Thursday, August 1, 2013
Great Game India: Mechanics of Narendra Modi's PR agency : APCO Worl...
Great Game India: Mechanics of Narendra Modi's PR agency : APCO Worl...: In this dynamic and ever-changing world, Apco Worldwide stands tall as the giant of the lobbying industry. The firm, in its own words...
Saturday, June 1, 2013
In the Name of God - Ram ke Naam (1992 Documentary on Babri Masjid Demolition)
Since gaining independence in 1947, India has been a secular state. But now, as religious fundamentalism grips much of India's population, the greatest danger to the nation's extremely strained social fabric may come not from Sikh or Muslim separatists, but from Hindu fundamentalists who are appealing to the 83% Hindu majority to redefine India as a Hindu nation.
IN THE NAME OF GOD focuses on the campaign waged by the militant Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to destroy a 16th century mosque in Ayodhya said to have been built by Babar, the first Mughal Emperor of India. The VHP claim the mosque was built at the birthsite of the Hindu god Ram after Babar razed an existing Ram temple. They are determined to build a new temple to Ram on the same site. This controversial issue, which successive governments have refused to resolve, has led to religious riots which have cost thousands their lives, culminating in the mosque's destruction by the Hindus in December of 1992. The resulting religious violence immediately spread throughout India and Pakistan leaving more than 5,000 dead, and causing thousands of Indian Muslims to flee their homes.
Filmed prior to the mosque's demolition, IN THE NAME OF GOD examines the motivations which would ultimately lead to the drastic actions of the Hindu militants, as well as the efforts of secular Indians - many of whom are Hindus - to combat the religious intolerance and hatred that has seized India in the name of God.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Desi Mossad is getting ready at Bajrang Dal's Ayodhya camp
Old article worth reading...
``We
are empowering a cadre of Hindus so that no one, not even the Prime
Minister, should bow before the Pope to apologise for false attacks on
Christians in India,'' Sharma told The Indian Express.
Asked what he did at the camp, an activist whispers, ``I am from the secret service of Bajrang Dal. Israel's Mossad is my inspiration. I can't tell you more.''
Bajrang Dal officials take great pains to explain that their camp was more to impart physical fitness to the cadre than giving them shooting practice. ``We want our workers to be prepared for any eventuality and hence we are training them in target shooting. May be tomorrow one of them wins an Olympic medal for the country,'' says Ramnath Mahendra, central treasurer of the Dal.
Dal leaders in their defence, cite example of Israel where all citizens have to undergo a mandatory training in physical fitness and arms handling. But, isn't Israel's geographical situation peculiar? ``India's even worse. Israel has threat only from outsiders while India faces threat from even those inhabiting it,'' Sharma replies.
Dal leaders claim this is not the first time that they were imparting arms training to their workers. ``We are training them in handling firearms since 1996. Ayodhya is only one of the 25 such camps planned between May 10 (in Karnataka) and July 30 (at Guwahati),'' Sharma says.
Dal office-bearers feel outraged on being asked about reason for training their cadre in handling guns. ``Have you ever you this question to the Scouts or National Cadet Corps officials? If they are preparing young generation for serving the country, so are we,'' Sharma says. ``Arms training, in fact, bolsters their morale and self-esteem.''
Mahendra says charges of attacks on minorities by Dal activists are false. ``No inquiry commission has blamed Dal for attacks on minorities. Truth has already come out about such incidents at Manoharpur, Keonjhar (Orissa), Jhabua (MP), Rewari (Haryana) and Dangs (Gujrat),'' he claims.
Sharma adds: ``As far as our role in Babri Masjid's demolition is concerned, we are proud of that and would again perform a similar role in construction of a grand temple at Ram Janmabhoomi.''
Dal activists were also trained in martial arts like judo, karate and physical exercises at the week-long camp in Ayodhya. They also learned how to climb on rope, walk on rope-bridge and jump through a circle of fire, says Hari Dixit, another office-bearer. They are also given lectures by experts on various socio-political issues.
The trainees stayed in dormitories inside Karsevakpuram and were not allowed to venture outside during the camp. They ate together after reciting a few mantras, washed their utensils and slept on the floor.
Most of them are college students from Kanpur and Lucknow. ``We are all committed Bajrang Dal workers. The training simply hones our knowledge as well as physical fitness,'' says Santosh Singh from Lucknow's Rajajipuram.
Copyright © 2000 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
AYODHYA, JUNE 29: ``I, as a member of Bajrang Dal, swear in the name of
Lord Hanuman to always remain prepared to protect my country, religion
and culture,'' 150 young men, between 15 and 21 years of age, recite in
unison. After practising target shooting with air guns at Karsevakpuram
for the past one week, the group is attending the convocation function
presided over by the national co-convenor of the Dal, Prakash Sharma.
The training camp ended last evening amid loud chants of ``Jai Sriram
and Jai Bajrangbali.''
Asked what he did at the camp, an activist whispers, ``I am from the secret service of Bajrang Dal. Israel's Mossad is my inspiration. I can't tell you more.''
Bajrang Dal officials take great pains to explain that their camp was more to impart physical fitness to the cadre than giving them shooting practice. ``We want our workers to be prepared for any eventuality and hence we are training them in target shooting. May be tomorrow one of them wins an Olympic medal for the country,'' says Ramnath Mahendra, central treasurer of the Dal.
Dal leaders in their defence, cite example of Israel where all citizens have to undergo a mandatory training in physical fitness and arms handling. But, isn't Israel's geographical situation peculiar? ``India's even worse. Israel has threat only from outsiders while India faces threat from even those inhabiting it,'' Sharma replies.
Dal leaders claim this is not the first time that they were imparting arms training to their workers. ``We are training them in handling firearms since 1996. Ayodhya is only one of the 25 such camps planned between May 10 (in Karnataka) and July 30 (at Guwahati),'' Sharma says.
Dal office-bearers feel outraged on being asked about reason for training their cadre in handling guns. ``Have you ever you this question to the Scouts or National Cadet Corps officials? If they are preparing young generation for serving the country, so are we,'' Sharma says. ``Arms training, in fact, bolsters their morale and self-esteem.''
Mahendra says charges of attacks on minorities by Dal activists are false. ``No inquiry commission has blamed Dal for attacks on minorities. Truth has already come out about such incidents at Manoharpur, Keonjhar (Orissa), Jhabua (MP), Rewari (Haryana) and Dangs (Gujrat),'' he claims.
Sharma adds: ``As far as our role in Babri Masjid's demolition is concerned, we are proud of that and would again perform a similar role in construction of a grand temple at Ram Janmabhoomi.''
Dal activists were also trained in martial arts like judo, karate and physical exercises at the week-long camp in Ayodhya. They also learned how to climb on rope, walk on rope-bridge and jump through a circle of fire, says Hari Dixit, another office-bearer. They are also given lectures by experts on various socio-political issues.
The trainees stayed in dormitories inside Karsevakpuram and were not allowed to venture outside during the camp. They ate together after reciting a few mantras, washed their utensils and slept on the floor.
Most of them are college students from Kanpur and Lucknow. ``We are all committed Bajrang Dal workers. The training simply hones our knowledge as well as physical fitness,'' says Santosh Singh from Lucknow's Rajajipuram.
Copyright © 2000 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
Unholy alliance between Hindutva and Zionism
Unless more sane voices prevail, certain faith groups will continue to use religion as a tool of political expediency
Perhaps one of the
most troubling legacies of the twentieth century is that of fractious
identities. The turbulent socio-political exigencies of a post-colonial
world demanded a re-evaluation and often re-configurations of ideas of
nationhood. India is still in the process of imagining a unified
nation-state in a country with a diverse and layered history. Israel is
still trying to develop a coherent idea of what underlies its history
and future trajectory as a nation-state.
Both countries face mounting pressure
from similar movements, which if left unchecked, can only exacerbate
sectarian tensions and prevent any semblance of peace in their
respective regions. The argument for re-asserting the rights of a ‘lost
civilisation’ is shared both by extreme Zionists as well as advocates
of Hindutva. Mark Sofer the Israeli Ambasssador in India, in a recent
interview, talked of the ‘awe and admiration in Israel for Indian
history, culture and mentality.’ The fact is that there is no one
Indian civilisation, culture or mentality. The only people who like to
make such claims are those groups that are adamant on propagating their
version of a ‘Hindu’ India. Perhaps it is with these groups that some
people in Israel have found resonance. The Holy Land is seen by some
Zionists as exclusively belonging to the Jews. Similarly the
ideological progenitors of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS),
a group that provides ideological direction to the Bhartiya Janata
Party (BJP), the right-wing Hindu nationalist main opposition party,
wrote about Christians and Muslims that “they are born in this land, no
doubt. But are they true to its salt?...No.”
Perhaps the most crucial similarity
between the two movements is the effort to sacralise the nation-state
and therefore give it divine sanction. Proponents of Hindutva conceive
of India as Bharat Mata, Mother India and therefore deify the nation.
Zionism argues that the Torah demands that it is incumbent upon Jews to
create a sovereign commonwealth in which the Halakha, or ‘sacred law’
is implemented. Implicit in this sacralisation of the nation-state is
the tendency to conflate political opposition with anti-nationalism and
therefore ‘anti-Hinduism’ or ‘anti-Semitism.’
This is well illustrated by two
examples. In India, the house of the author Arundhati Roy was attacked
by BJP women activists demanding that she be tried for sedition for her
statements about Kashmir. Roy had stated at a conference that Kashmiris
have the right to decide whether they should be independent. Branding
this statement as anti-national, the BJP in effect has also accused her
of ‘blasphemy’ for she had questioned the very integrity of Bharat
Mata. Interestingly when the chief of the RSS blamed the Indian
Constitution as the root-cause of India’s ills, no charges of sedition
were leveled against him. The recent controversy over whether citizens
should swear allegiance to Israel as a Jewish State is symptomatic of a
similar problem wherein, by conflating the identity of the country with
being Jewish, any political opposition effectively becomes twisted into
a form of religious opposition. Anti-Zionism becomes anti-Semitism.
Thus, the burden of upholding secularism does not fall upon religious
majorities but is borne by religious minorities, in this instance, the
Muslims.
The proponents of these ideologies
make for strange bed-fellows. One of the first proponents of Hindutva,
Veer Savarkar, wrote that ‘the Jews are a brave and intelligent people…
although their State looks like a child before our great state of
Bharat we must emulate its example.’ Today, members of the RSS, the
current flag-bearers of Hindutva, like ex-Deputy Prime Minister Advani,
are openly courted by organisations like the American Jewish Committee.
It is ironic that one of the founders of the RSS, Golwalkar, openly
supported the abhorrent treatment of Jews by the Nazis in order to
create a pure Aryan state. Even the structure of the RSS was modeled on
the Italian Fascist Organisation and the founders had a particularly
warped admiration for the SS. Despite this, the ties between supporters
of Hindutva and radical Zionists are surprisingly close.
In a joint conference hosted by the US
Indian Political Action Committee, the American Jewish Committee and
The American Israeli Public Affairs Committee, Indian and Israeli
officials and US politicians discussed the ‘symbiotic’ and ‘unique’
status of Indo-Jewish relations and the similarity of the problems they
faced. Congressman Gary Ackerman (D-New York) articulated the fears of
the proponents of Hindutva and radical Zionism succinctly. He stated
that the real problem was that Israel was “surrounded by 120 million
Muslims” while “India has 120 million.” The newfound comfort between
the proponents of these divisive ideologies seems to be more to do with
politics than religion.
There are major divides within Judaism and within Hinduism. The RSS and BJP are not representative of all the Hindus. Similarly, right-wing Zionists cannot be representative of all the Jews. However, until more sane voices prevail, groups like these will continue to use religion as a tool of political expediency. (varsity.co.uk)
There are major divides within Judaism and within Hinduism. The RSS and BJP are not representative of all the Hindus. Similarly, right-wing Zionists cannot be representative of all the Jews. However, until more sane voices prevail, groups like these will continue to use religion as a tool of political expediency. (varsity.co.uk)
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
SIT says illegal instruction given in private is not an offence
Even if Narendra Modi instructed his officials to allow
Hindus to vent their anger against Muslims, the instruction would “not
constitute an offence” if it was given within the four walls of a room.
This is the opinion of the Special Investigation Team that probed Zakia
Jafri's complaint against Mr. Modi and 61 others for their alleged
involvement in the 2002 anti-Muslim violence.
One of
the charges in Ms. Jafri's complaint was that at a late night meeting of
top officials held at his residence on February 27, 2008, the Gujarat
Chief Minister had said Hindus must be allowed to carry out retaliatory
violence against Muslims in the wake of the Godhra carnage. Eight
officers attended the meeting. Another officer, Sanjiv Bhatt, who was
then with the State Intelligence, said he was present at the meeting,
and had heard Mr. Modi give the anti-Muslim instructions.
The
SIT dismissed Mr. Bhatt's claim on two main grounds. Mr. Bhatt was a
tainted witness who was involved in criminal cases of a serious nature.
Secondly, seven out of eight officers present strongly denied that he
had attended the meeting. One officer, Swarnakanta Varma, said she was
unable to recollect if she had seen him at the meeting. All eight
officers also refuted Mr. Bhatt's claim that Mr. Modi had given illegal
instructions to them.
The SIT said the Chief Minister
had repeatedly announced — in public, at press briefings and on the
floor of the legislative assembly — that he would not spare the culprits
of Godhra and “the state government has taken this heinous, inhuman and
organised violent act very seriously and is committed to give exemplary
punishment to the culprits so that such incident never occur anywhere.”
Further, in an appeal on Doordarshan, Mr. Modi said
that “the culprits would be awarded such exemplary punishment so that
no one would dare to involve himself in such an incident.” The SIT noted
that at least on five occasions between February 27, 2002 and February
28, 2002, “the Chief Minister addressed Media, Assembly and General
public and everywhere the genesis and intention was one and the same,
i.e, to punish the culprits responsible for the Godhra incident in an
exemplary manner so that such incidents did not occur ever again.”
The
SIT said in the light of these statements, Mr. Bhatt's claim about any
illegal instructions would “appear to be without any basis.” Then it
concluded: “Further, even if such allegations are believed for the sake
of argument, mere statement of alleged words in the four walls of a room
does not constitute an offence.”
Modi terrorized minorities to come to power: SP
Original Article
AHMEDABAD: The Samajwadi Party (SP) has promised to play the role of a third force during the Gujarat assembly elections scheduled to be held this year. Leaders of the party said on Thursday that chief minister Narendra Modi had terrorized the minority community members in the state to come to power.
The party, eyeing the minority and migrant voters in the state, held a meeting of the party workers at Town Hall here on Thursday. Talking to reporters, party MP Ramjilal Suman said, "After the 2002 riots, Gujarat was allocated Rs 150 crore for rehabilitation of the victims. But the sum was returned to the Centre stating that the state had already completed the rehabilitation work." Even the Congress had not paid adequate attention to the minority community in the state, he alleged.
Suman said that the SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav will also come to Gujarat for canvassing during the elections. "Currently, there is no plan of coalition with any party, but if the Congress decides to enter into coalition, they would think over it," he added.
AHMEDABAD: The Samajwadi Party (SP) has promised to play the role of a third force during the Gujarat assembly elections scheduled to be held this year. Leaders of the party said on Thursday that chief minister Narendra Modi had terrorized the minority community members in the state to come to power.
The party, eyeing the minority and migrant voters in the state, held a meeting of the party workers at Town Hall here on Thursday. Talking to reporters, party MP Ramjilal Suman said, "After the 2002 riots, Gujarat was allocated Rs 150 crore for rehabilitation of the victims. But the sum was returned to the Centre stating that the state had already completed the rehabilitation work." Even the Congress had not paid adequate attention to the minority community in the state, he alleged.
Suman said that the SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav will also come to Gujarat for canvassing during the elections. "Currently, there is no plan of coalition with any party, but if the Congress decides to enter into coalition, they would think over it," he added.
Did Narendra Modi govt pay for SIT chief Raghavan's foreign trips?
Original Article
AHMEDABAD: What was the need for amicus curiae Raju Ramachandran to put down these words in his final report before the Supreme Court which became public this week? "The cost for boarding and lodging for both the amicus curiae at BSF mess, Gandhinagar as well as the cost for local transportation by private taxi was arranged by the SIT...the cost of travel from Delhi to Ahmedabad and back (for both the advocates) was borne by the amicus curiae. In all the interactions with the witnesses, my advocate colleague Gaurav Agrawal was present."
For a while, there has been a buzz in legal circles that the SIT chief and former CBI director R K Raghavan, who has given a report which is very favourable for Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi in the Zakia Jafri case, was being pampered by the state government.
While he had a salary of Rs 1.5 lakh and was entitled to executive-class travel by air, there were murmurs about personal trips at Gujarat government expense to London. Besides, Raghavan had no earmarked headquarter so that he could submit all his travel bills across the country even though these visits were not related to the probe.
Attempts to get information on Raghavan's travel bills under Right to Information (RTI) are being stone-walled. At least three persons, including the state Congress president Arjun Modhwadia have repeatedly tried to extract these details but even an appeal to the Chief Information Commisioner (CIC) D Rajagopalan four months back has not helped. A Modi confidant, Rajagopalan retired as chief secretary of Gujarat in 2010 after a six-month extension. Post-retirement, the Modi government then made him chairman of the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam and then gave him a three-year term as CIC.
More importantly, there are strong bonds between Rajagopalan and Raghavan as their wives are closely related. Sources said Modi had in fact met Raghavan for the first time at a wedding in the Rajagopalan family while the SIT probe was still on.
AHMEDABAD: What was the need for amicus curiae Raju Ramachandran to put down these words in his final report before the Supreme Court which became public this week? "The cost for boarding and lodging for both the amicus curiae at BSF mess, Gandhinagar as well as the cost for local transportation by private taxi was arranged by the SIT...the cost of travel from Delhi to Ahmedabad and back (for both the advocates) was borne by the amicus curiae. In all the interactions with the witnesses, my advocate colleague Gaurav Agrawal was present."
For a while, there has been a buzz in legal circles that the SIT chief and former CBI director R K Raghavan, who has given a report which is very favourable for Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi in the Zakia Jafri case, was being pampered by the state government.
While he had a salary of Rs 1.5 lakh and was entitled to executive-class travel by air, there were murmurs about personal trips at Gujarat government expense to London. Besides, Raghavan had no earmarked headquarter so that he could submit all his travel bills across the country even though these visits were not related to the probe.
Attempts to get information on Raghavan's travel bills under Right to Information (RTI) are being stone-walled. At least three persons, including the state Congress president Arjun Modhwadia have repeatedly tried to extract these details but even an appeal to the Chief Information Commisioner (CIC) D Rajagopalan four months back has not helped. A Modi confidant, Rajagopalan retired as chief secretary of Gujarat in 2010 after a six-month extension. Post-retirement, the Modi government then made him chairman of the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam and then gave him a three-year term as CIC.
More importantly, there are strong bonds between Rajagopalan and Raghavan as their wives are closely related. Sources said Modi had in fact met Raghavan for the first time at a wedding in the Rajagopalan family while the SIT probe was still on.
Vibrant Gujarat Exposed
After the 2002 riots, Gujarat was allocated Rs 150 crore for rehabilitation of the victims. But the sum was returned to the Centre stating that the state had already completed the rehabilitation work. I suppose that doesn't include around 11000 pregnant ladies in the refugee camps facing extreme difficulties and not mention the families out of work sustained by the daughters forced into prostitution
Around 2 lakh (official figure) people were displaced after 2002, out of these around 21000 are still in 83 different relief colonies all built by ngo's not the state. This is a detailed district wise report.
http://janvikas.in/
Lies, damn lies, and statistics (about Gujarat)
Original Article
Does Gujarat government fudge figures to “prove” its success story? The suspicion is, indeed, not new. I recollect how chief minister Narendra Modi, post-2002 riots, insisted for at least three continuous years that Gujarat’s annual rate of growth was 14.6 per cent. I also believed him (and his aides) till one fine day a senior bureaucrat showed me unofficially – that the high rate was being shown even for the year when it was around six per cent! At a press conference that followed – a rarity nowadays – I asked Modi about his comment on this six per cent. He looked around for a while, and on getting a reply from an aide murmured, “When you are already on a high pedestal, it is difficult to go higher.” One can possibly say, then, he had political reasons for hyping Gujarat’s growth story. He wanted to establish himself, wanted people to forget riots and see how Gujarat had already become No 1 under him.
Things, apparently, have not changed more than half-a-decade later, though he has established himself as Prime Ministerial candidate. Modi today insists, Gujarat’s agriculture has been growing double digit every year. And, this at a time when his officials told Planning Commission on June 1-2 in Delhi that, during the 11th Five Year Plan (2007-12), state agriculture grew by just about five per cent per annum. There was a year when agriculture was in the negative – minus 13 per cent, followed by another year when it was “equal to zero”, to quote one official. Figures handed over to the Planning Commission also suggested that in the industrial sector (secondary sector in official jargon), where Gujarat claims to be No 1, the state grew in single digit in 2011-12 – by eight per cent, exactly. All these figures have been kept under the carpet. They are not being officially released. The pretext is, they are being “finalized”.
“Fudging figures” may indeed be a tall order. A few senior experts met in a closed-door seminar in Ahmedabad about a fortnight ahead of the Planning Commission meet. They, too, wanted to “understand” Gujarat’s growth story, whether it could at all be called a model for other states to follow, as Modi would want them to believe. I didn’t attend the seminar, but I managed a note from a source in the Planning Commission on its conclusions. Scanning through it, what struck me most was, several experts seemed to feel that there is something fundamentally wrong with the figures Gujarat government has been officially disseminating. The scholars only fell short of declaring that the figures had been manipulated, though one of them, a demographer, agreed, “Manipulating figures to suit one’s ideology is common.”
Speaking at the seminar, Prof YK Alagh, a well-known economist, wondered why Gujarat was at all claiming a double digit rate of growth in agriculture when, even by global standards, a four plus per cent of growth in the sector was considered very good. The seminar note quotes him as saying, “Though the growth rate was not 10 per cent per year as has been claimed, but a little more that five per cent growth rate also is one of the highest agricultural growth rates achieved anywhere in the world for a decadal period.” Coming from such a veteran expert left no doubt in my mind that growth figures may have been fudged even though there is no reason to do it. One official later told me, “Our data, based on satellite imagery, are different from the agricultural surveys carried out for crop insurance. The discrepancy is wide.”
Others at the seminar suggested how social sector data are being “manipulated”. Prof Leela Visaria, speaking on the status of health of children and women, said that she “relies more on data from large national surveys, as the other data sources such as official administrative data are frequently not reliable”. While she agreed that the infant mortality rate (IMR) has declined from 69 per 1000 live births in early 1990s to 44 in 2010, quoting survey data, she said, “Gujarat ranks poor in the rank in this decline among the major 20 states in India.” In fact, she revealed that “the percentage of married women aged 15-49 suffering form anaemia increased in the state, from 46 in 1992-93 to 56 in 2005-06. This incidence is particularly high among rural, illiterate, ST and poor women. This is a serious matter also because the children of anaemic mothers are highly prone to chronic and acute malnourishment. Clearly, mere distribution of iron and folic acid tablets to pregnant women is not a solution.”
Speaking almost in a similar tone, Prof Sudarshan Iyengar said the official data on retention of children in primary schools need to be checked. “Since the official method of calculating dropout rate is not specified by the Directorate Primary Education, the reliability of these data is questionable. There is no reason to believe in the official data on school retention. The reliability of the data is also challenged by other studies by scholars”, he underscored, adding, “Poor quality of education is a serious problem in Gujarat. Introduction of Gunotsav in 2009 was, in a way, recognition of the fact that quality of education is below the desired level. This annual event, however, cannot substitute regular machinery.”
Scanning through what Prof Iyengar had to say, I instantly remembered of what a senior state official told me about how the political leadership actually likes to show up cent per cent enrolment in schools by hook or by crook. This official, who has now retired, told me how Anandiben Patel, a former education minister who remains ideologically closest to Modi, called for enrolment data from different districts soon after the Kanya Kelavni child enrolment drive. “We collected the data and gave it to the minister. The minister called for a meeting and declared the data were all wrong. She split the meeting angrily. Later, she directly called for more data from districts, which she got. She added these data to the data that we had given. And what she gave us a nearly cent per cent enrolment!”, this official said.
Does Gujarat government fudge figures to “prove” its success story? The suspicion is, indeed, not new. I recollect how chief minister Narendra Modi, post-2002 riots, insisted for at least three continuous years that Gujarat’s annual rate of growth was 14.6 per cent. I also believed him (and his aides) till one fine day a senior bureaucrat showed me unofficially – that the high rate was being shown even for the year when it was around six per cent! At a press conference that followed – a rarity nowadays – I asked Modi about his comment on this six per cent. He looked around for a while, and on getting a reply from an aide murmured, “When you are already on a high pedestal, it is difficult to go higher.” One can possibly say, then, he had political reasons for hyping Gujarat’s growth story. He wanted to establish himself, wanted people to forget riots and see how Gujarat had already become No 1 under him.
Things, apparently, have not changed more than half-a-decade later, though he has established himself as Prime Ministerial candidate. Modi today insists, Gujarat’s agriculture has been growing double digit every year. And, this at a time when his officials told Planning Commission on June 1-2 in Delhi that, during the 11th Five Year Plan (2007-12), state agriculture grew by just about five per cent per annum. There was a year when agriculture was in the negative – minus 13 per cent, followed by another year when it was “equal to zero”, to quote one official. Figures handed over to the Planning Commission also suggested that in the industrial sector (secondary sector in official jargon), where Gujarat claims to be No 1, the state grew in single digit in 2011-12 – by eight per cent, exactly. All these figures have been kept under the carpet. They are not being officially released. The pretext is, they are being “finalized”.
“Fudging figures” may indeed be a tall order. A few senior experts met in a closed-door seminar in Ahmedabad about a fortnight ahead of the Planning Commission meet. They, too, wanted to “understand” Gujarat’s growth story, whether it could at all be called a model for other states to follow, as Modi would want them to believe. I didn’t attend the seminar, but I managed a note from a source in the Planning Commission on its conclusions. Scanning through it, what struck me most was, several experts seemed to feel that there is something fundamentally wrong with the figures Gujarat government has been officially disseminating. The scholars only fell short of declaring that the figures had been manipulated, though one of them, a demographer, agreed, “Manipulating figures to suit one’s ideology is common.”
Speaking at the seminar, Prof YK Alagh, a well-known economist, wondered why Gujarat was at all claiming a double digit rate of growth in agriculture when, even by global standards, a four plus per cent of growth in the sector was considered very good. The seminar note quotes him as saying, “Though the growth rate was not 10 per cent per year as has been claimed, but a little more that five per cent growth rate also is one of the highest agricultural growth rates achieved anywhere in the world for a decadal period.” Coming from such a veteran expert left no doubt in my mind that growth figures may have been fudged even though there is no reason to do it. One official later told me, “Our data, based on satellite imagery, are different from the agricultural surveys carried out for crop insurance. The discrepancy is wide.”
Others at the seminar suggested how social sector data are being “manipulated”. Prof Leela Visaria, speaking on the status of health of children and women, said that she “relies more on data from large national surveys, as the other data sources such as official administrative data are frequently not reliable”. While she agreed that the infant mortality rate (IMR) has declined from 69 per 1000 live births in early 1990s to 44 in 2010, quoting survey data, she said, “Gujarat ranks poor in the rank in this decline among the major 20 states in India.” In fact, she revealed that “the percentage of married women aged 15-49 suffering form anaemia increased in the state, from 46 in 1992-93 to 56 in 2005-06. This incidence is particularly high among rural, illiterate, ST and poor women. This is a serious matter also because the children of anaemic mothers are highly prone to chronic and acute malnourishment. Clearly, mere distribution of iron and folic acid tablets to pregnant women is not a solution.”
Speaking almost in a similar tone, Prof Sudarshan Iyengar said the official data on retention of children in primary schools need to be checked. “Since the official method of calculating dropout rate is not specified by the Directorate Primary Education, the reliability of these data is questionable. There is no reason to believe in the official data on school retention. The reliability of the data is also challenged by other studies by scholars”, he underscored, adding, “Poor quality of education is a serious problem in Gujarat. Introduction of Gunotsav in 2009 was, in a way, recognition of the fact that quality of education is below the desired level. This annual event, however, cannot substitute regular machinery.”
Scanning through what Prof Iyengar had to say, I instantly remembered of what a senior state official told me about how the political leadership actually likes to show up cent per cent enrolment in schools by hook or by crook. This official, who has now retired, told me how Anandiben Patel, a former education minister who remains ideologically closest to Modi, called for enrolment data from different districts soon after the Kanya Kelavni child enrolment drive. “We collected the data and gave it to the minister. The minister called for a meeting and declared the data were all wrong. She split the meeting angrily. Later, she directly called for more data from districts, which she got. She added these data to the data that we had given. And what she gave us a nearly cent per cent enrolment!”, this official said.
Gujarat: Myth and reality
Original Article
A war of words has erupted between the chief ministers of Bihar and Gujarat. Bihar's chief minister Nitish Kumar has slammed Narendra Modi for taking potshots at the state's slow socio-economic growth. The altercation began with Modi saying that caste politics has ruined states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Hitting back, Nitish has said that Modi should look at the conditions in his own state before criticising others.
For the last several years, Modi has been successful in projecting his "vibrant Gujarat" as a role model of economic growth and himself as ''Vikas Purush". Though one must give due credit to Modi for his effective skills in making projections, one must also critically analyse this "growth story of Gujarat" based on facts and figures. Regretfully, as one examines the facts since Modi came to power in Gujarat in 2001, the story appears to be hollow and, at times, contrary to what is being projected.
First, about the rate of economic growth. During 1995-2000 and 2001-10, Gujarat increased its annual rate of growth from 8.01% to 8.68%. But so is the case with other major states such as Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. In fact, Gujarat was ranked second after Rajasthan (8.34%) in the first period and third after Uttarakhand (11.81%) and Haryana (8.95%) in the second period. What is remarkable, Bihar and Orissa, the two most backward and poverty-stricken states, have also shown growth pick up from 4.70% and 4.42% in the first period to 8.02% and 8.13% in the second period. Even smaller states like Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh have registered growth of 11.01% and 8.96%, respectively.
During 2001-04, the rate of industrial growth for Gujarat was 3.95%, and during 2005-09, it was 12.65%. In isolation, this appears to be a phenomenal jump, but not so when compared to some other states. During these sub-periods, industrial growth for Orissa was 6.4% and 17.53%; for Chhattisgarh 8.10% and 13.3%; and for Uttarakhand 18.84% and 11.63%. Thus, the hitherto industrially backward states have far surpassed Gujarat.
In FDI, too, Gujarat has not been a leading state. During 2006-10, Gujarat signed MoUs worth Rs 5.35 lakh crore with potential of 6.47 lakh jobs. But Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu with Rs 4.20 lakh crore and Rs 1.63 lakh crore worth MoUs, expect about 8.63 lakh and 13.09 lakh jobs. To top it all, Chhattisgarh and Orissa have signed MoUs worth Rs 3.61 lakh crore and Rs 2.99 lakh crore more than Gujarat without much fanfare and Modi's much-hyped industrial summits.
In the area of credit-deposit ratio, Gujarat is far behind other major states. In 2010, Gujarat's share in total deposits of the scheduled commercial banks was 4.70%, as against 5.42%, 6.20%, 6.34% and 26.60% for Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra, respectively. The share of Gujarat in total credit disbursed by these commercial banks was 4.22%; while the same for Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tami Nadu was 29.75%, 6.71% and 9.61% respectively.
The amount of per capita deposit and per capita credit for Gujarat was Rs 37,174 and Rs 24,268; while for Tamil Nadu, it was Rs 42,580 and Rs 47,964; Karnataka Rs 49,598 and Rs 38,154; and Maharashtra Rs 1,10,183 and Rs 89,575. Even Kerala did better than Gujarat with Rs 43,890 and Rs 27,912.
In terms of per capita income (PCI), in 2011, Gujarat ranked sixth among major states with PCI of Rs 63,996, after Haryana (Rs 92,327), Maharashtra, (Rs 83,471), Punjab (Rs 67,473), Tamil Nadu (Rs 72,993) and Uttara-khand (Rs 68,292).
What about inclusive growth in Gujarat? Though Gujarat, with 31.8% people below the poverty line did better than Maharashtra and Karnataka, it still lagged behind Kerala, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana, where poverty levels were 19.7%, 20.9%, 22.9% and 24.1%, respectively.
On three important social indicators, viz life expectancy at birth (LEB), mean years of schooling (MYS) and school life expectancy (SLE), Gujarat is far behind some other states. In Gujarat, the LEB during 2002-06 was 64.1 years and it ranked ninth among major Indian states. In the areas of MYS and SLE, during 2004-05, it ranked seventh and ninth, respectively. Kerala ranked first in all three indicators. Even Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka performed much better than Gujarat.
With respect to Human Deve-lopment Index (HDI), Gujarat's story is devastating. The HDI for Gujarat, in 2008, was 0.527 and it ranked 10 {+t} {+h} among major states. Kerala stood first (HDI: 0.790), Himachal Pradesh scored 0.652, Punjab 0.605, Maharashtra 0.572 and Haryana 0.552. With respect to three HDI components — income, health and education — Gujarat does not present a shining story. In this respect, states like Kerala took the lead in every sector, while Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal did better than Gujarat.
It is found that inequality with respect to income, education and health is higher in Gujarat than some of the major states. Shockingly, in terms of hunger — as revealed by the 'State Hunger Index 2008' — Gujarat ranked 13th among 17 big states and worse than Orissa.
In Gujarat, the percentage of women suffering from anaemia has risen from 46.3% in 1999 to 55.5% in 2004, and amongst children from 74.5% to 80.1%. The conditions of dalits and women have deteriorated during the last decade; while those of Muslims and tribals are still worse.
Thus, Gujarat's growth story as claimed by Modi is more a myth than reality. But it is also imperative that other states in the country make concerted efforts to secure higher and also inclusive growth, rather than getting enamoured with the Gujarat growth story. Also, for the people of Gujarat, it's time for introspection and putting right efforts in the direction of making Gujarat a truly "vibrant" state.
The writer is a member of the Rajya Sabha and former member, Planning Commission.
A war of words has erupted between the chief ministers of Bihar and Gujarat. Bihar's chief minister Nitish Kumar has slammed Narendra Modi for taking potshots at the state's slow socio-economic growth. The altercation began with Modi saying that caste politics has ruined states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Hitting back, Nitish has said that Modi should look at the conditions in his own state before criticising others.
For the last several years, Modi has been successful in projecting his "vibrant Gujarat" as a role model of economic growth and himself as ''Vikas Purush". Though one must give due credit to Modi for his effective skills in making projections, one must also critically analyse this "growth story of Gujarat" based on facts and figures. Regretfully, as one examines the facts since Modi came to power in Gujarat in 2001, the story appears to be hollow and, at times, contrary to what is being projected.
First, about the rate of economic growth. During 1995-2000 and 2001-10, Gujarat increased its annual rate of growth from 8.01% to 8.68%. But so is the case with other major states such as Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. In fact, Gujarat was ranked second after Rajasthan (8.34%) in the first period and third after Uttarakhand (11.81%) and Haryana (8.95%) in the second period. What is remarkable, Bihar and Orissa, the two most backward and poverty-stricken states, have also shown growth pick up from 4.70% and 4.42% in the first period to 8.02% and 8.13% in the second period. Even smaller states like Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh have registered growth of 11.01% and 8.96%, respectively.
During 2001-04, the rate of industrial growth for Gujarat was 3.95%, and during 2005-09, it was 12.65%. In isolation, this appears to be a phenomenal jump, but not so when compared to some other states. During these sub-periods, industrial growth for Orissa was 6.4% and 17.53%; for Chhattisgarh 8.10% and 13.3%; and for Uttarakhand 18.84% and 11.63%. Thus, the hitherto industrially backward states have far surpassed Gujarat.
In FDI, too, Gujarat has not been a leading state. During 2006-10, Gujarat signed MoUs worth Rs 5.35 lakh crore with potential of 6.47 lakh jobs. But Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu with Rs 4.20 lakh crore and Rs 1.63 lakh crore worth MoUs, expect about 8.63 lakh and 13.09 lakh jobs. To top it all, Chhattisgarh and Orissa have signed MoUs worth Rs 3.61 lakh crore and Rs 2.99 lakh crore more than Gujarat without much fanfare and Modi's much-hyped industrial summits.
In the area of credit-deposit ratio, Gujarat is far behind other major states. In 2010, Gujarat's share in total deposits of the scheduled commercial banks was 4.70%, as against 5.42%, 6.20%, 6.34% and 26.60% for Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra, respectively. The share of Gujarat in total credit disbursed by these commercial banks was 4.22%; while the same for Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tami Nadu was 29.75%, 6.71% and 9.61% respectively.
The amount of per capita deposit and per capita credit for Gujarat was Rs 37,174 and Rs 24,268; while for Tamil Nadu, it was Rs 42,580 and Rs 47,964; Karnataka Rs 49,598 and Rs 38,154; and Maharashtra Rs 1,10,183 and Rs 89,575. Even Kerala did better than Gujarat with Rs 43,890 and Rs 27,912.
In terms of per capita income (PCI), in 2011, Gujarat ranked sixth among major states with PCI of Rs 63,996, after Haryana (Rs 92,327), Maharashtra, (Rs 83,471), Punjab (Rs 67,473), Tamil Nadu (Rs 72,993) and Uttara-khand (Rs 68,292).
What about inclusive growth in Gujarat? Though Gujarat, with 31.8% people below the poverty line did better than Maharashtra and Karnataka, it still lagged behind Kerala, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana, where poverty levels were 19.7%, 20.9%, 22.9% and 24.1%, respectively.
On three important social indicators, viz life expectancy at birth (LEB), mean years of schooling (MYS) and school life expectancy (SLE), Gujarat is far behind some other states. In Gujarat, the LEB during 2002-06 was 64.1 years and it ranked ninth among major Indian states. In the areas of MYS and SLE, during 2004-05, it ranked seventh and ninth, respectively. Kerala ranked first in all three indicators. Even Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka performed much better than Gujarat.
With respect to Human Deve-lopment Index (HDI), Gujarat's story is devastating. The HDI for Gujarat, in 2008, was 0.527 and it ranked 10 {+t} {+h} among major states. Kerala stood first (HDI: 0.790), Himachal Pradesh scored 0.652, Punjab 0.605, Maharashtra 0.572 and Haryana 0.552. With respect to three HDI components — income, health and education — Gujarat does not present a shining story. In this respect, states like Kerala took the lead in every sector, while Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal did better than Gujarat.
It is found that inequality with respect to income, education and health is higher in Gujarat than some of the major states. Shockingly, in terms of hunger — as revealed by the 'State Hunger Index 2008' — Gujarat ranked 13th among 17 big states and worse than Orissa.
In Gujarat, the percentage of women suffering from anaemia has risen from 46.3% in 1999 to 55.5% in 2004, and amongst children from 74.5% to 80.1%. The conditions of dalits and women have deteriorated during the last decade; while those of Muslims and tribals are still worse.
Thus, Gujarat's growth story as claimed by Modi is more a myth than reality. But it is also imperative that other states in the country make concerted efforts to secure higher and also inclusive growth, rather than getting enamoured with the Gujarat growth story. Also, for the people of Gujarat, it's time for introspection and putting right efforts in the direction of making Gujarat a truly "vibrant" state.
The writer is a member of the Rajya Sabha and former member, Planning Commission.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
The Foreign Exchange of Hate
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The Foreign Exchange of Hate
Complete Report here : IDRF and the American Funding of Hindutva
Where do RSS funds come from ?
NEW DELHI: For the last 13 years, the India Development and Relief Fund (IDRF), a US-based charity has reportedly misused American corporate philanthropy to fund RSS-affiliated organisations here. For instance, the IDRF obtained vast sums from CISCO, a leading technology company in the US with a substantial number of NRIs on its rolls by saying its activities are "secular" since company rules explicitly prohibit donations to organisations of a "religious" nature.
These are some of the findings presented in a 91-page report by The Campaign to Stop Funding Hate (TCTSFH), a coalition of professionals, students, workers, artists and intellectuals. In the first phase of its campaign, "Project Saffron Dollar", the TCTSFH plans to write to large American corporates to guard against funding the IDRF, Biju Mathew, a spokesman for the TCTSFH said.
The report, explaining the dynamics of IDRF's corporate funding, says that as professional Indian migration to the US boomed over the last decade, especially in the software sector, Sangh operatives in large hi-tech firms with liberal giving policies worked to put IDRF on the corporations' list of grantees. They then pushed IDRF as the best and only way to provide funding for development and relief work in India, resulting in other unsuspecting employees, as well as the corporation itself to fund the Sangh in India.
RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav, when contacted, said: "There is no specific organisation which collects funds for the RSS. However, certain projects run by RSS-affiliated organisations do get money from NRIs for specific projects such as the Ekal Vidyalaya scheme (one-teacher schools run in tribal areas). This organisation (that you have mentioned) may have given some money, too. I have not heard much about it."
The TCTSFH report says that though the IDRF claims to be a non-sectarian, non-political charity that funds development and relief work in India, the IDRF filed a tax document (at its inception in 1989) with the Internal Revenue Service of the US Federal government, identifying nine organisations as a representative sample of organisations it would support. All nine were Sangh organisations.
The report also says that 82 per cent of IDRF's funds go to Sangh organisations. It documents the fact that 70 per cent of the monies are used for "hinduisation/tribal/education" work, largely with the view to spreading the Hindutva idealogy among tribals. Less than 20 per cent is used in "development and relief" activities, but the report concludes that since there is a sectarian slant to how the relief money is disbursed, these are sectarian funds, too.
Source
Monday, April 9, 2012
Narendra Modi most hated on Times list
Time poll: Narendra Modi gets maximum negative votes
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Time-poll-Narendra-Modi-gets-maximum-negative-votes/Article1-838131.aspxNarendra Modi tops 'No' list in Time magazine poll
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/modi-tops-no-list-in-time-magazine-poll/247163-3.htmlPropagandist Modi depicted himself as Lord Krishna
Depicting Modi as Lord Krishna an insult to Hindus, says Jhadafiya
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3291486.ece
गुजरात : à¤ाजपा ने मोदी को बनाया 'श्रीकृष्ण'
http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/news/video-story/228603
Sunday, April 1, 2012
CAG raps Narendra Modi govt for Rs 17,000 cr losses
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-03-31/india/31265943_1_cag-reports-sewage-treatment-plants-untreated-sewage
http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article3263639.ece
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_irregularities-of-rs26672-crore-found-in-narendra-modi-govt-cag_1669770
http://indiabusiness.asia/modi-guilty-of-major-irregularities-abdullah/#axzz1qpdIXK1j
Sunday, October 16, 2011
RSS Exposed
RSS is an organisation :
1. That is not registered under the Registration of Societies Act.
2. That does not pay even Rs. 1/- in tax of any kind (Central + Taxes) inspite of having 53 branches and thousands of institutions.
3. Does not recognise the Constitution of India.
4. Does not recognise the National Anthem of India.
5. Openly claims to overthrow the State (The Union of India) by dis-mantling the structure based on the Constitution of India.
6. Maintains an extra-constitutional Armed Army (Mafia) to unleash communal riots as and when politically expedient.
7. RSS Sarsangchalak says "No Violence in RSS"., but everyone knows that from Hegdewar to Mohan Bhagwat., all Sarsangchalaks (Hegdewar-Golwalkar-Deoras-Sudarshan-Raju Bhaiyya-and so on); have successfully planned, executed and supervised communal riots (and subsequently covered them up successfully, buried the truth under the safforn carpet, i.e.).
8. Instigating the common man (Aam Aadmi) to overthrow the State of the Union of India openly.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
THE LEGAL TRUTH ABOUT THE LIES OF GODHRA
The prosecution’s conspiracy theory against Godhra Muslims rested primarily on five sets of witnesses
1. Nine BJPmen who claimed to be eyewitnesses to the carnage
These men accused 41 Muslims who spent nine years in jail. A TEHELKA sting caught two of these BJP men admitting on camera they were actually at home that day and the police fabricated their statements. They went along to “serve the cause of Hindutva”. The judge has now discarded all nine testimonies
2. Ajay Baria, a Hindu vendor, forced into the plot; saw it all
Judge Patel has relied hugely on Baria’s account. But why would Muslim conspirators pick a Hindu man at the last minute to help load the petrol and burn the train? TEHELKA tried to track him but failed. His mother said he had been coerced into becoming a police witness and lived under constant police surveillance.
3. Two petrol pump attendants who claim they sold 140 litres of fuel to some Muslims on 26 Feb
Ranjitsinh and Pratapsinh Patel had first told the police that they had not sold any loose petrol that crucial night. In a shocking turnaround, six months later, they changed their version. However, TEHELKA caught Ranjitsinh admitting on camera that he and Pratap had been bribed Rs. 50,000 by police officer Noel Parmar to do that. He also tutored them to identify particular Muslims in court as being the buyers
Ranjitsinh and Pratapsinh Patel had first told the police that they had not sold any loose petrol that crucial night. In a shocking turnaround, six months later, they changed their version. However, TEHELKA caught Ranjitsinh admitting on camera that he and Pratap had been bribed Rs. 50,000 by police officer Noel Parmar to do that. He also tutored them to identify particular Muslims in court as being the buyers
4. Jabir Bahera, a petty criminal, who first named Maulvi Umarji as a mastermind
Bahera claimed it was Umarji who picked coach S-6 as the target, but also said Umarji was not at any conspiracy meetings. He later retracted everything
5. Sikandar Siddique, another petty criminal, said he had pulled the chain the second time Siddique is an obvious unreliable witness. Besides Umarji, he had said Maulvi Punjabi had incited the mob. But Punjabi was not even in the country that day
Friday, October 14, 2011
Saffron in Uniform - Indian Army RSS Link
READ FULL ARTICLE
Has the politics of manipulation breached the last bastion of our secular being—the armed forces?
Conspiracy of Silence
READ FULL ARTICLE
Hindu terror is a reality, yet India refuses to utter its name
Malegaon Blasts-I
September 8, 2006
37 dead
- Initial arrests: Arrested include Salman Farsi, Farooq Iqbal Makhdoomi, Raees Ahmed, Noorul Huda Samsudoha and Shabbir Batterywala.
- Later revelation: Suspicion now rests on Hindu terrorists because of the 2008 blasts.
Samjhauta Express Blasts
February 18, 2007
68 dead, mostly Pakistanis
- Initial suspicion: LeT and JeM were blamed. Those arrested included Pakistani national Azmat Ali.
- Later revelation: Police have seen the evidence trail lead to right-wing Hindu activists. Investigators claim the triggering mechanism for the Mecca masjid blast three months later was similar to the one used here. Police are looking for RSS pracharaks Sandeep Dange and Ramji.
Mecca Masjid Blast
May 18, 2007
14 dead
- Initial arrests: Around 80 Muslims detained for questioning and 25 arrested. Several have now been acquitted, including Ibrahim Junaid, Shoaib Jagirdar, Imran Khan and Mohammed Adul Kaleem.
- Later revelation: In June 2010 the CBI announced a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh for information on the two accused, Sandeep Dange and Ramchandra Kalsangra. Lokesh Sharma arrested.
Ajmer Sharif Blast
October 11, 2007
3 dead
- Initial arrests: HuJI, LeT blamed. Those arrested include Abdul Hafiz Shamim, Khushibur Rahman, Imran Ali.
- Later revelation: In 2010, Rajasthan ATS arrests Devendra Gupta, Chandrashekhar and Vishnu Prasad Patidar. Accused Sunil Joshi, who was killed weeks before the blast, is believed to have been a key planner.
Thane Cinema Blast
June 4, 2008
- Affiliated to Hindu Janjagruti Samiti and Sanathan Sanstha, Ramesh Hanumant Gadkari and Mangesh Dinkar Nikam arrested. Blast planned to oppose the screening of Jodhaa Akbar.
Kanpur And Nanded Bomb Mishaps
August 2008
- Two members of Bajrang Dal—Rajiv Mishra and Bhupinder Singh—were killed while assembling bombs in Kanpur. In April 2006, N. Rajkondwar and H. Panse from the same outfit died under similar circumstances in a bomb-making workshop in Nanded.
Malegaon Blasts II
September 29, 2008
7 dead
- Initial suspicion: Groups like Indian Mujahideen involved
- Later revelation: Abhinav Bharat and Rashtriya Jagaran Manch accused of involvement. Arrested include Pragya Singh Thakur, Lt Col Srikant Purohit and Swami Amritanand Dev Tirth, also known as Dayanand Pandey.
Goa Blasts
October 16, 2009
- 2 dead Both accused are members of the Sanathan Sanstha. Malgonda Patil and Yogesh Naik were riding a scooter laden with explosives, which accidentally went off.
By Smruti Koppikar with Debarshi Dasgupta and Snigdha Hasan
Indian Army-Sangh Parivar terrorists’ nexus: Sinister Facist plans
READ FULL ARTICLE
Links of Indian military with Hindutva organizations are no secret now. Most of organizations are working in Indian society since ages like Shiv Sena, Bajrang Dal etc have long history of having links with military establishment at different level. The root of this cooperation is decades-old appeal: "India is for Hindus only". This is nothing new but there is something new and that is the growing influence of this ideology among Indian military and elements that are now not in control of Indian military or Indian government but they are on their own agenda of Hindutva, a name given to same old appeal of race and religion regarding India.
A Brief Outline of Saffron Terrorism by RSS and Sangh Pariwar
As an organization, the RSS is elusive and shadowy—it is only open to Hindu males – primarily upper caste; it maintains no membership records; it has resisted being registered with the Government of India as a public/charitable trust; it has no bank accounts and pays no income tax.
The Videshi Fascist Roots of RSS with Mussolini
For detailed report click here
Meeting with Mussolini (Source Wikipedia)
Dr. Moonje had a personal audience with Mussolini on March 19, 1931 at 3 p.m., in Palazzo Venezia, then headquarters of the Italian government. The meeting has been recorded in the diary on March 20 in the following words: "I shook hands with him saying that I am Dr Moonje. He knew everything about me and appeared to be closely, following the events of the Indian struggle for freedom…Signor Mussolini asked me if I have visited the University. I said I am interested in the military training of boys and have been visiting the Military Schools of England, France and Germany. I have now come to Italy for the same purpose and I am very grateful to say that the Foreign Office and the War Office have made good arrangements for my visiting these schools. I just saw this morning and afternoon the Balilla and the Fascist Organisations and I was much impressed. Italy needs them for her development and prosperity. I do not see anything objectionable though I have been frequently reading in the newspapers not very friendly criticisms about them and about your Excellency also. ‘Signor Mussolini: What is your opinion about them?’ ‘Dr Moonje: Your Excellency, I am much impressed. Every aspiring and growing Nation needs such organisations.’ ‘Signor Mussolini – who appeared very pleased – said – Thanks but yours is an uphill task. However I wish you every success in return.’ Saying this he got up and I also got up to take his leave."
Meeting with Mussolini (Source Wikipedia)
Dr. Moonje had a personal audience with Mussolini on March 19, 1931 at 3 p.m., in Palazzo Venezia, then headquarters of the Italian government. The meeting has been recorded in the diary on March 20 in the following words: "I shook hands with him saying that I am Dr Moonje. He knew everything about me and appeared to be closely, following the events of the Indian struggle for freedom…Signor Mussolini asked me if I have visited the University. I said I am interested in the military training of boys and have been visiting the Military Schools of England, France and Germany. I have now come to Italy for the same purpose and I am very grateful to say that the Foreign Office and the War Office have made good arrangements for my visiting these schools. I just saw this morning and afternoon the Balilla and the Fascist Organisations and I was much impressed. Italy needs them for her development and prosperity. I do not see anything objectionable though I have been frequently reading in the newspapers not very friendly criticisms about them and about your Excellency also. ‘Signor Mussolini: What is your opinion about them?’ ‘Dr Moonje: Your Excellency, I am much impressed. Every aspiring and growing Nation needs such organisations.’ ‘Signor Mussolini – who appeared very pleased – said – Thanks but yours is an uphill task. However I wish you every success in return.’ Saying this he got up and I also got up to take his leave."
Thursday, October 13, 2011
In God's Name... We Kill.. RSS VHP Terrorism in Orissa
Sep.2008
Malati Digaro, a Christian convert sobs as she looks at what remains of her home. "This is all that is left of my house. It took us four years to build this and look at what has happened to it," she adds with tear-filled eyes.
Today, The Indian state of Orissa - along with other parts of India - is engulfed in flames of 'hatred'. A prominent Brahmo-fascist Hindu leader was assassinated recently by, as yet, unknown assailants - leading to the Christian community being scapegoated for the murder. Thus hundreds (reports suggest over 800 churches), countless villages, thousands of homes and unreported amount of lives were hurt, damaged or simply destroyed by the radical Hindu mobs that set out to wreck havoc on Christian communities.
This systematic elimination of Christian community in Orissa is neither an isolated event, nor something new. It is a state sponsored act by the Indian state of Orissa [as has become the norm in other Indian states as well] - where the radical Hindu party called BJP (RSS/VHP/BajrangDal being its sister organizations) is in power. The state of Orissa has refused to take any major action to stop this genocide aganist Christians.
Now the Indian Supreme Court has ordered troops to be sent into Orissa to stop the Hindu extremist thugs. The Court also ordered the state government of Orissa to turn in evidence of whatever steps (if any) they have taken to stop the violence.
Anti-Conversion act of Orissa:
http://www.hindu.com/2008/09/02/stories/2008090255770500.htm
Hindu Pogrom against Christians:
http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&dos=124&size=A
Persecution Rising:
http://www.worthynews.com/christian/orissa-violence-continues-to-escalate-aga...
Christian Attacks Exploding:
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?A...
Christians BURNED ALIVE! (GRAPHIC!!)
http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-70024
Bajrang Dal Saffron Terrorism EXPOSED
Another news piece in a series of evidence collected by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of India against the rising tide of Hindu Terrorism throughout India - carried out mostly by groups such as Bajrang Dal, Abhinav Bharat, etc - all terrorist wings of bigger ideological organizations such as the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad), BJP (Bhartiya Janata Party) and their affiliates. These organizations run thousands of Hindu-religious schools called 'shakhas' across India numbering over 50,000 where children as young as 3yrs old are embarked up on a rigorous diet of propaganda.
Their education includes, praise of all things Hindu, ridiculing & learning to hate anything Islamic or Christian - both Muslims & Christians depicted as 'outsiders' who need to be 'cleansed' off of India to purify 'Hindu' India and brief military style training drills so that the footsoldier cadres can be mobilized to attack minorities at will given a moment's notice by their superiors.
Some of the major attacks carried out by Hindu terrorists of the Bajrang Dal/RSS/VHP include Babri Mosque attack & destruction (1992), Christian massacres & burning of hundreds of Churches in the Indian North East in winter 2007/08 repeated around Xmas 2008/09.
Courtesy: CNN-IBN
Saffron Terrorism by RSS VHP Bajrang Dal in Orissa
Gujarat Genocide is not the only case, RSS have done it before during the 1984 Sikh Riots, planning to do the same in UP and now here. These terror organisations have links to the Police force, Indian Army, Politicians and almost every sector. Their sole motto is to get India rid of the minorities and cleanse it - "Hindi Hindu Hindustan "
RSS VHP Bajrang Dal spreading terrorism by working under the pretext and twisting the ideology of our great freedom fighters and religious leaders for their personal agenda. There is a rise in Indian Saffro-Nazis with fascist organizations like RSS VHP Bajrang Dal Shiv Shena radicalizing the youth with their propaganda of ethnic cleansing and a clean race.
Saffron Terrorism - Radicalization of Hinduism in UP
This is a chilling documentary on the pogrom of a section of Hindus, lead by Yogi Adityanath of Gorakhpur, to radicalize Hindus in the state of Uttar Pradesh (UP). The land of Buddha, Kabir and Baba Gorakh who preached and practiced compassion and unity, has been turned into a training ground for saffron terrorism while the problems of the basic needs of the common masses is conveniently suppressed. The result -- even the dalits, oppressed by high caste Hindus for many millennia, are buying into the Hindutva agenda while the extremist section of the Muslim community get an excuse for their extremism. The Hindus who believe in this nonsense must be the dumbest people on earth, who despite being in majority, fear a minority community fuelled as they are by opportunists yogis and mahants hungry for power, finding ways and means for violence against them, not realizing how it will hit them back, worse, the entire nation. There is enough evidence in this video to charge cases of sedition and war against the nation against many of these fanatical Hindu religious leaders. It's time the administration, police and the courts of India act against Hindutva terrorism before UP turns to another Gujarat and India is consumed by a civil war.
The film is directed by Rajeev Yadav, Shahnawaz Alam and Lakshaman Prasad. For inquiries contact them at: +91 9415254919, +91 9452800752 or write at warsaffron@gmail.com.
Role of BJP and RSS in 1984 Sikh riots
The role of BJP & RSS is very clear in 1984 riots, still Akali Dal is making statements against congress in the name of Sikh justice whereas remains quite about the FIRs against BJP & RSS members during 1984 riots.
Hinduization of Sikh Faith and History by RSS
A disgusting depiction of the Gurus by the RSS
Based on “Tabai Roas Jagio” by Dr. Sukhpreet Singh Udokay
The recent announcement by the VHP of putting portraits of Guru Gobind Singh Ji and Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji in Hindu Mandirs has shocked Sikhs worldwide. The fact is that attacks on the Sikh faith and history have been ongoing for years in order to show Sikhs to be a part of Hinduism.
Hinduization of Sikh Faith By RSS - Sikh History
| A 25-Point of Attack The RSS has 25 points with which it hopes to attack the Sikh faith and lead to its eventual assimilation. All 25 points are very easily refuted but lack of education and knowledge coupled with the RSS’s organized attack make this a serious danger. These points are already being incorporated into school text books and taught as real history. This skewed history is already taught in many areas. |
1) Sikhs are an inseparable part of Hindu society. 2) If Hinduism is a tree, Sikhism is a fruit on that tree. 3) Gurbani is like the Ganga, it emerges from the Gangotri of the Vedas 4) The Khalsa was crated to protect Hinduism and Hindustan 5) Japji Sahib is a summary of the Gita 6) The Failure of the 1857 “War of Independence” [in reality an unorganized uprising by Poorbiya soldiers who 8 years earlier helped the British conquer Punjab] was defeated only by the Sikhs 7) Banda Singh Bahadur was really Veer Banda Bairagi 8) The Sikh Gurus worshipped the cow 9) Condemning Sikh scholars Bhai Kanh Singh Nabha and Bhai Veer Singh 10) Use examples from Trumpp and other anti-Sikh western scholars 11) The Sikh Gurus used Vedic ceremonies 12) Guru Gobind Singh worshipped the Goddess Durga 13) Guru Sahib was from the family or Ram and his devotee 14) Sikhs are from Lav-Kush 15) Baba Ram Singh was the legitimate Guru of the Sikhs 16) Create posters which challenge Sikh principles but appear to be pro-Sikh 17) Insist on using the Bikrami calendar and share Hindu festivals 18) Call Bhai Hakeekat Singh, Hakeekat Rai and illustrate him as a clean shaven Hindu 19) Claim [with no historical basis] that Guru Gobind Singh sent his army to liberate Ram Janam Bhumi in Ayodhya from the Mughals 20) To create the Khalsa, Guru Gobind Singh seeked blessing from the gods and goddesses and used Hindu mantras. The Kakaars were also blessings from the gods. 21) Equate ek-oan-kaar with “OM” 22) Call Bhai Mati Das “Guru Mati Das Sharma” 23) To do parkash of Sree Guru Granth Sahib in Mandirs and put pictures of Hindu Gods in Sikh Gurdwaras 24) Project Guru Gobind Singh as having taken a different ideology from Guru Nanak and to make him into a Patriotic Hero of India. 25) Make all of Sikh history take a Hindu tint. |
This video shows how the RSS Hindutva Forces in an effort to absord Sikhism into Hinduism to make a superstate of Hindutva a pure Hindu race Hindi,Hindu,Hindustan inspried by Hitler are twisting and changing Sikh History to suite their evil plans to wipe out a while nation.
See here for more info:
http://www.panthic.org/news/129/ARTICLE/1524/2005-07-10.html
SIGN HERE TO BAN THE RSS http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/bantherss/
RSS's Operation Shudi Karan Rape Sikh Girls 1984
Small video showing a small insight into operation shudhee karan (Rape Sikh Girls )carried out by Indian forces on Sikh women across Panjab.This is how Hindu INDIA OPPRESSES Sikhs,with the backing of Govts,and Right Wing Extremist Genocidal groups more info
Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8439888881&ref=ts
Outline of Shudi Karan
Operation Shudi Karan was carried out to convert Sikh Girls into the Hindu faith,Shudi Karan means conversion,it was used a an interogation tool to find the where abouts of Sikh Freedom Fighters,it was used physcologically to instill fear within the Sikh Panth so that they would ultimately be demoralised and would give up their fight for freedom,the horror and sheer terror of Shudi Karan was designed to finish of any Sikh Movement that was left,army officers at times for fun would carry out 'Shudi Karan' rape at their urge just to satisfy themselves,it was used as a metaphor to tell Sikhs that they will be finished off and that their offspring will not be Sikhs but children born out of Shudi Karan as Hindus.This was the way it was used to instill fear and demoralise Sikhs so that they would bow down to the tyrants of Delhi who were raping their girls and killing their children and blowing up their places of worship
AFTER SHUDI KARAN AN OPERATION CALLED OPERATION SHAANTI WAS PLANNED WHICH INVOLVED CARPET BOMBING OF THE PANJAB TO FINISH OF SIKHS
MORE INFO BELOW
http://frontlinepunjabiyouth.blogspot.com/2007/12/what-was-operation-shanti.html
Concerned citizens demand ban on RSS
By TCN News,
New Delhi: Concerned citizens affiliated to various groups have demanded immediate ban on RSS for its involvement in terror activities in the country. They also demanded an urgent and impartial time-bound enquiry in all the terror bomb blast cases to bring the fundamentalist Hindutva forces to book.
“Banned several times earlier, and accused in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, their [RSS’s] sinister fronts and masterminds have been behind innumerable tragic events, violence and massacres which have rocked the country: from a series of communal riots, to Babri Masjid demolition and the riots thereafter, to the State sponsored Sangh Parivar carnage in Gujarat 2002, to the series of organised terror bomb blasts which killed hundreds across the Indian landscape in recent times… We, the undersigned, demand an immediate ban on the RSS and all its front organisations and wings,” they said in a joint statement today.
They also condemned the recent attack by RSS workers on the office of news channels Aaj Tak and Headlines Today in New Delhi following the channel’s broadcast of sting operation exposing the hand of RSS leaders in terror conspiracy.
“We strongly condemn the recent attack by hundreds of RSS goons on the office cum studio of leading news channels Aaj Tak and Headlines Today. This vicious sequence was supplemented by yet another attack on another TV network in Mumbai by yet another lawless mob of the Shiv Sena. There have been many cases earlier, though none as big as the recent attack, when various RSS outfits have attacked the media violently, in a planned moved to terrorise and intimidate,” the citizens said.
It is widely known that the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), which claims to be a cultural outfit, is the umbrella organisation of the entire Sangh Parivar, and the political vanguard of the family. It appoints and dismisses BJP presidents. It even decides chief ministers and cabinet ministers of BJP governments. Most BJP leaders are confirmed RSS members. It is aligned symbiotically with VHP/Bajrang Dal and a network of similar lumpen organisations. It has thousands of branches which have been at the forefront of not just spreading communalised-hate propaganda but also in carrying out various kinds of systematic and underground terror and violent activities especially through Abhinav Bharat, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal.
“The sting operation executed by Headlines Today/Aaj Tak and stories covered by other media houses show that he RSS think-tank connived in the bomb blast at Ajmer Shrief shrine on October 11, 2007. Some of the cases where the sinister hands and minds of the Hindutva forces are being explicitly talked about are: Nanded/ April 6, 2006, Delhi/ April 14, 2006, Malegaon (Maharashtra)/ September 8, 2006, Samjhauta Express (Haryana)/ February 18, 2007, Mecca Masjid (Hyderabad)/ October 18, 2007, Kanpur/ August 24, 2008, Delhi/ September 27, 2008, Malegaon and Modasa (Gujarat)/ September 29, 2008, Grace church at Margao in South Goa/ October 16, 2009.”
ANHAD as well many other civil society organisations and several media publications/ channels have raised the question about the organised and penetrative involvement of Sangh in terror activities many a times during the past five years in the media as well as with various political parties and the government.
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