Buddhist leader Thich Quang Do denounces China’s violations of Vietnamese territorial waters
Chinese vessel attacks Vietnamese vessel
PARIS, 12.05.2014 (IBIB) – The International Buddhist Information Bureau has received an urgent communication from the Most Venerable Thich Quang Do, Supreme Patriarch of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV), sent clandestinely from the Thanh Minh Zen Monastery where he is under de facto house arrest. Deeply disturbed by China’s recent deployment of a giant oil rig off the coast of central Vietnam, the UBCV leader and 2014 Nobel Peace Prize nominee calls on China to cease violations of Vietnamese sovereignty, and urges the Vietnamese government and the Communist Party to embark on a process of democratization to enable its citizens to participate equally in the defense of their homeland.
For Thich Quang Do, 86, this is just the last in a series of increasingly brazen violations of Vietnamese sovereignty by its northern neighbour. Thich Quang Do was amongst the first to alert international opinion to the grave dangers of Chinese influence in Vietnam, from the environmental and security threats caused by the influx of thousands of Chinese workers to mine bauxite in the Central highlands in 2007; Hanoi’s 50-year leasing to China of forest regions along the northern Vietnamese borders; the capture and killings of Vietnamese fishermen and Beijing’s establishment of “Sansha City” on a Paracels islet as its administrative and military centre in the South China seas in 2012. In this Declaration, launched on behalf of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, Thich Quang Do also appeals to Buddhists in China to demonstrate solidarity with the Vietnamese people by pressing Beijing to “acknowledge that all men are brothers, and to change its expansionist policies for an engagement with Vietnam which is mutually reinforcing, interdependent and based on understanding and mutual respect”.
DECLARATION by the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam on Chinese encroachment on Vietnamese territorial waters
In early May 2014, China moved a giant deep sea drill ship, the Haiyang 981, from the north west of Triton Island in the Paracel Islands into Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone. It has now laid anchor just 120 nautical miles off the Vietnamese coast, in violation of Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone. Scores of Chinese vessels have been deployed to protect the Haiyang 981 including navy warships such as missile-carrying Giang Ho II and high speed 534 patrol ships, and dozens of Chinese military planes are patrolling the skies above. Chinese ships have rammed Vietnamese sea guard vessels, causing extensive injuries and damage.
This is a brazen and deliberate violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty, an encroachment on its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, and a withdrawal from the agreement on the conduct of parties in the East Sea (DOC) (1) signed between China and ASEAN. Alarmed by these grave threats to our country and moved by the deep outrage of Vietnamese people at home and abroad, the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam convened an urgent meeting and adopted the following three-point declaration:
1. We call upon the government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Communist Party to take the example of our fore-fathers from the Dinh, early Le, Ly and later Le dynasties by adopting resolute measures to protect our nation’s sovereignty. In the modern political perspective, this should include robust foreign and domestic policy options such as: a/ Foreign policy: Vietnam should immediately bring the issue of China’s violations before the United Nations under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea; - Vietnam should call upon all nations of ASEAN to demand multilateral discussions to solve East Sea disputes rather than the bilateral discussions demanded by China; and urge ASEAN nations to stand together and form a regional consensus to withstand Beijing’s encroachments on their maritime jurisdictions.
b/ Domestic policy: Vietnam must abolish Article 4 of the Constitution [on the political mastery of the Communist Party] so that all Vietnamese, including non-communist political parties and religious communities, may take part on an equal footing in the movement to stem foreign aggression and protect national integrity; The Vietnamese government and Communist Party cannot persist in obeying the deceptive orders of their Chinese Communist overlords to “set aside differences and reap the benefits [of the East Seas] together” following China’s motto of “16 golden words and 4 rules of good relationship”. You cannot, in the name of the “great cause” of communism and your commitment to the “high level strategy of [communist] globalization” (2), let the Chinese Communists eat away the sovereign territories and waters of Vietnam.
2. We call upon all Vietnamese, at home and abroad, from all political and religious families, to rally together urgently to form an “Alliance against Chinese aggression” to oppose the China-launched “Alliance for Territorial Integrity” (3). At the same time, we should join together in a broad-based movement for the democratization of Vietnam. Democracy is the key to our country’s development, and the only way to deliver Vietnam from the political enslavement of our current government. Without the safeguards of democratic institutions and a multi-party system, we can never fully enjoy human rights, happiness and peace, nor bring stable development and prosperity to the people of Vietnam.
3. As Buddhists, we call upon Buddhist monks, nuns and lay-Buddhists in China to support the people of Vietnam. Buddha’s teachings of compassion, tolerance, and the commitment to deliver all beings from suffering have inspired the peoples of both China and Vietnam for more than 2,000 years. We urge you press the Beijing government to acknowledge that all men are brothers, and to change its expansionist policies for an engagement with Vietnam which is mutually reinforcing, interdependent and based on understanding and mutual respect.
As responsible Vietnamese citizens, and in the capacity of a great religious movement that has contributed to our country’s development over the past two millennia, the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam cannot stand idle whilst our nation is in danger. We earnestly call upon the Vietnamese intelligentsia and people inside and outside the country to rally together to save our homeland.
Thanh Minh Zen Monastery, Saigon 10 May 2014 Supreme Patriarch of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (signature and seal) Sramana Thich Quang Do
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BURMA CENSUS AND CEASEFIRE UPDATE
Special ContributionBy Roland Watson(dictatorwatch)
May 10, 2014
Staff collecting census
An event of truly historical significance is now underway in Burma, but it is receiving scant attention. This is the census of the nation’s population, potentially the first accurate count since the early 1950s. The census in turn is one of four critical benchmarks of what many people believe to be a military-regime sponsored process of “democratic reform:” the census; amendment or redrafting of the country’s Constitution; a nationwide general election; and the completion of a nationwide ceasefire.
At the moment, there is confusion over the order in which these benchmarks should be achieved. The regime, its international partners, and internal Burman-dominated groups such as the NLD and 88 Generation, are pushing for the ceasefire first, followed by - if the generals approve - constitutional amendments, and then the census results and the election (which has already been announced for the end of 2015). However, if the reform is to be viewed as in any way sincere, the correct order is as first described. The census results need to be publicized, so the people of the country can see that they are complete and accurate. Then the Constitution needs to be amended - really, redrafted - to create a democratic charter. At this point, and only at this point, will it be possible to hold a truly democratic election. And finally, with all of this in place, the ethnic resistance groups, and their peoples, can feel confident agreeing to a formal nationwide ceasefire.
The census is being organized by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the actual count was completed from March 29th to April 10th. It did not, though, count the Rohingya people of Western Burma, estimated to number over one million, nor many, many villagers in the war zones in Kachin and Northern Shan States. The regime refused to count the Rohingya, and in a number of documented cases “security personnel” accompanying the census takers actually used the opportunity to abuse them. Similarly, the regime used the census as a means to infiltrate troops and weapons into Northeast Burma to use in its attacks against Kachin, Shan and other local ethnic groups. Nonetheless, the regime’s Department of Population announced in mid-April that the census was “98% complete and showed that the Myanmar population did not exceed 60 million.” The regime then said that the census would be extended to June 10th in Rakhine, Kachin and Northern Shan States. This will no doubt provide new opportunities to abuse the local peoples. Also, the census has failed to account for the literally millions of people from Burma who are migrant workers or refugees in Thailand, Malaysia, China, Bangladesh, India, and other countries, as well as internally displaced persons inside the country itself.
According to UNFPA, the census forms for the initial count were to have been given to the regime by May 4th. The next steps of sorting, counting, checking and scanning are now presumably underway. An important question is what period of time is appropriate to accomplish this, given the country’s fraught situation. While accuracy is essential, given computers and massive funding by the international community, it really shouldn’t take that long. From the regime’s comment, it is clear that approximate numbers are already available. However, “preliminary” results are not expected until July, and the “main” results are to be postponed until next March.
It is critical that the people of Burma understand what this timeline does to the reform benchmark rollout. It put’s the cart before the horse, by trying to force the ethnic groups to sign a ceasefire first, rather than as should be the case, last. Only when an accurate census is publicized; the Constitution is rewritten to enshrine a Federal Union national structure, as well as a Federal Army under elected government official control; and a free and fair election is held, can the ethnic nationalities truly believe that the reform is not just one long and international community backed lie. To this observer, the regime is actually conspiring with the international community, starting with President Obama, Germany, Norway, and the United Nations, to ram through not only an unjust ceasefire, but to force all the people of the country to accept never-ending dictatorship and abuse. The apparent goal of this tragedy is to further the geopolitical interests of the West relative to China, and to assist corporate profiteers, even if it means allowing a gang of war criminals to stay in power.
Let’s not forget what is really happening on the ground in Burma. According to the U.N. Special Rapporteur for Human Rights, “there are elements of genocide in Rakhine with respect to Rohingya.” The regime’s war in Kachin and Northern Shan states is not only ongoing, it is accelerating. Land thefts throughout the country are rampant, and victimized villagers who protest are abused and arrested. Press freedom is still denied, again at the threat of arrest. And massive environmental destruction is never-ending. There is no question at all that the reform is patently false, designed to dupe the people and enable the regime to openly join the new global system of plutocracy and corporate dictatorship.
All of the people of Burma should reject this. All civil society organizations, certainly all ethnic nationality organizations - women, youth, environmental, etc. - should issue statements demanding the census results now, and that the international community stop interfering in their nation’s internal affairs. For the first, there is no reason why good numbers can’t be available by the end of this month. Finally, the ethnic armed groups, which for six decades have had to fight the military dictatorship’s civil war, must refuse to sign a nationwide ceasefire until Burma Army generals, starting with Senior General Than Shwe, allow real democratic reform, foremost an end to the attacks on them and a new Constitution. In other words, never agree to surrender! Instead, stay true to your cause and force the dictators to sue for peace!
Closing note: From another perspective, it is worth remembering that the ethnic resistance groups’ position for some years started with a call on the military dictatorship to declare a nationwide ceasefire; followed by a tripartite dialogue to achieve national reconciliation; and then the establishment of democracy and federalism. For the last, and with an assured peace in place, the resistance groups would form political parties and compete in a general election. However, this scenario depended on the regime’s willingness to implement the first step, to stop attacking the ethnic peoples, which clearly the Tatmadaw generals have no desire to do. Therefore, the approach is no longer valid. Because the generals continue to not only perpetrate, but apparently relish perpetrating, military aggression and crimes against humanity against non-Burman peoples, the resistance armies should defer the ceasefire to the final stage, and only agree to one when all the other steps, meaning a true democratic transition, have been achieved.)
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LETTER OF PROTEST
LE CONG CAU
Mr. Truong Tan Sang, President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV) Mr. Nguyen Tan Dung, Prime Minister, SRV, Mr. Nguyen Sinh Hung, Speaker of the National Assembly, SRV
Dear Sirs,
My name is Le Cong Cau. I am 65 years old and am currently lodging at 154 Phan Boi Chau Street, Truong An district in the city of Hue. I am writing this “Letter of Protest” to draw your attention to a number of serious issues, and request that you order the local authorities [in Hue] to clarify them immediately. I have been actively involved in the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) and its Buddhist Youth Movement since the age of seven – a total of 58 years. When I look at the vicissitudes that UBCV and the Vietnamese people have endured before and after the communist regime took power, I cannot help but feel pain for my country’s tragic fate.
Before 1975, the UBCV enjoyed full freedom to worship, preach and practice its activities. This freedom was abruptly suppressed after 1975. In 1981, the Communist Party and the government set up the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) under the auspices of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and the Government Board of Religious Affairs. They announced that the VBS was the sole officially-recognized Buddhist organization. As a result, the UBCV was declared illegal, and millions of Buddhist followers like me suddenly became unlawful citizens, subjected to unabated harassments and persecution.
From then on, I decided to devote my efforts to struggling for the re-establishment of the legal status of the UBCV that was stolen by the communist authorities. In brief, I am fighting for true religious freedom for the UBCV. Needless to say, my struggle follows the principles of the Bodhisattva, enshrined in the UBCV’s Charter: “the Dharma is inseparable from worldly life”. This means that my struggle must go hand in hand with the needs and aspirations of the people. I cannot confine myself to writing stale petitions or shouting empty slogans when my country is in danger of losing its sovereignty and my people have lost their freedom. The only way to save the people from their tragic situation is by pressing for a multi-party system and democratic reforms.
Inspired by these ideals, over the past 30 years I have endured hundreds of “working sessions” by the Security Police and authorities. Some of them lasted a few days, others a whole month. Sometimes I was not even allowed home for a meal, sometimes I was locked up inside my own homes and prohibited to step outside. I resigned myself to endure all this because I believe in the right to freedom and democracy. It is the sacred and legitimate right of all people, and it is enshrined in the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the United Nations’ International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to which Vietnam acceded in 1982.
In March 2013, I was interrogated for three whole days by provincial Security Police from Thua Thien and municipal Police from the city of Hue. Quoting from articles by me that they found on the Internet, the Police concluded: - that the UBCV is illegal; - that participating in UBCV-sponsored activities is illegal; - that my articles spread propaganda against the state and undermined the people’s solidarity.
They asked me to confess that I had violated the law and promise to cease all such activities, otherwise they would take stronger measures against me. I declared that I stood firmly by my ideals, and would continue the activities I have pursued over the past 38 years. My actions are legitimate, for they are guaranteed in the SRV Constitution and the United Nations ICCPR. Once again, at the beginning of this year, on 1st January 2014, I was intercepted by Security Police at Phu Bai Airport in Hue as I was going to visit UBCV Patriarch Thich Quang Do [in Ho Chi Minh City]. Security Police took me off the plane and subjected me to interrogations at the Security Police Station in Truong An district for 13 hours.
After they churned out the same old clichés that I have been hearing for the past 30 years, I told them that I had done nothing to violate the Constitution. As for the Criminal Code, I cannot promise to respect that because I consider it to be anti-constitutional. Not only does it fail to guide citizens to uphold the Constitution, but it contains vague provisions that criminalize the exercise of constitutional rights. In short, the Criminal Code is a baby law that overrides the Constitution, its mother law. Police then confiscated all my belongings, including two laptop computers, 2 USB flash drives and two cell phones. Up till now, they have still not given them back. From that day onwards, my home was placed under surveillance. I was prohibited to go outside or meet with anyone.
On 18 February 2014, I went to visit my mother [over 90 years old] who was seriously ill. Again, Police intercepted me and took me to the Truong An Police station for questioning during a whole day. They said they had “loosened” the conditions of my house arrest, but I must still make a written request to circulate within the city of Hue, and if I wanted to travel outside Hue, I must file my request one day in advance so that Police could process it. I told them I could not accept these conditions. They had placed me under house arrest by verbal orders alone, and I would respond in the same way. I would not request anything in writing.
Out of the blue, on Saturday 12 April 2014, I received a summons from the Truong An Security Police to come for questioning on Monday 14 April 2014 at 2:00pm on “issues that concern you”. At the same time, Security Police warned me that I would be placed back under strict house arrest from now on, the period of “loose” detention was over. I would not be allowed to leave the premises or make contact with anyone. I believe that my safety and security has been gravely violated, and I am writing this Letter of Protest to inform you of these facts.
Dear Sirs,
The Vietnamese Criminal Code states: “As long as accused persons have not been found guilty of a crime before a court of law, they must be treated as innocent”. Moreover, the Code defines house arrest [quản chế] as “a punishment that is applied to those who have committed crimes of violating national security, murder or traffic of women.” My detention under house arrest is thus a serious violation of the law. I have never received written notification of incriminating charges. There is no time-frame or limit to my detention. The Police’s behavior is completely arbitrary – they put me under strict house arrest, then they loosen it at a whim; they summon me for interrogations whenever they please. They allow themselves to treat people like a herd of animals, with absolutely no respect for the law.
From a purely personal point of view, my detention under house arrest is inhumane. The authorities know I am no longer young, that I live alone, separated from my wife and children. I am in lodgings so I can’t even do my own cooking. I am forbidden to go outside to earn a living or even meet with anyone. By keeping me this way, they know for sure that I will gradually waste away and die. From a religious point of view, my detention reveals a new tactic in Vietnam’s long-standing campaign to suppress the UBCV. I am the Secretary-general of the UBCV’s Executive Institute Viện Hóa Đạo, so by detaining me, they are deliberately cutting off contacts between me and the UBCV leadership.
I am therefore sending this Letter of Protest to you, the highest leaders of the SRV government, to call upon you to order the authorities of Thua Thien-Hue to immediately release me from house arrest, return my laptop computers, USB flash-drives and cell phones that they unlawfully confiscated, and generally implement the provisions of the Vietnamese Constitution and the UN ICCPR. This is especially important in view of Vietnam’s current membership of the UN Human Rights Council. This is the twelfth letter of protest that I have sent to the Vietnamese leadership. I hope it will not fall on deaf ears as all the others have done. Sincerely, LE CONG CAU Hue, 12 April 2014
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What is the main issue of Modi, BJP and NDA during the 2014 Lok Sabha Election- Development or Majority Communalism?
Hindu communalism
Modi started his election campaign with Development as the main issue. He wanted Gujarat as the model for development. In any point of view Gujarat is not the best model for development. Let us take one example that Modi was working at a tea Stoll. Even after 40 years the tea Stoll remains the same and it remains closed forever. The village where the tea stoll is, remains without any development. I do not know what is he talking about development? Is it Mudra of Ambani? There are many states in India better development that is more inclusive. Development is only a cover for something else. This is becoming more and more clear.
Now the real colour of Modi is coming out. He has proved that majority communalism works out very well in Gujarat. By killing 3000 Muslims, majority Hindu communalism worked out very well in Gujarat. BJP tried that during the destruction of Barbari Mazjid. In Kandamal the Majority Communalism was tried against Minority Christians. Now Modi wants to try that in India. This is coming out from the mouth of Togadia and Giriraj. Giriraj is holding on to his stand. And on the otherhand Togadia says it was fabricated. Once the issue was raised to the Majority Community the purpose is achieved.
He is pushing this Majority Communalism with the help of RSS. He is pushing this with fascism. He is a Hitler of our times. He wants the Majority Communalism like in Pakistan. He does not respect Indian Constitution (IC). He does not respect Secular Nature of India where Majority and Minority Religions are equal and respected. He does not respect Democracy. He is an autocrat and he speaks and behaves like an autocrat. He talks about unearthing black money and stopping corruption. If he is honest he has to publish his expenses and income of all the rallies and his travel by helicopters. RTI should cover all the political parties. Most of the candidates are criminals and corrupt. Modi’s main organiser Amit Shah is an accused of two murder cases. Ultimately All Inclusive Development is forgotten.
Modi talks as if he is already PM of India. He makes a statement that he will bring back all the Black Money when he himself is a victim of black money from the MNCs. He makes a statement that he will enquire into the corruption of Vadra, husband of Priyanka. If he is so sure about Corruption why should he act only after being PM. He says lies after lies. If he says a lie hundred times common people belive him as if he is saying the truth. All he talks about Gujarat Development are lies. Farmers, and Common people do not experience any Development. Who will give an account of all the rallies, Modi’s travel, and all the publicity?
Now he is saying that the leaders should stop speaking Hate Speeches. It is a big advise when the leaders have done enough harm. All these are planned and that is why these are coming out one after another. FIR is filed against Togadia. What does this mean to correct the harm he has done in society? This is a national agenda of NDA to have Majority Communalism to win in the election. The latest is coming from Kadam of Shiva Sena. In a context of justifying Majority Communalism, the recent statement by Shazia Ilmi, justifying Minority Communalism belittle NDA pushing Majority Communalism all over India. Similarly Amirder Singh Justifying Capt Jagadish Tytler, has created uncalled for protest by the Sikhs. Majority Communalism is a national agenda to come to power. On the other hand Amirder Singh’s statement and Shazia’s Statement are not a national agenda, but only two individuals’ opinion. These have no effects upon people.
Modi’s latest statement is that he will create special courts to try corrupt political leaders of all the political parties. Great Modi is talking like Hitler because he is free from being Corrupt. Sovereign is not bound by the law. Is there any honesty in Modi? Whom is he fooling, poor common people, who want a leader like Modi!!! He is embodying himself as the Saviour of the poor common people.!!!!Can he bring all the political parties under RTI and LOKPAL?????Every account of the political parties and their leaders including Modi should be audited by CAG. There is no need of Special Courts, Modi. Please stop bluffing people to get votes!!!!! Do we want a Helicopter Democracy or Democracy with people in their context? Even during election time it is one way traffic. Modi and Rahul are addressing big crowds that they give promises. No interaction with people. This is the new Helicopter Democracy for all the big leaders like Modi, Rahul, Jayalalitha and so on. They want their votes. Even now these leaders are not interacting with people. This is the only time people see their leaders from far. Afterwards people will not even see these leaders at all.
The main focus of Modi has been Gujarat model Development. It is very good that he is proud of his Governance. But the acid test in a Democracy that Modi’s proposal should be scrutinised though objective study by anybody. The great service in a Democratic set up has been done by the students of St. Xavier’s, Mumbai. This objective study was not done by any political party bias. This study should be communicated to the people of India. The Principal of the said college has done only this service to the people. This is the democratic right of every citizen in India. Democracy is not one way traffic. It is two ways communication and interaction.
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AAP HAS A DESTINY TO FULFIL: THE PATH IS GANDHIAN
Special ContributionBy Nixon Fernando
AAP and BJP leaders
The nation cannot accept the BJP because its inherent communal beliefs can lead to bloodletting. And the nation cannot throw out the BJP because the nation needs an alternative to the Congress; and there is no other party that is big enough to fill those shoes. BJP therefore represents a party which the Indian can neither swallow nor spit out. If, however, the AAP stands up to its destiny India can release the BJP from its misery.
The following ten points will bring to fore the various ideas that are contained in this debate. Let's see the points first and the merits of the case will become readily apparent. 1) In the last days of his life Gandhiji proposed, among other things, that the Congress split into two formations, one under Nehru and the other under Sardar Patel and fight elections against each other.
2) The reason he said this was because: a. if in the future (it was 1940's at that time) the congress failed to live up to the high ideals of the freedom struggle then the citizens of India needed an alternative b. The alternate ideologies that existed at that time were divisive. They did not have the vision to take India forward as one nation of united people; all of them propagated fragmented nationalism. c. Gandhiji wanted the political atmosphere in the country to be free of chauvinism and fragmentation; or in other words he wanted to avoid the poison of groupism based on cooked-up human barriers
3) A look at today's situation proves that Gandhiji was again right--as he most often was: a. As Gandhiji feared, the Congress has let values slip--a long way--and it has not stood up credibly to the ideals of the freedom struggle. b. There is no alternative basic political ideology that unites Indians. None of them take India forward as a homogenous unit; none of them treat Indians as one. c. The alternative that came up in 1998 was created out of one of the divisive ideologies that existed in Gandhiji's times; besides using the divisive ideology to spread unrest in society this alternate team too patronized a system that was not free from corruption.
4) The episodes of 1984 and 2002 demonstrate how the difference in founding ideology matters to the nation. In 1984 when goons went on to the street their ideology screamed at them to "Stop it"; in 3 days the mayhem stopped. Though of course, true to the fall in values--of the Congress--those responsible have not been made to face the law. In 2002 however the ideology itself said "continue"... and so the mayhem went on for months together. This ideology is dangerous for the nation... This particular ideology is essentially fascist in nature.
5) And the most amazing thing is that though it claims to stand up for Hinduism it is truly anti-Hindu. The tussle is between the Hindutwa of Godse and Hinduism of Gandhi. True that the charge on Congress that it practices pseudo-secularism has some truth in it. But the pseudo-Hinduism of the right wing is far worse. In the garb of 'nationalism' Godse acted like an insane man; this approach is apparent even in today's extreme right. The line that separates courage and foolishness is very narrow; similarly the line that separates nationalism from fragmented nationalism is also narrow. Godse's was a fragmented nationalism.
6) Also do not bother about those who would encourage Arjuna not to fight the Mahabharata war but instead go to a forest and do penance. In today's system there are no hereditary kings... instead there are political parties and elections. The success of today's democracy requires that people must take up assignments in the political hierarchy as part of their 'duty/dharma'. AAP you must do your duty for the nation. And when some people tell you that 'you are in politics just for selfish interests', tell them in return that 'all drivers learn driving only because they want to put sudden break so that girls will come and fall on them'.
7) The moment is opportune. The well-meaning voters of India are on the desperate lookout for an alternative party to give direction to this nation. Those totally unsatisfied with the Congress are even contemplating giving a divisive ideology one more chance--this tells you how desperate they are.
8) AAP you have it going your way since you stand up: a. Against corruption b. Against all kinds of divisions in society
9) Along with the above two you must also ensure that you inherit the legacy of the Gandhian struggle for freedom; for values, for the poor, for peace and prosperity.
10) Set up systems; set up procedures; pursue the alternate politics you have come to represent. There is enough grey matter in India to guide you as you go along. If you can institutionalize your uniqueness it holds great promise for the nation.
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Thailand’s Protests and the Global Economy: As the economies of Southeast Asia integrate, Thailand's social divide is as stark as ever
By Layne HartsellSenior Editor
Mar 28, 2014
The protests roiling the country pit workers from different sectors
The countries of Southeast Asia are planning to integrate their region in 2015. Meanwhile, in the dynamic city of Bangkok, the government of Thailand seems to be heading in the opposite direction, as recent protests have entered a ”shut down” phase. This was the political atmosphere when I recently visited Bangkok to attend a conference on the ethics of food. At that time, street demonstrations were forming after weeks of smaller actions around ministries in this leading Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) city of 10 million citizens. Reports began to come across my tablet, as I sat pondering the role of agriculture in Thailand and ASEAN during the conference
At first I did not connect the protests with the topic of the conference. The protestors seemed to be engaged in a struggle with the government over how the Thai people operate their political system. But Thailand is a major food exporter, and agriculture is a mainstay of the economy. As such, Thai farmers play a key role in the country’s governance. Moreover, both agriculture and governance are central features of the regional integration of ASEAN. Currently, Thai people on various sides of the issue of governance are fighting over political control and budget priorities, which have been a subject of conflict for a decade. They are also operating in a larger context where power is shifting around in the local, the national, and the regional arenas. “The capital has been the center of political power, where the upper and middle classes claim political power over the country, including the rural areas,” observes Thai scholar and former diplomat Pavin Chachavalpongpun of Kyoto University. “This has caused much tension.”
Red vs. Yellow
Since 2006, Thailand has experienced a number of changes in government due to a conflict between two powerful groups, generally called the yellow shirts and the red shirts. In 2006, a military coup removed the democratically elected Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is generally supported by the red shirts, while he was out of the country on official business in England. The red shirts believe that proper governing structures should be legitimized through electoral democracy by and for the interests of the people. The yellow shirts, on the other hand, generally support what they see as traditional, authority-based ruling structures. They favor a ruling council appointed on the basis of morality. The media generally represents the yellow side as a Bangkok elite that includes the middle class, and the red side as a popular movement of farmers, fisherfolk, students, and others. The categorizations are by no means absolute.
After the forced removal of Thaksin – Thai politicians are often referred to by their first name – martial law eventually gave way to a civilian government. Later, Thaksin was found guilty in absentia. The charge was corruption. According to the verdict of the nine-judge panel, “Thaksin violated the article of the constitution on conflict of interest [in land and business dealings], as he was then prime minister and head of a government and was supposed to work for the benefit of the public.” Thaksin immediately countered that the charges were politically motivated. The current government came to power in 2011 in a landslide led by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, the sister of Thaksin. One of the main actions of her administration has been to seek an amnesty law related to past political struggles, which could possibly include an amnesty for Thaksin. “The current protests link back to the petty crimes and larger crimes of the past, especially in the 2010 protests,” explains Arthit Suriyawongkul of Thai Netizens Network. “Many on one side, the yellow shirts, are concerned that past Prime Minister Thaksin will benefit from any amnesty laws put into place. The Constitutional Court issued the Amnesty Bill and many agreed with this proclamation. Groups from every part of society came into the streets.”
The initial protest in November brought 100,000 people into the streets of Bangkok. The protests were non-violent. But similar protests in 2010 had left more than 90 people dead, as the then generally yellow-shirt-aligned government resorted to force against protestors in the streets. To defuse tensions, the current Thai government dropped the new amnesty bill. But the yellow-shirt opposition continued protesting on the grounds that the government could reintroduce the bill at any time, and therefore a change of government structure was needed. The actions of the yellow side, including driving a tractor up to the police barricade in an effort to seize the police headquarters, provoked a response by the red shirts. “On the other side of the city, at Ramkhamhaeng University, a crowd of 100,000 met, red shirts in this case, and their message was that they wanted to show that they are still there to support the democratically elected government,” Arthit Suriyawongkul continued. “Apparently they were concerned that the military might become involved. Finally, worried about further confrontation, they decided to remain inside the stadium.”
The casualties at that point were six dead and 40 injured. A major issue for all sides were unidentified snipers positioned in various areas outside of police control. According to local sources the snipers came from extremist groups who wanted to cause further disruption; no one knows who they are. The TV news showed the military escorting the students off the campus under sniper fire. The struggle over the political future of the country has lasted for over two months. It has been bitter and left several protestors dead. The opposition has called for Prime Minister Yingluck to resign, but she has refused. Although the government declared a state of emergency on January 22 and announced new elections as a way to quell potential violence, the protests have continued. Demanding a complete change in government, the yellow shirts boycotted the February 2 elections and physically prevented others from casting their votes, disrupting voting in dozens of districts. They have vowed to continue protesting after the election.
Food Sovereignty, Technology, and the Economy
The current battle on the streets of Bangkok seems to focus on political governance, but the deeper cause of the unrest is a conflict over the Thai economy and the further integration of agriculture and manufacturing. In addition to feeding its own population, and as a major exporter of food, the country has a strong industrial base near Bangkok which is generally controlled, or supported by, elements of the yellow side. The red shirts, meanwhile, generally favor changes that would lead to closing the gap in wealth and power between the farmers of the north and upper classes in and around Bangkok. Moreover, the coming 2015 ASEAN Convergence overarches the drama in the capital and in some other areas of the country. Thailand is the second largest economy in Southeast Asia after Indonesia. It already has good infrastructure, a solid and growing manufacturing sector, and major medical facilities. For 2014, Thai rice exports alone are expected to be at around 6.5 million tons, and the nation is among the three largest exporters in the world, sometimes claiming the top spot.
But Thailand also faces significant challenges. Workers from surrounding countries, attracted by the prospect of better wages, are flowing into Bangkok, and there is a serious housing crisis. The influx of cheap labor, as economist Ha Joon Chang of Cambridge University told me in 2011, also threatens to drive down the wages of Thai people. Chang pointed out as well the Bangkok Skytrain and the new transit system to the airport can accommodate the existing level of flow of commuters, but not a sudden and large arrival of people. The current protests offer different visions of how to address these challenges – from the incomes of rice farmers to the housing for city workers. Increasingly Thailand must balance growth and economic justice within the larger regional framework. Southeast Asia, from Myanmar to Indonesia and out to the Philippines, boasts tremendous concentrations of natural resources, port locations, a growing, educated workforce, and an increasing number of English and Chinese speakers. The use of modern technologies – computers, robotics, nanotechnology – can help the region leap across the development gap, though there is also considerable market competition, regionally and globally.
Much of this high technology is already in Thailand, a hub for automotive and electronics production. As Alain Ruche, senior policy advisor at the External Service for the European Union, writes, “Thailand will be engaged politically through economic complexity.” This economic complexity, he continues, is expressed in the composition of a country’s “productive output and reflects the structures that emerge to hold and combine knowledge.” The Economic Complexity Index (ECI) expresses the richness of the product space of a given country and thus its potential for turning knowledge into the production of goods and services. Thailand ranks well in this respect, falling between the two regional powers of China and India. Thailand had a “remarkable increase in economic complexity between 1970 and 1985,” Ruche points out. “The economic complexity of that period led to better conditions for the nation.” But will these technological changes benefit only a small number of workers and a narrow slice of the upper classes, or can the country spread the economic gains to the entire population? This is a question being worked out on the streets of Bangkok and in the conference halls of ASEAN as it prepares for the 2015 Convergence.
A Better Life for Thais
The ASEAN Convergence could indeed, and quite quickly, provide better conditions for interaction, trade, and advancement in the lives of all Thais. Better access to technologies and manufacturing through partnerships with foreign companies, along with better access to education for its citizens, would be undeniable benefits for Thailand. At the same time, there are potential liabilities. First, there is the critical risk of loss of food sovereignty when world prices increase dramatically and various kinds of foodstuffs are exported, rather than retained for the populace at home. Currently, there is a crisis over the local price of mangosteens, which are shipped to Japan and the world market. Other inherent risks lie in transnational agreements that can force Thailand away from the provision of essential goods and services for its people in healthcare, public utilities, and local resources like water and minerals.
In a positive direction, even with the major political conflicts over the past decade, Thailand has done well economically, and could move further in this direction within ASEAN as long as Thai citizens can have an open debate over the risks. The red shirts attribute this current trend to Thaksin’s policies. His administration established universal healthcare and provided significant village-level investment that helped to create the conditions for better productivity and improve Thai competitiveness in global food markets. But the internal political turmoil and the external pressures of the 2015 Convergence could create instability and hinder Thailand from moving forward. Thailand faces a political choice between mere procedural democracy and a true democracy that takes into account the actual interests of all the people.
The political structure is a matter for the Thai people to decide. To advance, Thailand must find a way to combine appropriate rural technologies, a manufacturing sector, and a service sector, along with tourism, into the emerging knowledge economy to create a nation that can both feed itself and the world, while also growing its ability to develop advanced technologies. The yellow shirts are currently shutting down parts of Bangkok and the process of government itself. It will take a full debate from both colors to keep Thailand moving forward.
Ref: Foreign Policy in Focus, 2/2014
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BURMA: SURRENDER TIMING
Special ContributionBy Roland Watson
Mar 16, 2014
Burma's military
There is now a desperate push by Burma's military dictatorship, including one of its public faces, the Myanmar Peace Center (MPC), and also ethnic traitors, to complete a nationwide ceasefire by early April. All sorts of announcements have been made saying that this timetable will be achieved. Of course, there have been months of such announcements regarding earlier deadlines, all of which were nothing less than regime propaganda, and which due to the insistence by the ethnic nationalities for achieving afair deal for their people and for all of Burma, were not realized. The question should now be asked: Why does the regime view April as being so important?
The first thing to understand is that Burma’s generals are demanding a unilateral or one-sided ceasefire, in other words, a complete surrender.The push for April therefore is nothing less than a negotiation over the surrender’s timing. The regime is yielding nothing! It will not stop Burma Army attacks against the ethnic forces and peoples. Indeed, it has publicly stated, even in the face of unassailable evidence, that it is doing no such thing. Similarly, it will not stop its never-ending commission of gross human rights crimes, including murder, rape, arrestand torture, destruction of villages, extortion of and theft from villagers, etc. Nor will it agree to remove its forces from the ethnic areas, or even genuinely discuss the establishment of codes of conduct, which codes it has already agreed to negotiate and implement in its separate ceasefire agreements with the different ethnic armies.
Ultimately, it is demanding that the ethnic forces disperse, give up their arms, and "join the legal fold." Moreover, the regime refuses to discuss, much less agree to, the different ethnic demands including not only the cessation of attacks and abuses, and creation of codes of conduct, but also the drafting of a completely new Constitution to consign the military to its appropriate role in ademocracy, and to establish a truly federal state and federal army. In view of its continuing if not perpetual obstinacy, there is no reasonfor the ethnic groups to agree to anything, and given that the rightful representatives of the ethnic peoples can hold off the traitors, they won't. The ethnic nationalities have now agreed to establish a joint committee with the regime to continue the discussions. From the regime's perspective, not to mention MPC and the traitors, the function of this committee is to prepare the specific terms of the surrender.
It is therefore essential that sincere, uncorrupted representatives of the ethnic peoples are appointed to the ethnic side of the committee, not the corrupt traitors, so that ethnic and real Burma-wide interests are served. This still leaves the question, though, why is the regime pushing for April? The answer to this is simple. The dictatorship knows that the upcoming census will be fraudulent. Its plans for this are already set. It further understands that much of the fraud will be uncovered, and that this will precipitate a popular reaction. In such an environment, an ethnic surrender will be precluded. The regime has seen that its separate ceasefire agreements effectively defanged the resistance groups. Even in the face of the Burma Army repeatedly breaking and otherwise failing to fulfill the agreements, the ethnic forces, other than in Kachin and Northern Shan States, have done nothing.
The dictatorship is confident that with a nationwide ceasefire/surrender in place, the ethnic forces, under the command of traitorous leaders, will also not react to the census fraud. The ethnic groups should not agree to anything until after the census is completed and the results have been publicized, and further not until after any proposed deal has been presented for comment to the ethnic publics and civil society organizations. Indeed, for the census, Kachin groups have already said that they will not recognize the results, and Karen groups have called for it to be postponed. Shan and Mon groups are planning their own count, to counter regime lies. Even worse, the regime has announced that Burma's most oppressed group, the Rohingya, will not even be counted. Burma is still a military dictatorship, with a civilian facade.
The recent announcement that the rights of the military to veto any constitutional amendments, will not be changed, not to mention its constitutional ability to act with impunity and with no legal consequences, is proof of this. This leaves us once again with elementary arithmetic. For Burma to be freed, there must be a new popular uprising, and/or renewed armed resistance. Nothing less will suffice. For an uprising, a trigger is required. The people of the country, from all ethnic groups, both ethnic nationality and Burman, are very angry, but something is needed to take them over the edge into large-scale action.
While it is impossible to predict what will set a subjugated population off - witness Tunisia - a number of potential flash points in Burma areclear: - If the constitution is not amended to permit Suu Kyi to become President(or for that matter if it is not redrafted to reflect fundamental democratic principles). - If Suu Kyi realizes the folly of her ways, returns to her real pro-democracy advocacy of 1989, and calls for protests. - In response to the census fraud. - In response to fraud in the upcoming election (which personally I giveonly a 50/50 chance of even being held - at least under the dictatorship's control).
It would be best if the people of Burma became proactive and started demonstrating now, rather than wait for such a flashpoint. They must reject the dictatorship’s propaganda, that any peace, including even a unilateral ethnic surrender, is good for the country. In other words, they should once again protest for freedom and democracy, not only against land thefts and other types of abuse. To kick all of this off, one can only ask: Where are Burma's revolutionary graffiti artists?
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GM Trials Corrupts Crop-Self Rule & Attacks Seed Swaraj
Special ContributionBy Rakesh Manchanda
Robot
About author : Has worked in India and several countries and now is a full time supporter of AAP in Delhi and North India monitoring the historical people movement for an Ecological Swaraj. Written in Public Interest on behalf of Alliance for Safe Food-Delhi & India Agianst Corruption.
A Bird asked a Bee, you work so hard to get honey & people steal. Don't you feel sad? Bee - `NO`, because people can never steal my team work, my skills and my art of making honey each day...!! What if Bee is a GM-Clone ? What if honey as a safe food is Genetically Engineered? Instead of sticking to safe food agenda ,Let us chuck in a slightly different trajectory of real life what happens if the GM invention and a clone product refuses to be obedient to its master.
Here is a slice from an old bollywood blockbuster Robot: Professor ( Rajnikant) wants to create the first robot in India which would not only serve tea and coffee to its masters but would have the power to serve humanity in more meaningful ways He creates Chitti, the humanoid who looks exactly like him (Inventor) and is willing to do anything while obeying the orders. Trouble begins when he goes a step further and teaches the machine to feel. Chitti falls in love with the professor's girl friend, Sana (Aishwarya Rai) and ends up becoming an almost undefeatable rival in love.Courtesy the red chip that a rival scientist played by Danny Denzongpa infuses in him. What's more important is the fact that you and me actually don't mind when the bullet in 3-D Cinema whizzes out of his forefinger and hits the man in front in the head. Instant fast death. Wow ! The movey was a big hit and a paisa vasol entertainment with cent percent recovery satisfaction to the audience).
Robot movey has a hidden message. Can the creator tame the rogue robot or will machine rule over man? Back to real life : Business team as real masters stands lazy hiding behind the politicians and say we are the `last change makers` and always want some magical powers to work. The biggest Business Lobby is Government. Government of India with KG Basin scam FIR tainted ministers like Veerappa Moiley are articulating GM Trials GM.
Political space and GM trial resistance once initiated by Left Parties have now got joined by AAP. It is interesting to note that only four countries or only four governments out of 200 in the world today use Genetically Modified Crops. USA is unable to promote and push GM Crops and seed patent control in other countries since its first use in America fifteen years ago. America of course is hiding `Business Terrorism` by buying a section of agriculture scientist opinion as they do in Pharmacy clinical studies. The real threat is Farming in Agriculture as way of life shall soon be rechristened as Pharming (Pharmacy). During Childhood we heard about field trial of Army tanks or chemicals. Then much later we heard about Robots and bollywood blockbusters.
So why a field Trial on Food Crop ? Do trials increase productivity and Profits. At what cost ? During trial GM trial there is no guarantee to reverse the side effects and protect the Seed Swaraj or Crop Self Rule. Sample a rural survival kit- a crop grower in one field prayers that the crop of his neighbour should be safe and should not carry any disease. Why ? Any problem or threat in the neighbourhood invites future problems in your own crops.
Field trials on Bt Okra(lady finger),Bt.Rice, tomatoes and Brinjal got away unchecked. Why GM Pharma promotion which in shape of BT Brinjal after disputed trials got stuck only in four countries including America shows it is ant- nature and representation of false science for Profits ? Such trials have already forced 2.66 lakh farmer suicide in BT Cotton.Trials must be stopped. Farmers must be allowed to practice safe agriculture and safe organic farming instead of Pharmacy under GM hidden agenda of profit to American Monsanto.
For details more read my old article via Google:Of seeds, parliament, prayers and the Gita published by Governance Now. We the citizen of India seriously demand, as a birth right, that our food production systems; our distribution system and our consumption pattern should not be monopolized by the corporate interest. Field trials are hidden routes to Corrupt our food production. This not only exploits us economically but also posse’s dangerous concerns for climate change, Global warming and the existence of our healthy bodies.
We all have a natural right to safe food, Ecological Swaraj and environment. A right to make informed choices about something as basic as Food & Environment is a must. This would get violated if GM (Genetic Modified) foods are approved. Make sure you, me and others are not made into laboratory rats in this corrupt, irreversible, unsafe and unaccountable experiment with transgenic foods.
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ORGANIZED CRIME GROUP VICTIMIZES ACTOR AND TV HOST
By Neil Paul ValentinoStaff Correspondent
March 1, 2014
Deniece Cornejo and Cedric Lee(R)
Ansan, South Korea - Organized crime group attacked and victimized innocent and defenseless people, they become feared and dreaded group, they made a law to themselves, alleged Mafia Chinese organized group victimized a showbiz personality and tv host, Vhong Navarro who was seriously beaten, tortured, extorted money, illegally detained by a group of 6 men masterminded by Cedric Lee, a chinese-filipino descent who alleged member of Chinese Mafia. The horrific crime occured when the victim Navarro went to the condo unit of Deniece Cornejo who invited him the second time around where she lived in Forbeswood in Taguig City, Philippines.
According to Navarro's corroboration upon reaching the room Deniece unexpectedly told him to wait for a while after going out from the unit, suddenly two men appeared with a gun pointed at him, after several minutes he was tied in his hands and blindfolded and punched, pinned down on the floor face down and six men alternately kicked him on the face and body. Prior to the alleged attempted rape on January 22, 2014, Deniece Cornejo met Navarro in her room at around 10:30 in the evening on January 17 2014, two hours later Navarro left the said place. Five days later Navarro went to Deniece's house again as they agreed each other to meet at the same place.
Navarro narrated his ordeal in media after four days of silence from the hands of attackers, he said that when he arrived at the place of Deniece, in just a couple of minutes she left the tv host Navarro and she went downstairs while inside the unit suddenly he saw two men inside the house approaching him and pointing a gun on him, then he was suddenly punched by a certain Cedric Lee with his men, with them were two women who identified later as Lee's older sister Vernice and Deniece herself. He also recalled that the group tied his hands and feet, pinned down his head on the floor, blindfolded and put a tape on his mouth and kicked him mostly in his head and eyes, he saw more or less six men while a certain Mike told him not to tell this incident in media or else Navarro' s family and his would be killed. He likewise was taken a video by the group then with his pants down on his knee and ordered to say words such as " I am Vhong Navarro I raped my friend." he stressed out distressingly.
Vhong Navarro
After Navarro expose, a day after Cedric Lee also appeared in tv and gave his side, the schemer Lee said that when he went to his friend Deniece's home while approaching the unit he heard a voice outside, he entered as he said the door was unlocked and saw Navarro on top of Deniece and allegedly tempted to rape Deniece so he grabbed and mauled Navarro with his colleague named Zimmer Raz, a martial arts expert. Lee also added that they brought alleged rapist to police station to blotter the attempted rape. After two weeks of physical recovery, complainant Navarro filed muliple charges like serious physical injuries, blackmail, extortion, coercion and grave threat, illegal detention against the group and illegal detention which is non-bailable offense at Department of Justice.
The National Bureau of Investigation on the other hand showed in a press confernce and media the CCTV on how the Navarro mauled and illegally arrested and turned over to the police station. According to CCTV, Navarro' s statement was corroborated by the footage and contradicted the statement of Mr. Lee and the alleged attempted rape insisted by the maulers were false. It also showed in the said cctv that Deniece was not in her unit when the alleged attempted rape happened.There were six people including Deniece and Vernice seen in the footage while two men just came out after the mauling, the NBI concluded that there was a plot against the victim.
Prior to Navarro's mauling and extortion, another tv personality and decathlon athlete, David Buenavacz suffered the same fate from the hands of Cedric Lee et al but Buenavacz chose to leave the country and lived in USA. He just expressed his ordeal in media inteview. On the other hand, Deniece and her group filed a rape case against Navarro after the latter filed multiple charges against the maulers. Worse, the alleged attempted rape case to be filed by Deniece and others became a rape case against Navarro.
At present time, case proceeding is still going on and delaying tactics are noticed by the navarro's lawyer for other respondents have just submitted their own counter affidavits after two preliminary hearings. The Filipino netizens on social media condemned the outrage of Lee and his group for violating the law, lying before the media and victimizing innocent and defenseless people. Even the lawyer of the respondents received condemnation from Filipino netizens accross the globe for denying the cctv footage by saying that it is tampered and not clear. Filipino people, cybercitizens, and supporters even the fans of actor Vhong Navarro are urging the prosecutors to speed up the proceeding without delay so the group of Lee will be put to jail and cannot victimize repeatedly. The penman believes that no one is above the law in any other countries around the globe but in the Philippines those who committed crimes despite with sound evidence against the culprits they are still free as they are influential with connections to several retired military generals and murderous politicians. They are a law to themselves and they become dreaded people.
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Nitin Gadhkari Model Cheats Honest Business Houses
Special ContributionBy Rakesh Manchanda
Gadhkari
When a Director is shown on papers in a company there is an allowance support for his transport/car/mobile/office and so on. Driven by power and greed, Nitin Gadhkari Purti scam shows how `selected` Model companies in India and overseas are run. Nitin Gadkari unfair business ambitions has landed himself in more serious trouble. Allegations with false PAN numbers show that he has set up a maze of dummy and benami companies. Sharpest attack on the BJP chief have come, not from the Congress, but from a BJP faction that wanted Mr. Gadkari to get replaced and then he was forced to resign as the BJP President. Last week Nitin Gadhkari has filed a case on Arvind Kejriwal demanding evidences of his corruption. Let us see how AAP is officially handling this Nidin Gadhkari Business Empire exposure. AAP Media on their websites have put eleven exhibits as evidences to show how on one side farmers are committing suicides in Vidarbha and on the other hand BJP's National President Nitin Gadkari was worried about `held up` payments of companies building dams.
In Part 1 of Nitin Gadhkari Pol Khol this column published my write up as to how frauds involved in building the companies on paper with paid drivers, paid bakers, paid pundits and astrologers as company Directors are shown. Pol Khol exposes a trick of twisting and bending company laws which is not new. This trick is practiced by several business houses who bribe the work inspectors, accumulate black money and buy their silence. In Nitin Gadhkari Scam dubious crossholdings and funding patterns, was exposed intelligently by media. Nitin Ghadkari is not an ordinary Bussiman but is a well informed Role Model of BJP that controls future dreams of many Indians. This case study is not a plain Pol Khol of unfair work culture with or without a real work contract but it represents many powerful manifestations of work protocols. Work culture with less productivity and lesser participation in the wheel of production can be easily seen by scratching Nitin Gadkare Business Pol Khol. AAP legal cell and Political Committee must continue to support the similar stories of indigenous and overseas employees send by Indian companies workers with no contract papers and no insurance and no medical security and even the basic privilege of free food sovereignty as declared by government of India as mandatory to all overseas employees. This protocol is never enforced by our Governments in Indian companies where powerful investors buy and bend the laws.
Link between Power and the Powerless ; How will India progress if majority workers are shown invisible or aliens in modernisation growth story of investor`s sentiment? Work format from top to bottom is designed to have no link with productivity. Neo-Capitalism appears good on paper but where is the Government Role ? How will General Anti-Avoidance Rules (GAAR) as advocated by experts become a holistic capitalist solution to plug match fixing is hard to understand. There is no social audit and transparency for Public while hundreds of dummy companies get floated say as magnified in case of Nitin Gadkari- Ex-President-BJP. AAP route to fight Corporate Corruption cannot work without connectivity of the whole system and overall reforms in shape of an Industrial revolution. A better reform with more participation of grassroots people can save the situation and protect the honest business companies.
In spite of the huge noise made in the print and visual media about the anti corruption movement in India and work equality, the ground reality is that there is marginal improvement in the situation. This means that street demonstrations, debate in television media, seminars , comments in twitter , blogs and face books cannot take the movement forward the way the anti-graft Help lines contributed. The biggest gain of Helpline was that the common man had stated taking risk to challenge corruption at all levels during 49 days rule of AAP. Challenge in India starts when Police unlike in Africa or America fails to entertain the complain of no minimum wages payments to domestic workers and no contracts or false contracts. No contract and no employment code in India is a fashion. Indian investors dare to send even the overseas employees without any contract because of weak regulations. Nitin Gadkaris and Robert Vadaras in India must never be allowed to bend laws at the cost of majority workers.
It will be unfair to call the Nitin Gadhari as a Political scam because it is a planned loot by a political party`s role model. The system is controlled by business mindset of India where twisting of laws and no contract to most of the employees has been evident and the employees in the business team are reduced to dirt. There is no social audit and transparency for Public while hundreds of dummy companies get floated each day for easy money as seen in case of Nitin Gadkari- President-BJP. No change in Indian political DNA or any `corporate business governance` without kicking out the `Robert Vadaras` and `Gadhkaris` is possible.
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Samjhauta Express: Safe Corruption Free, Respectable Journey
Special ContributionBy Rakesh Manchanda
Samjhauta Express
Samjhota Express was started on July 22, 1976 following the Shimla Agreement and ran between Amritsar and Lahore, a distance of about 42 km and then later it ran from Delhi to Lahore. `Samjhota` Express as a train is important to fight cross border terrorism by opening passenger travel and the Aam Admi cross border communications. Allow me assist you to undertake Samjhota Express Journey in reverse gear. Let us first talk about the VVIP- Khas Stations, Khas Passengers and the Khas Stop over first. Let us drive back to year 2001.
We sample a set of powerful people sitting in an ordinary train chatting and taking pride in reminding that Atal Bihari Vajpayee initiated to protect the Valentine moves of Rahul Gandhi in 2001. The Aam Admi today cannot travel overseas with more then 5000-10,000 US dollars. Rahul Gandhi as a section of media and RSS puts was caught by FBI at Boston airport with illegal 200,000 dollars. He was escorted with his Combodian Girlfriend, who was the daughter of a Combodian drug mafia. Why Vajpee-BJP Government then failed to take a risk and lodge an FIR on this issue? Why BJP-Congress is weak to fight corruption?
Modi and Rahul Gandhi the two modern poster boys of Ambani dookaan : Why are they silent on price rise of oil & natural gas withcooking gas ? In the VVIP-Khas Admi Kit of Vajpayee ji ,Modi ji and Rahul JI all three claim one thing in common. All three claim to be better in Governance then a married Aam admi because all three claim are unmarried and can take a risk. See another speed breaker and a Red Signal : Why BJP unlike Vajpaee ji still protects Narender Modi in his famous Gujarat bloodbath ? Like the 1984 Anti-Sikh riots initiated by the Congress murderers in Gujarat still roam freely with no action taken against the guilty. Why BJP who claims to give better governance is silent ?
No `compromise` on `Corruption & Communalism` is the welcome stand of Aam Admi Party Pol Khol Press Conference in Delhi. AAP Ex- CM had recently created history by initiated five FIRs against Five Khas Aadmi including Mukesh Ambani and Sheila Dixit. While discussing Samjhuta Express I do not wish to remind the readers about RSS and Aseemananda accused in the acts of terrorism of bombing the Samjhauta Express (February2007), Hyderabad Mecca Masjid (May 2007), Ajmer Dargah (October 2007) and two attacks in Malegaon (September 2006 and September 2008). The terrorists on the other side of the border also tried to break and stop this friendship Express several times and this is on media records. My humble intention is to use `Samjhota` Express as our day to day agreement which each Aam and Khas admi had been forced to do at every stop by the devalued corrupt system. My inputs are based on Pakistan delegates met by me in World Social Forum Mumbai-2004. I wish to remind my readers and alert changemakers to let the Friendship train run with a pure corruption free intention. Why this train of peace from Attari to Lahore is essential for better living, peace and prosperity via trade with neighbors ?
EH mohabbat di gaddi hai, is nu band na hon dena This is a train of love and emotions, don’t let it stop is how Allah Ditta, driver of the Samjhauta Express in early 2000,shares his role in Punjabi explaining the significance of this train. The train binds not only the people of these two countries who were separated after Partition, but reaches out to the people of Afghanistan as well. SAMJHAUTA EXPRESS, the train of "Trade and Relationship", has been the network of prosperity for hundreds of small and medium scale Indo-Pak importers and exporters. Indian exporters found route via Pakistan less costly with the South-East Asian, American and European markets to sell items ranging from iron and steel, timber, refrigerators, scooters, cement and tyres,spices, tea, fresh vegetables, textiles, electrical and electronic goods. Trade ties got established between the two countries in 1975 under the Simla Agreement. More than 173 items were listed for trade between the SAARC countries during Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto rule in Pakistan. After the army coup, General Zia made stringent laws to curb Indian trade. India imported sugar in huge quantities during 1998-99, besides dry dates and rock salt and exported soya meal feed, ginger, cardamom, spices, tyres and cement.
Indian traders feel that they had been able to forge a feeling of trust and faith with their counterparts in Pakistan. All favoured the continuation of the train service and suggested that the police and the Customs should step up their vigil and foil the bid of some mischievous elements to snap the link that is beneficial to the people as well as business. Success of train threw a need to start the bus service that was launched to permit divided families to visit relatives and to foster commerce and tourism. The bus service launch was a key in the efforts of the Indo-Pak governments to improve frosty and tense relations especially in the aftermath of the 1998 Pokhran nuclear tests and then the immediate Pakistani response of the Chaghai Hills tests. In its inaugural run on February 19, 1999, the bus carried the then-Indian PM, who was to attend a summit in Lahore and was received by his Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Sharif at Wagah. This inaugural bus carried Indian celebrities such as Dev Anand, Satish Gujral, Javed Akhtar, Kuldip Nayar, Kapil Dev, Shatrughan Sinha and Mallika Sarabhai. Based on 1999 Lahore Declaration,both nations pleadeged to the peaceful resolution of bilateral disputes while fostering friendly commercial and cultural relations. Let us now drive back to ordinary passengers and Aam Admi waiting for the delayed Swaraj dream and Lok Pal Bill to catch a safe ride with joy and happiness. Corrupt System hits more hard then a terrorist attack. Both Muslim Talibans and Hindu `Talibans` have been taking advantage of the situation where honest peace loving majority stays silent. Silence of `honesty` helps promote fear and hate. This needs careful analysis and a future road map with no `samjhotha` or no compromise with corruption-communalism. Corruption free and Compromise free hope is the oxygen of the future collective journey.
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FIR against Sheila Dixit and its Valentine`s day Side Effects
Special ContributionBy Rakesh Manchanda.
Sheila Dixit
About author : Has worked in India and several countries as Director Executive and now is full time supporter of AAP in Delhi and North India monitoring the historical people movement for a Swaraj. Lodging an FIR against former Chief Minister Sheila Dixit by Delhi Anti-Corruption Branch is an excellent Governance move. FIR position and its details in connection with a street light CWG project has several interesting fallouts with few side effects in the life of common people. Why the street lights say at cost of less then Rs. 6000/-were purchased by Delhi Congress government at Rs.25000 each ? Why the competitive BJP with ruling corporaters majority in the MCD decided to purchase same light at even more inflated corrupt price of approx. Rs.32000 each.
The final losers were the helpless people as taxpayers. In reverse social engineering the AAP government may find it difficult to survive. However the future Swaraj Bill, Mohalla Sabhas with the `Right to Racall the elected representative shall empower the hard working 99% public to question their Nagar Sevaks as to why, how and from where say approx.24 crore worth flower pots (gamlas) were purchased during Common Wealth Games ? From which Mohalla and from which suppliers these flower pots were purchased ?-chips in an AAP supporter. Where did the flower pots go after the games were over ? Where did the CWG purchase committee buy the expense toilet tissue papers ? How far the impact of corruption case against Mrs Shiela Dikshit would go is fast getting clear. People are getting ready to reverse their old habits to accept all weak logics of the Neta/Leaders. The police stations in the Mohalla shall soon be seeking local Public opinion whether to register complain and FIR on complains or not ?
Let us see the fallout of Delhi`s Anti-Corruption Branch`s FIR today against Shiela Dixit ? Local RSS Pracharak and BJP promoter in Vishwas Nagar is seen shouting : Why Arvind is wasting time on revenge politics ? Same RSS pracharak few days before wanted to know why there was no arrest of Shiela Dixit. Reason given by BJP then was that AAP-Congress both are supporting each other. Same lobby of BJP ducks the question as to how the Delhi BJP top leaders in MCD are involved in Website Scam of Rs.15 crore. Another RSS cader in fault finding mode says that Arvind Kejriwal does not know how to run and govern the government. What such leaders miss to realise is that AAP and Arvind both accept in modesty that they are novice and not experts. Both(AAP and CM) invite the alert participation of people via monitoring and via social/financial audit in running government each day.
These are the same set of people who take pride in reminding that Atal Bihari Vajpayee initiated to protect the Valentine moves of Rahul Gandhi in 2001. Rahul Gandhi as a section of media and RSS puts was caught by FBI at Boston airport with illegal 200,000 dollars with his combodian Girlfriend, who was the daughter of a combodian drug mafia. Why BJP Government then failed to lodge an FIR and expose this issue ? Why RSS and BJP fails to lodge an FIR in such sensitive and why they still protect Modi in his famous Gujarat bloodbath statement : “Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.” Why should Arvind Kejriwal get angry and always sit on Protest-Dharna chips in a television channel ?
Here is how the channel and selective media fails when the same question gets reversed : Should we stop the Aam Admi from getting angry if Police refuses to register FIR against a rape ? Anger is an essential human emotion which cannot be stopped by the best `isms` practised by Mahatma(Gandhiism) followers or even Marxism. In holy Gita is not true that Lord Krishna as `Khaas Aadmi` showed his `angry form`(Vikral Roop) to motivate Arjun for political war ? Why should we expect the AAP Nagar sevak leadership to be at par with the God.
The FIR syndrome against Shiela Dixit also demonstrates the common sense that instead of Post analysis of expenses there will be pre-analysis of each and every public expense from the Government treasury. Need of the hour and correct priority is to consolidate or to build Mohalla Samatti or organise local people to shoot the emergency troubles for 99%. This needs simple efforts to blow ownership rights among the 99% people who produce growth and pay taxes. The buzz today remain that People are now hungry for Self rule or Swaraj. People need to learn fast from their day to experience and discard old traditional politics and its leaders. Hence fellow citizens you need to realise your own power of unity. Be prepared to take a risk for a better society. Do not rely on old traditional politicians to change systems for you. Check out ! The conventional leaders of BJP-Congress shall break your heart on the coming Valentine day.
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People to Police : New Delhi Newer Engagement
Special ContributionBy Rakesh Manchanda
Delhi Police
About Author : Has worked in India and several countries and now is a full time supporter of AAP in Delhi and North India monitoring the historical people movement for a Swaraj and is also applying for Aam Admi inhouse contest for Lok Sabha candidate-East Delhi. The word Police originates from the Latin word 'Politia' meaning 'civil administration', which derives from the Ancient Greek word 'polis' meaning 'city'. There are majority of honest people still in police system Why are they never able to protect the Politics of 99 % hard working Public who are the real masters of Delhi and its economy ? Unequal social and economical justice remains the root reason for people getting angry and supporting AAP on the new format of Swaraj resulting in street fights to bring Police under control of real masters in future.
How has the Delhi CM protest politics changing the equation fast ? Police, Public, Politician and Parliament all 4 Ps are inseparable. Before birth of a new system labour pain and bleeding is absolutely normal. PTI today reports lower level police officials were with AAP.Two former top government officials, including a bureaucrat, will help the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi realise its promise of 'swaraj' and monitor the anti-corruption helpline for the people at a token salary Re 1/- each. Former Delhi Police joint commissioner N. Dilip Kumar, who is to monitor the AAP government's anti- corruption helpline to nab bribe takers, will also draw Rs. 1 per month as 'symbolic amount'.
“A man resigned and came to join us. He had tears in his eyes. Another man who was shouting slogans in our favour was suspended. There will be a rebellion in Delhi Police too,” CM Arvind Kejriwal said today running his office from the Sadak outside Rail Bhavan.Corruption is a systemic collective community problem and is not a individual driven problem. Corruption canvas is designed to serve the corrupt which includes few corrupt while majority people are honest. Corruption canvas in ministry can be broadly divided into two parts : Corruption during delivery of services to common man and Corruption during sale of natural resources or 3M satellite routes to 1% Corporate-Bankers-Politician-Police Nexus. Police in any democratic country continues to be the first `street smart` agent to protect the Human Rights of a common man. Take any problem from stolen mobile to missing passport, to jumping of traffic rights,to denial of home loan by bankers, to murder,to rape we just cannot jump and ignore the police network in a civil society. In any situation Police avoids to register the complain as the first incidence report. Why ?
To protect the `anarchy` under the civil administration mask and to earn bribe as profit out of this situation. Many policemen off the record claim having paid 50 lac to get posted on the station of their choice and auction of police station posting is an open secret. Let us see how the Police in Delhi is championing the Human Rights of 99% Indians ? In 2012 a village Sarpanch and a leader of Punjab's ruling Shiromani Akali Dal was repeatedly shown on television slapping a lady teacher as she demanded a permanent contract for a dignified teaching adhoc job. As usual, police officers present at the spot shown on Television refused to act. Back in Delhi several teachers and security guards are on contract and underpaid but police refuses to even hear such cases. Why should a criminal person who gets elected as MP/MLA continues to get VVIP privileges not only for five years but also at times life long ? It shows how weak is the national policy to generate jobs and ensure productivity. Worst was reported by women rights activist of Krishna Nagar Ms.Zulekha who lost her husband a street fruit vendor who was beaten to death by police on having refused to pay Rs.500/- weekly bribe.
Sample another Delhi unsolved incidence twenty years ago : It has been brought to my notice by resident of Vishwas Nagar east Delhi constituency a case of forceful and illegal encroachment by Delhi Fire Service of the victim`s property of 1411 sq yards in Village Baharpur, Tehsil Mehrauli under Kalkaji Police Station. It is highly unfortunate that Mr.Chaman Lal had been given false promises by Ex-CM-minister of then BJP Government Smt. Sushma Swaraj and later Shree Madan lal Khurana and Shree Sahib Singh Verma.
Later Mr.Arvinder Singh Lovely and Mr. Wallia had been turning a deaf ear since past 15 years on the written prayers of the said victim for political intervention and justice by the ruling governments on the land grabbing initiated by the government servants of Ministry of Urban affairs shows a `match fixing` by police. I have studied his case files ,property papers and correspondence carefully with initial written complain to SHO-Kalkaji given twenty years before on 16/2/1994 against the bully and forceful encroachment supported by traditional political set up of the past 20 years. The police demanded Rs.10,000/- for looking into this matter and even after paying Rs.7000/- no FIR was lodged then and even today.
This grabbing of land as per the court agreements was done after breaking the boundary wall of the victim. His office property including one staff quarter rooms and one shop were broken and bulldozed forcefully in his absence as he was out to attend some `Satsang` outside Delhi. All household asset and shop goods were robbed and Life threat to the guard was given and later the guard was forced to run away under threat to save his life. It unfortunate since September-2004, the Fire Service officers under patronage, nexus and protection of Ministry of Urban affairs were asking huge bribe to vacate this land although the `victim`had been religiously paying all land tax dues till date of this land which was forcefully grabbed since 2004.At present only 311 sq yards is given back to this real owner while 1100 sq yards is still under illegal encroachment by Delhi Fire Service.
Now instead of court litigation defendant Delhi Fire Service officials want an amicable solution but the victim wants solution under guidance of new AAP. Bhushan Kumar Malik an NRI and resident of A1/42, Mianwali Nagar; New Delhi-110087.Mianwali Nagar tells his entire colony resides in state of terror due to nexus of police and MCD. Face any problem of small inner roads entering the resident societies you again cannot ignore the role of Police for daily commuting. In Srestha Vihar market the corporator-MCD-Junior Engineer and Police all can be seen misusing the market space for private and personell business in Shretha vihar East Delhi-92.
MCD Engineers and offices play games since past several years and give excuses that building material can only be removed when the MCD gets another space to park it. MCD Government trucks are streamlined to come and pick up the material daily whenever they get a customer to buy river sand or bricks. Public is forced to accept the parking space to be used for private retail business under the hidden mask of Government MCD officials. Residents and the market users are all suffering with shrinking space for the parking and petty fights over encroachment of other parking are often seen. At the time for medical emergency we find the inner roads totally choked and blocked by unregulated cars due to business intention of MCD.
People`s backing of law and monitoring of police in the need-supply engaement is a must. If laws are applied correctly fast justice supported by distribution of wealth generated can deliver more work as a team. This shall ensure less conflicts. Better governance with no `Politician-Police politics` and no protests is possible. Politicians at large must stop nursing the governance of 1% people by using police as a tool of extortion during conflict management. Only constructive participation of people, more decent jobs, safe roads and effective laws with speed justice can stop slap politics. Logically discipline must start at the bottom and maintained at the top. Active participation of people can help bring a change and bring police under new future collective control of both Delhi State and Central Government of India.
Written in Public Interest by : Rakesh Manchanda,B-5,Gharonda Apartments,Shrestha Vihar,Delhi-92.Phone:011-22145369,00919560630404.
Note : You may also like few more articles by same author : · Published by `Governance Now` title : MPs must deliver better citizens laws in time. · Road Map for Swaraj : East Delhi Take Away · Delhi People Grievance mechanism need peoples protection & participation · Stop issuing unsafe blank cheques to Delhi servants/nagar sevaks for five years.
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PHILIPPINES IS STILL ONE OF THE MOST CORRUPT NATIONS IN THE WORLD ACCORDING TO WORLD BANK
By Neil Paul ValentinoStaff Correspondent
Jan 21, 2014
Bunkhouses for typhoon victims are corrupted
Ansan City, South Korea - More than five decades ago, Philippines is still in the shadow of corruption and tagged as one of the corrupt nations around the world under Pakistan, Somalia, Myanmar, Afganistan and many more. Corruption arose in the regime of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos until the present administration of President Benigno Aquino III still exists, it is still one of the factors why majority of Filipino people are still poor and more poorer due to misgovernance and only few rich including Chinese-Filipino descent only survive in the democratic country from beginning 1986. Our democratic country at the present time becomes the nation of chinese capitalist and politicians and tagged as "Failed State" by Senator Santiago.
Today, politickings, poverty and crimes are the major problems while corruption devastated the growth of almost 100 million Filipino nation. Our leaders today in the government are frequently engaging in politics instead of improving the economy and alleviating the lives of the poor of society, thus they are shamelessly preparing for the 2016 election using the nation's treasure to gain power and influence to achieve their self and partisan political interest. Every political partisan is accusing and fighting each other while the country and its citizenry suffer.
Just recently, in his priveleged speech Monday, action star turned Senator Ramon Revilla Sr., one of three senators who allegedly involved in the pork barrel scam expressed his innocence from the charges against him by the Department of Justice which for him influenced by the malacanang palace headed by the President Aquino. Worse, the president of the land according to Revilla of Cavite asked him to impeach the former Supreme Court chief justice Renato Corona. " Friend have mercy on me, let my favor be done" Revilla said when the president asked him a favor. He added that he wondered why the president of the republic interfered the issue on impeachment.
Notably, one of the main issues today is the anomalous building of supertyphoon yolanda victims bunkhouses or sleeping shelters where the structure is weak and questionable. Houses built for survivors in Leyte province are made of poor and sub-standard materials which auditors are doubting that people behind the construction are taking advantage for the enormous budget allocation. More than 40 rich countries sent huge financial assistance for the hurricane victims but they will have dim chance of getting quality shelters due to corrupt and heartless builders and leaders. If the leaders of the Philippines since 1970 were like the leaders of USA, South Korea, Singapore and many highly developed countries, undoutedly this rich in mineral resources land will be surely the same as advanced industrialized nation and there will be no Filipinos abroad who were killed, raped, slave or executed. The world knows how devastated South Korea was between 1950-1955 but it is the most advanced industrialized country in Asia or rank 3rd in the world today, same as Singapore it is a small country but it is one of the economic tigers in Asia until today.
On the other hand, most Filipino people have disappointed with the present government who supposed to protect the interest of the Filipino people and enhance the lives of the poorest in society but what is at stake now is the pending increase of electricity, basic commodities as well as the premium insurance like SSS and Philhealth. Some groups continuosly held rally in public places to show their outrage and anger against the traitors and thieves of the state. So far, there is no accused sent in jail for stealing the taxpayers' money. This is why some shameless politicians are still engaging in bribery and cheat especially during election, they use the public funds dishonestly and kill their rivals just to stay in power and form a political dynasty for their family and children.
Every peso that a corrupt official and politicians put in their pockets is a big money stolen from hungry poor in society who needs foods to survive in a day or a streetchildren who need education. Even the World Bank declared war against corruption calling it "public enemy number one" in developing countries including the Philippines. Due to corruption, killings of Journalists, political rivals, poverty and crimes, unemployment, frequent increase of water and electricity would be expected. All of these would be possible if the nation will run by corrupt and evil leaders.
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A Mass Rally on 2nd January, on Victory on Rajiv Awas Yojna and Years of Struggle
Foundation Stone of Rajiv Awas Yojna
Rajiv Awas Yojna (RAY) to be implemented in ‘M’ ward : Success of long battle by slum dwellers in Mumbai start with Mandala, end with mass-democracy. On January 2nd, Awas Adhikar Vishal Rally after years of struggle, and victory on Rajiv Awas Yojna, in M Ward, at 11 a.m. from Karbala Ground, Mankhurd. Come in large number...
It’s a victory of the perseverant fight being given by thousands of the families of the poor, unprotected workers, the slum dwellers in and slums all over Mumbai, from Mankhund to Malad, that the standing committee of Mumbai Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai has resolved that Rajiv Awas Yojana will be implemented in M ward, in the N-E suburbs of Mumbai. The dream of Govandi-Mankhund area slum free city, we assert can never be fulfilled if the brutal eviction of slums therein continues even before the RAY commence to be executed.
This scheme which was proposed as self-reliant housing with financial support from the Central and state governments has to be a substitute for Slum Rehabilitation Scheme where the builders are not only get a chunk of prime and priced land occupied many times, even created by slums but also favours and freedom that bring them huge profit and privileges as well as power to bully the poor and the powerless, the shelterless. GBGB Andolan and NAPM have pursued it through and through mass action of thousand by filing thousands of application with the state government and with MCGM. Two fasts in May 2011 and April 2012 demanded the RAY to replace SRA projects, where fraud to forgery is dug out by common people, staking their lives. It was during 10 days’ agitation (January 1st to 10th last year) with 8 to 10,000 on the streets of Mumbai for right to shelter, that enquiry by the Principal Secretary, Hosuing was initiated and submissions and hearings of all parties are completed. It is still on but the report is suppressed till date and eviction continued in 6 projects, full of illegalities and irregularities, exposed by GBGB Andolan (NAPM).
Today when RAY, it is decided by the standing committee through Resolution dated 26.12.2013, will be implemented in M ward, GBGB demands that it should begin with the Mandala pilot project proposed since long. Some change in land reservation, allotting 10-15 acres of land ,more than 50 meters away from mangroves, is possible and feasible in their case. We also demand that RAY should be executed with truly participatory approach involving people’s organisations and the people themselves, since the preliminary stage of survey. The political parties must show humility and faith in democracy and not immoral selfishness. They have just begun an ‘Ray’ , by putting up their banners suddenly cropped up like mushrooms all over the area of Govandi-MAnkhund. Where were they, people ask, during demolitions and agitations to bring RAY. We warn them of disastrous consequences if they do not behave and respect people and their struggle.
Anwari Behen Sumit Wajale Santosh Thorat Medha Patkar Uday Mohite Shriram Jamil Bhai Prerna Gaikwad
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Kashmir Governance-What can save Military or Mohalla (Samitee)?
Special ContributionBy Rakesh Manchanda
Jan 7, 2014
Kashmir conflict
Kashmir governance- Which format can work to keep people together along with National Security ? Goli and No Swaraj- No Mohalla Samitte - is a bad Governance in Kashmir. Why can`t the new Mohalla Samitti and Swaraj concept gets applied in Kashmir issue ? This challenge with correct awareness campaign need to be accepted by AAP Sevaks instead of dodging the issue and hiding behind the National Security issue as done in the past by BJP-Congress.
Can our new hope in India AAP settle this `K` deadlock in future ? My friend Arvind Kejriwal can silence me and others on this issue by throwing a strong towel and excuse of National Security. I agree that National Security is bigger then the people`s referendum in Kashmir but sooner or later AAP political affairs committee has to deliver a clear policy on Kashmir instead of airing knee jerk conventional stand taken by traditional political parties.Arvind Kejriwal is correct when he says No to Refrundum but Yes to people`s consultancy mechanism. Taking a tactic stand in favour of National Security is fine but the advantage should never go to the Hindu Taliban forces of RSS who in nexus with Congress has failed to give relief to Kasmiri pundit camps and cater solutions but are eager to trap AAP. Let us understand the `short cut` tactic in a simple way.
At present the AAP stand in line with the other traditional parties is like the advocacy of my Paramilitary doctor friends from forces(Army, Navy, Airforce and police). These doctor friends enjoyed sharing with me the valuable X-ray reports of soldiers reported fit but were still carrying `compromised` bullets inside the body. Bullets inside the body are left untouched or are at times are not removed. The is wisely done by team of doctors who do not want to risk and unplug the wound and continue to decide that this bullet should be allowed to remain inside the body. A risk in such a situation can keep the body organs dis-united. Replace the bullet in the text with Kashmir state and swap the solder`s body with Bharat our nation which stand handicapped by negligence of the past politics.
We as Indians either have to live with this Kashmir situation along with the unwanted bullet as the stop cork inside or we have to educate the rest organs of our wounded body and the people of India. Awareness is a must to win back the confidence of Kashmiri people, Kashmir pundits that were driven out in the past and the valuable culture of togetherness called `Kashmirat`. Enclosed please find my past views published in India on the same issue as under : Goli and No Boli- is a bad situation in Kashmir. (written in October-2011 after the Ink attack on Prashant Bhushan) Business and Humanity in any civilized country cannot survive when barrel of the gun and its shadow is the only solution pushed by politicians.
Army and paramilitary forces with no clear enemy was forced to shoot bullets on eighty stone pelting persons demanding Azadi last year before Diwali. `Goli and no boli` ( Bullet & No dialogue) is the bad situation brought by political bankruptcy. Without distinguishing between stone pelting crowd and terrorists with automatic weapons the intelligence of Indian forces in Kashmir is also brought to a shame. Police Force in India and its corrupt performance is well known. The first agent to protect the human Rights of a women or aam aadmi crying for justice in any country is police. Against AFSPA there is an unending fast going on by Irom Sharmil. She is not as popular as Anna Movement or Anna Hazare. MLAs and UPA-2 role in stopping political murders and corruption is in Public Gaze. Unaccountable security forces will not help improve.
Young men now in jail arrested during past two years in Kashmir should have been provided employment opportunity in the first place. Government has shown no seriousness in measures taken for providing economic relief to Kashmiri Pundits and for the continuous disruption of business and economic activities in the valley. When Pakistan Army was more engaged in flood relief and rescue few months ago that was the time for the Indian side to win back Kashmiri lobbies by reaching out seriously to them. In India outside Kashmir young minds in social sector are not even aware that why Hindu King of post Independent Kashmir was helpless when Pakistan attacked and majority of Muslims in J&K decided to remain be with Secular India and defeat the Kashmir grabbing plans of Pakistan. Without proper base work and education to Public if Anna Team core member decides to comment on Kashmir situation, it is difficult to protect the Freedom of Speech in any abstract form. Political mechanism in India controlled by the corrupt governance systems of Congress and BJP both have failed to cater solutions. Can Anna Team Help or it shall also provide lip service only ? What happened to Anna Pathshala Project and peoples education ? Corruption, Criminalization & Terrorism cannot be fought separately.
Note : The author is working as Director of Grafax Cotton Zambia Ltd and at present he is in Delhi since Diwali monitoring this historical change brought in politics by people of Delhi.
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