THE BIG FIGHT IS FOR ‘IZZAT’
Maj Gen Surjit Singh, AVSM VSM (surjiteme@gmail.com)
“If the leash on military leaders gets too tight, they will not be able to bite; nor even bark, when the balloon goes up”
A Dark Chapter in Indian Military History
The only thing common between 16th Dec 1971 and 16th Dec 2008 is the date and the month on the calendar. For the rest, these two days are poles apart. On the first of these historical dates, the Indian soldier was on cloud nine. He was the cynosure of all eyes. But on the 37th anniversary of the “Vijay Diwas” the same soldiers who had done the nation proud, were biting dust; breathing polluted Delhi air and reduced to begging for equitable pensions. A brave heart, who was once a 3-star general slept on a bug infected mattress to fight for justice. This demonstration was initially planned for six days, because no one believed that they could muster enough volunteers for a period longer than that. Events tell a different story today:
On 19 Dec, one old soldier decided to go on ‘fast unto death’ He was soon joined by a few more. They had to be cajoled to break their fasts.
Similar rallies were held in many other cities, including Mumbai.
More than 10,000 medals including gallantry awards have since been surrendered to the President of India in three installments.
Why are Old Soldiers Seething with Anger?
The immediate trigger for these unprecedented demonstrations of anger is the denial of “One Rank One Pension” which has been the battle cry of veterans for the last 25 years. This hurts more, this time because the Congress party had made a specific promise to rationalize pensions if voted to power, in Oct 2003. The figures finally promulgated tell the following bizarre tale:
A Havildar with 24 years service who retired in Dec 2005 has been granted Rs 5,239 while a Sepoy who had rendered only 17 years of service but went home a month later, in Feb 2006 gets Rs 6,800
A Lt Gen with 40 years service who had commanded a Corps, with more than 50,000 troops under his command, but retired in Dec 2005 gets Rs 27,700 while a post-2006 retiree Col (TS) who had put in only 26 years service and led nothing more than a company with less than 100 soldiers gets Rs 30,375 merely because he retired a month later.
The past pensioners find it hard to digest that while most of them have been only granted a multiplicand of 2.26 over their ‘base’ pensions, the improvement factor is 3.07 for several apex posts. That this is because those fortunate ranks are on ‘fixed’ salaries or are covered by the ‘protection clause’ does not convince them, since it is not a sufficiently cogent justification.
Root Cause Analysis of the Current Stir
Make no mistake. While these devastatingly vile pension disparities hurt the rank and file, the loss of izzat and élan is an equally disturbing factor. Over the years, the status of soldiers has been eroded in a systematic manner.
Despite a very earnest request by the service chiefs, the government refused to appoint a soldier, serving or retired, as a member of the 6th Pay Panel.
The report left the services seething with anger. An anomalies commission comprising eleven Secretaries was constituted, to remedy the situation. Once again no service member was considered either necessary or desirable. The report of this committee has not been made public, but the government issued implementation instructions based on its recommendations. The service chiefs then identified four core issues in their dissent to the revised dispensation: (i) status of Lt Gen; (ii) Grade Pay of middle piece officers (iii) Pay Band of Lt Col and (iv) Pension of PBOR. Of these four, the financial effect of the first two was virtually nix while the latter two entailed substantial burden on the exchequer. Ironically, the government accepted the latter two demands, but only offered to constitute a ‘high level committee’ to examine the first two. Obviously, money is not a consideration.
After the 5th CPC, the pension of the pre-1996 Maj Gens was fixed at a level lower than that of Brigs on the pretext that they were ‘functionally equal to Joint Secretaries’ They contested this in the courts of law. After a ten year long legal battle, the soldiers won the case in the Supreme Court in Sep 2008. The government is still dragging its feet on payment of a mere Rs 900 per month to less than 500 retired Maj Gens!
Do you notice a pattern in the above decisions? The polity of our nation has an obsessive fear that the military will take over this country, the way it has in our neighboring countries. From that unfounded fear, they are willing to go any length to keep the soldiers out of the decision making chains. And so, they are willing to grant money, but deny them the status which they deserve. It is because of this fixation that the military officers have been lowered in the table of precedence in a systematic manner over the years, slowly but surely. A Corps Commander who commands more than 50,000 troops has been placed lower than a DG Police, of whom there are dozens in all large States. A similar situation obtains at all other levels. In the South Block, a Maj Gen with 34 years service is equated with a Joint Secretary who may have just 20 years service and no ‘hands on’ experience of soldiering. The slogan which guides the civil servants is, “Put the Generals in their Place; and Keep Them There”
Is it the Ministry of Defense (MoD) or Ministry of ‘Delays’?
During my 13 years service in the South Block, I observed that the “MoD” never ‘rejected’ a case projected by us. They always found a ‘committee’ to ‘resolve’ the issue, and kept referring them to different officers until they were able to identify a pliable officer who toed their line. Having put the service officers on a tight leash, the civil servants rule the roost. The pay case is just one manifestation of this mess, with the MoD having to issue so many amendments. Equipment procurement and logistics are even worse. It is generally believed that you can sell junk to the military at fancy prices. The industry looks upon the military as its worst customer, and only those entrepreneurs choose to deal with the South Block who know how to wade through the antiquated procedures and vested interests. The root cause of the present stir is that the soldiers want to regain the position as it obtained fifty years ago, and the civil servants are unwilling to give up their powers. They have managed to convince the political bosses that status quo must not be disturbed. The overwhelming response which this movement has received for the present stir actually derives from the anger which has accumulated in the sinew of veterans who have been slighted by bureaucrats, and prevented from doing the job that was assigned to them. One of my esteemed friends once observed,
“Serving in the South Block is like having to fight with the hands tied behind your back. You can save your nose by ducking, but can never hit back ”
The Danger of Letting the Pot Boil Over
It is evident this problem is not going to blow over in a hurry. Those who are trying to brush it under the carpet are leading the nation to grave risk. At the moment, the situation is confined to an untidy looking tent in Jantar Mantar, but if the splinters of this fire fly out, any of the following can happen:
Attractiveness of military service may plummet from its already abysmally low level. Who would like to become an officer or strive to rise in the system where generals and colonels are treated in this shabby manner?
If, the sympathy wave travels to the South Block, the civil military relations may reach a flash point, and the consequences can be disastrous.
And indeed, if a few hot heads boil over, the nation may have to pay a very heavy price. Soldiers are trained to handle weapons and destroy infrastructure. I shudder to think beyond this point.
A moot Question, ”Do the Rulers of India Trust the Soldiers?”
If the answer is yes, then there is only one way, involve their leaders; empower them, mobilize them and let them co-create a resurgent nation with you. The generals and the colonels have stood behind the peoples of this land like a rock in war and peace. Do not treat them like pariahs and distrust their loyalties. Take it from me, they neither have the desire nor the gumption to rule this country. If you tighten the leash of your pet beyond a point, there is danger that it may choke and not be able to bark and bite when you need its help. Similarly, if you over rule the considered advice of a service chief, you lower his moral authority. When the day of reckoning arrives, their legitimate command may be treated as frivolously by his soldiers as the contempt with which his recommendations were dismissed by the rulers of the land. . Would a soldier like to be prepared to make the supreme sacrifice for a general who could not fight for his rights?
A Tail Piece
To improve the lot of veterans, a ‘Department for Ex-servicemen’s Welfare’ was established by the government in 2004. Logically, this outfit should have been headed by a soldier, serving or retired. But on ground, the privilege of leading this outfit has gone to a civil servant, who has never worn uniform. Among other things, our pensions are a part of his responsibility. What veterans can expect from this new creation is portrayed by an Urdu couplet,
“Mera qaatil hi mera munsif hai. Kya mere haq mein faisla dega?”
(My slayer is the judge. Can I expect him to give a verdict in my favor?
Maj Gen Surjit Singh, AVSM VSM was member of the Army’s Pay Cell constituted for the Fourth Pay Commission during 1983-87. Later he was the Chairman of the Cell for the 5th P ay Commission in 1996-97. He has published a book “Wages Down the Ages” on the subject.

Infrastructure vision- Best of allby Omkar S. Tiwari on Wed Apr 22, 2009 3:03 pm Friends, I downloaded the BJP's infrastructure vision yesterday and read it. According to me this vision is an excellent piece of work by the BJP. Earlier, I had criticized the manifesto as it had lacked accurate figures and possible steps in a particular direction. This infrastructure vision is highly detailed and gives information on how the BJP will proceed. I am a science student and teachers always told us- Be specific, don't beat about the bush. Be ready with points and exact figures. I find that this infrastructure vision is highly specific.I liked the following points very much:-Increase in power output by 1,20,000 MW.-Comparison between china and India is also good with best figures.-1,00,000 crore investment in power sector.-20% power from non-conventional resources.-Eliminating theft of Power. Indian electicity boards are suffering losses only because of two reasons- line loss and power theft. BJP will eliminate power theft. This is very good.-Open access system for power distribution.-6Kg cooking gas for poor. I liked this very much that BJP provided exact figure rather than just saying -give gas to poor !- BJP pointed a big error in distribution system. Government is taxing and subsiding the fuel- both together !- Promotion of clean coal technology. - Golden quadrilateral. Again accurate figures of BJP and congress rules have been provided. Good.- Modernization of 100 railway stations. This time no figures and list of railway stations ! Atleast 10 should have been listed. BJP would have cleared those 10 cities ! -National digital development project for creation of robust Internet backbone.- Unlimited broadband connectivity at 2 MBps at cable costs. This is an excellent shot. Sir, today India has problem of connectivity. We have only 75-100 Kbps connections for unlimited connectivity. 2 Mbps connections are available but only for 1GB and 2GB volume connections. This is the best thing BJP will implement.- Unrestricted VoiP service.- Development of IT hardware industry in India. Sir, if Public-private enterprise is established in this field, the cost of hardware will automatically come down. BJP's aim of computers at 10,000 Rs. will come true.- Providing 24*7 electricity to farmers.- Setting up of NIFMA.- JNURM project and all its objectives.Suggestions to Advaniji:Sir, this Infrastructure mission is par excellence. If printing costs permit, BJP should distribute the copies of this mission in all states where voting is still left along with the manifesto. The graphics are also well chosen and the cover page should be the picture of aeroplane and satellite. The last graph showing how development suffered during UPA rule should also be emphasized.Thank you sir for this vision,The nation is with you,Best of luck.Omkar S. Tiwari
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BJP'S FINAL ASSAULT - Let's Pitch in !
by Rita Pandey on Wed Apr 22, 2009 11:26 pm
Dear Bloggers/Forum members & all of us who are true Indians,Election 2009 is very important for us and it has reached nearly halfway mark. Now BJP and its leaders should harp on basics. Party agenda is very attractive to all section of society as there is some sops /concession to them. So leaders of BJP may devote almost 70% of election speech on highlighting the party manifesto for the welfare of the people, 20% time to the local issues/problems faced by the people and assurance to the people for solution of problems and 10% time for attacking the policies of opponents. In urban area, where middleclass is facing rising inflation,youth is facing retrenchment in employment and unemployment. Retired govt servant is getting meagre pension and lower range of incometax limit means, a portion of this meage amount is being taken away as incometax.Education is made costly. Bijli,pani and sadak are not in good conditon. Retired armed forces personnel are fighting for one rank one pension. Bjp manifesto has taken care of them. Now voters has started taking interest in this election. So. it is the time to tell these voters ,the offers of party in case they vote for its govt..In rural area, farmers are ending their lives after falling in debt traps. who is benefitting by UPA govt loan waiver scheme, no body knows. Bijli, pani,sadak, health facilities and good education are not available to them. Irriagation to agriculture land and good suport price to the crops are not available, causing farmers misery.UPA govt has paid penny to our farmer for their wheat and doller to imported wheat. Poor farmer can react only by suiside.Manmohan singh is shouting alone that"singh is king". Where as Laloo is daring him to sack. Alas! he cannot do that. Fine current example of his stongness, expose of him in the voters. Again Laloo and Paswan telling that in the congress reign communal roits occurred, whereas congress is blaming Laloo for Bhagalpur roits. EXpose of these leaders. Mr singh is not accepted leader of his congress party. Party caders are shouting Soniya jai ho and Rahul jai ho. He is not of the face of the party, then how he can be the face of the country. Country want a leader to lead us not a follower of someone. Expose it. Further, Robert Wadra has told that both Rahul and Priyanka are primeminister materials person and hinted that he may also fight an election from Moradabad. Robert thinks that indian still lives in his/her highness era. Expose of these guys.Dear fellow countryperson if these guys are prime minister materials then why not you and me, think over it for a moment.Vande-MataramRita
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Key Points BJP Manifesto

Dear Friends,Following are the Key Points of BJP's Manifesto for the ongoing General Elections to make India a Prosperous, Developed & a Stronger Nation.PUTTING POOR FIRST:1. All BPL families to get 35kg of rice or wheat every month at Rs 2 per kg.2. Ensure farm loans at a maximum interest rate of 4 percent.3. Initiate special schemes for the urban poor, such as loans at 4 percent interest to poor vendors.
ECONOMY GROWS, INDIA PROSPERS:1. Generate employment through massive public spending on infrastructure projects. Complete the implementation of Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s dream projects: National Highway Development Project by building 15-20 km of new highways every day; and Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, to link all villages with over 500 people by all-weather road.2. Exempt personal Income Tax for those earning up to Rs 3 lakh per annum. For women and Senior Citizens, the exemption will be Rs 3.5 lakh per annum. This will benefit over 3.5 crore people.3. Take firm steps to identify and retrieve Indian money stashed away in foreign banks. Estimated at Rs. 25 lakh crore- getting this amount back through international cooperation will be enough to complete road and power connectivity throughout the country; ensure setting up of quality schools in all villages.
WAR AGAINST ENEMIES WITHIN AND WITHOUT:1.BJP commits to introduce improved POTA type law to counter Terrorism & Insurgency. India’s 4000-km long coastline will be fully protected by enhanced naval security.2. We will systematically detect, detain and deport illegal immigrants who have emerged as a major source of homegrown terror. Fencing of the India-Bangladesh border, deliberately neglected by the UPA in pursuit of vote bank politics, will be speedily completed.3. Introduce a comprehensive Multi Purpose National Identity Card for all citizens of India. JAI JAWAN IN ACTION:1. All members of the armed forces and the para-military shall be exempted from payment of Income Tax. This will benefit nearly 20 lakh Jawans who guard our Nation.2. Implement one-rank-one-pension.
ENERGY SAVED, ENERGY GAINED:1. Generate an additional 120,000 MW of electricity in 5 years through speedy conclusion of ongoing projects while sanctioning new power plants. 20% of this will be through harnessing non-conventional energy sources.
WOMEN EMPOWERED, NATION STRENGTHENED:1. Introduce the Madhya Pradesh BJP Government’s highly successful ‘Ladli Lakshmi’ Scheme throughout India to directly transfer funds to the school going girl child to encourage education and secure economic self-sufficiency for young women. Rs. 1.18 lakh after completion of 12th standard.2. Pave the way for nationwide implementation of the Bhamashah Scheme proposed by the erstwhile BJP Government in Rajasthan to directly pay Rs 1,500 to open a bank account for every adult woman.3. Provide bicycles to every school going girl child from BPL families throughout India.4. Salaries of 28 lakh Anganwadi workers and helpers, who are the backbone of the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) will be doubled.5. BJP believes all sections of Indian women cannot be fully empowered without the enactment of a Uniform Civil Code d emphasized repeatedly by the Supreme Court..YOUNG INDIA, NATION’S PILLAR:1. A network of National Knowledge Incubation Centres will be set up throughout the country to identify and groom young talent for every sector of the economy.2. Study loans will be made cheaper and more accessible by fixing student loan interest at 4%.3. BJP will create 12 million IT-enabled jobs in rural areas. Computer prices will be drastically cut to make it affordable to every section. All educational institutions will have internet facilities within 5 years. Broadband connectivity to every village.4. Launch an aggressive project to groom young sporting talent by allocating Rs 5,000 crore for creation of sports infrastructure especially in educational institutions Appoint trained coaches; secure employment for international medal winners. Sport will be a compulsory subject in school curricula.
NATION’S WEALTH, PEOPLE’S HEALTH:1.BJP is committed to making the right to clean water a fundamental right. A massive programme will be launched to provide clean, drinking water to every citizen.2. A regulatory authority to be set up for private hospitals and nursing homes to monitor unfair practices.3. A comprehensive project to bring health-for-all by 2014.4. Introduce a mandatory ‘Dial 108 for ambulance at your doorstep’ scheme throughout the country.5. Revive the creation of new AIIMS, originally initiated by the NDA Government but neglected by UPA. All six state-of-the-art hospitals will be rapidly constructed over the next 5 years.6. Janani Suraksha Yojana to care for delivering mothers and infants will be strengthened.
SENIOR CITIZENS: 1. Recognising the importance of Senior Citizens in nation-building and inculcating civilisational values, BJP commits itself to reducing the age for receiving travel benefits from 65 to 60 years. 2. Complete tax exemption to senior citizens in respect of pension income.CREATING THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT:1. Combating climate change and global warming through non-polluting technologies will be prioritized.2. Importance given to programmes to arrest the melting of Himalayan glaciers from which most major rivers in North India originate.3. Take all appropriate steps to save Tiger, the National Animal, and safeguard critical habitants of all wildlife. Emphasis to be laid on protecting India’s resplendent but endangered bio-diversity.DEFENDING THE CIVILISATION:1. The BJP remains committed to the construction of a grand Ram Mandir at Ayodhya.2. BJP will not allow anybody to touch the revered Ram Setu. We will evolve a new route for Sethu Samudram bypassing Ram Setu.3. Cleaning the revered Ganga and other major rivers will be a priority. Local communities will be enrolled in this gigantic task.4. Cow protection is an article of faith with BJP. This will be pursued relentlessly.5. Full integration of the nation is not possible as long as Article 370 stays on the statute books. BJP remains steadfast in its belief that the provision must be removed to ensure Indian unity.

Muslims and Christians should Vote for BJP

Muslims and Christians should Vote for NDA
by RSBAHETI on Sun Apr 19, 2009 4:56 pm
I feel it is high time now that all minorities should vote for NDA if they want to see their over all development along with others,As congress and now upa had done nothing but a vote bank politics in the name of secularism.All indian muslims and christians should understand , what they got in the 60 years of congress rule,they kept on voting congress party in the hope, of there development and upliftment, but that has not happened,all hollow promises made by congress year an after year to minorities for vote bank politics,
RSBAHETI

Muslims and Christians should Vote for BJP

Muslims and Christians should Vote for NDA
by RSBAHETI on Sun Apr 19, 2009 4:56 pm
I feel it is high time now that all minorities should vote for NDA if they want to see their over all development along with others,As congress and now upa had done nothing but a vote bank politics in the name of secularism.All indian muslims and christians should understand , what they got in the 60 years of congress rule,they kept on voting congress party in the hope, of there development and upliftment, but that has not happened,all hollow promises made by congress year an after year to minorities for vote bank politics,
RSBAHETI

CPOs have No Answer to Naxals

Josy Joseph
Saturday, April 18, 2009 3:38 IST
.New Delhi: While security forces and intelligence agencies perceived a threat to the poll process from Islamist terrorist groups based outside India, it is the home-grown naxalite violence that threatens to disrupt the general election. And the establishment says it can't do much to contain the menace.

At least 48 security force personnel have been killed in 100 naxalite attacks since the election was announced on March 2, 12 of them during the first phase of polling on Thursday. Of the 48, 30 are from the Central Reserve Police Force, 11 from the Central Industrial Security Force, and the rest from the Border Security Force. This figure is higher than the number of security force personnel killed in the corresponding period in Jammu & Kashmir and the Northeast put together.
With four more phases of polling still to go over the next month, the reach and scale of the naxalite attacks suggest that this general election will go down as India's bloodiest, officials in the security establishment have admitted.
"The reach and intensity of attacks is unprecedented, but there is little we can do now," a senior intelligence officer said. Central forces have been stretched thin for election duty and state police forces are not up to the task.
State police forces for years neglected and let the naxal menace grow. Now they are throwing up their hands and demanding the deployment of paramilitary forces. But central forces are also not qualified for the task, what with new terrain, strange topography, and no local sources.
While the CISF is trained to protect industrial complexes, the BSF guards peaceful international borders.
If the regularity and intensity of the present wave of naxal attacks is any indication, the day is not far when the state may have to deploy the armed forces, at least in some areas. India's response to all insurgencies has followed the same pattern: for years states ignore the problem or treat it as a mere law-and-order issue. Then, as it becomes unmanageable, they seek central paramilitary assistance. Eventually, the army is called in.
The naxal threat is far bigger in this general election as compared 2004.
When the first wave of naxalism struck India, it was contained by state police forces and through political efforts. But the new-generation naxalism is stronger, more widespread and cohesive, and has safe hideouts in central and eastern India. Many within the establishment are clearly worried.
"The money the Centre has given to these (naxal-affected) states for police modernisation is mostly unspent, and now they are shifting the responsibility to central forces," said a senior member of the security establishment. "There is very little we can do for the coming phases of polls. Already our paramilitary forces are very stretched," he said, admitting candidly that violence could continue at this level over the next phases, too.
In 2004, the naxalite calls for election boycott and violence were not so successful. "But this time, they are making a very strong statement," the official said.

Nexus- Media,Politics and Entertainment

This was posted on http://broadbandforum.in/politics/45052-nexus-media-politics-and-entertainment/picture courtesy - bharat-rakshak.com (indian military think tanks discussing open source int since 1997)-----------------------------Here are the associations between individuals and organizations that influence Indian politics and discussions in Indian public space.____________________________________________________________________Suzanna Arundhati Roy is niece of Prannoy Roy (CEO of NDTV)Prannoy Roy married to Radhika RoyRadhika Roy is sister of Brinda Karat (CPI(M))Brinda Karat married to Prakash Karat (CPI(M) - General Secretary)CPI(M)'s senior member of Politburo and Parliamentary Group Leader is Sitaram Yechury.Sitaram Yechury is married to Seema Chisthi.Seema Chisthi is the Resident Editor of Indian ExpressBurkha Dutt works at NDTVRajdeep Sardesai was Managing Editor at NDTVRajdeep Sardesai married to Sagrika GhoseSagarika Ghose is daughter of Bhaskar Ghose.Bhaskar Ghose was Director General of Doordarshan.Sagarika Ghose's aunt is Ruma Pal.Ruma Pal is former justice of Supreme Court.Sagarika Ghose's another aunt is Arundhati Ghose.Arundhati Ghose was India's permanent representative/ambassador to United Nations.Dilip D'Souza was member of PIPFDDilip D'Souza's father was Joseph Bain D'Souza.J.B.D'Souza was former Maharastra Chief Seccretary and activist.Teesta Setalva member of PIPFDTeesta Setalvad married to Javed AnandTeesta and Javed run Sabrang Communications.Javed Anand is General Secretary of Muslims for Secular Democracy { ?? }Javed Akhtar is spokesperson for Muslims for Secular DemocracyJaved Akhtar married to Shabana AzmiKaran Thapar owns ITVITV produces shows for BBCKaran Thapar's father was General Pran Nath Thapar COAS during 1962 war, when India lost under his watch.Karan Thapar was very good friend of Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari.Benazir Bhutto was Pakistan's Prime Minister.Benazir Bhutto's father was Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.Z.A.Bhutto served as Pakistan's President.A.A.Zardar is the current Pakistani's President.Karan Thapar's Mama was married to Nayantara Sahgal.Nayantar Sahgal is daughter of Vijayalakshmi Pandit.Vijayalakshmi Pandit was sister of Jawharlal Nehru.Medha Patkar is a leading spokesperson for Narmada Bacho Andolan.NBA was helped by Patrick McCully of International Rivers (formerly Internal Rivers Network.)Angana Chatterjee was on the board of IRNDipti Bhatnagar was an Intern/Volunteer at IRN.Dipti Bhatnagar is an activist at NBA.Dr. Angana Chatterjee part of PROXSAPROXSA mother-ship of FOILASHA endorsed by FOILSandeep Pandey co-founder of Asha for education (ASHA)Dr. Angana Chatterjee is married to Richard ShapiroRichard Shapiro is Director and Associate Professor of the Grad. Anthropology Prgm at CIISShubh Mathur co-wrote a letter with Angana on 'Humanitarian Crisis in J&K'Biju Matthew is co-founder of FOIL.Vijay Prasad is co-founder of FOIL.Vijay Prasa co-authored with Angana Chatterjee and wrote against IDRF.ASHA has association with AIDAID works with FOSAFOSA started by a Pakistani - Ali Hasan Cemendtaur.Amitava Kumar associated with FOILFOIL & FOSA opposed California Text Book Edits.California Text Book Edits was opposed by Michael Witzel.M.Witzel is Wales Professor of Sanskrit at Harvard University.Rahul Bose is brother-in-law of Khalid Ansari.Khalid Ansari is the Chairman of Mid-Day Group of Publication based in Mumbai.Khalid Ansari is Chairman of M.C.Media Ltd.M.C.Media Ltd. has a join-venture with BBC for FM radio brodcasting.Khalid Ansari's father was Abdul Hameed Ansari.A.H.Ansari was a freedom fighter and active Congressman.Dr.John Dayal worked as a journalist with the N.Delhi edition of Mid-Day.Narasimhan Ram is the Editor-in-Chief of 'The Hindu'.N.Ram's first wife was Susan.Susan, an Irish, was in charge of Oxford University Press publications in India.N.Ram and Susan's daughter is Vidya Ram.Vidya Ram is a journalist.N.Ram is now married to Mariam.N.Ram, Jennifer Arul and K.M.Roy participated in closed door Catholic Bishops Conference of India in Thrissur, Kerala.Jennifer Arul is the Resident Editor and Bureau Chief in South India for NDTV.Jennifer Arul is Chief Operating Office for Astro Awani - Indonesian news and information channel.K.M.Roy was a reporter in ‘The Hindu’K.M.Roy is the General Editor of the group of the ‘Mangalam’ Publications.Mangalam Group of Publications was started by M.C.VargheseK.M.Roy received the ‘All India Catholic Union Lifetime Award’All India Catholic Union’s National Vice President is Dr.John Dayal.Dr.John Dayal is also Secretary General of All India Christian Council (AICC)AICC’s President is Dr. Joseph D’souzaDr. Joseph D’souza founded Dalit Freedom Network (USA)Dr.Joseph D’Souza participated in the inaugural Religious Freedom DayThe Religious Freedom Day was attended by former Republican Sentor Rick SantorumAICC claims Confederation of SC/ST Organizations (India) as a sister organization.AICC claims Christian Solidarity Worldwide (UK) as a sister organization.AICC claims Release International (UK) as a sister organization.Release International states it supplies bibles and literature to meet the need of growth and evangelism.Dalit Freedom Network’s partner’s with Operation Mobilization India.OM India’s South India Regional Director is Kumar SwamyKumar Swamy is the State President of Communal Harmony Committee.Kumar Swamy serves with Karnataka State Human Rights Commission.OM India’s North India Regional Director is Moses Parmar.Moses Parmar serves as North India Public Relations officer of the All India Christian Council (AICC)OM seeks to plant and strengthen churches in areas of the world where Christ is least known.OM ministries work with Dalit-Bahujan people in India.Operation Mercy Charitable Company (OMCC) grew out of OM IndiaOMCC works with Dalit Freedom Network.DFN has Dr. Kancha Illaiah on its Advisory Board.Dr. Kancha Illaiah is a Professor in Osmania University, Hyderbad.DFN has William Armstrong on its Advisory Board.William Armstrong is a former US Senator from Colarado (Republican).William Armstrong is currently the President of Colorado Christian University.Colorado Christian University’s one of the strategic objective is to share the love of Christ around the World.DFN has Udit Raj on its Advisory Board.Udit Raj claims Joseph Pitts as a great friend of India.Joseph Pitts is a Republican US Congressman from Pennsylvannia.Joseph Pitts sent a letter to Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State –USA, requesting USA to deny visa to N.Modi.Joseph Pitts has led a Congressional delegation to Pakistan & India.Joseph Pitts is Founder and Co-Chairman of the ‘Kashmir Forum’.Joseph Pitts along with Congressman John Conyers introduced legislation condemning actions of N.Modi.John Conyers is Congressman from Michigan’s 14th congressional district.The 14th district contains Dearbon, a major city.Dearbon has the largest Arab Americans for a city of its size.Udit Raj is member of National Integration Council, Government of India.Udit Raj is National Chairman of Buddha Education Foundation.Udit Raj is National Chairman of All India Confederation of SC/ST Organizations.Udit Raj leads Dalit International FoundationUdit Raj leads Lord Buddha Club.Udit Raj was part of an international Steering Committee on KashmirMajid Tramboo promoted the Steering Committee.DFN has Baroness Caroline Cox on its Advisory Board.Baroness Caroline Cox is Deputy Speaker, House of Lords, England.Suhasini Haidar is daughter of Subramanian SwamySuhasini Haidar is daughter-in-law of Salman HaidarNadira Alvi married V S NaipaulNadira Alvi, a journalist, is sister of recently assassinated Maj Gen Amir Faisal Alvi, the ex-chief of Pakistan's elite SSG“Resalat” is a Tehran-based Persian daily.“Ettela’at” is another Tehran-based Persian daily.“Resallat” and “Ettela’at”signed MoU with “Siyasat” and “Munif”Siyasat and Munif are Hyderbad, Andhra Pradesh based dailies.Toseeh is another Persian daily.Toseeh has tied up with Vaarta.Vaarta is one of the dailies from A.G.A.Publications Pvt Ltd.A.G.A Publications Pvt Ltd is one of the companies in Sanghi GroupSanghi Group was co-promoted by Gireesh Sanghi with his brothers.Gireesh Sanghi is Congress M.P, Rajaya SabhaGireesh Sanghi is All India Vaish Federation National President.Mahendra Mohan Gupta is on the Advisory Board of AIVFMahendra Mohan Gupta is Chairman of Dainik Jagran GroupRamoji Group is headed by Ramoji RaoRamoji Rao is Founder & Chairman of EenaduEenadu is the largest Telugu news daily in Andhra Pradesh.Ramoji Group also owns ETV Network.ETV Network produces content in Telugu, Bangla, Marathi, Kannada, Oriya, Gujarati, Urdu & Hindi.Ramoji is reported to be close to Chandra Babu Naidu and supported of Telugu Desam Party.Ushodaya Enterprises Pvt. Ltd’s parent company is Ramoji Group.Blackstone Group is reported to have invested Rs600 crore in UEL.Deccan Chronicle Holdings Ltd brings out The Deccan Chronicle newspaper.DCHL also brings out “Andhra Bhoomi” a telugu newspaper.DCHL also brings out “Asian Age”.DCHL became a publishing parter of ‘The New York Times’.DCHL began publishing ‘The International Herald Tribune’T.Venkatram Reddy is the Chairman of DCHL.T.Venkatram Reddy is fromer MP, Rajhya Sabha from Congress.M.J.Akbar was Editor-in-Chief of Deccan Chronicle and Asian Age.M.J.Akbar is Founder and Chairman of the fortnightly the Covert.M.J. Akbar worked at ‘Times of India’, ‘Sunday’ & ‘The Telegraph’M.J.Akbar was an Congress MLA from 1989 to 1991.M.J.Akbar joined The Brookings Institution, Washington in 2006, as a Visiting Fellow on U.S. Policy Towards the Islamic World.M.J.Akbar was a member of the ‘Forum of Islamic Scholars and Intellectual’ held in Makkha al-Mukaramma in 2005.M.J.Akbar’s wife is Mallika Joseph.Mallika Joseph worked at Times of India.Y.S.Rajasekhara Reddy is the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.YSR Reddy is from the Congress party (INC).YSR Reddy’s father, Raja Reddy, setup a degree college and a Polytechnic in Pulivendula.YSR Reddy has said that his one year study at Andhra Loyola College (ALC), a Jesuit institution, influenced him so much that he handed over the Pulivendula colleges to the Loyola Group.The YS family has established several educational institutions in Andhra Pradesh.YSR Reddy’s daughter is Sharmila.Sharmila married Anil Kumar, Anil Kumar converted to Christianity after the marriage.Anil Kumar set up “Anil World Evangelism” and is an active Evangelist.YSR Reddy’s son is YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.YS Jagan is a youth Congress Leader.YS Jagan is Chairman of Jagati Publications Pvt. Ltd.Bhumna Karunakara Reddy is close to YSR Reddy.Karunakara Reddy is the Chairman of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam.JPPL publishes the newspaper Sakshi.Chandra Babu Naidu has claimed that Lanco group was forced to invest in JPPL.L. Sridhar is alleged to have made the investment from Lanco Group.L Sridhar is Lanco Infratech’s Vice ChairmanL Sridhar’s brother is L.Rajagopal.L.Rajagopal joined Congress in 2003.L Rajagopal is the son-in-law of P.Upendra.P.Upendra is a former Minister from Congress.Lanco Group’s Chairman is L. RajagopalAndhra Prabha is a telugu newspaper started in 1938.Andhra Prabha is owned by The New Indian Express Group.Andhra Jyothi is a telugu newspaper.Andhra Jyothi’s Managing Director is Vemuri Radhakrishna.SUN TV Network is owned by Kalanidhi Maran.Kalanidhi Maran is the Chairman & Managing Director of SUN TV Network.SUN TV network owns: Sun TV, Gemini TV, Teja TV, Surya TV, Kiran TV, Udaya TV, Surjo TV among other channels.Kalanidhi Maran owns the tamil daily ‘Dinakaran’.Dinakaran was started by a former DMK Minister K.P.Kandasamy.Kalanidhi Maran’s brother is Dayanidhi Maran.Dayanidhi Maran was Minister of Communications and IT in the UPA government.Kalanidhi Maran’s father was Murasoli Maran.Murasoli Maran was a Union Minister from the DMK party.Murasoli Maran edited a tamil daily ‘Murasoli’.Murasoli Maran was an editor to ‘The Rising Sun’ a English weekly.Murasoli Maran as a publisher published the following tamil magazines: Kungumam, Muththaram, Vannathirai & Sumangali.Murasoli Maran’s uncle is M.Karunanidhi.M.Karunanidhi is Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, from the DMK party.M.Karunanidhi launched Kalaignar TV in 2007.M.K.Azhagiri owns Kalaignar TV.M.K.Azhagiri is M.Karunanidhi’s son.M.K.Stalin is another son of the M.Karunanidhi..M.K.Stalin was named after Joseph Stalin.Joseph Stalin was the authoritarian leader of the Soviet Union.M.K.Stalin is the Minister for Rural Development and Local Administration in Tamil Nadu.Kanimozhi is one of the daughters of M.Karunanidhi.Kanimozhi was a sub-editor for the ‘The Hindu’.Kanimohi was Editor in Charge of ‘Kungumam’ a tamil weekly.Kanimozhi became a Rajya Sabha member in 2007.Kanimozhi conducted programs in SUN TV and Vijay TV.Kanimozhi’s second husband G.Aravindan is Singapore based Tamil literary figure.Dina Thanthi a tamil daily was founded bu Si.Pa.Aditanar.Aditanar’s second son is Sivanthi Athithan.Sivanthi Athithan owns Dina Thanthi.Aditanar had launced the tamil evening daily ‘Malai Murasu’.Aditanar set up Malar Publications Ltd.Malar Publications Ltd. Brings out the tamil evening newspaper Malai Malar.Balasubramanian Adityan son of Sivanthi Athithan managers Malar Publications Ltd.B.Adityan set up ‘Air Media Network Pvt Ltd’ (AMN)AMN is into cable distribution, content productions and broadcasting.AMN owns AMN TVAMN has produced content for FM radio, All India Radio, Doordarshan, Vijay TV.Dina Mani is a tamil newspaper.Dina Mani is owned by The New Indian Express Group. (NIEG)NIEG owns Kannadaprabha, Andhraprabha, Malaylamvarikha, Indiavarta and Expressbuzz.NIEG also owns Cinemaexpress & TamilanexpressSTAR Vijay TV is a tamil TV channel.Vijay TV is owned by STAR TVSTAR TV is owned by News Corporation based in Hong Kong.News Corporation is owned by Rupert Murdoch.Fox Entertainment Group is a subsidiary of News Corporation.FEG owns Fox News Channel, in USA.Fox News is a conservative, pro-church Republican Party channel in USNews Corporation owns the The Wall Street JournalJaya TV is a tamil TV channel.Jaya TV is owned by Jaya Network.Jaya Network is owned by J.JayalalithaJayalalitha was the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu (AIADMK party)Makkal TV is owned by Makkal TholaikatchiAct Now for Harmony and Democracy’s (ANHAD) Founding and Managing Trustee is Shabnam HashmiShabnam’s father was a freedom fighter.Shabnam went to USSR on a cultural exchange scholarship for six years.Shabham is married to Gauhar Raza.KN Panikkar is a Founding trustee of ANHADPanikkar is an Indian Marxist Historian.Panikkar was the Vice Chancellor of Sree Sankarcharya Sanskrit University, Kalady, Kerala.Panikkar received Homi Bhabha Senior Fellowship.Panikkar was awarded Padma Bhushan.Harsh Mander is a Founding trustee of ANHADHarsh Mander is a Human Rights activist, author and was in the IAS.Harsh Mander was close to Ajit JogiHarsh Mander, born into Sikh faith, was in-charge of the relief camps in Indore during the 1984 riots.Harsh Mander served as Managing Director of SC/ST Finance Corporation.Harsh Mander was the Director of ActionAid India.Ajit Jogi was the Chief Minister of Chhatisgarh.Ajit Jogi is from the Congress party (INC).It is claimed that after Ajit Jogi, a tribal Christian became the CM the rate of Christian conversions has gone up.Harsh Mander received the 2002 “Rev. M.A.Thomas National Human Rights Award”Rev M.A.Thomas National Human Rights Award was awarded by “Vigil India Movement.Shubha Mudgal is a trustee of ANHADShubha’s parents Skand and Jaya Gupta were professors of English literature at Allahabad University.Shubha’s grand-father Prof. P.C.Gupta was also a professor at Allahabad University.Shubha’s first husband was Justice Mukul Mudgal of Delhi High Court.Shubha is currently married to Aneesh Pradan, a tabla player.Shubha received Padma Shri.Shubha has received several awards in the field of music.Kamla Bhasin is a trustee of ANHADKamla is an Indian feminist.Kamla was a lecturer in the Orientation Centre of the German Foundation for Developing Countries, Bad Honnef, West Germany.Kamla was the Development Secretary of Seva Mandir, Udaipur.Saeed Akhtar Mirza is a trustee of ANHADSaeed Mirza is a writer and director in Hindi films and television.Saeed Mirza’s father is Akhtar MirzaAkhtar Mirza was a noted film script writer.Asianet Communications Limited (ACL) has a majority stake in Asianet TV.ACL is owned by Jupiter Entertainment Ventures Limited (JEVL).JEVL is a subsidiary of Jupiter Capitals Ltd.The other media outlets of ACL are: Asianet News, Asianet Plus, Best FM 95, Asianet Suvarana, Suvarna News, Asianet Sitara and Sitara News.Rajeev Chandrasekhar is the Chairman & Editor-in-chief.Rajeev Chandrasekar entered Rajya Sabha in 2006.Rajeev Chandrasekar’s uncle is M.K.NarayananM.K.Narayanan is National Security AdvisorM.K.Narayanan headed the Intelligence Bureau from 1987 to 1990.Malayalam daily, Mathrubhumi, is owned by M P VirendrakumarVirendrakumar is a MP through Janata Dal (Secular), from KeralaIn Kerala, Deva Gowda's Janata Dal (Secular) party is a constituent of Left Democratic FrontLatest Editor of Mathrubhumi is Kesava MenonKesava Menon was the Associate Editor of The Hindu before taking up this positionShashi Tharoor is an Indian Diplomat.Shashi is the son of late Chandran Tharoor.Chandran was a journalist working for Amrita Bazar Patrika of Calcutta.Chandran headed "The Statesman" in 1959.Shashi Tharoor is going to contest as INC (Congress) candidate in 2009.Ishaan and Kanishk are twin sons of Shashi.Ishaan lives in Hong Kong and works for "Time" magazine.Kanishk lives in London and works for "OpenDemocracy".Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan is a sister of Shashi.Smita Tharoor is another sister of Shashi.Ragini Tharoor Srinivasan is daughter of Shobha.Ragini is the editor of "India Currents".Shobha writes in "India Currents"India Currents is an Indian American monthly.Shashi's first wife was Tilottama Mukherji from Kolkata.Tilottama was/is a journalist and scholar.Sahshi's second wife is Christ Giles, a Canadian.Christa is Deputy Secretary of the United Nations Disarmament Commission.Mukundan Unni was Shashi's maternal uncle.Tharoor Parameswar was Chandran Tharoor's elder brother.Parameswar was the founder publisher of the Indian edition of "Reader's Digest".Param resurrected & presided the Advertising Club of Bombay.Param was also the Advertising Manager of Amrita Bazar Patrika.Shobhana Bhartia is the Chairperson and Editorial Director of Hindustan Times groupShobhana is the daughter of KK Birla; grand daughter of GD Birla.KK Birla joined INC (Congress) party in 1984.KK Birla was later elected Rajya Sabha member in 1984.Shobhana is married to Shyam Sunder BhartiaShyam is the Chariman of Jubliant Organosys Ltd, a Pharma companyShyam is the son of late Mohan Lal Bhartia.Shamit Bhartia and Priyavrat Bhartia are their sonsShamit is a Director at the Hindustan Times group.Shobhana was nominated for Rajya Sabha in 2006.Shobhana is politically affiliated to INC (Congress).She was nominated by UPA headed by Sonia Gandhi.Shobhana was a 2005 Padma Shree award. This was after UPA formed the government in 2004.Priyavrat is a Director at the Hindustan Times group.Shamit heads franchises of Dominoes Pizza and Hot Breads.Shamit also looks after the chain store ‘Monday to Sunday’Shobhana is a close family friend of Scindias.Late Madhavrao Scindia was a Minister from the INC (Congress) party.Jyotiraditya Scindia is Madhavrao’s son.Jyotiraditya is a MP from the INC (Congress) party.Karan Thapar writes a weekly column in Hindustan Times.Vir Sanghvi writes two columns ‘Counter Point’ and ‘Rude Food’Barkha Dutt writes the column ‘Third Eye’Sonal Kalra is a editor of HT City a supplement of Hindustan Times and writes a column.-------------------------------------- Joseph Bain D'Souza was CEO of a housing project in which Mrinal Gore, PB Samant and Suresh Narvekar were trustees.- N. Ram was a founder of Students Federation of India, CPI(M)'s student wing.- N. Ram's niece is married to Dayanidhi Maran.- Joseph D'Souza is the head of All India Christian Council.- Dalit Freedom Network operates out of a church in Colorado. Melody Divine is part of DFN and Melody Divine works for Arizona Congressman Trent Franks.- Joseph D'Souza is listed in Pat Robertson's 700 club, a group for fundamentalist Christians.- Dalit Freedom Network is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.------------All credits to Swamy G of http://www.india-forum.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=2209
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Congress Deserve To Lose

Congress deserves to lose India’s electionsBy Razeen Sally , The Financial Times, LondonPublished: April 15 2009 21:55 Last updated: April 15 2009 21:55Indians will from Thursday begin heading to the polls in a month-long election for a new government. The Congress party is standing on the record of the government it has led since 2004. But polls are taking place when the Indian economy has taken a sharp turn for the worse, in a climate of global economic crisis. This exposes the do-nothing, zero-reform record of Manmohan Singh, prime minister, and his government. More generally, it lays bare India’s huge reform gaps and its brittle, decaying institutions. Finally, it deflates the “India hype” peddled by smooth-talking upper-caste politicians, ambassadors, businessmen, management consultants and some academics. A word about India hype. It highlights high-end services, and now manufacturing sectors, with their globalising, world-beating companies. But it overlooks reform deficits in agriculture, services and manufacturing. It talks of “Chindia”, the notion that India plays in the same league as China as an emerging superpower – which is pure myth. Not least, it glosses over the record of the present Congress-led government.There have been practically no market reforms since 2004, save for the opening of domestic civil aviation. Nothing has moved on privatisation, the reduction of government equity in banks and insurance companies, pensions, competition regulation or the administration of subsidies. Industrial tariffs have come down, but otherwise external protection has not been reduced. India remains the most protectionist large emerging market. Worse, there has been reform backsliding and reversal. Fiscal restraint, written into law in 2003, has been thrown to the winds. Now, with an economic downturn, the consolidated government deficit is projected to rise above 10 per cent of gross domestic product. Funding for much-needed infrastructure projects will suffer. Controlled pricing of petroleum products was reintroduced in 2008. Off-budget expenditure has increased significantly, especially through populist measures to support rural employment and the energy sector.The government’s response to the present global economic crisis was to introduce further market-distorting restrictions, including higher tariffs, anti-dumping duties and assorted non-tariff import barriers.Finally, the Congress party entered the general election campaign with pledges to expand its hugely wasteful rural employment guarantee programme and increase food subsidies. The government has squandered the boom years, left the country more vulnerable to malign global economic conditions and compromised prospects for a healthy recovery. But Manmohan Singh and his “dream team” have been given an easy ride: they have escaped blame, especially outside India. The conventional excuse is that their hands are tied by Sonia Gandhi and her Congress coterie, and by coalition politics.This explanation just does not wash. Mr Singh has impeccable academic credentials and is by all accounts incorruptible. He deserves credit for his performance as finance minister in the 1990s – although credit should also go to Narasimha Rao, then prime minister, who took the tough decisions.But Mr Singh has proved a hopeless decision-maker as prime minister. Sadly, he proves the rule that academics should generally be “on tap” but not “on top”.The whole reform programme relies on the prime minister himself. Mr Rao and A.B. Vajpayee proved their mettle, despite heavy political constraints. Mr Singh has failed; he should bear much of the blame. The Congress party does not deserve to be re-elected and the dream team does not deserve to continue in office. An alternative BJP-led government may do better if it has a decisive leader with a core of able reformers. It will not if its leader follows the dictates of short-term opportunism and messy coalition politics.Nevertheless, the failures of the Congress-led government should be put into a larger institutional context. The Indian state, led by a venal political-bureaucratic elite, remains unreformed. State institutions – the political class, political parties, parliaments, the bureaucracy, the judiciary – have got worse at both national and state levels. Since the late 1980s, “stealth” reforms have taken place outside the state. But India cannot be expected to grow fast with such shaky foundations. The upshot is that much-needed market reforms cannot continue to skirt round the reform of the state itself. Politically, that is the hardest nut to crack. The writer is director of the European Centre for International Political Economy

Why Ex Servicemen should be heard

The Tribune Thursday, April 16, 2009, Chandigarh, IndiaIt is true that the defence forces have their conduct rules and are known to those who intend to join the services (Letters to the Editor, “Veterans’ agitation” by Neeraj Kishore Sharma, April 7). But does it mean that the armed forces have to be mute spectators to their continuous degradation in status and pay vis-a-vis other government employees as has been happening in India over the past decades? The Sixth Pay Commission was the proverbial last straw on the camel’s back. Serving in defence forces may not be mandatory but so is the case in other departments of the government. If the civilian employees can indulge in agitations on flimsy grounds, why can’t the retired defence personnel take recourse to peaceful protests to highlight the injustice and humiliation being routinely heaped on them? Are they bonded slaves or lumpen elements to be shooed and snubbed at will? “One rank, one pension”, the main demand of the veterans, is a sensitive issue because of the specific ethos of the defence personnel and the very early age at which most of them are edged out and made to retire as compared to the civilians. Frankly, a nation that ignores and insults its soldiers, sooner or later comes to grief. Do we want this to happen to India? WG-CDR S C KAPOOR (retd), Noida

Offence is the Best Defence

An Answer to Congress on Kandahar
by ravilochanan on Wed Apr 15, 2009 2:20 pm
I simply do not understand as to why Advaniji and the BJP is unnecessarily going on the defence on Kanadahar issue. Why is Advaniji saying that he did not know about the release of terrorists? It is NOT a proper answer to the criticisms.The plane was hijacked from Kathmandu (NEPAL) not from Indian soil. Therefore, it was not a security lapse on the part of the Indian government. After that, the government did its best to safely bring back all the passengers.But what about the following episodes during the Congress rule:1. Did not Congress exchange terrorists for the life of a SINGLE lady, the daughter of M.M. Sayeed? Considering that Sayeed and his family do not have an inkling of patriotic feeling towards the Indian nation, how can it ever be justified? Atleast the BJP government brought back the 'TRUE' citizens of this nation not some secessionist.2. What about the Hazratbal incident? Why did the Congress adopt different practices in the case of HAzratbal mosque unlike waht it did with the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) of Amritsar?Any answers there?Why is the BJP not pointing out these issues?As for the Parliament attack, the Congress has been holding back the death sentence of Afzal. What right do they have to talk about reacting to terrorist attacks? BJP opposes terrorism very clearly. But Congress simply doesnt care about the subject unless it feels that the issue is going to affect its votebank.Final attack: What is the stage of investigations into the Mumbai train attack, Assam multiple blasts etc?? How many people have been chargesheeted and convicted? How many have been arrested?Dont we see the true face of Congress in the fact that Mumbai train attack (in which hundreds died) is not investigated much but Malegaon blasts (less than 10 died here) was given complete attention over all other terror issues?Hit the Congress hard. Dont go on the defensive. We are doing the same mistakes done by the Indian kings during the various invasions. Please understand that a good offense is the best defense.

26/11 responsible for my decision to contest polls

I was born in a small village called Gorur in Hassan district of Karnataka. My father was a poor school teacher and a farmer as well. I went to a Kannada-medium school till Class V after which I was selected at the Sainik School in Bijapur which had just been set up to cater to students in Karnataka. Incidentally, I failed the first time I appeared for the entrance exam as the paper was in English of which I did not know a word. My headmaster, however, was a very determined man and he wrote to the defence ministry asking them how they hoped to recruit boys from villages in South India if the paper was held in English and not in their mother tongue. I was able to appear again for the exam, this time in Kannada and that's how I got selected.
After completing school, I got selected to the NDA (National Defence Academy) and went on to be commissioned in the Indian Army where I spent the next eight years and fought in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation war. I quit the Army to come back to my village and take up farming. I got into sericulture and eco-farming. Later, I set up Deccan Charter, India's first private helicopter charter company which was followed by India's first low-cost airline Air Deccan. My dream was to have an inclusive India with equitable growth for which connectivity was crucial.
I have been involved in different enterprises, in different fields and have managed to build meaningful businesses which contributed to nation-building. Over the past two decades, I have been a critic of several Government policies and systems and have worked with successive Governments on policy for reforms and progressive measures, particularly in the aviation sector.
I have decided to enter the electoral fray because I believe that India today is crying out for change, a change from divisive party politics steeped in communal and caste votes which has made corruption and ill-governance a way of life in this country. Some of the key issues that made me decide were the Mumbai terror attacks where we appeared to be a failed state, with a bunch of terrorists taking over our very lives. Another was the pub attack in Karnataka and the moral policing goons who want to decide how the women in this country should dress or behave! The sight of women being insulted, with all of us watching, shook me from my reverie. The need of the hour is in believing that you can make a change and not watch from the outside and criticise. If we want a safe future for us and our future generations, we have to stop this degeneration that is taking place in our public life.
I am convinced that today our greatest need is to rid society of communalism and casteism; eradicate corruption and bring in good governance for development and fulfill the ideals on which this nation was formed. I want to make a political and developmental platform which will represent all communities and all religions. I want to drive my vision for India, for Karnataka and for Bangalore on a foundation which has two wheels of change - social harmony and good governance. These are the two pillars of a strong nation. Right governance will not only ensure communal harmony but also the right policies and systems which support the economy and citizens without having to resort to bribes and sycophancy. The opportunity for a happier future for us lies in getting these very fundamentals of our social fabric right.
I have decided to contest the Lok Sabha elections as an Independent candidate. I did not choose a party as every candidate who represents a party does so by forfeiting his right to think! Because only the high command for every party thinks and plans and the voice of the constituents are never heard. I am planning to set up citizens' committee at constituency levels to bring in participative governance and be the voice of the constituency. I am asked time and again as to what change can an Independent bring about? Well, we have to begin somewhere; Gandhiji brought about a change in an era where there were no modes of communication but every clarion call of his for non-violence brought scores of supporters on the streets and one of the biggest movements in history was created. You and I can make this change possible. This begins with exercising your vote: Cast your vote but do not vote for your caste. By Capt Gopinath

Teestas Act Play

NGOs, Teesta spiced up Gujarat riot incidents: SIT14 Apr 2009, 1213 hrs IST, Dhananjay Mahapatra, TNNNEW DELHI: The Special Investigation Team responsible for the arrests of those accused in Gujarat riots has severely censured NGOs and social activist Teesta Setalvad who campaigned for the riot victims. In a significant development, the SIT led by former CBI director R K Raghavan told the Supreme Court on Monday that the celebrated rights activist cooked up macabre tales of wanton killings. Many incidents of killings and violence were cooked up, false charges were levelled against then police chief P C Pandey and false witnesses were tutored to give evidence about imaginary incidents, the SIT said in a report submitted before a Bench comprising Justices Arijit Pasayat, P Sathasivam and Aftab Alam. The SIT said it had been alleged in the Gulbarg Society case that Pandey, instead of taking measures to protect people facing the wrath of rioteers, was helping the mob. The truth was that he was helping with hospitalisation of riot victims and making arrangements for police bandobast, Gujarat counsel, senior advocate Mukul Rohtagi, said quoting from the SIT report. Rohtagi also said that 22 witnesses, who had submitted identical affidavits before various courts relating to riot incidents, were questioned by the SIT which found that they had been tutored and handed over the affidavits by Setalvad and that they had not actually witnessed the riot incidents. The SIT also found no truth in the following incidents widely publicised by the NGOs: * A pregnant Muslim woman Kausar Banu was gangraped by a mob, who then gouged out the foetus with sharp weapons * Dumping of dead bodies into a well by rioteers at Naroda Patiya * Police botching up investigation into the killing of British nationals, who were on a visit to Gujarat and unfortunately got caught in the riots Rohtagi said: "On a reading of the report, it is clear that horrendous allegations made by the NGOs were false. Stereotyped affidavits were supplied by a social activist and the allegations made in them were found untrue." Obviously happy with the fresh findings of the SIT which was responsible for the recent arrests of former Gujarat minister Maya Kodanani and VHP leader Jaideep Patel, Rohtagi tried to spruce up the image of the Modi administration, which was castigated in the Best Bakery case by the apex court as "modern day Neros". He was swiftly told by the Bench that but for the SIT, many more accused, who are freshly added, would not have been brought to book. The Bench said there was no room for allegations and counter-allegations at this late stage. "In riot cases, the more the delay, there is likelihood of falsity creeping in. So, there should be a designated court to fast track the trials. Riot cases should be given priority because feelings run high having a cascading effect," it said and asked for suggestions from the Gujarat government, Centre, NGOs and amicus curiae Harish Salve, who said the time had come for the apex court to lift the stay on trials into several post-Godhra riot cases. While additional solicitor general Gopal Subramaniam agreed with the court that public prosecutors should be selected in consultation with Raghavan, counsel Indira Jaising said there should be a complete regime for protection of witnesses as the same government, which was accused of engineering the riots, was in power now. Salve said that he would consult Raghavan and let the court know about a witness protection system for post-Godhra riot cases. The court asked the parties to submit their suggestions within a week. dhananjay.mahapatra@timesgroup.com http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NGOs-Teesta-spice

IAS and IFS Babus Never Retire

One of the reasons why the Sixth Pay Commission (SPC) had substantially raised the salary for chairmen of all the regulatory bodies was to make that job a little more attractive for professionals and experts from the private sector. The time has now come to check out if the government has indeed used the better pay package for its regulators to widen the choice and attract private sector people.
A few weeks ago, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government selected Dhanendra Kumar, a retired IAS officer, as the chairman of the Competition Commission of India (CCI). There were many candidates in the fray, but most of them belonged to the civil service.
Once again, a large number of the candidates in contention for the Trai chairman’s job are civil servants belonging to the IAS. Only one of the candidates belongs to the private sector. Will the government’s search committee make a departure by recommending a non-IAS officer for the job? This appears unlikely.
Civil servants get upset when questioned on why only serving or retired IAS officers are selected to head the many regulatory bodies that have been set up in the wake of economic reforms. At present, there is only one regulatory body, the Directorate General, Hydrocarbons (DGH), which is not headed by a serving or a retired IAS officer. V K Sibal worked in a public sector oil company before taking charge of the DGH.
Nobody can, of course, argue that IAS officers are not competent to lead a regulatory organisation. Given their exposure to the manner in which the government machinery functions and the need for a regulator to understand the working of the government system, IAS officers have a definite advantage over professionals or experts from the private sector. But that should not rule out the possibility of private sector /defence sector with requisite experience in a sector from performing equally well in leading a regulatory organisation. Indeed, attempts were made in the past to get private sector professionals to head regulatory bodies. These moves, however, did not bear any fruit because the salary offered to a head of a regulatory body was not attractive enough for a private sector professional.
The SPC took note of this feedback and made amends. Ironically, however, the enhanced pay package has made the job of a chairman of a regulatory body even more attractive for the IAS officers, particularly for those who are approaching retirement. And only a few applications have come from private sector professionals. In sharp contrast, several secretaries to the Union government were interested in heading the Competition Commission of India. The list of candidates being considered for the Trai chairman’s post also has several secretaries, including even the finance secretary.
The post of the chairman of the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission remained vacant for several months till A K Basu, an IAS officer, retired and took charge. Similarly, Dipak Chaterjee was identified to head the Competition Commission of India just before he was due to retire as commerce secretary.
Yet, the concern that the SPC sought to address remains valid. What should the government do now? It may be time now to create a pool of experts, selected from Corporate/ Private /Defence Services sector professionals, which could be used by the government’s search committees to identify the chairman of a regulatory body. The search committee, which at present is largely influenced by the ministers concerned, will then be able to act more independently and have a larger pool of talent to choose from.
Comments
IAS/IFS babus can never retire. There are plethora of such bodies and all sorts of Commissions (Literacy, Urban Renewal etc., etc.), so-called state-encouraged NGOs and on and on . These bodies are all a carefully orchestrated and a subtly choreographed activity that every civil servant engages in once s/he reaches the level of a Joint Secretary. The aim is ensuring a more-than-gainful "post-official-retirement" employment (and, more importantly, continued exercise of real power) well into one's seventies, if not the eighties. If a survey is conducted there would hardly be a 'retired' IAS/IFS who would not be found "earnestly" advising/guiding India to a "better" future, because all non-IAS/IFS are men and women of such a lower ability that they simply cannot even be considered for such path-breaking, nation-building tasks

Anmalies by Successive pay Commission

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

SCPC: Anomalies Aggregated by Successive Pay Commissions to Dupe the Defence Forces
Ex-Servicemen Being Denied their Rightful PensionsThere are three glaring omissions by the Ministry of Defence which affect a vast majority of Ex-Servicemen and others, which the Ministry is not prepared to listen.. Since these are detrimental to defence personnel and our representations to the all in the channel including our Hon’ble President the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces has not yielded any results, we have been compelled to air it through you to public so that they may know as to what treatment is being meted to the Defence Forces who give the best years of their life in service and security of the Nation and progressive development wherever called for and now even their genuine grievances are not being redressed.The three points are as follows:1. The 4th CPC granted Military Service Pay, called Rank Pay, over and above the normal Pay, for the peculiar Service conditions of Armed Forces and admitted in Govt. Resolution dated 13.3.87. To deny this extra payment to officers of defense forces, the financial experts of the Defense Ministry reduced the Basic Pay of all officers equivalent to the Rank Pay, and reflected Rank Pay separately in an additional column of the pay slips showing that the Rank Pay there as sanctioned by the Government and 4th CPC award was paid, though actually nothing extra was paid. The above discrepancy when raised by an officer with the MOD was not accepted by the authorities resulting in his filing a Writ in the Hon’ble Kerala High Court in 1995, who held the deduction as incorrect, which was later ratified by the full bench of the Court on appeal by the UOI vide their Judgment orders dated 05.10.1998 & 04.7.2003. The SLP filed was also rejected by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India vide their order of 12.7.2005. Accordingly the officer who filed the case was paid the amount deducted from his Basic Pay The Hon’ble High Court of Kerala had declared Para 6 of MOD Instructions dated 26.5.1987, as invalid which was introduced without any substance or support, and thus annulled. The said MOD Instruction of 26 May 1987 should have been amended accordingly immediately after the final Judgment and benefit given to all others affected due to the said clause. The MOD did not correct this anomaly in violation of the rulings of the Honorable Supreme Court (AIR 1975-SC 538) and Article 14 of the Constitution. Writs filed by individual officers are others are pending in Supreme Court for decision but if the MOD amends their earlier wrong instructions, as ordered by the Kerala High Court, the case gets automatically solved and they can pay to all as required.2. In addition to the above facts the Vth Pay Commission granted certain concessions to Armed Forces in their recommendations while allowing those concessions to the Civilian Counter Parts, which have been accepted and implemented in civil but the corresponding benefits have not been given to the Defence Forces because our financial Pundits did not bother to read those recommendations or purposely ignored them. There were ten such anomalies- giving 30% Disability Pay for 100% disability, weightage of two to three years for service from 30 to 33 years, using only Rank instead of Rank/ Post reducing pension of those who were serving in higher posts etc., the benefit of which should have been given to defence forces during the period but was denied. The Rank Pay sanctioned by the 4th CPC got doubled in 5th CPC which resulted in double loss as the Basic Pay got further reduced.3. This reduced Basic Pay was given to the 6th CPC without telling them as to how it had been deduced by the Ministry of Defence as Armed Forces had no access to the 6th Pay Commission. Lower Basic Pay resulted in their classification into lower scales of pay and lower Grade Pay and correspondingly lowering their status in comparison to their civilian counterparts in other Deptts where they always enjoyed an edge over other services. On protests the MOD tried to increase Grade Pay etc or give benefits here and there, but did not rectify the basic cause of not giving Rank Pay, which they deducted from Basic Pay. It is still hanging fire and the problem cannot be resolved unless basic data is changed. Secondly in implementing the 6th CPC awards, the MOD made the instructions so complicated that some of the Ex-Servicemen are yet to get their revised pension and 40% arears which they were supposed to get in Jan 2009 and are finding difficult to pay income Tax without proprer figures which some of the banks, especially the branches where instructions have not yet reached, are still working. Moreover the 6th CPC has nowhere said about the minimum of the new scale but while working out the pay of regular serving officers has talked about the minimum of the grade in the new scale. If we work out with minimum of the new scale and minimum of the new Grade there is difference of Rs.600/- for PBOR to about Rs. 4000/- for officers, which practically nullifies the effect of MSP, the same way as they nullified the effect of payment of Rank Pay ealier during 4th and 5th CPC. The supreme Court of India passed their Judgment more than three months back on the Pay Fixation of officers of the Rank of Maj Generals but it has not been implemented so far which is a matter of concern as they did not implement the Kerala High Court Judgment earlier. In both the cases it is a matter of contempt of the courts.Similarly, the Prime Minister, approved the up gradation of Lt Colonels from PB-III to PB-IV. It is more than two months now but no action has been taken. It should not be allowed to be swept under the carpet or put in cold storage, or the dust bin.Same is the case of PBORs where their pension at the time of retirement used to be 50% of the Pay they drew at the maximum of the scale in which they were working at the time of retirement but 6th CPC reduced it to 50% of the mean of pay the individual was drawing at the time of retirement for the last ten months. It became much less that earlier on the basis of wrong data fed to the commission and the authorities, it is learnt, on protest, agreed to raise pension from 50% to 70%. Though considerable time has elapsed, no orders have been received on the subject. Since it financially affects all PBORs it needs to be implemented soon. ‘One Rank One Pension’ case is already boiling and needs immediate attention and we the ex-Servicemen of Dehradun fully support ESM at Delhi.This has serious implications for the morale of both serving and retired Defence Personnel. The Nation cannot comtinue to treat the prime disciplined segment of society with contempt. What is the just due of theArmed Forces must be given immediately.Brig K G Behl Veteran President Dehtadun Ex-Services League
Posted by SIGNAL on Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Reservation for Religious minorities - Time I became One !

Reservation for Religious minorities - Time I became One !
by disputedbug on Mon Apr 13, 2009 11:19 am
Due to some reason I failed to reach in IITs after my 10+2 (though I worked very hard, but was not brainy enough) and I failed to reach IIMs (because I am not that good in English), I will ensure that my next generation doesn't face such a problem. I always wished that I were a student from reserved category.I can't change my caste, but I can surely change my religion. And believing that Congress led UPA will win this election and will implement what they have said their manifesto (Oh come on dude!! they have a record of 62 years behind them..They have always done what they said..They hataoed all the 'garibs' from the face of India)I have started going to Church and know more about the God's word. I think even if God doesn't hear me, Congress will. Another friend of mine has met a Maulavi to know more about Islam. And Godwilling (I am not sure about pre-election God or post-Election God so it is for both the GODs) I and my future genration will become a Sarkari Damaad (Son-in-law of the Indian Governement) as I am going to chuck my forefather's religion soon.Articles 25, 26, 27 and 28 of the Indian Constitution provides me (I know my English is bad, but I will surely reach IIM) the Fundamental right to profess my Religion, but I am being deterred from going to a Temple and being called a Hindu, since that might cost me an IIM seat.PS:Even Congress party knows that Reservation to Religious Minorities is against the very spirit of the Constitution of India, but they will go ahead with it.
disputedbug

Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2009 10:26 pm
by disputedbug on Mon Apr 13, 2009 11:19 am
Due to some reason I failed to reach in IITs after my 10+2 (though I worked very hard, but was not brainy enough) and I failed to reach IIMs (because I am not that good in English), I will ensure that my next generation doesn't face such a problem. I always wished that I were a student from reserved category.I can't change my caste, but I can surely change my religion. And believing that Congress led UPA will win this election and will implement what they have said their manifesto (Oh come on dude!! they have a record of 62 years behind them..They have always done what they said..They hataoed all the 'garibs' from the face of India)I have started going to Church and know more about the God's word. I think even if God doesn't hear me, Congress will. Another friend of mine has met a Maulavi to know more about Islam. And Godwilling (I am not sure about pre-election God or post-Election God so it is for both the GODs) I and my future genration will become a Sarkari Damaad (Son-in-law of the Indian Governement) as I am going to chuck my forefather's religion soon.Articles 25, 26, 27 and 28 of the Indian Constitution provides me (I know my English is bad, but I will surely reach IIM) the Fundamental right to profess my Religion, but I am being deterred from going to a Temple and being called a Hindu, since that might cost me an IIM seat.PS:Even Congress party knows that Reservation to Religious Minorities is against the very spirit of the Constitution of India, but they will go ahead with it.
disputedbug

Reservation for Religious minorities - Time I became One !

Reservation for Religious minorities - Time I became One !
by disputedbug on Mon Apr 13, 2009 11:19 am
Due to some reason I failed to reach in IITs after my 10+2 (though I worked very hard, but was not brainy enough) and I failed to reach IIMs (because I am not that good in English), I will ensure that my next generation doesn't face such a problem. I always wished that I were a student from reserved category.I can't change my caste, but I can surely change my religion. And believing that Congress led UPA will win this election and will implement what they have said their manifesto (Oh come on dude!! they have a record of 62 years behind them..They have always done what they said..They hataoed all the 'garibs' from the face of India)I have started going to Church and know more about the God's word. I think even if God doesn't hear me, Congress will. Another friend of mine has met a Maulavi to know more about Islam. And Godwilling (I am not sure about pre-election God or post-Election God so it is for both the GODs) I and my future genration will become a Sarkari Damaad (Son-in-law of the Indian Governement) as I am going to chuck my forefather's religion soon.Articles 25, 26, 27 and 28 of the Indian Constitution provides me (I know my English is bad, but I will surely reach IIM) the Fundamental right to profess my Religion, but I am being deterred from going to a Temple and being called a Hindu, since that might cost me an IIM seat.PS:Even Congress party knows that Reservation to Religious Minorities is against the very spirit of the Constitution of India, but they will go ahead with it.
disputedbug

Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2009 10:26 pm
by disputedbug on Mon Apr 13, 2009 11:19 am
Due to some reason I failed to reach in IITs after my 10+2 (though I worked very hard, but was not brainy enough) and I failed to reach IIMs (because I am not that good in English), I will ensure that my next generation doesn't face such a problem. I always wished that I were a student from reserved category.I can't change my caste, but I can surely change my religion. And believing that Congress led UPA will win this election and will implement what they have said their manifesto (Oh come on dude!! they have a record of 62 years behind them..They have always done what they said..They hataoed all the 'garibs' from the face of India)I have started going to Church and know more about the God's word. I think even if God doesn't hear me, Congress will. Another friend of mine has met a Maulavi to know more about Islam. And Godwilling (I am not sure about pre-election God or post-Election God so it is for both the GODs) I and my future genration will become a Sarkari Damaad (Son-in-law of the Indian Governement) as I am going to chuck my forefather's religion soon.Articles 25, 26, 27 and 28 of the Indian Constitution provides me (I know my English is bad, but I will surely reach IIM) the Fundamental right to profess my Religion, but I am being deterred from going to a Temple and being called a Hindu, since that might cost me an IIM seat.PS:Even Congress party knows that Reservation to Religious Minorities is against the very spirit of the Constitution of India, but they will go ahead with it.
disputedbug

LK Advani in Kerela

Congress deserves punishment, not a second innings; 3rd and 4th Fronts are irrelevant; BJP-led NDA is the only alternative
In three days from now, Indian voters will participate in the first phase of polling in the elections to 15th Lok Sabha. In exactly a month from now, on May 13, the fifth and last phase of polling will be over. It is becoming clearer by the day that the main contest for forming the next government in New Delhi is between the BJP-led NDA (which is the only cohesive pre-poll alliance at the national level) and the Congress (whose own UPA alliance has disintegrated).
The so-called Third Front and Fourth Front are irrelevant as far as forming the next government on their own under their leadership. They are opportunist platforms, having neither a common platform nor a common leader. The CPI(M) is trying to be active in both to hide its own growing irrelevance. The people of India know that a 3rd Front or 4th Front government would be disastrous.
The contrast between the NDA and its rivals is stark. At no place are constituents of our alliance fighting against each other. On the other hand, parties which are still part of the UPA government are contesting against each other. Some have openly stated that Dr. Manmohan Singh is a prime ministerial candidate of the Congress party, and not theirs. Some have shared election platforms with Third Front parties.
What emerges from the disarray in the UPA government is that the Congress has failed to keep its alliance together and that its failure is principally because its allies think that the Congress is untrustworthy. This being the case, the handicap that the Congress is facing is two-fold. Firstly, it carries the enormous burden of anti-incumbency due to the UPA government’s failures and betrayals on multiple fronts (price rise, joblessness, plight of farmers, and failure to tackle terrorism). Secondly, it has lost the faith of its own allies.
The first handicap has earned the Congress popular anger across the country. The second has earned the Congress its allies’ distrust. The growing mood in India is that the Congress deserves punishment, not a second innings.
Therefore, I am convinced that the defeat of the Congress is certain. The only alternative before the electorate to form a government at the Centre, committed to the principles of GOOD GOVERNANCE, DEVELOPMENT AND SECURITY, is the BJP-led NDA. I appeal to the voters, including those in Kerala, to give a clear and decisive mandate to the BJP and its allies in the NDA so that the next government in New Delhi is strong, stable and capable of effectively facing the challenges before the nation, both internal and external.
* * *

HT Karan Thapar

Why this Exhortation this time Karan Thapar? Why not you exhored when Armed Forces were ill treated by the Babus and Netas alike in implementation of SPC.Why he didnot show solidarity with ESM at Jantar Mantar all this time.Mr Advanis assurence came much after.Grant BJP that they have better brains than Congress and Jokers of UPA.If what BJP promise Soldiers moon,Thapar can you get them anything by yourself or from so many political parties except the BJP.It is the BJP and NDA which started reform process in defence services,congress could not continue that reform for its own interest as arm twisted by Babus.So let soldiers feel happy and support BJP if they have so decided,what it is to you.”Sanu Ki”

Report My Signal- Blog: Remember Me

Report My Signal- Blog: Remember Me
Is there anyone in more than billion people who could perform as good as 15 year old? have a look.