Paush Krishna 6 Vik Samvat 2068, Yugabda 5113: December 16, 2011

1. FESTIVALS: 'CHATURMAS' COLLECTION DONATED TO KALYAN ASHRAM: The period of ‘Aashadh Shuddh Ekadashi’ to ‘Kartik Shuddh Ekadashi’ regarded as Chaturmas, the four-month period is the most important phase of an year according to Hindu Calendar during which each and every family gets submersed in religious activities to seek the grace of God. During this four-month period, a unique seva activity was planned in Rameshwari locality by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Nagpur. An appeal was made to keep a handful of rice along with Re 1 daily in front of the Lord’s idol as an offering and donate this offering to Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram for the welfare of vanavasi brethren. Pamphlets were circulated by 32 karyakartas and 350 houses in the locality were contacted. Karyakartas visited about 173 houses and collected 400 kg rice along with a donation amount of Rs 20,738.

NAGALAND HOSTS 12TH HORNBILL FESTIVAL: The twelfth edition of the Hornbill Festival had a colorful start at the Kisama Naga heritage village near Nagaland capital Kohima.Tourists from Bharat and abroad thronged the annual weeklong festival, held in first week of December, which is organized to promote tourism and to highlight the rich socio cultural heritage and traditions of the Nagas. Under the theme of "Unity in Culture", local artists performed different types of Naga traditional tribal dances.

The annual festival is celebrated to pay tribute to the hornbill, the most revered bird of the Nagas. Troupes of Sumi, Angami, Tangkhul and others tribes performed dances and sung their folk songs.

The festival also provided a prefect platform for the local entrepreneurs to showcase their products made from bamboo and cane, folk music instruments, naga souvenirs, artificial jewellery and Naga household utensils.

2.   FDI will ruin agriculture, industry, trade and culture, Stop it—Mohan BHAGWAT: "Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) will ruin the Bharatiya agriculture, industries, business and also the culture. It is very painful that our own government is bent upon allowing FDI in retail sector at the cost of its own people. The FDI, if permitted, will make the life of the people engaged in farming, small scale industries or retailing miserable,” said RSS Sarsanghachalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat. He was addressing a gathering of swayamsevaks in Varanasi on December 4.

Shri Bhagwat said wherever the retail giant Walmart went in the world it ruined the local retail sector, farming as well as the traditional culture. This is the reason why many countries in the world including China, Brazil, Italy, etc. have permitted it partially and that too with many restrictions, he said.

On the issue of corruption, the Sarsanghachalak said it has mingled in the society so deeply that it cannot be eradicated until we eradicate it from our mentality.

Shri Bhagwat stressed the need to rise above the caste and community differences and stand united. He appealed to the swayamsevaks to visit all villages to awake the people. Senior Sangh Pracharak Madhubhai Kulkarni, Kshetra Sanghachalak Prof DP Singh, Prant Karyavah Dr Virendra Jaiswal, BJP leader Dr Murli Manohar Joshi and many other Sangh and BJP leaders were also present on the occasion.

3. ARISE ARJUNA 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF NATIONAL HINDU STUDENTS’ FORUM (UK): Dynamism, vibrancy and unity are three words which best describe The National Hindu Students’ Forum (UK) 20th Anniversary celebrations ‘Arise Arjuna’ on Saturday 19th November at the JFS School, Kenton. Over the past 20 years, NHSF (UK) has grown to represent 15,000 students across 35 universities across the country and organises over 1200 events a year under the NHSF (UK) banner to make it the Largest Hindu Students movement in Europe.

The evening consisted of a canapés reception, performances by the founder of NHSF (UK) Alpesh Patel, Rasik Ladwa and Pranav Bhanot (President - NHSF). The theme which linked all the key note speeches was an acknowledgment of how successful the Hindus have come as a community. There was a large interactive exhibition on Hindu history, culture and traditions.  In the evening, students from over 30 different Universities took part in a very colourful and vibrant National Garba – to bring an end to the day’s celebrations.

Special guests on the day included – The Mayor of Brent, Cllr Navin Shah, Swami Vigyanand (Join General Secretary of VHP), Ram Bapa, Sanjay Babber (Royal Air Force) etc. For more information please visit http://www.nhsf.org.uk

4. Aryan Invasion Theory used for Divide and Convert:  The so called Aryan Dravidian Theory which used for ‘Divide and Convert’ policy has been exposed by a fresh Genetic research conducted by the ‘The American Society of Human Genetics’.

The research, ‘Shared and Unique Components of Human Population Structure and Genome-Wide Signals of Positive Selection in South Asia’ is conducted by a team of 15 scientists which includes four Bharatiya scientists. The findings of a three-year study have been published by American Journal of Human Genetics in its issue dated December 9.

Research Team member Prof Lalji Singh, vice-chancellor, Banaras Hindu University, has commented that the research has conclusively proved that there never existed any Aryans or Dravidians in the Bharatiya sub continent. The Aryan-Dravidian classification was nothing but a misinformation campaign carried out by people with vested interests.

The study effectively puts to rest the argument that south Bharatiyas are Dravidians and were driven to the peninsula by Aryans who invaded North India,” said Prof Singh, a molecular biologist and former chief of Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad.

According to Dr Gyaneshwer Chaubey, Estonian Biocentre, Tartu, Estonia, who was another Bharatiya member of the team, the leaders of Dravidian political parties may have to find another answer for their raison d'être. Dr Chaubey had proved in 2009 itself that the Aryan invasion theory is garbage.

The fresh research has played a great role which examines the birth of the Arya-Dravid myth and its misuses. The American Society of Human Genetics with the help of cellular molecular biology has thrown fresh look at the ‘Invasion theory’ in the light of its recent scientific evidence and showed how it now stands overwhelmingly disproved. (With Inputs from The American Society of Human Genetics - http://www.cell.com/AJHG/)

5.  Our work is to spread the influence of Bharatiya thoughT -Bhaiyaji JOSHI: "The Swadeshi Jagaran Manch (SJM) should accept the challenge of spreading the influence of Bharatiya thought to enrich the life on this earth by successfully confronting the dangers and threats of consumerism, pollution and wanton degradation of resources”, said Bhaiyaji Joshi, Sarkaryavah of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Nagpur.

He was addressing a gathering of intellectuals, industrialists, chartered accountants and others at a function organised by Swadeshi Jagaran Manch (SJM) at Moropant Pingle Auditorium in Reshimbagh on December 3. Principal Yoganand Kale and Prof Ajay Patki of SJM shared the dais on the occasion while Shri Ashutosh Pathak compeered the proceedings.

In his hour-long educative speech Shri Bhaiyaji Joshi touched upon various aspects of the present economic order and the threats arising out of it to human and natural resources in various parts of the world.

6. MASSIVE RALLY BY BMS AGAINST PRICE RISE AND CORRUPTION: Demanding protection of workers’ rights in the light of financial crisis as well as the economic reforms being implemented in the country, the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) organised a massive rally at Parliament Streets in New Delhi on November 23. Thousands of workers from different parts of the country participated in the rally.

Presiding over the rally BMS president Shri CK Saji Narayanan presented a charter of demands on behalf of the workers and demanded that the minimum pension should be raised to Rs 3000.

Others who addressed the rally included BMS national general secretary Shri Baij Nath Rai

Shri Hazi Akhtar Hussain, Sardar Kartar Singh, Shri K Lakshma Reddy, Shri Udairao Patwardhan, Smt  Anusuia Mishra and Dr BK Rai.

7. Modi’s efforts helped acquittals in China: While the acquittal of the 13 traders is being attributed to Chief Minister Narendra Modi taking up the matter with the Chinese authorities during his visit in November, diamond industry sources said that the Centre and trading bodies should intervene to get the ten others freed too. Modi during his visit to China last month had not only raised the issue of the detained diamond traders with the authorities there, but also requested the Chinese officials to ensure vegetarian food for them in jail. The acquittals of the 13 traders hailing from Gujarat have been attributed to Modi’s diplomatic efforts and statesmanship shown during his China visit.

8.  HSS / VHP FAMILY DAY CAMP IN HONG KONG: The HSS / VHP Family Day Camp, held on 27^th November, 2011 at the Po Leung Kuk Pak Tam Chung Holiday Camp in Hong Kong’s scenic Sai Kung area of New Territories, saw beautiful weather, with bright sunshine and a perfect day for outdoor activities and a record sankhya – the camp had 196 participants, which included 127 adults, and 69 children.

Shri Kishore Sambvani, president of VHP, HK opened the event with a welcome speech, Shri Nirmal Laungani, sah-sanghachalak (vice president) of HSS, HK explained that the main object of such a gathering was to emphasize unity amongst Hindus of all regions and denominations. Different games were arranged for adults and children; men and women, and boys and girls. Bauddhok sessons included crossword puzzle baed on Hindu culture and a quiz competition. Shri Manoj Kumar Motwani, the karyawaha (General Secretary) of HSS, HK gave a presentation about the history, aims and objects of the Sangh and also explained about various activities of VHP, Seva Bharti, Vidya Bharti, Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, etc.  Shri J.P.Goel, the Sanghchalak (President) of HSS, HK concluded the event, by thanking all the participants of their visit to the HSS day camp.  An exhibition on Vedic culture and traditions as well as the achievements of ancient Bharat in all the fields was displayed.

9.  ARUNACHAL CM FOR PRESERVATION OF TRADITIONAL CULTURE & RITUALS: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki speaking as chief guest of the inaugural function of the three days silver jubilee celebration of Donyi-Polo Yelam Kebang (DPYK) at central Gangging ground Pasighat on 1st December 2011, said, “every village and town of the state should have a cultural centre for which state government will assist.”

Traditional dancing competition was conducted on every evening. Fifty-two of dancing teams participated in the competition representing ganggings (temple of Adis) of different villages.

Traditional games competition was organized for boys. Youths participated with great enthusiasm. More than 2000 delegates attended the function that came from 150 villages of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.

Addressing the gathering Shri Jagdeoram Oram, All Bharat President of Vanvasi Kalyan Assham appreciated the efforts of DPYK and said, “Faith, Culture and tradition are inseparable and it is the identity of every Janjati community. It has to be protected and preserved. For that purpose we have to follow the foot prints of late Talom Rukbo.”

10.  Nuke-capable Agni-1 test-fired successfully: Bharat successfully test-fired the nuclear-capable Agni A1-06 strategic ballistic missile on December 1 from the test range at Wheeler Island off Odisha coast, about 200 km east of Bhubaneswar. "The missile reached the target point in the Bay of Bengal," said SP Dash, director, Integrated Test Range of the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO). It was tracked by radar and telemetry stations located along the coastline. Two naval ships located near the target point tracked the missile in the last phase of its flight, he said.

The missile, having a strike range of 700 km, was launched as part of the army's user trial. It can carry a one-tonne nuclear warhead and is meant to bridge the gap between Prithvi and Agni II, which have ranges of 250 km and 2,500 km.

11. monks defy China, attend Buddhist meet in Delhi: Despite a crackdown by China, 22 senior Buddhist leaders from the Chinese mainland did attend the global meeting of Buddhist religious orders held in Delhi in late November in the face of intense pressure from Beijing on Bharat to scrap the event.

The monks came to Bharat some time before the event either singly or in small groups and were an unobtrusive presence at the meet that gathered 800 delegates from all major Buddhist nations in Asia and showcased Bharat's centrality to the faith and its propagation. They are understood to have travelled on tourist visas. The monks had been invited by Lama Lobsang, head of the Asoka Mission that organized the meet.

12.  Dance of the Buddha: The inspiration for the Buddhist arts came undoubtedly from the religion and the sculptural wealth of Buddhist edifices proved that the religion did not necessarily mean rituals and doctrines, but a latent spiritual quality finding “tongues in trees, books in the brooks and sermons in stones”! This was true for the performing arts as well, as could be seen from the first-ever Buddhist International Performing Arts Festival in New Delhi and other cities, organised by the ICCR.

During the inauguration, Kala-Mandapa from Nepal presented Charya Nritya and Charya Geeti, which are parts of Vajrayana Buddhist Tantric rituals. The Buddhist Dance Group from Ladakh presented two simple Chham dances: the first with two dancers in animal masks and then a group with head-gears sans masks. The next day’s Mi-dam Dance Company from Cambodia was spectacular: in their glittering, gold-bordered costumes and strikingly bejewelled head-crowns. The New Delhi’s Natya Ballet Centre showcased Nirvana encapsulating the events from Siddhartha’s birth to his setting the Wheel of Religion, including the early fracas with cousin Devdatta on a fatally-wounded swan; life of pomp and lucre; marriage to Yashodhara and birth of son Rahul.

The third day’s overture by the Jogye Sect Buddhist Group from Korea was a veritable picture of serenity and grace. Next, the Nirvana Ecstasy, a slow movement with simple ritual gestures, snowballed soon into vigorous energy, without losing its religious fervour. Padshelling Monastery Mask Dance Group from Bhutan showcased the festival’s finale for the ICCR with two elaborate Chham dances.   

13.  Internet giants come calling to IITs with fancy offers: Three giants of the internet - Facebook, Microsoft and Google - landed at the Indian Institutes of Technology this year to pick the brightest brains to power their headquarters. Facebook, which picked one student last year, was seen at all IIT campuses, from Bombay to Guwahati to Madras. It paid the highest salary - $140,000 (about Rs 72 lakh) per annum - apart from a relocation bonus and a one-time signing amount. It appeared as if the placement process at the IITs was insulated from the world's crippled economy.

Microsoft, for the first time, had come to hire IITians for its Redmond headquarters. Google picked engineers for both their Bharat (with salary packages nearing Rs 20 lakh) and global offices.

14.  BHARATIYA households hold over $950 billion of gold: Gold consumption is part of Bharat's culture and tradition and the country is the world's largest consumer of gold, followed by China. Bharatiya households hold 18,000 tonnes of gold which represents 11 per cent of the global stock and worth more than $950 billion, around 50 per cent of Bharat nominal GDP in dollar terms, says global research firm Macquarie.

With gold evolving as a store of value more than an adornment, rising gold prices have also contributed towards increasing Bharatiya households' "perceived wealth".

Macquarie used the term "perceived wealth" because most Bharatiya households are reluctant to part with their gold jewellery and other gold holdings, even at times of crisis, as doing so is considered a stigma, it said.

15.  BJP MPs give declarations on black money on Anti-Corruption Day: Bharatiya Janata Party MPs on December 9 gave declarations that they do not possess illegal wealth in foreign banks to presiding officers of the two Houses of Parliament, in a bid to corner the ruling Congress and put pressure on the government on the black money issue.

BJP leader LK Advani said the party would also ask the government what steps it had taken to repossess the illegal Bharatiya wealth stashed away in foreign tax havens abroad, making use of international laws in this regard as had been done by many other nations.

16.  Pakistani delegation invites Narendra Modi to visit Pakistan: Impressed by Gujarat’s development, a Pakistani business delegation during its meeting with Chief Minister Narendra Modi in Gandhinagar on December 9 called for exploring greater co-operation in trade and industry between Gujarat and Pakistan. The meeting with delegation of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industries at the residence of the Chief Minister was held in an extremely cordial atmosphere. The delegation was particularly impressed by the ‘Gujarat model’ of development, Gujarat government’s transparent and progressive policies conducive for industrial growth and by the visionary Chief Minister’s dynamism. They invited Modi to visit Pakistan and also address the corporate heads of Pakistan’s industries and business on the ‘Gujarat model’ of development through videoconferencing to be arranged by the Karachi Chamber.

17.   Peace, unity, harmony define Lotus Temple: As the Bahai House of Worship, popularly known as the Lotus Temple, completed its 25 years in November 2011, thousands of believers gathered in its sprawling lawns to spread the message of peace, unity and social harmony.

The Lotus Temple, one of the most mesmerising architectural landmarks in the city, has welcomed over 70 million people from every corner of the world. Built in the year 1986, the House of Worship stands as a silent teacher of the three core principles of the Baha’i Faith - the oneness of God, the oneness of religions and the oneness of mankind. People from every walk of life, every strata of society, regardless of caste, community, religion, nationality or belief, are welcomed as equals at this unique place of worship.

18.   Bharatiya-origin woman set to enter House of Commons: A second generation Bharatiya immigrant Seema Malhotra has emerged as the front-runner for the House of Commons seat from the west London constituency of Feltham and Heston. If she does, she will become the 9^th MP of Bharatiya descent and third such woman. She is contesting as a Labour candidate.

19.  US looking at bharat for legal aid lessons: The judiciary in the US is looking at Bharat for tips on how to provide legal assistance to the poor on a shoestring budget. Although the slowdown-hit US economy is generating more civil cases of foreclosure, consumer credit and eviction, the litigants simply don’t have the money to pay for a lawyer. And unlike in criminal cases, the US government is not mandated to provide legal aid in civil cases.

Justice Fisher and Fred P Rooney, director of the Community Legal Resource Network of the City University of New York School of Law (CUNY), have been scouting for legal aid programmes in Bharat. They were in Delhi after visiting Symbiosis Law School in Pune and a law college in Goa to study the involvement of law students in legal service programmes.

20.  Village lass sets medical world abuzz with natural cure for breast cancer: Kelaginakeri, a hamlet in Karki village of Honnavar in Uttara Kannada district is famous in the region for ancient medical practice of 'Nati Vaidya', especially one which cures 'Sarpa Sutthu'.

Nagaratna Hegde (27), who was born in a Brahmin 'Agrahara' in this tiny hamlet, successfully submitted a thesis on thiostrepton, a naturally occurring molecule in human body that can stop spread of breast cancer. Her paper published in Nature Chemistry claims that thiostrepton will be helpful treating breast cancer without surgical removal of affected area.

She will receive PhD for her thesis from Cambridge University on January 20. What makes her achievement special is that she is born to semi-literate parents Shreedhar Gopal Hegde (61) and Lakshmi Shreedhar Hegde (51) of Hegdemane. Moreover, she did not receive any formal English education, which her counterparts in cities do. In fact, she had done her schooling in Kannada medium at Government lower and higher primary schools at Karki.

21. Obama names bharatiya-American lawyer to key post: US President Barack Obama has named yet another Bharatiya American to a key position in his administration. Preeta D Bansal, a former Solicitor General for New York State, has been named Member of the Advisory Council of the Administrative Conference of the United States. This will be Bansal’s second assignment in the Obama administration. Earlier, she served as the General Counsel and Senior Policy Advisor for the Office of Management and Budget.

22. Navy to get first N-sub by March: With Bharat's defence forces possessing nuclear strike capabilities from land and air, the triad will be completed by the end of this financial year when the navy acquires a nuclear submarine from Russia. INS Chakra, the first-generation Russian Nerpa Akula II class nuclear submarine, armed with 300-km range Klub missiles, is to be berthed in the Bay of Bengal. The leased 8,100-tonne vessel is currently in the final user acceptance trial stage in northern Russia.

Indigenous nuclear submarine INS Arihant is also on track, with sea trials planned over the next six months. The submarine is to be commissioned next year, making the Bharatiya Navy a formidable force in the Bharatiya Ocean and beyond.

23.   NRIs oppose tax on stay: An umbrella organisation of overseas Bharatiyass has urged the Bharatiya government to withdraw a proposal to impose tax on non-resident Bharatiyas staying over 60 days during a visit to the homeland. It will be detrimental to the interests of NRIs who contribute substantially to the nation's development, the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) said in a resolution adopted during its biennial convention earlier this month. The GOPIO made a plea for a mechanism to enable NRIs to voice their grievances.

24.  Move over Hinglish, IT’S Kitchen Hindi in South Africa: If Hindi in Bharat has become Hinglish, South African Bharatiyas are a step ahead. They have a mix of three languages, Hindi, English and Zulu --- the local South Afrian language, and call it "Kitchen Hindi". "The mix is very popular with second and third generation Bharatiyas," said Ela Gandhi, granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, who was member of parliament from Durban from 1994 to 2004. "You can call it evolution of South African Bharatiyas in their own unique way".

There are about three lakh people of Bharatiya origin in Durban, biggest settlement of Bharatiyas in a city outside Bharat. Unlike, United States or United Kingdom, a vast majority of Bharatiyas live in concentrated areas in Durban away from ghettos where natives Zulu people like and posh areas of white population.

25.  Marry BHARATIYAs to visit country without visas: Foreigners married to Bharatiyas can heave a sigh of relief. They will not have to run around for their visas to visit or live in Bharat.

The government has decided to amend the Citizenship Act that not only rechristens the “overseas citizen of Bharat” but also extends the facility to foreigners married to Bharatiyas.

26.  Pak prisoners want to stay back in BHARAT: Pakistani prisoners have so far challenged their deportation before the Delhi High Court demanding political asylum in Bharat or any third state. The case against these 53 Pakistanis (including women and children) related to Foreigners Act pending before Patiala House courts since 2007. With the Government keen to deport them, the prisoners preempted any such by moving a petition in the Delhi High Court seeking asylum. They even approached the United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) for refugee status on the ground that they belonged to an ethnic minority community.

The names of these 53 prisoners have been listed out by the Centre in its affidavit in Supreme Court which pointed out that the deportation could not go forward till the issue of asylum is decided.

27.  Bajrang Dal celebrates Shourya Diwas: Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal activists observed Shourya Diwas on December 6 by conducting many activities including procession, bhajan, kirtan, havan, vehicle rallies, etc. Speaking at a function in New Delhi VHP spokesperson Prakash Sharma said the Hindu society is committed to reconstruct the grand Sri Ram temple in Ayodhya and no mosque would be allowed to come up at the birthplace of Sri Ram.

28.  Ahmedabad best city to live in, Pune close second: Ahmedabad is the best of Bharat's mega-cities, edging out Pune, Mumbai and Delhi in a very close contest. That's the key finding of an exclusive opinion poll by leading market research firm IMRB across the country's eight biggest urban agglomerations.

The results throw up an interesting poser: Could it be more than a coincidence that Ahmedabad and Pune, which are at the top of the rankings, are also the two smallest cities on the list? Perhaps Bharat's cities manage reasonably when they are of middling size by metropolitan standards but find it increasingly difficult to cope as they grow beyond a certain size.

29.  Dalit Brahmachari at Sringeri Mutt: Reiterating the Vedic tradition that one becomes a Brahaman not by birth but by karma and jnana (knowledge), Sivanandan Sharma of Karimullaikal Mavelikara is all set to become a Brahmachari in the tradition bound Sringeri Mutt of Karnataka. The initiation is all the more sweet since Sivanandan belongs to the Hindu Paraya community and Sringeri Mutt is among the five Mutts, established by Advaita Acharya Sri Shankara, in five corners of Bharat. Incidentally the distance between Sri Shankara’s birth place Kalady and Sivanandan’s birthplace, Mavelikara is only 100 kilometres.

30.  10^th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas to be Held in Jaipur: The 10th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) will be held from 7-9 January, 2012 in Jaipur. The Chief Guest of PBD-2012 will be the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Ms. Kamla Persad Bissessar. The theme of PBD-2012 is “Global Bharatiya-Inclusive Growth”. Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh will inaugurate the event on January 8, and Rashtrapati Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil will deliver the valedictory address on January 9 and confer the Pravasi Bhartiya Samman Awards.

31. INTERNATIONAL DISABLES DAY: International Vikalang Divas was organized by Akhil Bhartiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram (ABVKA), and DDRC, Jashpurnagar on 3rd Dec 2011 at Kalyan Ashram ground. Prorgram was attended by Sri Prabhat kumar Mishra, Dist Judge and Sri Ankit Anand IAS, collector, Jashpur and Sri Kripa Prasad Singh – joint General Secretary, ABVKA. Cycle Race, Dance, National Song and painting competitions were held on the day. Prizes and Disables’ materials were distributed by all present Adhikaries and MLA to the beneficiaries.

32. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Visitors: Ravi Solanki, Sanjay Kundalia and Kirti Patel of NHSF UK, Pravin ji and family – Irwin USA.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Health is the greatest gift; contentment is the greatest wealth; and faith and trust make for the best relationship. – Gautam Buddha.

JAI SHREE RAM

RIGHT TO RECALL IS A MUST AND IT IS POSSIBLE ALSO

M G Vaidya

The Election Commission is reported to have opposed one of the major points in the Electoral Reforms demand, viz Right to Recall the elected representative. The Chief Election Commissioner has said that “such a move would bring instability as the losers could start such a campaign from day one.” He further pointed out that “this would also hamper development activities because of frequent elections and imposition of Model Code of Conduct.” Senior BJP leader LK Advani too is reported to have shared the Election Commission’s view. I beg to differ from them.

Many thinking people think that there is an urgent need to reform our prevalent electoral system. And one of the main points is the Right to Recall the elected candidate. Team Anna, too insists on this point. But Anna Hazare is not the initiator of this demand. If I remember correctly, the Sarvodaya people had made this demand quite a few years ago. I, too, in my weekly Marathi column published on September 4, 2011, had discussed the issue of electoral reforms and one of the points in that article is the right to recall (The complete article is available on www.mgvaidya.b logspot.com). It is reported that team Anna, which included Shanti Bhushan, Prashant Bhushan, Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Kiran Bedi had called on the Chief Election Commissioner and discussed this point. A news item, as published in the media, says that the team has agreed to further examine this point of their demand. It can be inferred that the team Anna is not definite on its demand. I feel,  Anna Hazare and his team should be firm and not vacillate.

I think this right is essential, and it is possible too. If a successful candidate is alleged to have employed fraudulent means and/or has committed breach of electoral rules, his election can be challenged. Number of election petitions are made, and if the elected person is found guilty, his election is annulled and a fresh election takes place. There is nothing extraordinary about this. Election Commission must have handled such re-election processes  a number of times. If an offender is punishable for offences during the election process, why not for offences after the election?

I give two examples. One is of Shibu Soren, who along with his party members had taken bribe from the then Government, headed by PV Narasimha Rao. Did all those JMM MPs-so-called representatives of the people lose their membership of the Lok Sabha? The other example is more recent. In July 2008, quite a few MPs were bribed either to vote for the Government of Dr Manmohan Singh or abstain from voting feigning illness. The matter is sub-judice. What punishment, did those who accepted the bribe money get? They are all free and continue to represent the people. Should people not think of rejecting their representative character?

My question is why should people suffer such representatives? Why should they not have a right to reject them, and elect new ones? I admit that the process of recalling will not be easy. But I have a workable suggestion. I elucidate: An aplication signed by at least 10 per cent of the total voters, who had cast their vote, in the election that had elected this unwanted person, should come to the Election Commission with a security of Rs 25,000. The EC will then arrange for a fresh election. But, this election will be done by a Special Electoral College (SEC). This Electoral College, in the case of a member of State Legislature, will consist of all members of the Gram Panchayats, Panchayat Samitis, Zilla Parishads and Municipal Committees, falling within the area of that Assembly constituency. It should be noted that all these members are elected representatives of the people. If desired, this SEC may have some representatives of the civil society in the form of all headmasters of recognised primary and secondary schools in that area. If the resolution recalling the elected person gets 60 per cent or more votes, his election shall be invalidate, and a fresh election will be declared. The process of this fresh election will be similer to any by-election caused by death, or resignation or disqualification of an elected person. For the purpose of this election by a SEC, promulgation of the moral code shall not be necessary. In the by-election that will follow, the recalled member shall be debarred from contesting it.

In the matter of a MP the membership of the SEC may be changed. Instead of all members of the village Panchayats, Panchayat Samitis, and ZPs, only the Chairman and Vice-Chairman shall have a voting right. But all members of the Municipal Committees and all Councillors in the Corporations in that area will have the voting right. To add representation of the civil society, all Principals of recognised colleges and all Readers and Professors at the Univercity level, residing in that constituency may be included. If the resolution for recalling the elected member fails to get 60 per cent but gets 40 per cent or more votes, the security deposit shall be refunded. If it gets less than 40 per cent the security deposit will be forfeited. This will serve as a check on frivolous applications. I don’t claim that my proposal is final or exhaustive. It can be rejected in toto or amended. What I am interested in, is some serious debate on this issue. (The writer is former Chief Editor of Marathi daily Tarun Bharat, Nagpur. Organiser December 18, 2011)