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2G spectrum Scam is NOT Enough. Scams Tumbling in!$15 billion Rafale deal: Build up too little?Praful Patel, the Union Cabinet Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises has denied the allegation of taking bribe of worth US$250,000 from an

2012-02-03T09:31:00.001-08:00

2G spectrum Scam is NOT Enough. Scams Tumbling in!$15 billion Rafale deal: Build up too little?Praful Patel, the Union Cabinet Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises has denied the allegation of taking bribe of worth US$250,000 from an India-born Canadian person Nazir Karigar for sealing a deal of worth USD-100-million when he was Civil Aviation Minister in previous UPA government.

Air India enquiry into charges against Praful Patel ruled out. Just because foreign airlines may soon be allowed to invest in India's battered carriers doesn't mean they will.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar came to the defence of party colleague and fellow Union minister Praful Patel, at the centre of bribery allegations in a $ 100 million Air India contract, saying there was no evidence to link him to the scandal. NCP to stay with 'main friend' Congress even after 2014.

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Videos

Sharad Pawar backs Praful Patel in pay-off scandal-NewsX

NewsX - 5 hours ago

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Not involved in pay-off: Praful to PM- NewsX

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Praful Patel writes to Prime Minister

Times Now - 9 hours ago

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Praful Patel in dock over pay-off scandal- NewsX

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Indian-Canadian claims he bribed Praful Patel in 2007

IBNLive - 13 hours ago

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Ex-minister Praful Patel forced Air India to buy excess aircraft : India ...

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8 May 2011 – Former Union civil aviation minister Praful Patel forced Air India into the... Not only did the ministry conceal its financial adviser's objections ...

The Praful Patel Guide to destroying AI – Revised Edition | Firstpost

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1 Jul 2011 – According to a report in The Times of India, the airline will need equity ...Here's how Praful Patel did it – ruin Air India that is – and there's ...

Praful Patel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Praful_Patel - इस पृष्ठ का अनुवाद करें

Further he is one of the few politicians who does not draw a salary from the ... Praful Patel faces bribery allegations over a $100 mn Air India contract.

Air India enquiry into charges against Praful Patel ruled out - The ...

economictimes.indiatimes.com/.../ai... - इस पृष्ठ का अनुवाद करें

6 hours ago – Air India enquiry into charges against Praful Patel ruled out. Close ...Air India will not have its own investigation into the issue. Anyone can ...

Praful Patel blamed for grounding Air India - Home - livemint.com

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9 Sep 2011 – Praful Patel blamed for grounding Air India, The report by the CAG that... aviation authority protected the interests of its airlines, India's did not.

Tailspin

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1 Dec 2011 – Praful Patel and the fall of Air India. ... Air India the first domestic operator to do so—another one of Patel's priorities for the national carrier.

Canada report claims 'payoff' to Praful Patel for AI supply - Indian ...

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1 hour ago – Tags: Praful Patel, Indo-Canadian businessman, Air India, Prime Minister, nation ... I think Govt. will appoint one more committee to probe this.

Air India bribery allegation against Cabinet Minister Praful Patel

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7 hours ago – Air India bribery allegation against Cabinet Minister Praful Patel ... that his ministry has not ordered an inquiry into the matter, and will not do so ...

Praful Patel destroying Air India to help Kingfisher & Jet - Video ...

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www.dailymotion.com/.../xgjgjs_praful-patel-destroyi...7 नवं 2011 - 9 मिनट

Praful Patel and the disintegration of Air India for Kingfisher and Jet Airways ... and Naresh Goyal of Jet ...

What Praful patel did to aIR INDIA के लिए अधिक वीडियो »

Canada report claims 'payoff' to Praful Patel for AI supply

www.financialexpress.com/...praful... - इस पृष्ठ का अनुवाद करें

9 hours ago – Tags: Praful Patel | Indo-Canadian Businessman | Air India | Prime Minister ... I think Govt. will appoint one more committee to probe this.

2G spectrum in NOT Enough. Scams Tumbling in!$15 billion Rafale deal: Build up too little?Praful Patel, the Union Cabinet Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises has denied the allegation of taking bribe of worth US$250,000 from an India-born Canadian person Nazir Karigar for sealing a deal of worth USD-100-million when he was Civil Aviation Minister in previous UPA government.

A day after the stunning 2G blow in the Supreme Court, there was more trouble for the UPA government on Friday as an India-born Canadian claimed that he paid Union Minister Praful Patel a 250-thousand dollar bribe in 2007.

A leading Canadian newspaper Globe and the Mail reported from Toronto that an Indian-born Canadian citizen, Nazir Karigar, is to be prosecuted on charges of paying off Patel in a case in which a former Mumbai police chief also figures.Patel said tenders for procurement of various items were routinely issued by Air India in the normal course of their business and at no stage these were dealt with or even sent to the ministry of civil aviation, much less to the minister for approval or otherwise.

Canadian daily Globe and Mail said in a news report Wednesday that the country's federal justice department was going to prosecute one Indian-born Nazir Karigar for paying bribes to Indian officials to secure a $100 million contract for the supply of facial-recognition systems to Air India.

The report alleged that Patel had received a bribe in conjunction with former Mumbai police commissioner Hasan Ghafoor, who was security director at Air India that time. Ghafoor was said to have acted as a facilitator between his childhood friend Karigar and Patel.

Karigar has been accused of paying bribes on behalf of Canadian firm CryptoMetrics worth $250,000 each to Patel and Ghafoor for the contract that was floated by the airline in 2006. The project never took off due to the massive cost involved in it.

Canadian anti-bribery law applies to foreign parties and officials who have accepted bribes.

Just because foreign airlines may soon be allowed to invest in India's battered carriers doesn't mean they will.

New Delhi's expected move to allow global airlines to own up to 49 percent in Indian carriers has been welcomed by investors as a potential lifeline for an industry mired in $20 billion of debt and on course to rack up $3 billion in annual losses.

But aviation industry experts say any celebration is premature.

"There's absolutely no reason to be bullish on airlines," said a Mumbai-based analyst with a local brokerage, who did not wish to be identified.

"Unless fuel and other dollar-denominated costs come down, nobody's going to invest in these companies, they're in such bad shape," he said, referring to a 16 percent decline in the rupee in 2011, which has driven up costs for local carriers.

Five of the country's six main operators are loss-making. Taxes in India make jet fuel far more expensive than for global competitors. State-ownedAir India, which is trying to restructure $4 billion in debt, has slashed fares, forcing competitors to follow suit.

Two carriers, IndiGo and Go Air, have between them ordered about 200 planes for more than $23 billion, adding capacity to a market where dozens of planes already sit grounded.

And changing ownership rules will do little to alter India's unappealing market dynamics or regulatory environment.

"Every airline will be interested in India because it's such a big market. But the environment should be conducive to the proper business processes," Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways, told Reuters recently.

India boasts the fastest growing passenger market in major economies, up 17 percent to almost 61 million people last year, and the potential is huge. With a comparable population, China's domestic air passenger market is five times the size of India's.

"This is going to be the most important market for the next two to three decades. They (foreign players) need to have a very credible India story," said Kapil Kaul, regional head of the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA), an aviation consulting firm.

But, while global giants like British Airways, Singapore Airlines and fast-growing carriers from the Gulf covet an Indian presence, they may see little advantage in committing capital without further regulatory and competitive changes.

Denying the allegation, the minister said, "All the allegations are baseless. I've not taken the bribe."

Praful Patel, who is at the centre of pay-off allegations in an Air India procurement case in 2007, on Friday got support from Congress and his party NCP which maintained that it was wrong to indict anybody until some material is found.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar came to the defence of party colleague and fellow Union minister Praful Patel, at the centre of bribery allegations in a $ 100 million Air India contract, saying there was no evidence to link him to the scandal.

Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh on Friday ruled out an investigation by Air India into the charges made by a Canadian daily that Praful Patel, former civil aviation minister, and officials of the national carrier took bribes in a procurement case in 2006.

"No. Air India will not have its own investigation into the issue. Anyone can write anything in a newspaper, but for an investigation there should be some substantial reason," Singh told reporters. "He (Patel) has said that he has not done anything. I have no further information on the issue. He had spoken to the prime minister and is ready for any investigation."

Ajit Singh ruled out any investigation into the allegations published in a Canadian daily that Patel, his predecessor, was bribed regarding a $100 million Air India contract in 2007.Singh was reacting to reports that Patel had urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to convey the "factual position" on the case to the Canadian authorities to avoid an embarrassment to the Indian government.

"Anyone can write anything in a newspaper. Thad does not mean we will investigate. Air India will not have its own investigation into the issue," Singh told reporters in Delhi.

"He (Patel) has said that he has not done anything. I have no further information on the issue. He had spoken to the Prime Minister. He told Prime Minister that he is ready for any investigation," the minister said in reply to questions.

At the AICC briefing, party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi insisted "we must keep a sense of balance. Unless and until some material is coming, it is completely wrong to indict anybody. The Minister himself has sought a comprehensive inquiry."

"Even the article says that the alleged bribery did not lead to any contract. In the event any factual basis for this is found, full action will be taken", Singhvi said in Delhi.

NCP President Sharad Pawar gave a clean chit to his party colleague, saying there is "no evidence about the fellow who is saying something about Patel".

"They have no evidence and the most important thing is that (newspaper) report says whatever money was offered or given for a particular job, that job, that decision was never taken", he told reporters in Mumbai.

Pawar pointed out that the minister himself has written to the Prime Minister seeking an inquiry into the matter as early as possible.

Ajit Singh said Air India will not have its own probe.

Seeking to Prime Minister's intervention in the allegation case, Praful wrote a letter to PM. In his official letter he has said, "I have categorically and in no uncertain terms denied these allegations as being baseless and preposterous. I earnestly request you that the factual position be conveyed to the authorities in Canada in order to avoid any embarrassment to the Government of India or me personally.?

The government however has ruled out the possibility of investigating the case against the allegation.

The current Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh has said that Air India would not initiate a probe merely on the basis of a media report.

"Praful Patel has denied this and has also spoken to PM. Praful Patel is ready for any investigation. Air India will not investigate by its own. There should be some reason for investigation. Just publishing any news in newspaper can't be a reason for investigation,"Ajit said.

The controversy surfaced on Friday when a news came in the highlight from Canada. According to sources, a Canadian daily Globe and Mail said in a news report on Wednesday that the country's federal justice department was going to prosecute one Indian-born Nazir Karigar for paying bribes to Indian officials.

Nazir Karigar has paid USD250,000 to then Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel for securing a $100 million contract on the behalf of a Canadian firm CryptoMetrics for supplying facial-recognition systems to Air India, the report said.

The bribery was given to Praful with the intervention of former Mumbai commissioner Hasan Ghafoor, who was erstwhile the security director at Air India. Hasan Gafoor has said to be the childhood friend of Nazir.

However, the deal never took place due to higher costs.

"There is no evidence to prove the Canadian newspaper report about bribery allegations against Patel," Pawar told reporters.

A leading Canadian newspaper, Globe and the Mail had yesterday reported that an Indian-born Canadian citizen, Nazir Karigar, was to be prosecuted on charges of paying off union Heavy Industries Minister Patel in a bid to secure the contract during his tenure as civil aviation minister.

Karigar was accused of paying bribes and being involved in a bid-rigging scheme in 2007 in an unsuccessful attempt to win the AI contract for passenger face recognition biometrics system. The national carrier had later abandoned the plan to have such a system.

Pawar said he had also seen the letter Patel has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh denying the charge. "I have seen the letter he (Patel) has written to the Prime Minister about the case. The decision (to have the system) was never taken," Pawar said.

India's 1.3 million-strong armed forces, hobbled by outdated equipment and slow decision-making, are undergoing an overhaul as defence priorities shift to China.

Defence chiefs are hurrying to modernise ageing weaponry as China reinforces a 3,500-km (2,200-mile) shared border through the Himalayas.

It took 11 years to select France's Rafale as the favoured candidate for a $15 billion spend on 126 new combat jets to replace a Soviet-era fleet of MiGs dubbed "flying coffins" for their high crash rate.

At the same time, feeling encircled as China projects its fast-growing naval power from Hormuz to Malacca, India is rushing to firm up friendships the length and breadth of the Indian Ocean.

India is the world's largest arms importer with plans to spend $100 billion on weapons over the next decade.

"The Indian military is strengthening its forces in preparation to fight a limited conflict along the disputed border, and is working to balance Chinese power projection in the Indian Ocean," US Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper told the US Senate this week.

That "balance" includes a strategic alliance with Washington that in turn has stoked Chinese fears of containment. It is due to test-fire its nuclear capable Agni V rocket in the next few weeks, with a strike range reaching deep into China.

In 2009, the air force reopened a high-altitude, landing strip in Ladakh last used during a 1962 border war with China. Along with other Himalayan bases, it is now upgrading the strip for fighter operations.

About 500 Indian MiG-21s have plunged to the ground since the 1960s, yet the jet is still in use, raising the question of whether painfully slow defence procurement procedures can come up with new hardware faster than old equipment is sent to the scrap heap.

According to media, Russia delivered the nuclear submarine INS Chakra on a 10-year lease at the end of last month, eight years after India first asked for it.

A shortfall of about 200 planes means the air force is operating at its lowest level in decades - just 33 squadrons against a goal of 45. By the time all the Rafales are delivered, more MiGs will have been decommissioned.

"It's taken too long," said Jasjit Singh, a retired commander and director of the think tank Centre for Air Power Studies. "Can we live with a certain shortfall in the force, and for how long?"

India is developing a fifth-generation fighter with Russia and aims to fly it in 2015, as well as a fleet of 272 Sukhois, half of which have already been built.

From a defence perspective, India has traditionally had the upper hand over China's numerically superior air force, but rapid modernisation over the border may have flipped the balance.

A Canadian journalist, who reported on bribery charges levelled against Union Minister Praful Patel, on Friday tweeted that there was no evidence to show that he took bribe.

In a series of tweets through the day, 'The Globe and Mail' scribe, Stephanie Nolen, made it clear that she had written only on allegations made against Patel by an Indian- born Canadian citizen, Nazir Karigar who is being prosecuted in Canada on charges of paying off Patel in a case in which a former Mumbai police chief also figures.

"Praful Patel isn't accused of taking the bribe. Canadian accused of saying he was going to pay it. Critical difference," she said in one tweet.

In another posting on the microblogging site, she said "I object to ppl (people) misquoting our story: regardless of what you think of Patel, evidence does not show he took bribe". "No, a Canadian is accused of SAYING he bribed Praful Patel. Critical difference. Pls read our story", read the third.

The Canadian newspaper report had said that Karigar had claimed he had paid bribe to Patel in 2007 in an unsuccessful attempt to win a USD 100 million Air India contract for a computerised passenger face recognition biometrics system. The airline had ultimately abandoned the plans for such a system.

Patel, who has rubbished the charges, today got support from Congress and his party NCP which maintained that it was wrong to indict anybody until some material is found.

Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh also ruled out any investigation into the allegations.

NCP to stay with 'main friend' Congress even after 2014: Sharad Pawar

Stating that Congress is his "main friend", Union Agriculture Minister and NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Friday said that he would prefer to align with it even after the 2014 LokSabha elections.
Pawar's remarks comes in wake of Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan'sreported comment that NCP was Congress' main rival during his campaign speeches for the local bodies polls. "I will say Congress is our main friend," Pawar said.
Reacting to the Chief Minister's statement that Congress should work to form next government in the state on its own, Pawar took potshots atChavan saying, "He has given us inspiration to expand our base too. But, I would welcome suggestions from those, who are directly elected from the people."
Chavan was a Rajya Sabha MP as a central minister and is an MLC now.
Responding to another statement of Chavan while campaigning that NCPwas born out of personal ambitions, Pawar said, his party was made up of self-made people, who are elected by masses. "We don't have leaders who are deputed," he said.
Ticking off his nephew and state Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Home Minister RR Patil for commenting against Industries Minister Narayan Rane,Pawar said, he expected his party men to exercise restrain while attacking the Congress leaders personally.
"I appeal to my party leaders not to get provoked since we are in the government at the Centre, Maharashtra and in neighbouring Goa as well. After such personal attacks, it takes time to restore normalcy in the relations," he added.Pawar said NCP should concentrate on the development of rural Maharashtra as it was the party's main base and strength.
The NCP chief said that in some districts Congress and NCP are pitted against each other. "Both the parties have right to expand their base, but recent incidents like targetting Congress leaders personally should not be repeated," he said.
When asked if he wanted to convey this message to Congress leaders as well, Pawar said he would restrict himself to his party alone.
"I have not been campaigning in local bodies and civic polls for the last 15 years and will not do so this time as well. But, since Congress and NCPhave decided to accord utmost importance to Mumbai civic polls, I will address joint rallies with Congress," he added.
He said, Congress and NCP will work hard to do well in Mumbai and wrest the country's premier civic body from Shiv Sena-BJP.
When asked if he plans to lend support from his friend (Bal Thackeray) after the election, Pawar said he shared personal friendship with Thackeray. "Both of us do not expect political support from each other," he said.
Pawar said, he expected UPA numbers to go up after theassembly elections in five states.
He denied that there was a lack of co-ordination between Congress and UPA partners. "After the assembly polls, there is a move to have an institutionalised set up for more co-ordination," he added.
Clarifying his remarks on AICC General secretary Rahul Gandhi made during an television interview, Pawar said the comments that Rahul does not take along party leaders from the particular region while on tour, were his observations.
He said while replying to questions on the Gandhi scion that he had complimented him for travelling in Uttar Pradesh to interact with people and also spoken about the new generation team coming up in the Congress party.

Air India or Patel Aviation? Why Praful Patel needs to be axed
R Jagannathan Jan 9, 2012
Should Air India, which was financially ruined during the seven-year overlordship of Praful Patel, still be trying to shield Patel's family from scrutiny for alleged misuse of his clout when he was civil aviation minister?
Seems so. In reply to a Right to Information (RTI) Act query, Air India confirmed last week that the airline had indeed changed the aircraft from A319 to A320 for a Bangalore-Male (Maldives) flight in April last year, for "commercial" reasons. But the airline declined to name the passengers who flew on it.
The speculation is that the aircraft was changed to accommodate Patel's daughter, husband and in-laws in an A320, which has business class seats, as opposed to an A319, which doesn't.
According to a report in The Times of India which quotes the RTI reply, the change in aircraft was done "based on commercial requirements depending on the booked load/demand and also due to operational/engineering requirements."

The former civil aviation minister has been widely alleged as having misused his position. Reuters
If this is the only reason for the change in aircraft, Air India should not have any reason to sit tight on the passenger list, especially the business class list. But the airline has cited privacy concerns as a reason for denying this information to RTI activist Subhash Agrawal. It also claimed that the decision to change the aircraft on 25 April 2010 "was taken by the central coordination cell and the decision intimated telephonically to the concerned personnel."
That's convenient, since it means any further RTI will not elicit any names, everything being confined to oral instructions. There were no file notings or written instructions.
However, as Firstpost has pointed out before, misuse of official position by Praful Patel's kin has been widely alleged, and these may not be restricted to this one occasion alone.
In fact, just a few days before the Male diversion, The Times of India had reported that a Delhi-Coimbatore Air India flight was aborted because the aircraft was needed to fly a charter for an Indian Premier League (IPL) team. Patel's daughter Poorna Patel, and some IPL players, had to be flown from Chandigarh to Chennai, the newspaper said.
The scheduled flight, IC 7603, was to take off at 5.20 am on 20 April, but the passengers booked on it (and on the return flight) were put on another flight, the Delhi-Mumbai-Coimbatore flight IC 657. They arrived in Coimbatore at 11.45 am. The newspaper said: "Passengers booked on Coimbatore-Delhi flight 7604 were put on a Coimbatore-Mumbai-Delhi flight." Some 75 passengers were inconvenienced due to these changes.
The passengers who were dumped from the scheduled flight to accommodate the IPL team lost three hours in the process. What could be the reason for favouring an IPL team over a scheduled flight? Poorna Patel was a hospitality manager with IPL.
The alleged misuse of Air India by Patel's family members has prompted calls from the media for more detailed investigations and action against Patel.
Business Standard, in an editorial on Monday, said the issue should not be closed with Air India expressing its inability to provide details of who benefited from the aircraft changes: "The matter should not be allowed to rest there. The government itself should conduct an inquiry. Were these flights in fact changed on special instructions? Were the passengers who benefited Mr Patel's family? How many aircraft have been altered in the past if there is a demand for business-class tickets? The answers to those questions should determine whether or not there was misuse of office. Such specific allegations cannot be allowed to go uninvestigated; and if proof is found that rules were bent, Mr Patel should be asked to leave the Union Cabinet."
Firstpost could not agree more. Mr Patel should be shown the door. Shifting him from civil aviation to heavy industries – which is what the government did last year when Air India went into a tailspin — is not good enough.
http://www.firstpost.com/politics/air-india-or-patel-aviation-why-praful-patel-needs-to-be-axed-176168.html

CAG points finger at AI for huge losses under Praful Patel's leadership
FP Staff Aug 7, 2011
In the recently tabled report in parliament, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has found that AI and erstwhile Indian Airlines lost close to Rs 2,000 crore in large aircraft deals negotiated during UPA-I — "through faulty purchase and bridge loan deals and also avoidable expenses incurred by delay in returning leased planes once new ones started joining the fleet" says The Times of India.We had written earlier that Praful Patel had virtually destroyed Air India by loading it with debt.

Air India has denied the CAG's claim that the defective contracts led to the losses. And predictably, AI also points to Empowered Group of Ministers (EGOM) as the body that cleared the decisions to buy aircrafts.
The report also says
"The proposal to expand capacity was not warranted in view of intense competition and inability of IAL (Indian Airlines Ltd) to handle competition." The CAG report also hauled up the airline for borrowing from IDBI at a higher rate of interest (11.75%) when it had the option of back stop financing (an arrangement where the airline comes up with a small down payment and the manufacturer covers the rest) at a modest 4% with the supplier, Airbus.
This led to the national carrier suffering a loss of Rs314.66 crore till March, 2010, and "a "loss of Rs 2,459.79 crore would further be incurred in future."

http://www.firstpost.com/business/cag-points-finger-at-ai-for-huge-losses-under-praful-patels-leadership-55697.html

--
Palash Biswas
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ARTHA ANARTH!CRR Reduced? Whne the EMI would be Reduced also. Read Mulniavsi Nayak Hindi.

2012-02-03T06:53:00.001-08:00

ARTHA ANARTH!CRR Reduced? Whne the EMI would be Reduced also. Read Mulniavsi Nayak Hindi.

Palash Biswas
Pl Read:
http://nandigramunited-banga.blogspot.com/

Fwd: Chossudovsky: SYRIA. TEXT OF LEAKED ARAB LEAGUE MISSION REPORT Media Lies Revealed

2012-02-03T06:45:00.001-08:00

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Date: Fri, Feb 3, 2012 at 5:37 PM
Subject: Chossudovsky: SYRIA. TEXT OF LEAKED ARAB LEAGUE MISSION REPORT Media Lies Revealed
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SYRIA. TEXT OF LEAKED ARAB LEAGUE MISSION REPORT Report Reveals Media Lies Regarding Syria
Commentary by Michel Chossudovsky

Global Research, February 1, 2012

URL of this article: www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=29025

Global Research Editor's Note

We bring to the attention of our reader's the Observers Mission Report of the League of Arab States to Syria.

The report acknowledges the existence of "an armed entity" involved in the killings of civilians and police as well as the conduct of terrorist acts, which contributed to triggering actions by government forces.

The Report refers to "armed opposition groups" as well as to the "Free Syrian Army", both of which, according to the AL Mission, are involved in the deliberate killing of innocent civilians:

In some zones, this armed entity reacted by attacking Syrian security forces and citizens, causing the Government to respond with further violence. In the end, innocent citizens pay the price for those actions with life and limb.

"In Homs, Idlib and Hama, the Observer Mission witnessed acts of violence being committed against Government forces and civilians that resulted in several deaths and injuries. Examples of those acts include the bombing of a civilian bus, killing eight persons and injuring others, including women and children, and the bombing of a train carrying diesel oil. In another incident in Homs, a police bus was blown up, killing two police officers. A fuel pipeline and some small bridges were also bombed. "

"Such incidents include the bombing of buildings, trains carrying fuel, vehicles carrying diesel oil and explosions targeting the police, members of the media and fuel pipelines. Some of those attacks have been carried out by the Free Syrian Army and some by other armed opposition groups."

The Mission also underscored to role of media distortion in the coverage of events in Syria as well as the campaign to discredit ithe Mission's findings.

"The Mission noted that many parties falsely reported that explosions or violence had occurred in several locations. When the observers went to those locations, they found that those reports were unfounded.

The Mission also noted that, according to its teams in the field, the media exaggerated the nature of the incidents and the number of persons killed in incidents and protests in certain towns."

The Report also underscored attempts to discredit the Mission and dismiss its findings:

Arab and foreign audiences of certain media organizations have questioned the Mission's credibility because those organizations use the media to distort the facts. It will be difficult to overcome this problem unless there is political and media support for the Mission and its mandate. It is only natural that some negative incidents should occur as it conducts its activities because such incidents occur as a matter of course in similar missions.

Also of significace were attempts by officials of AL governments to pressure several of the observers into providing "exaggerated accounts of events".

Some observers reneged on their duties and broke the oath they had taken. They made contact with officials from their countries and gave them exaggerated accounts of events. Those officials consequently developed a bleak and unfounded picture of the situation.

Also of significance is the fact that the Mission acknowledged that peaceful protests by unarmed civilians against the government were not the object of government crackdowns:

group team leaders [of the Observation mission] witnessed peaceful demonstrations by both Government supporters and the opposition in several places. None of those demonstrations were disrupted, except for some minor clashes with the Mission and between loyalists and opposition. These have not resulted in fatalities since the last presentation before the Arab Ministerial Committee on the Situation in Syria at its meeting of 8 January 2012.

While the Mission does not identify the foreign powers behind "the armed entity", the report dispels the mainstream media lies and fabrications. It largely confirms independent media reports including Global Research's coverage of the armed insurrection since April 2011. See Global Research's Syria Dossier

Michel Chossudovsky, Global Research, February 1, 2012

SELECTED EXCERPTS OF OBSERVERS' MISSION REPORT

Report of the Head of the League of Arab States Observer Mission to Syria. December 24, 2011 to January 18, 2012

Relevant Excerpts of the Report are indicated below: bold added, Scroll down for Complete Text of Observers' Mission Report):

The complete leaked report of the Arab League Observers Mission with annexes (pdf)

"The Mission determined that there is an armed entity that is not mentioned in the protocol. This development on the ground can undoubtedly be attributed to the excessive use of force by Syrian Government forces in response to protests that occurred before the deployment of the Mission demanding the fall of the regime. In some zones, this armed entity reacted by attacking Syrian security forces and citizens, causing the Government to respond with further violence. In the end, innocent citizens pay the price for those actions with life and limb.
...

In Homs, Idlib and Hama, the Observer Mission witnessed acts of violence being committed against Government forces and civilians that resulted in several deaths and injuries. Examples of those acts include the bombing of a civilian bus, killing eight persons and injuring others, including women and children, and the bombing of a train carrying diesel oil. In another incident in Homs, a police bus was blown up, killing two police officers. A fuel pipeline and some small bridges were also bombed.

...

28. The Mission noted that many parties falsely reported that explosions or violence had occurred in several locations. When the observers went to those locations, they found that those reports were unfounded.

29. The Mission also noted that, according to its teams in the field, the media exaggerated the nature of the incidents and the number of persons killed in incidents and protests in certain towns.

According to their latest reports and their briefings to the Head of the Mission on 17 January 2012 in preparation for this report, group team leaders witnessed peaceful demonstrations by both Government supporters and the opposition in several places. None of those demonstrations were disrupted, except for some minor clashes with the Mission and between loyalists and opposition. These have not resulted in fatalities since the last presentation before the Arab Ministerial Committee on the Situation in Syria at its meeting of 8 January 2012.
...

Some observers reneged on their duties and broke the oath they had taken. They made contact with officials from their countries and gave them exaggerated accounts of events. Those officials consequently developed a bleak and unfounded picture of the situation.

Arab and foreign audiences of certain media organizations have questioned the Mission's credibility because those organizations use the media to distort the facts. It will be difficult to overcome this problem unless there is political and media support for the Mission and its mandate. It is only natural that some negative incidents should occur as it conducts its activities because such incidents occur as a matter of course in similar missions.

...

75. Recently, there have been incidents that could widen the gap and increase bitterness between the parties. These incidents can have grave consequences and lead to the loss of life and property. Such incidents include the bombing of buildings, trains carrying fuel, vehicles carrying diesel oil and explosions targeting the police, members of the media and fuel pipelines. Some of those attacks have been carried out by the Free Syrian Army and some by other armed opposition groups.

...

Since its establishment, attitudes towards the Mission have been characterized by insincerity or, more broadly speaking, a lack of seriousness. Before it began carrying out its mandate and even before its members had arrived, the Mission was the target of a vicious campaign directed against the League of Arab States and the Head of the Mission, a campaign that increased in intensity after the observers' deployment. The Mission still lack the political and media support it needs in order to fulfil its mandate. Should its mandate be extended, the goals set out in the Protocol will not be achieved unless such support is provided and the Mission receives the backing it needs to ensure the success of the Arab solution."

COMPLETE TEXT (WITHOUT ANNEXES)

Report of the Head of the League of Arab States Observer Mission to Syria. December 24, 2011 to January 18, 2012

[relevant sections of this report have bewen highlighted in bold]

Report of the Head of the League of Arab States Observer Mission to Syria for the period from 24
December 2011 to 18 January 2012

The complete leaked report of the Arab League Observers Mission with annexes (pdf)
In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate

"We offered the trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they refused to carry it, and were
afraid of it; and man carried it. Surely he is sinful, very foolish" [Qur'an 33:72]

I . Legal bases

1. By resolution 7436 of 2 November 2011, the Council of the League of Arab States adopted the Arab
plan of action annexed thereto, welcomed the Syrian Government's agreement to the plan, and emphasized the
need for the Syrian Government to commit to the full and immediate implementation of its provisions.

2. On 16 November 2011, the Council of the League of Arab States adopted resolution 7439 approving
the draft protocol of the Legal Centre and the mandate of the League of Arab States Observer Mission to Syria,
namely to verify implementation of the provisions of the Arab plan of action to resolve the Syrian crisis and
protect Syrian civilians. The resolution requested the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States to take
such steps as he deemed appropriate to appoint the Head of the League of Arab States Observer Mission and to
make contact with the Syrian Government with a view to signing the Protocol.

3. By resolution 7441 of 24 November 2011, the Council of the League of Arab States requested the
Secretary-General of the League to deploy the Observer Mission to the Syrian Arab Republic in order to fulfil
its mandate under the protocol immediately on its signature.

4. The Syrian Arab Republic and the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States signed the protocol
on 19 December 2011. The protocol provided for the establishment and deployment to the Syrian Arab
Republic of a Mission comprising civilian and military experts from Arab countries and Arab nongovernmental
human rights organizations. Paragraph 5 stated that the Mission should transmit regular reports
on the results of its work to the Secretary-General of the League of Arab State and the Syrian Government for
submission — via the Arab Ministerial Committee on the Situation in Syria — to the Council of the League at
the ministerial level for its consideration and appropriate action.

5. On 20 December 2011, the Council of the League approved the appointment of General Muhammad
Ahmad Mustafa Al-Dabi from the Republic of the Sudan as Head of the Observer Mission.

II. Formation of the Mission

6. The General Secretariat requested Member States and relevant Arab organizations to transmit the
names of its candidates for the Mission. On that basis, 166 monitors from 13 Arab countries and six relevant
Arab organizations have thus far been appointed.

III. Visit of the advance delegation of the General Secretariat to Syria

7. In preparation for the Mission, an advance delegation of the General Secretariat visited the Syrian
Arab Republic on 22 December 2011 to discuss the logistical preparations for the Mission.

8. In accordance with the protocol, the Syrian Government confirmed its readiness to facilitate the
Mission in every way by allowing the free and safe movement of all of the observers throughout Syria, and by
refraining from hindering the work of the Mission on security or administrative grounds. The Syrian
Government side also affirmed its commitment to ensuring that the Mission could freely conduct the necessary
meetings; to provide full protection for the observers, taking into consideration the responsibility of the
Mission if it were to insist on visiting areas despite the warning of the security services; and to allow the entry
to Syria of journalists and Arab and international media in accordance with the rules and regulations in force in
the country.

IV. Arrival and preliminary visits of the Head of Mission

9. The Head of the Mission, General Muhammad Ahmad Mustafa Al-Dabi, arrived in the Syrian Arab
Republic on the evening of Saturday 24 December 2011. He held a series of meetings with the Minister for
Foreign Affairs, Mr. Walid Al-Moualem, and with Syrian Government officials, who stated that they stood
prepared to cooperate fully with the Mission and to endeavour to ensure its success, overcoming any obstacles
that may arise. The necessary logistical and security arrangements were agreed.

10. The Syrian side stated that there were certain areas that the security protection detail would not be able
to enter with the observers for fear of the citizens' reaction. The Head of the Mission replied that that situation
would enable the Mission to engage with citizens and opposition parties without government monitoring,
thereby removing the citizens' fear of repercussions as a result of communicating with the Mission.

11. The Head of the Mission completed the technical field preparations and secured the necessary
transportation and communication devices in order to start work. He met with the observers who arrived
successively in Syria and briefed them on their duties and the bases of their work under the protocol. The
observers took a special oath for the Mission which had been drafted by the Head.

12. On 27 December 2011, the Head of the Mission and ten observers conducted a preliminary visit to the
city of Homs, one of the epicentres of tension, which has seen acts of violence and armed confrontation
between the Army and the Syrian opposition. Some security barriers separating districts remain in place.

13. Immediately on arriving in Homs, the Head of the Mission met with the Governor of the city, who
explained that there had been an escalation in violence perpetrated by armed groups in the city. There had been
instances of kidnapping and sabotage of Government and civilian facilities. Food was in short supply owing to
the blockade imposed by armed groups, which were believed to include some 3000 individuals. The Governor
further stated that all attempts by religious figures and city notables to calm the situation had failed. He made
enquiries regarding the possibility of addressing the issue of soldiers and vehicles blocked inside Baba Amr.

14. The Mission visited the residential districts of Baba Amr, Karam Al-Zaytun, Al-Khalidiyya and Al-
Ghuta without guards. It met with a number of opposition citizens who described the state of fear, blockade
and acts of violence to which they had been subjected by Government forces. At a time of intense exchanges of
gunfire among the sides, the Mission witnessed the effects of the destruction wrought on outlying districts. The
Mission witnessed an intense exchange of gunfire between the Army and opposition in Baba Amr. It saw four
military vehicles in surrounding areas, and therefore had to return to the Governorate headquarters. It was
agreed with the Governor that five members of the Mission would remain in Homs until the following day to
conduct field work and meet with the greatest possible number of citizens.

15. Immediately on returning from Homs, the Head of the Mission met with the Government and insisted
that it withdraw military vehicles from the city, put an end to acts of violence, protect civilians, lift the
blockade and provide food. He further called for the two sides to exchange the bodies of those killed.

16. At that meeting, the Syrian side agreed to withdraw all military presence from the city and residential
areas except for three army vehicles that were not working and had been surrounded, and one that had been
taken from the Army by armed groups. The Syrian side requested the Mission's assistance to recover and
remove those vehicles in exchange for the release of four individuals, the exchange of five bodies from each
side, the entry of basic foods for families in the city, and the entry of sanitation vehicles to remove garbage. It
was agreed at the end of the meeting that the Mission would conduct another visit to Homs on the following
day in the company of General Hassan Sharif, the security coordinator for the Government side.

17. During that visit, the Mission was introduced to one of the leading figures in the opposition, who acted
as media representative of the National Council. An extensive discussion took place regarding the offer of the
Syrian Government and the best way to implement the agreement. As a result, the military vehicles were
returned and removed; the bodies of those killed were exchanged; trucks entered the city with food; and three
detainees and two women were released and returned to their families in the presence of the Mission, thereby
calming the situation inside the city.

18. Five days after the monitors were deployed to five zones, the Ministerial Committee requested that the
Head of the Mission report on the Mission's work. He travelled to Cairo and gave an oral presentation to the
members of the Committee at their meeting of 8 January 2012. It was decided that the work of the Mission
should continue and that the Head of the Mission should submit a report at the end of the period determined in
the protocol, on 19 January 2012. After the Head's return to Damascus to resume his duties, the Mission faced
difficulties from Government loyalists and opposition alike, particularly as a result of statements and media
coverage in the wake of the Committee meeting. That did not, however, affect the work of the Mission or its
full and smooth deployment across the country.

19. Following its arrival, and to this date, the Mission has received numerous letters from the Syrian
committee responsible for coordination with the Mission. The letters refer to the material and human losses
sustained by Government institutions and offices as a result of what is described as sabotage. They assert that
all of the States' vital services have been affected.

V. Deployment of the Observer Mission to Syria

20. The observers were divided into 15 zones covering 20 cities and districts across Syria according to the
time frame set out below. The variation in dates was a result of shortcomings in administrative and technical
preparations, such as the arrival of cars and personnel. Care was taken to ensure even distribution of observers.
Each unit comprised some ten observers of different Arab nationalities. The groups were deployed to Syrian
governorates and towns as follows:

• On 29 December 2011, six groups travelled to Damascus, Homs, Rif Homs, Idlib, Deraa and Hama.
• On 4 January 2012, a group travelled to Aleppo.
• On 9 January 2012, two groups went to Deir Al-Zor and Latakia. However, both returned to Damascus on
10 January 2012 owing to attacks that led to the injury of two of the monitors in Latakia and material
damage to the cars.
• On 10 January 2012, a group travelled to Qamishli and Hasaka.
• On 12 January 2012, a group travelled to Outer Damascus.
• On 13 January 2012, four groups travelled to Suwaida, Bu Kamal, Deir Al-Zor, Palmyra (Tadmur),
Sukhna, Banyas and Tartous.
• On 15 January 2012, two groups travelled to Latakia, Raqqa and Madinat Al-Thawra.
Annex 1. List of observers, their nationalities and their distribution.
21. The observers were provided with the following:
• A map of the region;
• A code of conduct for observers;
• The duties of the group leaders;
• The duties of the observers;
• Necessary equipment such as computers, cameras and communication devices.

22. An operations room was established at the offices of the League of Arab States in Damascus. The
office is open 24 hours a day and is directly linked to the League of Arab States operations room in Cairo and
to the groups deployed across Syria. The room receives daily reports from the field teams and conveys special
instructions for monitoring. Owing to the volume of work, an additional operations room was opened at the
Mission headquarters in Damascus with the task of allocating individuals and assigning committees on followup,
detainees, the media and financial affairs. It coordinates with the main operations room at the offices of the
League of Arab States.

23. In Latakia and Deir Al-Zor, the Mission faced difficulties from Government loyalists. In Latakia,
thousands surrounded the Mission's cars, chanting slogans in favour of the President and against the Mission.
The situation became out of control and monitors were attacked. Two sustained light injuries and an armoured
car was completely crushed. In order to address the matter, the Head of Mission contacted the Syrian
committee responsible for coordination with the Mission. Nevertheless, the Head of the Mission ordered the
immediate return of the two groups to Damascus. He met the Minister for Foreign Affairs and made a stronglyworded
formal protest. The Syrian side strongly condemned the incident and extended a formal apology,
explaining that the events were not in any sense deliberate. In order to emphasize the point, the Syrian Deputy
Minister for Foreign Affairs met with the members of the Latakia team and stated that the Syrian Government
would address the shortcoming immediately and guarantee the safety and security of observers everywhere. He
apologized to them for the unfortunate and unintentional incidents. The members were then assigned to new
zones after four days' rest.

VI. Implementation of the Mission's mandate under the protocol

24. The Head of the Mission stresses that this assessment in terms of the provisions of the protocol
summarizes the findings of the groups as relayed by group leaders at their meeting with the Head of the
Mission on 17 January 2012.

A. Monitoring and observation of the cessation of all violence by all sides in cities and residential
areas

25. On being assigned to their zones and starting work, the observers witnessed acts of violence
perpetrated by Government forces and an exchange of gunfire with armed elements in Homs and Hama. As a
result of the Mission's insistence on a complete end to violence and the withdrawal of Army vehicles and
equipment, this problem has receded. The most recent reports of the Mission point to a considerable calming of
the situation and restraint on the part of those forces.

26. In Homs and Dera'a, the Mission observed armed groups committing acts of violence against
Government forces, resulting in death and injury among their ranks. In certain situations, Government forces
responded to attacks against their personnel with force. The observers noted that some of the armed groups
were using flares and armour-piercing projectiles.

27. In Homs, Idlib and Hama, the Observer Mission witnessed acts of violence being committed against
Government forces and civilians that resulted in several deaths and injuries. Examples of those acts include the
bombing of a civilian bus, killing eight persons and injuring others, including women and children, and the
bombing of a train carrying diesel oil. In another incident in Homs, a police bus was blown up, killing two
police officers. A fuel pipeline and some small bridges were also bombed.

28. The Mission noted that many parties falsely reported that explosions or violence had occurred in
several locations. When the observers went to those locations, they found that those reports were unfounded.

29. The Mission also noted that, according to its teams in the field, the media exaggerated the nature of the
incidents and the number of persons killed in incidents and protests in certain towns.

B. Verifying that Syrian security services and so-called shabiha gangs do not obstruct peaceful
demonstrations

30. According to their latest reports and their briefings to the Head of the Mission on 17 January 2012 in
preparation for this report, group team leaders witnessed peaceful demonstrations by both Government
supporters and the opposition in several places. None of those demonstrations were disrupted, except for some
minor clashes with the Mission and between loyalists and opposition. These have not resulted in fatalities since
the last presentation before the Arab Ministerial Committee on the Situation in Syria at its meeting of 8
January 2012.

31. The reports and briefings of groups leaders state that citizens belonging to the opposition surround the
Mission on its arrival and use the gathering as a barrier from the security services. However, such incidents
have gradually decreased.

32. The Mission has received requests from opposition supporters in Homs and Deraa that it should stay
on-site and not leave, something that may be attributable to fear of attack after the Mission's departure.
C. Verifying the release of those detained in the current incidents

33. The Mission received reports from parties outside Syria indicating that the number of detainees was
16,237. It also received information from the opposition inside the country that the number of detainees was
12,005. In validating those figures, the teams in the field discovered that there were discrepancies between the
lists, that information was missing and inaccurate, and that names were repeated. The Mission is
communicating with the concerned Government agencies to confirm those numbers.

34. The Mission has delivered to the Syrian Government all of the lists received from the Syrian
opposition inside and outside Syria. In accordance with the protocol, it has demanded the release of the
detainees.

35. On 15 January 2012, President Bashar Al-Assad issued a legislative decree granting a general amnesty
for crimes perpetrated in the context of the events from 15 March 2011 through to the issuance of the decree.
In implementation of the amnesty, the relevant Government authorities have been periodically releasing
detainees in the various regions so long as they are not wanted in connection with other crimes. The Mission
has been supervising the releases and is monitoring the process with the Government's full and active
coordination.

36. On 19 January 2012, the Syrian government stated that 3569 detainees had been released from military
and civil prosecution services. The Mission verified that 1669 of those detained had thus far been released. It
continues to follow up the issue with the Government and the opposition, emphasizing to the Government side
that the detainees should be released in the presence of observers so that the event can be documented.

37. The Mission has validated the following figures for the total number of detainees that the Syrian
government thus far claims to have released:
• Before the amnesty: 4,035
• After the amnesty: 3,569.
The Government has therefore claimed that a total of 7,604 detainees have been released.

38. The Mission has verified the correct number of detainees released and arrived at the following figures:
• Before the amnesty: 3,483
• After the amnesty: 1,669
The total number of confirmed releases is therefore 5152. The Mission is continuing to monitor the
process and communicate with the Syrian Government for the release of the remaining detainees.

D. Confirming the withdrawal of the military presence from residential neighbourhoods in which
demonstrations and protests occurred or are occurring

39. Based on the reports of the field-team leaders and the meeting held on 17 January 2012 with all team
leaders, the Mission confirmed that all military vehicles, tanks and heavy weapons had been withdrawn from
cities and residential neighbourhoods. Although there are still some security measures in place in the form of
earthen berms and barriers in front of important buildings and in squares, they do not affect citizens. It should
be noted that the Syrian Minister of Defence, in a meeting with the Head of the Mission that took place on 5
January 2012, affirmed his readiness to accompany the Head of the Mission to all sites and cities designated by
the latter and from which the Mission suspects that the military presence had not yet been withdrawn, with a
view to issuing field orders and rectifying any violation immediately.

40. Armoured vehicles (personnel carriers) are present at some barriers. One of those barriers is located in
Homs and some others in Madaya, Zabadani and Rif Damascus. The presence of those vehicles was reported
and they were subsequently withdrawn from Homs. It has been confirmed that the residents of Zabadani and
Madaya reached a bilateral agreement with the Government that led to the removal of those barriers and
vehicles.

E. Confirming the accreditation by the Syrian Government of Arab and international media
organizations and that those organizations are allowed to move freely in all parts of Syria

41. Speaking on behalf of his Government, the Syrian Minister of Information confirmed that, from the
beginning of December 2011 to 15 January 2012, the Government had accredited 147 Arab and foreign media
organizations. Some 112 of those organizations entered Syrian territory, joining the 90 other accredited
organizations operating in Syria through their full-time correspondents.

42. The Mission followed up on this issue. It identified 36 Arab and foreign media organizations and
several journalists located in a number of Syrian cities. It also received complaints that the Syrian Government
had granted some media organizations authorization to operate for four days only, which was insufficient time,
according to those organizations. In addition to preventing them from entering the country until they had
specified their destinations, journalists were required obtain further authorization once they had entered the
country and were prevented from going to certain areas. The Syrian Government confirmed that it grants media
organizations operating permits that are valid for 10 days, with the possibility of renewal.

43. Reports and information from some sectors [teams] indicate that the Government places restrictions on
the movement of media organizations in opposition areas. In many cases, those restrictions caused journalists
to trail the Mission in order to do their work.

44. In Homs, a French journalist who worked for the France 2 channel was killed and a Belgian journalist
was injured. The Government and opposition accused each other of being responsible for the incident, and both
sides issued statements of condemnation. The Government formed an investigative committee in order to
determine the cause of the incident. It should be noted that Mission reports from Homs indicate that the French
journalist was killed by opposition mortar shells.

Annex 2. A list of media organizations identified and a list of media organizations that entered Syria, according
to the official information.

VII. Obstacles encountered by the Mission

A. Monitors

45. Some of the experts nominated were not capable of taking on such a responsibility and did not have
prior experience in this field.

46. Some of the observers did not grasp the amount of responsibility that was being placed on them and
the importance of giving priority to Arab interests over personal interests.

47. In the course of field work, some observers were unable to deal with difficult circumstances, which are
at the core of their duties. Monitors must have certain traits and the specializations required for such work.

48. A number of the observers are elderly, and some of them suffer from health conditions that prevent
them from performing their duties.

49. Twenty-two observers declined to complete the mission for personal reasons. Some observers offered
unfounded reasons, which were not accepted by the Head of the Mission, while others had a personal agenda.
Annex 3. List of the names of observers who declined to complete the Mission.

50. Some observers reneged on their duties and broke the oath they had taken. They made contact with
officials from their countries and gave them exaggerated accounts of events. Those officials consequently
developed a bleak and unfounded picture of the situation.

51. Some of the observers in the various zones are demanding housing similar to their counterparts in
Damascus or financial reimbursement equivalent to the difference in accommodation rates resulting from the
difference in hotel standards or accommodation in Damascus. These issues do not warrant comment.

52. Some observers are afraid to perform their duties owing to the violent incidents that have occurred in
certain locations. The unavailability of armoured cars at all the sites and the lack of bulletproof vests have
negatively affected some observers' ability to carry out their duties.

Comments of the Head of the Mission concerning the observers

53. Some of the observers, unfortunately, believed that their journey to Syria was for amusement, and
were therefore surprised by the reality of the situation. They did not expect to be assigned to teams or to have
to remain at stations outside the capital or to face the difficulties that they encountered.

54. Some of the observers were not familiar with the region and its geography. The unavailability of
armoured vehicles and protective vests had a negative effect on the spirits of some observers.

55. Some of the observers experienced hostility both from the Syrian opposition and loyalists. This
hostility also had a negative effect on their spirits.

56. Despite the foregoing comments, the performance of many of the observers was outstanding and
praiseworthy. Those who underperformed will improve with experience and guidance.

B. Security restrictions

57. Although it welcomed the Mission and its Head and repeatedly emphasized that it would not impose
any security restrictions that could obstruct the movement of the Mission, the Government deliberately
attempted to limit the observers' ability to travel extensively in various regions. The Government also
attempted to focus the attention of the Mission on issues in which it is interested. The Mission resisted those
attempts and responded to them in a manner that allowed it to fulfil its mandate and overcome the obstacles
that stood in the way of its work.

C. Communication equipment

58. The Mission communicates with the various groups by mobile phones and facsimile machines
connected to the local Syrian telephone network. Occasional cuts in service prevent the Mission from
communicating with the groups.

59. The Mission was equipped with 10 Thuraya satellite phones. Such devices are hard to use inside
buildings owing of the difficulty in obtain a satellite signal. As a result, ordinary phones and fax machines,
which are not considered secure communications equipment, were used to send daily reports, instead.

60. The communication equipment the Qatari observers brought with them was held at the Jordanian
border, despite demands made by the Head of the Mission to the Syrian authorities to permit entry of that
equipment. That notwithstanding, the amount of equipment would not have been enough to meet the needs of
all sites and station.

61. The Mission does not have portable two-way radios for communication between team members. The
Chinese Embassy provided 10 such radios as a gift to the Mission. They were used in three sectors only.

62. Internet service is unavailable in some regions, and in other areas it is intermittent, including in the
capital.

63. There are no cameras attached to the vehicles used by the Mission, which would facilitate observers'
work in dangerous areas.

D. Transportation

64. The Mission has 38 cars at its disposal (23 armoured and 15 non-armoured), including 28 four-wheel
drive vehicles and 10 sedans. It should be noted that the Mission's mandate requires the used of armoured fourwheel
drive vehicles, given the nature of the Mission. The number of such vehicles currently available does not
satisfy the needs of the Mission, particularly for transportation into trouble spots.

65. When it was first deployed, the Mission rented several cars from local sources for use in monitoring
operations. However, owing to some acts of violence directed against the field teams, the rental companies
recalled those vehicles and their drivers out of fear for their safety.

66. The Mission encountered difficulties in hiring drivers because the opposition groups refused to allowf
local drivers to enter their areas because they believed the drivers were members of the security services,
which forces the observers to drive the vehicles themselves.

67. Some of the observers demanded to use vehicles sent by their countries, a demand that was denied by
the Head of the Mission, who allocated the vehicles according to the needs of each zone.

Annex 4. List showing the number, types and distribution of vehicles and the countries that provided them.
E. The media

68. Since it began its work, the Mission has been the target of a vicious media campaign. Some media
outlets have published unfounded statements, which they attributed to the Head of the Mission. They have also
grossly exaggerated events, thereby distorting the truth.

69. Such contrived reports have helped to increase tensions among the Syrian people and undermined the
observers' work. Some media organizations were exploited in order to defame the Mission and its Head and
cause the Mission to fail.

VIII. Basic needs of the Mission, should its mandate be renewed

• 100 additional young observers, preferably military personnel
• 30 armoured vehicles
• Light protective vests
• Vehicle-mounted photographic equipment
• Modern communications equipment
• Binoculars, ordinary and night-vision

IX. Evaluation:

70. The purpose of the Protocol is to protect Syrian citizens through the commitment of the Syrian
Government to stop acts of violence, release detainees and withdraw all military presence from cities and
residential neighbourhoods. This phase must lead to dialogue among the Syrian sides and the launching of a
parallel political process. Otherwise, the duration of this Mission will be extended without achieving the
desired results on the ground.

71. The Mission determined that there is an armed entity that is not mentioned in the protocol. This
development on the ground can undoubtedly be attributed to the excessive use of force by Syrian Government
forces in response to protests that occurred before the deployment of the Mission demanding the fall of the
regime. In some zones, this armed entity reacted by attacking Syrian security forces and citizens, causing the
Government to respond with further violence. In the end, innocent citizens pay the price for those actions with
life and limb.

72. The Mission noted that the opposition had welcomed it and its members since their deployment to
Syria. The citizens were reassured by the Mission's presence and came forward to present their demands,
although the opposition had previously been afraid to do so publicly owing to their fear of being arrested once
again, as they had been prior to the Mission's arrival in Syria. However, this was not case in the period that
followed the last Ministerial Committee statement, although the situation is gradually improving.

73. The Mission noted that the Government strived to help it succeed in its task and remove any barriers
that might stand in its way. The Government also facilitated meetings with all parties. No restrictions were
placed on the movement of the Mission and its ability to interview Syrian citizens, both those who opposed the
Government and those loyal to it.

74. In some cities, the Mission sensed the extreme tension, oppression and injustice from which the Syrian
people are suffering. However, the citizens believe the crisis should be resolved peacefully through Arab
mediation alone, without international intervention. Doing so would allow them to live in peace and complete
the reform process and bring about the change they desire. The Mission was informed by the opposition,
particularly in Dar'a, Homs, Hama and Idlib, that some of its members had taken up arms in response to the
suffering of the Syrian people as a result of the regime's oppression and tyranny; corruption, which affects all
sectors of society; the use of torture by the security agencies; and human rights violations.

75. Recently, there have been incidents that could widen the gap and increase bitterness between the
parties. These incidents can have grave consequences and lead to the loss of life and property. Such incidents
include the bombing of buildings, trains carrying fuel, vehicles carrying diesel oil and explosions targeting the
police, members of the media and fuel pipelines. Some of those attacks have been carried out by the Free
Syrian Army and some by other armed opposition groups.

76. The Mission has adhered scrupulously to its mandate, as set out in the Protocol. It has observed daily
realities on the ground with complete neutrality and independence, thereby ensuring transparency and integrity
in its monitoring of the situation, despite the difficulties the Mission encountered and the inappropriate actions
of some individuals.

77. Under the Protocol, the Mission's mandate is one month. This does not allow adequate time for
administrative preparations, let alone for the Mission to carry out its task. To date, the Mission has actually
operated for 23 days. This amount of time is definitely not sufficient, particularly in view of the number of
items the Mission must investigate. The Mission needs to remain on the ground for a longer period of time,
which would allow it to experience citizens' daily living conditions and monitor all events. It should be noted
that similar previous operations lasted for several months or, in some cases, several years.

78. Arab and foreign audiences of certain media organizations have questioned the Mission's credibility
because those organizations use the media to distort the facts. It will be difficult to overcome this problem
unless there is political and media support for the Mission and its mandate. It is only natural that some negative
incidents should occur as it conducts its activities because such incidents occur as a matter of course in similar
missions.

79. The Mission arrived in Syria after the imposition of sanctions aimed at compelling to implement what
was agreed to in the Protocol. Despite that, the Mission was welcomed by the opposition, loyalists and the
Government. Nonetheless, questions remains as to how the Mission should fulfil its mandate. It should be
noted that the mandate established for the Mission in the Protocol was changed in response to developments on
the ground and the reactions thereto. Some of those were violent reactions by entities that were not mentioned
in the Protocol. All of these developments necessitated an expansion of and a change in the Mission's mandate.
The most important point in this regard is the commitment of all sides to cease all acts of violence, thereby
allowing the Mission to complete its tasks and, ultimately, lay the groundwork for the political process.

80. Should there be agreement to extend its mandate, then the Mission must be provided with
communications equipment, means of transportation and all the equipment it requires to carry out its mandate
on the ground.

81. On the other hand, ending the Mission's work after such a short period will reverse any progress, even
if partial, that has thus far been made. This could perhaps lead to chaos on the ground because all the parties
involved in the crisis thus remain unprepared for the political process required to resolve the Syrian crisis.

82. Since its establishment, attitudes towards the Mission have been characterized by insincerity or, more
broadly speaking, a lack of seriousness. Before it began carrying out its mandate and even before its members
had arrived, the Mission was the target of a vicious campaign directed against the League of Arab States and
the Head of the Mission, a campaign that increased in intensity after the observers' deployment. The Mission
still lack the political and media support it needs in order to fulfil its mandate. Should its mandate be extended,
the goals set out in the Protocol will not be achieved unless such support is provided and the Mission receives
the backing it needs to ensure the success of the Arab solution.

X. Recommendations:

83. In view of the above and of the success achieved in executing the provision of the Protocol, which the
Syrian Government pledged to implement, I recommend the following:

• The Mission must be provided with administrative and logistic support in order allow it to carry out its
tasks. The Mission must also be give the media and political support required to create an appropriate
environment that will enable it to fulfil its mandate in the required manner.

• The political process must be accelerated and a national dialogue must be launched. That dialogue should
run in parallel with the Mission's work in order to create an environment of confidence that would
contribute to the Mission's success and prevent a needless extension of its presence in Syria.

(Signed) Muhammad Ahmad Mustafa Al-Dabi
Head of the Mission

Annexes

1. List of observers, their nationalities and their distribution.
2. List of media organizations identified and a list of media organizations that entered Syria, according to the
official information.
3. List of the names of observers who declined to complete the Mission.
4. List showing the number, types and distribution of vehicles and the countries that provided them.

Translated from Arabic
League of Arab States Observer Mission to Syria

The complete leaked report of the Arab League Observers Mission to Syria (pdf)

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Fwd: [initiative-india] Press Release : AP Government's Appointment of RTI Commissioners Violates RTI Act

2012-02-03T06:44:00.001-08:00

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: NAPM India <napmindia@napm-india.org>
Date: Fri, Feb 3, 2012 at 7:17 PM
Subject: [initiative-india] Press Release : AP Government's Appointment of RTI Commissioners Violates RTI Act
To: napm-india <napm-india@googlegroups.com>, napmmedia <napmmedia@googlegroups.com>

AP Government's Appointment of RTI Commissioners Violates RTI Act

Hyderabad, February 3: The long delayed appointments for the post of A.P. State Information Commissioners has disappointed not only the people of A.P. but all the concerned people across the nation.

The RTI Act which is the culmination of a long struggle by the people's movements to bring transparency and accountability in the system is slowly becoming a farce in the hand of the politicians.

It is very disgusting that the statutory committee consisting of the two ruling party members, the C.M. and his nominee minister and the opposition leader together colluded to pocket these crucial and vital posts to give them away to their cronies. They have thrown all decency and decorum of the public office to the wind.

The five persons among the eight selected are from the political background and one is still in government service. These kind of unhealthy practices will destroy the already soiled democratic fabric.

It is high time an amendment is made to the section 15(3) of RTI Act to remove the politicians role from the selection process and make it much more participatory, transparent and inclusive of citizens and other democratic institutions.

We request the Honourable Governor to send back the file and see that the meritorious among the aspirants are selected.

Sandeep Pandey, P Chennaiah, Ramakrishna Raju, Sarasvathy Kavula, P S Ajay, Rajendra Ravi, Anand mazgaonkar, Vimal Bhai, Madhuresh Kumar

Contact : 9866887299 | 9246563738

===============================================

National Alliance of People's Movements
National Office: Room No. 29-30, 1st floor, 'A' Wing, Haji Habib Bldg, Naigaon Cross Road, Dadar (E), Mumbai - 400 014;
Ph: 022-24150529

6/6, Jangpura B, Mathura Road, New Delhi 110014
Phone : 011 26241167 / 24354737 Mobile : 09818905316
Web : www.napm-india.org

Facebook : www.facebook.com/NAPMindia

Twitter : @napmindia

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The First American Freedom Fighter: Hatuey's Rebellion

2012-02-03T06:29:00.001-08:00

Hatuey's Rebellion
The First American Freedom Fighter
by WILLIAM LOREN KATZ
http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/02/01/the-first-american-freedom-fighter/

This February 2nd stands as the 500th anniversary of the death of Hatuey, an Indigenous American fighter for independence from colonialism not mentioned in the same breath as Patrick Henry,
George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson. However, Hatuey deserves
recognition as their earliest ideological ancestor and great forerunner.
Little is known about Hatuey, a Taino Cacique [leader], not his date
of birth, nor exactly when he first led his forces into battle. But key
elements of his story have come down to us from Bishop Las Casas, the
Dominican Priest, who became Spain's "Defender of the Indians." On
February 2, 1512, Las Casas was in Cuba when Hatuey died at the hands of the European invaders.
Hatuey's armed resistance began on the island of Hispaniola [today
Haiti and the Dominican Republic] during the age of Columbus. It
probably increased after 1502 when a fleet of 30 Spanish ships brought
over the new Governor Nicolas de Ovando, hundreds of Spanish settlers
and a number of enslaved Africans to pursue Spain's search for gold.
But oppression rarely goes as planned. Before the year was over
Governor Ovando complained to King Ferdinand that the enslaved Africans
"fled among the Indians, taught them bad customs, and could not be
captured." The last four words reveal more
than his problem with disobedient servants or his difficulty of retrieving
runaways in a rainforest. Ovando is probably describing the formation of the first American rainbow coalition: Hatuey and his followers are
greeting and embracing the runaway Africans as allies.
After about a decade of armed resistance in Hispaniola, in 1511
Hatuey and 400 of his followers climbed into canoes and headed to Cuba.
His plan was not escape but to mobilize fellow Caribbean islanders
against the bearded intruders, their lust for gold, and the slavery,
misery and death their invasion brought.
In Cuba Hatuey's clear message was recorded by Las Casas: the
intruders "worship gold," "fight and kill," "usurp our land and makes
us slaves" For gold, slaves and land "they fight and kill; for these
they persecute us and that is why we have to throw them into the sea…."
Hatuey's forces had no sooner begun to mobilize Cubans when
well-armed Spaniards under Diego Velásquez landed in Cuba. (One was
Hernán Cortés who would conquer Mexico.) Hatuey's strategy to attack,
guerilla fashion, and then retreat to the hills and regroup for the next attack, kept the Spaniards pinned down at their fort at Baracoa for at
least three months.
But finally a Spanish offensive overwhelmed Hatuey and his troops. On February 2, 1512, Hatuey was led out for a public execution. Las Casas
described the scene:
"When tied to the stake, the cacique Hatuey was told by a Franciscan friar who was present . . . something about the God of the
Christians and of the articles of Faith. And he was told what he could
do in the brief time that remained to him, in order to be saved and go
to heaven. The Cacique, had never heard any of this before, and was told he would go to Inferno where, if he did not adopt the Christian faith,
he would suffer eternal torment, asked the Franciscan friar if
Christians all went to Heaven. When told that they did he said he would
prefer to go to Hell."
As the first freedom fighter of the Americas, Hatuey not only united
Africans and Indigenous people against the invaders, but in bringing his fighters from Hispaniola to Cuba, he initiated the first pan-American
struggle for independence from colonialism.
Today a statue in Cuba celebrates Hatuey as a national hero, its
first great liberator. He was more than that. He was the first of the
heroic American freedom fighters whose contributions led to 1776, to the revolution in Haiti, and to Simon Bolivar who also sought to liberate
all of the Americas from Spain.
One could argue that Hatuey was the first to have ignited the
American spirit of liberty and independence that would circle the globe
for the next five hundred years.
WILLIAM LOREN KATZ is the author of Black Indians: A Hidden Heritage and forty other American history books. His website is www.williamlkatz.com

The Republican Myth of Obama's "Entitlement Society"

2012-02-03T06:26:00.001-08:00

The Republican Myth of Obama's "Entitlement Society"

By Robert Reich
02/02/2012
The following was originally published at RobertReich.org [1]

One of the few things Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich agree on is that President Obama is turning America into "European-style welfare culture."

In his standard stump speech Romney charges Obama with creating a nation of dependents. "Over the past three years Barack Obama has been replacing our merit-based society with an entitlement society."

Gingrich calls Obama "the best food-stamp president in American history."

What's their evidence? Both rely on federal budget data showing direct payments to individuals shot up by almost $600 billion, a 32 percent increase, since the start of 2009.

They also point to Census data showing that 49 percent of Americans now live in homes where at least one person is collecting a federal benefit Social Security, food stamps, unemployment insurance, worker's compensation, or subsidized housing. That's up from 44 percent in 2008.

Finally, they trumpet Social Security Administration figures showing that the number of people on Social Security disability jumped 10 percent in Obama's first two years in office.

They argue our economic problems stem from this sharp rise in "dependency." Get rid of these benefits and people will work harder.

But they have cause and effect backwards. The reason for the rise in food stamps, unemployment insurance, and other safety-net programs is Americans got clobbered in 2008 with the worst economic catastrophe since the Great Depression. They and their families have needed whatever helping hands they could get.

If anything, America's safety nets have been too small and shot through with holes. That's why the number and percentage of Americans in poverty has increased dramatically over the past three years. According to a study by Northeastern University, a third of families with young children are now in poverty.

This is the real scandal. For example, only 40 percent of the unemployed qualify for unemployment benefits because they weren't working full time or long enough on a single job before they were canned. The unemployment system doesn't take account of the fact that a large portion of the workforce typically works part time on several jobs, and moves from job to job.

Republicans also object to Obama's health care law, which covers 30 million more Americans than were covered before. That law still leaves over 20 million without health insurance. They'll get emergency care when they're in dire straights hospitals won't refuse them but we all end up paying indirectly.

Regressive Republicans pretend they're about opportunity. In reality they're back at what they've been doing for years promoting Social Darwinism.

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The Big Con

Landmark judgement of the SC on natural resource management

2012-02-03T06:25:00.001-08:00

Landmark judgement of the SC on natural resource management

Friends,

In a landmark judgement yesterday on 2G scam case, the Hon'ble Supreme Court expanded on what is 'Natural Resource' and the duties of the State to protect and preserve the Natural Resource base for the common good instead of misallocating it for private gains. This decision will go a long way towards conservation, protection of rights of Forest Dwellers,preventing the indecent haste shown by various governments to acquire lands, mines, forests for private projects.

The very first paragraph of the judgement [pages 1 and 2] begins with the fundamental question [shaded light orange], then takes up the issue in pages 58 to 75. I just hope that the implication of this judgement is not diluted by subsequent judges as happened in the case of writ petition 206 of 2005 in which CJ Balachandran diluted the limitations imposed by earlier CJ and allowed the DST and GEAC to continue with illegal approvals of Genetically Engineered seeds. Relevant parts with page number pasted below.

Kind regards

Arun Shrivastava

The important questions which arise for consideration in these petitions,

(i) Whether the Government has the right to alienate, transfer or distribute natural resources/national assets otherwise than by following a fair and transparent method consistent with the fundamentals of the equality clause enshrined in the Constitution?

58 Question No.1: [Pages 68 to 75]

At the outset, we consider it proper to observe that even though there is no universally accepted definition of natural resources, the same can be understood as naturally occurring elements which have an intrinsic utility. They may be renewable or non renewable. They are thought of as the individual elements of the natural environment that provide economic and social services to human society and are considered valuable in their relatively unmodified, natural, form. A natural resource's value rests in the amount of the material available and the demand for it. The latter is determined by its usefulness to production.

As the State in which a natural resource is located benefits immensely from this value, natural resources are considered national assets. In Article 39(b) of the Constitution it has been provided that the ownership and control of the natural resources of the community should be so distributed so as to best sub-serve the common good but no comprehensive legislation has been enacted to generally define natural resources and framework for their protection. Of course, environment laws have been so framed that they deal with specific natural resources, i.e., Forest, Air, Water, Costal Zones, etc.

59. The ownership regime relating to natural resources can be ascertained from international conventions and customary law, common law and national constitutions. In international law it rests upon the concept of sovereignty and seeks to respect the principle of permanent sovereignty (of peoples and nations) over (their) natural resourcesas asserted in the 17th Session of the United Nations General Assembly and then affirmed as a customary international norm by the International Court of Justice in the case opposing the Democratic Republic of Congo to Uganda. Common Law recognizes States as having the authority to protect natural resources, insofar as the resources are within the interests of the general public. The State is deemed to have a proprietary interest in natural resources and must act as guardian and trustee in relation to the same. Constitutions across the world focus on establishing natural resources as owned and for the benefit of the country. In most instances where constitutions specifically address ownership of natural resources, the sovereign state, or, as it is more commonly expressed, 'the people', is designated as the owner of the natural resource.

60. Spectrum has been internationally accepted as a scarce, finite and renewable natural resource which is susceptible to degradation in case of inefficient utilisation. It has a high economic value in light of the demand for it on account of growth in the telecom sector. Although, it does not belong to a particular State, the right of use has been granted to the States as per international norms. It is hence to that extent a national asset.

61. In India Court have given extensive interpretation to the concept of natural resources and have from time to time issued directions by relying upon the provisions contained in Articles 38, 39, 48, 48A and 51A(g) for protection of natural resources. The doctrine of public trust which was invoked by the

Courts in US in Illinois Central R. Co. v. Illinois - 146 U.S. 387 (1892), National Audubon Society v. Superior Court of Alpine County 33 Cal.3d 419 (1983) has been applied by the Courts in our country in M.C. Mehta v. Kamal Nath (1997) 1 SCC 388, Intellectuals Forum, Tirupathi v. State of A.P., (2006)

3 SCC 549, Fomento Resorts and Hotels Limited v. Minguel Martins, (2009) 3 SCC 571. In the third case, the Court referred to the article of Prof. Joseph L. Sax and made the following observations:

"53. The public trust doctrine enjoins upon the Government to protect the resources for the enjoyment of the general public rather than to permit their use for private ownership or commercial purposes. This

doctrine puts an implicit embargo on the right of the State to transfer public properties to private party if such transfer affects public interest, mandates affirmative State action for effective management

of natural resources and empowers the citizens to question ineffective management thereof.

54. The heart of the public trust doctrine is that it imposes limits and obligations upon government agencies and their administrators on behalf of all the people and especially future generations. For

example, renewable and non-renewable resources, associated uses, ecological values or objects in which the public has a special interest (i.e. public lands, waters, etc.) are held subject to the duty of the State not to impair such resources, uses or values, even if private interests are involved. The same obligations apply to managers of forests, monuments, parks, the public domain and other public assets.

Professor Joseph L. Sax in his classic article, "The Public Trust Doctrine in Natural Resources Law: Effective Judicial Intervention" (1970), indicates that the public trust doctrine, of all concepts known

to law, constitutes the best practical and philosophical premise and legal tool for protecting public rights and for protecting and managing resources, ecological values or objects held in trust.

55. The public trust doctrine is a tool for exerting long-established public rights over short-term public rights and private gain. Today every person exercising his or her right to use the air, water, or land

and associated natural ecosystems has the obligation to secure for the rest of us the right to live or otherwise use that same resource or property for the long-term and enjoyment by future generations. To say it another way, a landowner or lessee and a water right holder has an obligation to use such resources in a manner as not to impair or diminish the people's rights and the people's long-term interest in that property or resource, including down slope lands, waters and resources."

62. In Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Govt. of India v. Cricket Assn. of Bengal, (1995) 2 SCC 161. The Court was dealing with right of organizers of an event such as sport tournament to its live audio-visual broadcasting universally, through an agency of their choice, national or foreign. In paragraph 78, the Court described the airways/frequencies as public property in the following words:

"There is no doubt that since the airwaves/frequencies are a public property and are also limited, they have to be used in the best interest of the society and this can be done either by a central authority by

establishing its own broadcasting network or regulating the grant of licences to other agencies, including the private agencies."

63. In Reliance Natural Resources Limited v. Reliance Industries Limited, (2010) 7 SCC 1, P. Sathasivam J. with whom Balakrishnan, C.J., agreed made the following observations: "It must be noted that the constitutional mandate is that the natural resources belong to the people of this country. The nature of the word "vest" must be seen in the context of the public trust doctrine (PTD). Even though this doctrine has been applied in cases dealing with environmental jurisprudence, it has its broader application." Learned Judge then referred to the judgments In re Special Reference No. 1 of 2001 (2004) 4 SCC 489, M.C. Mehta v. Kamal Nath (1997) 1 SCC 388 and observed: "This doctrine is part of Indian law and finds application in the present case as well. It is thus the duty of the Government to provide complete protection to the natural resources as a trustee of the people at large." The Court also held that natural resources are vested with the Government as a matter of trust in the name of the people of India and it is the solemn duty of the State to protect the national interest and natural resources must always be used in the interest of the country and not private interests.

64. The doctrine of equality which emerges from the concepts of justice and fairness guides the State in determining the actual mechanism of distribution of natural resources. It has two aspects: first, it regulates the rights and obligations of the State vis-à-vis its people and demands that the people be granted equitable access to natural resources and/or its products and that they are adequately compensated for the transfer of the resource to the private domain; and second, it regulates the rights and obligations of the State vis-à-vis private parties seeking to acquire/use the resource and demands that the procedure adopted for distribution is just, non-arbitrary and transparent and that it does not discriminate between similarly placed private parties.

65. In Akhil Bharatiya Upbhokta Congress v. State of M.P. (2011) 5 SCC 29, this Court examined the legality of the action taken by the Government of Madhya Pradesh to allot 20 acres land to an institute established in the name of Kushabhau Thakre on the basis of an application made by the Trust. One of the grounds on which the appellant challenged the allotment of land was that the State Government had not adopted any rational method consistent with the doctrine of equality. The High Court negatived the appellant's challenge. Before this Court, learned senior counsel appearing for the State relied upon

the judgments in Ugar Sugar Works Ltd. v. Delhi Administration (2001) 3 SCC 635, State of U.P. v. Choudhary Rambeer Singh (2008) 5 SCC 550, State of Orissa v. Gopinath Dash (2005) 13 SCC 495 and Meerut Development Authority v. Association of Management Studies (2009) 6 SCC 171 and argued that the Court cannot exercise the power of judicial review to nullify the policy framed by the State Government to allot Nazul land without advertisement. This Court rejected the argument, referred to the judgments in Ramanna Dayaram Shetty v. International Airport Authority of India (1979) 3 SCC 489,

S.G. Jaisinghani v. Union of India AIR 1967 SC 1427, Kasturilal Lakshmi Reddy v. State of J & K (1980) 4 SCC 1, Common Cause v. Union of India (1996) 6 SCC 530, Shrilekha Vidyarthy v. State of U.P. (1991) 1 SCC 212, LIC v. Consumer Education and Research Centre (1995) 5 SCC 482, New India Public School v. HUDA (1996) 5 SCC 510 and held:

"65. What needs to be emphasised is that the State and/or its agencies/instrumentalities cannot give largesse to any person according to the sweet will and whims of the political entities and/or officers of the State. Every action/decision of the State and/or its agencies/instrumentalities to give largesse or confer benefit must be founded on a sound, transparent, discernible and well-defined policy, which shall be made known to the public by publication in the Official Gazette and other recognised modes of publicity and such policy must be implemented/executed by adopting a non-discriminatory and non-arbitrary method irrespective of the class or category of persons proposed to be benefited by the policy. The distribution of largesse like allotment of land, grant of quota, permit licence, etc. by the State and its

agencies/instrumentalities should always be done in a fair and equitable manner and the element of favouritism or nepotism shall not influence the exercise of discretion, if any, conferred upon the

particular functionary or officer of the State."

66. In Sachidanand Pandey v. State of West Bengal (1987) 2 SCC 295, the Court referred to some of the precedents and laid down the following propositions:

"State-owned or public-owned property is not to be dealt with at the absolute discretion of the executive. Certain precepts and principles have to be observed. Public interest is the paramount

consideration. One of the methods of securing the public interest, when it is considered necessary to dispose of a property, is to sell the property by public auction or by inviting tenders. Though that

is the ordinary rule, it is not an invariable rule. There may be situations where there are compelling reasons necessitating departure from the rule but then the reasons for the departure must be rational and should not be suggestive of discrimination. Appearance of public justice is as important as doing justice. Nothing should be done which gives an appearance of bias, jobbery or nepotism."

Corporations buying elections

2012-02-03T06:24:00.001-08:00

AlterNet / By Steven Rosenfeld

8 COMMENTS

The 18 Most Secretive Corporations in the Citizens United Era

These companies hide their electioneering and don't care. But here's how we can change that.

January 31, 2012 |

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What do these big corporations—Amazon, CostCo, NIKE, Google, Occidental Petroleum, Qualcomm, Berkshire Hathaway, Devon Energy, Walgreen, Halliburton, Walmart, Caterpillar, Allstate, Bank of America, Lowe's, Sunoco, Mastercard and CVS Caremark—all have in common?

These are the most secretive, least transparent corporations when it comes to revealing their spending on electioneering, even though they are all publicly traded and have received more than a $1.3 billion in federal contracts since 2010. And they are not about to change.

That's the conclusion of the Coalition for Accountability in Political Spending (CAPS), a non-profit organization of public officials who manage more than $1 trillion in pension assets for 90 million people. It was created by the New York City Public Advocate's Office and has been lobbying these states to adopt political disclosure laws for these kinds of secretive firms.

"These companies have yet to take even basic steps to keep their treasury dollars from flooding into our elections," said New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio. "Unless we keep wealthy special interests from buying out of our elections, we could see the Oval Office bought right out from under us in November."

The CAPS Coalition is part of a growing movement among public interest groups to pressure corporations, particularly those doing business with government, to disclose their political spending. The Citizens United decision by the Supreme Court in 2010 held that corporations and unions could directly contribute to 'independent' political campaigns.

The opening months of the 2012 presidential campaign has seen an explosion in that spending, fueling so-called super PACS that claim to be politically independent but often are run by candidates' former staffers and consultants. The super PACs have bought the majority of the most negative television ads seen in 2012.

"If corporations are so intent on buying our democracy, they should have the courage to tell us what they are spending," CAPS executive director Kate Coyne McCoy said. "These companies profit from our tax dollars. If they are buying a politician's favor with those dollars we have a right to know."

CAPS has taken a two-prong approach to pushing disclosure. It first seeks to pressure the companies to adopt transparent policies themselves. If that does not work—and it largely has not—then CAPS is shifting its focus to state legislatures where it is pushing tough "pay-to-play" proposals that would ban the awarding of government contracts to a firm that gave more than $500 a year to a candidate or $1,000 to a political party. They also would ban government contracting with companies that have contributed to political action committees or these supposedly independent advocacy groups.

But CAPS primary focus has been a naming and shaming campaign to pressure large corporations to disclose their electioneering.

Its ranking of the least transparent corporations is based on three major studies done in 2011 on corporate governance, including one by institutional investors. CAPS sent letters to the companies seeking four actions: to fully disclose all political spending in a timely manner; to not contribute to political intermediaries that mask donor identity; to tell trade associations that their dues cannot not be used for electioneering; and that corporate boards approve electioneering expenses before it occurs, not afterward.

CAPS initially contacted 20 companies. Only three responded. Sprint-Nextel and Walt Disney both said they would change their disclosure policy after being named on CAPS' 20-worst list last fall. Sprint announced it would post its 2010 expenses online and did so. Walt Disney told CAPS that it would do the same, but its index of 2011 news releases does not list any on political activities. Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway said his firm's 70-plus subsidiaries each make their own determinations on political spending.

Another front in the effort to create greater corporate disclosure in the Citizens United era has been an effort to lobbythe Securities and Exchange Commission to issue corporate governance rules that require greater and more timely disclosure of electoral spending.

Similarly, advocacy groups have been urging President Obama to sign an executive order requiring federal contractors to disclose their political spending. The White House leaked a draft order to do so last April, prompting Washington's business lobby to cry foul and aggressively push back.

In late December, members of various public interest groups were invited back to the White House to discuss the proposed executive order with White House legal staffers, raising hopes that Obama might announce such an order in the State of the Union, but that did not happen.

Lisa Gilbert, deputy of director of Public Citizen's Congress Watch said that the White House continues to discuss the executive order proposal, saying "we do not hear anything that suggests they are not working on it," although she could not predict if the White House would eventually issue the order.

In general, the president did not receive high marks for his political reform remarks in the State of the Union. He said he would sign a bill banning inside stock trading by members of Congress—which is moving on Capital Hill. He also suggested banning top "bundlers" or fundraisers in congressional races from lobbying, which astute critics said would not affect his re-election campaign. He also did not mention Citizens United or the order on federal contractor disclosure.

But Warren Buffet's secretary sat in the First Lady's box—signaling that Buffet's help on tax reform, as he has often said he pays a lower tax rate than his secretary—may be what matters more to Obama, not Berkshire Hathaway's transparency on electioneering.

Steven Rosenfeld covers democracy issues for AlterNet and is the author of "Count My Vote: A Citizen's Guide to Voting" (AlterNet Books, 2008).

Dr. S. Akhtar Ehtisham
(607) 776-3336
P.O. Box 469,
Bath NY 14810
USA
Blog syedehtisham.blogspot.com
All religions try to take over the establishment and if they fail, they collaborate with it, be it feudal or capitalist.

UID, NPR and all that Jazz

2012-02-03T06:20:00.001-08:00

http://ibnlive.in.com/blogs/jaimonjoseph/326/63129/uid-npr-and-all-that-jazz.html

*UID, NPR and all that Jazz*

Jaimon Joseph
Some three months ago, my wife, her sister and their parents drove seven
odd kilometers from where we live, to register for a Universal Identity or
UID number. They've all got one now. Strangely, my wife got it about a
month after the rest of the family did, even though they'd all enrolled
together.

I was working that day, so about a month later, I hopped across to an
apartment complex just ten minutes from our place, where I'd heard there
was a UID camp in progress. I stood in line for maybe half an hour, then
got myself photographed, fingerprinted and my iris scanned.

Curiously, the young lady who took all those records, couldn't even type
properly. She'd pound the keyboard with one finger - I remember wondering
if she was determined to destroy it. As if in revenge, the computer refused
to accept my full address. She banged it in at least thrice and the
computer would mysteriously change it to something else.

Another chap came across and if I remember right, he deliberately didn't
fill in the PIN CODE. That's when the software accepted my address. But
even then, in a short hand sort of way - I'm not sure if it's intelligible
enough for Mr Nilenkani's team to actually post me a letter with my UID
number.

I checked with my parents who'd registered themselves just two days before
at the same camp. They told me the attendants made it a point to record
their email addresses and even filled in details of their existing bank
accounts. Just two days later, in my case, they didn't ask for either. But
they automatically ticked a box which said I'd like to open a new bank
account. Without even asking me - though the UIDAI guidelines, quoted in
various articles on the web, apparently say they must.

A month after that, I discovered there was a UID camp happening right
within my apartment. For such a supposedly hi-tech, project, couldn't the
registration process have been just a wee bit more sorted out? How hard
would it have been to tell the residents of an area when and where these
camps would be held?

Messers Chidambaram, Nilenkani and Ahluwalia have just decided all of us
will have to do all of this all over again - this time for the National
Population Register (NPR). This is a compulsory scheme, part of the Indian
government census apparently.

And so this Sunday, my mom and brother walked to a NPR camp at a government
school very close to home, to enroll for NPR. It was painless. But
essentially they redid all the scans they'd done earlier.

The rest of the family will probably follow suit, once we know when and
where the next NPR camp is being held. But my father's been working in the
northeast for sometime now. If he can't attend the next camp in Delhi -
will he be enrolled at a camp in the NE? And what complications might that
entail?

But let's put aside a single family's minor discomfort and confusion. What
exactly are all those brainy folks in the government aiming at? First they
scan everyone twice, using two separate teams, with separate sums of money
- tax payers money.

Then they spend some more cash comparing the scans from both teams. If
there's any mismatch, the National Population Register's biometric scans
are used and the Universal Identity biometric scan discarded. But that
doesn't mean the UID team will give back any of the money they spent, if
they get any of the scans wrong. Not fair? Well - life's not fair.

But what do I get after all this spending? I get a silicon chip embedded in
a smart card, with a UID number embossed on it. What's the card good for?
It proves I'm Indian. But don't my Passport, voter I card, PAN card,
driver's license, ration card all do the same thing? Why spend all that
money on something they've already proved?

What's the UID number good for? In itself - nothing. Turns out it wasn't
even compulsory to sign up for it. But Nilenkani and team are slowly
dreaming up schemes where everything in India - from hospital bills to
school certificates, from bank accounts to your monthly ration, will all be
generated only if you have a UIDAI number. So might as well get it.

Only problem is, nobody's told me what they'll do with all the computer
data they get, when I log in with my UID number. Let me explain. We're all
sick of marketing calls and pesky SMSs right? Why do we get them?

Because marketing guys went out and collected our phone numbers. Where did
they get them from? Who knows - from our emails, Twitter messages, from
door to door surveys, from cell phone shops, from service providers like
Airtel and Vodaphone?

It doesn't matter - they probably paid money to get our cell numbers. Why?
Because they could individually send ads to each of us. And once they
started, the government, despite its best intentions hasn't been able to
shut them up.

Now imagine a word where I "log" in with my UID number for anything I need.
For medicines at a chemist, for a doctors appointment, to open a bank
account. In an age of smartphones, I'll have smart apps that use my UID
number to order Pizza from the neighbourhood store or book train tickets.
Every time I use my number, there's a computer trace of where I was, what I
was doing. Seems harmless.

But the devil's in the detail. There's no law yet, that prevents smart
marketing guys from reading those computer traces. And for tailoring ads
for me based on what they think I'm most interested in.

Here's an obviously farcial example. Let's call it science fiction right
now. Something I dreamed up. But something that I'm still a wee bit worried
about.

Let's say I have a bout of erectile dysfunction a few years from now.
Nothing unusual - male menopause does strange things to people. But it's
not something I'd want everyone to know.

So I visit a sex specialist who has a clinic on the other end of town.
Where no one knows me. Before giving me an appointment he asks for my UID
number and feeds it into his computer - because he isn't allowed to
entertain any patients who don't have UID.

The computer rings up the UID server, the central database - to check if I
really am who I say I am. The server says yes and has no further part in
this story.

Doctors being what they are - my specialist insists I come back for more
tests. So over a period of two months, I rack up say four visits. So that's
about four calls by the doctor's computer to the UID server.

That's where the private companies come in. To verify my identity, the
computer sent data over the internet. That data can be tracked, either on
the web, or on the doctors PC. Once they know I visit a sex specialist
often, how long do you think it'll be before I start getting ads for
Viagra? Or worse - how long before massage parlours start calling me up
with "Best, international models!"

I think both the UID and NPR teams claim the data exchange between
computers is going to be encrypted. But technology being what it is, how
long before hackers break that encryption? But anyway, that's still science
fiction.

Science reality says one can't trust computers to be 100 per cent accurate
when reading biometric data. The technology is simply not mature enough.
You'd have experienced that every time you log in to office - notice how
the fingerprint reader refuses to recognize you and makes you try again and
again?

Apparently, the device used to scan your eye's IRIS - can take different
readings in different levels of light. Some international airports have had
that problem, they're very brightly lit and the readings their IRIS
scanners take often play havoc at the immigration counters.

A study carried out by the UID team on 40,000 people in rural Karnataka,
Andhra Pradesh and Bihar discovered an error margin of 0.0025 to 0.25 per
cent in recognizing people by their biometric identity. Obviously, a very
small number.

But place that error margin on a population of 1.2 billion people and
you'll get millions of people who are wrongly identified. Who the computer
refuses to recognize as a bonafide, registered citizen. Imagine being told
by a computer, that you don't exist.

Bengal: Where the Mind is now WITH fear

2012-02-03T06:19:00.001-08:00

Didn't the Bengalis believe anymore in what Tagore wrote:

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free ...

চিত্ত যেথা ভয়শূন্য, উচ্চ যেথা শির, জ্ঞান যেথা মুক্ত ...

India is no longer the heaven of freedom that Tagore thought it would be after it became independent.

ভারতেরে সেই স্বর্গে করো জাগরিত॥

===

Taslima book launch cancelled after threats

Kolkata: Controversial author Taslima Nasreen's book launch scheduled to be held at the Kolkata Book Fair today was cancelled by the organisers amid threats of protests.

Sources said that organisations like the Milli Ittehad had complained to the police, warning of trouble over the book's release. The police informed the organisers, the Booksellers and Publishers Guild, who reportedly also got independent calls protesting against the proposed book launch. The organisers then told Taslima Nasreen's publishers that the book could not be released at the official auditorium.

The book was, however, released later by the publishers at their own stall at the fair venue by noted author Mahasweta Devi's son and writer Nabarun Bhattacharya.

'Nirbasan' (Exile), which is the latest instalment in the series of Taslima Nasreen's memoirs, gives an account of the author's plight following her expulsion from Kolkata in 2007. The West Bengal government whisked Taslima away to an undisclosed location following protests which escalated into a riot-like situation in November 2007. Taslima was then moved to Sweden in 2008 as the West Bengal government refused to accommodate her, citing law and order problems.

Fundamentalists issued three fatwas in Bangladesh against her while four were issued against her in India.

Today's incident came barely a week after protests over his book, The Satanic Verses, and security threats forced author Salman Rushdie to stay away from the Jaipur Literature Festival. Protesters at the fest venue also prompted the cancellation of a proposed video link with Rushdie from London on January 24, the fifth and last day of the event.

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/taslima-book-launch-cancelled-after-threats-172317?pfrom=home-otherstories&cp&cp

__._,_.___

Dalits' Houses Set Afire, 8 Held in Rajasthan

2012-02-03T06:17:00.001-08:00

Dalits Media Watch

News Updates 02.02.12

Dalits' Houses Set Afire, 8 Held in Rajasthan - Out Look

http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=749899

Interim relief ordered for rape victim - The Hindu

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article2851419.ece

Suicide pact: Woman succumbs to burns - IBN Live

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/suicide-pact-woman-succumbs-to-burns/226215-60-117.html

Out Look

Dalits' Houses Set Afire, 8 Held in Rajasthan

http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=749899

PTI | Jodhpur | Feb 01, 2012

Houses of Dalits were burnt by members of an upper caste at Padasla village in Osian near Jodhpur late last night, after which police arrested 8 persons today in connection with the arson.

The situation turned tense in the village following the incident and people from Dalit community assembled there demanding the earrest of the accused.

According to Richhpal Singh, DSP (Osian), a group of miscreants from the upper caste said to be 20-25 in number barged into the village riding autos, 4-wheelers and two-wheelers at about 11.30 pm on Tuesday and attacked some huts constructed on a land which the assailants claimed to be theirs and set them ablaze.

They also pelted stones on them and fired some shots in the air before fleeing, he said adding one person has sustained minor injuries.

Singh said some people from Dalit community have their huts built on a piece of 2-bigha land.

"Recently, they had constructed a hut on a land adjacent to this land, which when come to the notice of a person from the upper caste, who claimed it to be his land, and he, along with others of his community, came to evict them from the land and set the huts ablaze", the police officer told.

The situation in the village is under control now, he said adding "we have registered case against 19 persons under different sections of IPC including SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act".

According to an official, the issues related to land conflicts are on the rise in the villages, especially in the light of soaring land prices.

"It is very common that a land is registered in the name of some person but inhabited by some other person and that too for years in the villages like in this case. But now, with the price shooting up, those, who have the land registered in their name, are coming to claim such lands", he said adding that taking the advantage of the absence of the documents showing their ownership, miscreants are increasingly claiming such land, which is leading to conflict.

The Hindu

Interim relief ordered for rape victim

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article2851419.ece

Special Correspondent

The National Human Rights Commission has asked the Bihar government to pay an interim relief of Rs.5 lakh to a woman, who was raped by a Home Guard at a police outpost in Bagah village of Champaran West.

The Chief Secretary should send to the NHRC the proof of payment within four weeks and the district authorities should inform it whether the victim belonged to SC/ST community. The incident occurred on March 4, 2011.

The Commission took cognisance of the case on a complaint by one Prabir Kumar Das on July 11. In response to the Commission's proceedings and notices, Bihar had informed that the Home Guard was arrested and court proceedings were initiated against him. The process for termination of his services was also in progress.

The Assistant Sub-Inspector of the police outpost was suspended and departmental proceedings initiated against him. This is said to be the first time in recent times that the Commission had ordered an interim relief of as high as Rs.5 lakh to a rape victim.

IBN Live

Suicide pact: Woman succumbs to burns

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/suicide-pact-woman-succumbs-to-burns/226215-60-117.html

Express News Service , The New Indian Express

MALKANGIRI: A woman died of burn injuries while the condition of her acquaintance, Saurav Das, is stated to be stable in the SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack. He was admitted to the medical with 80 per cent burns on Tuesday.

The widow, Sukhalata Dash (35), died on way to district headquarters hospital on Monday morning. Sukhalata was an assistant teacher in a Podia-based SC/ST Department-managed school while Saurav works with an NGO, Harmony. The two were found in a critical condition in her government quarter on the school premises early Monday morning by school headmaster Prana Krushna Behera.

The woman, in her statement to the police minutes before death, said both of them had decided to commit suicide and hence doused themselves with kerosene. Saurav set her on fire and he too caught the flames, said Malkangiri IIC RK Pati. Sukhalata's husband died two years back and she is survived by her only daughter, he said.

Podia police have started probing the case following an FIR lodged by Mausumi Tripathy, a relative of Sukhalata.

--
.Arun Khote
On behalf of
Dalits Media Watch Team
(An initiative of "Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre-PMARC")
...................................................................
Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre- PMARC has been initiated with the support from group of senior journalists, social activists, academics and intellectuals from Dalit and civil society to advocate and facilitate Dalits issues in the mainstream media. To create proper & adequate space with the Dalit perspective in the mainstream media national/ International on Dalit issues is primary objective of the PMARC.

CNDP Statement on violence against Koodankuam protesters

2012-02-03T06:16:00.001-08:00

From: CNDP India <cndpindia@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2012 13:22:40 +0530
Subject: CNDP Statement on violence against Koodankuam protesters

*Statement against violence on anti-nuclear protesters in Koodankulam *

*February 03, 2012*

On their way to attend talks with the Central Government Expert Panel, a
group of activists agitating against the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project
in Tamil Nadu were attacked by a violent group. The miscreants are
believed to be supporters of the local Hindu Munnani group. 20 women
accompanying M. Pushparayan and Jesuraj, the representatives of People's
Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) in the dialogue with the Central
Government's expert committee were beaten badly and are hospitalized.

We condemn this heinous act in strongest terms and demand that the violent
miscreants should be brought to book.

It is extremely unfortunate that the establishment is seen indulging in
intimidating and violent tactics against people who are struggling to
safeguard their lives and livelihoods. The talk between the Central
Government and the protesters is at the fourth round. While the Central
Government has declined to adequately answer the questions raised by PMANE
and even to share the documents requested by it, it has resorted to
religious profiling, intimidation, and now open mob-violence against the
protesters. The movement in Koodankulam has been entirely nonviolent and
has maturely denied any pretext to the Central Government for repression.
The recent incident is being seen as incitement for violence. a section of
the media supporting the Central Govt's stand on the nuclear power plant
has recently indulged in similar incitement by publishing mobile number and
contact details of leading activists, along with a malicious article with
baseless hate-mongering against them.

We demand that this direct and indirect arm-twisting should be immediately
stopped. People are agitating against nuclear power projects in several
other parts of the country and accusing them of being foreign-funded and
religion-backed is simply malicious and defamatory. We reiterate our
demand that the Central Government should go for an open and broad-based
national consultation on nuclear energy before going for such a massive
expansion.

*For CNDP*

Achin Vanaik

Admiral L Ramdas

Anil Chaudhary

Amarjeet Kaur

Praful Bidwai

N D Jayaprakash

Sukla Sen

--

Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace (CNDP)

A 124/6 Katwaria Sarai, New Delhi-16

Telefax: 011-26517814

Web : www.cndpindia.org

Request for extension of one week time for EWS parents to apply in Unaided Private Schools

2012-02-03T06:15:00.001-08:00

SOCIAL JURIST

A CIVIL RIGHTS GROUP

03.02.2012

To,

The Director of Education,

Govt. of NCT of Delhi,

Old Secretariat Building,

Civil Lines, Delhi -110054.

Subject: - Request for extension of one week time for EWS parents to apply in Unaided Private Schools

Dear Sir,

The Hon'ble Delhi High Court by judgment dated 31.01.2012 in W.P. (C) 636/2012 in case of Federation of Public Schools Vs. GNCT of Delhi has laid down the guidelines in terms of which the distance criteria for admission of children belonging to disadvantage group and economically weaker section under 25% reservation in Unaided Private Schools shall be 1 Km, then 3 Kms., then 6 Kms., and then beyond 6 Kms. Moreover, the Hon'ble Delhi High Court has allowed two weeks more time to the schools to complete the admission process in terms of these guidelines.

We should like to bring to your notice that large number of parents did not apply to schools due to confusion having been created by your department which has now been set right by the Hon'ble Delhi High Court.

It is therefore, requested that keeping a larger interest in mind, your department should immediately issue a directive allowing one week more time to parents to apply to the schools who could not apply earlier for the reasons stated above.

With Regards

Kusum Sharma, Advocate

President, Social Jurist

M-09818026552

Koshish (COVA’s Theater Group) Wins 3 Prizes in National Festival- Signature Campaign Launched for Activation of Area Sabhas and Ward Committees of GHMC

2012-02-03T06:14:00.001-08:00

Koshish (COVA's Theater Group) Wins 3 Prizes in National Festival- Signature Campaign Launched for Activation of Area Sabhas and Ward Committees of GHMC

Dear all,

As part of the Two Month Campaign that was Launched to Activate Area Sabhas and Ward Committees of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), a Signature Campaign was Launched on 2^nd February 2012 at Peoples Plaza, Necklace Road, Hyderabad. Hundreds of people, especially youth participated with enthusiasm, signed the petition and the banner. The Signature Campaign will continue in different localities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad for two months with the objective of making people aware and also to put pressure on GHMC to conduct the meetings of Area Sabhas and Ward Committees regularly and as per stipulation. The event received good Print and TV coverage. News paper clippings attached.

Great News from Koshish Theatre Group!!

Koshish (COVA's Theater Group) Won 3 Prizes in All India Multilingual Children, Youth and Women's Play, Dance and Mime Competitions 2012 organised by The Theatre Movement, Orissa at Cuttack from 20^th to 31^st January 2012. Over 200 groups from all over the country participated in this 11 Day program.

Koshish Theater Group bagged the First Prize for Mime, Second Prize for the original Play Rajhans - conceived and enacted by Koshish depicting the efficiency and compassion of governance if a common man becomes a ruler. The Third Prize was bagged by Ali Ahmad of Koshish for Folk Dance.

The winning Troupe comprised of Dr. Gopi Krishna (Story, Script Writer and Director), Basharat Hussain, Rahul, Ali Ahmad, Srikant, Nikhilesh, Lokesh, Arif and Ram. Back stage support was provided by Shiva and Rajesh. All these (except Dr. Gopi Krishna) are youth from the old city of Hyderabad studying from 10^th Standard to MBA.

** ** **

Media Coverage

Eenadu

http://epaper.eenadu.net/svww_zoomart.php?Artname=20120203m_003102004&ileft=496&itop=483&zoomRatio=230&AN=20120203m_003102004

Vaartha

--
COVA (Confederation of Voluntary Associations) is a national network of voluntary organizations dedicated to the issues of social harmony, peace and justice. The prime focus of COVA is on citizenship rights and on perspective building for harmony and peace in South Asia. Through direct programmes and by networking with other CSOs, COVA organises perspective building activities and programs, carries out campaigns, and conducts research for influencing diverse sections of civil society and the state apparatus to adopt inclusive, secular and egalitarian outlook and policies that would foster rights and secure justice and peace for all.

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कमाई से लथपथ अग्निपथ! बाजार का …से …के लिए!

2012-02-03T06:11:00.001-08:00

कमाई से लथपथ अग्निपथ! बाजार का …से …के लिए!

http://mohallalive.com/2012/02/03/agneepath-review-by-jugnu-shardey/

आमुख, सिनेमा

कमाई से लथपथ अग्निपथ! बाजार का …से …के लिए!

3 FEBRUARY 2012 NO COMMENT

[X]

♦ जुगनू शारदेय

आम तौर पर वैसी फिल्में नहीं देख पाता हूं, जो बॉक्सऑफिस हिट मानी जाती हैं। इन्हें साल छह महीने बाद ढेर सारे विज्ञापनों के साथ अपने ही तय किये तीन चार महीनों के ब्रेक में देखता हूं। कभी-कभी तो ऐसा भी होता है कि समझ में नहीं आता कि हिंदी की फिल्म देख रहा हूं या कि किसी दक्षिण भारतीय भाषा की फिल्म। यह भी कह सकते हैं कि टेलीविजन पर इन डब फिल्मों का लती हो गया हूं। हाल ही हिंदी में डब की हुई बाजीराव फाइटर देखी थी। पता चला कि यह तो अपने सिंघम का ओरिजनल है। पर ऐसा नहीं है कि हिंदी में ओरिजनल फिल्में नहीं बनती हैं। खूब बनती हैं। अब उसमें दो-चार दृश्य किसी अंग्रेजी सिनेमा से मारे होते हैं, तो इसे प्रेरणा कहा जाता है। ऐसी ही एक प्रेरक फिल्म प्लेयर्स से इस साल की शुरुआत हुई थी। इसके बारे में हमें बार-बार बताया गया कि यह ओरिजनल इटालियन जॉब की ऑफिसियल नकल है। अब हम हिंदुस्तानी नकल देखते-देखते इतना दुखी हो चुके हैं कि हमने प्लेयर्स को भाव ही नहीं दिया। हमारे पास भी अपना ओरिजनल नकल अपने असली नाम से आने वाला था। आया भी 26 जनवरी गणतंत्र दिवस के महान अवसर पर, अग्निपथ!

यह एक अतिमहान फिल्म है। इसकी वजह यह नहीं है कि अभी तक 2012 की सबसे बड़ी कमाऊ फिल्म है। कारण यह भी नहीं कि रोज-रोज का एक नया मुहावरा गढ़ने वाला मुन्ना भाई एमबीबीएस के मुन्ना भाई के नायक संजय दत्त इसमें खलनायक हैं। हमें पहली बार पता चला कि भैंसा जैसे बदन पर काला कपड़ा पहन कर सिर पर बालमुंडा आदमी डरावना भी होता है। फिल्म बनाने वालों को पता था कि हम नादान हैं, उसे जोकर भी समझ सकते हैं, इसलिए परदे पर इसके अवतरण के साथ हमें बता दिया जाता है कि यह कांचा चीना है और बड़ा डरावना है। हम डरे भी। मजा भी आया क्योंकि हमारे साथ सुबह-सुबह साढ़े नौ बजे के शो में डेढ़ सौ रुपये के सस्ते टिकट खरीद कर साथ में देखने वाले नौजवान बड़ा रस ले रहे थे कांचा चीना के गीतावादी डलाग पर।

हमें भी अपनी अधेड़ावस्था का कांचा चीना डैनी डेंग्‍जोप्पा याद आया। 1990 तक वह खानदानी विलन हो चुके थे। यह और बात है कि उनके पास कोई भी ऐसा डलाग नहीं था कि लोग गुनगुना सकें कि कितने आदमी थे रे और न ही उनके पास मोगांबो खुश हुआ जैसा खुशी का माहौल बना। न ही वह हमारे सतरु भइया जैसे विलन बने कि परदे पर आएं तो हमारे जैसे तब के नौजवान ताली बजाएं। पर इक्कसवीं सदी के पहले युग के नौजवानों को मजा आया मुन्ना भाई के कांचाचीनापन पर।

बचपन से ही हम इस बात को जानते थे कि अंग्रेजी में फिल्म समीक्षा लिखने वाले यह जरूर बताते थे कि फलां फिल्म हॉलीवुड की टंला फिल्म की नकल है। यहां भी हमारे एक अधेड़ दोस्त ने हमें बताया कि कांचा चीना ऑफ संजय दत्त तो हॉलीवुडीय महान अभिनेता मार्लन ब्रांडो की पिक्चर एकोल्पिकस नाउ के कर्नल कुर्ट की नकल हैं। कहां वह एक मिनिटिया भूमिका मार्लन ब्रांडो की और कहां यह अपने आप ही गीता पाठ करता हुआ हास्यास्पद विलन। हम बुढ़ा जो गये हैं। पर हमारे इक्कसवीं सदी के नौजवान तो अभी से अधेड़ हो गये हैं। पर हमने नौजवानों से कुछ सीखा है। उनमें से एक है फेस बुक। यह इंटरनेट का खुला सा बंद मंच है। इस मंच पर लोग अपनी भड़ास और व्यथा व्यक्त करते हैं। वहां हमारे गुरू परिवार की एक बेटी ने जाहिर की अग्निपथ पर अपनी व्यथा। बेटी अनपढ़ नहीं है। समझदार पत्रकार है। उसे अग्निपथ में बड़ी महान हिंसा दिखी और ऋतिक रोशन विस्मयकारी दिखे। हिंसा पर हमने भी फेसबुकिया दिया कि बीसवीं सदी के सातवें दशक से जो सिनेमाई समाज बना, जिसे विज्ञापन की दुनिया ने इक्कसवीं सदी का महानायक बना दिया, अमिताभ बच्चन ही जिम्मेदार हैं। हालांकि सच यह है कि वह जिम्मेदार नहीं हैं। जिम्मेदार तो उनका कभी का मित्र परिवार गांधी परिवार का शासन रहा है। सिनेमा में इसका चलन हमें एक चतुर सुजान ने हमें हमारी नौजवानी के दिनों में समझाया था कि हैरॉल्ड रॉबिंस के अंग्रेजी उपन्यास कॉरपेटबेगर से यह परंपरा चली कि बाप का जहां पर कत्ल हुआ हो, वहीं पर जा कर बेटा बाप के कातिल को मारता है। अभी हमारे नौजवान फिल्मी समीक्षकों ने फिर से याद दिलाया कि ओरिजनल अग्निपथ हॉलीवुडीय स्कारफेस से प्रेरित थी। उस स्कारफेस में हीरो थे अल पचिनो – बेचारे हमारे तरह ही बुढ़ा गये हैं। पर अंग्रजीदां नौजवां और टीवीदेखक ज्ञानी उन्हें गीता ज्ञान से भरपूर गॉडफादर सीरिज से जानते हैं। बड़ी वाली गॉडफादर में मॉर्लन ब्रांडो ही हीरो थे यानी गॉडफादर। उसमें उन्‍होंने अपनी आवाज बदली थी। हमारे आज के सिनेमाई सदी के महानायक अमिताभ बच्चन ने भी ओरिजनल अग्निपथ में अपनी आवाज बदली थी। बदले में पाया था भारत सरकार का सर्वश्रेष्ठ एक्टर का पुरस्कार। पता नहीं विस्मयकारी ऋतिक रोशन को बिना आवाज बदले कितने पुरस्कार मिलते हैं। लेकिन यह कहने में क्या जाता है कि इस अग्निपथ में वह लथपथ नहीं हुए। पर जैसे अमिताभ बच्चन ब्रांडो या पचिनो की ऊंचाई पर नहीं पहुंच सकते, वैसे ही रोशन भी अमिताभ बच्चन की ऊंचाई पर नहीं पहुंच सकते।

जवानी से अधेड़ावस्था में पहुंच रहे हमारे ओरिजनल अग्निपथ में एक थे मिथुन चक्रवर्ती नारियलवाला। अब वह गायब हैं। अब सामने आ गये हैं ताउम्र रोमेंटिक नाच गाना करने वाले ऋषि कपूर, क्षमा करें रिशी कपुर। हिंदी सिनेमा में हिंदी नाम बदल जाया करते हैं। आज कल हमें टीवी बता रहा है कि देखिए सुर्यवंषम्। हम मान लेते हैं कि यही सही है सूर्यवंशम् गलत है। तो हमारे नजवान रणबीर कपूर के पिता श्री ऋषि कपूर यहां हैं रौफ लाला यानी रउफ लाला। इस फिल्म में बेटी बेचवा हैं। ड्रग बेचवा हैं। काफी दिनों से हीरो के अगले पायदान चरित्र अभिनेता की भूमिका निभा रहे हैं। यहां उनको भी विलन कहा गया। पर कहां खुश हुआ मोगांबो। अगर गेट अप से ही कोई विलन बन जाए तो लोग कैसे याद करें असली वाले विलनों को। पर हैं तो हैं।

आज कल हिंदी सिनेमा में दो शब्द बहुत सुनाई पड़ते हैं – दोनो अंग्रेजी के शब्द हैं। एक है रेट्रो और दूसरा कल्ट। किसी जमाने में हम रेट्रोस्पेक्टिव बोलते थे। हमारे एक धांसू फिल्म समीक्षक मित्र सिंहदर्शन लिखते थे। हम फांसू लिखते बोलते थे सिंहावलोकन। अब इसको कैसे कहा जाए सिंहा – सो सहज लगता है रेट्रो। कुछ कुछ मनमोहन सिंह की इकॉनॉमी जैसा जो है भी और नहीं भी है। वैसे ही है कल्ट। हमें बार बार बताया गया है कि अग्निपथ फिल्म नहीं कल्ट फिल्म है। काहे का कल्ट। प्रतिशोध का – बदला का। तो बनी पढ़ी हैं ऐसी न जाने कितनी कल्ट फिल्में।

तो अपने आज के अग्निपथ का बाजारवादी सच यह है कि यह बाजार की दुनिया में खरा सोना साबित हुआ है। बाजार में यह इस साल की अभी तक की बाकी फिल्मों की तरह लथपथ नहीं हुआ है। बाकी जिसको जो कहना हो, अपनी अंगरेजन कैटरिना कैफ परदे पर ही चिकनी चमेली दिखती है। पर वह भी तो अपनी शीला की जवानी तक नहीं पहुंच पायी।

जैसे हमारे लोकतंत्र के बारे में कहा जाता है कि यह जनता का, जनता से, जनता के लिए है, वैसे ही मारधाड़ से भरपूर अग्निपथ नये फिल्मी बाजार का, बाजार से, बाजार के लिए है। आमीन!

(जुगनू शारदेय। हिंदी के जाने-माने पत्रकार। जन, दिनमान और धर्मयुग से शुरू कर वे कई पत्र-पत्रिकाओं के संपादन/प्रकाशन से जुड़े रहे। पत्रकारिता संस्थानों और इलेक्ट्रोनिक मीडिया में शिक्षण/प्रशिक्षण का भी काम किया। उनके घुमक्कड़ स्वभाव ने उन्हें जंगलों में भी भटकने के लिए प्रेरित किया। जंगलों के प्रति यह लगाव वहाँ के जीवों के प्रति लगाव में बदला। सफेद बाघ पर उनकी चर्चित किताब मोहन प्यारे का सफेद दस्तावेज हिंदी में वन्य जीवन पर लिखी अनूठी किताब है। फिलहाल पटना में रह कर स्वतंत्र लेखन। उनसे jshardeya@gmail.com पर संपर्क कर सकते हैं।)

हमारी तटस्थता की शिकार फिल्मों में ‘थैंक्स मां’ भी है

2012-02-03T06:09:00.001-08:00

हमारी तटस्थता की शिकार फिल्मों में 'थैंक्स मां' भी है

http://mohallalive.com/2012/02/03/shashi-bhoshan-writeup-on-thanks-maa/

आमुख, सिनेमा

हमारी तटस्थता की शिकार फिल्मों में 'थैंक्स मां' भी है

3 FEBRUARY 2012 ONE COMMENT

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♦ शशि भूषण

कभी फिल्म देखना आवारगी हुआ करती थी। लोग पैसे बचाकर फिल्में देखते थे और बदनाम रहते थे। फिल्मी गाने गानेवाले नौजवानों को लड़कियां पसंद करती थीं, लेकिन उनके साथ उठना-बैठना मंजूर नहीं करती थीं। आज जब किसी को सिर्फ शौक के लिए फिल्में देखने को भागते, लंबी लाइन में घंटे भर खिसकते देखता हूं, तो मन लगाव से भर जाता है। कोई बौद्धिकता नहीं, कोई दावा नहीं। फिल्में देखनी है कि देखे बिना नहीं रह सकते। अकेले देखने से सख्त गुरेज। जो ज्ञान के लिए फिल्में देखें, वे चूतिया।

हिंदी में शानदार फिल्मों की कमी नहीं। ऐसी दर्जनों फिल्में हैं, जिनमें आंदोलित करने की क्षमता है। वे हमारे भीतर की जड़ताएं तोड़ने में सक्षम हैं। जो चुपचाप अपना काम करती रहती हैं। तमाम भुलावों और भव्य विज्ञापनों को छोड़ कर हम ऐसी फिल्मों की शरण में जाते हैं। वे हमें बिना शर्त अपनी गोद ले लेती हैं। हम उनकी करुणा में भीग भीग जाते हैं। उनके क्रोध में जबड़े भींच लेते हैं। वे हमें हंसना-रोना-लड़ना-प्यार करना और अपना हक लेना सिखाती हैं। लेकिन देखने में यह आता है कि हमारा समाज ऐसी परिवर्तनकामी, सच्ची फिल्मों का साथ नहीं देता। जिनके ऊपर ऐसी फिल्मों को प्रकाश में लाने की सामर्थ्य और जिम्मेदारी है, वे कृपण हो जाते हैं। ऐसी फिल्मों के अभिनेता स्टार नहीं कहलाते। इनके निर्देशक वाजिब पहचान नहीं पाते। जैसा कि जीवन में होता है, लोग ईमानदारों को छोड़कर आगे बढ़ जाते हैं, ये फिल्में भी हमारी तटस्थता की शिकार हो जाती हैं। जबकि होना यह चाहिए कि बिना किसी गुणा भाग के सहज फिल्मों को प्रश्रय मिले। उनके पक्ष में अच्छा माहौल बने। वे लोगों तक बार-बार पहुंचें।

ये बातें मैं एक खास फिल्म को ध्यान में रखकर कह रहा हूं। फिल्म का नाम है, थैंक्स मां। आपमें से अधिकांश ने, जो फिल्मों पर पढ़ने के आदी होंगे, यह फिल्म जरूर देखी होगी। इरफान कमाल की यह पहली फिल्म मार्च 2010 के पहले सप्ताह में रिलीज हुई थी। यू/ए सर्टिफिकेट के साथ। हालांकि यह फिल्म शिशुओं पर है और मुख्य कलाकार भी बच्चे ही हैं इसमें। रघुवीर यादव, जो फिल्म की कहानी के केंद्र एक अस्पताल में गार्ड की यादगार भूमिका में हैं, को छोड़ दिया जाए, तो एक भी जाना-माना नाम बड़ी भूमिका में नहीं है इस फिल्म में।

फिल्म शुरू होती है रेलवे प्लेटफार्म के एक दृश्य से। एक बच्ची जिस पर से मां-बाप की नजर अभी-अभी हटी है, पटरी की ओर बढ़ रही है। सीटी बजाती ट्रेन प्लेटफार्म में लगने ही वाली है। यात्रियों की भीड़ आ-जा रही है, पर किसी को बच्ची की परवाह नहीं है। वह तेजी से घुटनों के बल ट्रेन की तरफ जा रही है। यह दृश्य पूरा होते-होते कलेजा मुंह को आता है कि बच्ची पटरियों पर अब गिरेगी और ट्रेन आ जाएगी। नसीब की बात मां की नजर उस पर पड़ जाती है। वह बदहवास दौड़कर बच्ची को मौत के मुंह से खींच लेती है। स्क्रीन पर दो शब्द उभरते हैं, थैंक्स मां… और फिल्म शुरू होती है।

फिल्म का नायक है दस-बारह साल का बच्चा मुनिसपल्टी। उसके साथी हैं सोडा मास्टर, कटिंग, डेढ़ शाणा और सुरसुरी। ये सब चोर हैं, मवाली हैं, प्लेटफार्म पर जेबें काटते हैं, सामान छीनकर भागते हैं। परस्पर दोस्तनुमा दुश्मन और दुश्मननुमा दोस्त हैं। मुनिसपल्टी के नामकरण की कहानी यह है कि उसकी मां उसे म्यूनिसपैल्टी के अस्पताल में छोड़ गयी थी इसलिए वह मुनिसपल्टी है। वह अक्सर उस अस्पताल में गार्ड के लिए शराब की रिश्वत लेकर इस उम्मीद में जाता है कि उसकी मां उसे खोजते अस्पताल जब आएगी, तो गार्ड उसे मां से मिला देगा। अपनी मां से मिलना मुनिसपल्टी का सबसे बड़ा सपना है। इसी सपने के साथ रोजी-रोटी के अधम प्रयास में एक दिन उसे पुलिस पकड़ ले जाती है। वह बाल सुधारगृह पहुंचा दिया जाता है। वहां उसका सामना एक अधिकारी से होता है, जो उसे नहा धो लेने को साबुन देता है। उसके इरादे मुनिसपल्टी भांप लेता है। वह खुद को छुड़ाता हुआ वहां से भागता है। रात में मुनिसपल्टी छत से कूदकर भागने की जुगत में है तो क्या देखता है कि एक कुत्ता है जो कपड़े में लिपटे शिशु को सूंघ रहा है और भौंक रहा है। एक टैक्सी में कोई औरत अभी अभी बैठकर जा रही है। मुनिसपल्टी कुत्ते को भगाकर शिशु को सीने से चिपटा लेता है। टैक्सी नजरों से ओझल हो जाती है।

सही मायने में फिल्म की कहानी यहीं से शुरू होती है। मुनिसपल्टी शिशु का नाम रखता है कृष्ण। वह उसकी मां को खोज रहा है। वह उसे चर्च के अनाथालय में नहीं देना चाहता। हिजड़ों के यहां से भी भाग आता है। वह तय करता है कि शिशु की पहचान छिन जाए, इससे अच्छा होगा जब तक मां नहीं मिल जाती मैं ही देखभाल करूं।

उसकी खोज के दौरान वेश्या आती है जिसने इस शिशु को खरीदकर छोड़ दिया था। क्योंकि यह लड़का था। बुढ़ापे में उसका दलाल हो सकता था।

एक दिन मुनिसपल्टी अस्पताल प्रबंधन की चालाकी भेदकर और पादरी की मदद से कृष्ण की मां को खोज लेता है। लेकिन जब वह कृष्ण की मां से मिलता है, तो उसकी मां पर से श्रद्धा ही मिट जाती है। कृष्ण की मां का गर्भ उसके पिता का था। इस कारण वह कृष्ण को स्वीकार नहीं सकती। हारा हुआ मुनिसपल्टी जो बकौल पादरी चोर है और जीवन में पहली बार किसी की चीज लौटाना चाहता है बच्चे को बाहों में लिये सड़क में आता है, तो एक कार अचानक दबाये गये ब्रेक के कारण उसके पास रुकती है। वह कार में बैठी हुई औरत को देखता है। अगले पल उसकी नजर एक बड़े होर्डिंग पर लगे पोस्टर पर जाती है। दोनों एक ही हैं। वह चल देता है कि तभी छोटा बच्चा देखकर औरत मुनिसपल्टी को रुपये देने के लिए हाथ बढ़ाती है। वह इंकार के साथ आगे बढ़ जाता है। मुनिसपल्टी हारकर अनाथालय में जाता है और बच्चे के मां-बाप के रूप में अपना नाम लिखने को कहता है।

वह फिल्म के आखिर में अस्पताल पहुंचता है। आज भी उसके हाथ में गार्ड के लिए शराब है। गार्ड कहता है तेरी मां कभी नहीं आएगी। मुनिसपल्टी उठते हुए कहता है लेकिन मैं आता रहूंगा। वह धीरे धीरे चला जाता है। गार्ड शराब की बोतल पटक देता है। फिल्म के बिल्कुल आखिरी दृश्य में वही औरत कार से अस्पताल के परिसर में उतरती है, जो मुनिसपल्टी को रास्ते में मिली थी, जिससे पैसे लेने से उसने इंकार कर दिया था, जो उसकी मां है।

यह संक्षेप में फिल्म की कहानी का ढांचा है। फिल्म के दृश्य और संवाद जो कहानी बयान करते हैं, उसे देखकर ही जाना जा सकता है। इस फिल्म के संवाद उस जीवन में ले जाते हैं हमें, जिससे हम स्लमडॉग मिलेनियर या सलाम बांबे जैसी फिल्मों के माध्यम से परिचित होने का दावा कर सकते हैं।

थैंक्स मां शिशुओं को फेंकने से लेकर उनकी खरीद फरोख्त और हत्याओं तक की अनगिन दारुण गाथाओं को हमारे सामने उजागर कर देती है। यह फिल्म दिखाती है कि भारतीय समाज में शिशुओं के साथ हो रहे अन्याय की कितनी वजहें छुपी हैं और रोज पनपती रहती हैं। यदि इस कथा शृंखला को देखें, जिसमें एक स्त्री अस्पताल में अपने पिता से मिला जीवित शिशु छोड़कर आती है। उसे अस्पताल का पेशेवर चोर वेश्या को बेच देता है। वेश्या उसे इसलिए नहीं पालना चाहती क्योंकि वह लड़का है। एक बारह साल का बच्चा जो खुद अनाथ और चोर है लेकिन उस बच्चे को मां तक पहुंचाना और एक मुकम्मल पहचान के साथ बड़ा होता देखना चाहता है, तो लिंग परीक्षण के पश्चात मारे जाने वाले कन्या भ्रूणों की त्रासदी घोर सामाजिक ताने-बाने की केवल एक पहलू दिखाई देगी। भारतीय समाज अपनी जिस संरचनागत हत्यारी प्रविधि में है, उसे चंद सरकारी और एनजीओ संचालित जागरुकताएं नहीं बदल पाएंगी।

थैंक्स मां हमारे समय की एक ऐसी फिल्म है, जो बड़े सिनेमाघरों में मंहगे पॉपकॉर्न और अंग्रेजी बोलते वेटरों के अनुरोध के साथ व्यापक पैमाने पर नहीं देखी जा सकी। यद्यपि इसने अंतर्राष्ट्रीय स्तर की प्रशंसाएं बटोरी, सम्मान बटोरे। लेकिन यह भी फिल्म ही है और जब भी किसी सहृदय के द्वारा देखी जाएगी, उसे झकझोर कर रख देगी।

मुझे यकीन है, आपने ऊपर मेरा यह लिखा पढ़ चुकने के बाद सारी स्थितियों का आकलन कर ही लिया होगा। लेकिन सवाल यह नहीं है कि इस फिल्म पर मैंने कितने फिल्म संबंधी तकनीकि पहलुओं से विचार किया है। कलात्मक पैमानों पर इसे कसने में कितना सफल रहा हूं। या यह फिल्म बाकी फिल्मों की तुलना में कितनी उत्कृष्ट है। साथियो, मुद्दा यह है कि यह फिल्म बड़े पैमाने पर क्यों नहीं देखी जा सकी। इसे यदि बच्चों को दिखाना हो, तो किस तर्क से दिखाया जाए, उन्‍हें किस तरह से तैयार किया जाए पहले कि वे सार को पकड़ सकें? क्योंकि इस फिल्म में गालियां हैं। बड़े तीखे हर किस्म के नग्न यथार्थ हैं लेकिन इन सबके बावजूद मैं समझता हूं, यह बूट पालिश या सन आफ इंडिया जैसी फिल्मों से बच्चों के लिए अधिक जरूरी है। ऐसी फिल्में जो जनमानस की समझ बढ़ाती हों, उपेक्षा के साथ साथ अपेक्षित मानसिक दशा के अभाव की शिकार क्यों हो रही हैं?

(शशिभूषण। कवि-कथाकार। आकाशवाणी रीवा में क़रीब चार साल तक आकस्मिक उदघोषक रहे। बाद में यूजीसी की रिसर्च फेलोशिप भी मिली। फ़िलहाल नागालैंड के दिमापुर जिले में हिंदी की अध्यापकी। gshashibhooshan@gmail.com पर संपर्क कर सकते हैं।)

उत्तर प्रदेश के सभी विधायक 5 साल में हो गये दो गुनी संपत्ति के मालिक

2012-02-03T06:06:00.001-08:00

Friday, 03 February 2012 13:52

कानपुर, तीन फरवरी (एजेंसी) शहर के चाहे विपक्षी पार्टी के विधायक हों या सत्तारूड़ दल के विधायक हर एक की संपत्ति पिछले विधानसभा चुनाव की तुलना में इस बार दोगुनी तक पहुंच गयी है और कोई भी प्रत्याशी करोड़पति से कम नही है। यहीं नही जो प्रत्याशी पहली बार इस चुनाव में किस्मत आजमा रहे हंै या पिछला चुनाव हार गये थे और इस बार दोबारा किस्मत आजमा रहे हैं उनकी संपत्ति में भी काफी इजाफा हुआ है ।
जिला निर्वाचन कार्यालय में नामांकन के समय प्रत्याशियों को अपना और अपनी पत्नी की संपत्ति के ब्यौरे के रूप में एक हलफनामा देना होता है । निर्वाचन कार्यालय में इन प्रत्याशियों ने अपनी संपत्ति का जो ब्यौरा जमा किया है उसका मिलान पिछले चुनावों की संपत्ति से करें तो यह लगभग दोगुनी तक पहुंच गयी है ।
अभी तक कैंट के भाजपा विधायक और अब महाराजपुर से अपनी किस्मत आजमा रहे पूर्व मंत्री सतीश महाना की ही बात करें तो वर्ष 2007 के चुनावों में उन्होंने अपनी संपत्ति का जो ब्यौरा दिया था उसके अनुसार उस समय उनकी कुल संपत्ति तीन करोड़ 69 लाख 99 हजार 62 रूपये थी जो अब बढ़कर 2012 में सात करोड़ 26 लाख 44 हजार 477 रूपये हो गयी है । वर्ष 2007 में उनके पास सात लाख 94 हजार 560 रूपये के सोने चांदी के जेवर थे जो पांच साल बाद बढ़कर 60 लाख 5 हजार 903 रूपये के जेवर हो गये है । इसी तरह महाना की चल और अचल संपत्ति में काफी इजाफा हुआ है ।
जिला निर्वाचन कार्यालय में प्रत्याशियों के हलफनामे से मिली जानकारी के अनुसार समाजवादी पार्टी के आर्यनगर से विधायक इरफान सोलंकी जो इस बार सीसामउच्च् से अपनी किस्मत आजमा रहे है उनकी संपत्ति में भी काफी इजाफा हुआ है।
सपा विधायक इरफान के वर्ष 2007 में दिए गए अपनी संपत्ति के ब्यौरे के अनुसार उनके पास 92 लाख 98 हजार 709 रूपये की संपत्ति थी जो पिछले पांच वर्षो में बढ़ कर अब तीन करोड़ 61 लाख 33 हजार 364 हो गयी है । मौजूदा समय में इरफान के पास 28 लाख 76 हजार 900 रूपये की चल और दो करोड़ 80 लाख 31 हजार रूपये की अचल संपत्ति है इसी तरह उनकी पत्नी के पास 10 लाख रूपये की चल संपत्ति व 39 लाख 75 हजार रूपये की अचल संपत्ति है । इरफान और उनकी पत्नी ने पिछले पांच सालो में जमीन और भूखंड खरीदकर अपनी संपत्ति में भारी इजाफा किया है ।

वर्ष 2007 में बहुजन समाज पार्टी के टिकट पर घाटमपुर से विधायक बने राम प्रकाश कुशवाहा इस बार बिठूर विधानसभा क्षेत्र से बसपा के टिकट पर अपनी किस्मत आजमा रहे हंै । इनकी संपत्ति में भी पिछले पांच साल में काफी इजाफा हुआ है । निर्वाचन कार्यालय से प्राप्त जानकारी के अनुसार वर्ष 2007 में उनकी कुल संपत्ति 66 लाख 66 हजार रूपये के करीब थी जो पांच साल में बढकर अब दो करोड़ 84 लाख 19 हजार रूपये हो गयी है । बीते पांच वर्षो में कुशवाहा की पत्नी के पांच किलो चांदी के जेवर भी बढ़े है ।
वर्ष 2007 में सरसौल से सपा की विधायक रही अरूणा तोमर इस बार महाराजपुर से सपा के टिकट पर मैदान में है और पिछले पांच सालों में उनकी संपत्ति दो गुने से अधिक बढ़ गयी है । पांच साल पहले उनकी कुल संपत्ति दो करोड़ 17 लाख 75 हजार रूपये थी जो अब बढ़कर चार करोड़ 48 लाख 15 हजार रूपये हो गयी है । पांच वर्षो में उन्होंने व उनके परिजनों ने करीब 18 किलो चांदी भी खरीद कर अपनी संपत्ति मे शामिल की है ।
इसी तरह बहुजन समाज पार्टी के बिल्हौर से 2007 में विधायक चुने गये कमलेश दिवाकर इस बार फिर बिल्हौर से ही पार्टी के उम्मीदवार है और पांच साल पहले जहां उनके पास 71 लाख 50 हजार रूपये की संपत्ति थी वह अब बढ़कर एक करोड़ 39लाख 92 हजार की हो गयी है ।

अमेठी और रायबरेली तक ही सीमित रहेंगी प्रियंका

2012-02-03T06:03:00.001-08:00

Friday, 03 February 2012 16:30

अमेठी, तीन फरवरी (एजेंसी) उत्तर प्रदेश विधानसभा चुनाव में रायबरेली तथा अमेठी से बाहर भी कांग्रेस प्रत्याशियों के पक्ष में प्रचार करने की उम्मीद जगाने के बाद पार्टी की 'लख्त-ए-जिगर' प्रियंका गांधी वाड्रा ने आज कहा कि वह सम्भवत: इन्हीं दोनों जिलों तक सीमित रहेंगी। प्रियंका ने अमेठी के अपने पांच दिवसीय दौरे के पहले दिन संवाददाताओं से बातचीत में एक सवाल पर कहा ''मुझसे अमेठी की पांच तथा रायबरेली की पांच सीटों के लिये प्रचार करने को कहा गया है और फिलहाल मैं यही करने आई हूं। मुझसे और कुछ नहीं कहा गया है लेकिन सम्रावत: मैं इन्हीं दोनों जगहों पर रहूंगी।''
गौरतलब है कि प्रियंका ने हाल में कहा था कि वह अपने भाई राहुल के मिशन को कामयाब बनाने के लिये सबकुछ करेंगी और जरूरत पड़ी तो वह अमेठी और रायबरेली से बाहर भी प्रचार करने को तैयार हैं।
यह पूछे जाने पर कि वह बसपा अध्यक्ष मायावती और सपा प्रमुख मुलायम सिंह यादव में से किसे ज्यादा बड़ा खतरा मानती हैं, उन्होंने कहा ''भ्रष्टाचार, अराजकता और मौकापरस्त राजनीति सबसे बड़े दुश्मन हैं। वे जनता के दुश्मन हैं, राहुल के नहीं।''

उन्होंने कहा ''लोग अब ऐसी राजनीति से तंग आ चुके हैं और उन्हें समझ में आ गया है कि अब मौकापरस्ती और जातिवाद की राजनीति नहीं चलेगी। वे बदलाव लाना चाहते हैं और मुझे पूरा विश्वास है कि वे जीतेंगे।''
राज्य विधानसभा चुनाव में कांग्रेस की जीत का पूरा विश्वास व्यक्त करते हुए प्रियंका ने कहा कि राहुल की कोशिशें जरूर रंग लाएंगी और ''मुझे पूरा भरोसा है कि हम जीतेंगे।''
भ्रष्टाचार के खिलाफ गांधीवादी अन्ना हजारे की अपील के बारे में पूछे जाने पर प्रियंका ने कहा, ''आप जनता से पूछिये कि उनकी क्या समस्याएं हैं। अन्ना के बारे में वही जवाब देगी।''
उन्होंने राहुल द्वारा प्रदेश में 'नाटकबाजी' करने के मुख्यमंत्री मायावती के बयान के बारे में पूछे जाने पर कहा ''मायावती की हताशा अब उभर कर सामने आने लगी है।''
प्रियंका ने एक अन्य सवाल पर कहा कि जनता जानती है कि उसने पिछले 22 सालों से किस तरह की सरकारें देखी हैं। इस दौरान अलग-अलग समय पर एक ही जाति की राजनीति होती रही है। अब जनता को बदलाव के लिये तैयार हो जाना चाहिये।

‘जादुई’ दवाओं को लेकर एडीए का सख्त रुख

2012-02-03T06:01:00.001-08:00

Friday, 03 February 2012 15:55

ठाणे, तीन फरवरी (एजेंसी) महाराष्ट्र में खाद्य एवं औषधि प्राधिकरण :एफडीए: ने 'जादुई' उपचार का दावा करने वाले विज्ञापनों के प्रकाशन को लेकर 80 से अधिक अखबारों को नोटिस जारी करने के साथ कुछ दवा निर्माता कंपनियों के खिलाफ मामला दर्ज किया है।

एफडीए ने जिन विज्ञापनों पर संज्ञान लेकर सख्त रुख अपनाया है, उनमें यौन संबंधी परेशानियों के झटपट उपचार का दावा किया गया था।
कोंकण मंडल के एफडीए के संयुक्त आयुक्त एस टी पाटिल ने आज पीटीआई को बताया, ''80 अखबारों को नोटिस जारी करने के साथ ही दवा निर्माता कंपनी आर्यन आयुर्वेद के खिलाफ मामला दर्ज किया गया है। इस कंपनी ने अपने दो उत्पादों परफेक्स हर्बल तेल और कैपस्यूल को लेकर भ्रामक विज्ञापन दिए। कंपनी की फैक्टरी से 15 लाख रुपये की कीमत के उत्पाद जब्त किए गए हैं और आठ उत्पादों के लाइसेंस रद्द किए गए हैं।'

पाटिल ने कहा कि कंपनी के खिलाफ औषधि एवं प्रसाधन अधिनियम-1945 की विभिन्न धाराओं के तहत मामला दर्ज किया गया था।
एजेंसी ने इस तरह की 11 अन्य कंपनियों के खिलाफ मुकदमा चलाया है। फर्जी दावे करने वाली नौ और कंपनियों के खिलाफ प्राथमिकी दर्ज की गई है।

चारा घोटाले में अब लालू-जगन्नाथ की बारी

2012-02-03T05:58:00.001-08:00

Friday, 03 February 2012 18:20

रांची, तीन फरबरी (एजेंसी) चारा घोटाले के 54 में से 41 मामलों की सुनवाई पूरी हो चुकी है और उनमें फैसले सुनाए जा चुके हैं और अब बारी वीआईपी मुकदमों की है जिनमें मुख्य आरोपी बिहार के पूर्व मुख्यमंत्री लाल प्रसाद यादव और जगन्नाथ मिश्र समेत कई दिग्गज है। इसी कड़ी में लालू और मिश्र समेत कई दिग्गज नेताओं की गवाही सीबीआई की विशेष अदालत में 14 फरवरी को कलमबद्ध की जाएगी । मामला चाईबासा कोषागार से 37 करोड़ 70 लाख 39 हजार 743 रुपये की अवैध निकासी का है । यह निकासी 1994 से 95 के बीच की गयी थी ।
इस मामले में लालू प्रसाद ्र जगन्नाथ मिश्र ्र आर के राणा ्र विद्यासागर निषाद ्र आइएएस अधिकारी सजल चक्रवर्ती के बयान 14 फरवरी से रांची की सीबीआई अदालत में दर्ज होंगे । वहीं जगदीश शर्मा व आईएएस महेश प्रसाद के बयान 13 फरवरी को दर्ज होंगे । बयान सीबीआई ्र रांची के विशेष न्यायाधीश जी के सिंह की अदालत में सीआरपीसी के तहत दर्ज होंगे । इसमें सभी आरोपियों को स्वयं उपस्थित होकर बयान दर्ज कराने होंगे ।

इसी मामले में लालू प्रसाद ने अदालत में आत्मसमर्पण किया था जिसके बाद उन्हें अस्थाई जेल में रखा गया था ।
मामले ं में कुल 46 अभियुक्त हैं : 56 आरोपियों के खिलाफ अदालत में आरोप पत्र दाखिल किया गया था जिसमें सात का निधन हो गया और दो सरकारी गवाह बन गए । वहीं एक ने दोष स्वीकार कर लिया ।
अदालत ने यह भी आदेश दिया है कि जिस दिन आरोपियों का बयान होगा ्र उसी दिन बचाव पक्ष की ओर से गवाह का नाम देना होगा ।

युवा नेतृत्व की परीक्षा

2012-02-03T05:47:00.001-08:00

युवा नेतृत्व की परीक्षा

http://www.jansatta.com/index.php/component/content/article/20-2009-09-11-07-46-16/10428-2012-02-03-04-32-49

Friday, 03 February 2012 10:01

मस्तराम कपूर
जनसत्ता, 3 जनवरी 2012: उत्तर प्रदेश के विधानसभा चुनावों की ओर सारे देश की नजरें लगी हुई हैं। चुनाव तो चार अन्य राज्यों में भी हो रहे हैं, लेकिन देश के भविष्य की दिशा निर्धारित करने वाले चुनाव उत्तर प्रदेश के ही हैं। इसका कारण है कि उत्तर प्रदेश ने हमेशा देश की दिशा निर्धारित की है। न केवल इसलिए कि यह देश का सबसे बड़ा प्रदेश है और यहां से लोकसभा की अस्सी सीटें हैं, बल्कि इसलिए भी कि यह सारे देश का हृदय प्रदेश है। अंग्रेजों का भी भारत पर कब्जा उत्तर प्रदेश पर कब्जे के बाद ही पूरा हुआ और उसके खिलाफ 1857 और 1942 के दो बड़े विद्रोहों का केंद्र भी उत्तर प्रदेश ही रहा। इसलिए ब्रिटिश सरकार के सबसे अधिक जुल्म इस प्रदेश को ही सहने पड़े।
1857 के विद्रोह के दमन के दौरान दिल्ली से बनारस तक सड़क किनारे के पेड़ों पर लटकती हजारों लाशें इसका प्रमाण थीं। इतना ही नहीं, ब्रिटिश सरकार ने विकास की सारी योजनाएं तटवर्ती प्रदेशों में ही लागू कीं और उत्तर प्रदेश को पिछड़ा बनाए रखा। दुर्भाग्य से यही नीति आजादी के बाद की सरकारों ने भी अपनाई, बावजूद इसके कि केंद्रीय सरकारों को चलाने वाली दोनों पार्टियां, कांग्रेस और भाजपा, उत्तर प्रदेश के बल पर ही केंद्र में पहुंची थीं। लगातार उपेक्षा के कारण ही यह हृदय प्रदेश बीमारू प्रदेशों में शुमार किया गया। उसकी भाषा हिंदी को, जिसने स्वाधीनता आंदोलन को देशव्यापी वाणी दी, इन सरकारों ने राष्ट्रभाषा के पद से गिरा कर अंग्रेजी की दासी बना दिया। सात प्रधानमंत्री और एक 'सुपर प्रधानमंत्री' देश को देने के बावजूद उत्तर प्रदेश के स्वाभिमान को कुचलने की हर संभव कोशिश हुई।
शायद इसीलिए उत्तर प्रदेश की जनता ने कांग्रेस और भाजपा दोनों से मुंह मोड़ा और वह क्षेत्रीय आकांक्षाओं वाली छोटी पार्टियों की ओर मुड़ गई। इसका प्रभाव सारे देश में देखने को मिला कि अखिल भारतीय सरोकार राजनीति में कम होते गए और क्षेत्रीय-सांप्रदायिक रुझान बढ़ते गए। अखिल भारतीय पार्टियों का प्रभाव इतना घट गया कि क्षेत्रीय पार्टियों के सहारे ही वे जैसे-तैसे केंद्रीय सरकार चला सकती थीं।
उत्तर प्रदेश के चुनावों से इस बार यह आशा बंधती है कि एक बार फिर अखिल भारतीय राजनीति का दौर चले। नए बदलाव का संकेत देने वाली दो पार्टियों की बागडोर दो युवाओं के हाथ में है। राहुल गांधी से कांग्रेस में नई जान डालने की आशा की जा रही है। हालांकि वरिष्ठ कांग्रेसियोें की सलाह से उन्होंने जाति-धर्म के समीकरण बिठाने का गलत रास्ता पकड़ा है, उनकी सफलता से कांग्रेस की अखिल भारतीय छवि के निखरने में सहायता मिलेगी। इन चुनावों में उन्होंने कांग्रेस की साख बहाल करने के लिए जितनी मेहनत की है उसे देखते हुए कांग्रेस अगर उन्हें उत्तर प्रदेश में मुख्यमंत्री पद का दावेदार घोषित करती तो पार्टी के लिए अधिक लाभकारी होता। मगर शायद उन्हें बड़ी जिम्मेवारी के लिए तैयार किया जा रहा है।
समाजवादी पार्टी की बागडोर उसके प्रादेशिक युवा अध्यक्ष अखिलेश यादव के हाथ में है। उन्होंने सपा को पुराने तौर-तरीकों से मुक्त कर उसे नई दिशा देने की कोशिश की है। इस प्रयास में उन्होंने कुछ पुराने नेताओं को नाराज भी किया है और ऐसा लग रहा है कि समाजवादी पार्टी का अंदरूनी ताना-बाना टूटता जा रहा है, जिसके कारण उसके नेता और कार्यकर्ता कांग्रेस की ओर ख्ािंचे चले जा रहे हैं।
डीपी यादव और हसीनुद्दीन सिद्दीकी के सपा में प्रवेश पर वीटो लगा कर अखिलेश यादव ने न केवल अपने चाचा शिवपाल यादव और मुलायम सिंह के दाएं हाथ आजम खां को नाराज कर दिया है, बल्कि वरिष्ठ समाजवादी नेता मोहन सिंह को भी पार्टी-प्रवक्ता के पद से हटा दिया है।
इन घटनाओं से लोग यह अटकल लगा रहे हैं कि वे अपने पिता की जगह लेने की कोशिश कर रहे हैं। चुनाव की गहमागहमी में पत्रकारों द्वारा इस तरह की अटकलबाजी स्वाभाविक है। यह ठीक है कि मुलायम सिंह उन्हें अपने उत्तराधिकारी के रूप में तैयार कर रहे हैं। कांग्रेस ने राजनीति में वांशिक उत्तराधिकार की प्रथा को स्थापित कर इसे सब पार्टियों के लिए अनुकरणीय बना दिया है। लेकिन अखिलेश को जो पद दिया गया है उसके योग्य अपने को सिद्ध करने के लिए उन्होंने अनथक परिश्रम किया है। उनकी साइकिल और रथ-यात्राएं न तो सरकार द्वारा प्रायोजित थीं और न पूंजीपतियों द्वारा।
हर जगह उनकी यात्राओं में बड़ी संख्या में उपस्थिति दिखाती है कि उन्हें जन-समर्थन मिल रहा है। युवा होने के कारण उनमें पुरानी रूढ़ियों को तोड़ने की बेचैनी स्वाभाविक है। अगर पार्टी के प्रदेश अध्यक्ष होने के नाते वे दागी व्यक्तियों को पार्टी में शामिल करने का विरोध करते हैं या शुद्ध जोड़-तोड़ की राजनीति का सहारा लेने से परहेज करते हैं तो इसमें बुरा क्या है?
यह समाजवादी पार्टी को संकीर्णता से व्यापकता की ओर ले जाने का प्रयास है और इसका स्वागत किया जाना चाहिए। अंग्रेजी और कंप्यूटर के संबंध में दिए गए

उनके बयान से भी मुकरने की जरूरत पार्टी को नहीं होनी चाहिए थी। अंग्रेजी ने हमें गरीबी, अशिक्षा और भ्रष्टाचार की स्थायी बुराइयां ही दी हैं। अगर इसे हटाने और इसकी जगह हिंदी और भारतीय भाषाओं को लाने की बात समाजवादी पार्टी नहीं करेगी तो और कौन करेगा?
कंप्यूटर संबंधी बयान पर भी शर्मिंदा होने की जरूरत नहीं थी। आखिर घर-घर कंप्यूटर या मोबाइल फोन पहुंच जाने से बीस रुपए पर गुजारा करने वाली अस्सी प्रतिशत आबादी के पेट भरने वाले नहीं है। यह बात पिछले बीस सालों की प्रगति से सिद्ध हो जाती है। फिर लैपटॉप का वितरण रंगीन टीवी आदि के वितरण की तरह एक चुनावी तिकड़म ही है, जिसे घूस की श्रेणी में रखा जा सकता है।
अगर युवाओं के हाथ में राजनीति की बागडोर आने के बाद भी राजनीति का पिटा-पिटाया ढर्रा नहीं बदलता तो उन्हें राजनीति में लाने का फायदा क्या? हम उम्मीद करते हैं कि राहुल गांधी कांग्रेस की संस्कृति में बदलाव लाएं और अखिलेश समाजवादी पार्टी के तौर-तरीकों में। राजनीति की वर्तमान जड़ता इसी तरह टूटेगी कि बूढेÞ लोग जवानों के हाथ-पैर न बांधें, बल्कि उन्हें उड़ान भरने दें।
इन चुनावों में लोग भाजपा और बसपा से किसी बड़े बदलाव की आशा नहीं कर रहे हैं। भाजपा से तो इसलिए कि वह इन दिनों नेताओं के बाहुल्य के कारण किसी निश्चित दिशा को प्राप्त नहीं कर पा रही है। उसमें एक दर्जन से ज्यादा नेता प्रधानमंत्री पद की महत्त्वाकांक्षा पाले हुए हैं। इन सब नेताओं की दिशा अलग-अलग दिखाई दे रही है। राष्ट्रीय स्वयंसेवक संघ का अनुशासन अब पार्टी नेताओं को प्रभावित नहीं करता। सत्ता का स्वाद चख लेने के बाद संयम और सादगी की जिंदगी अपनाने को अब कोई तैयार नहीं है। नवउदारवादी नीतियों के गुणगान ने स्वदेशी और हिंदू राष्ट्रवाद की हवा निकाल दी है। कुछ राज्यों में उसका अस्तित्व इसलिए बना हुआ है कि कांग्रेस की जगह लेने वाली दूसरी कोई पार्टी नहीं है।
बसपा ने उत्तर प्रदेश में पांच साल राज चला कर इतिहास बनाया है। उसकी यह सफलता सवर्ण जातियों के सहयोग से संभव हुई है। बसपा राज में उन्होंने इसका भरपूर फायदा भी उठाया है। लेकिन अब ये जातियां कांग्रेस में अपने वर्चस्व की संभावनाएं देखने लगी हैं, इसलिए उनका कांग्रेस की तरफ मुड़ना स्वाभाविक है। इसके अलावा मायावती ने दलित स्वाभिमान पार्कों का निर्माण कर ऊंची जातियों के मन में हमेशा के लिए जो जलन पैदा की है, उससे न केवल बसपा को चुनावों में नुकसान होगा, बल्कि आगे भी दरार बनी रहेगी।
सवर्ण जातियों के आदर्श पुरुषों की निंदा और दलित जातियों के आदर्श पुरुषों की भीमकाय मूर्तियां स्थापित कर एक तरह से बौद्धों और हिंदुओं के हजार साला वैमनस्य को आमंत्रित किया जा रहा है। जलन पर आधारित दलित राजनीति स्थायी जलन पैदा करेगी, यह आशंका पहले से थी। यह तो जाति व्यवस्था को समाप्त करने और समता का समाज स्थापित करने का रास्ता नहीं है। यह डॉ आंबेडकर के सपनों को साकार करने का रास्ता भी नहीं है।
उत्तर प्रदेश के विधानसभा चुनाव देश की राजनीति में परिवर्तन ला सकते हैं, यह संभावना कांग्रेस और समाजवादी पार्टी से ही बनती है, क्योंकि दोनों पार्टियों की बागडोर इस समय युवाओं के हाथ में है। युवाओं का धर्म है लीक तोड़ कर आगे बढ़ना, जोखिम उठाना और नई राहें खोजना। पुराना नेतृत्व उन्हें रोकने की कोशिश करेगा। स्थिरता और परिवर्तन का टकराव समाज में हमेशा ही चला है। पर इससे परिवर्तन की प्रक्रिया नहीं रुकनी चाहिए।
कांग्रेस और नवउदारवादी राजनीति के लिए जड़ता को तोड़ने का काम राहुल कर सकते हैं और समाजवादी पार्टी के लिए अखिलेश यादव। समाजवादी पार्टी राजनीति की दूसरी बड़ी धारा का प्रतिनिधित्व करती है। यह धारा है समाजवाद की। इसे पोसा है डॉ राममनोहर लोहिया, जयप्रकाश नारायण, आचार्य नरेंद्र देव आदि नेताओं और विचारकों ने। यह धारा कांग्रेस और उसकी कार्बनकॉपी भाजपा से अलग तीसरे मोर्चे का मुख्य खंभा रही है। इसे लक्ष्य में रख कर अगर समाजवादी पार्टी जातियों और फिरकों के वोट बैंकों की राजनीति से ऊपर उठ कर समाजवादी विकल्प प्रस्तुत करने की कोशिश करेगी तो उसे व्यापक समर्थन मिल सकता है। उत्तर प्रदेश की पहचान सारे देश की दिशा तय करने वाले प्रदेश की रही है। समाजवादी पार्टी कुछ ऐसी घोषणाएं कर सकती है, जो सारे देश को प्रभावित करने वाली हों।
अगर समाजवादी पार्टी हिंदी के माध्यम से तमाम सरकारी कामकाज करने और डॉक्टरी-इंजीनियरी आदि की पढ़ाई हिंदी के माध्यम से शुरू करने का फैसला करे; जो लोहिया का सपना था और जिसमें उन्हें अंतरराष्ट्रीय ख्याति के वैज्ञानिक सत्येन बोस का समर्थन प्राप्त था- तो भारतीय भाषाओं के लिए भी रास्ता खुलेगा और देश एक बड़े परिवर्तन की ओर अग्रसर होगा। यह शुरुआत केवल उत्तर प्रदेश कर सकता है और उसका सबसे अच्छा मौका यही है जब समाजवादी पार्टी की कमान एक नौजवान के हाथ में है, जिसमें जोखिम उठाने और लीक को तोड़ने का दमखम दीखता है।

आरक्षण कोटे में आरक्षण मंजूर नहीं: मायावती

2012-02-03T05:44:00.001-08:00

Friday, 03 February 2012 18:38

बहराइच तीन फरवरी (एजेंसी) उत्तर प्रदेश की मुख्यमंत्री एवं बसपा मुखिया मायावती ने कांग्रेस पर अंग्रेजों की तरह 'बांटो और राज करो' की नीति अपनाने का आरोप लगाया।

साथ ही कहा है कि उनकी पार्टी आरक्षण के कोटे में 'उप कोटा' स्वीकार नहीं करेगी।
मायावती ने शहर के गेंदघर मैदान पर एक चुनाव जनसभा को संबोधित करते हुए कहा, ''कांग्रेस पिछड़े वर्ग के लिए निर्धारित 27 प्रतिशत आरक्षण कोटे में नौ प्रतिशत कोटा :अल्पसंख्यक: अलग करने की घोषणा करके अंग्रेजों की 'बांटो और राज करो' की नीति पर चल रही है मगर बसपा आरक्षण के भीतर आरक्षण को स्वीकार नहीं करेगी।''
बसपा मुखिया ने केन््रद में सत्तारूढ संप्रग सरकार का नेतृत्व कर रही कांग्रेस पर हमला तेज करते हुए कहा कि उसकी सरकार ने प्रदेश सरकार के साथ सौतेला व्यवहार किया और प्रदेश के पिछड़े इलाकों के विकास के लिए मांगे गये 80 हजार करोड़ रूपये के आर्थिक पैकेज की अनदेखी कर दी।
उन्होंने कांग्रेस की सरकार बनने पर पांच साल में प्रदेश की तस्वीर बदल देने के उसके महासचिव राहुल गांधी के दावे पर प्रहार करते हुए कहा कि प्रदेश में चालीस साल तक शासन में रही कांग्रेस ने तब अगर विकास का काम किया होता तो गरीबो और दलितों को रोजगार के लिए दूसरे राज्यों में नहीं जाना पड़ता।

मायावती ने कांग्रेस शासित राज्यों में गये उत्तर प्रदेश वासियों के साथ सौतेला व्यवहार किये जाने का आरोप लगाते हुए कहा कि केन््रद में कांग्रेस सरकार की गलत नीतियों के कारण बेरोजगारी बढी है और देश भर की जनता महंगाई से त्रस्त है।
बसपा मुखिया ने समाजवादी पार्टी और भाजपा पर भी तीखे प्रहार किये और लोगों को सावधान करते हुए कहा कि यदि सपा सरकार बनी तो गरीबों दलितों को दुबारा गुंडा राज का सामना करना पड़ेगा और भाजपा सत्तारूढ हुई तो सांप्रदायिक और सामंती ताकतें मजबूत होगी।
मायावती ने विदेशी बैकों में जमा भारतीयों के काले धन के मुददे पर भी कांग्रेस और भाजपा को कटघरे में खड़ा किया और कहा कि कांग्रेस के दामन पर इतने दाग हैं कि उसने इस दिशा में कोई पहल नहीं की जबकि लगभग सात साल तक केन््रद की सत्ता में रही भाजपा ने भी इस दिशा में कोई ठोस कदम नहीं उठाया।

Praful Patel destroying Air India to help Kingfisher & Jet - Video ...
* ► 8:55► 8:55	www.dailymotion.com/.../xgjgjs_praful-patel-destroyi...7 नवं 2011 - 9 मिनट Praful Patel and the disintegration of Air India for Kingfisher and Jet Airways ... and Naresh Goyal of Jet ...