See-sawing through the political quagmire- Anna Hazare and his team stridently undemocratic in approach- Johnson Thomas

There is no doubting that the anti-graft crusade received a shot in the arm after all the varying segments of dissenting voices, the so-called pro-people forces(Medha Patkar, Awami Agnivesh, Kiran Bedi, Arjun Kejriwal, Prashant and Shanti Bhushan, Baba Ramdev, IAC et al), came together for Anna's Hazare's clarion calling crusade against corruption but the honeymoon seems to be over.After the Baba Ramdev fiasco came the Ram Lila show of strength but that victory was taken to be representative of the whole nation when in actuality that voice did not even constitute 1/1000th of the population of our country. Sailing on that victory Anna continued his strident obscurantist demands and his henchmen and women who would otherwise have backed away only prostrated their support. Sense had become a casualty and jingoism and radical positioning began to take over what seemed like the campaign of the century. The Mumbai segment of the campaign which followed the government's tabling of the Lokpal bill only seemed to magnify the distance between the people and Anna and his team. It was becoming loud and clear that Anna's team member's misdemeanors, confrontational attitude and critique only of the government when all parties were equally responsible for blocking the bill's passage,( making it even more evident) that Anna's whole campaign appears to be motivated to destabilise the government more than to pass the Lokpal legislation. The interference in local politics and vote-mongering for the opposition BJP in the Hissar bypolls only made it more and more difficult for the biased campaign to survive. Then came Anna's illness, leaving no one else (trust-worthy enough)to assume the leadership role and the campaign totally lost it's footing.

Anna's constant threats against the government and his attempts to fracture the mandate in the election bound states clearly point to him being misguided and misled by advisors who now seem to think they have the power to make the government crawl. The government may not be lily white and pure but it has definitely shown that it can take action against the corrupt. The number of ministers in jail is ample proof of that fact.It's another thing that Anna and his cronies refuse to recognise that indelible fact preferring to pillory the Government while praising opposition parties and leaders responsible for national disintegration. Anna's voice is also becoming inconsistent. One day he advocates beating up of alcoholics and politicians and the other day he claims he never advocated violence.I happened to be on the media team covering the premier of 'Gali Gali Chor hain' produced by Nitin Manmohan, directed by Rumi Jafry and starring Akshaye Khanna, Shreya Saran and Mugda Godse- held in his village Ralegaon Siddhi. It was obviously a PR exercise by the producers but what surprised me more was the manner in which Anna and his henchmen rule the village. The film had to undergo unnecessary cuts in keeping with Anna's sensibilities. As a result the experience was pretty dissatisfying with the narrative appearing choppy and lacking in finesse.During his address to the people of the village and the assembled press persons he voiced his oft-repeated sentiments hoping for committed participation from the youth in cities, supporting his campaign. He claimed he understood their preoccupation with family and work and hoped they would reassess their priorities after watching the film. In his hamlet Ralegoan Siddhi Anna is more or less regarded a despot of sorts. He and the sarpanch Jaisingh Mapari, lord it over the villagers curbing their individual freedom (going against constitutional provisions and individual human rights). TV serials are a strict no-no , alcohol is prohibited and so is smoking. Anyone caught indulging in any of the above mentioned vices would not only be flogged(in case of alcohol) but also have to pay a hefty unheard of fine.The man who has the inside connection to Anna, his secretary, is rude and pretty much arrogant. The people there are even afraid to voice their fears of him. Despite his humiliation in Mumbai, Anna continues to spurt venom on the government. So in a way Anna and his team are no different from the other strident and violent segments of society that have since become political formations and use fear as the key to gain a foothold in the Government , be it at the state level or the central level. Anna and his team also seem most likely to adopt that approach now given their failure in the more democratic approach!

Johnson Thomas

The CSF white-paper on religious ethnic cleansing in Kashmir

The CSF "White Paper" compiled by Joseph Dias General Secretary, The CSF +91 9769 55 56 57 Religious Ethnic Cleansing in Kashmir Sinister hate campaign against Christians There can be only one Supreme Court in India Suspected connivance of the state government The CSF SOS as Kashmiri Christians flee to become extinct Character Assassination & Danger to Rev. CM Khanna & family The CSF SOS: Churches of all denominations (internationally & nationally), Christians of all hues and colours, human and minority rights NGOs and civil society - please do your bit by getting in touch with the Union & State governments to act on the near annihilation of Christians and the community's presence in the Kashmir valley. Speak-up against the police and fundamentalist terror suffered by priests - Rev. CM Khanna, Fr. Jim Borst Mill Hill Missionary - besides other Christians and their families, whose lives are in danger - NOW - being stuck in the Kashmir Valley. Christians in the Kashmir Valley face persecution from a hostile neighbour, local Islamic communalists, fundamentalist courts, extremists/terrorists, biased police and local administration, paralyzed judicial system, a state government which has decided it cannot act and a union government that desperately needs to look at the situation more seriously - for its wide national and international ramifications. So to whom does the Kashmir Valley Christian go to for survival? Salutations & Acknowledgements The CSF and our man in J & K, Predhuman K Joseph Dhar (Kashmiri Pandit convert, a noted educationist, scholar and journalist who translated the Bible into Kashmiri) for this "White Paper" has relied heavily on inputs by the persecuted victims first-hand, their families, media coverage, internet, etc. The information provided from the fact-finding team led by Dr. HT Sangliana and comprising Dr. John Dayal, Dr. Richard Howell, Adv. Rev. PJ Marcose and Rev. Vijayesh Lal helped. Special mention must also be made of the noteworthy services rendered by Nicodemus (President, All J&K Christian United Federation), Dr. Sajan K. George (GCIC), SM Gill (ex MLC), Adv Monish Chopra (Jammu HC), Ms. Jyoti Agarwal (Supreme Court), Feastus Sotra (V Chairman, All J&K Christian United Federation) & a couple of others who are standing in the gap, to ensure the safety of Rev. Khanna and other victims. The CSF Urgent Recommendations 1. The Church is called to specially pray for the persecutors and the persecuted God's intervention. 2. The union & state governments must ensures the safety of Rev. CM Khanna and dozen converts 3. The Supreme Court of India must take suo moto cognizance of the existence of another SC in J&K 4. Extra - constitutional Sharia Courts are a parallel judicial system & their jurisdiction must be defined. 5. The union home ministry must take note of Muslims taking on Christians in other parts of the country. 6. The moderate Muslim leadership, human & minority rights NGOs and secular civil society must speak-up. 7. The J & K situation must not affect the minority rights movement, where all are unanimous against Hindutva. 8. Fatwas or complaints by / against believers of any faiths is unhealthy for secularim and needs to be avoided. Chilling reports from Jammu & Kashmir valley - Christians flee & reduced to half The Catholic-Christian Secular Forum (CSF) expresses shock and serious concern at the concerted campaign against Christians in Jammu & Kashmir (J & K), calling upon the union and state government to act immediately to counter the threat from Islamic fundamentalists and prevent total annihilation of Christians in the Kashmir Valley. Reports received by The CSF from the Kashmir valley indicate that a large number of Christians are fleeing their houses, fearing danger of en mass killings and are now less than half in number. This has happened over the last couple of days, when the mass media highlighted false reports of Christians converting Muslims, alluring them with money, alcohol, women, passports… And even asking them to drink swine's blood. Trumped up charges, repeated ad nasuem in cases where Christian martyrs have been framed, which is enough for fundamentalists to unleash a reign of mass terror, with none to help. Special status is granted to J & K under Article 370 of the Constitution of India and many Indian institutions have no jurisdiction here. Laws passed by the Union Parliament are not applicable to the State of Jammu and Kashmir unless the State Cabinet requests for their extension to the state to the President of India. The State has its own Penal code, called the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), not the Indian Penal Code. The State also reportedly has its own constitution and flag Even worse are reports of raids conducted on houses of Christians or those who are believed converted and their families being threatened with dire consequences and a socio-economic boycott in place. Thus starving the Christians, severely compounded with a freezing winter, and leaving them with no refuge, but to fall sick and die. Most of the 400 odd Christians living in the valley now face the same persecution that Kashmiri Pandits and Sikhs faced in 1990s, when they were forcibly exiled from the Kashmir valley en mass. The persecution of Christians this time, started after the "Supreme Court of Islamic Shariet", headed by Kashmiri Grand Mufti, (head cleric) Bashir-ud-din Ahmad's verdict demands the punishment and expulsion of 5 missionaries, besides ordering a take-over of Christian schools, where Islamic studies should be taught and stating that there would be no more baptisms in the valley of Kashmir. Thus the concern for the safety of all Christians in Kashmir, especially the missionaries, their families and the new believers, who have been baptized. 23 year ago: 19, January, 1990 - Pundits & Christians of Pundit Origin flee Now it is termed as Holocaust Day by the Kashmiri Pandits and Christians of Kashmiri Pandit origin, who on 19 January 1990, over 23 years ago, had to flee their homes. This year on the same date, the "Supreme Court of Islamic Shariet" in multiple fatwas (edicts) called for the expulsion of 5 Christian missionaries, taking over Christian schools and institutions and even worse, launching a mass hate campaign against Christians through maulanas in mosques, mass media and more effectively word of mouth. Here is what happened way back then - Between 1989 and 1992, the majority of Kashmiri Pundits and Christians of Kashmiri Pundit origin were forced out of their homes by the Islamist terrorists. Men were murdered, women were raped, property was destroyed and threats were issued. It was made clear to them that they were no longer welcome in Kashmir, as they professed a different faith, from the one professed by terrorists. 4,00,000 Kashmiri Pandits and Christian families of Kashmiri Pandit origin fled because they feared for their lives in an exodus that was a microcosm of the Partition’s flood of refugees. Some believed that this was a temporary phase – exactly as many refugees had believed during Partition – and that when the violence was over, they could return to their homes and resume their lives. Alas - this was a doomed hope. The ones who did dare go back were instantly shot dead labeling them as state informers. And as for the others, there was less and less to go back to. Their homes were forcibly occupied and taken over by strangers. Their shops were looted. Their businesses were closed down. And in many cases – in what must count as the greatest tragedy – the exiles found that their neighbors had profited from their absence and actively opposed their return. This is exactly what is happening to the 200 odd Christians in the Kashmir valley Despite persecution, it was estimated that there were over 400 Christians left in the valley, but sources say that as of date - about half the number have fled, leaving the remaining half to fend for themselves. One cannot blame those who have left, as torture is imminent - where you either recant or die. But we need to rush to the aid of those left behind and most of all Rev. CM Khanna of the Church of North India (CNI) and Fr. Jim Borst, a Dutch Catholic priest, besides the believed converts and their families, living underground. For them and the 200 odd Christians of the valley, it is less an issue of religious liberty or freedom of faith. It is more about preparing to be martyred for their belief in Jesus Christ - as the early Christians did. It is mobocracy. It is theocracy in a secular democracy. But what is worse is, being J & K, the situation is even more complex - even if one wants to we can do nothing as - politicians blame it on a delicate situation, civil society refuses to take a stand, secular Muslims won't speak up, the Christian leadership wants to be politically correct and a few voices in the desert find writ of the government just doesn't run or there is lack of political will. So what does one who feels strongly about it do - send out an SOS on behalf of the silent majority of Indians and freedom of religion and human rights loving activists, to do whatever each of us can to save the Christians in peril. Ground Zero realities: Rev. Khanna & other victims - Persecution as never before It seems the complete annihilation of Christians at least from the Kashmir valley, is a stark harsh reality, at least unless YOU ACT, which is why The CSF presents the ground reality - 1. False cases, frenzy zealots & rumours The police under pressure from the "Supreme Court of Islamic Shariet", which is an extra-constitutional authority with no official legal sanction, has registered false cases trumped-up under sections 153A and 295A, for spreading hatred between communities, etc. These cases have been forged upon the missionaries and Christians without an shred of evidence. There is always the eminent danger of even more serious charges being added to cover their guilt. The fundamentalists are given a free hand and operate with impunity targeting Christians individually, if they don't revert to Islam. The mass media put out stories of those who recanted, which has added fuel to the fire. These reverts make all kinds of false allegations, like being lured and seduced with various enticement, in-fact they were made to drink swine blood and converted to Christianity. Rev. Khanna was told that he was being protected by the police, but he was arrested on a Saturday and kept in illegal confinement and refused bail for many days. Mrs. Kanta Khanna is publicly accused of proselytizing by enticement and is being moved out of the state as she is gravely ill and in a state of shock. 2. Hostile legal and official state machinery The Bar Association and the judiciary allegedly also did not live up to expectations. It was reported that a notice outside the court urged all lawyers to boycott Rev. CM Khanna and mentioned, if any one even assisted, they would be thrown out of Bar Association, would be asked to stop practicing and will be responsible for the "consequences". Not only did the Bar Association announce that they would not defend him, but members of the local Bar disturbed the proceedings of the court. When the judge found that there is nothing in the case, and after the arguments, he was about to give bail, about 25 lawyers started shouting that if bail is given, there will be strike by advocates and Kashmir will be closed. There is no local official, no lawyer, no notary, no typist, no stationary, no photocopying machines etc. available to the missionaries and the converts. The "Supreme Court of Islamic Shariet" has also requested the Sr. Superintendent of Police in Srinagar to ensure that a list of Muslims baptised by Rev. CM Khanna reaches it, as soon as possible. 3. Christian schools and institutions targeted The Tyndel Biscoe School has just 4 Christian students out of over 7,000 including the girls wing. The Burn House Catholic School, has 3 students out of over 2,000 and the same is true of also the faculty, where Christians are negligible. All Christian schools are ordered to teach Islam and daily prayers written by Syed Mohammad Iqbal should also be sung in the morning, the Islamic authorities say. The Sharia Court also ordered that Muslims be placed on the managing committees of the Christian school and their opinions sought before acting. No one denied an unconfirmed report that a Christian student was beaten up and that Christians schools encourage drug addiction and a permissive lifestyle among children. Pamphlets and handbills are reportedly circulated asking students not to recite prayers, calling God - one's Father, as it goes against the tenets of Islam, which does not mention God to be so. There is a view that some influential Muslim businesspersons involved with education, fear the Christian institutions, which offer quality education at fair fees and want to either get them out of the competition or control them by being on the management or taking over these institutions. 4. Christians are soft targets with no support For many people, Christians are soft targets for politicians, extremist groups and other vested interests and the bogey of conversions is a handy tool to achieve their selfish ends. Most of the time, conversions are used by the opposition and the ruling parties to score points over each other - with Christians caught in between. No political party or group has spoken in favor of the Christians, since they are politically inconsequential and economically backward in the state. Whipping up anti-Christian sentiments is the fastest ticket to gaining popularity, with many a minion fundamentalist, especially those influenced by 'Wahabism', taking potshots at will. All those who have converted have done so, knowing fully well the consequences and reportedly buckle down only under extreme torture and pressure, for there is no one to hear their cry. But there are enough numbers of those who are prepared to die for Christ - the issue is should we let them? 5. Muslims well organized to protect the faith Noted clergyman & Hurriyat Conference chief, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq recently launched a well networked multi-faceted Majlis Tahafuz-e-Imaan (Committee for Protection of Faith) to "thwart nefarious designs of pervasive forces and the deep-rooted conspiracy of making youth apostate and defectors by giving them concessions and benefits secretly". It aims to make people "aware of missionary tactics and this would be exposed before public to safeguard Imaan (faith) of our brethren". The website (www.tahafuzeiman.org) further adds "Though the fundamental goal for this organization is to thwart catastrophic missionary activities however it cannot dissociate itself from immunizing its own people with injections of Quran and Authentic Sunnah. These are noble ideals and one must stand up for one's belief. However, the fear is that such advocacy can well be misused at the lower level, with little control or machinery to check the abuse in the name of protecting the faith, including taking law into one's hand. Imams (clerics) at the Friday prayer gathering preach against apostasy, mentioning Christians and with one even referring to a Korean couple to be targeted next. 6. Persecution history of death, churches burnt & mayhem There have been instances of Christians killed and property destroyed mysteriously, even until recently, besides dozens facing grievous inquiries, but here is the track record of over 20 years that cannot be denied. Christians in the Kashmir Valley have faced the fundamentalist wrath earlier. One was when it was alleged that the Alaska Mosque was desecrated by the Israelis in the mid-sixties Arab-Israeli war and the Catholic Church of the Holy Family in the heart of Srinagar at Maulana Azad Road was set ablaze. Another, when a book titled Book of Knowledge was discovered from the Government Degree College (Anantnag) in the early seventies and the All Saints Church, Srinagar was ransacked, set ablaze and copies of the Holy Bible desecrated. In November 2006, a convert from Islam, Bashir Ahmed Tantray, was shot dead by Islamist extremists in Baramullah district. Recently The All Saints Church was burnt again and in September 2010, Muslim mobs burned a school and a church in Tanmarg district. On 26 February 2011, a school run by a Christian family was burnt. Among the other schools torched by extremists are The Tyndale Biscoe School (Tangmarg), The Good Shepherd School (Pulwama), etc 7. Hundred percent Muslim Kashmir – Christian dilemma in J & K India will soon have a 100 percent Muslim Kashmir region, since returning back to their homes for the Kashmiri Pandits, Sikhs and now Christians is impossible, given no political will and hostile conditions. The government's inaction both at the state and federal level is greater cause for worry, as Christians in the valley are left at the mercy of the fundamentalists and allowed to perish. The non-existence of even a superficial state minorities commission or an effective human rights / women / child commissions, makes it even more difficult for the truth or the exact impact of persecution to be brought to light. The National Minorities Commission which visited J & K along with a fact finding team has been able to do little. It placed on record though that they found no evidence of force or fraud in baptisms. The government has not been able to quickly investigate the allegations made against the Christians and publicize its findings to prevent rumours from gaining currency and set the matter to rest. No relief of any kind from the administration has been received by the victims, nor is there any hope of it. The government calls these refugees or internally displaced persons migrants to deny them any assistance. Democracy, Federalism, Secularism, Harmony & Minority Rights at Stake The union and state government must take a firm stand on the issue, as it has wide repercussions for the country and its citizens as a whole. On the altar of sacrifice, in case of mishandling of J & K issue is the very existence of India as a secular and democratic federation. The minorities are already facing a common enemy in terms of a belligerent and violent Hindutva saffron brigade and are reeling under attacks - both direct and subtle. A further division among minorities, who are united all over the country will only be to the advantage of communal forces. Fundamentalism of by any faith needs to be condemned and the rule of law in the land must prevail, not that of might is right. This is especially true for present-day India, which is looking at taking its rightful place as a world superpower. Fr. Jim Borst - Serving J & K for 50 years Rev. Father Jim Borst, Mill Hill Missionary Catholic Priest has been serving the valley since August 1963. He has established two schools under the name and style of Good Shepherd's Mission School - one each at Pulwama and Shiv Pora in the Kashmir Valley. His school at Pulwama was bombed twice by the terrorists and was later set ablaze. The Christian schools have been functioning in the valley since the 19 th Century and have been rendering yeoman's services in the valley.. Tyndale Biscoe School was established in 1865 and St. Joseph's School, Baramulla in 1905 followed by the Burn Hall School, Srinagar in 1954 and Presentation Convent School, Srinagar in early 40s. Besides this the Mill Hill Missionaries had established Cambrigde school and a college too. Juan Marcos Troia, an Argentinian football coach In 2009, Juan Marcos Troia, an Argentinian football coach (star of the documentary, 'Inshallah Football') credited with reviving football in Kashmir has been questioned by the state football association about the funding for his clubs, is now the target of a whisper campaign. Fundamentalists are ratcheting up religious mobilization. His house vandalized, Marcos is now running around asking cops for help. "We have to fend for ourselves," says his dejected wife, Priscilla. Predhuman K Joseph Dhar's Remarks Not all Muslims are terrorists, most of them want to live in peace. But today the situation is so exacerbated that anyone who speaks of Muslim extremism or Islamic terrorism is considered Islamophobic or racist. Hence, no one is willing to stand against the abuses on the minority Hindu Pandits and now Christians in J & K. Why is the government giving all its attention to the Kashmiri Islamists? The answer is: It’s not because they are Kashmiris; it is because they are they know the best way of getting you to listen is to threaten or use violence. Plant a few bombs, hijack the odd plane, mastermind a massacre or two, and suddenly, those in power will beat a path to your door. There will be negotiations, peace talks, and conciliatory proposals and finally, you will get some measure of "justice", according to you. But the Kashmiri Pandits and now Christians are decent, educated people who have always eschewed violence and who, in the face of grave provocation, have never resorted to attention-seeking terrorism. Instead, they have put their faith in Indian democracy, hoping that politicians will recognize that injustice has been done to them and offer some recompense. Sadly, we have failed them. Nobody pays any attention to their cause. Politicians do not regard them as electorally significant enough to merit any concern. As for the rest of the world, when global conferences are held on tension in South Asia and on finding solutions to the Kashmir problem, the Kashmiri Pandits and now Christians don’t even get a mention. They are the invisible people, too uncomplaining to matter and too decent to count for anything. The least we can do is pray for them and support any person or NGO like The CSF, which has taking up their cause.

Healing the wounds, Intercivilizational dialogue, WIsdom Foundation

Healing the Wounds Mumbai (India) - The World Institute of Islamic Studies for Dialogue, Mediation, Gender and Peace (WISDOM) Foundation has organized a debate on an important issue. Wisdom Foundation is dedicated to the cause of non-violence, peace-building, conflict transformation, harmonious co-existence and harmonious service. Titled HEALING THE MEMORIES: AN ALTERNATIVE PARADIGM FOR AN INTER-CIVILIZATIONAL DIALOGUE, the event perhaps for the first time gathered half a dozen diplomats of different countries posted in Mumbai for talk on the crucial global concern of fight against terrorism and closing the chasms. Joined them in the dialogue were some of India’s leading intellectuals. Explaining the purpose and scope of this dialogue, Dr Zeenat Shaukat Ali, founder-director of WISDOM Foundation said: “The idea is see how we can close our clashes and live in harmony despite social, cultural and historical differences. Visibility of political tension and increasing alienation along civilizational and cultural-religious lines makes it all the more important to reflect upon the need for entering into a dialogue.” Explaining the importance of such a rare meet where a number of diplomats are scheduled to share their views on how the idea of engagement and mediation can be taken to the next level. “The central challenge for the development of strategies that can promote goodwill, moderation and commonalities among cultures and civilizations would play a significant role. The media could be invoked to spread the message,” she said. It is against this backdrop that the media both print and electronic are humbly requested to cover the event and spread the word that culturally we might be different from our neighours, but we all are first human beings. Dr Shaukat Ali who is an eminent Islamic scholar and peace and human rights activist has been at the forefront of bringing change, especially among Indian Muslims, through her lectures and writings. She has been able to rope in a number of diplomats and scholars as participants who presented their papers on different interesting topics in the event whose names are as follow: HE Mr. Peter D Haas, Honourable Consul General U. S. Department of State in Mumbai HE Dr.Leopold-Theodor Heldman, Honourable Consul General, Federal Republic of Germany in Mumbai. HE Mr. Chung Ying LIN, Honourable Consul General of the Republic of Singapore in Mumbai. HE Mr. M. Hatimi Abas, Honourable Consulate General of Malaysia in Mumbai. HE Mr Salem Al Khaledi, Honourable Consul General for the State of Kuwait in Mumbai Dr Cemal Usak, Secretary General, Inter Cultural Dialogue Forum, Writers and Journalists Association, Turkey Professor Ram Puniyani, Peace activist and member, Advisory Board, Wisdom Foundation. Dr. Asgharali Engineer, Islamic scholar and member, Advisory Board, Wisdom Foundation

The geeta johri issue

Geeta Johri matter Posted by: "Amitabh Thakur" amitabhth@yahoo.com amitabhth Wed Jan 18, 2012 8:03 am (PST) Friends, Recently a news came which said that the Rajkot police registered and then arrested arrested the executive editor, reporter and photographer of a leading vernacular daily, Divya Bhaskar, that had recently published a photograph of Rajkot Police Commissioner Geetha Johri partying on New Year’s eve. The paper was accused of “manipulating” news allegedly to increase readership. The complaint filed by Malaviyanagar Police Inspector S K Rai said the two reporters and the photographer had “gatecrashed” a private party, taken photographs of a couple in a manner that the images appeared obscene and published them alongside a photo of Johri and her husband. The caption of the photographs further questioned the propriety of Johri’s presence at the party.Batwa maintains that neither was the party private nor its venue. He said the party was organised at Neel City Club, for which passes were sold, and that his staffers were carrying entry passes.Geeta Johri has called the publication of her photo a breach of privacy. She had said that she and her family were invited to the party along with other IAS and IPS officers and she had asked the newspaper’s staff not to take her pictures. Johri had also said that her photo and an unrelated one of a couple dancing intimately were clubbed together to give the party “an obsence touch”. My wife Nutantook this matter further to know that this FIR No 6/2012 was registered under sections447, 341, 509, 323, 500, 501, 502, 109, 292and120B IPC. She talked to the complainant, S K Rai, who said that though he had got the FIR registered but he would not speak a single word beyond this. Nutan has written letters to the Home Minister, Government of India and Chief Minister, Gujarat to get this matter enquired. There could be more than one opinion on this issue and hence I present this letter for your perusal and kind comments on the entire issue- Amitabh Thakur Lucknow # 94155-34526 To, Sri P Chidambaram, The Home Minister, Government of India, New Delhi Subject- Enquiry and strict action against Ms Geeta Johri, IPS officer from Gujarat presently working as Police Commissioner, Rajkot Sir, This is to inform you that as per the information coming from Media, a completely false FIR No 6/2012 under sections447, 341, 509, 323, 500, 501, 502, 109, 292and120B IPC has been registered by Sri Sanjay Kumar, Inspector of Police Station Malviy Nagar, Rajkot (Gujarat) against three media-persons Sri Kana Batwa (editor), Sri Aniruddh Nakum (reporter) and Sri Prakash Ravrani (phtographer) belonging to Gujarati daily Divya Bhaskar daily. As per the information, this FIR was registered at the instigation of Ms Geeta Johri, IPS, the present Police Commissioner of Rajkot. The reason for getting this FIR registered was that her photo in a dancing pose at a New Year eve party at Neel City Club, Rajkot was taken and later published in the Rajkot edition of the Gujarati daily Divya Bhaskar. The three media persons were later arrested and released after much delay despite grant of bail by the competent Court. Institute for Research and Documentation in Social Sciences (IRDS), a Civil society working in the field of Human rights strongly condemns this gross violation of Human Rights by the Rajkot police on the illegal orders of Ms Geeta Johri. We strongly feel that the FIR registered for publishing a photo of Ms Johri dancing in a Party and another photo on its side with a young couple standing near each other is a completely illegal and undemocratic. Other than various sections related with Defamation (500, 501, 502 of IPC), even offence of criminal trespass (447 IPC), illegal detention (341 IPC), voluntary causing hurt (323 IPC) and criminal conspiracy (120B IPC) have been included in a simple act of taking a photo in dancing pose and publishing it. This act taking a photo in dancing pose and publishing it is not at all criminal in any way. What is equally serious is that Ms Johri did not get the FIR registered herself but forced one of her subordinate officers to register an FIR. One fails to understand why shall Mr Sanjay Kumar get adversely affected by a photograph of her dancing Police Commissioner? If a proper enquiry is conducted in this matter, it will be found out that the the party was almost like a public gathering where many persons had assembled and were eating, dancing and making merry. Thus, if some photographer went there and took photographs of Ms Geeta Johri, Police Commissioner and published it in their newspaper, it cannot be considered as being a crime of any sort. On the other hand, registering such a serious crime for this act is definitely illegal. It is also a clear-cut case of abuse of power and is a serious act against the freedom of Press in our democratic nation. Hence we request you to get the matter enquired immediately and to take strict action against IPS officer Ms Geeta Johri for this illegal act of extreme highhandedness. Lt No- IRDS/Geeta/01 Yours, Dt- 18/-01/2012 (Dr Nutan Thakur) Secretary, IRDS, 5/426, Viram Khand, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow # 94155-34525 Copy- Sri Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat, Gandhinagar for getting an enquiry conducted and taking necessary action in this matter Back to top Reply to sender | Reply to group | Reply via web post Messages in this topic (2) 4b. Re: Geeta Johri matter Posted by: "Amitabh Thakur" amitabhth@yahoo.com amitabhth Wed Jan 18, 2012 8:03 am (PST) Friends, I present a write-up of my wife Dr Nutan Thakur on the Geeta Johri- Divya Bhaskar event. At the same time,there is also a request to provide the contact details (phone number, email etc) of Sri Kana Batwa (editor), Sri Aniruddh Nakum (reporter) and Sri Prakash Ravrani (phtographer) working at the Rajkot office of the Gujarati daily Divya Bhaskar daily, so that she might pursue the matter further. http://bhadas4media.com/article-comment/1900-2012-01-18-10-51-50.html Amitabh Thakur # 94155-34526 amitabhth@yahoo.com, amitabhthakurlko@gmail.com Back to top Reply to sender | Reply to group | Reply via web post Messages in this topic (2)

More women working on farms than men

More women working on farms as men migrate Posted by: "Sheetal - Karmayog" info@karmayog.org Thu Jan 19, 2012 12:24 am (PST) More women working on farms as men migrate....Ruchira Singh Private companies venturing into agriculture have to factor in that more women than men are working on Indian farms, shows a new study. "It is not a great mystery," said Hans Binswanger-Mkhize, a professor at China Agricultural University in Beijing, who conducted a study on transforming agriculture with a vision for the year 2039. "Women have child-caring and household duties so they choose to be at the farm." While the overall farm workforce in India is on the decline as mechanization and a shift to non-labour-intensive farming has set in, the male labour force is declining faster as men in the villages are opting for salaried jobs or migrating to cities and towns for better opportunities, said Binswanger-Mkhize. India will see a rapid expansion of food demand by 2039 as economic growth will have ushered in affluence, and agricultural growth rates will need to be faster than the targeted 4% to meet that demand, says the study, which Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia released on Wednesday. About 70% of India's 1.2 billion population is involved in agriculture and 80% or more of the farm workforce comprises women, said Harinder Kohli, president and chief executive of US-based Centennial Group that commissioned the study. "The current generation of women are less educated so they spend more time on the farms. Paid jobs require literacy, so men take more jobs such as that in the services sector," Kohli said. "However, this trend will start to neutralize when the current generation of small girls who are getting better education, become adults." For the private sector that demographic means companies may face more empowered women on the field and they will need to think in terms of working with women's self-help groups and other issues, Binswanger-Mkhize said. Investment in agriculture as a percentage of gross domestic product rose to over 20% in 2008-09 from 15% in 2004-05 as the private sector increased its investments significantly, entering areas such as agriculture research and extension services, under which companies reach out to the farming community with knowledge and equipment. Yet, for entrepreneurs, agriculture is a sunrise industry with big scope for small and big companies alike, Kohli and Binswanger-Mkhize said on the sidelines of the function, where several businessmen were seen looking for tips. "People would be looking for answers on how to invest in this market," said an executive with a company that's engaged in contract farming of babycorn, sweetcorn and chillies for exports. Kohli said extension services to farmers such as providing seeds and tractors, contract farming and information services could be "some of the low-hanging fruits" for new investors. "We need a lot more competition in this sector and ensure that this sector does not get captured by oligopolies," Kohli said. "There is enough scope for small and big companies." The executive, who didn't want to be identified, said establishing the business had taken three years of research and experimentation with foods such as fruits. "For us it is a direct relationship with farmers. There are 14 managers in extension services and our realizations are good as we are in the export market," he said. "But to take such a model for the domestic market may be very difficult." Ahluwalia said the government wants to give a push to agriculture in the 12th Five-Year Plan (2012-17). "Inclusive growth can't happen unless we get an agricultural growth of 4%," Ahluwalia said. "We ought to provide more value for experimentation. There has to be a degree of flexibility in implementation of the policies." URL: http://www.livemint.com/2012/01/18222438/More-women-working-on-farms-as.html?atype=tp

The costs of Democracy in India

What are the costs of democracy in India? Posted by: "Sheetal - Karmayog" info@karmayog.org Thu Jan 19, 2012 12:22 am (PST) The costs of democracy in India.....A.V. Rajwade Populism, identity politics and fiscal imprudence are the other side of India's biggest achievement in 64 years It is just about a year since 14 highly respected business leaders and others addressed a letter to the government expressing concern about governance issues and their impact on economic growth. They followed up with another letter three months back. If anything, the numbers and investment climate have worsened since then. And, nothing may happen on the issues raised at least until the end of March with elections in five states. If too many of our citizens believe that all politicians are corrupt (just recall the response Anna Hazare got), the other side is that the election propaganda reminds us that most political parties and their leadership reciprocate the sentiment: the only way they seem to know of getting elected is to "bribe" the voter through reservations, quotas, subsidies and other populist measures. (To be sure, culturally, we have nothing much against corruption: just look at the number of people who offer mannat to the gods for getting a son, a daughter married, or a promotion in job.) The end result of populism has been that the finances of every segment vital for a modern economy are at a crisis point: railways, power, other infrastructure, etc. And, the government lacks the will to resist any organized group, to enforce its own rules and lows. Overall, as one looks forward to 2012, it is very difficult to discern a silver lining to the gathering clouds on the balance of payments (BoP), the fiscal deficit, the efficacy of most social programmes, and the lack of investments-and, hence, the growth prospects. In many ways, a global slowdown/recession will be extremely useful for our political masters as the domestic problems can be attributed to that phenomenon over which we obviously have no control. The fact, however, is that most of the problems are home-grown. The question is whether they have become increasingly insoluble because of our democracy, as Lee Kuan Yew and, more recently, Mahathir Mohammed-former prime ministers, respectively, of Singapore and Malaysia-have argued. On this subject, it has become almost de rigueur to self-righteously praise ourselves for being a democracy for 64 years-and pay tributes to the sense and wisdom of the voter. How true are these self-righteous assumptions? Winston Churchill once called democracy as the worst form of government-except for all the others. (Even Lee Kuan Yew has remarked that whatever our democracy's weaknesses, there is no other way to govern such a diverse country.) The other side, however, is that most Asian economies from South Korea and Taiwan, at one time, to China more recently, have grown fast under authoritarian regimes: they also seem to have done better than us in providing basic social services to all their people- education, healthcare, etc. And, as I argued in my last article (5 January), the West grew and industrialized under democracies which had no adult franchise. Nor did it need to face the holy cow of environmentalism when it was developing. To be sure, many philosophers from Socrates downward have not had great faith in democracies. Socrates questioned: "Is it not a base superstition that mere numbers will give wisdom?" And, Plato's Republic argues: "The state is what it is because its citizens are what they are." If the voter is so wise as claimed, how is it that he elects criminals; gives the divine right to rule to dynasties; does not see reservations and quotas as bribes aimed at perpetuating differences? Nearly 65 years after independence, are our caste/communal identities stronger than our identities as citizens of a democracy? To be sure, some state leaders and many "bottom up" development efforts in rural India have demonstrated that democracy need not be a bar to good governance, growth and social justice. What is more worrying for future growth is a sharp turn to the left, reminiscent of the 1970s, with industrial licensing replaced by the umpteen environmental regulations and land allotment issues. The ruling party remains more comfortable with a dirigiste regime, where the businessman has to come and ask for favours. Not that we are uncomfortable with this: we as a people remain suspicious of entrepreneurs, attributing their wealth and success to malpractices which we, the less successful, are too honest and too moral to adopt. But it will be foolish to forget that we need entrepreneurs, that 7% growth just may not be enough to finance all the needed social programmes. I am not an admirer of Ayn Rand, the high priestess of unrestrained individualism and laissez faire economics (Alan Greenspan was a chela). But I am tempted to quote her on our neta-babu raj. "When you know that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing, when you see that money is flowing to those who deal not in goods but in favours, when you see that men get rich more easily by graft rather than by work, and your laws no longer protect you against them but protect them against you, you know that your society is doomed." What could be the tipping point for a crisis? BoP? Fisc? Inflation? Infrastructure? A.V. Rajwade is a risk management consultant, columnist and author Comments are welcome at theirview@livemint.com URL: http://www.livemint.com/2012/01/18211715/The-costs-of-democracy-in-Indi.html?h=B Back to

A 21 year old girl from Manipur was raped on the night of Jan 18th.

North East Support Centre & Helpline New Delhi 110075 nehelpline@gmail.com, www.nehelpline.net For Immediate Press Release A Girl from Manipur Raped in Delhi New Delhi, January 19, 2012 A 20-years-old girl from Manipur was raped last night. Complaint lodged, no action taken by people to arrest the culprit. North East Support Centre sent a fact finding team after the matter was reported to its office. According to fact finding team, the incident happened between 10 and 11 last night. She was waiting for public transport after she finished her office work at around 8.45 PM at Gurgaon. A man offered her lift to her resident in Mahipalpur. Instead of taking her to Mahipalpur road, the man forcefully took toward Dwarka. She screamed inside the car but man took her to an isolated area in Dwarka sector 20, beaten her, bite on face and raped her repeatedly. She was left in the place the man run away. She remained unconscious till 11 PM and called her friends and her friends rushed to the spot and found her laying in cold, wounded. The matter was reported to Dwarka Sector 23 Police early morning today, complaint lodged, not converted in FIR. The Debit Card of the rapist was found from the place, where crime took place. Police informed the victim and her friends that the rapist will be arrested within two minutes. Unfortunately, FIR is not registered and no action to nab the culprit taken by the concern police station until filing of this report. The crime against women, particularly North East Indian girls and women is not controlled. North East Support Centre & Helpline appeals to Delhi Police Commissioner to take action against police officers responsible for delay in taking action to nab the culprit. Victim hailed from Churachandpur district in Manipur. She came to Delhi in 2010 and working in a spa centre at Gurgaon. North East Support Centre & Helpline (www.nehelpline.net) is combined initiative of various human rights activists, social workers, students, journalists and lawyers seeking to prevent harassment and abuses meted out to women, North East People and tribal communities of different states. Released by Mr. Madhu Chandra Spokes Person