Goonj | Cloth Day

PUCL Public Meeting: Prosecution of Binayak Sen- Implications for Indian democracy!- 30th Dec 2010-Thursday @ 5.30pm @ T. Nagar

Nationwide, ordinary citizens have been shocked by the prosecution, conviction and sentencing   of Dr. Binayak Sen to life sentence for offence of sedition under sections 124A read with Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code, Sections 8(1), 8(2), 8(3) and 8(5) of the Chhattisgarh Vishesh Jan Suraksha Adhiniyam, 2005 (Chhattisgarh Special Public Safety Act) and Section 39(2) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967. Dr. Sen, one of India's celebrated medical professionals has dedicated his life to India's most impoverished and vulnerable communities. His contribution to public health has been acknowledged by the Chhattisgarh government itself who incorporated his medical work in official health programme. Yet the same Chhattisgarh Government could not tolerate Dr. Sen questioning its policy of support to the unlawfully constituted and armed `Salwa Judum' force. It is useful to remember that the Supreme Court of India itself has directed that the Salwa Judum should be wound up.

            PUCL has consistently been campaigning for the repeal of the laws under which Dr. Binayak has been convicted as these very enactments are an infringement on the democratic fabric of the country. History has shown whether it is the sedition law in the Indian Penal Code or the later laws like POTA and TADA, the state has always used these laws to suppress and silence dissent and criticism of state action.  The Chhattisgarh Special Public Safety Act and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967 are nothing else but POTA and TADA in a new avatar.

           The prosecution of Dr.Binayak sen is being showcased as a warning to all citizens of the fate that befalls anyone challenging the state. Arise citizens of India! Lets raise our voices and show that  we will not tolerate silencing the voices of freedom and independence.  

 

PLEASE CIRCULATE WIDELY

 

People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL)-TN

Invites you to a protest meet

 

Prosecution of Binayak Sen –

Implications to Indian Democracy!!

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Speakers: Dr. Sara Bhattacharjee, Dr. Zachariah, Dr. Anand Zachariah, CMC, Vellore;

Mr. M.G. Devasahayam, ex-IAS, Dr. V. Suresh, National Secretary, PUCL, and others  

 

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On

30.12.2010 (Thursday) at 5.30 pm

@ 

C.D. Nayagam Thiyagaraya Nagar Hr. Sec. School,

Venkatnarayana Road, T. Nagar, Chennai.

Landmark: Opp. TTD Temple

 

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Join us in protecting Democracy! PUCL-TN

Contact: 9444231497/ 9444905151/ 9751237734

 

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மக்கள் சிவில் உரிமை கழகம்-[பி.யு.சீ.எல்.]- தமிழ்நாடு

நடத்தும்

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 பினாயக் சென்னை விடுதலை செய்! ஜனநாயகத்தை விடுதலை செய்!!

 

அநீதியான தீர்ப்பை எதிர்த்தும் &

டாக்டர்.சென்னை விடுதலை செய்யக் கோரியும்

 

கண்டனப் பொதுக் கூட்டம்

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பேச்சாளர்கள் : மருத்துவர்கள், மூத்த வழக்கறிஞர்கள், முன்னாள் அதிகாரிகள், மனித உரிமை ஆர்வலர்கள் மற்றும் பலர்

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நாள் : 30 -12 -2010 /மாலை 5.30 மணி

இடம்: சி.தெ.நாயகம் தியாகராயர் நகர் மேனிலைப் பள்ளி,

வெங்கடநாராயணா சாலை, தி.நகர்.

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ஜனநாயகம் காக்க, அனைவரும் வருக! பி.யு.சீ.எல்.—தமிழ்நாடு

தொடர்புக்கு: 9444231497/ 9444905151/ 9751237734

 

Why is india afraid of binayak sen ?

Nandini Krishnan

A child molester is sentenced to a year and a half in jail twenty years after his victim killed herself, and gets out on bail within four months.

A convicted terrorist is fed biriyani, while the hangman finishes up his backlog.

A man, who is responsible for the continuing suffering of millions of victims 26 years after a gas tragedy, is allowed to lead a cosy life in the United States of America.

A man who cost the government lakhs of crores is raided by the CBI after ample notice that would've given him time to get rid of incriminating evidence.

Yet, in this very same nation, a human rights activist is almost summarily sentenced to life imprisonment - the maximum penalty for most rapists and murderers.

Dr Binayak Sen, it must be remembered, has been hailed across the world and in his own nation for his stellar work in the rural healthcare field.

Here is a man who has clearly stated that he doesn't condone Naxalites or approve of their violent methods. Yet, after being initially jailed for more than a year without trial, he has now been convicted, on the basis of an unsigned letter, of waging war against the government.

So, what makes this 60-year-old an enemy of the nation? 

The fact that one of his patients was a Maoist ideologue? Or the efforts of his fact-finding team in exposing the atrocities committed by the Salwa Judum?

Each one of Dr Sen's 33 visits to Narayan Sanyal in Raipur Jail was carried out with prior police permission. The postcard penned by Sanyal, which was used as evidence to arrest Dr Sen in May 2007, was signed and sealed by the jail authorities. 

But where were the lawyer and the impartial witness when the state authorities were rifling through Binayak Sen's computer?

As one of India's most high-profile criminal lawyers, Ram Jethmalani, 'embarrasses' his party by offering to represent Dr Sen (incidentally, for the second time, after securing his bail in 2009), and the global chorus protesting against the sentence gets louder, the Indian government is beginning to bear an uncanny resemblance to its Eastern neighbour. 

Chinese human rights activist Liu Xiaobo was in prison, unable to receive news of his winning the Nobel Prize this year. Startlingly reminiscent of Dr Sen's Jonathan Mann Award in 2008, eh?

Why is India so scared of people who talk? 

Take the sedition charge against Arundhati Roy. Frankly, there isn't much she says that I agree with, mostly because her speeches are poorly-researched, vituperative, ambiguous and, sometimes, funny. But that doesn't mean I believe she ought to be arrested and tried, simply for mouthing off the government.

What makes an Indian who questions the running of the country less of an Indian citizen than the Prime Minister? Chances are that the 'activist' - oh yes, the word is always within quotes - in question has been a citizen of this country far longer than the Chairperson of the UPA coalition. 

But in India, there seems to be a rule that one cannot speak against any action of the government unless one is a part of the state machinery. And, it seems, a state agent can get away with anything, including the molestation of a child.

How far are we from turning into China or Iran or Sri Lanka, where most political prisoners are journalists and activists, held for criticising the government? How different are we from the Thought Police of George Orwell's 1984?

The historical rebellions that took place in this country are considered landmarks in nation building, and their perpetrators eulogised as heroes. Has anyone read of the Revolt of 1857, or the Dandi Salt March, or the Indian National Army, or the Quit India movement, in unflattering terms? Would anyone condemn Mangal Pandey or the Rani of Jhansi or Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi or Subhash Chandra Bose as an enemy of the state? 

Does the fact that India is now run by Indians make it illegal to speak out against the government? Worse, does daring to defy the government mean one could be sentenced to a life-term in jail, without possibility of bail?

If so, our nation is in a perpetual state of Emergency.

 

http://www.sify.com/news/why-is-india-afraid-of-dr-binayak-sen-news-analysis-km3mFjegbci.html

 

 

PROTEST AGAINST BINAYAK SEN'S CONVICTION AND ARREST

National Alliance of People's Movements (Delhi) & Delhi Solidarity group join

People’s Union for Democratic Rights

 

in calling upon all organizations and individuals to jointly organize and participate in a

 

       PROTEST AGAINST BINAYAK SEN’S CONVICTION AND ARREST

 

@: Jantar Mantar, New Delhi

on: 27 December 2010

from: 2.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.

 

Dear friends, 

 

Subsequent to the unconstitutional conviction and arrest of Dr Binayak Sen u/s of 120(B), 124(A) of the IPC and 1,2,3,5, Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act and Sec 39 (2) of the UAPA (2004 amended), PUDR calls upon all democratic organizations to jointly organize a dharna at Jantar Mantar on 27 December (Monday), at Jantar Mantar, from 2.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.

 

Let us all come together to protest this injustice and strengthen our resolve to take the struggle forward. 

 

Harish Dhawan

Paramjeet Singh

(Secretaries, PUDR)

 

Madhuresh Kumar, NAPM 

--
Regards,

Vijayan MJ


Delhi Forum
F-10/12 (GF), Malviya Nagar,
New Delhi INDIA - 110017
Phones: + 91-11-26671556 (Direct),
26680914/883 Fax:26687724
Emails: vijayan@delhiforum.net, delhiforum@delhiforum.net
Web: http://updatecollective.wordpress.com/
http://delhisolidaritygroup.wordpress.com/

Emergency - History will haunt

NEW INDIAN EXPRESS

Editorial

http://expressbuzz.com/opinion/editorials/reminder-from-the-emergency/233773.html

 

Reminder from the Emergency

The New Indian Express

First Published : 23 Dec 2010 12:06:00 AM IST

Last Updated : 24 Dec 2010 12:25:16 AM IST

 

M G Devasahayam, a former civil servant who has occasionally written for this newspaper, has unearthed something worth noting. He filed, and then pursued in the face of denials, the official documents on the infamous proclamation of Emergency rule in India in June 1975, our sole experience so far with the suspension of democracy. A twist of history ensured it didn’t become permanent after 21 months, but it was a near thing. Devasahayam used the national Right to Information Act to demand to see the documents. He was shunted from Prime Minister’s Office to home ministry to National Archives and wouldn’t take No for an answer. He finally got to see what the Archives had and confirmed some interesting details. One was already known: that the declaration was illegal, having been done on the Prime Minister’s secret demand by the then President, without the Cabinet having been aware, let alone having approved. All the arrests and censorship was illegal.

 

So much so, Devasahayam found, that the original letter with Indira Gandhi’s signature isn’t there, having been replaced in the ‘top secret’ file with a typed copy. It appears the home ministry at some point got the file back and took out the original; it is presumed these are, if still existing, part of Indira’s personal papers, now in control of her family. Thoroughly illegal, known thanks to the RTI. Two, it exposes the lie she and her party members have spread since then, that there was an imminent danger to national security due to internal disturbances, calls to rebellion, etc. The letter and the file have not a mention, not one word, on any of this. The first such writing on any of this came a fortnight after the Emergency rule began. Since politicians, civil service and police just went along and the media was censored (for those who weren’t collaborating or too scared), there’s a huge lesson here for institutional checks on the power of governments, in all spheres. And, on unfetterd access to transparency laws. Not only expanded right to information laws but also matters like the freedom of radio and television channels and new media such as the Internet. Bear in mind that our laws allow the government the power to bar or shut any of these by executive order, on grounds as vague as what Indira used in getting her Emergency rule.

 

Join a Research Project at TISS on Ethnic and Religious Diversity

From an HT Article -

TISS invites citizens to be part of research project... Pooja Domadia

Those who are interested in conducting research, but do not have the  necessary
training will now have a platform to study the changing trends  in the ethnic
and religious diversity of the city. The Tata Institute  of Social Science
(TISS), Partners for Urban Knowledge Action and  Research (PUKAR) and Max Planck
Society have come together to form an  urban observatory at TISS where research
data will be collected.


The project, titled Urban Aspirations, will focus on the changing trends  in
ethnic and religious diversity. Citizens can be a part of this  project without
any formal qualification. The only decisive factor will  be the level of
commitment shown by them.


"We don't have any limitation for participation and anyone who has a  keen
interest and knowledge about their community can join us," said  TISS director,
S Parasuraman.

Researchers will also use existing data collected by TISS to provide a  complete
picture.  This data includes the history, recent trends and  community
representation in the city. The collected research will be  converted into
official research papers, which will be available for  public use.


"We will digitise the knowledge and research on our website for public use,"
said Parasuraman.

Financial assistance in the initial period will be provided by  Germany-based
Max Planck Society, which conducts research on humanity  and social sciences
around the world. Funds from other external sources  will be collected later on.


PUKAR has been conducting a community-based participatory research for the last
six years.


They have involved people from the lower strata of society and taught  them
research methodologies that would be handy in this project.


"We want to change the mentality that only scholars and academicians can
conduct research. We have bare foot researchers who specialise in the  knowledge
of their own community, and they may or may not be  educationally very
qualified," said Anita Patil Deshmukh, executive  director, PUKAR.

HCL Tech's Nayar divests own stake for charity

8 Dec, 2010, 06.39AM IST,ET Bureau
HCL Tech's Nayar divests own stake for charity
NEW DELHI: After the generous acts of philanthropy by Wipro chairman Azim
Premji and HCL founder Shiv Nadar , its HCL Technologies CEO Vineet Nayar
turn, who has divested a part of his stake this week in the company for
charity purposes. HCL Technologies vice chairman , and director Vineet Nayar
on Monday sold a million shares in HCL Technologies worth Rs 43 crore, in a
bid to raise money for his charity SAMPARK, which works towards children's
education in India.

"I think we all owe to the world and should give back in some way. In 2004,
I started a non-profit called Sampark which has an aim to create a million
smiles. All proceeds post tax from the divestiture of a million HCLT shares,
will go towards SAMPARK , which works in the education field," Vineet Nayar
HCL Technologies CEO told ET.

Post divestiture, Mr Nayar's equity in HCL Technologies is now reduced to 17
lakh shares (or 0.295% in the company) from 27 lakh shares, earlier. The
company informed the Bombay Stock Exchange in a statement that Mr Nayar had
sold about 10 lakh equity shares in the company dated December 7th, 2010,
through India Infoline , its trading partner. HCL stock closed at a price of
Rs 423.8 on Monday. On Tuesday, HCL Technologies shares closed at Rs 429 up
1.25% on the BSE.

SAMPARK, run as a personal non-profit venture by Mr Nayar, has generally
kept a low profile. "I have no doubt that over time, we can create a million
smiles through improving the quality , infrastructure and opportunity for
education for the underprivileged," said Mr Nayar who joined HCL in 1985 as
a trainee after his MBA from XLRI.
Mr Nayar, 47, is now one of the highest paid CEOs in India with a salary of
over Rs 4.5 crore per year.

The charity is working with ill equipped schools in India to improve the
quality of education through Teach the Teacher program. It is also investing
in basic infrastructure and creating science labs in schools. SAMPARK also
funds engineering education for students from these schools by providing
scholarship to meritorious students.

HCL Technologies chairman and Mr Nayar's mentor, Shiv Nadar also sold a 2.5%
stake in HCL Technologies this June and pumped the entire Rs 585 crore
proceeds into his philanthropic efforts. Mr Nadar has also committed about
10% of his wealth for charity.

Besides, this month, Wipro chairman Azim Premji pledged about Rs 8,846 crore
($2 billion) towards improving school education in India. The proceeds with
effect from December 7, 2010 will go towards an irrevocable trust run by
Azim Premji Foundation. Earlier this year, Tech Mahindra chairman Vineet
Nayyar also gifted Rs 30 crore to Essel Social Welfare Foundation, which
supports the girl child.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-company/corporate-trends/HC
L-Techs-Nayar-divests-own-stake-for-charity/articleshow/7063225.cms

Jan 22 - National Convention on Judicial Reforms, mumbai

From:

Namaskar,

A mega Convention on judicial reforms is being organised by us as above.

We are an NGO relentlessly working on judicial reforms under the

project name of SAVE JUDICIARY-SAVE NATION.

We have shortlisted some subject on which speakers will illuminate the audience.

SLOW JUDICIARY : THE SLOW DEATH OF DEMOCRACY

(i) Promoting Criminalisation among Citizenry.

(ii) Criminalising Politics.

(iii) Perpetuating inefficiency and corruption in bureaucracy.

IMPACT OF SLOW JUDICIARY ON NATION'

(iv) Obstacle in domestic and foreign investments.

(v) Effect on ethics and morality.

(vi) Obstacle in Social Change.

APATHY TOWARDS JUDICIAL REFORMS

(vii) Governments and legislatures.

(viii) Judiciary, ex Judges and lawyers.

(ix) Forum's plans to setup centres across the country.

REDUCING BACKLOG OF CASES

(x) PIL: Janhit Manch (through Bhagvanji Raiyani) & Ors. Vs. Union of

India & Ors. (2008) pending in the Supreme Court.

(xi) Double Shifts, pruning Vacations, Shortening arguments, Orders

and adjournments.

(xii) Other remedies on reaching zero backlog.

FUNCTIONING OF COURTS AND INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY

(xiii) Lower Judiciary.

(xiv) Higher Judiciary.

(xv) Combating Corruption.

LAW EDUCATION FOR BEST TALENTS IN JUDICIARY

(xvi) The State of Law education in the Country.

(xvii) Selection of judges from best talents.

(xviii) Accessibility of Judiciary by Common man, more S.C. Benches.

(xix) Special monetary incentive to judges.

(xx) Conclusion and adoption of resolution.With regards.

The Speakers and delegates are being invited from all over the country.

The convention will be inaugurated by Hon'ble Justice M.N.

Venkatachaliah, the former Chief Justice of India on 22nd January,

2011 followed by the keynote address by Dr.Veerappa Moily, the Hon'ble

Minister for Law and Judiciary.

Other distinguished personalities speaking during next 7 sessions in

two days during 9-30 A.M. to 6-00 P.M. who have confirmed so far to

grace the occasion as Speakers are:

1. Shri Ram Jethmalani: The former Law Minister & renowned Criminal lawyer.

2. Shri Arvind Kejriwalji: The Right to Information Crusader, the

founder of Parivartan.

3. Hon'ble Justice Kamleshwar Nath: The Retd Judge of the Allahabad High Court

4. Dr. N R Madhav Menon: The Founder of National Law School in India

5. Ms. Elizabeth Seshadri: The dynamic Lawyer of Chennai

6. Ms. Medha Patkar: An extremely dedicated Social activist

7. Dr.Jayprakash Narayan: The Founder of Loksatta Party and the

serving MLA from A.P.

8. Shri Shailesh Gandhi: The Information Commissioner at Central

Information Commission.

9. Prashant Bhushan, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court and a renowned activist.

10. Padmabhushan (Dr.) Justice Chandrashekhar Dharmadhikari, former

Judge, Bombay High Court.

11. Jagdeep Chhokar, Management Expert, Electoral Reforms Activist.

12. Dunu Roy, Founder of an NGO HAZARD CENTER.

13. Raj Babbar, renowned actor and Congress M.P.

14. Manoj Mitta, Editor, Times of India, Delhi.

15. Justice Suresh Hosbet, former Judge, Bombay High Court.

16. Dr.Banwarilal Sharma, Gandhian Activist and educationist.

You may consider to enrich yourself by attending this convention.

Please find more details at files attached herewith.

(Bhagvanji Raiyani)

Chairman & Managing Trustee

09820403912

Indian Citizenry wants to know truth about Public Loot through 2G spectrum scam in context of allegation levelled by Dr. Subramanium Swamy?

Indian Citizenry wants to know truth about Public Loot through 2G
spectrum scam in context of allegation levelled by Dr. Subramanium
Swamy?

I am reproducing some of his such allegations published in the
http://gulfnews.com/

In response to some question from Gulfnews.Com Dr. Subramanium Swamy
replied as follows:-

You've also said that if the PM resigns, it will strengthen those who
made money. Could you name them?

Sonia and DMK party chief M Karunanidhi.

You mean Raja is just a face and the real culprits are the biggies of
the DMK?

Raja got 10 per cent, Karunanidhi 30 per cent and Sonia's two sisters
have got 60 per cent of the loot.

Have you done in-depth research and investigation to make such
claims?

Yes, I've enormous access because whatever my enemies may say, one
thing is there that I've never betrayed anybody. Today, people in the
government are so fed up seeing everything happening in close range
and all this material is available with the PM.



http://gulfnews.com/news/world/india/i-saved-prime-minister-in-telecom-scandal-says-swamy-1.722635
Said Interview published in Gulfnews.Com is reproduced as follows:-

December 05 2010

I saved prime minister in telecom scandal, says Swamy

Veteran leader reveals all about scam as he accuses media and
politicians of corruption.

·  By Nilima Pathak, Correspondent

·  Published: 00:00 December 4, 2010








Dr Subramanian Swamy
Image Credit: Nilima Pathak/Gulf News
New Delhi: Dr Subramanian Swamy is President of Janata Party. Well-
educated and honest, he is not only courageous, but extremely blunt
and forthright in his views.

Widely known for publicly challenging and fighting against prime
ministers and chief ministers, it would do well for his political
opponents to remain on the right side of Swamy. For, his wrath can
undo governments, leave alone individuals!

Though his histrionics have earned him the reputation of being a
rabble-rouser, no one can claim to find anything incriminating against
him to charge or drag him to court.

Speaking to Gulf News in an exclusive interview, Swamy has openly
spelt out names on the telecom spectrum scam accusing both political
and media persons for being corrupt.

GULF NEWS: You seem to be treading into familiar territory with 2G
spectrum scam what with earlier taking the cudgels with Janata Dal
leader Ramakrishna Hegde and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
leader Jayalalitha and several others?

SUBRAMANIAN SWAMY: This is a very serious matter. The others were for
a very different reason. Hegde was a member of my party and crafted
the impression that he was a very honest and upright man. But he was
most crooked and did all kinds of rackets. And, of course, he was
tapping telephones of his own people, including his girlfriends! A man
who pretends morality had to be exposed. Strangely, in 1988, our own
party decided to investigate the incident of telephone tapping and he
supported it thinking I wouldn't get to the bottom of it. When
trapped, he filed a defamation case against me and later withdrew,
which ended his career.

In the case of Jayalalitha, I helped her win the elections and become
the Chief Minister. I was also instrumental in providing her adequate
security after the DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) government, which
was close to the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) was
dismissed. But after winning, she began doing all the rotten things
that the DMK was doing. Whether she or her associates did, I can't
say. I questioned her and she got angry with me. In the process she
started letting loose violence against me. That's when I said to her,
‘I'll teach you a lesson'. I dropped everything, sat in Tamil Nadu,
and brought her down.

Is it because of bringing down governments that you are known as a
troublemaker?

That's not true. There are also governments where I've helped. Like,
the Narasimha Rao government couldn't have survived but for me. I
created the Chandra Shekhar government, which actually initiated the
reforms even though it didn't get the credit because it did not last
very long. I helped Rajiv Gandhi survive in his worst days when
everybody abandoned him.

Just because they [the politicians] can't say I'm corrupt or
illiterate, they spread this usual propaganda that I'm a troublemaker.
The public doesn't think so. Else I wouldn't have been elected to
Parliament five times.

But haven't you kind of dragged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to court
— something that was till now unheard of?

Yes, but I also saved him because I thought the press was getting out
of control and over-drawing the picture. I said that he sat on my
petition to permit me to prosecute telecommunications minister
Andimuthu Raja. Now, for the first time in the history of India the
Supreme Court has directed the PM to file an affidavit. This affidavit
shows that every letter of mine was marked by him for action, but his
officials told him he didn't have to. He didn't know the law and I
don't expect him to. But since Raja was forced to resign by him, I
didn't want any more sanctions and said the PM didn't need to resign.
Now they [Congress persons] were wild, because they wanted to shoot
him with their guns on my shoulder.

Who do you mean by ‘they'?

Congress President Sonia Gandhi. She wants someone more pliable than
Singh. He's pliable enough, but obviously, she is not satisfied.

And who do you think could be considered more pliable?

Defence Minister A.K. Antony, if she can't bring in her son Rahul
Gandhi.

Are you getting to all this because your party is nowhere in the
picture and you wish to remain in limelight?

First of all, whether I'm doing it for this or that reason, the
question is am I speaking the truth. Is there corruption or not? It
doesn't matter what my motivation is. These are cheap diversionary
tactics, which I don't take seriously.

Why has it taken two years for the 2G spectrum scam to come to light?

That's because it took me more than one-and-a-half years to get hold
of the documents, which was not easy. I had written to the PM in 2008
and he took two years.

On what basis do you say that it could possibly be the case of the
most monumental corruption in world history?

Look at the sheer size of the amount of Rs1.76 trillion (Dh142
billion) the nation has lost. And I'm not talking about the bribe,
which itself is pretty big. The total loss, had there been an auction,
and what actually it was sold for (Rs100 billion), is huge. The bribe
is a thing that out of the gain these people have potentially made and
will make over the years. My estimate is Rs600 billion of bribe
involved.

Do you suspect the roles of some journalists and editors including
Hindustan Times columnist Vir Sanghvi and NDTV's Barkha Dutt in this
scam?

Most people are relying on corporate lobbyist Nira Radia tapes. But I
know from personal experience that journalists do a lot of hack jobs.
If wanted, they character assassinate you at the behest of the ruling
party. In my case, the media cannot say anything except that I'm a
troublemaker, which doesn't sell very well. They don't publish
anything I say unless it becomes impossible like now, because the
telecom scam has become a big issue. They've been doing it
systematically. When elections take place, many journalists come and
ask for money, saying they'll give favourable coverage in return.

In the case of Vir Sanghvi, I know he used to visit Phuket [in
Thailand ] almost every weekend and the Tamil Tigers used to finance
his trips. Because of his lifestyle, I knew he was amenable and a real
fixer. He's been writing articles depending on who's in power. As for
Barkha Dutt, she's been indiscreet and doing foolish things.

You're quoted as saying that though the PM is honest, others are not.
Who are these persons?

Yes, he is honest, but officials around him like his Principal
Secretary T.K.A. Nair and Cabinet Secretary Pulok Chatterjee are not
with him. They are all Sonia's appointees. Even if you ask for the
PM's appointment, her people decide who can and cannot see him.

You've also said that if the PM resigns, it will strengthen those who
made money. Could you name them?

Sonia and DMK party chief M Karunanidhi.

You mean Raja is just a face and the real culprits are the biggies of
the DMK?

Raja got 10 per cent, Karunanidhi 30 per cent and Sonia's two sisters
have got 60 per cent of the loot.

Have you done in-depth research and investigation to make such
claims?

Yes, I've enormous access because whatever my enemies may say, one
thing is there that I've never betrayed anybody. Today, people in the
government are so fed up seeing everything happening in close range
and all this material is available with the PM.

Why is the UPA - 2 seeing so many scams?

Earlier, the scams were related to the defence deals, where things
were difficult. Now, they have got into things within the country. And
since there are lots of players, some of them spill the beans.

You think the recent Mumbai's Adarsh housing and 2 G spectrum scams
could be inter-related?

Yes, looks like it. Lots of loans have been given, which obviously
have been used

How soon do you think all this will come out?

Raja getting an arrest warrant will happen soon and cancellation of
the licences given so far could happen within the next 2-3 months. As
far as the recovery of the money is concerned, of which there is a big
demand in the country, that will take time.

However, if the Americans, who know it all, co-operate, we can get it
because there is the UN agreement on money laundering.

Do you think the Congress will ask the Americans?

No, they won't. But I can force them to. It's only a matter of time.
They know what I can do in court. They can't buy my lawyers, because I
don't keep any! I argue cases myself.

Why is the Congress so adamant about not having a Joint Parliamentary
Committee (JPC) probe into the 2 G scam?

That's because the JPC will be free for all. And they know that I will
start advising the MPs what questions to ask.

One of the questions is about her [Sonia's] sisters having got the
money. And if the JPC calls for the intelligence people, they will
have to question her because the data is now with them.

Factfile

Dr Subramanian Swamy was born in Mylapore, Chennai on September 15,
1939.
He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard University .
He taught at Harvard for 10 years and still holds summer sessions.
Entered politics in 1970 and came into limelight for protesting
against the emergency imposed in the country in 1975.
One of the founder members of the Janata Party, he has been its
president since 1990.
Elected five times to Parliament (thrice to the Lok Sabha and twice to
the Rajya Sabha), representing Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Has been Cabinet Minister of Commerce and Law & Justice.



TRUTH SHALL ALWAYS PREVAIL
Milap Choraria https://lists.riseup.net/www/arc/RTI-TIMES
National Convenor : Movement for Accountability to Public (MAP)
http://milapchoraria.tripod.com/msp

Binayak Sen judgement

Subject: Let us try to co-ordinate the spontaneous outrage against the judgement into a powerful nationwide protest

Dear Friends,

By now all of you are aware of the outrageous judgement sentencing the President of Chhattisgarh PUCL - Dr. Binayak Sen to life imprisonment on the charge of sedition despite lack of any legally admissible evidence.

 

Dr. Sen's unjust incarceration is also symbolic of the extremely difficult situation in our state of Chhattisgarh

which is becoming a fascist police state intolerant of any dissent

where the judicary is becoming incapable of protecting constitutional rights to life and liberty 

where social activists are being persecuted and prosecuted on trumped up charges

where a repressive law like the Chhattisgarh Special Public Safety Act is being used to criminalise dissent

where thousands of adivasis are languishing in jails as "Naxalite undertrials" without hope of a fair trial

where the corporates are reigning supreme and have a stranglehold over the state's rich resources

where state sponsored bhagwa goondas attack democrats and minorities

where independent journalists are threatened

where hundreds of adivasis are being killed in "collateral damage" and thousands displaced in a war on people

 

Even earlier many of you have organised campaigns and demonstrations protesting these situations and demanding the release of Dr. Binayak Sen and other prisoners of conscience. 

Once again this is the need of the hour.

Particularly since preparations are afoot for escalation of war with direct deployment of army and airforce in anti-Naxal operations and  the grave humanitarian crisis intensifying, and at the same time all human rights activists, journalists, lawyers and social activists working in these areas are under severe threat after this judgement. 

 

Your solidarity is most important for us at this time.

Let us try to co-ordinate the spontaneous outrage against the judgement into a powerful nationwide protest

 

Chhattisgarh PUCL

"Nobody is giving up violence. Neither the state nor the Maoists are giving up violence. I am interested in furthering my cause, which is the cause of peace with justice.- DR BINAYAK SEN 

www.binayaksen.net

 

India: Dr Binayak Sen's conviction and life sentence

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL 

Press Release 
24 December 2010 
AI Index: PRE01/432/2010

 

The life sentence handed down against Dr Binayak Sen by a court in the India state of Chhattisgarh violates international fair trial standards and is likely to enflame tensions in the conflict-affected area, Amnesty International said today.

“Life in prison is an unusually harsh sentence for anyone, much less for an internationally recognized human rights defender who has never been charged with any act of violence,” said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific director. “State and federal authorities in India should immediately drop these politically motivated charges against Dr Sen and release him.”

Dr Binayak Sen was convicted of sedition and conspiracy under the Chhattisgarh Special Public Safety Act, 2005, and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 2004.

He was immediately taken into custody after the announcement of the sentence, having been out on bail since May 2009.

“Dr Sen, who is considered a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International, was convicted under laws that are impermissibly vague and fall well short of international standards for criminal prosecution,” Sam Zarifi said. “Instead of persecuting Dr Sen, authorities in Chhattisgarh should be acting to protect the people of the region from the abuses committed by the Maoists, as well as state security forces and militias.”

“This sentence will seriously intimidate other human rights defenders who would provide a peaceful outlet for the people’s grievances, especially for the indigenous Adivasi population,” Sam Zarifi said.

India’s central government has acknowledged that the intensifying armed conflict with the Maoists in central India is a reflection of serious inequities and a history of human rights violations in the area.  Amnesty International believes that the charges against Dr Sen are baseless and politically motivated.

Dr Binyak Sen is a pioneer of health care to marginalized and indigenous communities in Chhattisgarh, where the state police and armed Maoists have been engaged in clashes over the last seven years.  He has reported on unlawful killings of Adivasis (Indigenous People) by the police and by Salwa Judum, a private militia widely held to be sponsored by the state authorities to fight the armed Maoists.

Dr Binyak Sen was first detained without proper charges for seven months, denied bail, and kept in solitary confinement for three weeks. He spent two years in jail before his release on bail in May 2009. Many of the charges against him stem from laws that contravene international standards. Repeated delays in the conduct of his trial have cast doubts about its fairness.

Amnesty International has repeatedly called on the Indian authorities to immediately drop all the charges against Dr Binyak Sen.

Public Document
****************************************
For more information please call Amnesty International’s press office in London, UK, on +44 20 7413 5566 or email: press@amnesty.org

http://www.binayaksen.net/2010/12/amnesty-statement/#more-2047

 

Goa Governor's X-mas gift - a copy of RTI Act

Panaji:  A ribbon-wrapped copy of the Right To Information Act (RTI) Act - that's one Christmas gift Goa Governor SS Sidhu might not forget for a long while. 

Sidhu, who was summoned on Wednesday by the Goa State Information Commission (GSIC) for denying information sought under the RTI to social activist Aires Rodrigues, was on Saturday given the special gift-wrapped Christmas present.

"I sent him a copy of the RTI Act 2005. In the new year, the people of Goa would like to see Governor Sidhu perform his statutory duty of complying with the provisions of the Right to Information Act in order to ensure transparency and accountability at Raj Bhavan," Aires told IANS. 

"The Raj Bhavan has officially received the copy," he said. 

Sidhu has been issued summons by the registrar of the Goa State Information Commission (GSIC), Meena Naik Goltekar, to be present at the hearing of an appeal slated for Jan 4 at 10.30 a.m. 

The summons follows an appeal made to the GSIC by Aires, whose earlier RTI application made to Sidhu was rejected by the Governor's special secretary, N Radhakrishnan, on the claim that "the governor's office is not a public authority and hence does not come under the purview of the RTI Act".

In his RTI application of Nov 28, Aires asked for details of the action taken on the complaints he made to the Governor against state Advocate General Subodh Kantak. The activist also sought copies of noting sheets and correspondence pertaining to the processing of his complaints against the advocate general. 

"The Governor himself has become a victim of the unsound legal advice given to him by (the) advocate general (AG) Mr. Subodh Kantak, who is costing the state exchequer over a crore of rupees a year. It was on Kantak's advice that he has refused to respond to my RTI query on the AG," Aires said.

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/goa-governors-x-mas-gift-a-copy-of-rti-act-74871?cp

 

Press Invite - Press Conference & Book Release on, "How Harsh Is Your Soft Drink ?"

Press invite

 

New Delhi

June 2, 2010

Chief Editor/Bureau Chief

…………………………..

New Delhi

 

          Hazards Centre invites you to a press conference and book release on, “How Harsh Is Your Soft Drink ?” which will be held on 4th June, 2010 at 2pm in Gandhi Peace Foundation, ITO, New Delhi. This book is based on the study of environmental quality in five different areas surrounding the soft drink manufacturing plants.

 

The study has evaluated the heavy metal content in water and soil of the neighboring areas of soft drink manufacturing plants and even in solid waste or effluents coming out of these plants. The five different areas included in this study are:

 

1.    Pepsi plant in Panipat, Haryana,

2.    Pepsi plant in Chopanki, Rajasthan,

3.    Coca cola plant in Kaladera, Rajasthan,

4.    Coca cola plant in Mehdiganj, Utttar Pradesh &

5.    Coca cola plant in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.

 

The study has found out in most of the areas environment quality is deteriorating due to the presence of heavy metal in both soil and water which is thereby creating various problems in the neighborhood of these plants.

 

Place: Gandhi Peace Foundation, 221 / 223, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, ITO, New Delhi –110003

Time: 2pm to 5pm

 

Key persons in panel:

Smt. Vandana Shiva, NAVDANYA, New Delhi

Rameshwar Prasad, Kaladera

Ravi Chopra, PSI, Dehradoon

Rajesh Yagnik, Bandhua Mukti Morcha, Chopanki

Nandlal and Suresh, Lok Samiti, Mehdiganj

Sarafat Bhai, Azadi Bachao Andolan, Ghaziabad

Banwari Lal Sharma, Azadi Bachao Andolan, Panipat

Dunu Roy, Director, Hazards Centre.

 

Hazards Centre is a professional support group which has been assisting community groups in identifying, understanding, and combating the “hazards” that beset them. The Centre is largely not pro-active, but responds to requests. At times, where several communities are affected by the same set of factors, the Centre may also undertake to do research on a common theme in order to disseminate the findings to a larger range of social groups.

 

We, the team of Hazards Centre cordially invite you to be a part of this press conference and in sharing this report.

 

Thanking you.

Mukesh Chourase

Mob. No. 9911626739

-- 
Hazards Centre
92-H, Third floor, Pratap Market,
Munirka, New Delhi -110067
Postman Beat Code - 06
Ph: 011-26714244, 26187806
Email: hazardscentre@gmail.com
Website: www.hazardscentre.com

Invite for YfD and GX 10-11

Invite for YfD and GX 10-11

 

 

Dear Friends   Greetings from Pravah   Pravah, as you may be aware, is a Delhi based registered non- profit organization, building leadership for social change among youth, since 1993. We at Pravah are committed towards creating active citizens- a base of sensitive, well informed, independent minded young people who can contribute constructively to society and create a better world in diverse ways irrespective of their specific chosen fields.    We are very pleased to inform you about three of our exciting programmes for the young people! Kindly spread the word about these programmes in your personal and professional networks and encourage the youth to apply for these programmes:    YOUTH FOR DEVELOPMENT (YfD) is a six month internship programme in partnership with Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) wherein young people get an opportunity to understand development issues, develop life skills and engage with a community with the view of creating a positive impact on the community and the issue. YfD volunteers intern with a grass root organisation/people's movement for a period of six months and are constantly mentored during the process. The period of internship is from September 2010 to March 2011.    GLOBAL XCHANGE is a 6 month international exchange programme in partnership with Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO). The volunteers here will be placed for 3 months in a community in UK and 3 months in a community in India wherein the focus is to build respect and understanding among young people about different people, culture and communities between September 2010 to March 2011.    More information about the above two programmes are mentioned in the attached one pager of YfD and GX.    CHANGE LOOMS is a leadership and organisational development programme that supports, encourages and recognises young people (18-30 years) and their teams who have started and are running their own independent projects or organisations working for social change. The programme is intended to support new organisations grow and move forward. The Change Looms programme offers training and capacity building, mentoring opportunities, financial assistance for learning and organisational development needs and felicitation at a public event. More information about the programme is mentioned in the attached one-pager on Change Looms.   For further information on Youth for Development (YfD) and Global Xchange and/or emailing application forms please contact Lokasish/Shubhi/Abhijit at 011-26440619, 011-26213918, 011-26291354 or mail us at lokasish.saha@pravah.org or smile@younginfluencers.com   For further information and application forms for Change Looms please contact Navneet at 011-26440619, 011-26213918, 011-26291354 or mail at changelooms@pravah.org   Last date for receiving application forms for YfD and Global XChange programme is June 15th 2010 and for Change Looms is July 16th 2010. Completed application forms can also be sent to our office address: Pravah, C-24-B, II Floor. Kalkaji, New Delhi -110019. Please mention the programme applying for on the envelope.    We would really appreciate if you spread the message across and join in our efforts of reaching out as many Organizations, Institutions and Individuals as possible.   Candidates should be Indian nationals between the age group of 18 -25 years for Global Exchange, 18-27 years for YfD and 18-30 for Change Looms. The candidate must have working knowledge of English and/or Hindi.   Warm Regards   Pravah 2nd Floor, C-24B, Kalkaji, New Delhi 110019 Tel: +91-11-26213918/26440619/26291354

 

Invite: Independent People's Tribunal on Sardar Sarovar and Narmada Canals

Subject: [initiative-india] Invite: Independent People's Tribunal on Sardar Sarovar and Narmada Canals

Independent / Indian People’s Tribunal

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ON DISPLACEMENT, REHABILITATION, ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE

AND COST-BENEFITS OF

SARDAR SAROVAR PROJECT

BADWANI, 3^RD JUNE, 2010, 11 A.M. ONWARDS

BEFORE THE PANEL OF

HON’BLE JUSTICE (RETD.) A.P. SHAH

(RETIRED CHIEF JUSTICE, DELHI AND MUMBAI HIGH COURT)

                         PROF. IMTIAZ AHMED, DR DEVENDER SHARMA, PROF. JAYA SAGADE      

Everyone is well-acquainted with the reality of the Sardar Sarovar Project and its impacts over the past 25 years and more. The displaced adivasis and farmers of the Narmada valley have, through all these years, raised crucial questions not just about their rights and rehabilitation but on all aspects of this mega-project within the constitutional and legal framework, which had to be answered, both by the State and the society.

Hoax of Rehabilitation: The displaced and affected adivasis, farmers, labourers, fish workers, potters and others have also questioned the scale and justifiability of the displacement, the implementation of the Rehabilitation Policy and the future of thousands of them in the valley. With alternative land and livelihood-based rehabilitation nowhere in sight, people have been seriously challenging the statistics and information of the Government, massive corruption, fake land bank, lack of rehabilitation villages for the submerged adivasis, flaws in enumeration of back water levels, inclusion and exclusion of thousands of persons and many other emerging issues and irregularities.

Of course, 11,000 families have received land for land in Maharashtra and Gujarat, but is that complete and satisfactory? How true and complete are the reports of the project and monitoring authorities on the R&R? Even to this day, more than 2 lakh people are living in the submergence area of this one big Project, without rehabilitation. Despite this, the Government wants to push the project to its full height of 138.68 mts, beyond the present height of 122 mts, which itself was based on fake claims and false affidavits of rehabilitation and environmental non-compliance. Will the living communities be consigned to a watery grave? Will this be legal and just?

Environmental Harm: The Devender Pandey Expert Committee Reports (2009 & 2010) have clearly concluded severe non-compliance of various environmental safeguard measures as stipulated in the environmental clearance of 1987. In such a situation, the Committee recommends that neither can the dam proceed further nor could the canals be built. When the command area development, catchment area treatment, compensatory Afforestation, protection of flora and fauna, relocation of archeological monuments and other environmental works are not even carried out, neither can the negative impacts be mitigated nor can the benefits be realized.

Noose of Costs and Benefits:

It is now in public domain that the cost of the Sardar Sarovar project today has shot up from the original estimate of Rs. 4,200 crores to 45,000 crores (at present prices) and shall go upto Rs. 70,000 crores by 2010 as per the estimates of the Planning Commission itself. In such a situation, when the entire Project is in doldrums, how can the Planning Commission approve revised investment clearance of Rs. 39,240 crores? With not more than 10% of the available waters being used by Gujarat, why raise the height and destroy the valley? Without assessing the actual status of compliance on the rehabilitation and environmental measures, assessing compliance on the conditions stipulated in the Planning Commission’s clearance in 1988 and reviewing the entire Project in the light of the benefits-costs scenario, how can the construction of dam and canals go further?

The Game of Canals in irrigated villages:

Another new challenge that has cropped up in the past few years is the huge canal network of the Indira Sagar and Omkareshwar in the Sardar Sarovar affected areas that are being pushed ahead without even having in place approved command area development plans. Is it either logical or necessary to destroy already irrigated prime agricultural lands in dozens of villages?

With more than 50% of the proposed command area already irrigated, the High Court of Madhya Pradesh, in its judgement of November 2009 has clearly stated that agricultural land should not be destroyed for the canals and the network must be reviewed to minimize displacement. Without even extending the benefits of rehabilitation to the canal-affected, as per the Rehabilitation Policy, is it legal to clamp the ‘urgency clause’ for land acquisition and entrap the farmers through forced or deceitful ‘consent letters’? What is the true meaning of the Interim Order of the Supreme Court? What will be the impacts of these huge canals on the agriculture, river, water bodies, tanks and crops in Nimad?

Is Sardar Sarovar proving to be the life-line of even Gujarat or is Narmada the real life line of lakhs of people in the valley?

Main terms of Reference of the Tribunal shall be:

1. Whether the rehabilitation of the Sardar Sarovar and Jobat dam-affected and Indira Sagar, Omkareshwar canal-affected is taking place within the framework of the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal Award, law, rehabilitation policy and Court’s judgments? To what extent land and live-livelihood based rehabilitation has been ensured to the project oustees?

2. What is the level of compliance of the environmental safeguard measures of the SSP and the ISP-OSP Canals vis-à-vis the conditional clearances granted, impacts of non-compliance on the environment, the legal violations involved and action by the central authorities on the findings of the latest Report of the Devender Pandey Expert Committee (2009 & 2010)?

3. What is the actual status and reality of the massive corruption of crores of rupees that has crept into and derailed the entire rehabilitation process and what measures being taken to address the same?

4. Whether there is any basis in law and policy to further the construction of these projects without pari-passu compliance of all the conditions and ensuring full, fair and prior rehabilitation?

5. What is the true status of the costs and benefits of the Sardar Sarovar Project today? Without reviewing the entire Project in the light of the stipulated conditions in the Planning Commission’s clearance (1988) and the present benefits-costs scenario, how can the construction of dam and canals go further?

6. What have been the legal and human rights violations of the project-affected people, over the years and what legal redress must be provided to them and what is the legal responsibility of the project and monitoring authorities?

7. Is it either logical or necessary to destroy already irrigated prime agricultural lands in dozens of river-bank villages? Do alternatives exist, to minimize displacement and save agricultural land? 

The people of Narmada valley, along with the activists and experts shall depose before the Indian / Independent People’s Tribunal. They shall not just point out to the existing problems, but also share their experiences and propose alternatives. The hearing on the Sardar Sarovar Project and the Indira Sagar & Omkareshwar canals shall also be located in the larger context of the questions on the role of the State, democratic processes, development planning, water policy and on the politics around the SSP and other large dams. The farmers, adivasis, potters, fish workers and boatsmen shall also be joined by the experts and intellectuals who shall raise their voice and express their opinions.

The Tribunal shall deliver its verdict through a Report after field-visits, hearing, investigation and detailed analysis of the Projects and all related documents.

Panelists for the Independent / Indian People’s Tribunal:

1. Hon’ble Justice (Retd.) A.P. Shah, Retired Chief Justice, Delhi and Mumbai High Court
2. Prof. Imtiaz Ahmad, Noted Social Scientist, Former HoD, Dept of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University
3. Dr. Devender Sharma, International Researcher and Agriculture Policy Analyst
4. Prof. Jaya Sagade, Indian Law Society (Law College), Pune

Venue: Anand Karaj Bhavan, Near Gurudwara, Rajghat Road, Badwani, Madhya Pradesh

Badwani can be reached by road from Khandwa / Dhule / Indore / Baroda railway stations within 4-5 hours. All of you who have been observing the struggle of the people in the valley are welcome to the join in and participate in the hearing process.

Badwani Contact: 07290-222464 / 09179148973

Bhopal Contact: 9009106297

Mumbai Contact: 9820039557