Decoding Daijiworld's loyalty to MSEZ!

Time and again I have been baffled by daijiworld's style of reporting on the controversial MSEZ. It appears as though the daijiworld is blind to the excesses, read abuses/highhandedness, of MSEZ. If not, how else would one explain the selective reporting on the MSEZ that (so easily and frequently!) gets squeezed into daijiworld's pages? 

Let me elaborate. Lets take for example the very recent public audit of the MSEZ. This was indeed 'newsworthy' for Deccan Herald and mangalorean.com among others and not for daijiworld, even when people like Aruna Roy and Medha Patkar were part of the programme! But strangely (or selectively) daijiworld reported the disrtribution of property title deeds just a day prior to this public audit. Its not that this didn't deserve publicity. But my point is why daijiworld attempted to be selective in its reporting on the MSEZ? Now if daijiworld were to be fair and unbiased in its reporting, what prevented it from reporting on the public audit of MSEZ? Is it because the audit took place on a sunday (read holiday) and therefore daijiworld didnt have men/women to cover the event? 

When we dig deeper into the pages of daijiworld, the extensive reporting on MSEZ becomes all the more evident. Thanks to Ms Florine Roche, MSEZ has made it to the pages of daijiworld in diverse ways- interview with the MD and Chief Executive Officer, interview with the Cheif Opearating Officer , report on the R and R colony and many others. At the same time, one wonders why daijiworld has not carried any report on the farmers' struggles/protests, or interviews with the farmers? Even NDTV carried a report on an illustrious farmer from Kalavaru, Mr Gregory Patrao, who has proved to be a real threat for the MSEZ expansion.

Well, it is said that a problem/issue has three sides- the victor's side, victim's side and the right side! Hasn't daijiworld's loyalty to the MSEZ deprived the legitimate space for the other two sides?

Best of Michael Jackson- Heal the World

Is 'love-jihad' the new terror mantra?

I am increasingly excited to know more about this ‘love-jihad’- after a few reports emanating from the coastal belt of Kerala and Karnataka. Whether this is grounded on evidence or not, some HC (Hindu-Christian) groups, looks like the fundamentalist groups from either community, have joined hands to oppose it. In fact there is one report that even calls it the new mantra of terror! Now, it remains to be seen whether this is yet another attempt by the HC fundamentalists to further demonize the Muslim community or a genuine attempt to arrest a very dangerous trend.

Karnataka Ministers get ‘Modi lessons’?

Karnataka has been an exception in many ways. One is immediately reminded of the Loksabha election results that were quite different from the national trends. There is also this feeling that the BJP is growing ‘steady and strong’ in Karnataka though the party is in great disarray at the national level. Add to this list the latest ‘Modi lessons’ for the ministers, even amidst the large-scale opposition. That this government considers it appropriate to get lessons from a man who is accused of ‘riots and encounter deaths’ (and to have those lessons in a religious mutt!) itself speaks loudly of what this government is serious about. Anyways, as we have been told that these were ‘development lessons' one hopes that Modi’s lessons, which took place just a couple of days before the Gandhi Jayanthi celebrations, would make this state more peaceful and non-violent.

Will the BJP rise from the ashes?

The ‘BJP will rise from the ashes’ declared the RSS chief, Mohan Bhagwat, recently. Let us assume that the BJP will rise from the ashes. It should. But the more pertinent question, however, is ‘would this rise turn out to be more beneficial for the nation or would it turn out to be even more dangerous than before?’.

Now, with the RSS being the official boss, and given its too well-known hate ideology, would it be possible to imagine the rise of BJP to be essentially different? Would the leaders within the BJP be able to thwart this RSS wave of hatred and division?

Well, should the BJP call itself the ‘national party’, or the ‘party with a difference’, its rise from the ashes should entail a retreat from its usual anti-minority stand and a noticeable commitment to the pluralist ethos of this nation.

Drought of justice and flood of funds!

Here is a great article by P. Sainath which reviews the misplaced priorities and policies of the government. He brings to light the corporate -friendly policies of the government on the one hand and on the other the sheer neglect of the socially disadvantaged groups .
Well, what happened to the government's promise of inclusive growth?

Should Prohibition Go in Gujarat?

When the hooch tragedy in Gujarat killed over 130 people (several others are under treatment in different hospitals) the liquor baron Vijay Mallya thought he knew the reason behind the hooch tragedy. Mallya blamed prohibition for the tragedy and stated that it was a wake-up call for the political hypocrites. The question is whether Mallya stop hooch tragedies?

The fact is that he can’t because he has no answers for the hooch tragedies in states like Maharashtra, Tamilnadu and Karnataka where his business is thriving! The Gujarat government is right in asking Mallya to mind his own business. (Actually he was minding his ‘business’)

But as Anil Dharker notes in his interesting article there is no rational or moral reason for Gujarat to continue with its prohibition policy. The Father of the Nation would be happier if the State were to practice the ideals of satya and ahimsa (with no prohibition in place!) instead of the practice of prohibition without the ideals of satya and ahimsa!

Heard of Socialism with American Characteristics?

There is an interesting article by Joseph Stiglitz which speaks of American style of Socialism. Its unique features include

- Socialization of losses and privatization of profits

- Equating the bailing out of bankers and their shareholders with bailing out of banks

- Extension of corporate safety net- from commercial banks to investment banks, then insurance banks and automobiles while forgetting the ordinary citizens

- Bailing out the financial institutions which diverted the billions- intended to enable them to revive lending to payments of outsized bonuses and dividends.

As he states the ‘problem with America’s too-big-to-fail, too-big-to-be-restructured banks: they are too politically powerful. Their lobbying efforts worked well, first to deregulate, and then to have taxpayers pay for the cleanup. Their hope is that it will work once again to keep them free to do as they please, regardless of the risks for taxpayers and the economy.’

Is it time to redefine the rivalry of capitalists n socialists???

Monumental Wonder or Blunder?

Ms Mayawati, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh (UP), probably thought that erecting huge monuments in UP would bring her accolades and would also give visibility to her concern for ‘Dalit Cause’. But as noted by Amrit Dhillon in The Times of India, has Ms Mayawati squandered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? Read the entire article here.

Surely, this appears to be more of a monumental blunder than a monumental wonder!!

Wondering who is really a Criminal?

The recent cabinet decision to withdraw the criminal cases against the supporters of the Reddy Brothers (RBs) has left the concerned citizens confused and shocked. If you are still asking questions, the home minister Mr Acharya has the answers. Here is what he said about the decision to drop criminal cases against the supporters of the RBs. This in a way sums up the law and order situation in Karnataka.

The Farmers and the Dalits in different parts of this State have been slapped with number of criminal cases. But the pity is that the arms of justice (read as the arms Home Minister and His team) do not reach them as easily as they have reached the RBs and their supporters. Look at the paradox- the farmers have no right to protest against the land acquisition (eg Bellary for Airport, Bangalore for NICE and SEZ, Mangalore for SEZ) or against the inadequate supply of agricultural inputs (eg farmers protests against inadequate supply of fertilizers Haveri) but the supporters of RBs can even destroy a two-century old temple because it came in the way of their mining business.

How can the needs of the Farmers and the Dalits take precedence over the greed of RBs? For the farmers it may be a question of physical survival but for the BJP it is a question of political survival!

Well, it depends who is a criminal in this State and who can get the criminal cases dropped against one’s name....

But Farmers, Dalits and Minorities beware!

Gaon Chodab Nahin- Lovely Satire on the Present Development Model

Welcome to the Sick Capital of Sick State!

‘Health is wealth’ goes a popular saying. Given the present circumstances, the people of Karnataka and more specially the Bangaloreans would not hesitate to go around shouting this slogan. As in the case of money the people realize the importance of health in its absence. ‘Don’t fall sick if you are in Bangalore’ was the headline in one of the dailies. Such is the seriousness of the deteriorating health situation in the capital city.

Recently the World Health Organization declared H1N1 flu as the first pandemic of the 21^st century. The ‘daily dose’ of suspected cases of swine flu being reported in Bangalore makes the situation even more alarming. As if this was not enough some city hospitals have been served closure notices by Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) for failing to set up effluent treatment plants (ETPs) in their premises!

Remember city’s health woes have deeper roots. Swine flu is only a latest entry! Chikungunya has spread its wings to many corners of the city already. There are reports that anybody who goes to a clinic with fever is said to be affected by Chikungunya. Doctors love a sick city.

The questions remain. Don’t the poor deserve better facilities in the hospitals that are supposed to cater to them? How can the ailing healthcare fight swine flu?

Is creation of additional wards for BBMP more important than providing decent healthcare? When will the government wake up to address these pressing issues?

Wealthy God and poor gods!

It has been reported that Mr Janardhan Reddy (now on JR) celebrated his birthday by donating a diamond-studded gold crown estimated to be worth Rs 450 million (45 crore) to the famous Lord Venkateshwara temple at Tirupati. What a noble gesture from a man who is said to be a great devotee of Lord Veknkateshwara and a frequent visitor to the famous place. Apart from being a minister in Karnataka, his mining operations have taken him closer to the neighboring Andhra Pradesh.

See this against the background of the now publicly known cold war between the Chief Minister of Karnataka and the ‘rich and powerful’ Bellary Reddy brothers. The dissatisfaction leading to ‘distancing’ in one state (Karnataka) and the ‘closeness’ driven donation taking place in another state (Andhra Pradesh)! Another factor is the Ministry of Environments and Forestry (MoEF) is conducting a survey of mining lease areas. Would this mean an end of ‘win-win’ situation for these two states? Yes, only Lord Venkateshwara would know it.

Speculations aside, we are bothered by some basic questions. What is the income tax department doing? Are JR and his Reddy brothers paying income tax at all? What are the sources of their income and more particularly what is the source of JR’s 45 crore gift to Lord Venkateshwara in Tirupathi? Would the Lokayukta ever get into the ‘reddy fortress’ in Bellary to expose their ill-gotten assets?

It is one thing to see the rich increasing in number and quite another to see the increase in the riches of a few. Indeed, Lord Vekateshwara would have been happier to see many gods (Human beings) becoming richer than to see the riches of just one God (Lord Venkateshwara)! How can a rich God be happy in a poor country?

Read this related article by Anand Soondas.

Is India a Flailing State??

India is a land of paradoxes! Poverty amidst plenty, high growth rates Vs poor development indicators, surplus food production Vs high starvation deaths, world famous educational institutions Vs pathetic literacy rates and this list is endless. This paradox is captured by well known economist Joan Robinson who said ‘Whatever you can rightly say about India, the opposite is also true’.

In this interesting article Lant Pritchett introduces a new category to refer to India, namely, ‘flailing state’, by which he means “a nation-state where the head, that is, the elite institutions at the national (and in some states) level remain sound and functional but this head is no longer reliably connected via nerves and sinews to its own limbs”.

He refers to the rampant absenteeism, indifference, incompetence, corruption in police, tax collection, education, health, power and water supply- in nearly every routine service!

What shall we say about the move to increase the number of elite institutions like IIMs, IITs in India? Would this bridge the gap between the head and the limbs or would it lead to further alienation of the limbs from the head?

Socio-capitalism as the Latest Economic Mantra

Gone are the times of extremes, or so it seems! Today, there are not many takers for 'either or' positions specially when it comes to say, ‘science and religion’, ‘state and market’ and ‘capitalism and socialism’. For example, the movie ‘Angels and Demons’ speaks of coexistence between science and religion and states that they are not enemies. Here is an interesting essay on the movie.

Today, with the financial crisis there is an increasing skepticism about the infallibility of the ‘invisible hand’, namely, market economy, read capitalism. With many of the high profile capitalist enterprises claiming bankruptcy, the capitalism is in troubled waters. Interestingly, General Motors becomes 'only' the 99th American company to go under!

In such a scenario its goodbye for any talks on exclusive capitalism or exclusive socialism and welcome to ‘socio-capitalism’ or ‘capito-socialism’. R Jagannathan of DNA says that socio-capitalism is an idea whose time has come. 

What do the fundamentalist groups of capitalists and socialists say? 

Fallacies About Voter Turnout

As we know, post elections many theories emerged to explain the voting patterns and voter turnout. But all these theories failed to hold water says Swaminathan S Anklesaria Aiyar in his article on the fallacies about voter turnout.   

Birthday and the Birthday Message....

It is ‘birthday’ time for the ruling party in Karnataka as it completes one year. And we find the government blowing its own trumpet, well almost as a team (though seven ministers were missing)! Though there are contrasting views on the ‘why’ of this celebration, the more important question is about the cost of this celebration. Does the government really care for the taxpayers’ money? Would the citizens ever come to know the total expenditure incurred on this celebration?

The Chief Minister and his team should know that the people will judge a government not on the basis of its promises but on the basis of its performance. The BJP government headed by Mr B S Yeddyurappa did make a lot of promises. But an assessment of its performance reveals many unpleasant things like church attacks, pub attack and sporadic incidents of communal violence and these are not the kind things any government will be proud of.

Even if we excuse the government for all its failures of one year, however grave the mistake by the government and however difficult to excuse the government for it, the uncertainty remains whether such unpleasant events would recur or would such unpleasant events disappear and pave the way for a better and peaceful Karnataka? Would the remaining years too turn out to be equally futile? Would the government, in future too, be found celebrating its achievements which weren’t there?

Mr Chief Minister you have said that the people have given you a birthday gift in the form of 19 loksabha seats. What is going to be your gift to the people of Karnataka for the next four years? Remember not to spend the taxpayers’ money for redundant and needless practices like ‘anniversary celebrations’, ‘gangajal distribution’ or ‘pilgrimage subsidy’ but for nobler causes like healthcare, education, poverty alleviation and employment generation.

Celebrating the Release of the Prisoner of Conscience…

When Dr Binayak Sen was still in prison, noted film maker Anand Patwardhan wrote an article describing Dr Binayak Sen as the prisoner of conscience. Given the circumstances that led to his arrest it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call him so. It has been a week since his release and all over the world the human rights activists are elated that the two year old ordeal has ended for this man who worked for no hidden agenda other than the agenda of peace.

This country is not unknown for illegal arrests of citizens who dared to speak against the state. As admitted by Dr Sen himself there are hundreds of such heroic souls languishing in the corners of jails throughout the world. The gross human rights violations, perpetrated by the State, would have gone unnoticed but for these noble men and women who risked their lives to expose such abuses.

Dr Sen has repeatedly said that he is not a Naxal sympathizer. In an interview which he gave while he was still in jail, he makes it clear that he doesn’t endorse violence whether by the State or the Naxals. Again in another interview which he gave after his release from the jail, he says that he was targeted by the State government primarily for criticizing the Salwa Judum and encounter deaths. A clear mismatch between the crime and punishment!

Indeed Dr Sen’s release is a victory to the organizations that speak out against the human rights violations perpetrated by the state but it remains to be seen whether this would put an end to state’s excesses in the name of putting an end to Naxalism!

The Victory March and the Victory Clash!

What a victory for the BJP in Karnataka and what a way to celebrate this victory. Mr Nalin Kumar Kateel, the newly elected MP from Mangalore, says that he would continue to work for the hindutva ideologies.

Mr Nalin Kumar Kateel please clarify to the people of your constituency as to what you mean by the hindutva ideologies. Does it mean more and more attacks on the minorities or would you take this coastal land back to its glorious days of peaceful coexistence of different communities?

Finally the Human Rights Activist Mr Binayak Sen is Released

Development at What and Whose Cost?

Look at this. Barack Obama can say that ‘It's important to listen to what scientists have to say, even when it's inconvenient, especially when it's inconvenient’ but our political leaders in India don’t seem to attach any importance to it. See for example the case of 200 MW Gundia hydel power project in Hassan, Karnataka. Being located in the Western Ghats one expects that the least a government can do is to get a clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry. Unfortunately the Karnataka government is going ahead with the project without listening to either the protesters or the experts from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry.

It is true that the present government harped on development and governance to come to power. Is this the kind of development this State is condemned to?

When will the Chief Minister and the KPCL listen?

For more on the project and the opposition to it click here.

Understanding the 'Intelligent' Voters in Karnataka

Understanding the 'Intelligent' Voters in Karnataka

Publish at Scribd or explore others:

Special Economic Zones- Waves of Resistance

Amartya Sen-Think and Act

Confessions of an Optimist turned Pessimist!

The 15^th Loksabha election results have surprised one and all. The results suggest a clear mandate in favour of the Congress and the UPA. There are many theories which explain this turnaround by the Congress and the UPA.

The 15^th Loksabha elections were mainly fought on issues like security and stability. The voters have made their choice and have elected a government, though a coalition, that would provide them with security and stability. This, in general, is the trend in most parts of the country.

Coming down to Karnataka, however, the situation is different. The state has witnessed frequent incidents of communal disturbances particularly after the BJP was voted to power. This being the situation, there was a high likelihood of BJP biting the dust for its role, either tacit or explicit, in supporting its various outfits that sought to vitiate the communal harmony in the state.

Unfortunately, the results don’t reflect a rejection of the so called ‘communal’ party. Again, there are many theories to explain this trend. As per one theory, it is not that the majority of people voted for BJP but the majority of people voted for different secular parties/candidates and it was this split of secular votes that brought victory to the BJP.

While it may be true that in some constituencies (Bangalore and Mangalore) the floating population would have contributed to this swing in favour of BJP, but what about other constituencies where there is less likelihood of the presence of outside population (Chikkodi and Chitradurga)?

The theories apart, what is in store for the people of Karnataka now that 19 seats have gone the saffron way? Would some districts like Mangalore, Udupi, Chikmaglore, Davanagere and Hubli have a repeat of communal incidents? Would the BJP resort to hard core hindutva strategies and further malign the secular atmosphere in this state?

If instead, the BJP reinvents itself and works more aggressively on its promises of better governance and inclusive development???

Would this be a reality? When? 

Would I be a pessimist turned optimist? When?

Tatas.....Please save the turtles....

Recession yes but for whom?

The global financial crisis has taken its toll. Some even say it is worse than the depression of 1930s. Whatever the truth, we know that many companies have gone bankrupt. Lakhs of people have lost their jobs. But this global downturn hasn’t affected the present ruling government in Karnataka. The huge money spent on renovating and furnishing the ministers’ bungalows and then our chief minister’s official temple visits have cost the state exchequer over 3 crores.

The statistics reveal it all. In the eleven months after the BJP government came to power various ministers have spent over 3 crores of rupees just on renovation and furnishing of their bungalows. The chief minister tops the list by spending Rs 56.45 lakhs followed by Karunakar Reddy who has spent Rs 25 lakhs.

Add to this list the cost of official temple visits of Mr Yediyurappa, which is over 11 lakhs in just five months of his tenure as the Chief Minister of Karnataka!

link: http://www.prajavani.net/Content/Apr302009/state20090429126547.asp?section=updatenews

link http://www.prajavani.net/Content/Apr302009/state20090430126608.asp                       

We need to applaud the initiative of social activist Mr Bhimappa Gundappa Gadada who managed to obtain this information through RTI Act.

The better governance promised by the BJP government hasn’t become a reality even after being in the office for over 11 months now. Well, who knows what they meant by better performance? 

Election Manifestos and Millenium Development Goals- A Comparison

Review of Election Promises Made by Political Parties

View more presentations from endpoverty2015.

Source: http://endpoverty2015.org/inda_elections

Decoding the Loksabha Elections in Karnataka

With the completion of second phase of elections in Karnataka the fate of 427 leaders has been sealed. No doubt that this election has thrown up several interesting features in Karnataka.

‘Operation kamala’ which led to many leaders mainly from the Congress and JDS ‘converting’ to BJP. 

There were 45 crorepatis who contested in the 15^th loksabha elections!

There were four former chief ministers in fray.

A total of 427 candidates (there were only 172 in 2004) from 28 constituencies. Bangalore Central with 37 candidates had largest number of candidates and two constituencies, Chikkodi (7) and Bellary (7), had least number of candidates.

The very poor voter turnout in the first phase of elections held on 23rd April and Bangalore city witnessing only 46.6 per cent voter turnout.

The second phase of elections was more satisfactory in terms of voter turnout though it was marred by naxal threats in some areas.

As per the 2001 census data there are only three districts which have a sex ratio in favour of females, namely, Udupi (1130 females per 1000 males), Dakshina Kannada (1022/1000) and Hassan (1004/1000). Interestingly, these three districts had very high voter turnouts with Dakshina Kannada recording the highest voter turnout (72 %) followed by Hassan (68.5 %) and Udupi-Chikmangalore (62.5 %).  

With what has happened in Dakshina Kannada in the last few months (most vivid being the police beating many Christian women during the church attacks and the assault on women during the pub attack) this high voter turn out only reaffirms that many women have chosen the right way to give vent to their rage in terms of voting in high numbers. Three cheers to the women of Karnataka and especially to the women of Dakshina Kannada, Hassan and Udupi-Chikmangalore!

MRPL and its ‘High performance’

The Mangalore Refineries and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) claims to have won many awards and achieved many milestones in its official website. Unfortunately, for the local people around MRPL, the company’s ‘excellent performance’ has come at a very high cost. 

Take for example the latest oil leak which is said to have contaminated many drinking water wells at Atturkodi area of Kuttethur village. The company has failed to live by its promise of providing drinking water to the affected families.

Residents from the affected area say that the frequent oil leaks have not only affected their drinking water sources but also made redundant many paddy fields and areca nut cultivation.

Remember, MRPL is a stakeholder in the proposed Mangalore Special Economic Zone (MSEZ).

Residents wonder what is awaiting them in future!

            Source: Prajavani April 6, 2009

(link http://www.prajavani.net/Content/Apr62009/district20090405123167.asp)

The Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada Mr Ponnuraj’s has even suggested shutting down of the establishment if MRPL is to be blamed for the leak. In response, the Public Relations Officer Ms Lekshmi Kumaran is reported to have said that the Deputy Commissioner had all the powers to shut down the refinery as it is a public sector company! 

http://www.thehindu.com/2009/04/15/stories/2009041554770500.htm

This is how the company has brought about all its ‘high performance’!

 

An Agenda for the 'Victorious Team' from the 15th Loksabha Elections!

Agenda

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It is the election fever: But to whom shall we vote?

The Indian political landscape has undergone a sea change particularly in the recent years. Well, earlier it was said that Indians don’t cast their votes but vote their caste. (Political scientist Mr Yogendra Yadav terms it as one of the six myths of Indian Elections. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7973477.stm) Given the rising instances of hate speeches and hate campaigning our political leaders are engaging themselves in, it seems as though the caste factor has been relegated to the periphery. So it is the religion that has become the new avatar in the Indian political scene and has hogged much of the limelight instead of the caste or may be in addition to the caste!

It is not my argument that the people no longer vote their caste. If it were true, the credit would naturally be linked with the increased levels of literacy and development, among other factors. But as we see around, amidst higher literacy rates and the growth rates that this country has witnessed, the caste remains as an important factor in India.

But today, more than ever, it is the religion more than caste that has surfaced into our polity and created unprecedented havoc. The communal tensions have devastated many of the states. Jammu & Kashmir, Orissa, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujrath, Kerala, Tamilnadu, Karnataka are some of the states where the communal riots have been either frequent or large-scale.

So the question today is not whether people are going to vote their castes (this they have always done and they will continue to do to some degree!) but whether they are going to vote their religion at the dictates of the communalists? It would be quite in place to place on record the statements of some political leaders and some religious leaders.

Recently at the Hindu Samajotsava in Mangalore, many religious leaders called for a ‘Hindu vote bank’.

In the last three-four weeks we have repeatedly seen and heard of the drama that has unfolded with Varun Gandhi, who is one of the youth faces of BJP, making a anti- Muslim hate speech at an election rally in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh.

Ananth Kumar Hegde, a BJP candidate from Karwar in Karnataka has been issued a notice by the Election Commission for his anti-minority speech. He is reported to have said that “I have 63 criminal cases against me, and I am not afraid of one more. I don't need a single minority vote to win”

Prof B K Chandrashekar, a Congress Leader in Karnataka recently expressed his unhappiness stating that the Congress had neglected Brahmins by not giving any Lok sabha seats to them. He said that ‘though the Christian population is less than one per cent in Karnataka two LS seats have been given to them but the Brahmins who constitute 4 per cent of the population have not been given a single LS seat’.

And now Mr Ashok Sahu, former Police officer and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for Orrissa's Kandhamal Lok Sabha constituency has been booked for his hate speeches against minorities. He is apparently untraceable and has gone underground!

Where is this democratic and secular country heading towards? Considering the fan following of communal leaders like Narendra Modi (of Gujarat carnage fame), Lal Krishna Advani (of Babri Masjid demolition fame), Pramod Muthalik, Praveen Togadia, Ashok Singhal, Varun Gandhi and many others, it sends shivers down the spine to imagine the cost of this hate speeches on the secular fabric of India.

The political scenario in Karnataka is most intriguing. The state has seen a steep rise in communal violence. There have been communal clashes in Mangalore, Mysore, Sira, Davanagere, Chikmangalore, Hubli, to name a few. It appears that the BJP has given a free rein to various Sangh Parivar outfits as the various outfits have been engaged, so to say, in a parallel administration. Whether it is conversion or cultural policing or cow slaughter it is these outfits that are on the forefront in ‘nabbing the culprits’. (Recently released report on ‘cultural policing in Dakshina Kannada’ by PUCL exposes the government failure by way of letting loose the various outfits which have brought disgrace to the State of Karnataka)

Even as we discuss about BJP rule being partisan, anti-minority and thus causing many communal disturbances, it is ironic that many leaders from other parties, especially the Congress, are joining BJP! In addition, there are two popular Kannada film actresses, Shruti and Tara, who have been campaigning for BJP! Are these actresses blind to the communal hatred unleashed by the BJP government during its rule in Karnataka or are they trying to adhere to the call given by Swamijis to promote a ‘Hindu vote bank’? 

It is a pity that religion is being pushed to the political sphere and politics is taking center stage in religious discourses. A large number of Indians have become mere spectators to this religious game that is played on the political field and political game that is being played in the religious sphere!

What will the Indian voter do this time around? Is s/he aware of the disturbing and dangerous scenario that is threatening to break the strong walls of Indian Secularism? Or will the communalists succeed in marching towards the portals of the parliament to embarrass Ambedkar, the great architect of our Constitution?

It remains to be seen how long the Indian voter would yield to the communal gimmicks so cleverly employed by the political and religious leaders.

Its a million dollar question indeed! What are the voters going to do this election? Will they cast their votes? Will they vote their caste? Or will they vote their religion?

Braving the onslaught of MSEZ

If one might say it, this is a very defiant story of Mr Gregory Patrao, an innovative and hard working farmer residing in Kalavar, Mangalore who is fighting tooth and nail against the illegal acquisition of his fertile agricultural land for Mangalore Special Economic Zone (MSEZ). He says ‘many farmers fell prey to the attractive packages promised by MSEZ which was published in papers and telecast on television. Promises apart, they were all thoroughly disappointed by the actual package. The people in this project area have been cheated by KIADB-MSEZ nexus by giving paltry compensation to the displaced people. This nexus is also responsible for grossly undervaluing the agricultural and horticultural wealth of the project area. Even when the people who lost their horticultural wealth were compensated, they were not paid as per 2007 rates fixed by the Department of Horticulture but were paid as per the 2003 rates. This is nothing but day robbery.’

Mr Gregory with his mother and nephew at their house in Kalavar, Mangalore

This is not for the first time that he is called to ‘sacrifice’ his land. He says ‘earlier I lost half an acre to MRPL. After losing my land when I applied for a job in MRPL, I was told that jobs would be given to only those who have lost their house and not those who have lost their land alone. Some of the people who protested for not being given jobs were arrested and put in Bellary jail. Everyone in this area knows that MRPL has cheated many people by snatching away their land and now it is the turn of MSEZ. Sadly, now MSEZ has some of the people who were earlier with MRPL like Mr A G Pai, who is the chief operating officer of MSEZ. This leaves us with no respite from the fraudulent practices of these companies who appear time and again to oppress the poor people.’

Mr Gregory recalls how in the late 80s he used to work for a salary of Rs 10 by helping the survey team which was finalizing the location for MRPL without knowing what this company was all about. He says ‘we were told that a good company would come up in the area and we were assured of jobs and other good facilities. But later the company erected a big wall and the company began operational but we have not yet received the jobs. What we have received from MRPL is only smoke and destruction of our environment by pollution.’

He is proud when he says ‘I cultivate about 40 different types of agricultural and horticultural products in my 14 acres of land. Coconut, areca nut, mango, sapota, guava, vanilla, jackfruit, cashew nut, pine-apple, papaya, and paddy are some of those products.’

He says ‘I will continue to fight for my land. I know that MSEZ and KIADB are at fault. I am ready to expose their fraudulent practices. As I have not collected any money from KIADB, I will carry on with my fight till I get justice. I am hopeful that court would deliver the judgement in my favour as I have all my land records straight.’

No doubt he has been a ‘hard nut to crack’ for the MSEZ. It remains to be seen how long Mr Gregory’s fight for justice will survive MSEZ’s fight for industry. But Gregory’s victory or loss would strongly determine what would happen to many farmers’ protests against forcible acquisition of fertile agricultural land throughout this country.  

BJP's attractive 'package' for the panchayat leaders!

One of the imporatant poll promises of the BJP government has been better governance. But have a look at the style of its governance!  

Varthabharati, a kannada daily recently reported (April 5, 2009) that BJP has fixed a very attractive 'package' for the leaders from village, taluk and zilla panchayats. 

Probably that explains why many from the Congress and JDS are joining BJP!

Great governance indeed. What would be the fate of this country if it comes to power at the centre?

Hopefully the voters would sufficienly assess the 'quality' of BJP's governance and respond adequately by voting it out! 

Fertile land converted into barren land- courtesy MSEZ

Worried about the rising prices of vegetables in Mangalore???

Remember MSEZ (supposed to be Mangalore Special Economic Zone but has turned out to be Mangalore Special Exploitation Zone for many farmers) has snatched away 1,815.34 acres of land (1800 acres in the first phase and another 15.34 acres from the second phase) which was mostly fertile land. 

The 15.34 acres of land in the Kudubi Padau area have have literally usurped by the MSEZ to construct temples that were displaced under the first phase of the project. (http://www.hindu.com/2008/10/26/stories/2008102658260300.htm) 

The protests by the people from this area, mostly tribals, carried no weight as the MSEZ goons managed to brush aside the protests by threatening the locals.

The Kudubis now say that supply of vegetables has become scarce because the land that has been taken over by the MSEZ was mostly used to cultivate vegetables.

see below how this fertile land has been converted into barren land!

The protests by the Kudubis have had no effect. Thanks to the government that has supported the rich and the powerful and not these poor farmers. 

See the present state of this fertile land. Fertile land used to construct temples which were displaced in the first phase of the MSEZ project. 'Is this justice' ask the people of kudubi padau. Answer lies with the state government that has allowed this project to go on. This land grab by the MSEZ has rendered many kudubis landless and jobless.

Revelation on Swiss Bank Accounts

India has more money in Swiss banks than all the other countries combined !!!!

This is so shocking .. . . . . wish black money deposits was an Olympics event . . . .

The second best Russia has 4 times lesser deposit. US is not even there in the counting in top five !! 
Recently, due to international pressure, Swiss govt. agreed to disclose the names of the account holders only if the respective govts formally asked for it.

Indian govt. is not asking for the details .No marks for guessing why ????

We need to start a movement to pressurize the Indian govt. to do so !!

This is perhaps the only way, and a golden opportunity, to expose the high and mighty and weed out corruption !!

Please read on . .  and forward to all the honest Indians to . ... like somebody is forwarding to you . . . . .. and build a ground-swell of support for action !!

Is India poor, who says? Ask Swiss banks With personal account deposit bank of $1500 billion in foreign reserve which have been misappropriated, an amount 13 times larger than the country's foreign debt, one needs to rethink if India is a poor country?.

DISHONEST INDUSTRIALISTS, scandalous politicians and corrupt IAS, IRS, IPS officers have deposited in foreign banks in their illegal personal accounts a sum of about $ 1500 billion, which have been misappropriated by them. This amount is about 13 times larger than the country's foreign debt. With this amount 45 crore poor people can get Rs 1,00,000 each.
This huge amount has been appropriated from the people of India by exploiting and betraying them.

Once this huge amount of black money & property comes back to India , the entire foreign debt can be repaid in 24 hours. After paying the entire foreign debt, we will have surplus amount, almost 12 times larger than the foreign debt. If this surplus amount is invested in  earning interest, the amount of interest will be more than the annual budget of the Central government. So even if all the taxes are abolished, then also the Central government will be able to maintain the country very comfortably..

Some 80,000 people travel to Switzerland every year, of whom 25,000 travel very frequently. 'Obviously, these people won't be tourists.
They must be travelling there for some other reason,' believes an official involved in tracking illegal money. And, clearly, he isn't referring to the commerce ministry bureaucrats who've been flitting in and out of Geneva ever since the World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations went into a tailspin!

Just read the following details and note how these dishonest industrialists, scandalous politicians, corrupt officers, cricketers, film actors, illegal sex trade and protected wildlife operators, to name just a few, sucked this country's wealth and prosperity. This may  be the picture of deposits in Swiss banks only. What about other international banks?

Black money in Swiss banks -- Swiss Banking Association report, 2006 details bank deposits in the territory of Switzerland by nationals of following countries :

Top Five
1. India ---- $1,456 billion
2. Russia ---$ 470 billion
3. UK -------$390 billion
4. Ukraine - $100 billion
5. China -----$ 96 billion
Now do the maths - India with $1456 billion or $1.4 trillion has more money in Swiss banks than rest of the world combined.

Public loot since 1947: Can we bring back our money? It is one of the biggest loots witnessed by mankind -- the loot of the Aam Aadmi (common man) since 1947, by his  brethren occupying public office.
It has been orchestrated by politicians, bureaucrats and some businessmen.. The list is almost all-encompassing. No wonder, everyone in India loots with impunity and without any fear. What is even more depressing in that this ill-gotten wealth of ours has been stashed  away abroad into secret bank accounts located in some of the world's best known tax havens. And to that extent the Indian economy has been stripped of its wealth.

Ordinary Indians may not be exactly aware of how such secret accounts operate and what are the rules and regulations that go on to govern such tax havens. However, one may well be aware of 'Swiss bank accounts,' the shorthand for murky dealings, secrecy and of course  pilferage from developing countries into rich developed ones.

In fact, some finance experts and economists believe taxhavens to be a conspiracy of the western world against the poor countries. By allowing the proliferation of tax havens in the twentieth century, the western world explicitly encourages the movement of scarce capital  from the developing countries to the rich.

In March 2005, the Tax Justice Network (TJN) published a research finding demonstrating that $11...5 trillion of personal wealth was held offshore by rich individuals across the globe. The findings estimated that a large proportion of this wealth was managed from some 70 tax  havens. Further,augmenting these studies of TJN, Raymond Baker -- in his widely celebrated book titled 'Capitalism' s Achilles Heel : Dirty Money and How to Renew the Free Market System' -- estimates that at least $5 trillion have been shifted out of poorer countries to the  West since the mid-1970..

It is further estimated by experts that 1 % of the world's population holds more than 57 % of total global wealth, routing it invariably through these tax havens. How much of this is from India is anybody's guess. What is to be noted here is that most of the wealth of Indians  parked in these tax havens is illegitimate money acquired through corrupt means.


Naturally, the secrecy associated with the bank accounts in such places is central to the issue, not their low tax rates as the term 'tax havens' suggests. Remember Bofors and how India could not trace the ultimate beneficiary of those transactions because of the secrecy  associated with these bank accounts?

LETS  PUT  OUR  HEADS  TOGETHER  AND  FIND  A  WAY  TO  BRING  BACK  THIS  MONEY  !!!  

LET US SAVE INDIA  FOR  EVERY  INDIAN.

(source:http://www.hyd-masti.com/2009/01/is-india-poor-country-revelation-of.html)