February 16-28, 2023 Issue of The Unrest Magazine

State Repression

Crimes in Politics

DDA Allows FAR Crime in Delhi Societies Research Project on Corruption in India Global Initiatives

Support to Belarusian Democratic Forces Crime, Corruption, and Impunity in India Grand Corruption

NATO Working on AI Certification Standard Stories of Politics and Unrest in the World Attack on Press Freedom

Action to Counter Corruption in Bulgaria Adani Fraud Case in Indian Parliament

Economic Outlook

SC Refuses to Ban BBC Modi Documentary Pakistan to Criminalize Criticism of Army

Rahul Gandhi Fails to Take Modi’s Response in Adani Fraud Case

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi raised in parliament the issue of alleged corporate fraud in the Adani Group of companies. In January 2023, a Hindenburg investigative report accused oligarch Gautam Adani of a massive corporate fraud.

The Congress leader also sought the response of prime minister (PM) Narendra Modi because Adani Group chief Gautam Adani is a close companion of Modi.

But Modi refused to answer any question that Rahul Gandhi asked him in this case. Rather, in his long rhetoric in the parliament, Modi did not even touch the Adani case and spent his entire time on praising himself and accusing Congress of corruption. In his tweeted video message on February 8, Rahul Gandhi acknowledged his failure to get Modi’s response and said Modi will neither order a probe in this case nor will he respond because he wants to support his friend.

Congress workers protesting against PM Narendra Modi and Adani Group on February 6, 2023. Photo Congress

Congress - which is a defunct political party - has been using all ordinary tricks to make its presence felt in the Indian political space. After the failure of its recent Bharat Jodo Yatra (or Unite India March), Congress is trying to leverage the Hindenburg Research report for its revival.

Now Congress is leading a group of tired and retired politicians of opposition parties to target Modi and Adani. Besides holding closed-door meetings with a handful of other politicians, Congress is organizing directionless street demonstrations against the central public sector undertakings such as the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India and State Bank of India (SBI) which invested money in the Adani Group.

The Congress party - which is full of naive politicians - is demanding a discussion in the parliament on the Adani Group fraud case. It has also called for an investigation into the Adani Group’s business deals by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) or a team under the supervision of the Chief Justice of India (CJI).

But the foolish Congress leaders fail to understand that a discussion in parliament has no meaning at all, as such discussions cannot force the Modi regime (which is in fact Modi alone) to change its decisions. In this case, Modi is not willing to hear anything about his friend Adani’s alleged frauds.

In order to show its fake concerns for the public, Congress is ostensibly demanding a JPC or a Supreme Court-monitored probe. But the dumb Congress leaders fail to learn from their mistakes in the past.

OLD TRICKS

Congress has demanded such JPC- or court-directed investigations multiple times in the past in cases such as Rafale corruption case, Pegasus spyware scandal, Pulwama terror attack case, Judge Loya’s death case, and a slew of other cases in which Modi or his regime is allegedly involved.

But Modi has simply ignored all such demands even when they were discussed in the parliament. So, parliament has completely lost its relevance, courts cannot dare to do anything against Modi, and the street demonstrations are so weak that they cannot influence the decisions of the Modi government.

Now it appears that Congress - along with other opposition parties - is deliberately ignoring this harsh reality of the Modi regime and misleading the public by repeating all those mistakes that it has been making in the past.

In the Modi-Adani case, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been leveling wild allegations of links between Modi and Adani without any substantiation. But he could never articulate his random allegations to challenge the Modi regime.

If Congress was really concerned about the unholy relations between Modi and Adani, it could have produced and publicly released a research report like the Hindenburg report to expose the Modi-Adani connections.

Similarly, instead of holding its protests on the barren roads, Congress should have held regular protests in front of the Supreme Court when the court was arbitrarily exonerating Modi in different cases of crime and corruption.

In the Adani case, a pliant Supreme Court judge Justice Arun Mishra has given multiple judgments in favour of the Adani Group of companies. But Congress never challenged those murky judgments while Modi praiser Mishra was given the plum position of chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India in 2021 after his retirement from the Supreme Court.

FUTURE STRATEGY

Although the detailed Hindenburg report has given enough evidence of irregularities in the Adani Group, instead of using the findings of the report to

accuse Adani, Congress is unnecessarily demanding another layer of investigation through the JPC or court.

There is a possibility that some leaders of Congress or other political parties also have some hidden financial connections with Adani. That is why they are subtly trying to dilute the issue by deploying the old tricks that have failed in the past. If an investigation by the JPC or court takes place, it will be so slow and useless that its findings will be dumped without any consequence for the Modi government.

And by that time, it is probable that Modi will become the PM again by winning the Lok Sabha election in 2024 to further ruin the country which is already facing unprecedented disaster including corruption, unemployment, inflation, and religious animosity under his 9-year rule.

If Congress and other political outfits really want to save India and Indians from Modi’s autocracy, they must act in a professional manner. Content, communications, and street protests should become the backbone of their strategy.

In the current Adani case, for example, if Congress is clean, it should create a multilingual microsite to reveal every aspect of the case and Congress’s strategy to protest until the issue is satisfactorily resolved.

Similarly, Congress should create comprehensive microsites on other issues such as Rafale corruption case, Gujarat riots case, Pegasus scandal, and others and regularly update these sites. The party should use digital media and traditional media channels to communicate its actions.

Particularly, Congress and other political parties should not forget the electronic voting machines (EVMs) that may be manipulated to help Modi and his party win again in 2024. All opposition parties should vehemently oppose the use of EVMs in elections.

This exercise by Congress and other political groups should be supported by sustained field protests similar to farmers’ protest on the outskirts of Delhi a couple of years ago. With all these steps, Congress can hope to win the 2024 Lok Sabha election and bring India back on the path of progress.

Council of Europe Launches Action Plan to Support Belarusian Democratic Forces

The action plan was presented to the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers on 1 February, 2023.

The Council of Europe (COE) Secretary General, Marija Pejčinović Burić, has announced a 15-point action plan to support civil society and democracy representatives working towards a future free and democratic Belarus.

Developed jointly in the framework of the Council of Europe Contact Group on Belarus the list covers 15 specific activities including human rights training, workshops on the European Convention on Human Rights, and study visits to bring Belarussian lawyers to the Council of Europe headquarters in Strasbourg.

Secretary General of the 47-nation Council of Europe (COE), Marija Pejčinović Burić Photo: COE

Other actions include awareness raising on key issues including the abolition of the death penalty, non-discrimination, gender equality and countering violence against women. A workshop for journalists in exile is planned for March.

“The actions we have agreed in the Council of Europe Contact Group on Belarus for 2023 represent the most tangible and meaningful assistance, and I am proud our Organisation is playing a pioneering role in supporting democratic Belarus,” said the Secretary General. A third meeting of the Contact Group will take place in June 2023. The action plan was presented to the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers on 1 February, 2023.

Hundreds of Belarusians have been arrested and jailed because they peacefully exercised their rights to freedom of expression and assembly in response to a fraudulent election in August 2020 that allowed President Alexander Lukashenko to retain power.

When the intensity of protests increased, Lukashenko’s regime shut down dozens of independent organizations and media outlets.

Supreme Court Refuses to Ban BBC Documentary on Modi

The documentary sheds light on Modi’s role in the Gujarat violence of 2002 when Modi was the chief minister (CM) of Gujarat.

The Supreme Court of India on February 10 dismissed a petition seeking a ban on the recent BBC documentary that reveals prime minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s role in the Gujarat violence of 2022.

The Supreme Court dismissed the petition saying that it is a "totally misconceived and merit-less plea," which was filed by a right-wing outfit believed to be associated with Modi. While rejecting the petition, a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and MM Sundresh said that such an appeal of banning a film cannot even be entertained in the court.

Earlier, on February 3, the Supreme Court had issued notice on another petition challenging the Indian government's decision to block the public access to this BBC documentary, "India: The Modi Question".

A bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and MM Sundresh also directed the government to produce the original records related to the documentary ban order on the next date of hearing, which will be in April 2023.

The petition by journalist N. Ram, advocate Prashant Bhushan, and politician Mahua Moitra contends that the Central Government has violated citizens' Right To Know by blocking the documentary on PM Modi.

According to the Live Law news site, the petition seeks to restrain the Modi government from censoring the BBC documentary and to quash all orders which directly or indirectly block the online access to it.

Reports suggest that on January 21, India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had invoked its emergency powers under the IT Rules 2021 to order

Photo: Screengrab of BBC Documentary ‘India: The Modi Question’

the removal of the links from YouTube and Twitter, after the first part of the documentary was aired.

The documentary sheds light on Modi’s role in the Gujarat violence of 2002 when Modi was the chief minister (CM) of Gujarat. The first part of the series aired in the United Kingdom on BBC Two channel on January 17.

As usual, without any substantiation, the Indian government has termed the BBC documentary a propaganda film, saying it aims to discredit Modi. The second part of the documentary was shown on BBC Two on January 24.

On January 23, The Caravan magazine published the text of the report of inquiry conducted by the UK government into the 2002 Gujarat violence, which was cited in the BBC documentary on Modi.

Although the BBC film is about Modi’s role in the Gujarat violence, the Modi government is projecting it as an attack on the Indian state and trying to block the screening of the film by hook or by crook.

The Modi government - under its draconian laws to censor online content - directed YouTube and Twitter to take down links of the BBC documentary and both the social media sites succumbed to the government’s pressure and blocked the film.

However, some media outlets have given details of the alternative channels that can be used to watch both the episodes of the two-part docuseries, “India: The Modi Question”.

On January 24, international human rights organization Human Rights Watch tweeted parts of the film and said, “India has banned a BBC documentary about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s role in the 2002 riots in Gujarat state. The documentary highlighted a report that found Modi ‘directly responsible’ for the ‘climate of impunity’ enabling the violence.” While about 2,000 Muslims were killed in the Gujarat riots, there were incidents of rape, robbery, and widespread

destruction of property affecting Muslims. It was alleged that the killings were executed at the behest of Modi. Although Indian courts have exonerated Modi in this case, most Muslims in India still believe that Modi was responsible for the Gujarat massacre. The less said about the Indian courts, the better.

World Must Unite to Fight Hunger in Syria: RMN Foundation

As the economic conditions are deteriorating, an estimated 90% of the population is living under extreme poverty and 80% of Syrians are facing food insecurity. The 12-year-old conflict in Syria has left nearly 12 million people without adequate food for their survival. As the food scarcity persists, a large number of Syrians are struggling to arrange food for their families while prices of most food items are spiraling in the West Asian country.

Children at a shelter in Jibreen, Aleppo, Syria, play with a cart.

Photo: UNICEF/Rzehak

As the economic conditions are deteriorating, an estimated 90% of the population is living under extreme poverty and 80% of Syrians are facing food insecurity. According to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), 12 million people in

Syria are already affected by the food shortages and another 2.9 million people are at risk of sliding into hunger.

“All the humanitarian organizations in the world should unite to save people in Syria from the catastrophic conditions that have resulted as a fallout of the civil war that began in 2011,” said Rakesh Raman, founder of RMN Foundation.

He added that besides providing immediate succour to Syrians, the world community should also work seriously to set up a democratic political system in the country so that people could be empowered to earn their livelihoods gracefully.

RMN Foundation suggests that in order to help the struggling population, it is imperative to help the farming community in Syria with financial aid and modern farming techniques so that they could grow sufficient food for people affected by hunger.

Meanwhile, WFP says that it has started to help farmers in some areas by repairing the irrigation canals that were destroyed during the armed conflict. This step will help farmers grow wheat and other food items so that they can meet the food demand.

Also, WFP is working to irrigate nearly 28,000 hectares of land across the country. It is estimated that the food grown on this land can feed 620,000 people in Syria.

“The UN and its agencies should also help restore the education and industrial infrastructure in the country so that the local Syrians could be provided employment opportunities to bring long-term economic prosperity to Syria,” said Rakesh Raman of RMN Foundation.

Short Stories of Politics and Unrest in the World

The US military is unsure what three flying objects it shot out of the skies over North America were - and how they were able to stay aloft. President Joe Biden ordered another object - the fourth in total this month - to be downed on February 12. As it was travelling at 20,000ft (6,100m), it could have interfered with commercial air traffic, the US said. Read More

Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on February 13 she expected all NATO member-states to sign-off Finland and Sweden's joint membership bid, which has thus far been slow and complicated. Baerbock called on NATO members Turkey and Hungary to pave the way for the Nordic countries' membership "without delay." Read More

The Philippine government has lodged a diplomatic protest, calling on China to ensure its vessels cease “aggressive activities” after the Chinese coastguard used a “military-grade laser” to try to block one of its ships in the South China Sea. “These acts of aggression by China are disturbing and disappointing,” Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Teresita Daza, said on February 14. Read More

Income Tax officials landed at the BBC offices in Delhi and Mumbai on February 14 for searches, weeks after a huge controversy over the UK national broadcaster's documentary series on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and allegations linked to the 2002 Gujarat riots. The taxmen were carrying out a "survey" over allegations of international taxation and transfer pricing irregularities involving the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation). Read More

While President Joe Biden and his predecessor, Donald Trump, are preparing for a possible rematch in 2024, a new poll finds a notable lack of enthusiasm within the parties for either man as his party’s leader and a clear opening for new standard-bearers. About a third of both Democrats and Republicans are unsure of who they want leading their party, according to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Read More

Moldova’s president outlined on February 13 what she described as a plot by Moscow to overthrow her country’s government using external saboteurs, put the nation “at the disposal of Russia” and derail its aspirations to one day join the European Union. Read More

Research Project on Corruption in India Launched for 2023

While India is already perceived to be one of the most corrupt countries in the world, bureaucratic and political corruption is still increasing dramatically in the country.

However, there is no reliable information available on the extent of corruption. This research project - being carried out by the humanitarian organization RMN Foundation - aims to compile a comprehensive report - under the title India Corruption Research Report 2023 (ICRR 2023) - on diverse aspects of corruption in India.

The findings of the report will help the central as well as state governments in the country make actionable strategies to combat corruption. The report will also be equally useful for other stakeholders including businesses, political parties, and international organizations.

The report ICRR 2023 will be the second annual report which will be published by the RMN Foundation - which is the humanitarian initiative of RMN (Raman Media Network) News Service. The first report ICRR 2022 was released in October 2022.

[ You can click here to study the ICRR 2022 in ebook format. ]

The research project is being spearheaded by Rakesh Raman who is a national award-winning journalist and founder of RMN Foundation. People and organizations from all over the world are invited to join hands with RMN Foundation as donors, volunteers, and partners for the ICRR 2023 project and other humanitarian activities for diverse communities.

You can click here to know about the ICRR 2023 project and donation details.

NATO Starts Work on Artificial Intelligence Certification Standard

The standard, which also applies to data exploitation and will include quality controls, is due to be completed by the end of 2023.

NATO’s Data and Artificial Intelligence Review Board (DARB) met on 7 February to start the development of a user-friendly and responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI) certification standard. It will help industries and institutions across the Alliance make sure that new AI and data projects are in line with international law, as well as NATO’s norms and values.

NATO’s Data and Artificial Intelligence Review Board (DARB) met on 7 February 2023 to start the development of a user-friendly and responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI) certification standard Photo: NATO

The standard, which also applies to data exploitation and will include quality controls, is due to be completed by the end of 2023. Its aim is to translate NATO’s Principles of Responsible Use, approved in October 2021 as part of NATO’s first ever AI strategy, into concrete checks and balances, notably in terms of governability, traceability and reliability.

According to NATO, this will help to build trust among the innovation community, operational end users, and the general public. The Board is composed of nominated representatives from Allied countries, invitees Finland and Sweden, as well as NATO experts. Representatives include lawyers, engineers, military personnel and experts in ethics.

It will also serve as a unique platform to exchange best practices, guide innovators and operational end-users throughout the development phase. Its work will contribute positively to NATO’s digital transformation. At present, NATO is piloting AI in areas as diverse as cyber defence, climate change and imagery analysis. Courtesy: NATO

U.S. Takes Action to Counter Systemic Corruption in Bulgaria

The United Kingdom also designated three corrupt actors in Bulgaria for serious corruption and abuse of public institution funds.

The United States, in coordination with the United Kingdom, is taking action to counter systemic corruption in Bulgaria by designating five former Bulgarian government officials as well as five entities for corrupt acts that resulted in illicit personal gain, undermined the country’s democratic institutions, and perpetuated its corrosive dependence on Russian energy sources.

The Department of the Treasury undertook several designations on February 10 pursuant to Executive Order 13818, which builds upon and implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and targets perpetrators of serious human rights abuse and corruption around the world:

Rumen Ovcharov, a former Bulgarian member of parliament (MP) and minister responsible for energy; Aleksandar Hristov Nikolov, a former CEO and deputy director of Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP); and Ivan Genov, former CEO of KNPP and former MP were designated for a series of illicit dealings and the

exchange of bribes related to energy contracts that robbed the Government and people of Bulgaria of hundreds of millions of dollars;

Nikolay Malinov, a former MP and leader of the Russophiles National Movement and chairman of the Russophiles for Revival of the Fatherland Political Party, was designated for bribing a judge to permit him to travel to Russia, even though he had been indicted for espionage on behalf of Russian-backed interests and had been placed under a travel ban;

Vladislav Goranov, a former MP and former Minister of Finance, was designated for using his position to facilitate bribery in exchange for favorable legislation, depriving the government of tax revenues;

Inter Trade 2021 EOOD, MS Konsult 2016 EOOD, the Russophiles National Movement, and Russophiles for the Revival of the Fatherland, were designated for being owned or controlled by Malinov;

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Photo: Department of State

Trilemma Consulting Ltd EOOD was designated for being owned or controlled by Goranov.

The Department of State also imposed visa restrictions on Ovcharov, Nikolov, and Goranov for involvement in significant corruption under Section 7031(c) of the annual Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act. As a result of these actions, those individuals and their immediate family members are generally ineligible for entry into the United States.

The United Kingdom also designated three corrupt actors in Bulgaria for serious corruption and abuse of public institution funds: Vassil Kroumov Bojkov, a prominent Bulgarian businessman and oligarch; Delyan Slavchev Peevski, an oligarch and former MP; and Ilko Dimitrov Zhelyazkov, the former Deputy Chief of the Bulgarian State Agency for Technical Operations, under the UK Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions Regime.

These actions reinforce prior U.S. designations of these individuals under the Global Magnitsky sanctions program and the Department of State’s public designation of Peevski and Zhelyazkov under Section 7031(c) in June 2021.

“These coordinated actions support the U.S. Strategy on Countering Corruption and demonstrate the commitment of the United States and the United Kingdom to promoting accountability for corruption, and to helping Bulgaria, a NATO Ally, institute critical rule of law reforms,” said U.S. Secretary of State, Antony J. Blinken.

The corruption perpetuated by those designated reflects a systemic pattern of personal enrichment at the expense of the Bulgarian people, government, and democratic institutions.

“The United States and the United Kingdom stand steadfast in solidarity with those in Bulgaria who seek to tackle corruption and strengthen the rule of law,” Blinken said.

Global Inflation Will Fall in 2023 and 2024: IMF

The rise in central bank rates to fight inflation and Russia’s war in Ukraine continue to weigh on economic activity.

Global growth is projected to fall from an estimated 3.4 percent in 2022 to 2.9 percent in 2023, then rise to 3.1 percent in 2024, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The forecast for 2023 is 0.2 percentage point higher than predicted in the October 2022 World Economic Outlook (WEO) but below the historical (2000–19) average of 3.8 percent.

Economic Outlook Growth Projections. Data: IMF

In its January 2023 update of WEO, IMF states that the rise in central bank rates to fight inflation and Russia’s war in Ukraine continue to weigh on economic activity. The rapid spread of Covid-19 in China dampened growth in 2022, but the recent reopening has paved the way for a faster-than-expected recovery. Global inflation is expected to fall from 8.8 percent in 2022 to 6.6 percent in 2023 and 4.3 percent in 2024, still above pre-pandemic (2017–19) levels of about 3.5 percent.

The balance of risks remains tilted to the downside, but adverse risks have moderated since the October 2022 WEO. On the upside, according to the IMF, a stronger boost from pent-up demand in numerous economies or a faster fall in inflation are plausible.

On the downside, severe health outcomes in China could hold back the recovery, Russia’s war in Ukraine could escalate, and tighter global financing costs could worsen debt distress. Financial markets could also suddenly reprice in response to adverse inflation news, while further geopolitical fragmentation could hamper economic progress.

In most economies, according to the IMF, amid the cost-of-living crisis, the priority remains achieving sustained disinflation. With tighter monetary conditions and lower growth potentially affecting financial and debt stability, it is necessary to deploy macroprudential tools and strengthen debt restructuring frameworks.

The IMF observes that accelerating Covid-19 vaccinations in China would safeguard the recovery, with positive cross-border spillovers. Fiscal support should be better targeted at those most affected by elevated food and energy prices, and broad-based fiscal relief measures should be withdrawn.

Stronger multilateral cooperation is essential to preserve the gains from the rules-based multilateral system and to mitigate climate change by limiting emissions and raising green investment.

Crime, Corruption, and Impunity in India

Politicians, bureaucrats, police, and judges have formed a criminal gang in India. The following cases depict how they collude with criminals and commit crimes and corruption with impunity while the ordinary citizens are suffering. Click the following links for details.

Cabinet Secretariat Case Ministry of HomeAffairs (MHA) Case

Prime Minister Office (PMO) Case Delhi Lokayukta Case

DoPTCase CBI Case

Economic Offences Wing (EOW) Case Supreme Court Case

Delhi Govt Case Delhi Petitions Committee / CVC Case

NHRC Case School Education Case

Environmental Crime Case Lokpal Removal Case

Judicial Corruption Case RCS Corruption Case

AAPCorruption Case Widehouse Scandal

NHRC Case at UN HRC IAS Group Corruption Case

CPGRAMS Cases PGMS Cases

IAS Corruption Record UNCAC Petition

Delhi Police Case DoPTProcesses

RCS RTI Violations DDACorruption Case

Petitions and Representations by Rakesh Raman. Up to January 2023

DDA Allows FAR Construction Crime in Delhi Housing Societies

The approval for harmful FAR construction is mainly given by the corrupt officials of Delhi Development Authority (DDA).

This story aims to inform about a massive environmental crime that has been happening in Delhi’s cooperative group housing societies (CGHS) for the past about six years. The crime - termed as the Widehouse Corruption Scandal - involves lethal

construction which is being carried out under a harmful Floor Area Ratio (FAR) scheme of the government.

Delhi Development Authority (DDA), which is among the most corrupt departments of India.

The approval for harmful FAR construction is mainly given by the corrupt officials of Delhi Development Authority (DDA). Since the FAR construction which runs for years spreads lethal dust pollution, noise pollution, and air pollution in housing complexes, hundreds or thousands of children, men, women - including senior citizens - who live in these houses have been suffering for the past many years.

The FAR crime is being committed by local criminals who operate as management committee (MC) members of cooperative group housing societies in connivance with the corrupt officials of Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Registrar Cooperative Societies (RCS) office of Delhi Government, Delhi Fire Service (DFS), Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), and Delhi Police.

Photo: Rakesh Raman / RMN News Service

In response to the campaigns that I run to stop FAR construction and complaints

filed by me, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Government of India, has asked the Cabinet Secretariat to start investigation of 10 IAS officers who are involved in the FAR construction crime.

[ You can click here to watch the related video on RMN YouTube Channel and subscribe to the Channel to watch more informative videos. ]

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) with its Office Memorandum dated 28th June 2022 has urged the Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India, to investigate the corruption cases of IAS officers through the Group of Secretaries. The DoPT has sent multiple such letters to Mr. D.K. Jain, Under Secretary (VCC), Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India. But no action has been taken.

I am also a victim of this heinous crime as the criminal FAR construction activity has been happening for the past nearly five years at DPS CGHS, Sector 4, Dwarka, New Delhi - where I live. It is happening even today - in February 2023 - and is likely to continue for many more years. Although the FAR crime is taking place in many other housing societies of Delhi, I am explaining the enormity of this crime with the construction work happening at my housing society DPS CGHS.

While it is the responsibility of the government to protect people from FAR construction-related pollution and accidents, I urge the authorities to get this crime immediately stopped in occupied housing societies.

The criminals - including MC members and government officials - who are committing the FAR crime should also be convicted and jailed at the earliest.

Rakesh Raman

RSF to Pakistan: Do Not Criminalize Criticism of Armed Forces

RSF adds in its statement that the adoption of such an amendment could constitute a serious obstacle to the democratic process in the South Asian nation.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) - which defends freedom of journalists in the world - has called on the prime minister’s (PM) office in Pakistan to immediately abandon plans to make it an offense to criticize the armed forces, as it would pose a serious threat

to journalistic freedom.

In a statement released on February 13, RSF said that the proposed new law’s wording is extremely vague and its consequences could be disastrous in the run-up to general elections later this year in Pakistan.

Five years in prison for a comment about the army – that is what journalists could face under the proposed legislative amendment that Pakistan’s federal government is planning to submit to parliament.

The draft penal code amendment, which RSF says it has seen, would create a new type of offense. Under the proposed new section 500A, “whoever makes, publishes, circulates any statement or disseminates information, through any medium, with an intention to ridicule, or scandalize the judiciary or the armed forces of Pakistan or member thereof” could be jailed for up to five years or fined 1 million rupees (3,400 euros).

According to RSF, the amendment would also have a big impact on the Code of Criminal Procedure. It says any person accused under the new section could be arrested by the police without a warrant and, if jailed, would be denied any possibility of release on bail or release as a result of an out-of-court settlement.

“We call on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to immediately abandon this proposed amendment, which poses all kinds of problems,” said Daniel Bastard, head of RSF's Asia-Pacific desk. “It creates a very vaguely worded offense that gives the police exorbitant administrative powers over journalists and is clearly designed solely to prohibit any form of comment about the armed forces.”

RSF adds in its statement that the adoption of such an amendment could constitute a serious obstacle to the democratic process in the South Asian nation.

In fact, Pakistan’s legislative arsenal is already well stocked with disincentives for defamation. Under the Defamation Ordinance of 2002, which is a civil defamation

Imran Khan. Photo: PTI (file photo)

law, plaintiffs can get a court to rule in their favor without having to prove they have suffered any specific damage to their interests or reputation.

And under sections 499 and 505 of the Penal Code, defining criminal defamation, a “statement conducive to public mischief” is punishable by up to seven years in prison.

RSF says that Pakistan’s governments have often tried to beef up provisions for penalizing any form of criticism of the armed forces, which tend to be seen as the “king-maker” in Pakistani politics.

In 2021, then Prime Minister Imran Khan’s administration submitted a proposed law to parliament under which “ridiculing” the armed forces would have been punishable by two years in prison. Parliament ended up rejecting it.

About the Editor

The editor of The Unrest news magazine Rakesh Raman is a national award-winning journalist and founder of the humanitarian organization RMN Foundation. Besides working at senior editorial positions with leading media companies, he was writing an exclusive edit-page column regularly for The Financial Express (a daily business newspaper of The Indian Express Group).

Nowadays, for the past 12 years, he has been running his own global news services on multiple news sites. He runs various environment protection, education awareness, and anti-corruption campaigns, and publishes digital magazines and research reports on different subjects. Earlier, he had been associated with the United Nations (UN) through the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) as a digital media expert to help businesses use technology for brand marketing and business development.

At present, Rakesh is associated with the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Project as a Country Expert for India to provide expert research inputs on multiple topics

pertaining to democracy and governance. The V-Dem Project is managed by V-Dem Institute under the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Currently, he is also working as an editor for Wikipedia, which is a free online global encyclopedia. In order to inform the Indian citizens and the global community about the extent of corruption in India, he compiled and released in October 2022 a comprehensive report on corruption in the country. Under the title “India Corruption Research Report 2022 (ICRR 2022),” the research report covers diverse aspects of corruption in India.

He has also been publishing The Integrity Bulletin news magazine since 2018 to cover local and international corruption issues to engage with different stakeholders who are trying to combat corruption in the world.

He has also announced the new project for 2023 to compile the India Corruption Research Report 2023 (ICRR 2023). You can click here to know about the project and support it financially with your donations.

He has launched a nationwide campaign to introduce social democracy in India in order to build an egalitarian society in which all citizens could enjoy equal rights, opportunities, freedoms, and access to justice. He is running an editorial section / microsite “Power Play: Lok Sabha Election 2024 in India” to cover the election news, events, and political campaigns.

He is also running a nationwide campaign to save school students of India from directionless education so that students could acquire modern skills that can help them in the job market. In his anti-corruption activities, he participated in a global petition led by Germany-based international organization Transparency International to call for the UN General Assembly Special Session against Corruption, UNGASS 2021, to direct all countries to set up central, public registers of beneficial ownership.

He runs a community-driven anti-corruption social service “Clean House” to help the residents of Delhi raise their voice against the growing corruption and injustice

in housing societies where millions of people suffer because of rampant corruption and lawlessness. He has also formed an environment protection group called Green Group in New Delhi, which is the most polluted national capital in the world. As Rakesh has been facing constant threats including death threats for his editorial and anti-corruption work, the Paris-based international organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) that defends freedom of journalists has urged the Indian government to save him from threats and persecution. You can click here to download and read his full profile.

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Collaboration with the Project

THE UNREST news magazine is being published by RMN Foundation, which is the humanitarian initiative of RMN News Service. It is being circulated among different UN agencies, government departments, leading global politicians, international political organizations, colleges / universities, law-enforcement agencies, civil society organizations, social activists, and others in India and abroad.

As the founder of RMN Foundation and editor of RMN News Service, I am managing this project independently without any financial or other support. RMN News Service is looking for sponsors and collaborators across the world who can help it expand the content creation activity around this editorial initiative.

Contact

Rakesh Raman Founder

RMN Foundation

463, DPS Apts., Plot No. 16, Sector 4

Dwarka, Phase I, New Delhi 110 078, INDIA Call: 9810319059 | Contact by email