Indian Express: A blast from the blue!

What is wrong with INDIAN EXPRESS? A blast from the blue!
Ref: Poor military leadership, not equipment, led to 1962 debacle: Report under wraps by Pranab Dhal Samanta Posted online: Sun Oct 14 2012
Tribune Response

TRIBUNE SPECIAL: 1962 WAR: LEADERS FAILED INDIA- II

TRIBUNE SPECIAL: Why India and China went to war in 1962-I

Readers Comments
Dear All,
I have info that Shekhar Gupta does not have access to Handerson-Brooks Report. As usual he is bluffing and continues to belittle the Army as he did in the non-existant 'Coup' report.
M.G.Devasahayam

Dear Mr Gupta,
You have once again demonstrated your pathological dislike for military men. On whose instructions have you cherry picked portions of the Henderson Brooks report to pillory the army higher command which was in saddle in 1962? You have conveniently omitted mention of the misdeeds of the bureaucrats and political actors in the fiasco of 1962.
Do you think that if only the generals were to be blamed this report would have been kept under wraps for over 50 years? I will give you an instance which I witnessed as a Maj Gen when I was serving in Army HQ in 1986. The Army under Gen Sundarji was then working on a 15 year perspective plan. After a draft plan had been made the Chief held a conference in his office which was attended by Mr Arun Singh, MOS Defence at that time, and all concerned officers upto Maj Gens and MoD officers upto Joint Secretary level, to explain the Plan and get addl inputs from participants.
Having attended a number of meetings in the Chief's office earlier I was rather surprised to see a tape recorder in the middle of the table. Its presence was soon explained by Mr Arun Singh. He revealed that he had just completed reading the Henderson Brooks report (he had been in the job a few months only) and he wanted that in future all such important deliberations be recorded. I can vouch for it, which can be confirmed from Mr Arun Singh, that there were a number of interventions/ suggestions by the gens present but there was not a word recorded that had been uttered by the bureaucrats. Reason being that they either had nothing to contribute or they were too scared that any foolish utterance would be held against them.
Being ADG (Fin Plg) at Army HQ I attended a few meetings with the Chief at the Cabinet Secretariat to discuss the 15 Year Perspective Plan with the CCPA consisting of secretaries of the most important ministries of the govt. The inputs from the honorable participants were pathetic even if one is most charitable. Firstly, a member had come without even reading the Plan document. Secondly, they would behave like a housewife bargaining in the vegetable market. The plan outlay was a few thousand crores rupees and their only input was that we should cut Rs 50 crores off the amount earmaked for armoured vehicles and or Rs 600 crores out of the ammunition outlay- no reasons being given. It was really shocking for me, a first timer at Army HQ, to see how our higher defence planning was being done. The Henderson Brooks Report must have exposed where the politico-bureaucratic combine had let the Army down; but, with your help, it only wants to give out the portion which the Army was honest enough to reveal to learn lessons from its mistakes. Will the other half be half as honest for the sake of the country?
We have still not been told why the IB/RAW were totally blind in 1962, about LTTE's intentions in 1987, before the IC 814 Hijack, the 27/11 and many other humiliating faux pas where the players were only civilians? The trouble is that there were no Tape Recorders and nobody wants to learn from his mistakes.
Lt Gen SK Bahri (Retd)

Dear Mr. Shekhar Gupta,
Please see the coverage below by The Tribune vis a vis what your worthy Newspaper headllined on the very Front Page two days ago regarding !!
One fails to understand what grouse a person of your eminence and experience has against the generals and what has the Nation gained by reading the headlines in your Newspaper!!
1962 War was primarily failure of political leadership headed by Pt Nehru and his favorite Krishna Menon. Mr. Mullick, the Intelligence Zar also played a key role. Generals like Kaul were thrust on the Army by the politicians, Maj Gen Pathania was brought in by Gen Kaul to command 4 Inf Division at the last moment when it was under attack by the Chinese and one of its brigade annihilated. A division is not a machine whose commander can press a few buttons and start commanding and leading it in battle. He has to know his brigadiers, battalions, troops, the terrain and vice a versa if the division has to face an enemy like the Chinese. The debacle had to happen.
Politicians and the bureaucrats must not interfere overly with the functioning of the Armed Forces. They seem to have learned nothing from 1962 debacle. How can they, when newspapers like Indian Express dish out such headlines on the 50th Anniversary of a monumental historical event!
There is no other organization as professional, dedicated, nationalistic and prepared to give sacrifices as the Armed Forces. There are some bad apples, as in any organisation but the Armed Forces are the only organisation which take strict action in this country.
Elders like you in the media should nurture the Armed Forces. Your mature critique is most welcomed. But not denigrating the Armed Forces please! They are the last bastion in our beloved country along with the judiciary and the media and have risen to the occasion in war and peace. Anyone who derides the generals does a great disservice to the Army and the Nation.
You are fully aware of the tough selection for the officer cadre and their training through out their careers. You also know about the very narrow and steep pyramid to reach the top rung. Only the best that the system selects become flag rank officers. The system is by and large fair.
MR. GUPTA, THIS IS THE BEST INDIA CAN PRODUCE. IF YOU ARE NOT HAPPY, THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY. LIKE FOREIGN COACHES FOR HOCKEY, CRICKET, BOXING YOU MAY SUGGEST TO THE GOVT TO GET FOREIGN GENERALS ESPECIALLY FROM ITALY TO COMMAND THE ARMY!!
Sincerely,
Harbhajan Singh
Lt Gen, PVSM

HC raps police over 'arbitrary' arrest of cartoonist Trivedi

HC raps police over 'arbitrary' arrest of cartoonist Trivedi
Press Trust of India / Mumbai September 14, 2012, 16:55
Dubbing the arrest of cartoonist Aseem Trivedi on the charge of sedition as "arbitrary" and on "frivolous" grounds, the Bombay High Court today said it breached his freedom of speech and expression.
The court also said it intended to lay down guidelines for application of the pre-Independence law to ensure that liberties guaranteed to citizens in a civil society are not encroached.
"How can you (police) arrest people on frivolous grounds? You arrest a cartoonist and breach his liberty of freedom of speech and expression," a division bench of justices D Y Chandrachud and Amjad Sayyed said, voicing strong displeasure over the arrest of Kanpur-based cartoonist whom it had granted bail two days back.
The Kanpur-based cartoonist, arrested last Saturday, was released on Monday after the high court granted him bail amid mounting public outcry.>br> Observing that Trivedi's arrest was prima facie "arbitrary", the court said, "We have one Aseem Trivedi who was courageous enough to raise his voice and stand against this, but what about several others whose voices are shut by police."
The court was hearing a PIL filed by a lawyer Sanskar Marathe against Trivedi's arrest, which he described as "illegal, bad in law, and unjustified".
Noting that the law governing sedition was a pre- Independence provision in the statute book when government wanted protection from citizens, the bench said it intended to lay "parameters" for its application to check misuse.
"If there are no parameters there will be serious encroachment of a person's liberties guaranteed to him in a civil society," the bench said.
HC raps police over 'arbitrary' arrest of cartoonist Trivedi

Common man loses Confidence and Screams for an effective Lokpal

18/08/2011
India Inc uneasy at Hazare standoff
At the end of this month, HDFC chairman Deepak Parekh and his friends from India Inc — who had earlier collectively written an open letter to the Prime Minister and his political establishment — plan to meet once again and take their own crusade against corruption and governance deficit forward.
CHAMBERS WANT MOVES
Industry chambers have spoken, calling for a balanced reaction from the government. They echo a popular sentiment that while Parliament has the right to make laws, individuals enjoy the freedom of speech and assembly.
"We strongly support any process or mechanism that will lead to good governance and weed out corruption from all walks of life," said Dilip Modi, president of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham).
"Industry believes it has a strong role to play in fighting corruption and, therefore, we have already developed the first version of a Code of Business Ethics," said a spokesperson of the Confederation of Indian Industry.
Marico chairman Harsh Mariwala, also chairman of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, is more realistic than many of his peers. "Anna Hazare is a symbol. The fight is a bigger one on corruption. When you lose faith in the entire system, it becomes difficult for the common man to have confidence in the political establishment. But a Lok Pal Bill alone cannot solve all the problems. There has to be a much bigger overhaul of all discretionary powers," he said.
Cyber citizens from India Inc have been active for the past few days. Some have been pragmatic, some circumspect yet cautious, while some are outspoken as ever. "Let's not be bogged down with scams by a few. Let's hold our heads high and focus on the numerous reasons we have to be proud, independent Indians," tweeted the king of good times and Rajya Sabha MP, Vijay Mallya.
MORE VOICES
M&M's Anand Mahindra, a corporate leader behind many social campaigns, -- seems to suggest the writing is on the wall for all to see. "Democracy means no voice, however small, must go unheard. The anti-corruption sentiment is not a whisper -- it's a scream. Grave error to ignore it," he warned.
Kiran Mazumdar-ShawBiotech's Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is appalled at what has been happening for the past 48 hours. She tweeted several times in seeming despair. "The government is committing political harakiri -- as they say, if you are in a hole, stop digging!...." and then added, "The UPA Government has lost the plot -- they have incited the entire country by putting Anna behind bars .... The country-wide agitation against Anna's imprisonment can bring the Government down -- they don't seem to understand how incandescent the issue."
However, the stoic silence of most others may seem odd as they were vocal in their reactions before, when Hazare first led his protest outside Jantar Mantar in April. "We are sick of corruption," leading industrialist and Bajaj Auto Chairman Rahul Bajaj had then remarked. But since then, the slugfest over a Lok Pal and need for a legal framework for it has become overtly political.
Source: Business Standard
India Inc uneasy at Hazare standoff
Comment: The Parliament and Politicians should echo the Citizens Voice and not their own agenda of spinning money. The best constitutional experts need to be consulted to make an effective Lokpal bIll- not by vested Lawyers and Bureaucrats.

Can Bombay Sappers help be sought?

Foreign know-how for drainage, toilet, potholes
SOMETIME ago, I don’t remember exactly when – a group of municipal councilors went to London to study the drainage system. They stayed in London for quite a while, looking down the London drains, holding consultations and discussions. What exactly they did during the free time they had – that must have been quite a lot – is not known. On their return, they spoke about London drains. It is not known what suggestions they made and whether any of their suggestions was accepted and implemented. The citizens of Mumbai did not notice much change.
In fact, the drains continue to stink and it looked like the councilors had a good holiday in London. There are so many sizzling things that keep happening in London. ‘strip tease’ for instance.
A couple of years ago, the railways are said to have consulted a UK company to build a toilet at Churchgate. Why a foreign consultation was necessary to build a toilet is not known, but the railways are said to have gone ahead and got the know-how. It must have cost a pretty penny, but having a good, modern toilet was considered absolutely necessary.
India boasts of a great civilization, top scientists were born in the country.
But they could not build a toilet at Churchgate. They had to go for consultation.
There is not much change. The toilet stinks like before. A river of urine keeps flowing on the floor. And there is no smell of any disinfectant.
And now one more ‘foreign happening’ is about to take place.
The Mumbai municipality is reported to be making Herculean efforts to cover potholes which unavoidably occur during the monsoon. All the desperate exercises in this regard for the last ten years have failed. A few showers are enough to create potholes all over the city and suburbs. Whatever they put on the road is evidently some bad stuff. What sort of a surface is it if it cannot withstand a few showers?
The truth is some of the corrupt BMC staff and road contractors want potholes to occur. Hundreds of potholes help them make extra money. It is just unfortunate that we cannot have a road surface that can withstand rain.
And now, this season we are getting German know-how and German products to make roads. There is going to be an experiment: road with German product will be constructed and it will be watched as the rain falls on it. It is quite sad that we have to depend on foreign know-how for tackling drainage, toilets and potholes….
Round up by AR Kanangi:Foreign know-how for drainage, toilet, potholes
Comment: Similar schemes envisaged for Singara Chennai 10 years ago (after visits to Singapore and USA)- All schemes down the drain once monsoon rains lash Chennai City!
Sad commentary on city sewage and storm drains- really they are perennial pipelines for making money by Political Criminals. The citizens safety comes last every time after each election.
Can BEG help Mumbai?
The Bombay Engineering Group, or the Bombay Sappers as they are informally known, are a regiment of the Indian Army Corps of Engineers. The Bombay Sappers draw their origin from the erstwhile Bombay Presidency army of the British Raj. This regiment has its centre in Khadki, Pune in Maharashtra state. The Bombay Sappers have gone to on to win many accolades in battle throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, both before and after Independence, including the British Victoria Cross and the French Legion of Honour before independence, as well as the Param Vir Chakra and Ashok Chakra as part of Independent India. The Group has also made its mark in peacetime activities such as sport, adventure, aid to civil authority and prestigious construction projects. The troops of the Bombay Sappers are renowned for their endurance, courage and valour on the battlefield.

Why Journalists support corrupt Politicians?

Reference: Jantar, Chhu Mantar
A letter written by our daughter in response to Shekhar Gupta's middle in Indian Express. Says it all.
Satish Bahri

On Sat, 14/5/11, Nandini Bahri-Dhanda wrote:
From: Nandini Bahri-Dhanda
Subject: Jantar, Chhu Mantar
To: sg@expressindia.com
Date: Saturday, 14 May, 2011, 4:06 PM
Dear Mr Gupta,
This is in reference to your article- Jantar, Chhu Mantar in IE 14 May 2011.
Frankly I was initially quite bewildered at the hostility from newspapers and its editors, sociologists and intellectuals at Anna Hazare's fast, his demands for modifications and changes etc in the Lokpal Bill, his drawing attention and articulating the general public anger at corruption.
I read article after article of regular contributors and columnists of your newspaper whose writings I had over the years read and enjoyed. Whose opinions I had respected and if I had for some reason disagreed, it had atleast opened my mind to another perspective.
However this time round I have seen the pettiness, the vindictiveness, the disdain, the cynicism of these writers and contributors, including you Mr Gupta.
“The Lokpal Bill is not going to end corruption”....no one claimed it would. It was only a first step in the right direction.
“Who chose these members from the civil society?”... these people volunteered, came forward and offered their services and expertise. Was anybody of stature and repute not allowed to participate?
“This Committee would by-pass the Parliament”... yes it would in the Bill formulating stage but it had to be eventually passed by the Parliament.In most developed democracies citizens do push and articulate bills and laws which are then eventually passed by their Senates, Congress or Parliaments after further debate and discussion.
And then the most hypocritical, inverse snobbery where one of your contributor’s mocked Hazare’s statement that he would never be able to win an election because he did not have the power of money to give TV’s, alcohol or sarees to buy his vote. Hazare’s disain for the Indian voter was dangerous she said, almost fascist!
The gloating that we are a democracy that has thrown out non performing governments 4 times in 64 years is pathetic! It seems most of our intellectuals, sociologists, writers, journalists, editors, industralists are cynical, hardened and a part of the system.
They “enjoy” proximity to the powers that be.
They “enjoy” their largesse, a Rajya Sabha seat perhaps?
They “socialise” with this lot. Some write little bits to keep their worth and value and some offer favours in a quid pro quo.
They are cynical to believe that this is how it is and will remain so.
Mr. Gupta your Jantar- Chhu Mantar is a misplaced piece of writing.
This election did not prove anything except the Indian voter just carries on and on the cycle- exchanging one lot for the other.
We are to put it mildly, a passive democracy. We exercise our vote every 5 years and throw one lot out for the other.DMK this time and the AIDMK last time. In the next elections DMK will be back. Is this a mature, thinking, aware voter? The DMK has looted enough to feed Tamil Nadu 20 times over for seven generations. They have not been punished- they are being “rested” in Karunnidhi’s own words. Did your mature voter ever demand what happens to our money? Where is it being spent? Why aren’t thieving people in prison? No- we simply vote them out. Then allow this lot to loot and plunder and bring the old lot back... ”vibrant” democracy indeed. Are we perhaps mistaking “noisy” for “vibrant”?
I was given to believe that a vibrant democracy is where citizens demand accountability from the people who have been voted in to administer and govern. Where they question and deserve a response. Where citizen groups and pressure groups see that the government “works”. Where the citizen expects justice as a right and not a favour. Where citizens do not have to grovel for what is basically theirs.
An aged man of another era from some remote part of the country, who cannot by any defintion be called cool, came to the Capital and drew the middle class out... and that is what has worried everybody. These were not Jimmy Choo and Armani clad glitterati that could be smirked at. These weren’t your Great Unwashed who could be talked down to. This was the Indian Middle Class Mr. Gupta which has so far been ignored.
I know because I was there.
I met a young man from Badarpur. He had recently filed his tax returns- for the first time he said with some pride. His two brothers were still looking for jobs. He worked 10-12 hours a day, drove back and forth his motor cycle on pot holed roads, returned home to electric outages and no water. He wanted to add a floor to his house but the MCD and police were harassing him... the same old story Mr Gupta... Ghar ghar ki kahani. The MLA of his locality spent 50 lakhs on his daughter’s shamiana and Kalmadi made those crores and crores, Raja made more... his anger was palpable.
I walked alongside a 45 year old single woman with 2 children who ran an export unit in Okhla. There was stinking garbage on her street which was not picked in weeks, electric outages, inspectors who demanded hafta, MCD would not let her raise her boundary wall despite 2 break-ins, no police patrolling. She paid her taxes but what was she getting in return?... Sheila Dixit had made millions, substandard material was used in flyovers, there were 23000 MCD ghost workers... she was angry.
The word on the street is- Sharad Pawar, why is that man in every cabinet? Who does not know that he could buy India twice over? In another country, another democracy he would be serving a prison sentence. Any scam and his name is there! About Sonia Gandhi, the less said the better. Her son-in law, a costume jewellery businessman can buy The Aman...??! Who will punish these people? Where is justice?
My parents, in their 70’s walked from Jantar Mantar to India Gate. My father, an ex soldier who has served in the army for 38 years and fought in 4 wars, believes the enemy is within. But then you don’t have much time for ex serviceman either, do you Mr. Gupta? You feel these chaps are paid to lay down their lives and they have no right to ask for higher salaries. Your opinion as been articulated in article after article that they should be there for patriotism and glory. I wonder if you have such advice for Karunanidhi’s brood or Sharad Pawar’s offspring?
This was not Tahrir Square. This was Jantar Mantar swarming with Middle Class India. Not with Anil Ambani and his pals, not with Rahul’s convenient Kalavati. But Jantar Mantar with educated, hardworking Indians who pay their taxes and try everyday- everyday to be honest. Listen to their voice. They are no pushover... otherwise we may live to regret it.
Incidentally, I don’t recall anyone in Jimmy Choos.
Best regards,
Nandini Bahri-Dhanda

Regarding Jantar, Chhu Mantar
Like father like daughter. Afterall the genes. Its a powerful exposition and I have to agree with Nandini. Incidentally, Satish I didn’t know Shama did the route march too with you from the JM to the IG. Jai ho.
Madhav

From: jaimala gupta
Sent: 14 May 2011 21:08
Subject: Jantar, Chhu Mantar
Dear Nandani,
An extremely, well articulated, hard hitting reply to Shekher Gupta. In a limited circle of people who are actively involved in this campaign, we give his writings a cold shrug saying that he is only doing the bidding of his HANDLERS. We all know who prompts his writings. It is a pity that he has a strong platform of IE to use. You also have the the fire in you like Putsy and the courage to say so. Great work. Press on regardless. We missed you all the other day at Jantar Mantar and IG. Our whole family was there, 3 gen, which was covered in Amar Ujala.
Love you beta
Mala & jai gupta

From: Murugan Subbiah
Sent: 14 May 2011 22:57
To: Satish Kumar Bahri
Cc: Chander Kamboj; Satbir Singh; milvets militaryveterans
Subject: Jantar, Chhu Mantar
Congratulations! An excellent rejoinder to Shekhar Gupta. The middle class that assembled in Jantar Mantar are not only the real producers of wealth in this country but also the leaders of local communities. The GDP growth of the country that our Media and politicians boast every day parrot like is due to the hard work and leadership provided by the middle class.History also tells us they were the leaders of successful revolutions.
S Murugan

From: Krishan K Punchhi
Sent: 15 May 2011 00:22
To: Satish Kumar Bahri
Subject: Jantar, Chhu Mantar
Satish,
Excellent piece.
Apart from wining and dining these journos (read sarkari hacks) and bestowing on them the ill deserved honours + giving them seats in the RS, there is another way they are rewarded. They are given housing plots at throwaway prices. One such colony for journalists in New Delhi is known as Gulmohar Enclave. It is close to Green Park and Gautam Nagar. I'm sure there are many more such enclaves in many more cities.
Regards... Krishan
Kudos to Nandini. Wonderful Exposé of Greedy Journalists- like Shekar Gupta's Tribe!

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

Day not far off for Political Criminals to give up!
Egypt's ousted president Hosni Mubarak and his wife are set to make a public apology and give up their financial assets in an attempt to secure amnesty from prosecution.
Mubarak and wife set to make public apology

Caste your Vote- Exercise your Right- End Corruption

The MRGG Appeal to the Indian Voter made 15 years ago might have been one of the lesser molecules in the catalyst that brought down the government. Even at that time corruption had reached unbelievable heights in the Congress-led government. The Appeal was translated into Hindi, Urdu, Bengali and several other regional languages. What is more, civil servants, including the Commissioner of a Division not far from Delhi had 10,000 copies of the Appeal printed and distributed. May be it should again be distributed in the current assembly elections and the elections to follow. If affirmative, please disseminate.
vinod saighal
Maj Gen Vinod Saighal, Convenor Movement for Restoration of Good Government & Trustee National Network for India
NDTV: Pranab and Advani promise Lokpal Bill
Photo slideshow of Anna Hazare's Crusade to crush cozy comfort of corruption

Battle against Corruption: Why we need the Jan Lokpal Bill

Adarsh scam accused moves HC, wants bank accounts defreezed
PTI, Mar 28, 2011, 04.51pm IST
MUMBAI: Former Deputy Secretary in Maharashtra government and an accused in the Adarsh Society scam, P V Deshmukh, today approached the Bombay High Court seeking for CBI to defreeze his bank accounts.
Deshmukh and his family's bank accounts in Vijaya Bank and Bank of Maharashtra were attached by CBI after it registered a case on January 29 in the Adarsh Housing Society scam.
During searches, CBI had recovered incriminating documents and Rs 23 lakh in cash from his residence in the neighbouring Thane district. Apart from defreezing of the bank accounts, Deshmukh in his petition has also sought for CBI to release cash of Rs 23 lakh recovered from his residence. "The cash recovered is accounted for. Some of it belongs to my son Harshvardhan and his wife Veera," the petition stated.
A division bench of Justices P V Hardas and M N Gilani directed CBI to file its reply to the petition in two weeks. CBI in its FIR had accused Deshmukh of having abused his official power by fraudulently communicating to the BMC (local civic body) that the Ministry of Environment and Forest had given No Objection Certificate to Adarsh Society for constructing a residential building. Apart from Deshmukh, the FIR had also named former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, retired army officials, government officials on charges of criminal conspiracy, fraud and misuse of their official powers.
Adarsh scam accused moves HC, wants bank accounts defreezed
Comment: With present laws the conviction rate for corrupt bureaucrats is hardly 2%. In fact all corrupt officials caught red handed for the last two decades are free birds and never endure a jail term!

Military ethics and scams

Talking of Ethics in an era of Scams! by Col Karan Kharb
Ethics, morals, principles, honesty, sacrifice, patriotism... blah blah... The more these expressions are traded, the more stink the discussion kicks up. Our politicians- demagogues all, orators few, patriotic none– have polluted these words so much that their very mention now triggers more suspicion than inspiration. Time was when people would be jubilant and voluntarily throng the lawns in front of Red Fort every Independence Day. I recall how as schoolboys we had kept awake all night and eagerly squatted there in early nightly hours only to have a closer glimpse of Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru whom we treated like an angle from the celestial world. Leaders of that time looked too lofty, too pious, and too other-worldly! A touch or a handshake with them was a gift one cherished to preserve for life!

That genuine eagerness for darshan of leaders evaporated from the public long ago. Corruption has divested today's leaders of the aura and charisma that once captivated masses. Now politicians have to resort to ingenious ways and weird means to muster up a gathering by luring crowds from slums offering them free transport, food packets - some even offer cash allowances to show-off their ‘impressive following.’ And then on mikes they blare "... ham Hindustan se garibi hata ke rahenge; minorities ka hanan ho raha hai, reservation dila kar rahenge; Matribhumi par sankat hai - apni jaan par khel jaenge..." By late evening they disperse to get-together at Park Hotel to analyse and celebrate 'media coverage' on their performance.

Rampant corruption has opened easier ways for criminals to find entry into state legislatures and Lok Sabha. As many as 153 of our sitting MPs today are involved in criminal cases already registered, 54 of them in serious crimes including murder! No wonder our corrupt leaders are becoming more daring and do not shy away from dishing out explanations like "... my action may be immoral but it is certainly not illegal". If you thought that was an individual politician's view-point, now look at the audacious argument from the Government in the Supreme Court: ‘impeccable integrity’ is not an eligibility criterion for appointment of CVC! (Vahanvati’s argument in SC refers!). It obviously implies that it would be perfectly in order to appoint men of compromising integrity, purchasable character and even those charge sheeted like Thomas to hold high constitutional offices. I agree. In an era of Andher Nagri Chaupat Raja, Chor banenge Thanedar! If you can manipulate, hoodwink or work your way through machinations, your records can be dumped. The moral: "Nothing succeeds like Success!"

The Indira Gandhi era would perhaps be better remembered as an era of political-bureaucratic intrigues. Corruption has to be integral to intrigues. This way corruption grew in the politico-bureaucratic power circles rapidly with every successive government and politicians patronising the evil covertly because it paid them dividends. Even judges found corruption a lucrative pursuit. Today we have a horde of tainted judges including retired CJsI who opened up their pants for a quick buck! With ample evidence against, some of them are facing possible impeachment too. And yet they are so brazen and shameless that we still find them not only sticking to their chairs but dispensing ‘justice’ too! What a shame!

Over the years when pillars of governance started falling apart under the weight of corruption, India became a fertile land for crime, communal hatred and terrorism to flourish. Bureaucratic inefficiency and callousness also grew up as natural hedge to protect all evil and ward off any threat.

Even as pessimism was enveloping the nation, people pinned all their hopes on one symbol of national pride, which they believed to be infallible in character and integrity – the Armed Forces – the ultimate mighty power of the nation! A universal belief the masses harboured in their minds was that if everything else failed, our Armed Forces would effectively save the country and do them proud even if sacrifices were called for.

Alas, our generals too have today shattered that last hope of our people. Two lieutenant generals have been court-martialled. Some are awaiting their trial. Three former Services Chiefs have been indicted for their involvement in ‘Adarsh’ scam. Some more Courts of Inquiry are said to be in progress against senior officers suspected to be involved in cases of corruption and moral turpitude. What is even more shocking is that none of the senior commanders is facing a case for being defiant, taking a stand, refusing to bow or disobedience. They have exposed their shallow character by compromising on star qualities like integrity, honesty, uprightness and much clichéd ‘officer like qualities’. They have undoubtedly betrayed the faith of the nation and brought us all shame.

I do empathise with many honest friends, excellent leaders in high positions in the Indian Army today. But, sorry friends, even though I will always be proud of you all and my profession, your sacrifices, your reputation and your command on people’s hearts have been brutally ruined by a few greedy generals. It is shocking that they – all men of negotiable character and easy virtues – managed to reach such lofty heights successfully hoodwinking the system all the way up! You will have to suffer and endure the public suspicion this breed of greed has injected in people’s minds about today’s higher military leadership. I cry as I stand on the wayside watching you carry the Cross on your shoulders with Jesus’ serenity and poise. I salute you for doing your best to preserve and nourish whatever is left of our military honour!

Imagine the mental turmoil the budding officers passing out of the IMA would be going through when they hear the reviewing officer repeat the IMA credo in the backdrop of recent scams:

“The safety, honour and welfare of your country come first – always and every time.
The honour, welfare and comfort of the men you command come next.
Your own ease, comfort and safety come last – always and every time!”

It will certainly sound most ill suited, hollow, phoney and blatantly hypocritical in a scam-humming environment. We are quick to blame the British for ‘looting’ India without giving them credit for giving us systems of governance we find irreplaceable even after sixty four years of Independence – our dislike for them notwithstanding. They brought together plundering bands of our local chieftains and built up the Indian Military into institutions of national pride. What an irony that we find General Chetwode’s exhortation thoroughly genuine, more patriotic, more nationalistic, more Indian than our own even today!

We need to learn our lessons afresh! May be some strong detergents and acid are required for purging the system. Sooner the better.
Regards,
Karan Kharb

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Corruption demeans us before our own people: PM

The army must never try to ‘manage/manipulate the media’
Redeeming the Standing of the Army by Major General Mrinal Suman, AVSM, VSM, PhD

Dear Friends,
Here is an article from the Pioneer of Wed 09 Mar 2011 by Shri Manvender Singh, It is indeed aa great irony that our own government continues to deny our martyrs their due honour and place in the national capital. We all need to take this up strongly. I am sure many other MsP and political, intellectuals and beaucrats will support us for this onerous task. An ode to the Indian soldier March 10, 2011
Lt Gen NS Malik, PVSM (Retd)

United States Military Academy (West Point, NY)
Speech Delivered by Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, West Point, NY, Friday, February 25, 2011
Dear Sir,
Something very interesting that I came across and I believe worthy of being shared on “Report My Signal”.Click here
Regards,
Col TS Gururaj (Veteran)

Kalmadi confirms CWG Scam was a team work and demands JPC

CWG OC official, corporate honcho sent to Tihar
Zee News Updated on Monday, February 28, 2011, 19:19
New Delhi: CWG Organising Committee's Additional Director General K Udai Kumar Reddy and a corporate honcho Praveen Bakshi, arrested for their alleged corrupt deeds in arranging various logistic support to the sporting event, were sent to Tihar Jail on Monday under judicial custody.
Special CBI Judge O P Saini sent the duo to the city's central prison after the lapse of their 5-days' custody period with the agency sleuths for their custodial interrogation.
"CBI says that investigation is not yet complete and thus the accused (Reddy and Bakshi) be remanded to 14 days judicial custody. Accused are remanded to judicial custody till March 14," the judge said.
The court also directed the jail superintendent to consider the plea by both the accused for using reading glasses inside the prison, as per jail manual.
Earlier, the court had questioned the CBI for not arresting the officials of the CWG OC who have allegedly accepted huge bribe in awarding contracts at exorbitant rates.
CBI had submitted that Bakshi had paid huge bribe to the officials of the OC in return for getting contracts at exorbitant rates and release of payments. It had also added that that Reddy had accepted the bribe amount from Baskhi.
The premises of both the accused, arrested on February 22, were searched by the CBI on February 18 along with that of five other CWG OC officials and suppliers in connection with overlays scam.
Nearly Rs 600 crore worth of contracts relating to the overlays project are under the scanner for alleged irregularities.
Overlays works included supply of tents, marquees, prefabricated units, portable toilets, containers, security fences, furniture, public display LED boards, floor finishes, material handling equipment, gensets, cabling, UPS, air-conditioners, lighting, civil construction, athletic exercise equipment and grandstands.
The agency had conducted a number of searches in certain premises across the country in early January in connection with the scam, including those of an officer under Union Sports Ministry.
The overlays contracts are also under the scanner of the Income Tax Department and the Enforcement Directorate. The premises of both the accused, arrested on February 22, were searched by CBI on February 18 along with that of five other CWG OC officials and suppliers in connection with overlays scam.
Nearly Rs 600 crore worth of contracts relating to the overlays project are under the scanner for alleged irregularities.
Overlays works included supply of tents, marquees, prefabricated units, portable toilets, containers, security fences, furniture, public display LED boards, floor finishes, material handling equipment, gensets, cabling, UPS, air-conditioners, lighting, civil construction, athletic exercise equipment and grandstands. PTI
CWG OC official, corporate honcho sent to Tihar

Adarsh Scam reveals criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery

Doordarshan Monday, 31 January 2011
CBI searches premises of accused in Adarsh housing scam
A day after registering a case in the Adarsh Housing Society scam, the CBI on Sunday carried out searches at premises in Maharashtra and Bihar of three main accused, including a retired Army officer and a Congress leader, named in the FIR.
The searches were conducted at the residences and other places of the society's general secretary R C Thakur, retired Brigadier M M Wanchoo and Congress leader K L Gidwani in various parts of Maharashtra and Bihar.
The office of the Adarsh society located in posh Colaba here was among the places raided.
The raids come a day after the CBI filed an FIR naming 13 people, including former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and some retired senior Army officials.
"Searches are being conducted at Thakur's residences in Bihar, Nagpur and Thane and Wanchoo's house in Pune and Gidwani's house in Mumbai.
Searches are also being conducted at the office of Adarsh society," a senior CBI official said.
According to CBI sources, Thakur, Wanchoo and Gidwani were allegedly the prime movers in building the society. All the three are accused of usurping land not belonging to them and illegally grabbing it, the sources said.
Thakur was the then sub-divisional officer at the Defence Estate Office of Mumbai while Gidwani, a former Congress MLC, was the chief promoter of the society.
Apart from Chavan and the trio, the FIR also names retired Lt General P K Rampal, Major Generals A R Kumar and T K Kaul, the then Principal Secretary (Urban Development) Ramanand Tiwari, who was recently suspended by Maharashtra government as Information Commissioner, Subash Lala, the then Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister and Brig (retd) R C Sharma.
The FIR has been filed under various sections of IPC including criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery and showing forged document as genuine besides sections pertaining to Prevention of Corruption Act.
Chavan, who had to quit as chief minister last year after it was found that his family members also owned flats in the society, was revenue minister between 2001-2003 and had dealt with files pertaining to the ownership of the land.
He is alleged to have recommended 40 per cent allotment of flats to civilians in the society, which was meant for war widows and heroes of Kargil war, the sources said. (AKS-30/01)
CBI searches premises of accused in Adarsh housing scam

Indian Citizens Move Against Cancerous Corruption

Dear Friends,
Jai Hind,
I have sent you many emails about “March Against Corruption”.
The eminent citizens of NCR, from almost every walk of life, are holding a rally on 30 Jan 2011, at Ram Lila Grounds, near Delhi Gate, New Delhi.
The Rally will commence at 1300 hours, at Ram Lila Grounds. After a few speeches by eminent citizens of India, we all will have a very peaceful march from Ram Lila Ground to Jantar Mantar, New Delhi.
The function will end at 1600 hours, at Jantar Mantar.
We the Military Veterans, our families and friends, in NCR, should join in this march and make it a grand success to tell the Government –
“WE THE CITIZENS OF INDIA HAVE TOLERATED ENOUGH NON-SENSE. NO MORE OF IT FROM NOW ON.”
All Military Veterans, whether a member of IESM, IESL, NAVAL FOUNDATION OR AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION or from none of these, we all must join in and show our sincerity to the well being of our Mother Land – “MERA BHARAT MAHAN”.
Please also read the two emails appended below.
Vande Matram
In service of Indian Military Veterans
Chander Kamboj.

INDIA AGAINST CORRUPTION
Dear All
India Against Corruption: 30 Jan Rally
1. “India Against Corruption”; a movement by the enlightened people of India, is holding a rally at Ram Lila Ground on 30 Jan 2011 from 1PM to 4 PM. After approx 1hour of programme at the Rally site, the participants will march up to Jantar Mantar, New Delhi.
2. This is the time when, we the veterans should Join other segments of society who are also conducting movements and activities against injustices and against the greatest evil of our nation i.e. Corruption. IESM has decided to support the movement against Corruption and take part in the above Rally and the March.
3. All Defence Veterans residing in NCR area are requested to join the above Rally and the March from Ram Lila Ground to Jantar Mantar. All veterans along with their members of the family and supporters are requested to reach Ram Lila Ground near DELHI Gate by 1 PM on 30 Jan 2011. All are requested to wear Winter Mufti and Regt Cap. All those who do not have in the Winter Mufti, may wear any other suitable winter dress with their Regt Cap.
4. Please participate in large number.
With Regards,
Jai Hind
Yours Sincerely,
Maj Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh, SM
Vice Chairman Indian ESM Movement

TO REMIND-30 January: March Against Corruption
Corruption today ranks as the Biggest curse on our country. Personally, we suffer. Nationally, we suffer.
We often talk about it. Hoping 'someone' would do something. Is that 'someone', we ourselves?
'India Against Corruption' is a movement that is working towards eradication of corruption in India. Its holding a rally on 30th- starting at Ramlila ground 1300 hrs, it would culminate at Jantar Mantar around 1600 or so.
Please India against corruption: click here
IT IS IMPERATIVE FOR US ESM, AS RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS, TO LEND WEIGHT TO THIS EFFORT.
IESM IS PARTICIPATING.
Whether IESM member or not, PLEASE be there. Such movements deserve backing. I have received some confirmations but we need larger participation. Its something that WE all feel strongly about. So, why not back up these thoughts by action?
ESM ARE REQUESTED TO BE IN MUFTI, WITH BLAZER AND REGT CAPS. Let it be known that the Defence veteran community is very much concerned.
See you at Ram Lila Ground, 1245 hrs 30 Jan 2011.
With Warm Regards,
Col RP Chaturvedi,

Honest IAS Officer murdered by Mafia

Burning of Malegaon official to be probed; compensation announced January 26th, 2011(IANS)
The Maharashtra Chief Minister, Mr Prithviraj Chavan, has announced a Rs 25 lakh compensation for the family of Malegoan additional district collector Yeshwant Sonawane, who was burnt alive by the oil mafia while on a raid on Tuesday.

The Chief Minister has also ordered a probe into the gruesome killing.

The Chief Minister on Tuesday night also announced other benefits including a government job to one dependent family member, salary till Sonawane's retirement date, free education for his two children till graduation and a residence from the government quota.

Sonawane, 44, was doused with kerosene and burnt alive in Panewadi, near Manmad in Nashik district on Tuesday, when he went to conduct a raid on the local oil mafia for pilferage from kerosene tankers.

Four people have been arrested and charged with murder.

The main accused Popat Shinde, who also sustained 60-65 per cent burn injuries, has been admitted to a hospital in Malegaon. His condition is reported to be serious.

A 1994-batch Maharashtra cadre officer, Sonawane was posted at Malegaon since over a year. He is survived by his wife and two children.

The Chief Minister expressed his condolences to Sonawane's family.

Nashik's guardian minister, Mr Chhagan Bhujbal, on Wednesday chaired a meeting of top officials of the district, including the collector, divisional commissioner and other senior officials from the police and revenue departments.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Gazetted Officers Federation has called for a day-long strike on Thursday to protest against Sonawane's murder.
Burning of Malegaon official to be probed; compensation announced

Corrupt bureaucrats are like sleeper cells

Corrupt bureaucrats are like sleeper cells, dangerous by Abhay Vaidya | Monday, December 27, 2010 DNA India
Pakistan has been ruined by the army and India by the bureaucracy”. So wrote a letter writer while responding to a 2009 Asian survey that ranked Singapore as the country with the best bureaucracy and India, the worst. Have corrupt bureaucrats done more harm to our nation than corrupt politicians?

The various governments that have ruled India have been punished, tolerated or rewarded by the people through the ballot box. Such is the power of the vote that even the most powerful of politicians can be punished, as happened with none less than Indira Gandhi and Rajiv.

Chastened in defeat, top politicians characteristically speak of “accepting the people’s verdict”. They resolve to introspect, rebuild and reconstruct. Have you seen this happen with IAS bureaucrats and their associations?

The lobby of corrupt bureaucrats lies virtually untouched; like a computer virus deeply embedded in the system, which we know is infected but cannot be repaired.

The Bombay high court raised this very point last week while hearing a petition on the Adarsh Co-operative Housing Society scam in Mumbai. Pointing out that the bureaucrats who cleared key files in the revenue and urban development departments were gifted flats in Adarsh Society; the court asked why no action was being taken against these officers.

Using precise words, the court described the scam “as a clear-cut case of manipulation” by the bureaucrats. Precisely, manipulation of the laws, rules and regulations by the faceless bureaucrat is what is at the root of some of the biggest corrupt deals in India.

Thus, whether it is the Rs1.76 lakh crore 2G spectrum scam, the Commonwealth Games or any of the land-related frauds that have plagued the country decade after decade, itis often the corrupt bureaucrat from the celebrated IAS cadre who has facilitated the corruption.

Bureaucrats who try to clean up the system at their level and stand up to the politicians are cannibalised by their own cadre, as happened with Arun Bhatia who was transferred 26 times in his career of 30 years. After one such transfer from the Pune Municipal Corporation in 1999, which was effectively challenged through a writ petition in the Bombay high court, the chief justice described the transfer as “outrageous”. He said, “We wish to emphasise that during the present days when, unfortunately, corruption and dishonesty are at their peak, honesty and action as per law deserve a pat, rather than punishment. The transfer of Bhatia, in our view, is in the nature of punishment”.

We curse the Indian bureaucracy because of the gross inefficiencies at the grassroots. Our attack is misplaced because we need to focus on the corrupt in the IAS, to start with. Deal firmly with the top and the rest will clean up itself.

The politician is afraid of the masses because they can destroy him through their votes. The corrupt bureaucrat is virtually fearless because he stands protected by his political masters and peers.

He is the bigger traitor of the two and India needs effective mechanisms to bring him to book.

If one were to give a harsh analogy between corruption and terrorism, the corrupt politician is the terrorist who is the face of the act and the corrupt bureaucrats are the sleeper cells who provide him the support. They are the more insidious of the two because they are cowardly, lie undetected and having once tasted blood, are ready for the next operation.
Corrupt bureaucrats are like sleeper cells, dangerous

Army to enhance 'Awam-Jawan' relationship

New Year's Resolutions

To tolerate fools more gladly, provided this does not encourage them to take up more of my time.” By James Agate

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.” By Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Zee News Srinagar: Vowing to enhance 'Awam-Jawan' relationship in Kashmir in the New Year, the army's top general has said the security forces will work with sincerity and honesty to establish peace and ensure respect and dignity for everyone.

"(Army) begins the new year with a renewed resolve to work for the betterment of society with unadulterated sincerity and honesty in the pursuit of peace and the desire to quantitatively enhance the 'Awam' and Jawan relationship of respect and love," General Officer Commanding of the strategic 15 Corps of the Army Lieutenant General S A Hasnain said in his New Year message.

Hasnain is the second Muslim Army officer to be made Corps Commander of the strategic 15 corps which looks after Line of Control (LoC) area in the Valley.

Recalling his message when he took over a fortnight back, he said that heart will be 'army's weapon' and respect and dignity of every member of the Awam will be its slogan and philosophy to achieve an environment where the mind is without fear and the head is held high. "2011 is viewed as a year in which education, health and economic progress will be the hallmarks. The Kashmiri tradition of Sufiyat values -- nothing more than happiness -- and it is eternal happiness that the Chinar Corps wishes to each individual of the Awam in 2011," he said.

The Army "has always had the love of the Awam in peace and in calamity for which it is grateful," the General added. PTI
Army to enhance 'Awam-Jawan' relationship

2G scam case: Tamilnadu numero uno for world wide Hawala operations

In a crackdown and in several places in Tamil Nadu in connection with the 2G spectrum scam, the CBI searched the office and residential premises of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia, former TRAI Chairman Pradip Baijal and a Chennai NGO with which DMK MP Kanimozhi is linked.

Radia's office -Vaishnavi Corporate Communications in Central Delhi and her farm house in South Delhi were among the first of the premises to be searched by the CBI on Wednesday morning, sources said, adding some of the persons who had been closely associated with the handling of accounts and funds of former Telecom Minister A Raja were also been searched by the agency.

Radia, Baijal and alleged hawala dealers - brothers Mahesh Jain and Alok Jain alias Bobby - were questioned during the raids, the sources said.

The raids come a week after the searches in the residences of Raja in Delhi and in his native place Perambalur and a number of others.

The residence of Baijal, who retired in 2006 after serving as TRAI chairman for nearly three years, was being also searched in connection with the scam in which CBI has registered a case of loss of Rs 22,000 crore.

An IAS officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre, Baijal is currently working with Radia's firm Noesis.

The allegation against him was that as the chairman of the regulatory body, which makes recommendations to government, he had helped some telecom firms.

Apart from Radia, the searches were carried out in the premises of Baijal in nearby Noida, Kamaraj, Associate Editor of Tamil magazine in Chennai 'Nakkeran', Raja's brother and sister near Tiruchirappalli and Tamil Maiyam, an NGO in which Kanimozhi is on the Board of Directors.

Tamil Maiyam, which describes itself as a registered Indian non-profit organization, is headed by Rev.Jegath Gasper Raj.

Sources said the searches were carried out to find out the probable links between alleged hawala operators and former Telecom Minister A Raja, whose premises were being searched in Perambalur on Wednesday.

Kamraj and the Jain brothers have been under the scanner of the CBI for some time in connection with the investigations into the scam.

An export office in Chawri Bazar in Delhi was also searched by the CBI, the sources said, adding the firm is alleged to have been used for transfer of funds.

About 150 sleuths of the investigating agency swooped down at 27 places in Tamil Nadu and seven in Delhi in the wee hours and began searches which included some auditors and accountants of Raja.

A former IAS officer of 1966 batch, Baijal was the first Disinvestment Secretary after the ministry was formed.

These searches come exactly a week after the 8th December searches at the residence of Raja and his four close associates including his personal secretary R K Chandolia in connection with the scam.

47-year-old Raja was forced to resign as minister on 14th November in the wake of the CAG's report that the rates at which 2G spectrum was allotted resulted in a possible loss to the exchequer to the tune of Rs 1.76 lakh crore.

Raids were also conducted at the residences of former Telecom Secretary Siddarth Behura, Chandolia, Member Telecom Commission K Sridhar and Deputy Director General in the Department of Telecom A K Srivastava.

Raja has been maintaining that he was ready for questioning by the CBI any time. The CBI had registered a case on 21st October 2009 against unknown Department of Telecom officials and private persons and companies for allegedly causing loss of Rs 22,000 crore to the exchequer.

The figure of the loses mentioned in the agency's FIR were based on the findings of Central Vigilance Commission which had referred the case to the CBI.

The CBI has earlier searched offices of Wireless Planning Cell (WPC), the department responsible for allocating Spectrum, and the office of Deputy Director General (Access Services) of the Telecom Ministry to probe the allegations of connivance of officials with private companies in allocation of Spectrum.

It had also conducted searches in eight cities housing headquarters of various telecom firms in connection with its probe into the scam. (DD-15.12)
2G scam case: CBI raids premises of Radia, Baijal

Bihar elections- Democracy Demolished and Demonised

The Citizen's Right to Know
Electoral Reforms : Key to Effective Democracy
Jagdeep S. Chhokar
It needs to be reiterated that the judgement is not about disqualifying people from contesting elections, it is about disclosure of the criminal background of the candidates, if any.

India is often referred to it as a vibrant and vigorous democracy. This might well be justified compared to a large number of other countries that gained independence from colonial rule around the same time. There is however reason to be concerned about the health of our democracy and its future. Just because we have elections regularly, some might even say far too often, does not necessarily mean that we have an effective democracy. One view is that the kind of elections we have are the very anti-thesis of democracy. Following excerpts from a letter written to the editor of one of the newspapers in Ahmedabad on September 9, 1999 soon after the elections, testifies to this.

“Thank God! The vulgar cacophony, throwing of abuses and trading of charges by political parties with each other is over.

“All political parties have made narrow-minded, extremely bigoted ... statements against each other as if they were in the race to prove who was more conservative and backward and who would be the first to destroy this nation by such ideologies, as Taliban has done for Afghanistan!

“No wonder people showed fatigue and displayed lack of enthusiasm in the type of democratic exercise now repeatedly held to elect the begging candidates so that on being elected they can sit in power and loot us, and amass wealth and power for their dynasties.

“Their slogan seems to be, ‘Cast your vote in favour of one whom you want should amass wealth!’

“Are our aspirations being fulfilled, even minimum security of life and basic services like food, water, shelter being met by the system created?

“What democratic values these bunch of self-appointed leaders will propagate with such narrow-minded approaches. Our democracy ends the day we cast our vote.”

The Election Process
If democracy has anything to do with freedom – and freedom with responsibility – then the electoral system might well be the very heart of democracy. If this sounds like an over statement let me try and sketch briefly what all does the electoral system include. It determines who can or should be allowed to vote. When should electoral rolls be prepared, revised, and how? The formation, func-tioning including funding, etc. of political parties is also an integral part of the electoral system. Included also is the basic question, who can contest an election. Then comes the actual conduct of the election which is what is most associated with the electoral system. On what basis is the winner of the election decided is another key element of the electoral system. These are some of the pre-election and during election activities. There is a whole range of post election activities during which the outcome of the electoral process are managed, such as post election disputes, election petitions, formation of the government, and subsequent functioning of the government including issues such as defections. This illustrative list indicates the critical role of the electoral system in ensuring an effectively functioning democracy.
Read more click here

Armed Forces now become saviors of CWG as OC has run out of funds

Make Games a grand success- India’s honour is at stake by Lt-Gen Vijay Oberoi (retd)
THE mess that the organisers of the 10th Commonwealth Games have made of it has sullied the honour and image of India. Unfortunately, while the Organising Committee (OC) has been in the eye of the storm, the mess is not confined to it. Here is a world class event, bid for by the country, for which ample time was available to the OC as well as to the entire Delhi Administration, and yet we find ourselves in such dire straits that neither the Games venues nor the infrastructure facilities in Delhi are ready. One should also not forget that the worthies of the Central government, who were supposedly keeping a close watch, continued to be somnolent till they were jolted by revelations in the media.

The media needs to be congratulated for bringing to the public domain how officials associated with organising the Games have misappropriated government funds and lined their own pockets. There is no end to such revelations, hoodwinking and passing the buck, but the culprits are either posturing or in a permanent state of denial while delays continue in all fields of activity, from infrastructure to what are euphemistically called “overlays”.

The latest are the gag orders issued to the coaches after the chief hockey coach, a Spaniard, in great anguish commented lucidly on the systemic failures of the nation in the field of sports, saying, “I have lost; your ‘system’ has won. I tried my best to change it; I pleaded, I cried, I did everything; but it won’t budge.” What a monumental shame!

The mess is not confined to the so-called world class infrastructure relating to the Games, but even in getting Delhi organised for the purpose. Let me mention just a few — the road communications within Delhi and the Metro extension; the grossly incomplete beautification drive undertaken by various agencies and not meeting even the targets of hotel rooms and other accommodation; all at such monumental costs. There can only be two reasons for this state of affairs — officials sitting over sanctions till their personal “demands” are met, and an abysmal lack of pride in the nation’s achievements. With every new revelation, the nation comes down another notch in the eyes of the world as well as our own people. It is not corruption per se that bothers the citizens, but the rampant loot of their hard-earned money, for public funds are after all created by numerous taxes which we all pay. Apparently, corruption no longer bothers us because it has now become a way of life in our country. There is no facet of India that is corruption-free.

In areas where a particular action may not be described as corruption, there is filching of public funds, again by both the high and the mighty as well as the officials who occupy the lower rungs of the bureaucracy, the police, etc. We seem to be so completely affected by our proverbial fatalistic outlook to life that we continue to withstand this onslaught of government officials and elected representatives without any major and collective backlash.

Reverting to the Games, once the media had exposed the skulduggery of the OC and the grossly inadequate preparations, it is to the credit of the Prime Minister that he moved fast, set up a Group of Ministers (GoM) as well as a Committee of Secretaries (CoS) to oversee all aspects of the preparations of the Games. A number of senior-level bureaucrats were also coopted to oversee each venue and expedite completion. It may well be a case of “too little too late”, but at least attempts are being made to retrieve a dismal situation.

At the same time, we have fallen into the trap of having “too many cooks.…”. So, there is a great danger of not meeting the aims and objectives.

In the Army, we cater for contingencies when the officer in command may become unavailable; his deputy takes over automatically and continues with his task. The advantages are obvious, but our political leaders as well as bureaucrats are loath to learn from the Army. So, we have a situation where the man in charge of the Games must be replaced, but we are unable to do so either on political grounds or because such a contingency was not planned for, and control could not change seamlessly.

There are also other major disadvantages. Besides diluting responsibility, we have managed to reduce accountability too. Resultantly, though the powers at the highest level have promised a full enquiry after the Games and severe punishment for those responsible, no one seems to believe it. Such is the loss of confidence of the “aam aadmi” in our leadership. Undoubtedly, a tragic situation! However, that is still in the future and such speculations at this time are unlikely to help in conducting the Games with a view to retrieving at least some of our image.

A few years back, the Army had conducted the World Military Games at Hyderabad, which were at a grand scale, with participation by over 70 nations. These Games were conducted flawlessly and earned kudos for the country. Luckily, some senior military officers who had played major roles in organising the military games have been coopted in the present games. They will undoubtedly do a stupendous job. One of them could have been made the deputy and we could have avoided the pitiable situation we are in. While on the subject of the military, how churlish it is on the part of the organisers to ask the serving personnel of the military who have been coopted for the most important tasks to do so gratis. Is this being suggested as a desperate measure to balance their books, although the paltry honorarium asked by the military is so minuscule that for the OC and the GoM to even suggest it is shameless, to say the least? It is only these military personnel who with their dedication and discipline will pull the chestnuts out of the fire for the OC and in doing so restore some of our lost image. Do pay them well.

At the end, it must be said that enough dirty linen has been washed in public. We need to end this now and concentrate on making the Games a grand success despite what has happened till now. There will be plenty of time and opportunity for recriminations and bringing the culprits to book after the Games. For the present, let us strive to put up a good show, for the sake of the country’s honour and reputation. In the long term, the nation will benefit. Once the Games are over, the media can go hammer and tongs after all the guilty and set examples for the future.
The writer is a former Vice-Chief of the Indian Army.
Make Games a grand success- India’s honour is at stake by Lt-Gen Vijay Oberoi (retd)

The maverick politician, Mani Shankar Aiyar fits into the classic description of a whistle blower. He has recently raised serious internal concerns about the alleged wrongdoing in the functioning of the Commonwealth Games; especially so by his bête-noire, the Chairman of the CWG Organising Committee, Suresh Kalmadi. His charges are serious since it is his party, the Congress which is in power in Delhi and the Centre. Besides, he has been Union Sports Minister who is no stranger to the reality of sordid, long gestation sports mismanagement in India. Aiyar is also a special invitee to his party’s apex decision-making body, the Congress Working Committee.
CLAWS WEBSITE
Read more; click here: Armed forces must rescue Delhi Commonwealth Games by Maj Gen Raj Mehta

Veterans Voice
The govt has used the armed forces for everything from going into the sewer lines, borewells, floods, Commonwealth Games, latest being ridding Delhi of mosquitoes and even have the audacity to say that a Armed forces personnel will NOT be paid any TA/DA/ Money for the duty in Commonwealth Games. The civilian bureaucracy/ officials are busy making money and pushing the armed forces as a scapegoat for all this fiasco (Only 50% funds are utilised rest is siphoned to their pockets). How is it that the Three CHIEFS are silent spectators? Where are we heading. SORRY I personally have no answer to such attitude towards the Armed Forces by THE GOVT.
Col Baldev Singh (Retd)

Citizens Voice
Miracles happen, so the Commonwealth Games may take place without some stadium roof collapsing. But that is not the issue. What we should really be worried about is: How do dunderheads, frauds and double-dealing fixers come to represent this great country? How do humbuggers, thimble-riggers and pettifogging pretenders get the power to humiliate us before the world?
Disgrace in the name of sports: click her to read more...

Poor Indian families have to bribe officials for access to basic public services.

30% Indians totally corrupt, 50% borderline: Outgoing CVC chief
Agence France-Presse, Updated: September 08, 2010 17:23 IST
New Delhi: Almost one-third of Indians are "utterly corrupt" and half are "borderline", the outgoing head of the country's corruption watchdog has said, blaming increased wealth for much of the problem.

Pratyush Sinha, who retired as India's Central Vigilance Commissioner this week, said the worst part of his "thankless job" was observing how corruption had increased as people became more materialistic.

"When we were growing up I remember if somebody was corrupt, they were generally looked down upon," he said. "There was at least some social stigma attached to it. That is gone. So there is greater social acceptance."

Transparency International, the global anti-graft body, puts India 84th on its corruption perception index with a 3.4-point rating, out of a best possible score of 10.

New Zealand ranks first with 9.4 points and Somalia last on 1.1 points.

The campaign group has said that each year millions of poor Indian families have to bribe officials for access to basic public services.

Sinha told a Delhi-based newspaper in an interview published on Tuesday that 20 percent of Indians were "honest, regardless of the temptations, because this is how they are. They have a conscience. "There would be around 30 percent who would be utterly corrupt. But the rest are the people who are on the borderline," he said, adding that corruption was "palpable".

Sinha said that in modern India "if somebody has a lot of money, he is respectable. Nobody questions by what means he has got the money."

Recent corruption scandals in India have focused on construction projects for the Commonwealth Games that open in New Delhi next month, and alleged tax evasion in the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament.

India is also regarded as a hotbed of illegal betting syndicates, with gamblers and bookmakers involved in "spot-fixing" - the gambling that has engulfed the current Pakistani cricket tour of England.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has often spoken out against the damaging effect that bribes, extortion and fraud have on all levels of life, and warned that the problem threatens India's future economic prospects.
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Scams: What else can you expect from Indian Ministers?

Telecom
Union Telecom Minister A Raja, in the eye of a controversy over the spectrum scam, was snubbed by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) with a proposed trip to Estonia turned down. Mr Raja wanted to lead a large delegation to learn everything about e-governance. The PMO said no to Raja's proposal. Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) supports the Congress party, so A Raja sailed through the 2 G crisis. There was little Prime Minister Manmohan Singh could do. But it seems Dr Singh has acted tough - clipped Raja's wings - ended his plans for a foreign jaunt. Perhaps to escape charges of wasting government funds.
Govt clips Telecom Minister A Raja's wings

Agriculture
Union minister Sharad Pawar on Friday dismissed reports of his family's involvement in the City Corporation's failed bid for the Pune IPL team, saying the construction company's Managing Director made the attempt in his individual capacity.
Not me, not my family, my company's MD made the bid, says Mr Clean Pawar!

Comment
Sounds like both the high profile Ministers are eyeing for the Nobel Prize for Corruption. I am certain they will be nominated and clinch the prestigious Prize! If the Indian Government cannot find the ill gotten money trail of Terrorists and other Money Launderers, it is wise to seek the help of United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) who will be able to discover the money laundering route and the bank it is been finally parked in a jiffy!

Naxal extortion economy: Rs 2,000 crore a year!

Naxalites with bows and arrows
May 21, 2010 09:50 IST
Just how much does the CPI-Maoist take in through its nationwide extortion?
According to figures provided by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), it is Rs 1,400 crore (Rs 14 billion) annually.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh recently said that it is between Rs 1,000 crore (Rs 10 billion) and Rs 1,200 crore (Rs 12 billion) per year. The Director General of Police in Chhattisgarh, in November 2009, however, had said that the figure was as high as Rs 2,000 crore (Rs 20 billion).

The literature recovered and the confessions extracted from the arrested Naxal leaders quote different figures. The official figures, of both the MHA and state governments, are products of (often wild) guesswork.

Hence, such variations are expected. Nonetheless, it is undeniable that the amount the outfit manages to extract from the regions under its domination is substantial and sufficient to keep the fire of revolution burning.

Available information indicates that Jharkhand alone could be contributing Rs 300 crore (Rs 3 billion), followed by Chhattisgarh, with a share of roughly Rs 150 crore (Rs 1.50 billion).

Jharkhand, in recent years, has emerged the largest contributor to the Naxal kitty. The enormous legal and illegal mining industry in the state, coupled with the huge forest produce trade amounting to crores of rupees, now forms the backbone of the so-called Red Revolution.

Other affected states, such as Bihar and Orissa, also make sizeable contributions. In each of the states, the sources contributing to the war coffer of the CPI-Maoist remain more or less the same -- forest produce contractors, mining companies, road contractors, transporters and large- and small-scale industries.

Money forcibly collected from individuals is comparatively meagre. Intelligence agencies say that this enormous amount of money is allowing the Naxalites to procure arms and ammunition from illegal arms bazaars of Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Interestingly, data reveals a huge disconnect between the 'annual budget' of the CPI-Maoist and the money that the outfit manages to collect through its regime of large-scale extortion and intimidation

For example, Misir Besra, the CPI-Maoist politburo member who was arrested in September 2007 but was snatched away to freedom less than two years later by his colleagues from the Lakhisarai court premises in Bihar, had revealed to his interrogators that the outfit had a budget of Rs 60 crore (Rs 600 million) for 2007-09. Of this, Rs 42 crore (Rs 420 million) was earmarked for arms, ammunition and explosives; Rs 2 crore (Rs 20 million) for intelligence gathering; and the remaining Rs 16 crore (Rs 160 million) for transportation, computer training, propaganda and documentation.

Even Kobad Ghandy, the CPI-Maoist politburo member who was arrested in New Delhi in September 2009, said that the outfit operated on a budget of Rs 15-20 crore (Rs 150-200 million).

Intelligence and police officials in different Naxal-dominated areas narrate interesting stories about how a large part of the money, collected in the name of revolution, is being misused for personal aggrandisement by the Naxal top brass.

Tales can be heard about how children of Naxal leaders are pursuing careers in engineering and medicine in Indian metros while the Naxalites themselves are destroying schools of tribal children in remote areas. Such schools house security force personnel at times, but their real 'crime' appears in the Maoist mind to be that they constitute evidence that gives the lie to the Naxal narrative of state

In fact, the way a large and a complex outfit like the CPI-Maoist functions, it can be safely argued that there is little scope for personal aggrandisement by insurgent top leaders. The case, however, is certainly different where criminalised fringe outfits are concerned. These, wearing Naxal colours, have mushroomed in states such as Jharkhand.

If this much is well-known, what is only beginning to emerge is the extent to which the civil administration in states like Bihar and Jharkhand is also part of a web of corruption that feeds the conflict.

Questioned during a 2009 field visit, a senior Jharkhand police official observed that Block Development Officers often pay bribes to be posted to Naxal-affected districts. "There is ample money and no accountability," noted the senior official, his point being quite clear: Illegal mining activity in Jharkhand feeds the Naxalites, bureaucrats and politicians equally.

Little effort has been made to study this aspect of a burgeoning war economy. Instead, the debate is dominated by the government's emphasis on the regime of loot and extortion put in place by the Red Army.

Yet a symbiotic relationship is at hand. For instance, contractors laying roads in the remote areas are willing to conceal explosives under the road surface on behalf of the Naxalites, because explosions targeting culverts and small bridges permanently erase evidence of poor-quality work.

As a necessary first step in dealing with the challenge, the Seventh Report of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission recommended in February 2008 that a special anti-extortion and anti-money laundering cell be set up by state police/state governments.

The state governments have been asked by New Delhi to prepare action plans to monitor and curb illegal mining. The use of satellite imagery and other intelligence inputs has been advised by the central government in the preparation and implementation of such action plans. Further, a Coordination-cum-Empowered Committee has been set up by the central government to ensure elimination of delays in grants of mineral concessions to reduce the scope for illegal mining.

These are necessary measures no doubt. But capacity of the states to dominate areas currently under Naxal domination is a critical prerequisite to end extortion by both the Naxalites as well as other elements. Given the current disjointed nature of the ongoing counter-Naxal operations, such a scenario looks improbable anytime soon.
Shanthie Mariet D'Souza is visiting research fellow, Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore and Bibhu Prasad Routray has been a deputy director at the National Security Council Secretariat, New Delhi.
Naxal extortion economy: Rs 2,000 crore a year! by Shanthie Mariet DSouza & Bibhu Prasad Routray

Sane Questions
Is wiping out Maoists and Naxalites easier than wiping out corruption? Who pays the Maoists is the mute question? It is the Political Crimimals who are operating in the Maoist and Naxal belts, as illegal miners and contractors looting the wealth of the nation who are also fuelling the menace!