Editor: Rekha Saraswat

THE RADICAL HUMANISTAUGUST 2014Vol. 78 No 5 Rs. 20/month

(Since April 1949)Formerly : Independent India

(April 1937- March 1949)

533

Founder Editor: M.N. Roy

THE RADICAL HUMANIST AUGUST 2014

FOUNDER EDITOR

M. N. ROY

(Page 3)

EDITOR

REKHA SARASWAT

(Page 2)

THIS MONTH'S CONTRIBUTORS

UDAY DANDAVATE

(Page 5)

AKANKSHA SINGH

(Page 30)

NAMITA S. KALLA

(Page 33 )

KULDIP NAYAR

(Page 9)

K.S. CHALAM

(Page 20 )

NIGEL BARBER

(Page 7)

K. PRATAP REDDY

(Page 22)

RAJINDAR SACHAR

(Page 16)

BONANI MISRA

(Page 30)

1


The Radical Humanist

Monthly journal of the

Indian Renaissance InstituteDevoted to the development of the

Renaissance Movement; and for promotion of

human rights, scientific-temper, rational

thinking and a humanist view of life.

Founder Editor:

M.N. Roy

Editor:

Dr. Rekha Saraswat

Contributory Editors:

Prof. A.F. Salahuddin Ahmed, Dr. R.M. Pal,

Professor Rama Kundu

Publisher and Printer:

Mr. N.D. Pancholi

Send articles to: Dr. Rekha Saraswat, C-8,

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Ph. 91-11-22712434, 91-11-23782836,

09811944600

Please Note: Authors will bear sole

accountability for corroborating the facts that

they give in their write-ups. Neither IRI / the

Publisher nor the Editor of this journal will be

responsible for testing the validity and

authenticity of statements & information cited by

the authors. Also, sometimes some articles

published in this journal may carry opinions not

similar to the Radical Humanist philosophy; but

they would be entertained here if the need is felt

to debate and discuss upon them.

—Rekha Saraswat

Vol. 78 Number 5 August 2014

www.theradicalhumanist.com

1. From the Editor’s Desk:

The Universal Dilemma of Communal Hatred

—Rekha Saraswat 2

2. From the Writings of M.N. Roy:

Historical Role of Islam: The Mission of Islam 3

3. Guests’ Section:

Give Modi a Chance

—Uday Dandavate 5

Why Atheism Will Replace Religion:

New Evidence

—Nigel Barber 7

4. Current Affairs’ Section:

Modi’s 50 Days in Office

—Kuldip Nayar 9

B.J.P. Delusion:Article 370 of Constitution of

India cannot be abrogated

—Rajindar Sachar 16

Testing Competencies not imparted is Unethical

—K.S. Chalam 20

5. IRI / IRHA Members’ Section:

Security Apprehensions in the Minds of our

Muslim Brethren in India

— K. Pratap Reddy 22

6. Academicians' Section:

The theme of Existentialism in Vikram Seth’s

An Equal Music

—Bonani Misra

—Akanksha Singh 30

7. Book Review Section:

Afterglow

—Namita S. Kalla 33

8. Humanist News Section: 35

a) Prabuddh Nagrik Shakti Manch

b) NAPM Response on Union Budget and Rail

Budget

Contents

From the Editor's Desk:

The Universal Dilemma ofCommunal Hatred

—Rekha Saraswat

Human nature is very complicated yet

very comprehensible. One needs to look

within one’s own self to grasp its intricacies. Each

individual lives with two parallel identities,

personal and social; and continues to bring a

balance between the two till he is alive. Which

characteristic will over-power the other depends

upon the level of personal growth and development

in the circumstances available to each person. And

this directly becomes the cause of as well as the

effect upon human behavior. Each human being

has an individual brain which continues to guide

his thought process influencing his verbal and

motor responses. The mind uses past experiences

stored inside it to interpret the existing state of

affairs and responds accordingly.

Another important factor that persuades human

reaction is the level of cultural maturity the person

has achieved which decides his power of

independent thinking. The more insecure he is

about his ‘being’ the more irrational will be his

'mob-rejoinders'. The less sure he is about his own

convictions the more controlled he will be by

external pressures. The more confused he is about

the value and reason of his own existence the more

chances arise of his emotional exploitation.

It becomes difficult for an average being to follow

the rational dictates of his mind if the crowd around

him wants him to emotionally respond in a

particular situation to prove his solidarity with it or

face the consequences of isolation later. In his fear

of segregation he loses his commonsense and

refuses to use his reason and rationale during

mob-frenzy. But why does a group behavior lack

patience and usually tends to become impulsive? It

is because the sum-total of the individual’s

narcissism culminates into

'community-self-eulogization'. The psychology of

‘I am the best’, ‘what I say is the only truth’ and

‘what I believe in is perfect’ is needed for survival

against all odds and to save one’s self-esteem from

continuous bouts of uncertainty and pressures. But

when it evolves into ‘group-insecurities’ its effect,

in reverse, begins to jeopardize the survival

instincts of other groups. Different assemblages are

identified by the similarities in their behavior

which they develop after long and continuous

mutual-associations; each group developing its

own religion, its individual moral codes of social

conduct and its personal cultural beliefs. This is a

normal process of growth of civilizations.

But the problem arises when each or some of these

communities begin to assert their individual

superiority over the other. When narcissist

tendencies of ‘we are the best’, ‘our moral and

social codes of conduct are superior to all others’,

‘our culture is the most civilized’ and ‘our religion

is the most humane’ blow beyond proportion for

material, political and power gains the individual

who has learnt to peacefully exist in group-shelter

and has developed his identity in his own

community becomes mesmerized and gets caught

in the fury of communal hatred. His life’s candle

burns from both ends; he is the most harmed in the

burning passions. Killings, lootings, burnings, loss

of jobs for daily wagers; and then the government’s

administrative measures also take their toll upon

him only.

All extremist groups of different religions and the

terrorist outfits use him. He is their culprit as well

as their victim. He is the overt culprit in the

mayhem that they master-mind. He is the victim of

their latent self-seeking ambitions as well as of the

judicial chastising and punishments of the state’s

law and order machinery. There is an influx of such

tragedies in U.P. but the phenomenon is

world-wide. Palestine, Israel, Syria, Libya, Iraq,

Afghanistan, Ukraine are the latest examples. How

to help him disentangle from the ever-enlarging

sinister cobwebs of the power seekers is a problem

we may deal with in the month!!

2


From the Writings of M.N. Roy:

Historical Role of IslamChapter III

Social and Historical Background of Islam

The freedom of exile brought the

representatives of those diverse faiths

into closer contact enabling them to see what was

common to them all. In the calm atmosphere of

toleration, their heterodoxy disappeared, the fire of

proselytism died out, and the common essence of

the teachings of the learned guests was imparted to

the hospitable Beduin. In short, the Barbarians of

the desert inherited the best the religions of

antiquity had to offer, namely, the faith in the

existence of one supreme God who is exalted above

all the powers of heaven and earth, but who had

revealed himself to mankind from time to time

through his Prophets. Here is the essence of Islam

crystallized in the spiritual consciousness of the

Arabian people before Mohammad appeared with

the mission of building a new religion on its basis.

The spirit of Islam was not invented by the genius

of Mohammad; nor was it revealed to him. It was a

heritage of history conferred on the Arabian nation.

The greatness of Mohammad was his ability to

recognise the value of the heritage and make his

countrymen conscious of it.

The Arabs had acquired the notion of one Supreme

God; but out of habit and for tribal interests, they

still practiced their old polytheistic worship. To be

benefited by the positive outcome of earlier

religions, delivered to them as a heritage of history,

they must change their traditional mode of worship.

A supreme effort must be made with this purpose;

and Mecca was the most strategic point to lead the

attack from.

The particularist freedom and internecine feuds of

the Arabian tribes were mutually compromised and

composed at Mecca. All routes of trade led there.

The unity of the economic interest of the

decentralized nation had created at Mecca a symbol

of precarious spiritual unity. All the tribes from

distant parts of the vast desert, while visiting the

market of Mecca, worshipped in the temple of

Caaba. Each had introduced there its own emblem

of devotion. The temple had been adorned with no

less than three hundred and sixty idols of men,

eagles, lions, etc. But the prosperous tribe of

Koreish dominated the trade of Mecca, and the

powerful family of Hashim had seized control of

the temple. It was natural that the new spirit of a

rising Faith, which would further economic interest

through national unity, should be first felt

consciously at the heart of the nation. So, it

happened that a member of the Hashemite family

began to preach the new religion.

Once the family of Hashim and the tribe of Koreish

were converted to the new faith, the whole nation

would follow soon. All the tribes must visit Mecca

for the purpose of trade. Those who controlled the

trade of Mecca could easily dictate the faith and

conscience of the entire nation. But prejudice and

habit induced the Koreish to persecute the

innovating zeal of the kinsmen. They were afraid

that trade would be driven away from Mecca,

should the Pantheon of Caaba be disturbed. But

there were others ready to assume the leadership of

the revolution, when the most eligible candidate

failed. Medina espoused the cause of the Prophet,

and the call of unity found enthusiastic response in

other quarters. The supremacy of Mecca was

menaced. One family after another defected from

the Koreish conservatism, and joined the

revolutionary Hashemites. Before long the Koreish

capitulated before their exiled kinsmen, but only to

capture the scepter of the “Commander of the

Faithful”

As soon as the followers of the Prophet captured

Mecca, a perpetual law was passed that no

unbeliever should be allowed to set foot on the

territory of the Holy City. The new religion was

imposed upon the entire nation with the potent

weapon of economic boycott. Caaba was cleared of

its idols and became the shrine of “Mohammad’s


3

God”. Once the standard of the new religion was raised,

the whole nation flocked under it. The ground had been

prepared. The faith had unconsciously taken hold of the

mind before it was preached. Economic interest

demanded its establishment.

Continued..............

[Publisher’s Note: This book, first published in

1939, was written when Roy was in jail in the early

thirties under a sentence of twelve years rigorous

imprisonment, later reduced to six, for ‘conspiring

to deprive’ the king-Emperor of his sovereignty in

India. Looking back at events in the intervening

period, one might wish that this book had been read

more widely in the decade before the Indian

sub-continent became independent and at the same

time partitioned into two States. A better

knowledge and more objective understanding of

the history of Islam on the part of Muslim as well as

non-Muslim India might have prevented much of

the later tragic developments and human suffering.

But it is never too late for knowledge and

understanding to undo the harm that the lack of

them has done. Hence, this small book on the

historical role of Islam, in East and West, may itself

have a historical role to play, apart from its

intrinsic value as a scholarly treatise, beautifully

written, on a fascinating chapter of human history.]


4

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country. —Rekha S.

Guests' Section:

Give Modi a Chance—Uday Dandavate

This comment did not come from a Modi

supporter nor from a recent convert to his

agenda of development. A friend of mine, who

shares with me liberal values provoked me with a

further nudge, "How long should we just keep

judging him only on the basis of his role in Gujrat

riots? Maybe he does want to make a difference.

There is no doubt that his personal charisma and his

strong leadership earned him a solid mandate and

we need to let him govern."

My response to the provocation was balanced- not

quite typical of a staunch Modi skeptic that I am.

Well, Modi has a mandate and he is in the

government. It would be foolish of me to even

think that I could let him govern or not let him

govern". The reality is- India's politics is changing.

The congress party has been dismissed with

contempt. Political discourse in coming days is

more likely to be dominated by sound bytes from

the BJP and Mr. Modi. I fear that parliamentary

democracy would be compromised without vibrant

clash of ideas and a vigilant citizenry eager to

present, challenge and build on each others' ideas.

Sitting in the visitors' gallery of Lok Sabha for

several years, I have witnessed historical speeches

and invaluable ideas being presented by leaders of

the opposition. I have also seen Ministers and

Prime Ministers taking down copious notes during

these speeches. Both Mrs. Indira Gandhi and

Rajeev Gandhi have acknowledged publicly that

they made it a point to listen to the speeches made

by veteran Parliamentarians for refining their own

thinking on public policies. In this background, I

feel a need for a strong voice of dissent and a strong

mobilization of vigilance to keep the ideas of the

ruling party challenged every step along the way.

Unfortunately over the past several years a new

idea is being promoted, primarily by parties and

leaders who prescribe to authoritarian methods of

managing their own parties, that voice of dissent is

meant to be muzzled and challenging atrocities

committed by the state is akin to treason. I do not

subscribe to the idea that Modi will only bring harm

to India- I do believe he would want to leave an

imprint on the history by translating his beliefs into

fundamental shifts in governance. The point is- we

don't have to grant him a free reign to impose his

beliefs.

A big weakness in authoritarian mode of

governance is that it relies on the knowledge,

intelligence and authority of a single individual and

his/her coterie of advisers. Authoritarian mode of

governance promotes sycophants, eliminates

dissent, and confines innovation within the ivory

towers of a small coterie. Authoritarian model turns

government administration at lower level into

perpetrator of violence and corruption against the

powerless commoners. On the other hand, there is

clear evidence in the success of open source models

of development that when a leader assumes the role

of a catalyst and a cultivator of ideas present in the

wisdom of larger population, more robust, relevant,

refined and sustainable solutions to pressing

problems emerge. A culture of accommodating

diverse view points is central to open source

development.

Authoritarian leaders tend to pursue their own

social affiliates and listen to their biases when

building power structures. They tend to consolidate

their power by exploiting superstitious, and fueling

communal and cultural chauvinism. Every

authoritarian leader in a democracy sees

himself/herself as a benevolent dictator. That is

why popular dole outs are commonplace in

authoritarian governance.

Therefore, I say to my friend, who wants to give

Mr. Modi some time to prove himself, "Modi has

the next five years to prove himself. However, the

responsibility of progressive Indians, who are

skeptical of his belief system and the intentions of


5

the Sangh Parivar, there is an urgent need to build a

strong counter point that can alert the masses to the

need for cultivation of discourse and dissent as a

foundation of innovative change. Let the Congress

party languish in an exposed state. The only way to

build a credible alternative to Mr. Modi's style of

governance st to help develop participatory tools

and methods of governance that can provide

evidence of the rich potential of the ideas and

dissent emanating from common citizens.

[Uday Dandavate studies people, cultures and

trends worldwide and inspires people centered

innovation strategies. He heads a design

research consulting firm, SonicRim in U.S.A. He

writes and speaks on topics related to people

centered design and innovation in international

journals and conferences.

[email protected]]


6

An Appeal to the Readers

Indian Renaissance Institute has been receiving regular requests from readers, research scholars,

Rationalists and Radical Humanists for complete sets of books written by M.N. Roy. It was not possible

to fulfil their demands as most of Roy's writings are out of print. IRI has now decided to publish them

but will need financial assistance from friends and well-wishers as the expenses will be enormous

running into lakhs. IRI being a non-profit organization will not be able to meet the entire expenses on

its own. Initially, following 15 books have been ordered for print: New Humanism; Beyond

Communism; Politics, Power and Parties; Historical Role of Islam; India’s Message; Men I Met; New

Orientation; Materialism; Science & Philosophy; Revolution and Counter-revolution in China; India in

Transition; Reason, Romanticism and Revolution; Russian Revolution; Selected Works-Four

Volumes; Memoirs (Covers period1915-1923).

Cheques /bank drafts may be sent in the name of ‘Indian Renaissance Institute’ at (address):

Shri B.D. Sharma, Advocate, Chamber No.111 (Old), Supreme Court, New Delhi-110001

Online donations may be sent to: ‘Indian Renaissance Institute’

Account No: 02070100005296; FISC Code: UCBA0000207

UCO Bank, Supreme Court Branch, New Delhi (India)

We make an earnest appeal to you to please donate liberally for the cause of the spirit of renaissance and

scientific thinking being promoted in the writings of M.N. Roy.

Thanking you.

B.D. Sharma N.D. Pancholi, Narottam Vyas

President (IRI) Secretary (IRI) Treasurer (IRI)

Why Atheism Will ReplaceReligion: New Evidence

—Nigel Barber

The illusion of religion helps people feel

good, despite miserable experiences.

Atheists are heavily concentrated in economically

developed countries, particularly the social

democracies of Europe. In underdeveloped

countries, there are virtually no atheists. Atheism is

a peculiarly modern phenomenon. Why do modern

conditions produce atheism? In a new study to be

published in August, I provided compelling

evidence that atheism increases along with the

quality of life 1.

First, as to the distribution of atheism in the world,

a clear pattern can be discerned. In sub-Saharan

Africa there is almost no atheism2. Belief in God

declines in more developed countries and atheism

is concentrated in Europe in countries such as

Sweden (64% nonbelievers), Denmark (48%),

France (44%) and Germany (42%). In contrast, the

incidence of atheism in most sub-Saharan countries

is below 1%.

The question of why economically developed

countries turn to atheism has been batted around by

anthropologists for about eighty years.

Anthropologist James Fraser proposed that

scientific prediction and control of nature supplants

religion as a means of controlling uncertainty in our

lives. This hunch is supported by data showing that

the more educated countries have higher levels of

non belief and there are strong correlations

between atheism and intelligence.

Atheists are more likely to be college-educated

people who live in cities and they are highly

concentrated in the social democracies of Europe.

Atheism thus blossoms amid affluence where most

people feel economically secure. But why?

It seems that people turn to religion as a salve for

the difficulties and uncertainties of their lives. In

social democracies, there is less fear and

uncertainty about the future because social welfare

programs provide a safety net and better health care

means that fewer people can expect to die young.

People who are less vulnerable to the hostile forces

of nature feel more in control of their lives and less

in need of religion. Hence my finding of belief in

God being higher in countries with a heavy load of

infectious diseases.

In my new study of 137 countries1, I also found that

atheism increases for countries with a

well-developed welfare state (as indexed by high

taxation rates). Moreover, countries with a more

equal distribution of income had more atheists. My

study improved on earlier research by taking

account of whether a country is mostly Moslem

(where atheism is criminalized) or formerly

Communist (where religion was suppressed) and

accounted for three-quarters of country differences

in atheism.

In addition to being the opium of the people (as

Karl Marx contemptuously phrased it), religion

may also promote fertility, particularly by

promoting marriage3. Large families are preferred

in agricultural countries as a source of free labor. In

developed countries, by contrast, women have

exceptionally small families. I found that atheism

was lower in countries where a lot of people

worked on the land.

Even the psychological functions of religion face

stiff competition today. In modern societies, when

people experience psychological difficulties they

turn to their doctor, psychologist, or psychiatrist.

They want a scientific fix and prefer the real

psychotropic medicines dished out by physicians to

the metaphorical opiates offered by religion. No

wonder that atheism increases along with

third-level educational enrollment.

The reasons that churches lose ground in developed

countries can be summarized in market terms. First,

with better science, and with government safety

nets, and smaller families, there is less fear and

uncertainty in people's daily lives and hence less of

a market for religion. At the same time many


7

alternative products are being offered, such as

psychotropic medicines and electronic

entertainment that have fewer strings attached and

that do not require slavish conformity to

unscientific beliefs.

References:

1. Barber, N. (in press). A cross-national test of the

uncertainty hypothesis of religious belief.

Cross-Cultural Research.

Barber, N. (2012). Why atheism will replace

religion: The triumph of earthly pleasures over pie

in the sky. E-book, available

at:http://www.amazon.com/Atheism-Will-Replace

-Religion-ebook/dp/B00886ZSJ6/

2. Zuckerman, P. (2007). Atheism: Contemporary

numbers and patterns. In M. Martin (ed.), The

Cambridge companion to atheism. Cambridge:

Cambridge University Press. This book is not held

by any U.S. Library.

3. Sanderson, S. K. (2008). Adaptation, evolution,

and religion. Religion, 38, 141-156.

[This article was published on July 14, 2011 by

Nigel Barber, in The Human Beast

Nigel Barber, Ph.D., is an evolutionary

psychologist as well as the author of Why Parents

Matter and The Science of Romance, among other

books.]

Article Source URL:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-hu

man-beast/201107/why-atheism-will-replace-re

ligion-new-evidence

—Article received courtsey Mahipal Singh


8

Current Affairs:

Modi’s 50 Days in Office—Kuldip Nayar

If the first 50-odd day of rule by Prime

Minister Narendra Modi is any guide, it is

the rightist government which has taken over India.

The Nehruvian ideology which tilts towards left

has been jettisoned. Once again, free enterprise and

unencumbered trade will motivate people.

This is a turnaround from the policies that has

guided the nation so far. The public sector will

shrink and the rich will expand their area of

influence and operation. This is a logical

consequence of a free economy. How far Modi will

go to remove limitations on unplanned enterprise is

difficult to say, but there is no doubting of

governance by the rich and powerful. It is bound to

drive the weak to the wall because the capitalist

system knows no other way to grow. Yet Modi

should be prepared to face stiff opposition from the

beneficiaries of the system which is leftist in

content.

However, there is nothing dynamic about the

programmes and policies which Modi has

unfolded. His election campaign promised so much

and aroused the aspirations of people to such a

length that his budget is considered inadequate to

bring about the changes which are necessary to go

forward.

Modi’s rule so far has been tepid and devoid of any

spectacular step to pull India out from the mire of

non-development in which it is stuck. The absence

of push becomes all the more glaring when there is

no lessening of poverty. Former RBI governor

Rangarajan’s report released a few days ago finds

three out of 10 Indians below the poverty line. This

is more than what we inherited when the British left

in August 1947.

It is disappointing to see Modi government not

taking concrete and immediate steps towards

bringing down inflation. After having experienced

a long spell of non-governance under the Congress

rule, I thought that the BJP government would spell

out legal and other measures to set the strangled

economy free to grow. The budget has not told us

how and when.

Instead, the government looks too timid to take

steps which would be considered risky. When the

BJP on its own has a majority in the Lok Sabha, it is

difficult to make out the reason for its halting

approach. During the election campaign Modi had

promised to cut red tape to ensure a rapid growth.

When it comes to action there is hesitation, if not

lethargy, on the part of the government.

The BJP should understand that the development

can mitigate the party’s parochial image. In an

atmosphere where the growth is slow people miss

the pluralistic society all the more. The only

redeeming factor is that the BJP government has

not underlined its communal agenda. Yet who

knows whether the Modi government will go back

to the policy of dividing people after making them

complacent.

In fact, it looks as if Modi is going out of the way to

give the impression that after becoming Prime

Minister he has changed his stance of promoting

Hindu nationalism. His party, the BJP, talks about

secularism all the time as if there is no contradiction

between a Hindu state and a pluralistic society.

True, this is the line of the RSS which believes that

all those born in India are Hindus irrespective of

whatever faith they may be pursuing. Yet the BJP

has kept a distance from the RSS because it is seen

as an advocate of hard line. In fact, the RSS men are

joining the BJP to get advantage of comparatively

better image it has.

Modi remained within limits when he went to

Srinagar a few days ago. He did not say that the

state was an integral part of India as he did earlier.

He merely remarked that he would pursue former

Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s line of

humanism. Even the hartal in Srinagar on the day of

his visit did not provoke him to react differently.


9

Perhaps, he thought that he had already sent a

message across by visiting the state of Jammu and

Kashmir within days of his taking over.

The problem with Modi is his image. He is

considered anti-Muslim in a country which has

roughly 18 million Muslims. They, indeed, feel

insecure. They still recall his complicity in

anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat in 2002. Although a

special investigation team (SIT) under the

supervision of state high court has given him a

clean chit, the tag of partisanship still pursues him.

As Prime Minister, he should go out of the way to

win the confidence of the minorities. His

accommodative approach towards the SAARC

countries—three of them are Muslim—is a step in

the right direction. Yet he has to do more to win

their trust as Vajpayee did.

I do not see yet any glaring false step in the

governance. Elections are such a torrid experience

that even the largest political party or a popular

leader takes time to get adjusted to the cold reality

of failure. This is what has happened to the

Congress and its leader, Sonia Gandhi. Both have

not yet recovered from the loss on the

parliamentary election after ruling the country for a

decade. The Congress has been reduced to a rump

of 44 in a 543-member Lok Sabha. It is time for the

party to analyse what went wrong. But the

statements by the Congress leaders reflect

complacency.

The insistence by the Congress leaders to be

recognized as the Leader of the Opposition (LoP)

makes little sense. When the party does not have

the mandatory one-tenth of members, that is 55, in

the Lok Sabha it should have accepted the defeat

and faced the facts. There have been occasions

when the Telugu Desam Party, despite being the

single largest outfit, did not get the LoP status some

years ago. I can understand the Congress’s

predicament. But the party should not make it a big

issue and instead leave it at that.

The voters who have returned the BJP want to see

the implementation of promises made by Modi. But

then these are early days in his governance. We

should wait for another 50-odd days to see before

assessing his performance since that is the target he

has set for himself and his ministers.

Defeat Talibanisation

I find it strange that New Delhi is not

seriously considering the pros and cons of

what happens once the American and NATO forces

reduce their presence in Afghanistan only in the

shape of a few thousand troops. US Secretary of

State Kerry has visited Kabul to devise the policy

after the withdrawal. But New Delhi is not in the

picture.

No doubt, the Afghans have the best goodwill

towards India because it has helped them to set up

hospitals, schools and build roads. Yet Islamabad,

which considers Afghanistan its “strategic depth,”

wants the country to be its satellite. New Delhi has

tried to persuade Islamabad to let Kabul be

independent and sovereign, but Pakistan has not

bitten the bullet.

It all started when the Soviet Union sent its forces

to Afghanistan to impose their ideology on a state

which was saturated with Islamic ideas. America

used the opportunity to bleed the Soviet Union by

training the fundamentalists in Pakistan to make

inroads into Afghanistan without considering the

long-term repercussions. And once the Soviet

Union started retreating from Afghanistan,

Washington lost all interests in the territory leaving

behind arms and other equipment in the field itself.

The fundamentalists used those weapons to

propagate their strict and disciplinarian

interpretation of Islam.

Islamabad had in its mind the armed and trained

Taliban against India and there are numerous

examples to testify that insurgency in Kashmir

were nothing but a byproduct of a bigoted stance to

shut out the participation of non-Muslims in

governance, however unwittingly demanded. I

recall when I met in Kabul a leader from the Masud

group, anti-Taliban in ideology and pro-India in its


10

approach, he told me that the road to Kabul goes

through Islamabad and if New Delhi was really

interested in stopping the tide of fundamentalists, it

should have a serious dialogue with Pakistan.

It is a pity that India refused to have any truck with

Gulbuddin Hekmatyar who was Pakistan’s

confidante. No doubt, he is a nasty person to deal

with, but if we had fixed our eyes on the situation a

decade later, we should have swallowed some of

his anti-India rhetoric. But all this is now history.

The two countries, particularly India, should

formulate some strategy to thwart the Taliban

onslaught, which is bound to take place once they

are sure that the Western forces are not in a position

to match their weapons.

The most disconcerting aspect is the birth of

Tehrik-e-Pakistan Taliban (TTP), an indigenous

growth which is in a position to strike wherever it

wants and whenever it wants. It has proved it again

and again. The recent attack on Karachi airport is

an example. However, the Karachi happening is

only the symptom, not the disease. The disease is

fundamentalism which, to the horror of even

middle-of-the-road Pakistanis, is spreading

rapidly.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has opted for an easy

path. He has been negotiating with the Taliban to

accommodate their aspirations. The reason why the

talks have not gone very far is that the Taliban’s

insistence on Pakistan giving proof of their

sincerity of taking measures like closing

institutions for female literacy and making hijab

(veil) as a compulsory outfit for women in

Pakistan. No doubt the next step they will demand

is a ban on women car drivers, just like in Saudi

Arabia. Music has already been sacrificed on the

altar of extremism. The old time singers or

instrument players have no market in Pakistan.

How ironic that they come to India to earn a

livelihood.

Otherwise liberal but Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was the

person who began placating the fanatics. He is the

one who started a government stipend for the head

maulvis in mosques and declared Ahmediyas as

non-Muslims. Today the graves of Ahmediyas are

being dug and the remains of whatever is left is

thrown out. The Pakistan establishment did not

think even for a minute in humiliating Sir Zafrullah

Khan, a prominent Ahmediya who turned the tables

against India at the UN on Kashmir. In fact, the

complaint which Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru

made at the UN about “Pakistan’s aggression” in

Kashmir went against New Delhi largely because

of his efforts, blessed by Britain.

The past, however bitter, should not now be

recalled at a time when both India and Pakistan

have few options except to organize a joint front to

defeat the Taliban. New Delhi should not forget

that the Taliban would be at the Attari (Amritsar)

border if they are not defeated in Afghanistan itself.

If it is embarrassing for the two countries to talk

about their strategy in the open, they can establish a

back channel as they have done in the case of

Kashmir.

The repercussions of Taliban gaining an upper

hand, first in Afghanistan and then in Pakistan, are

so inimical to the defence and development of India

that it should go out of the way to befriend Pakistan

on a joint approach towards Afghanistan. Since no

serious talk takes place between the two because of

Kashmir, they should keep this problem aside and

allow the two army chiefs to sit across the table and

devise a long-term strategy which would enable

Afghanistan to stay independent.

Of course, this means that Islamabad would have to

change its policy and not consider Afghanistan

their “strategic depth.” This is in Pakistan’s own

interest. The manner in which the Taliban have

begun to count in the affairs of Pakistan should be a

warning that the Taliban would not allow Pakistan

to be a liberal Islamic state.

New Delhi should take the initiative to get America

on board regarding anti-Taliban policy. If and

when they are defeated in their designs both in

Afghanistan and Pakistan, they would cease to be a

force which is beginning to loom large in other


11

Islamic countries where the Taliban-like thoughts

have begun to assert themselves.

It is a pity that India is not seeing the writing on the

wall. At least Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said

to be a strong ruler, should pick up the threads with

Nawaz Sharif on this matter. Both hit it off well

when they met in Delhi. Nawaz Sharif has even

said so in a letter to Modi. Can things in the same

vein go ahead in the interest of policy to contain the

Talibanisation, already quite assertive in Pakistan?

Relics of the Past

Imagine renowned poet Rabindra Nath

Tagore seeking admission to the Culcutta

Club, a preserve of the British, and getting rejected.

Faiz Ahmad Faiz, the legendary Urdu poet,

receiving a similar treatment at Lahore’s Punjab

Club in Pakistan and Nazar-ul Islam at the Dhaka

Club. In all these cases, the public outrage would

have been difficult to assuage.

The white rulers saw to it that the leading clubs in a

country where they had ruled remained an

exclusive place for them and their elitist friends.

Refusal to the non-whites’ clubs was part of

apartheid. Posh clubs would have a billboard at the

entrance saying: Dogs and Indians are not allowed.

Shocking it may sound, but the white rulers

enjoyed humiliating dark Indians, apart from

heaping on them other indignities.

The upper stratum of society which rubbed

shoulders with the white and lived more or less in

the western style was given entry straightway.

Therefore, it was not surprising to find the same

members of the society replacing the white and

making clubs exclusively for their use. The club

management prescribed dress code, the western

style, essential and banned local dress within the

premises.

A club in Chennai went to extent of

banning dhoti consequently. A Madras High Court

judge wearing dhoti was refused entry. There was

an outcry when this happened. Chief Minister J.

Jayalalitha called the act an “insult” to Tamil

culture. The AIDMK chief promised a quick law is

passed to put an end to such a practice. The CM has

also promised prompt action against the Tamil

Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) in Chepauk,

which had denied admission to Justice D.

Hariparanthaman and two other guests, ostensibly

for violating the dress code of the club.

Members and their guests are expected to be

well-dressed, which for men is usually interpreted

as Western attire. “The way of tying the dhoti in

Tamil Nadu style may leave it to a number of

aspects of exposure. Many clubs cite this as a

reason for not allowing guests in dhotis,” a member

of the Madras Club said. However, in a state where

most politicians prefer a dhoti and a white shirt

over the Western attire, charges of indecent

exposure have backfired. R. Gandhi, 77, a senior

advocate who was turned away along with Justice

Hariparanthaman, said it was an “arbitrary

reaction” by the club’s staff against respectable

men “in their natural dress”.

People in South East Asia, however democratic in

their temperament, are enamoured of authority.

Clubs may be the relics of the British rule but they

represent power. That is the reason why clubs of the

past are kept as they were, although they do not fit

into India’s reality of austere living.

Authoritarian police is another relic which has been

retained, with more powers to silence the

opponents. It was an investiture ceremony where

top police officials were being honoured for the

outstanding service they had rendered to trace and

punish those who had committed excesses during

the emergency. In the midst of the ceremony, then

Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi got up and

ended the ceremony.

Another example is the disdain with which the

Police Reforms Commission report was treated by

here. It confirms fears that the Shah Commission

proceedings may have been destroyed. In fact, even

a copy of the report is not available either in market

or in government offices. Does the Congress

believe that the emergency would disappear from


12

the history itself? At least, the Police Reforms

Commission report exists, although its

recommendations have not been implemented

because most state chief ministers are not

less authoritative than Mrs. Gandhi was.

The BJP feels that it can afford to give the

impression of being liberal at a time when soft

Hindutva has engripped even the leftist parties. The

Congress is seen steadily losing its secular

credentials in the past few years despite the fact that

Muslims, by and large, voted in favour of

Congress. But the biggest dilemma facing the

Muslim community today is who among all parties

is liberal. The radicalization of the community is

not the answer, as it is happening. This would be

used as an evidence to stigmatize the community.

Muslim terrorism has no chance against Hindu

terrorism simply because of the numbers.

I realize that some Muslims out of desperation have

taken to violence. But this is the path Hindu

militant organizations like the Bajrang Dal, Ram

Sena and Vishwa Hindu Parishad want the

community to take. The guilt of these organizations

has been proved from the bomb blasts at

Malegaon, Ajmer and Hyderabad. Initially, the

suspicion was on Muslims—as is the police

practice—and the Muslim youth was picked up.

At Hyderabad, they were beaten by the police. But

a detailed investigation revealed a Hindu hand. Had

there been accountability, such chauvinist deeds by

the police would not have taken place. Young men

have been arrested when law courts have found that

there is no evidence against them. Who made the

mistake? Who is responsible for illegal arrests? He

should be punished if the impression that the

Muslim youth was picked up without any rhyme or

reason is to be removed.

A commission has also been appointed under the

chairmanship of former Chief Justice of India J.C.

Varma to suggest changes in rape laws and the

quantum of punishment. The students have asked

for death penalty or chemical castration. Yet it is

strange that the government acted only under

pressure. The authorities pressed the panic button

because for many days all roads leading to India

Gate were closed and even water cannons were

used to push back the agitating students behind the

barricades the police had erected. The lathi-charge

was uncalled for and widely condemned.

The biggest support to the politicians is the police

which are supposed to maintain law and order. The

force has to be purged of sycophants and sluggish

elements. But for that to happen, the police have to

be made independent so that they are free of

pressure from politicians. The worst example is in

Punjab and Haryana where the police force has

become a private army of chief ministers.

Importance Of Being AnExtremist

Amit Shah is a new word in the Sangh

parivar jargon. It means loyalty. Shah is,

without any doubt, Prime Minister Narendra

Modi’s Man Friday. But what differentiates him

from others is the blind faith he has in his master,

Modi. Amit Shah was given the task to polarize the

biggest state of Uttar Pradesh. He won the Bhartiya

Janata Party (BJP) 71 seats out of 80 in the Lok

Sabha in the recent elections.

Modi has now put Shah at the head of the BJP to

spread the same divisive ideas, the Hindutava, all

over the country. One thing is clear from his

appointment: Resistance to extremists has worn out

so much that even a fanatic Hindu like Shah can

occupy the highest position in the Sangh parivar.

He is openly trying to put RSS and Modi’s

government on the same page. For example,

Kaptan Singh Solanki, appointed as governor of

Haryana, is a hardcore RSS member. What it

conveys is that the BJP is willing to be used as an

instrument of RSS.

By stating that the Sangh would take part in politics

Mohan Bhagwat, RSS chief, has only confirmed

the perception that the parivar is dictated by RSS.

This may be against the undertaking that RSS had


13

given to Home Minister Sardar Patel that it would

not participate in political activities. Then the Jan

Sangh had to amend its constitution to re-enunciate

that the organization would remain “devoted

purely to cultural work.” The appointment of

Solanki also sends out the message that there is no

difference between BJP and RSS, the liberals and

the extremists. Both are two sides of the same coin.

Modi may not have taken any step to accelerate the

pace of Hindutava. Yet his prime ministership has

emboldened the RSS elements. So much as that one

BJP member called Sonia Mirza, India’s pride in

tennis, a Pakistani. It must be tough for the

Muslims who have to prove their loyalty to India all

the time. Her husband is no doubt a Pakistani. She

was naturally hurt for being questioned on her

nationality.

The Hindutava of sorts was seen in Haryana where

a separate Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak

Committee (SGPC) the Haryana will control by all

the Gurudawara in the state and their offerings. It is

a serious matter which should have been ponder

over seriously to find a formula to allay the fears of

Sikhs in Punjab and Haryana. RSS considers the

Sikh part of Hindu community. The Sikhs, on the

other hand, are against the assumption. The violent

reaction of Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh

Badal showed that the Punjab Sikhs, a majority in

the community, will not tolerate any division in

what he describes as panth, the Sikh order.

Another unfortunate deduction is that the liberal

elements in the BJP have dwindled in numbers.

They find no option to the RSS leadership. Maybe,

the distance between the BJP and RSS was never a

reality. It was part of the RSS tactics to make a dent

in the general perception that the Indian society

prefers the liberal BJP to the obdurate RSS.

The perception about tolerance in the Hindu

religion is largely true. Had this not been the case,

the constitution would not have said in the

preamble that India would be a secular republic.

The proof is provided by elections where 80

percent of Hindus, who constitute an

overwhelming majority, vote for a liberal India.

Another indication is that even the liberal Muslim

leaders don’t get elected even when their

community constitutes 15 to 16 percent of

population in the country.

The ominous side is that the bigoted are adopting a

still harder line and getting acceptance. Otherwise,

Shah’s elevation makes little sense. After the BJP

victory at the Centre, he has been polarizing the

society and ensuring that the party does not snap its

ties with RSS or the extremist Shiv Sena in

Maharashtra.

The recent episode of forcible-feeding a fasting

Muslim by a Sena MP is in a bad taste. What is

more surprising is the explanation offered by the

MP concerned and others. Several Sena members

failed to condemn the MP and instead said it was

done only to let the authorities know that the food

supplied at the Maharastra Sadan was awfully bad.

Though the Sena MP had subsequently apologised,

the party had no business to equate it with some

Muslim men raping women during Ramzan. The

Modi government has at last reacted with Home

Minister Rajnath Singh regretting the incident and

reiterating that the government was committed to

safeguarding the religious freedom guaranteed by

the constitution.

Despite this, Modi’s overall say in favour of

Hindutva cannot be denied. He is associated with

the anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat in 2002. He is also

known for his strong anti-Pakistan and

anti-Bangladesh, the two Muslims republics in

India’s neighbourhood. Amit Shah was part of

Modi’s ministry at Ahmedabad at that time.

Fortunately, Modi also realizes that he should have

good relations with both the nations. His invitation

to the Prime Ministers of Pakistan, Bangladesh and

the Maldives, to his oath-taking ceremony says so.

For Modi to have good relations with India’s

neighbours would strengthen the idea of pluralism,

something that has helped the country to sustain a

liberal atmosphere in the subcontinent.


14

Both New Delhi and Dhaka are fighting against

fundamentalism, represented by the Taliban.

Islamabad is used to do so because it uses them for

fighting ‘a battle of independence’ in Kashmir.

There is also a strong influential lobby within

Pakistan to support fundamentalism which is

spreading in the entire Muslim world.

I wish New Delhi could act against the Hindu

Taliban which is emerging as a serious force. The

liberal Muslims, whether living in Pakistan or

Bangladesh, cannot afford to be complacent in their

resolve to eliminate the Taliban, the

fundamentalists. They want the Islam to abandon

the efforts at reformation and go back to the type of

Islam was at the time of inception 1400 years ago.

They too realize that it is not possible to do that. But

then their approach is based on the strategy in

elections which seem to return a candidate who

supports pluralism. Rulers of Pakistan and

Bangladesh seem to be realistic enough not to do

anything which would scare away the non-Muslim

electorate.

[Kuldip Nayar is a veteran syndicated columnist

catering to around 80 newspapers and journals in

fourteen languages in India and abroad. He may be

contacted at:[email protected]]


15

Important Announcement

The next meeting of the Citizens for Democracy will be held on Saturday & Sunday, the 20th and 21st

September, 2014 , 10 am to 5 pm both days, at Gandhi Peace Foundation, New Delhi.

Main focus would be on electoral reforms, besides other programmes of action as well as building and

strengthening of the organization.

The complete agenda follows shortly.

This advance notice is being given to enable the delegates/invitees to have travel reservations in advance.

Those who wish to have accommodation should inform in advance at least by 20th August, 2014.

N.D.Pancholi, General Secretary (CFD)

Mob.: 91-9811099532

Dear Friends,

Your article for the RH should be emailed to me at: [email protected].

Or posted at: C-8, Defence Colony, Meerut, 250001, U.P.

Please send a passport size photograph and your brief resume if it is being sent for the first time

to the RH.

A note whether it has also been published elsewhere or is being sent exclusively for the RH

should also be attached with it.

— Rekha Saraswat

Mob. : 91-9719333011

B.J.P. Delusion:

Article 370 of Constitution ofIndia cannot be abrogated

—Rajindar Sachar

President of B.J.P. Rajnath has called for a

debate on why Article 370 of the

Constitution should not be abrogated. One wishes

he had sought this enlightenment before including

the provocative item of abrogation of Article 370 in

B.J.P. Election Manifesto.

Apart from legal angle, Togadia’s hate Speech

against Muslims and politically dishonest attempt

by B.J.P. and R.S.S. leaders to paper it over, would

by itself alone be a justification enough for

retention of Article 370 in Muslim Majority State

of J & K.

On August 15th 1947, when India became

independent, J&K was not a part of its territory. It

was only by the Instrument of Accession, dated

27.10.47, signed by the Maharaja of J&K that the

state acceded to the Dominion of India. By clause 3

the Maharaja accepted that the matters specified in

the schedule are the matters with respect to which

the dominion legislature may make laws for the

State of J & K. The instrument further provided that

the terms of instrument shall not be varied by

amendment of the Act or of the Indian

Independence Act unless such amendment is

accepted by the Maharaja. The instrument also

clearly laid down that nothing in the instrument

shall be deemed to commit the State in any way to

the acceptance of any future Constitution of India.

This Instrument accepted only a limited number of

matters, Defence, External Affairs,

Communications, as those with respect to which

the Indian legislature could make laws for J&K.

This special relationship of J&K found its

reflection in Article 370 of the Indian Constitution

which laid down that notwithstanding anything in

the Constitution, the powers of the parliament to

make laws for the State shall be limited to those

matters in the Union List and the concurrent list,

which, in consultation with the Government of the

state, are declared by the president to correspond to

matters specified in the Instrument of Accession,

and such other matters in the said lists with the

concurrence of the State, the president may by

order specify.

Thus by virtue of Article 370 parliament can

legislate for J&K on matters other than those

mentioned in the instrument but only after

obtaining the concurrence of the State of J&K.

(emphasis supplied) Thus J&K has a special status,

unlike the other States in India where Parliament

can legislate on its own on subjects mentioned in

the Union and concurrent lists.

It is no doubt true that Article 370(3) provides that

the President may by notification declare that this

article shall cease to be operative, but the proviso

clearly lays down a limitation that the

recommendation of Constituent Assembly of the

State shall be necessary before the President issues

such a notification. It is not disputed that the

Constituent Assembly of J&K has never given any

such recommendation. In that view, Article 370

cannot be withdrawn by Parliament purporting to

exercise the power of amendment given by Article

368. That the power to amend the Constitution is

not totally unfettered admits of no disputes vide the

famous case of Keshvanand Bharthi, (1973) where

Supreme Court held that a “Constitution like ours

contains certain features which are so essential that

they cannot be changed or destroyed”.

There is also nothing very special in laying this

limitation in Article 370. Even Article 368 limits

the Parliament to make any amendment of the

Constitution which would result in a change in any

of the lists in the Seventh Schedule; such

amendment shall also require to be ratified by the

legislatures of not less than half of the States.

Under our Constitution Governors are only formal

heads of state and have no powers at all in the

administration of the state which is vested in the

Cabinet. But yet by Constitutional Amendment Act


16

1956, Article 371 provides for special

responsibility of the Governor for establishment of

a separate development for Saurashtra and Kutch

(in Gujarat) and Vidharbha in Maharashtra for

equitable allocation of funds for development of

the area. No objection by BJP has been raised

which curtails the power of Gujarat Chief Minister

Modi while there is not such limitation on the Chief

Ministers in other States.

Article 371G introduced by Constitution (55th

Amendment Act 1986) provides that no Act of

parliament in respect of ownership and transfer of

land shall apply to the State of Mizoram unless the

legislative Assembly of State of Mizoram by a

resolution so decides. This provision is identical to

Article 370 of the constitution regarding J & K.

B.J.P. was a party to above amendment. Why does

BJP apply double Standard in the case of Muslim

majority State of J & K.?

Even in U.S.A. such is the width of State autonomy

that an Advocate getting his law degree from

Washington University can not as a matter of right

practice in State of New York. No one has

suggested that this is endangering the unity of

U.S.A.

Recently in the Election fever even Congress seems

to have been entrapped when it also gave an

Election promise to separate Laddakh from the

territory of J&K and even give it a separate

Legislative Assembly. This is the most provocative

suggestion, which can only inflame the sentiments

of people of J&K against India, apart from the fact

that it is not legally possible because J&K

legislature will never give its consent, as provided

by Article 370.

It needs to be appreciated that retention of Article

370 is a matter of self respect and honour and

assertion of its distinct identity for people of J&K.

Can not BJP, even when most of Parties in J&K are

desirous of finding a lasting solution, be statesmen

enough to give up its opposition to Article 370

which no Kashmiri can possibly agree to abrogate

because it is a matter of preserving his special

identity.

Faced with this reality, any politician must realize

that all talk of abrogation of Article 370 is

moonshine and a non-issue. It is also a very

sensitive matter touching the credibility of our

secular professions and the justifiable fears of the

minorities. With all this, when it is also patent that

abrogation of Article 370 is not legally and

constitutionally competent, is there any moral,

political or logical justification to keep up this

empty noise? I submit there is none.

Dominance of PrivateCorporate Sector:

Unacceptable Under theConstitution

Now that the high sounding praise by

Corporate Sector of Modi Governments

maiden budget is less noisy, it is time to look at it

impartially. The insidious pro rich Bullet Train,

Project is an open declaration of anti labour, anti

rural bias in the context of about 60% of rural areas

being only able to use bullock cart type of

transport. As it is, 14% hike in railways fare has

already demoralized the poor. The bullet train

thinking is similar to Queen Marie Antoinette of

France cynical remark who asked “why should

poor protest if they can’t buy bread – let them

instead buy cake.”

The budget has out done UPA in its approach to

Foreign Direct Investment which has been raised in

one sweep from 26% to 49%, which UPA even

though it wanted to, could not do ironically because

of the protest from amongst others BJP itself. Does

it not show double faced-ness in politics which Dr.

Lohia used to lament by emphasizing the morality

angle, namely the absence of approximation

between words and deeds.

The policy on Public Sector Banks has been left

dubious. The market is interpreting it as a gradual

device to privatize banks and even reducing public


17

Banks equity to less than 51%. This thinking in BJP

Government is bound to lead to massive protest

amongst public which still remember the vast

damage done by private banks to serve the need of

their private owners in 1969 and were saved since

then only by nationalization of banks and

prohibiting private banks which were mainly

owned by owners of Industry. Such a ban is on

sound principle of avoiding conflict of private

business interests from those of public interest in

sound banking.

More surprisingly government is planning to go

ahead to off load 5% in ONGC shares for Rs.

17,000 crore notwithstanding the protest by ONGC

that the government will suffer loss and will not be

able to realize its potential value. That Modi

Government considers a policy of disinvestment of

public sector almost as a religious compulsion is

quite evident when almost within weeks of taking

over, the finance Ministry has started exercise to

selling residual government stake of 49% in HZL

and Balco just as earlier UPA Government had

decided to sell the two PSA to the common election

fund donor of both the parties but because of

certain circumstances could not finalize it. There is

a real danger of Modi Government going all out to

dismantle public sector and hand it over to private

oligarchy, even when this action is violative of

Article 39 C of our constitution which mandates

“that the operation of economic system does not

result in the concentration of wealth.........” I feel

strongly that unless a determined combined effort

by all leftist parties and Trade Unions as urged by

Socialist Party (India) is taken throughout the

country, public assets are in danger of being given

almost gratis to the big business lobby which has so

liberally contributed to Modi Campaign.

But a more serious attack on the poor farmers has

been announced by Modi Government to amend

New Land Acquisition Act 2013, which was passed

by UPA Government but with full support of BJP.

This bill was the result of culminating struggle by

scores of trade union and farmer’s organization of

Narmada Bachao Andolan led by Medha Patkar

and legally assisted by Sanjay Parikh. This New

Act was a radical change from old Act which

permitted land to be acquired for Private

Corporations (a provision not to be found either in

USA or UK legislations). Modi government wants

to delete the consent clause which requires 70%

affected parties consent if land is required for

Private Public protect and 80% in case of private

persons and also the compensation package, which

is in accord with international covenants; such a

dilution will be illegal and would be massively

resisted.

One would have expected that the misstatement by

Minister for Minority affairs that Muslims are not a

minority would have been sought to be assuaged in

Modi first Budget by making adequate provision

for the development of Minorities i.e. Muslims,

Christians. But one is disappointed. One would

also have expected some special provision for

recruitment for Minority especially the Muslims in

the police. No doubt it is a hangover from the UPA

government, but must the minorities continue to

suffer intentional neglect both under UPA and now

under BJP government. I should have thought that

Modi would clutch at this opportunity if he wanted

to show his impartiality. I am referring to the

Report “Strategy for making police force more

sensitive towards minority sections prepared by

three Director Generals, of Maharashtra; of U.P.; of

Tamil Nadu along with Intelligence Bureau, which

has concluded that there is a trust deficit amongst

Muslims, who see the Police as Communal biased

and insensitive….” The report emphasized that the

“poor representation of the Minorities in the police

forces has contributed to this distrust and

suspicion”. That the worrisome gap of Muslims in

the police force is no conjecture was clear when

U.P. Government during Muzaffar Nagar killings

was asked by PUCL in 2013 (which had sent an

enquiry team to enquire into killing therein) to post

Muslim inspectors in dominant Muslims area as a

reassurance as had been recommended years back

by a High Powered Committee set up by Central

Government in 2005. Information was however


18

given that it was not possible because Muslims

were only 4% in the police and only 1% as

inspectors ( as against a population of 18% in U.P. a

state-which has been ruled by apparently secular

parties - can hypocrisy in politics go any further).

The above report had called for urgent action at

Director General’s conference held in 2013 (during

UPA) but no action was taken – sad that the

Minorities find themselves orphaned both under

supposedly secular UPA or Modi government

which is openly backed by RSS Communalism.

FDI in retail is being brought back and such is the

unabashed contempt for public opinion that even

the mild provision that 30% sourcing should be

from within India which is compulsory at present

may be dispensed with – a total surrender to foreign

capital by BJP contrary to its earlier position. If

Modi had enquired from President of Brazil, she

would have enlightened him about the role played

by her predecessor President Lula who boldly

fought against “foreign capital” domination and

also that one of the fundamental principles of

Brazil’s constitution is the “Social value of

Labour.” Will Modi rethink and revise the

development model being contemplated for India

which can only damage the country.

[Justice, Rajindar Sachar, Chief Justice (Retd.)

High Court of Delhi, New Delhi; Chairperson

Prime Minister’s High Level Committee On Status

of Muslims (Ex.) UN Special Rappoetuer on

Housing; Member, U.N. Sub-Commission on

Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of

Minorities (Ex.); President, Peoples Union for

Civil Liberties (PUCL) India (Ex.) may be

contacted at:A-19, New Friends Colony, New

Delhi, 110065(India) Tel: 091-11-26847786,

2683019; 9810009644;

[email protected]

[email protected]]


19

Humanist News:

Prof. D. Prempati Is No More

One of the most active members of social justice movement who stood with secular values all his life,

Prof D Prempati passed away in the early hours today morning in Bangalore. He was not keeping well

for past few months and was staying with his son in Bangalore.

Prempatiji taught in Delhi University but frankly speaking his public life was vast and open to all. He

travelled far and wide, Northern India, in particular, UP and Bihar and tried to unite the Mandal forces,

the OBCs and Dalits. His oratory was made for common man and despite Hindi not being his first

language he focused on writing in it. Young people like me had a lot to learn from him. He did not suffer

from ‘academic arrogance’ which is the order of the day and worked like a commoner. Many times,

people could not know that he was a professor of English and a very senior person, such was his

simplicity. His death is a loss to the secular movement for social justice. He worked to unite the non

Brahmanical progressive forces all over the country. He was uncompromising in his fight against

Brahmanical Hindutva and wrote extensively upon it after the demolition of Babari Masjid. His book

Hindutva Hai Kya became very popular with grassroots activists.

—News sent by V.B. Rawat

([email protected])

Testing Competencies notimparted is Unethical

—K.S. Chalam

The storm over the UPSC screening test

known as CSAT (Civil Services Aptitude

Test) in the country seems to have not attracted as

much attention of the academics as that of a

common man in the street. Civil Service

recruitment tests are increasingly considered by

many as public examinations that reflect very little

about the academic components of a discipline

rather theyrely more on the rote memory. That is

why it is said that an engineer trained by an IIT

becomes an IAS officer with History or

Anthropology as subject ofpublic examination.

These tests are not directed to examine the

achievement (learning measure) of a candidate, but

evaluate scholastic capability of the incumbent.

Civil services became popular and reached the

imagination of ordinary people when D.S. Kothari

Committee recommended subtle changes in the

method of examination to accommodate all

categories of aspirants from 1978. It was also the

period that had seen the impact of democratisation

of education after independence in the form of

excluded social groups entering mainstream public

service.

Economic reforms in the year 1991 created many

opportunities and shattered existing structures and

values. This has also influenced the mode of

functioning of civil service system and the civil

servants. Bureaucrats or the paid policy makers are

seen as facilitators to ease conditions for market

players to enter sectors that were once restricted. A

new philosophy of NPM was introduced imitating

our former colonial masters who since then

discontinued after a dissolute experience. Yet, the

boost given to those elite who never had an

experience with the rural life and depraved

conditions of people considered it as a boon for the

development of an emerging new nation. Some of

them even got their grounding prepared elsewhere

to implement some of the dictates of funding

agencies and started evangelizing it in our system

of administration. They did not realise that

governance is different from management of

economic sectors and we have in India sectors that

need empathy, intellectual calibre, social traits and

moral integrity to deal with such issues in the day to

day functioning. Otherwise, the whole exercise of

processing candidates for civil service would be

futile and the government can directly recruit

MBAs from our IIMs and outsource the process to

some HR companies like that of MNCs.

While the discerning exercise over the relevance of

the existing system of governance was continuing,

the government has appointed the Y.K Alagh

committee to review the scheme of civil services

examination in 2001. The committee felt that

majority of candidates are opting subjects based on

“scorability” and not on the basis of their

specialisation. It has recommended replacing the

optional subjects with three sets of compulsory

papers grouped in to different areas of knowledge.

It was the Alagh committee for the first time

mooted the idea of ‘Civil Services Aptitude Test”.

But, the government did not accept the

recommendations of the committee and in the

meanwhile the Second Administrative Reforms

Commission under its tenth Report in 2008

commented on the civil service recruitment. SARC

has categorically said that” the Commission feels

that it cannot be gainsaid that the Combined

Admission Test(CAT) which selects entrants to the

IIMs fails to provide candidates having a

propensity and aptitude for acquiring new

knowledge and skills”. SARC therefore,

recommended that “the Preliminary Examination

should consist of an objective type test having one

or two papers on general studies including the

Constitution of India, the Indian Legal system,

Indian economy, Polity, history and culture. There

should be no optional subjects”. Confused with too

many committees and divergent recommendations,

the UPSC seems to have appointed S.K. Khanna,

Ex-chairman AICTE as chairman with Engineering

and Management professors along with Vineeta


20

Rai and bureaucrats as members. The committee

has recommended the CSAT outline that was

internally discussed by the UPSC and a draft was

sent to the government for its approval. The present

CSAT was notified in 2012 and the test was

conducted to screen candidates for the mains in

2013. The Nigvekar committee was appointed to

recommend the method of examination for the

mains. The plan consisted of General Studies 4

papers, an optional paper and PT with an overall

total of 2075 marks. We may recall that the

recommendations of the committee have also

provoked resentment on allegation of denial of due

weightage to regional languages. However the

results of 2013 are declared and the 2014 CSAT is

due in the month of August 2014.

The efficiency of our administrative mechanism

and the interest groups involved in the process of

decision making and the impromptu nature of our

policy makers on issues of grave concern can be

seen in the present CSAT uproar. It is unfair to

blame UPSC singularly for this mess. It is always

the government, may be the bureaucrats in the

PMO, DOP&T and others who take the final

decisions on issues of policy, though UPSC is an

autonomous constitutional body like the Supreme

Court. However, the committee appointed to

examine the issues of CSAT was initiated by UPSC

and therefore the blame implied. It seems the

government is looking in to the matter and some

reasonable order is expected soon. The candidates

who are from regional languages and are from

Hindi are alleging that their prospects to become

civil servants are weakened. The data from the

annual reports of UPSC show that there is some

reason behind the grumbles of aspirants from

Telugu, Hindi and other languages as the number of

candidates appearing for the examination with

Telugu, Hindi etc as optional has come down and

the number of engineering graduates who qualify

for the services has increased during 2o1o-2012.

There are experts who argue that it is not possible to

test non-cognitive competencies and therefore

analytical and problem solving skills need to be

tried for the entrants in to civil services. But the

fact of the matter is that civil services are wide

opened now unlike the pre-Kothari era. It is really

an All-India and all pervasive service being the

dream career of millions of educated youth cutting

across socio-economic and even educational

backgrounds. It is really a formidable task for

UPSC to satisfy every group and at the same time

meet the high standards of selection. At the same

time test scores are always considered as subjective

judgments particularly in a pluralistic society. Even

the test scores of SAT in the USA for graduate

admissions are indicted by the African Americans,

Hispanics and other minorities as biased in favour

of whites. It represents an iniquitous society. CSAT

comes under this category as of now due to the

biases of our education system that is vertically and

horizontally divided with several inconsistencies.

CAT and CSAT as alleged by the aspirants seem to

be elitist and do not provide the level playing field

to majority of the aspirants, around 70 percent ,who

come from rural backgrounds, regional language

medium and depraved socio-educational

backgrounds. Thus, 70 per cent of the aspirants are

eliminated from reckoning at the entry level itself.

Further, our education system today is totally

paralysed and the urban middle classes and those

who could afford to send their children to elite

schools are taught the prerequisites of reasoning,

analytical skills, interpersonal skills, mental ability

and all that is required for management and

engineering education. The rural schools and the

regional medium instruction do not have academic

and financial resources to cater to the needs of

things like CSAT. Is it moral and honest to test in a

subject that was not taught to qualify candidates not

for a degree but for a lifelong service?

[K.S. Chalam former Vice- Chancellor, Dravidian

University, Kuppam (AP) and Ex-Member, UPSC

is the author of ‘Governance in South Asia: State of

the Civil Services’, Sage 2014, He may be

contacted at: [email protected]]


21

IRI / IRHA Members' Section:

Security Apprehensions in theMinds of our Muslim Brethren

in India—K. Pratap Reddy

Time and again we have been hearing

some apprehensions of insecurity from

our Muslim brethren in India. To my mind such

apprehensions of insecurity are based upon or are

arising out of a misreading of the history of India.

While such misapprehensions in the minds of

uneducated Muslims could be understood, we are

surprised to hear such things, even from some

persons who are also educated and supposed to be

well informed about historical background of the

growth of Indian Nation before independence and

are continuing even thereafter, out of ignorance of

the constitutional guarantees as are now existing in

our Constitution.

Recently, Editor, Mr. Zahid Ali Khan wrote in his

Urdu daily, Siyasat that “in spite of 800 years of

Muslim Rule in India there is a feeling of insecurity

among Muslims of India and that they are

compelled to live under the mercy of one or the

other Ruling Party”. It is interesting to note that he

had himself in his own editorial of the same daily,

some weeks earlier, exhorted the Muslims of India

to come into the main stream and participate more

and more in the socio, economic and political polity

of India under the Constitution and try to guide the

whole country as one nation and not to segregate

themselves as a different class and not to depend

upon the mercy or charity of any political party. I

wonder why he diverted himself into a historically

wrong conceptualization of the growth of modern

Indian Nation.

I had decided to write the following article

immediately thereafter with a view to remove the

misapprehensions in the minds of our Muslim

brethren but refrained to do so with a hope that such

misapprehensions would automatically vanish

away by mutual exchanges of view and

understanding in course of time. But again on

28.04.2012, I saw another article in the Siyasat

under the pen-name of Abu Email purporting to

highlight the condition of poor Muslim women

forced to do odd jobs of collecting Kachra for

livelihood in Hyderabad city describing it

Khush-Hal Musalmanon Ka Shahar (happy city of

Muslims) forgetting or ignoring the historical fact

that this city of Hyderabad was and has always also

been the Khush-Hal Shahar (happy city of) of

Hindus and all others as well who constituted in the

past and constitute even today 75 per cent of the

population and among them also there are poor and

old women forced to do the jobs of collecting

Kachra for livelihood in the same proportion of

population.

While starting to write this article, I read another

article in The Hindu daily of Monday, 7th May,

2012 written by Sri. Hilal Ahmed, an Associate

Fellow, Centre For the Study of Developing

Societies, Delhi, under the Heading Do India’s

Muslims Need to be represented by Muslims? After

a historical, data based analysis, the learned author

of the Article summed up the predicament of the

problems faced by the Muslim brethren in three

questions which I cite here: one, what are the

Muslim issues? Two, who are responsible for the

present crisis of Muslims? And three, what could

be the way out?

The learned author had, no doubt, tried his best to

address those questions and while not contradicting

and not even disputing the findings given by him, I

have strong conviction that these oft repeated

questions must be addressed on a comprehensive,

but brief historical study of the growth of the Indian

Nation as it exists today.

No historical synopsis of the growth of our Nation,

right from the Aryan invasion of our country up to

the establishment of British Empire, can be better

described than quoting the great poet Iqbal which I


22

am quoting hereunder in Roman Script: Quafiley

Chalte Rahe - Aur Hindustan Banta Gaya

I would like to emphasize the fact that there has

been no single Muslim Rule much less had there

been any single Hindu Rule, Christian Rule,

Buddhist Rule or any other Religious Rule in the

History of India. As everywhere else in the world,

every Rule in India was wielded by force of sword

and sometimes by barbaric force; under the pretext

of and even at the cost of denigrating that very

religion, they, the Rulers (or wielders of sword)

were proclaiming, with very few exceptions like

Ashoka and Akbar, who were, therefore, called by

the historians as Ashoka the Great and Akbar the

Great.

On account of wonderful natural resources like

water and other means of better livelihood, which

were either rarely existing or not existing in some

other parts of the world, the hitherto

semi-barbaric-hunting and nomadic tribes, moving

from place to place in search of food and good

habitation, came into this country and settled here

and later civilized themselves. One will not find

any other country in the world, which has given

shelter to almost all the races in the world. Name

any race of the world and they are all found in India

in some measure or the other. Leaving apart the

earlier un-recorded history, the Aryans (who were

also hunting tribes before coming into India) found

immense natural resources of water and fertility of

land, helping them to grow food. Thus the hitherto

nomadic Aryans settled as a civilized human race in

this land of India and very soon also divided

themselves into different religions as Hindus

(Brahmanical), Buddhists, Jains, Charvakas etc.

After the Aryans came the Kushans led by

Kanishka; thereafter, came Huns in the 4th century.

Then came the Zoarashtrians (Parsees), Chinese,

Greeks, Jews, Christians etc., all of whom got

shelter here on adopting this land as their nation.

Arabs came as traders and were given shelter by the

Hindu King Zamorin in Calicut – (Now named as

Kozhikode), and thus the Arabs settled in Kerala at

first and became part of Indian Nation.

Before we go into the advent or rule by kings

purporting to abide by Islamic faith, it is necessary

to note the historical fact that there have been

several conflicts among various Kingdoms in

India, the greatest being the Kalinga War forcing

Ashoka to adopt Buddhism, in the 2nd and 3rd

centuries and again revival of Hinduism or Hindu

Kingdom in the 4th Century A.D to 7th Century A.D.

Even these kingdoms purporting to be Hindus of

Brahmanical faiths were indulging in constant

warfare only for power and wealth; religion and

faith were used only as excuses to raise wars. The

earlier invasions under the names of Aryans,

Kushans, and Huns were not belonging to any

particular religion or faith. It was only after these

nomadic tribes came to India, that they adopted one

or the other faiths i.e., Brahmanism, Buddhism,

Jainism etc., depending upon the strength the

religions gave them to establish their authorities.

The greed for power and wealth among these

chiefs, Kings or Raja’s was so much that every time

a new adventurist came to India, one or the other

local Chiefs took the support of the invader to take

revenge on their victors or stronger enemies.

It was only at the end of 6th century (i.e., 592 A.D),

that the Islamic faith was introduced by Prophet

Mohammed in Arabia and adventurists that came

into India, thereafter, were described as Muslims

i.e., Arabs, Afghans, Turks, Iranians etc.

Jawaharlal Nehru in his celebrated Book The

Discovery of India in chapter VI Page 244 referring

to the growth of Hindu-Muslim culture and

Indo-Arab relationship wrote as follows, I quote,

“There were no invasions, contacts between India

and Arab world grew, by travel to and fro,

embassies were exchanged, Indian Books,

especially on Mathematics and Astrology were

taken to Baghdad and were translated into Arabic.

Many Indian physicians went to Baghdad. These

trade and cultural relations were not confined to

North India. The southern states of India also

participated in them, especially the Rashtrakutas,

on the west coast of India, for purpose of trade….”


23

This frequent intercourse inevitably led to Indians

getting to know the new religion, Islam.

Missionaries also came to spread this new faith and

they were welcomed, mosques were built. There

was no objection raised either by the State or by the

people, nor were there any religions conflicts. It

was the old tradition of India to be tolerant to all

faiths and forms of worship. Thus Islam came as a

religion to India several centuries before it came as

a political force” (emphasis is mine).

It was about 711-712 A.D. one young Arab

adventurist Mohd Bin Quasim, with the help of the

Buddhist monks, (who were driven away by Hindu

Brahmanical elements) crossed the River Indus and

defeated the Hindu King, Raja Dahir. After a lapse

of about two more centuries i.e., towards the end of

the 10th century A.D., two Afghan nomadic tribal

Chiefs, Alaftagin and Subktagin attempted several

unsuccessful raids into India. About their

successor, Mahmood of Ghazni it is mentioned in a

modern authoritative History book under the title

of An Advanced History Of India, (Mc. Millan

publication), in Part II, Chapter I ‘Medieval India’,

that “in addition to his victorious expeditions in

India, he (Mohammad Gazani) had to his credit two

memorable campaigns against Turks in the course

of which he routed the latter”. So I wish to draw the

attention of the readers that these expeditions were

also against Muslim Rule, only to loot and plunder

by use of sword and, therefore, not for spread of

any civilization much less Islam. The same book at

page number 268, further describes Mohammad

Gazhni as ‘an insatiable invader’ and that he was

neither a missionary for the propagation of religion

in this country nor an architect of empire. His

eastern expeditions seem to have been for the

‘acquisition of wealth’. Nobody can deny that the

great Prophet Mohammad who is the first

revolutionary in the history of the world spread

only three things: Firstly, that there is only one God

for the whole humanity and for the whole of the

universe, and secondly Justice (Insaf) and finally

Mercy (Raham) are the only guiding factors of

humanity.

For almost another 200 years, thereafter, the same

anarchy of invasions into India continued for

power and wealth but the local Hindu Kingdoms

and other Kingdoms in Western Asia prevented

such destructive expeditions. Only in the year 1192

A.D., after several defeats, one Mohammad Ghori

defeated the powerful Rajput King, in conspiracy

with and with the help of the other Rajputs led by

Raja Jayachand. He too could not establish any

Kingdom and left it to his slave Qutubuddin Ibak

which gave rise to the historical period of ‘Dynasty

of Slaves’. Every person acquainted with the

message of Prophet Mohammad would admit the

fact that Islam does not acknowledge the concept of

slave much less a slave dynasty.

Then begen the period of Khiljees beginning with

Jelaluddin Khilji and ends with another slave of

Allauddin Khilji known as Malik Kafur. The entire

period of Khilji is full of hunger for wealth,

coupled with treachery and deceit, both of which

are undoubtedly un-Islamic. While Jalaluddin

Khilji, the founder of the Khilji dynasty brought up

his minor orphan nephew (elder brother’s son)

Allauddin Khilji and made him his own son-in-law

and gave him almost all powers except his throne,

Allauddin Khilji the son-in-law and nephew killed

his own father-in-law in a most barbaric and

un-Islamic way and also blinded the minor sons of

his father-in-law. No true Muslim can claim that

these actions would conform to Islamic Tenets and

the message of the great Prophet Mohammad. For

his ungrateful conduct towards his uncle,

Allauddin Khilji met the same destiny in the hands

his own favorable slave Malik Kafur.

Then came the period of the Tughlaks! This

dynasty was established during 1320-1412 A.D.

The text book of history referred to above narrates

the whole period (quoting Iban Batutha) as a period

of Anarchy. Thereafter another invader by name of

Taimur, came into India and plundered the land

ruthlessly killing countless number of people,

which can never be claimed by any Muslim as an

Islamic act, much less, brining any pride to the


24

Islamic faith or to the message of the great Prophet

Mohammad.

This was followed by the period of Sayyad

dynasty. This was the fourth dynasty of the Delhi

Sultanate from 1414 to 1451. This family made a

questionable claim to be the descendants of

Prophet Mohammad. Their claims of being the

descendants of Prophet Mohammad were not only

rejected by the Islamic ulemas, but even their

actions and conduct were found to be anarchic,

unjust and un-Islamic (see Chapter V of Part I of

the History Book referred to above).

This brings us to the end of the so-called

Turko-Afghan Sultanates of Delhi. This period is

described by the Text Book of History quoted

above in Chapter VI, Part II, at page 384 as follows,

“The Muslim State in India was in theory supposed

to be a theocratic one, but in practice, the Muslim

Sultan of India was a perfect autocrat, unchecked

by any restrictions; and his word was law”. The

State being essentially military in character, the

Sultan was the chief commander of forces; he was

also the chief law-giver and the final court of

appeal. All these things were undoubtedly un-

Islamic and against the message of Great Prophet

Mohammad, who spread the religion only on the

basis of Justice, Equality and Compassion. As

would be explained in more detail hereinafter, the

spread of Islam in the world culminating it into the

second largest religion in the world is only on

account of the above referred to three tenets of

Prophet Mohammad and not on account of the

marauders trading in the name of Islam.

The best example in this context would be the case

of Indonesia which is by far the largest Muslim

populated country in the world. History does not

record any Mohd Bin Quasim, Mahmood Ghazani

nor Mohd Ghori, nor Babur, nor Chengez Khan,

nor Taimur Lung, having either occupied Indonesia

and much less any Muslim or Islamic kingdom was

established in Indonesia. The message or Paigham

of Islam given by the Prophet Mohammad was

carried by the Arab Traders and other Islamic

philosophers, Sufis, Fakirs etc. The result is that

while the background and underlying civilization is

of Hindu or of Indian origin the faith is Islam.

Coming back to Indian history, after the Sayyad

dynasty came the period of Lodhis and Afghans

and the last one of the latter namely Ibrahim Lodhi

was defeated by Babar in the year 1526 at Panipat

thus ushering in the Mogul period. Babar could not

live for a longer period, and died on 26.12.1530.

His son Humayun was not in a position to establish

any Kingdom, on account of incessant assaults by

Lodhis and Afghans. Humayun was forced to

wander from place to place for shelter.

After Humayun, Akbar under the tutelage of his

guardian and protector Bairam Khan, ruled for a

period of 49 years which can be described as the

most glorious period of Mogul Empire. After

getting rid of domestic feuds, Akbar began his

independent rule from May, 1552, which continued

up to the year 1605. Leaving all the details of

history, what is important for our purpose is that

Akbar successfully brought together all the

different cultures and civilizations and in fact

invented a new faith naming it as Din-E-Elahi,

based upon the message of Prophet Mohammad

and some chosen values of Hindu civilization. I

quote hear a passage from the same book which

gave the brief description of the Rule of Akbar,

which has united the people of all different faiths

and also helped in establishing the glorious period

of history for about five decades.

I quote, “Gifted with the true insight of a statesman

and liberal in outlook, Akbar realized the value of

Rajput alliance in his task of building up an Empire

in India. By his wise and liberal polity, he won the

hearts of most of them to such an extent that they

rendered valuable services to his empire and even

shed their blood for it. The Empire of Akbar was, in

fact, the outcome of the co-ordination of Mogul

prowess and diplomacy and Rajput valour and

service. In 1562, Raja Bihari Mal, of Amber

(Jaipur), tendered his submission to Akbar and

cemented his friendship with him by a marriage


25

alliance. Bihari Mal, with his son, Bhagwan Das, and

grandson, Man Sigh, proceeded to Agra, who was given

a command of 5,000 and his son and grandson were also

admitted to high rank in the army. Thus was opened the

way through which the Mogul Emperors were able to

secure their rule for four generations “the services of

some of the greatest captains and diplomats that

medieval India produced”.

In the midst of his enormous efforts of building a

great empire, Akbar did not leave any stone

unturned to bring all the different faiths under one

roof. The same book writes about his efforts to

ecumenism of all the faiths in the country in the

following terms: I quote “The conflicts of the

different religious sects shocked his soul, and he

devoted himself “to the evolution of a new religion,

which would, he hoped, prove to be a synthesis of

all the warring creeds and capable of uniting the

discordant elements of his vast empire in one

harmonious whole”. “He therefore called to the

Ibadat-Khana (place of worship) the wise men of

different religions and sects, notably Hindu

philosophers like Purushottama, Devi, and some

others; some Jaina teachers, the most prominent of

them being Hari Vijaya Suri, Vijaya Sen Suri and

Bhanuchandra Upadhayya; and Parsi priests and

Christian missionaries from Goa. He patiently

attended to the arguments of the exponents of each

faith, and went so far in relation to each religion

that different people had reasonable grounds for

affirming him to be a Zoroastrian, a Hindu, a Jaina,

Or a Christian”. But he was not converted to any of

these faiths”, “Akbar’s conception of universal

toleration was indeed a noble one, and is a brilliant

testimony to his national idealism”, “His (Akbar’s)

ideal was a grand synthesis of all that he considered

to be best in different religions – an ideal

essentially national, for which he is justly entitled

to the gratitude of posterity”.

This sagacious rule of Akbar a symbol of

ecumenism of all faiths with a comprehensive

co-operation of all the powers and forces, more

particularly the Rajput Kings, laid a foundation for

the Mogul Empire to continue at least for four

generations after him. In this background, Jahangir

and after him Shahjahan ruled five more decades

after Akbar.

It is only after the emergence of Aurangzeb on

Indian political horizon that the downfall of the

Mogul Empire started. This statement of mine may

not get the approval of some sections of society

who believe Aurangzeb to have extended the

Mogul Empire throughout India and assumed the

title of Alamgir that is ‘Conqueror of the Universe’.

But neither the message of Prophet Mohammed nor

the concept of Islam of winning of hearts of men to

attract them automatically towards conversion into

Islamic faith were followed. I emphasize, the

meaning of the word ‘Muslim’, as one who accepts

(Taslims) the message of Prophet Mohammed that

is, there is only one God and he (Allah) governs all

people with Equality, Justice and compassion

(Insaf, Masaviyath and Raham).

I would like to draw the attention of the readers that

majority of conquests made by Aurangzeb were

against Muslim Kings, Golconda, Beejapur,

Ahmed Nagar, Bengal, Khandesh (Gujarat),

Punjab and Afghanistan etc. The treachery adopted

in conquering Golconda Fort can never be claimed

to be an Islamic pride by any person who knows the

message of its Prophet. Referring to the actions of

Aurangzeb, the reputed authors of the above said

book wrote as follows, at Page No. 500 “All

seemed to have been gained by Aurangzeb now;

but in reality all was lost. It was the beginning of his

end. The saddest and most hopeless chapter of his

life now opened. “Not a single edifice, finely

written manuscript, or exquisite picture

commemorates Aurangzeb’s reign”.

Even during his life time Aurangzeb’s six sons

fought against each other with the encouragement

of Aurangzeb himself. After Aurangzeb’s death in

1707 A.D., the Mogul Empire fell asunder from his

decadent descendants, the Governors or persons in

charge of different regions began declaring

independence. Taking advantage of that situation

the East India Company, which had already been


26

established in India began grabbing different parts

of India culminating in the occupation of Delhi and

the imprisonment of the Emperor Bahadur Shah

Zafar himself i.e., leading to the first war of

Independence and after its failure, the

establishment of British Rule directly by the

Crown. Thus India became part of the British

Empire and all Indians its subjects! Can a true

Indian claim any pride for this phenomenon of

Indian history.

But at the same time these very tragic historical

events leading India into subjugation of British

Imperialism, had brought an awakening in the

minds of some reformists as well as revolutionaries

lead by Bankimchandra chatterjee, Raja Ram

Mohan Roy, Surendra Nath Banarjee, Sir Syeed

Ahmed Khan, Dadabai Naoroji, etc., guided and

assisted by a benign Irish Civil servant, Allan

Octavian Hume, the theosophist Mrs. Annie Besant

etc. The efforts of these reformists gave birth to a

renaissance and growth of national consciousness

among Indians. Meanwhile, the American and

French Revolutions gave a great impetus to

development of the national awakening which was

based up on two fundamental principles viz., the

unity of India as a whole and the right of her people

to vote and form democratic governments.

The advent of British Rule had brought about two

directly heterogeneous historical changes in the

making of modern India. The overzealous and over

ambitious Britishers, firstly through their trading

company (East India Company) and thereafter

through direct Rule after 1858 annexed all the

territories of India (including the territories now in

Pakistan and Bangladesh) from Arunachal Pradesh

in the far East and borders of Afghanistan in the

west and from Kashmir in the North to Kanya

Kumari in South which were under the occupation

of different local chieftains, who were engaging

almost always in internal warfare and skirmishes

neglecting the welfare of the people and forgetting

the glorious past of India. It is, no doubt, true that

the method or means adopted by the Britishers in

the process of such annexation was never worthy of

any praise, much less based on any morals or ethics

or politically accepted civilized norms. It was

always by treachery and deceit. But nonetheless,

the process howsoever debased morally and

ethically, resulted in the unification of the country

as one political unit which never existed in any

period of Indian History earlier hitherto. It may not

be correct to accuse the Britishers alone of their

treachery and unethical political conduct in

conquering the sub-continent of India; we must

also admit and acknowledge the degrading and

degenerated submissive collusions of Indian

princess, or military chieftains, both Hindus and

Muslims, which contributed to the conquest of this

sub-continent by the Britishers. But, however

pathetic the story may be, the fact remains that this

vast sub-continent of India, comprising of various

races, cultures and religions became one political

unit, which did not exist at any period in earlier

Indian History.

It was perhaps this pathetic story which stirred the

hitherto slumbering conscience of Indians –

Hindus, Muslims, Parsees, Sikhs and even Indian

Christians and brought them together to fight for

freedom of this sub-continent from the humiliating

subjugation under a foreign country.

The result, as stated above, was the birth of a

renaissance but it was only after the advent of the

most charismatic revolutionary the world had ever

known, i.e., Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi that

the freedom movement which was confined to

some intellectual leaders, became a massive mass

movement involving every individual,- Hindu,-

Muslim, Parsee, – men and women of all ages,

which forced the British to leave India; and India

became an independent country.

India’s becoming a sovereign, democratic, secular,

socialist republic ruled by a single Constitution is a

development about which every Indian, be a

Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Parsee, Jain, Sikh,

speaking any language, bearing any faith and

belonging to any part in India must feel proud of

forgetting the past feuds, and mutual bickering. In


27

fact, the whole struggle for freedom, including

‘The First War Of Independence’ of 1857, the

period of renaissance and the popular, massive and

non-violent moment for Purna-Swaraj all were

with the participation of all sections of the Indian

population, including all prominent Muslims like

Moulana Abdul Kalam Azad, Mohd Ali Jinnah, Ali

Brothers, Choudhury Khaliquzzamma etc. But the

very prospect of the end of their ill-gotten and

treacherously acquired empire made the British to

invent some method of conspiracy to prevent the

advent of such a big sub-continent blossoming into

a powerful country competing; nay, posing a threat

to their very existence. Very soon they started

inventing various theories and devises to divide the

people on the basis of religion, race and culture- the

very factors which had united the people into one

nation over the period of more than thousand years.

They invented for the first time the theory that India

was not one nation but consisted of two nations i.e.,

Hindu Nation and Muslim Nation. They also

announced that the five hundred and odd princely

states in India would be free to declare their

independence once their subjugation under British

suzerainty was removed by the British Empire. The

British people and the British imperial forces could

never reconcile to the fact of loosing such a big

empire and also to the much bewildering fact of

such a vast country with such enormous resources

becoming a competitor to their hitherto domination

of the world. The imperialists, therefore, sowed the

seeds of distrust and hatred among the two

communities Hindus and Muslims leading to the

partition of the country on the basis of religion

which resulted in the largest massacre and exodus

of population, the world had never witnessed, the

memories of which are still existing in the minds of

people of both the communities in India.

Although Mahatma Gandhi tried his best to pacify

and unite the people and bring together the victims

of the massacre and exodus, he could not succeed

and was ultimately assassinated bringing shame to

the whole nation, to the whole Humanity.

Nonetheless, the brave people of India led by the

legendary leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Moulana

Abdul Kalam Azad, Sardar Vallab Bhai Patel, Dr.

Rajendra Prasad, Rajagopalacharya, Dr. B.R.

Ambedhkar strove for a period of 2 years, 3

months, 11 days and ultimately gave a Constitution

to our country India i.e., Bharat declaring it as

sovereign, secular, democratic, republic resolving

to secure all to its citizens Hindu, Muslim,

Christian, Jain, Sikh, etc.

Justice, social, economic and political; Liberty of

thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;

Equality of status and of opportunity; and promote

among them all, Fraternity assuring the dignity of

the individual and the (unity and integrity of the

Nation).

Apart from the eloquent declaration in the

Preamble of the Constitution, the Guarantees in

Part III and Directives in Part IV of the Constitution

inspire and build confidence of safety and security

to every citizen with a further guarantee of

implementing them by Mandates issued from the

Highest Judiciary. While it cannot be gainsaid that

some selfish and short sighted groups of people

have been responsible for promoting feuds and

disturbances among our people, it must be admitted

that the State and all its organs in India, legislative,

executive and judicial have done their best to

maintain the integrity and unity of the nation.

By using the parliamentary system of Government

that is adopted by our Constitution, political parties

have been trying to make an exclusive claim of

being secular and protecting the minority

community. I earnestly request readers to

recognize that the claims are only odious, artificial

and fake. In the course of last six decades of

independence, the people of India have become

very much conscious and aware of these political

exploitations of the minority community.

I earnestly appeal to my brethren of this community

not to be led by the empty proclaims of such

political parties. This is not to deny the shameful

events of demolishing of Babri Masjid and Godhra


28

incident etc, but at the same time I wish to

emphasize the fact that such actions were

condemned and protested against by a vast

majority of the majority community which gave

and brought about great confidence and restored a

sense of security in a large number of the minority

community.

In this context I wish to refer to the historical events

in the earlier part of this paper the fights between

different groups of Hindu communities and also the

attacks on the Banaras and Mathura Temples. But

none of them divided the people on the basis of

religion. When occasions demanded both Hindus

and Muslims were bought together against the

mightiest imperial British force to redeem India of

its slavery.

What is more important to notice that things not

only united socially and culturally but also brought

them together at many common altars of worship

and faith? A visit to Ajmer and Saleem Chishty

Dargah shrines in Rajasthan and a visit to Dargah

Nizamuddin Aulia in Delhi would make one forget

whether he is a Muslim or Hindu. Coming to our

own city, a visit to Pahadi Shariff or Jahangir

Peerain puts oneself at a loss to find out whether he

is visiting a Hindu Shrine or a Muslim Dargha. I

happened to visit a place known as Budan Shahab

Dargah at Chikmaglore in Karnataka, where I saw a

greater number of Hindus than Muslims visiting

the Dargah of Shaik Budan Shahab. Even in

Karimnagar district in the well known Shiva

Temple at Vemulavada there is a small dargah right

at the entrance where each and every Hindu

devotee who visits that temple takes the blessing of

a Muslim Sufi. At the end I wish to emphasize upon

the fact India is one unique nation of the world

where religions are culturally and socially

respected but politically exploited. So, as aware

and careful citizens of both minority and majority

communities we should stop playing in the hands

of power seekers.

[K. Prathap Reddy is senior advocate at High

Court of Andhra Pradesh. He is the Chairman of

A.V. Education Society, Andhra Mahila Abyudaya

Samiti and the President of Vigil India Movement.

91-9848055502; [email protected]]


29

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Academicians' & Research Scholars'

Section:

The theme of Existentialism inVikram Seth’s An Equal Music

—Bonani Misra

—Akanksha Singh

Published in 1999, An Equal Music

belongs characteristically to Vikram

Seth’s repertoire by virtue of it being stunningly

different from all his previous works. All of Seth’s

novels are one-offs and this one too is no exception.

The backdrop of the novel is the enchanted,

romantic world of Vienna and Venice, and the

subject is Western Europe’s supreme cultural

achievement: classical music. This novel examines

the impact of western classical music on the lives

and hopes and fears and final desperate choices of

its European protagonist. “Seth’s novel was

stunning by many accounts, not the least of which

was its grafting of the twin bulwark of the

European tradition-its verbal and aural inscriptions

onto the life of its thirty something protagonists,”

suggests Anjana Sharma, a critic. She continues,

“Seth tells the story of a young man’s growth and

maturation-the loss and partial recovery of his lost

love, and the loss, and the more certain recovery of

his artistic self.”1

The present paper deals with the theme of

existentialism in this novel. The term

‘existentialism’ emphasizes the idea that an

individual is in control of his own actions.

Existentialism is a philosophical theory that

stresses the existence of the individual person as a

free and responsible agent determining their own

development through acts of will. In the novel,

Michael, the protagonist is a professional musician

who leads an obsessive and neurotic life and

describes himself as “irreparably imprinted with

the die of someone else’s being.”2 This someone is

Julia and the one true love of his life. Michael is an

existential hero whose present condition is the

outcome of his deeds. Back then in Vienna, both

Michael and Julia were passionately devoted to

each other and to their music. They found that their

music complemented each other very well and

found a trio with another musician. But owing to an

irreconcilable war of wills with their stern teacher,

Karl Call, Michael who was nervy and strong

headed left Vienna and unintentionally, Julia. By

the time he recovered from his distress two months

had elapsed, and Julia, hurt beyond redemption,

was lost to him forever.

The character of Michael is a dominant portrayal of

Vikram Seth’s central concern with existentialism,

a philosophy that views each person as an isolated

being who is cast into an alien universe and

conceives the world as possessing no inherent

human truth, value or no meaning. As an existential

hero, Michael is in control of his actions or deeds

and his identity is measured by the outcome of his

deeds in which only work is given priority to the

exclusion of family and friends. Michael is

separated from his family and his beloved Julia

because of his neurotic behavior as well as

preference to his career but his segregation from

Julia makes Michael more isolated than before. An

existential critic states in this reference –“Each

individual assumes responsibility for his life

through the act of choosing between two

alternatives.”3 Michael too makes a choice out of

two sets of alternatives that stand before him-career

over family and love, artificiality over nature. It is

this very choice that becomes the predicament of

his life. As a result, he becomes alienated from

everything that surrounded him. Alienation is

crucial to existentialism because an alienated

individual is much more able to see his

surroundings.

Ten years later, where the novel begins, Michael is

earning his living in a string quartet, the Maggiore.

Michael spends his days listlessly in memory of his

beloved Julia, with only music providing an

emotional anchor and in effect, any meaning to his

life. The opening of the book sets the tone of the

novel, bringing home to the reader a loneliness that


30

is only briefly assuaged by long walks and

ruminations, a loneliness that clearly attracts

Michael to the dark water the wind is blowing at

him: “The branches are bare, the sky tonight a

milky violet. It is not quiet here, but it is peaceful.

The wind ruffles the black water towards me…”4

Michael’s loneliness is emphasized in

pathos-inducing descriptions in several parts of the

book. For instance, when a Sales-girl tells Michael

that he is a happy man, Michael tells the reader, “I

stared at her with such incredulity that she looked

down.” 5 This isolation is punctuated by accounts

of his tormented past, a past which constantly

haunts him, making him yearn for answers, for

absolution. His dark brooding consciousness is

reflected in his thoughts when he murmurs at pains

to unburden his travails and disillusionment with

the city of London, “London unsettles me-even

from such a height. There is no clear countryside to

view. But it is not Vienna. It is not Venice. It is not

for that matter, hometown in the north in clear

reach of moors.”6

Michael goes to London to rise in profession.

London, the essential urban cosmopolitan evinces

the existential issue of desperate unhappy people

struggling for existence. He is alone and it has been

ten years since Julia and he parted.

Through his resistance and disinclination of an

urban cosmopolitan society, London, the problem

of existentialism is reiterated and it irrevocably

brings to mind the decadent western civilization

that T.S. Eliot, in his great masterpiece, The Waste

Land had sketched. Some very unforgettable

images come alive. There is the description where-

“A crowd flowed over London Bridge, so many

I had not thought death had undone so many

Sighs, short and infrequent, were exhaled

And each man fixed his eyes before his feet.”7

The protagonist in the poem surveys London as an

unreal city and the crowd moving over London

Bridge appear as spiritually dead people of the

Waste Land going for their daily round of routine

life. Indeed everything is mechanical in the present

cosmopolitan life. There is hardly any alternative

left than to let things happen as they come. Michael

too is part of such a crowd whose dreary life

appears to move on, devoid of zest and focus. He

undoubtedly, tries to assuage his loneliness through

sexual gratification with someone he does not love

since sex appears a viable commodity in the

absence of love in modern times. Michael is also a

part of the modern society who is gripped by

feeling of loneliness and ennui on account of which

his way of thought appears erratic and meandering.

Michael is solely responsible for his present

condition. In this context, Sartre, An existential

critic comments – “Man makes himself.”8 His

melancholic consciousness is the consequence of

his deeds which is reflected in his dejected

personality. He himself realizes the dark side of his

own personality with surprising clarity. “A

volatility, a sense of resistance, of skepticism,

roughness, impulsiveness, even at times, of dark

panic, almost brainsickness.” 8

In a nut shell, it is observed that through the theory

of existentialism, Michael’s character is analyzed

truly. It is existentialism that makes Michael

realized his milieu and gradually, Michael finds

solace from his isolation in playing the music

which transforms his thoughts. Consequently,

Michael as an existential hero is alone like he was

in the beginning, but there is one important

difference - his thoughts have reached a resolution

and he is no longer troubled. He has learned

acceptance and it has brought him serenity. This

change in perspective has enabled him to come to

terms with the past, make the present bearable and

the future promising. And most essential of all, he

has realized that to be complete is an advantage, not

a necessity.

References-

1. Mohanty,Seemita-An Equal Music(a criticism).

New Delhi: Atlantic publishers,2007.print-226. A

Critical Analysis of Vikram Seth’s Art and fiction.

2. Seth,Vikram-An Equal Music. Viking Penguin

India,1999:print.166


31

3. Ibid-3

4. Ibid-4

5. Ibid-81

6. Sinha, Prerna- ‘The Enigma of The Modern

Man’. New Delhi: Creative Books, 2007.

print-127.Vikram Seth-A Suitable Writer (A

critical response)

7. www.d.umu.edu.

8. www.123.helpme.com

[Bonani Misra is Associate Professor & Head,

Dept. of English, R.G. (P.G.) College, Meerut

([email protected]).

Akanksha Singh is her Ph.D. Research Scholar.

([email protected])]


32

Books By M.N. ROY

Published By Renaissance Publishers,

Indian Renaissance Institute,

Oxford University Press And Others

1. POLITICS POWER AND PARTIES Rs. 90.00

2. SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY Rs.95.00

3. BEYOND COMMUNISM Rs.40.00

4. THE HISTORICAL ROLE OF ISLAM Rs.40.00

5. MEN I MET Rs.60.00

6. INDIA’S MESSAGE Rs.100.00

7. MATERIALISM Rs. 110.00

8. REVOLUTION & COUNTER REVOLUTION IN CHINA Rs. 250.00

9. REASON, ROMANTICISM AND REVOLUTION Rs.300.00

10. NEW ORIENTATION Rs 090.00

11. ISLAAM KI ETIHASIK BHOOMIKA (IN HINDI) Rs.25.00

12. HAMARA SANSKRITIK DARP (IN HINDI) Rs.40.00

13. NAV MANAVWAD (IN HINDI) Rs.90.00

14 .SAMYAWAD KE PAAR (IN HINDI) Rs.45.00


33

Book Review:

Afterglow—Nandita S. Kalla

[E-BOOK: Afterglow, Dr Brahm Dev, ISBN No:

9781477461457, Amazon-Kindle version, File

Size: 344 KB, Print Length: 178 pages, Sold by:

Amazon Digital Services, Inc., Language:

English, ASIN: B0082LI72W, Text-to-Speech:

Enabled]

(Cover jacket is by Dr Ankur Dev, the author’s

only son who passed away in 2013)

I had first read Afterglow in the

Amazon-Kindle version and did find it

captivating although the typos were quite

unsettling, coming from the house of Amazon.

The New Thomson Press release is thankfully free

of blemish and is also easy on the eyes. Luckily I

got to know the author at Delhi through one of my

family friend and was struck with his zest for life

coupled with an enviable literary taste in his

formidable medical arena of surgery. As a surgeon

in army he seems to have tasted life the way not

many of us can afford to; serving humanity,

surrounded by bloodshed yet full of life. Inevitably

the debut novella is a vast panoramic biopic

stretching over a full half century and more of a

green soldier and a surgeon.

The 1962 Chinese onslaught gets a first had war

theatre rendition and the dismal failure of the

military intelligence and army preparedness

combined with lopsided government level fiasco is

brought out candidly, vindicating Gen Henderson

Brooks report.

The 1965 Indo-Pak war is chronicled from the

surgeon’s tent in a forward most hospital based in

Sialkot. The VIP visit of then Information and

Broadcasting Minister Indira Gandhi accompanied

by the redoubtable yoga guru Dhirendra

Brahmachari takes one down memory lane.

“And then without a preamble we had visitors. This

time the army jonga driven by a godly man in

loincloth brought us our VIP visitor, I&B minister

Indira Gandhi. Ms Gandhi was demure and oozed

youthful charm while her secretary Mr. Fernandes

was suave and civil… Brahmchari had an air about

him and even in the wintry cold had draped himself

in the flimsiest of a dhoti…

I asked Ms Gandhi if she would care for tea. She

looked directly into my eyes and said with a smile,

“Being a good Kashmiri, I shan’t say no to tea.” Mr

Fernandes and Brahmchari joined us then, the latter

declining tea. “Only saffron and honey for me,” he

quipped. Ms Gandhi suppressed a knowing smile.

The author would live to seem to live the adage – all

if fair in love and war –and his passionate love

affair in Mount Abu with an Anglo Indian woman

brings more agony than ecstasy. Later he finds

himself posted at Chandigarh as the sole surgeon

and falls inexorably for a Sikh medico even while

being wedded to a gentle soul.

The lovely escapades of the love birds to Simla,

Srinagar and Kathmandu make for riveting

reading.

Lastly with the Saudis as their neuro-surgeon at the

King’s hospital, he paints the times and customs of

the natives vividly. He then lives through the entire

Gulf war (based close to the Iraq border) that was to

eclipse Saddam Hussein from power in an

incredible novel maneuver to bring in the US

military might in the Holy Land for good.

[Namita S. Kalla is a freelance journalist based in

Jaipur, Rajasthan, 09413341616

[email protected]]


34

"Michelet did not live long enough to write his Universal History to show how history and philosophy

had been intertwined through the ages. But he had the occasion to proclaim that “all science is one:

language, literature, history, physics, mathematics and philosophy; subjects which seem to be the most

remote from one another are in reality connected, or rather they all form a single system”. So, the

organic view of history is not the result of Marx putting his master on his feet. As a matter of fact, Marx

and Engels had read Michelet, and Vico’s ideas were also not unknown to them. On the other hand, the

“new science” born at Naples had reached the German seats of learning through Leibniz, Wolff,

Herder, Lessing, Goethe and other scholars and philosophers. Not only did Herder know of Vico’s

work before he wrote his Ideas Towards the Philosophy of the History of Mankind; Vico’s influence

can be detected also in Hegel’s philosophy of history. Vico, in his turn, had read Francis Bacon’s work.

Unkind critics of the time though that the Scienza Nuova was a plagiarism Novum Organum. That was

of course, malicious; but it is a fact that Vico’s work was cast on the pattern of Bacon’s researches. It

was from the latter that Vico admittedly got the idea of applying to the study of human history the

inductive method which Bacon had recommended for the study of natural history. Grotius had made a

philological study of history, of theology and philosophy, in order to discover the universal laws of

nations. Having studied his works, Vico conceived of the possibility of applying similar methods for

discovering the general laws of history. The dynamics of ideas can be traced all the way back to the

great thinkers of the remotest antiquity. Tracing the chain of thought in modern times, one finds

Savigny recognizing a similarity between Vico’s doctrine of historical jurisprudence and his own. The

preface to Hegel’s lectures on the philosophy of history published in 1837 mentions Vico as one of the

three, the other two being Herder and Schlegel, who had treated the subject previously. The first

German translation of Vico’s Universal Law, published in 1884, carried an introduction which pointed

out the similarity of Hegel’s ideas with the doctrines of the Italian historian expounded more than a

hundred years before.”

—M.N. Roy (Reason Romanticism & Revolution, Volume 1, page 3.)

Humanist News:

I

Prabuddh Nagrik Shakti ManchNotes of the Meeting of the NGOs Dt. 23-6-2014

Recently, attempt has been made for inquiry

through I. B. on the functioning of NGOs and by

this, undue pressure has been exerted on the rights

of activists and on the NGOs.

To deliberate on the positive strategy and plan of

action in this matter, a meeting was convened on

Thursday the 19th June 2014 at Ahmadabad. In this

meeting, Suresh Mehta (Prabuddh Nagrik Shakti

Manch), Indukumar Jani (Editor – Nayamarg),

Gautam Thaker, (PUCL – Gujarat), Balendra

Vaghela (PUCL-Gujarat), Prof. Hemantkumar

Shah, Mahesh Pandya (Gujarat Social Watch),

Parsis Jinwala (JAG), Sagar Rabari (Gujarat

Khedut Samaj), Rajani Dave (Editor –

Bhoomiputra) and representatives from Congress

Party – Ex.M.P. Shri Jagdish Thakor, and Dr.

Manish Doshi had remained present.

Govt. of India has presented a report of the I.B.

before the Home Ministry to the effect that the

NGOs are engaged in anti-progress activities.

Representatives present in the meeting informed

that PUCL, Gujarat Sarvoday Mandal or the

Movement for Secular Democracy are not taking

any foreign fund or assistance. These institutes are

ready to face inquiry against any misuse of the fund

and are not at all engaged in any anti-progress

activity.

NGOs are functioning as per their ‘Objects’ to

voice people’s problems and to resolve them. This

stand of the Government was strongly opposed and

resented and it was deliberated that the NGOs shall

continue doing the tasks of mass education and

people’s awareness.

During the 2014 elections, an issue was raised

about the credibility of the EVMs. Detailed

discussions took place on the complaints received

about the defective EVMs and on the course of

actions to be taken there against. Since there was a

consensus on the susceptibility that these machines

can be tampered with, it was decided to make a

reference to the Election Commission after detailed

discussions to be made separately.

In this meeting a thought was also expressed to

reach out to the youths by making use of social

media and to collect together necessary documents.

During the discussions it has been revealed and

realized that to guard against attempts aimed at

extinction of democratic values, there is no other

remedy except to raise people’s awareness.

In the situation emerging out of changed political

scenario consequent upon 2014 elections, there is a

need of concerted and coordinated efforts by all of

us. There is no way out other than to make our fight

for human rights and well being of the deprived in

the new political dispensation or formation, more

effective.

Suresh Mehta,

Prabuddh Nagrik Shakti Manch,91-9824022677

Gautam Thaker,

PUCL – Gujarat, 91-9825382556

News sent by - Gautam Thaker

II

NAPM Response on UnionBudget and Rail Budget

a) NDA’s National Budget Pushes for Foreign

Investment, Privatisation and Offers Nothing

for Aam Aadmi-Aurat: New Delhi, July 10: The

very first budget of the NDA Govt. is certainly

brought nothing very special to the voters. As

against promise of strong government and good

governance Narendra Modi and his colleagues are

just continuing economic reforms agenda of UPA

government. No doubt budget is an exercise of

allocating financial resources not just for one year,

but with both short and long term, but certainly

speaks out the direction and new govt. It is clearly

pushing the agenda of PPP and privatization,

including the dangerous provisions of FDI in

35


Defence and Insurance sectors. There is neither

concern of the natural resources of the country –

land, water, forests nor any mention about the

impacts of huge projects; nor is there any

consideration for needs of aam aadmi and aurat.

Govt. and Modi seem to be in an unprecedented

haste to transfer resources from common people to

the investors to bring in money capital but take

away sources of livelihood. Who will be the real

beneficiaries and to what magnitude is not

disclosed as yet, although the signs of the same

have been revealed. This is certainly not what was

promised.

Provision of money without any realistic

assessments or mandatory clearances for the river

linking and Sardar Sarovar statue doesn’t show

either prudence or seriousness to development

planning. Unless the projects are allowed to go

through a scanner the test would be as to whether

these projects would lead to income generation

opportunity and how much?

The skewed priorities of the government are visible

from the fact that they allot 200 Cr for Sardar

Sarovar statue and 100 Crore for girl child

education and 50 Crore for women safety in public

transport. It is political gimmick and nothing much.

The budget clearly indicates that those who would

invest money will benefit and that extent the

government is surely to take forward Manmohan

Singh’s agenda, but with much more of political

and economic expediency. They have continued

the practice of revenue forgone and in this Budget

total revenue(direct and indirect

taxes) foregone from central taxes is Rs. 5,72,923.3

Crore for 2013-14, which is whopping 36% of total

expenditure of Government and can actually

fund 20 NREGA programmes.

The emphasis on industrial corridors, SEZs, hig

hways, waterways, high speed trains will all need

large scale land acquisitions, which will severely

impact the food security. On the other hand, Budget

is short on addressing the agrarian crisis and

livelihood insecurity for the farmers, its pro

agri-business and will offer no respite.

We can’t expect anything better from this

government but continuation of the same old

neo-liberal economic policies, price rise and high

inflation.

b) Response On Rail Budget: Will the Bullet

Budget hit the common commuters?

FDI with Disinvestment in the name of

Development cannot be Beneficial, Hence

Unacceptable. Commerce is the priority, not

Commuters! NDA Government’s ‘Bullet Budget’

will not only avoid stoppages en route but it also

indicates no halts to take in the common people -

Aam Aadmi & Aurat- across the country. Not just

the language but priorities to privatization as a goal

clearly suggests that the Modi model is going to

knock off the social, environmental as well as

antyodya criteria with courage, confidence but also

callousness towards the large majority of people,

not only the downtrodden but even middle class…

Not inclusive but exclusive approach towards the

toiling masses of this country will be furthered by

shocking inclusiveness towards the private

investors, not just Indian but also foreign.

Both opening up of Railways - the profit making

public sector through disinvestment on one hand,

and warning us about the need to raise fares, if not

today, (though they did raise the fares a few days

before budget, with contempt for the people and

parliament) but tomorrow, when the organized

strength in the Railways will not be there to

question these decisions. What would this mean, no

one knows but can be imagined. Disinvestment

from the sector and investment from the private

corporates in a big way is in the offing. It won’t be

limited to infrastructure alone then, although it’s

reported that Home Ministry has warned the

government against going beyond!

When Sadanand Gowda to Narendra Modi has

already set priorities by ‘bullet targets’ for bullet

train, to be met with foreign (in this, Japanese)

investment, the real cost is going to be paid by the


36

people of this country. The elitist priority may

shine today but it can be furthered only with a

compromise against employment generation, other

common facilities, more trains, more space for

lower classes, cheaper transport to the needy &

disadvantaged etc. Railway being one of the public

sector corporations which we are proud of, Gowda

has to take in consideration landmarks of social

justice in dealing with this. A mere promise of

social viability to be ensured along with

commercial viability without any signs of the real

balance can’t suffice nor can it satisfy those who

can read between lines.

What will happen to land oustees, when “foreign

investors can acquire land themselves &

government will only fix the rates” as declared by

the Chairman, Railway Board, one has to ask?

Mamata Banerjee’s budget was so much

categorical on such issues, promising job to the

oustees & no forcible acquisition. Gowda is quiet

on this, as also on environmental aspects. One,

however, knows that bullet train, dedicated freight

corridors have to go with large scale Industrial

corridors such as DMIC targeting as large channels

of agricultural land as 3,40,000 hectares in the first

go! The budget presentation will not bring this out

but we can’t wait till the bullet hits us all!

Cleanliness on the stations, good food through

branded companies, high tech services etc are no

doubt attractions for varied sections, especially the

aspirants of American Western paradigm in every

sector of Indian economy and governance. How

will this be achieved has to be our concern; here

and now. We, the people have to keep an eye on

every action and decision that would tell us very

soon whether there is heavy retrenchment of

present workers to bring in huge inflow of

contractors and contract laborers, beyond what is at

present. We have to wait to see whether the decade

old caterers who have served commuters without a

‘brand’ get a blow due to railways favoring brand

and grand corporate, more than McDonalds,

Comesum & Food Plazas.

Appointment of 4000 women in Railway Police

Force, cleanliness as focus and no new large

projects announcement can be welcomed provided

all this also do not prove to be moves towards

disinvestment by the state and entry of the private

players. No doubt there is a need to curtail bad

politics in Railway, as for that matter, every public

sector yet this very first budget brings out reactions

from labor unions to commuter organizations, and

points to a danger that democratic rights of workers

will be trampled in name of governance and

efficiency.

Medha Patkar - Narmada Bachao Andolan and the

National Alliance of People’s Movements

(NAPM); Prafulla Samantara - Lok Shakti

Abhiyan, NAPM, Odisha; Dr. Sunilam, Aradhna

Bhargava - Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, NAPM,

MP; Gautam Bandopadhyay – Nadi Ghati Morcha,

NAPM, Chhattisgarh; Suniti SR, Suhas Kolhekar,

Prasad Bagwe - NAPM, Maharashtra; Gabriel

Dietrich, Geetha Ramakrishnan – Unorganised

Sector Workers Federation, NAPM, TN; C R

Neelakandan – NAPM Kerala;Saraswati Kavula, P

Chennaiah – NAPM Andhra Pradesh, B S Rawat –

Jan Sangharsh Vahini, Rajendra Ravi, Sunita

Rani – NAPM, Delhi; Arundhati Dhuru, Richa

Singh - NAPM, UP; Sister Celia - Domestic

Workers Union, NAPM, Karnataka; Sumit

Wanjale – Ghar Bachao, Ghar Banao Andolan,

NAPM, Mumbai; Manish Gupta - Jan Kalyan

Upbhokta Samiti, NAPM, UP; Vimal Bhai - Matu

Jan sangathan, NAPM, Uttarakhand; Vilas

Bhongade - Gosikhurd Prakalpgrast Sangharsh

Samiti, NAPM, Maharashtra; Ramashray Singh -

Ghatwar Adivasi Mahasabha, Jharkhand; Anand

Mazhgaonkar, Krishnakant - Paryavaran Suraksh

Samiti, NAPM Gujarat; Kamayani Swami, Ashish

Ranjan – Jan Jagran Shakti Sangathan, NAPM

Bihar; Mahendra Yadav – Kosi Navnirman Manch,

NAPM Bihar.

—Madhuresh Kumar

9818905316

[email protected]


37

III

World Bank Turns Its Back onRights Protections for the Poor

Global civil society response gathers

momentum

New Delhi, July 29, 2014 – Civil society

organisations around the world are decrying a

leaked draft of the World Bank’s proposed new

policies to avoid harmful impacts from the

development projects that it finances. Despite

earlier commitments by Bank President Jim Yong

Kim that the policies would not be diluted and that

safeguards on land rights would be strengthened,

the proposed changes have gutted essential

requirements that are necessary to prevent

displacement, impoverishment, and environmental

damage. The draft policies are up for discussion by

the Bank’s board on July 30 ahead of public

consultations.

“This draft effectively winds back the clock to the

1970s, before the Bank had binding policies in

place to protect the poor and the environment. We

see nothing more than a naked attempt by the Bank

to shield itself from accountability for the

destructive impacts of the mega-projects it is

planning.” said Madhuresh Kumar, National

Organizer of the National Alliance of People’s

Movements in India.

Most shockingly, the draft policies provide an

opt-out option for governments that do not wish to

provide essential land and natural resource rights

protections to Indigenous Peoples.

Joji Carino, Director of the Forest Peoples

Programme, said “we have engaged with social and

environmental safeguard development with the

World Bank for over twenty years and have never

seen a proposal with potential for such widespread

negative impacts for indigenous peoples around the

world. The proposed ‘opt-out’ for protections for

indigenous peoples, in particular, would undermine

existing international human rights law and the

significant advances seen in respect for indigenous

peoples rights in national laws.”

The draft also weakens protections for people who

will be evicted from their homes, land and

livelihoods, increasing the risk that Bank-financed

projects will impoverish people, exacerbate

inequality and cause human rights violations. The

proposal scraps critical rules that have been in

place for thirty years requiring the Bank to take

concerted measures to avoid and minimize

displacement and for resettlement action plans

capable of restoring the livelihoods of the displaced

to be in place before committing funds to projects.

It provides multiple opportunities for borrower

governments, or even private “intermediary”

banks, to use their own standards for impact

assessment, compensation and resettlement,

without clear criteria on when and how this would

be acceptable.

Theodore Downing, President of the International

Network on Displacement and Resettlement, a

14-year old network of involuntary resettlement

professionals, said “the proposed changes

eviscerate existing international standards –

knowingly placing millions of people at risks of

impoverishment.”

“The Bank is trying to exonerate itself from all

responsibility for the devastating effects of the

displacement it finances, while giving private

equity funds to some of the world’s most abusive

governments unfettered discretion to uproot the

poor as they fit,” said David Pred, Managing

Director of Inclusive Development International.

Land titling projects are exempted from the

coverage of the draft resettlement policy. This will

leave affected communities completely

unprotected from forced eviction by their

government, as happened in the case of

Cambodia’s Boeung Kak Lake community whose

homes were demolished after they were deemed


38

not to have ownership rights under a Bank-titling

project.

“If this policy is adopted, many communities

around the world will be forcibly evicted like mine

was, and they will not be able to seek any recourse

from the Bank,” said Tep Vanny, a community

leader from Boeung Kak Lake. After filing a

complaint with the World Bank’s Inspection Panel

about the controversial project, Tep Vanny and

local organisations finally secured title for

hundreds of families that were previously

threatened with eviction. With the proposed

changes to the Bank’s policy, that would not have

been possible.

Despite the growing land-grabbing crisis

displacing countless indigenous communities,

small farmers, fisher-folk and pastoralists

throughout the global south, the draft policy fails to

incorporate any serious protections to prevent

Bank funds from supporting land-grabs.

“In Ethiopia, World Bank funds have been used to

facilitate one the world’s biggest land grabs, with

the indigenous populations of entire regions being

uprooted to make way for agro-industrial

investments. We had hoped that the new safeguards

would include strong requirements to prevent

governments like Ethiopia from abusing its people

with Bank funds, but we are shocked to see the

Bank instead opening the flood-gates for more

abuses,” said Obang Metho, Executive Director of

the Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia.

Not only is the current draft an unconscionable

weakening, it is a complete misrepresentation of

two years of consultations with civil society. The

Bank’s Board must not endorse this draft, and at a

minimum must insist that these fundamental

loopholes be addressed before the next round of

consultations,” said Sasanka Thilakasiri, Policy

Advisor for Oxfam International.

97non-governmental organizations and civil

society networks and 17 distinguished individuals

from Asia-Pacific, Africa, Latin America, North

America and Europe sent a statement to the World

Bank’s Board yesterday, demanding that the draft

be sent back to the drawing board and re-written

with serious safeguards to respect and protect the

land, housing and livelihood rights of the poor.

News Source URL:

http://www.hastakshep.com/english/news-1/wo

rld-news-1/2014/07/29/world-bank-turns-its-ba

ck-on-rights-protections-for-the-poor-global-ci

vil-society-response-gathers-momentum?utm_s

ource=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_c

ampaign=Feed%3A+Hastakshepcom+%28Has

takshep.com%29#.U9n7y0BvlUk


39

"The crisis of our time is a moral crisis. To understand the problems of that crisis, let us take the

pragmatic approach. Indeed, we need not start with the assumption that there is a crisis. Our point of

departure should be a critical review of the contemporary world situation. It is that situation which has

compelled many thinking people to re-examine the philosophical moorings and theoretical premises

guiding their views on social and political problems, and led to the conclusion that there is indeed a

crisis. These are problems which until now were left to the tender mercies of academicians, but they

confront us today not as problems of pure thought, not merely as academic problems to be treated with

pure logic in abstraction, but as realities of actual life."

—M.N. Roy (Politics, Power & Parties, p.15)


40

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