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The Ground Report India (GRI) June 2010

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The Ground Report India - June 2010

Cover Reports

Bhopal Gas :: A TRAGEDY OF ERRORSI had moved to Bhopal in January 1983. Year 1984 was a difficult one for me. I was struggling to set up my business of interiordesigning and furniture with practically no capital. I did not have many clients. Of the few clients that I had, not many treatedme with any level of respect. But this gentleman was different. Dr. was an ex-academician who had moved to corporateresearch with Union Carbide India Ltd. (UCIL). He was always very courteous, polished and humble. I had done some smallwork for his residence in the hope that I shall be able to get work at the company where he worked. The hopes were dashedwhen gas leaked out from UCILs factory at Bhopal. Gas killed many. I was not directly hit but my business took a big hit.

A few weeks after the accident, one evening I met Dr. and asked him about his version of events. As usual he was mostcourteous. He explained to me patiently in great detail almost as if I was a student and he was a teacher. What he told memade me understand the picture. In the weeks that followed I met many more people and confirmed all that Dr. had told me. I

found that every word of what he had told me was correct. It has been almost 25 years since then. I wanted to write an articlebased on all that Dr. had told me and also based on what I knew from various other sources. Yet, I stopped myself since I didnot want to be accused of promoting the interests of UCIL.

To this day, Bhopal Gas Tragedy continues to provide material to media, politicians and activists for whipping up emotions.There are renewed calls for blood by people who believe that revenge is the best form of justice. In the midst of all theemotion-whipping, please allow me to take a dispassionate look at the tragedy. The purpose is neither to act as a judge nor tobe a prosecutor not even to point fingers. Every tragedy is a great teacher and surely Bhopal is no exception. Unfortunately,Indian politicians, bureaucrats, activist, media and society have never looked at Bhopal gas tragedy with that perspective. Iguess it is never too late.

The story begins on the day in the end of sixties when UCIL decided to set up a factory in Madhya Pradesh and approachedGovernment of Madhya Pradesh for land allotment. UCIL had disclosed to the government that the process involved use of

hazardous chemicals. UCIL wanted land on a location which was not near any dense population. Government of MadhyaPradesh wanted to promote industrialization of Bhopal and hence, suggested this site on which the ill-fated factory was built.There was hardly any population in a radius of about 2 km around the site at that time. Government assured UCIL that theyhad declared the area around the site as Obnoxious Industrial Area and no population would be allowed to reside in the area.Believing the assurances given by the government, UCIL set up the factory. In the years that followed, the government forgotall about its assurances and watched silently as slums sprang up in the area that was supposed to be a no-population zone. Aday came when slums were actually touching the boundary wall of UCIL. This was most alarming and UCIL was well awareof it.Every month or so, UCIL used to send a letter to the government asking the slums to be removed in view of the hazardinvolved. The letters were filed away in some dusty file. To make matters worse, a few months before the tragedy struck, thethen Chief Minister of the state gave settlement rights to the slum dwellers and regularized all the slums around the UCILfactory. Majority of the deaths that occurred on the fateful night of 2/3 December 1984 were in the slums. Obviously if thegovernment had indeed kept its word of the area being an obnoxious industrial area and no-population zone, the number ofdeath would have been a fraction of the actual figure.

Now, let us come to the actual accident. There was an underground tank for storage of Methyl Isocyanate (MIC). The tankhad no connection with any water supply. In fact there were clear instructions in the factory to keep water away from the tanksince it was well-known that water in contact with MIC would lead to a run-away exothermic reaction that would bedangerous. No body knows how or why, but it appears that some disgruntled employee connected a water hose to the tank. Thehose remained connected to the tank for hours and tons of water gushed into a tank which was supposed to be kept dry.Simultaneously, all the safety systems of the tank were disconnected. It could not have been a coincidence that all the safetywarning systems became inoperative just on the day when someone played the dirty game of pushing water where no watershould have ever gone. From all available evidence it appears that this was a planned affair with many factory records falsifiedin a systematic manner by the criminals. UCIL officials believed that this was the handiwork of some employees who wanted tocreate a small accident so that their trade union could negotiate harder during the wage talks that were scheduled to begin inthe first few months of the New Year. Surely, the employee(s) who did it never realized the devastation that their mindless actcould bring on the whole city and above all on themselves. After the accident, UCIL officials were in no position to investigate

the accident since they were denied access. CBI and other government agencies that initiated investigations were in no mood tocatch small fry.



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At this point it is interesting to give an example that illustrate the Indian psyche. Let us imagine a hospital and medical collegerun by government. In such a medical college, a minister or secretary of health comes for inspection and finds a toilet dirty andstinking. Anywhere else in the world, action will be taken on the sweeper who is supposed to keep the toilet clean. But in India,the Dean of the medical college will be suspended, while no one will even point a finger at the sweeper. Similarly, in case ofBhopal Gas Tragedy everyone wants the blood of some Manager or Director or Chairman, but not of the low-level employeewho did the crime of actually connecting a water hose to the tank of MIC. In fact, till today no one has even bothered to findout the name of the criminal.

There is a lot of talk about poor design and maintenance of the UCIL plant at Bhopal. It has been argued before the courtsthat the unit was running in loss and hence, necessary maintenance was being ignored. That is not disputed and may well betrue. Yet, the fact is that it is largely irrelevant to the case. No technology of the world can provide protection against internalsabotage. Let us take a case of gasoline storage tanks. The safest tank in the world will burst into flames if a disgruntledemployee drops a burning matchstick in it. And no supervisor or manager or procedures or systems can prevent such a suicidalact. The issues of outdated technology, poor maintenance, inadequate safety systems etc. come into play when accident occursin the course of normal operation or by normal wear and tear or in situations that can be anticipated by reasonable men. Justas World Trade Centre Towers could not have been designed to withstand damage caused by planes flown by terrorists, it is notpossible for any company to design a factory that can withstand intentional acts planned by internal or external saboteurs tocause devastation. It would have been ridiculous to prosecute the designers of Twin Towers for inability of the towers towithstand impact of planes and fire caused by thousands of gallons of burning aviation fuel. In the same way, it makes hardlyany sense to blame various high officials of UCIL and the parent company for Bhopal Gas Tragedy.

Let us come back to the accident. As soon as the news of leakage of poisonous gas reached the Collector (head of districtadministration in India) of Bhopal, the first thing that the Collector did was to order evacuation of the city and flee in hisofficial car. The privileged officer did not know the principle of Captain of the ship to be the last to leave. After reaching aplace which was far away from the city, he rang up Dr. And informed Dr. that he had ordered for the city to be evacuated. TheCollector asked Dr. about what else should be done. Dr. was aghast. Dr. asked the Collector about who had told him to get thecity evacuated. The Collector viewed this as a challenge to his royal authority. The Collector told Dr. that as Collector he waswithin his powers to evacuate the city and the matter should rest at that. Dr., despite his soft nature, was angry. Dr. told theCollector that he had done the worst possible thing that could be done. Dr. told him that the only thing people had to do was tocover their face with a wet thick cloth (towel) and in a few minutes the gas will be gone. Running away from gas was the worstthing that could have been done. Sure enough, almost everyone who died that night was someone who ran to escape from gas.I have many friends who shut themselves indoors and either hid under quilts and blankets or kept washing their face with water.All such friends have faced practically no ill effects of exposure to gas.

It is interesting to understand the science behind Dr.s advice. Methyl Isocyanate (MIC) is absorbed by water. If MIC gets intolungs, it gets absorbed by water in the lungs. If there is a cloth with water in it blocking the path of gas, the absorption takesplace in the cloth with no damage to the lungs. The problems of running to escape from gas are multifold. It is natural for aperson to flee away from the source of gas to escape from gas. In this way, one tends to move with the direction of wind and infact moves with the cloud of gas. If one remains stationary, the cloud of gas passes over with the wind. There were, of course,some mad fellows who ran with anger towards the UCIL factory instead of running away. Their intention was to bringdamage to the killer factory. Everyone who ran towards the factory suffered hardly any injury. Of the ones who fled to escapefrom the gas, the worst sufferers were the poor who were running on foot since while running one tends to breathe harder andinhales more gas.The lucky ones like the Collector of Bhopal who had some vehicle did not suffer much. There can be no disputing the fact thatif Bhopal district Collector had been less arrogant and had listened to expert technical advice before issuing orders, the deathtoll that night might have been significantly lower. Of course, almost no one would have died if the government had takenexpert advice before the tragedy and educated the people living in the promised obnoxious industrial area (which should have

been a no-population zone).

Taking expert advice is something that does not come naturally to Indian officialdom, who are trained to be arrogant since thecolonial days. The sad part is that the same attitude has rubbed off on even doctors working in government hospitals. Whenpeople suffering from MIC gas reached Hamidia Hospital (the biggest hospital of Bhopal at that time, attached to GandhiMedical College) the doctors there did no know the antidote to MIC (in fact, they did not even know that the gas was MIC). Anormal sensible person would have asked the people at UCIL about the antidote, but that is not how Indian officialdom with itsknow-all attitude operates. The doctors searched their medical books and came up with something that they believed was theantidote (if my memory serves me right, it was Atropine). Shots of the so-called antidote were administered without any delay.Almost everyone who received a shot of the antidote died within a few hours. UCIL officials had collected medical recordsfrom all hospitals of Bhopal for all deaths that occurred after the tragedy. If the civil liability suit had proceeded, UCIL wouldhave pleaded that medical ignorance, ill-preparedness and arrogance were as much to be blamed for the deaths as the lacunaeat the factory.

Before proceeding further about the attitude of government officials, let me pay tributes at this point to the "un-honored","unwept" and "unsung" railwaymen who stood like "boys on the burning deck" and saved thousands of railway passengers onthat fateful night. Forty five railway employees led by the then Station Manager, Harish Dhurve died on duty. These brave menrefused to flee and died doing what was beyond a normal call of duty. They blocked all passenger trains coming to Bhopal and



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made arrangements for quick exit of all the trains that had already reached Bhopal station. The dead bodies of Harish Dhurveand his colleagues were found on their desks the next morning. It is indeed sad that the political class of India has neverthought it worthwhile to posthumously honor these men who showed valor and great commitment to duty on a night when theChief Minister and other officials of the state were fleeing.

Now let us come to the then Chief Minister Arjun Singh. It took him a couple of days to come to grips with the situation.But as soon as he gained his senses, he started doing what he knew best giving orders without consulting anyone withtechnical expertise. There was fear in the town that the gas might leak once again from the same tank. UCIL officers wanted to

run the plant to be able to finish the MIC lying in the tank. UCIL officers also wanted to access the plant and investigate thecause of the leak something that they have not been permitted to do till today. The government did not have many options inthe matter of running the plant to neutralize the MIC in the tank. UCIL officers were confident that there was no risk inrunning the plant after all they had operated it for more than 15 years. Arjun Singh agreed to allow UCIL officials to operatethe plant one last time on 16 December, but with his own style of melodrama added in. Arjun Singh and his team ofbureaucrats called it Operation Faith and ordered for the city to be evacuated. They also ordered for helicopters to spray wateron the plant when it was running. This helicopter-scene did not contribute in any way to the safety of the plant. It only helpedcreate a grand photo opportunity which all newspapers dutifully flashed on their front pages. The evacuation was a painfulexperience for a city that was already traumatized. Almost a million people were made to flee without any reason. I was one ofthe unfortunate ones who were forced to leave the city at that time and had to take shelter in my relatives houses as far away asDelhi, Haryana and Punjab. People of city of Bhopal have received no compensation for the troubles caused to them by thefoolish Operation Faith.

Foolishness and inadequacy of leadership have been demonstrated again and again in the tragedy at Bhopal. It is the duty ofpolitical leaders to act as voices of reason in times of crisis. Leaders must show the way based on universal values and not whipup negative emotions like anger, revenge, greed etc. Unfortunately, the political leaders of Bhopal did nothing of the sort. When Warren Anderson, Chairman of the parent company of UCIL, visited Bhopal immediately after the tragedy, he wasunder no legal obligation to do so. Instead of appreciating his gesture, the Government of the state prevented him from evengoing to the factory. Knowledge and expertise of Warren Anderson and other officials of Union Carbide worldwide could havebeen used to identify the saboteurs, clean up or even remove the plant & machinery at the factory, carry out necessary researchto identify appropriate medical treatment for victims, plan relief operations and such other activities. Instead raw anger of thepeople was allowed to dominate decisions. It took no time for the political leadership to initiate a hunt targeting WarrenAnderson and various UCIL officials. Anger, revenge and greed (of getting the maximum out of Union Carbide) dominatedthe actions of the governments of both state and center.

In this situation, justice for the victims has come to mean something than no one with any knowledge of jurisprudence can everpermit. The activists who demand the head of Anderson as justice for victims seem to believe in the barbaric rule of An eye

for an eye and a tooth for a tooth and have no understanding of the modern legal systems. ?

Article by:

Anil ChawlaANIL CHAWLA is an engineer and a lawyer by qualification but a philosopher by vocation and a management consultant by profession.

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Eradication of Poverty :: Possible in Easiest Way/ One Stroke(Roshanlal Agrawal is a social activist and thinker. He has been discussing economic justice issues withsocial activists, economists and organizations in all over India.)

Today, poverty is considered the greatest problem in the whole society or even nation. A lot of economists, scholars, andsociologist, religious and political leaders are suggesting various measures to eradicate poverty. Even on international level,government of various countries are launching several schemes and plans for the same but poverty is growing day by day andno success is achieved. In spite of all these measures, poverty is still a major problem in the world. If we do a deep and carefulanalysis of these measures, we will find that they are not proper and have been planned without taking care of the root cause ofthe poverty. If we find the root cause of the poverty, it can be eradicated immediately by shortest possible way in a few minutes.Note that, the actual reason for the present day poverty is not natural but artificial. It cannot be said natural because there is ashortage of any goods or articles in the country. Every commodity or article is available in abundance and in sufficient quantity.Production of all these things has grown manifolds and even growing day by day. We have enough food stuff and other relevantproducts. All these have been made possible by the proper utilization and growth of physical science, machines and tools,

scientific farming and latest technologies. We have made rapid progress in all fields- production, agriculture, science andtechnology, economy, per capita income etc. but still poverty is a major issue to be resolved. Actually, the reason of poverty isartificial. It is due to faulty and defective distribution in the society. Rich are becoming richer and poor are becoming poorerbecause the control of all these products and services are in the hands of some vested, selfish and corrupt people who have



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been responsible for the poverty in the country. It is due to mass accumulation of wealth in few hands and faulty distributionsystem in the society causing poverty and increasing it.

The true and proper solution to the problem of poverty lies in judicious and fair distribution system in the country. Thesimplest way to do the same is to remove all types of taxes levied in the country and in place of all these taxes only property taxshould be charged.This property tax should be levied on above the normal level of income of a person and his property and the interest should beat par the prevalent rate of interest. The income of this tax only will be five to ten times more than the sum total of all the

present taxes. After deducting the expenses from this tax, a huge amount can be saved. This huge amount should be distributedequally as National Dividend among all the people of the country as Citizens Allowance or Voters Allowance.

By way of this distribution of wealth, every citizen of India can easily get approximately five thousand rupees per month. Thisincome will be the additional income towards National Dividend resulting out of development of natural resources of thecountry as every citizen has equal right to it. Apart from this income, ones personal income against his labour or services willbe extra. It will eradicate the vast gap and differences in income level of the people and finally will eradicate povertycompletely.

This measure to eradicate poverty will have great effect on the socio- economic conditions of the country. Population load onthe cities will be reduced as migration to cities will come down. The villages will be resettled and capable to absorb its peopleand give them source of income. It will grow the productions and services contribution, even at village level, in NationalIncome. The prevalent conditions of present day tension, unrest, crime, begging, child labour, illiteracy, atrocities, adultery

etc.will be reduced and brought under control. This will reduce the gap and differences in society and people will live in peace,brotherhood, cooperation and coordination. Illiteracy, poverty, health and education, all the other social elements will bereduced to nil and it will give us a healthy, happy and prosperous society and country.

How to achieve it: Achieving this social goal is very simple- use your political rights. We know that our country is a democraticcountry and every adult citizen has got the right to vote. We elect our representatives who become MLA or MP and formgovernment. They are the people who make laws for the country as Legislatures. They have got the right to amend theconstitution or its provisions. Taking care of the welfare of the society and country as a whole, they can make new laws andamend the old ones to meet the goals. They have the control on executives and administrative machineries. Even judiciary andrules and regulations for the country are controlled by these legislatives who are our elected representatives. They have hugepower and can do these changes.

Thus we see that we can achieve these goals easily without any confrontations. We can make these arrangements by way of ourvoting rights. We can make the people aware of it; promote the youth for the same and make the citizen allowance an issue in

the election and work for the same. It will also eliminate the differences of caste, creed, language, religion and social disparities.We have to stop the dirty politics in the society and nation and work for a judicious, equal and happy society. It will alsoeradicate a lot of social and political crimes.

Perhaps, the present day politicians will not cooperate in this movement as they are engaged in massive corruption, dirtypolitics and have been brought by the Kuberpatis. They have become their slaves and work for their benefits only. They havelost their moral duties and social obligation. So, we should not wait for these politicians and create New Forum to achieve ourgoals and take participation of youths, scholars and scientist who are dedicated for the cause of society and nation as a whole.We can make the majority and select such people as our representative who can assure the goal of eradication of poverty fromthe society by above stated measures. We need sincere support of 80% of people of the society which will make it successfulbecause these 80% are the worst sufferers. This will be a revolutionary measure in the society that will transform the social,legal and political view of the people and make complete eradication of poverty from the country. Our true and honestrepresentative will be representing in Legislative Assemblies and Parliament and they will change and amend the laws for

achieving this goal and we will lead a peaceful and happy life with respect and liberty.

The greatest benefit of this property tax will be that the load of tax will be borne only by the affluent people who are havingabundance wealth and property. Though their percentage is very less (about 20%) but they control the total distribution systemof our country and its economy. It will give relief to common people from the load of taxes. Secondly, it will make properutilization of all the resources and increase the productivity of the country. Thirdly, it will improve them entrepreneurship andleadership qualities of the people and make the society prosper, judicious, equal and free from poverty, crime, unemployment,etc

To make these succeed, the new comities should be formed taking care of the following principles and

making them their priorities:

1. Remove all the taxes levied and are in force at present.

2. Personal property to be made public and its secrecy must be removed.

3. Declaration of all the personal property made compulsory.4. Evaluation of property should be made according to the present market price.

5. Right to evaluation of property should be to its owner at first and society at the second level.



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6. If anyone wants to purchase any property, he can pay above 20% of the value declared and his owner will have to sellit to him.

7. A citizen has the right to own a property upto his average income level. Above that he will have to pay tax at prevalentinterest rate. No other tax will be charged.

8. The income received from this property tax will be a huge amount to the government treasury.

9. The government should distribute this amount of tax equally among its citizens after deducting all the expenses.

10. This will bring economical and social security to the citizen and eradicate the poverty forever.

NOTE: To be taken care-

Presently, the country is grilled with black money that is the root cause of corruption in the society. It must beeradicated.

As per the prevalent economic conditions of the country, only the property tax can contribute approximately Rs.5000per month to a citizen as citizen or voters allowance.

There should be proper charging of property tax to the affluent people so that its proper distribution can be done inthe society to make it healthy and strong. This provision should be made in the budget as budget is the heart ofeconomy and it supplies blood (money) to entire body (society).

Article by:

Roshanlal AgrawalRaipur, Chhattisgarh

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International

RWANDA: Newspaper editor murderedThe Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN (WiPC) protests in the strongest possible terms the murder of JeanLeonard Rugambage, deputy editor of the banned newspaper Umuvugizi, who was shot dead outside his home on 24 June2010. Rugambage had reportedly been followed and threatened prior to his death and it is believed that he was targeted for an

article he had published that day alleging government involvement in the attempted assassination of a exiled former Rwandanarmy commander. The WiPC calls on the Rwandan authorities to carry out an independent investigation of Rugambage'smurder as a matter of urgency and to bring those responsible to justice, as well as to guarantee journalists' safety in the run-upto the August 2010 presidential elections.

The following is an Urgent Action appeal issued by Amnesty International on 25 June 2010. Please send appeal lettersfollowing the guidelines provided by Amnesty below:

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DOCUMENT - RWANDA: INVESTIGATE MURDER OF RWANDAN JOURNALIST, JEAN LEONARD

RUGAMBAGEUA: 143/10 Index: AFR 47/004/2010 Rwanda Date: 25 June 2010

Rwandan journalist Jean Leonard Rugambage was killed on 24 June. Authorities must establish an independent commission ofenquiry into the killing and ensure other journalists can work in safety.

Jean Leonard Rugambage, the Deputy Editor of Rwandan newspaper, Umuvugizi, was shot dead outside his home in theRwandan capital, Kigali on 24 June 2010. Jean Leonard Rugambage is the first Rwandan journalist murdered in recent years. Jean Leonard Rugambage returned home around 10pm on 24 June 2010. He was shot dead as he reached the gate of hishome in the Kigali suburb, Nyamirambo. His exiled Managing Editor-in-Chief, Jean-Bosco Gasasira, has stated that witnesseswho heard the gunshots saw the unknown assailant drive away in a car. Police arrived at the scene soon afterwards, but JeanLeonard Rugambage was already dead.

The Rwanda Police have confirmed that Jean Leonard Rugambage body remained at Kigali's Police Hospital and would not bereleased for burial until a later date. Police investigations have been opened.

Jean Leonard Rugambage had been investigating the shooting of the exiled former Chief-of-Staff of the Rwandan Army,Kayumba Nyamwasa, which took place in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 19 June 2010. Umuvugizi had published an on-linearticle on 24 June 2010, the day of Jean Leonard Rugambage's murder, alleging that Rwandan intelligence officials were linkedto the shooting. In the days before his murder, Jean Leonard Rugambage had told colleagues that he felt that the surveillanceon him had intensified.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Jean Leonard Rugambage's newspaper, Umuvugizi, was suspended in April 2010 until after Rwanda's presidential electionsscheduled for August 2010. The Rwandan High Media Council, a regulatory body aligned with the government, suspendedUmuvugizi for six months alleging they had incited opposition to the government and divided the army. Umuseso, anotherprivate newspaper, was also banned for six months. The High Media Council later started court proceedings to initiate apermanent ban against both papers. After the suspension, Umuvugizi continued to publish on their website, launched in May,

though their website was not accessible from within Rwanda.

Jean-Leonard Rugambage became the Acting Editor of Umuvugizi after the Managing Editor, Jean-Bosco Gasasira, fledRwanda in April 2010 after threats following Umuvugizi's suspension. Jean-Bosco Gasasira had been brutally assaulted inFebruary 2007 by unidentified men with iron bars. Prior to the attack, Jean-Bosco Gasasira, had also published several articlescritical of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), the ruling political party.

Over recent years, Rwandan journalists working for non-state media have frequently been threatened and physically assaulted.Criminal sanctions have also been used against them to stifle freedom of expression. There have been no known cases ofRwandan journalists murdered in Rwanda in recent years, but several journalists have fled Rwanda for their safety.Such an attack comes, as the space for independent reporting fast diminishes before Rwanda's August 2010 presidentialelections. Amnesty International has called on the Rwandan authorities to respect the rights to freedom of association andfreedom of expression and to ensure that journalists can work freely, independently and with protection from state authorities.

UA: 143/10 Index: AFR 47/004/2010 Issue Date: 25 June 2010

(http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/AFR47/004/2010/en/df97a1ae-0362-4b8c-b9e2-b451bee563e7/afr470042010en.html)



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Useful links

Report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) (25 June 2010):http://cpj.org/2010/06/editor-of-censored-rwandan-paper-is-assassinated.phpReport by Reporters Without Borders (25 June 2010):http://en.rsf.org/rwanda-newspaper-s-deputy-editor-gunned-25-06-2010,37812.html; http://fr.rsf.org/rwanda-le-journaliste-jean-leonard-25-06-2010,37811.html (French)Report by BBC (28 June 2010):http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/10432592.stm

Source:

International Pen

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Indo-Pak Peace :: Pritam K. RohilaLately, government officials from both sides of the Indo-Pak border have been making right kind of noises in support of peacebetween the two countries. We hope they really mean it, and pursue it diligently till they succeed.

Surely, it will not be an easy task. In order to accomplish this long-awaited dream of many Indians and Pakistani, they will haveto be sagacious and far-sighted. They will need to look beyond their instinctive fears and anxieties, and allow greater role fortheir wisdom in their deliberations. They should transcend their turbulent history, and overcome mutual suspicions. Finally theybetter rein in the rogue elements among them, so that any misadventure does not derail the process.

Otherwise any agreement they come to will meet the same fate the Tashkent, Shimla, and Lahore agreements did.

Peace between India and Pakistan is essential not only for a better future of these nations, but also for prosperity and security ofthe whole South Asian region.

It is too important an issue to be left to the whims of the fickle and weak governments. It is time that the peoples of India andPakistan assert themselves. They should make their governments heed the needs of the common man, rather than work forpreservation of their own power and position.

In this context we are gratified to note that two major news organizations, the Times of India Group and the Jang Group havelaunched Aman Ki Asha. So far they have succeeded in bringing together intellectuals, business persons, and ex-officials fromthe two countries. Also they have provided a forum for common people, particularly the youth, to express their own aspirationsfor peace.

Organizations like Pakistan Peace Coalition, Chandigarhs Yuva-satta, and Lahore-based Institute for Peace & Secular Studiescontinue to play an active role. Credit must be given to Indian organizations like the Asha Parivar, Centre for Study of Societyand Secularism, Centre for Harmony and Peace, All India Secular Forum, and Anhad; and Pakistani groups like Faisalabad-

based Association of Women for Awareness and Motivation, and Toba Tek Singhs St. Peters High School, who are busypromoting harmony within their own neighborhoods and cities. Their work will provide a firmer basis for peace between Indiaand Pakistan.

For the sake of the future of your and our children, we earnestly hope that you too will join these efforts. Wont you, please?

Article by:

Dr. Pritam Rohilathe Executive Director of ACHA, the Association for Communal Harmony in Asia (www.asiapeace.org)

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Statement of the Writers for Peace Committee of International PEN Concerning the Tragic Events

of May 31, 2010The Writers for Peace Committee follows the Lugano Declaration in condemning individual terrorism as well as Stateterrorism; we declare that those who resort to violence, even for a good cause, "annull the missions to which they are dedicatedand lose all claims to legitimacy" (quoted from the Statement of the 50th Congress of International PEN in Lugano,Switzerland, May 1987).

We declare that:

1. Nothing justifies the violence and murders that the army of the State of Israel have perpetrated against the people on theships that brought humanitarian aid to Gaza. The use of firearms was entirely out of proportion and unsuitable as a responseto the resistance put up by the people on board. We strongly condemn these murders and regret the deaths.

2. We protest against the grave violation of the right to freedom of expression of the journalists on board.

3. We demand that the government of the State of Israel agree that an international committee investigate and throw light onthe events and establish responsibility.

4. To prevent the recurrence of such events, we demand that the State of Israel and the Palestinian Authority accept theinternational monitoring of all ships so that the blockade can be lifted.

5. We ask that the two States, that of Israel which is already in existence, and that of the people of Palestine which has yet to beestablished as soon as possible, recognise one another. We believe that the only way to achieve the peaceful coexistence of thetwo States is through dialogue.

6. It is the role of the international community through its institutions to make this political dialogue possible. It must draw onthe resources of the respective cultures, particularly the literary ones, of the two peoples whose writers never cease to bearwitness, and who are committed to the accomplishment of peace.

June 14, 2010

Dr. Edvard Kovac

President of the Writers for Peace Committee of International PENEugene Schoulgin

Secretary General of International PEN

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New research from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) shows that corn-based ethanolbiofuel is wasteful, inefficient, and a misuse of taxpayer moneyNew research from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) shows that corn-based ethanol biofuel is wasteful, inefficient,and a misuse of taxpayer money. This flies in the face of conventional wisdom in Washington (which we all know means "fat

wallet wisdom") but agrees with the research you've already seen presented here on NaturalNews several times.

The study was written by Craig Cox and Andrew Hug this month for the EWG1 and has been presented to members ofCongress and others. It details how much money has been spent by U.S. taxpayers to subsidize corn ethanol and how little thepayoff for that huge investment has been.

First, an overview of what ethanol is and why corn has become the U.S. market's source of choice for making it.

What is ethanol?

Ethanol is, literally, grain alcohol. Properly called bioethanol,2 it is a clear, colorless liquid that is made from any of a numberof plants including corn, hemp seed, etc. Potatoes refined and distilled into vodka are a type of bioethanol.

Why corn?

Corn is the lobbyist's crop of choice in the U.S. for making bioethanol. The reasons boil down to who has the most powerfullobbies in Washington and how much money Congress has been willing to pour into ethanol. Some of the most powerfullobbies in D.C. are the industrial farm industry and the bioengineering industry. Since corn is a big money maker for both Big



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Ag and is one of the most prolific of Monsanto's genetically modified seeds (GMO or GM food), it's a win-win-win for thelobbyists, Big Ag, and the Congressional leaders they write the checks to.

Why corn ethanol is a loser.

The EWG's report shows that besides the environmental and human problems that come with using corn as a fuel source,3 thedollar figures and fuel efficiency payoffs are infinitesimal. Even the amount of oil supposedly saved is tiny, especially consideringthe huge sums of money being thrown into corn ethanol production.

Taxpayer subsidies mean that every gallon of corn ethanol adds an additional 0.45 cents (as of 2009-10) to the cost of a gallonof gasoline. That's additional cost over and above the price of a gallon of gas, not instead of it. For this, we get a fuel that ismuch less efficient than gasoline and thus only minimally adds to the benefits of its addition. E10 (10% ethanol, 90% gasoline)is the most common blend in the U.S. The 10.6 billion gallons produced in 2009, however, replaced only 7.2 billion gallons ofgasoline thanks to this mixture.

That's not all, though. Because ethanol is less efficient than gasoline it cuts mileage by about 4%. Yet the proponents of ethanollove to point out that it displaces gasoline. But when you do the math, it's not displacing that much. Increasing fuel mileagenationally by 0.4 miles per gallon would do the same. That could be achieved by just using the recommended grade of motoroil or keeping the vehicle's tires properly inflated. Tuning the engine has double the payoff and driving sensibly would increaseit by as much as 6.6%! Heck, just replacing clogged air filters increases economy by up to 1.2% and even if the governmentbought one for every vehicle in America, it would not likely cost as much as the $5.4 billion they're projected to spend

subsidizing ethanol (not to mention corn) this year alone.

With all of the great technologies for improving fuel efficiency, getting us away from foreign oil imports, and replacing ourpetroleum-based fuels and infrastructure with more natural and sustainable alternatives, why is it that our congress-crittersinsist on throwing our tax dollars into corn-based ethanol?

Resources:1 - Driving Under the Influence: Corn Ethanol & Energy Security by Craig Cox and Andrew Hug, Environmental WorkingGroup2 - Bioethanol on FutureCars.com3 - Ethanol burns dirtier than gasoline, study finds by Mike Adams, NaturalNews4 - Counterthink: Fuel vs. Food by Mike Adams and Dan Berger, NaturalNews

Source:

Natural News

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Reports

Other action tools available to RTI activistsSometimes, we start thinking that RTI is the only tool available to activist citizens. Then we start speaking of ourselves as RTIactivists, as if RTI is the only thing that matters to us. We forget our larger objective i.e. improving the quality of governanceand administration. We become over-focused on uncovering information, getting hearings, winning / losing appeals and

cribbing about Information Commissioners.

Such tunnel-vision happens to everybody including myself -- because the process of RTI application and appeals are sointensely discussed on various forums. There is a relative absence of thought and discussion on other tools available to public-spirited citizens.

Please remember RTI IS ONLY ONE OF THE MANY POTENT TOOLS for demanding implementation of laws or rules,for challenging established ways of doing things, for unleashing societal forces for change, for altering administrationsperception and behavior on issues etc. etc.

What are these tools? Download this document: http://www.box.net/shared/5tb27k13gr

Article by:

Krishnaraj Rao

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An Appeal :: Make it Easier for People from India and Pakistan to Travel and Meet Each OtherOnline petition Make it Easier for People from India and Pakistan to Travel and Meet Each Other is now ready for yoursignatures at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/pakistan-india-travel/ .

Please help us publicize it and urge your friends and list-serves to sign it, so that we have a sizeable number of signatories,before we present it to the Foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan at their next meeting on July 15.

Appeal by:Pritam K. Rohila, Ph.D.Executive DirectorAssociation for Communal Harmony in Asia (ACHA)www.asiapeace.orgwww.indiapakistanpeace.org

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PMs Press Conference Aboard on his return from G-20 Summit in TorontoWhat were your expectations from G-20 Summit, especially when it is seen as a rich countries forum against the less richerones ? Are you satisfied with the bilateral talks?Answer.Well this meeting of the Group of was in some way the preparation for the summit meeting in Seoul this November. I think theSummit has helped in charting out the agenda and action points for the summit which will be firmed up in Seoul. As far as ourimmediate concern with regard to the situation in the Eurozone, the situation of the banking system in Europe and there was

agreement that the recovery that has taken place in the last year is rather fragile. What is needed is a calibrated attempt at fiscalconsolidation rather than a one size fits all sort of action. In that way there is progress, even those countries which want to goahead with fiscal consolidation, I think the caveat is that this must be done in a growth-friendly manner and my impression isthat even those European countries who came out with targets at fiscal consolidation they have been going about their business



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with due caution. In that way the Summit has played a useful role in clarifying what is the scope for fiscal consolidation andwhat manner the process of consolidation should be found. As far as India is concerned, our banking system remains wellmanaged, our economy is growing at a rate of 8.5% per annum, our fiscal situation is a cause for concern but when wecompare the fiscal deficit or the GDP debt ratio of the major developed countries, I think we come out much better.

In your meeting with Sikh members of parliament of Canada, did they raise the terming of 1984 riots as genocide?Answer. Well I met parliamentarians belonging to the Indian Diaspora. I complimented them, I praised them with regard to the

achievements of the members of the Indian origin communities and the niche which they have carved out for themselves inCanadian public life, in Canadian economy, in services. So it was an attempt on my part to tell them that we in India take greatpride in their achievements and that the community should remain united. It should not allow the divisive politics of oursubcontinent to derail the cohesiveness that is necessary to ensure that the Indian communities continue to get their due sharein the Canadian set up.

Does the fuel price decontrol indicate you are ready for tougher reforms? Are we going to see further deregulations?Answer.Well I cant tell you what we are going to do next. I think that when things get crystallized in the Government system you willknow them. With regard to petroleum prices, the fact that petrol prices have been set free, the same is going to be done to thediesel prices, was much needed reforms. And the adjustment that has been made in the prices of Kerosene and LPG were alsonecessary, considering the very high amount of subsidy that is implicit in the pricing structure of Kerosene and LPG. We havetaken due care to ensure that the poorer sections are affected to the least possible extent and that is why the attempt to keep

under regulation the prices of kerosene and LPG.

Has the decision to hike fuel prices been taken under some pressure?Answer.There is no pressure on Government of India from any quarter. What we need is to do the right things by our country. Thesubsidies for the petroleum products have reached a level which is not connected to sound financial management of oureconomy. So it is taking that into account that this decision has been taken to put some burden on the common people, but Ithink it is manageable.

In the G20 Communique issued this time around, has there been a situation wherein any country has been forced to go againstits own national economic policy?Answer.We are dealing with the affairs of sovereign nations. There is, I think a growing concern that the increasingly inter-dependentworld in which we live in, there is need for macro policy coordination to a much greater degree than that has been feasible in

the past. People have talked about macro economic co-ordination that the consolidation of the financial system, the fiscalconsolidation must be undertaken in a manner that is growth friendly. The IMF has put forth some categories of the countrieswhere approaches may be similar in tackling the problems macroeconomic co-ordination. But it is too early to assess theprocess. The IMF will come with its financial assessment of the financial imperatives of each of the 20 countries- and thatwould really be the time, I think people would be able to judge how far countries are willing to subordinate their sovereignty tothe needs of managing an increasingly inter dependant world.

You have been working hard on making peace with Pakistan. You discussed with President Obama as well. In case of another26/11 attack happening from Pakistan against India, how do you propose to go?Answer.The Home Minister has been in Pakistan earlier last week. You must have read what he has stated. I think there is some hope.As I have said in dealing with Pakistan our attitude has to be trust trust but verify. So only time will tell which way theanimal will turn.

What is your view on the Tobin tax?Answer.There is now a lot of discussion on corporate governance .I think good corporate houses are looking at what they can do in thenon traditional key in providing social services, education, health facilities for their employees. I think that its a corporateresponsibility which has to be shouldered by the corporate sector on its own, we are not contemplating any legislation in thatarea.Well the Tobin tax has merit in particular situations but as far as India is concerned we have not reached a stage where capitalflows have become a problem. I think if capital inflows into our country both by way of direct investment and by way ofportfolio investment have been at reasonable levels, we dont face situations of the kind which would require an imposition ofTobin Tax.

What are your views on the proposed expansion of BRIC. My second question pertains to what is the relevance of G8 whenG20 is the leading forum?

Answer.As far as BRIC is concerned we are members of the group. We would like the BRIC countries to consult with each other on allthe issues which have bearing on the global economic management and as far as expansion of its membership is concernedthats a matter that is to be discussed by the members themselves. It is not proper for me to make any public comment.



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As far as G8 is concerned, I think it is for G8 countries to decide. But as far as G20 is concerned it has been agreed that thiswill be the premier forum for discussion of the international economic issues and I talked to Canadian Prime Minister who saidthat here after the G8 will probably deal with security issues much more vigorously than it has been doing thus far in the past.

What are the plans for President Obamas visit to India?Answer.Our relations with the US are very good- as discussed with President Obama yesterday the preparations for his visit. We have areally ambitious agenda. He will be sending his National Security Adviser in the second week of July. He will meet our National

Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon and they will chalk out the agenda for President Obamas visit. We look forward to avery successful visit of President Obama and so does the President.

Opposition to fuel price hike is mounting in India and even your alliance partners are concerned. Your take on this issue?Answer.Well I read about the intentions of the opposition in the Press. I have not talked to anyone myself , nor I have been briefed byour political establishment What I am considering is that what we have done by way of adjusting the petroleum prices is thatpeople of India would appreciate the compulsions, which have compelled us to undertake this measure. And our people arewise enough to understand that excessive populism should not be allowed to derail the progress our country is making, and forwhich it is winning kudos internationally as well.

In your talks with President Obama, did you take up the issue of supply of Chinese reactors to Pakistan? Would there be acabinet expansion during the monsoon session?

Answer.About your first question on my discussions with President Obama, it was essentially a discussion to explore the agenda ofPresident Obamas visit to India later this year in the month of November. So I did not have the time to dwell on the issues thatyou have raised.And as far as the monsoon session and cabinet reshuffle is concerned, I think that Press Conferences are not the appropriateplaces to announce Cabinet changes. When they are made, you will hear about it.

Industrial disasters impacting on climate have also plagued US. Given the aftermath of the Bhopal tragedy, did you take up theissue of extradition of Warren Anderson with the US side?Answer.Well, we are where we stand. We will try to ensure that US Government takes a more favourable attitude towards extradition.But we have not approached them yet. I did not raise this issue in my discussions with President Obama. We will cross thebridge when we come to it.

On the Bhopal Gas tragedy issue, isnt there a collective failure on all parts, the government, political establishment and thejudiciary?Answer.What we propose to do has been made clear by the GOM, whose report has been endorsed by the Cabinet. It is a fact, it is truethat our judicial processes are time consuming , that it should have taken 25 years before the case could be decided issomething that we have to reflect about and the inadequacies of our judicial system.

Dont you think that the Congress establishment should come clean on who was responsible for letting Anderson go? What isthe reality of the issue?Answer.What is the reality, we are not hiding anything. I think the GOM has looked at records. There is nothing that they have comeacross by way of the definite findings as to who took the decision. Those records are not available now.

Source:Prime Minister Office, India

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India-Canada Joint Statement during the visit of Prime MinisterThe Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh, visited Canada from June 26 to June 28 at the invitation of the PrimeMinister of Canada, Mr. Stephen Harper. During his visit, Prime Minister Singh participated in the G-20 Toronto Summit andheld bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Harper.

The two Prime Ministers, in reviewing the state of bilateral relations, welcomed the enhanced interaction in a broad range of

areas, visits and other exchanges between the two countries. They expressed their desire to broaden and deepen economic,diplomatic, educational, scientific and cultural ties between India and Canada.

The two Prime Ministers also solemnly observed the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the bombing of Air India flight 182Kanishka on June 23, 1985, in which 329 lives were tragically lost. They strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms andmanifestations and agreed to direct their respective Governments toward greater cooperation in counter-terrorism and security-related matters.

Reiterating the need for intensifying global cooperation in combating international terrorism, they called for an earlyconclusion and adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism within the UN framework.

Prime Ministers Singh and Harper welcomed the signature of the Agreement for Cooperation in Peaceful Uses of NuclearEnergy, which will help facilitate civil nuclear cooperation between the two countries. They both committed to the ratificationof the agreement and the completion of all remaining steps necessary to ensure its early implementation. They underscored

the potential for mutually beneficial civil nuclear cooperation and trade.

The two leaders committed to expanding a range of activities and institutional frameworks that will contribute to the sharedgoal of increasing bilateral trade to $15 billion annually in the next five years. During Prime Minister Harpers visit to India inNovember 2009, both countries had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish a Joint Study Group toexplore the possibility of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between India and Canada. The two PrimeMinisters welcomed the conclusion of that report, in which the Joint Study Group identified substantial potential economicgains that both countries could achieve through such an agreement. The two Prime Ministers noted that the recommendationsin the report will be examined by both countries and necessary processes for obtaining approvals will be initiated immediatelyand will aim to be completed by the end of October.

The Prime Ministers also announced their commitment to an annual dialogue on trade and investment between CanadasMinister of International Trade and Indias Minister of Commerce and Industry. They also welcomed the possibility of an

India-Canada CEO Roundtable later this year.

The two Prime Ministers looked forward to the early signing followed by ratification and implementation of the Social SecurityAgreement. They noted that the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement was under negotiation and lookedforward to its early conclusion. These two agreements will make a significant contribution to the commercial and economicinteraction between the two countries.

The Prime Ministers welcomed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Earth Sciences and Mining and lookedforward to signing a Memorandum of Understanding on Transportation, noting the scope for bilateral collaboration, trade andinvestment in the natural resources and infrastructure sectors.

Agriculture and agri-food cooperation represent another area of enhanced exchange and both leaders looked forward to theprogressive implementation of projects identified under the January 2009 MOU.

The Prime Ministers recognized some of the greatest strengths in the relationship lie in the vibrant and longstanding people-to-people ties. In that regard they encouraged the expansion of linkages in key areas including education, academic relations, arts,culture, sports and tourism.

To further enhance the considerable momentum achieved in exchanges and collaboration amongst a broad range of highereducation institutions in both countries, the Prime Ministers welcomed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding onHigher Education Cooperation. This framework will facilitate academic exchanges, partnerships and mobility between highereducational institutions in the two countries.

The Prime Ministers also noted initiatives to link Canadian and Indian universities and colleges, including in curriculumdevelopment and the creation of Chairs and Centres for Indian studies at a number of Canadian universities, such as, forexample, those in the process of being established at Carleton University and McGill University.

They also welcomed the initiative to organize the Festival of India in Canada in 2011, which would present a comprehensiverange of Indian culture through performing arts, exhibitions, film festivals, food festivals, among others, as well as theupcoming exhibition of masterworks of Inuit Art from the National Gallery of Canada, which will be presented at theNational Museum in New Delhi in the fall of 2010. They look forward to the Commonwealth Games in India in October



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2010. To facilitate further co-operation in these areas, the Prime Ministers welcomed the signing of an MOU on CulturalCooperation.

To achieve the goals set out in this joint statement, the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to sustained politicalengagement and a structured exchange of high-level visits and regular dialogues between their officials. Building on the existingannual India-Canada Foreign Policy Consultations, Strategic Dialogues, Trade Policy Consultations, the Joint Working Groupon Counter-Terrorism, the Agriculture Working Group, the Joint Science and Technology Cooperation Committee, theEnvironment Forum and the Energy Forum, they agreed to promote further policy exchanges between ministries and

departments of both Governments.

Source:

Prime Minister Office

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Sign in the petition against discrimination of Dalit students in Indian UniversitiesThe following is an online petition against discrimination of Dalit students in Indian universities. Please sign in this and makethis campaign a success.

This needs to be taken up seriously when hundreds of Dalit students are denied of their right to higher studies in most of theprofessional institutions. Also there are several cases where Dalit students were forced out of the campus even after getingadmitted. Futher there are scores of cases of suicide of Dalit students.

Hence Dalit Mukti Morcha Chhattisgarh request you to take it seriously and also to send it to friends on your list so that wecould have at least 10 million (1 crore) signatures by July 15.

Kindly follow this link to sign in the petition http://www.petitiononline.com/93466770/petition.html

-------------------------

Jamia organizes a workshop on Providing Crisis Mental Health in DisastersNew Delhi, India

The University Counseling & Guidance Centre of Jamia Millia Islamia in collaboration with Indian Association of ClinicalPsychologists (IACP), North Zone had organized a workshop on Providing Crisis Mental Health in Disasters on June 25,2010 from 10 AM to 2 PM in the Committee Room of Nehru Guest House, Jamia Millia Islamia.

The aim of the workshop was to prepare psychologists, counselors, and other certified/licensed mental health practitioners torespond to the emotional and psychological needs of people affected by disasters. 40 delegates actively participated in theworkshop, conducted by Dr. R. Kevin Rowell on behalf of the University of Central Arkansas, American PsychologicalAssociation and Indian Association of Clinical Psychologists.

In the initial part of the workshop, Dr. Rowell focused on the prevalence of disasters and common reactions to it. He providedrationale behind different reactions by different individuals to same crisis situations. It was explained on the basis of diathesis-stress model. According to him, much of the reaction is decided by a persons innate personality and his/her coping skills.

He elaborated the concept of psychological first aid and its effectiveness in reducing the negative psychological impact ofdisasters. The differences between the reactions of children and adults were also discussed. He also took up the principles ofintervention with children.

Further, he discussed long term recovery interventions. Under this, he focused on trauma and post-traumatic growth. Towardsthe end of the workshop, he focused on the need of self-care for professional who work in crisis situations as disaster has animpact on them too.



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Mr. Dherandra Kumar, Clinical & Child Psychologist and IACP Executive Council Member, North Zone also highlighted thelack of human resource in India capable of providing psychological first aid and long-term intervention in crisis/disastersituations. He stated that this in turn has effect on individuals and societys well being. He further highlighted the need to have anetwork of professionals that can provide support in case of disasters and added that in future there is also a plan to havesimilar, but more comprehensive workshops throughout the country to develop human resources to strengthen the need ofmental health care in disasters.The University Counseling and Guidance Centre has been quite active in conducting various program for resource

development and this one was a step in the same direction.

Source:

RINA INTERNATIONAL SERVICE

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RIVER :: Rokeya Institution Of Value Education & ResearchA preparatory meeting took place in the house of Sri Sunil Pal, Retired Headmaster, to form the dream institution River onSaturday the 19 June, 2010 at 6 P.M. Sri Sunil Pal presided over the meeting.

Since long Panihati- Sodpur area is a center of activities for the Welfare of mankind. Efforts have been made by theepistemologists of this area to reveal those activities and preserve the respective heritage places. Such acts attracted many menof letters as well as common people and received valuable support from important quarters of the state. All are glad to observethat now the resonance of those activities are attracting global response. Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance,London under the guidance of Mrs. Saheen C. Westcombe visited the place to know more about Rokeya, the daughter ofBengal ,who is now gradually appearing as one of the best Educationalist and Human Right activists of the World. The collegeproduced a drama Rokeyas Dream based on her science fiction written a century ago.

The Director, Bangla Division of Voice of America , also visited the place not only for Rabindranath or Rokeya but being

inquisitive to know more about the Mosquito Eradication Programme originated scientifically here more than a century ago.The movement built thousands of co operatives for the purpose. The father of Mr I.B.Chaudhury the Director, legendaryHabibullah Bahar, the first health minister of erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) also made historical contribution as aleader of the movement. He was searching for the connectivity.

Such examples are many. The call of the day is to continue the researches and to establish wider net work for the cause.

The meeting realized that to propagate the messages of VALUE EDUCATION particularly to the younger generation thenecessity to build an institution with the purpose to work on the Nation Builders on Women Emancipation and CommunityUndrestanding.

The following proposals were unanimously accepted.

The name of the proposed organization-ROKEYA INSTITION OF VALUE EDUCATION & RESEARCH (RIVER)Regd. Office: House of Sunil Pal, J.M.Avenue, Pansila, Sodepur, Kolkata-700112

President: Sunil PalVice -Presidents: Ira Chakrabarty, Rabindranath Chattopadhyay, Lokeman Hakim, Kalyan Chaudhury, Kalpana Basu

General Secretary: Prantosh BandyopadhyaySecretaries:Prof. Dr.Syed Tanveer Nasreen, Krishanu Bhattacharya

Treasurer :Purnima Ray ChaudhuryMembers: Bakul Dev, Satadal Dev

The committee took decision to include others interested and actively working for the cause.

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Cops odd behavior makes RTI activists ask, What are they hiding?Tuesday 22 June, Mumbai,

On Saturday, RTI activists alarm bells started ringing when a dozen cops in police van no. MH01-SA-3313 parked on WesternExpress Highway near Borivli National Park, behaved strangely. A posse of cops loitering outside the compound of an under-construction high-rise building belonging to matka-king-turned-builder Pappu Sawla refused to identify themselves or theirsuperior officer. A couple of them covered their name plates with their hand when activist Krishnaraj Rao tried to note theirnames. They also avoided identifying the senior officer in charge of their van when asked, until the police control room wascontacted.

Rao had approached the cops saying that he wanted to report destruction of a public property. The footpath that the cops werestanding on was being driven over by trucks and drilling rigs entering the construction site from the highway. Rao asked thecops to check whether the contractor had any papers authorizing this. To his chagrin, the cops shied away. So much forMumbai Police vaunted campaign asking people to be Alert Citizens!

In the midst of this heated argument (at about 11.40 pm), activist Girish Mittal, who was passing by, dialed 100 Police ControlRoom and gave the phone to Rao. When Rao talked to the police headquarters about the cops strange behavior and tried togive the phone to the cops, they refused to take it, but pleaded, Please get off the phone, we will tell you our seniors name.Then one cop reluctantly identified himself as Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) S G Sarang and said he was in charge of the van.Sarang claimed that the vehicle was patrolling the highway from Dahisar to Goregaon, and had one constable each from manypolice stations between Dahisar and Goregaon.

Sarang then asked Rao to go with him to Kasturba Marg police station and register a complaint against the builder, to whichthe latter readily agreed. At the police station, however, duty officer Duduskar bluntly refused to register the complaint. (Note:Rao had approached Mr Duduskar and his boss, Senior Inspector Rajendra Thakur, the previous day. They had refused towrite down a complaint, and told Rao to get directions from the municipal corporation first.)

Two years ago, activist G R Vora (98691 95785) had a similar experience near CST station when he tried to note down a trafficpolicemans name and badge number. The cop turned aggressive and nearly hauled him off to the nearby Azad Maidan policestation. Only timely intervention by a very senior journalist, who was passing by, saved Vora from further unpleasantness.Citizens are expected to produce their driving license and identification when cops demand it. So what gives cops the right tohide their identification? asks Vora.

Activist Sunil Ahya (98200 71606) had a similar incident last year when he had an exchange with some traffic cops atGoregaon signal, and tried to read their nameplate and note down their names on his mobile. They turned abusive andthreatened to take him to a police station. It seems that policemen have still not got used to the idea that citizens can and willhold them accountable. They seem to believe that their authority entitles them to get away with anything, remarks Ahya.

If the cops are upholding the spirit of the law, they have nothing to fear from us, avers Rao. If they act suspicious, hide theirnames and intimidate citizens who ask them legitimate questions, what are the remedies before a citizen? Where should acitizen lodge a complaint against such behavior, he asks.

Background information & Photos

Sai-Iscon construction work started on a plot (CTS no. 550, 551 and 552) that is said to belong to matka king Pappu Sawla(Also see Times of India, 20th June, page 5). This landlocked plot has no entry or exit other than the highway, and is therefore,construction is illegal as per Section 18 of Development Control (DC) Regulations. However, Section 22(5) of the regulationssays that the Municipal Commissioner can order the occupants of the adjoining plot to give access. So, if Sai-Iscon is builtwithout proper authorization to open a gate on the highway, the building will be regularized by using Raos building

compound as thoroughfare, causing a nuisance. Rao phoned BMCs 24-hour complaint line 1916 and submitted twocomplaints (No. 0720833366 and -68), and is struggling to get various authorities to sit up and take note of various violations.

Contrary to popular misconception that only the municipal corporation is responsible in preventing such illegalities, the policeis also responsible as per the Indian Penal Code. However, because of police refusal to register complaints and take promptaction, and because of endless buck-passing between police, Mumbais municipal corporation, MMRDA, PWD and otherauthorities, builders get away with all sorts of illegalities and public-spirited citizens are frustrated in their efforts to bring themto book.

1. Photos of the patrol van & evasive cops outside construction site, taken by Rao:http://www.box.net/shared/0zaxib5i7z2. Photos of the construction work violating numerous provisions: (i) destroying footpath near highway (ii) cutting trees (iii)carrying out piling work for foundation less than one metre away from adjoining building compounds: http://www.box.net/shared/toobodd3dk

By

Krishnaraj Rao



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This order relates to a Public Interest Litigation filed in 2008 by Anna Kishanrao More, with which Sanjrajs matter (Criminal Writ Petition 1845/09 and Criminal Application 402/09) was clubbed for hearing. The PIL and Sanjrajs petition arescheduled to be heard on June 10, and it is hoped that the dubious circular will be permanently quashed by the High Court.This will put a seal of finality on the new-found power of Maharashtras citizens to put corrupt officials, cops and others underthe scanner.

1) THE PREVENTION OF CORRUPTION ACT, 1988: http://www.box.net/shared/x9a6utkf9g

2) Maharashtra Govt Circular 1972: http://www.box.net/shared/dfifj70nn23) Bombay HC order Staying the above circular: http://www.box.net/shared/ob4rq29v6f4) Mangeshkar's FIR against 28 persons (Marathi): http://www.box.net/shared/a676xx9g1r5) Names of 28 persons in FIR (English translation): http://www.box.net/shared/fd0909hpud6) Sections of Prevention of Corruption Act & IPC applied against 28 persons in FIR (English translation): http://www.box.net/shared/59rxuh9ov97) Mangeshkar's heroic 5-year struggle against crooked redevelopers: http://www.box.net/shared/evq26uv6jd

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RTI reveals how babus steal power from civil societyOpaque and unaccountable selection of Information Commissioners is the tip of the iceberg. Girish Mittals RTI applicationsare veiling a more widespread scam being carried on in broad daylight. There are literally hundreds of posts under variouscentral ministries, theoretically meant for eminent citizens from all walks of life, but in practice available only to politicalcronies, retiring bureaucrats and other insiders in the corridors of power. Ironically, various legal provisions and rules are citedas justification for such patently lawless appointments; the truth is that many of these legal provisions have no criteria foridentifying suitable candidates. The appointment of 14 members of National Committee for Promotion of Social andEconomic Welfare is a classic example of this.

I. Let us see how such posts are legitimately supposed to be filled.

A. What does the Constitution say?

Article 16 is about Equality of Opportunity in Matters of Public Employment. It says, There shall be equality of opportunityfor all citizens in matters relating to employment or appointment to any office under the State.

B. What is DoPTs acknowledged role?

As per DoPTs induction material 2008: The role of the Department of Personnel & Training can be conceptually dividedinto two parts, In its large nodal role, it acts as the formulator of policy and the watch-dog of the Government ensuring thatcertain accepted standards and norms, as laid down by it, are followed by all Ministries/Departments, in the recruitment,regulation of service conditions, posting/transfers, deputation of personnel as well as other related issues. Towards this end,guidelines are issued by it for the benefit of all Ministries/Departments and it monitors the implementation of these guidelines.It also advises all organizations of the Central Government on issues of personnel Management. At a more immediate level,the Department has the direct responsibility of being the cadre controlling authority for the IAS and the three SecretariatServices in the Central Secretariat. The Department also operates the Central Staffing Scheme under which suitable officersfrom All India Services and Group A Central Services are selected and then placed in posts at the level of Deputy Secretary/Director and Joint Secretary, on the basis of tenure deputation. The Department also deals with cases of appointment to postsof Chairman, Managing Director, full-time functional Director/Member of the Board of Management of various PublicSector Undertakings/ Enterprises, Corporations, Banks and financial institutions. It also deals with the assignment of Indianexperts to various developing countries.

C. What do DoPTs guidelines say?

Point 3(1)(i) of Search Committees guidelines 1994 says, A Search Committee can be constituted only for posts that do not fallwithin UPSCs purview. Point 3(1)(ii) says, It is to be kept in mind that as a rule, appointments in government are to be madeon the basis of open advertisement. Therefore, proper advertisement of vacancies to be filled up by direct recruitment is anessential requirement. There may, however, be situations where advertisement itself may not result in adequate response forrecruitment to similar posts which require specialized scientific/technical knowledge and experience. It is only in thesesituations that Search Committee should normally be appointed to locate suitable persons with the desired qualifications and

experience to augment the response to the advertisement.Further, the introductory paragraph of Search Committee guidelines 07 clarifies, These instructions are primarily applicableto posts in the Government but also apply mutatis mutandis in the case of posts in autonomous / statutory organizations.



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II. Let us see the Information unearthed by RTI applications.

Activist Girish Mittal & his father Kishanlal filed RTI applications with several authorities under various central ministriesasking about selection procedures.

a) RTI application to NCPSEW (National Committee for Promotion of Social and Economic Welfare) under Revenue

Department of Finance MinistryInformation sought: Minutes of meetings held for selection of members of National Committee for Promotion of Social andEconomic WelfareReply given: There is no provision in law / rule of Income Tax Act 1962 to hold a meeting for selection of members ofNational Committee. In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 35 AC of the Income Tax Act read with sub-rule (1) and(3) of Rule 11G of Income Tax Rules 1962, the Central Government appoints the persons as Chairman and Members of theNational Committee from among persons of eminence in public life.Download this RTI application and replies: http://www.box.net/shared/tuoxjupxaa

b) RTI application to Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment

Information sought: In respect of various commissions under this ministry, viz. National Commission for Scheduled Castes,National Commission for Backward Classes, National Commission for Safai Karamcharis, National Minorities Commission,National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, detailed information was sought about selection procedures followed.Reply given: Replies have been received so far from three of these Commissions. They all are saying the same thing: All thereplies blandly assert that the appointments are as per applicable legal provisions and rules. Appointments are being madewithout attracting applications, issuing advertisements or circulars, and holding meetings of selection committees as mandated

by DoPTs guidelines. No minutes of meetings or correspondence are being provided as to when and how these selections andappointments are made. In two of the three cases, Mittal is asked to inspect the records. National Commission for BackwardClasses states that no such material exists. Information regarding names, designations and bio data of candidates who appliedfor the post is denied by all three Commissions on various grounds.Download this RTI application and replies from three Commissions: http://www.box.net/shared/v2ix64bf7y

Mittals earlier investigations had unveiled appointments of Central Information Commissioners without any due procedure,and often in completely crooked and convoluted ways. The appointment of A N Tiwari, Satyananda Mishra and Omita Paulat Central Information Commission were terrible instances of lack of due procedure.

Clearly, accountability and transparency in appointments are missing throughout the administration.

III. Why the buck stops with DoPT.

DoPTs induction material 2008 indicates that the buck stops with DoPT, which, being directly under the Prime Minister, is theonly department empowered to tackle these malpractices in various ways. The induction material gives details of variouswatchdog mechanisms on corruption and administrative malpractices, all under DoPT:

4.5.1 Administrative Vigilance

An important element of personnel management is the maintenance of the professional ethics and standards of thebureaucracy. The Department of Personnel & Training determines Government policy for the maintenance of the integrity ofthe public services and eradication of corruption and coordinates the activities of various Ministries/Departments in that area.However, all Ministries/Departments and offices of the Government of India have the direct responsibility for themaintenance of discipline and integrity of their staff by taking preventive measures and eradication of corruption in theiroperational area of work.

4.6 Central Vigilance Commission

Advice on all vigilance matters is provided by Central Vigilance Commission. It has jurisdiction and power in respect of allmatters to which the executive power of the Central Government extends. The Commission enjoys the same measure ofindependence and autonomy as the Union public Service Commission. The Commission has its office at Satarkta Bhavan, INAColony, New Delhi.

4.7 Central Bureau of Investigation

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is the premier investigating agency of the country and watchdog of the nation toarrest the growing menace of corruption as also to investigate the various types of banking, non-banking and the multitude ofeconomic and other conventional offences. A new addition to its function is investigation of inquiries into terrorist crimes,vandalism etc. Cases are referred to this agency, on the basis of concurrence of the State Governments, by the High Court aswell as by the Supreme Court and there is an ever growing public demand for CBI investigation on account of the generalperception that investigation by the CBI is more objective. The CBI has its headquarters office in Block No. 3, CGO Complex,New Delhi.

4.8 Joint Consultative Machinery

There is a well-structured machinery for joint consultation between the Central Government and its employees on a widevariety of service matters having a bearing on the administration and the general interests of the Government employees. It is a



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three-tier machinery consisting of the National Council, the Department Council and the Regional/Office Council. Servicematters, pertaining to the interests of the generality of the employees or specific groups of them, are dealt with by thismachinery.

4.9 Central Administrative Tribunal

In spite of the elaborate system of rules and regulations, which govern personnel management, there are Governmentemployees who feel aggrieved by the Government decisions. The courts used to ta

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