Telangana: inevitable and desirable

By G. Kishan Reddy

The Hindu has argued editorially that a just and sustainable solution to the Telangana issue can be found within an undivided Andhra Pradesh. Here is an Op-Ed article by a BJP legislator that presents a contra-argument.

In the winter of 1953, the Fazal Ali Commission was set up to reorganise the States of the Indian Republic. Its recommendation to go about creating States on linguistic lines, indirectly paved the way for the creation of Andhra Pradesh. Andhra was formed from the northern districts of the erstwhile Madras state and the southern districts of the erstwhile Hyderabad state -- though the committee itself did not advocate such a merger and was against it.

Fifty-six winters later, the very concept of the creation of States based on linguistic lines has become passé. We need to look for fresh parameters for the creation of States, and that has to be based on holistic development on economic and social lines for better administration and management. This fact has been proven with the creation of Chhattisgarh from Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand from Bihar and Uttaranchal from Uttar Pradesh.

Two issues that seem to be at the centre of the contention between the two regions of Andhra Pradesh is the future of Hyderabad and the repercussions in terms of the sharing of river waters from the completed and planned irrigation projects after the division of the State. Any entity, political or otherwise, that is able to find pragmatic solutions to this conundrum would not only earn the respect of the people of the State but also help set a precedent in the matter of contentious State divisions in the future.

Economics of small States

The case for small States can be argued with two parameters of macroeconomic statistics from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. The first parameter is the percentage increase in Gross Domestic Product for States between 1999-2000, when the smaller States were created, and 2007-2008. India’s overall GDP increased by 75 per cent during this time period. During the same period, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttaranchal recorded more than 100 per cent, 150 per cent and 180 per cent increase respectively. These rates were much above the rate at which national GDP increased. This clearly indicates that the recent creation of smaller States was a step in the right direction.

Experts have often argued that the creation of smaller States has been at the expense of the States they were created from. For all its lack of governance, Uttar Pradesh grew by more than 21 per cent of the national average during this time period.

The second parameter, the percentage contribution of States to national GDP, helps negate the myth of smaller States growing at the expense of the States they are created from. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh each contributed the same amount to national GDP. While the contributions of Bihar and Madhya Pradesh increased by 0.01 per cent and 0.06 per cent respectively, Uttar Pradesh’s contribution to national GDP increased by 1.2 per cent during the same time period. This is more than Chhattisgarh’s percentage increase in the contribution of 0.64 per cent to national GDP, the highest increase among the three newly created smaller States.

Capital politics

Hyderabad is an integral part of Telangana and a Telangana State without Hyderabad as the capital is inconceivable. However, the militant rhetoric of some political parties has made people of other areas feel unwelcome, creating an air of mistrust among the Telugu-speaking people of various regions. This is not only constitutionally illegal but also extremely foolish as it affects the image of Brand Hyderabad. Everybody who has come to Hyderabad in search of a better quality of life must be protected. Rhetorical slogans such as Telangana waalon jaago, Andhra waalon bhago gives the impression of an exclusionist movement that forces people of the non-Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh out of Hyderabad rather than a movement where the people of Telangana want greater autonomy for their region. Significantly, when Maharashtra and Gujarat were created from the then Bombay state on the recommendation of the States Reorganisation Commission, there was fear about Mumbai losing its importance as a financial nerve-centre as a lot of investment in Mumbai had been made by Gujarati business people. The creation of two separate States did not halt Mumbai’s rapid development. In fact, it additionally paved the way for the development of Ahmedabad and Surat as alternative financial centres. Hyderabad can emulate the same model. As in the past 400 years, the city can continue to welcome people with open arms rather than close its gates to fresh talent and creative ideas.

The people of the Andhra and Rayalaseema regions feel that the benefits reaped from Hyderabad must be accessible to all those who have been equal stakeholders in the city’s development. The solution to this is not alternative models such as according Hyderabad the status of a Union Territory or making Hyderabad a joint capital for the States carved out of present-day Andhra Pradesh. These solutions are just not practical. A better approach would be to plan a special financial package for the development of a new State capital for the non-Telangana region. Pragmatism would dictate that the special package be funded through some form of cess on the city of Hyderabad for a limited period rather than running to large financial institutions for loans, as has been proposed by some political entities.

Social dynamics of water

About 70 per cent of the catchment area of the Krishna and close to 80 per cent of the catchment area of the Godavari is located in the Telangana region. Across the world, water distribution and sharing schemes between two areas is calculated on the basis of the percentage of the catchment area that lies in the region. Other factors that influence water-sharing accords is the population of a given region, the projected usage of water for industry and the domestic population, and the physical contours of the region through which the river flows.

Take the instance of the Godavari, where the areas planned for large dams in the Telangana have not been found feasible for various reasons. As the Sriramsagar project on the Godavari already exists, it is not feasible to build another large dam on the Godavari until after the Pranahitha tributary joins the Godavari. There is not enough water to be harnessed on a continuous basis for the project to be economically feasible if the dam is built before the Pranahitha joins the main river. The Inchampally project, a national project whose benefits are to be shared between the States of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, was one such large project that was proposed. Though the project was conceived a long time ago, it has run into typical issues that are usually associated with projects that have multiple States as stakeholders. Though Andhra Pradesh, by large, is the main beneficiary of the project, the project plan estimates more forest land being submerged in Maharashtra (47.7 per cent) than in Andhra Pradesh (29.9 per cent; all land in Telangana). An equal amount of cultivable land will be submerged in Chhattisgarh (41.8 per cent) and Andhra Pradesh (42.2 per cent; all land in Telangana). And, more villages that belong to Maharashtra (100) will be submerged as compared to Andhra Pradesh (65). This has obviously made the other States reluctant to move as quickly as Andhra Pradesh on this project.

The link canal that has been planned between Inchampally and Nagarjuna Sagar that is proposed to irrigate the regions of Telangana in between also involves prohibitive costs as a result of the 107-metre lift that is required for the water to reach the Nagarjuna Sagar. The lift itself will require a separate hydro-electric power project for the project to be feasible. Commonsense and pragmatism would have ensured that a project in Kanthamapalli or Kaleswaram be pursued. Additionally, three smaller step- dams between Yellampalli and Sriramsagar must be devised with a realistic State-level river-interlinking plan. Inchampally is not an exception, but the trend in how political leaders across the aisle in Telangana have been caught up in the big-projects-to-line-my-pockets mentality at the cost of the development of the region by looking at smaller, realistic projects to execute.

The finale

The Telangana agitation is the only such movement in India that involves a capital city located in the region that is fighting for separation from the main State. This clearly reflects on the lack of governance and civic administration in this area as the benefits of having a State capital in the hinterland have not trickled down to other areas in that region.

Smaller States still need a good and vibrant administration to be recipes for success. Chhattisgarh is a fine example of how an effective administration could turn around a State in all aspects of development. The development that has happened in the Chhattisgarh region from Independence till 2000 has in fact been less than the development that has taken place from the time a new State was created in 2000 till now. The first Telangana Chief Minister would have done a great service to the infant State should he take a prescription from Chhattisgarh’s most famous Ayurvedic doctor.

(G. Kishan Reddy is the floor leader of the BJP in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly. The data and statistical inputs in this article are from Yudofud Public Strategies, www.yudofud.com.)

Courtesy : http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/article80961.ece

Because Modi must be made to pay

Sanjiv Bhatt has given his testimony. But is everything par for the course when the centre uses the bureaucracy to undermine Modi?

By Ajay Singh


At the peak of campaigning in recent assembly polls in West Bengal, the Times Now aired an interview of Purulia arms drop accused Kim Davy. Davy, who had escaped arrest, pointed out that the large cache of arms was meant for the Anand Margis to subvert the democratically elected Left Front government in West Bengal. Though the issue was raised by the Left parties in a rather feeble manner, others tended to dismiss it as a mindless ranting of a criminal who is still eluding law. Davy also claimed that he was escorted out of India under the guidance of intelligence agencies after his plane was force-landed in Mumbai airport.

It is nobody’s case that these allegations should be taken without a pinch of salt. But what is significant is the fact that a hardened criminal like Davy is aware of the growing strains within the Indian federal structure and trying to exploit the situation to cover up his crimes. And there are reasons to believe that whatever Davy is saying is not completely untrue. In the Purlia arms drop case, a senior CBI sleuth once confessed that the investigations met cul-de-sac as it would expose many skeletons in the government’s cupboard. More often than not, another accused Peter Bleach told his CBI interrogators, “If I reveal everything, your government will be embarrassed.” Bleach was subsequently pardoned ostensibly on account of British diplomatic pressure and on grounds of mercy. This is why the CBI inquiry in this serious criminal case proved to be nothing more than hogwash.

It is no coincidence that the UPA government has been employing another tactic to subvert a democratically elected government in Gujarat just as Davy was making these stunning allegations. In this innovative method of subverting a state government, the union government is using the bureaucracy as a tool to run down the state government. It is relying on a set of officers who had run afoul of the state government and were ready to be used as cat’s paw.

One such officer is Gujarat cadre IPS Kuldeep Sharma who has been facing criminal charges in Gujarat but has caught the fancy of the union home ministry on account of his anti-Narendra Modi utterances. Sharma was unilaterally appointed additional DG of BPR&D (bureau of police research and development) by the home ministry disregarding the fact that he was neither relieved nor did he get the mandatory vigilance clearance from the state government.

This issue appears to be snowballing into a serious controversy as the chief secretary of the Gujarat government has written a letter to the union home secretary explaining the flouting of established principles in the appointment. Since the Gujarat government’s missive is stonewalled, the state government has taken this case to court.

Sharma’s case is not an isolated instance. In yet another case, IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt who filed an affidavit in the supreme court against chief minister Narendra Modi, union home minister P Chidambaram gave a pat on his back by describing him as “courageous”. The fact that Bhatt’s assertion in the affidavit has been rejected by the supreme court-appointed special investigation team (SIT) is being conveniently ignored by the home minister.

Take a look at the “courageous” record of Bhatt. On October 17, 1996, (when Modi was nowhere on the Gujarat scene), an FIR was lodged against him in Rajasthan’s Pali district. Bhatt, who was then SP of Banaskantha, Gujarat’s district bordering Rajasthan, was accused of implicating Sumer Singh Rajpurohit in a fake narcotics case to force him to vacate a commercial property. After an inquiry, a charge sheet was filed against Bhatt in the NDPS court, Jodhpur. Though Bhatt obtained a stay order from the supreme court, the NHRC fined him Rs one lakh for his acts of indiscretion. The fine was paid by the state government. Do you want to know who held Bhatt’s brief in the supreme court? None other than P Chidambaram!
The list of Bhatt’s “courageous” acts does not end there. In Jamjodhpur in 1995, Bhatt was just a trainee officer when he was charged with torture and custodial death of Prabhudas Vaishnani. He was again fined by the high court. In yet another case in Porbandar, Bhatt was accused of torturing and giving electric shocks to one detainee, Naran Jadav. Is it not surprising that Bhatt chose to file an affidavit in the supreme court after nine years testifying that he was present in the meeting where the chief minister gave orders to let Hindus vent their anger after the Godhra train incident?

Highly placed sources in Gujarat said that Bhatt had been desperately trying to close all cases against him and seeking intervention from the top. Since he was not entertained and denied promotion, he had many axes to grind against the government, they point out. Against such a background, the union home minister’s eulogising of Bhatt is nothing less than inciting a disgruntled officer to revolt against a chief minister.

That the union government has been discreetly promoting revolt within the state bureaucracy is a complex situation for the Gujarat government to grapple with. More recently, Pradip Sharma, a promoted IAS officer of Gujarat cadre who is languishing in jail on corruption charges, came out against Modi and promised to tell all about Modi’s complicity in communal riots in 2002. Once again, the home minister, who is the cadre-controlling authority of all IAS and IPS officers in the country, appreciated Sharma for coming out against the chief minister. Incidentally, Pradip Sharma and Kuldeep Sharma are brothers.

Having failed to dislodge Modi in elections, the UPA’s new method of subverting the Gujarat government is proving to be quite effective. Given the number of supreme court-mandated investigations going on in the state, a set of disgruntled and often discredited officers have found an easy recourse to challenge a beleaguered chief minister who can do nothing but wait for the court’s decisions. However, in the process of settling a political score with Modi, this innovative method of subverting the state government through the state bureaucracy is grossly undermining our federal structure.

Davy’s allegations against the PV Narasimha Rao government assume significance in view of these facts. If the allegations are to be taken at face value, the Congress party can be credited with innovating new methods, including armed uprising, against democratically-elected state governments.

The Congress’ proclivity to depose state governments run by political adversaries has a long history. The notion of the pre-eminence of the centre over the states got firmly ingrained into the party’s psyche in 1959 when Indira Gandhi as AICC president persuaded prime minister Nehru much against his own democratic impulses to sack the communist government in Kerala. Referring to this, Justice Krishna Iyer had once said that the Congress organised communal violence on a large scale to topple the the Left government, the first non-Congress government of the country. “Nehru fell for the bait,” Justice Krishna Iyer had averred. This tendency to ride roughshod over the states was further reinforced during the Indira regime and subsequent Rajiv Gandhi era when chief ministers were sacked at the whim and fancy of the prime minister.

However, it became difficult to depose an elected government after the SR Bommai judgment which made exercise of article 356 as “justifiable” and imposed stringent conditions to sack an elected state government. In such a scenario, the Congress which has the longest stint at the centre seems to be devising innovative methods of subverting state governments run by political adversaries by undermining established institutions. Even if one chooses to ignore Davy’s revelations, the UPA government’s subversive tactics in Gujarat are a clear indication that the Congress party’s tendency to disregard federalism is incorrigible and seems part of the party’s DNA.

Courtesy : http://www.governancenow.com/news/regular-story/because-modi-must-be-made-pay

Report on Assam: After polling both BJP, AGP confident BJP hopes to play crucial role in forming government.

From Jyoti Lal Chowdhury in Silchar

SILCHAR: Two phase elections in Assam are over. May 13 will decide who wins the race for Dispur. Assam too set a record of sort by registering the highest voter turn out of 76.03 per cent, an indication of people’ faith and conviction in exercising their franchise to elect their representatives. It is also an indication of the massive security arrangement by the Election Commission to ensure peaceful poll notwithstanding certain jarring notes here and there. Besides, it was a mandate against separatism and divisiveness.

State BJP chief Ranjit Dutta described it as people’s eagerness towards having an alternative government in the State. He foresaw a non Congress government in the capital of Assam after a decade, brushing aside Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi’s claim of a hat-trick.

Dutta is confident that BJP would win at least 25 to 30 seats, upping its tally of 10 of 2006 elections. It is being alleged that the Development funds from the Centre for the implementation of schemes and projects have been grossly misused, misappropriated and siphoned off. BJP’s charge-sheet against the government, besides highlighting the infamous multicrore scam in North Cachar Hills, now called Dima Hasao district, focuses on colossus swindling of funds meant for development.

The BJP State leadership did well to bring in almost all the top leaders from high command. Nitin Gadkari, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Narendra Modi, Varun Gandhi, Arjun Munda, Shahnawaj Hussain, Abdus Naqvi to Smriti Irani, Hema Malini among others came in order to take the battle on the Congress turf and outwit and demolish Congress stalwarts, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Pranab Mukherjee and their claims of good governance and development by exposing UPA government’s monumental tales of ‘epical scams’ related to CWG, Adarsh Society, CVC, 2 G Spectrum, and vote on cash, etc, Nitin Gadkari was most critical and lambasted Manmohan Singh led UPA for unleashing ‘loot raj’ in the country. “It is the most corrupt government that manufactures one scam a day”, he pointed out. BJP leaders came down heavily on Sangh Parivar-baiter AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh, for playing rabid ‘communal card’ at election rallies by branding Bengali Hindu refugees taking shelter in Assam from Bangladesh, erstwhile East Pakistan, as infiltrators who needed to be pushed back, he said. This even provoked AIUDF general secretary Ataur Rahman Majhar-bhuiya to denounce Singh to say how Muslims in Assam were subjected to discrimination under Congress government of Tarun Gogoi in the matter of employment. In fact, it was his utter ignorance about Assam and the problem of refugees that came in for haranguing, he said. It created such a furore that Congress candidates panicked at their prospect at the hustings and Tarun Gogoi had to clarify ‘refugees need humanitarian consideration’.

The emergence of AIUDF and its acceptance in minority dominant areas has sent ripples in Congress as it is expected to cut into its traditional Muslim votes. The trends and swings indicate AIUDF is likely to double its tally of 10 bagged in 2006 elections. Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, former chief minister, and AGP president Chandra Mohan Patowary exuded confidence that his party would emerge as the single largest party with 53 seats alone in the 126 member Legislative Assembly. It is to be put on record that in 2006 Congress, short of majority, rode to power with support from Bodo People’s Progressing Front led by Mohilary Hagrama which had in its kitty 12 seats. Ranjit Dutta had a word of caution about the subtle move of Congress to get support of AIUDF in the event of its predicament to form the government. He said with the known stand of the Front on the issue of influx of Bangladeshi infiltrators, any alliance of Congress with it would push the problem on the back-burner. It was Congress, he reminded, which was behind the framing of Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunal) Act of 1983 which by its well-designed clauses made detection and deportation of infiltrators difficult. He foresaw dovetailing of a situation in the State where the very identity and culture of indigenous people would be at stake. The Supreme Court after hearing a writ petition struck down the IM(DT) Act.

BJP was the only party which made infiltration one of the main poll planks during campaign to assure the people of the State that if elected to power, it would ensure passage of a legislation to make Assam free of infiltrators. The power hungry Congress which could align with Muslim League in Kerala would not bother to go with Badaruddin Ajmal’s AIUDF. BJP, as Ranjit Dutta asserted, would not compromise with the issues it has been fighting for. His party would keep options open to have alliance with AGP as well as BPPF and he was confident of a non Congress government at the citadel of power.

The unending canard against Modi

By V Shanmuganathan



THERE are deliberately circulated news-items appearing in Newspapers to create confusion about the progress of Gujarat State under the leadership of Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Bhatt an IPS officer has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court, stating that “Modi wanted Muslims are taught a lesson.”

Another news-item says that, K Chakrabarti, Gujarat’s DGP at the time of posts Godhra riots, has said that Bhatt was ‘not present’ in the meeting with the Chief Minister held on February 27, 2002. Bhatt’s driver denies this statement. Another IAS Officer claims Modi’s Office instructed against proactive measures.

Hidden Hand
In general, the people who appreciate about the development of Gujarat are disturbed by reading such news items.

Whether the police officer and IAS officer are speaking themselves or some hidden hand is working on this.

Congress is suffering because of the success of Narendra Modi. It is unfortunate that Congress uses even CBI to strike political gains in many cases.

Gujarat:Symbol of Development
According to Narendra Modi, Gujarat’s biggest strength is development. It is taking place as a mass movement with the participation of people. Gujarat accounts for five per cent of India’s population and contributes 21 per cent to India’s exports and 13 per cent to the Industrial production. Gujarat has achieved sustainable development in the field of agriculture.

This special concern for farmers is improving the quality of life of the rural population by widening their employment opportunities and increasing their income. Gujarat is marching ahead in the agricultural production with the aim of creating greater wealth for farmers. Narendra Modi was asked about corruption in Gujarat during a discussion in India Today Conclave 2011; Modi said that corruption is in death bed and no chance to revive. It is true. Even an ardent enemy can not raise a finger against him on corruption.

The achievements of Gujarat are mainly due to the people of the state who are participating and working together with the state government sincerely and earnestly. The credit goes to the leadership, particularly Chief Minister Narendra Modi, its business sector, labour leaders and various social service organisations who have contributed to the all round development of State. If more state governments and even Central Government adopts Gujarat’s approach to economic management and governance, India would be in a better position to emerge as a super power.

Gujarat: Symbol of Harmony
Because of malicious propaganda, people ask another genuine question. Whether the Muslim Community in Gujarat is happy, contended and making progress? According to the report of the Sachar Committee appointed by the government of India clearly shows that the Muslims of Gujarat are progressing well in the field of education. They are provided ample opportunities and they are well cared for. The facts on their economic conditions dispel similar myths about their being discriminated or being denied equal opportunity.

In terms of literacy level Muslims in Gujarat stood at 73.5 per cent as compared to the national average of 59.1 per cent. In terms of per capita income, Muslims of Gujarat earn an average of Rs 875.00 which is more than the national average of Rs 804 per cent. Even in terms of employment and state government jobs, it is 5.4 per cent in Gujarat which is 2.1 per cent in West Bengal and 3.2 per cent in Delhi.

This factual position is echoed by none other than the Imam of the Jama Masjid in Ahamedabad, who reportedly commented some time back, that “Muslims have equal opportunity to prosper in the peaceful environment in Gujarat that Modi Government, has created. Modi has provided an atmosphere which is condusive for those who want to trade peacefully in Gujarat”.

It is very very unfortunate that vilification campaign is carried on against the positive, development oriented achievements of Gujarat. Modi is a full time devoted person working for the motherland. He has no self interest in any activity and no family or children to promote. His 24 hours activity is not to amass wealth but to work for the upliftment of the poor. He says that his soul is Gujarat and his God is India. He has demonstrated to the world at large that, he is working for a harmonious Gujarat without any discrimination of caste, creed of religion.

BJP General Secretary, Mr. Arun Jaitley was asked about the affidavit filed by a police officer in Kolkotta. There is no presumption that it is truthful. The job for investigating the truth has been entrusted by the Supreme Court to SIT appointed by it. There are a number of people in Gujarat who are actively working in the exercise of discovery of falsehood. So, every time a Supreme Court hearing is fixed or a SIT report is expected, you find that pre-empted, by some statements in the media or by an affidavit leaked to the media. I would only appeal to the people that there is a judicial mechanism looking into it, let us have faith and leave it to that mechanism”. Truth will triumph.

Why is Sonia Gandhi so scared of Narendra Modi?

By Francois Gautier

One hopes that the people of India are not blind to the utter cynicism of some of its politicians. The way they are efficiently and ruthlessly killing the whole Lokpal movement with the help of deceit and slander is frightening. All the while, Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi, whose party is not only the main recipient of corruption but has actually institutionalised it, throw decoys at us with declarations of 'zero tolerance of corruption'.

It is funny how this government is hell bent in preserving what is corrupt, untruthful, inefficient - as symbolised by the deal they have made with Karunanidhi that they will not touch his family - and fanatic about destroying what is free of corruption and is prosperous.

Sonia has been on a personal vendetta against Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi for a long time. She had a useful tool in Teesta Setalvad, who, it is now discovered, has bribed witnesses, filed false affidavits, and committed repeated perjuries in court. Teesta's usefulness is nearing an end as she may soon land up in jail, so the Congress has now found another willing tool in Gujarat police officer Sanjiv Bhatt to implicate Modi in the post-Godhra riots.

The government has subverted its investigative instruments such that the CBI goes after Modi even as it closes its eyes to the wrongs that chief ministers of the Congress or its allies, such as the DMK, are openly doing.

For example, the CBI requested the judiciary to drop the case against Jagdish Tytler, who was seen by innumerable witnesses leading mobs to murder Sikhs, while it is going all guns blazing against Modi, who at best was caught off guard when the riots in Gujarat broke out in 2002, or at the worst, delayed in calling the army. But did not Rajiv Gandhi do the same thing ("When a big tree falls, the earth shakes," he had said) after his mother was murdered by her own bodyguards? Rajiv also delayed calling in the security forces.

It is illogical that the legal instruments of Indian democracy are used to pin down the CM of India's most lawful, and prosperous and least corrupt state, which impresses even non-BJP tycoons such Ratan Tata, when a Lalu Prasad was allowed to loot Bihar and keep it in the most desolate state because he was an ally.

Is it logical today that the Indian media only highlight the 2002 Gujarat riots, carefully omitting the fact that they were triggered by the horrifying murder of 57 Hindus, 36 of them innocent women and children, burnt in the Sabarmati Express? Riots of that intensity do not happen in a day; they are the result of long-term pent-up anger and a spark - like the killing of Hindus, whose only crime was that they believed that Ram was born in Ayodhya.

It is widely known that the dreaded Khalistan movement in Punjab was quelled in the '80's by supercop KPS Gill in a ruthless manner by a number of 'fake encounters' that killed top Sikh separatists. This was done under a Congress government, both at the Centre and in Punjab. Rajiv was the PM then, but he was never indicted. This is so because terrorists have no law and they kill innocent people; and sometimes ruthless methods have to be used against them.

Why is Sonia going so single-mindedly against Modi? Because, he seems to be the only alternative to her son Rahul Gandhi becoming prime minister in the next general elections. We should give credit to Sonia for her cunning and ruthlessness.

It is no good being a Hindu in Sonia Gandhi's India. It is better to be a Quattrocchi, who was exonerated by the CBI. Or a terrorist like Sohrabuddin from whose house in Madhya Pradesh 40 AK-47 rifles, and a number of live hand grenades and bullets were confiscated, who was declared "Wanted" in five states with 40 cases registered against him. Then you stand a chance to be protected by the government of India, while those who have at heart their country's integrity go to jail.

Sonia has achieved such terrifying power, a glance of her, a silence, just being there, is enough for her inner circle to act; she has subverted so much of the instruments of Indian democracy and she controls such huge amounts of unlisted money that sooner or later this 'karma' may come back to her under one form or the other.

Live Web Cast of NDA Maha Poratam against Corruption of UPA Government at Hyderabad.

EVENT IS OVER

Why Narendra Modi is loved by businesses

Heather Timmons, The New York Times

In a soaring, unfinished conference hall in western India, thousands of businessmen and diplomats from around the world gathered recently for an investment meeting. They were there to pay homage to a politician for accomplishing something once thought almost impossible in India: making it easy to do business.

Narendra Modi, chief minister of the state of Gujarat, spoke at a conference last month that was meant to promote business.

The Canadian company Bombardier built a manufacturing plant in Savli, Gujarat, in 18 months, “a world record within Bombardier,” one executive said.

The politician, Narendra Modi, the chief minister of the state of Gujarat, sat onstage, stroking his close-cropped white beard, as executives from the United States, Canada, Japan and elsewhere showered him with praise.

Ron Somers, head of an American trade group, called him a progressive leader. Michael Kadoorie, a Hong Kong billionaire, enveloped him in a hug.

“I would encourage you all to invest here,” Mr. Kadoorie, chairman of the Asian power company CLP Group, told the audience, “because it has been an even playing field for me.”

The coastal state of Gujarat, famous as the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, has become an investment magnet. The state’s gross domestic product is growing at an 11 percent annual rate — even faster than the overall growth rate for India, which despite its problems is zipping along at 9 percent clip.

And Mr. Modi receives — some would say claims — much of the credit. The year before he took office in 2001, Gujarat’s economy shrank by 5 percent.

But critics of Mr. Modi, a Hindu nationalist, point to another legacy of his early days in office — something that has made him one of the most polarizing figures in Indian politics. Months after he became chief minister, Gujarat erupted in brutal Hindu-Muslim riots that killed more than 1,000 people, most of them Muslims.(Even though, 3,500 sikhs were killed by Congress workers led by their leader who were heavily rewarded by Late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi with cabinet positions in central government, no body questioned sanctity of Rajiv's motives on secularism.)

Despite Mr. Modi’s subsequent denials, he has not fully escaped a cloud of accusations by rival political groups, victims and their families, and human rights groups that he and his aides condoned the attacks against Muslims and — as one case now before the Supreme Court charges — may even have encouraged them. (Fact is, he controlled the communal riots within 3 days where as Rajiv Gandhi as prime minister of India initiated the police action after 3 days to control anti sikh riots in Delhi.)

A special investigation team formed by the Supreme Court has filed a 600-page investigative report on the riots, which has not been officially released. Numerous other lawsuits related to the riots are also winding through India’s courts. In 2005 the United States refused to grant Mr. Modi a visa, on grounds of religious intolerance. Meanwhile, environmental activists and local tribesman who have been protesting the construction of seven dams in Gujarat that will displace 25,000 people say they the protesters have been regularly jailed by the state police, charged with being Naxalites, a militant rebel group. (Several Ministers were made resign after allegations against them started to come in and duly being prosecuted. None of those congress leaders who actively took part in mayhem of Delhi were not brought to justice. US definitely is biased in its action it could never stop neither Rajiv nor any of those congress leaders coming to US.)

Mr. Modi, who has declined interview requests from The New York Times for several years, did not comment for this article.

Of the lingering controversies, a spokesman for Mr. Modi, Steven King, with the Washington public relations firm APCO Worldwide, wrote in an e-mail responding to questions: “The government has very highly developed grievance proceedings.”

Corporate executives, though, tend to concentrate on Mr. Modi’s pro-business attributes, which they see as something of an anomaly in an India where government bureaucracy, bumbling or corruption too often impedes commerce.

“In India there is a sense that efficiency is at such a premium because there is so little to go around,” said Eswar Prasad, a professor of trade policy at Cornell who has served as an adviser to the Indian government. “When people find an effective politician who can make things happen on the ground, they are willing to ignore the character flaws.”

Under Mr. Modi’s watch, the energy companies Royal Dutch Shell and Total have opened a major liquid natural gas terminal in Gujarat, and Torrent Power, an Indian company, has built a huge power plant. Meanwhile, Tata Motors, DuPont, General Motors, Hitachi and dozens of other foreign and Indian companies have built factories, expanded operations or invested in projects in the state.

When the Canadian heavy machinery company Bombardier won a contract to supply subway cars to the Delhi Metro in 2007, it needed a factory site, quickly. It found one in Savli, an industrial estate in Gujarat. Just 18 months later— when in many parts of India, the permit process might still be grinding away — the factory was built and operating.

“It was incredible,” said Rajeev Jyoti, the managing director of Bombardier in India, “and it was a world record within Bombardier.”

Compared with most other states, Gujarat has smoother roads and less garbage next to the streets. More than 99 percent of Gujarat’s villages have electricity, compared with less than 85 percent nationally.

In 2009, Gujarat attracted more planned investment than any other state in the country, about $54 billion by value of announced plans, according to Assocham, a trade association of Indian chambers of commerce.

Mr. Modi, who has no business or economics background, deserves praise for this, corporate leaders say. Before entering politics in his late 30s, he was a religious volunteer for the Hindu nationalist group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which sponsors schools and provides aid during natural disasters, but has also been widely criticized as being intolerant of other religions and of secular Hindus.(Fact - RSS runs more than 1.5 lac service activities all over India, which is the largest by any size in the world. RSS is for Hindu Nationalism not propagating religion. RSS has people from all the religions as its members and is open to anybody who respects his mother land.)

In India, where corrupt politicians often seem to be raiding the public coffers to benefit their offspring, Mr. Modi’s success is sometimes attributed to his apparent lack of a family life. Acquaintances and local news reports say he was married at a young age but separated soon after from his wife. Mr. Modi has never commented on reports about his personal life.

Mr. Modi’s administration has brought novel solutions to some of India’s most tenacious problems. Corruption became less widespread after the state government put a large amount of its activities online, from permits that companies need to build or expand, to bids for contracts. To plow through a multiyear backlog of court cases, and prevent day laborers from losing income, Mr. Modi asked judges to work extra hours in night courts.

Mr. Modi uses a chief executive style of managing the bureaucrats who work under him, according to associates and business executives in Gujarat. He gives promising people positions of responsibility, sets goals and expects people to meet them. Nonperformers are pushed aside.

It may seem an obvious way to administer a state with more than 50 million people and a budget in the billions of dollars.

But this approach runs counter to India’s tradition of cronyism. In a recent reshuffle of India’s national cabinet ministers, for example, the minister of highways who substantially missed targets for road-building was made minister for urban development, a crucial position for a rapidly urbanizing nation struggling to build livable cities.

Even in another state considered pro-business, Tamil Nadu in the south, the ruling party, D.M.K., has been dogged by accusations of corruption.

In Mr. Modi’s case, the accolades once would have been unthinkable. After the Hindu-Muslim riots a decade ago, he was considered a liability for his political party, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. But these days, with Gujarat’s soaring economy, Mr. Modi is sometimes mentioned as his party’s most likely candidate for prime minister in 2014, when the next general election is expected.

Despite his lack of executive experience, Mr. Modi’s supporters credit him with a politician’s innate sense of marketing. Images of Mr. Modi were plastered on billboards throughout Gujarat during the investment summit meeting, proclaiming the state’s support not only for investment but for social programs like support of girls’ education — a particularly important subject in India where there is a large literacy gap between men and women.

Within Gujarat, which has a centuries-old reputation for business acumen, even Mr. Modi’s fans sometimes grumble that he and his image makers may be taking outsize credit for its economic growth. And they say that the headline numbers that Mr. Modi’s government trumpets can be misleading.(Fact - State never witness such robust economic growth when congress ruled this state for several years from the time of Independence.)

For example, the $450 billion in “memorandums of understanding” — essentially, pledges to do business in the state — that the government says were signed during the January investment summit meeting double-count some deals, according to businessmen in attendance, because they include loans and investments for the same projects. Mr. Modi’s spokesman confirmed there might be some redundancy in the $450 billion figure, but said it was impossible to break out the loans from the investments.

Yet, no one disputes Gujarat’s rapid growth. And Mr. Modi’s supporters say India’s economic success will depend on each state’s adopting many of the same measures he has employed. India’s central government may apportion budgets and write overall laws, they say, but it is the states that are responsible for overseeing everything from land allocation to electricity distribution.

“If you are an investor in India,” said Mr. Somers, of the United States trade group, “Gujarat must be at the top of your list.”

courtesy : http://profit.ndtv.com/news/show/why-narendra-modi-is-loved-by-businesses-139896

Read more at: http://profit.ndtv.com/news/show/why-narendra-modi-is-loved-by-businesses-139896?cp

BJP's FIR on CWG Loot by Congress

Check out Bharatiya Janata Party - The Party with a Difference - Achievements of NDA Government

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I want you to take a look at: Bharatiya Janata Party - The Party with a Difference - Achievements of NDA Government 

Media, Muslims and Modi - Exclusive : Modi deprives poor Muslims of scholarship

By: Bandyopadhyay Arindam













Pick up any topic on Gujarat now-a-days. Watch it through the "prism of minority-ism" and see if the color changes favorably. Adjust the brightness and the contrast appropriately to see if you can create a "Muslim victim-hood" picture that is acceptable to the "pseudo-secular" market. Then touch it up at the right places with a brush dipped in the universally available NMBPS (Narendra Modi Bashing Paint Solution). You end up with a perfect painting that is fit to grace the India media. To enhance its valuation, have an expert from the Sonia Congress to critique it, and you attain a breaking news status on a prestigious CNN-IBN channel.

Exclusive: Modi deprives poor Muslims of scholarship Aug 08, 2009
New Delhi: More than 50,000 poor minority students in Gujarat have been reportedly denied central scholarship. This report has once again put Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in a spot. His is the only state government in the country which is not willing to bear 25 per cent share of the central-sponsored pre-matric scholarship scheme for the minorities. The Centre gives around Rs 22 lakh scholarships for poor Muslims students, of which more than Rs 57,000 is earmarked for Gujarat alone. Every child whose parents earn less than Rs 1 lakh per annum is entitled to this scholarship and can get an amount between Rs 800 to Rs 1500. Last year the Gujarat government wrote to the Centre that such schemes based on minority status of a community will not help in the country"s development. This year again, despite of repeated reminders, the state government has not earmarked any money which means the minority students will remain deprived of their due. "This is unconstitutional," says Congress spokesperson, Abhishek Manu Singhvi. This scholarship scheme is a part of Prime Minister"s 15 point programme for minorities and Gujarat is the only state opposing it.

If you take the risk of being branded as a Hindu fundamentalist, you may want to ask the "constitutional expert" the Congress spokesperson, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, as to where does the Indian constitution allow to separate its population into rich and poor or to divide its citizens into Hindus, Muslims, Christians or Sikhs etc. If it does, then why is that there is scholarship only for poor Muslims students? Why didn"t the constitution provide for scholarships for the poor students of Hindus, Christians and others? And if it doesn"t, then why should asking to develop the whole country and its entire citizen be unconstitutional?

But you would be unlikely to get the real answer, that is, since "this scholarship scheme is a part of Prime Minister"s 15 point programme for minorities", it is beyond the constitution.

Now if you were an "intelligent" and "secular" Indian, you would have been made aware of the fact that, according to a latest book "Population of India in the New Millennium: Census 2001?, written by noted researcher and demographer Mahendra K Premi, the literacy rate among Muslims is the lowest in the country from among the different communities.

You would have thought that it is all part of a larger Hindu conspiracy in India to keep Muslims poor and uneducated, despite the best efforts of the Congress Government, who have incidentally ruled India, post independence, for almost 85% of the time. And the CNN-IBN news item above just conveys the message that no body else carries out this Hindutva experiment better than the "Muslim-hater, mastermind of the Gujarat pogrom", Mr Narendra Modi.

You are made to feel guilty of the "secular truth" that the Gujarat government is under the special instruction from its demonic Chief Minister, to vehemently oppose all sorts of educational development of the Muslims in Gujarat, in an effort to marginalize them.

The secular media may have successfully hidden it from you, the following facts:

. The literacy rate among Muslims was better than the majority Hindus in eight states of India.
. Among Muslim males, the literacy rate was high, above 80 %, in five states including Gujarat
. Muslim men had a better literacy rate than their Hindu counterparts in six states including Gujarat.
. In Gujarat, Muslim men fared better than Hindus with an 82.9% literacy level compared to the majority community"s 79.1%.
. The percentage of literate Muslim women was higher than that of the Hindu community in nine states and Gujarat is one of them.

Wait a minute - You must be thinking!

This can"t be true! This must be RSS or VHP propaganda.

Probably came out in some BJP manifesto, trying to lure Muslim vote?

Or else, this must be a dubious study, published in some god-forsaken, shady magazine or newspaper.

Unfortunately, a big NO! None of the above is true.

Here is the news item.

Muslims more literate than Hindus Dec 29, 2006
New Delhi: According to a latest book Population of India in the New Millennium: Census 2001 written by noted researcher and demographer Mahendra K Premi, the literacy rate among Muslims is the lowest in the country from among the different communities but its better than the majority Hindus in eight states. The literacy rate among Muslim males was high - above 80 per cent - in Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Gujarat. With regard to Muslim women, a high literacy rate of about 70 per cent was recorded in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Chattisgarh. The study also says that the Muslim men had the highest literacy rate of 93.7 per cent in Kerala, almost at par with Hindus who had a literacy rate of 93.8 per cent. "In Chattisgarh, the literacy rate of Muslim males was 90.5 per cent, while Hindus lagged behind at 76.8 per cent in the state," the study says. However, in Gujarat, Muslim men fared better than Hindus with an 82.9 per cent literacy level compared to the majority community"s 79.1 per cent literacy rate. Muslim men had a better literacy rate than their Hindu counterparts in six states - Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Tamil Nadu. The percentage of literate Muslim women was higher than that of the Hindu community in nine states - Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu.

And don"t feel embarassed by the source - it is our CNN-IBN again!!!!!!

Sri Krishna committee report on Telangana

Sri Krishna Committee Report on Telangana

Corruption and Public Loot under UPA Government

2G spectrum scam: This scam has cost the public exchequer Rs 1,76,000 crore. To put it into perspective, this amount would have been enough to provide the extra funds needed for a universal public distribution providing 35 kgs of rice at two rupees a kilo for the entire remaining term of the UPA Government. This amount is also eight times more than the entire Central budget for health and at least three times more than that for education. Yet the Government led by the Prime Minister says it has not enough funds to provide universal food security. This colossal loot of the public money was done under the tutelage of the Telecom Minister who followed an utterly dubious policy of spectrum allocation, presumably, to please certain corporate interests. What is all the more shocking is the complete silence and inaction of the Prime Minister on this faulty policy-making by a Cabinet Minister. The opposition raised questions about both policy matters as well as procedural issues and asked the Prime Minister to intervene. But he chose to ignore those questions. Even now, when the entire country is asking for answers, the PM is completely silent while the Government is denying the legitimate demand of a Joint Parliamentary Committee to probe into this huge scam.

Commonwealth Games Scam: The cost of Commonwealth Games (CWG) at the time of bidding in 2003 was estimated at Rs 1899 crores. By 2010 the total expenditure on the CWG rose to Rs 70,000 crore when the Games were eventually held. This expenditure is around 14 times the expenditure incurred during the CWG held in Melbourne in 2006. Even funds worth Rs 700 crore earmarked for the development of the deprived sections were channelized towards expenditure on the CWG. This colossal expenditure on the CWG is a direct result of the humongous corruption indulged in not only by the Games Organizing Committee but also by various functionaries of the Central and Delhi Government. The UPA Government has constituted an enquiry committee into this scam headed by a former CAG. The committee is basically powerless and its role has been proscribed to look into the irregularities of the Organizing Committee only while many branches of Central and Delhi Government were also involved in this scam.

Adarsh Society Scam: After the Kargil war, the Adarsh Housing Society was set up in 1999. It stated in official letters to the state government that it was meant for housing the widows of the martyrs in the Kargil war and for the families of war veterans. It has now transpired that among the 103 apartments that were sold to members of the Adarsh Society, not a single flat was given to either the widows of the Kargil martyrs or to the war veterans. All these flats were cornered by top Congress Leaders, bureaucrats and even by top ranking officers of the armed forces. What is more, while the market price of each flat was around eight to ten crore rupees, they were sold to these people at just 60 to 80 lakh rupees each! With the exposure of this scam, the CM of Maharashtra, Ashok Chavan, had to resign. However, this scam has shown glaringly how all rules are flouted and bent to ensure that congress leaders and higher ranking bureaucrats grab whatever public property is available, even if it belongs to the widows of the soldiers who died fighting for the country.

Liberal Corruption under UPA government

What these scams highlight is the malignant nexus of corrupt UPA Ministers, bureaucrats and big business operating at the centers of power. Many of the big names and the doyens of corporate India are involved in these corporate crimes. The nexus poses a serious threat to the system of parliamentary democracy itself. These powerful lobbies transform the instruments of Governance to suit the interests of corporates and scamsters and shape public policy to advance private interests. In the current era the nature of corruption is one where it is not the earlier method of giving bribes to get some contract from the government or the license to open a factory. Now, the policy itself can be bought or sold with money with the big businesses deciding what a particular policy will be. It is therefore not surprising that all the constituents of UPA including the Congress are actively involved in various corruption cases since all the parties cater to the interests of the big business and corporates

Zero tolerance, secret billions

by S Gurumurthy 

Thousands of crores Indian  Corruption Money stashed in swiss banks by Gandhi family

What was Rajiv Gandhi’s fatal error in politics? It does not need a seer to say that it was his claim to honesty — branding himself as ‘Mr Clean’ — that proved fatal to him. Indira Gandhi was his contrast. Asked about corruption in her government, she said nonchalantly, ‘it was a global phenomenon’. This was in 1983. An honest Delhi High Court judge even lamented how could corruption be controlled when someone holding such a high position had almost rationalised it. The result, no one could ever charge Indira Gandhi with corruption, because she never claimed to be clean. But, ambitious to look ideal, Rajiv proclaimed honesty and so provoked scrutiny; in contrast, Indira, opting to be practical, immunised herself against scrutiny. Eventually, Rajiv’s claim to honesty became the very cross on which he was crucified in the 1989 elections when the Bofors gun shot the Congress out of power. The lesson to the political class was: don’t claim to be honest, if you really are not so. The hard lesson seems forgotten now by the Gandhi family itself. Sonia Gandhi, instead of following Indira’s safe path, is wrongly caught on Rajiv’s risky steps. The consequences seem to be ominous. Will the politics of 1987 to 1989 repeat?


 Following Rajiv and forgetting Indira, Sonia Gandhi proclaimed ‘zero tolerance’ to corruption at a party rally in Allahabad in November 2010. She repeated it at the Congress plenary in Delhi weeks later. Asking the cadre to take the corrupt head on, she said that her party was ‘prompt’ in acting against the corrupt; ‘never spared the corrupt’ because corruption impedes development’. This was almost how Rajiv Gandhi spoke in the Congress centenary in Mumbai 25 years ago. Two crucial differences marked Rajiv away from Sonia. First, when Rajiv claimed to be ‘Mr Clean’, he had no scams to defend against. But, Sonia claims to be honest amidst huge and continuing scams — CWG, Adarsh, 2G Spectrum allocation scam…. Next, Rajiv had a clean slate to begin with, with no known skeletons in his cupboard till the Bofors scam smashed his ‘Mr Clean’ image. In contrast, Sonia’s slate is full of credible exposures of bribes and pay-offs in billions of dollars secreted in Swiss bank accounts, not counting Quattrocchi’s millions from Bofors. To make it worse, for almost two decades now, she has not dared to deny the exposures or sue the famous Swiss magazine or the Russian investigative journalist who had put out evidence of bribe against the Sonia family. Seen against this background, Sonia’s vow to act against the corrupt seems like a suspect hooting ‘catch the thief’ and scooting away. This is the main story that unfolds here. 


$2.2 billions to 11 billions! 


A stunning exposure on Sonia Gandhi’s secret billions in Swiss banks came, surprisingly, from Switzerland itself, where the world’s corrupt stash away their booty. In its issue of November 19, 1991, Schweizer Illustrierte, the most popular magazine of Switzerland, did an exposé of over a dozen politicians of the third world, including Rajiv Gandhi, who had stashed away their bribe monies in Swiss banks. Schweizer Illustrierte, not a rag, sells some 2,15,000 copies and has a readership of 9,17,000 — almost a sixth of Swiss adult population. Citing the newly opened KGB records, the magazine reported ‘that Sonia Gandhi the widow of the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was controlling secret account with 2.5 billion Swiss Francs (equal to $2.2 billion) in her minor son’s name’. The $2.2 billion account must have existed from before June 1988 when Rahul Gandhi attained majority. The loot in today’s rupee value equals almost Rs 10,000 crore. Swiss banks invest and multiply the clients’ monies, not keep them buried. Had it been invested in safe long-term securities, the $.2.2 billion bribe would have multiplied to $9.41 billion (Rs 42,345 crore) by 2009. If it had been put in US stocks, it would have swelled to $12.97 billion (Rs 58,365 crore). If, as most likely, it were invested in long-term bonds and stocks as 50:50, it would have grown to $11.19 billion (Rs 50,355 crore). Before the global financial meltdown in 2008, the $2.2 billion bribes in stocks would have peaked at $18.66 billion (Rs 83,900 crore). By any calculation the present size of the $2.2 billion secret funds of the family in Swiss banks seems huge — anywhere between Rs 43,000 plus to some Rs 84,000 crore! 


KGB papers


 The second exposé, emanating from the archives of the Russian spy outfit KGB, is far more serious. It says that the Gandhi family has accepted political pay-offs from the KGB — a clear case of treason besides bribe. In her book The State Within a State: The KGB and its Hold on Russia-Past, Present, and Future, Yevgenia Albats, an acclaimed investigative journalist, says: “A letter signed by Victor Chebrikov, who replaced Andropov as the KGB head in 1982 noted: ‘the USSR KGB maintains contact with the son of the Premier Minister Rajiv Gandhi (of India). R Gandhi expresses deep gratitude for the benefits accruing to the Prime Minister’s family from the commercial dealings of the firm he controls in co-operation with the Soviet foreign trade organisations. R Gandhi reports confidentially that a substantial portion of the funds obtained through this channel are used to support the party of R Gandhi’.” (p.223). Albats has also disclosed that, in December 2005, KGB chief Victor Chebrikov had asked for authorisation from the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, “to make payments in US dollars to the family members of Rajiv Gandhi, namely Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Ms Paola Maino, mother of Sonia Gandhi.” And even before Albats’ book came out the Russian media had leaked out the details of the pay-offs. Based on the leaks, on July 4, 1992, The Hindu had reported: “the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service admits the possibility that the KGB could have been involved in arranging profitable Soviet contract for the company controlled by Rajiv Gandhi family”.


Indian media


 Rajiv Gandhi’s sad demise delayed the Swiss and Russian exposé on Sonia being picked up here. But Indian media’s interest in it actually coincided with Sonia Gandhi assuming leadership of the Congress. A G Noorani, a well-known columnist, had reported on both Schweizer Illustrierte and Albats’ exposés in Statesman (December 31, 1988). Subramanian Swamy had put out the photocopies of the pages of Schweizer Illustrierte and Albats’ book in his website along with the mail of the Swiss magazine dated February 23, 2002 confirming that in its article of November 1991 it had named Rajiv Gandhi with a total of Swiss Franc 2.5 billion ($2.2 billion) in secret account; it had also offered to supply a original copy of the magazine to Swamy. (See: http://www.janataparty.org/annexures/ann10p43.html) These facts were again recalled in my article in The New Indian Express (April 29, 2009) written in response to Sonia Gandhi speech at Mangalore (April 27, 2009) declaring that, “the Congress was taking steps to address the issue of untaxed Indian money in Swiss banks”. The article had questioned her about her family’s corrupt wealth in Swiss banks in the context of her vow to bring back the monies stashed away abroad. Rajinder Puri, a reputed journalist, has also earlier written on the KGB disclosures in his column on August 15, 2006. Recently, in India Today (December 27, 2010) the redoubtable Ram Jethmalani has referred to the Swiss exposé, asking where is that money now? So the Indian media too has repeatedly published the details of the secret billions of the Gandhi family investigated by the Swiss and Russian journalists. Amal Datta (CPI(M)) had raised the $2.2 billion issue in Parliament on December 7, 1991, but Speaker Shivraj Patil expunged the Gandhi name from the proceedings! 


Self-incriminating 


But, what has been the response of Sonia or Rahul, major after June 1988, to the investigation by Schweizer Illustrierte and Albats and to the Indian media’s repeated references to their investigation? It can be summed up in one word: Silence. Thus, apart from the exposés, the deafening silence of the Gandhis itself constitutes the most damaging and self-incriminating evidence of the family’s guilt. When Schweizer Illustrierte alleged that Sonia had held Rajiv Gandhi’s bribes in Rahul’s name in Swiss banks, neither she nor the son, protested, or sued the magazine, then or later; nor did they sue A G Noorani or Statesman when they repeated it in 1998, or later; nor would they sue Subramanian Swamy when he put it on his website in 2002; neither did they sue me, or the Express when the article was carried in April 2009. When major papers, The Hindu and The Times of India included, had carried the expose on KGB payments in the year 1992 itself adding that the Russian government was embarrassed by the disclosures, neither of the Gandhis challenged or sued them; nor did they sue Yevgenia Albats when she wrote about KGB payments to Rajiv Gandhi in 1994. Neither did they act against  Swamy when he put Albats’ book pages on his website or when Rajinder Puri, a well-known journalist, wrote about it in his column on August 15, 2006. However, a feeble but proxy suit was filed by Sonia loyalists to defend her reputation when Albats’ exposé was made part of the full-page advertisement in The New York Times in 2007 issued by some NRIs to ‘unmask’ Sonia to the US audience, as they claimed. The suit was promptly dismissed by a US court because Sonia herself did not dare file the suit. Shockingly even that suit did not challenge the $2.2 billion Swiss account at all!Imagine that the report in Schweizer Illustrierte or in Albats book was false and Sonia Gandhi did not have those billions in secret accounts in Rahul Gandhi’s name or the family was not paid for its service to the KGB as alleged. How would they, as honest and outraged people, have reacted? Like how Morarji Desai, then retired and old at 87, responded in anger when, Seymour Hersh, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist, had mentioned in his book that Morarji Desai was a ‘paid’ CIA mole in the Indian Cabinet. Morarji Desai forthwith filed a libel suit. Commenting in The American Spectator, Rael Jean Isaac wrote in 2004, five years after Morarji Desai had passed away, that Hersh habitually indulged in character assassination; and in his attempt to do down Henry Kissinger, Morarji Desai became the victim. Isaac added that Desai, 87, calling it a “sheer mad story”, reacted in outrage with a libel suit seeking $50 million in damages. When the suit came up, as Desai, 93, was too ill to travel to US, Kissinger testified on Desai’s behalf, flatly contradicted Hersh’s charge and stated that Desai had no connection to the CIA. That is how even retired and old persons, honest and so offended and outraged, would act. But see the self-incriminating contrast, the complete absence of such outrage, in Sonia, who is reigning as the chairperson of the UPA now, neither retired or tired like the nonagenarian Morarji Desai, being just 41 when the story broke out in Schweizer Illustrierte. Imagine, not Sonia or Rahul, but Advani or Modi had figured in the exposés of Schweizer Illustrierte or Albats. What would the media not have done to nail them? What would the government of Sonia not have done to fix them? 


Rs 20.80 lakh-crore loot


 The billions of the Gandhi family being both bribes and monies stashed away in Swiss banks, they are inextricably linked to the larger issue of bringing back the huge national wealth stashed abroad. All world nations, except India, are mad after their black wealth secreted in Swiss and like banks. But India has shown little enthusiasm to track the illicit funds of Indians in Swiss and other banks. Why such reticence?When during the run-up to the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP leader L K Advani promised to bringing back, if voted to power, Indian monies estimated between $500 billion and $1.4 trillion stashed abroad, the Congress first denied that there was such Indian money outside. But when the issue began gathering momentum, Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi had to do damage control and promise that the Congress too would bring back the national wealth secreted abroad. Global Financial Integrity (GFI), a non-profit institution working against global black funds, has recently estimated that the Indian wealth secreted away is about $462 billion, approximately equal to Rs 20.80 lakh-crore. The GFI says that more than two-thirds of it was looted away under the liberalisation regime. This is what the GFI says about the character of the loot: “From 1948 through 2008, India lost a total of $213 billion in illicit financial flows (or illegal capital flight)” through “tax evasion, corruption, bribery and kickbacks, and criminal activities”. Does one need a seer to say under what head would the $2.2 billion in Sonia family’s secret account (which would have grown to $9 to $13 billion by now) fall? But accretions, if any, from the loot in 2G and CWG where the numbers are even bigger are not still accounted. Now comes the more critical, yet practical issue. When the Sonia Gandhi family is among the suspects who have secreted away monies abroad, how will it affect the efforts to bring back the wealth stashed away by others?


Looters safe


 Just a couple of examples will demonstrate how the government is unwilling to go after Indian money secreted abroad. As early as February 2008 the German authorities had collected information about illegal money kept by citizens of different countries in Lichtenstein bank. The German finance minister offered to provide the names of the account holders to any government interested in the names of its citizens. There were media reports that some 250 Indian names were found in the Lichtenstein Bank list. Yet, despite the open offer from Germany to provide the details, the UPA-II government has never showed interest in the Indian accounts in Lichtenstein Bank. The Times of India reported that “the ministry of finance and PMO have, however, not shown much interest in finding out about those who have their lockers on the secret banks of Liechtenstein which prides itself in its banking system”. But under mounting pressure the Indian government asked for details not under the open offer but strategically under India’s tax treaty with Germany. What is the difference? Under the tax treaty the information received would have to be kept confidential; but, if it were received openly, it can be disclosed to the public. Is any further evidence needed to prove that the government is keen to see that the names of Indians who had secreted monies abroad are not disclosed?The second is the sensational case of Hasan Ali, the alleged horse-breeder of Pune, who was found to have operated Swiss accounts involving over Rs 1.5 lakh-crore. The income tax department has levied a tax of Rs 71,848 crore on him for concealing Indian income secreted in Swiss accounts. This case is being buried now. The request sent to the Swiss government was deliberately made faulty to ensure that the Swiss would not provide details. Some big names in the ruling circles are reportedly linked to Hasan Ali. That explains why the government would not deepen the probe. It is Hasan Alis and the like who transport through hawala the bribes of the corrupt from India. If Hasan Ali is exposed, the corrupt will stand naked. This is how the hawala trader and the corrupt in India are mixed-up.Is it too much to conclude that thanks to Sonia family’s suspected billions in Swiss accounts the system cannot freely probe the $462 billion looted from India at all? Tail-pieces: The total wealth of both Gandhis, as per their election returns, is just Rs 363 lakh, Sonia owning no car. Sonia lamented on November 19, 2010, that graft and greed are on the rise in India!! Rahul said on December 19, 2010, that severe punishment should be given to the corrupt!!! Amen.

comment@gurumurthy.net

About The Author:S Gurumurthy is a well-known commentator on political and economic issues