Who would feed those who feed the country?

Hi Time analyzes the scenario where as the sensex rises, the suicides rise too

BEFORE WRITING THE TEXT OF THE ARTICLE, IT IS WORTHWHILE TO PUT HERE WHAT MR. VP SINGH, FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA, FELT ABOUT THIS ARTICLE. IN A LETTER HE WROTE TO MR. ATUL KUMAR ANJAAN, SECRETARY, CPI, THAT HE APPRECIATES "THE MANNER IN WHICH THE FACTS HAVE BEEN PROJECTED". MR. V.P. SINGH WROTE:

DEAR SHRI ATUL KUMAR ANJAAN JI,
I WAS JUST GOING THROUGH THE ARTICLE "WHO WOULD FEED THOSE WHO FEED THE COUNTRY" IN THE LATEST ISSUE OF THE HI TIME EXPRESS (COPY ENCLOSED).
I APPRECIATE THE MANNER IN WHICH THE FACTS HAVE BEEN PROJECTED. I WISH TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR VIEWS ON THE ISSUES OF THE FARMERS, ESPECIALLY THE INJUSTICE BEING DONE BY THE GOVERNMENT TO THE FARMERS, BY ACQUIRING PRIME AGRICULTURAL LAND IN THE NAME OF DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.
THANKING YOU,
WITH WARM REGARDS.
YOURS SINCERELY,

SIGNED (VP sINGH)

TO,
SHRI ATUL KUMAR ANJAAN
GEN. SEC., ALL INDIA KISAN SABHA (CPI)
CPI HEADQUARTERS, AJAY BHAWAN,
15, KOTLA MARG,
NEW DELHI-110002.

The article is as follows:

This is the pitiful irony of present day India! The sensex is rising, the industry is booming, the GDP is growing, but the number of farmers committing suicides is growing day by day.
The same is the case of UP. Mulayam Singh Yadav is boasting of highest development during his regime since Independence. But he is also apologizing to farmers for not acting in time so that they could be saved from after-effects of drought. Troubled by money-lenders, no body to go to for succour or help and facing the ignominy of harrasment, the farmers continue to commit suicide.
What's more! News have poured in that cheques of Rs. 5 and Rs. 20 have been given to the drought-hit farmers of Bundelkhand, Sonebhadra and Ballia as relief. Several of these cheques could not be encashed, as account payee cheques, for amount less than Rs. 100, are not entertained by banks. Was this the politician's way of making a mockery of that 70% population that brought them to power?
Consequently, villagers in UP are pitted against their own government, which till now was not ready to accept the severity of drought and refuted reports of suicides by drought-affected villagers. Instead of taking timely measures or corrective measures when the damage had already been done, all that Mulayam could do prior to forthcoming Assembly elections is to issue an apology. Wonder whether the apology would fill the stomachs of those who are feeding the rest of the country.
Says Atul Kumar Anjaan of CPI: "More than 72% of people are employed or dependent on argicultural sector or agricultural activities, but what are they gaining other than miseries and poverty." Adds he: "Car is being insured in this city, small shops too are insured. But the farmer's crop, which has to face pest, excess monsoon, floods, drought and all sorts of natural calamities, are not insured. Nobody has come forward to give a helping hand to them."
He claims that in this country, from 1998 till January 2006, more than 70000 farmers have committed suicde. This was more or less agreed by the Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on the floor of the house, when he said on 25th July, 2006 that between 1980 and 2004, 1,12,000 farmers committed suicide. Knowing that the suicides are continuing from 1980 onwards and growing, it should rather be called state-sponsored killing and not suicide. Somewhere something is wrong and the most unfortunate thing is that the Governments of the day have not woken up to the plight of farmers barring a few sorrowful utterances at fresh news of suicide. Media too has largely not touched the subject, accustomed as it has become to write or show those who matter.
The concern should have come from the Prime Minister. Or P. Chidambaram or Montek Singh Ahluwalia of Planning Commission of the Planning Commsion should have raised questions. Even the opposition party BJP is silent on this. Why? Since Congress and BJP are the greatest champions of liberalization and free economy and know that the problem is directly related to the policies being pursued by them, they are silent on the subject. And the lone voices that are heard, airing the farmer's grievances are those of VP Singh of Jan Morcha and the Left Parties.
Anjaan feels pity that in spite of more than one and a half pages devoted to agriculture and farmers in the Common Minimum Program, not much is being done for them. What's more, Manmohan Singh gave yet again public statement claiming that next five-year plan is aimed at 10% development with majority of it coming from the Agriculture sector. How would that be possible has not been spelt out yet?
Even today the irony lies in the fact that the Indian agriculture which contributes around 25% of India's GDP gets only 1.3% of investments.
Says VP Singh: "Even those who talk of agriculture do not talk of farmers. Unless you address the problems of farmers, agricultural growth will continue to remain stagnant." Adds he: "When it comes to agriculture, Birla to Tata all take the benefit, but the farmer gets nothing." Raj Babbar too is speaking on these issues regularly these days, particularly the issues related to transfer of land of farmers to industiralists, be it for the sugar lobby or for a corporate giant like Reliance.
And Atul Anjaan cites the case of Australian Wheat Board, which first came to India to purchase huge quantities of wheat at basic price and is now selling the same wheat to India at a price that is several times higher. "This could not have happened without active patronage of people in the ruling party," says he. "I kept aying, do something. ?Why should companies like ITC, Reliance and Australian Wheat Board purchase all the wheat? But the Government didn't act until most of the wheat had been purchased."
Anjaan has a list of three people whom he blames for all the woes. Says he: "I accuse, on record, that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and Planning Commission Dy. Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia have not shown sympathetic attitude towards farmers."
Farmers are watching all this with hope... hope that these politicians will over playing politics and really do something for them now.

Death Sentence to Whom, Mr. Advani?

Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister of India. Lal Krishan Advani was the Union Minister for Home Affairs. Two high profile cases of rape were reported from the Country’s Capital. A girl was raped on the roadside outside Maulana Azad Medical College. A European lady was raped in a moving car. And Mr. Advani, whose penchant for speaking couldn’t keep him quiet upon seeing the silent grave of Mr. Jinnah, pronounced death sentence for all rapists.
Coming from the Union Home Minister, the entire episode made this into a big story. Views of the city’s so-called high society, supposed to be the opinion-makers for the remaining society, were repeatedly aired. All seemed to be following Mr. Advani’s line. Prominent models and fashion designers this writer spoke to too pronounced no less punishment than death. And voices of the sane, who wanted to see the other side of the picture before coming to a conclusion, were meek and subdued in the din of all supporting the capital punishment. This correspondent was apprehensive even then. In a country where the rich and the powerful can bend laws in their favour at their whim, where the law-makers, the law-enforcers and the administrative machinery is arguably the most corrupt, how could such strict punishment be pronounced blindly, this correspondent argued, only to witness stern faces. How could you favour the rapists, they seemed to say!
The view has been vindicated once again. In a recent case brought to light courtesy the crime branch, the sordid case of cops who cooked up a rape to ‘fix’ a West Delhi businessman has come to light. His crime – he refused to budge from his statement regarding a molestation charge against the same inspector. The custodians of law decided to teach Sushil Gulati – the 49-year old businessman – a lesson. A 23-year old woman was hired to play the rape victim for Rs. 40,000. Foolproof plan was fabricated which meant injecting semen inside the ‘victim-to-be’ and scattering a bit of semen on her salwar and underwear. She was asked to consume liquor and tobacco to get dizzy. And then she was dropped near St. Stephen’s hospital to be ‘discovered’.
Waiting for the rape to be ‘discovered’, the police swooped on Gulati’s house, as planned and arrested him for ‘rape’ in a moving car. All proofs were against him and with police itself the one to have planned the proofs, who could have saved him. He was pushed around and thrashed in front of his family, including his grown-up daughter. Gulati’s reputation among family and friends was tarnished. His business got affected during the six-year long trial. And if only Rajni Gupta, the woman who played ‘rape’ had not broken down in front of the crime branch, to spill beans on the entire plot, Gulati would have been condemned to severe punishment, even death sentence if Mr. Advani had his way.
The fact that several top officers are alleged to be involved in this conspiracy, hatched and executed in 2000, among them the molestor-cop, Inspector CM Dutta, two SHOs, two sub-inspectors, a couple of lawyers, a woman who played the role of a ‘rape’ victim and four more accomplices, including two women, clearly shows the extent to which those in high position can go in a system reeling under corruption and mal-practices.
Can a blind death verdict be given in such circumstances? Mr. Advani and all the socialites who shouted ‘death death’ need to give the answer.

What ails UP Tourism?

A Dozen Mahanideshaks in Six years, and the Count May Go On…

Amitabh Kant, the man credited with Incredible India campaign has remained associated with the industry for at least a decade. No doubt, he could come out with such an incredible campaign as Incredible India due to his long association and consequent experience that he gained within the union tourism industry.
Ashwini Lohani, has served at least three departments related with the tourism industry from 1997 onwards. This included a large stay with MP Tourism and another assignment with the Railways' Tourism Department.
Tourism developments in several states like Kerala have become nearly synonymous with bureaucrats who headed the department for a longtime and guided the state to develop its infrastructure and tourism potential.
UKS Chauhan, a bureaucrat hailing from UP itself, has several years of experience in tourism, though mostly in other states. When he did come to head UP Tourism on deputation, his stint was short lived.
The case in UP is entirely different! The state has seen 12 Mahanideshaks since the beginning of this Millennium six years ago. And nobody knows when another Mahanideshak succumbs to the whims of their political bosses.
Alok Kumar Jain headed the department for close to three years, from 13th June 94 till 7th April 97. This was followed by another competent officer, Ravindra Singh, who too was at the helm for close to three years, from 8th April 97 till 2nd February, 2000. Then started a game of musical chairs, that has already brought 12 Mahanideshaks to the chair till now. These include senior IAS officers like DD Verma (3rd February, 2000 till 13th September, 2001), Karnail Singh (22nd September, 2001 till 20th August,> 2002), Anuj Kumar Bishnoi (3rd September, 2002 till 3rd January, 2003), Rohit Nandan (4th January, 2003 till 24th January, 2003), Mukul Singhal (25th January, 2003 till 12th October, 2003), Neeraj Gupta (13th October, 2003 till 13th July, 2004), Zohra Chatterjee (20th July, 2004 till 12th December, 2004), Rita Sinha (13th December, 2004 till 7th March, 2005), Parth Sarthi Sen Sharma (8th March, 2005 till 25th May, 2005), Aradhna Shukla (18th June, 2005 till 18th September, 2005), Rita Sinha (19th September, 2005 till 2nd March, 2006) and the present Mahanideshak Dr. Om Prakash (from 3rd March, 2006 till date).
This should be noted that all these are senior IAS officers and most of them have already shown their competency in other areas where posted. If no time is given to them to settle down, how could they be expected to deliver? In spite of this, there have been officers who left their mark within a short span of time. Zohra Chatterjee oversaw the smooth functioning of Taj Mahotsava at Agra. Employees within the department remember Parth Sarthi Sen Sharma till this date for his attempts to bring about transformation in the working of the department. This itself, perhaps became the reason for his quick transfer out of the department and he could not even complete three months in office. Rita Sinha became the officiating Mahanideshak twice, for three months and six months respectively. The present incumbent Dr. Om Prakash too has taken certain bold steps to initiate the process of development but it remains to be seen how long a stint is he given by his political bosses.
The question needs to be asked from the political bosses! What were the reasons that compelled need for such a large retinue of officers to be posted, one after another? Does it spells these officers' incompatibility to work in tandem with the political bosses or more serious issues involving keeping control over the state of affairs?