Lokayat November 2011 by lokayat lokayat

VOL 1 ISSUE 9 NOVEMBER, 2011

NATIONAL POLITICAL NEWS MAGAZINE

JOGI

LOSES HIS

CASTE ? UP MAY SPRING SURPRISE AGAIN A SAD STORY OF NOBEL PRIZE WINNER VANDE MATARAM IS NOT UN-ISLAMIC

www.lokayat.co.in

VOL 1 ISSUE 9 NOVEMBER, 2011

SHREE MAA PRAKASHAN PVT. LTD.

INSIDE

WILL JOGI LOSE HIS CASTE ?

Group Editor M.K. Tiwari Editor Vinod Varshney Executive Editor Dr. Bhagya Rajeshwari Ratana Consulting Editor Balram Assistant Editor Anjalika Rajlakshmi Campus Editor Javed Usmani Cine Editor Meera Singh Special Correspondent A.K. Chaturvedi Regional Editor M.P. Aaditya Tewari Regional Editor C.G. Gopal Thawait

12 UP MAY SPRING SURPRISE AGAIN 20 VANDE MATARAM IS NOT UN-ISLAMIC 24 WHO IS A DELHIITE!

Senior Graphic Designer A.N. Sahani

26 HISAR SIGNALS THE FUTURE

Graphic Designer Ashi Sinha Adithi Sonali

30 ASHOK GEHLOT IN TROUBLE

Regional Office Office Incharge Tamanna Faridi U.P.: B-121, 1st Floor, Prince Complex, Hazratganj, Lucknow-226001 Ph.: 0522-4003911 E-mail: lokayatlucknow@gmail.com

42 ANDHRA SUFFERS: CENTRE INDECISIVE

M.P. : Paraspar Colony, Chunabhatti, Kolar Road, Bhopal-462003 Ph.: 0755-4030162 E-mail : bhopal@lokayat.in

35 MAHARASHTRA BY-ELECTION: A WAKEUP CALL FOR NCP 50 HOW GOOD ARE IITs? 55 CONTROVERSIAL BEGINNING OF NALANDA UNIVERSITY

KUDANKULAM, NO MORE QUIBBLING!

56 A SAD STORY OF NOBEL PRIZE WINNER 72 A LEADER AMONG CRICKETERS

BHATT MAY BE JAILED AGAIN

MAMATA'S ULTIMATUM TO MAOISTS

FOOD FIRST IS BETTER THAN SUPPLEMENTS

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Website:

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REGULARS 05 WITH CANDOUR 50 CAMPUS 60 HEALTH IS WEALTH

64 COOKERY 66 BOLLYWOOD 68 REGIONAL FILMS

70 HOLLYWOOD 74 BUSINESS & FINANCE 76 EARTHY DREAMS

Published, printed, edited & owned by M.K. Tiwari Published from A-133, Pocket-B, Mayur Vihar Phase-II, Delhi-91 Printed at Vrindaban Graphic, E-34, Sector-7, Noida (U.P.)

LOKAYAT

LETTERS

GANDHI-NEHRU FAMILY The cover story is disappointing in one respect that it ignores the contribution of thousands of more political families who had sacrificed immensely for the freedom of the country from the foreign rule and after independence their contribution in nurturing the nascent democracy. Rahul Gandhi as an individual has every right to do political work and aspire to lead the nation as the Prime Minister, but tagging everything good in the Congress to the Nehru-Gandhi family is strange and smacks of chamachagiri. Please publish my letter if the magazine is truly independent. ALKA SAXENA, BHOPAL

WHY WE DON'T HAVE STEVE JOBS IN INDIA?

DR RAMAN, YOU NEED STRONGER LOKAYUKTA!

The article on Steve Jobs was most interesting. This is amazing that students who were dropâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;outs did better than those who got formal education in top ranking business schools in the world. This shows that those who had not been able to complete their formal education due to whatever reasons can emerge successful provided they have the guts to take risk and work hard. One more thing rattled my mind: why in India we don't find people like Steve Jobs? What is lacking here? May be the culture of putting innovation at the top of everything does not exist here. Entrepreneurs of India do not feel a pressing need for it as in India businessmen can earn a lot of money even without spending money, time and energy in innovation. But my gut feeling is the time is changing fast. Indians should seek inspiration from Steve Jobs, only then India can expect to maintain good rate of growth in future. Congrats for publishing the article on Jobs!

The circumstances explained in the article 'Fight against Corruption in Chhattisgarh' are not new. Rather the whole nation is suffering from this epidemic of corruption. One good thing that has happened is that Anna Hazare has brought this issue into national focus. All parties and people are discussing this. Advani too in his Rath-yatra is raising the issue of massive corruption in the country. Congress too is not far behind. They have branded their own Lokpal, the constitutional one, as Rahulwala Lokpal. Whatever is the name, people want corruption-free governance whether it is Raipur or Kolkata or Mumbai or some small town. So far as Chhattisgarh is concerned there is need to make Lokayukta stronger by providing it some teeth. Dr Raman Singh's efforts to fight corruption would certainly get a helping hand then.

PROF ABHINAV AGRAWAL, NEW DELHI

RUKMINI DULARE, RAIPUR

DEPLOYMENT OF KOYA COMMANDOS This is a bold decision on the part of the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh. The Supreme Court might have given its verdict in the light of prevailing legal provisions, but Koya commando type system was required to tackle the Naxalite menace. It is a right step that the law has now been changed by the Chhattisgarh government in relation to employment of these SPOs. It is also welcome that the salary of these SPOs has been increased. The initial training might not be sufficient. Since they would now be regular and working with other police force, it would give them an opportunity for better training. Hope the civil society would not challenge the new law in the Supreme Court. This is true that Naxalites are not fighting for justice and development of the tribals, but only causing violence in the name of justice. Tribals need empowerment by education. They need dispensaries, schools, good roads and employment opportunities for their youth.

AKHIL SAUNTA, BILASPUR

E-mail your letters at lokayat01@gmail.com / vinodvarshney@hotmail.com

NOVEMBER, 2011

WITH CANDOUR

LOKAYAT

LOOK AT YOUR OWN CONDUCT! t doesn't take much to shout hoarse sitting on the high moral pedestal, but how you observe the proclaimed standards of probity is the true test. See the conduct of Team Anna. Arvind Kejriwal stopped going to office though his resignation had not been accepted. But he interpretsâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;it was not violation of the bond, which he had signed at the time of accepting the job. He grudges why a notice has been served to pay Rs 9 lakhs according to rules. Why should he grudge this action? Are all corruption cases essentially not related to violation of rules? He wanted to go on study-leave for two years and when it was not granted, he resigned, but his resignation from the government service is still pending. Technically, he is still a government servant. This is not the only sore point. Why did he not give within time proper account of Rs 80 lakh collected during Jan Lokpal movement of Anna Hazare? Swami Agnivesh might be led by his frustration while making accusations against him, but his charge that Kejriwal transferred funds to his own NGO 'Public Cause Research Foundation' cannot be taken lightly. Such things naturally generate anger and people go ballistic. The result was for all to see. A former Congress Seva Dal worker abused and hurled slipper at him in a public meeting held in Lucknow. Another member of Team Anna, Prashant Bhushan didn't go out in public for political campaigning, but campaigning for his views through media was so shocking that some people barged into his chamber in the Supreme Court compound to beat him up. Why did he use Anna's popular agitation for promotion of his personal views? Are these views not against the national interest? Is this stand of seeking plebiscite not against whatever India had been telling at all international fora including the United Nations? Also see the 'honest' conduct of another prominent team member Kiran Bedi. She had been shriller in putting the government in the dock on the issue of corruption. But see what she had done while running her NGO. She had been charging more air fare from the organisers than what she really spent. She has defended her conduct by saying that she was saving money this way for the education of poor children. Kya kamal ka tark hai! This is something like a thief saying that he stole money to offer prasad in the temple. The justification is more horrendous than the original crime of overcharging for her travel. Is this not a double standard? The charge against her was made not by an ordinary person but the former Chief Justice of India JS Verma. She was also accused of misusing quota system for getting a medical seat for her daughter. And people already know about the multi-million empire of Baba Ramdev, which cannot be made just by selling yoga and jadi-booti. I wonder how corruption would end from the country when people making noises to fight it, behave like this!

NOVEMBER, 2011

LOKAYAT

COVER STORY

FRAUD WITH TRIBALS : The political environment of Chhattisgarh has come into a state of new fermentation after the Supreme Court ordered an enquiry in the case of Ajit Jogi's caste certificate which he had acquired by fraudulent means according to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Tribes. Its order was challenged before the High Court on the ground that the

NOVEMBER, 2011

COVER STORY

LOKAYAT

INQUIRY ORDERED Commission had no right to investigate whether somebody is tribal or not. The matter reached to the Supreme Court which set aside the High Court judgement and ordered to undertake verification of the certificate issued to Jogi showing him as belonging to 'Kanwar' Scheduled Tribe. The judgement was keenly awaited by

tribals and non-tribals both, and political parties. If the certificate finally turned out false then it would have far reaching implications for him and the Congress which today already stands badly divided thanks to the desire of Ajit Jogi to maintain his strangle-hold on the party by samdam-dand-bhed with the blessings of the High Command.

By Anjalika Rajlakshmi based on her exclusive talks with Sant Kumar Netam

uper bright people do super frauds, is a common saying. The first chief minister of Chhattisgarh Ajit Jogi has also been a super bright student. A few decades later the Supreme Court last month ordered an enquiry into his alleged fraud of getting a "false" caste certificate. He had studied Mechanical Engineering at the Maulana Azad College of Technology, Bhopal, and won the University Gold Medal in 1968. Later he got selected for IAS and IPS both proving his remarkable brilliance. Among politicians too he won the accolades of possessing superb intellectual capabilities, which no other politician matched in Chhattisgarh. But his proclivity to use sam-dam-dand-bhed in the muddy and quirky political environment of Congress speedily eclipsed his political star. Many in his party had been saying for long that his biggest folly or criminality had been acquiring a false caste certificate. The fact that Chhattisgarh had a huge population of tribals, more than 31 percent, presumably had inspired his greed to project himself as a tribal leader. Documentary evidences (whose veracity has not been challenged by Jogi himself) produced by Sant Kumar Netam, prove that he had been a Christian

Sant Kumar Netam, an engineer by education, is a political person thoroughly devoted to the development and welfare of tribals. He currently heads the Chhattisgarh unit of the All India Tribal Council.

belonging to Scheduled Caste. This was widely known also in his locality. So, his attempt to project himself belonging to 'Kanwar', a tribal caste did not find favour with the local tribal Panchayat. Even his family did not concede his belonging to a tribal community. Congressmen in private ask what the need of this foolish act was as his personality was sufficient for his political success. But big stories emerge from big mistakes of big people. So his false certificate story has become a big story in entire Chhattisgarh. He got a massive

dent into his prestige when this was first successfully exposed by Sant kumar Netam, presently the state president of the Chhattisgarh unit of the All India Tribal Council. He too is an educated man, very much like Jogi and earned his engineering degree in electrical stream in 1994. Unlike Jogi he is told to be sincerely committed to the development and welfare of tribals. According to him there are thousands of people who do the criminal act of acquiring false caste certificates to get advantages of the schemes and concessions to scheduled castes and tribes. But when Netam saw a top leader Ajit Jogi also resorted to similar criminality then he courageously took legal initiative to expose his fraud. Sant Kumar Netam had first made a complaint against Jogi on January 27, 2001 before the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, when Dilip Singh Bhuria was its president. Netam presented before the Commission several documentary evidences to support his contention. After the scrutiny the Commission declared the caste certificate of Jogi "seemed to be fraudulently acquired". The Commission wrote in its finding dated October 16, 2001 that it

NOVEMBER, 2011

LOKAYAT

COVER STORY

(Commission) is of the considered view that Shri Ajit P.K. Jogi has been fraudulently claiming to belong to 'Kanwar' community for the purpose of getting ST certificate although he and his ancestors belong to 'Satnami' caste, which is included in the SC list of the state. It also mentioned that since his grandfather appears to have got converted to Christianity, he was not eligible for concessions and benefits available to SCs also. The commission directed Chhattisgarh government to conduct the verification of genuineness of the ST certificate obtained by Ajit Jogi and initiate urgent necessary action for cancellation of his ST certificate and also criminal action as provided in the law and inform the commission within 30 days. Now this direction of the Commission has got the seal of approval from the Supreme Court and a duly constituted scrutiny committee shall undertake scrutiny of his claimed tribal certificate. This may be noted here that Jogi had been twice elected to Rajya Sabha and contested two parliamentary elections from Raigarh and Shahdol constituency reserved for Scheduled Tribes People were not surprised at the order of the National Commission as they suspected he might have used influence as the chief minister of Chhattisgarh to get relevant documents tampered. But chief minister Jogi would not accept defeat and went to the Chhattisgarh High Court against the order of the commission. On October 22, 2001, the High Court directed the president of the Commission and the Chief Secretary of the state not to take any action against Jogi till next order. Ajit Jogi thus got a respite

NOVEMBER, 2011

JOGIâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;AN ALBATROSS ogi has been described by many as an albatross in the neck of the Congress party in Chhattisgarh. His deleterious attitude consumed by the desire to remain unchallenged had started soon after he became the distinguished first chief minister of Chhattisgarh. At that time his supporters were numbered. After becoming CM, in place of trying to make the party stronger, he focussed more on raising the number of his supporters. Apart from his desire to project himself a tribal to gain popularity among tribals, he did another pronouncedly shameful act in the name of salvaging chances of Congress government through horsetrading after 2003 Assembly elections. This wrecked the prestige of Congress beyond repair in the eyes of public. The party smarts even now under the ignominy of that act and a giant question mark hangs over the chances of reversal of its fortunes in Chhattisgarh. More insidious, many local leaders confide with the 'Lokayat' representative, was his cunningness to seek defeat of candidates of his own party, who he suspected may not be loyal to him as they had been nominees of other leaders. Had Jogi not conspired for the defeat of seven candidates fielded by his rivals in 2008, then Congress could have formed the government. But Jogi's follies made it to miss the bus only to usher in the BJP to the seat of power. Luckily thanks to the pleasing and polite behaviour of Dr Raman Singh BJP got two percent more votes than the Congress and got the right numbers to form the government. October has special significance in the political life of Ajit Jogi. Many fateful events took place in this month including the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Tribes' order of rendering his caste certificate as fraudulent. Now again in the month of October the Supreme Court has marked its seal of approval on

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Ajit Jogi, in his attempt to boost his stature in the party, continued to corner Vidya Charan Shukla, Motilal Vora, and Charan Das Mahant, which proved disastrous for the party. In the rival political camp under the leadership of Dr Raman Singh, BJP continually took advantage of it and still maintaining its upper hand in Chhattisgarh.

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COVER STORY

LOKAYAT

IN THE CONGRESS' NECK the order of the National Commission.

October of 2008 cannot be forgotten But the month of October, 2008 is anecdotal. Huge crowd of ticket seekers had reached Delhi. Supporters of Motilal Vora, V C Shukla and Charandas Mahant were crassly vying with each other. Ajit Jogi had tremendous sway over 24, Akbar Road and 10, Janpath both, the nerve centres of power in Congress. Whatever he wanted, he used to get done from there. Other leaders were no match to Jogi in this game of combination and permutation. But the suspicious of his intents the High Command had appointed erstwhile union Information and Broadcasting Minister Priyaranjan Das Munshi as chief of the scrutiny committee for Chhattisgarh. But Jogi being a blue eyed boy of Sonia Gandhi behaved as though it was his natural right to keep Dasmunshi under his thumb. Lokayat correspondent was witness to what happened then at the home of Dasmunshi in Delhi when his son Amit Jogi by his abusive language, shouting and threatening gestures shocked Dasmunshi, who had been insistent on the norms set by the high command in scrutinising the list of candidates. High Command had instructed not to listen to just Ajit Jogi but also consider fairly claims of all candidates recommended by other leaders. The high tension and altercation created on the issue is told to be the prime reason behind massive stroke Dasmunshi suffered, who walked out from Jogi's house in anguish and went into coma, unable to speak and recognise anybody even before he reached home. Lokayat representative had been witness to that gruesome and distressing scene-language used by Jogi and his son

â&#x20AC;&#x153; The misbehaviour was so shocking to Priyaranjan Dasmunshi, that he could not sustain the trauma and collapsed into comma while going back home after walking out the meeting meant for finalising the list according to the norms decided by the High Command.

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cannot be printed. The leaders present there still feel that it was a black spot on the political personality of Ajit Jogi and his son Amit Jogi. The behaviour certainly was not in consonance with the culture and ideals of the party. Gurmeet Dhanai, the Congress leader from Durg District had also been victim of the uncivilised behaviour and verbal assault of Ajit Jogi. There is no dearth of congressmen who believe that it was Ajit Jogi who brought in the downfall of Congress in Chhattisgarh. In his attempt to raise his stature in the party, he cornered Vidya Charan Shukla, Motilal Vora, and Charan Das Mahant, which proved disastrous for the party. On the rival side under the leadership of Dr Raman Singh, BJP is continually maintaining upper hand in the state. Jogi's ego and arrogance contributed to this political situation in no short measure. He tried to run the Chhattisgarh Congress according to his whims and fancies, and in the process only weakened the party. He acted like Dhritararashtra without Sanjay and shredded his political entity to smithereens. With his puffed up ego and feet levitating always above the ground, he unwittingly made enemies aplenty and sapped the vitality of the party by encouraging groupism. He fielded his son Amit Jogi too in the political field, but since father Jogi himself never learnt from his past mistakes, he could not caution his son of the pitfalls: the result was he only vitiated the student's organisation of the Congress.

NOVEMBER, 2011

LOKAYAT

COVER STORY

for five years. The High Court gave its final judgement on 15th December, 2006 and imposed on the seventh respondent Sant Kumar Netam a fine of Rs. 10,000. Now the Supreme Court has set aside the judgement of the High Court of imposing the fine. Ajit Jogi had questioned the right of the National Commission of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to determine the caste of an individual before the High Court which concurred with this premise that it had no right to do so. Sant Kumar Netam too didn't concede defeat and filed a Special Leave Petition before the Supreme

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

Court to review the High Court judgement. The Supreme Court admitted the petition in July, 2007 and stayed the order of the High Court related to the fine of Rs 10,000 to be paid by Sant Kumar Netam and issued a notice to Jogi. Then began the routine process of getting dates after dates! Witnesses were examined and arguments heard. After the final arguments, the SC closed the case for order on 9th February, 2010. Now the order was pronounced last month. After the judgement Netam said, "The court has upheld the findings of the National Commission which ruled that Ajit Jogi had used a forged community certificate to claim

Lawyer of Sant Kumar Netam had argued before the Supreme Court that the status of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes should have the right to investigate complaints related to bogus community certificates.

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The caste certificate dated 6.6.67 was issued to Ajit Jogi by the court of Naib Tehsildar, Pendra Road, but there was no existence of any such court then.

NOVEMBER, 2011

Ajit Jogi, the former Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh had made an application on 04.04.1977 before the Additional Tehsildar, Pendra Road to issue him a certificate that he belonged to tribal caste 'Kanwar'. He had attached along with the application as annexure the Caste Certificate issued to him earlier by the Revenue Officer in 1967. The additional Tehsildar while disposing of his application wrote that his father Kashi Prasad Jogi was a Christian. He also mentioned that the fore-fathers of Ajit Jogi belonged to Satnami, a Scheduled Caste. The Patwari had written in his report submitted to the Additional Tehsildar that when a land was sold by Ajit Jogi's father Kashi Prasad on 09.10.1964, he mentioned his caste as Jogi (All persons in the village who call themselves Jogi are of Satnami caste). In another sale deed dated 10.12.1968 his father has mentioned his caste as Christian. In another sale deed dated 21.08.1967 he has mentioned himself belonging to general caste. And in one sale deed dated 29.06.1972 he has mentioned himself of Samvata caste. Additional Tehsildar has also mentioned that the Caste certificate issued by Revenue Officer in 1967 had not been registered and thus had zero legal value. In none of the sale deed has his father mentioned that he belonged to tribal caste Kanwar.

COVER STORY

LOKAYAT

A sale deed dated 19.10.1964 showing Kashi Prakash Jogi (Ajit Jogi's father) mentioning his caste Christian.

fraudulent tribal identity. Jogi must resign as MLA and the state government must initiate action against him for forgery." However Jogi has maintained that the order was not the end of the matter. I have been given an opportunity by the apex court to again prove my status as a tribal within three months. Lawyer of Netam had argued before the Supreme Court that the status of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes was similar to that of the Human Rights Commission. Thus, it should have the right to investigate complaints related to bogus community certificates which would otherwise have the effect of depriving genuine ST candidates from getting admissions to professional courses etc or appointments to posts reserved for them or election to the elected bodies

from the constituencies reserved for them. It was told that the Commission did not take up the case of Ajit Jogi only, but had made enquiries in thousands of complaints of false caste certificates either directly or through concerned agencies of the state governments. In reply to a question from 'Lokayat' he expressed happiness at the judgement of the Supreme Court. He said that the judgement was needed to clear the air on this important issue, which otherwise might continue to hamper the functioning of the Commission badly and injure the interests of tribals. In the congress circles it is wait and watch. Many await for the final report of the scrutiny committee and expect finally the High Command would have to take action against him.

NOVEMBER, 2011

LOKAYAT

UTTAR PRADESH

UP MAY SPRING SURPRISE By Umanath

he way crowd is pouring in the Jan Swabhiman Yatras of BJP in the politically turbulent state of UP, the party is hopeful that it may capture power again after a gap of 10 years. Assessment in the party is that people are fed up with Maya Raj and have not forgotten Mulayam Raj too, and the Congress, in spite of Rahul Gandhi standing no chance, owing to the fact people are angry at the price rise and mega scams at the centre. So, the only alternative is BJP. The internal survey of the party has revealed that the party can win 282 seats in the Assembly of 403. Many political pundits describe it day dreaming of the party, yet a few say this would be a surprise UP is going to spring next year. When Lokayat asked Kalraj Mishra how it can be possible that you make a jump from 51 to 282, he said with a guffaw: when we could go up from 2 to 86 in Lok Sabha, then why it should be confounding to people. Surveys showed that the party's fortunes had improved due to corruption emerging as an issue against both the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the centre and the Mayawati government in the state. Many still believe this survey is meant to boost the morale of the workers. But

NOVEMBER, 2011

The electoral outcome of UP Assembly would have a significant bearing on the national politics, this is the reason preparations at frenetic pitch go on in all the parties. If it suits BSP, then the elections would be held in the month of February, three months before the scheduled time, along with Punjab, Uttarakhand and Manipur. Currently there is great suspense on what is in voters' mind. There is every possibility UP may again spring a surprise and belie claims of all political pundits. Lokayat team presents here an overview of what is cooking currently in the political cauldron of the biggest state of India.

BJP hopes to reverse the trend Year

Seats contested

Seats won

Over-all vote share

Vote share in contested seats

1996

414

174

32.52%

33.31%

2002

320

20.08%

25.31%

2007

350

16.97%

19.62%

Kalraj says a lot of ground work has been done at the level of organisation. Kalyan Singh may not be with us but most backward castes are still with the party. And Annafactor would also be in our favour. There are other supports like Baba Ramdev's Bharat Swabhiman Trust which would support BJP candidates. The political flavour is anti-corruption, thanks to Anna Hazare's crusade with the help of civil society. BJP astutely chose to support Anna Hazare and now on its own championing this cause while Congress, SP and BSP are trying to play tricks to wriggle

out of any commitment on the demanded Jan Lokpal. BJP's tallest leader Lal Krishna Advani is on Rath Yatra on the issue of corruption. And the grapevine is the CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) going to release its report on NRHM (National Rural Health Mission) in UP, which is mired in gargantuan corruption which saw three senior doctors killed in eight months associated with this mission, just before the elections. The BJP is also trying to present itself as a reformed party, an inclusive one, not so stridently against Muslims as it had been in the

past. The change of image is a big transformation attempt for a party which had initially came to power on the Ram Janm Bhoomi-Babari Masjid controversy.

UTTAR PRADESH

AGAIN ! Yet, BJP lacks the cutting edge Still it is felt by many insiders that BJP preparations still lack the cutting edge. It is accused that the top leaders of BJP don't have time to meet workers at lower level; the result is workers conferences have remained unorganised at many places. Entire focus being on selecting candidates, workers conferences planned several months ago at constituency level have not taken place so far. There is lack of motivation and disconnect at the lower level. The aggressive posture of BJP exists only at the top and in pronouncements. The workers who really matter have not been intensely engaged. Kalraj Mishra wants to be named as the Chief Ministerial candidate, but the party has not given green signal to his aspiration. Sanjay Joshi, Uma Bharati, Raj Nath Singh and Kalraj Mishra, together would have to bear the brunt of the electoral fight, but insiders say the workers are alienated, and to change the situation, workers conferences were planned, but could not be organised at half of the places. Raj Nath Singh is most sought after, and then Kalraj Mishra. Obviously they cannot go everywhere, so second rung leaders are being invited but they fail to draw sufficient crowd.

The strategy is to enter into Dalits, OBCs and MBCs, but without workers getting a proper plan and motivation, nothing can convert the strategy into electoral success. UP's politics is intensely caste polarised and BJP is bereft of its one important OBC leader Kalyan Singh. However, the party has deployed Uma Bharati to fill the gap. The party's bane is intra-party rivalry. There is tussle between Murali Manohar Joshi and Kesari Nath Tripathi, Surya Pratap Shahi and Aditya Nath, Varun Gandhi and Santosh Gangwar. These are only a few examples. Sanjay Joshi has been deployed to reduce the gap between RSS and BJP. He has sent strict instructions to every party leader of the state to not air their differences in public. Upper caste especially Brahmins had gravitated last time towards Mayawati to have a share in the power pie, but they are now a disenchanted lot along

with Vaish community. Thus, support from the upper caste is coming back to BJP. The issue of who would be the Chief Minister still dogs the party and Kalraj Mishra and Rajnath Singh are being projected as the front runners. The fire brand leader of the Ayodhya movement and former BJP chief minister of Madhya Pradesh-Uma Bharati has been given the charge of the state in an attempt to get the backing of the Lodh

LOKAYAT

community to which Kalyan Singh belonges. It is to be noted that Lodh community had been traditionally loyal to the party. But they see towards Kalyan Singh for their vote preferences. BJP leaders Kalraj Mishra and Rajnath Singh are leading two yatras starting respectively from Kashi (Varanasi) and Meerut. While Mishra is covering eastern parts, Rajnath is moving in the western parts of the state. Uma Bharati would mobilise Bundelkhand. Party MPs and MLAs will also be assigned duties across all 403 assembly constituencies in the state.

Former Chief Minister of UP Rajnath Singh

NOVEMBER, 2011

LOKAYAT

UTTAR PRADESH

Congress facing odds despite Rahul ongress too fancies that it may get the power in Uttar Pradesh after a long gap, of course with the pre-poll and post-poll alliances. Prepoll alliance with RLD is done and with Apana Dal is on the cards.

Congressmen cite that in 2009 parliamentary elections Congress had unexpectedly won 21 Lok Sabha seats and had majority in 150 Assembly segments. But that was because Muslims had voted for it as they were

Congress is banking heavily on the charisma of Rahul Gandhi. But the party in itself is not well galvanised to take the advantage.

position of forming government with the help of some smaller parties. Rahul's padyatra and Aligarh Mahapanchayat has rattled his political foes. And he is again going to have his road shows from November 1 with a plan to criss-cross the entire state and organise masscontact programmes. The road show will be executed in fivephases. His forays have been taken note of by Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav, both. The impact is evident from the fact that Mayawati now chooses to attack Congress rather than her bĂŞte noir Samajwadi Party. Akhilesh Yadav who is leading his Kranti Rath Yatra has also taken note of Rahul's plan with a sense of challenge. Apart from Muslims, Rahul's strategy is to wean Dalits away from the BSP. To attract Dalits there may be an attempt to project Meira

Year

Seats contested

Seats won

Over-all vote share

Vote share in contested seats

1996

126

08.35%

29.13%

2002

402

08.96%

08.99%

2007

393

08.61%

08.84%

To boost Congress chances the party is banking upon Rahul Gandhi who is truly doing some hard work. But will this be enough to turn around the sagging fate of the Congress in Uttar Pradesh, where the party had won 83 Lok Sabha seats out of 85 in 1984 elections, is not very clear yet.

NOVEMBER, 2011

angry with Mulayam Singh for having a tie-up with Kalyan Singh. Congressmen believe that Muslims are still with the party. Their analysts say that if the party is able to get only a few percent votes more than what got in the 2009 Lok Sabha, then they certainly can come into the

Kumar daughter of Babu Jagjivan Ram as a Prime Ministerial candidate. Incidentally it was Mayawati who herself gave credence to this buzz by her statement when she inaugurated Rashtriya Dalit Prerana Sthal in Noida. But unlike Mayawati, Meira Kumar is not from a deprived

family, but a privileged one and married to a Brahmin. Her style and accent too, differ drastically from the earthy chief minister of UP. He is also focussing on farmers especially in those areas where there had been agitations against land acquisition. Rahul had raised the issue of land acquisition in Bhatta-Parsaul and had come out with accusation that women were raped. These charges were ridiculed in the beginning but now women have come out to speak their mind before the National Commission for Women vindicating Rahul's assertion. Rahul is visiting villages on foot in hot and sultry weather, sitting, staying and eating with them in their huts and listening to their grievances. Objective political observers say, he has evoked a new hope in UP's electorate as he is being seen free from politics of caste, creed and religion. So far as the threat from Anna Hazare's movement is concerned the party is orchestrating on the Constitutional Lokpal for which the Central government may introduce the Bill in the winter session of the parliament. The greatest achievement of Rahul is that it has kept the party united in the state. Even more important, local Congress leaders are becoming able to mobilise crowds from their respective areas on a scale probably not done for a long time, thanks to the appeal of Rahul.

UTTAR PRADESH t's a do or die time for the main opposition Samajwadi party in UP. Deploying all its might into electioneering it considers its claims at the top to wrest the top chair dethroning Mayawati. The ensuing assembly elections are perhaps the last chance for ageing Mulayam to be again at the helm of the affairs. It's also more a litmus test for the leadership of the heir apparent of the party-Akhilesh Yadav, Mulayam's son and Lok Sabha MP. Leading from the front Akhilesh's Kranti Rath Yatra is in its fifth phase, trying to consolidate his traditional vote bank, which includes OBCs (including Yadavs) and Muslims. While Akhilesh is likely to cover all the state constituencies in his yatra, Mulayam will also be visiting all the districts from November. Apart from them prominent leaders of the party will all be given separate divisions to handle and all the leaders are likely to move separately. SP state president Akhilesh Yadav set out on his 3-day bicycle rally from Noida to Agra on October 21. This cycle rally was to match Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi's 4-day Padyatra done in July on this route. Akhilesh considers the UP fight as Me v/s Rahul while his father Me v/s Maya. Mulayam is sure of support from Yadavs, but what worries him the most is the stand of the Muslims, who alone can bring power to him. Hence, he is adopting all kinds of tricks and techniques to win over the Muslim voters. He

Do or die battle for SP

Akhilesh Yadav is the answer of the Samajwadi Party to Rahul Gandhi of the Congress. Incidentally he is drawing good crowd during his Kranti Rath Yatra. Mulayam Singh is yet to start his initiative to organise big rallies.

LOKAYAT

election. SP called a meeting of its candidates on October 29 to further fine tune the strategy for intensifying the election campaign. The meeting is important in view of Mulayam Singh's plan to undertake statewide tour by the end of November. SP leadership is expected to give them tips about the potential issues that can counter both the BSP and Congress simultaneously. The party would review the progress in the organisational works at the ground level in the meeting.

alleges the Congress and BSP are hand in glove in the matters of corruption, price rise and unemployment. This time because of the exit of his flamboyant general secretary Amar Singh, he may not be getting Thakur votes in the manner it got in the last Assembly elections. Another headache for Mulayam Singh is Ajit Singh, the RLD supremo who has tied-up with the Congress. This has changed the ground situation at least in the Jatland of Uttar Pradesh. Taking the lead SP had announced much earlier the list for around 380 constituencies out of total 403 seats, which has given ample time to the candidates to chalk out strategies at ground level for the 2012 assembly

Year

Seats contested

Seats won

Over-all vote share

Vote share in contested seats

1996

281

110

21.80%

32.12%

2002

390

143

25.37%

26.27%

2007

393

25.43%

26.07%

NOVEMBER, 2011

LOKAYAT

UTTAR PRADESH

Anger among Muslims hasn't subsided eace party, having its roots mainly in eastern UP, has wielded its tentacles to the agony of Samajwadi Party in Western UP also. Recently a prominent Muslim leader of SP Maulana Farhat Jamali left it to join Peace Party as its general secretary. He told that Peace Party would contest at least 30-40 seats in western UP which would damage chances of BSP and SP both. In reply to a question as to why he left SP, he poured his anger against Mulayam Singh Yadav and termed him duplicitous wearing khaki nikkar under khadi ki dhoti. He was angry with Azam Khan too and alleged that he had done a lot of injustices during Mulayam's rule and even "grabbed land in the name of university". He made an interesting comment about the recent combination of RLD and Congress saying it would be of no advantage to anybody, rather RLD may be a loser because of the bad image of Congress owing to so many scams. He told that Peace party had tied up with 6-7 smaller parties including RLD, but now it has to be seen whether to remain with RLD or not.

Maulana Farhat Jamali

The candidates had already been asked to constitute booth committees in their respective constituencies. And the meeting will mainly focus on

the progress of these committees. Party general secretary Mohan Singh informed that the party had already revived

the districts and divisional level committees some six months ago. The party had also asked all the candidates to reshuffle and revise their

respective booth committees as per their need. SP is planning to emerge at least the largest party, if not getting the absolute majority.

Mayawati remains enigmatic as ever erving her fourth term and aspiring for the fifth as chief minister of the politically most influential state of the country, Mayawati's social engineering which had put her in complete control of the state last time, doesn't seem to be working this time around. The BSP supremo, who was once termed as a 'miracle of democracy' by none other than P. V. Narasimha Rao, the former prime minister of India, is basically relying on her old plank--Dalit votes, who constitute around 18 percent of the total population of the state. Bereft of Brahmin votes, which had played decisive role in the last assembly election in her favour,

NOVEMBER, 2011

Mayawati is concentrating on cementing her Muslim vote bank that also played an important role last time. And as the most solid vote bank, Muslims constituting around 18% of the state population have the potential to rescue her against all odds. But this time luck also doesn't seem to be favouring the present day greatest icon and inspiration of Dalits. Marred by numerous allegations of corruption, which took the toll of four ministers-Dairy and Animal Husbandry minister Awadhpal Yadav, Secondary Education minister Rangnath Mishra, Labour minister Badshah Singh and minister of state for Homeopathy and Religious Endowment Rajesh Tripathi after Lokayukta indicted and recommended action against them. The charge of corruption may send many of her developmental works, improvement in law and order, focus on infrastructure sector and improving

UTTAR PRADESH drastically the support price of sugar cane and other works into oblivion. She has made several populist announcements like better land acquisition policy. Announcement of jobs for teachers and police and reservation in jobs for Muslims and Jats are many such things which is still maintaining sufficient support base for her other than from Dalits. But the farmers' agitations at various places in the state have given political parties to pit them against Mayawati. Single biggest controversial issue of Mayawati has been creating statues and parks at enormous cost, they may truly consolidate Dalit votes but are being ridiculed by remaining sections of the society. Her magnum opus-Bhim Rao Ambedkar Park at Noida built at the cost of Rs. 685 crore, has invited adverse comments from the entire opposition as well as media. But BSP leaders are defending it by saying these monuments have been built for inspiration after thousands of years of oppression and humiliation. Vivek Kumar of JNU condemns those who say that public money has been wasted on monuments and no development work was taking place in UP. He argues that the budget of UP government is Rs 1.7 lakh crore and this amount is not even one percent of that. The BSP leaders are publicising that the growth rate of UP was 5.2 percent when Mayawati took over in 2007 and now it is 7.8 percent in 2011. On the basis of survey

Year

Seats contested

Seats won

Over-all vote share

LOKAYAT

Vote share in contested seats

1996

296

19.64%

27.73%

2002

401

23.06%

23.19%

2007

403

206

30.43%

in 2009 it has been claimed UP generated 23.10 lakh jobs, the highest in the country. UP has also been given an agriculture award by the centre along with Punjab. Political commentators feel that if she is successful in garnering even half of

step ahead writing a letter to the prime minister demanding reservation for Muslims based on their population percentage. Some Muslim leaders and political parties may have slammed her terming it a pre poll politics as she hasn't made

polarisation Muslim voters can go all out in support of the Samajwadi Party, otherwise they will be divided and a sizable section among them may vote for Mayawati. But one must know that Muslim votes are the trickiest

National Dalit Prerana Sthal at Noida built at the cost of Rs 685 crore has attracted criticism from the entire opposition and media. But Mayawati says Congress had spent much more on monuments of Congress leaders and their families

Muslim votes, her ascendance to the CM house could be possible this time also. Taking this into account, the first Dalit woman chief minister of India has once again pitched for the reservation for the Muslims. This time she has moved a

any move on implementation of the Rangnath Mishra Commission recommendation that there should be 15 percent reservation for Muslims in the OBC quota. Political analysts are also of the opinion that only in the event of a communal

thing in UP politics. Muslims have voted tactically to SP, INC, BSP, either to ensure the win of a Muslim candidate or to ensure defeat of BJP. Usually SP get majority of Muslim votes, with Congress sharing modest percentage.

NOVEMBER, 2011

LOKAYAT

UTTAR PRADESH

Cheers return in Noida Extension Land acquisition is going to be a major election issue in UP. The recent High Court verdict has been explained by opposition parties as an endorsement of their point of view. BSP too, claims that the court supported its decision as it has okayed land acquisition in 63 villages though with higher compensation. However, a few farmers instigated by politicians are planning to file an appeal before the Supreme Courtâ&#x20AC;Ś.

By Lokayat Correspondent

he Allahabad High Court verdict relating to the land acquisition in 63 villages of Noida, Greater Noida and Noida Extension areas in

T 18

NOVEMBER, 2011

Gautam Buddha Nagar, has brought cheers to more than 50,000 home buyers, lakhs of farmers and dozens of builders. It is a big relief for home buyers who were on tenterhooks after the apex court had nearly crushed their dream of having a home of their own three months back in

its Shaberi judgement. The respite for buyers gets doubled as the builders association has decided to keep the existing buyers immune from the imminent cost escalation. The court has quashed the land acquisition in three villages in NoidaDevla, Yousufpur (Chak Shaberi) and Asadullapur, but cleared the acquisition of land in other villages on the condition that farmers are paid 64.7 percent more as compensation for the land acquired from them and giving 10 percent of the developed land to them. The verdict comes as a setback to the Mayawati government, raising serious questions over UP's land acquisition process for development in Noida, Greater Noida and Noida Extension areas and directing the UP chief secretary to set up an inquiry panel under a principal secretary level officer to look into the change of land use, allotment to builders and indiscriminate proposals for land acquisition. Investors, builders and majority of farmers have appreciated the judgement terming it as a very balanced one, which suits almost everyone. The enhanced compensation that is to be paid to farmers now, and other factors like recent increase in land rates will certainly increase the property prices in the area and new buyers may have to pay between Rs 100-Rs 250 extra per sq ft. The decision may have satisfied the majority, but some villagers are still disgruntled deciding to appeal in the apex court. They want 100 percent hike in compensation. Though, Greater Noida Authority said it was happy with the ruling, Noida Authority said it would go to the Supreme court against the award of 10 percent developed land to farmers, as it no longer had buffer land to give. The order was passed by a specially constituted three judge bench comprising Justice Ashok Bhushan, Justice S U Khan and Justice V K Shukla, which heard 491 petitions by thousands of farmers from 63 villages, who had challenged the acquisition of more than 3,000 hectares of land in 2009.

UTTAR PRADESH

LOKAYAT

A bolt from the blue for Mayawati HIGH COURT ORDERS URBAN LOCAL BODIES' ELECTIONS It is a bolt from the blue for Mayawati who wanted to avoid the Urban Local Bodies poll, but now the High Court has ordered to issue notification of the poll by 31st of October. Opposition parties have welcomed the High Court order though this has created a peculiar constitutional puzzle as the order also mentions that elections should be held on the basis of Census 2011. But the data are not available for delimitation of constituencies. Moreover, Mayawati wanted the elections on nonparty basis which was stayed by the High Court and the matter is pending before the Supreme Court. She had also got passed a Bill for Urban Local Self-Government which had mandated that Mayor or Chairpersons will be elected indirectly. This Bill has not been okayed by the Governor. In such a situation how would elections take place? By Lokayat Correspondent

he Allahabad High Court's order to the state government to notify the elections for Urban Local Bodies by October 31 on the basis of 2011 census is being described impractical. Officials say Caste data of the Census are not available and how delimitation can be done. But in compliance to the constitution the elections needs to be done within a time frame. The term of the present municipalities and municipal corporations is to expire on November 15 and in December respectively and the state government is dutybound to ensure that elections are held by that time. Opposition parties, however, have welcomed the High Court decision, but

they, too, are not enthusiastic with the urban local bodies' polls thinking it could divert their attention from the assembly elections and create another round of dissent within the rank and file over the selection of candidates for the ward elections. Instead, they want to concentrate fully on the assembly elections. Mayawati wanted Local Bodies elections to be conducted according to her own manner with Mayors to be elected indirectly and for Ward members on non-party basis. Since both these issues had been held up, she was not keen for the elections. So a writ petition was filed by Ajit Jaiswal and the High Court has ruled that it is the duty of

the State government to fulfill both the constitutional requirements-elections within time frame and on the basis of 2011 census. BJP state president Surya Pratap Shahi welcomed the judgment, "We had been campaigning for it but the BSP government was always trying to delay it by trying to change the rules under which the elections were to be held." Currently most of the seats in the urban bodies are held by BJP. There is not a single mayor of the BSP. If elections take place before the Assembly elections, the outcome of these would have some impact on the Assembly elections as well. The additional advocate

general of the state government Jaydeep Mathur, putting forward the need to have elections on the basis of 2011 Census data only, as several districts have been carved out after 2001 in the state and huge rural population has shifted from rural to urban areas, also gives enough reason to believe that the Mayawati government is in no mood to have local bodies elections before state assembly elections are held. Mayawati is cautious of the fact that Anna effect exists in the urban population and with several scams coming to light in recent months the urban tide may go against her in the upcoming assembly elections.

NOVEMBER, 2011

LOKAYAT

NATIONAL

By Pradeep Saxena

or the last few years controversy is going on in the country on the issue of Vande Mataram. The debate has been if Muslims should recite the national song Vande Matram (I bow to thee, Mother). There have been mixed opinion of experts on this issue. The Jamiat-Ulema-i-Hind at the Darul Uloom, Deoband came forward with a resolution on November 2, 2009, stating that singing of Vande Mataram is un-Islamic as some of the verses of the national song are against the tenets of Islam. It provoked a heated debate and BJP called this fatwa "anti- national" and then the Ulemas, defending themselves asserted that "they love India as much as any other Indian". On the other hand Ulema-i-Hind stated in their Fatwa that the song Vande Mataram was not un-Islamic and not against the tenets of Islam. Dr. Hassan Imam a noted Historian and Assistant Professor of the Department of History, Aligarh Muslim University, who is presently working on a Major Research Project of UGC on Posters, Pamphlets and Leafletsâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;the Banned Literature under the British regime, opined that "a Fatwa was issued by Ulema-i-Hind in 1921,which clearly indicated that singing of national song "Bande Mataram" was not un-Islamic. The Fatwa issued by Ulema-i-Hind starts with a caption "Allah o Akbar-Bande Mataram-Allah o Akbar" and Gandhi's call for Satyagraha and Non-co-operation Movement has been incorporated in it. This Fatwa was signed by the leading Ulemas of India. It is well-known that this song Vande Mataram has been taken from the Ananda Math, a work of fiction by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, which exercised great influence over Bengali Revolutionaries. Dr. Hassan Imam, a noted The Ananda Math Historian describes Sanyasis or Fakirs (the religious mendicant) who had been roaming everywhere in India. Owing to the famine, their number increased by starving peasants and a party of sepoys. These wanderers call themselves Santans (children) of the Motherland and their headquarter was the temple called Anand Math where they took a vow to renounce home and friends "till Mother is saved" from the foreign rule. They were required to give up caste distinction. In their opinion "all the children belong to one caste; we do not make any distinction between Brahmins and Shudras in this great

NOVEMBER, 2011

Vande Mataram is not un-Islamic

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi participating in one of the functions of the Jamiat-Ulama-i-Hind

Vande Mataram was the war-cry of revolutionaries of Bengal. Today it has been made to appear as though it is related to RSS. Though Jamiat-Ulama-i-Hind two years ago declared it un-Islamic and a few Congress leaders described Anna Hazare's protest on Jan Lokpal as inspired by RSS when they heard shouts of Vande Mataram at the protest site. Dr Hassan Imam, a historian of Aligarh Muslim University while doing research on banned literature during the British regime, found a Fatwa issued in 1921 by Ulema-i-Hind which uses Bande Mataram in its title along with Allah-o-Akbar. Dr Imam says "Vande Mataram" has been misinterpreted by Jamiat-Ulama-eHind at the Darul Uloom, Deoband to boost their position and establish their hegemony over the illiterate and ignorant Muslims.

NATIONAL mission". The children greeted each other with the words, "Vande Mataram" and it was also ceremonial to sing "Vande Mataram" song. They had given up their own names and adopted religious names, most probably to conceal their identity. Later many ideas of the novel were borrowed by the leaders of the Bengal Revolutionary Societies, particularly by the members of the Anushilan Samiti of Dacca. The greeting "Vande Mataram" became the war-cry of the extremist party in Bengal. A boost to this song was given by the Bengali nationalist press that the cry of "Vande Matram" as it meant nothing more than "Hail! Mother" and it was used as a sign of sympathy with the revolution and in defiance of the British Government. Dr. Hassan says," Through this Fatwa the Ulema- i- Hind had made an appeal to both the communities, the Muslims and the Hindus to abide by this Fatwa. Further, they had been asked that the same opinions are also held by Mahatma Gandhi and others, big leaders of Musalman and Pandits. In the Fatwa it has also been affirmed that every Hindu and Musalman should read out this Fatwa in every house and in the meetings being held in towns and villages, rather they should repeat it in Masjid and in Madarsa". Dr. Hassan tells that , "this Fatwa had great impact on the Muslim mind as reported by superintendent of Police, Saran, that one of the SubInspector namely Kahful Ali

Translation of the Fatwa "Allah o Akbar - Bande Mataram - Allah o Akbar" All Hindustan Ulemas unanimous Fatwa (Religious orders) .... 6. It is unlawful to be members of Government Councils, 7. In all English Court to practise as vakil is unlawful, 8. In Government or Government aided institutions, receiving education is unlawful, 9. The Honorary Magistracy, or other honorary posts given by Government and to retain titles are unlawful, 10. All Government services which renders help to the Government are forbidden, particularly the Police and Military services are entirely forbidden and are great sins, because they have to fire on their own brethren. It is down in the Holy Koranâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;any person who will kill intentionally any Musalman, he will have to remain forever in the Hell. The Prophet has said one who aimed weapons against a Musalman; he is discarded from being a Musalman. This Fatwa is attested by : Maulana Hussain Ahmad (Deoband), Maulana Azizul Rahman Saheb (Deoband),Maulana Kafaetullah (Delhi), Maulana Salamatullah (Lucknow), Maulana Azad Subhani (Cawnpore), Maulana Muhammad Daud (Amritsar), Maulana Abul Bari (Lucknow), Maulana Sanaullah (Amritsar),Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Maulana Abdul Aziz (Hazara) and others big Ulemas of Hindustan. Note: - The same opinion are held by Mahatma Gandhi and others, big leaders of Musalman and Pandits. Note: - Every Hindu and Musalman should read out this Fatwa in every house and holding a meeting in towns and villages should read it out rather they should repeat it in Masjid and in Madarsa. The other leaders are also doing this as this was the cause of prosecution of Maulana Shaukat Ali and others. Almushtahar - Zila Congress Committee - Chapra

Khan, a Muhammadan, after serving 15 years in Police resigned from his service "on religious grounds". Even the British Government was seen extremely worried with the transmission of the said Fatwa as it was creating hatred against British and therefore, they ordered for the proscription of the said Fatwa under sections 99-A and 124-

A of the Indian penal Code. Dr. Hassan further says, "in my opinion there is nothing objectionable in the song. Vande Mataram has been misinterpreted by Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind at the Darul Uloom, Deoband to boost their position and establish their hegemony over the illiterate and ignorant Muslim mind and nothing

LOKAYAT

else. The Fatwa "Allah o Akbar- Vande Mataram-Allah o Akbar" was signed by leading Ulemas of the country to give it more emphasis." He says that the national song "Bande Mataram" should be seen from the nationalist perspective. It is a symbol of nationalism or a way of expressing the feeling of love towards our motherland. It may be seen as a "slogan" like other slogans, i.e., Inquilab Zindabad, Bharat Mata ki Jai, Allah o Akbar etc., to channelise the potential of youth towards national issues. Seeing Vande Mataram in religious perspective seems to be unreasonable". He adds, "But, I fail to understand why present day Ulemas compare the song "Vande Mataram" with almighty Allah? Why do they feel saying "Bande Mataram" would discard them from Islam? There had been no such thing in the minds of early religious leaders that singing "Vande Mataram" is un- Islamic and it leads toward polytheism otherwise they could not have issued Fatwa to such effect. Sole motive of those religious leaders was the "unity for the national cause" and therefore, they signed the Fatwa with the Caption, "Allah o AkbarVande Mataram - Allah o Akbar" and they closed all the debate on it for future. Creating controversies and issuing Fatwa on this issue would unnecessarily create suspicions between the Hindus and the Muslim and its advantage will be taken by anti-social elements.

NOVEMBER, 2011

LOKAYAT

NATIONAL

KUDANKULAM: NO MORE QUIBBLING

Kudankulam nuclear power project becomes the victim of populist politics of Jayalalithaa and irrational activism supported by the local church. The sufferers would be the people who badly need power, and green power.

By Lokayat Correspondent

n its most sincere efforts to find a way out of the impasse in which the anti-nuclear agitators in the Tirunelveli district of Tamilnadu and the Union Government find themselves stuck, the Government has set up a 15member panel to interact with the aggrieved people and allay all their apprehensions. The panel consists of eminent men competent to address all their genuine concerns about the Kudankulam nuclear power project. Drawn from such diverse disciplines like radiation safety, reactor engineering, oceanography, oncology, seismology, fisheries and nuclear waste management. The panel would interact with officials of the TN Government as also representatives of the people in the project area . The State Government has been requested to facilitate free and frank exchange of views on all aspects including seismicity of the area, impact of possible tsunami on the plant, fears about effect of the n-plant on fisheries, radiation on the environment and so on. Some of the panelists have been chosen

NOVEMBER, 2011

from Tamilnadu deliberately to ensure cooperation and trust of the local people and end the escalating crisis that has entered the second month. The agitators should not stand on prestige now, or find excuses to boycott the interlocutors as reports quoted them to suggest, because if they miss this opportunity there may not be any solution to the problem without hurting their own larger interests and that of the state. The TN government also should realize that pandering to unhealthy demands and playing ugly politics for temporary gain will be counterproductive. Initially Jayalalithaa was extremely keen about the early completion of the project which could partly offset the acute power shortage of the state. In fact one of her election promises to people was that she would end the endemic power cuts crippling the state's development. How is she going to make good that promise? What will people do with her freebies like colour TVs, laptops, mixies and grinders if they have no power to work them. There is a flipside to the issue.

Suppose Jaya succeeds in scrapping the project when it is ready to go critical; what will be her gain? That she could demonstrate her power; score a victory over the Centre? It would be a pyrrhic victory, because the state's interests would suffer for a long time to come. Instead, Jaya should seize the opportunity and cooperate with the expert team to find a face-saving and projectsaving formula. If she cannot persuade the agitating crowd to listen to reason, she should separate the saner elements and make an offer that will allow the smooth functioning of the nuclear plant. She should also warn the church against inciting people against the state. The church is playing a diabolical game, she should not become a pawn in it. There is a lot at stake. The country's economic development is critically dependent on more and more power. Then there are the nuclear power plant agreements in pipeline with various Governments to be considered. And lastly, the cascading effect any wrong step at Kudankulam may have in other similar projects in other regions--the cost is too heavy to be dismissed lightly.

INTERNATIONAL

LOKAYAT

BHATTARAI IS ASSAILED FOR AGREEMENT WITH INDIA The factional politics of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) is ruining the chances of economic revival of Nepal by targetting Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai... Jugalbandi of Comrade Baburam Bhattarai and Manmohan Singh, the Prime Ministers of Nepal and India.

By Lokayat Correspondent

he self-destructive politics of Nepal has no end to it which is badly entangled in ideological pulls and pressures. And victims of all this are the people of Nepal. Politics driven by petty loyalties to ideological groups is ruining the chances of its economic revival. The rational thinking has been thrown to the wind. The result is the fractured politics has not only been able to give a new constitution to the country, but it is unfortunately keeping the countrymen in the state of constant poverty and deprivation. Nepal is a country which has plenty of hydropower resources to generate electricity; according to some estimates it has the potential to generate 43,000 MW. Yet it is living in acute electricity crisis. Baburam Bhattarai, the 4th Prime Minister since Nepal became republic came to India last month jettisoning his party's continued anti-India stance to seek investment from Indian companies now only to face bitter criticism from disparate communist groups. When after four days' stay in India during which he signed 'Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement' to invite Indian investment in Nepal, he returned to Nepal he had to face a barrage of criticism and black flag

demonstration at the Tribhuvan International Airport. Slogans were raised that he had sold Nepal's interests to India. The agreement is to ensure that Indian investment would be protected in Nepal just as Nepalese investments in case of war and other unexpected eventualities. It may be recalled there are political groups in Nepal who lose no opportunity to target Indian business establishments. This naturally makes Indian businessmen averse to investment

Loan to Nepal at 1.75 percent Rs 1,250 crore credit agreement has also been signed with Nepal. It will be used to finance infrastructure projects such as highways, airports, bridges, irrigation, roads, railways and hydropower projects and carry a concessional rate of interest of 1.75% per annum. The repayment would be done in 20 years.

in Nepal. But a faction of the ruling Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists (UCPN-M), loyal to the party's senior vice president Mohan Baidhya Kiran and two other smaller left parties, Jana Morcha Nepal and Nepal Mazdoor Kisan Party called the Prime Minister an "Indian agent" and demanding his resignation. All kinds of ugly utterances by various factions of Maoists have started. One faction went to the extent of saying that the top leader of the Maoist Party Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachand' is being dictated by the Research and Analysis Wing of India. While Bhattarai may be keen to implement the agreement, the atmosphere is being vitiated. Even known moderates among communist parties like Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist have also joined the anti-India chorus. While Lokayat goes to press the UCPN-M, the largest party in the ruling coalition is discussing the issue in the highest decision making body the 'central committee'. The party is likely to demand either get the agreement approved by the Parliament or scrap it. Political observers in Delhi feel that there may be covert China hand behind all this.

NOVEMBER, 2011

LOKAYAT

DELHI

Who is a Delhiites? Reserving jobs for Delhites in the MCD is a political gimmick of the BJP though it has been a bi-partisan resolution in the house. Moreover, it is not an easy task to determine who actually a Delhiite is in a city which comprises 90 percent migrant population. But political parties have their ingenuous ways to project themselves as champion of people's cause. However, this move is being seen by many as a divisive one in the cosmopolitan capital city.

By Vinod Harsh

s elections for Delhi Municipal Corporation scheduled to be held in March-April next year draw nearer, leaders from the two major parties Congress and the BJP go on the overdrive to allure voters by their ingenuous ways. Sheila Dixit, the chief minister, is trying again her old trump card of wooing residents of rehabilitated colonies and JJ colonies, but the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has surprised one and all by announcing 85 percent jobs in Corporation to the domiciles of Delhi, though the same Saffron brigade had opposed tooth and nail when a few years ago Sheila Dixit had made similar proposal to give 50 percent reservation to Delhiites. BJP had then gone ballistic and had organised Dharnas, held demonstrations and burnt effigies. Leaders like Lalu Prasad Yadav had also opposed the move taking into account the interests of the people from Bihar. Majority of the parties had termed Sheila's statement as irresponsible. Today, Delhi is a city brimming with vast migrant population from Purvanchal, Uttarakhand, Southern states, Haryana and West Bengal. Days

NOVEMBER, 2011

Ms Rajni Abbi, the Mayor of Delhi

are gone when Punjabi and Vaish combine used to be the dominant electoral force. The number of people from Bihar and Purvanchal has risen to such an extent that their role can't be ignored by any political party. Many think that reserving 85 percent seats in jobs for Delhiites is nothing but

a political gimmick. BJP knows it too well that the Delhi government wouldn't be able to implement this. But perhaps it calculates that it can take political advantage by saying--we passed the resolution, and it was the Congress government which did not move ahead with the proposal. But the manner in which the resolution has been moved, makes it difficult for any party to disown it. The Congress too had played its part in moving the bill. The resolution was moved by Jaykishan Sharma of the Congress along with Gulshan Bhatia and V P Pandey of the BJP. Hence, BJP is sure that Congress wouldn't be able to trap it on the issue. It is a well-known fact that the Municipal Corporation is a local body, and its entire expenditure is borne by the Delhi government. So far as the recruitment of higher officials of the corporation is concerned, they come from the UPSC. And Delhi Subordinate Service Selection Board recruits on other posts and sends them to the corporation. Apart from them, employees and officers from Danics and other states come on deputation.

DELHI

There had been no employment for years The fourth grade employees only are recruited directly by the Corporation, but no recruitment has been made by it for last several years. The Corporation gets the work done by contractual workers whereas 25,000 vacancies remain unfulfilled. The biggest reason of having contractual employees is that it remains free from the burden of giving appurtenant service benefits, which a regular employee is entitled to. This has created a situation when hundreds of employees have been receiving salary for years, but don't have the legal status of a government employee. This has given rise to corrupt practices. There are thousands of workers in the roll who have been drawing salaries for years, but they virtually do not exist. They exist only on paper. This has caused a huge financial loss to the Corporation. Only recently it came to light a list of 22,200 employees, in whose names monthly salary was being drawn, but they actually did not exist. On the issue of reservation to Delhiites, the question arises as to who would be reckoned as the domicile of

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

MCD has stopped recruiting regular employees for long as it finds having contractual workers is useful as it reduces burden on the tax payers' money, but the truth is it gave rise to corruption by having ghost employees who draw salaries but do not exist.

â&#x20AC;?

LOKAYAT

Delhiâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;what would be the status of residents of the villages of Delhi or those who came from Pakistan in or after 1947 or those who came from other states and living in Delhi for decades? Being the national capital, it's impossible to impose a blanket ban on the appointment of the people who have come here from other states. The factual situation is that around 90 percent population of Delhi is of migrants. The recent proposal of the Corporation says Delhi has the highest standards of education, health care and civic facilities, which generate employment opportunities too. But the employment from among the domicile of Delhi has dwindled swiftly. The proposal says whenever recruitment is done for the third and fourth grade employees, domiciles of Delhi should be given priority if they are eligible as per the rules and regulations, and of course without disturbing the constitutional provisions of reservation on the basis of caste. Many leaders find the proposal divisive so much so some leaders of even BJP aren't happy with it. Some believe this proposal has the potential to create anarchy in the existing system.

NOVEMBER, 2011

LOKAYAT

HARYANA

Hisar signals the future, the way Jabalpur did in 1974 By Lokayat Correspondent

n the High voltage election contest in Hisar, where Anna Team also fanned out to appeal not to a party which opposed Jan Lokpal, the 3time Congress MP from Hisar forfeited his security deposit. The last time a Congress candidate lost his or her deposit in the Hisar parliamentary seat was in the 1977 general elections after the Emergency when Congress faced a nationwide rout. Does the election result of Hisar portend something of the kind again? The defeat was truly humiliating for the Congress though its spokesperson Renuka Chaudhury said the candidate who won had nothing to do with Annaeffect. We were also third last time. But if one sees the vote statistics, it would be clear he got fewer votes than 2009 when he was contesting against the heavy weight former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal. And this happened despite Congress is holding six of the nine assembly segments in Hisar. The defeat looks more

NOVEMBER, 2011

demoralising when we see the Chief Minister Hooda had hand-picked him for the contest and had camped personally. He brought Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to influence non-Jat voters. Many believe it was people's response to the arrogance shown by Congress towards the popular protests against corruption, black money and strong Lokpal, which had captured the imagination of common voter. However, many do not agree. They say there were local issues like people's anger over lack of development in Hisar while Hooda had his own constituency Rohtak profusely pampered. More over there was deep-rooted factionalism in Haryana Congress which also worked against Jai Prakash. The Haryana unit of the CPM described the Hisar by-election result as a clear-cut mandate against the anti-people policies of the UPA and the Congress government in the state

The winner of Hisar Lok Sabha seat Kuldeep Bishnoi

Hisar election was touted as a test bed for Anna-effect as it was the first Lok Sabha election after his contentious fast for Jan Lokpal. A few members of Anna Team had even reached Hisar to educate masses on various parties' stand on Jan Lokpal. A call was given to defeat Congress. But after election results winner and losers, all are saying there was no Anna-effect in the Hisar Election. VOTERS CHOICE Name of parties

: Votes in 2009

: Votes in 2011

Haryana Janhit Congress Indian National Lok Dal Indian National Congress

: 248, 476 : 241, 493 : 204, 539

: 355, 941 : 349, 618 : 149, 784

HARYANA which are responsible for rampant corruption, price rise, unemployment and lawlessness. If examined thoroughly the election result reflects Anna effect though the winner candidate Kuldeep Bishnoi does not concede this. He claims his win was because of his father and the tie-up with the BJP. One factor was the absence of a BSP candidate. Memory of Mirchpur played its role. Here a Dalit and his daughter were burnt to death following a clash between the Jat and Valmiki communities. Dalit voters are supposed to have gone to Bishnoi rather than to Chautala, a Jat leader. This is true that a few members of Anna Team had campaigned against Congress, but they did not tell voters whom to vote. They only appealed to vote whose party president supports Jan Lokpal. According to the Team Anna, voters were free to choose between INLD supremo's son Ajay Chautala and former Chief Minister's son Kuldeep Bishnoi who was supported by BJP. Byelections to the Hisar seat became due because of the death of Bhajan Lal. Though Kuldeep Bishnoi refused to give credit to Anna-factor for his victory, the Social activist Anna Hazare was prompt to ask Congress to 'learn lessons' from the defeat and ensure that stricter laws against corruption, including the Lokpal Bill, are passed in the winter session of the Parliament. He has threatened to personally

campaign in the coming round of assembly polls early next year if Congress failed to take a cue from Hisar. Anna Team member

defeat or victory of any political party, the campaign was against corruption. We tried to make voters aware of the Congress position

ASSEMBLY SEGMENTWISE VOTES POLLED Uchana Kalan