ANNA EFFECT: SONIA GANDHI WILL BE DEFEATED IN RAE BARELI

ONLY 5% PEOPLE WILL SUPPORT 

SONIA & HER PARTY !!!

Activists of India Against Corruption (IAC), headed by Anna Hazare, Saturday claimed ‘massive support’ for the Jan Lokpal bill in Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s parliamentary constituency Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh.

Announcing the results of a referendum conducted in Rae Bareli district to assess public perception on the draft anti-graft bill, IAC activists claimed 99.5 percent of people supported it.

‘These people are of the opinion that they would not support Sonia Gandhi or her party in the upcoming polls if the Congress-led government failed to pass the Jan Lokpal bill in the winter session of the parliament,’ IAC co-ordinator Archana Srivastava told reporters in Rae Bareli, some 80 km from Lucknow.

‘Just five percent of the people were of the view that they would continue to support Sonia Gandhi and her party even if the Jan Lokpal bill is not passed during the winter session of parliament,’ she added.

According to IAC activists, the referendum was conducted from Oct 2 to Nov 4 in rural and urban areas of Rae Bareli.

As many as 140,000 referendum forms with a question – Whether you will vote for MP Sonia Gandhi or her party if she or the Congress opposes the Jan Lokpal bill? – were distributed in Rae Bareli.

‘Of the 140,000 forms, we received over 107,110 forms till Nov 4, out of which over 106,900 forms were in support of Anna Hazare,’ claimed Srivastava.

She said the IAC’s Rae Bareli unit was in possession of the records like address, occupation and other information of all those who participated in the referendum.

‘We have all the records that can be presented before any outfit or an individual doubting the results of the referendum,’ said Srivastava.

Weeding Out Corruption in India

This is something that will benefit not only India, but also those who are her partners. It's crucial for the West to understand and appreciate the monumental struggle now unfolding in India -- a critical ally in the fight for worldwide democracy, prosperity and secularism.

Why Now?

Indians from all walks of life have been the real heroes of the modern anti-corruption movement in India. However, for a long time there was virtually no national-level civil society in India -- most activity was regional, language or religion-based. Much of the media, which could have acted as a national unifier, is owned by some of the same large companies that have benefitted from the existing system. As a result, there was no real challenge to the arbitrary misuse of power.

But several things have changed since the time of Nehru. And key among them are:
Economic liberalization
Positive effects of globalization (including a growing awareness of other ways of doing things)
Increased use of English
Social Media

Economic liberalization.

Until the end of the 1980s, most of the big companies in India were run by the public sector. This large economic turnover offered equally large opportunities for the misuse of funds by the 'corporate' sector and their political overseers. (As a side note, this is the current situation in Iran, where the Revolutionary Guard runs large sectors of the economy.)

Things began to change in 1992, with the economic liberalization policy of Indian Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao. Public control of the 'commanding heights' of the economy was diluted. At the beginning, those personally closer to key government officials developed faster.

During this period of 'influence-based capitalism', many well-connected companies expanded quickly. Naturally, they also used their influence to get changes in policy that favored their businesses. The result was that the growth was often based not on business efficiencies, but on favorable policies.

Devesh Kapur, director of the Center for the Advanced Study of India at the University of Pennsylvania, describes how that affects the Indian middle class by saying: "This middle class is less about 'what the state can do for me' than 'the state is preventing me from doing what I want to do.'"

In the mid-1990s, there was a growth breakthrough in sectors unconstrained by regulations. For example, the vast regulatory system was slow to catch on to the IT sector and service industries. As a result of this blind spot, both sectors grew exponentially, and quickly became global players.

This has resulted in the creation of a new class of business people who have succeeded not through corruption, but in spite of it. While previously, industry grew through influence/corruption, the new private sector finds corruption not an asset, but a hindrance.

Positive Effects of Globalization.

This new globally competitive business sector is largely fluent in English and social mediasavvy. They see how things are being done elsewhere and want the same efficiencies and freedom from corruption at home.

And it's not just the business sector. The number of people with a vested interest in an honest system has exploded. From the newly educated middle class to those in rural areas, people are becoming aware that the local corrupt officials are part of a larger system that is smothering the country and stealing the future from their children.

Through the common use of English and technological innovations like cheap mobile phones and Internet access, a truly national Indian civil society is coming of age. It has seen that corruption is not necessary. For example, not long ago, something as simple as booking a rail ticket or flight could require a bribe. Now it can be done cleanly online. Before, getting a phone line put into a home or office took months and a pay-off. Now you can get a mobile phone and SIM card at the corner shop.

Times have changed. And, when it comes to corruption, the Indian public isn't going to take it anymore.

What now?

As understanding grows that corruption isn't fixable in a one-off solution, those who have been tracking and analyzing these issues for decades are stepping forward. On October 14th, India's newly formed Action Committee Against Corruption in India (ACACI) held its first official meeting. The Committee's core team consists of many key members of the brain trust who have been guiding the movement since the early days, and is a who's who of the anti-corruption wars.

Some of the members:

The Committee is chaired by Dr. Subramanian Swamy, a Harvard professor and former Indian government Law Minister. Firebrand Dr. Swamy has a track record of bringing to book some of the biggest political players so far caught up in the corruption scandals, including a governmentminister.

Prof R. Vaidyanathan, from the Indian Institute for Management Bangalore, has been systematically looking at the issue since the mid-1990s, producing groundbreaking research on the causes and reach of the challenge.

Journalist M. D. Nalapat wrote a series of columns in the 1970s condemning public sector illegalities and was forced to quit as editor of Mathrubhumi newspaper as long back as 1984 because of his anti-corruption coverage. When he was finally hired by the Times of India in 1989, his first story was about how the Chief Minister of Karnataka was giving away expensive land on the cheap to favorites. Another series on corruption in 1995 finally got him pushed out from theTimes, as well. Nalapat turned to academics and column writing. In a sign of the changing times, Nalapat recently returned to a staff position in journalism, becoming a columnist for the Sunday Guardian.

The Committee's objectives include analyzing, and proposing counters to, the root causes of corruption in India. A main goal is to give information to Indian civil society.

For many, social activist Anna Hazare, recently arrested and released in connection with his anti-corruption fast, has become an important symbol of the anti-corruption movement. However, there is growing concern that, in spite of his best intension, and those of his followers, his single shot solution (an anti-corruption superagency that itself, despite the best of efforts, risks becoming corrupt) may not be enough to inoculate the system from the debilitating parasite of corruption. The challenges are too complex and embedded. There is a growing need and demand for systemic solutions. Which is where the new Committee comes in.

While many brave individuals have been fighting the anti-corruption battles for a long time, they have been largely voices in the wilderness, until recently.

However, as these experts combine forces with the new wave of courageous, aware and engaged Indian civil society, there is a chance that the hold corruption has over India may start to weaken. Through the efforts of Indian civil society, India as a nation is truly coming of age.

This is something that will benefit not only India, but also those who are her partners. It's crucial for the West to understand and appreciate the monumental struggle now unfolding in India -- a critical ally in the fight for worldwide democracy, prosperity and secularism.

This is Part Two of a two part series on the roots of corruption in India, and some of what is being done to weed it out. This first part looked at causes of corruption in modern India. The second part looks at how the battle against corruption in India is being waged, and why winning that fight is critical not just for India, but also for global security.

Uttarakhand Lokayukta Bill-Will Sonia Issue 'Fatwa' To Vote For Anna's Bill Now !!??!!

Team Anna members meet the Uttarakhand Chief Minister B.C.Khanduri in Dehradun on Monday.

India’s northern hill state of Uttarakhand earlier this week became the first in the nation to establish a strong anti-graft watchdog similar to the Jan Lokpal, or people’s ombudsman, that is being pushed at the national level by Gandhian activist Anna Hazare and his team.

The anti-corruption law known as the “Uttarakhand Lokayukta Bill” was passed in the state assembly Monday and includes in its purview the chief minister and other ministers, legislators, and all government officials. It also covers the lower judiciary in the state but exempts high court judges.

The small hill state that was once a part of Uttar Pradesh is governed by India’s main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party. Passage of the law may give the BJP some advantage against the ruling Congress party in New Delhi when Parliament convenes for the winter session later this month by allowing the BJP to claim it has been actively implementing Mr. Hazare’s proposals and is serious about introducing anti-corruption measures.

Mr. Hazare rocked India with a hunger strike in August designed to pressure the government into adopting his version of anti-graft legislation. The government has said it will take up the issue in the upcoming Parliamentary session.

Uttarakhand already had a Lokayukta but it carried little power. Prakash Pant, the state’s parliamentary minister, said in an interview that the changes will “tighten the weak ombudsman institution” in the state and “go a long way in the fight against corruption.”

With the passage of the new law, the Lokayukta would no more be a single-person institution but a panel with a chairman and five to seven other members — half of whom will have a legal background, he said.

A separate committee – comprising the chief minister, the leader of the opposition, and the chief justice of the Uttarakhan High Court –that now selects the state’s Lokayukta or People’s Commissioner will be expanded to include eminent citizens and will be responsible for choosing the new Lokayukta chairman and panel members.

The Lokayukta would also have the power to recommend punishment, removal or demotion of government officials after the completion of an investigation of no longer than 12 months.

The law envisages that “for any act of corruption, the punishment shall not be less than six months of rigorous imprisonment and may extend up to ten years. In the rarest of rare cases, the punishment may be extended up to life imprisonment.”

On Wednesday, Arvind Kejriwal, Mr. Hazare’s close aide, congratulated the Uttarakhand government at a press conference in New Delhi for introducing a “comprehensive law” and said the Congress party-led government at the center should use it as a “reference point.”

The law passed by the Uttarakhand assembly requires the federal government’s approval before it becomes effective in the state.Mr. Kejriwal said they were waiting to see if the center would “supersede” the bill by enacting a “weak law” at the national level.

The move was also welcomed by India’s law minister, Salman Khurshid.“It is good Uttarakhand has passed the Lokayukta bill. Every state should pass its own bill and the center should pass the Lokpal bill,” he said at a television press conference in New Delhi Wednesday.

The new Lokayukta bill, however, has been slammed by anti-corruption advocate Avdhash Kaushal, who heads a non-governmental organization called the Rural Litigation & Entitlement Kendra in the state’s capital of Dehra Dun.

He explained the law lays down special provisions for top bureaucrats, the chief minister and legislators. For instance, all Lokayukta members must give their consent for investigations into them but not to other government officers.“Such measures are discriminatory and unconstitutional,” he said.

Sanjay Kumar, fellow at the New Delhi-based Center for the Study of Developing Societies, said the BJP is “hoping to reap electoral dividends” by coming up with legislation mirroring Mr. Hazare’s version of the anti-graft watchdog ahead of state assembly elections early next year.

“It could have a ripple-effect on the edgy political spectrum, with pressure on others to follow suit,” Mr. Kumar said.

Anna Says," Inculcate Gandhiji’s thought with technology and thus accomplish our goals"

Me and my Blog !

My Dear Sisters and Brothers,
Namaskar.  

I would like to thank Indian Express (Mr. Atikh Rashid) for showing their interest in my blog and asking me ‘How do I feel about my Blog?’

Today Information Technology has achieved great heights. One can easily see the worldwide fierce competition among them. The ever changing scenario and progress is mind-boggling. It is a matter of pride that India is not left behind. Though I am the one to give credence to Mahatma Gandhi’s school of thought I am sure if the same information and technology was available during his time he would surely have used it to the best of his advantage. Every second is important in human life and technology saves time.

Gandhiji was of the opinion that development that takes place without exploiting nature and humans is sustainable development. But development that happens through means of exploitation is absolutely unethical development.

(Information) Technology has enabled us to save on fuel and cars. Important aspect is development happening without pollution. This technology has brought the world closer. Now it is time we try to bring people close to each other. For this to happen we should inculcate Gandhiji’s thought with technology and thus accomplish our goals.

When millions of people read my thoughts on my blog I feel this is the effect of the same technology.

Jai Hind! Vande Mataram! Bharat Mata ki Jai!

Anna Hazare

RaleganSiddhi.

Goa 'HERALD' Paid News Shame: Was An Editorial Error, Says Editor Sujay Gupta !!??!!

Herald denies ‘paid news’ charge but ball in 

Press Council court now

PRAKASH KAMAT

Sujay Gupta: I will resign
than permit something
like this

Mr. Sujay Gupta denied any financial transaction occurred, saying: “I would rather resign than permit something like this.” He told The Hindu, however, that the decision to carry interviews of first- time candidates “where it looks like you are promoting a person” was an editorial error of judgment which The Herald would rectify immediately. But insisted that this was done in absolute honesty.

Armed with recordings, transcripts, emails and cuttings, Mayabhushan Nagvenkar has taken the matter of what he calls “an open and shut case” of ‘paid news' against OHeraldO of Goa to the Press Council of India.

The Press Council defines ‘paid news' as “any news or analysis appearing in any media [print or electronic] for a price in cash or kind as consideration.” Mr. Nagvenkar backs his complaint with audios and transcripts of four telephonic conversations with the Herald's marketing manager, Tulshidas Desai, recorded between October 20 and 22. The conversations, he charges, indicate that the newspaper regularly indulges in such paid political news. He also alleges that Mr. Desai could not have pushed a deal like this without the consent, “tacit or otherwise,” of the editorial leadership.

Asked for his response, Mr. Desai flatly rejected the charges and asserted he had only been talking of an “advertorial concept.” He denied ever interfering in “the editorial area.” In a statement responding to the complaint to the PCI, Herald editor Sujay Gupta emphatically denied that “any editorial content which has appeared in the Herald, without the “advertorial” tag line has been paid for.” And even said that such suggestions were “hugely defamatory.” He warns that the “Herald will respond to these allegations urgently and appropriately in a proper forum.”

Meanwhile, the Goa Union of Journalists has come out with a strong statement against ‘paid news,' noting it was “rampant in the 2007 Assembly elections.” The GUJ also “accepted Mr. Nagvenkar's contention that the sting was undertaken in the public interest and in the interest of the professional ethics.”

One point of convergence — so far, anyway: Nobody has denied the conversations or questioned the authenticity of the telephone recordings. Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Gupta described Mr. Desai's statements as “absolutely incorrect” and stated that “he has overreached himself.” He described the manager's words as “highly irresponsible” and made in a sales and marketing conversation and said the entire management and editor disassociated themselves from these. “Even if he has said it, they may claim anything, it has to ultimately pass through the editor. I will never allow any such thing to happen. It is eventually the editorial decision, where I put my foot down,” he said.

Mr. Nagvenkar, though, is combative. “Desai told me, [as Bernard Costa], that I could get a political campaign interview [15 inches by eight news columns, to be exact] in the newspaper for Rs. 86,400, and for an additional Rs. 50,000, I could be interviewed on the Herald Cable Network [HCN], the local cable news channel operated by the same media group. And assured me that none of the paid content will carry an ‘advertorial' tag.” He also points to Mr. Desai's acknowledging that Raymond D'Sa of Cortalim had paid Rs. 2 lakh for his ‘interview.'

Mr. Gupta denied any financial transaction occurred, saying: “I would rather resign than permit something like this.” He told The Hindu, however, that the decision to carry interviews of first- time candidates “where it looks like you are promoting a person” was an editorial error of judgment which The Herald would rectify immediately. But insisted that this was done in absolute honesty.

In his public statement, he also asserts that: “As Editor, my stated position both within and outside the organisation has been that paid content cannot be disguised as news.” Politicians' messages, claims of achievements and any other such information through a paid route, “we have prominently stated that they are advertorials,” said Mr. Gupta and went on to reiterate that “Editorial was not in the know of any such negotiations or discussions…”

“If the Herald has a system to channel paid content as ‘advertorials' then why does the marketing manager agree to shed the ‘advertorial' tag?” counters Mr. Nagvenkar.

In the recording, Mr. Nagvenkar can be heard telling Mr. Desai he needs some kind of written estimate or quotation to clinch the deal.

“Something yaar...so that I also have to show that somewhere no?

“Ok I'll do that,” says Mr. Desai.

An email from Mr. Desai follows. He confirms the sums of Rs. 86,400 and Rs. 50,000 for an interview in the Herald and the HCN channel respectively. Mr. Nagvenkar, posing as Bernard Costa, writes back asking for confirmation that the interview will be published in such a way that readers believe it is a news item and not an advertisement. “Once we meet in our office, we will discuss on this,” the Herald marketing manager replies, evidently wary of leaving a paper trail. Costa's answer: “Ok, ok, I will come with the cash Monday or Tuesday.”

(Courtesy: The Hindu & Prakash Kamat)

Origins of Corruption in Modern India - I

There is a revolution in India.

Individual by individual, an anti-corruption wave is growing within Indian civil society. In recent months, people from all sectors of Indian society have said 'enough is enough' and, each in their own way, are doing something about it. Some are taking to the streets, others are online, some are using the courts, others have turned to the media. The swelling wave has already washed away one government minister and is lapping at the ankles of some of the country's biggest players.

The implications are global. As the West and India work more closely together, corruption in India risks spilling over into partner systems. By cleaning up India, Indians are not only reclaiming their own country, they are making the world a more stable place. For anyone interested in lasting global security, it's important to understand how India has ended up where it is today, and what Indian civil society is fighting for.

Origins of Corruption in Modern India include:
Public sector pay and powers
The tax collecting system
Campaign financing

1. Public Sector Pay and Powers. 

When the British took over large sections of what is now India from the East India Company, the British government acknowledged that, given the vast discretionary powers of the administrators, there could be the temptation to skim from the booty. So, they put in place a system that ensured that British officials posted to India would be very well paid -- and punished for dishonesty -- in order to mitigate the urge to dip into the coffers.

When India gained Independence in 1947, Prime Minister Nehru retained the extensive powers of the British colonial administration -- including laws that gave officials the right to intervene in almost any aspect of daily life. However, at the same time, he also dramatically reduced salaries in the public sector.

The result was a system in which an enormous number of poorly paid public employees had wide-ranging opportunities to 'make a bit on the side' through administrative coercion. It was almost inevitable that corruption would start to infect the system.

For example, the average Indian policeman is paid so poorly that taking bribes is almost part of the salary structure. In 2009, the housing allowance for the head of a police station in Mumbai, one of the most expensive cities in the world, was $45 a month. To be able to afford to house themselves and their family, it is not surprising if some have resorted to taking bribes. Usually the informal 'income supplement' is limited to relatively minor cases, like a small pay-off to get out of a traffic stop, but once the rot sets in, it can spread fast and deep.

Similarly, the Indian legal system is staffed by underpaid law clerks, prosecutors and lawyers, and moves at the lethargic, erratic pace of a drunken slug. Wealthy accused can give bribes for bail or for stay orders that can last for decades or a lifetime, if necessary. As a result, the Indian legal system is a weak deterrent to crime.

The problems with the system were so obvious that when Lee Kwan Yew set up his administration in Singapore, he was careful not to replicate India's mistakes. He ensured that officials were well paid (and harshly punished for indiscretions). Currently, in Singapore, the Prime Minister earns over five times the salary of President Obama and top ministers are paid around $1million a year. Corruption is extremely low.

2. Taxation. 

In India, the situation grew even worse with Nehru's introduction of a tax scheme designed in large part by Hungarian Nicholas Kaldor. By the 1970s, the highest earners were required to pay 93.5 percent in tax. And, in some cases, the combined wealth and income taxes exceeded actual income. In many cases, it was simply not possible to survive if you paid the tax that was legally required. Combine this with the enormous discretionary powers of the tax collectors and, again, it was inevitable that tax evasion through corruption began on a massive scale.

3. Campaign financing. 

Simultaneously, a range of profitable sectors were heavily restricted by the government, including some foreign trade and the sale of liquor. The result was that by the 1960s, as in the United States during prohibition, mafia elements took control of the sectors, generating huge amounts of black money.

That illegal money started to slosh around the system, contaminating all it touched, including campaign financing. While the cost of running for office in India is astronomically high, legal spending limits for campaigns are unrealistically low. This means that many potential candidates start their political careers by having to engage in illegal activities such as forging campaign documents, securing funding from dodgy sources and owing debts to various mafias.

Once elected, this has the twin effect of leaving the newly elected politicians open to blackmail and also of having to repay the money borrowed to get into office. Through blackmail, they may be pressured into enacting legislation that favors the illegal sectors. In order to repay debts, they may use their position to extract bribes and provide favors.

Additionally, officially, politics pays very poorly and, as the politicians might only be in office for a single term, they only have those 4 years or so to secure their family's fortune and set up connections that will serve them well out of office or ensure their reelection.

If so inclined, and they use their position to generate cash, they might also use hawala networks and the like to stash their illegal money in safe havens, which then makes the politicians vulnerable not only to domestic blackmail but to the influence of international terrorist networks, as well.

As a result of all these factors and more, India is now caught in a situation where many sectors are steeped in endemic corruption, including those charged with controlling the corruption itself: from the politicians who write the laws to the police charged with enforcing it. Recently the amount of Indian black money in offshore accounts was estimated to be about $1.4 trillion.

This is Part One of a two part series on the roots of corruption in India, and what is being done to weed it out. This first part looks at causes of corruption in modern India. The second part looks at how the battle against corruption in India is being waged, and why winning that fight is critical not just for India, but also for global security. Part Two will look at the growing role of Indian civil society in fighting corruption, and why it's crucial for the West to understand the importance of the monumental struggle now unfolding in India -- a critical ally in the fight for worldwide democracy, prosperity and secularism.

Anna Hazare - Student of Gandhi VS Nation of Gandhi

Though the student of Gandhi has been fighting with the nation of Gandhi which has been transformed from a land of cultures and values to the land of greed and corruption where though the leaders wear the white but the black is still hidden in the hearts of their selfish souls.

In the time when the history of 20th century was about to be written, when the voice of Leninists was echoing around, when the world was waiting for a new villain of the mankind, the decade when sun was started to set in the all time shiny empire under the sheets of union jack.
There was one corner in the world of spices where the non violence was raging the storm of freedom bringing the nation together while encouraging the wombs to produce the sons of soil. There was a family in Bhingar village of Hinganghat in Maharashtra who was expecting the star to be born and the moment came on 15 June 1937 when Hazare couple Laxmibai Hazare and Baburao Hazare gets their future in the shape of son who would reshape 21st century India.
Kisan Baburao Hazare or Anna Hazare is a self made man born in the Gandhian era and is the only national figure of importance who knows the value of the Indian freedom and the sacrifice which it had demanded. In 1952 when his father resigned from the job and shifted to his native village Ralegan Siddhi in Ahmadnagar district of Maharashtra, his poor economic condition forced him to take up an employment while he was in seventh standard. Despite not being meeting the physical requirements he was recruited at the age of 25 emergency recruitments which were being made during Indo-China war in 1962 when the large scale of army requirements were the norms of the national importance.
He started his full fledged army career in 1963 as a driver. During 1965 Indo-Pak war he was the only survival in the convoy which was attacked in the Khem Karan sector near the border where he was posted. The incident changed his life and his mindset completely but he got his new direction from a titled of the book written by Swami Vivekananda “Call to the youth for nation building.” After 12 years of his service in Indian Army he took voluntary retirement in 1978.
He was apprised by Sainya Seva Medal, Nine Years Long Service Medal, Sangram Medal, 25th Independent Anniversary Medal, and Pashimi Star award. But who knew that this leader who had returned to his native village of Ralegan Siddhi will start a new definition of irrigation in the drought prone region where hardly a drop of water falls in rain shadow area. Where the population was living under acute poverty, but the lion had already took the charge of the battle which was about to be fought against the bureaucracy, social discrimination, and other anti social odds.
Within few years of his campaign the results were started to yield fruits in the village, from mere 75 acres of land under cultivation his campaign and innovative drip irrigation system converted 2500 acres of land under sustainable agriculture. He gives a new definition of the rain water harvesting and its irrigation usages. He encouraged youth to help in building the region into a role model for the whole nation. Millions of saplings were planted on the eroded slopes of the naked hills hence improving the environment and soil holding process to its prime.
His native village, a land where only hunger and poverty had lived since the time unknown was transformed into a prosperous fertile land of happiness where ban on alcohol, ban on tree felling, ban on grazing and volunteer labor gave the new life to the dry lands of his rural heartland into a flourishing agricultural fields. He brought the different communities together to work as one unit hence abolishing the caste system from the lives of his people.
His campaign in 1998 and 2006 forced the government to amend Gram Sabha Act and include the participation of villagers into the development and other matters concerned to their locality. This gave much needed teeth to the rural population in the country. Nevertheless, the major boon to his Gandhian philosophy came when he started the campaign for RTI ACT or Right to Information Act to fight against the growing corruption menace in the country.
Various organizations and activists came forward to support him against the government finally forcing the state to bring the RTI in 2009. This gave the power to the Indians of accessing the public information and its accounts. The benchmarking act transformed him from a mere soldier to a national leader, whom the people admire him as a modern Gandhi, who has once again showed the nation a true picture of the father of nation.
Due to this act numerous scams were exposed and many public servants and ministers were brought to trial. But the this was not enough, the hurricane was about to reach the coast of National Parliament when the doors were to be shattered with the foot falls of the general public who will show the power of a true vibrant democracy and whose sound will make the ears of corrupt cabinet deaf.
And the democracy was turned into an arena where the battle of corruption will be fought which will decide the fate of the nation
Since, the public extensively uses the weapon of RTI the curtains of corruption fallen of the records covered under the dust of scams done in the past and in the present day scenarios. This has raged the storm of this student of Gandhi who is being driving the nation against the democratic donkeys who don’t know how to rule the country and function for its people.
He first went on fast on 5th April 2011 forcing the government to present the Lokpal Bill or Anti Corruption Bill in the Parliament and within no time the effect of his fasting was showing its signs, the cabinet formed a standing committee for the review of the respective bill and call team Anna for discussing their point of view and requirements to be added into the bill but as Anna quit fasting and his storm slows down the bill matter comes into the bureaucratic jittery and the draft which was presented into the house did not include the points raised by Anna and the general public in it.
It was found later that many departments including the PMO were kept out of the jurisdiction and monitoring of Lok Pal Bill. Then the series of warnings and letter conversation took off in the air which attracted the attention of the general public and all the public figures but the ruling coalition seems to be insensitive to the matter and showed no signs of coming to the agreeable terms of Anna. As the rains sets in and the parliament of the world’s biggest democracy begins its monsoon session, the date came 28th July 2011 when Anna spokes out to PM and other government officials in public:
“Why are you (government) sending the wrong draft? We have faith in Parliament. But first send the right draft; our agitation is against government, not Parliament. The government has overlooked many points. How will it fight corruption by excluding government employees, CBI and prime minister from the Lokpal’s purview? We were told that both the drafts would be sent to the Cabinet. But only the government’s draft was sent. This is a deceitful government. They are lying. How will they run the country? Now I have no trust in this government. If it is really serious about fighting corruption, why is it not bringing government employees and CBI under Lokpal?” – Anna Hazare
But as it is very well said that there was silence before the arrival of the storm and the silence broke in the rainy afternoon of 15th August 2011 when Anna just went inside the Rajghat the Mausoleum of Mahatma Gandhi when he without warning or any official declaration or permission started fasting, seeing the great spirit alongside the another the huge crowd of visitors and supporters gathered and offered him the support, by the evening he was arrested and taken to jail where he spent 24 hours under custody but he didn’t break his fast and continued with it.
Feeling the heat of agitation and the anger of public the orders were passed for his release, from that day to till this day when this article was being written he was still fasting and the country of more than a billion heads is running on the road, protesting in front of every minister and bureaucrat to either support them or if not then resign from the service.
The path of non-violence and peace which the great philosopher and a legend Mahatma Gandhi or Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi has been risen like phoenix risen from its sleep of 100 years. This has proven once again the non violence has always been a lethal weapon against those who thinks they are powerful if they carry bullets in the ballot.
Though the student of Gandhi has been fighting with the nation of Gandhi which has been transformed from a land of cultures and values to the land of greed and corruption where though the leaders wear the white but the black is still hidden in the hearts of their selfish souls.
Though the power of ballot has changed this country a lot but the choice of ballot has always controlled the flow of prosperity for which the country has dreamt of. Once the Late PM Rajiv Gandhi had said that I am aware that the government sends 100 rupees to the public but only 15 rupees reaches the needy.
After the gap of two decades his son and a respected member of parliament Rahul Gandhi says though the government send 100 rupees but now only 10 rupees reaches the common public, but these are the hollow statements whereas the truth is even more worse general public hardly receives a single penny now these days the corruption has spread so deep into the daily working public system that even the private sectors has also fallen into the same line of practicing.
So the slow isolated campaign which was started long ago has now taken the shape of a revolution into a world’s biggest fight against corruption. It has now been proven that it is just like a second freedom struggle which is being fought on the grounds against the disease called corruption.
In his welfare career history Anna Hazare was awarded by many honors and the prominent among them are Padma Sri in 1990 and Padma Bhushan in 1992, the two being among the highest civilian awards. And most recently he was honored by World Bank in 2008 with Jit Gill Memorial Award.
The nation salutes this hero who has never asked for any monetary or social comfort but has always remained committed towards his country and his people.

Friends of Shehla Masood take her mission forward: re-file her pending applications

Three RTI Anonymous anti-corruption "Musketeers" !!!

Vinita Deshmukh

Besides re-filing 40-odd RTI applications which the late Shehla Masood had filed and the information of which was pending, her friends have recently launched a website ‘getup4change’which encourages citizens to file RTI queries anonymously under the banner of RTI Anonymous (RTIA)

Friends of the late Shehla Masood, the RTI (Right to Information) activist who was brutally assassinated, have formed www.getup4change.orgwhich also encourages citizens to file RTI queries anonymously under the banner RTI Anonymous (RTIA). The ‘getup4change’ team volunteers will perform the role of RTI applicants for citizens who want to remain anonymous.

Noted Bhopal-based RTI activist Shehla Masood had asked for information regarding expenditure of travel and stay in luxury hotelsillegally borne by the state government of 12 serving High Court Judges who attended the wedding of the son of Principal Secretary (law) Ashok Kumar in December 2010. At the time of her death, this application was pending.

In short, documents uploaded on the website reveal that Rajendra Prasad Mishra, Deputy Secretary, has been convicted in this matter as hospitality was provided to the 12 judges flouting the protocol of the state government’s hospitality rules. Chief Justice of Rajasthan Arun Mishra did not attend the wedding but his wife was the beneficiary of her husband’s official privileges, thus illegally giving her the status of a state guest.Payment to Hotel Noor-Us-Sabah Palace Bhopal from the State Treasury was made in the name of Justice Arun Mishra although he was absent for the wedding; various other hotels and transport agencies were also paid for felicitations and transport of these judges, flouting norms for state guests. The scandal has serious implications as the Chief Minister is personally involved since it was at the behest of his office’s orders that the expenditure was approved.

Ritesh Singh, one of the three founders, is a third-year B Tech student of IIT-Kharagpur and sat for all the 12 days on fast with Anna Hazare at the Ramlila Grounds. He has so far filed around 100 RTI applications and is a veteran amongst the three founders in RTI activism. He said, “Shehla Masood was brutally murdered on 16th August 2011, as she sat in her car on her way to Boat Club in Bhopal to fast with Anna Hazare for the Jan Lokpal Bill. The bullet pierced her… turning this Tigress, as she was known among her close friends and who was a deadly cocktail for the corrupt, into a harmless corpse.”

Then quickly correcting himself, Ritesh said, “Did I say “harmless”? No. Shehla Masood has made her point most forcefully in her death. A group of her close friends have pledged to not let this victimisation of social reformers continue any further. They have decided to punish the people who killed her, in a novel way. While the investigation has been disappointing so far, this group of her friends has decided to re-file her 40-odd pending RTI applications to trouble exactly those who wanted to silence her because they didn’t want to reply to her pending RTI applications.”

Shehla’s group of friends who are passionate about keeping her memory alive by carrying on her work of exposing the corrupt include people from varied backgrounds. Anand Sharma, Senior Engineer at Seagate Technology in Colorado, US, steers the team enthusiastically from there. He said, “Shehla was Ritesh’s close friend and both used to do RTI activism together. Ritesh and Shehla had envisaged a slightly different service named ‘RTI Leaks’ which was planned to be a one-stop source for all RTI-related exposés throughout India. While the plan was materialising, Shehla attained martyrdom.

“After about one month of activism through our Facebook pagehttps://www.facebook.com/JusticeForShehlaMasood and other initiatives, we noticed that people who dared to stand up against corruption were being victimised. We thought RTI Anonymous (RTIA) is one solution that would hopefully reduce this issue to a significant extent. After several brainstorming sessions between three of us that is, Ritesh Singh, Avnish Singh (who is an IT entrepreneur and) I, we decided to launch the websitewww.getup4change.org through which we would implement the idea of RTIA.”

The RTIA was formed on 15th October and its activities are visible through the website www.getup4change.org. Mr Sharma said, “We have had an overwhelming response from people and it was highly motivating to see that they started believing us and putting their faith in our organisation.” They already have near to 150 RTI requests and the number is growing by the day.

Vinita Deshmukh is consulting editor of Moneylife. She is also an RTI activist and convener of the Pune Metro Jagruti Abhiyaan. She can be reached at vinitapune@gmail.com

10 things you may like to know about ex-IRS officer Arvind Kejriwal

 

ONE of Team Anna Hazare’s key aides, Arvind Kejriwal, was an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer who worked as Additional Commissioner of Income Tax inDelhi before opting for a quiet exit of his high profile government job. A crusader for stringent anti-corruption laws in India now, Kejriwal once met Mother Teresa in Kolkata and worked for her for two months. He started his NGO Parivartan informally even when he was in the Income-Tax department. Here are 10 things you may like to know about Kejriwal, a Ramon Magsaysay Award winner and a confidante of Anna Hazare.

1. Hailing from Haryana, 43 year-old Kejriwal is an engineer from IIT-Kharagpur.
2. Worked for the Tata Group before joining Indian Revenue Service in 1995.
3. Before leaving the Tata and joining the IRS, he met Mother Teresa who asked him to work at Kalighat in Kolkata. Kejriwal worked for Mother Teresa for two months.

Spot Kejriwal: IRS officers of 1995 batch 

4. He also traveled inside Bodoland of Assam when militancy was at its peak.
5. Kejriwal thought he would be a misfit in the IRS service, but did not leave the job immediately.
6. Started his NGO Parivartan informally even when he was an Income Tax officer. Received Rs 50,000 donation from his relatives to begin the process. The idea was to appeal people that “don’t pay bribe in the tax department, get your work done through Parivartan”.
7. Won the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership in 2006.
8. Played a key role in lobbying for the Right To Information Act passed.
9. Kejriwal’s wife Sunita is also an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer. They have two children.10. He lives at Kaushambi in Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh. It’s just at the outskirts of Delhi.

School of Thought: More schools may come up in corrupt bureaucrats' houses in Bihar

The IAS officer's confiscated house at Bailey Road, Patna 

Students enjoy the spoils of suspended babu – is what one of the national dailies gave a headline to Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s politically brilliant idea of converting suspended 1981 batch IAS Shiv Shankar Verma’s Patna mansion into a school for Dalit children. As children were puzzled to find a new environment, a three-story house with marbles from Rajasthan and furnished with expensive interiors, Bihar chief minister was reportedly “excited” over the development and vowed to humiliate more corrupt bureaucrats in this innovative fashion.

With 16 more such cases of confiscation in the pipeline, the question is whether Bihar CM would succeed in creating more such schools.
Meanwhile, Verma has reportedly moved the Supreme Court, challenging Patna high court order of August 19, 2011, upholding the confiscation of his property under the provisions of Bihar Special Courts Act, 2009. Originally hailing from UP, Verma has been under suspension from July 2007 after Special Vigilance Unit raided his place and assets worth about Rs 1.4 crore were unearthed.
According to media reports, 361 of 3,321 primary schools in Patna district alone do not have buildings of their own. Armed with a new legislation, chief minister Kumar said he would like to see more schools run from palatial buildings of corrupt government officials.
As Kumar’s earlier move of keeping bureaucrats’ list of properties in public domain forced the Centre to do the same for its own officers, it remains to be seen whetherNew Delhi too comes up with a better idea of what to do with confiscated properties of corrupt bureaucrats.