Onam at BSF Camp:

It has been a season of disgust. 

The political scenario has been very messy.  Corruption cases are coming to light every day.  The famine is gripping several parts of the country.  Protests, strikes, accidents and all chaotic things around us that we are used to - are in full swing.

In the middle of this, something refreshing and rejuvenating happened to me.

I was called  in the celebration of Onam by the I G ,Border Security Force (BSF), Gujarat Frontier at Gandhinagar.  I went without much expectations ,but returned with full excitement.

Onam is celebrated in Kerala, just after the rains when the rain flowers spring out of earth and rice stands heady heavy and ready to harvest.  The snake boat races, flower carpets, rice dishes and a whole range of festivities happen in the Malabar coast.  And here, far away from the coast and in the heart of BSF camp, the Jawans and  Officers of all Ranks with their wives and children celebrated Onam with great commitment.  Traditional food, flower arrangements, cultural events and a whole lot of goodwill to each other.

The Border Security Force not only safeguards our lives and national boundaries.  They demonstrated that they safeguard our cultural diversity and national integrity by celebrating Onam, in a distant land from the festival's origin.

For me, it was a realization that at the core of our great institutions like the BSF, India is still alive with its traditional values of national commitment, sincerity and brotherhood.

V.K. Saxena,

President,

National Council for Civil Liberties,

Ahmedabad

Deep drawn water in drought: Victory of Sardar Sarovar

Medha Patkar waged a war in the name of water to deny the benefits of Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) to Gujarat. During her visit to USA in 1989, her headquarter,She testified before a committee and called "SSP a great human tragedy, an economic disaster and a planned environmental degradation." Her crony Arundhati Roy also testified in March 2000, in Geneva and said that" SSP is being constructed by using massive force and violating Human Rights." They lobbied on foreign soil for scrapping the project by giving false testimonies.

By attempting to deny water to the  farmers, farmlands and famine stricken people of the western India  she and her cronies shamelessly built a career as revolutionists. At  the end, they failed. It is no surprise that every evil force has  lost out and vanquished in every page of the social history of the world.

India today is reeling under drought and famine. The rainfall deficit  has been more than 15% on an average but in some states like Rajasthan, Gujarat and Karnataka, the deficit is more than 50%. The Central Government  is contemplating to launch an emergency relief effort in over 320 districts in the country. Over 60% of agriculture being rainfed,  there is clamour and chaos among the 600 million people, whose lives and economy are closedly linked to rains. Some State Governments have  launched official prayers to the rain God in desperation  of the situation.

At a juncture like this, the SSP is full and overflowing  due to the effectiveness with which it can store the collective resource of rain water from the wide catchment area. What would just  waste away as drainage is now impounded and given to people in  places that are historically drought prone in Gujarat and Rajasthan . Although the rains are  more than 50% deficient in Gujarat, thanks to SSP, the State does not have water  scarcity and has not declared itself drought-prone.

The likes of Medha Patkar should realize that there is difference between work and war, plan and plunder and governance and chaos. If  she comes out of her hiding and if she has a parched throat in the  lands she roams to look for opportunities to exploit hapless people,  she should walk into Gujarat. She can be sure to get a glass of water.

VK Saxena
President
National Council for Civil Liberties
Ahmedabad

Milking the mind's mercy

During the holy month of Shravan, people have kept a tradition of worshiping the 'shivling' with milk. With hundreds of thousands of shivlings around the country, the milk flows out of the temples into the gutters and go waste. On these occasions, our national lives balance on the razor edge of reason that separates superstition from reality. On the one hand, millions of children that are drowned in poverty go to bed without milk. On the other hand, thousands of litres of milk roll over the marble smoothness of God's idol and drain away under our feet.

Ahmedabad Mirror raised a campaign to dissuade people from wasting milk but donate the same for an earthly and humane cause. People responded. Both Ahmedabad Mirror and the people of Gujarat deserve appreciation for this imaginative and practical initiative that has given support to the needy people of the land. And as a result, the milk that was destined to drain away - has now quenched the thirst of the needy. At the end, a sigh, a smile of gratitude, a day spent well and a sleep of satisfaction.

There is a similar flux of wasteful practices around the places of worship in the country. For example the lighting of 'diyas' in the temples of south India with oil, which in effect amounts to thousands of liters of oil every day that can otherwise be used for alleviating poverty. Millions of candles that are lit in churches and other places release toxic smoke into the air whose effects are not fully gauged. Thousands of floating diyas left to float in our rivers like in Ganga at Hardwar sink in the waters and not only waste resources but also pollute the waters. I guess we need a detailed study on practices in the places of worship that do more harm than good, except that they give an irrational satisfaction to the superstitious minds. Avoiding them would in no way derogatory to faith.

People working together and raising mutual help and mutual aid is more effective, direct and result oriented than the grandiose programmes of the Government that are brought into force through election manifestos or high powered political campaigns. 'Garibi Hatao' has not removed poverty. 'Awas jojna' has not brought shelter to those whose lives are spent under the sky. 'Subsidized ration' has not filled the stomachs of people. Most of these campaigns have a long chain of people between 'command and compliance' and by the time the benefit trickles down to the needy, it will either be late or too meager or subverted upstream. Therefore, people working at the ground level with simple objectives like the Gujarat Shravan experiment by Ahmedabad Mirror could be far more effective, timely and useful.

Let us worship the virtues of life. Let us milk the nipples of mind that could pour mercy.

V.K.Saxena
President
National Council For Civil Liberties
Ahmedabad.

The Prime Precedence of Presidency

Some call it the political master stroke!

Let me examine.

The Congress, by which I mean its reigning queen, decided to field Pranab da and Ansari for the presidential race.  Pranab da - as a fixed deposit of self interest in Delhi for the Congress since they fear losing the next elections and Ansari  as the good old boring equation of appeasing some section of the electorate.  Then, the M&M kingmakers (Read Mamta and Mulayam not Mahindra and Mahindra) turn around and say that they would not support them, but propose the name of the serving Prime Minister of the nation.

For one, the M&M would not second Pranab da.  He is a master manipulator with die hard loyalty to Congress and may protect the interest of Congress in a subtle manner from the Rashtrapati Bhavan even when Congress is not in power at the centre, a reality that could dawn on us soon.  As such, he is the best bet for Congress but an unseemly horse for the pushers of the chariot of power.  

But why do M&M propose the name of the sitting Prime Minister?  Oops! Did I say 'sitting'?  I guess there is difference between 'serving' and 'sitting'.  In the present case, you don't need to be extra careful in deciphering the meanings.  Congress has followed an ancient tradition of asking an elderly man to sit.  That's fine with them - he is an apolitical person, maintains dignity of elephantine silence, does not have an ambition to promote his kins in politics, could be asked to vacate when the heir apparent of the Party decides to take the position, does not object to his colleagues taking orders from a naturalized alien and neither provokes anyone nor gets provoked by any amount of taunt or pinch.  It is impossible ever to find a person of impeccable academic record and integrity in public life of his standing to sit on the throne and not be anxious about money, power, politics, self respect and governance.  He is the most valuable but unambitious political asset a democratic party could ever get in its process of safeguarding the throne for a king in waiting.  

So, did M&M send a 'not so subtle' message that a sitting Prime Minister should be placated of his position when they proposed his name for the Presidency?  This leads to many interpretations:

1. The proposal recognizes that the sitting Prime Minister is ineffective and incapable as the executive head of the Government.  And as allies to the Government, M&M are not confident that they will gain value in electoral politics with such a man as the current Prime Minister in the high office.  
2. He can be taken for granted.  He need not be consulted nor taken into confidence before a proposal on his political fate and personal status is decided by his political colleagues.  The point that he has not reacted till now and that it is the Party which has rejected the proposal clearly shows that he neither has an opinion nor need to be consulted on matters concerning the highest offices of the land.  
3. For sure, the proposal will stir up the hornet's nest within the Congress Party and a struggle for power would ensue.  Now that it is acknowledge that the Prime Minister is ineffective, the internal debate in Congress will begin precipitating on his replacement.  Instability within the Party is the last thing that the reigning queen of the Party wants at the moment. And for sure, Congress will never be able to get someone who could sit so pretty in the Prime seat of South Block. 
4. Believe it or not, this move clearly means that the position of the Indian Presidency is that of a lame duck and only people on retirement are sent to occupy the Presidential seat.  If you want to placate a lame duck Prime Minister and crown him as the President, it is a loud acknowledgement that nothing is expected from the  Presidency of India.  

Well, M&M have shown their political mastery.  But at the same time, they have denigrated, dishonoured and deprived dignity of the offices of the Prime Minister and the President of India.  It is downright irresponsible.  But perhaps it is an irresistible mischief in the present scenario where both Mamata Banerjee and Mulayam Singh Yadav may have an eye on the seat of Prime Ministership of India.

V.K.Saxena

President 

National Council For Civil Liberties

Ahmedabad.

www.ncclindia.org

Sukma Collector Alex released-Facades and hidden faces in modern India

Everyone who argued that the naxal movement in India is an agrarian movement, born out of the rural disparities
and denied development have to get his head flushed with fresh blood.  There have been many agrarian movements in India that have achieved and led to rural development.  Vinoba Bhave and Jayprakash Narain  raised the issue of rural disparity and even politicians like Charan Singh and Babu Jagjivan Ram brought to fore the issue of rural development.  They all had their contributions - big and small to the development of rural India and to the status of down-trodden.  They did not pull the trigger of a gun nor kidnap a Government official responsible in a line department for development, to demonstrate their ideology or achieve their goals.

But the naxal movement has had strange attributes.  It made us all believe that the movement is a reflection of rural and agrarian frustration about lack of development.  If it was so, shouldn't they be receptive to the past 20 years of programmes and progress in their heartland by the moderate rulers of elected Governments?  Why would they kidnap a collector of 'dalit' background who was known for his orientation to development and good deeds?  Why would they kidnap an MLA who himself was a tribal and won the election with a thumping margin of 92000 votes from the tribal heartland? Why would they ambush police parties and the officials entering remote areas on duty to implement developmental schemes? Why would they stop people from reaching electoral booths and vote for a change?  Why would they destroy schools and occupy school buildings and terrorize those who want a decent and modest education?  Why would they kidnap tour operators and businessmen whose activities could lead to the development of the region?  Why would they kill, plant bombs, rampage and destroy lives, infrastructure and property and spread fear and chaos? In a recent television debate on NDTV Mr. Jay Panda, Rajya Sabha member from Orrisa informed that government has constructed roads,school buildings,primary health centers and the electric connections in the remote areas of naxal heartland, as a part of development in those areas, which were earlier cut off from the main heartland.  A naxal sympathiser/ideolog also participating in the debate,  admitted these fact but could not answer why naxals were destroying these infrastructure, which the government has created for their own benefit.

What do naxals/maoists really want?  Is their agrarian and development ideologies are just facades behind which the ugly and violent face of terrorism exists?  Are they just another type of underworld terrorists?

There is yet another social brigade which some 8-10 years back operated in a similar fashion in Narmada Vally.  Spearheaded by popular personalities like Medha Patkar, ..... etc., this brigad  did not lie covered and underground.  It operated right royally in the middle of our society and lived in the glory of media and visibility.  It propagated a myth that the dalits and Project affected people (PAP) were to be emancipated with development.  But when the development came to their door-steps, this brigade of overworld terrorists took to the streets, scuttled the projects, lobbied on international platforms against the country, painted a wrong picture of suffering and stood its ground to oppose everything that could be related to progress.They too had in a similar fashion, like naxals, destroyed schools,seed godowns,health center buildings etc constructed by the government for PAPs and even indulged in larege scale voilence to prevent the government officials from doing necessary surveys in the affected villages for their proper rehabitilation.  When rural people affected by developmental programmes were given compensation, this brigade stood in between and terrorized the beneficiaries from accepting any relief.  It separated rural masses from the progress and existed  gloriously in the world press.

What do these pseudo-socialists really want?  Is their ideology of social justice just a facade behind which their wily intentions and acts of sedition hide?  Are they just over-world terrorists?

One group operates from the jungles in the cover of nights and destroys development in the name of naxalism.  The other group operates from villages, towns and cities in the light of the day and decimates development.  One lies underground while the other exists over-ground.

Similarity of approach and actions between these two groups in opposing much desired development  requires a thorough investigation to find out their inter-linkages, if any.

  

It is time that the society recognized these evil faces for their true worth.

V.K.Saxena
President
National Council For Civil Liberties.
Ahmedabad.

                                 Old NBA warning to Govt officials at village Tehar,MP.

           

    Old NBA Diktat to Govt officials at village Kikarva, MP. 

Response to "Capitalism:A Ghost Story by Arundati Roy."Outlook 26th March 2012.

A run dat i(s) Roy

Sigh! 

What a run!  

From where to where does this woman run!  And why?  And why does she make us read her marathon passage?  Outlook needs to look inwards before they splat her running footprints all over their magazine.

First question to you Ms. Roy.  What did you do with your millions that you got from your Booker Prize and the royalty of your book sales apart from building and hiding from public eye your own illegal villa in the notified forest land in MP. Roy pretends to be a campaigner for tribal rights but she is accused of grabbing tribal land in Pachmarhi.  And what will you do with the fat cheque you get from writing such long passages in print?  Do you disbelieve in capitalism and distribute cash or kind to at least a fraction of the number of poor who pass by your own illegal forest Antilla in torn slippers?

Why do you pretend loving this country? You have breathed sedition in Kashmir, spoken for the naxals, opposed industrial growth, bashed every business house (except the Birlas for some strange reason), established links with ISI agents like Gulab Nabi Fai, who was recently sentenced for two years jail by a U.S court, deposed against national development in UN and international fora with utterly wrong statistics (you are a fiction writer with an award) and criticized everything national.  You have even been punished by the Supreme Court for contempt of court.

How credible is your voice?  Why don't you suggest any solution to what you perceive as problems?  You run criticism and run away from solutions.  Do something to prove you are right. Please try and undo what you don't like.  At least, bring down the Antilla, break down the dams, tear up the Lokpal bill, stone to death every business leader (except Birlas for reasons only known to you) and take us all to the stone age. 

Also build some villas in the notified forest lands for the naxals, if that is your vision and wisdom for the proletariat cause.

V.K.Saxena

President

National Council for Civil Liberties 

Ahmedabad - 380 009 

web: www.ncclindia.org

e-mail: nccl27@hotmail.com

BLOG: vksaxena-nationfirst.blogspot.com

Road to Faith and Faith on Roads- Temples Demolition Drive in Ahmedabad)

Gujarat has long had a fundamental policy of strong resource base for overall growth.The infrastructure development has been consistent and the roads,ports,rail network and airports are well established in view of future loads that may have to address.Bad social activism has been curtailed and a positive participatory approach of  people in the process of growth has been promoted.Political leadership has been stable and transparent.

None ever has disputed the sanctity of faith. 

It is necessary that we safeguard the diversity of faiths, seek to build places of worship and protect the those symbols of faith that have great historic and mythological legacies.  There are hundreds of such locations and destinations in our country and we build roads to them, so that people can reach them and quench the thirst of their faiths.

On the other hand, it is also true that in our nation, the symbols of faith are often built on the roads instead of roads being laid to reach them.  This serves specific vested interests and once built, the aura of faith can be made to surround them, making it difficult to distinguish between places of real value and the ones of intended value.  There are instances where small places of worship come into existence overnight in order to secure private control over public property.

This poses two level difficulty.  One - the irregular network of these structures over a time will undermine the urban planning principles and will dislodge the integrity of master plans of development that are prepared for our collective well-being. Two - it breeds groups of vested interests who turn these little places into dens of commercial activities in the name of faith and disturb the public order.  Both of these are not in the best interests of civilization, civil liberty and public safety.

Therefore, it is important to make a distinction whether 'worship is work', while we all accept that 'work is worship'.  It is important that the principles of prosperous public life are not ridiculed by an assumption that every place of worship, regardless of its antecedent, should be protected.

Demolition of structures that are deterrent to development is not to be politicised or given a colour of religious controversy.  We all know of the famous reply Mirza Ghalib gave when a Mulla objected to his drinking in a mosque " Ghalib sharab peene de, Masjid mein baith kar Ya aisi jagah bata, jahaan khudaa na ho…"  

Faith is not something which is disregarded or dishonoured if a public structure is removed. Faith in its real splendour is deep seated and mature enough that it makes way for community safety and public prosperity.  The ongoing demolition drive of places of worship in Ahmedabad  must be viewed in this spirit.

VK Saxena
President
National Council for Civil Liberties