India and Kashmir - K is for complacency

India risks storing up misery over Kashmir. It should grab a chance to do something more positive

MENTION Kashmir in polite Delhi society and noses wrinkle. Indians in the capital much prefer to talk of the economic boom, of India’s flourishing trade and its growing international heft. Old problems in the disputed, Muslim-majority territory in the mountainous north are waved off as a remote affair. They are not for foreigners to poke their noses into. And don’t begin to suggest that the world’s biggest democracy faces a growing problem in Kashmir, or that repressed Kashmiris have anything in common with the Palestinians or Tibetans.


Yet, in recent months, stone-pelting youths have launched their own intifada. Separatists have called for hartals, or self-imposed curfews, across the territory. And ill-trained Indian police have fired tear-gas and bullets with little care, killing over 110 people, mostly young and armed, if at all, only with crude projectiles. Deaths have spread bitterness, as have widespread reports of rape, torture and violent intimidation by Indian police. The chances are high that the miserable cycle of protests, deaths and funerals will resume in 2011.

India’s leaders are at least a bit embarrassed. They have promised better-trained police and sent three independent (if junior) interlocutors to hear Kashmiri grievances. The team is due to report within days. Yet the authorities are also harrying nationalist leaders in the territory. Separatists are often jailed or kept under house arrest. Demonstrations are usually banned. Western leaders, keen to keep India “onside” against China and greedy for its markets, have kept disgracefully quiet about human-rights abuses. On his visit in November Barack Obama uttered the K-word in public only when he was pressed by a questioner to do so.

It is not all bad. One silver lining is that Pakistan, which once devoted much malign energy to supporting an insurgency in Kashmir, is now preoccupied with its own fragility. Kashmiris, however troubled, are unlikely soon to return to the widespread armed militancy that used to claim thousands of lives a year. But India’s crushing of more moderate Kashmiri leaders is fostering other problems. The young stone-pelters are turning radical and religious. A mostly nationalistic dispute risks becoming ever more theological in much the same way as that between Israelis and Palestinians did.


A less complacent Indian government would work far harder to stop this slide. There is an immediate chance to seize the initiative while a winter freeze holds the troubled valley in its grip and before the pelting and shooting restart. It could signal that Kashmiris’ grievances will be taken seriously, for example by acting on the interlocutors’ report when it is released in January. Reducing the heavy presence of non-Kashmiris in uniform would ease tensions too. Cars cannot drive around Srinagar without manoeuvring past army roadblocks, snipers in pillboxes, lines of soldiers on the roadsides and military convoys. The security forces should be stopped from making arbitrary arrests. They should also allow nationalist political leaders to move and speak freely. That’s what democracies do.

Look to the horizon

In the longer term Indian leaders need to break their unhelpful silence on Kashmir’s prospects. The government will never allow the state to secede, let alone to join Pakistan. But India could agree to grant Kashmir greater political autonomy. It could concede that the army’s role in the territory will gradually diminish to one of mainly securing the line-of-control that divides it from Pakistani-run Kashmir. That would encourage the many Kashmiris who have taken part in Indian-run elections and who often accept in private that co-operation with India’s authorities would bring gains.


Perhaps India’s ruling Congress party, battered by corruption scandals, may not feel ready to brave Kashmir, especially if the opposition, the Hindu-dominated BJP, is hostile. Yet seeking reconciliation would be a sign not of weakness but of India’s growing confidence. Encouraging Kashmir’s moderate leaders is in the interests of all Indians—and of the West too.

Happy New Year

New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar also used in ancient Rome. In countries using the Gregorian calendar as their main calendar, it is a public holiday, often celebrated with fireworks at the stroke of midnight as the new year starts. January 1 on the Julian calendar corresponds to January 14 on the Gregorian calendar, and it is on that date that followers of some of the Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate the New Year.

History

Probably observed on March 1 in the old Roman Calendar, the World Book Encyclopedia of 1984, volume 14, page 237 states: "The Roman ruler Julius Caesar established January 1 as New Year's Day in 46 BC. The Romans dedicated this day to Janus, the god of gates, doors, and beginnings. The month of January was named after Janus, who had two faces - one looking forward and the other looking backward." This suggests that New Year's celebrations are founded on pagan traditions. Some have suggested this occurred in 153 BC, when it was stipulated that the two annual consuls (after whose names the years were identified) entered into office on that day, though no consensus exists on the matter. Dates in March, coinciding with the spring equinox, or commemorating the Annunciation of Jesus, along with a variety of Christian feast dates were used throughout the Middle Ages, though calendars often continued to display the months in columns running from January to December.

Among the 7th century pagans of Flanders and the Netherlands, it was the custom to exchange gifts at the New Year. This was a pagan custom deplored by Saint Eligius (died 659 or 660), who warned the Flemings and Dutchmen, "(Do not) make vetulas, [little figures of the Old Woman], little deer or iotticos or set tables [for the house-elf, compare Puck] at night or exchange New Year gifts or supply superfluous drinks [another Yule custom]." The quote is from the vita of Eligius written by his companion, Ouen.

Most countries in Western Europe officially adopted January 1 as New Year's Day somewhat before they adopted the Gregorian calendar. In England, the Feast of the Annunciation on March 25, was the first day of the new year until the adoption of the Gregorian Calendar in 1752. The March 25 date was known as Annunciation Style; the January 1 date was known as Circumcision Style, because this was the date of the Feast of the Circumcision, being the eighth day counting from December 25 when Christ was believed to be born. This day was christened as the beginning of the New Year by Pope Gregory as he designed the Liturgical Calender.

New Year's Days in other calendars

In cultures which traditionally or currently use calendars other than the Gregorian, New Year's Day is often also an important celebration. Some countries concurrently use the Gregorian and another calendar. New Year's Day in the alternative calendar attracts alternative celebrations of New year. If living abroad and the calendar used in the country of origin differs from the calendar used in the country of location, New Year's Day may be celebrated on both dates.

• Israel is one country that uses the Gregorian calendar but does not formally celebrate the New Year's holiday — mainly due to objections by religious parties on the holiday's non-Jewish origins. However, there are Israeli Jews who partake in some sort of celebration. The date of the Jewish new year is celebrated on Rosh Hashanah no matter where the location. The date of the Islamic New Year moves from year to year because the Islamic calendar is lunar.

• Hindu New Year falls at the time and date Sun enters Mesha on the Hindu calendar. Hindus celebrate the new year by paying respects to their parents and other elders and seek their blessings. They also exchange tokens of good wishes for healthy and prosperous year ahead.

• Japanese New Year in Japan is celebrated on January 1 because the Gregorian calendar is now used instead of the Chinese calendar.

• Chinese New Year is celebrated in many countries around the world. It is the first day of the lunar calendar. It is celebrated in numerous countries such as Korea, Vietnam, and many other Asian countries that have Chinese heritage or follows the lunar calendar. It can also be seen internationally since the Chinese population is widely spread out. It is celebrated with plenty of good food, lucky red envelopes (filled with money), families, and many things red (which resembles good luck). Lion and dragon dance, drums, fireworks, firecrackers, and other entertainments will fill the streets. It is the favorite holiday for many Chinese adults and children.

Traditional and modern celebrations and customs

New Year's Eve

January 1 represents the fresh start of a new year after a period of remembrance of the passing year, including on radio, television and in newspapers, which starts in early December in countries around the world. Publications have year-end articles that review the changes during the previous year. There are also articles on planned or expected changes in the coming year. This day is traditionally a religious feast, but since the 1900's has become an occasion to celebrate the night of December 31, called New Year's Eve. There are fireworks at midnight at the moment the new year arrives.

• In Russia and former USSR, the celebration of Old New Year or Novi God is greeted by fireworks and drinking champagne. The New Year is considered a family celebration, with a lavish dinner tables and gifts. The president of Russia normally counts down the final seconds of the "old year", as it is called in Russia. A giant clock tower chimes in the new year, and it is customary to make a wish with each chime.
• In Brazil, celebrations are held around the nation. Most famous is the celebration in Rio de Janeiro.
• In Australia, celebrations are held around the nation.
• In New York City, the 11,875-pound (5,386-kg), 12-foot-diameter (3.7-m) Times Square Ball located high above Times Square is lowered starting at 11:59 p.m., with a countdown from :10 seconds until :01, when it reaches the bottom of its tower. The arrival of the new year is announced at the stroke of midnight with fireworks, music and a live celebration that is broadcast nationwide.

• In the United States, it is traditional to spend this occasion together with loved ones. A toast is made to the new year, with kisses, fireworks and parties among the customs. It is popular to make a New Year's resolution, although that is optional.
• Junkanoo parade, in Nassau, Bahamas.
• In Scotland, there are many special customs associated with the New Year. These are a part of the Scottish celebration Hogmanay, the Scots name for New Year's Eve. The famous street party in Princes Street in Edinburgh is one example.
• In Wales, Calennig is celebrated, with celebrations attracting thousands of people in the capital, Cardiff.
• In London, thousands gather along the Embankment on the River Thames to watch the fireworks around the London Eye.
• In European countries, the New Year is greeted with private fireworks. This day is also the occasion to make bonfires of discarded Christmas trees in some countries.
• In Greece, families and relatives switch off the lights at midnight, then celebrate by cutting the "vassilopita" (Basil's pie) which usually contains one coin or equivalent. Whoever wins expects luck for the whole year. After the pie, a traditional game of cards called "triantaena" (31) follows.
• In Davos, Switzerland, the final match of the Spengler Cup ice hockey Tournament is usually held on this day by tradition.
• In the Philippines, fireworks, booming sound system as well as make a lot of noise with the belief that the noises would scare evil spirits away, preventing them from bringing bad luck to the coming new year. The tables are laden with food for the Media Noche or midnight meal, and there is a basket of 12 different round fruits to symbolize prosperity in each of the coming year's 12 months. Public new year parties like those in New York and Sydney are also available to the people and very well attended.

• On New Year's Day, people in certain countries gather on beaches and run into the water to celebrate the new year. In Canada, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Netherlands this is very popular. These events are sometimes known as polar bear plunges, and are sometimes organized by groups to raise money for charity. Polar Bear Clubs in many Northern Hemisphere cities near bodies of water, have a tradition of holding organized plunges on New Year's Day.

New Year's Day

The celebrations held world-wide on January 1 as part of New Year's Day commonly include the following:

• Parades
• Football, usually college football in the United States
• Ice hockey, most famously the Winter Classic
• Concerts
• Entertainment, usually enjoyed from the comfort of home.
• Family time
• Traditional meals
• Church services

New Year's babies

In Brittany, a common image used is that of an incarnation of Father Time (or the "Old Year") wearing a sash across his chest with the previous year printed on it passing on his duties to the Baby New Year (or the "New Year"), an infant wearing a sash with the new year printed on it. In modern time and world-wide, the association of parenthood is with a baby's arrival, with New Year's Eve a father and mother together presenting their newborn child as the new year arrives and is celebrated.

People born on New Year's Day are commonly called New Year babies. Hospitals, such as the Dyersburg Regional Medical Center in the U.S., give out prizes to the first baby born in that hospital in the new year. These prizes are often donated by local businesses. Prizes may include various baby related items such as baby formula, baby blankets, diapers, and gift certificates to stores which specialize in baby related merchandise.

Other celebrations on January 1

Some churches celebrate the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ on January 1, based on the belief that Jesus was born on December 25, and that, according to Jewish tradition, his circumcision would have taken place on the eighth day of his life (which would be January 1). The Catholic Church has also given the name Feast of the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God to their holy day on January 1.

Honest is, as honest does

Integrity, in the job of the Prime Minister, demands putting national interest above partisan politics and personal loyalties. By that standard Dr.Manmohan Singh can't be called a "man of integirty".

Today, the Indian media - both print and television - is focusing on the recent corruption scandals involving the UPA Government with unusual zeal. However, I fail to understand why almost every commentator, every TV anchor, every editorial writer feels compelled to pay ritual obeisance to the "personal honesty and integrity" of Dr. Manmohan Singh while dealing with the scandals emanating from his Cabinet colleagues. They do so even when there is clear evidence that the Prime Minister was well aware of various shady deals, as in the case of telecom scam, and that he did nothing to stop the brazen economic crimes indulged in by his ministerial colleagues over the last six years. 

Corruption is not only about personally accepting monetary bribes and stacking them away in hidden bank accounts overseas, buying benami properties or accepting diamond sets for your wife. Corruption can come in insidious avatars, such as knowingly turning a blind eye to misuse the entire machinery of governance to serve private ends of a few individuals, even to the point of endangering national security. For example, not a single person has been punished thus far for supplying sub standard bullet proof jackets to the police handling the 9/11 terrorist attack in Mumbai. Not surprisingly, we are right now witnessing yet another scam involving sub standard bullet proof vests. 

In recent weeks, some of our most respected columnists have been warning us that we should look at institutional reform rather than target individuals because it can lead to loss of faith in democratic institutions. But how do you retain faith in democratic institutions if powerful individuals use their office to systematically subvert the autonomy and credibility of institutions meant as watchdogs of democracy? The best of institutions take no time in becoming slavish instruments of partisan agendas if you plant subservient and heavily compromised individuals at their helm. 

 People attribute his pliability to the fact that the prime minister was appointed and not elected.

Dr Manmohan Singh cannot escape responsibility for appointing people with dubious credentials to occupy key positions of power - starting with the appointment of Pratibha Devisingh Patil as the President of India. This despite the fact that that Congress leaders of her own district protested vehemently against her appointment because of her and her close kin's direct involvement in criminal cases. Thereafter, all key institutions, including the Election Commission, the Central Vigilance Commission have been filled with people whose credentials have been questioned not just by the opposition but also the media and respected public figures. 

He has also provided key portfolios to people with a proven track record of brazen corruption. For example, IAS officer, Mr Lalli the CEO of Prasar Bharati that manages Doordarshan has been guilty of countless corrupt deals and practices. Despite numerous agitations by the staff of Doordarshan to get him punished, he continues lording over the institution because he is supposed to have the PM's backing. 

This regime has also gone out of its way to protect those judges of the High Courts and Supreme Court who have such serious corruption charges against them as to merit impeachment and criminal trials. Justice Dinakaran of the Karnataka High Court was saved from the wrath of and boycott by the legal fraternity of Karnataka by being transferred to Sikkim High Court despite loud protests by people in Sikkim. Judges who are alleged to have shared in the loot of Provident Fund of class 1V employees in UP have not been subject to investigation, leave alone punishment. One of them retired after serving a full term in the Supreme Court. The kingpin of the scam who later provided evidence of the complicity of the judges died under mysterious circumstances in jail. 

Supreme Court Justice Sabharwal was likewise protected from prosecution even though the allegations against him during UPA's first term were no less serious than that of Kalmadi. He is alleged to have ordered demolition of numerous commercial centres and complexes in Delhi in order to benefit his son's investment in high end malls, causing havoc for lakhs of small and big commercial property owners of Delhi. 

The CWG scam is not just about misappropriation of funds through inflated bills and money being paid to bogus companies. It all started with the politician-contractor mafia being allowed to violate all environmental laws to convert the Yamuna floodplains into prime real estate by building luxury apartments in the name of Games Village. This happened despite the High Court ban on all construction activity on the floodplains. 

It needed the influence of people far more powerful than Kalmadi to persuade the Supreme Court into over ruling the considered view of the High Court and ensuring that Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh looked the other way when all environmental laws were being brazenly flouted right under his nose to build high rise apartments and other commercial structures on the floodplains. The game plan behind building luxury apartments on the forbidden land became obvious from the fact that the builders had to be whip lashed into completing at least half the apartments before the Commonwealth Games. They were obviously given to understand that the CWG was merely a fig leaf for converting floodplains into prime real estate in the heart of Delhi. 

The choice of the company that built the Games Village, the names of its real owners, its unknown and known partners, and the list of its known and unknown beneficiaries will reveal a scam more insidious than the Adarsh Housing Scam of Mumbai which involved Congress Party CM and other politicians, top ranking officials of the armed forces and bureaucrats cornering luxury apartments in a prime location in a housing society set up in the name of Kargil widows. In this case too, the only visible action taken by the Prime Minister is to replace the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. No sign of any heads rolling as yet. 

Or take the example of the most politically sensitive state of Kashmir. Dr. Manmohan Singh allowed an anti-Omar agitation to turn into an anti India agitation much against his own counsel, all because he dare not sack Omar Abdullah from the CM's post even when the entire Valley rose in revolt against his high handed, corrupt and callous regime. Senior Congress leaders admit in private that Omar cannot be touched since he is a buddy of Rahul Gandhi. Dr Singh knows well that Omar's continuation has given a new lease of life to the Pakistan-inspired separatist and terrorist movement in Kashmir. 

People attribute his pliability to the fact that the prime minister was appointed and not elected. He has never won a Lok Sabha election. But that cannot be used as an excuse to justify overlooking such gross mismanagement and loot as well as the political drift one witnesses even in areas involving national security.

In fact, his defeat in the one and only election he ever fought is related to his lack of personal integrity. He was defeated in the predominantly middle-class South Delhi constituency because people in general and Sikhs in particular were enraged when Manmohan Singh denied the role of the Congress in the 1984 Anti Sikh carnage and instead attributed the 1984 massacre to the RSS. The RSS may well be guilty of many other communal riots but the credit for the 1984 massacre goes entirely to Congress politicians, including Rajiv Gandhi who even justified the killings saying: "when a big tree falls, the earth is bound to shake." The Congress Party also ensured that those who masterminded and executed the 1984 pogram did not get punished. 

Similarly, in the case of Gujarat riots, the Prime Minister happily joined the chorus initiated by his boss pillorying Narendra Modi as "Maut ka Saudagar" even though it is well known that Congress party cadres merrily joined the riotous mobs unleashed by BJP--RSS combine in Ahmedabad and elsewhere. This failure to own responsibility for the conduct of his party men and passing the entire responsibility on to Modi is in large part responsible for the lack of credibility of Congress Party in Gujarat and the severe erosion of its political base in Gujarat. 

Likewise, getting a Rajya Sabha seat from Assam claiming he is a resident of the state when he has never had any such connection with Assam is a definite indicator of questionable political integrity. A PM who compromises national interest, as in Kashmir, just to indulge the personal fancy of the PM-in-waiting, a PM who looks the other way while his Cabinet colleagues brazenly loot public funds and get away with extorting thousands of crores by way of kickbacks, a PM who is widely perceived and lampooned as a "rubber stamp" does not merit being called "an honest man" or a "man of integrity"; in his job, integrity demands putting national interest above partisan politics and personal loyalties. Integrity also involves taking full responsibility for all his acts of commission and omission which have earned UPA II the dubious distinction of being publicly named as the most corrupt and rudderless government in post independence India. 

A very honest & unfaltering account of present day farce in governance. It's disheartening to be led by a puppet leader. Alas, where are such leaders who think about national interest over self-interest?  

Sun Tzu in his treatise "The art of War" stated that an over compassionate leader brings only destruction and Dr. Manmohan Singh is a rather shining example. Wish he would have showed this compassion to the people of India rather than the party high command. 

There is such an image built around Dr. Manmohan Singh which now seems like a mask. Integrity is of no use if it cannot command any affirmative action. Even his predecessor Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee was in the same boat.

During the last three weeks, when parliament was defunct, we never heard or saw him anywhere, neither the UPA president and the aspiring PM who talks a lot about good governance. PM's placing, PM's continuation in the position raises another concern who planted him at PM office. Because in the recent past he appeared public only when any foreign delegation comes and he has to sign commercial contracts rather diplomatic negotiations. The political discourse of the country seems to be dictated by somebody outside or some powerful incorporate inside. 

Our PM, whom the corporate media wants to keep aloof from the charges of corruption. I remember how Smt. Indira Gandhi was hounded by the media then for corruption charges against her/government when the charges were nothing compared to present day charges. It is a pity to note that the so called intellectuals are comparing NDA/Yedurappa's corruption to divert the real issue. A person who secured a vote of confidence with hundreds of crores of rupees being paid as bribes to MPs, how can he be described as an honest man? Being the head of the government Dr. Manmohan Singh cannot pretend to be honest when the biggest ever scam has occurred and he is fully aware of the murky deals indulged by his ministers. 

The Emperor of Integrity has no clothes now. This required critical analysis and integrity. Integrity in any field is not only to perform according to one's conviction but also to act on the basis of one's knowledge and not to be blinded by emotion. This is what Dr. Manmohan Singh has done so far in his supplicant role to the Congress party. 

   No one in India can claim to be entirely honest. Similarly, no one can be condemned as wholly dishonest. There is indeed cent percent collective dishonesty in India. But, as far as possible one can be honest singularly. But, collectively, it is not possible in India to be fully honest despite wanting to be so.

The PM is only a victim of such a situation where some of his junior colleagues are alleged to have committed the cardinal sin without his knowledge. Now, sadly, the collective responsibility has fallen on him.
He is more sinned against than sinning himself.

I was a firm supporter of the PM and his governance in UPA I. In fact, the way he stuck to his point in the nuclear deal, whether right or wrong being a different question altogether, removed any myth in the mind of the opposition whether he was a weak PM. I have personally felt that any links with US have to be dealt with caution due to their bloody present and past. In the last few years, the PM's closeness to US almost seems to raise suspicion.

In spite of the immense poverty and the destruction of agriculture sector in this country, the PM continues in his industry-oriented economic path. His three favourite letters in the English language are surely G-D-P. The Radia tapes have only shown how our industries operate. I hope at least now he wakes up to the reality and realizes that India is a socialist republic.

The PM is now weaker than ever before, not least because of Madame Sonia Gandhi, but due to inaction against corrupt practices.

PUSHBACK TIME IN BIHAR - They hit back, "and it felt good"

A public hearing on NREGA in a remote village in Bihar created a confrontation between a leader accused of corruption and the workers who exposed him.

A hot, open field in a remote countryside in Bihar. The location: Saurgaon village in the Kursakata Block of Araria district. Hundreds of workers were lined up in front, waiting patiently for their turn. The occasion was a public hearing, organized by Jan Jagaran Shakti Sanghatan(JJSS), a new local social movement, which had recently been formed to support the workers struggle for employment. 

File picture of a JJSS-organised public hearing at Bhangahi panchayat, Narpatganj block, Bihar on July 8th, 2010. Pic: JJSS. 

A tent had been set up for the occasion. It was already full with people from the local Panchayat, but more villagers continued to trickle in. The hearing began with the organizers singing some revolutionary workers’ songs. Immediately after, 34-year-old Ashish Ranjan, one of the organisers of the event, took to the podium and demanded, "Have you ever seen a muster roll?" A resounding "NO!" shook the tent. “Have you had one hundred days of employment?” Again, “NO!” Ranjan proceeded to explain that the purpose of the meeting was to inform people about their rights and to present the results from a recent audit. 

A week prior, he was working with some volunteers, who were preparing for a village survey. They were looking at the government records of a village that they are going to audit. One volunteer noticed, "The same road is listed on two different yojanas”. Another retorted, I see a similar case in my register as well. The following day, they visited some villages to track down the road, where they heard that the work was not even completed the first time around, leave alone having multiple projects. So, it seemed to be a clear case of one work having different names to trick the people. 

To one worker, Kanchi (name changed), 35, they said, "It looks like you’ve worked 40 days this past year, received Rs. 4000 for it in your account, and then subsequently withdrew it." Kanchi gave them a blank look, which quickly turned to rage. All of the other passbooks indicated similar activity, and the villagers became increasingly agitated. Another volunteer asked, "Are you saying that you haven't received this money?” They replied, "No, not at all." 

The meeting re-started and the atmosphere remained tense, the scuffle had ironically brought the agenda to sharp focus.  This was exactly the kind of illegitimate activity that JJSS was interested in unearthing, so they asked the villagers to come to the following week’s public hearing. Most hesitated, but then agreed to come. When they asked people to sign a written testimonial, a few refused, saying, "I can’t sign this paper. I need to live here." They feared retaliation from government officials. 

Later, the fear spread to the other villagers, and some even demanded that they return the written testimonial. Later in the evening, they encountered some of the villagers. They were having a drink and discussing the day’s events. Kanchi was among them, and they all began to discuss the hearing. Kanchi voiced everyone’s worries: "These b*t*ds will kill us. I’m not scared, but some people are." They assured them that JJSS would remain in the area and that they would provide support. 

One week later at the public hearing, Ranjan laid down the protocol of the event: “Lift your hands to speak, and come to the microphone in the front to speak." He noted that the proceedings would be video recorded. 

The gathering at the public hearing at Bhangahi. Pic: JJSS. 

Manoj Singh, 50, the panchayat president, got up first to speak. He said, "Everything is going well in this village. All the work has been done and everybody was paid." Then, results from the audit were read out, making clear gross disparities in claims between the government records and from the survey.

Kanchi raised his hand to speak: “My name is Kanchi and I am from Boratola (name changed).”

Ranjan asked, "The government records say that you worked on a project to move sand from Ram's house to Krishna's. Did you do so, and how much were you paid?” “Yes, sir, I did work on that project.” 

“The government records show,” Ranjan continued, “that you worked for 40 days and were paid Rs.4000. Is that correct?” “No, sir, I have not been paid that much money. I only got Rs.1000". Someone immediately shouted, "He is lying!" 

Kanchi was livid. He pointed towards Singh, the panchayat leader and said, "He’s a crook. He and his cronies must have taken the rest of my money, whole 3000 rupees!" Mukhya rose up, rushed over to grab the microphone, and then hit Kanchi on the head with the microphone stand. The entire proceedings occurred in front of 500 people and was caught on video. 

This caused a great uproar, very soon the workers got up and started running towards the Mukhya shouting "“hit him, hit him”. Suddenly sticks appeared and they were charging up to the Mukhya, who was immediately whisked away to safety. Everybody was running and shouting and there was a minor scuffle between Mukhya’s men and some of the workers. 

The activists were running clutching the documents they had tightly so that they weren’t taken away in the commotion. Soon, the activists brought the meeting to order. Singh returned, and everybody sat down. The meeting re-started and the atmosphere remained tense, the scuffle had ironically brought the agenda to sharp focus. The testimonials continued to pile up, but the workers were careful not to name-call and stuck to facts. People were clapping and cheering and backing up every testimonial from whoever had the courage to come and speak up. The clerks contested the evidence and gave counter testimonials. Some workers also stepped up to support this view and attested that they have been paid fully for their work and there are no problems in the village. These testimonies were often booed. 

Singh finally got up and said, “I have listened to the workers complaints, and I now know that there are problems but I wish that somebody had told me earlier.” He promised with a sly smile that he would take action and ensure that wages are returned to workers and will secure employment for everyone. The meeting ended and the testimonials were submitted to the Mukhya, the media and to the district collector’s office. 

The next morning on visiting the village, where Kanchi lived and on finding him, he said, “Mukhya (panchayat leader Manoj Singh) had come by in his car that night and had threatened the people in the village for speaking out”. But Kanchi added, looking away, “he can’t do anything to me”. On asking him, “what do you think will happen”, he said we have been discussing that in the village, it is unclear what will change. 

But, he added, “in the last 10 years that this Mukhya is in power, I have never seen him s**t in his pants like this”. He gleefully added, “and it felt good”.

Aamir ko gussa kyun aaya tha ??

 Aamir Khan sued Bennett Coleman, publishers of the Times of India and Filmfare magazine for running this ad using his photograph and a 'quote' without his consent. Aamir demanded Rs 21 crores and an apology.


A 'close associate' of the actor told Midday: "One can’t attribute quotes to someone or use his picture to promote or endorse something without permission... After all, they are cashing in on his reputation and image, and he has the right to choose what he endorses."


And Aamir would never endorse the Filmfare awards because he 'does not believe in awards'. Or any others, for that matter except the National Awards. And, I guess the Oscars.

This, I think, rankled the folks at Filmfare. Other stars were featured in the series of ads but note how staid the copy was. Woh to award lene aayenege, unhe naraaz thodi kar sakte they....

The one with Amitabh read: Amitabh Bachchan has been nominated for 'Black'. On Feb 25, the Lady in Black will decide.


And the copy in Junior B's ad was identical! Abhishek has been nominated for 'Bunty aur Babli'. On Feb 25, the Lady in Black will decide.


Had they similarly written 'Aamir is nominated for 'Mangal Pandey' I doubt the star would have bothered to sue them. But implying he 'incited a revolt to win over the Lady in Black' (the Filmfare statuette) is a bit over the top.

I think if an actor does not believe in awards you should respect that and not nominate him in the first place. Organisers, please keep this in mind next year - there were other fine actors in Rang de Basanti besides Aamir.

But of course if it isn't a major 'star' the nomination will only be for 'best supporting actor'.


Besides, that year saw both Karan Johar and Rakesh Roshan releasing films which meant the competition would be Shahrukh vs Hrithik.


And oh, KJo's film also featured Amitabhji and Abhishek.

I simply don't understand the logic here. Just because Big-B and Little-B didn't have a problem did it mean everyone else shouldn't? This is the chalta hai attitude we are notorious for. Bennett and Coleman was not the roadside paan-wala dukaan to slap an image of XYZ chewing paan. Aamir was being a thorough professional and there was absolutely nothing wrong with it. That wasn't about money. This was about pissing off people who took others for granted.


I think that Benett & Coleman tried to take mileage of Aamir, the person whom the country knew. If he did not want to be in any ads without his permission, that needed to be respected by TOI.


In all fairness, this was a very silly thing. Why should we all waste our energies in either supporting or speaking against TOI. Both of them gained a huge lot of internet space anyway.


Sigh! Wish more stars would revolt against these 'I Love You-You Love me, We're One Big Happy Family' series of awards...

It's Sunday !

Well it's Sunday again! Hahah.. a time to relax after one whole week of early meetings, sick, MC and all... Wow, work is not easy man. Nevermind, Sunday is always the best for me!! Nevermind staying at home, no good movies to watch (watched iRobot last week, great show!). Oh, did I tell you that waking up so early in the morning, A SUNDAY MORNING for a meeting is such a dread??? Other days are still acceptable, but not Sunday.. What's new? Meetings and meetings and meetings all day long.


Well, the good thing is, Christian Fellowship at lunch break. Learned about the "childlike art" we need to have before God. Simple, pure, trust, faith. Well it's quite easy to say, but when you come to the real world, in a competative company, your faith is really challenged you know. But we have real experienced people inside the CF, passing down testimonies and experience, what a joy to know that you can still stay strong in your faith among the "difficult world" today.

Going home... Oh man... I have 4 alternative roads to go home.. and EVERY road is so jam. Dunno what is wrong with Pondy on Sundays, jammed for nothing. Anyway I took the longest way home, why??? Because I do not want to be a typical Pondy driver who cuts long traffic queue. Sometimes you wonder... everyone can wait.. why not this fella????


Indian Idol at night. Wildcard selection. Boy, they are all so good.. Wonder if those established singers right now compete with them... will these singers actually win???

okie better stop now. Received complains that I'm too indulged into this. Till next time, cya!

 Jesus loves you and He's real cool too!

A RIVER'S COURSE - Where does the Yamuna flow?

It was one thing to decide in a court of law that the floodplain of the Yamuna did not extend to the site of the Commonwealth Games Village. It was quite another thing to keep the river out.

New Delhi was gradually inching back to itself after a period of succumbing to national pride. The city had exhaled the razzmatazz around the organising of the 2010 Commonwealth Games (CWG). Buses were back on the roads, people back to work and Shera, the Games mascot, now lied unmasked in godowns.

And so it was time to look at all the scandals whose investigations were put on hold in the interest of holding the Games themselves. The financial irregularities, the shoddy work until very late in the day, the security inadequacies were all kept at bay to make the event take place without the spotlight being on the taint of these failures. But the morning after the closing ceremony, an enquiry was initiated into the corruption scandals, many of them pointing to members of the Games Organising Committee. All of this was quite necessary, but even these investigations were not looking at one particular aspect - namely the long-term damage done to the river on whose bank the event was held. 

The location of the CWG Village

In September 2003, when the Commonwealth Games Federation selected Delhi as the venue for the XIX Commonwealth Games, the most important decision to be made was identifying the site of the Games Village, where the athletes would stay for the duration of the event. Picking a location just off National Highway 24 leading from Delhi to Ghaziabad and beyond, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) - through a public-private partnership - gave charge to Emaar MGF, one of India's premier real estate and infrastructure development companies for the construction of 1100-odd "purpose-built, self-contained premium residential community." On the completion of the games the profits were to be shared at 33:66 ratio between DDA and the builder who would put it up for sale as prime property available for purchase in the open market. 

Even as DDA and Emaar MGF discussed the modalities of the project (including a period where the private company went through a financial crunch and had to be bailed out by DDA), the location of the CWG Village itself came under question. The site, known as Yamuna Bank would include not only the housing units for the athletes, but also the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC)'s depot, yard, station and residential complex.

In 2007, a group of concerned citizens and organisations including Vinod Kumar Jain, Magsaysay award winner Rajendra Singh, the heritage conservation group INTACH, and others approached the High Court of Delhi. In their writ petition (W.P. (C) 6729 and 7506 of 2007) challenging the construction activity going on the Yamuna riverbed, they alleged that this would damage the ecology and water-recharge ability of the river, and also impact the livelihoods of the agricultural communities who depended on its floodplain.

Almost all the government respondents refuted the apprehensions and allegations put forth in the public interest litigation. The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Ministry of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation, the Government of Delhi, DMRC and DDA filed separate counter affidavits which justified the site chosen for the CWG village and the DMRC complex, citing various studies and reports. 

Among the various reports brought to the court's attention, two were crucial - those by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur and the Central Water Power Research Station (CWPRS), Pune. The NEERI had earlier prepared reports in 1999 and 2005 which had warned against urban sprawls and construction of residential and industrial facilities on the Yamuna riverbed. These had been commissioned by the DDA with the overall objective of rejuvenating the Yamuna river. As for the CWPRS report, Manoj Misra from Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan says it was "a limited study that went into the question of flood impact on the planned CWG Village but which became the excuse for the MoEF to revise its earlier clearance given to DDA for only temporary structures, into permanent structures."  

In the wake of unprecedented rains this monsoon season, the Yamuna, oblivious to the Supreme Court verdict, continued to spread into the floodplain and right up to the CWG village and surrounded the DMRC complex as well. Basements in the CWG buildings were flooded with river waters seeping in from underneath the 'protective' bund. 

Consequently the entire construction came to be challenged before the High Court in 2007. In the course of this process of legal battle NEERI submitted another report in 2008. This report was subsequent to a site visit by the panel of judges to the CWG village and DMRC construction in January 2008. The 2008 report was critical and a clinchier for the DDA. The report stated that recent constructions on the Yamuna riverbed, such as the Akshardham Temple and an adjacent embankment have reshaped the riverbed and therefore the CWG village would not pose an environmental threat to the floodplain.

The High Court of Delhi, after hearings that continued over five months, took another eight months to come up with an interim order. This order sought to to establish an expert body headed by Dr R K Pachauri of The Energy Resources Institute to advise the High Court on the potential impact of all existing, ongoing and planned constructions in the river bed on the ecology of the river. The court's final decision would be based on this input. 

The interim verdict was appealed to the Supreme Court, which took a different view. The apex court first stayed the ruling and in July 2009 gave a potentially far-reaching judgement. In the verdict, the court questioned the 'environmentalism' of the petitioners and also the conclusions of the Delhi HC. The reports of CWPRS, the affidavits of all the government authorities, and the three NEERI reports read in conjunction were enough, said the court, to conclude in favour of the construction of the CWG village.

The judgment stated, "The High Court disregarded and ignored material scientific literature and the opinion of experts and scientific bodies which have categorically said that the CGV site is neither located on a "riverbed" nor on the "floodplain." To further stamp this opinion the apex court also referred to an earlier decision of the Supreme Court relating to the construction of the Akshardham temple, which had concluded that the distance between Yamuna river and the temple was nearly 1700 metres. The CWG village is located adjacent to the temple and for it too the same logic would be applicable, said the court.

The floods of 2010

The city of Delhi, the states surrounding it, and the Yamuna's catchment areas in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh received unprecedented monsoon rains in August-September 2010. For the first time since 1978, the floodplains of the river mushroomed new vegetation. Temporary shelters of farmers had to be removed, and a massive rehabilitation exercise for colonies situated on the floodplains became necessary.

What added to the river's glory and the city's woes was the release of additional water from the Hathnikund barrage in Haryana - reportedly the highest in the last 100 years. A report in Times of India indicated that, "for three hours at a stretch, the barrage saw 7,44,507 cusecs water passing through its gates, more than what was released in 1978 when Delhi witnessed its worst-ever floods." 

Yamuna floodwaters near the CWG village on 23 September 2010. 

None of this prompted any reference in media reports to the Supreme Court verdict, although the flooding was hitting everyone in the face. The Yamuna, oblivious to the verdict, continued to spread into the floodplain and right up to the CWG village and surrounded the DMRC complex as well. Only the motor road and the new constructions near it blocked the spread of the water into CWG village itself. Basements in the CWG buildings, however, were flooded with river waters seeping in from underneath the 'protective' bund, which could do nothing to undo the reality of the land being the riverbed or the floodplain of the river.

The rains calmed a few days before the CWG opening ceremony, and the waters receded. But while the Games escaped the wrath of the river's swelling, there is no evidence that any of this will lead us to question the political decision to locate the CWG village where it is.

The question then to ask is, will the Yamuna ever regain its lost course?