South Block, flanked by the ministry’s top bureaucrat and a military
officer in uniform on either side, the least you expect is a presentation
based on facts and figures. But what was witnessed last Friday was a
political performance by a spokesperson of the ruling party, where none of
the questions raised by the Congress on the Rafale fighter jet deal were
answered. It is important to understand the context in which these answers
are being demanded.

In August 2007, after the Indian Air Force (IAF) raised the requirement for
a Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA), a request for proposal (RFP)
for procuring 126 Medium Role Combat Aircraft for the airforce was issued.
Projected to cost $12 billion (Rs 42,000 crore), 18 of these aircraft were
to come in a flyaway condition while there was to be a technology transfer
(ToT) for 108 aircraft to be made in India by HAL, Bengaluru. The IAF
conducted extensive testing and evaluation and Rafale was announced as the
lowest bidder in 2012. The process was hailed globally as “the world’s most
professionally run fighter competition”. Under the UPA, negotiations with
Dassault Aviation continued with a sole objective: To get the best deal for
India.

It was soon after the terms had been concluded, to India’s undeniable
advantage, that the BJP-led NDA government came to power. In September
2014, the then Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, said that
the contract was expected to be signed “soon”. In November 2014, Dassault
Aviation CEO Eric Trappier said that he expected the final contract would
be signed by March 2015.

Then, in April 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in Paris that
India was going to purchase a mere 36 Rafale fighters from France in a
government-to-government deal. Here is where the terms start being
rewritten. The MMRCA tender was withdrawn by July and in September 2016,
the NDA government signed a $8.7 billion (over Rs 56,000 crore) deal, with
no transfer of technology to India. No role was guaranteed for any Indian
public sector company, including HAL, in such an important project.
However, a private Indian businessman, who had no experience of defence
manufacturing, was present in Paris during the PM’s visit and eventually
benefited from the announcement.

There are some obvious questions raised by this deal, which have not been
answered by the government. Foremost among them is: What is the price being
paid per aircraft? Is it comparable or even close to the price being
offered to India under the UPA government? The defence minister claims that
her government has got the aircraft for much cheaper than the price earlier
offered to the UPA government.

Yet, there is an uneasiness and unwillingness to share the data. Prices are
not a matter of national security and these figures were made available to
the public when the UPA held office. The government’s reluctance to share
this data leads to several inferences. None of them are flattering.

This brings us to a second series of questions: How steep, exactly, are
these renegotiated prices given that the government had to drop the
technology transfer component for the 36-fighter deal? The government’s
claim is based on a ludicrous proposition. In sum, it implies that Dassault
was offering the Indian government more aircraft, with technology transfer,
for significantly less when the UPA was negotiating the deal. However,
there was a sharp and unexplained increase in the cost of manufacturing
after the NDA came to power, which means we can only afford to buy 36
aircraft without the much-needed technology transfer. The BJP realises that
this is a proposition that, at best, makes it look negligent and at worst,
complicit in something murkier.

Thirdly, the government must elaborate on the official process followed
before the announcement made by the PM in Paris. Was an approval o

[GreenYouth] The republic of cowardice: Fragility of community identities spawns politics of intolerance. No one stands up for freedom

2017-11-23 Thread Sukla Sen

[(S)ome historians have often fallen into the same trap as their communal
counterparts of linking the contemporary project of citizenship to the
past. Both sides seem to agree that what rights people have, who belongs to
India, must turn on some narrative or facts about medieval India: One side
wants to show this is a narrative of benign assimilation. The other side
wants to show this a narrative of community conflict and atrocity of which
Padmini becomes a totem. In a way, all sides in the argument want to create
a cultural memory serviceable for their political projects. But both sides
peg the fate of the modern Indian project, or the freedoms we defend, on
“getting history right”. But this is a fool’s errand. Any nation that ties
its liberties or its future to the uncertain, contestable, interpretable
debates over medieval history is fated never to grow up. We distort both
history and the meaning of citizenship by tying them together so closely.
... The so-called act of democratic deference to people’s sentiments is a
wish to control the narrative about their identities. The usurper of
people’s liberties will always speak in the name of their sentiments.
... It also reminded us that the Congress is no knight in shining armour in
protecting freedom. In fact, it is the politics Congress played around
figures like Basavanna in Karnataka, which led to the banning of
award-winning novels, as much as the Rushdie affair, that has also set the
paradigm for the kinds of protests the Karni Sena is engaged in: Where
totems of community identity become figures you cannot write about.
Bollywood has commercial interests and it is too embedded in networks of
power and patronage to be a genuinely independent voice. But the cowardice
and silence of so many of its leading lights is still shocking.]

http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/padmavati-controversy-karni-sena-rajputs-chittor-the-republic-of-cowardice-4950114/

The republic of cowardice
Fragility of community identities spawns politics of intolerance. No one
stands up for freedom

Written by Pratap Bhanu Mehta |

Published: November 23, 2017 12:05 am

Members of Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena during a protest demanding for a
total ban on Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s movie “Padmavati’ in Bengaluru.
(Source: PTI Photo)

RELATED NEWS
Padmavati row: Madhya Pradesh official bans song from film at school
functionsPadmavati row: Madhya Pradesh official bans song from film at
school functions
Padmavati to release on December 1 in UK?Padmavati to release on December 1
in UK?
Padmavati controversy: Suraj Pal Amu doubled bounty for Deepika and says
she is one of his favourite actorsPadmavati controversy: Suraj Pal Amu
doubled bounty for Deepika and says she is one of his favourite actors

The controversy over the film Padmavati once again reminded us that the
fragility of our identities, the layers of resentment that constitute our
sense of self, the emboldening of the most lumpen elements in our society,
intellectual confusions over the law, and the sheer lack of constitutional
courage in most of our politicians make India increasingly unfit for
liberty.

Let us begin with a couple of traps we need to avoid. Arguments over
history should be more or less irrelevant to the question of law and
freedom. Some historians have muddied the debate by making the following
claim: There is no historical record of Padmini; she is a figment of
Jayasi’s imagination. At best she is part of cultural memory, not
historical truth. Therefore, artistic licence is permissible. But this
argument is a trap for three reasons. In an era when state governments are
promoting a lot of weird history, it is important to defend protocols that
insist on some fidelity to facts. But even as we do this, we have to admit
that the modes in which a historical consciousness are expressed in India,
and the nature of historical evidence itself, are a lot more complicated
than many historians admit. Sometimes cultural memory is the mode in which
“facts” are preserved. But we protect free speech so that those claims and
counterclaims can be debated.

Second, this argument falls into the trap of pitting “history” versus
“cultural memory”. If the choice is put that way, there is nothing
irrational about saying, “well so much the worse for history, I am fine
with cultural memory”. It simply shifts the question to an even more
intractable question of why history should matter more than cultural
memory. It is a very unhistorical move to think that the answer to this
question is self-evident. So whether this is history or cultural memory is
neither here nor there as far the issue of adjudicating rights and freedom
goes. Whether you revere Padmini or whether you are sceptical of the moral
and historical claims of her story is irrelevant to your freedoms.

Third, some historians have often fallen into the same trap as their
communal counterparts of linking the contemporary project of citizenship to
the past. Both sides

[GreenYouth] Re: [progressive-interactions] Ravish on Judge kiya , must see

2017-11-23 Thread Sukla Sen

Now more voices are being heard.

Abhishek Manu Singhvi has spoken. So has Sitaram Yechury.
Then Justice A P Shah.

The news was broken by the Caravan.
The Scroll is essentially on the campaign mode.

>From another list:
>

Shabnam Hashmi has posted on her FB wall.

The alternative media, on the face of it, has played and is playing a
critical role in providing the necessary push.
Hope the pressure would further build up and there'd be greater
coverage in the coming days in the MSM.

Sukla


> https://www.ndtv.com/video/news/news/prime-time-with-ravish-kumar-on-cbi-judge-s-death-472887
>

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[GreenYouth] Triple talaq: Muslim women activists want deliberations while framing the Act and want it to be civil offence, NOT a criminal one

2017-11-23 Thread Sukla Sen

[The I.E. caption is decidely misleading.
Triple talaq in a single sitting is no longer a valid form of divorce - as
a consequence of the SC judgement; the marriage does not get dissolved
thereby. The wife's marital rights remain (in the eyes of law) intact.
But given the social context, it calls for further shoring up with
enactment of a necessary supportive law to protect the interests of the
affected wives.
And, pronouning triple talaq, by itself, does not constitute any breach of
law - criminal or civil.

So, there've got to be broader social consultations involving the
stakeholders while framing the Act.
There's no reason to suspect that this government has any such intentions.
Hence, public pressure needs be built up.]

I/II.
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/muslim-women-groups-want-triple-talaq-to-be-held-invalid-not-criminalised-4951869/

Muslim women groups want triple talaq to be held invalid, not criminalised
Say legislation criminalising the practice may lead to gender polarisation
in the community

By: Express News Service | Mumbai | Updated: November 24, 2017 4:00 am

Based on the complaint, a case was registered against the man under IPC
sections 498A (husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty), 420
(cheating) and relevant sections of the Dowry Prohibition Act, she said.

RELATED NEWS
Instant triple talaq: Ministers’ group meets, law may be tabled in winter
sessionInstant triple talaq: Ministers’ group meets, law may be tabled in
winter session
Triple talaq: Woman files complaint after husband divorces her over
phoneTriple talaq: Woman files complaint after husband divorces her over
phone
Triple talaq: Govt plans to make practice a punishable offence, likely to
table Bill in winter sessionTriple talaq: Govt plans to make practice a
punishable offence, likely to table Bill in winter session

Muslim women groups have opposed the government’s deliberations on
criminalising triple talaq or talaq-e-biddat claiming it will do nothing to
help women and may become a tool to harass Muslim men. Women groups Bebaak
Collective and Aawaz-e-Niswaan Thursday said they had been approaching
various government officials after the August 22 Supreme Court verdict that
held triple talaq “un-Islamic”, but received no response from the Minority
Commission. “We want triple talaq to be held invalid, not a criminal
offence. The BJP government has been very hasty in taking this decision.
There were no due deliberations with Muslim women groups,” said Hasina Khan
from Bebaak Collective, adding that punishing or imprisoning Muslim men for
uttering talaq thrice in quick succession was not a solution to the issue.

The central government has constituted a committee comprising Home Minister
Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Finance Minister
Arun Jaitley, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Minority Affairs
Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi to draft the final legislation. On August 22,
the SC held the practice of triple talaq “un-Islamic” and “arbitrary”
claiming that it was not an integral part of the religious practice.

“Divorcing is not a criminal act. And a legislation criminalising it may
lead to gender polarisation in the community,” said Kausar Ansari from
Aawaz-e-Niswaan. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) has
asked the government for an open discussion on triple talaq legislation.
“There should be some form of punishment, either through compensation or
maintenance. But since it is a personal law, it should be part of civil
law, not criminal law,” said Noorjehan Safia Niaz, co-founder of BMMA.

Zeenat Sasha, who is still fighting a legal case against her husband who
uttered talaq thrice to divorce her, said criminalising it would not ensure
Muslim women get all her due rights. “A husband may be imprisoned for
saying talaq thrice, but that will leave the wife alone at home without any
support. Instead, the government should think how Muslim women can be
better supported,” said Zeenat.

The Bebaak Collective met the Maharashtra State Women’s Commission
chairperson last week to recommend that a uniform civil code would help the
cause more. “It is unfair to punish a particular practice of minority
community. When we fought against triple talaq, our intention was not to
create gender polarisation,” said Anwari Khan, who is part of the Muslim
Mahila Mandal in Govandi.

II.
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/triple-talaq-activists-dont-want-criminal-case-against/1/1095909.html

Triple talaq: Activists dont want criminal case against

PTI
November 23, 2017 | UPDATED 20:10 IST

Mumbai, Nov 23 (PTI) Even as the government has set up a ministerial panel
to consider a legislation against instantaneous triple talaq, Muslim women
activists have proposed that criminal proceedings should not be initiated
against men of their community who practice talaq-e-biddat.

Instantaneous triple talaq is said to be still in practice despite the
Supreme Court striking it down.

Bebaak Collective f

[GreenYouth] 'Probe Bharatsinh Solanki’s fake resignation: Congress': Is BJP in Gujarat all that desperate!? Hate/Panic video followed by fake resignation letter!

2017-11-23 Thread Sukla Sen

[Also look up: 'Gujarat communal video: Election Commission orders probe on
activist's complaint' at <
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/gujarat-communal-video-election-commission-orders-probe-on-activists-complaint/1/1092680.html
>.]

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/probe-bharatsinh-solankis-fake-resignation-congress/

Probe Bharatsinh Solanki’s fake resignation: Congress
In a statement, state party spokesperson Manish Doshi said in the letter —
that went viral on Thursday — while the letterhead used was in Gujarati,
the resignation was in Hindi and Solanki’s signature in English.

By: Express News Service | Ahmedabad | Published: November 24, 2017 4:59 am

Attacking the BJP “for spreading lies on social media”, the state Congress
unit on Thursday said it will file a complaint with the Election Commission
and the Director General of Police seeking a probe into a fake resignation
letter issued in the name of Gujarat party president Bharatsinh Solanki
circulating on social media.

In a statement, state party spokesperson Manish Doshi said in the letter —
that went viral on Thursday — while the letterhead used was in Gujarati,
the resignation was in Hindi and Solanki’s signature in English. Doshi said
multiple languages were used to confuse voters.
“We will file a complaint on Friday and demand a proper investigation,
identification of the accused and punishment,” he said.

--
Peace Is Doable

[GreenYouth] Polls apart: The proposal for simultaneous elections goes against basic principles of the parliamentary system and the Indian Constitution

2017-11-23 Thread Sukla Sen

[While questions over how and why the ECI allowed itself to sideline these
fundamental issues are moot, it is also necessary that we take with a
fistful of salt the NITI Aayog’s pious-sounding conclusion that
simultaneous elections “would be a stepping stone towards… larger
‘electoral reforms’.”. We surely need to “re-boot Indian polity” but not at
the cost of giving democracy the boot.]

http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/election-commission-simultaneous-elections-in-india-lok-sabha-assembly-elections-4951569/

Polls apart
The proposal for simultaneous elections goes against basic principles of
the parliamentary system and the Indian Constitution.

Written by Suhas Palshikar |

Published: November 24, 2017 12:30 am

With the Election Commission of India (ECI) having indicated that it is
ready to execute simultaneous elections, the issue has gathered momentum.
While it would actually take a lot of time, the “preparations” by the ECI
suggest that the powers-that-be might not be willing to consider the larger
implications, nor wait for a consensus to evolve, nor bother with
constitutional proprieties. The issue is made out to be about
homogenisation — a pet theme of the current dispensation — and hence it is
being packaged as “One Nation One Poll”. Nothing can be farther from the
spirit of the Constitution or, for that matter, from democratic principles.

NITI Aayog has prepared a “discussion paper” justifying a far-reaching
revision of the Constitution. It summarises key arguments in favour of
simultaneous elections and also proposes a plan to implement and
institutionalise them. Discussions on this issue have so far mainly focused
on the likely effect of this measure on election outcomes and the practical
aspects of conducting elections simultaneously. Just as the “why” of
simultaneous election is problematic, the “how” of this measure, too,
requires more detailed discussion and debate.

The discussion of electoral reforms in the Indian context often deflects
from the main issues and tends to bring solutions that might be both
irrelevant and more harmful than the pre-existing challenges. The move for
simultaneous elections is yet another instance of this tendency. Among
other justifications, the proponents have argued that it is necessary
because of “governance” issues — the imposition of the model code of
conduct and because of the influx of money into politics. It is evident
that both these issues need to be addressed by the political establishment
through serious debate, introspection and self-regulation. Instead, all the
blame is laid at the door “continuous elections” in different parts of the
country, round the year.

Perhaps the least debated but most worrying part about the proposal for
simultaneous elections is the actual mechanism to ensure its “workability”.
Elections to Lok Sabha and state assemblies become staggered because of a
core principle of the parliamentary form of government: The legislature
shall be accountable to elected representatives. Supporters of the measure
often point to simultaneous elections until 1967. But it is often forgotten
that those simultaneous elections were not constitutionally mandated; they
occurred simultaneously only because historically, electoral competition
with adult suffrage formally took off at the same time at the national and
state level and for the first two decades, electoral mandates for national
and state legislatures ordinarily remained stable (barring in Kerala). In
other words, simultaneous elections were not a principle but a function of
historical coincidence and initial political stability. The overarching
principle of legislative majority remained sacrosanct.

If we now decide to artificially and forcibly implement simultaneous
elections as a principle rather than as an incidental outcome of the
political process, we must ensure a certain hierarchy of principles.
Supporters of simultaneous elections, however, are so excited that they are
even prepared to sacrifice the higher and constitutionally mandated
principles of the parliamentary system. These are the twin principles of
accountability to the legislature and the five-year term. If a legislature
throws out a government and is unable to form another, then elections
become inevitable. On the other hand, a legislature has a five-year term
once elected — if it can throw up an executive with legislative majority.

This is where the proposed mechanism falters. In the first place, it brings
to the table the proposition earlier made by L.K. Advani involving the
“confidence vote”. This means that a no-confidence vote becomes infructuous
in the absence of a confidence vote accompanying it. This looks attractive
to those who posit less value in popular man

[GreenYouth] Who Killed Justice Loya

2017-11-24 Thread Sukla Sen

Who Killed Justice Loya
वो शहर भी तेरा था वो अदालत भी तेरी थी, क़ातिल ने जो चलाई वो गोलियाँ भी तेरी
थी, क़ातिल को बचाने के 100 करोड़ भी तेरे थे, लगता है लोया की मौत की साज़िश
भी तेरी है।

https://twitter.com/OnlineVidrohi

-- 
Peace Is Doable

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[GreenYouth] 'Judge Loya’s Death: 13 Questions That Remain Unanswered': Shame on the MSM, barring a very few honourable exceptions, for just keeping mum

2017-11-24 Thread Sukla Sen

[वो शहर भी तेरा था वो अदालत भी तेरी थी,
क़ातिल ने जो चलाई वो गोलियाँ भी तेरी थी,
क़ातिल को बचाने के 100 करोड़ भी तेरे थे,
लगता है लोया की मौत की साज़िश भी तेरी है।

(Includes Ravish Kumar's comments.)

The city was all yours, so was the court
The bullets used by the assassin, came only from you
The 100 crore meant to save the criminal, was none other than yours
Vey much it looks like, the conspiracy of Loya's death was also hatched by
you.]

Judge Loya’s Death: 13 Questions That Remain Unanswered

VAKASHA SACHDEV10H 22M AGO

The Caravan this week published a series of stories on the death of CBI
special judge BH Loya in December 2014. Journalist Niranjan Takle has
spoken extensively to the family of Judge Loya, who, before he died, was
presiding over the high-profile Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter killing case –
in which a prime accused was BJP President Amit Shah. Shah was discharged
by the judge who succeeded Judge Loya.

The revelations made by Judge Loya’s sisters, father and others form the
basis of the stories. These, along with Takle’s own investigation, who
spoke to officials in Nagpur who dealt with Loya’s body after he was found
dead, raise several grave questions.

1. Why was Judge JT Utpat, Judge Loya’s predecessor in hearing the case,
transferred from hearing the case despite a 2012 Supreme Court order
specifying that the same judge should hear the matter from start to finish?
2. Were Bombay High Court Chief Justice Mohit Shah or the principal accused
Amit Shah aware of any alleged inducements offered to Judge Loya to ensure
a favourable judgment in the case?
3. Does Justice Mohit Shah deny the allegation by Judge Loya’s sister
Anuradha Biyani, that he himself made an offer of Rs 100 crore in return
for a favourable judgment?
[Takle had received no response from Justice Shah at the time of
publication of the article mentioning this allegation]

4. Who made the arrangements for Judge Loya’s transportation to Dande
Hospital on the night of his death, and why was this not in a vehicle from
the government guest house or an ambulance?
5. Do Dande Hospital and/or Meditrina Hospital have records indicating what
medication was provided to Judge Loya while in their care, and who was with
him at the time?
6. What was the time of Judge Loya’s death according to the records of
Meditrina Hospital and when do call records show this was intimated to
Judge Loya’s family? Did the death occur at 6:15 am or before 5 am on 1
December 2014, or did it in fact occur before midnight?
[Judge Loya’s family says they received calls informing them of his death
from 5 am in the morning onwards, but the post-mortem report specifies the
time of death as 6:15 am, and other sources informed Takle that Judge Loya
passed away before midnight]

The Quint has not conducted an independent corroboration of the claims made
in the articles, and therefore does not affirm the truth of such claims.
These include alleged discrepancies between the post-mortem report and the
condition of Judge Loya’s body and clothes, as well as allegations that the
then Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court offered monetary inducements to
Judge Loya to give a favourable judgment.

Nonetheless, the gravity of these claims (several of which are made on
video here), which strike at the very heart of the judicial system if true,
necessitates that they be investigated properly at the very least.
7. In what circumstances can a person die of “coronary artery
insufficiency”? Is it possible for a person in good physical health without
any cardiac history or other markers of this condition, experience
“coronary artery insufficiency” and lose their life?
[Judge Loya’s sister, a doctor, claims that Judge Loya had no medical
history consistent with the condition, and that this raised doubts as to
whether this could be the cause of death]
8. Why was a post-mortem report ordered into Judge Loya’s death when no
panchnama or FIR was filed terming it a suspicious death, and why was Judge
Loya’s family not informed about the performance of a post-mortem?
Alternatively, were any reasons for performance of post-mortem report
recorded, where were these recorded and who recorded them?
9. Who signed the post-mortem report pages as “maiyatacha chulatbhau” (ie
paternal cousin brother of the deceased) when no relation of Judge Loya was
present in Nagpur? Does the countersignatory, the senior police inspector
of Sadar police station, recollect who this was?

10. What was Ishwar Baheti’s relationship with the deceased and on what
basis was he coordinating the funeral arrangements for Judge Loya,
including contacting the family? Why was Judge Loya’s phone returned to the
family by Mr Baheti rather than the police? Alternatively, did the police
ask Mr Baheti to return the phone to Judge Loya’s family?
11. Does Judge Loya’s family still have the allegedly bloodstained shirt
worn by Judge Loya at the time of death which the post

[GreenYouth] Kerala Love Jihad Case: Hadiya Says She is Muslim, No One Forced Her to Convert to Islam

2017-11-25 Thread Sukla Sen

[Speaking to reporters at the Kochi Airport, Hadiya said that she wants to
go back to her husband, two days before the Supreme Court hearing in the
crucial case. Hadiya, escorted by a heavy police presence, left for New
Delhi on Saturday. She is being accompanied by her parents, too.
Hadiya's husband, Shafin Jahan, had on Friday complained that attempts were
being made to reconvert her to Hinduism.
The Supreme Court has agreed to examine Hadiya in an open court, turning
down her father’s plea for in-camera proceedings.]

http://www.news18.com/news/india/kerala-love-jihad-case-hadiya-says-she-is-muslim-no-one-forced-her-to-convert-to-islam-1587165.html

Kerala Love Jihad Case: Hadiya Says She is Muslim, No One Forced Her to
Convert to Islam
Hadiya, escorted by a heavy police presence, left for New Delhi on
Saturday. She is being accompanied by her parents, too.

Neethu Reghukumar |

CNN-News18

Updated:November 25, 2017, 4:30 PM IST

Kerala Love Jihad Case: Hadiya Says She is Muslim, No One Forced Her to
Convert to Islam File photo of Hadiya. (CNN-News18 photo)

Kochi: Hadiya, earlier known as Akhila, the woman at the centre of the
Kerala Love Jihad Case, has said that she is a Muslim and nobody forced her
to convert to Islam.

Speaking to reporters at the Kochi Airport, Hadiya said that she wants to
go back to her husband, two days before the Supreme Court hearing in the
crucial case. Hadiya, escorted by a heavy police presence, left for New
Delhi on Saturday. She is being accompanied by her parents, too.

Hadiya's husband, Shafin Jahan, had on Friday complained that attempts were
being made to reconvert her to Hinduism.

The Supreme Court has agreed to examine Hadiya in an open court, turning
down her father’s plea for in-camera proceedings.

Hadiya’s case is at the centre of the ‘love jihad’ controversy in Kerala,
which is now being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Twenty-four-year-old Akila Asokan converted to Islam and later married
Shafin Jahan last year.

Soon, Hadiya’s father approached the Kerala High Court linking her
daughter’s conversion to a larger terror conspiracy. The HC stepped in to
annul the marriage, however, the order was challenged in the Supreme Court
by her husband Shafin Jahan.

Jahan, in his petition, claims Hadiya, a homeopathy student in Kerala,
converted to Islam of her own volition two years prior to their marriage
and sought direction to Hadiya's father to present her in court.

Hadiya's father, however, said she was a "helpless victim" trapped by a
"well-oiled racket", which used "psychological measures" to indoctrinate
people and convert them to Islam.

--
Peace Is Doable

[GreenYouth] From Shabnam Hashmi: Gujarat Poll, Justice Loya's Mysterious Death and Markers of Fascism

2017-11-25 Thread Sukla Sen

Shabnam Hashmi
23 November at 16:22 (FB Wall)

Very interesting the 'circles' (as they are called) till before the
yesterday's press conference were talking about how we should not talk
about Justice Loya's mysterious death as it would polarise Gujarat.

Now even the sanghis must have realised that even in their pursuit of the
Hindu nation, the mysterious death of a 'HINDU' judge and questions
surrounding it are damning. The 'circles' are now perceiving the press
conference as a congress ploy to harm the BJP in Gujarat election!!!

What fantastic logic and how it changed from the 'circles' yesterday's
assessment to today's?

What our esteemed 'circles' do not realise that all these ideas
unfortunately ( though the 'circles' are intellectually much superior to
the intellectual capabilities of the sanghis) are floated by the sanghis
and they penetrate the 'circles' and because they are themselves shit
scared not only the 'circles' own these ideas as their own but start
propagating them.

I was attacked for sending out 2000 sms messages saying that "Anna does not
represent me" . The 'circles' thought revolution was round the corner.

Its high time the 'circles' understand that more than 50% of the space has
been engulfed by fascists and the situation is now : either Stand Up or Die
.

Would request them to check the 14 characteristics of fascism again and
analyse again.

The 14 characteristics are:

Powerful and Continuing Nationalism
Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans,
symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are
flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.

Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights
Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist
regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases
because of "need." The people tend to look the other way or even approve of
torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of
prisoners, etc.

Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause
The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to
eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious
minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.

Supremacy of the Military
Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a
disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is
neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.

Rampant Sexism
The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively
male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made
more rigid. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and anti-gay
legislation and national policy.

Controlled Mass Media
Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other
cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or
sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in
war time, is very common.

Obsession with National Security
Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.

Religion and Government are Intertwined
Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the
nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and
terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets
of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's policies or
actions.

Corporate Power is Protected
The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the
ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually
beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.

Labor Power is Suppressed
Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist
government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely
suppressed .

Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts
Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher
education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other
academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts is
openly attacked, and governments often refuse to fund the arts.

Obsession with Crime and Punishment
Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to
enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and
even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a
national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.

Rampant Cronyism and Corruption
Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and
associates who appoint each other to government positions and use
governmental power and authority to protect their friends from
accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national
resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by
government leaders.

Fraudulent Elections
Sometimes elections in fascist nations are

[GreenYouth] Tracing AAP’s Successes and Failures, Five Years Since Its Launch

2017-11-26 Thread Sukla Sen

<
https://thewire.in/199818/tracing-aaps-successes-failures-five-years-since-launch/
>

Tracing AAP’s Successes and Failures, Five Years Since Its Launch

BY GAURAV VIVEK BHATNAGAR ON 26/11/2017

After launching with a lot of promise in 2012 and tasting electoral success
in the years soon after, AAP’s political fortunes have since slipped. A
look at what went wrong and why.

AAP supporters. Credit: Reuters

New Delhi: Five years ago, on November 26, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was
born as the “party with a difference”. With brooms in their hands and white
caps bearing the words “we want self-rule” on their heads, AAP supporters
set out to cleanse national politics. The campaign soon grew in strength
and caught the fancy of people across the nation. Born out of the
anti-corruption citizens’ movement, AAP even drew in youth and talented
people from across the globe, many of whom gave up cushy jobs to plunge
into politics.

The party had a meteoric rise, first managing to form a government in Delhi
and then going on to a decent debut in the Lok Sabha polls. But soon
internal strife gripped the party. Charges of nepotism and lack of internal
democracy surfaced, and several senior leaders either left the party or
were expelled. Despite its initial promise, AAP’s electoral fortunes have
not improved.

What went wrong and why? The Wire spoke to AAP spokesperson Dilip Pandey,
who left a job as an IT expert in Hong Kong to join the party; AAP founder
member Yogendra Yadav, who was removed by the party in 2015 and has since
launched his own, Swaraj India; Shazia Ilmi, who was a member of AAP’s
first national executive and has since joined the BJP; and senior Congress
leader and Delhi unit chief Ajay Maken to understand AAP’s rise and its
dwindling fortunes.

To bring about change

Pandey recalled how the idea to form AAP took root when the UPA government
reneged on the promise to legislate the Lokpal Bill. “An opinion poll was
conducted and over 7-8 lakh people said we should form a political
organisation. That is how a social revolution got converted into a
political organisation with the hope that we would fight our own election,
win it and make the law in the Delhi assembly.”

The idea of bringing in swaraj (self-rule), enacting the Jan Lokpal Bill
and eliminating corruption led to the formation of AAP. The party first
fought the Delhi assembly election in 2013. “When we bagged 28 seats and
then formed a minority government, then people developed a belief in us and
later in 2015, we got a historical mandate in Delhi when we won 67 of the
70 assembly seats,” Pandey said.

Soon after these assembly elections, founding members Yadav and Prashant
Bhushan were expelled by AAP. But Pandey, who has seen a gradual rise
within the party, does not want to make much of the episode. “They left us,
they had initially stated that they would launch a social movement but
ultimately they too ended up forming a political party and contesting
elections. This is a democracy and everyone is free and welcome to exercise
their democratic right.”

‘A lot of selfish people left the party’

But what he is truly glad about is that “along the way a lot of selfish
people also left” the party. As a result, he said, “our organisation has
expanded manifold and become very powerful.” In Delhi alone, Pandey said,
the party now has about 1 lakh activists and over 18,000 office bearers.

After contesting the polls in Goa and Punjab, where it emerged as the
second largest party, AAP is now expanding its base in other poll-bound
states such as Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. “We
realised we had spread our resources thin in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and
are now contesting in only those states or constituencies where we have a
significant presence. Also we do not want to disturb the existing
anti-right mandate in Gujarat,” Pandey said to explain why the party is
contesting only a few seats in the state.

AAP is a “success”

He insists that AAP has achieved much in its short journey. “We are the
world’s most disruptive and the most successful political organisation. As
a five year old party, we are probably the first in the world to have
formed a government in one state (Delhi), be the main opposition party in
another (Punjab) and be the main opposition party in all three units of
Delhi’s municipal corporation. So this is a success story.”

Pandey in unwilling to buy the argument that AAP is slipping in people’s
minds and that is why it lost Punjab and Goa polls. As for Punjab, where he
claims at least 25 of the 30 opinion polls last year had shown it winning
the state, Pandey said: “Two things happened: the BJP and Akalis
transferred their vote to the Congress and there was large-scale rigging of
the EVMs and we have demonstrated that such rigging was possible.” In Goa,
though, he said the result was along expected lines.

But AAP also lost in the Delhi municipal elections. Pandey insists that
municipal polls are not a fair indicator of

[GreenYouth] 'Demonetisation: One Year After: Towards a Synoptic View' by Sukla Sen

2017-11-26 Thread Sukla Sen

Hi Friend!

Comments would be welcome.

Sukla

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sHKo5K9JUCwy2tzz1GKl_NC-23jUX6cJ7qDvjCK4OxE/view

*Prefatory Note*



Demonetisation is, beyond doubt, the most talked of action taken by the
incumbent Narendra Modi regime, as yet, which came to be in place in May
20141, just over three and a half years back replacing the UPA regime, with
the Congress at the head, soundly defeating it in the national poll held a
while earlier.2, 3, 4

One of the major promises made by Narendra Modi, and his party BJP, during
the poll campaign was to end the *policy paralysis* under the UPA-II5, led
by, scholarly, soft-spoken and rather reticent Dr. Manmohan Singh, who,
btw, had never ever won a direct election, at whatever level.

The alleged *paralysis*, in turn, was at least partly an outcome of the
various corruption scandals that the old regime got embroiled in.6

Modi, a fiery and raucous orator, a complete contrast from the public
persona of Singh - in very many ways, rather expectedly used this
opportunity to the hilt.7



Be that as it may, November 8 2017 was observed by the various opposition
parties, including the Congress, as a *black day*, terming *demonetisation*
as a Modi-made disaster. The BJP, on the other, celebrated it, in response,
as the *anti-black money *day.8, 9, 10



So, it'd be quite in the fitness of things to make a factual evaluation,
even if from a specific standpoint, of the measure, its actual impacts and
to what extents it has succeeded or failed to meet its initially, and also
subsequently, stated goals over the span of the last one year.


Snipped
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[GreenYouth] Watch Here: Did the mysterious death of Judge Brijgopal Harkishan Loya have something to do with Amit Shah's acquittal in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case of 2014?

2017-11-27 Thread Sukla Sen

https://www.facebook.com/dialoguebybuzzfeed/videos/vb.1494596163934604/1614178801976339/?type=2&theater

Did the mysterious death of Judge Brijgopal Harkishan Loya have something
to do with Amit Shah's acquittal in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter
case of 2014? The Caravan Magazine has unearthed some new information after
a year-long investigation, and conversations with the Loya family.

You can read more about their investigation here:
http://bit.ly/2iz8bDu
http://bit.ly/2jKXKAp
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[GreenYouth] Gujarat Poll: Two Snapshots: (I) Empty Chairs Greet Modi in Bhuj and (II) Congress Strikes a Deal with Chhotubhai Vasvam Concedes 6 Seats and another to Jignesh Mevani, Parts with NCP and

2017-11-28 Thread Sukla Sen

I/II.
[This is what had happened in Delhi in Jan-Feb 2015.
But, of course, Gujarat is far larger.
And, Mehsana is not Bhuj.
Yet ...

(Also look up: <
http://exposekhabar.com/gujarat-modi-ki-rally-mein-khali-rahi-kursiya/>.)]

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/645177/low-turnout-greets-modi-gujarats.html

Low turnout greets Modi in Gujarat's Chalala

Sunil Raghu, Chalala (Amreli), DH News Service, Nov 28 2017, 1:05 IST

Prime minister Narendra Modi meeting public during his election campaign
for the forthcoming Assembly polls in Bhuj on Monday. PTI Photo

The ground should have been overflowing with people, especially when a
prime minister - that too, a PM like Narendra Modi - came to address the
rally. Sadly, it was not even half full. And that was the general
observation of those in the crowd, as they walked out of the Gayatri Mandir
Ground near Chalala in Dhari of the Patel-dominated Amreli district of
Saurashtra.

Though not sparse, the number of empty chairs at the venue could make any
candidate sweat. Especially when the crowd was from five different
constituencies of the district.
"The Patels were generally absent and Kolis were here in huge numbers,"
said Balubhai of Chalala village. "The other problem is that this entire
belt of Rajula-Dhari is under the grip of chikungunya and dengue. This
could also be the reason for the low turnout," he said.
Just outside the venue, three-four youngsters passed by, mumbling 'Jai
Sardar' among themselves, throwing a glance at the rally ground.

Modi undeterred

The prime minister landed at Chalala on Monday to address the third rally
of the day. Modi, for his part, appeared undeterred in his aggression
towards the Opposition, just like his earlier rallies at Bhuj and Jasdan in
the state.

He reminded the audience of Congress' unfavourable stance against Gujarat
and held the Opposition responsible for dethroning Patel chief ministers in
the state. "It is the Congress that is responsible for the ouster of four
Patel chief ministers (Keshubhai, Anandiben, Babubhai, Chimanbhai) in the
state... Anandiben, too, had to go because of an agitation instigated by
the Congress," he told his audience from five constituencies of the
district.

The constituency of his old friend Dilip Sanghani (this time, a BJP
candidate from Dhari constituency) Modi perhaps knew that the going would
be tough for his party in Amreli, that has a dominance of Patels. Perhaps
the party, therefore, chose a place in the rural belt to get across its
stand by none other than the prime minister himself.

"My friend Dilipbhai would always drag me here and raise the issue of crop
insurance to farmers when Atal Behari Vajpayee ji was in power. Now, we
have put in place a comprehensive crop insurance scheme for farmers," he
said. He also tried to remind the crowd of how the BJP had played an
important role in promoting the dairy sector in Saurashtra region.

He hit out at the Congress for continuing to complain about demonetisation.
"It has been over a year and they are still complaining. Do you know why?
We have put a seal on them and those who used to fund them," he said.

II.
http://indianexpress.com/elections/gujarat-assembly-elections-2017/beyond-congress-and-bjp-angry-ncp-lonely-vaghela-and-now-out-now-in-aap-4957919/

Beyond big two in Gujarat election: Angry NCP, lonely Vaghela and
now-out-now-in AAP
Among the prominent other parties are the NCP of Sharad Pawar, which had
contested in 2007 and 2012 in alliance with the Congress and won 3 and 2
seats respectively.

Written by Syed Khalique Ahmed , Kamal Saiyed | Ahmedabad/surat | Updated:
November 28, 2017 6:25 am

A number of smaller parties have added colour to the elections in Gujarat,
a state with a reputation for being bipolar.

The BJP is going it alone in all 182 seats while the Congress is contesting
175, having given up 6 seats in an alliance struck with one smaller party —
Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) of Chhotubhai Vasava — and surrendered a 7th
so that Dalit activist Jignesh Mevani can have an open field against the
BJP.

NCP

Among the prominent other parties are the NCP of Sharad Pawar, which had
contested in 2007 and 2012 in alliance with the Congress and won 3 and 2
seats respectively. Its talks with the Congress having failed this time,
the NCP has fielded 72 candidates. The Congress rejected an alliance
because NCP MLA Kandhal Jadeja had voted for the BJP in the Rajya Sabha
polls last August. Another reason, according to Congress leaders, was that
the NCP was demanding 16 seats, which the Congress found unreasonable
following only 5 seats in 2012.

“The NCP wanted to be a partner in a united front against the BJP but the
Congress ditched us,” said state NCP president and sitting MLA Jayant
Patel. Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi, on the other hand, said the NCP
has no base of its own and cannot challenge the Congress when it has tied
up with community leaders Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakor and Mevani.

Although the NCP is not seen

[GreenYouth] 'Before Himachal, youth offered to rig EVMs for Nanded civic polls: police': Yet Another Question Mark over EVMs

2017-11-29 Thread Sukla Sen

[VVPAT machines are committed to be made mandatory.
But cross-checking of votes registered by randomly chosen 10% of all EVM
machines, in a constituency, with those of the corresponding VVPATs has
also got to be made mandatory.
Over and above in cases of specific complaints.

<>]

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/before-himachal-youth-offered-to-rig-evms-for-nanded-civic-polls-police-4959541/

Before Himachal, youth offered to rig EVMs for Nanded civic polls: police
The 21-year-old has reportedly told interrogators that he was preparing for
the civil services examinations.

Written by Sushant Kulkarni | Pune | Published: November 29, 2017 3:50 am

According to Shimla police, Rathod repeated the modus operandi for Himachal
Pradesh polls. (Representational Image)

THE 21-year-old Maharashtra man arrested for allegedly offering to rig
electronic voting machines (EVMs) to make 34 candidates from different
parties win in the recent Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections had allegedly
made similar offers to 37 candidates in Nanded civic elections, held on
October 11, according to Nanded police.

According to officers, their probe has found that the accused, Sachin Dutta
Rathod, a resident of Kinwat taluka of Maharashtra’s Nanded district, used
a SIM card stolen in Nanded and a phone stolen from Mumbai to make these
calls.

Rathod, who graduated in political science from a Pune college in 2016, was
arrested by Nanded police in Kinwat. He has now been handed to Shimla
police for further probe in his second alleged con attempt.

The 21-year-old has reportedly told interrogators that he was preparing for
the civil services examinations.

According to the police, investigation has found that Rathod sent messages
to 37 candidates of Nanded-Waghala Municipal Corporation on October 7,
posing as an officer from the Election Commission. In the message, he
allegedly claimed he would help them win the elections by rigging EVMs. He
allegedly sought Rs 10 lakh in return, the police said.

According to Nanded SP Chandrakishor Meena, not one of the 37 corporators
who received Rathod’s messages, including the outgoing mayor and deputy
mayor, responded. Rathod was booked for cheating and theft and under
sections of Information Technology Act.

Inspector Sandeep Gurme of the local crime branch of Nanded police said,
“His (the youth’s) interrogation has revealed that he got the idea from
newspaper reports and television crime shows.”

According to Shimla police, Rathod repeated the modus operandi for Himachal
Pradesh polls. Investigating officer Raghu Tomar said, “Rathod sent
messages and made calls to 34 candidates of various parties. None of them
responded.”

Himachal Pradesh police have invoked IPC Section 124A (sedition) along with
sections dealing with impersonation and cheating. Asked why sedition was
invoked, Tomar said, “We will give that answer in court.”

--
Peace Is Doable

[GreenYouth] Sensational! Yet It Won't Be Televised! Justice Loya's Mysterious Death and Alleged Operation Whitewash!

2017-11-29 Thread Sukla Sen

[Piyush Goyal personally called the media houses to convince them to
publish a story to discredit the Caravan story using the dossier. NDTV was
the first publication to publish a counter story. This was an easy decision
for NDTV since they had already aired two shows on the Caravan side of the
story. ***Next was Indian Express, which was under tremendous pressure to
carry it on their front page which they did eventually. The NDTV and Indian
Express stories are almost exactly similar with the same ECG reports. On
the morning of 27th November when the story appeared in the front page of
Indian Express, Arun Jaitley and Amit Shah were on a telephone huddle with
the other members of the core team when they realised that there has been
an error in the ECG report where the date mentioned was wrong. ***The ECG
report was dated November 30, 2014 while the story said Judge Loya was
brought to the hospital on December 1 2014*** (emphasis added, the paper
did not bother to point it out and carried without any comment).
... The BJP’s core team is also in talks with the owners of Caravan
magazine to take down the story post these retractions by the family
members. Meanwhile Justice Mohit Shah is expected to file a defamation suit
against Caravan magazine and the journalist Niranjan Takle.]

https://www.facebook.com/shabnamhashmi/posts/10155195179916375

Shabnam Hashmi
15 hrs · Bardoli

This is circulating on WhatsApp . As received .

---
The day Caravan magazine broke the story on the mysterious death of CBI
Special Court Judge Brijgopal Loya, there was palpable silence inside the
BJP. The story gained significant momentum and went viral on social media.
Officials in the Prime Minister’s Office that monitor social media messages
throughout the day highlighted the BJP President Amit Shah about the story
gaining traction in social media. By the evening, Cabinet Minister Piyush
Goyal was tasked with monitoring the situation and responding as
appropriate. Goyal’s first task was to ensure none of the mainstream media
reported the Caravan story. Calls to owners of some of the mainstream print
media accomplished that objective.

The next day Caravan released part 2 of the story with actual video
testimonies from the family of Judge Loya. This took Goyal completely by
surprise. In the meantime, regional language translations of the Caravan
story started appearing in Marathi, Hindi, Malayalam and Bengali. The
regional language translations spurred the story’s reach multiple fold to
tens of lakhs of page views. By this time, Goyal realised that this needed
a more concerted effort from the BJP to counter. A 4 member team was
assembled comprising of Amit Shah, Arun Jaitley, Devendra Fadnavis and
Piyush Goyal. Devendra Fadnavis is from Nagpur, the city where Judge Loya
died. The two hospitals in question – Dande Hospital and Meditirina were
alerted. Meditirina Hospital is connected to Sudhir Mungantiwar, the
Finance Minister of Maharashtra. A ECG report was obtained from Dande
hospital. The two judges who accompanied Judge Loya to Nagpur, Justice
Kulkarni and Justice Modak were contacted but they refused to talk. Two
other judges who claimed to be with Judge Loya on the night of December 1,
2014 agreed to speak on record. Records from Meditrina Hospital,
transcripts of quotes of these two judges, ECG reports from Dande Hospital
were all collated and compiled as a dossier.

Arun Jaitley was of the opinion that this dossier should be given to
mainstream media, primarily ones that are not seen as favouring the
government. So, four media publications were chosen including some
so-called ‘left liberal’ media establishment. The dossier was given to
these media houses. Piyush Goyal personally called the media houses to
convince them to publish a story to discredit the Caravan story using the
dossier. NDTV was the first publication to publish a counter story. This
was an easy decision for NDTV since they had already aired two shows on the
Caravan side of the story. ***Next was Indian Express, which was under
tremendous pressure to carry it on their front page which they did
eventually*** emphasis added]. The NDTV and Indian Express stories are
almost exactly similar with the same ECG reports. On the morning of 27th
November when the story appeared in the front page of Indian Express, Arun
Jaitley and Amit Shah were on a telephone huddle with the other members of
the core team when they realised that there has been an error in the ECG
report where the date mentioned was wrong. ***The ECG report was dated
November 30, 2014 while the story said Judge Loya was brought to the
hospital on December 1 2014*** [emphasis added, the paper did not bother to
point it out and carried without any cooment]. It was decided immediately
that the hospital would issue a clarification claiming a ‘technical glitch’
for this error. Amit Shah was personally keen that the story be “killed
this week”. Sure enough, later during the day, the hospital claim

[GreenYouth] Gujarat Election: A Revealing Report-cum-Analysis ('Did Rahul Gandhi sign the Somnath temple register as a non-Hindu?') and a Comment ('Yes, Modi Can Lose - But Can Rahul Gandhi Actually

2017-11-30 Thread Sukla Sen

[The 'Rahul Gandhi - Somnath Temple - non-Hindu' controversy just shows up
for the nth time, the real character of the RSS/BJP, how vile they're, how
casually they're ready to shove aside "development" and all that in favour
of communally firing up the electorate, at the first hint of trouble.

But, additionally, it also shows up how readily a section of the media
would take up the role of their attack dogs, without any restrainst, let
alone any sense of shame.

A supporting point in the response of the Congress spokesperson that Rahul
Gandhi is a "sacred thread wearing Hindu" is both stupid and detestable.]

I/II.
[Pls. visit the site for viewing the screenshots.]

https://www.altnews.in/rahul-gandhi-sign-somnath-temple-register-non-hindu/?utm_content=buffer4ccce&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Did Rahul Gandhi sign the Somnath temple register as a non-Hindu?
By Alt News Desk -30th November 2017
4.9k

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A massive controversy erupted on social media when reports suggested that
Congress vice President Rahul Gandhi on his visit to the Somnath temple in
Gujarat registered as a non- Hindu during his visit. This news was
originally published by Zee Gujarati after it was tweeted by their
journalist Tejash Modi that started it all. The tweet by Tejash Modi
claimed, “Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi visited the Somnath temple.
Signed the temple trust register for non-Hindus. Ahmed Patel also
registered.”

non-hindu-registry-entry

BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya latched on to this tweet and in no time many
other Twitter handles who support BJP made this viral.

View image on Twitter
View image on Twitter

Amit Malviya
✔
@malviyamit
Ambassador Meera Shankar, UPA’s representative in US, had referred to Sonia
Gandhi as a Christian leader. The reference was soon deleted. Now Rahul
Gandhi declares he is a non-Hindu but their election affidavits claim that
they are Hindus. Gandhis lying about their faith?
3:44 PM - Nov 29, 2017
165 165 Replies 429 429 Retweets 493 493 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy
TV news channels played along. Zee News ran the story with the title ‘Rahul
ko Hindu hone ka garv nahi?’ with the hashtag #RahulHinduVivad whereas
Republic TV ran the hastag #RahulHinduorCatholic and asked questions such
“When you were 27-years-old, the NYT listed you as a Catholic. Did you
correct them?” and “Did you, despite accepting the NYT description as a
Roman Catholic, call yourself a ‘Brahmin’ in 2012? Different descriptions
for different geographies?” Times Now conducted a prime time debate at 8 pm
and 9 pm with the hashtag #RagaSomnathSelfGoal. Times of India made this
story the front page lead.

TOI lead story

Handwriting analysis

The easiest way to ascertain whether a written piece of text can be linked
with a person or not is by doing some handwriting analysis. It is a
technique that is used widely by forensic organisations around the world.
Considering that Rahul Gandhi has represented Congress at various events, a
simple search on Google throws up many of his handwritten notes. Lets take
a couple of these samples and compare it with the entry from Somnath
Register being passed around.

rahul-gandhi-samples

The image above clearly shows that the samples of Rahul Gandhi’s
handwriting available on public websites doesn’t match the handwriting in
the register which is being claimed to be his entry while visiting Somnath
Temple.

Moreover, if the handwriting of the two consecutive lines corresponding to
the entries of “Rahul GandhiJi” and “Ahemad Patel” are compared, they
appear to the written by the same person.

Rahul Gandhi entries

Also, Ahmed Patel’s name has been misspelled as “Ahemad Patel” while Rahul
Gandhi has been written has “Rahul Gandhiji”. It is highly unlikely that
either Mr Ahmed Patel would misspell his own name or the Congress VP would
put down his name as “Rahul Gandhiji”.

Some simple hand-writing analysis makes it obvious that it wasn’t Mr Rahul
Gandhi who himself put in his name. While BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya has
an agenda considering that he’s representing a party and has been caught
peddling misinformation multiple times (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), what stopped the
various news organisations from doing this simple analysis?

Congress party’s stand

The Congress party was swift to react. In a press conference, Congress
spokespersons produced the original document that has the signature of
Rahul Gandhi in the visitor’s book of the Somnath temple. They also claimed
that Rahul Gandhi was never given the register in which it is claimed that
he signed himself as a ‘non-Hindu’.

View image on Twitter
View image on Twitter

ANI
✔
@ANI
Replying to @ANI
Rahul ji made an entry into the visitor's book, The signature which is
being talked of is different,neither it is the signature of Rahul Gandhi
nor was this register ever given to him: RS Surjewala,Congress
6:18 PM - Nov 29, 2017
45 45 Replies 126 126 Retweets 237 237 likes
Twitter Ads

[GreenYouth] Bhansali rides a tiger: There is no such thing as controlled chauvinism, the revolution will devour its children

2017-11-30 Thread Sukla Sen

[It is quite ironical that Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who has made, or rather
advanced, his career by stoking sectarian passions is now at the receiving
end of a section of his own fan club.
Padmavati is, understandably, no exception, as elaborated below.
Also the two stills of Alauddin Khilji, from the film, that have appeared,
as a a part of publicity campagn (see: <
https://www.google.co.in/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fresize.indiatvnews.com%2Fen%2Fresize%2Fnewbucket%2F715_-%2F2017%2F10%2Fpjimage-1508320669.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiatvnews.com%2Flifestyle%2Ffashion-padmavati-designers-behind-shahid-kapoor-ranveer-singh-in-sanjay-leela-bhansali-magnum-opus-407287&docid=nwgQST53qhgaLM&tbnid=Xze55EGSjPEqsM%3A&vet=10ahUKEwj2z_PylujXAhUMvY8KHQV_BIYQMwhCKAUwBQ..i&w=700&h=500&bih=472&biw=1024&q=Alauddin%20Khilji&ved=0ahUKEwj2z_PylujXAhUMvY8KHQV_BIYQMwhCKAUwBQ&iact=mrc&uact=8#h=500&imgdii=rIJ87VvIaVrj_M:&vet=10ahUKEwj2z_PylujXAhUMvY8KHQV_BIYQMwhCKAUwBQ..i&w=700>)
show him up, quite visibly, as the nastiest and vilest villain on earth.
Not for nothing, Arnab Goswami and Rajat Sharma, of all persons, have
heaped encomiums on the film. Ref.: After Arnab Goswami, Rajat Sharma backs
‘Padmavati’: ‘No distortion of history in the entire film’: ‘Not a single
dialogue, not a single scene, not a single sequence can be said to go
against the proud history of the Rajputs of Rajasthan.’ at <
https://thereel.scroll.in/858340/after-arnab-goswami-rajat-sharma-backs-padmavati-no-distortion-of-history-in-the-entire-film
>.

Yet, Bhansali had to face physical assault.
And, the BJP's Haryana state media coordinator has announced a reward of
Rs. 10 crore for beheading the director and heroine of the film.
It has followed an earlier offer of Rs 5 crore by someone from Meerut.
(See: 'Padmavati: Haryana BJP leader offers Rs 10 cr for beheading
Padukone, Bhansali]' at <
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/padmavati-row-haryana-bjp-leader-announces-rs-10-crore-reward-for-beheading-deepika-padukone-bhansali/story-SNu3xwOyMQmJU3fNzbSVyL.html
>.)

And, it is, by no means, restricted to Padmavati alone.
(See: 'I will kill him if I see him: ABVP activist offers Rs 1 lakh bounty
for arms of Game of Ayodhya director' at <
http://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/i-will-kill-him-if-i-see-him-abvp-activist-offers-rs-1-lakh-bounty-for-arms-of-game-of-ayodhya-director/story-D7vFD0YF5lY2k4w6ny6OWL.html
>.)

So, the individual role of Bhansali as a creative artist has got to be
separated from the core issues involved, that of freedom of expression for
creative artists and legitimacy of use of violence to suppress such rights.
And, the role of the state.

All those who cherish "democracy" will have to take an unambiguous stand.]

https://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/toi-edit-page/bhansali-rides-a-tiger-there-is-no-such-thing-as-controlled-chauvinism-the-revolution-will-devour-its-children/

Bhansali rides a tiger: There is no such thing as controlled chauvinism,
the revolution will devour its children

December 1, 2017, 2:00 AM IST

P Dewan in TOI Edit Page | Edit Page, India | TOI

Padmavati, the film, has several lines of dialogue glorifying the high
values and bravery of the Rajputs. Maharawal Ratan says, ‘A Rajput is
someone who places his worries on the tip of his sword, someone who sits in
a boat made of sand and then challenges the sea, someone whose torso keeps
fighting even after his head has been severed.’ Padmini adds, ‘The bangles
of Rajput women are as brave as the swords of Rajput men.’
Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s last two films (Bajirao Mastani,
Padmavati) have been about armed conflicts between armies headed by Hindus
and armies headed by Muslims. Muslims are the villains in both films.
Bhansali’s Guzaarish (2010) introduced a new genre to Hindi cinema: the
modern Muslim villain. The Siddiquis, father and son, are neither
terrorists nor mafia dons. They are slick professionals who try to murder
the decent, trusting hero, Ethan, who had helped both enormously. In
Bajirao Mastani the Nizam is a cheat. He invites Bajirao over for
discussions but uses this ruse to try to imprison him instead.
After defeating the Muslims, Bajirao observes in the film that it is after
a long time that the saffron flag has fluttered victorious. Most
importantly, the first sentence that Bajirao speaks during the film’s
credit titles is about the ‘dream of Hindu Swaraj’.

Illustration: Chad Crowe

So, Bhansali is hardly a sickular, bleeding heart liberal. His films have
always glorified Hindu martial communities like the Rajputs and
Maratha-Chitpawans, and shown Muslim men as bad.

However, Muslim women are to be loved and won over. So are Christian women.
The Muslim Mastani woos the Hindu Bajirao, and they enter into a
relationship. Mastani adopts Hindu ways and beliefs, applies sindoor, says
Har Har Mahadev, cites Radha Krishn and calls her son Krishna. In
Bhansali’s Saawariya (2007), Ranbir Raj falls in love with the Muslim
Sakina.

In Bla

[GreenYouth] 'Donald Trump calls Kim Jong-un 'a sick puppy' during tax policy speech – video': A Street Bully with a Sick Mind as the POTUS: Consequences Could be Just Catastrophic

2017-11-30 Thread Sukla Sen

I/III.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2017/nov/30/donald-trump-calls-kim-jong-un-a-sick-puppy-north-korea-tax-policy-video

Donald Trump calls Kim Jong-un 'a sick puppy' during tax policy speech –
video

[Play Video 0:22]

Donald Trump couldn't resist taking a jab at the North Korean leader during
an event in St Charles, Missouri, to promote his tax cut for wealthy
Americans. After referring to the Republican tax plan as 'rocket fuel' for
the economy, the US president appeared to refer to Kim – whom Trump has
recently called 'rocket man' – as 'a sick puppy', drawing hoots from the
crowd.

II/III.
http://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/cheyenne-river-sioux-trump-pocahontas_us_5a1eeb16e4b017a311ebcf24

Sioux Leader To Trump: 'Leave The Office You Bought And Take Your Swamp
Things With You'

Harold Frazier said Trump should also apologize to the nation for his
Pocahontas remarks.
30/11/2017 12:05 AM IST

Hayley Miller Reporter, HuffPost

[Video]

A Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe leader issued a damning response Wednesday to
President Donald Trump’s “Pocahontas” slur earlier this week during an
event meant to honor Navajo Code Talkers.

Harold Frazier, chairman of the South Dakota-based tribe, said he was
“deeply ashamed” of Trump’s “disgusting” treatment of the World War II
veterans and appeared to suggest that the president should resign.

“The President of the United States had an opportunity to honor veterans
and bridge gaps in the relationship Tribes have with the Federal
government,” Frazier said in a statement sent to HuffPost. “Instead, he
chose to disgrace himself, his position and the nation he represents.”

Frazier continued, “The President of the United States wanted to utilize an
opportunity to honor native warriors who defended this land to make a
political attack. I have one for him, leave the office you bought and take
your swamp things with you.”

For many Native Americans, Trump’s racist remark was a reminder of the
trauma they have faced since European colonization began in the 1600s.

“We have been forced to learn the way of the American life,” Frazier said.
“We have learned American religions, language, economy, politics and
society. ... The President’s comments are another reminder that we are not
allowed to participate.”

Frazier also pointed out that sexual assault and abuse, much like the
violence that the real Pocahontas endured, affect Native American women at
staggering rates.

“What happened to Pocahontas is still happening today to our women,”
Frazier said. “Native American women continue to be victims of rape and
exploitation by white men. The President of the United States is practicing
that by exploiting native women as an insult for political machismo.”

Trump hasn’t addressed the outpouring of condemnation he’s received from
Native American leaders and U.S. lawmakers since Monday.

Read Frazier’s full statement below:

I am deeply ashamed of the way the President of the United States has
treated the veterans during an honoring ceremony at the White House.
Veterans are brave heroes who sacrificed everything, despite the historical
trauma to tribal nations, when asked to defend the United States.
Absolutely nothing should have taken away from honoring the veterans for
their contributions to the war that ensured the American way of life.

The President of the United States had an opportunity to honor veterans and
bridge gaps in the relationship Tribes have with the Federal government.
Instead, he chose to disgrace himself, his position and the nation he
represents. It has been more than 200 years of living together yet the
President of the United States knows nothing about us. We have been forced
to learn the way of the American life. We have learned American religions,
language, economy, politics and society. We all share in following the
American dream of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. A dream that
all of those things we learn about, try to keep us from achieving. The
President’s comments are another reminder that we are not allowed to
participate.

Pocahontas was only a child when she became a victim of rape, kidnapping,
imprisonment, and her forced conversion to Christianity. What happened to
Pocahontas is still happening today to our women. Native American women
continue to be victims of rape and exploitation by white men. The President
of the United States is practicing that by exploiting native women as an
insult for political machismo. Pocahontas is beloved by native people and
is recognized as a victim of European colonialism. To use her name in that
manner is disgusting and reflective of the President of the United States’
ignorance.

This President of the United States does not deserve to represent the
American people if he cannot acknowledge the contributions of the people
who make America great. The President of the United States has shown no
responsibility when caring for American resources or the people. An apology
is in order for the warriors tha

[GreenYouth] 'Reversing five quarters of slowdown, GDP growth up to 6.3%' and 'Fiscal deficit crosses 96% of FY18 target'

2017-11-30 Thread Sukla Sen

I/III.
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/gdp-rebounds-to-6-3-but-fiscal-deficit-surges-4962132/

Reversing five quarters of slowdown, GDP growth up to 6.3% as deficit
deepens
Agriculture down, manufacturing up; markets tumble as deficit hits 96.1% of
budget estimate

Written by Aanchal Magazine | New Delhi | Updated: December 1, 2017 7:30 am

GDP rebounded to 6.3 per cent in the second quarter of 2017-18, from 5.7
per cent in the preceding quarter.

Economic growth rebounded to 6.3 per cent in the second quarter (July to
September) of 2017-18 from 5.7 per cent in the preceding quarter primarily
driven by higher growth in manufacturing and businesses overcoming teething
GST troubles.

This halted a five-quarter slide but the government’s monthly accounts
released Thursday showed that the country’s fiscal deficit at the end of
October had hit 96.1 per cent of the full-year budget estimate for 2017-18,
mainly due to lower revenue collections and rise in expenditure.

Coming days after Moody’s upgrade of India’s sovereign credit for the first
time in nearly 14 years, the growth buoyancy comes as a shot in the arm for
the Modi government fighting off charges that demonetisation and GST launch
disrupted the economy.

Also Read| Congress on GDP: Pause on slide, economic stress continues
However, the growth rate for “agriculture, forestry and fishing” sector
slowed down to 1.7 per cent from 2.3 per cent in the previous quarter and
4.1 per cent growth in the second quarter last year, data released by
Central Statistics Office (CSO) showed.

The Gross Value Added or GVA growth, which serves as a more closely watched
estimate for quarterly growth, increased to 6.1 per cent in July-September
from 5.6 per cent in the previous quarter but fell slightly from the 6.8
per cent growth recorded in the July-September quarter last year.

The expansion in GVA in the first half of the current fiscal has been
estimated at 5.8 per cent, down from 7.2 per cent last year.

As per the new methodology followed by the CSO, GDP is calculated by adding
product taxes to GVA at basic prices and removing subsidies.

The construction sector recorded a GVA growth rate of 2.6 per cent in
July-September, higher than 2.0 per cent in previous quarter but lower than
4.3 per cent growth recorded in the second quarter last year.

Reacting to the numbers, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that “the
impact of demonetisation and GST is behind us.”

“(The) most significant aspect is the fact that this quarter’s positive
result has been impacted significantly by the growth in manufacturing…fixed
capital formation is up to 4.7 (per cent), which actually means that the
investment is moving upwards. Hopefully, we should go back to higher growth
rates in coming quarters,” he said.

He added, “If you look at the overall picture since May 2014, of the 13
quarters, we have clocked upwards of 7 per cent eight times, we have fallen
below 6 per cent only once and that was last quarter. Therefore, if you, at
all, compare this to any previous figure preceding that, this looks
entirely different. But I think the fact that it marks a reversal, it’s
enabled essentially by manufacturing and that investment has moved up…— are
some of the significant features as far as growth is concerned.”

Chief Statistician T C A Anant said that manufacturing growth gained
support from a pickup in production after the GST rollout. “Anticipation of
GST meant people were delaying production for the festive season until the
GST got launched. It’s possible that anticipating the need for the festive
season, most production actually went into a still and inventory restocking
may happen later. My reading of the corporate data suggests that this is
principally for consumption and sales, inventory accumulation effects may
persist in the third quarter as well,” Anant said.

Congress leader and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram said, “This a
pause in the declining trend of the last five quarters. But we cannot say
now whether this will mark an upward trend in the growth rate. We should
wait for the growth rates over the next 3-4 quarters before we can reach a
definite conclusion. 6.3 per cent is far below the promise of the Modi
government and far below the potential of a well-managed Indian economy.”
The CSO said that the private corporate sector growth as estimated from
available data of listed companies with BSE/NSE was 11.4 per cent at
current prices during July-September of 2017-18.

Private corporate sector growth has a share of over 70 per cent in the
manufacturing sector, while quasi-corporate and unorganised segment
includes individual proprietorships and partnerships and khadi and village
industries, comprising a share of around 20 per cent in the manufacturing
sector, it said.

Only three of eight sectors — trade, hotel, transport, communication;
electricity, gas, water supply; mining and quarrying — showed a pickup in
GVA growth in July-September from the same period last ye

[GreenYouth] Reliance group to file 5,000 crore defamation suit against Abhishek Singhvi (for charging Arun Jaitley of "fooling" people with his statement that no loans of big defaulters have been wai

2017-11-30 Thread Sukla Sen

[<<"We all know top 50 corporates owe Rs 8.35 lakh crore to banks and out
of those, three top Gujarat-based companies Reliance (Anil Ambani Group),
Adani and Essar owe Rs 3 lakh crore.">>

Also look up: <
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/anil-ambani-group-to-file-rs-5000-crore-defamation-suit-against-abhishek-singhvi/articleshow/61868385.cms
>.]

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/reliance-group-to-file-5000-crore-defamation-suit-against-abhishek-singhvi/articleshow/61874747.cms

Reliance group to file 5,000 crore defamation suit against Abhishek Singhvi

Agencies | Updated: Dec 1, 2017, 10:40 IST

NEW DELHI: The Anil Ambani-led Reliance group, on Thursday, said it will
file a Rs 5,000-crore defamation suit against Congress spokesperson
Abhishek Singhvi for making "false and defamatory statements".

Earlier, Singhvi had accused Finance Minister Arun Jaitley of "fooling"
people with his statement that no loans of big defaulters have been waived.

***"We all know top 50 corporates owe Rs 8.35 lakh crore to banks and out
of those, three top Gujarat-based companies Reliance (Anil Ambani Group),
Adani and Essar owe Rs 3 lakh crore."*** [Emphasis added.]

"One of them had last month publicly declared they are shutting their
telecom business with a liability of Rs 45,000 crore due to banks. "We
would like to ask the finance minister that far from declaring it as NPAs,
you are trying to help the defaulter with further defence contracts like
the Rafale deal. Why?" Singhvi asked.
--
Peace Is Doable

[GreenYouth] India – NO BJP did NOT “Sweep” #UPCivicPolls2017

2017-12-01 Thread Sukla Sen

[Also look up: .

In 2012, BJP had bagged12 (out of 14) Mayors (ref.: <
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/up-civic-poll-results-highlights/articleshow/61874224.cms>
and <
http://www.republicworld.com/s/14129/live-uttar-pradesh-civic-polls-its-bjp-all-over-again-in-up
>)

<>
(Source: <
http://www.republicworld.com/s/14129/live-uttar-pradesh-civic-polls-its-bjp-all-over-again-in-up
>.)

So, as regards the Mayors, the BJP has, essentially, retained its grip.]

The election was not about election of Mayor posts alone.
In the Mayor’s post, BJP won 14 out of 16 seats. But, that’s not all:
• For the post of Municipal Chairperson:
BJP candidates won – 69
Non BJP candidates won – 126
• for Nagar Panchayat President
BJP candidates won- 100
Non-BJP candidates won- 338
• Nagar Parishad posts
BJP candidates won- 596
non-BJP candidates won- 701
• Nagar Palika Members
BJP candidates won- 916
non-BJP candidates won- 4295
• Nagar Panchayat members
BJP candidates won- 663
non-BJP candidates won- 4715
■ You are being told that its a “saffron wash” because media is only
focussing on Mayor election while ignoring the rest.
■ The Mayor election was the only one that took place through EVM..the rest
were done through ballot papers.
■ About 70% of the elected representatives of the other posts are
independent candidates.
■ In ward number 68 of Gorakhpur, where Yogi Adityanath had voted,
independent candidate Nadira Khatoon has won defeating BJP’s Maya Tripathi.
source: UP State Election Commission website. Do go there and crosscheck.
http://sec.up.nic.in/site/
Share this:

--
Peace Is Doable

[GreenYouth] Trump’s best and worst day as president: Three Reports/Comments: Tax Bill Passed by Senate and Michael Flynn Has Admitted to Wrongdoing

2017-12-01 Thread Sukla Sen

I/III.
[《Trump continued to defend Flynn, saying at a news conference the day
after his departure: "General Flynn is a wonderful man. I think he's been
treated very, very unfairly by the media — as I call it, the fake media, in
many cases. And I think it's really a sad thing that he was treated so
badly."》

What now!?

Also ref.:
<>
(Source: <
https://www.veteransnewsnow.com/2017/03/05/1014406-what-is-to-be-done-paul-craig-roberts/
>.
So, Flynn's confession is yet another "fit of stupidity"?

'Everything is false!'
That catchline is just getting more and more undermined.]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trumps-best-and-worst-day-as-president/2017/12/01/594cecb4-d6c1-11e7-95bf-df7c19270879_story.html?utm_term=.0f5a083d26b6

Trump’s best and worst day as president
The Debrief: An occasional series offering a reporter’s insights

President Trump waves as the vehicle carrying visiting Libyan Prime
Minister Fayez Sarraj arrives outside the White House Friday. (Manuel Balce
Ceneta/AP)
By Karen Tumulty December 1 at 10:44 PM
Donald Trump’s young presidency entered a new, surreal dimension Friday,
with his 315th day in office delivering both his greatest achievement to
date and his darkest omen of peril ahead.

At the very moment the Senate was poised to pass a $1.5 trillion tax cut
bill — a big step toward Trump’s first major legislative victory — word
came that his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, had pleaded
guilty to a single count of lying to the FBI.

The development was read across Washington to mean that special counsel
Robert S. Mueller III probably has a bigger target in his sights and that
Flynn has agreed to provide the evidence that could help him make the case.

Adding to that speculation was Flynn’s stipulation in court documents that
a “very senior member of the Presidential Transition Team” directed Flynn
to contact officials from foreign governments, including Russia. According
to court records and people familiar with the contacts, that was a
reference to Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and close adviser.

President Trump did not comment on former national security adviser Michael
Flynn’s indictment on Dec. 1. The president hasn’t always been so quiet in
regard to Flynn. Here’s a look back at Trump’s comments on him. (The
Washington Post)
[Michael Flynn pleads guilty to lying to FBI on contacts with Russian
ambassador]

Like a Greek chorus appearing from the wings came a tweet by James B.
Comey, the FBI director fired in May after Trump allegedly asked Comey to
let his former national security adviser off the hook.

“But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an
ever-flowing stream,” Comey wrote, citing words of the Old Testament
prophet Amos that the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. once spoke from the steps
of the Lincoln Memorial.

Within Trump’s orbit, there was concern Friday about how the president
would react to Flynn’s plea agreement, with what one adviser worried there
would be “a full freakout.”

Instead, Republicans hope Trump will concentrate on a badly needed victory
on taxes and help them turn it into momentum as they head into next year’s
midterm elections.

“The enactment of a comprehensive overhaul — complete with a lower
corporate tax rate — will IGNITE our ECONOMY with levels of GROWTH not SEEN
IN GENERATIONS,” the president tweeted as the bill moved toward Senate
passage, after which it must be reconciled with a measure already approved
by the House.

Their progress on the tax legislation comes after they failed to deliver on
a signature promise to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act,
although the tax bill goes partway with a provision that eliminates the
law’s requirement that individuals buy health insurance. The mandate’s
removal would leave an estimated 13 million more people uninsured.

President Trump walks to Marine One as he heads to Missouri to push the
Republican tax plan Wednesday. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)
Things at the White House on Friday were tightly buttoned up. Officials
abruptly canceled a photo session with Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Serraj
that might have provided reporters an opportunity to ask Trump questions
about the Flynn news.

Long-established rituals of the holiday season proceeded, however, among
them an annual reception for the news media that the president regularly
pummels. Trump’s uncharacteristically perfunctory remarks were declared off
the record.

[‘A long winter’: White House aides divided over scope, risks of Russia
probe]

Flynn’s plea was an especially heavy blow to the president, who had been
telling friends for weeks that his “brilliant” legal team was confident
that the investigation was wrapping up and that Christmas would bring the
gift he wanted most — a letter of exoneration.

“He wasn’t worried about it,” said one person who heard from Trump during a
Thanksgiving weekend spent at his beloved Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
This person spoke on the condition o

[GreenYouth] Re: India – NO BJP did NOT “Sweep” #UPCivicPolls2017

2017-12-02 Thread Sukla Sen

For the sum and substance at a glance, in a visually appealing and
accessible format, pls. refer to: 'Did BJP really sweep 2017 civic body
polls in Uttar Pradesh? Reality check!' at <
http://www.jantakareporter.com/india/bjp-really-sweep-2017-civic-body-polls-uttar-pradesh-reality-check/162604/
>.

Sukla




On 2 December 2017 at 12:36, Sukla Sen  wrote:

>
> [Also look up: <http://sec.up.nic.in/eleclive/PoliticalPartyResult.aspx>.
>
> In 2012, BJP had bagged12  (out of 14) Mayors (ref.: <
> https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/up-civic-poll-results-
> highlights/articleshow/61874224.cms> and <http://www.republicworld.com/
> s/14129/live-uttar-pradesh-civic-polls-its-bjp-all-over-again-in-up>)
>
> < Adityanath government, after assuming office, constituted two municipal
> corporations of Ayodhya and Vrindavan-Mathura.>>
> (Source: <http://www.republicworld.com/s/14129/live-uttar-pradesh-
> civic-polls-its-bjp-all-over-again-in-up>.)
>
> So, as regards the Mayors, the BJP has, essentially, retained its grip.]
>
> The election was not about election of Mayor posts alone.
> In the Mayor’s post, BJP won 14 out of 16 seats. But, that’s not all:
> • For the post of Municipal Chairperson:
> BJP candidates won – 69
> Non BJP candidates won – 126
> • for Nagar Panchayat President
> BJP candidates won- 100
> Non-BJP candidates won- 338
> • Nagar Parishad posts
> BJP candidates won- 596
> non-BJP candidates won- 701
> • Nagar Palika Members
> BJP candidates won- 916
> non-BJP candidates won- 4295
> • Nagar Panchayat members
> BJP candidates won- 663
> non-BJP candidates won- 4715
> ■ You are being told that its a “saffron wash” because media is only
> focussing on Mayor election while ignoring the rest.
> ■ The Mayor election was the only one that took place through EVM..the
> rest were done through ballot papers.
> ■ About 70% of the elected representatives of the other posts are
> independent candidates.
> ■ In ward number 68 of Gorakhpur, where Yogi Adityanath had voted,
> independent candidate Nadira Khatoon has won defeating BJP’s Maya Tripathi.
> source: UP State Election Commission website. Do go there and crosscheck.
> http://sec.up.nic.in/site/
> Share this:
>
>
>
> --
> Peace Is Doable
>
>
>


-- 
Peace Is Doable

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[GreenYouth] Gujarat 2017 Poll: Five Insightful Snippets

2017-12-02 Thread Sukla Sen

[Gujarat Chief Minister's speech, at sl. no. III. below, clearly shows up
how the BJP is trying its utmost to milk the "Hindu vs. non-Hindu"
controversy, as regards Rahul, alleagedly fabricated by it through an act
of forgery (ref.: 'Did Rahul Gandhi sign the Somnath temple register as a
non-Hindu?' at <
https://www.altnews.in/rahul-gandhi-sign-somnath-temple-register-non-hindu/?utm_content=buffer4ccce&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
>).
It just buttresses the point made by Seema Chisti, at sl. no. I. below.

As regards Sha's bluster, at sl. no. IV. below, claiming sweeping victory
for BJP in UP civic poll, pls. refer to: 'Did BJP really sweep 2017 civic
body polls in Uttar Pradesh? Reality check!' at <
http://www.jantakareporter.com/india/bjp-really-sweep-2017-civic-body-polls-uttar-pradesh-reality-check/162604/
>.]

I/V.
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/gujarat-model-awol-elections-narendra-modi-bjp-4963869/

Gujarat Model, AWOL [Absent Without Official Leave]
It is missing from the BJP’s campaign for the state. What might replace it?

Written by Seema Chishti | Published: December 2, 2017 12:15 am

Narendra Modi on Gujarat model However, no leader had sold Gujarat to the
world as a “model” quite in the way that the BJP, led by Modi as chief
minister since 2002, did in 2014. (Express Photo/Amit Mehra/File)

Recently, the conversation around the Gujarat election campaign has centred
around janeus (“are you a Hindu?”) and issues that are distant both
physically and temporally — “Kashmir and Rohingyas”, the Somnath temple and
Nehru’s role. Despite a lot of noise, the one thing that suddenly went
missing from the campaign was the “Gujarat Model”. For an idea that powered
a full general election campaign and gave India its first majority
government in 30 years, its going AWOL is a serious concern.

So after India has been won, ostensibly via Gujarat’s famed policies set to
be replicated as “achhe din” for the country, why are the incumbents not
selling the same dream in the state? Why has the narrative become more
about “Gorakhpur governance”, with Adityanath, the chief minister of UP,
making trips even in areas seen as a cakewalk for the BJP? Could it be
because, as Christophe Jaffrelot points out, the number of
educated-unemployed — 6.12 lakh in 2016 — has increased and the farmers
argue that their daily income — Rs 264 in 2016 — is Rs 77, less than the
national average? Or, perhaps, it is because the Gujarat Model, meant to
promote SEZs, make land acquisitions easier and labour laws “stricter”,
went kaput for a variety of factors.

BJP leaders, in their speeches, now invoke an “evil” Congress past — of not
allowing things to be done. This despite the fact that for 22 years, the
argument was the exact opposite. The narrative was that much has gone right
for Gujarat, making it India’s premium state.

But, as Achyut Yagnik and Suchitra Sheth alert us in The Shaping of Modern
Gujarat: Plurality, Hindutva and Beyond, “Gujarat was the first region in
the Indian Subcontinent to encounter the English East India Company” when
the flagship Hector dropped anchor at Surat in 1608. That, in some ways
underscored what the Gujarat Model symbolised and what has always been
understood as a significant characteristic of the state — its enterprise,
an effervescence that marks its entrepreneurial spirit. Statistics over
hundreds of years bear testimony to the growth of mercantilism, capitalism
and newer forms of business that the Gujarati proudly embodied, not just in
India, but beyond.

This image of Gujarat is intertwined with a long history of political
organisation. Some of India’s tallest political leaders — Gandhi, Patel —
are from here. As are some of its most divisive leaders so far, for
example, Mohammed Ali Jinnah. PM Narendra Modi still exercises sway here.

However, no leader had sold Gujarat to the world as a “model” quite in the
way that the BJP, led by Modi as chief minister since 2002, did in 2014.
The massive communication drive, via speeches, cherry-picked statistics and
holograms, brought a sense of Gujarati tinsel to faraway lands. There were
scores of interpretations of what the Gujarat Model actually meant or stood
for. Was it the sharp line of communal conflict? Or a devotion to
infrastructure, roads, etc, that drew Indians to seek employment in the
state that defined the Gujarat Model? Or was the Gujarat Model simply the
Nano plant moving from Singur in West Bengal to Sanand, Gujarat, with its
“ease of doing business” and “single window clearance”? There were a
variety of things that the ‘Gujarat’ template meant, especially in the
run-up to the 2014 general election campaign — a land of opportunities and
a state that worked well.

Faultlines, of course, are a part of politics. Like the BJP arguing that
the Congress is invoking caste identities, as in the KHAM era of the 1980s,
which is alleged to be synonymous with lawlessness. There is another
argument,

[GreenYouth] Justice Loya's Mysterious Death: Several former bureaucrats and diplomats on Saturday appealed to the Chief Justice of India and the Chief Justice of Bombay High Court to institute a "hig

2017-12-02 Thread Sukla Sen

[Also look up: 'Judge death probe cry' at <
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/judge-death-probe-cry-190641>.]

https://www.facebook.com/lalita.ramdas.3/posts/10155962051633624

-- Forwarded message --
From: Concerned Citizens 
Date: Sat, Dec 2, 2017 at 12:27 PM

Subject: Need for High Level Judicial Inquiry into death of Judge B H Loya
To:

December 2, 2017

Dear friends in the media,

Please find below an appeal to the Chief Justice of India and the Chief
Justice of the Bombay High Court to institute a “high level judicial
enquiry” into the controversial circumstances surrounding the death of
Judge Brijgopal Harkishan Loya. The appeal cites the report on Admiral
(Retd.) L.Ramdas’ request in this regard as also the opinions of Justice
(Retd.) B.H.Marlapalle, formerly of the Bombay High Court and Justice
(Retd.) A.P.Shah, former Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court on the need
for a probe or enquiry.
Amongst the 32 signatories listed in the appeal are at least 10 officers
who retired either as Secretaries to the Government of India or from posts
in that rank, 4 former Ambassadors from the Indian Foreign Service, a
former Chief Information Commissioner of a State Government, 2 former Chief
Secretaries of State Governments, at least 4 officers of the rank of
Additional Chief Secretaries and several others who retired at the rank of
Secretary to State Governments or above. Almost all these officers were
also signatories to an open letter written on June 10 this year in which
they asserted that they had no political affiliations as a group but were
bound only to the credo of impartiality, neutrality and commitment to the
Constitution of India.

We will be grateful if you cover our appeal in print, digital/ social media
or visual media.

December 2, 2017

The Honourable Chief Justice of India
The Honourable Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court

Honourable Chief Justices,

Please find attached a report about the request made by Admiral (Retd.)
L.Ramdas to yourselves that a high level judicial enquiry be initiated into
the controversial circumstances of the death of Judge Brijgopal Harkishan
Loya. Justice (Retd.) B.H.Marlapalle, former judge of the Bombay High
Court, and Justice (Retd.) A.P.Shah, former Chief Justice of the Delhi High
Court, have also expressed the opinion that a probe or enquiry is needed.

We, the undersigned retired civil servants, would like to place on record
our support for the request made by Admiral (Retd.) L.Ramdas to institute a
“high level judicial inquiry” into this matter and urge you to take
appropriate action for all the reasons mentioned in his representation.

Yours faithfully,

1. S.P. Ambrose, IAS (Retd.), former Additional Secretary, Ministry of
Shipping and Transport, GoI.
2. Ishrat Aziz, IFS (Retd.), former Ambassador to Brazil
3. G.Balagopal, IAS (Retd.), former Resident Representative, UNICEF, North
Korea
4. Sundar Burra, IAS (Retd.), former Secretary, Govt. of Maharashtra
5. Kalyani Chaudhuri, IAS (Retd.), former Additional Chief Secretary, Govt.
of West Bengal
6. Vibha Puri Das, IAS (Retd.), former Secretary, Ministry of Tribal
Affairs,GoI
7. Keshav Desiraju, IAS (Retd.), former Health Secretary, GoI
8. M.G.Devasahayam, IAS (Retd.), former Secretary to Govt. of Haryana
9. Sushil Dubey, IFS (Retd.), former Ambassador to Sweden
10. K.P.Fabian, IFS (Retd.), former Ambassador to Italy
11. Meena Gupta, IAS (Retd.), former Secretary, Ministry of Environment and
Forests, GoI
12. Deepa Hari, IRS (Resigned)
13. Dr. Sajjad Hassan, IAS (Retd.), former Commissioner (Planning), Govt.
of Manipur
14. K. John Koshy, IAS (Retd.), former State Chief Information
Commissioner, West Bengal
15. Ajai Kumar, Indian Forest Service (Resigned), former Director, Ministry
of Agriculture, GoI
16. Arun Kumar, IAS (Retd.), former Chairman, National Pharmaceutical
Pricing Authority
17. Harsh Mander, IAS (Retd.), Govt. of Madhya Pradesh
18. Aditi Mehta, IAS (Retd.), former Additional Chief Secretary, Govt. of
Rajasthan
19. Sunil Mitra, IAS (Retd.), former Secretary, Ministry of Finance, GoI
20. Deb Mukharji, IFS (Retd.), former Ambassador to Nepal
21. Anup Mukerji, IAS (Retd.), former Chief Secretary, Govt. of Bihar
22. Alok Perti, IAS (Retd.) former Secretary, Ministry of Coal, GoI
23. N.K. Raghupathy, IAS (Retd.), former Chairman, Staff Selection
Commission, GoI
24. Aruna Roy, IAS (Resigned)
25. Manab Roy, IAS (Retd.), former Additional Chief Secretary, Govt. of
West Bengal
26. Umrao Salodia, IAS (Retd.), former Chairman, Rajasthan State Road
Transport Corporation, Govt. of Rajasthan
27. Deepak Sanan, IAS (Retd.), former Principal Adviser (AR) to the Chief
Minister of the Govt. of Himachal Pradesh
28. E.A.S. Sarma, IAS, (Retd.), former Secretary, Department of Economic
Affairs, Ministry of Finance, GoI
29. Dr.N.C.Saxena, IAS (Retd.), former Secretary, Planning Commission, GoI
30. Ardhendu Sen, IAS (Retd.), former Chief Secretary, Govt. of West Bengal
31. Dr. Raju Sharma, IAS (Retd.

[GreenYouth] Reality check: The BJP’s ‘landslide win’ [which it's definitely not] in UP civic polls is yet another lesson for the Opposition

2017-12-02 Thread Sukla Sen

[<>]

https://scroll.in/article/860063/reality-check-the-bjps-landslide-win-in-up-civic-polls-and-a-lesson-for-the-opposition

Reality check: The BJP’s ‘landslide win’ in UP civic polls is yet another
lesson for the Opposition

The opposition parties have chosen to blame the electronic voting machines.
They need to take a close look at the numbers.

by Dhirendra K Jha
Published 5 hours ago

Reality check: The BJP’s ‘landslide win’ in UP civic polls is yet another
lesson for the Opposition

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at a public rally in Moradabad. | PTI

Has the Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh won a landslide victory in
local body polls? Or does the Bharatiya Janata party’s performance hide a
stark reality that the opposition parties are refusing to see?

Elections were held for 652 urban local bodies, which include 16 municipal
corporations (nagar parishads), 198 municipal councils (nagar palikas) and
438 municipal panchayats (nagar panchayats). The BJP won 184 top posts
(mayors and chairmen) – accounting for a little over 28% of the total 652
posts.

Source: State Election Commission Uttar Pradesh , Lucknow
[]

In 2012, the BJP had won 88 of the 629 posts of heads of civic bodies then
on offer, or about 14% of the total posts.

But that was at a time when the BJP had won only 47 seats, or about 12% of
the seats in the Assembly elections held in the same year. This time, the
party had won as many as 325 seats, or about 80% of the seats in the
403-seat Assembly in March.

Three years back, in 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had won 71 of the 80
seats, or about 89% of the seats in the state. Three years before the 2012
civic body elections, the party had won only 10 seats, or 8% of the seats
in the state in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.

In light of the above, the opposition parties ask, how correct is it to
call winning 28% top posts of the local urban bodies a landslide victory?

The big prize?

The focus in most of the discussions, however, has been on the bigger
cities, where the BJP won the top post of mayor in 14 out of 16 municipal
corporations, that is in 87.5% of the posts. This percentage figure is
closer to the 2014 Lok Sabha and the 2017 Assembly elections, but it should
be remembered that the party had also won 10 out of 12 mayoral posts, or
83% of mayoral posts in 2012.

While the BJP won in all the four new corporations that were added this
time – Ayodhya, Saharanpur, Firozabad and Mathura – it also lost Aligarh
and Meerut to the Bahujan Samaj Party, and managed to win against it in
Jhansi with only a narrow margin.

What detracts from the claim of a landslide victory in these civic body
polls is that the BJP’s performance, as the chart above shows, appears to
be rather underwhelming in municipal council and panchayat elections.
Despite the local nature of these polls in which independents have
traditionally played a big role, some have argued that the BJP appears to
have lost a significant chunk of its support base, given that the party
issued a full-fledged manifesto for these elections and Chief Minister
Adityanath himself campaigned on war footing.

But the point to note is that even then the BJP managed to do better than
any of the three main opposition parties.

While a detailed analysis of vote shares, past trends of the correlation
between Assembly and civic body results, and the relationship of the large
number of winning independents with various parties is required to pass any
definitive judgement, it would be instructive to take a look at the
combined number of seats won by the three main opposition parties – Bahujan
Samaj Party, Samajwadi Party and Congress.

Source: State Election Commission Uttar Pradesh , Lucknow [<
http://sec.up.nic.in/eleclive/PoliticalPartyResult.aspx>]

This analysis need not even take into account the total number of seats
contested by the parties on their symbols. Or the large number of seats won
by independents, who may have tacit or explicit understanding with one
political party or another. Just the combined number of seats won by the
three main opposition parties, where the votes were divided among them, is
indicative enough of what the scenario might have been if they had agreed
on joint candidates and campaigned collectively.

The need for the opposition parties to come together, even if the BJP’s
support base has declined, is the biggest learning from these results.

Simple mathematics

Take the smaller towns of the 438 municipal panchayats, where the BJP only
won 100 of the top posts on offer – that is, less than 23% of the elected
chairmen. While the BJP definitely performed better than any of the three
other major parties in the state, the three of them combined won 145
chairmen posts.

The BJP’s performance was even worse in the 5433 results declared out of
5,434 seats for members in these panchayats. It won merely 664 seats – that
is just about 12%. The three main oppos

[GreenYouth] 'Birth Of A New Hindu Nation' by Pralay Kanungo

2017-12-03 Thread Sukla Sen

[Symbols and rituals are embedded in the Hindu nationalist agenda; hence,
the first step in this direction has already been initiated with the
symbolic return of Ram to Ayodhya this Diwali by lighting almost two lakh
lamps on the banks of Sarayu, creating a great spectacle. Now the Sangh
parivar is zealously taking up the next step by fast-tracking the temple
construction agenda. Thus, without waiting for the Supreme Court decision,
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat recently announced that a mandir will be
constructed, asserting that there will only be a mandir, and no other
structure at the disputed site.]

 11 DECEMBER 2017

Birth Of A New Hindu Nation
It can’t be without reason that the RSS now says a mandir alone will come
up at the disputed site. The Sangh has been carving a Hindu India since ’92.

PRALAY KANUNGO


Birth Of A New Hindu Nation

LIBERATED!
Kar sevaks celebrate the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992
PHOTOGRAPH BY D. RAVINDER REDDY

A quarter century has passed since the Babri Masjid demolition. Every year,
Hindutva forces celebrate this day as ‘Vijay Diwas’ (Victory Day), as a
ritual, but perhaps with a sense of guilt and helplessness—for them, Ram,
despite being ‘liberated’, remains homeless all these years. In the
changing political context, the silver jubilee year marks a watershed as
the RSS gears up for what they offer as a grand metaphor—the return of Ram
to Ayodhya—by turning into a reality the ‘Mandir wahin banayenge’ slogan,
once considered merely rhetorical.

Symbols and rituals are embedded in the Hindu nationalist agenda; hence,
the first step in this direction has already been initiated with the
symbolic return of Ram to Ayodhya this Diwali by lighting almost two lakh
lamps on the banks of Sarayu, creating a great spectacle. Now the Sangh
parivar is zealously taking up the next step by fast-tracking the temple
construction agenda. Thus, without waiting for the Supreme Court decision,
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat recently announced that a mandir will be
constructed, asserting that there will only be a mandir, and no other
structure at the disputed site.

With this announcement, the RSS has entered a new phase of the
Ramjanmabhoomi movement: construction of a temple as a new symbol of a
Hindu India. Bhagwat’s confidence needs to be understood in the context of
an all-powerful RSS now being in control of the levers of political power
at the Centre and in a majority of the states. The hegemonic rise of the
RSS owes greatly to the Ayodhya movement, of which demolition was a
symbolic as well as a substantive event.

The Sangh has always shown an instinct for survival when chips are down. Of
late, it has a flair for expansion and pursuit for power.

The demolition was not a sudden act, but an outcome of a decade-long
mobilisation and agitation under a calibrated strategy by the Sangh-VHP-BJP
combine. Though the seed was sown back in 1949 when Ram lalla ‘appeared’ in
Babri Masjid on a cold December night, the lord still failed to go beyond
the local to capture the national religious imaginary. The humiliating
electoral performance of the BJP in 1984, winning only two seats in
Parliament, compelled the RSS to go for a militant religio-political
strategy around Ayodhya. The Meenakshipuram conversions of 1981, Shah Bano,
the unlocking of the temple doors by the Congress government, all provided
ideal fodder for a mammoth pan-Indian Hindu mobilisation, which became the
largest mass movement in independent India.

Till then, the ideology of Hindu rashtra was by and large confined to the
Sangh cadre. Ayodhya allowed the RSS to spread its worldview among ordinary
Hindus by imaginatively projecting Ram not just as a great Hindu god, but
also as a symbol of repressed national pride. Thus, Hinduism and
nationalism were skilfully woven, and this struck a chord with millions who
never really related to a vacuous secularism. On the other hand, BJP
veteran L.K. Advani’s cogent arguments on ‘minority appeasement’ appealed
to many.

Left secular historians questioned if Ayodhya was the birthplace of Rama
and whether present-day Ayodhya was the Ayodhya of the Ramayana, thus
perhaps putting more wind in the sail of the project. Let alone engage it,
they failed to even grasp the working of the believing Hindu’s mind: for
them, Ayodhya was beyond time and history; faith never looked for evidence.
Hard-line secular politicians and Muslim leadership failed to anticipate
the upheaval. When Advani talked of relocation of the mosque, it could have
been an entry point for talk and bargain; however, the secularists relied
entirely on the constitutional/legal solution, fearing any dialogue would
privilege the Sangh parivar. Political and electoral calculations, rather
than minority interest, were the guiding principles. Once the RSS gauged
the mass support behind its project, it showed no interest in rapprochement
as it could reap a political windfall only through a violent assertion.

RSS turned Ram into a s

[GreenYouth] Gujarat Poll: Two (Substantive) Views from Congress - P Chidambaram and Manmohan Singh

2017-12-03 Thread Sukla Sen

I/II.
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/across-the-aisle-the-sons-of-the-soil-of-gujarat-narendra-modi-amit-shah-vijay-rupani-4965199/

Across the aisle: The sons of the soil of Gujarat

Mr Modi should speak on matters that concern all of India such as farmers’
distress, oppression of Dalits, discrimination against minorities,.. Even
during a state election, Mr Narendra Modi should speak as the Prime
Minister of India

Written by P Chidambaram | Published: December 3, 2017 12:02 am

Ahead of PM Modi visit, Congress, BJP workers clash in Rajkot; 3
detainedAhead of PM Modi visit, Congress, BJP workers clash in Rajkot; 3
detained
The Prime Minister began his election campaign in Bhuj, Gujarat,
proclaiming that he was the ‘son of Gujarat’, and warned that any one who
comes to Gujarat and levels allegations against the son of the soil will
not be forgiven by the people of the state.

The BJP has ruled Gujarat since 1995. Mr Modi became the chief minister in
October 2001 and, after he vacated the office in 2014, the state has had
two chief ministers hand-picked by him. The first (Mrs Anandiben Patel) was
a disaster and the second (Mr Vijay Rupani) is a disappointment. Hence the
need for Mr Modi to make himself the election issue and ask for votes in
his name. I think it is unusual for a Prime Minister to do so.

Gujarat Not Exceptional

In the last 57 years, Gujarat, like other states, has made progress. It is
one of the states that benefited from the liberalisation of 1991, but
Gujarat is not exceptional. In September 2013, a committee under Dr
Raghuram Rajan constructed an ‘Underdevelopment Index’ for 28 states for
the purpose of evolving a method for allocation of Central funds. The least
developed state was Odisha with an index of 0.79 and the most developed
states were Goa (0.05) and Kerala (0.15). Gujarat got an index of 0.50, in
the mid-point of the scale, and was almost on a par with Karnataka. On the
Social Progress Index for 29 states, released by the Institute for
Competitiveness and the Social Progress Imperative, Gujarat is plumb in the
middle (rank 15) with 14 states above and 14 states below. Gujarat is in
the top five on ‘Basic Human Needs’ but in the bottom five on ‘Foundations
of Wellbeing’ and 9th from the bottom on ‘Opportunity’.

People Have Grievances

Like in every state, sections of the people of Gujarat are dissatisfied.
The farmers are particularly unhappy. The Sardar Sarovar dam is an example
of poor governance. Less than a quarter of the planned 18.45 lakh hectares
receives water for irrigation. Over 30,000 km of canals are yet to be
completed. Mr Tushaar Shah, a senior fellow at the International Water
Management Institute, writes: “After 35 years in the works, Rs 48,000 crore
in capex, 45,000 ousted families, 245 submerged villages and 250,000
hectares of land acquired, for Gujarat, the Sardar Sarovar dam project
still remains just that, a promise.”

Other sections of the people have their own grievances. The Patidars want
reservation for their community in jobs and educational institutions. The
Dalits and the Scheduled Tribes believe they have been neglected and are
the victims of oppression and violence. The minorities believe they are
discriminated against and a majoritarian agenda is being imposed upon them.

There are voices in Gujarat in support of and against demonetisation. There
are people who are tolerant of the flawed implementation of the GST as well
as people — particularly in the SME sector, textile business and diamond
trade — who are indignant at the faulty design and hasty implementation of
the GST. New appointees among Gujarat’s government servants, including
teachers, are contract employees on low, fixed salaries — a clear violation
of Article 14. Such grievances are not peculiar to Gujarat. Movements,
organisations and leaders will emerge to voice the grievances. That is the
way a democracy works. Mr Hardik Patel, Mr Jignesh Mevani and Mr Alpesh
Thakor have emerged as leaders. They are entitled to oppose the government
of the day and to ask for the support of the people. They and the farmers,
traders and government servants have not ‘come to Gujarat’ to level
allegations against a son of the soil. They are as much sons of the soil as
Mr Narendra Modi is.

Real Issues Ignored

Mr Modi is Prime Minister of India. He promised achche din (good days). He
promised to bring back the black money stashed abroad and deposit Rs 15
lakh in the bank account of every person. He promised 2 crore jobs every
year. He should speak on those promises. He should speak on the concerns of
the people of Gujarat, on Sardar Sarovar dam, on Una, on the ghettoisation
of towns and cities, on the fin

[GreenYouth] If UP Civic Poll Results Reflect the Nation’s Mood, It’s Good News For the Opposition

2017-12-03 Thread Sukla Sen

[<>

Actually the vote share of the BJP in the last assembly poll was 40%
(source: <
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uttar_Pradesh_Legislative_Assembly_election,_2017>),
marginally down from 42.3% (source: <
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_general_election,_2014#Uttar_Pradesh_.2880.29>)
in the preceding parliamentary poll.

It's also not clear how the inference, "the BJP’s vote share may have
dropped by a total of 10 to 12 percentage points", has been arrived at.

But, the broad picture as presented, on the face of it, remains quite
relevant and valid.

The central message of this election is, however, an "opposition unity",
involving the three major players, is the call of the hour.]

https://thewire.in/201507/uttar-pradesh-civic-polls-amit-shah/

If UP Civic Poll Results Reflect the Nation’s Mood, It’s Good News For the
Opposition

BY M.K. VENU
ON 03/12/2017

The real story of the party’s big loss in vote share lies in the bottom two
tiers of positions that were up for grabs.

Amit Shah. Credit: PTI

Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah has said the Uttar Pradesh (UP)
civil poll results are a barometer of the nation’s mood. If this were true,
then the nation’s mood clearly is to give the BJP far less votes as well as
seats in future elections.

An examination of the votes cast in the three tiers of the urban governance
bodies in UP roughly suggests that the BJP’s vote share may have dropped by
a total of 10 to 12 percentage points from the 42% vote share it achieved
in the UP assembly polls earlier this year.

Shah also indicated that the UP results will have its effect on the
upcoming Gujarat elections and made an even more astonishing claim that the
civic polls reflect a clear endorsement of demonetisation and the goods and
services tax regime. Did Shah get carried away by the PR machine of his own
party, which spun a narrative of a total “sweep” for the BJP based on the
results of just the top tier (mayors for municipal corporations) – in which
the BJP got 14 out of 16 seats?

In the bottom two tiers, comprising presidents for municipal councils and
Nagar Panchayat Parishads, the BJP has lost considerable vote share when
compared to the UP assembly polls. The bottom two tiers also have a much
larger number of voters. If this pattern were to repeat in Gujarat, as Shah
wishes, the BJP may emerge with egg on its face.

The BJP president therefore should fervently hope that the pattern of the
UP civic polls doesn’t repeat in Gujarat.

Also read: BJP Wins Ayodhya But Suffers Heavy Losses in Ballot Voting
Around Temple Town

For starters, the civic polls can hardly be called a sweep for the BJP – a
picture that the most TV news channels painted immediately after the
results started coming. Two broad brush numbers will establish this point.
The BJP got less than 30% of the 652 posts of heads of urban bodies in all
the tiers that went to the polls. The BJP got 184 out of 652 posts
consisting of 16 mayors (top tier), 198 municipal council heads (second
tier)  and Nagar Panchayat heads (438).

While the BJP did win over 85% of the top tier i.e. corporation heads, its
record in the third tier is very poor. In the election to the heads of
Nagar Panchayat, the independents lead the way by capturing 182 out of 438
posts. The BJP won 100 posts, the Samajwadi Party 83, the Bahujan Samaj
Party (BSP) 45 and the Congress 17.

In the second tier, the BJP did emerge as the single largest party but with
a much reduced vote share than the 42% it got in the UP assembly polls
earlier this year.

More significantly, the BJP has faced heavy losses in the Tier-II and
Tier-III civic bodies in western UP. The losses are palpable in Shamli,
Bhagpat, Muzzafarnagar, Meerut. Strangely, the Hindu polarisation politics
triggered by chief minister Yogi Adityanath starting his campaign from
Ayodhya doesn’t seem to have had much effect. Remember, in western UP, the
BJP had got about 44% of the votes in the assembly polls earlier this year.
The BSP ended up bagging the mayor’s post in Meerut and Aligarh.

The vote share in Western UP may have dropped over 10 percentage points for
the BJP compared to the assembly election figures. This is very significant
considering that the farmers’ disenchantment with the BJP peaked in recent
months in this middle peasant-dominated Jat belt. By one estimate, the BJP
vote share in the tier 3 of western UP may have dropped to less than 25%,
which is a huge loss.

Given these numbers, Shah can hardly claim that the UP civic polls are a
big endorsement of the party in the backdrop of GST.

Indeed, if these statistics represent the national mood, as he claims, then
the opposition may actually have cause to celebrate. But the BJP leadership
seems to be basking in the lazy media narrative of a “total sweep” for the
party in the civic polls. Chief minister Adityanath came to New Delhi and
met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to emphasise his victory.

Modi may have acted his part for the cameras but numbers

[GreenYouth] In Good Faith: Gandhi’s radical Hinduism: His endeavour was to encourage a creative ‘misreading’ of these texts that would help situate Hinduism on the bedrock of ahimsa and satya

2017-12-04 Thread Sukla Sen

[Although Gandhi described himself as a Hindu, a look into his writings
reveals that his Hinduism was neither religious nor cultic in the everyday
sense. He did not believe in a personal God. He also rejected
vigrahaworship and rituals of all kind, including Vedic ones. While Gandhi
did claim he believed in “all that goes by the name of Hindu scriptures” he
immediately qualified it by saying that he also believed in all other
religious texts in a similar way. Moreover, his acceptance of these texts
was not unconditional. Like the Buddha, he did not hesitate to say that he
would retain the right to reject anything in them that, according to him,
went against reason and morality.
...
... Gandhi, the social reformer, wished to transform Hinduism from an
unethical state (the state of himsa and untruth, which he graphically
portrayed in The Story of My Experiments with Truth, the letter he wrote to
C.F. Andrews), to an ethical state that is founded on ahimsa and satya, and
for this, he needed to use his parental Hindu vocabulary and the idiom of
the Vaishnava tradition. The technique Gandhi adopted for this purpose was
the same as the one the Buddha used 2,500 years before him — to transform
the Brahminism of his time into an ethically better practice. Both these
thinkers attempted to redefine the vocabulary of the target group.]

http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/in-good-faith-mahatma-gandhis-radical-hinduism-4966395/

In Good Faith: Gandhi’s radical Hinduism
His endeavour was to encourage a creative ‘misreading’ of these texts that
would help situate Hinduism on the bedrock of ahimsa and satya.

Written by K.P. Shankaran | Published: December 4, 2017 12:30 am

Gandhi’s translation of the Gita started appearing in the columns of Young
India, 1931. (Illustration: C R Sasikumar)

Most admirers of M.K. Gandhi, because of his appearance and his constant
use of the Vaishnava vocabulary, would believe him to be a deeply religious
person. However, Gandhi’s claim of being a sanatan Hindu was rejected by
Nathuram Godse and his associates. During his trial, Godse claimed that
“Gandhiji’s views” had always been “detrimental to the Hindu community and
its interests”.

Godse’s political comment that Gandhi had “proved to be the Father of
Pakistan” need not surprise us, since we have often heard similar jibes,
especially after the resounding victory of Hindutva politics in the last
general election. But what I want to look at is Godse’s claim that, in
spite of Gandhi’s declaration that he was a sanatan Hindu, he, in fact,
worked against the interest of the Hindu community. Godse did indeed refer
to “Gandhiji’s betrayal of Hinduism” during the trial. One would have
expected historians of modern India to investigate this claim.
Unfortunately, there appears to be very little research done on this aspect
of Gandhi.

Although Gandhi described himself as a Hindu, a look into his writings
reveals that his Hinduism was neither religious nor cultic in the everyday
sense. He did not believe in a personal God. He also rejected
vigrahaworship and rituals of all kind, including Vedic ones. While Gandhi
did claim he believed in “all that goes by the name of Hindu scriptures” he
immediately qualified it by saying that he also believed in all other
religious texts in a similar way. Moreover, his acceptance of these texts
was not unconditional. Like the Buddha, he did not hesitate to say that he
would retain the right to reject anything in them that, according to him,
went against reason and morality.

What Gandhi sought in man was the ethics of satya and ahimsa: “I tolerate
unreasonable religious sentiment when it is not immoral,” he said. It is a
fact that he also tolerated admirers of his, like Gora. Why did Gandhi then
always use the Hindu vocabulary and idiom, even though he himself only
entertained a belief in an impersonal power as the sustainer of all beings
(“There is an indefinable mysterious power that pervades everything”, “I
don’t regard God as a person”. “Truth for me is God” etc)?

I believe Gandhi did so for two reasons. First, he wanted to reject the
vocabulary of the European enlightenment and modernity for the reasons he
eloquently articulated in Hind Swaraj. This rejection, I must admit, was
not total — he retained, surprisingly, the Lockean idea of secularism, not
the Indian version of “equal treatment of all religions by the state”.
Thus, in the non-hierarchical stateless socialist society (swaraj) that
Gandhi envisaged in his constructive programme, religion and caste did not
have any role to play. Religion was, in fact, completely eliminated from
the public space. Nevertheless, his rejection of the rest of the
enlightenment vocabulary forced him to fall back on a vocabulary that he
was familiar with and that, indeed, was the vocabulary of the Vaishnava
tradition of his parents.
Second, Gandhi, the social reformer, wished to transform Hinduism from an
unethical state (the state of himsa and untruth, whi

[GreenYouth] Terrible Misreading Of Uttar Pradesh Local Body Polls Results: In UP urban local body polls, BJP vote share fell by 10%, lost 87% of Nagar Panchayat member seats and 82% of Nagar Palika P

2017-12-04 Thread Sukla Sen

[Contrary to media hype in the last two days over a “BJP sweep” in the
Uttar Pradesh (UP) urban local bodies elections, the results demonstrate
considerable waning of the pro-BJP mood that helped it win Uttar Pradesh
assembly elections barely eight months ago.]
...
The BJP managed to win mayoral polls in Rae Bareli and Amethi, the pocket
burroughs of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul
Gandhi. But Amit Shah won’t disclose this and no one would mention it but
the fact remains that the Congress percentage of votes this time improved
considerably compared to the February assembly elections when it got only
6.2 per cent. This time it went up to 10 per cent. No consolation to the
Congress no doubt.
But then it is contrary to what the BJP propagandists are shouting from the
rooftop. What they are not saying is that the BJP vote share has come down
approximately by over 9 per cent from 39. 7 to 30.8.]

https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/terrible-misreading-of-uttar-pradesh-local-body-polls-results/305136

Terrible Misreading Of Uttar Pradesh Local Body Polls Results
In UP urban local body polls, BJP vote share fell by 10%, lost 87% of Nagar
Panchayat member seats and 82% of Nagar Palika Parishad seats

FARAZ AHMAD

Terrible Misreading Of Uttar Pradesh Local Body Polls Results
PTI

Contrary to media hype in the last two days over a “BJP sweep” in the Uttar
Pradesh (UP) urban local bodies elections, the results demonstrate
considerable waning of the pro-BJP mood that helped it win Uttar Pradesh
assembly elections barely eight months ago.
True, the BJP which fought the Nagar panchayat, Nagar Palika and Nagar
Palika Parishad elections stood first among all the other political parties
that contested, including the former ruling party Samajwadi Party (SP), the
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Congress and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).

But then the party alone won 71of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in the 2014
general elections, which is roughly 89%. Then in the February assembly
polls, the BJP won 312 seats in a House of 403, which works out to 77%. In
percentage terms in the assembly polls, the BJP percentage of votes had
then jumped from less than 15% to around 40%, a quantum jump. Given this
background, the BJP performance in local body polls is a let-down.

The only major victory the BJP and its drum beaters are gloating about is
the Mayor elections where it succeeded in getting its mayors in 14 out of
16 towns, with the surprising exception of the communally surcharged
Aligarh and Meerut towns, where Mayawati’s BSP nominees won. These were the
only elections where the electronic voting machines (EVM) were deployed and
the media could not help report at least a couple of instances of the
machines malfunctioning. It’s also a mystery why the Election Commission
chose to introduce EVMs for mayoral polls when all the other categories
were held through ballot paper.

The fact that chief minister Yogi Adityanath led his entire contingent of
48 ministers plus the 100-strong UP BJP state office bearers that spread
out to every nook and corner of the vast Uttar Pradesh to campaign for
these polls show the urgency of the party to project a victory in these
elections. Some of them openly threatened Muslims to vote for the BJP or
face the consequences.

Yet the results of the nagar panchayat members, nagar palika members, nagar
palika parishads and their chairpersons clearly show a growing
disenchantment with the BJP even in this new saffron fortress, to the
extent that 71.31% nagar panchayat members are independents and still the
BJP could get only 100 of the 438 chairpersons elected. With one result yet
to be declared, 337 chairpersons are non-BJP, for in this election there
were no alliances and each party independently fought against the main
adversary BJP.

The state has a strength of 5,434 Nagar Panchayat members of which the BJP
won only 662 and lost 4,728 to others, including an overwhelming majority
of independents as also SP, BSP, Congress and RLD.

Naturally, then it also lost the Nagar Panchayat chairperson elections too
also held through ballot papers. There were total 438 seats. Results
declared: 437. BJP won 100 and lost 337.

Same was the case with Nagar Palika Parishad where of the 5,261 seats--
with results declared for 5217 -- the BJP won 914 and conceded as many as
4,303. As a corollary effect, the BJP managed to win only 68 Nagar Palika
Parishad Chairperson posts and lost 127 of the 195 declared (total 198).
Advertisement opens in new window

We say lost because unlike other smaller players the BJP contested for all
the seats.
BJP president Amit Shah gave an interview mocking the Congress party and
Rahul Gandhi for the poor show in these UP local bodies polls. But the
Congress has not been a significant player in Uttar Pradesh for over two
decades now and so its poor showing is no news.

The BJP managed to win mayoral polls in Rae Bareli and Amethi, the pocket
burroughs of Congress presiden

[GreenYouth] I. 'What we now know about the death of Special CBI judge Brijgopal Loya' and II. Publim Meeting in Dehi to Demand High Level Investigation

2017-12-04 Thread Sukla Sen

I/II.
https://scroll.in/article/860098/what-we-now-know-about-the-death-of-special-cbi-judge-brijgopal-loya

What we now know about the death of Special CBI judge Brijgopal Loya

Additional reporting and new developments have taken the story forward,
though there are still gaps to be filled.

by Rohan Venkataramakrishnan
Published 5 hours ago

What we now know about the death of Special CBI judge Brijgopal Loya
Ashok Pai via Twitter

Two weeks after Caravan magazine published a report about allegations made
by the family of Central Bureau of Investigation judge Brijgopal Harkishan
Loya regarding his death in 2014, fresh reporting has filled in a number of
the blanks in the story.

Loya was presiding over a Special CBI court in Mumbai, where the only case
he was hearing was the alleged extra-judicial murder by Gujarat police of
alleged extortionist Sohrabuddin Sheikh, in which Bharatiya Janata Party
president Amit Shah was one of the accused. Shah was minister of state for
home in Gujarat when the fake encounter allegedly took place. Loya’s family
told the Caravan that the judge had gone to Nagpur for a colleague’s
daughter’s wedding on November 30, 2014, when he apparently fell ill
suddenly and died of a heart attack.

The Supreme Court had originally said that just one judge should hear the
Sohrabuddin Sheikh case from start to finish. But soon after the Bharatiya
Janata Party came to power in 2014, the judge hearing the case was
transferred and replaced by Loya. After Loya’s death, he was replaced by
Judge MB Gosavi. By the end of December, Gosavi had dropped all charges
against Amit Shah.

Loya’s family told the Caravan that there were a number of inconsistencies
in the story they were told about the judge’s demise that gave them cause
for suspicion – from the recorded time of death and the condition in which
his body was returned to them to the way it was handled, as well as other
circumstances. The Caravan followed up its story with a piece quoting
Loya’s sister, Anuradha Biyani, alleging that her brother said he had been
offered a Rs 100-crore bribe by Mohit Shah, who was then chief justice of
the Bombay High Court, to deliver for a favourable judgment in the case.

Since then, many more reports have added to the picture of Loya’s death.
Scroll.in spoke to nearly 20 people in Nagpur and Latur, eight of whom gave
first-hand accounts of what happened with the judge’s body the morning
after his death. The full report is here, but below is a quick summary of
what we now know.

Loya was in Nagpur

The judge was in the city to attend a colleague’s daughter’s wedding. The
Caravan report says that he initially had not intended to go, but two of
his fellow judges persuaded him to accompany them. Justice Bhushan Gavai, a
judge of the Bombay High Court who was in 2014 the administrative head of
the Nagpur bench, told the Indian Express Loya was staying in a state
government guest house with fellow judges Shridhar Kulkarni (though
hospital records refer to him as Shrikant Kulkarni) and Shriram Madhusudhan
Modak. Scroll.in was unable to contact either Modak or Kulkarni, and both
have yet to speak to the press.

How Loya died

Per police records, Loya developed a chest pain at 4 am on the morning of
December 1. According to Gavai, Kulkarni and Modak then phoned local judge
Vijay Kumar Barde and deputy court registrar Rupesh Rathi, asking them to
take Loya to a hospital. According to Dr Pinak Dande, who runs Dande
Hospital, an electrocardiogram report showed cardiac issues, so Loya was
referred to the more specialist Meditrina Hospital three kilometres away.
By the time he was taken there, he had no pulse. Dr Pankaj Harkut, the
cardiologist who was summoned, said that by the time he arrived at the
hospital, attempts to revive Loya had failed and an ECG report showed a
terminal agonal rhythm, meaning the last rhythm of the heart.

What time did Loya die?

The Caravan report quotes two unnamed sources in Nagpur’s Government
Medical College and Sitabuldi police station saying that they had been
informed about Loya’s death by midnight, and that they had personally seen
the dead body during the night. They also claimed that the post-mortem was
done soon after midnight, with the medical college source saying there had
been instructions from superiors to “cut up the body as if the
[post-mortem] was done”.

But Dr Pankaj Harkut at Meditrina said he attended to Loya in the morning
while he was on the verge of dying. He said the hospital has an ECG report
showing terminal agonal rhythm or the last rhythm of the heart. Scroll.in
was not allowed to review the report. Other hospital documents that are
part of the police records that Scroll.in was allowed to access show Loya
was admitted to Meditrina hospital in the morning. The death report
prepared by the hospital cites the time of Loya’s death as 6.15 am.

The police records seen by Scroll.in did not feature the second ECG but had
copies of the death report and the final bil

[GreenYouth] 'Why was a Test match allowed in Delhi when the air quality is so poor, asks NGT': After having been tagged as the "national rape capital", now it has also become the "global smog capital

2017-12-04 Thread Sukla Sen

https://scroll.in/latest/860192/why-was-a-test-match-allowed-in-delhi-when-the-air-quality-is-so-poor-asks-ngt

AIR POLLUTION

Why was a Test match allowed in Delhi when the air quality is so poor, asks
NGT
It also censured the AAP government for not filing an action plan on steps
taken to control pollution in the city. Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have
filed reports.

by Scroll Staff
Published 11 hours ago Updated 3 hours ago.

Why was a Test match allowed in Delhi when the air quality is so poor, asks
NGT
The National Green Tribunal on Monday asked authorities why the India-Sri
Lanka cricket match was being held in New Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla stadium
despite the poor air quality in the city.

Hazardous smog had led to multiple interruptions in the third Test between
India and Sri Lanka on Sunday. Sri Lankan players wore masks as the air
quality dipped.

The tribunal also censured the Delhi government for not filing an action
plan on steps taken to curb air pollution in the city, PTI reported. “The
situation is getting from poor to worst, children are suffering and the
Delhi government has not even filed its action plan,” the panel said.

#NGT slams authorities for holding #IndiaLanka #cricket match at
#FerozShahKotla stadium in Delhi, despite hazardous air quality.

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 4, 2017
#NGT raps #Delhi govt for not filing action plan on steps taken to curb
#airpollution in city, directs it to submit plan by Dec 6.

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 4, 2017
The green tribunal gave the Aam Aadmi Party government 48 hours to let it
know what pollution control measures were being taken. Haryana and Uttar
Pradesh have already filed their reports, the court said.

NGT directed the Delhi Government to file its action plan within 48
hours.States of Haryana and UP have already filed the same. #Pollution

— ANI (@ANI) December 4, 2017
--
Peace Is Doable

[GreenYouth] A Recent Gujarat Opinion Poll Indicates Quantum Jump in Support for Congress: BJP Still Retains A Rapidly Shrinking Edge

2017-12-04 Thread Sukla Sen

[Also look up, for a quick grasp of the shift in positions - from August to
November: <
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/new-poll-finds-congress-bjp-neck-and-neck-in-gujarat/articleshow/61923922.cms
>.
The pace of change, as observed herein, has roughly doubled from October to
November as compared to between August and October.]

I/II.
[As per the opinion poll, BJP may win between 91-99 seats, Congress 78-86,
while others may get 3-7 seats.]

http://www.financialexpress.com/elections/gujarat-assembly-elections-2017/gujarat-election-opinion-poll-2017-live-updates-exit-poll-abp-news-bjp-congress/960115/

Gujarat election opinion poll 2017 highlights: BJP set to win, massive
gains for Congress, says ABP News-CSDS survey

Gujarat election opinion poll 2017 higlights: The State of Gujarat will go
to polls on December 9 and 14.
By: FE Online | Updated: December 4, 2017 11:08 PM

Gujarat election opinion poll 2017 highlights: For Congress, Rahul Gandi
has run a whirlwind campaign to give his party a boost before 2019 general
elections. For BJP, PM Narendra Modi is leading the campaign from the
front, projecting himself as the prime administrator for his home state.
(PTI)

Gujarat election opinion poll 2017 highlights: The State of Gujarat will go
to polls on December 9 and 14. The Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party have
left no stone unturned to make maximum gains in elections. For Congress,
Rahul Gandi has run a whirlwind campaign to give his party a boost before
2019 general elections. For BJP, PM Narendra Modi is leading the campaign
from the front, projecting himself as the prime administrator for his home
state. While Rahul’s fight is to prove his mettle in the backdrop of his
elevation as Congress boss, Modi and Shah are battling for prestige in
their home state. A number of factors – unrest among the Patidars,
anti-incumbency, unrest among Dalits have made things difficult for an
otherwise strong BJP in terms of numbers and countrywide political
presence. Congress, on the other hand, is going through it’s toughest
phase. People of this state are set to vote on December 8 and December 9,
we take a look at what Opinion Poll has predicted:

Gujarat election opinion poll 2017 highlights:

10:45 pm: The votes will be counted on December 18. Paper trail of votes
will be used in all the 50,128 polling stations of the 182 assembly
constituencies to ensure transparency.
10:30 pm: Assembly elections in Gujarat will be held in two phases on
December 9 and 14.

10:08 pm: In Central Gujarat, Congress is predicted to get only 38% votes,
while the BJP is set to get 54 pct votes.

9:46 pm: In North Gujarat, Congress is expected to fetch 49% of votes and
it gave the BJP 44% vote share.

9:35 pm: Touted to be as the semi-final before 2019 general elections, the
battle of Gujarat is more than just about numbers for both BJP and Congress.

9:23 pm: After landslide victories in various states, Gujarat is one battle
which is reported to be a challenging one for Bharatiya Janata Party.

9:11 pm: The survey says that both BJP and Congress locked at 43 percent
vote share each, while others may get 14 percent.

9:05 pm: ***As per the opinion poll, BJP may win between 91-99 seats,
Congress 78-86, while others may get 3-7 seats.*** [emphasis added]

8:42 pm: As per CSDS opinion poll, BJP may get get majority with slight
margin . Final Projections BJP 91-99 and Congress 78-86.

8.21 pm: Final Seat Share: BJP 95, Congress 82, Others: 5

8.16 pm: Some experts say that despite losing, survey outcomes will boost
Congress’ campaign.

8.10 pm: Final Count: BJP likely to get majority with slight margin . Final
Projections BJP 91-99 and Congress 78-86

8.06 pm: Experts say that despite winning, opinion poll is a bad news for
BJP.

8.01 pm: Final Vote Share Number: Both BJP and Congress will get 43 per
cent vote share.

7.56 pm: Central Gujarat: In total – 41 per cent people will vote for BJP,
40 per cent people will vote Congress

7.48 pm: Central Gujarat: In rural areas – 43 per cent people will vote for
BJP, 47 per cent people will vote Congress

7.44 pm: South Gujarat: In total, BJP is expected to get40 per cent votes,
Congress is expected to get 42 per cent votes

7.41 pm: South Gujarat: In urban areas, BJP is expected to get 36 per cent
votes, Congress is expected to get 43 per cent votes

7.39 pm: South Gujarat: In rural areas, BJP is expected to get 44 per cent
votes, Congress is expected to get 42 per cent votes

7.29 pm: North Gujarat: In rural areas, BJP is expected to get 41 per cent
votes, Congress is expected to get 56 per cent votes

7.29 pm: North Gujarat: In urban areas, BJP is expected to get 46 per cent
votes.

7.25 pm: North Gujarat: This is massive lead for Congress. However, one
aspected to be kept in mind here is that PM Narendra Modi has not
campaigned in this region.

7.23 pm: North Gujarat: This is massive lead for Congress.

7.20 pm: North Gujarat: 45 per cent vote share for BJP, 49 per cent vote
share Cong

[GreenYouth] Why PSU Banks Wrote Off Loans Worth Rs 55,356 Crore in Six Months

2017-12-04 Thread Sukla Sen

https://thewire.in/201735/psu-banks-loan-write-off/

Why PSU Banks Wrote Off Loans Worth Rs 55,356 Crore in Six Months

BY THE WIRE STAFF ON 04/12/2017

According to banking sector experts, write-offs help bring down their tax
burden.

A cashier displays the new 2000 Indian rupee banknotes inside a bank in
Jammu, November 15, 2016. Credit: Reuters/Mukesh Gupta/File photo

New Delhi: Public sector banks (PSBs) have written off loans of Rs 55,356
crore during April-September 2017, nearly 54% more compared to the same
period last fiscal, as per data compiled by rating agency ICRA.

According to a report in the Indian Express on Monday, PSBs had written off
Rs 35,985 crore in loans during April-September 2016. The report also noted
that over the last decade, banks have written of Rs 2,28,253 crore in nine
years (from FY 2008 to FY 2016).

The spurt in PSBs’ asset write-downs is seen as the consequence of
bankruptcy proceedings that they have initiated against large corporate
defaulters following diktat by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

The combined bad loans of 21 PSBs are estimated at Rs 7.33 lakh crore as at
the end of September this year.

The RBI in June identified 12 large defaulters including Essar Steel,
Monnet Ispat, Bhushan Steel and Bhushan Steel and Power.

PSBs have dragged all these corporate houses to the National Company Law
Tribunal (NCLT) and the resolution process is in advanced stages.

According to banking sector experts, write-offs help bring down their tax
burden.

Udit Kariwala, senior analyst, India Ratings and Research, told The Wire,
“The increase in write-offs by PSBs can be attributed to reducing the
overall assets. Many banks reported a profit before tax (PBT) level loss. A
write off gives some relief as there are tax write back once a bank writes
off the exposure. The write off is also supported by the fact that the
stress recognising exercise accelerated two years back and now significant
portions of the assets have been added.”

The central bank too has clarified that these write-offs are basically
technical in nature and are carried out to cleanse bank balance sheets and
bring down tax burden.

“A substantial portion of this write-off is, however, technical in nature.
It is primarily intended at cleansing the balance sheet and achieving
taxation efficiency. In ‘Technically Written Off’ accounts, loans are
written off from the books at the Head Office, without foregoing the right
to recovery. Further, write-offs are generally carried out against
accumulated provisions made for such loans. Once recovered, the provisions
made for those loans flow back into the profit and loss account of banks,”
the RBI has said in a detailed note.

According to the RBI, PSBs had written off Rs 2.28 lakh crore in bad loans
in the nine years to fiscal 2015-16.

To avoid political controversy over the insolvency proceedings, the
government has tightened rules to bar wilful defaulters or those whose loan
accounts have been classified as non-performing assets for more than a year
from bidding their own assets in auctions which are to be conducted soon.

However, promoters whose companies defaulted on loan repayments due to loss
of revenue and profitability under unfavourable market conditions are also
being treated on par with wilful defaulters.

Sources said the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India is looking to
further tighten bankruptcy code to allow lenders to act against promoters
who have given personal guarantees for loans taken by their respective
companies.

The government amended the Banking Regulation Act in May this year to
empower the central bank to issue directions to PSBs to resolve their bad
loans. The extraordinary step was taken by the government as bankers were
shying away from taking decisions on resolution of loans which would
necessitate accepting deep haircuts for lenders. Bank officials feared that
they could face probes in the future if their decisions were seen as
favouring borrowers.

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[GreenYouth] Fitch Cuts India's GDP Growth Outlook For Current Fiscal Year To 6.7% (From 6.9% And For 2018-19 To 7.3% From 7.4%)

2017-12-04 Thread Sukla Sen

https://www.ndtv.com/business/fitch-cuts-indias-gdp-growth-outlook-for-current-fiscal-year-to-6-7-1783493

Fitch Cuts India's GDP Growth Outlook For Current Fiscal Year To 6.7%
The US-based ratings agency said growth has "repeatedly disappointed" in
recent quarters.
Business | Press Trust of India | Updated: December 04, 2017 20:07 IST

Fitch Cuts India's GDP Growth Outlook For Current Fiscal Year To 6.7%
The economy picked up in July-September quarter with GDP growing by 6.3%,
Fitch said.

HIGHLIGHTS
Fitch had earlier projected 6.9 per cent of GDP growth
The rebound was weaker than expected, the ratings agency said
Fitch also cut GDP growth forecast for 2018-19 fiscal year

New Delhi: Days after India's economy showed signs of recovery, Fitch
Ratings today cut the country's GDP growth forecast for the current fiscal
to 6.7 per cent from the earlier projected 6.9 per cent, saying the rebound
was weaker than expected.

It also cut GDP growth forecast for 2018-19 fiscal year to 7.3 per cent
from 7.4 per cent predicted in its September Global Economic Outlook (GEO).
Fitch, however, expects GDP growth to pick up in the next two years on back
of gradual implementation of the structural reform agenda and higher real
disposable income.

"The Indian economy picked up in 3Q17 (July-September), with GDP growing by
6.3 per cent year-on-year, up from 5.7 per cent in 2Q17.

"However, the rebound was weaker than we expected, and we have reduced our
growth forecast for the fiscal year to end-March 2018 (FY18) to 6.7 per
cent from 6.9 per cent in the September GEO," Fitch said in its latest GEO.

The US-based ratings agency said growth has "repeatedly disappointed" in
recent quarters, partly because of one-off factors including the
demonetisation programme of November 2016 and disruptions related to the
implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in July 2017.

Reversing a five-quarter slide in GDP growth, Indian economy bounced back
from a three-year low to expand by 6.3 per cent in July-September as
manufacturing revved up and businesses adjusted to the new GST tax regime.

The GDP growth in the second quarter of 2017-18 compares to 5.7 per cent in
April-June, the lowest growth rate since the Narendra Modi government took
office, and 7.5 per cent in the September quarter of the previous fiscal.

Stating that it expects GDP growth to pick up in the next two years, Fitch
said gradual implementation of the structural reform agenda is expected to
contribute to higher growth, as will higher real disposable income.

"Recent moves by the government should help support the growth outlook and
enhance business confidence," it said. The two-year bank recapitalisation
plan of Rs. 2.1 lakh crore, or 1.4 per cent of GDP, is likely to help
address the capital shortages that have hindered the banks' lending
capacity.

Also, the Rs. 6.9 lakh crore, or 4.5 per cent of GDP, road construction
plan may encourage the investment growth outlook. Inflation still running
at low levels on muted food prices and rupee appreciating quite sharply
against the US dollar since the beginning of this year give headroom for
the RBI to keep interest rates quite low in order to help lift the economy,
Fitch added.

It said pick-up in global growth has been better than expected and went on
to project 3.2 per cent expansion this year and 3.3 per cent next year.

China's slowdown is likely to be only modest, while the stabilisation in
commodity prices is helping emerging markets outside China to continue to
recover from the sharp downturn in 2015, it said.

China's economy is likely to slow in 2018, but the slowdown is expected to
be relatively modest with growth easing to 6.4 per cent from 6.8 per cent
this year.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and
is published from a syndicated feed.)
--
Peace Is Doable

[GreenYouth] I. A Report, Backed Up with Shots, on Dress Rehearsal on Dec. 5 1992 of Demolition of Babri Mosque Next Day and II. Atal Bihari Vajpayee's Speech in the Run-Up to Babri Masjid Demolition

2017-12-05 Thread Sukla Sen

I/II.
Babri mosque: The build-up to a demolition that shook India
by Praveen Jain

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-42106056

II.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee Provoking Speech Before Babri Masjid Demolition

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_Nvqqx5_Po&feature=youtu.be

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[GreenYouth] Red Alert! 'Modi government's FRDI bill may take away all your hard-earned money (kept in banks)'

2017-12-05 Thread Sukla Sen

[<>]

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/frdi-bill-banking-reforms-modi-government-india-parliament/1/1103422.html

Modi government's FRDI bill may take away all your hard-earned money
Here's how the Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance Bill may help the
banks take away all your hard-earned money. Without your consent!

IndiaToday.in | Edited by Neha Vashishth
Delhi, December 5, 2017 | UPDATED 10:34 IST

Photo: ReutersPhoto: Reuters

Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance Bill, 2017 is the new bomb that
may be dropped on commoners by the Modi government.
What is this bill all about and how is it going to affect you?

In June 2017, the Central government approved the FRDI Bill which is
intended to frame new rules for banks that are failing. It has created
panic among savings account holders. According to the Bill, if a bank is
failing, may be allowed to use depositors' money to stay afloat. What this
means is that the bank can reduce its liability of paying its depositors,
that is you, by either locking your money for a longer time or asking you
to take a hit on your deposits.

Currently, your deposit in the bank is insured up to a specified
limit.According to the 1961 Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee
Corporation Act, up to Rs 1 lakh of your money deposited in a bank is
insured if a bank were to fail. In practice, however, the Reserve Bank has
ensured that this never happens. Failing, or weak banks, have been merged
or allowed to be taken over by healthier banks including their liabilities.

But the proposed banking reforms bill will change that. That, some say,
will give government banks, private banks and insurance agencies more power
over your money.

FYI | What is a bail-in?

The Bill provides for "bail-in" powers to banks. A rescuing body known as
Resolution Corporation has been proposed under the Bill which can use your
money in case the bank sinks.This is different from a traditional bailout
in which government's money helps bank tide over the crisis. In case of a
bail-in, it is the bank's own deposits (that is your money) that is used to
rescue the bank or reduce its liabilities.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

When you deposit money in a bank or invest in fixed deposits, you trust the
bank with keeping your money safe, forever. Even a remote possibility of
you having to lose it all or even part of it for no fault of yours is
disturbing.

We take you through 10 steps which will help you understand the Bill:

TAKE A LOOK:

Under Section 52 of the FRDI Bill, the rescue body can cancel even the Rs 1
lakh insurance that you get under the current law. In this case, a bank can
even declare that they don't owe you any money at all.

The same Section provides an option to the rescue body to modify a bank's
liability. For example, if you deposit a certain amount of money for a
certain period of time as savings (say, 5 or 10 years), the bank can keep
the money in a locked-in period (in a FD) and change the time period
without consulting you.

According to the bill, the bank may be exempted to fulfill its promises to
depositors in extreme cases. This means you lose all your money.

This can happen in case of an economic downturn, when banks (who provide
money to large corporations who are unable to repay the amount) ask for a
bail-in option.

The bank may turn your savings into a fixed deposit without asking you and
that too at a lower interest rate and you cannot even challenge it, unless,
you challenge the law.

This is the first time that a Bill of this sort has been proposed in India.
However, it has happened before in a few countries. ADeccan Chronicle
report said a bail-in provision was used in Bank of Cyprus in 2013 which
led to a loss of money of half of its depositors who were uninsured (the
people who had deposited money over a certain limit).

It is going to challenge the rights of a commoner as ideally, the
government should look for money held by big corporations in case of a
bail-in but, that won't be the case once this Bill is passed.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that if this Bill is passed in the
Parliament, the depositors' rights may go down the drain, that is if the
bank is going down the drain.

Editor's Note: The story has been edited once to give it more clarity.

--
Peace Is Doable

[GreenYouth] Re: I. A Report, Backed Up with Shots, on Dress Rehearsal on Dec. 5 1992 of Demolition of Babri Mosque Next Day and II. Atal Bihari Vajpayee's Speech in the Run-Up to Babri Masjid Demolit

2017-12-06 Thread Sukla Sen

The role of Advani or Uma Bharti or Murli Manohar Joshi or Singhal brothers
et al are fairly wellknown.
Though with time, memory fades.

What's far less known is this speech of Vajpayee.

And, hardly acknowledged is the role of the Supreme Court.
It allowed the VHP to go ahead with the Kar Seva, when the whole world knew,
never mind the undertaking(s) given, what'd be the outcome.
An observer was deputed by the Supreme Court at the site.
Let alone trying to intervene, there's not even a report known to have been
submitted to the SC as regards how the things unfolded.
I can't even recall his name.

Both the account of the photographer and, even more, Vajpayee's speech, in
a way, draw our attention to that aspect.

As far as I recall, the fire-eating leaders of the two Babri Masjid defence
committees went completely silent in the immediate wake of the demolition.
No one showed the courage even to go on a protest hunger strike.
Of course, those were very difficult days.

The Union Government dismissed the state government.
The RSS was banned, for a while.
In the following poll, the SP-BSP alliance would come to power.

Sukla

On 5 December 2017 at 21:59, Sukla Sen  wrote:

>
> I/II.
> Babri mosque: The build-up to a demolition that shook India
> by Praveen Jain
>
> http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-42106056
>
> II.
> Atal Bihari Vajpayee Provoking Speech Before Babri Masjid Demolition
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_Nvqqx5_Po&feature=youtu.be
>
> --
> Peace Is Doable
>
>
>

-- 
Peace Is Doable

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[GreenYouth] 6 Decemeber 1992: Two More Accounts

2017-12-06 Thread Sukla Sen

[The role of Advani or Uma Bharti or Murli Manohar Joshi or Singhal brothers
et al are fairly wellknown.
Though with time, memory fades.

But, hardly acknowledged is the role of the Supreme Court.
It allowed the VHP to go ahead with the Kar Seva, when the whole world knew,
never mind the undertaking(s) given, what'd be the outcome.

An observer had been deputed by the Supreme Court at the site, to monitor
the developments n real time.
Let alone trying to intervene, there's not even a report known to have been
submitted to the SC as regards how the things unfolded.
I can't even recall his name.

Manoj Mitta's comment at sl. no. II below, throws light on the SC's role
post demolition.

As far as I recall, the fire-eating leaders of the two Babri Masjid defence
committees went completely silent in the immediate wake of the demolition.
No one showed the courage even to go on a protest hunger strike.
Of course, those were very difficult days.

The Union Government dismissed the state government.
The RSS was banned, for a while.
In the following poll, the SP-BSP alliance would come to power.]

I/II.
What happened that day and in the run-up?
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1890126057669307&id=10157934209

II.
II.
https://thewire.in/202204/babri-masjid-demolition-supreme-court/

When Even the Supreme Court Let Down the Nation
BY MANOJ MITTA ON 06/12/2017 • LEAVE A COMMENT
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It did nothing to hold to account the BJP leaders who gave false assurances
to the court before the Ayodhya demolition.


Babri masjid demolition on December 6, 1992. Credit: PTI
Twenty five years after the demolition of the Babri Masjid, The Wire,
through a series of articles and videos captures how the act of destruction
changed India forever.

§

“It may be mentioned that the present government of Uttar Pradesh has an
enviable record of maintaining law and order in the state, particularly in
maintaining communal harmony.”

Thus spoke the Kalyan Singh government in an affidavit before the Supreme
Court in the run-up to the demolition of the Babri Masjid, which took place
on this day 25 years ago. It was on the basis of this affidavit that the
Supreme Court allowed a “symbolic kar seva” to be held on the fateful day,
with far-reaching repercussions for communal harmony across the country.



Filed on November 27, 1992, the four-page affidavit signed by Shekhar
Agarwal, special secretary in the Uttar Pradesh government’s home
department, made this deceptive claim about its law and order record in
order to dissuade the Supreme Court from entrusting the responsibility of
protecting the mosque to the Central government headed by P.V.  Narasimha
Rao.

What was in contention was whether the kar seva that was proposed to be
held on December 6, 1992, with the backing of the Bharatiya Janata Party,
was likely to violate the status quo order passed by the Allahabad high
court pending the disposal of the Ayodhya title suits.

In a bid to dispel apprehensions of any danger to the disputed structure,
the affidavit cited a letter from BJP MP Swami Chinmayanand, who was one of
the organisers of the proposed kar seva. Chinmayanand wrote:

“In response to a communication from the Uttar Pradesh government that kar
seva may be performed from December 6 onwards without violating the high
court’s order, I wish to convey that the government’s proposal has received
a favorable response from several members of the Kar Seva Samiti and that
other members are also being contacted in this respect.”
Chinmayanand’s letter was followed by one from another BJP MP, Vijayaraje
Scindia, who was among the founding leaders of the party. Scindia’s letter
said:

“In response to the discussions with the government of Uttar Pradesh, I
concur with the statement of Swami Chinmayanand dated 27th November 1992
that Kar Seva would be performed on 6th December, 1992 without violating
the court order.”
These letters were produced to bolster the Kalyan Singh government’s claim
that the response to its negotiations with the various interested parties
had been “positive”. It said that it was “now confident” that as long as
the status quo order was in force, “no construction, permanent or
temporary, will take place”. Significantly, it added that “though to allay
the religious aspirations of the Ram bhakts, kar seva other than by way of
construction, as stated may take place.”

As a corollary, the Supreme Court gave its go-ahead to what it called the
symbolic kar seva for performing rituals that would not violate the interim
order to maintain the status quo on the disputed site of 2.77 acres. It did
not evidently foresee that the government’s plea for allowing “kar seva
other than by way of construction” would turn out to be demolition of the
mosque under the benign gaze of the police.

In its affidavit, the Kalyan Singh government was also at pains to say that
it was “fully competent to prevent the violation of the court’s order and
the assistance of f

[GreenYouth] I. 'On Ayodhya Case, PM Modi Attacks Congress (for Linking Rama Mandir with Elections in His Gujarat Election Campaign)' and II. 'Rahul is ‘Babar bhakt’ & ‘kin of Khilji’: BJP attacks Gan

2017-12-06 Thread Sukla Sen

[Irony of ironies!

The attempt to delink Ram Mandir from election, by deferring the hearing
after the coming Lok Sabha poll, is being dubbed as "linking Ram Mandir
with elections", and it is being done as a part of an ongoing poll campaign
in Gujarat!
How meaning of words is made to stand right on its head!

Not only that, all at the same time, elsewhere, with the same poll campaign
as the backdrop, the BJP attacks Rahul as "Babar Bhakt"!

So very rediculous, and so very routine as well!

In terms of shrillness, it has almost gone back to the 1992 days.

And, by training all their blazing guns on the Congress, and Rahul in
particular, the Hindutva forces are are only shoring up their severely
sagging reputation as the principal pole in mobilisation and fight against
communalism!]

I/II.
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/why-link-ram-mandir-and-elections-pm-in-sharp-attack-on-congress-1784281

On Ayodhya Case, PM Modi Attacks Congress, Praises Waqf Board: 10 Points
PM Narendra Modi, at a rally in poll-bound Gujarat said, "Now the Congress
links the Ram Mandir with elections. They are least bothered about the
nation."

All India |
Reported by Rohit Bhan, Edited by Debanish Achom |
Updated: December 06, 2017 21:34 IST

On Ayodhya Case, PM Modi Attacks Congress, Praises Waqf Board: 10 Points

Click to Play
Gujarat Assembly Election 2017: PM Narendra Modi attacked Congress over
Kapil Sibal's Ayodhya remark

DHANDHUKA, GUJARAT: Four days before Gujarat votes and exactly 25 years
after the Babri masjid was razed in Ayodhya, the Ram temple issue has
stormed back into a centre of a row, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi
making a sharp attack today on the Congress over its leader Kapil Sibal's
plea in the Supreme Court to defer hearing in the Ayodhya case till after
the 2019 parliamentary elections. The PM said that that while he has "no
problems with Kapil Sibal representing Muslims, why does he have to link
Ram Mandir with the Lok Sabha elections. Is this thinking proper?"

Here is your 10-point cheatsheet to the story:

1. PM Modi was addressing an election rally in Gujarat's Dhandhuka, when he
hit out at the Congress over Mr Sibal's remarks. "Now the Congress links
the Ram Mandir with elections. They are least bothered about the nation,"
he said.

2. At another rally, PM Modi congratulated the Sunni Waqf Board for "their
brave stand on the matter and disassociating themselves from the statement
of Kapil Sibal".

3. Senior lawyer Kapil Sibal yesterday asked the Supreme Court to postpone
hearing in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute till after the 2019 Lok
Sabha elections, arguing that the BJP has said "the Ram temple will be
built before 2019 through legal means... They want to make it part of their
election manifesto and the court should not fall into the trap."

4. The Supreme Court rejected his appeal and said it would begin final
hearings from February 8 on the disputed site claimed by both Hindus and
Muslims. It is hearing petitions against a 2010 Allahabad High Court
verdict which divided the disputed site in three parts -- one each for
Hindu group Nirmohi Akhara, the Ram Lalla or infant Lord Ram represented by
the Hindu Mahasabha, and the Sunni Waqf Board which handles properties
owned by Sunni Muslims.

5. The Sunni Waqf Board, one of the groups who Mr Sibal was seen to be
representing in court, disowned his comments. "Yes, Kapil Sibal is our
lawyer but he is also related to a political party, his statement in the
Supreme Court yesterday was wrong. We want a solution to the issue at the
earliest," said Haji Mehboob of the board.

6. But Mr Sibal later hit back at the PM Modi, insisting that the board
wasn't his client. "Our PM comments without knowing things sometimes. Amit
Shah and he said I represented the Sunni Waqf Board. I was never a Sunni
Waqf Board lawyer," he said.

7. The Congress has already distanced itself from Mr Sibal's comments.
"Kapil Sibal has clearly stated that he appeared as an individual and not
on behalf of Congress... the ideology and faith of Congress is in sync with
the judicial process and judiciary of our country," said the party's
Jyotiraditya Scindia today.

8. On Tuesday, BJP chief Amit Shah said Congress boss Rahul Gandhi must
clarify his party's stand on the Ram temple. The BJP, Mr Shah said, is
clear it wants the dispute resolved at the soonest. "The Supreme Court
should give a judgment and a grand Ram temple should be built in Ayodhya,"
he said.

9. The BJP, whose political growth was powered by its Ram temple campaign
in the 1990s, has in recent years relegated the issue to the back pages of
its election manifestos. But the appointment of saffron-robed priest Yogi
Adityanath as UP chief minister earlier this year was seen to indicate that
the party could again bring back the Ram temple issue to the forefront of
its agenda as it preps for the 2019 national election.

10. Yogi Adityanath has asserted that building a Ram temple is a key
agenda, including in his campa

[GreenYouth] Two Latest Peeks into Trump Presidency: I. 'U.S. to Recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital' and II. 'Republicans just received 2 alarming reviews of their tax plan'

2017-12-06 Thread Sukla Sen

I/II.
[President Trump plans to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and
move the American Embassy there, upending nearly seven decades of American
foreign policy and potentially destroying his efforts to broker peace
between Israel and the Palestinians.]

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/12/05/world/middleeast/american-embassy-israel-trump-move.html?referer=android-app%3A%2F%2Fcom.google.android.gm

U.S. to Recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital, Trump Says, Alarming
Middle East Leaders

By CAMILLA SCHICK 1:46
Why Jerusalem Is So Contested
Video President Trump is expected to declare recognition of Jerusalem as
Israel’s capital.

Here’s why that's so fraught.
ODED BALILTY/ASSOCIATED PRESS

By MARK LANDLER and DAVID M. HALBFINGER
DECEMBER 5, 2017

WASHINGTON — President Trump plans to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of
Israel and move the American Embassy there, upending nearly seven decades
of American foreign policy and potentially destroying his efforts to broker
peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

Mr. Trump’s decision, a high-risk foray into the thicket of the Middle
East, was driven not by diplomatic calculations but by a campaign promise.
He appealed to evangelicals and ardently pro-Israel American Jews in 2016
by vowing to move the embassy, and advisers said on Tuesday he was
determined to make good on his word.

But the president, faced with a deadline of this past Monday to make that
decision, still plans to sign a national security waiver to keep the
embassy in Tel Aviv for an additional six months, even as he set in motion
a plan to move it to Jerusalem. Officials said the process would take
several years.

More significantly, Mr. Trump is set to announce his formal recognition of
Jerusalem as the Israeli capital in a formal speech at the White House on
Wednesday, when he will become the first American president to take that
step since the founding of Israel in 1948.

The Times will have live coverage of the address, which is scheduled to
take place at 1 p.m. Eastern time in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the
White House. Follow along for the latest updates.

Mr. Trump spent Tuesday morning explaining the policy change in telephone
calls with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel; Mahmoud Abbas, the
Palestinian Authority president; and to Arab leaders who warned him that it
would disrupt the peace process, perhaps fatally, and could unleash a new
wave of violence across the region.

“Moving the U.S. embassy is a dangerous step that provokes the feelings of
Muslims around the world,” King Salman of Saudi Arabia told Mr. Trump in
their call, according to Saudi state television.

Late on Tuesday, Palestinian national and Islamic groups issued a joint
statement calling for three days of “popular anger” to protest Mr. Trump’s
move, beginning on Wednesday throughout the Palestinian territories and in
demonstrations at United States embassies and consulates around the world.

Fearing attacks, the American consulate in Jerusalem barred employees and
family members from going to the Old City or the West Bank, while the State
Department urged embassies around the world to tighten their security.

Jerusalem is one of the world’s most fiercely contested swaths of real
estate, with both sides disputing each other’s claims. West Jerusalem is
the seat of Israel’s government, but the Palestinians view East Jerusalem
as the capital of a future Palestinian state, and most of the world
considers it occupied territory. Jerusalem’s Old City has the third-holiest
mosque in Islam and the holiest site in Judaism, making the city’s status a
sensitive issue for Muslims and Jews worldwide alike.

Mr. Trump’s decision drew applause from some in Israel and the United
States, even if Mr. Netanyahu and the Israeli government were studiously
silent in advance of the president’s speech.

“The U.S. recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is a positive and
important step, particularly amid Palestinian efforts to undermine the
historic ties between the Jewish nation and the City of David,” said Amos
Yadlin, executive director of Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National
Security Studies.

Morton Klein, president of the Zionist Organization of America, said, “It
is high time to move the embassy to Jerusalem.” He added, “Not moving it to
Jerusalem for 22 years has not brought us closer to peace.”

White House officials said Mr. Trump remained committed to what he has
called the “ultimate deal” between Israel and the Palestinians. The
decision, they said, was “recognition of current and historic reality.”
They said it could hasten, rather than impede, peace negotiations by
removing a source of ambiguity from the American position.

Mr. Trump, officials said, would make clear that the United States is not
taking a position on whether, or how, Jerusalem is divided between Israel
and the Palestinians. He will also not take a position on a disputed area
of the Old City, known as the Temple Mount to Jews a

[GreenYouth] Jignesh Mevani Attacked by Alleged BJP Supporters – for the Fourth Time

2017-12-06 Thread Sukla Sen

I/II.
https://newsclick.in/jignesh-mevani-attacked-alleged-bjp-supporters-fourth-time

Jignesh Mevani Attacked by Alleged BJP Supporters – for the Fourth Time
Dalit leader Mevani has been raising farmers’ issues and exposing the
“fake” Gujarat model of BJP.
Newsclick Report  06 Dec 2017

On 05 December, Dalit leader and Assembly elections candidate from Vagdam
constituency Jignesh Mevani, was attacked allegedly by BJP supporters
during his campaign at Patosan and Takkarwada villages. So far four such
attacks on Mevani have been reported after he filed his nomination for the
Scheduled Caste reserved constituency.

In the latest attack, in which Mevani had escaped unhurt narrowly, alleged
BJP supporters damaged two cars being used in his campaign. In Vagdam of
Banaskantha district, the contest is mainly between Mevani and Vijay
Chakravarthi, BJP’s candidate. Congress did not field their candidate as
part of the electoral alliance with Mevani’s Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch.
Reportedly, BJP members had also disrupted Mevani’s procession in Tarakwara
on the same day.

In his campaign, Mevani has been highlighting the farmer's distress in
Gujarat and the problems facing by the farmers in Vagdam in particular.

Responding to the attack, Mevani said that he had “taken a direct fight by
raising the issue of BJP’s anti-people policies in Gujarat.” He added that
in his Vagdam campaign, he has been exposing the BJP's fake development
model.

“That is why, instead of going to public and talking on issues, BJP is
attacking me everywhere. But, the people of Vadgam have given me a lot of
support. I will continue to work hard on public issues, and will keep on
challenging these acts of BJP,” he said.

Jignesh Mevani, 36, a lawyer by profession, has emerged as a leader of
Dalit Movement in Gujarat. He is the convener of Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar
Manch and Una Dalit Atyachar Ladhai Samiti. In recent times, Mevani has
gained popularity among Dalit communities and Youth when he hit the streets
of Gujarat raising questions about the policies of BJP government. His
organization has been demanding distribution of land among landless Dalits
and Tribals, a neglected policy by the BJP government in the state while
fighting for the same in the state’s high court.

This is not the first time that the BJP members are accused of such attacks
on opposition leaders. In August, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s
car was allegedly attacked by BJP cadre in Banaskantha district. In the
incident, stones were pelted on Mr. Gandhi’s car which broke the
windowpanes. Rahul Gandhi, who escaped unhurt was then in a tour meeting
flood-affected families after 61 deaths were reported due to floods in
Banaskantha district alone.

II.
Jignesh Mevani speaks on the attacks
https://www.facebook.com/jigneshmevaniofficial/videos/2182832641742213/
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[GreenYouth] Chilling Murder In Rajasthan On Video. Man Hacks Labourer [Muslim Migrant from West Bengal], Burns Him [Video Goes Viral]

2017-12-07 Thread Sukla Sen

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/chilling-murder-in-rajasthans-rajsamand-on-video-man-hacks-labourer-burns-him-1784669

Chilling Murder In Rajasthan On Video. Man Hacks Labourer, Burns Him
In one of two clips posted online, Shambhu Lal, in a red shirt, white
trousers and a white muffler, is seen leading Ifrazul to a spot in the
woods. The police say the labourer may have been led to believe he was
there for a job. The administration is watching out for trouble in
Rajsamand, a district around five hours from state capital Jaipur.

All India | Reported by Harsha Kumari Singh, Edited by Deepshikha Ghosh |

Updated: December 07, 2017 14:52 IST

Chilling Murder In Rajasthan On Video. Man Hacks Labourer, Burns Him
Click to Play [Video]

The killer has been identified as Shambhu Lal and the man he murdered is
believed to be Ifrazul.

HIGHLIGHTS
Video shows Shambhu Lal repeatedly attacking Afrazul with a weapon
Police believe a third person could've been involved
Internet suspended in Rajsamand where the incident took place

In a stomach-turning video that is viral, a man in Rajasthan hacks another
man to death and burns the body while keeping up an inflammatory communal
rant against "love jihad", the term used by right-wing groups who accuse
Muslim men of drawing Hindu women into relationships and converting them.

Internet has been suspended in Rajsamand to stop the circulation of two
video clips that were posted on WhatsApp, allegedly by the killer. State
Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria says the accused man, identified as
Shambhu Lal, has been arrested. His family says he is mentally unhinged,
according to the police.

The police believe a half-burnt body they found this morning near a road in
Rajsamand could be that of the victim in the video - 45-year-old Ifrazul, a
daily wage labourer from West Bengal.

In one of two clips posted online, Shambhu Lal, in a red shirt, white
trousers and a white muffler, is seen leading Ifrazul to a spot in the
woods. The police say the labourer may have been led to believe he was
there for a job.

Shambhu Lal follows him and attacks him repeatedly with an axe. Loud
wailing and screams for help are heard as the video becomes increasingly
difficult to watch.

When the victim falls silent, Shambhu Lal looks into the camera and
launches into a deranged hate speech, declaring that he killed to save a
woman from "love jihad". He takes the blood-soaked axe and strikes at the
prone figure once more before setting it on fire.

"If I have to die, I will kill some and die," he says, making references to
Ayodhya, the "Padmavati" film controversy and the Hindi film PK, which
featured a romance between an Indian and a Pakistani. Apparently referring
to Hindu-Muslim relationships, he threatens to "find each one of them and
kill."

The police believe a third person may have filmed the murder.

The administration is watching out for trouble in Rajsamand, a district
around five hours from state capital Jaipur.

"It is shocking how he killed the man and made a video of it. The accused
has been arrested and a special investigation team (SIT) has been set
up...Any person will be disturbed by the video," Home Minister Kataria said.

Senior police officers have been sent to Rajsamand to prevent any flare-up.

The opposition Congress said the murder on video proves there is no
governance in Rajasthan.

"There is no fear of law here, no fear of police... there is no
government," said Congress leader Sachin Pilot, adding, "We must set an
example where people must fear that there is a government that will set
certain rules."
--
Peace Is Doable

[GreenYouth] (Indian) Radio Jockey (In Qatar) Steps Down (Facing Threats to Life) After Supporting Muslim Girls For Dancing

2017-12-07 Thread Sukla Sen

https://ultra.news/t-t/35352/kerala-radio-jockey-steps-supporting-muslim-girls-dancing/

Radio Jockey Steps Down After Supporting Muslim Girls For Dancing

Trisha Thomas 2017-12-05

Radio Jockey Sooraj of 98.6 FM, a Malayalam Radio station in Qatar, has
announced that he is stepping down from his role at the station following a
social media outcry over his comments supporting three Muslim girls who
danced publicly at an AIDS awareness function in Kerala.


RJ Sooraj
Following the usual style of his Facebook videos, RJ Sooraj had mocked
religious fundamentalists who were criticizing the girls and called the the
girls ‘courageous and bold’.

The self-confessed Left-leaning RJ had built up quite a fan base Qatar for
his strong ‘anti-Fascist’ stance. He regularly attacks the rise of the
Hindu right wing in his videos.

However, pointed out the RJ in his apology video, “the same people who used
to say ‘I support Sooraj’ have now changed to ‘I hate Sooraj’.”

“A lot of people have threatened to burn me alive, beat me, kill me,
imprison me and so on…

“I have understood my mistake. I will never come up with such a video
again. I will no longer be hosting my show from 7-9 pm. I will try not to
appear again on this radio station as a host again,” he said in his latest
video that has already been viewed 300,000 times in just two hours.

ANTI-FASCIST HERO

RJ Sooraj’s original video supporting the girls’ right to dance publicly
followed his usual ‘anti-Fascist’ style in which he took fundamentalists —
usually from the Hindu right wing — to task.

“I came across three really bold girls in a video,” said RJ Sooraj in his
original video on his Facebook profile. “However, instead of encouraging
them, a lot of (cranks) have invaded social media saying things like ‘you
are not supposed to do this, you are supposed to remain inside your homes,
you are going straight to hell’,” he said, mocking the tone of voice that
many of the critics were taking.

He reminded them that barely a week ago, they were making exhortations
about women’s rights.

“Just one week ago, these very same people had come out with exhortations
about female liberty, calling for the freedom of Hadiya. You even put the
Supreme Court in the docks, asking whether Hadiya had no personal freedoms?
Didn’t she have the right to live as she wants?”

“I want to ask you now: Don’t these three girls also have personal freedom?
Don’t they have the right to dance? Or is personal freedom something that
you give as an ‘add-on offer’ only to those who come to your religion from
other religions?”

Sooraj went on to say that it is the duty of moderates in all religions to
keep such extremists in check.

BLOWBACK

RJ Sooraj’s criticism seemed to have hit a raw nerve among many Muslim
non-resident Keralites working in the Gulf, particularly his imitation of
the tone of religious speeches.

Besides unleashing an online campaign involving comments on the RJ’s
Facebook Page, miffed ‘fans’ of the RJ moved to get the star fired from his
Radio Station.

However, before coming up with the apology video, Sooraj tried to reason
with his ‘fans’ with another Facebook post.

“Why so much intolerance when someone speaks his opinion?” Sooraj asked in
a post on Monday.

“Is this how you used to react when I was discussing (extremism) coming
from another religion?.. Those who are threatening to kill me and cursing
me, is this what you have learnt from the religion of peace?” he asked in a
post that continues to remain on his Facebook profile.

REACTIONS

While the apology and resignation offer has calmed nerves on one side, it
has also created its own reactions.

The most ‘liked’ comment under the apology video is one from Sudhish Babu,
with about 1,800 likes in one hour.

“I hope you understood what real intolerance feels like. Your mistake was
in expecting the same kind of reaction that you get when you criticize Modi
and RSS,” Babu said.

On the other hand, many miffed fans seemed to have been placated by the
resignation. “When someone we love hurts us, it becomes unbearable,” said
Shajahan Thannikkal in a comment that has been liked 1,700 times in one
hour. “This was not about religion or extremism. Your comments hurt us, and
we welcome your decision to say you were wrong,” he said.

In his apology video, the RJ said fame and reputation were like a fine a
rose blooming on the side of stream.

“I have realized that it doesn’t take much for it to disappear like a rose
whose petals are carried away by the stream,” said Sooraj.


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[GreenYouth] Easy win for BJP in Gujarat, but likely to miss 150-seat mark: Times Now-VMR survey

2017-12-07 Thread Sukla Sen

[The BJP is expected to secure 111 seats in the 182-member House, while the
Congress, backed by Hardik Patel's will finish a distant second with 68
seats, seven more than what it bagged in the previous state polls. Other
parties finish at the bottom of the table with only 3 seats apiece.
The survey results reveal that the BJP's vote-share has declined by 3 per
cent and the Congress has increased its vote-share by 1 per cent since the
2012 election.]

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/easy-win-for-bjp-in-gujarat-but-likely-to-miss-150-seat-mark-times-now-vmr-survey/articleshow/61952204.cms

Easy win for BJP in Gujarat, but likely to miss 150-seat mark: Times
Now-VMR survey

TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Updated: Dec 7, 2017, 13:03 IST

(Image used for representation)Easy win for BJP in Gujarat, but likely to
miss 150-seat mark: Times Now-VMR survey

NEW DELHI: An opinion survey conducted by Times Now-VMR predicts an easy
win for the BJP in Gujarat Assembly election, but the party will fall short
of its ambitious 150-seat mark.

The BJP is expected to secure 111 seats in the 182-member House, while the
Congress, backed by Hardik Patel's will finish a distant second with 68
seats, seven more than what it bagged in the previous state polls. Other
parties finish at the bottom of the table with only 3 seats apiece.

The survey results reveal that the BJP's vote-share has declined by 3 per
cent and the Congress has increased its vote-share by 1 per cent since the
2012 election.

guj surv

The ruling BJP leads the pack in all four regions of Gujarat. The forecast
sees the saffron party bettering its performance in Central and South
Gujarat, but losing 5 per cent of its vote share in North Gujarat, where
Congress is resurgent. The results also point to a close fight between the
BJP and Congress in the Kutch-Saurashtra region.

Chief minister Vijay Rupani continues to remain popular in the state, with
36 per cent respondents supporting the incumbent's return as head of the
state government.

grp1

Further, majority of people retain faith in the Modi model of development
and believe that the state has benefited from big projects like the Sardar
Sarovar dam, which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister amid much fanfare
earlier this year.

--
Peace Is Doable

[GreenYouth] Re: Chilling Murder In Rajasthan On Video. Man Hacks Labourer [Muslim Migrant from West Bengal], Burns Him [Video Goes Viral]

2017-12-07 Thread Sukla Sen

A comment from a Friend on FB to my post on this issue:

<< i have a feeling these hindutva brigade is trying their level best to
make muslims so angry that they start taking revenge on the hindus and that
will play very well for winning next election--as these people can not
manage economy at all.>>

While this ghastly act may even be by a "lone wolf", motivated by the
systematic hate campaign and constant incitement to violence, polarising
the Indian populace across the religious divides is, of course, the larger
game plan.

The task of the moment is to fight it without falling into that trap.
Not an easy one, by any account.

Sukla

On 7 December 2017 at 17:02, Sukla Sen  wrote:

>
> https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/chilling-murder-in-
> rajasthans-rajsamand-on-video-man-hacks-labourer-burns-him-1784669
>
> Chilling Murder In Rajasthan On Video. Man Hacks Labourer, Burns Him
> In one of two clips posted online, Shambhu Lal, in a red shirt, white
> trousers and a white muffler, is seen leading Ifrazul to a spot in the
> woods. The police say the labourer may have been led to believe he was
> there for a job. The administration is watching out for trouble in
> Rajsamand, a district around five hours from state capital Jaipur.
>
> All India | Reported by Harsha Kumari Singh, Edited by Deepshikha Ghosh |
>
> Updated: December 07, 2017 14:52 IST
>
> Chilling Murder In Rajasthan On Video. Man Hacks Labourer, Burns Him
> Click to Play [Video]
>
> The killer has been identified as Shambhu Lal and the man he murdered is
> believed to be Ifrazul.
>
> HIGHLIGHTS
> Video shows Shambhu Lal repeatedly attacking Afrazul with a weapon
> Police believe a third person could've been involved
> Internet suspended in Rajsamand where the incident took place
>
> In a stomach-turning video that is viral, a man in Rajasthan hacks another
> man to death and burns the body while keeping up an inflammatory communal
> rant against "love jihad", the term used by right-wing groups who accuse
> Muslim men of drawing Hindu women into relationships and converting them.
>
> Internet has been suspended in Rajsamand to stop the circulation of two
> video clips that were posted on WhatsApp, allegedly by the killer. State
> Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria says the accused man, identified as
> Shambhu Lal, has been arrested. His family says he is mentally unhinged,
> according to the police.
>
> The police believe a half-burnt body they found this morning near a road
> in Rajsamand could be that of the victim in the video - 45-year-old
> Ifrazul, a daily wage labourer from West Bengal.
>
> In one of two clips posted online, Shambhu Lal, in a red shirt, white
> trousers and a white muffler, is seen leading Ifrazul to a spot in the
> woods. The police say the labourer may have been led to believe he was
> there for a job.
>
> Shambhu Lal follows him and attacks him repeatedly with an axe. Loud
> wailing and screams for help are heard as the video becomes increasingly
> difficult to watch.
>
> When the victim falls silent, Shambhu Lal looks into the camera and
> launches into a deranged hate speech, declaring that he killed to save a
> woman from "love jihad". He takes the blood-soaked axe and strikes at the
> prone figure once more before setting it on fire.
>
> "If I have to die, I will kill some and die," he says, making references
> to Ayodhya, the "Padmavati" film controversy and the Hindi film PK, which
> featured a romance between an Indian and a Pakistani. Apparently referring
> to Hindu-Muslim relationships, he threatens to "find each one of them and
> kill."
>
>
> The police believe a third person may have filmed the murder.
>
> The administration is watching out for trouble in Rajsamand, a district
> around five hours from state capital Jaipur.
>
> "It is shocking how he killed the man and made a video of it. The accused
> has been arrested and a special investigation team (SIT) has been set
> up...Any person will be disturbed by the video," Home Minister Kataria said.
>
> Senior police officers have been sent to Rajsamand to prevent any flare-up.
>
> The opposition Congress said the murder on video proves there is no
> governance in Rajasthan.
>
> "There is no fear of law here, no fear of police... there is no
> government," said Congress leader Sachin Pilot, adding, "We must set an
> example where people must fear that there is a government that will set
> certain rules."
> --
> Peace Is Doable
>
>
>


-- 
Peace Is Doable

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