Wednesday, November 23, 2011

[ZESTCaste] Deciphering dera politics

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Deciphering-dera-politics/articleshow/10849962.cms

Deciphering dera politics
TNN | Nov 24, 2011, 04.36AM IST

It was started in Nurmahal by Baba Ashutosh Ji Maharaj in 1984 when
Punjab was going through a disturbed phase. In 90s, there were murmurs
of his discourses in some schools of Sikhs, especially about the
selective use of Gurbani and its interpretation. It reached a flash
point when dera preacher Swami Shraddhanand made acrimonious comments
about some Sikh institutions.

After this incident, sansthan's programmes turned more towards Hindu
idiom, practices and institutions. During the controversy between this
dera and Sikhs, some Sikh leaders, including CM Parkash Singh Badal's
wife late Surinder Kaur Badal, had come under attack, for paying
obeisance to the sansthan head. After the situation turned volatile
and clashes occurred at a few places, Captain Amarinder Singh's
government banned its public functions for some time.

After that, it roped in leaders from all political parties and
increased its clout in official machinery. Just after Badal's
government came to power in 2007, there was violence between the
sansthan and Sikh organizations at Phagwara. BJP MLA Harish Bedi had
organized a programme at Ludhiana on December 5, 2009, which invited
flak from various Sikh groups. A Sikh was killed in police firing
during the protests. Following this, all the 19 BJP MLAs met Badal in
support of the sansthan. SAD MLA Mohan Lal, who used to tie a turban
and support a flowing beard, untied his hair after he took an oath as
member of the state assembly. It was widely believed that he did it to
fulfil his commitment with the dera. However dera spokesperson Swami
Arvindanand denies it.

Namdharis

This sect of Sikhs had been politically active before 1947 and
conducted themselves as a political entity against the British. Its
founder Baba Ram Singh was a pioneer of the concept of non-cooperation
movement at a time when Mahatma Gandhi was nowhere in the scene. He
evolved an independent system of services, including the postal.
Orthodox Sikhs don't consider Namdharis as their part because they
believe in a living Guru and have some key differences in their Rehat
Maryada.

These differences escalated during the Singh Sabha movement. These
differences kept this sect at a distance from the Shiromani Akali Dal
for several years and Namdharis remained aligned to the Congress. This
started well before independence due to their active participation in
the independence movement. It is a closely knit sect which follows
instructions of its head, Satguru Jagjit Singh, in toto. However, of
late, Parkash Singh Badal has managed to bridge some gap through
several steps, including establishing Satguru Ram Singh chair in Guru
Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, during his previous regime and
releasing liberal funds in this tenure when elections are near.

Congress has considered the sect as its pocket but with Badals making
a foray in their bastion, it has gone a bit careful. Most of its
members are from Ramgarhia community whose role in the caste hierarchy
was to do technical jobs. Gradually, they grew with the industrial
revolution unfolding in India. Due to its history of activism on
political front and direct confrontation with the British, the
community is considered politically well aware and active though now
they don't conduct themselves as a political entity.

Radha Soami Satsang, Beas

Radha Soami Satsang, Beas, is undisputedly the largest dera of Punjab.
Its has followers from all the communities, including Hindus and
Sikhs. A considerable chunk of its following is from the Dalit
community, especially Adi-dharmis. Top leaders of all political
parties, including Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, had been visitors
here.

With presence across the country, the dera had been maintaining
cordial relations with all the parties, especially Congress, but has
never identified with any party. It had ideological issues with SAD,
as the latter had been a strong follower of Sikh Rehat Maryada, which
emphasizes devotion to Guru Granth Sahib only and not to any living
Guru. But of late, SAD leadership, especially Parkash Singh Badal, has
developed good relations with it. Former SAD MLA and transport
minister from Kapurthala, Raghbir Singh, is a relative of dera head
Baba Gurinder Singh, a reason why he got the party ticket.

It is common knowledge in Akali circles that despite repeated defeats
after 2002, Badal had made it clear that the ticket could not be
denied to Raghbir, who has now joined the PPP. SAD chief Sukhbir Singh
Badal's brother-in-law Bikram Majithia is married to Ganeive Grewal,
who is a relative of dera head Baba Gurinder Singh Dhillon. Visit of
dera head to Dera Baba Jaure in village Raipur Rasoolpur, which is in
conflict with Dera Ballan, also triggered political calculations. As
Dera Baba Jaure head Nirmal Singh is close to SAD, it was said it was
first time in the history that Dera Beas head held a satsang at any
other dera. Leaders from different political parties are its
followers.

Dera Sacha Sauda, Sirsa

Headquartered in Haryana, it is known more for its Punjab politics. It
is the only dera that issued open directions to its followers to vote
for Congress in the 2007 election that made SAD lose in Malwa, its
traditional stronghold. The dera holds considerable following in Malwa
region, especially in areas close to Haryana. It has a political wing,
which takes feedback from followers and gives directions for voting.
Its openly taking sides led to a lot of bad blood with the Akali Dal
and dera head Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh courted several controversies and
faced criminal cases. According to informed political circles, in the
last parliament election of 2009, dera followers had voted for SAD's
Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who was contesting against Captain Amarinder
Singh's son Raninder Singh.

In Patiala, they reportedly supported Amarinder's wife Preneet Kaur,
thus maintaining ties with both the sides. Akali leaders, including
Badals and Congress', had been visiting the dera regularly. But after
the 2007 controversy when Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh imitated Guru Gobind
Singh and a directive was issued against him by the Akal Takht, Akali
leaders have not been keeping open ties with it. It main followers are
Dalits in Malwa region besides a few followers in Doaba and Majha
regions.

Dera Sachkhand Ballan

It has emerged as the most influential dera of Adi-dharmi (
Ravidassia) community having massive following in Doaba region.
Killing of its deputy head, Sant Ramanand, in a Vienna temple in May
2009 gave it more prominence in the community. Since Congress had a
significant base here, it was believed that the dera had good
relations with its leaders.

However with the emergence of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) as the face of
Dalit politics in the state, the dera grew closer to its leaders, so
much so that the foundation stone of Guru Ravidass Gate at Varanasi
was laid by BSP founder Kanshi Ram on May 25, 1997. It was inaugurated
by the then President K R Naraynan on July 16, 1998, with Kanshi Ram's
efforts again. Though it is unlikely to take a clear-cut approach in
this election, its followers tend to swing towards the Congress. It
had announced a new religion -Ravidassia - with a new Granth - Amrit
Bani Sri Guru Ravidass - on January 30, 2009, breaking away from the
tradition of following the Sikh holy book of Guru Granth Sahib.
However, this move faced opposition from within the community, mainly
by Sri Guru Ravidass Sadhu Sampardai Society.

The resentment against SAD also increased as the government scuttled
the dera move to replace Guru Granth Sahib with Amrit Bani at
community shrines. Common refrain in the political circles is that the
dera vote would go against SAD but it is confusing as to who would
encash upon it - the Congress, the BSP or some radical elements who
took a clear stand in support of Amrit Bani. Seth Satpal Mall, a close
confidant of dera management, is now an aspirant for Congress ticket
from Jalandhar West.

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[ZESTCaste] Bhanwari Devi case: CBI to submit final report to HC today

 

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/bhanwari-devi-case-cbi-to-submit-report-to-hc/205187-3.html

India | Updated Nov 24, 2011 at 11:58am IST
Bhanwari Devi case: CBI to submit final report to HC today
CNN-IBN

Jodhpur: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will finally submit
its report to the Rajasthan High Court in the Bhanwari Devi case on
Thursday. The court had given the CBI time till November 24 to
investigate the matter of the missing dalit nurse.

The CBI on November 14 approached the court for four weeks time to
complete investigations in the case of the missing dalit nurse.

While the court granted the extension to the CBI, it made it clear
that the intelligence agency should expedite its investigations.
The CBI on November 14 approached the court for four weeks time to
complete investigations in the case.
CNN-IBN

"People have faith in the CBI, live up to it. The court cannot give
indefinite time," the court told the CBI.

Meanwhile, former Rajasthan minister Mahipal Maderna, who is accused
of having a hand in her disappearance, is expected to appear for
questioning before the CBI.

Maderna skipped questioning since Friday citing health grounds, he was
also hospitalised after citing chest pains.

Failing to get any substantial lead in the Bhanwari Devi
disappearance, the CBI on November 15 doubled the reward to Rs 10 lakh
to anyone providing credible information about the missing nurse.

The move came within the fortnight of announcing a reward of Rs 5 lakh
on November 1 even as Rajasthan High Court rapped the agency on
November 14 for the slow pace of investigation in the case.

"The information may be given at CBI Camp Office, Circuit House,
Jodhpur (Rajasthan) on phone numbers: 09530346277, 09530346277,
02912513315,01124368641. The identity of the informer will be kept
confidential," CBI spokesperson said.

Bhanwari Devi has been missing since September 1.

(With additional information from PTI)

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[ZESTCaste] Mayawatis split UP gambit gets Congress, BJP on same page

 

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_mayawatis-split-up-gambit-gets-congress-bjp-on-same-page_1616631

Mayawati�s �split UP� gambit gets Congress, BJP on same page
Published: Thursday, Nov 24, 2011, 9:00 IST
By Anil Sharma | Place: New Delhi | Agency: DNA

BSP chief and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati's pre-poll gambit
to split Uttar Pradesh into four parts has found the Congress and the
BJP on the same page.

The striking concurrence of viewpoints found an expression at BJP
president Nitin Gadkari's virtually secret one-on-one meeting with
senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee. A lot of current political
and economic issues figured in this discussion, even as there is an
attempt both in the Congress and the BJP to play down its
significance. Spokespersons from both the parties have virtually
claimed ignorance about the meeting.

BJP deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha SS Ahluwalia on Wednesday made an
attempt to play down its significance.
"We have always been for smaller states. The three small states —
Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Chattisgarh — were formed during the NDA
regime. These states have done better than bigger counterparts from
which they were hived off," Gadkari told the DNA after his meeting
with Mukherjee.

"But in this case, Mayawati is merely using this as a ploy to cover-up
her misrule. We cannot support this idea at all, but if there is an
attempt to cave out smaller states after due consideration, through a
commission or any other process like for Telangana, there we are all
for it," Gadkari added.

The Congress, too, has expressed the same opinion. Its spokespersons
have maintained that Mayawati's announcement and the subsequent
hurried passage of a unanimous resolution by the state assembly are
all gimmicks. They observed that there is a need to set-up a second
States Re-organisation Commission as the issue of smaller states
requires wider consultations among all the stakeholders belonging to
different states.

A lot of state issues figured in the Gadkari-Mukherjee interaction,
including the BJP's concerns over the problems of revenue sharing in a
GST regime. One of the issues flagged is the states' concern over the
possible delays on the part of the Centre to transfer of state share,
and then may even have to face a situation where they are hamstrung
even to the extent that they cannot pay their employees' salaries.

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[ZESTCaste] Maya, Mulayam days are numbered, says Rahul

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Maya--Mulayam-days-are-numbered--says-Rahul/879798/

Maya, Mulayam days are numbered, says Rahul

Maulshree Seth Posted online: Thu Nov 24 2011, 01:11 hrs
On the second day of his tour to eastern UP, AICC general secretary
Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday targeted both Mayawati and Mulayam Singh
Yadav, calling them "big leaders'' who move in helicopters but have
distanced themselves from the people.

Addressing party workers at Gend Ghar ground in Bahraich city, and
later a public meeting in Matesar Bazar about 30 km away, Rahul said
that days of both these leaders are over, and the Congress would bring
a government of all castes and religions.

"Earlier, Mayawati and Mulayam Singh used to work at the grassroots
but now both have become big leaders. They move in helicopters. They
don't feel angry when they see problems of people. They have distanced
themselves from the people," Rahul said, adding, "Mayawati, Mulayam
Singhji ka samay beet gaya."

Targeting the BSP, he said, "Mayawati does not come to your house, she
does not eat with you. She has created a distance.''

Rahul said he moves among the people because of the lessons given by
the late Indira Gandhi. "My grandmother had told me that if I wish to
understand India, then I have to move out of Delhi to the houses of
dalits, tribals, eat with them, drink their water, understand their
pain and I would continue to do this," he said.

He said that the UPA government introduced MGNREGA, which ensures a
payment of Rs 120 daily for 100 days, Rs 12,000 a year but in UP
people do not get job cards. "The money goes to ministers and
officers," he said.

"It is the biggest programme to provide employment. Go to
Congress-ruled Haryana, Assam, Maharashtra and you'll find people
benefitting from the scheme but your CM feels it is useless. I heard
her contradicting my statement but I will tell her the exact date,
October 9, 2007, when she spoke against the scheme," he added.


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[ZESTCaste] Mayawati steals from the poor to feed the rich: Rahul

http://www.firstpost.com/politics/mayawati-steals-from-the-poor-to-feed-the-rich-rahul-138060.html

Mayawati steals from the poor to feed the rich: Rahul

FP Staff Nov 23, 2011

On the second day of his five-day tour of Uttar Pradesh, Congress
general secretary, Rahul Gandhi launched a full frontal attack on
Mayawati and Mulayam Singh Yadav, clearly focussing on the disconnect
between them and the people of the state. Addressing a gathering at
Bahraich, in the state, he said, "Mayawati & Mulayam were mass leaders
who were once grounded in reality and injustice against the poor
angered them. Now they live in ACs, disconnected from reality."

On corruption
Rahul spoke at length about the schemes initiated by the Congress-led
UPA government at the Centre and how it has benefited the poor across
the country. "MNREGA is the biggest employment programme in the world;
lakhs benefited across the country. It's is a right, but Mayawati has
been consistently campaigning against it, while embezzling the money
sent by the Centre."

Rahul accused the Mayawati government of stealing from the poor. PTI

He reiterated that money sent for the poor was being consistently
being siphoned off by the government. "Money sent by the Centre, for
health schemes and prenatal women never reached the targeted
beneficiaries," he said, "The UP government takes money from builders
and gives them your land".

Land grab
Alleging state sponsored brutalities in Bhatta Parsaul, he accused
both the BSP and the SP of thwarting development for personal
benefits. Rahul accused successive governments in the state of
forcibly taking away land from the poor. "Uttar Pradesh governement
takes land away from the poor and hands it to the rich, and calls it
development," he said.

Stressing on the Congress's commitment to the aam aadmi he said,
"While people were killed and beaten up at Bhatta Parsaul, no
political party except the Congress came forward to sympathise with
the affected and offer comfort."

On development
Speaking on development Rahul stressed that the state lacked basic
infrastructure in terms of roads, health care and electricity. He said
that the state will attract industry only if the basics were in place.
"The rest of India is progressing while Uttar Pradesh is sliding
backward. This makes me angry," he told the crowd.

Claiming that he visited a hospital where there no patients but a
painting job was on due to her visit, he said the painters told him
that they were doing it as the Chief Minister was visiting the
hospital.

"There were no patients, no nurses, no doctors. But painting was on
because the administration wanted to show her the hospital in good
condition when she passes through the area. She does not know what is
happening. She does not come to your house. She does not eat with
you," he said.

He will next visit Shravasti, Siddharth Nagar and Kushinagar and meet
party workers as well.


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[ZESTCaste] “Case against Dalit leader should not disturb peace”

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/article2655637.ece

MADURAI, November 24, 2011
"Case against Dalit leader should not disturb peace"
Mohamed Imranullah S.

The Madras High Court Bench here on Wednesday asked Additional
Advocate General (AAG) K. Chellapandian to come out with a solution,
in consultation with the Ramanathapuram Collector and the
Superintendent of Police, to curb flaring up of emotions pursuant to
registration of a criminal case against a Dalit leader on charges of
promoting enmity between two caste groups.

Dealing with a writ petition filed by P. Chandra Bose, general
secretary of Thyagi Immanuel Peravai, to quash the First Information
Report, Mr. Justice V. Ramasubramanian said that his endeavour was to
ensure that the registration of the case following a public meeting at
Paramakudi on November 5 should not snowball into a controversy and
disturb tranquillity across the State.

The public meeting was organised to condemn the police firing, which
led to the death of six Dalits at Paramakudi on September 11.

Stating that courts have to deal such issues with caution, the Judge
said: "My only concern is where to put an end to this. Nowadays,
courts have a greater responsibility. If it had been any other writ
petition, I would have thrown it out. But this case is different."

Earlier, the AAG contended that the speech given by the petitioner in
the public meeting squarely attracted Section 153A (promoting enmity
between different groups on ground of religion, race and so on and
doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) of the Indian Penal
Code. However, petitioner's counsel P. Rathinam said that the speech
was nothing but the cry of the hapless Dalits.

When counsel referred to historic incidents related to atrocities
committed against Dalits, the judge intervened and said that Mahatma
Gandhi had the ability to bring about peace even in the worst of
communal disturbances. "Unfortunately, we do not have someone like
him. Today, nobody wants to be a Mahatma Gandhi as they do not want to
be shot dead."

He recalled that Mahatma Gandhi had written to his friend on January
25, 1948, just five days before his assassination, stating he would
prefer to die chanting the name of Lord Ram if he happened to be shot
dead in an attempt to bring about communal harmony. "It is amazing
that he died in the same manner within five days of writing that
letter," Mr. Justice Ramasubramanian said.


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[ZESTCaste] Rahul targets Mayawati, Mulayam

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/article2652813.ece

Bahraich (UP), November 23, 2011
Rahul targets Mayawati, Mulayam
PTI

Targeting Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati and Samajwadi Party
chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said they have
"forgotten" the people after becoming big leaders and they "don't feel
for them".

"They (Mayawati and Mulayam) have become big leaders.

They can travel in helicopters. But they do not feel angry now when
they see sufferings. They do not feel anything when farmers' land
spanning 2,000 km is taken away.

"That time has gone when these leaders used to feel for the people.
They don't feel anything when contractors are minting money. I have
learnt many things from Mulayamji. But he is not there in your midst.
He does not come to you. His anger (against injustice) is over," Mr.
Gandhi said.

Addressing a rally here on the second day of his five-day tour, Mr.
Gandhi said the Congress-led government brought the land acquisition
bill but it was prevented by opposition parties.

"People were killed in Bhatta—Parsaul. What is happening in Uttar
Pradesh? Samajwadi Party leaders are sitting in their rooms. Who
brought the land acquisition bill? We brought it.

Who is opposing it? The Opposition is doing that. They do not want you
to gain," he said.

He said Ms. Mayawati "does not bother about" what was happening in the state.

Claiming that he visited a hospital where there no patients but a
painting job was on due to her visit, he said the painters told him
that they were doing it as the Chief Minister was visiting the
hospital.

"There were no patients, no nurses, no doctors. But painting was on
because the administration wanted to show her the hospital in good
condition when she passes through the area. She does not know what is
happening. She does not come to your house. She does not eat with
you," he said.

Taking a dig at Mulayam, he said, the SP chief aligned with former BJP
leader Kalyan Singh for power in the last elections.


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[ZESTCaste] SC DALIT 2

 

http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/sc-dalit-2/910144.html

SC DALIT 2
PTI | 06:11 PM,Nov 22,2011

The bench had earlier expanded the scope of the petition The bench had
earlier expanded the scope of the petition by inviting suggestions
from the Centre to tackle frequent blockades and measures to recover
the losses from the protesters, while noting that the protests are the
handiwork of politicians including ministers. "Honourable ministers
also take part in rail and rasta roko agitations. It is part of their
political agenda," the bench quipped. The Centre had pleaded for more
time to come out with its suggestions for tackling rasta/rail rokos
and measures to recover the losses sustained from the agitators. "Are
you really serious in stopping it? We would like to know how many
policemen are deployed to protect passengers from hooligans and
vandals? 184 transport buses were put to fire in one day agitation in
Hyderabad. Ours is a country where tolerance limit is unlimited," the
bench remarked. PTI RB RKS

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[ZESTCaste] SC DALIT 3

 

http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/sc-dalit-3/910138.html

SC DALIT 3
PTI | 06:11 PM,Nov 22,2011

The apex court warned the Centre that if it failed to The apex court
warned the Centre that if it failed to come out with concrete
suggestions, it would have to intervene. " Since you are not doing it,
we will do it. We are the third constituent of the state. It is your
function. If you don't do, we will do it. " All of us at a given point
of time are victims. A few months ago, there was a jam in Delhi due to
agitation. Lawyers could not reach court and cases were adjourned.
Victims are poor persons," the bench said.

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[ZESTCaste] Calls within PPCC for Dalit or Hindu CM candidate in 2012

http://www.dailypioneer.com/nation/22518-calls-within-ppcc-for-dalit-or-hindu-cm-candidate-in-2012-.html

Calls within PPCC for Dalit or Hindu CM candidate in 2012

Wednesday, 23 November 2011 01:05
Alok Singh | Chandigarh

With the Jat Sikhs dominating Congress politics in the State, calls
for a Dalit or a Hindu Chief Ministerial candidate has been gaining
prominence in a section of Punjab Congress.

Despite being a State with the highest Dalit population in the
country, making a Jat Sikh the Chief Minister has been the trend so
far and now a section wants that this trend be reversed in a bid to
consolidate the Dalit vote base.

Senior party leader and former Punjab Congress president, Shamsher
Singh Dullo has decided to launch a mobilisation programme to press
for his demand for non-Jat Sikh CM.

"I will meet party workers. I do not need any support from the party
leaders as they were keen to save their position." Dullo told The
Pioneer. Earlier during a party meeting at Jalandhar, presided over by
State Congress affairs in-charge, Gulchain Singh Charak, some workers
raised slogans against Congress leadership alleging that PPCC
president was discriminating against Dalit workers. Later, on the
direction of Captain, a show-cause notice was served to the district
Congress president Arun Walia of his failure to act against those
indulging in indiscipline.


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[ZESTCaste] Dalit labourer dies, nephew alleges he was beaten

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/rajkot/Dalit-labourer-dies-nephew-alleges-he-was-beaten/articleshow/10834224.cms

Dalit labourer dies, nephew alleges he was beaten
TNN | Nov 22, 2011, 11.29PM IST

RAJKOT: The nephew of a Dalit farm hand has filed a complaint with the
police saying that his uncle was beaten up when he asked for his
wages, which resulted in his death the next day.

Dadu Jadav (35), a resident of Rangpar village in Wankaner taluka of
Rajkot district, was admitted to a government hospital on November 20
and died the following day. His nephew Dinesh Sondarva alleged that
farmer Dilip Kathi beat up Dadu when the latter asked him for his dues
of Rs 1,000. On Tuesday, Dadu's body was exhumed and sent for
postmortem.

A complaint has been filed against Kathi under section 302 of Indian
Penal Code and various other sections of the Prevention of Atrocities
against SC and STs Act.

However, the police are skeptical about it as the complainant said
Dadu did not go for treatment on the day he was beaten up and instead
went to Rajkot where his sister lives.

He then told his sister that he fell down from a tree and got injured.
Dadu was admitted to the government hospital in Rajkot where he died
on November 21.

Police said Dadu's relatives did not inform the police and buried him.
Meanwhile, Dinesh got admitted into a government hospital. "Dinesh in
his first statement to police in Rajkot said that he, Dadu and Kathi
were drinking together and had a heated exchange over some issues, but
when the Wankaner taluka police reached the hospital to take his
statement, he retracted from his earlier statement and said Kathi had
beaten them up,'' deputy superintendent of police Rajendrasinh
Chudasama said.

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[ZESTCaste] After war of words with Mayawati, Ramesh releases funds

http://www.tehelka.com/story_main51.asp?filename=Ws221111NREGA_FUNDS.asp

Posted on 22 November 2011
CURRENT AFFAIRS
NREGA FUNDS

After war of words with Mayawati, Ramesh releases funds

Funds released based on a written undertaking from UP govt to submit
Action Taken Reports on pending complaints

Samarth Saran
New Delhi

The Union Rural Development Ministry on Tuesday released the third
installment of Rs 1,200 crore under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Act (MG-NREGA) to the poll-bound state of Uttar
Pradesh for the year 2011/12.

Union Minister of Rural Development Jairam Ramesh has also written a
letter to UP Rural Development Minister Daddu Prasad stating that the
money is being sanctioned despite "numerous instances of grave
financial irregularities that have been documented in reports of
independent National Level Monitors (NLMs) and State Quality Monitors
(SQMs)".

Ramesh, in fact, in one of his letters addressed to UP Chief Minister
Mayawati had written that he had the option of stopping the flow of
funds to the state either wholly or partially until proper action was
taken by the state government on reports by the NLMs and SQMs.

In the letter addressed to Prasad, Ramesh said that "the Union
Ministry is acutely conscious that the people of the state should not
be penalised for the failure of the state government to take credible
action against those held responsible for financial irregularities".

In 2010/11, the ministry released Rs 5,267 crore to the state with Rs
1,882 not being utilised by the Mayawati government. This year, the
central government released Rs 1,000 crore in May and another Rs 1,349
crore on 4 July. Ramesh has stressed that the ministry has already
granted more funds for MG-NREGA in UP in just eight months of the
current financial year compared to the funds released last year.

Ramesh, in his letter to Prasad, wrote that the ad hoc release was
based on a written undertaking from the state government to submit
Action Taken Reports on all pending complaints and mentioning specific
and tangible action taken against persons responsible. The letter
states that the state government has to provide complaint-wise, final
outcome in each inquiry/proceeding and FIR by 10 December, and further
funds would be released after reviewing the action taken on pending
complaints.

Ramesh had written two letters to Mayawati alleging gross corruption
in implementation of MG-NREGA and demanding a CBI probe. He had
accused Mayawati of protecting the corrupt and listed the names of
officers who were "involved in the scam". Mayawati in her response had
written a letter to the Prime Minister alleging Ramesh's letter was
politically motivated.

Samarth Saran is a Correspondent with Tehelka.
samarth@tehelka.com


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[ZESTCaste] UP’s bifurcation: Mayawati’s masterstroke or overkill?

http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=471580&version=1&template_id=40&parent_id=22

Latest Update: Wednesday23/11/2011November, 2011, 12:00 AM Doha Time

UP's bifurcation: Mayawati's masterstroke or overkill?

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has proved that she has the
electoral muscle to bulldoze the state reorganisation resolution
through the assembly. As planned and announced, she moved the
controversial resolution in the winter session on Monday and got it
passed by a voice vote without discussion and debate amid opposition
furore.
The proceedings had Mayawati's stamp embedded all over. Whether or not
she is ready to take her idea to its logical conclusion, politically
the move is viewed as an electoral masterstroke or overkill. Its
timing clearly shows that her move is aimed at confusing the
opposition parties and setting the agenda in the run-up to the polls
early next year.
The bifurcation move is not new. Most parties have articulated its
need with varying nuances at various occasions. Nevertheless, when
Mayawati reiterated the demand recently, it set the cat among the
pigeons. Mulayam Singh Yadav's Samajwadi Party is set against any
division of UP as his party's backward caste vote base is not as
evenly spread as Mayawati party's - BSP's - core following of Dalits
in all the proposed states. With a clever political gambit, Mayawati
has added to the worries of not only the SP but also of the Congress
which, being the ruling party at the Centre, is not well placed to
take a clear stand on UP's division because of the demands for
separate states like Telangana.
The proposed division of Uttar Pradesh into four states - Purvanchal
(east UP), Bundelkhand, Awadh (central UP) and Paschim Pradesh (west
UP) - is not supported by any popular agitations, yet the idea is not
without some resonance in the four regions.
UP with a population of 200mn and a geographical area of almost
241,000sq km is too large to be governed properly from Lucknow as its
capital. The state is of such a huge size despite the creation of
Uttarakhand comprising its former hill regions of Garhwal and Kumaon
in the recent past. Currently, UP has 75 districts, 80 Lok Sabha seats
and 403 assembly seats.
So the move may help Mayawati marginalise the Congress in some areas,
hijack the Bharatiya Janata Party's agenda of supporting small states
and undermine the SP's ambitions of playing a larger national role.
But whether this will actually be a game-changer in the elections, or
alter the political discourse in any significant way, is open to
debate. Governance, or its absence, will still play a crucial part
when voters go to polls. Life has not really improved all that much
for the state's citizens under her watch, even for the Dalits, the
marginalised social groups whose cause she champions. The mammoth
statues she has erected across Uttar Pradesh may be powerful visual
symbols of Dalit assertion, but it's not enough for those who are yet
to see their lives improve in real terms.
It is also too much to expect that the hot air building under the
proposed division will deflect attention from other crucial issues,
such as the BSP government's track record and allegations of
corruption against the chief minister. The proposal can also be seen
as an illusion to deceive the people of the state, who have been
looking towards politicians for delivery and accountability every five
years. Voters booted out Mulayam in 2007 and opted for Mayawati in the
same hope. Does she foresee any setback in repeating her performance
of 2007 when her party got a comfortable majority in the UP assembly?
Mayawati's diversionary tactic, however, has real implications beyond
the state. She seems to have not fully thought through the ripple
effect of the move on statehood demands in other parts of the country.
Though the Congress, in principle, supports the creation of smaller
states, the Manmohan Singh government can hardly be expected to
concede the demand for dividing UP when it is struggling to cap the
agitation to carve Telangana out of Andhra Pradesh and at a time when
ally Trinamul Congress has just made peace with Gorkhaland campaigners
in West Bengal.
By lobbing the ball in the Centre's court, Mayawati has offered it a
damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't option.
The arguments of carving out smaller states out of bigger ones like
UP, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh have been around
for long and have received tacit and open support from national
parties. The BJP had in fact gone ahead with the division of UP, Bihar
and Madhya Pradesh when it was in power at the Centre.
After the birth of Uttarakhand there has been no strong movement for
dividing UP further. Mayawati floated such an idea after capturing
power in 2007. She had also written many letters to Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh in this regards under the guise of better
administration and efficiency.
What is significant about Mayawati's move this time is that she wants
the UP assembly to put a stamp of approval on the division plan before
the ball is lobbed in Centre's court.
In most cases, creating smaller states satisfies regional demands,
creates compact administrative units, kicks off several rounds of
investment and construction and empowers local leaders with greater
responsibility. So splitting UP into four smaller states each with its
own capital and administrative setup ideally could do a world of good.
But things could also get worse if the political leaders of a new
state behave in an irresponsible manner as in the case of Jharkhand,
which has seen eight short-lived governments since its birth as a new
state 11 years ago.
Though the assembly has passed the resolution, the four-way split of
the country's biggest state is by no means a done deal. Any
reorganisation of states must be approved by parliament, and it is
highly unlikely this could happen in the immediate future.
Mayawati is well aware of this, but her objective clearly is to seize
the initiative. The Centre's inaction will hand Mayawati a populist,
emotive issue with which to divert attention from opposition charges
of poor governance, corruption and nepotism. She may consider her move
a political masterstroke, but in her hurry to focus on her narrow
political goal, she might have over-calculated the benefits to her
party, while needlessly raking up controversies and tensions.


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