Sardar patel had vision to address needs of border States

Sardar Patel had vision to address needs of border States

It is tragic that 63 years later, there is still no road for the last 37 km between the McMahon Line and Menchuka (though I was told the construction may start soon). The situation is much worse in the adjoining sub-division of Menigong. From Tato, another sub-divisional headquarters to Menigong, it takes some 7/8 hours to cover 67 km, and then, there is no road going onward to the border.

 Patel would have also made a difference in the Kashmir issue. On 23 December 1947, as Deputy Prime Minister, Patel wrote a draft letter to Nehru: "Your letter of today has been received just now at 7 p.m. and I am writing immediately to tell you this. It has caused me considerable pain." Patel did want India to appeal to the UN: "your letter makes it clear to me that I must not, or at least cannot continue as a Member of Government and hence I am hereby tendering my resignation."

Tibet seen from Menchuka

My artcile Sardar Patel had vision to address needs of border States appeared in NitiCentral.-Claude Arpi

Here is the link...

It was raining and cold outside. I was sitting with my local hosts around a smokeless chula installed in the center of the main room of their house.
I was in Menchuka, the remotest large village before the McMahon Line dividing India and China, in West Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh.
After watching some cricket match between India and Australia (I don't understand anything of cricket), my hosts from the Adi community (one of the 25 main tribes of Arunachal Pradesh) switched their satellite TV to a news channel.
The Indian Prime Minister was seen with the Chief Minister of Gujarat inaugurating a large statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. When I asked if they were following Indian politics, my friends replied, 'of course! We Arunachalis are the most patriotic people of the country, though the leadership in Delhi seems ignorant about this simple truth'. It is true that a few minutes earlier, they had been frantically supporting the Blue Team against the Aussies.
They were now amazed by the size of the statue and kept repeating, "We need a strong leader to rule India". Though not particularly enamoured of the BJP, they believed Narendra Modi could be the 'next Iron Man' to protect them.
When I asked why they thought so, they said only an 'Iron Man' could bring roads and development to the border areas.
Menchuka, located some 50 km from the LAC (McMahon Line) witnessed the 'visit' of the Chinese 51 years ago; some old people still remember their stay for nearly one month in November 1962. I was told: "the Chinese soldiers were not aggressive; they just told us: 'You are Chinese like us, we will never harm you; you don't have long noses like the Indians, your eyes and skins are similar to ours'"; today Beijing still calls the area 'Southern Tibet'.
It is a fact that while in Menchuka, the PLA did not take food or disturbs the local tribal Adis or Membas; despite this, the local population has remained loyal to India; unfortunately Delhi does not often acknowledge this.
The declaration of Narendra Modi: "Every Indian regrets Sardar Patel did not become the first Prime Minister. Had he been the first Prime Minister, the country's fate and face would have been completely different," rang true in this remote administrative Circle of Arunachal Pradesh (it takes 9 hours by car to reach Menchuka from Along, the district headquarters).
Warming up around the chula, the famous letter sent Sardar to Jawaharlal Nehru, five weeks before the Deputy Prime Minister prematurely passed away, was constantly present in my mind.
For the people of the border areas, it would have indeed been different if Gandhi had not interfered in the democratic process (Patel had been elected to lead the Interim Government in 1946, but Gandhi preferred 'the Haddows Boy') and if Patel had become Prime Minister.
On November 7, 1950, a month after Tibet was invaded, Patel told Nehru: "I have tried to peruse this correspondence [between K.M. Panikkar and the Communist government in Beijing] as favorably to our Ambassador and the Chinese Government as possible, but I regret to say that neither of them comes out well as a result of this study."
The 'Iron Man' added: "The Chinese Government has tried to delude us by professions of peaceful intention. My own feeling is that at a crucial period they manage to instill into our Ambassador a false sense of confidence in their so called desire to settle the Tibetan problem by peaceful means. …the action of the Chinese, in my judgment, is little short of perfidy."
Patel's conclusion was: "from the latest position, it appears that we shall be not be able to rescue the Dalai Lama." It was already too late.
Panikkar was not only "at great pain to find an explanation or justification for Chinese policy and actions", but Nehru did not even have the courtesy to acknowledge Patel's letter which suggested to review:

•  A Military and Intelligence appreciation of the Chinese threat to India both on the frontier and internal security.

•  An examination of military position and such redisposition of our forces as might be necessary…

•  An appraisement of strength of our forces …A long-term consideration of our defense needs.

•  The question of Chinese entry into UNO.

•  The political and administrative steps which we should take to strengthen our Northern and North-Eastern frontier.

•  Improvement of our communication, road, rail, air and wireless in these areas and with the frontier outposts.

It is tragic that 63 years later, there is still no road for the last 37 km between the McMahon Line and Menchuka (though I was told the construction may start soon). The situation is much worse in the adjoining sub-division of Menigong. From Tato, another sub-divisional headquarters to Menigong, it takes some 7/8 hours to cover 67 km, and then, there is no road going onward to the border.

Ironically, during my visit to Menchuka, the Chinese announced the opening of a highway linking Metok, 'the last roadless county in China' with neighboring Bomi town, located just north of the McMahon Line.

The Communist Party said that 117-km highway, costing 155 million U.S. dollars will make the border town accessible for 8 to 9 months a year.
My local friends kept repeating with some envy in their voices, 'the Chinese are very much in advance on us'.

To come back to Patel's 'clairvoyant testament', it is not well-known that it was based on a Note prepared by Girja Shankar Bajpai, the Secretary General of the Ministry of External Affairs.
Does this Note still exist? I was recently told that some of the Bajpai Papers may have followed the fate of the CoalGate files.

Why did Nehru, then Foreign Minister not act on his Foreign Secretary's Report while it was Patel who was concerned by the issue of having an "unscrupulous, unreliable and determined power at the doors"?
It is not difficult to answer this question. Nehru saw China as India's best friend, if not brother.
Another reason why Patel would have made a difference is that he would have surrounded himself with efficient down-to-earth officers like Bajpai and not glamourous, worthless collaborators like K.M. Panikkar.

A few years later, Bajpai compared the protests of Panikkar with Neville Chamberlain's disapproval of Nazi Germany entering Czechoslovakia in 1938, he said: "Our Ambassador has allowed himself to be influenced more by the Chinese point of view, the Chinese claims, the Chinese maps and by regards for Chinese susceptibilities than by his instructions or by India's interests."
Nehru did it again in 1962 when he listened to an arrogant Corps Commander, ignoring the Army hierarchy's sounder counsels.
It is not enough to be a strong man; a leader of worth should be able to surround himself with wise advisors. Patel showed, at the time of the integration of the Indian States (with V.P. Menon) or later in the case of Tibet (with G.S. Bajpai), that he was more than an Iron Man, he was also able to find and listen to knowledgeable collaborators.

A small post-scriptum: Patel would have also made a difference in the Kashmir issue. On 23 December 1947, as Deputy Prime Minister, Patel wrote a draft letter to Nehru: "Your letter of today has been received just now at 7 p.m. and I am writing immediately to tell you this. It has caused me considerable pain." Patel did want India to appeal to the UN: "your letter makes it clear to me that I must not, or at least cannot continue as a Member of Government and hence I am hereby tendering my resignation."
Gandhi asked Patel to withdraw his resignation. The rest is painful history.
It is unfortunate for India that history cannot be rewritten. But one can at least learn from history.

What sardar patel spoke in Constituent Assembly

Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, Minorities & Reservations

 

In the view of this outrageous debate on current version of Congress Party solely staking claim to Sardar Vallabhai Patel's legacy, I came across this excellent debate in the then Constituent Assembly of India* on the issue of Minority rights, wherein the Sardar proved why he was a visionary and a well wisher of India.

*(The Constituent Assembly Of India discussed all aspects of our constitution before it was adopted on January 26, 1950 replacing the colonial era Government of India Act, 1935 )

This debate and views expressed provides an insight on how those visionaries laid the foundations of Modern India. Needless to say, I don't see even an inch of what was said on August 27, 1947 in the act/s of the current version of Congress Party led UPA government.

The Morley-Minto reforms of 1909 brought about limited increase in the involvement of native Indians in the governance of Colonial India.

As demanded by the Muslim leadership the British established a policy of religion based separate electorates through the Indian Councils Act, 1909 wherein Muslim community were granted following concessions:

·         That Indian Muslims be allotted reserved seats in the Municipal and District Boards, in the Provincial Councils and in the Imperial Legislature;

 ·         That the number of reserved seats be in excess of their relative population (25 percent of the Indian population); and,

 ·         That only Muslims should vote for candidates for the Muslim seats ('separate electorates').

These concessions were a constant source of strife 1909-47. British statesmen generally considered reserved seats as regrettable in that they encouraged communal extremism as Muslim candidates did not have to appeal for Hindu votes and vice versa. As further power was shifted from the British to Indian politicians in 1919, 1935 and after, Muslims were ever more determined to hold on to, and if possible expand, reserved seats and their weightage. However, Hindu politicians repeatedly tried to eliminate reserved seats as they considered them to be undemocratic and to hinder the development of a shared Hindu-Muslim Indian national feeling.

It was in this back drop that the Report on Minority Rights was tabled in the then Constituent Assembly of India on August 27, 1947 ( Read entire debate here : http://164.100.47.132/LssNew/cadebatefiles/C27081947.html )

The Advisory committee that drafted this report saw heated debates as Muslim members strongly advocated continuation of the colonial policy of separate electorates, while the Hindu element who strongly believed this policy to be the root cause of the two nation theory, Un democratic and above all communal.

Thankfully, the amendments proposed by the then Muslim leadership advocating continuing colonial policy failed to pass the muster of the constituent assembly on that day.

On request of then President Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Sardar Vallabhai Patel moved for consideration of the report on minority rights prepared by the Advisory committee.

The Preliminary remarks by all the speaker/s are noteworthy what caught my eye was the speech by Dr. P.S. Deshmukh representing the Central Provinces & Berar & Sardar Vallabhai Patel representing then Bombay Presidency :

I have listed few takeaways from Dr. Deshmukh's speech:

1. In my opinion, there is no more monstrous word in the history of Indian politics than the word " minority"
2. Even since India emerged out of its political infancy, the demon of the interests of minorities and their protection stood before us and appeared to bar the progress of the country.
3. That this monster should at long last have been shorn of its terrors is an achievement worthy of note.
4. The Members of the Advisory Committee have in this respect a great achievement to their credit.
5. First and foremost, they have discontinued separate electorates. Secondly the none too just system of weightages has been given up.
6. The composition of Cabinets is not going to be hampered by insurmountable difficulties of taking minority representatives as of legal and constitutional right nor are our percentages of recruitment going to be worked up to the second decimal as would certainly have been the case had the various representatives of the minorities insisted upon reservation in those spheres also.
7. Some of our Muslim friends, mostly as a result of the British policy, painted us as tyrants and majority-made oppressors.
8. I have never found any justification for such an accusation, but an unjust and untrue charge was repeated ad nauseum and somehow sustained throughout the last so many years.
9. It is upon those false foundations that Pakistan was demanded and conceded
10. Rather than tyrannize the minorities, the fact was that in most places the minorities tyrannized the majority.
11. The Muslims have almost everywhere enjoyed privileges far in excess of what may be called just or fair.
12. I am content that no minority is going to try any more to deprive others of what legitimately belongs to them.
13. Pressed by political considerations, microscopic minority interests have been advocated by the greatest of democrats.
14. They enjoyed posts and privileges which they had no right to enjoy. It is self-evident that if anybody enjoys more than he deserves, he must of necessity deprive someone else of his legitimate share

Shri. B. Pocker Sahib Bahadur(Madras) moves amendment to the motion insisting on the separate electorate :

"That on a consideration of the report of the Advisory Committee on minorities, fund mental right etc., on minority rights this meeting of the Constituent Assembly resolves that all elections to the Central and Provincial Legislatures should, as far as Muslims are concerned, be held on the basis of separate electorates."

This is followed by a excellent debate by members who oppose the amendment.

President Dr. Rajendra Prasad then calls upon Sardar Vallabhai Patel to reply to  Shri. B. Pocker Sahib Bahadurif he wishes to and the Sardar rises to the occasion with an excellent speech, do read:

The Honourable Sardar Vallabhbhai J. Patel : Sir, I will not take much time I was sorry to learn that this question was taken seriously because when this question came before the Advisory Committee there was not so much debate as I heard here today. My friends of the Muslim League here who moved this amendment and supported it took it for granted that they had a duty to perform in a sense. They had been pressing for separate electorates and enjoying it for a long time and felt that they should not leave it all of a sudden, but just move the motion and have the vote of the House. But when I heard the elaborate speeches I thought that I was living in the ages in which the communal question was first mooted. I had not the occasion to hear the speeches which were made in the initial stages when this question of communal electorates was introduced in the Congress; but there are many eminent Muslims who have recorded their views that the greatest evil in this country which has been brought to pass is the communal electorate. The introduction of the system of communal electorates is a poison which has entered into the body politic of our country. Many Englishmen who were responsible for this also admitted that. But today, after agreeing to the separation of the country as a result of this communal electorate, I never thought that that proposition was going to be moved seriously, and even if it was moved seriously, that it would be taken seriously. Well, when Pakistan was conceded, at least it was assumed that there would be one nation in the rest of India-the 80 per cent. India and there would be no attempt to talk of two nations here also. It is no use saying that we ask for separate electorates, because it is good for us. We have heard it long enough. We have heard it for years, and as a result of this agitation we are now a separate nation. The agitation was that "we are a separate nation, we cannot have either separate electorates or weightage or any other concessions or consideration sufficient for our protection. Therefore, give us a separate State". We said, "All right, take your separate State". But in the rest of India, in the 80 per cent of India, do you agree that there shall be one nation ? Or do you still want the two-nations talk to be brought here also ? I am against separate electorates. Can you show me one free country where there are separate electorates ? If so, I shall be prepared to accept it. But in this unfortunate country if this separate electorate is going to be persisted in, even after the division of the country, woe betide the country; it is not worth living in. Therefore, I say, it is not for my good alone, it is for your own good that I say it, "forget the past. One day, we may be 'united. I wish well to Pakistan. Let it succeed. Let them build in their own way, Let them prosper. Let us enter into a rivalry of prosperity, but let us not enter into that rivalry that is going on today in the land of Pakistan. You do not know that we are sitting in Delhi on a volcano. You do not know the strain that is being put on us because of what is happening near about. My friend the Mover of the amendment says the Muslim community today is a strong-knit community. Very good; I am glad to hear that, and therefore I say you have no business to ask for any props, (Cheers). Because there are other minorities who are not well-organised, and deserve special consideration and some safeguards, we want to be generous to them. But at the same time, as you have enjoyed this to a certain extent for a long time and you may not feel that there is discrimination, we agree to reservation according to population basis. Where is that kind of reservation in any other free country in the world? Will you show me? I ask you. You are a very well-organised community. Tell me, why do you behave like a lame man ? Be a bold and a strong man, as you are well-organised and stand up. Think of the nation that is being built on this side. We have laid the foundation of a nation. From now, under this new constitution, Chaudhuri Khaliquzzaman says the British element is gone, and therefore forget the suspicious. The British element is gone, but they have left the mischief behind. We do not want to perpetuate that mischief. (Hear, hear). When the British introduced this element they had not expected that they will have to go so soon. They wanted it for their easy administration. That is all right. But they have left the legacy behind. Are we to get out of it or not ? Therefore I say, and appeal to you. "What are you doing"? Think about it. Do you expect any one man in this country outside the Muslim League who will say 'Let us now also agree to separate electorates' Why do you do this? If you say "We want now to have loyalty" on this side to this nation", may I ask you "Is this loyalty?" Are you provoking response of loyalty from the other side ? I have no intention to speak on this, but when the Mover of this amendment talked such a long time and it was supported by the Leader, then I felt that there is something wrong again still is this land. Therefore, my dear friends, I ask you "Do you want now peace in this land? If so do away with it; you can do no harm either to Pakistan or India or anything, but only you will have all over the country what is happening in this country near about us; if you do want it, you can have it." But I appeal to you "Let us at least on this side show that everything is forgotten" and if we want to forget then let us forget what has been done in the past and also what is responsible for all that is happening today. Therefore, I once more appeal to you to withdraw the amendment and let us pass this unanimously so that the world outside will also understand that we are united. (Cheers).

"All elections to the Central and Provincial Legislatures will be held on the basis of joint electorates."

The motion was adopted.

--

: Radical Islam : Terror is the tool

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Manmohan Vaidya " <mmohanngp@gmail.com>
Date: 1 November 2013 6:07:48 AM IST
To: <mmohanngp@gmail.com>
Subject: FW: Radical Islam : Terror is the tool

 

Radical Islam : Terror is the tool 

Radical Islam and terror will continue to feed on each other unless the leaders of the society get down to the business of unraveling  the conditions which make educated minds irrational.

By Anand K Verma, Former Chief of R&AW

Time has arrived for the unspoken to be spoken i.e. Radical Islam is at war with India.

The objectives of the war are to destroy India as a nation, with a composite culture and multi-ethnic society and replace it with a phenomenon which began in an enclave in Saudi Arabia in the 7th century and has already enveloped a good part of the globe

Its spread so far is a proof of its inherent strength. In its historical march to its present expanse, it has destroyed empires, countries, religions, culture and people. It is continuously making inroads into territories where it was earlier unknown. Those who fail to comprehend its dynamics, do so at their own peril.

Radical Islam is what Prophet Mohammed is believed to have given to the citizens of Medina after his flight from Mecca. He outlined an ideology, couched in religious terms, from which an escape was next to impossible.

The ideology offered no accommodation except on its terms, ruled out all compromises, and demanded an allegiance with any violation of what was declared blasphemous, inviting instantaneous annihilation.

As Radical Islam spread far and wide beyond Mecca and Medina, often in the shadow of the sword, it did encounter powerful ideas which  mellowed it and sometimes led to the emergence of new sprouts.

Sufi Islam was one such product which toned down the hard features of the original  concepts and introduced new ones. Sufi Islam conditioned the Islamic mindset to the acceptance of co-existence with other cultures and religions. Although, principally, it was Radical Islam which made its first forays into India in the middle and early mid centuries, the one that settled down was not so Radical. Its core was impacted by Hindu philosophy, bhakti movements and new strains within it such as Deen-e-Ilahi of Akbar. The result was a broad based coexistence of Islam with all  other religions in India.

The purists were not amused by what they saw as contamination of Islam. Their brigade was led by the contemporary Ulemas. The one who struck an abiding blow to Radical Islam was Shah Waliullah (1703-62), celebrated in history as a Muslim reformer or a hardliner. Waliullah held that the essence of the scriptures i.e. Koran, Sunnah and Hadith could not be diluted and the purpose of Islam must remain synchronous with the Prophet's vision. Two generations later, Waliullah's followers founded the Deoband seminary of theology. The seminary was not just a Madrassa for religious teachings but its instructions were inspired by a larger purpose of avenging the1857 defeat by the British of the Muslim empire.

The seminary was the first Mujahid enterprise in the country. Its part of themes remained the same throughout the later history, camouflaged cleverly through theological dissertations, disseminated through a network of Madrassas which quickly sprang into existence, primarily in Muslim heartlands of India. Unrestrained and uninterrupted supply of Wahabi funds from foreign sources has provided oxygen to their  activities and to their take on Islam.

This school and its indoctrinations have had a legendary influence over the Muslim world. The Taliban of Afghanistan is the product of Deoband thinking as it evolved in Pakistan after partition. The Wahabis and the Salaifis of Saudi Arabia can be counted as clones of the Talibanised mindset.

Osama bin Laden given another push to Radical Islam by crafting the International Islamic Front in 1998. Student Islamic Movement of India(simi) and Indian Mujahaideen(IM) are the present day practitioners of Waliullah's mantra.

Al Qaeda and five extremist organizations from Pakistan like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Harkat-ul-Mujahiddeen and Hizbul-e-Jihad-e-Islami, among others from other Islamic countries, became the founding members of the Front, with Christian and Jews as its targets.

Its ideology spawned a Pan Islamic thrust. It emphasized that a Muslim's first loyalty was to his creed, not his nation; any means of violence could be employed including weapons of mass destruction to achieve political and other aims; and belonging to one Ummah a Muslim could participate in any struggle worldwide where Islam or its believers were being victimized.

With this ideology, drawn from scriptures, a Muslim was freed from the need of having any further organizational guidance from the Front. The result was that many Muslim groups in many parts of the world, started thinking and acting on identical lines.

There was an upsurge in fundamentalism  and terror worldwide.  Later the list of enemies was expanded to India to include Hindus.

The Pakistani members of the Front, guided by ISI of Pakistan, had narrower aim i.e., India, though they were also used by ISI to support Pan Islamist ambitions of Pakistan. Their imprints were found in all major regions of Islamic upheaval such as Bosnia, Chechnya, Xingjian, Philippines etc.

Today, the heightened profile of Radical Islam all over the world is giving sleepless nights to many governments including some in the Islamic world. Many of these governments believe that the Islamists will sooner or later be able to lay their hands on a nuclear device, causing mass destruction or disorder somewhere.

Rise of Radical Islam has placed a Muslim in a deep predicament in the western countries. While he cannot give up his Islamic identity, he does not quite understand how to manage his other multiple identities created by his citizenship, education and existence in multi culture societies.

Secularism and alternate systems of governance are theologically unacceptable in the Muslim scriptures. A reformist Muslim thus, becomes an anathema to Islam.

Without reforms, the hard dogmas will continue to rule out the Muslim mind and feed the hatred and animosity on which Radical Islam thrives. This amounts to a non-win situation leaving thereafter a class of people, having no respect for the laws and the others.

This has caused some to leave the pale of Islam and come out publicly against the contradictions of Islam and its outright rejection of values which are now universal in vast parts of the world. Two such individuals Wafa Sultana of LA, USA, and  Irshad Manjhi of Canada have almost become either a hate figure or an example of revolutionary bold articulation. They are deeply reviled in Muslim circles.

Tariq Ramadan, a Swiss Muslim who teaches religion at Oxford, constitutes a different category. He, while retaining the Muslim identity is struggling for a balance between this identity and of the integrated society in which many like him reside. Such people are looking for internal peace but are continually being tormented by the world they have been eager to leave. Their efforts to fashion new avenues of discourses appear quite unwelcome to the people whom they want to address.

This is a problem with which India is well aware. Scriptures lay down that Islam and the Prophet are not open to discussion.

Prophet also remains as the most admired individual for a large number of his followers. For such people, no debate can be ever opened up whether Islam should be more inclusive . Essentially, this leads to an uneasy co-existence, though at the surface, a certain smoothness based on a superficial give and take may be prevailed.

As Radical Islam  aided by incentives from across the border and fueled by like-minded activities elsewhere races further, the Indian State seems to be at a loss on  decision. Contrary voices begin to rise in the Government. Division of powers between the Centre and the States are adding to the difficulties by preventing firm policy and action. But time and tide wait for none. There is a perception in some quarters that the nation is sliding towards anarchy. On good authority it can be said that one responsible Muslim voice within the portals of governance, holds the view that India is on its way to a civil war which will be fought on every street including every village and the town.

Today, we are going through hard times.  Day by day increasing level of awareness, expectations and education are making this hardship even more confounded. Solutions cannot be found by putting the problems under the carpet. The problems need to be identified sincerely and dealt with squarely but with prudence, compassion and understanding.

Further polarizations must be prevented as the levels are touching the danger mark. It is unusual to see a Vice Chancellor coming ahead for assisting two of his students legally, who are not charged with a campus or institution related crime but with terror causing deaths. How many times has the VC come forward in the past when his students got the wrong side of the law, and he is not the alone  in distrusting the facts of the terror incident of September 13th in New Delhi. Large segments of population living in the area and some leaders of the community expressed distrust of the police motivation and investigation.

A more stringent anti-terror law or creation of federal investigation agency is not an adequate antidote to the deeply growing depths of mistrust and despair. Terrorism must be combated at the ideological level and the battle must be against hatred and the sustained belief system. The real enemy exists not only physically but is in the metaphysical realm of dogmas that in turn are subjected to misinterpretations.

Radical Islam and terror will continue to feed on each other unless the leaders of the society get down to the business of unraveling  the conditions which make educated minds irrational. There is no moment to be lost to abort the advent of the suicide bomber or the truck bomb.

Robert CLIVE CRUSHED HINDUISM

> ROBERT CLIVE CRUSHED HINDUISM
> THE SACRED ANIMAL
> Cows are the most sacred animals to the Hindus and this is not without any
> reason. Hindus believe that all Gods and Goddesses live inside a Cow
>
> COW SLAUGHTER IS A CRIME
> Cow slaughter and slaughterhouses are banned even today in Nepal. In
> India, very few are aware of the fact that Article 48 of the Indian
> Constitution (Directive Principles of State Policy) says clearly that the
> government must protect the cow, its progeny and other cattle used in
> agriculture, not just because the cows are sacred to Hindus but because
> Cows have been the backbone of Agriculture and milk production in this
> country ever since the dawn of civilization. To millions of poor families
> in India, even today Cow's milk is the only source of nutrient to their
> kids and babies.
>
> NEHRU AND GANDHI FAILED
> Both Mahathma Gandhi and Pandit Nehru had declared before Independence
> that they would ban Cow slaughter in India after Independence. Obviously
> they did not impose it. Why?
>
> THE FALSE BELIEF
> Thanks to Robert Clive who had converted the Indian Muslims into believing
> that beef eating was their religious right. Cow slaughter had become a vote
> bank issue So Robert Clive decided to break the backbone of agriculture in
> India – the holy cows have to be targeted. And thus was opened the first
> slaughterhouse of cows in India in 1760 by Robert Clive at Kolkata. It had
> a capacity to kill 30,000 cows per day. And anyone can guess within a
> year's time how many cows would have been killed. And within a century
> India had very little cattle left to sustain its agricultural needs.And
> Britain as an alternative started offering artificial manure, and in this
> manner urea, phosphate etc started getting imported from England.
>
> ROBERT CLIVE AND THE WRONGS
> Guess what, till 1760 most of India had banned not only cow slaughter, but
> also prostitution and drinking wine was banned as well. Robert Clive made
> all three legal and removed the ban.
>
> THE SUICIDE
> Guess what happened to the man who started all this? Robert Clive became a
> opium addict and later committed suicide by stabbing himself with a pen
> knife after being unable to withstand the pain caused by the illness that
> had resulted from opium addiction.
>
> THE BRITISH AND THE FRENCH
> Clive first arrived in India in 1743 as a civil servant of the East India
> Company; and later returned to England in 1753. Meanwhile, in Bengal, where
> the British and the French were contesting for supremacy, the Company
> required the services of an able commander. Clive was eager to return to
> India; and soon the summons came. He arrived in India in 1756 and by the
> end of 1760 he lifted the ban on cow slaughter which was his first step
> toward his suicide.

Fwd: {satyapravah} THICK CLOUDS OF HORRORS THROUGH DRACONIAN LAW/ACT ARE AT OUR DOORSTEP AGAIN...Spare time for you,your family, HIndu Society,Hindusthan in general : Protest against anti-Hindu Communal Violence Bill.How you want to contribute timely, by sparing time in this need of the hour ?

Protest the anti-Hindu 'Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence Bill, 2011'

Introduction - What is this bill and why to protest ?

Apparently 'Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (Access to Justice and Reparations) Bill, 2011' is brought to curb the riots taking place between majority and minority communities. After the alleged post-godhra riots in Gujarat, the so called secularists are going pillar to post to bring this enactment. So called social activists like Teesta Settlewad, Asgar Ali ENgineer are the people involved in pushing this draft bill.

O Hindus, please awake and send your suggestions to the National Advisory Council at wgcvb@nac.nic.in. You can also use opinion section in this campaign to send your comments/opinions to NAC. Click here to send comments directly and fulfill your duty towards Hindu Dharma and Nation.

Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (Access to Justice and Reparations) Bill, 2011

English Version       Hindi Version

The draconian provisions of the new Law

1. Protection to religious or linguistic minority and Scheduled Castes and tribes - It is directed to punish the offenses done or anticipated against a group which essentially comprises of a religious or linguistic minority and Scheduled Castes and tribes (Sec 1 (e)). Nobody else is given protection. If in certain area, hindu population is minority and attack is targeted against them or where the minorities themselves start organized attacks and riots, this law wont help to Hindus. Such is the viciousness of the draft bill. Crimes committed by the minorities will be prosecuted by the regular criminal procedure.

2. Curbing freedom of expression by terming it as Hate propaganda - Even publishing, communicating or disseminating of opposition may be termed as Hate Propaganda u/s 8 and is may extend to 3 years and/or fine. Again, it is targeted against the Hindu literature and and not anti-hindu literature.

Section 18 makes anything said or expressed against the minorities may be taken up as offence under this Act. The Govt. is to keep a constant vigil on this as to who is criticizing minorities, even fair criticizing may invite action by state else the public servant will be prosecutes - Sec. 18 - This provision may be misused widely even in the time of peace, for it is a continuing process.

3. Offenses to be non-bailable and cognizable - The offenses under the act are summarily non-bailable and cognizable even if they are not so under I.P.C. by virtue of (Sec. 11 and 58)

4. Government machinery will be made a slave to the minorities - Under this Bill, public servants will be under constant supervision and torture- dereliction of duty and it casts vicarious liability on them(Sec. 12 to 16). As also the victim can at any point of time gets a right to know the stage of proceedings and can complain to the National authority against the Govt. Machinery.

5. Obeying orders is not a defense - Apart from the vicarious liability, the order obeying police etc. can not say that they obeyed the orders. Even if one obeys an order of his senior, he also is a accused. In the times of riots or attacks, controlling the same will be too much difficult because of this. (Sec. 16)

6. Creation of a post - Defender for Justice and Reparations. - (Sec. 56) It appears that his sole activity will be to press for the rights of minorities.

7. Creation of National Authority for Communal Harmony, Justice and Reparation

1. It shall have separate investigation agency with a Director General of Police GP. (Sec. 29)
2. It's advisories and recommendations will be binding on the State and Central Govt. (Sec. 32 (a) and (d) read with Sec. 29)
3. It can interfere in the Court proceeding ( SEc. 32 j and k)
4. It will have the status of a Civil Court.

8. The public servants like District Magistrate or Police Superintendent made directly answerable to the National Authority. (Sec. 72,29, 69, 71, 4138,39)

9. Presumption of guilt and burden of proof on the accused (Hindus) - The accused will have to prove innocence ( Sec. 74) This changes the entire legal proceeding against the hindu accused people.

10. More than one third of public prosecutors will be from the religious or linguistic minority. ( Sec. 78)

11. Provision for funds - There will be funds diverted from the Consolidated Funds of India in addition to the fines collected under this act which will be disbursed to the alleged victims.

12. Apart from punishment the convict will have to pay to the victim - Whatever is given to the victims are in turn subrogated from the the persons allegedly responsible for the loss of property, life or liberty (Sec 110)

13. Protection of action taken in good faith - All the persons acting under this Act will have blanket 'protection of action taken in good faith'. ( Sec. 130)

14. This act is in addition to any other laws that are in force at present (Sec. 138)

Members of drafting and advisory committee ( Many of the members known for Anti-Hindu acts in the Name of Secularism )

Time Frame: August 1, 2010 - February 28, 2011

Drafting Committee Members

1. Gopal Subramanium
2. Maja Daruwala
3. Najmi Waziri
4. P.I.Jose
5. Prasad Sirivella
6. Teesta Setalvad
7. Usha Ramanathan (upto 20 Feb 2011)
8. Vrinda Grover (upto 20 Feb 2011)

Conveners of Drafting Committee

1. Farah Naqvi, Convener, NAC Working Group
2. Harsh Mander, Member, NAC Working Group

Advisory Group Members

1. Abusaleh Shariff
2. Asgar Ali Engineer
3. Gagan Sethi
4. H.S Phoolka
5. John Dayal
6. Justice Hosbet Suresh
7. Kamal Faruqui
8. Manzoor Alam
9. Maulana Niaz Farooqui
10. Ram Puniyani
11. Rooprekha Verma
12. Samar Singh
13. Saumya Uma
14. Shabnam Hashmi
15. Sister Mary Scaria
16. Sukhdeo Thorat
17. Syed Shahabuddin
18. Uma Chakravarty
19. Upendra Baxi

1. Aruna Roy, NAC Working Group Member
2. Professor Jadhav, NAC Working Group Member
3. Anu Aga, NAC Working Group Member

Joint Conveners of Advisory Group

1. Farah Naqvi, Convener, NAC Working Group
2. Harsh Mander, Member, NAC Working Group

How you want to contribute timely, by sparing time in this need of the hour ? 

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Western Ghats prone to Uttarakhand-like disasters

 

Western Ghats prone to Uttarakhand-like disasters
 Published: Monday, October 28, 2013, 16:43 [IST]
 http://news.oneindia.in/india/expert-warns-of-uttarakhand-like-disaster-in-western-ghats-1331916.html


 While the Kerala government is in a dilemma over implementing Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel report, a leading environmentalist warns that the extremely fragile ghats region is highly prone to natural calamities. According to Prof. V.S Vijayan, chances of an Uttarakhand-like tragedy in the region cannot be ruled out if scientific conservation initiatives are not being implemented at the earliest.

The UDF government is under pressure to implement the report's saliant recommendations. But business groups having stakes in granite quarrying, real estate, timber and tourism, who thrive in the biodiversity hotspot for decades, are opposing the report drawn by noted ecologist Madhav Gadgil. Also, the report has evoked sharp criticism from various quarters including the mainstream political parties in all the six states concerned - Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa -through which the Western Ghats is spread over.

 According to Prof V.S. Vijayan, former chairman of the State Biodiversity Board, also a member of Gadgil committee, commercial interests with the support of political parties are trying to create tension among people and making false propaganda against the report. "The Ghats region is highly prone to natural calamities like that happened in Uttarakhand recently. Indiscriminate plundering of natural resources and illegal and unscientific constructions have made it geologically fragile. Those who are agitating against the Gadgil report should try to understand the facts first before making a hue and cry," Mr. Vijayan said.

 "The natural forest cover in the region has dwindled to seven per cent. Most of the rivers have dried up and waters are contaminated in the rest of them. Hills are also slowly disappearing due to quarrying," he said.

Dismissing the argument that the Gadgil report is "anti-development" and "anti-farmer", he said it is a pro-development report to the core but it wanted development initiatives in the region to be carried out in a sustainable manner. "Development process has to go on. Livelihood of people should be met. But, these all should be achieved in a sustainable manner, without causing any more harm to the biodiversity and environment there," he said.

In Kerala, political parties and church establishments, irrespective of their differences, are against implementation of the report. They fear that the implementation would result in large-scale displacement of small and marginal farmers settled on the slopes of the hill ranges. Even the Kasturirangan report, which studied the recommendations of Madhav Gadgil report, has also not received total support.

The state government formed an experts' panel last week under the Biodiversity Board Chairman V. Ommen to create consensus among political parties and environmental activists on its implementation.

 Disputing the contention of the sceptics, Mr. Vijayan said the Gadgil committee has not opposed all human activity in the demarcated regions. "We have recommended the ban on polythene carry bags in the region. But, some churches told the faithful that they could not use even plastic buckets if the report was implemented." "Another propaganda is that the report is against the construction of new houses in Western Ghats.
But what we objected to was the conversion of agricultural and forest land for other purposes. But exception could be given to families who live there for generations.
 The recommendation was actually to curb real estate lobby," he said. A recommendation to make all new constructions in the region eco-friendly, was twisted by vested groups and propagated that Gadgil committee wanted all new houses to be built with grass and bamboo, he said.

 He also denounced the allegation that the report was "anti-farmer", saying that the report recommendations actually would provide more monetary gains to the farming community. "There are recommendations in the report to provide 'conservation charges' for those farmers who use indigenous seeds for cultivation. The benefit is also recommended for farmers who rear indigenous fish species. Even those who grow native tree species in their homeyard are also recommended to get monetary benefit," he said.

Holding that the Gadgil committee has used a "totally unbiased system" to Study the Western Ghats, Mr. Vijayan said they first took Western Ghats as a huge "water tower" as it is the water repository for all the six states. The entire Western Ghats was divided into three zones based on as many as 14 characters like geological and biodiversity factors, presence of rare species and so on. The entire region was demarcated as grids and grades were given to each grid based on these factors, he said. "The most sensitive areas have been included in zone one.

 Areas like Silent Valley and Athriappally fell under the zone naturally. We have not included any place purposefully in it." The report, prepared thoroughly through a democratic process, envisaged to secure 'grama sabhas' and panchayats the ultimate power which the mafia groups in the region did not want to happen, he said.
 "The Kasturirangan panel, formed to examine Gadgil report, also had references about the presence of these mafias. As many as 52 per cent of objections which the Kasturi panel received against Gadgil report were from mining lobbies."

He criticised Kasturirangan report for discarding the zonal wise demarcation proposed by Gadgil panel and dividing the Ghats region just into 'cultural and natural areas' stating that it would open up the region for mafias.
 The expert also urged the authorities to distribute a Malayalam version of the Gadgil report among local residents and hold public debates on the matter with the support of grama sabhas.

Meanwhile, V. Ommen, who has been made the chairman of the expert committee on the Kasturirangan report, said his main responsibility would be to hold grassroot level discussions on the report and create awareness among people that it would not harm their life. "I will be clear about my responsibilities only when I receive the terms and references. When we receive a copy of Kasturirangan report, we will bring out a Malayalam version of it, giving focus on Kerala side.Later we will visit all 123 villages, said to be affected with its implementation, and try to create consensus among various sections of people with the support of panchayat authorities and political parties," he said.

Read more at: http://news.oneindia.in/india/expert-warns-of-uttarakhand-like-disaster-in-western-ghats-1331916.html

Sangh's flexibility mantra to rope in youth

 

Sangh's flexibility mantra to rope in youth

Prashant Jha 

RSS is devising new ways — youth outreach campaign, new media, IT milans — to connect with the new generation 

It takes a while for the old men — some with their walking sticks, others in wheelchairs — to find their place inside the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) complex in Reshimbagh here on Sunday. They wait as the Sarsanghchalak, Mohan Bhagwat, comes and sits in the middle of the front row for a group photograph. A bell rings soon after, a signal for the group to head for a baithak. 

Eighty senior pracharaks, who had spent their lives spreading the Sangh's message of Hindutva, have come from all over the country for the Vijayadasami celebrations. The gathering could not have been more timely, for the Sangh's appeal among the young is waning. The organisation is devising new ways to recruit a new generation to fill the shoes of these senior men.Suresh 'Bhaiyaji' Joshi is the RSS sarkaryavah, general secretary, which makes him the second most powerful man in the organisational hierarchy. At Smriti Bhawan inside the Reshimbagh complex, Mr. Joshi tells The Hindu over a cup of tea on Monday afternoon that it has been a challenge for the Sangh to attract young people. 

As Mr. Joshi puts it, educational pattern, lifestyle, and working hours have changed. "Children go to school through the day, and then have tuitions right from the primary level. This was not prevalent earlier. A child who leaves home after Class 10 often does not return for six-seven years, and is cut off even from his family. In colleges, university exams have given way to a semester system, and even monthly tests. IT professionals and others work 12 hours a day or more." 

Such schedules leave people with little time, or energy to attend daily morning and evening shakhas — sessions of basic indoctrination into the Sangh philosophy — for an hour. Another Sangh official admits that the perception that the RSS is 'old, traditional and rigid' does not help either. 

This reflects in the figures. In 2005-06, the Sangh had close to 47,000 daily shakhas. That number, today, is about 39,000. There are 2,500 full-time pracharaks, which is an increase from the past, but not commensurate with the amount of work. While Sangh officials insist this is not worrisome — for the organisation's work is happening in many other ways — it appears to have triggered a degree of flexibility. 

Different packaging 

Back in Delhi, Ram Madhav — the Sangh's public relations in-charge — operates out of his plush office in Jangpura. Shuffling between his ipad, iphone and Macbook, Mr. Madhav says, "RSS is reinventing itself to connect with the new generation." 

To target the youth, besides the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the RSS now has its own university, college and hostel pramukhs — there is a special focus on student-dominated towns like Kota. There are 2,000 shakhas exclusively for university students. Mr. Madhav, who is one of the coordinators of the youth outreach campaign, says, "We have weekly shakhas instead of daily shakhas inside campuses." Five thousand young people were taken to the country's borders under a special programme to "create a sense of pride." 

Information Technology (IT) milans are organised in hubs like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Faridabad, and Gurgaon. "It may be too early for IT professionals to come at 6 in the morning, so during weekends, we have shakhas at 10.30 for them," says Mr. Madhav. 

New media 

Besides reworking shakha-format, new media has been embraced, and the 'packaging' of the message has changed. PowerPoint presentations and documentaries are used in special shakhas. The 'Join RSS' link on its website has generated responses; its sympathisers are active on Twitter and Facebook; and they have mailing lists. 

Asked how the Sangh reconciles its emphasis on austerity with the growing consumerism among youth segments, even in the Sangh, Mr. Joshi says the line between 'simplicity and luxury' is a fine one. He gives the instance of how mobiles have become a necessity. Another senior official indicates that location is important. "A pracharak in a tribal area must not carry fancy gadgets, for people will think some big officer has come. But in a place like JNU, if you are not up-to-date, people will dismiss you as someone from the Stone Age."The RSS is also having an internal debate on whether it is time to change its uniform, the khaki shorts, which isn't perceived to be popular with the young.

At his residence in Nagpur, 90-year-old M.G. Vaidya, a senior ideologue and former spokesperson, shows us two belts — the old leather belt has been replaced with a synthetic one. As proof of the organisation's flexibility, he adds that the colour of the shirts and nature of boots have also changed during the RSS history, and in his neighbourhood shakha, there are people who come in full pants. 

"We have even changed our prayers from the time the RSS was set up. Don't underestimate our ability to adapt with the times," says a senior official. The Sangh believes that if it can get people interested initially, then the Hindutva ideology, the 'warmth of informal relations' and networks; and the presence of 'inspiring role models' would ensure that they get drawn to the organisation. 

To test whether attitudes are changing, I ask Mr. Joshi about the total absence of women in the Sangh's decision-making hierarchy. "Women are not present in the Sangh at all. From the inception, our thinking was we must organise Hindu men in society." The physical nature of Sangh activities, he argues, does not make it conducive to have men and women together. "But women are associated with the ABVP, the VHP, and other affiliates." 

The senior RSS leader says it did not have a problem with women working or with co-educational institutions. But what is important is how women are perceived. "With modernisation, we must not forget our samskara. In our culture, we treat women as mothers. In the West, they see women as wives. There must be purity."

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sanghs-flexibility-mantra-to-rope-in-youth/article5237900.ece