E magazine dec2013 lokayat by sahani group

VOL 3 < ISSUE 10< DECEMBER, 2013

INSIDE

SHREE MAA PRAKASHAN PVT. LTD.

Group Editor M.K. Tiwari Editor Vinod Varshney Executive Editor Dr. Bhagya Rajeshwari Ratna Assistant Editor Anjalika Rajlakshmi Campus Editor Adithi Sonali Cine Editor Meera Singh Special Correspondent A.K. Chaturvedi Regional Editor M.P. Aaditya Tewari Regional Editor C.G. Gopal Thawait

Battle Won, But War Ahead

Senior Graphic Designer Ashi Sinha

Final nod for Telangana Bill, Anger erupts

Fight for Sardar Patel’s legacy

United opposition for 2014 elections?

www.lokayat.co.in

World All possibilities are open in UP

Hasina sitting on a volcano

Odisha Naveen smells an opportunity

Bihar Nitish Kumar’s ‘toilet’ rhetorics

Maharashtra

Congress back on the road to recovery

Karnataka Siddu forced on the backfoot

Chandy’s mass contact programme a great hit

Himachal Hamirpur—New Battleground

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LETTERS

CONTESTS ARE TOUGH, INDEED The main article detailing electoral scenario in five states is truly informative. Gives a good idea of what is happening on the ground and what is in the offing. Now election results are eagerly expected. Certainly contests are tough everywhere and it should be like this only. Otherwise ruling party leaders would think they are the rulers for good. The emergence of Aam Admi Party in Delhi looks to me a new and interesting feature of Indian politics. So far as Chhattisgarh is concerned, being from this state, I can claim that the state is again going to the BJP and Congress may not score well in the next Lok Sabha poll too. The sympathy wave generated in favour of Congress after killings of Congress leaders cannot overturn all the good work done by Dr Raman Singh. Er Rakhi Tewari, Bhilai

SCINDIA SHOULD CONTINUE TO HOLD FORT Despite the Congress fielding endearing Jyotiraditya Scindia in the race for the chief minister, I do not

| LOKAYAT DECEMBER, 2013

think the Congress can win the elections that easily. Yes, Congress may come in the fight against the formidable chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Though the article does not seem to give much value to Narendra Modi, my hunch is he would be able to consolidate BJP votes effectively. The Congress may not be able to win the electoral battle this time round, but one thing is for sure that if the party continues to projects Scindia scion in the state, its revival is a foregone conclusion by the next assembly election, as for the first time Congress appeared to be moving well directed under one leader in MP, a state where presence of a battery of top leaders have always created confusion in the party. Manav Jain, Indore

HOW HOMEOPATHY CURES? How homeopathy cures is a wonderful article by Koomitara. This is true that physics’ and chemistry’s fundamental principles

seem to be defied, but consider the fact that the science is a progressing thing. There are many questions which science has not been able to answer so far. There are only hypotheses. Verification of many hypotheses is still awaited. Time would come when some proven theory would explain the chemical mechanism behind the efficacy of homeopathic medicines. Meanwhile I have to ask a question why homeopathic doctors do not give their prescriptions in writing like Doctors of other systems of

medicine. There should be a law binding on homeopathic doctors to give their prescriptions in writing. Shyamla Rangarajan, Chennai

VC’S PROPER APPOINTMENT

A Must for Quality Education It’s heartening for a student like me that the Centre is in the process of creating hundreds of new universities; however what worries is the flouting of norms by the same government in the appointment of VCs and other administrative officers. Money, nepotism and political connections appear to be playing the most important role, which explains why we are lagging behind in the world of higher education. What comes as a hope is the Supreme Court, which recently quashed the appointments of nine VCs and two pro-VCs in various universities in Bihar where the quality of college education has become highly questionable. The same is also true with almost every state in the country. CMJ university in Meghalaya was in news recently where PhD degrees were available for a price like a saleable commodity. So many cases of fraud are getting exposed in states. Hence, opening hundreds of new universities can become good news only when there is good governance in them. Raghav Yadav, Delhi

tters at E-mail your le ail.com, lokayat01@gm ail.com tm ho y@ vinodvarshne

WITH CANDOUR

NEW LOOK LOK SABHA AHEAD he recent electoral battles in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Delhi have once more exposed the chink in the Congress party’s armour in the form of infighting and rivalry for the high chair. What tacts and tactics were not used in pursuing individual ambitions, ignoring callously party’s common interest! In the national capital Sheila’s own partymen were not willing to tolerate extension of her successful 15year rule during which she did a lot to improve the face of the national capital. Amidst legpulling all this development and the scheme to give cheap grains to the poor could not rescue her from the tossing surge of the Aam Admi Party, created by the offer of cheap electricity and free water. Would the new government be able to implement these promises? In Rajasthan too the Congress infighting forced Gehlot to say the ‘sad’ good bye to the Congress rule. Naturally while some in the party were in tears, bewilderingly some others, the black sheep, were celebrating Diwali at the debacle. Professor CP Joshi’s handling of affairs as party incharge is being cited as more responsible than any other thing for the humiliating decimation of the party and government in Rajasthan. Vasundhara is now the queen, who had been at loggerheads with the RSS. Finally she won, and with that that bigger fret over who is bigger—Modi or the RSS is also buried. In Madhya Pradesh too the Congressmen were in self-delusion about recently cobbled unity among state satraps. The real story is that the house was badly divided among rival claimants to power to ultimately drive the party in the doghouse. A veiled battle between a Raja and a Maharaja went on in the party dissipating its effectiveness. The battle for tickets within the party was more strident in all sub-regions—Vindhya, Mahakoshal, Malwa and Madhya Bharat than the battle-cry against the BJP. The soft-spoken Shivraj in contrast was able to keep the BJP flock united. Though there has not been much of a difference between the rule of Digvijaya and Shivraj, the latter turned out with a better tab on the pulse of the people living below poverty line and smoothly sailed through all hurdles of anti-incumbency. Congress narrative in Chattisgarh is no different. Here too the central minister CP Joshi eased Jogi’s political journey. With Joshi’s help he was able to impose upon his design, which resulted into Congress decline in Chhattisgarh. Sonia Gandhi had installed Ajit Jogi in the state initially thinking the backward tribal state would be benefitted by his administrative experience. But the result was desperate as his trait of Ekla Chalo ruined the party. Denoting himself as a tribal and scheduled caste Christian, he was able to win favour of Sonia while the case of his ‘fraudulent’ caste certificate kept on making a labyrinthine legal journey without reaching the final destination for the last 13 years. Now people are waiting to see how Congress would rejuvenate itself to face the challenge of the Lok Sabha elections. They keep their finger crossed if Jogi would become instrumental again by misguiding 10, Janpath. The Challenge before the party is how to arrest decline of Congress appeal in the general elections. The fight would, no doubt, be tougher in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Delhi. The morale and aspirations of the BJP is now high. It has made a niche in the hearts of people, which may change the look of parliament in 2014. If the Congress failed to rein in its wayward leaders, then the party’s train to Delhi this time may be derailed. Sonia and Rahul would have to use super intelligence to figure out Jaichandas in the party. However, a strong possibility is the rise of a new alternative thanks to Aam Admi Party. For sure the new Lok Sabha will be different this time.<

DECEMBER, 2013 LOKAYAT |

COVER STORY

BATTLE WON, BUT WAR RAMAN SINGH GETS SET

Governor of Chhattisgarh Shekhar Dutt (Left most) administering oath of chief minister to Dr Raman Singh (Right) in the Police Parade Ground in Raipur.

Despite sympathy wave in favour of the Congress after the dastardly massacre of its entire state leadership, the BJP has emerged victorious in the bitterly contested state assembly elections. The very high turnout of voters initially raised a fear that it indicated anti-incumbency reaction, but the electorate rewarded Dr Raman Singh with a third successive term as chief minister, bringing him up in the elite league of highly successful BJP chief ministers like Narendra Modi and Shivraj Singh Chouhan…. 6

| LOKAYAT DECEMBER, 2013

By Anjalika Rajlakshmi

he silent and sincere performer Dr Raman Singh has joined the elite league of BJP chief ministers like Narendra Modi and Shivraj Singh Chouhan who pulled three successive victories in assembly elections. Indeed it was a proud moment for him when all the top brass of the BJP, including Narendra Modi and Lal Krishna Advani attended his swearing-in ceremony at the Raipur police parade ground in the presence of a mammoth 25,000 people. After taking the oath administered by governor Shekhar Dutt, he vowed to speed up development of the state as promised in the party’s election manifesto.

His first act as chief minister for the third term was to write a letter asking the PM for a minimum support price of Rs 2,000/- per quintal for paddy. This was one of the promises in the manifesto. The state government has been buying paddy since October last at the minimum support price fixed by the Centre. He has now announced that Rs 300 per quintal will be given as bonus to the farmers over and above the Centre’s MSP. Later at a crowded press conference he committed to strive hard for the welfare of the 2.55 crore people and make the state number one in the country. The solemn swearing-in was impressive. When Modi entered the stage, he was given rousing ovation by the crowd. He quickly crossed over to Advani and genuflected

COVER STORY

AHEAD

FOR LOK SABHA BATTLE

Oath ceremony was attended by top BJP leaders including party patriarch LK Advani, national party president Rajnath Singh, party’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, former national president of the party Nitin Gadkari and Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan (From left to right) among many others.

before him and then shook hands. Present on the podium were a galaxy of BJP leaders including Madhya Pradesh chief minister-elect Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Punjab and Goa chief ministers Parkash Singh Badal and Manohar Parrikar, BJP’s chief ministerial hopeful in Delhi Harsh Vardhan, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, Rajasthan’s chief ministerelect Vasundhara Raje Scindia, national party president Rajnath Singh, former party chiefs Nitin Gadkari and M Venkaiah Naidu, former deputy chief minister of Bihar Sushil Kumar Modi, former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Uma Bharti, Navjot Singh Sidhu MP, former Jharkhand chief minister Arjun Munda and party spokesperson Smriti Irani. To the discomfiture of many Congress workers even former Congress chief minister Ajit Jogi joined the guests on the stage.

All of them commended Dr Raman Singh on his stupendous feat achieved in the wake of a Maoist massacre. Dr Raman Singh was opposed in his Rajnandgaon constituency by Alka Mudliyar, wife of former Congress MLA Uday Mudliyar who was killed along with 22 others in the Darbha Maoist attack. The general perception was that the sympathy wave might impact the victory margin of Raman Singh who was accused by the Congress of failing to provide security to the Congress caravan on that fateful day in May. But his huge margin of 35,866 votes showed him as a popular leader who cared for all sections of society and took personal interest in the development of the state. He secured 86,797 votes against Alka’s 50,931. There were 2,042 NOTA votes. The BJP got 49 seats this time, one less than in 2008, while the Congress

Score Board BJP

2013 2008 2003

49 50 50

Congress

2013 2008 2003

39 38 37

NCP

2013 2008 2003

00 00 01

2013 2008 2003 Independents 2013 2008 2003

01 02 02 01 00 00

Others

00 00 00

BSP

2013 2008 2003

bagged 39 although a Lokayat survey had predicted little difference. But the survey was fairly accurate about the voting percentage: despite the BJP

DECEMBER, 2013 LOKAYAT |

COVER STORY

NOTA impacted BJP’s performance in Bastar ribal areas voted this time with much more enthusiasm than ever before testifying to the fact that they rejected the Maoist appeal not to vote. Barring a few small pockets, the turnout was heavy with Bijapur and Dantewada, the two worst red-infested constituencies recording 10 percent more polling. This time at the instance of Maoists many voters pressed the NOTA button to mark their disapproval of the existing exploitative capitalist system. In the Maoist-infested pockets of Bastar, voters pressed NOTA button in a big way which ruined the BJP’s chances in the area. In four of the 12 constituencies in Bastar NOTA votes were more than the margin of defeat of the BJP candidates. In Bastar region 77,327 votes were counted in the NOTA account! In the entire state (90 seats) there were 407,547 NOTA votes!! Chhattisgarh recorded the highest NOTA vote percentage among all the five states that went to poll now. Illustrating the point that NOTA brought defeat to many of the BJP candidates, the analysts cite Dantewada where Congress candidate Devti Karma defeated BJP’s Bheema Mandavi by 5987 votes. Here NOTA votes were 9673, much more than the margin of defeat. Similarly, BJP minister Lata Usendi was defeated by Mohan Markam of the Congress by 5,135 votes where NOTA votes were 6,735. In Keshkal, BJP’s Sevakram Netam lost by 7,883 votes and NOTA votes were 8,377. Same was the story of Sanjay Kodapi of the BJP, who lost in Kanker by 4,625 votes and NOTA votes were 5,208. Now, the BJP has to introspect why it lost the tribal people’s sympathy despite doing so much for them. The Raman Singh government had sincerely tried to improve the lives of these people by giving cheap ration and a host of freebies like sandals, sarees etc.; yet it lost miserably in tribal areas. Of the 29 ST reserved seats, the Congress won 18, leaving just 11 for the ruling party. In 2008, the BJP had won 19 ST seats while the Congress was restricted to 10. In 2003, the BJP’s performance was better with 25 ST seats, leaving only 9 for the Congress.<

Satnam Sena played a role in Congress’s defeat ot many outside Chhattisgarh have heard about the Satnam Sena of Dalit priests. It has been found that this new political outfit was responsible for the defeat of the Congress in at least 19 constituencies, including nine reserved ones. These Dalit priests wearing white robes used to move around in constituencies by helicopters! One does not know how they suddenly got interested in elections and where they got huge funds to run their campaign. One reason reported for forming the party is that this scheduled caste community was upset with the Chhattisgarh government because their job quota was reduced from 16 percent to 12. Satnamis, an SC community, were known as traditional Congress supporters, but somehow this time they chose to form their own party, the Satnam Sena with Guru Bal Das as president, and contest elections independently. Central Chhattisgarh had favoured the Congress traditionally and there were indications that this would be the same this time also as indicated by the recent municipal polls in the area. But thanks to the presence of the Satnam Sena, which contested in 15 general seats of which the Congress lost ten—Bilaspur, Takhatpur, Lormi, Kavardha, Pandariya, Bemetara, Saja, Bhatapara, Rajim and Rajnandgaon. Because of the Sena factor late V C Shukla's nephew Amitesh Shukla also lost from the family's stronghold of Rajim.<

| LOKAYAT DECEMBER, 2013

winning ten seats more than the Congress, it got only 0.75 percent more votes. Raman Singh had worked really hard and was popular among the masses--he had earned the endearing sobriquet 'Chawal Wale Baba’ after he distributed rice at Rs one and Rs two per kg—but the result showed that this largesse did not pay good dividends in Bastar, the Maoist-infested region of Chhattisgarh. It was this region which put the BJP on the throne twice in the past winning 11 out of 12 seats in 2008. This time the BJP got only four seats while the Congress raised its tally from one to eight. Dr Singh has now a big task on hand: to do even better in the coming general elections. Chhattisgarh has 11 Lok Sabha seats. How to corner most, if not all of them? His strategy is to take the manifesto route. He would monitor its earnest implementation to lure back the tribal people. As a first measure the government would purchase tamarind, mahau seed, chiraunji and lac—all forest products—to help people earn better prices. There are around 14 lakh tribal families engaged in the collection of these items. He also announced an insurance scheme ‘Atal Bima Yojna’ for farm labourers from December 25, the birthday of former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. This would benefit around 17 lakh labourers. However, the Congress can gloat over the fact that the party was able to defeat five of his ministers—Nankiram Kanwar, Ramvichar Netam, Chandrashekhar Sahu, Hemchand Yadav and Lata Usendi. The Lokayat

COVER STORY

The big culprits of Congress defeat he knives are out in the Chhattisgarh Congress after its defeat at the hustings. An anonymous paper which blames five top leaders of the Congress for the third successive defeat of the party is the talk of the state. It has named former chief minister Ajit Jogi, Motilal Vora, BK Hariprasad, Dr Charandas Mahant and Ravindra Choubey as selfish, corrupt and arrogant. They have been assailed in highly derogatory terms, exposing their alleged anti-party activities. The arrogance of BK Hariprasad, the state incharge of the party has been mentioned sarcastically saying that he sought ticket for his son, but could not ensure even his victory, not to say the entire party. He has been blamed for misinforming Rahul Gandhi about the prevailing ground realities. Ajit Jogi has been accused of propping up small regional parties like the Satnam Sena, BSP and Chhattisgarh Swabhiman Manch. The old veteran Motilal Vora, close to the high command, also has not been spared. The opposition leader in the assembly Ravindra Choubey has been described as the leader who dreamt of becoming the chief minister. Dr Charandas Mahant’s lackluster leadership has been described as a major reason for the party’s defeat. Distribution of the anonymous paper is an indication that there is immense frustration in the party at the lower level, and local leaders do not have any platform to vent their anger against top leaders. The high command would do well to take up such ground level issues urgently to make the party a fit machine to fight the Lok Sabha elections.<

T Chief minister Dr Raman Singh after taking the oath of chief minister for the third successive time holding a meeting with secretary level officers of the Chhattisgarh government same evening at Mahanadi Bhavan.

had indicated this anti-incumbency trend in its October and November issues. The Congress winners include Arun Vora (son of veteran Motilal Vora) from Durg, Lakheshwar Baghel from Bastar and Amit Jogi (son of Ajit Jogi) from Marwahi. Amit defeated the BJP's Samira Paikra by 46,250

helicopter. He personally led some MLAs to Sarkeguda, the village where 17 tribals were killed in an encounter with forces. There was talk in Bastar that tribals would vote the Congress. But, why did the Congress lose despite the sympathy wave in its favour and perceived anti-incumbency

Raman Singh should know that the Lok Sabha battle would be quite challenging as the BJP’s victory only ‘looks’ impressive in terms of the seats won, but it has got just 0.75 percent more votes than the Congress. However, Singh, who earned the endearing sobriquet 'Chawal Wale Baba’, is confident of winning the hearts of more voters in coming months on the strength of his resolve to implement the poll manifesto sincerely and carry on development work with the promise to make Chhattisgarh a shining model state in India. votes. It was alleged that the BJP had fielded a weak candidate against him. Political analysts described the defeat of the Congress as yet another setback for Rahul Gandhi who had indeed campaigned hard. The big mistake of the Congress was it focused only on Bastar. To woo Naxals the Congress promised to rehabilitate all tribal families displaced in violence. The BJP tactically chose to work in other areas to offset the perceived resentment prevailing in Bastar area. Late Nand Kumar Patel had in fact created a mood in favour of the Congress by hitting the road much in advance of the elections. He visited tribal areas by car rather than

mood against the BJP government? Dr Charandas Mahant, state Congress chief, blames internal sabotage for the defeat of 10 senior leaders, including Congress legislature party chief Ravindra Choubey and his deputy Rampurkar Singh. Twenty-seven out of 38 sitting Congress MLAs lost the election. They included Bodhram Kanwar, Mohammad Akbar, Shiv Kumar Dahariya, Rajkamal Singhania, Bodhram Kanwar, Rampukar Singh and Tamradwaj Sahu. According to reliable sources rebel candidates were supported by men, money and material by Mahant’s rival camp (read Jogi followers). Mahant has officially complained about the sabotage without naming anybody.<

DECEMBER, 2013 LOKAYAT |

To the People of Chhattisgarh For the Trust Reposed in Us

ADVERTORIAL

RAMAN SINGH A UNIQUE CHARIOTEER OF DEVELOPMENT Dr Raman Singh has redefined development by bringing Chhattisgarh state on the golden path of prosperity during last 10 years of his rule. Be it the advancement of the poor, empowerment of the downtrodden, progress of villages, expansion of cities, a sense of self-reliance among women or a renewed love for the girl child, his government and also the workers of the BJP took the development chariot to every nook and corner of the state under his able and effective leadership.

DECEMBER, 2013 LOKAYAT |

ADVERTORIAL

From The Public Leader to a Development Icon Dr Raman Singh during his 10 years of chief ministership launched several welfare schemes. With the intent and resolve to implement direct and effective delivery of novel schemes and plans to the povertystricken people, they turned out immensely successful. Honourable supreme court, different ministries of the government of India, central ministers and also the chief ministers of various states have profusely appreciated the functioning of Dr Singh from time to time. Due to successful implementation of the PDS, food security, nutritional security, chief minister’s health insurance scheme and several welfare programmes launched targeting the youth, women, old people, villagers, poor and farmers, the state has been appreciated as a role model for other states in the country. These plans reflect Dr Singh’s personal vision and firm resolve. The inimitable initiatives taken by Dr Singh for the betterment of the SC/ ST and other backward classes especially farmers and the people living in rural areas, have also received recognition in other states, and they are now making efforts to emulate and implement them in their respective states. Dr Raman Singh has indeed lifted Chhattisgarh from the darkness of utter desperation to the light of immense hope and opportunities. He has injected a new energy and enthusiasm into each and every person of the state. With benign efforts of Dr Raman Singh, the Chhattisgarh state has moved on to a new journey of development, prosperity and fulfillment during last ten years. He is now determined to take the state to newer heights with his well measured initiatives. He has proved to the world how progress can be made with inclusiveness and by maintaining social harmony. He is rightly termed as ‘Vikash Purush’ in view of the all round development of the state under his leadership. Huge investments have been made in sectors like electricity, road and water resources, resulting in the all-round development of infrastructural facilities. Owing to the unavailability of clean water in rural and forest areas, the water borne diseases used to make people sick, especially, in Bastar and Sarguja, where large number of people would meet untimely death year after year before the formation of the state, the resonance of which used to echo in the parliament. Dr Raman Singh, then a young doctor, felt the pain of the tragedy. He after becoming chief minister of the

state, put providing clean potable water to lakhs of poor and helpless families of the concerned areas in his government’s list of priorities. Besides, he expanded the network of canals and built check-dams on rivers and rivulets to provide water to parching fields. It immensely benefited the farmers of the state. Because of the dependence upon monsoon for irrigation, farmers grew only Kharif crops, but with expansion of irrigation facilities, they are now able to grow more than one crop. With villages getting more and more connected by roads with cities, farmers are also getting better price of their crops. This apart, it is now easier for them to take their perishable goods like vegetables and milk to the cities for sale. Agriculture based small and medium industries have also been promoted. Plans to facilitate marketing of small forest produce and herbs to increase rural employment opportunities are showing good results. Under the efficient leadership of Dr Raman Singh, Chhattisgarh known for its bio-diversity and medicinal forest produce is acquiring an important place in the industrial map also.

DECEMBER, 2013 LOKAYAT |

ADVERTORIAL

Struggle, Service and Dignity A LIFE-SKETCH OF DR RAMAN SINGH Name: Raman Singh, Date of Birth: October 15, 1952 Mother: Late Mrs Sudha Singh; Father: Late Shri Vighnaharan Singh Thakur Primary Education: Chhuikhadan, Kawardha, Rajnandgaon Higher Education (BAMS): Government Ayurvedic College, Raipur (1975) President: Kawardha Yuva Morcha (1976-77) Councillor: Sheetla Ward, Kawardha Municipality (1983-84) MLA (Madhya Pradesh): 1990-98, Editor: Vidhayini, the magazine of the legislative assembly. Member of Lok Sabha: From Rajnandgaon in 1999, Union Minister: Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Chief Minister: First term started December, 2003, Second term started December, 2008 and third term started December 2013 (Chhattisgarh state) Dr Raman Singh in childhood

Dr Raman Singh, who became chief minister of Chhattisgarh thrice in succession, was born at Thathapur village in present day Kabirdham (Kawardha) district in a farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family on October 15, 1952. His father Shri Vighnaharan Singh Thakur was a popular lawyer in his area, while mother Sudha Singh was a sober, modest and practical housewife with religious disposition. Dr Singh received his primary education at Chhuikhadan, Kawardha and Rajnandgaon. Dr Singh wanted to serve the poor by becoming a doctor. To become a doctor he took the pre-medical test (PMT) but due to his being underage, he was not offered the MBBS course and enrolled himself at the Ayurvedic College, Raipur. After earning his BAMS degree, he started his practice and earned good reputation in the area. He treated poor patients without charging any fees at Thakurpara in his home town Kawardha as a private doctor, which earned him immense name and respect. He was a good player of Cricket and Volleyball while he was a student. Having an unassuming, sober and modest persona, common men used to feel personal affinity with him. In his family and social life he was seen as an affable person. This very quality proved useful for him later to be successful in political life. His wife Veena Singh is a highly sensible, polite and sober lady. His son Abhishek Singh is a mechanical engineer and daughter Asmita Singh is a dentist.

| LOKAYAT DECEMBER, 2013

ADVERTORIAL

Political Journey

Senior politicians had their watchful eyes on public welfare oriented this young party and his actual work and found in him a promising leader with immense prospects. Personally having a proclivity of social service, he was impressed by the policies and Bhartiya Janata Partyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s way of working and decided to dedicate himself to the lofty objective of serving the people. This is how his political journey started. He became the first president of the then Bharatiya Jansangh Yuva Morcha, Kawardha in 1976-77. In 1983-84, he was elected a councilor of Kawardha municipality from Sheetla ward. During 1990-92 and then 1993-98, he was a BJP MLA in the united MP. During this period he was also a member of the Public Accounts Committee of the Legislative Assembly and also the editor of Vidhayini, a magazine of

the assembly. But the real test came in 1999, when he was fielded against the towering Congress leader Motilal Vora from the Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha constituency. He established his political credentials by defeating him. Seeing his popularity and increased prestige prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee inducted him as the minister of state for commerce and industry. He proved his administrative abilities as the minister. In 1994, he participated in the sixth parliamentary conference of the commonwealth countries. He also led the Indian delegation in Indian trade fairs organised in Israel, Nepal, Philistine and Dubai. Taking into account Dr Singhâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s organisational skills, the party made him the state unit party chief after the formation of the Chhattisgarh state. He resigned from the union

cabinet and accepted the new responsibility. The BJP got thumping majority in the very first assembly elections held in the new state on December 1, 2003 and BJP legislators unanimously chose him as their leader in the meeting of the newly elected members in Raipur on December 5, 2013. He took the oath of the chief minister in a somber and graceful public function in the Police Parade Maidan in capital Raipur on December 7, 2013. Thus a new era started in the politics of Chhattisgarh. Later, the party swept all the polls under his stewardship held for the Lok Sabha, municipal bodies and tri-level Panchayat Raj institutions. The assembly elections in 2008 and 2013 were also fought and won under his leadership. Thus Dr Raman Singh has scored a chief ministerial hat trick.<

DECEMBER, 2013 LOKAYAT |

COVER STORY

DELHI HUNG, CONGRESS Najeeb Jung to Call the Shots olitical parties in Delhi will be at the hustings soon again as no party is able to form a government. BJP leader Harsh Vardhan was invited first to try to form a minority government, but he declined. His party secured only 31 seats in the house of 70. Advisedly this time the BJP did not show any undue haste to cobble up a ministry by poaching or through horse-trading, probably because the new environment created by the AAP in favour of clean politics put some sense (or fear?) into it. Delhi elections this time were a keenly contested democratic process with voter turnout marking a record percentage, but it did not result in a clear verdict. Not surprisingly no party was willing to form a government alone or in partnership. The Congress Party with eight members offered its unconditional support to the runner-up Aam Admi Party (AAP) with 28 seats, but it put forth 18 conditions before it could consider the offer. Thus Delhi is likely to come under the president’s rule and the lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung would call the shots with the help of a team of advisors….. <

| LOKAYAT DECEMBER, 2013

Delhi BJP CM candidate Harsh Vardhan with supporters at a counting centre in New Delhi (PTI photo)

The Aam Admi Party stole the real show in the Delhi elections by trouncing the Congress’s three-time chief minister Sheila Dikshit by a record high margin and stopping the BJP in its winning tracks. The dark horse promising ethical politics offered great relief to an exasperated electorate without an alternative in sight. In fact, the principled stand of the AAP not to form a government without viable majority, or to try a coalition, has made it the darling of the common man. Rahul Gandhi did not hesitate in acknowledging that the AAP had many peoplefriendly attributes that could serve as a guide for the working of his own party! While the Congress and the BJP relied on paid workers, the AAP’s campaign was volunteerdriven. They formed small groups and met people in their lanes, colonies and markets on a daily basis for weeks together.

By Kusum Varshney

f the five states where elections were held recently, the most stunning result was that of Delhi. An year-old Aam Admi Party which had neither political experience and money nor muscle power sent jitters down the spines of the two major national parties with nothing tangible than transparent and sincere door-to-door campaign. A

COVER STORY

SHAMED, AAP JUBILANT Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal shows victory sign with Manish Sishodia, Prashant Bhushan, Yogendra Yadav and Kumar Vishwas during a press conference after party’s excellent show in Delhi assembly (PTI photo)

The AAP has sent shock waves in the corridors of old and established parties by announcing that it would not limit its activities to Delhi: next it would contest Haryana assembly elections and then the 2014 Lok Sabha poll. The fledgling party claims it has already established offices in more than 300 districts of the country. confident Sheila Dikshit who swaggered that she was sure of forming the next government for the fourth time in a row was crushed by AAP’s chief architect Arvind Kejriwal, a political novice and lightweight by comparison. The margin of her defeat—25,000 votes—was bigger than the total votes she polled. Analyses of the results show that Kejriwal’s Aam Admi Party was wholeheartedy backed by the aam admi of Delhi to overcome the many overwhelming odds against it. When usual tricks failed to dishearten and drive the APP away from the battlefield, there was even an attempt to tarnish its clean image by a dubious sting operation, which was soon exposed. The AAP with scant resources stuck to its promise of cleaning India’s increasingly

morbid political culture. It eventually proved that people craved for an ethically acceptable political alternative, and if such an option was available they would dump both the Congress and the BJP without considering their glorious history and traditions. Although it nearly missed the plumpost, the BJP had much to be happy about. Upsetting the predictions of many a political pundit that Narendra Modi was not a significant factor in Delhi, it was his mass appeal that saved the faction-ridden party from the fate of the Congress. It emerged as the largest party winning 31 out of 70 seats. One seat was won by its ally Shiromani Akali Dal. This tally of the BJP-SAD combine was not enough, however, to form a stable ministry.

Score Board Congress

2013 2008 2003

08 43 47

BJP

2013 2008 2003

31 23 20

BSP

2013 2008 2003

00 02 00

NCP

2013 2008 2003

00 00 01

JD (United)

2013 2008 2003

01 00 00

SAD

2013 2008 2003

01 00 00

Independents 2013 2008 2003

01 01 01

Others

2013 2008 2003

00 01 01

AAP

2013

DECEMBER, 2013 LOKAYAT |

COVER STORY Congress president Sonia Gandhi after addressing a press conference following Congress party’s drubbing in assembly polls

Shocked Sheila Dikshit at election results

The Delhi electorate participated in the poll process with enthusiasm taking the voting percentage to 65.13 from 57.58 in 2008. The NOTA (none of the above) option was used by only a miniscule 0.63 percent of voters. The AAP’s dramatic political debut surprised everybody. But the bigger surprise was the rout of the ruling Congress which won just 8 seats, the worst-ever performance of the grand old party in Delhi. But signs of a possible Congress defeat were available days prior to the polling from the thin and listless crowd at the rallies addressed by Rahul Gandhi. A rally which the prime minister was to address had to be cancelled. Sonia Gandhi attended only one meeting. An internal survey had shown the writings on the wall, but the party managers thought they would be able to salvage things in the last lap of the campaign. Compared to this dismal scenario, Modi’s rallies were well-attended. His popularity not only evoked hysteric chants of ‘Har Har Modi, Ghar Ghar Modi’ at public meetings, but got it translated into votes. If the BJP could not show that kind of success in Delhi as happened in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the sole reason was the mesmerising presence of the AAP. Though ridiculed and derided as a spoilsport and ‘one-day wonder’ initially, the

| LOKAYAT DECEMBER, 2013

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi at parliament house

AAP came out to be the most brilliant star of the season. The BJP had floated the canard that the AAP was the creation of the Congress to divide antiincumbency votes. But the AAP actually ate into the Congress's traditional vote banks— slum-dwellers, self-employed workers and dalits—among whom it (the Congress) had created a permanent niche for itself. However, the APP could not lure Muslims who feared that any support to it would inadvertently help the BJP. The Congress was banking on the massive infrastructural development of the capital city carried out during and after the Common Wealth Games, and the lavish spend on many central schemes. Much hope was also pinned on regularisation of 895 unauthorised colonies with promise of more to come after the election; but apparently these did not help. On the other hand, the AAP's populist promises such as halving electricity bills and supplying free water up to 700 litres to each home caught the fancy of jhuggi-dwellers who now depend entirely on supplies brought to them by tankers. The AAP also held out plans to ensure better security for women on Delhi streets. The voter turnout this time was ten percent more than in 2008. First-time voters made this difference. In the last elections the number of young voters was below one lakh; this time it crossed four lakhs, rising from 0.7% to 3.4% of the total voters. Women voters also came out in larger number this time.

Charisma of Kejriwal Kejriwal has emerged as a newbreed politician with better understanding of people’s moods.

During his work as an RTI activist which won him Magsaysay award, he came to know ordinary people’s fears and frustration in day-to-day life. But it was Anna Hazare’s month-long agitation in Delhi which made him a familiar face across the country, thanks to multiple TV coverage. When Anna’s movement dissipated, his supporters were challenged by politicians to form a party and contest elections to understand how easy it was to criticise and how difficult it was to win public approval. Anna was against forming a political party but Kejriwal and a few others realised it was necessary to enter politics to influence policy formulations from within. But no one believed Kejriwal’s party would be winning more than a few seats. The Congress and the BJP were arrogant enough to believe that only they had the wherewithal and ability to win and rule. But what struck a chord with the masses was the AAP’s principled approach to people and their problems. They formulated 70 manifestoes, one for each constituency, on the basis of their understanding. Some of Kejriwal’s promises like cutting the electricity bill by half and ensuring 700 litres of drinking water to each household may, however, be utopian and impractical. The most striking feature of this fledgling party indisputably was its transparent collection of election funds. The party put complete details of each donation and donor on its website. The manifesto proclaimed that its elected leaders would not use red beacon on their cars; they would go about like any common people. The party also did not forget to assure that they would pass the Jan Lokpal Bill within 15 days of coming to power.<

COVER STORY

MIZORAM PEOPLE REPOSE FAITH IN LALTHANHAWLA AGAIN

Mizoram Chief Minister Lalthanhawala

The poster boy of the Congress becomes chief minister for the fifth time in Mizoram after bagging a landslide victory winning 34 of the 40 seats.

By Shailbala

izoram finally offered the saving grace with a landslide victory to the Congress which was crushed in four other states where assembly elections were held recently. The party under the seasoned and dynamic leadership of Lalthanhawla won 34 out of 40 seats, two more than in 2008, despite a strident opposition campaign by a coalition of the Mizo National Front, the Mizoram Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Conference and the Maraland Democratic Front. Lalthanhawla, the poster boy of

the Congress in Mizoram, won from both the constituencies--Serchhip which is his home turf and the neighbouring Hrangturzo--from where he contested. He has won the assembly election for the record 9th time. The opposition front, cobbled just before the elections after intense bargain, had raised the emotional issue of Mizo nationalism but it fell flat before Indian nationalism of the Congress Party. The Congress also focused on its very popular new land-use policy in augmenting peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s income. Chief minister Lalthanhawla did not face any serious corruption charge this time.

Score Board Congress

2013 2008 2003

34 32 12

MNF

2013 2008 2003

05 03 21

MPC

2013 2008 2003

01 02 03

ZNP

2013 2008 2003

00 02 02

MDF

2013 2008 2003

00 01 01

Independents 2013 2008 2003

00 00 00

2013 2008 2003

00 00 01

Others

DECEMBER, 2013 LOKAYAT |

COVER STORY

Church the most effective regulator he Mizoram Synod, the highest decision-making body of the Presbyterian Church, played an effective role in the elections, sending out messages to the people for fair electoral practices. The religious organisation is credited with helping the voting to reach a record 82 percent. The Synod-controlled

The opposition coalition resorted to inciting explosive religious sentiments presenting the Congress as an anti-Christian party whose leaders visited temples and performed rituals like applying tilak on their forehead. Election results endorsed the victory of secularism as Christians who constituted 87 percent of Mizoram's 1.9 million people did not heed to the mischievous propaganda. The BJP tried its luck on 17 seats but lost all.

Mizoram as a separate state, won the first poll after attaining the statehood, but the Congress toppled the government by engineering defections. Lalthanhawla remained chief minister for the next ten years but was sent to political wilderness when he was defeated in 1998 in his Serchhip constituency. This time the opposition coalition appeared to be winning but in the last leg of electioneering it allegedly

People wait at a polling station to cast their votes during assembly elections in Aizawal (PTI photo)

election watchdog Mizoram People’s Forum formulated 27 rules for political parties and candidates, which included bar on public meetings without its permission, use of singers and musicians in rallies, door to door campaign and making promises in manifestos which were unimplementable. Though the Forum allegedly is soft on the Congress and tries to tarnish the image of the biggest opposition party MNF, the main opposition could not muster enough confidence to come out against it.<

| LOKAYAT DECEMBER, 2013

Lalthanhawla who formed the government for the fifth time had indeed been the architect of the party much before Mizoram attained statehood in 1987 after the historic Lal Denga-Rajeev Gandhi Peace Accord. A graduate from Aizawl College—he had vacated the chief minister’s chair for Lal Denga and agreed to remain as deputy chief minister under him in the interim coalition government. The MNF, which is given credit with facilitating the formation of

sought militants’ help which became a hot issue and ensured its defeat. It seems, an umbrella body of voluntary organisations issued an appeal not to support those parties which took militants’ support. After Hmar leader B Zahunga, a member of the Sinlung Hills Development Council, was shot in the ankle by militants, the Congress blamed the Zoram Nationalist Party led by the highly popular Lalduhoma for taking support of militants. The environment suddenly became pro-Congress.<

COVER STORY

HUMBLE SHIVRAJ TROUNCED YOUTH CAMPAIGNER SCINDIA

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi addresses a public rally (PTI photo)

Even with all his earnestness, Rahul failed to engage the voter like Modi did. He addressed eight rallies covering 47 seats and was able to save 14 seats for the party. The Congress, however, ended up losing four seats it held earlier.

By Chandrakant Naidu from Bhopal

he Congress has flattered to deceive itself in Madhya Pradesh. With 58 seats it stands far behind where it started. It had 72 seats in 2008 when the BJP swamped it for a second time. The Congress lost most byelections over the past five years. While even the ruling BJP was expecting a respectable performance from the Congress, it lost 14 seats from its 2008 tally. The Congress that lost power in 2003 after a decade-long rule of Digvijay Singh has not inspired the voter to reinstate it. Its show of unity

just a couple of months ahead of considered invincible. elections was apparently too little and The aggressive but humble Shivraj too late. Even the unity shows remained Singh Chouhan, who took oath as CM superficial as the leaders continued to on December 14, 2013 at a glittering undercut each other’s efforts. ceremony attended by L.K. Advani, Most satraps of the Congress Narendra Modi, Manohar Parrikar, remained selfRaman Singh, Vasundhara obsessed while the Raje, Rajnath Singh and BJP leaders sank their Digvijay Singh’s others, comprehensively differences and the Congress star supporters say outsmarted managed the campaigner and youth face the party has campaign Jyotiraditya Scindia who was aggressively and paid for ignoring expected to give BJP some effectively. The stiff challenge has little to him during the results have reflected enthuse over his performance. the leaders’ waning Just 13 out of 34 candidates campaign. charisma. Union won in Gwalior and Chambal minister Kamal Nath divisions, his magnetic field. who enjoys considerable support in the The party’s tally was the same in the Mahakoshal region of the state found outgoing House. four of his seven supporters losing. His Scindia who led the state Congress' protégé Deepak Saksena lost campaign committee said the party Chhindwara where Kamal Nath was needed ‘major reconstruction’ and

DECEMBER, 2013 LOKAYAT |

COVER STORY

Charges of Corruption Brushed Aside By Voters he electorate in Madhya Pradesh brushed aside charges of corruption against chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s family and 13 other ministers to repose faith in the Bharatiya Janata Party which recorded an historic hat–trick. The final tally in a House of 230 is 165- 58 respectively for the BJP and the Congress while the others got 7 seats. The party position after the 2008 elections was 143-73- 14 in that order. Chouhan who won both Vidisha and Budhni seats has, along with Dr Raman Singh, joined the Narendra Modi league of BJP chief ministers who led the party into a third term. The BJP increased its vote share by over 11 per cent over the past election. It had secured 94.93 lakh votes (37.64 per cent) in 2008 to secure 143 seats while this time around it got 164.1 lakh votes (48.7 per cent) to win 165 seats. At the party meeting called to hail his success Chouhan was a picture of humility and said he was overwhelmed with the people’s response and dedicated the victory to the people’s trust. He especially acknowledged the contribution of Narendra Modi who had addressed 15 rallies in the state. Besides all the senior leaders, he also thanked former chief minister and his critic, Uma Bharti. Her return to the party swelled the BJP’s tally considerably though her own nephew Rahul Singh lost the election from Khargapur in Bundelkhand region. Bharti was quick to cry foul and blame it on sabotage by rivals within the party. Even the adversaries of chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan admitted that he stayed in touch with the entire state throughout his tenure of eight years so far. His election management and aggressive campaign helped the party overcome the anger against many ministers and MLAs. The BJP was itself reluctant to buy projections in some exit polls that gave the BJP such resounding victory because of the ground reports of strong resentment against some ministers and MLAs who faced corruption charges. In October a PIL filed in the High Court cited cases of corruption against 11 serving and former ministers and 50 officials of the Civil Services being probed by the Lokayukta for the past eight years. The Lokayukta had not been provided papers to pursue cases against the ministers. The accused include cabinet ministers Babulal Gaur, Kailash Vijayavargiya and Jayant Mallayya. However, in an election where the Congress ended up paying for corruption charges elsewhere in the country, the BJP got away with just a rap on the knuckles. Eleven ministers lost their seats but that didn’t prevent the party from romping home. Public relations and culture minister Laxmikant Sharma (Sironj), medical education minister Anoop Mishra (Bhitarwrar), tourism minister Brajendra Pratap Singh (Pawai), labour minister Jagannath Singh (Chitrangi), revenue minister Karan Singh (Icchawar). Minister of state for tribal welfare Harishankar Khatik (Jatara), agriculture minister Ramkrishna Kusumaria (Rajnagar), general administration minister Kanhaiyalal Agrawal (Bamori), animal husbandry minister Ajay Vishnoi (Patan), Jaisingh Maravi (Jaitpur) and another minister Dashrath Singh Lodhi (Jabera) all ended up losers. Laxmikant Sharma who enjoyed considerable proximity to the chief minister, lost to Congress candidate Govardhan Lal by 1,584 votes. Anoop Mishra, who is the nephew of the former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, had shifted to the Bhitarwar seat, lost the poll to Lakhan Singh Yadav of Con-

introspection. While accepting defeat he said, ‘Obviously it is very disappointing for us. This was something we never expected.’ He also blamed party’s debacle on the collective failure of leadership. ‘On all accounts we failed, failed and failed. There is a need to relook. Scindia refused to give credit for the BJP’s victory to Modi’s aggressive campaign. ‘If there has been any impact in Madhya Pradesh it is Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s. My heartiest

| LOKAYAT DECEMBER, 2013

congratulations to him,’ he said. Scindia said the assembly elections results will not impact the general elections scheduled next year. The party had lost assembly election both in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh in 2008 but went on to win the Lok Sabha elections. Scindia said the Congress needs to work on the Dalit-OBC combination in the state and party cadre and it should strengthen the leadership in the state.

Kantilal Bhuria, the state Congress president found ground slipping under his feet with most of his candidates losing in Jhabua and Alirajpur tribal region and Ratlam district. The Congress lost Jhabua, Thandla, Jobat, Petlawad, Alirajpur and most constituencies in Ratlam. Digvijay Singh's son Jaiwardhan Singh was declared elected from the Raghogarh constituency in Guna district. Jaiwardhan won his debut

COVER STORY

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan surrounded by BJP workers after party’s thumping victory in assembly polls in Bhopal (PTI photo)

Score Board

gress by 6,548 votes. However, this is where the anti-incumbency stopped for the BJP. Modi’s tirade against the corruption in the union government brought the Congress’ unpopularity to foreground. While 36 of the BJP incumbent legislators lost the elections the Congress was worse off with 42 being rejected by the voters. Babulal Gaur on the other hand set a record by winning the Govindpura seat in Bhopal for the 10th time. Equally surprising was the 70,000 margin of his victory. There is no mention of a similar record in the country. To look at the larger picture the BJP can draw satisfaction from Modi’s performance on the national level. How he manages to sustain the tempo through the next four months will decide the future course of the national polity.<

election trouncing BJP’s Radhe Shyam Dhakad. However, his close associate and state Youth Congress president lost the Khilchipur seat. The other relatives of the Congress leaders who won their respective seats are Digvijay Singh’s supporters who say the party has paid for ignoring him during the campaign. Former union minister and PCC chief and close confident of 10 Janpath, Suresh Pachauri, who was fielded at Bhojpur to boost the party’s prospects

lost heavily to Surendra Patwa, nephew of former chief minister Sunderla Patwa. The consolation win came from Churhat where leader of the opposition and son of another former chief minister Arjun Singh recorded a resounding victory. Indrajit Patel also won the Sidhi seat. The Congress leaders’ reactions were diverse but wisdom seemed to have dawned late among some. Lakshman Singh, former member of

BJP

2013 2008 2003

165 143 173

Congress

2013 2008 2003

58 71 38

NCP

2013 2008 2003

00 00 01

BSP

2013 2008 2003

04 07 02

2013 2008 2003

00 01 07

BJSP

2013 2008 2003

00 05 no party

Independents 2013 2008 2003

03 03 02

Others

00 00 07

2013 2008 2003

Lok Sabha and brother of Digvijay Singh admitted that the grass-root level worker made the party and not the leader. The party however, never allowed the grass-root workers to project their candidates. Party vicepresident Rahul Gandhi who had tried to give preference to the aspirations of ground level worker failed to reflect this in the list of nominees. Even with all his earnestness, Rahul failed to engage the voter like Modi did. He addressed eight rallies covering 47 seats and was able to save 14 seats for the party. The Congress, however, ended up losing four seats it held earlier.<

DECEMBER, 2013 LOKAYAT |

COVER STORY

RAJE RETURNS REJUVENATED

BJP state president Vasundhara Raje greets her supporters in Jaipur after the party won the Rajasthan assembly polls (PTI photo)

By Abha Sharma from Jaipur

he Lotus has bloomed all over the desert state as never before leaving a wan and withered Hand far behind: an outstanding performance by any party in the history of Rajasthan. The assembly poll result surpassed everyone’s expectations and exceeded all poll predictions. The Bharatiya Janata Party simply routed the Congress in the state. Storming back to power with an astounding tally of 162 seats in the 200-seat assembly, Vasundhara Raje’s charisma and the Modi factor combined to reduce the ruling Congress to almost a non-entity with just 21 seats, its worst performance ever since 1952! The BJP not only humbled the Congress, it also shattered the dreams of people like Dr Kirori Lal Meena of the National People’s Party (NPP), who was getting ready to play his king-making role. The powerful saffron wind swept away the small and mighty alike. While the chief minister was able

Despite lavishing state treasury on freebies and welfare schemes Ashok Gehlot, hyped up as a great charismatic leader could not win the hearts of the people this time. His utterly humiliating defeat shows that voters were angry against his regime mired in numerous sex and other scandals. This apart, high price-rise took the sheen out of the Congress’ good governance claim. On the other hand the BJP did a sensible thing: it declared Vasundhara Raje as its chief ministerial candidate well ahead of the elections. She toured the state telling people what they deserved and what they got. She was able to convince the electorate that she could be trusted more than the incumbent rulers. People also saw that despite the high moralistic noises made by Rahul Gandhi in the Jaipur Chintan Shivir, the party did not fight shy of giving tickets to the kin of tainted leaders.

| LOKAYAT DECEMBER, 2013

COVER STORY to save his Sardarpura seat, 22 of his ministers were toppled. Those who fell included the high-profile ones like Shanti Dhariwal, Beena Kak and Durru Mian. The chairperson of the National Women's Commission Mamta Sharma and the speaker of the state assembly Dr Deependra Singh Shekhawat too were gone with the wind. The Raje-Modi wave did not allow the Congress even to open its account in over a dozen districts. The CPI (M)'s popular MLA Amra Ram could not make it and the BSP disappeared altogether from the final tally. Raje took oath on December 13, 2013 in presence of L.K. Advani, Rajnath Singh, Narendra Modi, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Raman Singh and others. Vasundhara Raje’s charisma and the Narendra Modi factor had a forcemultiplier effect. The highly successful Suraj Sankalp Yatra in Jaipur early in September was just the beginning of a series of nearly 20 public meetings Modi addressed in Rajasthan. He evoked overwhelming response during his whirlwind tour--enthusiastic youths

ignored the rumbustious BJP rallies as against the rather listless audience that Rahul addressed. A wag remarked that someone should tell the Congress to sack Rahul’s speech-writer, at least! Now when the Congress Party is forced to introspect the poll outcome, Gehlot probably regrets his underestimating the Modi-Raje quake. But to be fair, the Congress tried its best to keep pace with Raje’s Suraj Sankalp Yatra. However, under the Election Commission’s watchful eyes its campaign had to drastically cut flags and festoons, posters and hoardings, drum beats, loud speakers and cavalcades of vehicles. Yet, the discriminating voters surprised everyone with their historic turnout. People from all walks of life-from dusty bustees to plush colonies, from the able-bodied to the physically challenged— enthusiastically queued up from early morning to record the highest ever (75.20 per cent) polling in the desert state. No one could guess though that the unprecedented voter turnout was a pointer to an

After the announcement of candidates, Modi made a whirlwind tour of the desert state, addressing nearly 20 well-attended meetings including one at chief minister Ashok Gehlot’s home turf Jodhpur. The Modi factor did really work in Rajasthan and Vasundhara Raje rightly acknowledged it after all the results were out. turned up in large numbers and loud chants of ‘Modi, Modi, Modi’ echoed wherever he went. Basking in the glory of Gehlot’s flagship schemes, particularly free medicine, pension for all deserving, several freebies and much else, the Congress could hardly see Rajasthan slipping from its ‘hand’. The party failed to read the writings on the wall-even the poor attendance at the PM’s rally at Jaipur’s Ramlila Maidan could not draw its attention. It probably

unimaginable verdict. Some blame for the Congress debacle can be apportioned to the faulty ticket distribution. In the mad scramble of ticket-seekers the mighty, the tainted and jitau-tikau candidates walked away with plum seats. There was the usual confusion arising from considerations of caste equations, rebels’ tantrums and leadership’s ineptitudes. Both the Congress and the BJP contested all 200 seats; the Bahujan Samaj Party 195, the CPI (M) 38, CPI

23, NPP 133 and NCP 16, then some stragglers. The NPP and the BSP tried to make the contest triangular but failed. The ambitious NPP was a conglomeration of nothing but a motley crowd of disgruntled or rebel members of the BJP and the Congress. The political outcasts found a shoulder to cry on in the NPP whose founder Kirori Lal Meena himself is an old BJP rebel. Ticket distribution at the best of times is an acrimonious affair and absence of strong leadership makes it doubly difficult. The situation within the Congress and the BJP was equally bad in this respect. Both faced very many dissensions and protests. Rahul

Score Board BJP

2013 2008 2003

162 78 120

Congress

2013 2008 2003

21 96 56

BSP

2013 2008 2003

03 06 02

NPP

2013 2008 2003

04 00 00

NUZP

2013 2008 2003

02 00 00

INLD

2013 2008 2003

00 00 04

CPM

2013 2008 2003

00 03 01

Independents 2013 2008 2003

07 14 13

2013 2008 2003

00 03 04

Others

DECEMBER, 2013 LOKAYAT |

COVER STORY

Bean Queens Win he rise of National Unionists Zamindara Party (NUZP), an outfit of guar gum farmers in Sriganganagar, was a noticeable development in this election. Until a few years ago, guar gum was a produce worth only to be sought after by farmers in Rajasthan but now it is known as green gold. That is why, perhaps, Bimla Jindal and Kamini Jindal, wife and daughter of NUZP chief B D Agrawal, were the two richest candidates in the fray with their joint assets worth Rs 2,959 crore, richer than the royals in the poll arena. The Zamindara Party bagged both these seats. In contrast to the affluent party belonging to the guar farmers, the Jago Party headed by Deepak Mittal also extended its reach and presence in the poll arena with its message of ‘reservation for none, job for everyone’. If Dr Kirori Lal Meena of NPP opened his arms to disgruntled men from all parties, Gurjar leader Col Kirori Singh Bainsla made a surprising move on the poll eve to support the Congress. It would be worth recalling that Col Bainsla had contested the last Lok Sabha election on BJP ticket. Fighting for reservation for his community, the desperate Col Bainsla had held parleys on the election eve with both the BJP and the Congress and even with his adversary Dr Kirori Lal Meena, but ended up finally announcing his support to the Congress. It is a different matter his decision was not well received by his own community. While it is celebration time for the BJP-- Rajasthan voters too have reason to feel excited about their spectacular performance-- the state assembly in the coming five years is likely to miss heated debates and noisy scenes, the trade mark of Indian politics, because of the brute majority of the BJP there. With most of the vocal Congressmen knocked out, the opposition chairs will stare blankly at treasury benches. One does not know if the BJP will enjoy the onesided business in the assembly which will be like a foregone match between unequal players.<

Unfair deal for fair sex nlike the highly successful women’s participation in Panchayat Raj in Rajasthan, the poll scenario was bereft of adequate number of women candidates. But women this time went ahead and recorded 75.52 per cent voting while the male voting percentage remained at 74.92. Unfortunately, in the six-decade-long electioneering, there has not been much progress in the number of women elected to the state assembly. The assembly election in 2008 perhaps put up the best show with 28 women winning, the Congress and the BJP sharing 13 each. This time 25 ladies made it to the state assembly-19 from the BJP-- from a total of 166 women in the fray.<

Presence of royals f rebel factor is unavoidable in the poll fray, so is royal presence in Rajasthan. Of the royalties, Diya Kumari from Sawai Madhopur, Siddhi Kumari from Bikaner, Kirti Kumari from Bhilwara, Krishendra Kaur Deepa from Nadbai (all BJP) won; only Rohini Kumari of Karauli lost. The Congress Party’s Vishwendra Singh, scion of Bharatpur royal family won against the BJP stalwart Dr Digambar Singh.<

I 26

| LOKAYAT DECEMBER, 2013

Gandhi’s much publicised promises, made at the Chintan Shivir early this year, of giving primacy to moral and ethical considerations were thrown to the winds and the party ended up giving tickets to several tainted characters and kin of tainted leaders, who were obviously incapable of winning people’s votes.

Voters Rejected the Tainted For instance, the BJP fielded Rajendra Rathore, a close aide of Vasundhara Raje, but who was chargesheeted in the Dara Singh fake encounter case; the leader of the opposition Gulab Chand Kataria (who currently recorded his 7th victory), is named in the alleged Sohrabuddin murder case. The Congress list went a step further giving tickets to tainted former ministers like Ram Lal Jat who had to quit the Gehlot cabinet over a woman’s death under suspicious circumstances in Bhilwara, Bharosi Lal Jatav who was dropped from the cabinet over his involvement in illegal mining, sitting MLA Udai Lal Anjana, charged of sexual assault, and so on. Caste played an important role in ticket distribution so much so that the Congress had to give ticket to Leela Maderna, wife of jailed ex-minister Mahipal Maderna, key accused in the disappearance and murder of one auxiliary nurse Bhanwari Devi. The 78- year- old Amri Devi, mother of coaccused Malkhan Singh Bishnoi was also fielded to appease the Bishnoi vote bank. Similarly, Hazari Lal Nagar, brother of former khadi and dairy minister Babu Lal Nagar, booked on charges of rape was also obliged with a ticket. The enlightened voters of Rajasthan, however, rejected kin of all tainted leaders, sending a clear message to political parties to keep away all such anti-social elements. The Congress paid a hideous price for this faulty ticket distribution. Ashok Gehlot knows the ins and outs of Rajasthan but failed to assert himself with the high command. The

COVER STORY party could have saved some more seats if Gehlot could prevail on the state poll panel chief Dr C P Joshi and the state in-charge Gurudas Kamat. It is high time the party re-assessed if the Olas, the Madernas, the Singhs and the likes are really promoting the party’s interests.

To give a fitting reply to Modi’s tirades, the Congress too had held rallies addressed by party vice president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi at many places; even prime minister Manmohan Singh appeared at one meeting in Jaipur. Ashok Gehlot left nothing to chance and campaigned vigorously. The unenthusiastic crowds, however, disproved the Congress party’s presumed popularity. It became quite obvious when even a small venue like Ramlila Maidan in Jaipur did not fill up to hear the PM speak. How strong are leaders on their home turfs? The lone Congress winner from Jhunjhunu is the veteran Jat leader Sis Ram Ola’s son, but the PCC chief Dr Chandrabhan is openly holding Ola responsible for his defeat. The Congress has not won a single seat in union

Leela Maderna, Congress candidate from Luni (lost)

make way for a few powerful ones like Rita Choudhury and Dr Raj Kumar. Bhanwar Jitendra Singh had reportedly recommended tickets to some obvious losers in Alwar. In the 2008 assembly polls, the Congress had made the mistake of forcing the sitting MP Dr Karan Singh Yadav to contest from Behror despite the fact that he was among the four MPs who had won the 2004 Lok Sabha poll even when an antiCongress wave was sweeping Rajasthan. He was made a scapegoat then; this time when he would have

Jaipur princess Diya Kumari (maiden victory from Sawai Madhopur, the place named after her great grandfather Sawai Madho Singh).

minister Sachin Pilot’s constituency, Ajmer. The party has lost all seats in Chittorgarh represented by Dr Girija Vyas and all the eight seats in Tonk and Sawai Madhopur represented by union minister Namo Narain Meena. Gehlot is the sole winner out of the ten seats in Jodhpur. Similarly, the Congress has got just one seat each in Bhilwara, Alwar and Barmer represented by Dr C P Joshi, Union Minister Bhanwar Jitendra Singh and AICC secretary Harish Choudhury respectively. Congress could have got a few seats in Shekhawati, Marwar and Alwar as well if potential winners and candidates with clean images were not dropped to

Amri Devi Bishnoi (in red dress), Congress candidate from Osian (lost)

salvaged the party’s position in Alwar, he was denied the opportunity. Sportsperson Krishna Punia who made an unsuccessful bid in politics also complained of backstabbing by Congressmen. In Barmer the party miserably failed to take advantage of its biggest achievement—the oil refinery— because Col Sona Ram, Hema Ram Choudhury and Harish Choudhury were engrossed in their own equations.<

DECEMBER, 2013 LOKAYAT |

ANDHRA PRADESH

FINAL NOD FOR TELANGANA BILL, ANGER ERUPTS Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill-2013 has finally been sent to Andhra assembly by the president. On this issue the assembly is steeply divided and the possibility of its approval is doubtful. The group of ministers on the issue had recommended Rayala-Telangana proposal which envisaged adding two more districts to Telangana, but the cabinet finally dropped it seeing strong opposition within the Congress. The political game-plan was meant to reduce the area of clout of Jaganmohan Reddy as well as to keep the TRS leader K Chandrasekhar Rao in check.

YS Jagan Mohan Reddy meeting president Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi (PTI photo)

| LOKAYAT DECEMBER, 2013

By S Santhanam

fter dilly-dallying over the issue of separate Telangana state for months, the union cabinet finally ended the months-long speculation and suspense over the composition of the new state, which agitated both the separatists and status-quoists, in Andhra Pradesh by giving nod to its creation with 10 districts including Hyderabad. Tempers started rising again when the Group of Ministers with the approval of Sonia Gandhi had proposed a larger Telangana, called Rayala-Telangana, including two Rayalaseema districts—Anantapur and Kurnool. It is, however, not the end of the problem; in fact, it has only started. The vexing question now is whether the AP State Re-organisation Bill-2013 will get approval in the Andhra Pradesh assembly. And in the event of disapproval of the bill in the assembly, will it be forwarded to the parliament invoking Article 3 of the constitution. The Article 3 of the Constitution permits the Centre to split a state even without the assent of a state assembly. Politically Jaganmohan Reddy is most active to block bifurcation of the state. He undertook a nationwide campaign against the Centre’s ‘unilateral, undemocratic and autocratic’ decision to divide AP using Article 3 of the Constitution. The campaign was aimed at mobilising the support of national parties in getting Article 3 amended so that in future no central government could misuse it. He gave a call of 2-day bandh in Seemandhra opposing creation of Telangana. Union tourism minister K Chiranjeevi has pressed his resignation tendered in October opposing creation of Telangana. And the Congress chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy appears to oppose it tooth and nail when the Bill comes in the assembly. YSR Congress apart, the Telugu Desam Party is now also rooting for united Andhra. A lot of anger was seen in the Congress leaders belonging to Seemandhra so much so that six Congress MPs gave a no-confidence motion

ANDHRA PRADESH against the UPA government on this issue supported by YSR Congress and Telugu Desam MPs. SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav declared his 22 MPs would vote against the government if the motion was taken up for vote. Jaganmohan Reddy met President Pranab Mukherjee also to plead with him not to sign the Bill if it is not okayed by the AP Assembly. He also met Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, JD-U chief Sharad Yadav, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Tamilnadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, BJP president Rajnath Singh and several left leaders. All of them have assured their full support on the question of misuse of Article 3. It is expected that the Bill may come in the parliament in the budget session only. According to the final proposal Seemandhra (the part of Andhra Pradesh left after the separation of Telangana) will have 13 districts and Telangana 10. AP chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy had suggested to Sonia Gandhi as a trade off among many things to include 4 more districts in the proposed Telangana, but it was fiercely opposed by the Telangana Rashtra Samiti which had spearheaded the agitation for the separate state. The AP government did not support the hurried recommendation of the Group of Ministers on this issue after exit polls indicated that the Congress was losing elections in four of the five states. The cabinet rejected the demand to make Hyderabad a Union Territory. It will remain the common capital for a period not exceeding 10 years. Seeing the growing anger in the Seemandhra, the union government is however expected to allow the new capital sooner than later, and announce the venue and government financial package for the new capital. Sources say, Kiran Reddy had suggested two proposals: the Telangana state may be formed with 10 districts but keep Hyderabad as a Union Territory. Alternately, constitute

Highlights of the Telangana Bill ◘ Telangana will comprise 10 districts and the residual Andhra Pradesh will have 13 . ◘ Hyderabad will remain the common capital for the two states for a period not exceeding 10 years. ◘ The Governor of Telangana will have a special responsibility for the security of life, liberty and property of all those who reside in the common capital. ◘ The Government of India will extend financial and other support for building a new capital for the successor state of Andhra Pradesh. An expert committee will identify a suitable site. ◘ An institutional mechanism with the full involvement and participation of the Government of India will be put in place to manage water resources and projects on the Krishna and Godavari rivers in an amicable and equitable manner. ◘ Polavaram will be declared a national project and will be executed by the Union government. ◘ Detailed provisions have been made in the Bill on matters relating to coal, power, oil and gas, division of assets and liabilities and allocation of government employees.<

To block the UPA government’s move to divide Andhra Pradesh six Congress MPs along with the YSR Congress and TDP MPs have given a no-confidence notice to the speaker of the Lok Sabha. The Samajwadi Party has also declared its intention that if the motion was taken up, its MPs would vote against the government as it did not want arbitrary division of states. Meanwhile YSR Congress leader Jagan Mohan Reddy is leaving no stone unturned to stop the government in its track and has met more than half a dozen opposition leaders to seek their support to amend the Article 3 of the Constitution which permits creation of a new state even without the consent of a state assembly, if necessary.

Telangana state with 14 districts including four of the Rayalaseema region. Both proposals did not find favour. Congress leaders from Seemandhra region are seething with anger on rejection of their proposals. More drama is expected to unfold, particularly in the Seemandhra camp of the Congress, when the state assembly sits for its winter session (from December 12) and bifurcation issue will come to the fore. The Seemandhra Congress ministers and MLAs have repeatedly said they would defeat the Telangana Bill in the assembly. Kiran Reddy, who completes three years as chief minister of the state, had taken a tough stand before the party high command. The party leadership had sternly warned him either to fall in line or face the prospect of being replaced. However, finding a replacement to him will not be easy, given the fact that tempers are running high in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema. Sources also say that he may quit the Congress and form his new party which may be badly needed for his own political survival as well as that of his faithful followers.<

DECEMBER, 2013 LOKAYAT |

GUJARAT

MODI AND CONGRESS FIGHT FOR The recent wrangle between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress over the ownership of Sardar Patel’s legacy is a meaningless ‘storm in a tea cup’ based on the ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ of history. The moot question is, who is eligible for that weighty inheritance. The BJP wants to appropriate the Iron Man to help in its electoral campaign on the strength of a mammoth statue of the unflappable administrator the party is planning to install. The Congress, which forgot the Sardar for 41 years, is desperately keen to keep the iconic figure for itself, but it has lost the moral right to it on account of its misgovernance and disintegrative politics. 30

| LOKAYAT DECEMBER, 2013

Gujarat CM Narendra Modi and PM Manmohan Singh (PTI photo)

Who is really secular? n its rebuttal of the claims of Modi and other BJP leaders, the Congress came out stridently saying Patel dedicated his entire life for the unity and integrity of India whereas the main opposition party is indulging in divisive politics which is against the ethos, methods and ideologies of Patel. Stung by the Congress’ observation, Modi retaliated by saying that he believed in Patel’s sterling secularism. As the first home minister of the country the Sardar protected all religious groups even as he had no hesitation in rebuilding the Somnath Temple. The Congress on the other hand indulged in self-serving secularism.<

By Lokayat Correspondent

ight over venerable political legacies is nothing new in India, whether it is the Mahatma, Patel, Nehru, Azad or Ambedkar. At present two political parties, the Congress and the BJP, are engaged in a fierce battle over the name of Sardar Patel. While the BJP is trying to appropriate Patel as a national leader who was close to Hindutva ideolo-

gy, the Congress is taking pride in the fact that the Iron Man belonged to it. Ironically, however, the same Congress Party thought of honouring him with Bharat Ratna 41 years after his death! Besides, it has selectively chosen to highlight that part of history when Patel imposed a ban on the RSS for its communal activities. As was to be expected this tussle has grown now into a full-blown war of words. And, Modi’s much hyped project to build the world’s tallest statue of

GUJARAT

SARDAR PATEL’S LEGACY Controversy over statue site olitics over the statue apart, environmentalists have raised objection to the project that envisages installing the 182-metre tall monument in the middle of the Sardar Sarovar dam. They say the mammoth structure may cause areas that are partially submerged now to go under water completely. Therefore the Congress-led central government is reluctant to give its nod to locate the statue inside the dam. Union water resources minister Harish Rawat fears that if the statue is to be placed where Modi wants it, the dam height may have to be raised by another 20-25 metres. As a result as many as 38,000 families residing in ‘partially submerged’ area will fall under ‘fully submerged area’ and another equal number will fall under partially submerged area. A good part of this population belongs to Madhya Pradesh and will necessitate immediate resettlement. The Narmada Control Authority is said to have withheld its nod to install spillway piers since its height will reach 138.62 metres. It is pointed out that the Sardar Sarovar Project, which has already attained the height of 121.92 metres, is the costliest project in India.<

Patel has given a new twist to the slugfest: whose claim to the Patel legacy is stronger? The controversy came to the fore recently when the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi claimed, in the presence of prime minister Manmohan Singh who inaugurated the Sardar Patel Museum in Ahmedabad, that independent India’s history would have been different had Patel been the first PM. Manmohan Singh in his speech promptly rebutted the insinuation by saying that he was proud of the fact that Patel belonged to the party of which he was a member. The debate soon took the shape of open attacks. The claims and counter-claims by both the parties sought political mileage on the election-eve. The Sardar has always been credited with the political integration of India by merging more than 650 princely states. His carrot and stick approach was considered the most pragmatic when it came to dealing with a vexing situation. It was widely argued since long that if Patel had his way on territorial issues, the country would not be facing today the numerous frustrating problems like Kashmir, Telangana, inter-state river waters and so on. But the BJP’s motive in raising the matter in the context of installing the statue is suspect: it wants to reap

electoral dividends. The statue measures 182 metres—four times taller than New York’s 46-metre high ‘Statue of Liberty’. Estimated to cost Rs 2,500 crore, the much publicised project is reportedly intended to capitalise on current anti-Congress sentiments and spring a leader ( read Modi) as decisive as Patel, to save the nation from disintegration. Adding further punch to the raging debate, the BJP’s grand patriarch LK Advani said if Nehru had his way, we would have been facing Kashmir-like problems in Hyderabad and Junagarh too. As the first prime minister of the country he was against sending the army to Hyderabad, thinking it would make India’s position vulnerable inter-

nationally. He was probably correct. But acting on Patel’s suggestion the then governor-general C. Rajagopalachari prevailed on Nehru who then gave the go-ahead for the ‘police action’ which eventually sent the Nizam fleeing to Pakistan. The Sardar’s initiative saved Hindus from a systematic bigger massacre. In the midst of the unprecedented political ruckus Modi is seeking to fashion himself as the true inheritor of Patel’s legacy—as a decisive and effective leader. However, there is a lot of hair-splitting of history by both the Congress and the BJP. But, what matters today is how well we meet contemporary economic and political challenges.<

DECEMBER, 2013 LOKAYAT |

GUJARAT

SNOOPING CASE: WATERLOO The Congress has got a godsend bomb to attack Modi in the form of a case of snooping a young woman for 62 days in 2009. Though father of the girl architect, now married, has written to the National Commission for Women that he had requested Modi orally to give protection to his daughter and she knew about it and now in order to save privacy of her disturbed daughter does not want any probe into the issue. But the allegation is of such a complex and serious nature that it would be extremely difficult for Modi to extricate himself fully. He has appointed a 2member commission headed by a high court judge to inquire into the authenticity audio tapes which lead to alleged snooping charge, but the union home minister Shinde has declared the centre would also probe the charge.

| LOKAYAT DECEMBER, 2013

Gujarat chief minister and BJPs prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi (PTI photo)

By Lokayat Correspondent

ust before any election there should be something sensational to target opponents. That explains why so many sting operations take place on the eve of all elections. Sometimes tapes of covert operations are even created, or doctored to suit the desired end. Too often disgruntled officers are also roped in to help collect incriminating secrets of politicians. Justification for

The audio tapes of conversation between the Modi confidant Amit Shah and the arrested superintendant of police GL Singhal in the Ishrat Jahan case were handed over to the CBI as he sought leniency in a perceived trade off to pass the buck on to the political leadership. He, according to BJP leaders, could get bail only after this.

GUJARAT

FOR MODI? all these illegal acts is the old dictum, that ‘all is fair in love and (electoral) war’. But this moral code of the devil is vitiating the whole political environment today. It was thus a godsend opportunity to the embattled Congress when a disgruntled officer arrested in the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case, now out on bail, handed over to the CBI audio tapes of alleged conversation between the then Gujarat home minister Amit Shah and himself. The tapes revealed that a woman was kept under surveillance for over two months at the instance of ‘Saheb’, who was later found to be none other than the chief minister. Modi maintains a studied silence on the snooping allegations. He refuses to be dragged into any discussion on the topic. He nonchalantly focuses on election rallies in his own characteristic style, highlighting failures of the UPA government and citing Gujarat’s achievements. However, his silence has only strengthened the suspicion about his complicity in the alleged crime, and helped the Congress to raise the pitch of its attack on him. Some BJP leaders say, the Congress should be replied in kind with more muck: on coal-gate, spectrum, Commonwealth Games and so on. Independent observers, however, think that the controversy is deliberately blown up to divert attention from several important problems facing the country. The issue of misuse of state authority in snooping a private citizen is now overtaken by the related but unconfirmed details of what led to the suspension and arrest of IAS officer Pradeep Sharma. While defending himself, Sharma handed to the court over 150 pages of transcripts of phone calls and sought a CBI inquiry. He

maintained that he was being victimised by the Gujarat government because he knew a lot about the alleged intimacy between Modi and an architect girl whom he had introduced to the CM in 2004.

be the next PM. However the inquiry commission constituted by the Gujarat government has been asked to ascertain first of all the veracity of the tapes and the legitimacy of conducting the alleged surveillance. The Supreme Court is expected to order a probe into the case separately. Home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde too intends to order a probe of his own. The tapes in question show Amit Shah, Modi’s close confidant and then junior home minister talking to the Gujarat Police officer G L Singhal about posting police personnel around the residence of IPS officer Kuldeep Sharma, who happens to be Pradeep Sharma’s brother. This Pradeep Sharma had

Pranlal Soni, jeweller father of the woman, wanted his daughter to be protected from IAS officer Pradeep Sharma, who had been suspended on corruption charges in five land deals. An obviously disgruntled Sharma has now approached the Supreme Court seeking an inquiry into the illegal snooping. He said he was being punished because he came to know about the ‘intimate’ relationship of the woman with Modi. Sharma, who remained in jail for a year before he could get bail, wants his case of corruption transferred to the CBI for investigation. The architect was subsequently hired by the state government to work in one of its projects. The girl, hailing from Bhuj, Gujarat, is at present working in Bengaluru. On 15 November, 2013 two websites Cobrapost.com and Gulail.com released tapes of the purported conversations which, if found true, would be quite damaging to a person wishing to

unmasked many alleged misdeeds of the Modi government since Godhra riots. The instruction for surveillance of Kuldeep Sharma’s residence was, therefore, because the ‘troublesome’ Pradeep Sharma was staying with his brother. In the impugned tape Shah is allegedly heard talking about interception of Sharma's calls by the IB. The

DECEMBER, 2013 LOKAYAT |

GUJARAT

A commission to probe the conspiracy angle he Modi government has constituted a two-member inquiry commission into the snooping scandal. Its terms of reference include finding out if there was any conspiracy behind the release of the tapes after a gap of four years. The commission would also ascertain the authenticity of the tapes. The panel is headed by the retired judge of the Gujarat High Court, Sugnyaben K Bhatt. It has been told to submit its report within six months. But the Congress has dubbed the commission as an attempt to save Modi. The BJP on its part alleges mala fide behind the release of the audio tapes just ahead of the 2014 polls; it is designed to malign its prime ministerial candidate. <

surveillance, as claimed by Pradeep Sharma and the websites, was primarily to find out whether the IAS officer, then Bhavnagar municipal commissioner, was in touch with the woman who was being constantly monitored by the police at the instance of the chief minister. Tapes also show how Shah was keeping a watch on the movements and phone calls of the lady and asking the police officer to prevent her from boarding a flight to Mumbai. And, when she succeeded in taking a flight, a man was asked to take the same flight so as to watch where she went and whom she talked to. Mention of the IB throughout the conversation is significant as the agency was already under the cloud in connection with the Ishrat Jahan killing (who was thought to be linked to the terrorist organisation Lashkare-Taiba) with the CBI alleging that the IB was hand-in-glove with the

| LOKAYAT DECEMBER, 2013

Amit Shah general secretary of the BJP & in-charge of Uttar Pradesh

Snooping is permissible under law when there is threat of public disturbance or security to the state. But the order has to be given in writing, according to Supreme Court guidelines. But in the instant case, neither any such emergency existed nor was the order given in writing. There is another stringent SC stipulation: records relating to phone-tapping should be used and destroyed within two months. However, the IPS officer GL Singhal retained them for years. Besides, the audio tapes were said to be suspect—claimed to be unverified. Gujarat Police in the fake encounter. The suspended IAS officer has reportedly mentioned that in his three decades of service, there was nothing against him but in two years from 2010 to 2012 he was implicated in as many as six cases. In the meantime, as a damage control exercise allegedly at the instance of Modi, the woman’s father has issued a statement saying that he had asked Modi to give protection to his daughter. He also wrote to the National Commission for Women asking it not to investigate the matter as there has been no stalking the girl. Here the question raised by many political parties including the Congress is pertinent: how can a father ask a chief minister to keep an eye on his daughter by way of protection; secondly, why should a government go all out if there is no vested interest. The snooping in this case is in utter violation of the Indian

Telegraph Act and the right to privacy. The snooping case may turn out to be more damaging to Modi’s reputation than the Godhra riots in 2002. There are several disgruntled officers in the police and the bureaucracy who are only too willing to help Modi’s detractors with any amount of damaging information. Recently there was a report about the Gujarat police intercepting as many as 93,000 calls of people, including journalists. During this election year, when Modi is trying to hard-sell his claim to probity and integrity in public life, he would come under mounting pressure with every passing day. In fact, this would be the toughest battle for him to fight. To make matters harder for Modi, the Congress and other parties are asking the BJP to change its prime ministerial candidate. The women wing of the Congress is demanding Modi’s resignation as chief minister as well.<

PUNJAB

UNITED OPPOSITION FOR 2014 ELECTIONS?

PPP chief Manpreet Singh Badal has changed his stance towards the Congress

By Lokayat Correspondent

espite People's Party of Punjab (PPP) chief Manpreet Singh Badal terming the Congress ‘a sinking ship’, an alliance of opposition parties appears to be in the offing in Punjab ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha elections. Though the PPP and other Left parties, who are part of Sanjha Morcha (United Front) headed by Manpreet in Punjab, are officially part of the Third Front formed at the Centre in order to counter both the BJP-led NDA and Congress-led UPA, opposition parties are working out an ‘understanding’ on seat-sharing in Punjab in their bid to stop the ruling combine, SAD-BJP’s, winning run. Senior Congress leaders in the state including former chief minister Caption Amarinder Singh and current state unit chief Pratap Singh Bajwa favour an alliance with the PPP which accounted for nearly five per cent votes in last assembly elections. Manpreet had left his uncle

The opposition front comprising Congress, CPI and PPP seems to have become a necessity for them in order to successfully face the challenge of the 2014 LS elections. These parties realise that without joining their strength together, it would not be possible to stop the winning spree of the ruling combine…. Parkash Singh Badal’s SAD months before 2012 assembly elections to form the PPP and provide third alternative in Punjab by forming an alliance of opposition parties except the Congress. This is why the PPP chief has been shying away from ending his alliance with the Sanjha Morcha, which includes, CPI, SAD (Longowal) and the CPI-M, in the state and moving closer to main opposition party he had promised to take on along with the SAD-BJP. But due to growing realisation that opposition unity is a must to stop SAD-BJP’s winning run in the state, many observers expected Manpreet to join hands with the main opposition party sooner than later. It is, therefore, no surprise that the Congress is in talks with the PPP and the CPI over the possibility of an electoral alliance. As of the now, the three parties are working out an understanding over the seats they may leave for each other in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. The Congress and PPP are said to have agreed to back the CPI in Faridkot, held by the SAD.

Congress and CPI are said to have offered to back PPP chief Manpreet in Bathinda seat against Akali MP Harsimrat Kaur, wife of his cousin and deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal. Congress is keen on contesting the remaining 11 seats but CPI and PPP are yet to agree to this. It may take some time for them to finalise the arrangement. It may seem a first that the Left is entering into an alliance with the Congress since their 2008 breakup over the Indo-US nuclear deal but the May 19 elections to the Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samitis had laid the foundation of a united opposition in Punjab. The SAD-BJP won despite the Congress, Manpreet-led Sanjha Morcha and the BSP helped each other out on many seats. It gives inkling that if smaller opposition parties do not join hands with the Congress to fight the ruling combine, the outcome may be the same as in the last few elections. Their unity alone can produce a matching force to take on the ruling combine in 2014.<

DECEMBER, 2013 LOKAYAT |

HARYANA

HOODA ASSERTS AUTHORITY Opposition in Haryana is in disarray with the BJP highly confused whether to ally with the INLD, despite the suggestion to this effect given by Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and the INLD extending support to Modi’s prime ministerial candidature. In the absence of any challenge from the opposition, Hooda is wallowing in his self-acclaimed popularity which he demonstrated by organising a massive rally of 12 lakh people in Gohana. 36

| LOKAYAT DECEMBER, 2013

By Jyoti Thakur from Chandigarh

f Congress’ November 10 mega rally in Gohana was an indicator of a leader's popularity, Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda proved a point to the opposition as well his detractors in the state Congress. After all, an attendance of nearly 12 lakh from across Haryana at this ‘Shakti rally’ at Gohana in Sonepat proved that criticism and anti-government campaigns by opposition parties have failed to dent Hooda's image and he remains firmly in control for a successive third term as chief minister in the assembly elections due in October next year.

Staking his claim to chief ministership for the third term, Hooda reminded that he was second to none in political acumen, who managed to muster the requisite number of legislators to form government overnight in 2009. Referring to the crowd as his ‘Gulabi Sena’, as most of them wore pink turbans, Hooda said that he only needed their support and all external and internal hurdles in his way would then be taken care of. Entire Congress leadership in the state except three detractors of Hooda—union minister for social justice and welfare Kumari Selja, Rajya Sabha MP Birender Singh and Gurgaon Lok Sabha MP Rao Inderjit Singh—stood firmly behind him

HARYANA showing a united face of the party at the rally. Politics in Haryana these days is sizzling in view of next year's Lok Sabha and assembly polls but fractured and weak opposition has so far

has its own limitations in the state's politics that is dominated by leaders of the Jat community. BJP's Central leadership has been caught in a dilemma whether to continue alliance with HJC or dump the

Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda addressing a mammoth rally at Gohana

failed to project itself as an alternative. With top opposition leaders, former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala and his son Ajay Chautala of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) behind bars after their conviction earlier this year in a teachers' recruitment scam, Hooda and his camp in the ruling Congress see a clear victory in next year's assembly election. The INLD, which was eyeing a comeback, has clearly lost much of the prestige and political steam. The Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) led by former chief minister Bhajan Lal's son and Hisar MP Kuldip Bishnoi, which is in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has been trying its best to remain active in the Haryana hinterland but the combine

party for fresh alliance with the INLD in order to give a serious fight to the Congress. Much of the speculation took a back seat after Bishnoi shared the dais at Rewari rally of BJP, where the saffron party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi addressed the gathering. But the presence of BJP's senior leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi at an INLD's rally in Kurukshetra again sent confusing signals among electorates on possibility of an alliance between the two parties. Till recently, the top BJP leadership has ducked the question of breaking alliance with the HJC. State BJP president Ram Bilas Sharma has even termed Chautalas corrupt. Bishnoi has also ruled out any alliance with the INLD.

The Shiromani Akali Dal leader and Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal is, however, acting as a mediator and has urged the BJP and the INLD to bury their political differences. ‘It is the right time to fight unitedly against the Congress and we want to see Narendra Modi unfurling the national flag at Red Fort’, argued Badal, whose SAD has an alliance with the BJP in Punjab. Reacting to Badal's comments, Chautala's younger son and legislator Abhey said that the INLD would go by the suggestion of Badal as he had long association with our (Devi Lal) clan and every worker of the party is ready to take guidance from Badal Sa’ab. It may be noted that the INLD has already extended support to Modi as prime ministerial candidate. But the INLD wants the BJP to snap its ties with the HJC to forge a possible electoral alliance with it. The , the saffron party dithers over joining hands with the INLD whose leaders have been indicted for corruption and are in jail fearing it may dent its anticorruption stance against the Congress. However, if Chautalas get some relief from the court it will muster courage to once again join hands with it. Till opposition parties churn out a suitable alliance, Hooda sees no threat to the Congress' poll prospects in Haryana. He mocks at the efforts of the opposition to form an alliance, calling it for their own vested interest rather than for the welfare of the people and claiming ‘only alliance possible in Haryana to form government is between me and people of Haryana’. After having announced sops for all sections of society on completion of his four years in office, the Congress is now fast tracking the proposal to provide reservation in government jobs to Jats by including them in the other backward class. If this comes through, Hooda will get even more support from dominant Jat community whose votes are around 22 percent in the state.<

DECEMBER, 2013 LOKAYAT |

UTTAR PRADESH

By Ratan Mani Lal from Lucknow

ttar Pradesh is once again the centre-point of all electoral possibilities although the current focus is on the assembly elections underway in five states. The party which corners the maximum of the 80 Lok Sabha seats that Uttar Pradesh has holds the key to form next government at the Centre. Which political party—or political worthy— doesn’t want it? Regardless of the media attention on the five states-- Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram—the maximum political heat was generated in the dusty plains of Uttar Pradesh with heavy weights like Rahul Gandhi, Narendra Modi, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mayawati and Prakash Karat trying to pep up their ranks for the battle ahead. The Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial hopeful Narendra Modi launched his high-voltage campaign with a rally in Kanpur, followed by Jhansi, Bahraich and Agra. He will speak in Varanasi on December 20. The BJP’s strategy to rouse people with Modi’s brand of campaigning in the first round is indicative of the high pitch it plans once the parliamentary poll drive starts. The fact that Modi was chosen to kick off the party’s crusade in UP ‘points to the importance the party leadership accords to the state,’ says its spokesman Vijay Pathak. Modi’s rhetorical style is a novelty for the people of the state who are used to the staid ways of Sonia and Rahul, and predictable nit-picking of Mulayam and Mayawati. Modi concentrates on people’s concerns and eggs them on to respond as well. His speech peppered with humour and caustic comments, he draws applause-galore everywhere.

| LOKAYAT DECEMBER, 2013

ALL POSSIBILITIES ARE OPEN IN UP UP politics is in a state of flux. Major parties are gearing up to start the big crusade, once the five assembly poll results are out. They all aim for maximum parliamentary seats in UP because that alone will clear the path to the throne in Delhi. But the X-factor--Muslims--will decide the winner.

BJP rally

In Agra the party lionised and show-pieced a group of Muslim men and women who came holding aloft the BJP flag and stayed on willingly to give statements to the media. An elderly gentleman who belonged to Agra said that Muslims had left behind the Gujarat episode and all they wanted was a government that created job opportunities as in Gujarat. For the Congress, Rahul Gandhi continued his labours through rallies held in Aligarh and Rampur (both on October 9) and Hamirpur and Salempur (both on October 30). At all places, the turnout was much lower than his

expectations and he is reported to have conveyed his displeasure to the state leaders. Facing flak for his faux pas earlier about ISI agents approaching Muslim youths in Muzaffarnagar, Rahul seems to be overcautious now in his allegations and claims. When he did not see much enthusiasm in the audience in Rampur, he grumbled and reportedly urged, ‘Arey bhaiya sun to lo, main kya bol raha hoon’ (Oh, brothers at least listen to what I am saying). He even asked the people to clap. ‘Arey bhai tali to baja do. Tali ke bina maza nahi ata’ (I need you to clap to keep me

UTTAR PRADESH

SP rally (PTI photo)

going). His statements holding other parties responsible for the ills in Uttar Pradesh did not seem to go down well with the people. The efficacy of the UP Congress in-charge Madhusudan Mistry, a much-hyped import from Gujarat, in mobilising crowds is dimly viewed and it is learnt that party leaders are revising the schedule of Rahul’s next round of rallies in the state. ‘This is not to say that Rahul’s rallies are not popular. It is just that he does not believe in making unnecessary announcements. Our party is focussing on what our government at the Centre has done in the last nine years,’ says a UPCC spokesman. The rallies organised by the Samajwadi Party have been addressed by party president Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav. Predictably crowds are the largest in Mulayam’s rallies; they were the biggest in Azamgarh and Bareilly. While the senior Yadav appeals to people to give him a mandate so big that he can capture power in Delhi, his son prefers to stay away from limelight. The Bahujan Samaj Party has so far not embarked on any rally spree, perhaps saving its energy for the time

Modi’s rhetorical style is a novelty for the people of the state who are used to the staid ways of Sonia and Rahul, and predictable nitpicking of Mulayam and Mayawati. Modi concentrates on people’s concerns and eggs them on to respond as well. His speech peppered with humour and caustic comments, he draws applause-galore everywhere. when all other parties have exhausted their ammunition. The party supremo Mayawati limits herself to addressing press conferences in Lucknow where she comes, reads out a prepared text and departs without fielding questions. Her utterances so far have been limited to general attacks on other parties. UP politics is no longer influenced by the antics of the Vishwa Hindu

Parishad in Ayodhya or the yatras its members undertake. The riots in Muzaffarnagar, however, are certain to impact on the way people of both communities especially in western districts, will react. The fact that riot-affected Muslims are agitating against the government’s relief measures and voicing their ire against the ruling party openly is an indication of a possible shift in their support for the SP. A greater ominous sign is that Jats in the riot-hit district are resisting attempts to relocate Muslims near their villages. The release of two BJP MLAs from detention and honouring them at a rally in Agra which Modi addressed subsequently is a clear sign that the party wanted the communal polarisation taking place. Caste is also set to play a dominant role in making electoral choices. Parties are busy preparing lists of candidates, but nothing final yet. More than half the names announced by the SP and the BSP have been changed so far. The Congress and the BJP have refrained from making hasty announcements, even as rumours float that Modi or Rajnath Singh is contesting from Lucknow against a film actor seconded by the Congress.<

DECEMBER, 2013 LOKAYAT |

WORLD

HASINA SITTING ON A VOLCANO

Bangladesh prime minister Shaikh Hasina

Democracy in Bangladesh is facing an existential crisis owing to unrelenting use of undemocratic methods by the blood-thirsty opposition. It is ironic that despite Shaikh Hasina’s Awami League winning 263 seats of the total 300 trouncing the four-party alliance led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of Khaleda Zia in the 2008 general elections, her right to rule has been challenged by unending protests, strikes and violence. As elections are scheduled to take place in January next year, the environment is getting even more vitiated. Killing of innocent people—21 dead—in violence and bombings, large-scale destruction of property, forcing people to join the 84-hour strike called by the opposition, etc. are proof that BNP has no respect for democracy. The brutal trend is indeed ominous for the future of Bangladesh. In the last 11 months 152 hartals were staged by the opposition parties and an estimated 120 people died either in clashes with the police or in political faction fights. By Koomitara

ithin two months of assuming power in 2009 after a gap of eight years, following a resounding victory over the 4-party front led by the then prime minister Khaleda Zia, Shaikh Hasina had to face a big test of nerves vis-à-vis the powerful Army during the Bangladesh Rifles’ mutiny in Pilkhana headquarters and 36 other units across the country. She announced a general amnesty to the mutineers excluding those who had committed heinous crimes like killings

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of military officers and looting. Now, when the special military court awarded death sentence to 152 jawans of the Bangladesh Rifles and life imprisonment to many others, one of her support groups, the human rights activists, is up in arms against her and the court verdict. This indeed is a historic judgment. Besides death sentence, life- term has been awarded to 161 jawans and jail terms of up to 10 years to 850 others, held responsible for killing 74 people including 57 army officers during the mutiny. It goes to her stern will that Hasina did not allow the army to retaliate against the slaughter carried out by the

jawans of the Bangladesh Rifles in kind, despite the fact that many military commanders had been murdered. But it angered many politicians who supported the army and its rule more than that by any political party. Hasina had offered amnesty to quell the revolt but she had to withdraw the offer when it was ferociously opposed by the army after dozens of bodies were found in sewers and in mass graves. Forced by the army and opposition parties which were smarting under the electoral defeat Hasina had to pledge judicial trial and punishment of those responsible for the mutiny and murders. Sources say that the revolt had been

WORLD backed by certain political forces within and outside the coalition government. The intention was to destabilise Hasina’s rule. Ever since the mutiny on February 25-26, 2009, the country has

to show her strength by calling an 84hour nationwide strike which unleashed fresh violent clashes across the country taking 30 precious lives within a few days. In the last 11 months 152 hartals

Formation of a caretaker government to oversee the election process has become an explosive issue. The offer to form an all-party government for the purpose has been rejected by former prime minister Khaleda Zia. She and her 17 allies would rather have prime minister Shaikh Hasina resign to make way for a non-partisan government. There was indeed a constitutional provision earlier for a caretaker administration during elections— three elections had been held under this law—but that clause was removed when the Shaikh Hasina government changed the constitution. hardly seen a day of peace as the Khaleda Zia-led main opposition BNP has been instigating troubles one after another. After the mutiny came the opposition to massively popular Shahbagh protests demanding death penalty to 1971-war criminals who had butchered innocent people during the creation of Bangladesh. This evoked violent protests by supporters of Khaleda Zia and her alliance partners. Now as elections are just around the corner, the alliance of 17 opposition parties led by the BNP has taken to the streets demanding a caretaker government to oversee the elections though the provision in this regard has been declared null and void by the Supreme Court after the country’s constitution was changed by the Shaikh Hasina government. Zia has threatened to boycott the poll in case Hasina continued to preside over the government during the elections. In the event of the government not budging in its stand, the BNP may carry out the threat. If that happens, the elections could be delayed. Shaikh Hasina on her part has tried to assuage Zia by inviting her to join an all-party government for the limited purpose of conducting free and fair elections, but this offer has been rejected. She chose

have been called by opposition parties and an estimated 120 people have died either in clashes with the police or in strife between rival political parties. Zia is said to be angrier at the life sentence awarded to Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu, a former MP of her party for war crimes perpetrated during the birth of

opposition, Hasina is ready to replace her cabinet with technocrats, but she will not resign as prime minister. Apart from the Supreme Court verdict in her favour, Hasina who is considered close

Prime minister Khaleda Zia addressees a public rally in the RC College ground at Patarhat in Barisal

to New Delhi got a fillip when President Pranab Mukherjee during his recent visit to Bangladesh emphasised that a caretaker PM exercised no legitimate power in a democracy. But an atmosphere has been built in Bangladesh that Hasina wants to cling on to power no matter how. She has

Soon after assuming power—after a gap of eight years— Shaikh Hasina had to face a mutiny of the Bangladesh Rifles in Pilkhana headquarters and 36 other places across the country. Later Hasina’s attempt to arrest and prosecute the 1971 war criminals as promised in her election manifesto provided a new cause for the opposition to unleash violent hartals and protests. The latest issue raising widespread violence is about a non-party caretaker government to conduct elections. As if these were not enough, the death sentence awarded to 152 jawans of the Bangladesh Rifles is agitating human rights activists. Bangladesh. Zia has been opposing the trial of war criminals ever since it began. She has the full backing of Muslim fundamentalists in the country in her war against the Hasina regime. Forced by the unending turmoil and repeated hartals called by the

banned Jamaat-e-Islami, an ally of the BNP from participating in the upcoming elections because ‘it was an enemy of democracy’. Khaleda Zia is trying to muster support from international community, especially the USA, by citing violation of human rights.<

DECEMBER, 2013 LOKAYAT |

WORLD

COMMONWEALTH GAME OF A DIFFERENT KIND

It was Commonwealth game of a different kind that was played out at Colombo in the third week of November, and it was a washout. Almost all heads of government from 53 member countries gathered there. Canada and India did not send their prime ministers, however. The Canadian PM stayed away in protest against Sri Lanka’s grim record of human rights violations and Dr Manmohan Singh, meekly yielding to coercion and blackmail of short-sighted Indian Tamil leaders, lamely sent- in his letter of apology. The uneventful two-day annual meet concluded with the usual communiqué which did not say anything earth-shaking. By Lokayat Correspondent

HOGMs (Commonwealth heads of government meetings) are largely ceremonial functions, and normally nothing of consequence is on its agenda. It is taken to be an occasion when incumbent heads of government make or renew personal contacts and discuss bilateral matters in a familial, sang-froid atmosphere. But this year could have been different. Many members of the Commonwealth like Canada, particularly Britain and India, were deeply exercised about Sri Lanka’s ill-treatment of its Tamil citizens of Indian origin. They wanted to take it up with Colombo, if necessary with threat of sanction. In this regard the absence of India’s

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WORLD highest-level participation was a dampener. The suffering Sri Lankan Tamils who had pinned high hopes on Manmohan Singh joining the conclave were the most disappointed lot. India has already done much to mitigate the pathetic conditions to which the Tamils have been reduced in the aftermath of the 30year civil war the LTTE waged in Sri Lanka. There is no precise count of those killed in the long conflict that ended in 2009. Subsequent manhunt, torture, rape etc. also took a heavy toll. They are estimated in hundreds of thousands. But what is of pressing concern now is the 2,300 missing persons after the war. Picked up from their homes apparently for interrogation, they have not been heard of since. Besides, several thousand people uprooted from the devastated northern districts are still confined to various crowded camps. They cannot go back because their homes have been destroyed and lands seized by the army. Resettlement of these shattered people, restoration of their civil liberties and devolution of powers to Tamilmajority areas are India’s focus for now. India is building 50,000 houses for them; 5,000 completed ones along with roads, water & power supply have been handed over. Thanks to India’s prodding Sri Lanka External affairs minister conducted elections Salman Khurshid in September to the Northern Provincial Council, convincingly won by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA). CV Wigneswaran, the TNA leader who formed the first ministry in the Tamil-majority Northern Province thanked Manmohan Singh for his invaluable help and invited him to visit Jaffna on his way to CHOGM. The entire Tamil community in Sri Lanka was, therefore, disappointed by his decision to skip it. In the present defiant mood of Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa, no country could even raise the question of Colombo’s excessive human rights violations. British Prime minister David Cameron in an interview to a news channel served notice on Rajapaksa that if a credible probe into the transgressions that took place in the last four years was not completed before March, an international probe would become inevitable. To which the President coolly responded that the threat was not acceptable. It was better to request than dictate, he said. ‘Sri Lanka has ordered an inquiry. It will complete the job at its own pace.’ The message went home. Both the Colombo Declaration and the final communiqué avoided any mention of rights violations in Sri Lanka. What good is Tamilnadu’s protest!<

Tamil politicians strike a….. self-goal! n the purely sterile game of CHOGM 2013 played out at Colombo if any player came out on top, it is the Tamil politician in India’s very own Tamilnadu. He managed to score a goal, but it proved to be a selfgoal. Secondly, he showed that Tamilians were far greater than the rest of the country put together. What is more, he has demonstrated that he can make the prime minister of India kneel and do his bidding. Following the partition half of Punjab went to Pakistan; so did Bengal. But the two communities never showed as strong an extra-territorial affinity as the Tamil people, and for as long. Of the several hundred indentured labourers from Bihar and elsewhere taken to West Indies to work on sugarcane fields decades ago, few came back; yet there does not exist any undue pull or loyalty between those who stayed on and the ones that migrated. Then why Tamils alone get exercised over their agnates across the sea? For instance, the frenzied reaction in Tamilnadu following the announcement of Manmohan Singh’s programme to participate in CHOGM 2013 was simply bizarre. The whole state erupted in rage. Strikes, looting and destruction of property took place simultaneously as if there has been a general call. Indeed M Karunanidhi and J Jayalalithaa forgot their transcending enmity and joined hands to pass a unanimous resolution in the state assembly urging the PM not to proceed to Colombo! The gratuitous advice was backed by a threat that any infraction would prove suicidal. When a jittery PM fell in line and decided to send his foreign minister to Colombo, the assembly in a special session again unanimously warned against participation in the meet at any level. A humbled and angry PM could not take any more dictation. Enough was enough. He said, Salman Khurshid would lead the delegation representing India. Surprisingly, even cabinet ministers and MPs from Tamilnadu cutting across party-lines had joined in the asinine chorus! How could these hard-headed politicians be so sentimental, forgetting that there is a larger India beyond their short-sighted vision! How could they think that the country’s foreign policy could be circumscribed by a small section of people, however powerful they may be? The plain fact, probably not obvious to these grossly parochial people, is that by keeping the PM away from Colombo they had done great harm to the cause of the very people they profess to uphold. Or is it a smokescreen to cover some ulterior motive? There is genuine suspicion that by organising the sham show they were making a political statement—demonstrating their strength—on the eve of the parliamentary elections.<

DECEMBER, 2013 LOKAYAT |

ODISHA

NAVEEN SMELLS AN OPPORTUNITY The result of recent poll to the urban local bodies in Odisha has once again confirmed that Naveen’s mantra of ‘keeping equidistance from the BJP and the Congress’ works well in his favour. He is keen to join and play a major role in any national front made on this basis.

By Ashok B Sharma

uoyant about the gains in recent urban local body polls, the BJD supremo and chief minister Naveen Patnaik is now keen to see the emergence of a front offering a third alternative to the two led by the Congress and the BJP. The recent emergence of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a viable third force in Delhi polls has raised the level of his ambition A meeting YSR Congress chief Jaganmohan Reddy had with Naveen a few days ago has

| LOKAYAT DECEMBER, 2013

fuelled fresh speculations of many regional parties coming together to form a non-Congress, non-BJP national front. Jagan had gone to Naveen to seek his support against bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and the latter, facing demand for statehood for Kosal region, was quick to back him. Jagan met Mamata also later to seek her support on the issue of keeping Andhra Pradesh united. Jagan struck instant rapport with Mamata as she also faced identical demand—for division of West Bengal. Jagan’s meeting with Naveen and Mamata and their identity of views on the issue of amendment in Article 3 of the Constitution, making it compulsory for the state assembly to unanimously pass a resolution, or, with two-thirds majority in state

assembly and parliament for bifurcation of a state. This issue has given one more fillip for forming a non-Congress, non-BJP front before the 2014 polls. It may be noted that the Congress is doing everything possible to create a Telangana state and the BJP supports it with some riders. Delhi seems to show the way for a third force as an alternative to both the BJP and the Congress with the Aam Aadmi Party emerging as a force to reckon with. All parties are viewing the AAP with all seriousness, which has not only decimated the ruling Congress in Delhi but has halted BJP’s march, resulting in a hung assembly. The CPM had given up the idea of forming a third front before the next elections after the October conclave in Delhi of some non-BJP, non-Congress

ODISHA

AT NATIONAL LEVEL Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, Samajwadi Party supremo, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Bihar chief minister and JD-U leader Nitish Kumar West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, BSP chief Mayawati, Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa

Opposition is crippled in Odisha he results of the rural local bodies and urban local bodies have confirmed that Naveenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s popularity is intact in the face of a weak Congress opposition and battered BJP in Odisha. The ruling BJD scored resounding victory in the recent second phase of urban local body (ULB) polls in western Odisha and won clear majority in 15 out of 20 municipalities and Notified Area Councils (NACs). In the first phase of ULB polls held on September 19, of the 65 urban local bodies, the BJD had secured majority in as many as 41, while the Congress won majority in 10 civic bodies, and Independents in two. The main opposition, the Congress is crippled by factionalism among its senior leaders. A glaring example of this disease is the floating of a new political outfit by the expelled senior leader, Soumya Ranjan Patnaik. Continuing its dismal show this time again, the Bharatiya Janata Party secured majority only in the Patnagarh NAC of Bolangir district.<

T parties in the name of fighting communalism turned out to be a damp squib. Now fresh initiative can come only from some of the regional parties. Amongst interested regional forces, the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Trinamool Congress, Janata Dal (United), BJD and AIADMK could be counted as prominent players. The Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party, both entertaining private ambitions, did not make any firm commitment to be part of an alternative nonCongress, non-BJP front in the October conclave in Delhi. Naveen is said to be keeping a watchful eye on political developments that may lead to formation of such a front, which may bring him to the centre stage of national politics. Despite reports of scams and scandals and

mismanagement in the administration, the legacy of his father, Biju Patnaik has helped him to continue as chief minister of the state for three successive terms. His being in the NDA earlier in the company of the BJP has not dimmed his secular image. His is also seen as pro-poor. And despite charges of corruption he is retaining his popularity intact. All these indicate that he may emerge as a dark horse to lead the third front if and when it emerges though Mulayam Singh, Nitish Kumar and Jayalalithaa would be strong contenders. Ego clashes of some leaders may mar the prospects; much will depend on who gets support of the BJP or the Congress from outside as this will be necessary to form a government in case of a hung parliament.<

DECEMBER, 2013 LOKAYAT |

BIHAR

NITISH KUMAR’S ‘TOILET’ RHETORICS For politicians including Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar toilet remains just a topic of political sloganeering rather than a social commitment to be sincerely implemented as part of the Total Sanitation Campaign to ensure this basic facility in each household of the country. Hurt by a recent Modi rhetoric—‘Toilet First, Temple Later’—he retorted that he was the inventer of this slogan. But he needs to be reminded that around 88 lakh households in Bihar lack toilets despite his coining the slogan several years ago. Union minister for rural development CP Joshi revealed last month that the number of rural households without basic sanitation in Bihar stood at 72.58 percent! The state is the worst performer in the Total Sanitation Campaign as only 19.9 percent of the target has been achieved by it. Nitish needs to do far more in this regard to claim any credit. His creative sloganeering cannot compensate for poor governance. By Umanath

he debate over ‘Shauchalaya and Devalaya’ is generally written off as some facetious stuff. If related utterances come from politicians, then some ulterior motive is ascribed. In recent days leaders across the political spectrum have harangued about the need for, and health benefits of, toilets and telling the masses how much they (politicians) are concerned about them. Jairam Ramesh, the loquacious cabinet minister in the Manmohan Singh government in one of his politically loaded statement tried to remind the nation that Kanshi Ram had once proposed to construct a big shauchalaya at the disputed Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi site. He was probably aiming to win over the BSP,

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but Mayawati refuted the allusion without any delay. A few days later the BJP’s highflying prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi roared, ‘first shauchalaya, then devalaya’-- again a politically pregnant rhetoric. It is another matter that it did not go down well with his party adherents. In this slanging -match of eloquence over toilet, the ambitious Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar could not have remained behind, especially when he had vowed to refute Modi’s every word and deed. Without loss of any time Nitish proclaimed himself to be the oldest votary of shauchalaya in every home. However, realising fully well that his government had done little in providing toilets to the masses of people despite getting huge subsidy from the Centre for implementing the programme, he

hit the head of the real political problem and announced that he was going to make it mandatory to have a toilet in the home of whosoever wants to contest the local-body elections in the state. Many called it a fine political gimmickry to cover up poor governance! In an apparent reference to Modi, Kumar did not forget to claim that it was he, who had propagated the slogan ‘toilet first, temple later’ way back in 2007 when no one had even thought about it. Now others are trying to appropriate the credit. Asserting that the Panchayat Raj Act would be amended to bring about this change, the three-time Bihar CM announced that Nirmal Gram Panchayat Award of Rs 5 lakh would be given to panchayats and Nirmal Prakhand award of Rs 25 lakh to blocks that have achieved 100 percent

BIHAR

The perception of the people of Bihar about the need of a proper shauchalaya in every home excludes the health perspective. They look at it from the point of safety of women who have to go out in the open for defecation in the dark, as a convenience during rains and as a desirable facility for children, the old and the sick. In a survey only one percent said it had some health benefits too. They need to be told that open defecation is a big health risk and costs people more each year ( by way of medical expenses and manhours lost) than the expense for a toilet, which is seldom more than Rs 9,000 or thereabout. The omnipresent housefly and its frequent visits to the open ground is totally ignored. Probably, even if people are aware of the danger, they are helpless. But the World Health Organisation warns that one gram of feces can contain as many as one crore viruses, ten lakh bacteria, one thousand parasite cysts and 100 parasite eggs. These mean great health risk indeed.

sanitation, meaning all households have been provided with toilets. The government aims to provide a toilet in every household by 2020. Earlier the plan was to achieve this target by 2012.

Even when Nitish Kumar is making tall claims about fast development in Bihar, a stark reality is that 73 percent people of the state defecate in the open. Union minister for rural development CP Joshi had

poorer country like Bangladesh people going for open defecation is just 7 percent. In China it is 4 percent. Bihar the 12th largest Indian state in terms of geographical size and the third largest in terms of population, has witnessed some improvement in the quality of governance since the National Democratic Alliance assumed power in 2006. However, its success rate in the area of total sanitation campaign has been dismal despite the Centre giving a subsidy of Rs 2,500 for each toilet built since 2008-09. Only 77

revealed last month that rural households in Bihar without basic sanitation stood at 72.58 percent. In fact Bihar holds the worst record in the national Total Sanitation Campaign. The overall condition in India is also not enviableâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;53 percent of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1.2 billion people live without this basic facility. Open defecation is the biggest cause of diarrhoea which in turn retards the mental and physical growth of a child. It is also one of the main reasons for waterborne diseases. It is noteworthy that every day about 3,000 children aged around 4 die of diarrhoea, most of them before their second birthday. In a

percent of the released funds by the Centre have been spent. Of the targeted 11,171,314 household to be provided with a toilet by 2010, only 19.9 percent could get it so far. Since the utilisation rate of funds was poor, the Centre also released much less than the stipulated amount for the scheme. The central scheme covered only the belowpoverty-line families, but the success rate was better in terms of achievement of the target (27.4 percent) compared to the above-poverty-line households (only 10.6 percent). In view of this fact the Nitish government has decided now to cover the entire population under the scheme.<

73 percent people in Bihar defecate in the open

DECEMBER, 2013 LOKAYAT |

MAHARASHTRA

CHAVAN BRINGS CONGRESS BACK There has been a marked shift in the political topography of Maharashtra in recent months. Prithviraj Chavan, who was dubbed earlier as just the night-watchman by several Congress leaders in the state, has tightened his grip over the government as well as the party. The opposition has failed badly to take advantage of the antiincumbency feelings as well as the anti-Congress sentiments across the country…. By Janmesh Jain

he political topography of Maharashtra has witnessed interesting developments in recent months. All big players are engaged in chalking out strategies in view of the Lok Sabha and state assembly elections early next year. Until recently the ruling coalition of the Congress and the NCP appeared to be on a weak wicket, but things have suddenly taken a new turn. While the Congress under chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, widely considered to be ‘Mr Clean’ of Maharashtra politics, has bolstered its poll prospects with good governance, the main opposition --the Shiv Sena and the BJP—looks emaciated, dithery and headless. If the NDA (Shiv Sena and BJP) is still said to be nominally ahead of the UPA (Congress and NCP) in the popularity count, it is only because a slight antiincumbency factor still pervades the state; the performance of opposition

| LOKAYAT DECEMBER, 2013

Devendra Fadnavis is president of Maharashtra state unit of Bharatiya Janata Party

parties has been lamentably lacklustre. Ironically, Chavan was earlier dubbed as the night-watchman by several leaders within his own party. Being a novice to state politics, in his initial days as CM he faced a lot of flak for his slow decision-making propensity and loose grip over administrative matters. However, now he has turned the tables quite convincingly and floored all his rivals. With his new- found confidence he has started deflecting undue pressures from the NCP and the opposition on several issues. Circumstances too have helped him. The usually aggressive NCP deputy CM Ajit Pawar has now been tamed. He is now on the defensive after the irrigation scam surfaced, even though the white paper issued by the government has redeemed his image to some extent. Several other NCP ministers are also under the scanner on a host of corruption charges. Chavan’s characteristic composure and his wait and watch policy came in

handy while grappling with complex issues. Completing three turbulent years in office with relative elan gives full credit to his abilities. The untimely death of Vilasrao Deshmukh, the dismal performance of Sushil Kumar Shinde as central home minister and former CM Ashok Chavan’s forced exit—Prithviraj Chavan has virtually no rival in the party to worry about. Ajit Pawar’s questionable actions and Sharad Pawar’s deteriorating health are other contributing factors for NCP’s waning clout in its bastion. Despite facing flak for so-called policy paralysis, Chavan’s transparent style of functioning has till date given fewer opportunities to the opposition to drag him into any major controversy. Lack-lustre performance by opposition parties including the Shiv Sena, BJP and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) of Raj Thackeray has come as one more blessing in disguise for Chavan. Political observers feel that if the BJP failed to form a grand alliance

MAHARASHTRA

ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY

NCP president Sharad Pawar

including the MNS, the Congress may put up a good show in the parliamentary elections, and return to power in the state yet again despite the so-called Modi-wave.

Spat over seat-sharing between Congress and NCP Congress-NCP tussle over seatsharing in the Lok Sabha elections may, however, offer some working space to the fractious opposition parties. In 2009 the NCP had contested 22 seats and won just 8, while the Congress fought 26 and won 16. In view of a visible decline in the stock of the NCP, the Congress has upped its ante and claims three more seats under the alliance than last time. The NCP in retaliation has dared the Congress to fight all the 48 seats and indicated its plan to explore the option of fighting all the seats on its own. Observers think that in the present circumstance, the NCP needs the Congress much more than vice versa.

Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan

However, Sharad Pawar wants to keep all options open. On the one hand his party attended the Delhi meeting of 14 parties including the JD-U, Left parties, Biju Janata Dal (BJD), AIADMK, SP, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik and Asom Gana Parishad which explored the possibility of a third front; on the other its leaders publicly announced that the party was very much in the UPA and would fight the forthcoming elections in alliance with the Congress. No matter what he says for public consumption, Pawar is seen very much in the race for the PMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s post, his most cherished but unfulfilled dream. In 1991, he had almost made it, but P V Narasimha Rao snatched it from him.

BJP and Shiv Sena appear clueless The BJP-Shiv Sena combine has failed to cash in on the failures of the Maharashtra government on various fronts. Political observers attribute this to the lack of leaders with mass appeal

in both the parties. And, whatever is left of it is eroded by factionalism in the two. Both the parties direly feel the need for charismatic leaders to reclaim their clout. That is why the BJP has installed a young and dynamic leader Devendra Fadnavis, 43, as its state unit chief ignoring the claims of many senior leaders who now harbour a grudge against him. Former BJP national president Nitin Gadkari had turned out to be a fiasco, while Gopinath Munde had been cut to size on account of his controversial public utterances. After the demise of Pramod Mahajan and Bala Saheb Thakre, both the parties are virtually struggling to be alive. Senior Sena leader Manohar Joshi, the trusted lieutenant of late Bal Thackeray, has already turned a rebel. Though it is rumoured that Raj Thackeray may join the NDA as Narendra Modi is his friend, it looks only a remote possibility because, as Uddhav Thackeray hints, if Raj is included in the alliance he may give NDA leaders sleepless nights!<

DECEMBER, 2013 LOKAYAT |

KERALA

CHANDY’S MASS CONTACT PROGRAMME A GREAT HIT In the wake of the recent solar scam Chandy had undeservedly received a severe beating. He had to regain people’s trust before the 2014 Lok Sabha poll, so he launched a mass contact yagna, but its success inflamed the desperate LDF over the edge.

By VSP Kurup from Kochi

t was probably the most unusual mass contact programme ever undertaken by a head of government anywhere. Rulers of yore who travelled among their subjects incognito to gauge the people’s mood and their own popularity, are part of our folklore. But there have been no similar episodes in modern era. That is why the effort of chief minister Oommen Chandy to know people’s problems first hand and resolve them on the spot was unique and noteworthy. Oommen Chandy invited complaints and petitions for help from terminally ill, indigent and the deprived through media, listened to them personally and gave instant and appropriate relief, not like a potentate, but as a concerned representative of the people. Thousands of hapless people for whom the door of the administration had remained closed despite persistent knocks thus felt immeasurably relieved and happy. In the Kochi episode in midOctober 12,248 petitions were received, some directly and the rest on-line. Nearly 25,000 suppliants came to meet the CM on the appointed day. To take care of these ‘invited guests’, elaborate

| LOKAYAT DECEMBER, 2013

arrangements were made in the Collectorate compound. A large marquee with ample seating capacity, free kitchen besides food court, emergency medical aid, full-scale security (in view of the LDF threat to disturb the programme as part of their agitation seeking the CM’s resignation, 2,000 policemen were deployed), firetenders, media centre, toilet facilities for men and women—everything was there. Meticulous arrangement had also been made to attend to each petitioner’s prayer. Applications received were sorted out first and sent to different counters—temporary counters of all relevant departments had been opened in the Collectorate—for initial vetting, authentication and recommendation. This process was assisted by department heads and local self-government officers. Then the CM, aided by a screening committee of senior officers, ministers, local MLAs and MPs considered each case and decided on merit the kind and quantum of assistance. In many a case the CM heard the applicant personally. It was an exhausting job, but Chandy and his team sat through it all continuously for 17 hours as a labour of love and saw the last person who waited patiently till the end! In the process the chief minister disbursed Rs 2.15 crore in a single day to the needy, like those who sought help for treatment of chronic diseases, for repair of homesteads, purchase of domestic animals to eke out a living, prosthetic aid for the handicapped and

so on. The money was drawn from the chief minister’s Relief Fund and the National Family Benefit Scheme. These apart, 323 landless people were handed over ownership deeds and 14 families were promised tenements within a year. This was the second edition of Chandy’s mass contact yagna. The first one, limited in scope, was conducted two years ago, soon after his swearingin as CM for the second time. This time it was more elaborate, focused and fruitful. He proposes to repeat the same process in all 14 districts. He was fulfilling a promise he made himself to be the eyes and ears of the government. Be that as it may, the present endeavour probably had a more urgent urge and purpose: he had to retrieve his image as a man of integrity and dedication. In the wake of the recent solar scam he had undeservedly

KERALA

Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy during the second phase of mass contact programme (PTI photo)

received a severe beating. Particularly, he had to regain people’s trust before the 2014 Lok Sabha poll. He seems to have succeeded in his endeavour, but that success inflamed the desperate opposition LDF………

LDF does a harakiri The LDF was at the end of its tether for obvious reasons. All its efforts to dethrone the ‘precariously-seated’ United Democratic Front (UDF) government had failed. Non-cooperation in governance, walk-outs in the assembly, boycott of the CM and home minister and agitations galore to turn people against the administration—all drew blank. Finally, the well-planned, hugely organised secretariat blockade misfired miserably and had to be called off on the very second day! The LDF was in a quandary. What next? It was then that the solar scam (in which three

CM’s Mass Contact Programme in Cochin. The government anticipated and deftly handled the situation. A large police force deployed much in advance did not allow any LDF volunteer near the venue. It was a blow to the LDF: another of its plan to discredit Chandy and pin down the government flopped. Again what next? As luck would have it a day after the Kochi programme (Oct 25) Oommen Chandy went to Kannur, the fortified CPM area where its diktat alone ran, to attend the concluding part of the police games. Getting wind of Chandy’s presence the LDF went there determined for a showdown. The usual security convoy accompanied the CM but it was inadequate before the riotous LDF volunteers. Breaking the police cordon, they pounced on the CM’s car and rained missiles on it. More force from the nearby stadium moved in but before that all cars in the convoy were damaged. Chandy himself was wounded on the forehead and on the chest. A bleeding CM was rushed to hospital where after checkup he was advised rest for three days. Eyewitnesses said the several hundred-strong violent crowd

The LDF found the scam a godsend and grabbed it for use as a powerful weapon. It dubbed the CM as an accessory to the ‘crime’ and sought his resignation. When Chandy refused to oblige the LDF declared that it would continue the demand with black flags, and obstruct him whenever and wherever he appeared in public. But they went on rampage in Kannur. of the chief minister’s close aides were involved) exploded on the public domain. The LDF found the scam a godsend and grabbed it for use as a powerful weapon. It dubbed the CM as an accessory to the ‘crime’ and sought his resignation. When Chandy refused to oblige the LDF declared that it would continue the demand with black flags, and obstruct him whenever and wherever he appeared in public. As part of this strategy they made detailed plans to prevent and disturb the

and their war-cry indicated that the intention was to assassinate Chandy. Over 50 people recognizable in video clips have been picked up so far. Many of them belong to the CPI and CPI (M) but both the parties are in the denial mode. In fact efforts are made to look as if it was a Congress-engineered ploy to raise a pro-Chandy sympathy wave to save him from the after-clap of the solar scam. The inquiry under way should bring out facts, but the communists are adept in denigrating the investigation.<

DECEMBER, 2013 LOKAYAT |

KARNATAKA

SIDDU FORCED ON THE BACKFOOT Chief minister, Siddaramiah, must be wondering whether all the power and responsibility of the office, is worth it, considering the series of controversies that have begun to haunt his six month old government.

away â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;taintedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Congressmen. Santosh Lad's inclusion, however, had exposed the double standards that seem to have been corrected now, albeit not without the needless embarrassment to the government. Now, the chief minister is facing pressure to accommodate the controversial names, following pressure from the central leadership of the party as both Shivkumar and Beg have sensed an opportunity. More discomforting for the chief minister, however, is the pressure that the opposition BJP, KJP and the JDS have mounted on his government against the Shaadi Bhagya and the Karnataka Darshan schemes. Both brazenly seek to woo the minority communities, much to the embarrassment of the beneficiaries themselves. Under the first scheme, Siddaramiah had announced that girls from poor Muslim families would get a one-time benefit of Rs 50,000 from the government at the time of their marriage. The second related to

By Lokayat correspondent from Bengaluru

ach one of his recent initiatives including the schemes to exclusively benefit the minority communities or the proposed bill to curb superstitious practices, appears to have placed the ruling party in a spot. Predictably, the opposition could not have asked for more, going by the way the government is floundering. Added to this is Siddaramiah's failure to protect Santosh Lad, protege and mining baron cum minister. The latter was forced to resign following opposition pressure for alleged involvement in illegal mining. If this was not enough, Siddaramiah is now faced with the daunting task of expanding his ministry, more so as there are five

| LOKAYAT DECEMBER, 2013

berths to be filled. Pressure is mounting on him to take former ministers D K Shivkumar and Roshan Beg into his cabinet, something he has avoided so far. When he formed his ministry on assuming office, he took care to keep

excursion tours of the state, exclusively for the children of OBCs and the minorities studying in government schools. Both the plans, predictably, got the opposition's goat as it termed them as gimmicks to woo the

KARNATAKA minorities with an eye on the Lok Sabha elections. For the record, in the 2009 elections, the Congress had bagged a mere six of the 28 Lok Sabha seats from Karnataka though the tally went up to eight after it won two bye elections held recently. Siddaramiah has assured the party’s central leadership that he would get 25

the budget. The Karnataka Darshan scheme, on the other hand, was announced later. In both the cases, however, the government could be forced to promise appropriate review, something which is already showing in the case of the Karnataka Darshan scheme.

at the instance of the Siddaramiah, the planned enactment further aims at penalising the guilty concerned with imprisonment ranging between a year and above in addition to a fine ranging between Rs 10,000 and Rs 50,000. Above all, is the proposal to set up the Karnataka Anti-Superstition Authority

In the 2009 elections, the Congress had bagged a mere six of the 28 Lok Sabha seats from Karnataka though the tally went up to eight after it won two bye elections held recently. Siddaramiah has assured the party’s central leadership that he would get 25 seats in the 2014 elections. seats in the 2014 elections. It is in this context that the two controversial schemes need to be viewed. The opposition's demand is simple. The schemes are indeed good but they should be inclusive. Surely, there are poor people in all communities and not only among the Muslims. Further, by excluding children of other communities from the government sponsored Karnataka Darshan programme, the government, the opposition argues, is setting a bad example. ‘Imagine what would go through the mind of non OBC or non minority children when they see the privilege of a Karnataka Darshan being extended to a few of their classmates while excluding them,’ to quote the BJP. The strong pressure from the opposition to the schemes placed Siddaramiah on the backfoot what with KJP chief B S Yeddyurappa launching a month long dharna against the Shaadi Bhagya scheme in particular. Ironically, this scheme, in particular, was announced as part of the budget provisions. There were no protests then. Obviously, most legislators had failed to notice it while giving their go ahead for

Good Intentioned Bill Becomes Controversial Far more controversial, however, is the government move to curb superstitious practices in the state by bringing the Karnataka Prevention of Superstitious Practices Bill, 2013. The much welcomed initiative follows the growing instances of nude worship, witchcraft, sorcery and Made Snana. The last refers to the practice where people from lower castes roll on banana leaves on which the Brahmins have eaten. The proposed bill also aims at curbing rituals like human sacrifice, pankti bheda (separate seating for lower castes), banamathi or black magic, sidi aadodu (piercing the back of a person with iron spikes) and killing lambs by biting their necks. The draft act also seeks to punish those making astrological predictions, using black magic, foot worship of religious leaders or carrying them on palanquins. Prepared by the Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusion Policy, National Law School of India University

under a retired judge besides forming panels at district level. The otherwise well intentioned proposal came at a time when the government was already battling the opposition over its controversial Shaadi Bhagya and Karnataka Darshan schemes. It was no surprise, therefore, to see the opposition BJP, in particular, grab the chance to score brownie points. It lashed out at the government and its proposed bill terming it ‘anti Hindu’, Suresh Kumar, law minister in the erstwhile BJP government, argued that the government was seeking to toy with the sentiments of the Hindus. While it could indeed tackle the problem of superstition on a case by case basis, there was a huge difference between one’s beliefs and superstition. Within the Congress itself, there is strong opposition to the proposed bill. State Congress president, G Parameshawar, as also senior leader, Janardan Poojary, have made their displeasure known. Faced with stiff opposition, the government has begun to flounder, evident from the flip flop it has begun engaging in.<

DECEMBER, 2013 LOKAYAT |

HIMACHAL

HAMIRPUR—NEW BATTLEGROUND The Congress is getting more ambitious now in Himachal Pradesh and wants to display a 4-0 win in the Lok Sabha elections by defeating the BJP in Hamirpur from where Anurag is seeking third consecutive term.

Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) president Anurag Thakur

By Lokayat Correspondent

here is already much bitterness between chief minister Virbhadra Singh and his predecessor BJP’s Prem Kumar Dhumal over the way the former has gone about settling political scores with the latter ever since returning to power last year by filing cases against the former chief minister’s elder son Anurag Thakur and the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) headed by him (Anurag). The next chapter of duel between the two powerful political families is all set to be written in the upcoming

T 56

| LOKAYAT DECEMBER, 2013

Lok Sabha elections with the Congress focusing to wrest Dhumal’s home constituency Hamirpur, represented by Anurag, from the BJP. Going by the trends in the last Assembly elections, the Congress expects to win Mandi, Shimla, and Kangra constituencies. While Mandi seat is already represented by the Congress, Shimla and Kangra are currently represented by the BJP but Congress won in most of Assembly seats in these constituencies. The ruling party is therefore preparing to better its score this time and make it 4-0 in the Lok Sabha elections by defeating the BJP in Hamirpur from where Anurag will

seek third consecutive term. In a bid to further corner Dhumal in the state politics, Virbhadra is keener to ensure Congress victory in Hamirpur which has remained a BJP stronghold. The Congress has won only once from the constituency since 1989 and thanks to Dhumal’s influence in the area, BJP won most Assembly seats falling under this Lok Sabha constituency. Anurag too won last two Lok Sabha elections from the constituency in one sided contest with good margins. This Lok Sabha seat is therefore a prestige issue both for the BJP and the Congress under Virbhadra who wants to take his victory march over the BJP to Dhumal’s home district. No surprise then that both the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP have already started preparing for the big fight with leaders and workers of both the parties hitting the ground to woo electors. While the BJP has already announced candidature of Anurag Thakur for the third successive time, the Congress is still searching a suitable candidate who could take on the two-time BJP MP. ‘We will not spare any effort to win the Hamirpur seat,’ said Chander Kumar Chaudhary, party in-charge for Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat. Virbhadra and state Congress president Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who hails from Hamirpur, have been touring the district to activate party cadre and prepare them for the challenge. ‘Our main focus is on Hamirpur seat to overthrow the BJP from there,’ Sukhu, whose leadership will also be under scanner in the Lok Sabha elections, said. Since his son Anurag will be contesting from the constituency, Dhumal's prestige is at stake too and he is taking no chances. The former chief minister too has started campaigning. Hamirpur is the new battleground for Virbhadra and Dhumal. Their bitter rivalry is likely to make it an interesting contest.<

CAMPUS

A TAINT ON THE FAIR NAME OF AMU

Prof PK Abdul Aziz, former vice chancellor of Aligarh

Maulana Azad Library, the second largest of the kind in Asia, under Aligarh Muslim University, has thousands of books carrying the record of researches and other works conducted in the renowned institution. Now a black chapter has been added to its history which neither this library nor the AMU management would like to treasure. Since the establishment of the university way back in 1920, it is the first time that its vice-chancellor (now retired), registrar and finance officer have been found involved in embezzlement of funds and action initiated against them. By Navin from Aligarh

he author of the black chapter of the AMU (Aligarh Muslim University) is the same vice chancellor Prof PK Abdul Aziz who created a huge hype about the volume of research work done in this central university. Both Prof Aziz and the Registrar Prof VK Abdul Jaleel who was brought here by the VC have been found involved in misappropriation of funds forcing the President of India, Visitor to the AMU, to take action against them. After this directive, a special meeting of the AMU Executive

| LOKAYAT DECEMBER, 2013

Council was called on 13 November 2013 which unanimously decided to suspend finance officer Yasmeen Jalal Beg and recover the misappropriated Rs 7 lakh from former VC Prof Abdul Aziz and former Registrar Prof VK Abdul Jaleel. It was a historic decision. Prof Aziz, formerly VC of CUSAT, Kochi (Kerala), had taken over as the VC of the AMU on 11 June, 2007. His term ended on 17 January, 2012 but his dark deed did not stop haunting him even after forced retirement.

CAMPUS The credit for unearthing and exposing the embezzlement goes to the nominated member in the AMU Executive Council, former Congress MP Wasim Ahmed, and an energetic RTI group. Their revelations prompted eight members of the AMU Executive Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; Wasim Ahmed, Dr

Mansoor Hasan, Jafaryab Jilani, Khurshid Ahmed Khan, Aafiz Mohammed Eliyas, Prof Jamshed Siddiqui, Prof Habib-ur-Rehman and Ahtesham-ul-Rahim Khanâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;to send a complaint against vice chancellor Prof Aziz to the president who is visitor to the university. They listed 40

allegations against the VC which included charging his private air travel bills and taxi fare to the AMU account. He was said to have used AMU funds as his private assets. The then president of India, Pratibha Patil exercising her power as visitor to the university constituted a Fact

DECEMBER, 2013 LOKAYAT |

CAMPUS

Proceedings in the court he CBI had registered a case against the former VC in Delhi. But the agency later submitted a closer report in the court claiming that there was no criminal case against him! However, the court has not accepted the closure report. AMU court member Khurshid Ahmed Khan and some others have challenged the closure report. The court has yet to take a decision on the matter.<

Finding Committee in 2009 to investigate the allegations. The team included Justice (Rtd) AH Jung and Justice (Rtd) Fakhruddin of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. However they resigned before long following serious differences on a number of issues. The inquiry committee was reconstituted on 2 February, 2010 with Justice BA Khan, former chief justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court as chairperson and Justice AN Diwecha, former judge of the Gujarat High Court as member. The committee was required to submit its interim report on in April, 2010; it could do so only in March, 2011. The panel went into all allegations: 24 were of financial nature and 16 pertained to administrative matters. The issue which got much attention was the VC’s private expenses. Prof Aziz and his family travelled by air to the AMU from Kerala and the entire expense of Rs 81,654 was got reimbursed by him in clear violation of clause 30 of the TA-DA allowance rules of the university. The issue got compounded when the VC charged the expense on sending his wife and children back to Kerala under home travel concession (HTC). Prof Aziz was also charged with taking impermissible advantage of free food and other facilities at the guest house of the university.

| LOKAYAT DECEMBER, 2013

Prof Aziz purchased four cars at a cost of Rs 12.31 lakhs and, without waiting for rupees one crore to come from insurance company, spent another Rs two crore on repair of the VC’s lodge—all authorised. He appointed the registrar as the manager of five schools of the AMU, and for each one of them allowed Rs 2,000 as his fees. No registrar had been given this largesse in the past. What is more, the VC and the registrar paid their personal income-tax from the university’s coffer. When the irregularities got exposed they repaid the money to the AMU but without interest. Allegations against Prof Aziz also included splurging Rs five crore on

interim report submitted to Anant Kumar Singh, Joint Secretary of the union human resources development ministry, by senior superintendent of police MC Sahni of the CBI on 5 December, 2012 justified the accusations against Prof Aziz of receiving TA, DA and HTC for travelling to join the university, paying personal income-tax from university funds and then repaying it without interest. The HRD ministry on the basis of the CBI report had written to the AMU administration a year ago to take action against the former AMU VC, registrar and finance officer, but they ignored it. A reminder was sent in October this year which led the present

CCTV and other paraphernalia in the name of enhancing security in the AMU campus and irregularities in spending several crores of rupees on establishing five satellite campuses without the approval of the AMU Executive Council and Finance Committee. However the interim report submitted by the inquiry committee had a note of dissent. While retired justice Diwecha held Prof Aziz guilty of the charges, chairman of the committee BA Khan chose to absolve the VC for the sake of the prestige of the post and age-old traditions and practices attached to it. In view of the conflicting pronouncement the inquiry committee, the visitor referred the matter to the CBI for investigation. In the first

VC, Col. (Rtd) Jamiruddin Shah calling a meeting of the Executive Council on 13 November, 2013. All 17 members attending the meeting heard the charges against Prof Azis, Prof Jaleel and finance officer Yasmeen Jalal Beg. A decision was taken to immediately suspend Beg for the financial irregularities. And the EC has also decided that Rs seven lakhs should be recovered from Prof Aziz and Rs 50,000 from Prof Jaleel. If AMU sources are to be believed the administration has sought legal opinion on how to recover these amounts. The AMU may be able to recover the losses to the university but the moot question is, will it ever be able to restore the excellent image of this great educational institution?<

HEALTH

YOUR

COSMETICS ?

More than 500 chemicals are applied to the body by cosmetic addict women every day—many of them are extremely harmful to their health. The market these days is flooded with so-called hi-tech cosmetics and wonder beauty products, but they only increase the load of chemicals carried by women. The awareness about the harmful effects of these chemicals is grossly missing...

| LOKAYAT DECEMBER, 2013

By Dr P K Mukherjee

illions of women apply lipstick every day. And not just once, style-conscious users touch up their lipstick many a time in a day. Researchers have shown that most lipsticks contain at least a trace of lead. Not only lipsticks, lead is an ingredient in some of the men’s hair dye too and occurs as a contaminant in hydrated silica, which is an ingredient in toothpastes. Lead is known to be a neurotoxic. It can cause brain damage and developmental delays even at extremely low concentrations. Now, a recent study by the University of California, Berkeley has suggested that besides lead lipsticks could contain at least eight other metals—cadmium, cobalt, aluminium, titanium, manganese, chromium, copper and nickel. The study found that a lipstick used twice a day provided more than 20 percent of a person’s accepted daily intake (ADI) for aluminium, cadmium and manganese while some exceeded the ADI for chromium—a metal that has been linked to stomach tumours. The catch-all name in almost all cosmetics and personal care products is ‘fragrance’. However, most fragrances contain a host of chemicals which are generally harmful. Some of these fragrances may be phthalates, which are the key components in plastics. The main phthalates in cosmetics and personal care products are dibutyl phthalate in nail polish, diethyl phthalate in perfumes and lotions, and dimethyl phthalate in hair sprays. Often the presence of phthalate is not noted on the labels of cosmetics and personal care products. Phthalates have been linked to various health hazards. They can act as obesogens (which cause

HEALTH obesity) and may otherwise disrupt the normal endocrine functions including reproductive health. Phthalates may also cause developmental defects and delays. Butyl acetate is found in nail strengtheners and nail polishes. Its vapours may cause dizziness or drowsiness. Continuous use of a product containing butyl acetate may cause skin to crack and become dry. Parabens, a synthetic preservative in many beauty and personal care products including toothpastes and shampoos, are known to mimic the human oestrogen. They have raised concerns over their having link to breast cancer and fertility issues. Nanoparticles of are used in many sunscreen lotions and creams. Now, recent study by Stony Brook University, New York has suggested that gold nanoparticles may accumulate in stem cells and could accelerate ageing and wrinkling, slow healing, and lead to the onset of diabetes. Mercury is also found in some cosmetics. The preservative timerosol, found in some mascaras, is a mercurycontaining product. Mercury is associated with a host of health concerns including allergic reaction, skin irritation, toxicity, neurological damage and bioaccumulation. Mercury readily passes into the body through the skin. Therefore, one must be careful as the normal use of the product results in exposure. Talc, which is used to absorb moisture and to provide a hint of sparkle, is found in talcum powders, eye shadow, blush, deodorants and soaps. Talc is known as a human carcinogen and has been directly linked to ovarian cancer. Talc has effect similar to asbestos when inhaled and may lead to the formation of lung tumours.

Other harmful chemicals Cosmetics and personal care products may contain other harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde, toluene, butylated hydroxytoluene,

butyl acetate, diethanolamine (DEA), coal tar etc. Antibacterials e.g. triclosan are also found in many personal care products such as hand soaps, deodorants, toothpastes and body washes. These chemicals may be toxic or carcinogenic. One study has found that antibacterials may interfere with the functioning of testosterone in the cells. Antibacterials can kill the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;goodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; or protective bacteria along with pathogens, thus actually increasing susceptibility to infection. The products containing antibacterials may, therefore, increase the rate of resistant strain of bacteria.

respiratory tract and eye irritation, cancer, immune system damage and genetic damage and has been known to trigger asthma. Butylated hydroxytoluene is found in a variety of cosmetics and personal care products. It is an antioxidant which helps slow down the rate at which a product changes colour over time. It may cause skin and eye irritation. Coal tar is used in cosmetics and personal care products to control itching and scaling, to soften the skin and as a colourant. It is a known human carcinogen. Diethanolamine (DEA) is used as contaminant with the other chemicals, which are used as emulsifiers and foaming agents in products such as shampoos, shaving creams, moisterisers and body washes.DEA can be absorbed into the body through the skin. It can act as a carcinogen and can be converted to nitrosamine, which is also a carcinogen.DEA is a hormone disrupter and robs the body of choline needed for fetal brain development.

Consumer has to decide

Toluene is found in nail polishes and hair dyes as a solvent, to improve adhesion and to add gloss. It is toxic and is associated with reproductive and developmental damage. It may have carcinogenic effect as well. In addition to decreasing fertility it may also cause damage to liver and kidney. Formaldehyde is used as a disinfectant and preservative in a variety of cosmetics and personal care products e.g. nail polish, soap, deodorant, shaving cream, eyelash adhesive and shampoo. The European Union has banned the use of formaldehyde in cosmetics and personal care products. It is associated with multiple health concerns such as

One may ask that when the chemicals are ubiquitous and make their presence everywhere, be it consumables or other consumer items then why isolate cosmetics? In fact, it is the consumer who has to take the final call. Nevertheless, awareness needs to be created among the consumers so that they use these products with caution. No doubt, there are safety limits for the chemicals which are otherwise known to be hazardous to human health. For instance, the FDA permits the use of mercury compounds in eye makeup at concentrations up to 65 parts per million (ppm). However, the fact of the matter is that the cosmetics and personal care products generally lack safety data on their labels. This must be ensured, if need be through amendments in the existing norms and regulations controlling the use of these products.<

DECEMBER, 2013 LOKAYAT |

FILM WORD

By Our Film Critic

eatriz’s War bagged the Golden Peacock for the Best Film and a cash prize of Rs 40 lakh in the 44th International Film Festival of India, held in Goa last month. It is the first feature film made in East Timor, which remained colonised by Portugal for 300 years. It became independent in 1975, but was soon taken over by Indonesia and forcibly made it as one of its state. It finally acquired independence only in 2002. The film is a powerful love story cast in this long period of Indonesian occupation and struggle to get independence from it. The story is of a woman who remains true to the man she loves and the country for which she fought. The story is inspired by a true 16th century French story and has been transposed to East Timor on the eve of the Indonesian invasion. The story starts with the wedding of Beatriz and Tomas in a small mountain village. A few months later, following the Indonesian invasion of Timor, Beatriz and Tomas, along with hundreds of others, flee to the mountains. They are captured four years later in 1979 and resettled in the village of Kraras. Four years later Beatriz gives birth to a son. But the child’s life is threatened when Indonesian soldiers kill every male in the village. Beatriz search for Tomas's body and doesn’t find to believe that he has somehow

| LOKAYAT DECEMBER, 2013

‘BEATRIZ’S WAR’

A scene from the Beatriz’s War, the Golden Peacock winner film at the 44th International Film Festival of India

FILM WORD

WINS GOLDEN PEACOCK New Awards in Centenary Year nformation and broadcasting ministry has decided to institute new awards to recognise excellence in films in this Centenary year of Indian Cinema. The union I&B minister Manish Tewari while announcing this also told that a single window mechanism had been put by the I&B ministry to enable producers to shoot in any part of India without having to apply for permissions at various places. ‘We are extending this facility to all the domestic producers to streamline and rationalise the production of films in India. We are also planning to do away with the archaic Cinematography Act with a new legislation.’<

Polish actress Magdalena Boczarska who won the Best Actress award for the film ‘In Hiding’.

escaped and will return one day. Tomas does return 16 years later, following East Timor's independence. He had fled to the mountains and fought with the freedom fighters. So it becomes a moving reunion. But Beatriz finds him a different man to the boy who left her 16 years ago. He is now wiser, gregarious and loving. But as time passes, she gets convinced that Tomas is an impostor and she has mistaken a stranger for her husband. But who is this man? …….. Indeed a great story and film to get unanimous recommendation for the Golden Peacock. The Silver Peacock and cash prize of Rs 10 lakh was given to ‘Alon Moni Aboutboul’ for the Best Actor (Male) award for his performance in ‘A Place in Heaven’. Polish actress Magdalena Boczarska won the Best Actor (Female) award for the film ‘In Hiding’. ‘Thou Gilds’t The Even’ won the Special Jury Award while the film won the Silver Peacock award which carried a certificate and cash prize of Rs 15 lakhs. ‘Meghe Dhaka Tara’ directed by Kamaleswar Mukherjee won the Centenary Award 2013. The award, comprising a Silver Peacock, Certificate and a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh, was instituted last year for a feature film that ‘reflects a new paradigm in motion pictures in terms of aesthetics, technique or technological innovation.’ Justin Chadwick’s film ‘Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom’ was the closing film of the festival. Overall 170 films from 70 countries were shown in the festival. Actress-Producer Miss Michelle Yeoh, the chief guest of the closing ceremony won the hearts of all when she stated that Films made by India were changing the world.<

DECEMBER, 2013 LOKAYAT |

REGIONAL FILMS

GUJARATI FILM THE GOOD ROAD REPRESENTS INDIA AT OSCARS G

KAVITA RADHESHYAM TO ESSAY REKHA’S ROLE IN THE MARATHI REMAKE OF KHOON BHARI MAANG

ujarati film ‘The Good Road’ will represent India in the Best Foreign Film category at the Oscars. Debut feature filmmaker Gyan Correa’s this venture is perhaps the first Gujarati film to have made it. The Lunchbox, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, English Vinglish, Celluloid and Vishwaroopam were also being discussed in the media and the film circuit for being nominated, but this very little known Gujarati film, which is a lost-and-found story of a small boy, nudged all them out of the race. The decision is being resented by many in the film industry, but seeing that it was a unanimous decision of the 16-member selection committee, any criticism is unwarranted. The film has been produced by the National Film Development Corporation. It has already won the National Award for the Best Feature Film (Gujarati) this year. Most of the Bollywood filmmakers had thrown their weight behind the Lunch Box, but ultimately the ‘The Good Road’ made in a small budget of just Rs 2 crore won everyone’s acclaim in the selection committee. The story has been set on a highway in Gujarat. Its real life actors playing themselves in the film make it a realistic movie and more appealing. But the speed of story progression is sometimes is very slow bordering on boredom and has less entertainment value. However with excellent cinematography capturing the Rann of Kutch in all its glory, music and theme together make it a great film.<

he Marathi remake of 1988's classic KHOON BHARI MAANG is now being remade in Marathi as BHARLA MALWAT RAKHTAANA. Director Anup Jagdale has roped in Kavita Radheshyam to play the role which was originally essayed by Rekha. KHOON BHARI MAANG was about a wealthy widow who was almost killed by her lover and set out for revenge. The film was a comeback venture for Rekha in that

| LOKAYAT DECEMBER, 2013

REGIONAL FILMS

TAMIL RAJA RANI ROARING SUCCESS AT BOX OFFICE! t’s a happy 50 for Fox Star Studios, AR Murugadoss and The Next Big Film’s super hit Tamil film, Raja Rani starring Arya and Nayanthara, and directed by Atlee! The film turned out roaring success at the box office and the fourth biggest grosser of 2013 and one of the biggest Romantic comedies of all time. Endorsed by the audience and the critics, the film has worked for its refreshing content and Atlee’s deft direction. Debutant Atlee says, ‘This is a dream come true. I couldn’t have asked for more.’ Leading film maker, A R Murugadoss, Fox Star Studios’ partner who co-produced Raja Rani, adds, ‘The way the audience have responded to Raja Rani has made me very happy. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how much money a film makes at the box office, but how many hearts it touches. The fact that it’s a huge box office success is all due to the efforts of everyone involved, especially Atlee. I can proudly say we have given the film industry a bright spark in Atlee and I look forward to even greater work in years to come. Vijay Singh, CEO, Fox Star Studios, also says Raja Rani's success is largely due to the very talented young director – Atlee; I believe that he is one of the finest new directorial finds and we are looking forward to working with him on his next film. We are committed to scaling up further in Tamil cinema and have an exciting line up of films in 2014 as well!’ <

KOLKATA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL SHOWED FILMS FROM 63 COUNTRIES he 19th Kolkata International Film Festival showcased a global mix of contemporary and regional cinema. The eight-day-long carnival, featuring 189 films from 63 countries turned out an enriching experience for cinema connoisseurs. A new feature of the festival was going digital through a mobile application which provided detailed information about the screenings across 13 venues in the city. Around 3,000 delegates and 24 international guests attended the film festival including noted Israeli filmmaker Amos Gitai and Turkish director Reha Erdem. West Bengal an old citadel of left politics saw to it that it remained an inclusive affair and to accomplish that it showed films via mobile vans in five different pockets of the metropolitan city. Rituparno Ghosh’s film ‘Taak Jhaank’ (Sunglass) premiered at the festival left an indelible impact on the audience. A special tribute was paid to the director by screening eight of his movies including ‘Unishe April’, ‘Dahan’, ‘The Last Lear’ and ‘Chitrangada’. Gems of Indian cinema Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Mithun Chakraborty and Kamal Haasan came together with West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee to inaugurate the 19th Kolkata International Film Festival, which highlighted the south-east Asian cinema. Shahrukh Khan in his inaugural address promised to learn Bengali from actor-politician Jaya Bachchan to look a ‘true Bengali’. It may be recalled that SRK is the brand ambassador of West Bengal.<

year which worked wonders in favor of the diva and was a critical-commercial success too. BHARLA MALWAT RAKHTAANA is Kavita Radheshyam's first ever Marathi debut. The actress said ‘I am a diehard fan of films such as JOGWAA, BAALAK PAALAK, PACHAADLELA etc. I am sure if the Marathi audiences like my work, I will be offered more films. As far as my role in the film is concerned, it is one of the most challenging ones at my early stage of acting.’ Kavita who is known as the latest version of Silk Smitha back home in Kannada films will also be seen in the Kannada action thriller Ragini IPS.<

DECEMBER, 2013 LOKAYAT |

BOLLYWOOD

IN ISHK ACTUALLY NEHA PLAYS A CONFIDENT GIRL have my own individual identity and hence I get angry when people compare me with Yaami Gautam’, quips the pretty Neha Ahuja who has made her debut with the film Ishk Actually with Rajeev Khandelwal and Rayo as her co-actors. Ever since she was crowned as one of the finalists in Miss India in 2006, Neha Ahuja has been busy modeling and even though she was offered plum roles like the one Kalki Koechlin essayed in Anurag Kashyap’s Dev D, Neha has been steadfastly turning down offers to be cast in films for the simple reason that besides the fact that she was an undergraduate at that point of time in her life, films weren’t at all Neha’s priority in life. Neha asserts that movies were a no no for her though most of the Miss India finalists aspire to be film actresses. Neha , who is also the brand ambassador for Ponds Cream for two years, confesses that modeling is as tough as acting in films. In ISHK ACTUALLY, Neha plays a confident young girl of today who is very ambitious and also strong headed. She falls in love with two boys and is confused between both of them and incidents that she goes through in her life change her. Neha confesses that though she was quite nervous while working with Rajeev Khandelwal because he is a senior actor, with Rayo, she could easily let her hair down and be her own self. Neha reiterates that she did not go through any acting workshop before the shooting for ISHK ACTUALLY began. Neha confesses that she has a body which she can carry off but would like to present it in films in an aesthetic manner.<

‘I

WRITER DUO SALIM-JAVED COME TOGETHER FOR SHOLAY- 3D alim-Javed, who had written 1975 blockbuster Sholay came together after 38 years for the trailer launch of Sholay 3D recently. The duo scripted successful films like Zanjeer, Sholay, and Deewaar before parting ways about 32 years ago. Sholay, which released 38 years ago, has been converted into 3D. It was a moment of nostalgia to see them together on the same platform. ‘I saw

| LOKAYAT DECEMBER, 2013

BOLLYWOOD the film after more than 30 years and wish we could understand the magic that was created. Every character in Sholay is immortal. Sholay doesn't belong to us, we belong to Sholay,’ Javed Akhtar said. He said that though every character in the movie was memorable, the iconic role of 'Gabbar Singh' was the one which everyone wanted to play. Salim Khan said that there were differences of opinion

TARA ALISHA BERRY IS THE PERFECT GIRL T

ara Alisha Berry, who is all set to make her debut with MASTRAM directed by Akhilesh Jaiswal, assistant to Anurag Kashyap, is now acting in THE PERFECT GIRL. ‘I had no idea who Mastram was when I read the script. All I knew was that I loved the story and obviously my director, Akhilesh, did tell me that Mastram exists but he also mentioned nobody knew the real Mastram. So it was like he was asking me to play an invisible man's wife! I was oblivious to the fact that Mastram was SO famous! Once the film finished and we returned from Manali only then did I realise the extent of Mastram's fame in reality. I play Renu who is the protagonist Rajaram's wife in the film. I fell in love with Renu when I read the script as she is a woman in the 80's, who actually had a voice thanks to her husband. He has no qualms about her working or voicing her opinion which was rare at that time and is rare even today in some cases! The Perfect Girl, in which I am playing the lead, is loosely based on a short story by Haruki Murakami. The film is written & directed by Prakash Nambiar and produced by Udit Shivraj Pathak,’ says Tara.<

between the two of them when they had scripted the movie. ‘It is good to work with people who are different from each other. We used to convince each other, whenever any of us had any differences of opinion,’ Khan said. Grandson of producer G P Sippy who produced the original movie, Sasha Sippy, expressed hope that its 3D version would be well received by today's viewers. ‘We wanted to create a new experience and give value to audience,’ Sascha Sippy said.<

DECEMBER, 2013 LOKAYAT |

SPORT

INDIA VERSUS SOUTH AFRICA!

IT’S NOT CRICKET

By Ramu Sharma

ndian cricketers may be reputed to be among the best ambassadors for the country in the world but ask the affiliates of the International Cricket Council what they think of the Board of Control for Cricket in India and in one voice they will tell you that the BCCI is one big bully, powerful and arrogant, holding the entire cricketing world to ransom. It follows its own diktat, refusing to comply with changing circumstances. Not only does it have objection to new laws but forces other countries to convert to its way of thinking. The BCCI’s total rejection of the DRS (decision reversal system) is one such amendment at stake. The entire cricketing community has accepted it and strictly follows it despite minor

| LOKAYAT DECEMBER, 2013

Now all of a sudden BCCI has chosen to forget all the bonhomie generated during these years, all because of its dislike of one person in the South African Board. It is totally disgusting. It is not cricket. India and South Africa have the best possible relations, politically and cricket-wise and here is the ruling clique of cricket in India trying to spoil it all with its immature behavior. aberrations but India has to be different. It has not only not accepted it but has many objections to its implementation. The ICC has been very cooperative and understanding, allowing India to follow its own way in two-way ties but insisting on the BCCI following the community as a whole in international tournaments like the World Cup, Champions Trophy and other such multi-nation mixtures. But India is part of the international cricket structure and makes no bones about its clout. Because of the very large number of Indians around the world and the sheer madness in the following at home, the BCCI generates a lot of money and is thus the richest board in the world. An Indian cricket tour of any

of the affiliates of the ICC means lot of money for the hosting Board and everyone loves money. The BCCI knows its financial muscle and is not above using it when necessary. The result is that a number of cricket officials, nay even cricketers, appear to have taken a grim dislike to the BCCI. Though aware of the adverse feelings it generates, the BCCI does not seem to be bothered about it. Take the case of the proposed tour of the Indian team to South Africa. As announced the team will play two Test matches and three ODIs as against the earlier practice of four Test matches and an elaborate number of ODIs to add to a couple of Twenty 20s. The curtailed tour

SPORT is estimated to end in a big loss to Cricket South Africa. The question here is why this shortened tour to a friendly country? As per the media the BCCI is angry with CSA for making Haroon Lorgat its CEO and is bent on punishing South Africa for daring to make that appointment. There has been a lot of stories about BCCI’s equation with Lorgat but to this day there is nothing

By and large Indian federations have had a free run and have stayed within limits of decency and protocol. The BCCI should also follow the same principles. But it goes astray quite often and gets away with it. specific to justify the adverse sentiment harboured by the parties. Lorgat who was the chief of the ICC during the World Cup appears to be quite baffled with the BCCI attitude. He is quite perplexed over BCCI’s dislike of him. In an interview with writer Boria Majumdar he said, among other things, ‘Was it to do with moving the match away from Kolkata during the 2011 World Cup or is it that I had a difference of opinion with the BCCI on some issues in the Chief Executives meeting of the ICC? He added that ‘if someone points out to me what my fault is and if I think he is right I am willing to apologise.’ Just imagine he is willing to apologise like a child caught doing something wrong. It is ridiculous to allow differences between members of cricket boards to be reduced to this level. It is even more ridiculous for the Indian cricket authorities to curtail a tour just to show the displeasure of its officials against a senior official of South African cricket board. The contest is between cricketers of the two countries. It should be allowed to be held as always.

India and South Africa have had the best of relations since the return to international cricketing fold of that country. In fact the first ever contest after South Africa shed its apartheid shackles was against India in India. And India was the first country to tour that country. And South Africa was also the country which came forward to host the IPL Championship when India had problems at home. Now all of a sudden the BCCI has chosen to forget all the bonhomie generated during these years, all because of its dislike of one person in the South African Board. It is totally disgusting. It is not cricket. The Board must be made to realise that in this particular case it is not speaking for the country. It must be emphasised here that sports administration should work independently of the government. There should be no political interference in the conduct of sporting get-together but at the same time the federations owes it to the government and the public to ensure total transparency in its working. At no stage should the federations be allowed to slight or show disrespect to other countries during international meetings. By and large Indian federations have had a free run and have stayed within limits of decency and protocol. The BCCI should also follow the same principles. But it goes astray quite often and gets

away with it. It was found wanting in discipline when Mike Dennis as referee penalised some members of the team, including Sachin Tendukar, for violation of cricketing laws during the match against South Africa. The BCCI used its muscle and had the Test match ruled ‘unofficial’. Then there was the ‘monkeygate’ affair during the tour of Australia and the Board was reported to have threatened to pull out of the tour. It was during this tour when it forced a change of umpire, targeting the West Indian Steve Bucknor for what was a purely cricketing problem. And now this virtual insult to Cricket South Africa. What right has the BCCI to treat another independent country in the manner it has? India and South Africa have the best possible relations, politically and cricket-wise and here is this ruling clique of cricket in India trying to spoil it all with its immature behavior. Who has given the BCCI the authority to deny Indian cricketers a chance to play with the best team in the world? The Sports ministry has every right to question the BCCI on this issue.<

DECEMBER, 2013 LOKAYAT |

COOKERY

BLACK CHICKPEAS AND SWEET POTATO KABABS By Shelja Gupta

uring winter it is suggested to have more solid diet comprising high protein, adequate fat and less carbohydrate that our body digests slowly and thus gains sustained release of calories. In winters we can be more liberal with oils, fats, milkproducts, and sweet, sour & salty foods. As the external atmosphere is cold, the body retains heat and attempts to preserve it. As a result digestive fire becomes stronger and is able to metabolise heavy foods such as fats, dairy products, kidney beans, black beans, grains and the products made from grains. The black chickpeas (kala chana) and sweet potato (shakarkand) kababs are perfect for winters. Kala chana gives a great flavour and texture to the kababs. These kababs have a smooth consistency and literally melt in your mouth. Chickpeas are source of zinc, folate and protein, low in fat and rich in fibre content. Chickpeas are richer source of dietary phosphorus than whole milk. They also assist in lowering of cholesterol. Sweet potato is also good for cardiovascular health and that too with all its sweetness. This starchy root vegetable is rich source of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibre that are essential for optimal health.

| LOKAYAT DECEMBER, 2013

Ingredients: 1 Â˝ -1 Âž cup black chickpeas 1 large sweet potato 1 medium size onion finely sliced and 1 medium size onion finely chopped 1-2 tbsp ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp kasuri maithi2 black cardamom 1 bay leaf1 small size cinnamon stick 1 tsp cumin seeds

2 dry whole red chillies/1 tsp red chilli powder 2 green chillies finely chopped 2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper powder 1 tsp garam masala powder 1 tsp chaat masala powder/1 tbsp lemon juice 3 tbsp finely chopped green coriander Salt to taste 1 tbsp refined oil to prepare dough Refined oil for frying

Method: Soak the black chickpeas overnight. Pressure cook the black chickpeas with water, black cardamom, bay leaf, cinnamon stick and salt until soft. (Take 1 whistle and then cook for 10-12 minutes in reduced flame). Drain the water and keep the black chickpeas aside.Boil the sweet potato separately and mash it.Heat oil in a pan and add finely sliced onion to it. Fry till they change colour.Add little ginger garlic paste. Fry for 1 minute.Add cumin seeds, whole red chillies, garam masala powder and kasuri maithi to it.Add the boiled chickpeas and mix well.Remove the pan from the heat and keep aside to cool. Discard the whole spices (black cardamom, bay leaf and cinnamon stick) from the mix and grind to a smooth paste.Mix it with the mashed sweet potato and add the rest of the ingredients (finely chopped onion, green chillies and green coriander, remaining ginger garlic paste, black pepper powder, chaat masala powder/ lemon juice and salt).Mix everything well and shape into balls. Flatten them with your palm.Heat the refined oil in a pan and deep fry the kababs in hot oil until golden brown (you can also shallow fry them). Serve hot with green chutney. So this winter pamper your taste buds and enjoy tangy orange spinach soup with yummy black chickpeas and sweet potato kababs. The combo makes refreshing and comforting wholesome dinner.<

COOKERY n winters we should have food capable of warming effect and nothing beats the winter chill like a steaming bowl of soup. Orange spinach soup is a nice tangy soup to enjoy particularly in winters. This soup is a very interesting and unique combination of spinach and orange where orange gives tanginess and a nice twist to the usual spinach soup. The combination may be intriguing for you. But believe me when I prepared it I just fell in love with the combination. It was really delicious. It did magic with me. This soup is an amazing appetizer and has a great nutritional value. Its green colour is gorgeous. Spinach is a nutritious leafy vegetable rich in iron and calcium. But our body cannot easily absorb the iron present in spinach. Spinach cooked with vitamin C rich orange makes this soup easily absorbable. Try it yourself to believe it. I am sure this soup will definitely tickle your taste buds.

ORANGE AND SPINACH SOUP Ingredients: 1 medium bunch fresh spinach (approximately 2 cupful when chopped) 1 small onion chopped1 medium juicy orange 1½ -2 cupful water, 1 cup vegetable stock (if vegetable stock is not available, use water, adjust the amount of water according to your desired consistency) 1 tbsp ghee/butter 1 tbsp fresh cream 1 tbsp grated cheese ( optional) ½ tsp sugar (optional) Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For spice bag: ¼ tsp cumin seeds 1 clove 1 garlic pod (optional) ¼ tsp black pepper

Method: Trim, wash and chop the spinach.Peel the outer skin of orange. Remove the seeds and separate it into segments.Crush spices (mentioned under spice bag) lightly and pestle and tie it in a muslin cloth to form a potli. Heat ghee/butter and fry the onion until golden and then add chopped spinach leaves. Stir till the leaves shrink and moisture is absorbed in reduced flame.Pour just enough water to cover, add orange segments, spice bag and cook for 8-10 minutes (do not cover it).Cool down a little and discard the spice bag after squeezing it well. Blend the spinach mixture into a smooth puree and then strain through a sieve if necessary.Dilute it with required amount of water and vegetable stock.Add salt, sugar and black pepper powder and bring to the boil in reduced flame stirring in between.Serve hot, topped with whipped cream and sprinkle grated cheese over it.<

DECEMBER, 2013 LOKAYAT |

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

SUGAR INDUSTRY VICTIM OF POPULIST POLITICS India is the second largest producer of sugar in the world after Brazil, and Uttar Pradesh the second largest producer in India after Maharashtra. But heavy import of cheap raw sugar and high sugarcane prices have made the industry’s bottom-line go red in UP.

By Lokayat Correspondent

t is a crisis of the first magnitude that the Samajwadi Party government faces in the wake of the suicides by some sugarcane farmers—there are over 35 lakh of them in Uttar Pradesh--over sugar mills’ refusal to buy sugarcane at the state-determined price. Farmers are forced to make distress sale of their produce to small crushers. The mills said the price of Rs 280 per quintal fixed for the general category sugarcane was unviable. They said the gate price of sugar came down to Rs 29 from Rs 36 last year, which was insufficient to pay even last year’s dues to farmers. Their total arrears stood today at around Rs 2,400 crore and buying sugarcane at Rs 280 would inflate it as high as Rs 10,000 crore. Besides, they did not have money to buy sugarcane because in the perceived non-viability of the industry public sector banks refused to grant them loan. Since 2009-10 the Centre had decided to fix the fair and remunerative price of sugarcane payable by sugar mills. The Commission for Agriculture

| LOKAYAT DECEMBER, 2013

Costs & Prices, which advises the Centre on pricing of major agricultural commodities, had fixed it at Rs 210 per quintal as fair and remunerative price for the current crushing season. But in an election year it was not expedient for Akhilesh Yadav to reduce prices. Last year sugarcane price was fixed at Rs 280, which was accepted by the millers as sugar prices were expected to rise due to drought in Maharashtra. However, to end the deadlock, the

Sugar industry demands that import duty on raw sugar be increased to 60 percent from the current 10 percent and sugarcane prices fixed as per the Rangarajan panel formula. UP government gave millers rebate in entry tax and purchase tax, and waived the society commission on sugarcane for the current crushing season. Total relief amounted to Rs 11 per quintal. This apart, the government allowed

millers to pay sugarcane price to farmers in two installments: Rs 260 immediately and Rs 20 later. The government also promised to form a panel to work out a long-term solution to the sugarcane prices muddle. A panel chaired by C Rangarajan, chairman of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council had recommended that the price of sugarcane should be linked to the price of sugar. Sugarcane prices comprise 70 to 75 per cent of the cost of production of sugar, according to which the sugarcane price should be Rs 225 per quintal. To reap political capital, parties in some states do not follow this sane advice. Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Tamilnadu are in this pavilion and they always fix higher rates. To begin with the Mayawati government had started playing politics with sugarcane prices, and Akhilesh Yadav faithfully followed the same with gusto. Such competitive politics resulted in raising sugarcane prices by 70 percent in three years while the millgate price of sugar had gone up only by 8 percent.<

DECEMBER, 2013 LOKAYAT |

BOOK

THE AUTHENTIC BRIEF HISTORY By MR Dua from the USA

ntire world waited with bated breath when the former East Pakistan was to emerge on the world map in its new incarnation as the Independent, Sovereign and Democratic Republic of Bangladesh on the midnight of 25-26 March 1971. The process of re-birth during the nine strife-ridden months was deeply agonising as it took 300,000 valuable lives of men, women and children, and also rendered 10 million refugees to take shelter in India’s states of Tripura, West Bengal and Assam. But the people of East Bengal had the spirit to make this sacrifice for their cherished dream. The true story of those nine gory months which ultimately led some 75 million people rushing in the streets and countryside shouting with joy for unprecedented celebrations of ‘Joi Bangla’ is what senior Professor Gary J. Bass of America’s Princeton University tells in this well researched, and probably the most authentic brief history of the 24-year-old Bangladesh. The 1947 split the subcontinent into two independent nations: India and Pakistan. Pakistan comprised two regions—east and west—set apart from one another by over 1,600-kilometers. People of East Pakistan, Bengali Muslims, though professed the same religion as that of the West, but differed hugely in culture, language, dress, food habits and personal eccentricities. Utter indifference, neglect and callousness shown to the Bengali Muslims by the Punjabi, Pathani, Baluchi and Sindhi Muslims in the West who dominated the federal government in the capital, Islamabad, was too overbearing. On the eve of the first free general elections in December 1970 for the Pakistan National Assembly, Awami League’s manifesto promised provincial autonomy, if voted to power. But, when

Henry Kissinger advised Richard Nixon to support Yahya Khan to the hilt and ‘allow Iran and Jordan send aircraft to Pakistan; secretly ask China to amass its troops on the Indian border; and deploy naval carrier, the USS Enterprise, in Bay of Bengal to threaten India.’

| LOKAYAT DECEMBER, 2013

Mujib’s party won 162 of the 300 seats in the National Assembly, and the People’s Party of Pakistan could win only 81 seats it legitimately expected to be invited to form and head the central government in Islamabad.

Over 3 lakh people were slaughtered Unfortunately it did not happen. This butchering of legitimacy infuriated East Bengalis. Awami League under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman spearheaded widespread protests, agitations and strikes. Soldiers and policemen at the instance of regime seated in Islamabad butchered civilians and burnt villages that resulted into millions fleeing their homes to find refuge in India. Over 3 lakh people were slaughtered in the genocide; their properties looted and country’s infrastructure of roads and bridges destroyed. In Dacca, the U.S. consulate headed by Archer Blood whose cables and telegrams kept the State Department and the White House posted of the uncommon genocide taking place in East Pakistan. He constantly implored his government to ask Yahya to halt the mayhem that was being perpetrated by his army on unarmed, poor and innocent people. As an unprecedented multitude of hungry, naked, terror-stricken people who had rushed into India, were to be looked after, it appealed to the international community for emergency aid to feed and shelter them, but with meagre success. Pakistan’s armed soldiers too sneaked into India that made Indian armed forces to respond. In several parts, full scale armed conflict broke out. Pakistan started creating military conflict on the western border as well. To strengthen and replenish his firepower, Yahya asked for and received abundant military aid from the US.

BOOK

OF BANGLADESH President Richard Nixon and his national security adviser Henry Kissinger liberally supplied jet fighters, armoured vehicles, artillery and weaponry for infantry. But Indian army took fast action and Pakistanis were surrounded on all sides in East Pakistan. Their commander, AAK Niazi, saw no hope of salvaging the situation. Indian generals, Jagjit Singh Aurora and JRF Jacob, under the overall leadership of Sam Manekshaw told Niazi to surrender within 30 minutes failing which dire consequences could follow. He dithered for a while, as Gary Bass vividly describes the situation. Ultimately Niazi relented and signed the surrender papers. Niazi surrendered with his 93,000 soldiers. Now, the Nixon-Kissinger duo in the White House apprehended that India might venture into taking on Pak’s western wing also wishing to retrieve the lost Kashmir areas. Gary Bass writes, learning of Pakistan’s plans on the western border, Henry Kissinger advised Richard Nixon to support Yahya to the hilt and ‘allow Iran and Jordan send aircraft to Pakistan; secretly ask China to amass its troops on the Indian border; and deploy naval carrier, the USS Enterprise, in Bay of Bengal to threaten India.’

Defense treaty with the USSR proved effective India ‘shored up its Soviet support…the Soviet leadership stood up with India,’ as a defence treaty had been signed with the USSR. However soviet leaders advised Delhi to wait for the US and China’s next move hoping China would avoid any confrontation with another Communist country. Besides, says Bass, ‘Indira Gandhi warned world leaders that the intervention of outside powers would ‘lead to wider conflagration with incalculable consequences.’ Moreover, as Bass says Indira was ‘under Soviet pressure to accept ceasefire as soon as Bangladesh was a fact.’ The book presents poor image of the head of state of the strongest democracy in the world. President Richard Nixon and his national security adviser Henry A Kissinger emerge as cunning, morally bankrupt, shallow, ill-mannered and whimsical. Both Nixon and Kissinger called Indira Gandhi as ‘bitch’, and ‘witch’ and Indians as ‘insufferable bastards’ repeatedly, almost every time they talked about India’s top leaders, they used the ‘F..k’ word.

Title Author Publisher Pages Price

: THE BLOOD TELEGRAM—Nixon, Kissinger and a Forgotten Genocide : Professor Gary J. Bass, Princeton University, USA : Alfred A. Knopf, New York, : 499 : $30, 2013

Garry Bass’s deep research and extensive study of vast material from the White House papers and more than 40-year-old inaudible, indecipherable tapes, review of secret files and confidential documents from India’s national archives, India’s external affairs ministry’s rare documents hitherto unused, and his personal interviews make the book authentic and

reliable historical work. Bass most politely twice requested Kissinger for an interview, but he declined. It’s not clear why the subtitle of the US edition of the book—‘The Blood Telegram- Nixon, Kissinger And A Forgotten Genocide’ is different from the one sold in Bangladesh, India or Pakistan—‘The Blood Telegram-- India’s Secret War in East Pakistan.’<

DECEMBER, 2013 LOKAYAT |

FUNNY TIMES

An Endearing Audacity enial is second nature to most leaders of conventional political parties, and arrogance and condescending behavior towards people their outstanding trait. No wonder the Congress needed humiliating defeat in four states to wake it to the grim reality of its hollow narcissistic claim of mass-appeal, and to make it realise that people take corruption charges seriously. People also cannot be fooled by circulating insinuations based on fake or doctored tapes and sting operations. Politicians would do well to note that people do not care much about doles; rather, they want good governance, jobs and control over prices. It was good to hear Sonia Gandhi talking about the need for deep introspection and Rahul Gandhi mentioning the need to learn from the newbie Aam Admi Party. This is a welcome sign in the leaders of a party which until the day of counting was smugly arrogant, not even ready to acknowledge the existence of the Aam Admi Party or its leader Arvind Kejriwal who was mocked at by the three-time Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit as a monsoon pest. Election results in Delhi indeed have shocked the two major national parties and confounded experts who are wont to look at politics in terms of caste, communities and vote banks. The way the one-year-old Aam Admi Party defeated the seemingly invincible Shiela with a margin exceeding the total votes she polled, the Congress Party should seriously think of closing down its dirty tricks department. Many experts say the Aam Admi Party indulges in excessive populism. But not many are prepared to applaud its praiseworthy initiative in making election funding totally transparent. The fledgling political outfit put details of all donations received on its website. This is in sharp contrast to the corrupt and competitive politics practiced by others as a business run on the strength of black money. Another laudable APP initiative was the method of candidates’ selection in which opinions of the electorate in the constituency were sought and weighed. Preparation of manifesto separately for each constituency was an entirely new experiment. It was necessary to make governance accountable and closer to people’s needs. This method of trying to understand people’s aspirations revealed that lack of drinking water was the biggest problem of more than half of Delhiites. It showed that poor people wanted pure drinking water rather than liquor as price of their votes. By all accounts, therefore, this Delhi election will remain a textbook phenomenon to be studied by political scientists. It may also be a classic example of how powerdrunk rulers could miss the mood of the people. Rahul Gandhi might want to present the image of an angry young man in a hurry with rolled-up sleeves wanting to make common cause with people, but it was the down-to-earth Arvind Kejriwal who really struck an emotional chord with the electorate. Kejriwal’s utterances were direct, incisive and sincere enough to evoke trust and confidence. His narration of netas as chor, corrupt and criminals, half of whom would be behind bars once Jan Lokpal Bill was passed, was met with angry retorts from leaders of established parties, but his words truly echoed the deep convictions of the voiceless common people. His ability to translate new ideas into votes provides the hint that his Delhi model can be replicated elsewhere in the country. Certainly he has succeeded in creating in people a desire for change. At this stage it seems his determination to change the political culture of India is simply audacious because it is in the vice grip of black money, criminals, crony capitalists, communalists and other vested interests. But this audacity is what endears him to millions of our people.<

| LOKAYAT DECEMBER, 2013