CHINA DIVERTS BRAHMAPUTRA : Why we Indians are so ignorant?

Source: News Bharati

Itanagar, March 20: China is diverting Brahmputra water by building a huge dam on its side of the Brahmputra River – known as Tsangpo River in Tibet. According to reports, the dam is being constructed at a place called Namcha Barwa on the eastern plateau of Tibet.

It is at this point in Tibet that China is reportedly building the world's largest dam, with 26 turbines, expected to generate 40 million kilowatts per hour of hydroelectricity.This massive water control project involves the construction of 28 dams. It is considered as biggest hydro engineering project in Asia.

It is unfortunate that while China is diverting India’s water, Arunachal is very much obsessed with this issue but importantly Indian UPA Government is patting itself saying that ‘All is Well’ and apart from Arunachal Pradesh, all other Indian states and citizens are totally ignorant about this issue.  

An association of five top Chinese power companies is overseeing the 1.138 bn Yuan project.

The Brahmputra, popularly known as Yarlong Tsangpo River among the Tibetans, makes a steep drop here which makes the site crucial for the construction of a huge dam. It is said that the power output could be twice the output of the famous Three Gorges Dam over the Yangtse.

River Brahmaputra is very important for India and Bangladesh. The Brahmaputra River basin in India is most generously gifted with a fabulous water wealth that accounts for nearly 30% of the total water resources and about 40% of the total hydropower potential of the country.

For Bangladesh, the River is even more crucial as it provides for fresh water and the annual gift of the fertile silt for farming.

In India, Arunachal farmers couldn’t believe their eyes when they see the river which provides them bread and butter suddenly dried up. They are astonished to see that the river which used to flow with its full swing is now shrinking about a kilometer from its bank in Pasighat town in East Siang district. Farmers say they have not experienced the phenomenon in the last half-decade. This unusual phenomenon has occurred due to diversion of Brahmaputra water by China.

According to reports, the mighty Brahmaputra river (known in Arunachal as Siang River), considered as a life line to North eastern states and Bangladesh and Tibet has suddenly dried up and the water level has fallen down drastically in the last few days. Media reports alleged that river dried up due to the diversion of the Brahmaputra’s river course in the upper reaches of Tibet by China.

Arunachal Pradesh government suspects China's role behind it. The state government has urged the Centre to conduct a study to ascertain the ground reality.  

Tako Dabi, political adviser to CM Nabam Tuki, expressed apprehension that China could have diverted the water of the river or there could be some artificial blockade due to which this has happened.

Dabi suggested that the government, its agencies like the Central Water Commission, should immediately conduct an in-depth study in collaboration with the state government, to find the crux of the problem.

Surprisingly central government seems not very serious about Arunachal’s obsession.  Government has slammed the media reports regarding drying up of Brahmaputra River. The Central Water Commission, which monitors the country's river basin systems, says there is no information of any 'abnormal' decline in the water level of Siang. 

In a press release of Indian Ministry of Water Resources, the Government stated that the apprehensions expressed by the state Government regarding possible diversion of the Brahmaputra by China is not correct and devoid of facts. But the video footages of shrinking river tells different story.

External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna on Friday reiterated that there was no evidence of construction of any dam on the river by China. "I have answered on this in the Parliament. I have gone on record to say that our satellite pictures do not convey construction of any storage activity on the Brahmaputra by Chinese authorities. Our ambassador is here. He has been apprised of it. He is aware about the issue, so we will get the report," Krishna said.

Also China has officially clarified that such reports are not “consistent with facts.” China said the dam being built by it on river Brahmaputra will have no impact on the downstream flow of the river into India.

"Our projects have not affected the lower stream regions, including those in India," China's foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters when asked of his nation's water usage on the river.

Arunachal farmers are concerned with the move of China as Brahmaputra (Siang) is regarded as the lifeline of north eastern region. More than 185 million people in northeastern India and Bangladesh depend on the Brahmaputra. In the Indian state of Assam 80 percent agriculture relies on water from the river and 60 percent of power from hydroelectric projects comes from dams on the river and its tributaries.

Diversion of Brahmaputra water in the upper reaches of Tibet by China for its ambitious hydro engineering project has triggered problems for agriculture and industries in Arunachal. Additionally the project has sparked criticism from environmentalist. Ecologically the project is also controversial, with many experts questioning whether or not the diversion’s source can spare the water.

Tako Dabii warned it would be much more disastrous, and would set alarm bells ringing, particularly in New Delhi and Itanagar, besides all those associated with disaster management. There are also worries that an earthquake could destroy a Chinese dam and cause a catastrophic flood in Arunachal Pradesh and surrounding regions that could kill thousands.

Last year Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh had said that the project is “unacceptable” and stressed the “great fear in India” would be China’s water diversion of the Brahmaputra, which may impact Northeastern India ecologically and bring the threat of drought to the region.

However, Indian Government busy in establishing bilateral ties with China is ignoring this highly important issue. India’s foreign policy has never touched sensitive issues on India’s side. But what about Indian populace which is highly ignorant about China’s this new kind of aggression?

 http://en.newsbharati.com//Encyc/2012/3/20/CHINA-DIVERTS-BRAHMAPUTRA---Why-we-Indians-are-so-ignorant-.aspx?NB=&lang=1&m1=&m2=&p1=&p2=&p3=&p4=&NewsMode=int

Foreign Funded Medha Patkar to sue Narendra Modi for visiting Lavasa: What about you Medha?

Source: News Bharati

Karnavati (Ahmedabad), March 20: Medha Patkar, Infamous and credibility-lost for her foreign funding blunder is now ‘Angered’ by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Lavasa project. Patkar and her activists of the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) are now planning to file a contempt suit against Gujarat CM Narendra Modi. Interestingly Patkar has been virtually exposed and black listed by SC for false affidavit. 

Reacting sharply on the statement of Medha patkar on the visit of Gujarat Chief Minister to Lavasa on 18th March that “May be Modi is thinking about the Project, along with Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, and thus this visit”, National Council for Civil Liberties (NCCL), President, V.K. Saxena, told Newsbharati that Patkar is virtually exposed and black listed by the Supreme Court for filing false affidavit in SC and has no right to comment on the developmental projects in the Country. 

The three Judges bench of SC in its order dated 11th May, 2011 said that “It is evident from the said report that statements made by the said applicant/respondent (NBA) in the Court, in this regard are factually incorrect and false.

The   Court   has   been   entertaining this petition under the bona fide belief that NBA was espousing the grievance of inarticulate and illiterate poor farmers, with all sincerity and thus, would not make any misleading statement. However, our belief stands fully belied. Applicant/respondent (NBA) made pleadings and advanced arguments without   any   basis   only   to   secure   unwarranted benefits. In   the   instant   case   it   stands discredited totally in the eyes of this Court. This Court had been a little careful and cautious in this regard, which has exposed the true picture.”

NAPM activist Medha Patkar interpreted Modi’s visit as a ‘political move’. “May be Modi is thinking about the project, along with Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, and thus this visit,” she said. Advising Modi not to express his opinion on the project, Patkar said, “Both the central government and the Bombay high court have recognised the illegalities in the project, and have issued an order to stop work at the site.” According to Patkar, the convention centre at Lavasa, which Modi visited, is also illegal. Patkar also advised Government of Maharashtra to take steps to ensure that such future visits are avoided.

Patkar’s close aid and Vishwambhar Chowdhury told media that, “Knowing well, that the Bombay high court (HC) has ordered to stop the construction work at Lavasa due to irregularities in the project, Modi chose to visit the site. It is very unfortunate.” Chowdhury further commented that this visit once again showed the scant respect Modi had for law.

NCCL President Saxena Said that Patkar is a foreign supported anti-project activist, had targeted several projects of National importance in the past such as Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP), Maheshwar Hydel project, Indira Sagar Project in Madhya Pradesh, Coal India & NTPC projects in Singroli, TATA Nano project etc to derail the development process in the Country. Due to consistent lobbing, numerous agitations, Rallies & Dharnas by Patkar, cost of these projects escalated manifolds which have actually burdened the exchequer.

Patkar is also involved in the anti Kuntakulam Nuclear Project agitation in Tamil Nadu and her role is being investigated by the Prime Minister’s office along with other NGOs which are acting with an ulterior motive to please their Masters in abroad. Saxena said that PMs Statement was “positive and long overdue as exposing the connivance of forces that aspire to deter this progress & bringing them to justice is an equal responsibility upon the Government”.

Medha Patkar’s 20 years agitation is based on lies and misinformation campaign which is proved from these reports also.

Shunglu Committee on Sardar Sarovar Project said that, “No substantial deviation was discovered in number of Project Affected Families (PAF). Claims made by Patkar led NBA could not be substantiated”.

National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) verification with regard to payment and entitlement revealed that, “By and large” information in action taken report corresponds to ground reality. If further says “because of resistance by NBA activists, some of the villages in the submergence area could not be physically surveyed”. Based on this finding Supreme Court in October 2000 ruled that construction of SSP will go on.

Monitoring Committee of Ministry of Environment & Forest (MoEF) for Maheshwar Hydro Project after a spot visit in its report of December' 2009 raised doubt about the intention of NBA's objection for survey of affected families & found nothing objectionable in the functioning of task force.

Naresh Dayal, Chairman of 11 member team of MoEF after 3 days of on the spot assessment declared that Lavasa project had not caused any harm to the environment and “Prima-facie forest destruction does not seem to have happened and all parameters of environmental norms are taken care of by the project authorities”. This project too was fiercely opposed by Patkar on the grounds of environmental degradation.

It is interesting to know that Medha Patkar is also infamous for her so called ‘social work’ is based on necessities of foreign funding agencies.

Francois Gautier has questioned Patkar’s credibility saying that, “There is the question of how does Medha Patkar get her finances? Medha Patkar has the Right Livelihood Award, the Rev. MA Thomas National Human Rights Award, Amnesty International's Human Rights Defender's Award, and the BBC's Green Ribbon Award for Best International Political Campaigner. Her Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) is described as a "social movement". The Supreme Court has noted the NBA is not a registered entity. So, how does it bank its money? How does it account for its expenses?

He further says, “The NBA, which, as we have seen, has international connections, does not seem to have its own website. Foreign sources fund its support groups. Finally, accused of faking medical certificates, fined more than once for dodging court hearings, Patkar is now accused by the Supreme Court itself of†filing a false affidavit before it.”

NCCL President V K Saxena feels that Lavasa Corporation should file a criminal case against Patkar for bringing  disrepute to this project & recovery of losses incurred by them, due to halt of the construction.

ALSO READ
Misuse Of Foreign Funds For Anti India Activities: Do We Really Care?
The Truth about Medha Patkar

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Malice attempt of Outlook to defame Narendra Modi gets Tit for Tat reply from active netizen www.gujratriots.com

Source: News Bharati

 








Nagpur/ Gandhinagar, March 22: Nationalist Netizen group running  www.Gujaratriots.com have smacked Outlook for its ‘25 Questions’ to Narendra Modi. It its 5 March issue, Outlook asked questions under the title, “Dear Narendrabhai, Could you please......answer some questions?”. Gujaratriots.com has battered all the hype which Outlook thought it would create through this questionnaire. 

Outlook, in the intro of this questionnaire said that, “For 10 years, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi has chosen to answer with silence—and election victories—the many questions about his role or lack of it in the Gujarat carnage of 2002. He has walked out of TV interviews, glared at interviewers, and sidestepped every court stricture. About the only time he sat down with an interrogator was when he faced a member of the SIT in March 2010; his responses are now in the public domain. But Modi still hasn’t answered many key questions.”

This effort of maintaining a cloud of suspicion about Narendra Modi of Outlook has put Indian Media in a galore of suspicion again. The hypocrisy, adamancy and dishonesty about the soul of journalism are evident in such much hyped and continuous efforts of Indian Media to demonize Narendra Modi.

Continuous efforts are being done to destabilize Narendra Modi and Gujarat Government by so called rights activists like Teesta Setalvad. Former aide of Teesta Setalvad has exposed her conspiracy to vilify and stigmatize Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the cases of riots. Rais Khan Pathan’s testimony before the Court discloses how Teesta Setalvad, a self proclaiming Human Rights activists twisted the truth and misguided the Judiciary and the Nation for years, only to execute a single point agenda to vilify Narendra Modi.

 Group of young netizens has initiated a website www.gujaratriots.com, which has exposed Gujarat riot related myths and false propaganda. The group claims, “The testimony was meant to be confidential but that has not prevented media outlets from leaking stories based on it. Here we are answering all of the questions raised.

The Group has also challenged the Media saying that, “After answering all the questions, we will ask a lot of questions to not just Outlook, but the entire media. Will they be ready to answer those? Before that, let everyone, especially Outlook, see Our Challenge,”

The Gujaratriots.com answers each question in a very systematic and in descriptive style. He has corrected Outlook’s blunder of facts.

On a question, “Mr Modi, in an interview on March 1, 2002, to Zee TV you said about the post-Godhra riots, “A chain of action and reaction is going on. We want that neither should there be action, nor reaction.” Don’t such statements echo the ‘earth-shaking’ rationalisations offered by Rajiv Gandhi after the 1984 riots,” Gujaratriots.com reacts, “The exact words are “Kriya pratikriya chal raha hein. Hum chahte hein kin na kriya ho na pratikriya ho”. How can such a statement be rationalizing the riots? This was just a statement in a long interview. This is nothing like the lie concocted by Times of India first on 2nd March 2002 misquoting the Chief Minister as having said “Every Action has equal and opposite reaction”. This lie was copied and further carried on by almost all the media, including weekly Outlook. “Every action has equal and opposite reaction”.

It is also commented that, far from Narendra Modi giving any provocative statement, it is media, especially newspapers like Times of India and Outlook who inflamed the situation by lying and misquoting a big and important Chief Minister as quoting Newton’s third law, not being able to prove it ever, and not even publishing Narendra Modi’s denials ever since.

Since today they cannot accuse Narendra Modi of having said that “Every action has equal and opposite reaction” since that lie has been conclusively rebuked and also been clarified by Narendra Modi in his leaked answers to SITs 60+ questions.

It is interesting to read full answers to Outlook’s questions and Myth busters given on Gujaratriots.com.

This so-called questionnaire of Outlook has unearthed the role of Indian Media and its credibility. Role of Indian Media in Nation Building and raising the pitch for issues of National interest is yet to be testified. Indian Media is running behind the so called activists like Medha Patkar and Teesta Setalvad which are existent only on foreign funds to destabilize Indian National interest and India’s development. A lobby of Media and foreign funded NGOs started a hate campaign against Modi and entire Hindu organizations.

The recent example is of CNN IBN’s Rajdeep Sardesai, who, after 10 years of Gujarat riots visited Gujarat to uncover the wounds of both Hindu and Muslim communities in Gujarat. This was again an effort to make the fire burning and make the wounds open. He tried hard demeaning the claim of Gujarat Government of a vibrant and peaceful Gujarat and importantly the Sadbhavana Yatra of Narendra Modi after the Supreme Court literally gave clean chit to him in the most infamous and suspicious ‘Best Bakery case’.

Interestingly funding agencies of Indian Media were disclosed by some awaken Indians. The Information about ‘Who owns major Indian Media’, was famous in netizen but its source was not disclosed but notably, no Media house denied this information.

The Nation knows that both Rajdeep Sardesai and Bharkha Dutt were then working for NDTV, did their ‘jobs’ very faithfully and not a single Hindu family was interviewed or shown on TV whose near and dear ones had been burnt alive, as it is reported.

Notably Rajdeep’s same exercise continues in 2012 also. In his blog post ‘Modi's 'Sadbhavana' and the horror of 2002’ on CNN IBN, Rajdeep writes, “Step away from the bright lights, and the question has Gujarat really moved on acquires another dimension. In Godhra's Signal Falia basti where most of the accused in the train burning incident lived, the young tell me they are jobless because no one will give employment to Muslim youth with Signal Falia as the address. The fact that a majority of those who were arrested have since been acquitted has only added to their sense of grievance at being labeled 'terrorists.” In an effort to make the views balanced, he further adds one line, “Families of kar sevaks who were charred to death, are equally emphatic: no mercy must be shown.”

That’s why Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley has a given a stern message for Indian Media. In his interview published on NDTV on 28 February, Jaitley says, “The guilty must be punished but the attempt at media trials and manufacturing of evidence must end. Harmony and growth will be the best healers. The future road map of Gujarat will be a battle between those who want Gujarat to be caught in the time frame of 2002 and those who believe that this century promises to be the one of Gujarat's. Gujarat has now to overcome the challenge of this negative energy.”

The groups myth buster attempt of initiating Gujaratriots.com clearly suggest that, Indian citizens and netizens are now fed up of the false, stigmatizing, antinational and dishonest reporting by a section of Indian Media.

Now as the Citizen are becoming Journalist for the betterment of cause of Indian National Interest. Do the Media Czars are getting the clear message?

Pl See:

http://www.gujaratriots.com/

http://www.gujaratriots.com/214/answers-to-outlooks-25-questions/

 

http://en.newsbharati.com//Encyc/2012/3/22/Malice-attempt-of-Outlook-to-defame-Narendra-Modi-gets-Tit-for-Tat-reply-from-active-netizen-www.gujratriots.com.aspx?NB=&lang=1&m1=&m2=&p1=&p2=&p3=&p4=&NewsMode=int

Advani wonders US Congress Thinktank Salutes Narendra Modi, Govt Denies Visa: Do we wonder as well?

Source: News Bharati

New Delhi, March 26: Senior BJP leader L K Advani has expressed grief and surprise that the US Congress Think Tank salutes and applauds Gujarat CM Narendra Modi’s governance and at the same time US government denies visa to him. In his recent Blog, Advani has recalled his discussions with then US Secretary of the State, Condoleezza Rice.

BJP leader L K Advani has noted that it’s an ‘irony’ that while the US refused a visa to Modi, a report prepared by a think tank of the US Congress had assigned ‘very high marks’ to him for his governance.

The report ‘India: Domestic Issues, Strategic Dynamics, and U.S. Relations’ which was prepared for the US Congressmen by Congressional Research Service has applauded Gujarat CM Narendra Modi for his excellence in Governance. The report says, “Perhaps India’s best example of effective governance and impressive development is found in Gujarat (pop. 60 million), where controversial Chief Minister Narendra Modi has streamlined economic processes, removing red tape and curtailing corruption in ways that have made the state a key driver of national economic growth. Seeking to overcome the taint of his alleged complicity in deadly 2002 anti-Muslim riots, Modi has overseen heavy investment in modern roads and power infrastructure, and annual growth of more than 11% in recent years. The state has attracted major international investors such as General Motors and Mitsubishi and, with only 5% of the country’s population, Gujarat now accounts for more than one-fifth of India’s exports.”

Advani has also recalled his dialogue with then U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. He says, “I recall that in August, 2008 U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, during an official visit to India, called at my residence. Apart from discussions on issues like Indo-U.S. relations and the global war against terrorism etc., I raised with her the issue of denial of U.S. visa to Narendra Bhai Modi. I said to her, “This may be the first time that an elected Chief Minister of a state in the world’s largest and most vibrant democracy has been denied a visa. What really surprised all of us here was that the denial of visa had been announced by Washington without Modi having sought it. “I have not even applied for a visa, Modi has informed me,” I told Ms. Condoleezza. She looked at the officials accompanying her, “Is that true?” she asked. The officials confirmed this, and added that the report was based on an official reply given to a letter from a senator.  The irony is that while the U.S. Government has refused a visa to Modi, a report prepared by a think tank of the U.S. Congress has in a 100 page report assigned very high marks to Modi for his governance.

Praising Modi, Advani said that they were left ‘surprised’ by the denial of visa because it had been announced by Washington without Modi having sought it.

Advani also mentions recent cover story by The Time titled, “Modi Means Business”. Senior BJP leader says, “This year, this U.S. periodical reputed to be the world’s largest circulated news weekly carried on the cover of its issue dated March 26- Gujarat’s Narendra Bhai Modi. The caption given to the cover is ‘Modi Means Business”.

He has drawn attention to some Indian dailies reported the story with the heading, “After Gandhi and Patel, Modi third Gujarati on Time cover.” He refers ‘excellent photograph of Narendra Modi relaxing in his lawns’ has been displayed on full two pages preceding the 2-page write-up on the BJP leader. The write-up by Jyoti Thottam notes at the very outset, “Narendra Modi has defied humble origins to become the powerful leader of booming Gujarat state.”

Advani comments, “Jyoti Thottam writes, His (Modi’s) ability to get things done is in stark contrast to the Congress-led central government in New Delhi. “If you look at the rest of the country, who’s in charge is a big issue, if at all anybody’s in charge,” says Sebastian Morris, a professor of economics at the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad.

“The difference here is that somebody’s in charge, whatever he may do.” In a recent opinion poll by the magazine India Today, 24% of those surveyed thought Modi should be the next Prime Minister; Rahul Gandhi polled 17%.

It was an effect of hate campaign against Narendra Modi in US and the reach of anti India elements to US top ladder resulted into denial of Visa to Gujarat CM.

Angana Chatterji, Chief of this hate campaign against Modi’s US visit in 2004, has written article titled, “How We Made U.S.Deny Visa to Modi” which was published in Asian Age on 22 March 2005.

Chatterji wrote, “Modi is a pracharak (proselytiser) for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the xenophobic Hindu fundamentalist organisation, which, along with other Hindu extremist groups, receives funds from the US and UK. Modi’s current trip to the US would have been a fundraising event.”

She further comments that the Research undertaken by two independent groups, how the ‘Campaign to Stop Funding Hate’ and ‘South Asia Watch Limited’ demonstrate the ‘linkages’ between money raised in the US and UK and Hindu fundamentalism in India, yet little has been done to curtail fundraising for hate. These hate campaigns pressurized then US government to deny Visa to Narendra Modi.

The Hate campaign against Modi still continues. When will it stop? Advani wonders: when we will start wondering?

 http://en.newsbharati.com//Encyc/2012/3/26/Advani-wonders-US-Congress-Thinktank-Salutes-Narendra-Modi,-Govt-Denies-Visa--Do-we-wonder-as-well-.aspx?NB=&lang=1&m1=&m2=&p1=&p2=&p3=&p4=&NewsMode=int

U.S. GOVERNMENT DENIES VISA: U.S. CONGRESS THINKTANK SALUTES MODI

1

Way back in 1930 Mahatma Gandhi appeared on the cover of American news magazine TIME dated March 31^st. The caption read: ‘Saint Gandhi.’

In 1947, the year which saw the Britishers quit India and the country suffer the traumatic events that accompanied partition, the January 27 issue of the same magazine bore on its cover a picture of Sardar Patel with the caption ‘India’s Vallabhabhai Patel.’

This year, this U.S. periodical reputed to be the world’s largest circulated news weekly carried on the cover of its issue dated March 26- Gujarat’s Narendra Bhai Modi. The caption given to the cover is: Modi Means Business.

  

Some Indian dailies reported the story with the heading: “After Gandhi and Patel, Modi third Gujarati on Time cover.”

An excellent photograph of Narendra Modi relaxing in his lawns has been displayed on full two pages preceding the 2-page write-up on the BJP leader.

The write-up by Jyoti Thottam notes at the very outset :

“Narendra Modi has defied humble origins to become the powerful leader of booming Gujarat state.” Jyoti Thottam then goes on to give her analysis of why Indians “both love and loathe him.”

 

She however sums up her comments by quoting Tridip Suhrad, social scientist and expert on Gujarat who says “the future belongs to him.”

Jyoti Thottam writes:  His (Modi’s) ability to get things done is in stark contrast to the Congress-led central government in New Delhi. “If you look at the rest of the country, Who’s in charge is a big issue, if at all anybody’s in charge,” says Sebastian Morris, a professor of economics at the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad. “The difference here is that somebody’s in charge, whatever he may do.” In a recent opinion poll by the magazine India Today, 24% of those surveyed thought Modi should be the next Prime Minister; Rahul Gandhi polled 17%.

****

I recall that in August, 2008 U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, during an official visit to India, called at my residence. Apart from discussions on issues like Indo-U.S. relations and the global war against terrorism etc. I raised with her the issue of denial of U.S. visa to Narendra Bhai Modi. I said to her: “This may be the first time that an elected Chief Minister of a state in the world’s largest and most vibrant democracy has been denied a visa. What really surprised all of us here was that the denial of visa had been announced by Washington without Modi having sought it. “I have not even applied for a visa, Modi has informed me,” I told Ms. Condoleezza.

She looked at the officials accompanying her, “Is that true?”, she asked. The officials confirmed this, and added that the report was based on an official reply given to a letter from a senator.

The irony is that while the U.S. Government has refused a visa to Modi, a report prepared by a think tank of the U.S. Congress has in a 100 page report assigned very high marks to Modi for his governance.

This Congressional Research Service (CRS) is a bipartisan and independent research wing of the U.S. Congress which compiles reports of interest to U.S. lawmakers.

This Report says: “Perhaps India’s best example of effective governance and impressive development is found in Gujarat (population 60 million), where controversial Chief Minister Narendra Modi has streamlined economic processes, removing red tape and curtailing corruption in ways that have made the state a key driver of national economic growth.”

L.K. Advani

New Delhi

25 March, 2012

Modi means harmony-progress, ten years of riot free Gujarat: Arun Jaitley writes

By Arun Jaitley, Leader of Opposition, Rajya Sabha

Any riot, be it inspired by religious, caste or any other frenzy, leaves huge wounds behind. It causes death, injury, loss and suffering. It divides the society, it polarises people on basis of their birth marks. Every civilised society has to free itself from the menace of such social tensions.

Gujarat for a long time had an unfortunate history of such riots, small or big. It was men and events which triggered such conflicts, the last of such major riots being in the year 2002. As a section of the media re-visits the Gujarat riots of 2002 it is equally important to look at Gujarat ten years after the riots. Gujarat has finally had a riot free decade. Hopefully, the unfortunate events of 2002 will never be repeated. Gujarat’s agenda today is no longer a social divide. It is economic development, improvement in the life of every citizen and a desire to compete with the most successful societies in the world. 
The memories of 2002 are not revived by the Gujaratis. They are revived by elements within the society whose relevance exists in reviving the sad memories of past.

The burning of compartment No.S-6 in the Sabarmati Express on 27th February, 2002 was a barbaric act. It was planned by mischievous elements with the intention of generating communal trouble in the country. It stunned the society. Many were misled into a retaliatory action. The violence was so wide-spread that the security apparatus of the State was out-numbered. The army had to be called in to take positions. A very large number of innocents lost their lives due to this violence. Hundreds were killed even in police firing. Contrast this with the anti-Sikh riots in New Delhi in 1984 where not one person died in police firing. Thousands of charge-sheets have been filed, many have been convicted, some trials are pending. Many important cases have been subjected to judicial monitoring. Their investigations have been cross-checked and improved upon by court appointed Special Investigative Teams (SIT) comprising of independent officials. Prosecutors have been appointed by an independent mechanism as directed by the courts. Judges conducting trials have been nominated by the High Court. There have been more charge-sheets and even convictions than in any other religious or caste riot in India. This should be seen in the context of the 1984 Anti-Sikh riots in Delhi, where charge-sheets and convictions were negligible. Even the PUCL publication giving the details of the Sikh killings was banned. The media response was muted and judicial attitude was passive.



The political leadership of Gujarat, particularly the Chief Minister Narender Modi went through a serious test of leadership. Should he have allowed the environment of the State to be dominated by the agenda set by Godhra and the post-Godhra riots? There were many who wanted that agenda to continue. The Chief Minister and the Government overcame various odds to change the agenda. The greater good of the largest number of people was the ultimate object. The State embarked upon an unprecedented growth story, undeterred by hostilities. The State GDP grew by double digit. The State used its’ potential to become India’s manufacturing hub. The port infrastructure was strengthened with the advantage of a large hinterland available to Gujarat. Its’ road network now compares with the developed world. Agriculture which was crippled due to water shortage has multiplied at an impressive double digit growth rate, thanks to the Sardar Sarovar project which the State managed to achieve despite political and judicial obstacles. Electricity being provided 24 hours a day became a great achievement. Red-tapeism was eliminated in economic decision making. This incentivised domestic and international investors to look at Gujarat as the prime investment destination in India. Corruption free government became the brand image of the State and its’ Chief Minister. Today, irrespective of religious or caste affiliations, the Gujaratis are looked upon as entrepreneurs who being free from the shackles of indecisiveness are facilitated by a political leadership to be a part of peace and prosperity.

The world today knows Gujarat for the growth story and for its immense economic potential. The advantages of this growth have trickled down. Enriched revenues of the State have been used for various social and poverty alleviation schemes. The Hindus and Muslims of Gujarat are both a part of this growth story. This has been acknowledged by most studies which have observed that the Muslims minority in Gujarat is economically much better than most other parts of the country.

Gujarat has changed its agenda in the last ten years, much to the dislike of the Congress party leadership and some NGOs which work as its’ front. The changed agenda does not suit their politics. It is therefore necessary for them to keep the riot-torn image of Gujarat alive. Politically they have been on the losing side. Narender Modi cannot be defeated by the Congress Party in the elections. The strategy therefore is to use other methodologies to fight him. The initial strategy was to use a section of the media which rejoiced in anti-Modi stories. Rumours, falsehood and propaganda were convenient instruments. For years we were narrated a horrific story of a lady victim who was pregnant and her stomach was torn apart. The entire story was manufactured and no fact could be proven. The Gujarat Police found no evidence against Modi in the riots case. The courts were petitioned to appoint an SIT. The SIT of Gujarat Police officers found no evidence against him. It was replaced by an SIT comprising former CBI officials. Media reports indicate that there is no evidence against Modi. They found no prosecutable evidence against Modi. A further arrangement was made which went outside the Code of Criminal Procedure. The investigator’s findings would be reviewed by a lawyer – an amicus curiae. Is the process of hounding to continue till facts can be manufactured to suit the politics of some?

The Home Minister of the State, against whom no evidence was available in two prior investigations, was charge-sheeted and arrested by CBI in an encounter case. A bare analysis of the charge-sheet and the accompanying evidence indicates the falsity of the evidence. Voluminous evidence is available of a disgruntled police officer communicating with the Pradesh Congress leadership on how to implicate Modi. The State Congress leadership even sent to him a blue-print of the legal process required to be followed in order to implicate the Chief Minister.

Every encounter is not a fake encounter. India has suffered at the hands of Maoist violence, cross-border terrorism and various other forms of insurgency. Police and security forces have often clashed with these insurgents. In the last one decade the list of State-wise encounters would show that the number of encounters in Gujarat were amongst the least.

Every other State can be trusted to presume that the encounter is genuine or it can appoint its’ own mechanism to investigate the encounters. However, the Judicial yardstick to investigate encounters in Gujarat is different. In an astonishing case where a lady activist of the Laskar was killed along with some others, the Central Government withdrew its affidavit supporting the encounter as genuine and real. The LeT website had owned her up as LeT operative. A court has now appointed an SIT which includes an officer nominated by the NGOs and the Central Government to investigate the case. Motivated investigators will hardly be fair. In all other States the Lokayukta would be appointed on the advice of the Council of Ministers but in the case of Gujarat, the Governor can ignore the recommendation of the Council of Ministers. A Court has found this to be legally acceptable. Several legislations passed by the State Assembly are either waiting assent of the Governor or of the Central government.

The NGOs which are actively campaigning against Gujarat in the past ten years have simultaneously pleaded for those who burnt the Sabarmati Express which started the sordid saga of 2002. The UPA Government chose to appoint a carefully chosen retired judge of the Supreme Court to opine in an inquiry that the fire in the Sabarmati Express started from inside.

The last one decade has been a challenging one for the State of Gujarat. There was a history of social tensions. Gujarat now has had a riot free decade. It has tried to move away from the past. It has embarked upon a road to economic growth. The tragedy of Gujarat is that since Modi’s opponents can’t defeat him politically, they hide behind NGOs and a section of the media. One can only hope the Judiciary keeps out of this political thicket and remains even handed.

The guilty must be punished but the attempt at media trials and manufacturing of evidence must end. Harmony and growth will be the best healers. The future road map of Gujarat will be a battle between those who want Gujarat to be caught in the time frame of 2002 and those who believe that this century promises to be the one of Gujarat’s. Gujarat has now to overcome the challenge of this negative energy.

(Source: Organiser)>
 http://samvada.org/2012/news/modi-means-harmony-progress-ten-years-of-riot-free-gujarat-jaitley-writes/

Supreme Court verdict on Ramlila Crackdown: LK Advani writes

 

S.C. VERDICT ON RAMLILA CRACKDOWN: RECALLING MORARJIBHAI: LK ADVANI WRITES

LK Advani

Not many persons I know have their Birth Anniversary on February 29, a date that comes only once in four years. But one prominent person I have known who belongs to this category is Shri Morarji Bhai Desai, former Prime Minister of India. This year, 2012, is a Leap Year. Morarji Bhai’s great grandson, Madhukeshwar Desai invited me for a function at Valsad, about one hundred kms. from Surat. It is here that Morarji Bhai’s ancestral home still stands, and where his family had some other properties also, which have been donated to social organizations.

India became independent in August, 1947. On the midnight of August 14/15, Pandit Nehru was sworn in as Prime Minister. The country suffered a military humiliation at China’s hands in 1962. Pandit Nehru could not bear the shock of China’s betrayal, and passed away in 1964.

Panditji was succeeded by Lal Bahadur Shastri. Again, for Shastriji, Tashkent proved costly. He could not survive the agreement Moscow presumably made him agree to at Tashkent.

In 1966, Indiraji took over the reins of office and won two Lok Sabha elections in succession – in 1967 and 1971. But the Emergency which her Government imposed on the country in 1975 proved suicidal for the Congress Party.

In 1977, thirty years after independence, for the first time in the history of independent India, a non-Congress Government headed by Shri Morarji Bhai Desai took over at New Delhi. This was Jana Sangh’s first opportunity to participate in the Central Government. Vajpayeeji, Brijlal Verma of Madhya Pradesh and myself were three from the Jana Sangh included in Morarji Bhai’s Cabinet.

At the very well attended Valsad meeting to honour Morarji Bhai on last February 29, I said that among the veterans of India’s Freedom Movement I have worked with, the two stalwarts I have found never willing to compromise with principles or ethics have been Jai Prakash Narain and Morarji Bhai. When in 1979, Morarji Bhai’s Government was facing a crisis because of the so called Dual Membership issue, in order to help avert the crisis, Vajpayeeji, Brijlal Verma and myself went to Morarji Bhai and handed over our resignation letters to him. Actually Janata Party President Chandrashekharji had met me, and had suggested that this could possibly prove a way out.  But as I have recorded in my autobiography :

“Morarjibhai did not even weigh the offer.  He rejected it outright saying, ‘Why should you resign? What wrong have you committed? Even if your offer is going to help my government, it would be immoral on my part to accept your resignations. I would rather quit myself, instead of making you quit”.

***

The Supreme Court’s recent judgement on the Delhi Police’s brutal crack-down on Baba Ramdev’s followers on Ramlila Ground came extensive excerpts of a Times of India article with the title “Ramlila Ground: Tryst with history”. Readers  would find these excerpts interesting.

Delhi police officers remove supporters from a site where renowned yoga guru Baba Ramdev was holding a hunger strike in New Delhi, early Sunday, June 5, 2011. Police officers swooped down Sunday on the venue of a hunger strike by the charismatic Indian yoga guru and forcibly removed him and thousands of his supporters. (AP Photo)

Para 60 of the judgement reads:

The Ramlila Maidan provided an accurate barometer of the country’s political mood in 1960s and 1970s which can be gauged from an article dated 18^th August, 2011 in the Times of India which stated as under:

“It was in Ramlila Ground that Jai Prakash Narain along with prominent Opposition leaders, addressed a mammoth rally on June 25, 1975 where he urged the armed forces to revolt against Indira Gandhi’s government. Quoting Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, JP thundered, “Singhasan Khali Karo, ki janta aati hai (Vacate the throne, for the people are here to claim it)”. That very midnight, Emergency was declared in the country. Less than two years later, the ground was the venue for another Opposition rally that many political commentators describe as epoch-changing. In February 1977, more than a month before Emergency was lifted, Opposition leaders led by Jagjivan Ram – his first public appearance after quitting the Congress – Morarji Desai, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Charan Singh and Chandrashekar, held a joint rally.

That the Ramlila Ground provided an accurate barometer of the country’s political mood in the 1960s and 70s can be gauged from the fact that in 1972, just around three years before the JP rally, Indira Gandhi addressed a huge rally here following India’s victory over Pakistan in the Bangladesh war. In 1965, again at a time when the country was at war with Pakistan, it was from here that then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri gave the slogan ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’.

According to Delhi historian, Ronald Vivian Smith, the Maidan was originally a pond which was filled up in the early 1930s so that the annual Ramlila could be shifted here from the flood plains behind Red Fort. It quickly became a popular site for political meetings, with Gandhiji, Nehru, Sardar Patel and other top nationalist leaders addrssing rallies here. According to one account, as Jinnah was holding a Muslim League rally here in 1945, he heard someone in the crowd address him as ‘Maulana’.  He reacted angrily saying he was a political leader and that honorific should never be used for him.

My colleague Arun Jaitley has last week released to the media a perceptive analysis of the Supreme Court verdict. He has complimented the court for upholding the citizen’s right to protest peacefully against any Government decision he disagrees with. But he still urges strongly that the latter part of the Court’s decision be reconsidered.

Jaitley says: “The judgement of the Supreme Court lays down a landmark law inasmuch as it upholds the right to protest as a fundamental right of speech and to assemble. However it shakes the foundation of the fundamental right by laying down a highly doubtful proposition that once the right to protest is denied, the protester must meekly accept the denial or run the risk of contributory negligence to the police oppression.

This part of the judgement requires to be extensively debated and possibly reconsidered.”

Morarji Bhai’s three-volume memoirs titled The Story of my Life mentions that when Morarji Bhai was in prison during  the Emergency, at some point, he received a message from Mrs. Indira Gandhi indicating several conditions which if accepted by the Opposition, she would think of lifting the Emergency. Morarji Bhai says :

“She (Indira Gandhi) laid down several conditions for lifting the Emergency. They included giving up the right of satyagraha. Whatever may be the view of others, I would prefer death to giving up these precious and inalienable human rights and duties. I would prefer life-long detention to becoming the Prime Minister in conditions such as the Emergency. I believe there will be hope for the nation’s and society’s future only so long as there are a few people still prepared to pay the extreme penalty to keep the torch of freedom burning.”

L.K. Advani
New Delhi, 4 March, 2012

(from LK Advani’s blog)

Social contract: Why Modi scares the usual suspects

Rajeev Srinivasan


Rajeev Srinivasan on why Narendra Modi is a threat to the establishment because he overturns many of the convenient myths they propagate.

It is a predictable winter ritual: Around this time every year it gets into high gear. A bit like Super Bowl season or duck-hunting season: The season to invent, regurgitate and shed crocodile tears over stories about how wicked Narendra Modi is.

There are quite possibly three reasons why there is such widespread and venomous criticism of Modi, apart from the obvious political fact that he has become a viable candidate for national office. Any one of these is good enough reason for Modi-bashing; but given all of them simultaneously, no wonder his detractors are practically apoplectic.

The three reasons, in my opinion, are:

• Modi has created a social contract with the people of Gujarat, which seems to work; it has broader national implications as well;
• Modi has tamed the corruption monster, by not taking bribes himself, but more importantly, preventing others from doing so;
• Modi has shown total contempt for political shysters and media hucksters: this hurts their amour-propre; not to mention their pocket-books

Modi's greatest achievement has been the fact that he has created a clear social contract with the people of his state. (I am indebted to my friend B Rao of Los Angeles for this insight). Modi promised them development, and he delivered. In return, he asked for just one thing: Discipline and the people delivered. This has become a win-win situation for both parties, and for investors: There is a visible change in Gujarat's fortunes, right on the ground.

The state GDP growth rate of Gujarat in the recent past has been at a scorching pace of 11.3 percent in 2005 (Glimpses of Gujarat's high growth story), considerably greater than that of India as a whole. This does not, alas, satisfy carping critics.

'Modi has delivered on his social contract: growth in return for order'

 

There was a long essay in Caravan magazine: I glanced through it, and one of the points made was that, even though $920 billion in investment had been promised for Gujarat during the last few 'Vibrant Gujarat' meets, only about 25 percent of these have materialised.
That, however, is the norm in India: No more than about 25 percent of the promised investment actually materialises.

But look at the sheer numbers: Almost a trillion dollars in investment proposals, and actual investment of, say, $230 billion! That is astonishing.

This number can be directly contrasted with another large number: $462 billion. That is the amount estimated by Global Financial Integrity as the total amount siphoned out of India through illegal financial flows between 1948 and 2008.

In an intriguing irony, 'Vibrant Gujarat 2011' saw MoUs for $462 billion being signed -- precisely the same as the amount estimated by Global Financial Integrity as having been spirited away in 60 years of allegedly Socialist rule at the Centre!

Modi has delivered on his implicit social contract: growth in return for order. When you think of social contracts, there are several models to consider, for instance those attributed to Europeans such as Locke, Rousseau and Hobbes, medieval imperialist models, Indian models, and the Confucian 'Iron Rice Bowl.'

A common thread among all these models is that there is a tradeoff: There are rights, and there are responsibilities. It is necessary that you give away some of your rights in the interest of the greater good of society. The models differ in details, as well as in perspective -- for instance, is it teleological/utilitarian, preferring the greatest good for the greatest number, or is it deontological, preferring to protect the rights of the very weakest members?

In some cases, it is neither, and is meant to be purely exploitative.

It could be argued that Modi has revived a traditional Hindu/Buddhist social contract, which, in return for discipline and hard work, provides the populace with security and righteous order.

The population may pursue dharma, artha, kama, or moksha, without interference from the State; but they pay taxes and do their civic duty, and the State guarantees protection from predatory outsiders. This is roughly in line with the American idea of the rights to 'life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.'

This general Indian principle also evolved into the idea of gentlemanly warfare, wherein non-combatants were spared, with only the Kshatriya class involved in bloodshed, battles ended at nightfall, and winners were chivalrous to fallen foes.

This sort of contract is explicit in Emperor Ashoka's reign, and most vividly in Chanakya's Arthashastra. Chanakya laid out in detail the kinds of information-gathering and management control that a sovereign needs to institutionalise, and contrary to popular mythology, Ashoka employed thousands of spies to ensure that any unrest was nipped in the bud and malcontents isolated.

'Indians have barely survived the Hobbesian model'

 

This model was what turned India into the most prosperous nation in the world, as detailed in Angus Maddison's magisterial economic history of the world. It was in fact the world's leading economic power till roughly 1700 CE.

This model worked for several thousand years, from the earliest known stages of the Indus-Saraswati civilisation roughly 5,000 years, up until the arrival of Arab and Turkish hordes in the 1100 CE timeframe, and later, the European hordes circa 1700 CE. This dharma or 'natural order' in Locke's terms has been forgotten by modern Indians, brought up on a steady diet of misinformation.

The models that today's Indians are more familiar with are Hobbesian, leading to 'nasty, brutish and short' lives -- those of empire. We have endured three forms of this imperial model: Muslim, Christian, and Communist. And we have barely survived.

The Arab/Turkish Muslim social contract of dhimmitude imposes order by explicitly reducing the rights of certain groups (non-Muslims) while allowing them the minimum possible subsistence to exploit them as productive members of society. However, in India, this was an unstable equilibrium because the Hindus resisted, and resisted continuously, unlike non-Muslims in, say, Iraq, Egypt or Persia.

The European Christian social contract of colonialism imposes order by explicitly pursuing a policy of overseas theft and loot, based on the superiority of 'guns, germs and steel.'

Interestingly, this social contract is now unraveling, as there are no more subject peoples to loot and steal from: Europe is collapsing into oblivion.

An excellent interview in The Wall Street Journal on February 26 with historian Norman Davies suggests that the end is nigh for Europe. Why? Its social contract with its citizens has been that they would get prosperity in return for providing the muscle for overseas expeditions. Bereft of empire and forced to fall back on their own (minimal) resources, countries like the UK are rapidly reverting to their natural, Hobbesian state: The riots in several cities last year are indicative of this.

The Communist social contract is a form of fascism and Stalinism. It demands absolute loyalty from the public in return for... well, promises, but not often the reality, of prosperity. There is the stinging criticism that Communism offers you a version of democracy: 'One man, one vote, one time.' That's it. One time.

The incarnations of this contract range from the brutal gulags of the Soviet Union, China and Cambodia to the more mellow socialism in India. But that last, even though less violent in visible ways, has been an economic crime against humanity: It prevented 400 million Indians from climbing out of poverty.

 

'Modi has been able to fix corruption with a singular mantra'

After 60 years of it, Manmohan Singh called hunger in India a 'national shame'. It is indeed a shame, and it indicates the utter failure of the Communist/socialist social contract.

This is why the powers-that-be fear Modi's obviously successful social contract: Much as they try to paint Modi as hell-bent on victimising Muslims, the latter have voted with their feet. They are willing to stay in Gujarat, eschew violence, and prosper. The Hindus are doing exactly the same thing: they have stayed, eschewed violence, and prospered.

Precisely: A real secular state, where you succeed not based on your religion, but on how hard you work.

So clearly there is an alternative to the orthodox Stalinism of the powers-that-be, one that works. How terrible it will be if the rest of the country took notice! Whatever will the purveyors of failed social contracts do? That is reason number one Modi is bad.

Reason number two is related. Endemic corruption, and lack of leadership, are the biggest problems India faces. There are many leaders who are supposedly personally honest, but who allow those around them to indulge in the mass loot of the public treasury. Is that any better than if they were themselves indulging in theft? Probably not: It just adds hypocrisy to their other crimes.

Modi has been able to fix corruption with a singular mantra: Not only is he personally not on the take but he doesn't have offspring on the take either (Bhishma-like, eh?). But what's more, he doesn't allow anybody else to be corrupt either. This is most distressing for the neta-babu crowd.

The fishes and loaves of office are turning into ashes in their salivating mouths: So what is the point in spending big bucks to get a rentier job or an MLA seat unless your rent-seeking self can recoup the investment in a matter of months? None whatsoever, and that is precisely the point!

It is amusing to note that Modi is immensely popular everywhere in Gujarat, except in the capital Gandhinagar -- his party gets defeated here routinely, while it gets two-thirds majorities elsewhere! The neta-babu log are, understandably, unhappy with him. But I suspect the legendary mango man (aam aadmi) is quite happy.

The third reason is that, just as Modi has tamed the politician-bureaucrat nexus, he has also figured out the way to deal with the loud and self-important media, 'intelligentsia' and the NGO crowd. He doesn't pay any attention to their foaming at the mouth; in fact, if I remember right, there was some incident where he simply got up and walked off a live TV interview when the rabid host kept hyperventilating.

'Modi doesn't care two hoots what the Indian media thinks'

India's media and 'intellectuals' have fattened themselves by attaching themselves to the mammaries of the welfare State, and following a simple mantra: 'All the news that will get us crumbs from the government or junkets from foreign donors.'

In fact, India has some of the most astonishingly biased people in positions of power.

There is, for instance, a statement by an activist immediately after the Sabarmati Express was set on fire, and 59 Hindus, mostly women and children, were burnt alive. This person said: 'While I condemn today's gruesome attack, you cannot pick up an incident in isolation. Let us not forget the provocation. These people were not going for a benign assembly. They were indulging in blatant and unlawful mobilisation to build a temple and deliberately provoke the Muslims in India.'

Now imagine that this person sits on the all-powerful National Advisory Council! Let us now further imagine that this person has relentlessly filed petition after petition against Modi and is yet considered a credible spokesperson.

This is just an example of a media/NGO nexus that believes strongly in 'truth by repeated assertion', a successful tactic by the Communists too. That the Indian media is prostituting itself to the highest bidder (when they are not being bigots) is no surprise; no wonder Modi doesn't care two hoots what they think. But this, of course, annoys the hell out of said media who fancy themselves as judge, jury and executioner put together.

There is a minor cottage industry that is centred on explaining how Hinduism is at the root of all evils in India. The latest is a bunch of misinformed kids at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, who wrote an essay wherein they blamed everything that is wrong in India on the Mahabharata, Ramayana and the Arthashastra. There is ample evidence that this sort of ritualised strawman-building-and-knocking-down is a successful imperial tactic.

For instance, the British claimed Ayurveda and Kalari Payat were evil, banned them, and burned the books. They claimed the ancient practice of smearing cowpox pus as a preventive against smallpox was 'barbaric', and banned it. They claimed Devadasis were an abomination, but in fact they were, like geishas, cultured women of substance, who often endowed public works like dam-building. They claimed dowry and jati are evil; but dowry, according to Veena Talwar Oldenburg's remarkable research, was the result of British practices.

Jati is the very reason Indian civilisation has survived, because its distributed nature makes it hard to eradicate.

Modi is one person who has figured out the antidote to the venom from the self-proclaimed 'intellectuals' and their newspapers and TV. He goes over their heads to a higher-authority: The people. And the people respond, showing said 'intellectuals' how superfluous they are. No wonder they are livid.

Thus, by re-creating a viable social contract, by being an ethical leader, and by ignoring the vicious, Modi has shown he has the one thing that India needs: Leadership. Not at all good, if you are one of those currently pretending to be leaders.

 http://www.rediff.com/news/slide-show/slide-show-1-social-contract-why-modi-scares-the-usual-suspects/20120301.htm?sc_cid=fbshare

Supreme Court asks UPA to implement Vajpayee’s brainchild project-’Interlinking of Rivers’

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Feb 28 asked the Centre to set up a committee to plan implementation of the project to interlink rivers, which was a brainchild of the NDA government under then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The Peninsular component — involving rivers in southern India – involved diversion of surplus waters of the Mahanadi and Godavari to the Pennar, Krishna, Vaigai and Cauvery. The Himalayan component envisaged building storage reservoirs on the Ganga and the Brahmaputra and their main tributaries, both in India and Nepal, to conserve monsoon waters for irrigation and generation of hydro-power, besides checking floods.

The task force had identified 14 links, including Kosi-Ghagra, Kosi-Mech, Ghagra-Yamuna, Gandak-Ganga, Yamuna-Rajasthan, Rajasthan-Sabarmati, Sarda-Yamuna, Farakka-Sunderbans, Brahmaputra-Ganga, Subernarekha-Mahanadi, and Ganga-Damodar-Subernarekha.

Noting that further delay would only make the project, meant to fight drought, even more expensive, a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India S H Kapadia asked the centre and state governments concerned to participate in the planning. “We direct the Union of India to forthwith constitute a committee for interlinking of rivers,” the bench said.

The fate of the ambitious Rs 5,00,000 crore project proposing the linking of rivers by 2016 has remained a virtual non-starter. The detailed project report is in cold storage.
The bench, also comprising Justices Swatanter Kumar and A K Patnaik, sought a committee comprising representatives from various government departments and ministries, as well as experts and social activists, to chart out the plan.
 
The panel may have the union minister for water resources, environment secretary and four experts appointed by the water resources ministry, finance ministry, Planning Commission and the ministry of environment and forests.

It shall also have representatives of state governments, two social activists and senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, amicus in the case before the Supreme Court.

At an earlier hearing, the bench had said it may not favour the project if it means a huge financial burden.
“My concern is only about what is the financial liability of the project. We want to make it clear that we would not pass an order on it if it causes huge financial burden,” the three-judge bench had then observed. It had directed Ranjit Kumar to file a report on the financial viability, asking him to find out the cost of networking as well as whether land would have to be acquired for the same.

A Centre-appointed task force had earlier submitted a report recommending division of the project into two — the Peninsular component and the Himalayan component.

The Peninsular component — involving rivers in southern India – involved diversion of surplus waters of the Mahanadi and Godavari to the Pennar, Krishna, Vaigai and Cauvery. The Himalayan component envisaged building storage reservoirs on the Ganga and the Brahmaputra and their main tributaries, both in India and Nepal, to conserve monsoon waters for irrigation and generation of hydro-power, besides checking floods.

The task force had identified 14 links, including Kosi-Ghagra, Kosi-Mech, Ghagra-Yamuna, Gandak-Ganga, Yamuna-Rajasthan, Rajasthan-Sabarmati, Sarda-Yamuna, Farakka-Sunderbans, Brahmaputra-Ganga, Subernarekha-Mahanadi, and Ganga-Damodar-Subernarekha.

The task force had concluded that the linking of rivers would raise irrigation potential to 160 million hectares for all types of crops by 2050, compared to a maximum of about 140 million hectares that could be generated through conventional sources of irrigation.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/sc-asks-centre-to-set-up-panel-to-plan-interlinking-of-rivers/917610/2

Interlinking Rivers: SC Approves NDA Brainchild Project

The interlinking of rivers project that was initiated by the NDA government has been approved by the Supreme Court. Central and state governments have been directed to implement projects under the scheme of linking rivers. A high level committee has been constituted for the planning and implementation of the same.

The directive has been issued by a bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia. ”We direct the Union of India to forthwith constitute a committee for interlinking of rivers. We direct the committee to implement the project”.

“My concern is only with what is the financial liability of the project. We want to make it clear that we would not pass order on it if it causes huge financial burden,” said the bench, reiterating the need for a financial outline related to the project.

The bench also observed that the observing that the project was delayed unduly, which furthered its implementing cost. Central and state governments have been directed to work in a coordinated manner, for “effective implementation in a time bound manner”. A high-level committee appointed by the court consists of representatives from Water Resources Ministry, Finance Ministry,  Planning Commission, NGOs, etc.

The brainchild of NDA regime, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee formed a task force for its implementation to fight the acute drought of 2002. The project outlined in detail how the Peninsular rivers and Himalayan rivers including Ganga, Yamuna, Brahmaputra, Godavari, Kaveri, Vaigai etc could be linked for a perennial water supply.

source: http://indiawires.com/8054/news/national/interlinking-rivers-sc-approves-nda-brainchild-project/