ELECTON 2009

POLLING
=======

58 to 62 % polling in first phase of Lok Sabha elections: Election Commission
Thu, 16 Apr 2009
ANI

New Delhi, April 16 (ANI): The Election Commission of India on Thursday expressed satisfaction on the first phase of polls held in 15 States and two Union Territories by describing it 'more or less peaceful'.

In the first phase, 58 to 62 per cent of 143 million voters exercised their right to vote.

Releasing the tentative figures about the total voter turnout, the Election Commission stated Bihar witnessed 46 per cent voting, Jharkhand (50 %), Chhattisgarh (51%), Jammu and Kashmir (48%), Orissa (53%), Mahrashtra (54%), Kerala (60%), Meghalaya (65%) Andhra Pradesh (65%), Uttar Pradesh (48%), Assam and Arunachal Pradesh (62 %), and Lakshadweep (86%).

However, in the Naxalite affected States of Jharkhand, Orissa, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra, Naxals struck at 14 places and killed 16 people in the poll-related violence on Thursday. (ANI)



ELECTION BASICS
===============

To begin with, the Legislation of the government has the power to mak e laws upon a specific subject. And these powers are separated in India by means of three lis t's - the union list, the state list and the concurrent list. These powers are then divided o r rather shared between the central government, the parliament and the state government. The state government is also known as the state legislature (bet you didn't know that).



1
Functions of union government

* The subjects in this list includes subjects of national importance like defense, foreign affairs, atomic energy, banking, post, telegraph, custom duties, inter- state and national highways, railroads and taxation of income.

2
Functions of state government

* The state list contains 66 subjects of state importance on which the state governments can make laws.
* These subjects include police, local governments, trade, commerce and agriculture. In times of national and state emergency, the power to make laws on these subjects is transferred to the Parliament.
* The concurrent list contains 47 subjects on which both the Parliament and the state legislatures can make laws. It includes criminal and civil procedure, marriage and divorce, education, economic planning, labor welfare, social security and trade unions.
* However, in case of a conflict between a law made by the central government and a law made by the state legislatures, the law made by the central government will obviously prevail.
* The local governments allow further decentralization or distribution of power and allow people to participate in the functioning of the Government.


3
Importance of local government

* India is a vast country. It is not efficient to go to the Union or State government for every decision or issue. Therefore in addition to Union and State we have local governments that are closer to the people.
* The government at the Centre of the State may not understand the local problems. The local people.s leader best represent the people in the city or in the village.
* The residents of a city are better acquainted with and have easier access to their local representatives; this makes the leader more accountable.
* It is more economical to have decisions made locally to suit the local needs and conditions.
* In a sense, when you decentralize power you also decentralize corruption.

4
What does local government do?

* Local governments are institutions of self government.
* They have political, functional and economic power for good governance.
* They provide basic services and infrastructure that are indispensable to our well being.


5
Type of local governments

* The rural governments are Village Panchayats.
* The Urban local governments are either Municipal councils or Municipal Corporation.


6
Functions of urban local governments

* Water supply for domestic, industrial and commercial purposes
* Public health, sanitation and solid waste management
* Fire services
* Public amenities including streetlights, parking lots and bus stops
* Urban amenities and facilities such as parks, gardens and playgrounds
* Roads and bridges
* Slum improvement, urban poverty alleviation
* Maintenance of burial grounds
* Registration of births and deaths
* Regulation of slaughter houses and tanneries
* Urban planning including town planning
* Regulation of land use and construction of buildings

7
Functions of village local governments

* Look after street lights, construction and repair work of the roads in the villages and also the village markets, fairs, festivals and celebrations.
* Keep a record of birth, deaths and marriages in the village.
* Look after public health and hygiene by providing facilities for sanitation and drinking water.
* Provide for education.
* Implement development schemes for agriculture and animal husbandry.

As urban citizens, we sometimes fail to recognize the crucial role the government plays in providing us a better quality of life. Compared to union or state elections, the local elections have the least voter turnout.
Content courtesy: www.jaagore.com


REVIEW
======




Left moves protected India from financial meltdown: Bardhan
Thu, 16 Apr 2009

Chennai, April 16 (IANS) The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government wanted to privatise nationalised banks, insurance companies and Navratna companies, but was stopped by the Left parties, which has helped protect the Indian economy from the financial meltdown, Communist Party of India (CPI) leader A.B. Bardhan said Thursday.

'The economic policies pursued by the central government has not benefitted Dalits, Adivasis, Muslims. Only a handful of people have become affluent,' Bardhan said at the AIADMK-led five party poll campaign.

He said the liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation policy has failed in the US, the country where the policy originated.

According to him, the Left parties, which were then supporting the UPA government from outside, stopped the central government from going ahead with privatisation of nationalised banks, insurance companies and Navratnas.

He said more than 20 lakh people have lost their jobs in recent times and the number is expected to increase.

Earlier, launching the poll campaign, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Prakash Karat said the Congress and the DMK have divided among themselves two sectors - defence and telecom - for scams.

'The central government has declined to order an investigation into the allotment of spectrum to mobile phone companies as the government has lost around Rs.100,000 crore (Rs.1 trillion) revenue.'

He said, two days before the announcement of the poll schedule, the government signed defence deals worth Rs.10,000 crore with an Israeli company which involves six percent commission that works out to Rs.600 crore (Rs.6 billion).

'The central government declined to order an enquiry despite our letters.'

'We have seen five years of United Progressive Alliance and six years of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) rule. The country is prepared for a non-Congress and non-BJP rule.'

Citing Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh, he said the regional parties have formed an alternative to the BJP and Congress.





Building grand Ram temple would be real secularism: Advani
Thu, 16 Apr 2009

Bhopal, April 16 (IANS) Condemning what he terms as pseudo-secularism, the Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate L.K. Advani here Thursday said that its pledge to build a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya was real secularism.

'We have taken everything on (our) agenda. The Somnath Yatra and Swarna Jayanti Yatra were part of our agenda and the Ram temple too has never been off our agenda,' Advani told a rally.

'I have been saying since 1997 that if given a chance, we will show what Surajya (good governance) is and we have shown it when we were in power for six years under the stewardship of Atal Behari Vajpayee. We have also shown it in states of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and in other states as well.'

Underlining that welfare of farmers and soldiers besides improving security of the nation would be on the party's priority, he said: 'There would be no shortage of money for these matters as we will bring back the country's 'black money' stacked in Swiss and other banks abroad and make the 21st century the century of India if voted to power.'

The BJP leader, however, warned the workers not to be overconfident about the party's victory. Advani said no power in the country could have stopped the party and its alliance from forming the central government in 2004 but 'we faced reverses only because we were overconfident'.

He said the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance had put the country on the path of progress, but the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government halted every public-welfare scheme NDA had launched.

'During its five-year tenure, the BJP-led NDA did good work for the common man's welfare. And that was the reason behind our overconfidence.'

Referring to the water crisis in several regions of the country, he added: 'Steps will be initiated to implement the erstwhile NDA government's ambitious river-linking Scheme.





Congress stronger than BJP in tackling militancy: Mukherjee
Thu, 16 Apr 2009
ANI

Agartala, Apr.16 (ANI): Senior Congress leader and External Affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday refuted the allegation of the BJP that the Congress was 'soft' towards Pakistan and failed to contain terrorism in the country rather he claimed that his party is more strongly dealing with the militancy issue and particularly the Pakistan sponsored cross border terrorism than the BJP.

Talking to mediapersons here Mukherjee said that under the diplomatic pressure from India, 'In the history of 62 years, for the first time Pakistan has admitted and no less a person then Home Secretary, they (Pakistan) are not calling Home Minister his adviser or something like that but his actual rank is of a cabinet minister of Home Interior, he has admitted, yes, the terrorist who attacked Mumbai they are from Pakistan. His admission we (India) got. International opinion has been created, diplomacy has won.'

Apparently responding to Opposition leader Lal Krishan Advani's repeated charge that Congress is weakly dealing on the militancy issue, Mukherjee said: 'Surely the cross border terrorism is the most complex problem and no body denies that but question is how could you define which action is appropriate. When Mr. Advani was Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of India our Parliament House was attacked, Red Fort in Delhi was attacked, Jammu Kashmir assembly was attacked, Raghunath temple was attacked and after attack and assault of Parliament which the citadel of the power, which is the symbol sovereignty, the then Prime Minister Vajpayeejee told that this time there will be aar-paar lorai (war), Mr. L K Advani as Home Minister said we will have hot persuade and what was the impact.'

'After attack on Parliament diplomatic relation was not snapped but ambassadors were with-drawned, it was downgraded, no dialogue, no talk, massive mobilization on the border, everybody was having betting blade war is imminent. Thousand and thousand acres of land were taken away from farmers of Jammu and Kashmir and land mines were laid. After ten months there was not even a whimper, not a question of bang' Mukherjee said.

He added, 'In January 2004 Prime Minister Vajpayee visited Pakistan in connection with the SAARC summit he got an assurance from the then President Musharraf that land of Pakistan will not be allowed to be use by the extremist and all these things came to an end. Million and million of rupees were used for the mobilization and when mines are buried in a land they do not remain in the same place and after few months when one de-mine machine do not indicate there is any mine because sometime rats take away the mines to some distance away, high velocity wind on the hill top takes away the mine. Exactly that happened and what were the consequences farmers were dying in Jammu and Kashmir because of mine explosion and almost hundred of innocent farmers lost their life.'

Mukherjee said that in September 2008 Congress led UPA put diplomatic pressure on Pakistan had demanded fulfillment of three commitments made by them. Firstly Pakistan land be not allowed by the terrorist, returning of fugitive under Indian laws including who (Maulana Masood Azhar) was exchanged after the highjacking of India flight to Kandhar and dismantling of the infrastructure being used by the terrorist in the land under Pakistan control.

He said the UPA government would continue its efforts to isolate Pakistan in the international arena and the international community had been successfully convinced by India that the Mumbai attacks had originated from Pakistan which that nation had to but ultimately admit. By Pinaki Das (ANI)



COLOUMNS & ANALYSIS
===================


Richest politicians
Thu, 16 Apr 2009
India Today

A lean bare man on the banks of a river near Champaran, his eyes moist with sadness, letting go of his shawl for a poor woman downstream to cover herself and her child. This poignant moment from Richard Attenborough's biopic on Gandhi is perhaps the most eloquent image of selfless politics.

The gentle giant loved as Bapu and revered as the Mahatma epitomised the philosophy of public service as one who gave up everything to be one among the huddled millions. Nearly a century later there is little evidence in reel or real life of the high moral ground once straddled by that generation.

The brazen parade of the Prada Prado set zipping across cities in cavalcades, appropriating security funded by public money is evidence that politics has since morphed into a largely self-serving enterprise. The pretense of khadi and Gandhian values went out of vogue with the Gandhi cap long before the Gucci generation stormed the political arena in the 1980s.

The transition is best described by Rajiv Gandhi who said at the Congress Centenary in Mumbai in 1985 that politics has been reduced to brokers of power and influence, who dispense patronage to convert mass movement into feudal oligarchy . Yes there are those who enter politics to serve the public cause but they are exceptions rather than the rule. Entering public life is now an investment of time and effort for dividends to be earned from political entrepreneurship. A joint study by INDIA TODAY and EmpoweringIndia.org (an initiative of the Liberty Institute) of the reported assets of our elected representatives reveals a startling contrast between the rulers and the ruled.

In a country where over 77 per cent of the populace, or an estimated 836 million people, earn an income of Rs 20 per day and over 300 million are living below the poverty line, nearly half the Rajya Sabha members and nearly a third of those from the Lok Sabha are worth a crore and more. Just the top ten Rajya Sabha members and the top ten Lok Sabha members have reported a cumulative net asset worth Rs 1,500 crore. The 10 top losers in the last Lok Sabha polls including Nyimthungo of Nagaland who reported total assets of Rs 9,005 crore is Rs 9,329 crore. Members of legislative assemblies seem wealthier than many MPs. The top five MLAs across the 30 states are worth Rs 2,042 crore. Of these 150 crorepati MLAs, 59 don't even have a PAN card.

1. T. Subbarami Reddy

Indian National Congress

Rajya Sabha, Andhra Pradesh

Total Assets: Rs 239.6 cr

2. Jaya Bachchan

Samajwadi Party

Rajya Sabha, Uttar Pradesh

Total Assets: Rs 214.3 cr

3. Rahul Bajaj

Independent

Rajya Sabha, Maharashtra

Total Assets: Rs 190. 6 cr

4. Anil H. Lad

Indian National Congress

Rajya Sabha, Karnataka

Total Assets: Rs 175 cr

5. M. Krishnappa

Indian National Congress

MLA, Vijay Nagar, Karnataka

Total Assets: Rs 136 cr

6. MAM Ramaswamy

Janata Dal (Secular)

Rajya Sabha, Karnataka

Total Assets Rs 107.7 cr

7. Anand Singh

BJP

MLA, Vijayanagara, Karnataka

Total Assets: Rs 239 cr

8. Anil V. Salgaocar

Independent

MLA, Sanvordem, Goa

Total Assets: Rs 91.4 cr

9. N.A. Haris

Indian National Congress

MLA, Shanti Nagar, Karnataka

Total Assets: Rs 85.3 cr

10. Mahendra Mohan

Samajwadi Party

Rajya Sabha, Uttar Pradesh

Total Assets: Rs 85 cr

And don't look for a correlation between the state of the state and the wealth of the legislators. Uttar Pradesh boasts of the largest number of people 59 million or over a third of its population living below the poverty line. Not only is Mayawati the richest chief minister in 30 states, the state also boasts of 113 crorepati MLAs. Similarly, Madhya Pradesh which has over 25 million of the 60 million people living below the poverty line boasts of 80 crorepati MLAs. The Marxists are the stark exception in this study too. The CPI(M) has 301 MLAs across 10 states but has only two MLAs with declared assets of over Rs 1 crore. Of the 537 candidates who contested on a CPI(M) ticket, only seven had assets of over Rs 1 crore, of which five lost in the elections.

As the old maxim goes, power begets power and money attracts riches. Clearly, it pays to be in power. Take the last round of Assembly elections which afforded the study an opportunity to compare the increase in wealth. In Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh where the BJP was in power, the average assets of candidates increased by five times.

In Karnataka too where the Congress ruled in rotation with Deve Gowda's JD(S), Congress candidates reported a fivefold rise in their assets. Mercifully, wealth doesn't always ensure success. In all, 365 crorepatis contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2004; 88 lost their deposits, and 114 came second.

Last December in Delhi the Congress learnt this important lesson again when they found that Congress candidates who lost in Delhi were on an average richer than those who won. But wealth clearly does matter, all other things being constant.

The caveat emptor here, as with all matters concerning transparency in public life, is that we are going by what the political class has chosen to declare. After all, the statement of assets filed by candidates is at best a confession of sorts mandated by two Supreme Court judgements of May 2002 and March 2003.

There are several gaps in the information available. Of the 542 Lok Sabha members, details of assets are available for only 522. Similarly in the Rajya Sabha, only 215 members have filed details of assets.

There is no institutional mechanism to cross-check facts, nor is there a requirement for candidates to declare the source of wealth, or the increase in wealth of candidates in subsequent declarations. In Mizoram for instance, none of the 10 top candidates have reported possessing a PAN card even though their wealth is in excess of Rs 1 crore.

What is worse is that although MPs who are ministers file annual statements of their assets, the information is not available to the public. This virtually negates the concept of scrutiny that would prevent misuse of position of power and enrichment. Indeed, what should be openly available is denied even under the Right to Information Act.

It is tragic that the Office of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who has been described as integrity personified has been made party to this decision to deny the information. Again, while Central ministers are required to file a statement of assets, there is no such requirement for ministers in states.

The adulterous cohabitation of power and pelf is conspicuous across the political spectrum. The chasm between the declared and perceived reality is all too obvious to be missed. Contrast the wealth reported and wealthy lifestyles of those elected to high office.

Clearly the tip of the benami iceberg has not even been touched. In a country with a stark asymmetry in opportunities and ability, political power enables bending and twisting of policy, converting politics into the elevator politicians ride to reach the pot of gold. Living room conversations in middle and upper middle class homes are dotted with whose son, daughter or son-in-law is raking it in using the benami route to accumulate property and assets.

Television footage of currency notes being waved in Parliament during the last trust vote, the airborne campaigns witnessed during the polls in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, money spent in fielding dummy candidates, funding of party offices, travel in Toyota SUVs costing over Rs 75 lakh each and private charters that politicians avail of to fly within the country are all pointers that are hard to ignore.

Bankers and brokers talk in not so hushed tones about the role of politicians in corporate scams. There is also speculation about the real beneficiary and benami ownership of at least two airlines, several real estate ventures, pharmaceutical units and infrastructure companies. The corporate concept of 'sleeping partner' has a whole new connotation in the political world. As long as the real incomes, wealth and funding of politicians remain opaque, governance will continue to suffer and democracy will be rendered more often on the liability side in the balance sheet of development.

Television footage of currency notes being waved in Parliament during the last trust vote, the airborne campaigns witnessed during the polls in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, money spent in fielding dummy candidates, funding of party offices, travel in Toyota SUVs costing over Rs 75 lakh each and private charters that politicians avail of to fly within the country are all pointers that are hard to ignore.

Bankers and brokers talk in not so hushed tones about the role of politicians in corporate scams. There is also speculation about the real beneficiary and benami ownership of at least two airlines, several real estate ventures, pharmaceutical units and infrastructure companies. The corporate concept of 'sleeping partner' has a whole new connotation in the political world. As long as the real incomes, wealth and funding of politicians remain opaque, governance will continue to suffer and democracy will be rendered more often on the liability side in the balance sheet of development.

with Sangram K. Parhi and Shyamlal Yadav

Empowering India www.EmpoweringIndia.org has diligently tried to compile over 45,000 affidavits of candidates who contested for state assemblies and Lok Sabha seats, in the past five years. In this process of digitisation, there are possibilities of errors. We will greatly appreciate if the readers point out any mistakes that come to their notice. For authentic copies of affidavits, please consult the web site of Election Commission of India.

Content courtesy: www.indiatoday.in/bts
Shankkar Aiyar



Indian middle class mobilised to vote
Fri, 17 Apr 2009

New Delhi, April 17 (IANS) The Indian middle class is being mobilised to vote like never before.

From web sites giving information on criminal records of Lok Sabha candidates to nationwide TV and radio campaigns urging first-time voters to register and exercise their franchise, the middle class is being actively wooed.

Caste remains the main foundation on which politicians are fighting the elections. But development and good governance are high on voters' agenda - over issues like prices, job cuts, growth, roads, education and water.

The idea is to ensure that the 714 million registered voters in India, out of a population of 1.17 billion, take informed decisions while picking their representatives from the thousands of candidates in the fray.

The five-phase balloting for 543 elected Lok Sabha seats started Thursday and ends May 13.

'People are really desperate for a positive change and a cleaner political scenario,' said Guru Murthy, coordinator for the recently launched 'No Criminals' campaign, which seeks to rid politics of criminals.

'It may seem Utopian now, but if people promise not to vote for criminals, then with time even political parties will stop fielding them,' Murty told IANS.

Then there are some professionals who are themselves standing for elections like Captain G.R. Gopinath, who pioneered low-cost flying in the country with his Air Deccan airline.

'I am fighting to win and bring change to society. I am not for any party. Else, I would have joined some known political party. I am joining politics to bring good governance and social harmony,' he said.

And those who campaigned for him in the Bangalore South constituency are friends like Biocon chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Infosys Technologies director T.V. Mohandas Pai and fashion designer Prasad Bidapa.

Similarly, many educated youths have jumped into the process, either as contestants, or serving as volunteers for like-minded candidates. And some are activists seeking to help voters understand and judge the candidates better.

'While being in the corporate world, one can't serve society completely. Politics is an area where you can do a lot for society,' said Ranjan Kumar, a graduate of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Lucknow contesting from Mohanlalganj on the city's outskirts.

People are also not ready to be hoodwinked by freebees promised in the manifestoes of political parties. Even industry lobbies have spoken against them.

'Political parties are requested to desist from offering free power or supplies of food grains at subsidized prices as these are likely to be detrimental to the growth of the country,' said the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham).

'Experience has shown in the past that whichever political party promised free power and hugely subsidized wheat and rice to poorer sections ultimately landed in problems as it is difficult to keep such promises.'

Even celebrities, industrialists and fashion designers, known otherwise for late night parties and brand endorsements, have become vocal, seeking a better political culture.

'Every Indian citizen should vote, especially youngsters because they are the future of India and to change the system they should exercise their fundamental rights,' said Ritu Kumar, the well-known fashion designer.

'We all have a tendency to sit back and complain; we should change this attitude because it will lead to zero results.'

And Aamir Khan, the Bollowood actor known to make cerebral films, is among those who have no particular party to support but want Indians to get involved in the electoral process.

'We are not endorsing any political party; we are only asking voters to make an informed choice. We are asking them not only to vote but understand the value of their vote,' he said.

(Arvind Padmanabhan can be contacted at arvind.p@ians.in)
Arvind Padmanabhan



The young surge
Thu, 16 Apr 2009
India Today

Those looking for a reflection of India's youth in the gleaming glassfronts of its malls and the dazzling multitude of its multiplexes, be warned. The real Youngistan lies elsewhere, away from the Prados and pub-hops, the Gucci shoes and the GMAT tests, in the no-name villages with bad roads and worse sanitation where 68.9 per cent of youngsters between 12 and 35 live.

With another 18.6 per cent living in small towns, it is clear that big city youth may have the mojo, but they don't necessarily have the majority.

For ageing leaders, who have suddenly discovered the joys of blogs and Facebook, of Flickr and Twitter, this may come as a rude shock as they try to woo young voters with the ostensible tools of the young. But 97 per cent of young India does not have access to the Internet and 41 per cent never watch television. What's more, the urban young population, which has benefited the most from liberalisation's often chaotic choices, has fallen by 4.1 per cent in large and small towns since 2005, signifying the gradual ageing of urban India.

The visible youth are a minority, with just 3.4 per cent of urban youth between 12 and 35 being skilled workers and 0.3 per cent businessmen/industrialists. In the villages, where the silent majority lives, the professions are largely dictated by the accident of birth or coincidence of circumstances.

About 9 per cent are landowners, 7.8 per cent are farm labourers and 7.4 per cent are in jobs other than agriculture, while 25 per cent are studying. Yes, 44.2 per cent contribute to a money-generating activity, but they are caught in a heartbreaking cycle of poverty, says Suresh Nimbalkar, vice-president of Hansa Research, who compiled the data based on IRS 2008 Round 2.

Numbers that count

* 521 million of the population is between 12 and 35, with 268 million men and 253women

* 31.1% live in urban India 12.5%live in big towns and 18.6% in small towns while 68.9% live in villages

* 53.4% of those between 12 and 35 are married. 63% of young women are married compared to 45% of men

* 67.9% are unaware of the Internet

* 86.9% don't go to movie theatres, 76.8%never listen to the radio, 4.1% read English newspapers while 17.9% read Hindi dailies

* 40.9% never watch TV while 44.2% watch it once in seven days

* 25% of those between 12 and 35 are studying, while 7.8% work as agricultural labourers and 7.4% work in jobs other than farming

What does all this mean in an information era that seems to be witnessing unprecedented mobilisation among young people, a realisation that they are not just a passive market for FMCG goods, but participants and indeed kingmakers in the politics of their nation? We may overestimate the exposure or even the access of young people across the nation to mass media, but we should not underestimate their ambitions.

Young people, for long viewed as needing supervision, as sociologist Lata Narayan says, are increasingly asserting themselves against their typecasting. Western accounts of India have made it fashionable to perceive the globalised MTV urban youth as part of a gigantic universal melting pot, whose interest in politics is peripheral.

But as the election of the first rock star President in America has shown this is not true even in the home of MTV. Youth turnout in the US increased to 52 per cent, and voters under 30 accounted for 60 per cent of the overall increase. In India, as these 40 snapshots of Indians under 40 show, young people are not just involved in furthering their own careers, but also their causes as citizens.

And the hunger is in the villages and small towns, where electricity is an infrequent visitor and colleges are hubs of often malefic political activity. No one is content any more to do what his or her parents did. Boxing, labelling, and sorting out by caste, age, gender or ethnicity are giving way to the desire to dream and do unencumbered by old identities.

So Ernakulam district in Kerala has a woman panchayat leader, Susan Thankappan, who has stood against the state's powerful land mafia to protect paddy fields in her area. Ernakulam is also the birthplace of actor Asin, who is at ease in Tamil potboilers as she is on the cover of glossy fashion magazines. Then again Surat in Gujarat has sent a young girl, Prachi Desai, to Balaji Telefilms to become a soap star but Gujarat is also where an MBA from San Fransisco State University, Rahul Gala Shah, has returned to become a successful farmer.

In young India, there is no one truth, this or that, either or. There is one Youngistan that watches MTV Roadies, another has a student leader, P.K. Biju, who wants a paved road to make the 2-km trudge to his school easier. There is one Youngistan that thinks Buddhism is a fashion statement, and another couple, Shruti Nagvanshi and Lenin Raghuvanshi, who embrace the faith as a protest against untouchability. These are men and women who have chosen the rough and tumble of politics, set up unusual businesses, returned from the West to work in India, and used their talents to entertain and amuse. They are a microcosm of the vast young nation they belong to.

And they are citizens at a time when the world is watching how they will exercise their rights in the world's largest democracy. Everyone's eyeing the 180 million people under 35 who are going to vote this year, and the 43 million of them who will be first-time voters. Will they cold-shoulder convention or cave in to it? They are the future of India, but on their decision may well depend the India of the future.

with Purvi Malhotra
Kaveree Bamzai


ELECTION GALLERY
================

SATHAANS

Satan's Own Country

Sex scandals sweep across the tiny state of Kerala with seasonal regularity. Tales of sexual exploitation and flesh trade keep recurring. Beneath the beauty flows muck.

It can't be God's own country, by any stretch of imagination. The sex scandals sweeping the tiny state of Kerala have convinced me of this. God left that country long time back. Hormones have taken over.

The sexual exploitation saga in the state started with the Suryanelli case. In 1996, in the Suryanelli village in the backward district of Idukki in Kerala, a minor girl was lured by a bus conductor and abducted. Subsequently, she was transferred to two others, one of whom a woman and the other a lawyer.

She was presented to the high and mighty in the state's socio-political spectrum and raped by several persons before she was let off. The 16-year-old student's sorry story started on January 16, 1996 and ended on February 26, a period during which was she was raped by about 43 persons. She was ferried across the state in the flesh market. Her captors gave her a small amount of money before leaving and threatened her with dire consequences if she told anyone about what had happened

The tale shocked Kerala's consciousness, or so we thought. The society erupted in indignation and there were cries for blood. The names of several big shots in the state figured in the scandal. The case dragged on for four years, and the ruling Left Democratic Front set up a special court to try the offenders. Finally, in what was considered as exemplary and deterrent judgment, out of the 39 accused, 35 were convicted. One of the accused died during the period. The last to be sentenced was advocate Dharmarajan, who was among the initial abductors. He was in hiding for long, but was finally captured and delivered to justice. Dharmarajan got a life term.

Just when the Suryanelli dust was settling down, the Vithura sex scandal blew up. Vithura, again, is a small village near Thiruvananthpuram, the state's capital. It involves a minor who was taken around Kerala and Tamil Nadu and raped repeatedly. The Vithura victim was also minor, lured by a woman in her neighbourhood in to the flesh trade.

A prominent name figuring in the case is noted talented Malayalam comedian Jagati Sreekumar. The speedy trial of the Suryanelli case by the special court has led to a clamour from women activists for the trial of all major sex cases in the special court. But investigation in the case still drags on.

If novelty was the need of the hour, leave it to an ice-cream parlour. The "ice-cream parlour scandal" blew up years later, where an ice-cream parlour in Kozhikode in North Kerala was used as a front-end for flesh trade and lure girls into it. Again, allegations of sexual exploitation of minors came up. One of the prominent names in the ice-cream parlour case was PK Kunjalikuty, the state's former minister from the Muslim League. Political affiliations have never been a hindrance to lust and comrades from Marxist party also were named in the case. The investigation still drags on.

On October 5, 1997 a minor lodged a complaint at the Kothamangalam police station alleging that she was sexually exploited by more than 100 persons (43 of them identified by the police) over the years. It was a neighbourhood youth who first "handed over" the girl, promising a job, to a financial institution. She was sexually exploited by a number of persons in Kothamangalam. A middle-aged woman to whom the victim confided her tale of woe took the victim to Thiruvananthapuram promising a job and the girl landed in a sex racket there. As part of the racket, she was taken to various places in the State including Kalamassery, Aluva, Neriamangalam, Kattappana, Kottayam and Thiruvananthapuram. After almost a year of sexual exploitation, she was dumped near her house at Kothamangalam. The final judgement on the case still awaited.

A hilarious aside popped up in the meantime. Neelalohithadasan Nadar (Neelan for short) was Kerala state Forests Minister when he tried to molest Deputy Forest Conservator Prakriti Srivastava at the Nilambur Guest House. Prakriti did not make an issue of it then. That must have emboldened Neelan. He later became Transport minister, and tried to molest Nalini Netto, the then transport secretary. Netto did not remain silent, but filed a case against Neelan. That spurred Prakriti also to move for justice. The Prakriti Srivasatava case dragged on for some time and finally, the judgement came in September 2004, when he was sentenced to a one-year imprisonment. Neelan, obviously, filed an appeal. We are yet to hear the end of the case. Verdict in the Netto case is not yet out.

By now, we are convinced that there is no end to Kerala's sordid sex saga, and are eagerly awaiting the next one. Kerala did not disappoint us. The Kiliroor sex scandal reared it head last month, when a minor girl near the Kottayam district (incidentally, the country's first fully literate district) complained to the police last month accusing a woman of trapping her after promising a role in a TV serial. The girl alleged that Latha Nair had exploited her for the past two years presenting her to the high and mighty in business and politics. The suicide of an entire family -- temple priest Narayanan Nampoothiri, his wife and three children - which was reportedly close to the prime accused in the case gave it an unexpected twist. The investigating officer has been fired for unexplained changed and contradictions in the case diary and alterations made to the original complaint. The Kerala high Court has already made sharp observations about this. The prime accused has already surrendered.

If you thought the Malayali's sexual desperation couldn’t fathom deeper pits, here is a tale-ender: At the Kozhikode Medical College, about a year back, a young woman was brought to the hospital with 75% burns -- she had attempted suicide -- and was under clinical care. One of our Kerala comrades, who were supposed to take care of the woman, raped the woman when she was taken to a bath. Beat that.

BY JM

RIVER BHAVANI

From where river bhavani originates,what are its tributries,how many dams,canals for irrigation till it drains

The Bhavani is a river of southern India, a tributary of the Kaveri. The river's headwaters are on the eastern slopes of Western Ghats range, in Attappadi Reserve Forest, in Malappuram district of Kerala state. The river flows northwest, into Karnataka, draining the south slope of the Nilgiri Hills. It joins its main tributary, the Moyar River, which flows in from the northeast, where it drains the valley between the northern slopes of the Nilgiris and the southern slopes of the Bilgiri Hills. After joining the Moyar, the Bhavani flows due east, past the town of Sathyamangalam, joining the Kaveri at the town of Bhavani, The Sangameswarar Temple was built at the confluence of the two rivers, and is an important pilgrimage spot in southern India.

Bhavani, the second largest river in Tamil Nadu ,a tributary of the Kaveri, , The river's headwaters are on the eastern slopes of Western Ghats range, originates in the south west corner of the Nilgiris in the Kunda hills of Tamil Nadu river has been dammed at the source Upper Bhavani ,the large reservoir(Bhaktavalsalam Sagar) covers much of the area. and flowing for a few kilometers southward it enters Kerala through a deep gorge and continues south for another 20 km, between two high, forested ridges till Mukkali. At Mukkali, Bhavani takes an abrupt 120° turn towards the northeast and flows for another 25 km through Attappady plateau in south,( Attappadi Reserve Forest, in Malappuram district of Kerala state) Downstream of the Mukkali till the river flows out of Kerala, 12 major rivulets join Bhavani draining the southern Nilgiri slops. The west and East Varagar tributaries coming from the Nilgiris are the largest. Both of them have dams in Tamil Nadu .then flows into western Tamil Nadu, It receives the Siruvani River, a perennial stream of Coimbatore District, , Siruvani and Kodungarapallam flowing from the south and southeast respectively joins Bhavani. at the Koodappatti. in the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. The combined river then flows northeast along the inter-State border for another 7 km. and gets reinforced by The Kunda river coming from north, draining an extensive extent of the Nilgiris form the boundary between Kerala and Tamil Nadu for 5 km joins Bhavani on its left flank in Tamil Nadu at a place called Athikadavu. Thereafter Bhavani flows east along the base of Nilgiris. enters the plains near Bathra-Kaliamman Temple near Mettupalayam. 30 km downstream It joins its main tributary, the Moyar River, which flows in from the northeast, where it drains the valley between the northern slopes of the Nilgiris and the southern slopes of the Bilgiri Hills. After joining the Moyar, It feeds the Lower Bhavani Dam,( Bhavanisagar reservoir) near Sathyamangalam. in Erode District , the Bhavani flows due east, past the town of Sathyamangalam, Between Sathyamangalam and Gobichettipaalayam Kodivery dam is situated, which is a mini dam constructed for agricultural purposes through Arakkankottai and Thadappalli canal . just a small distance before it joins cauvery a small barrage across the river Bhavani was build by Kalingarayan in 1283 AD.to feed the 56-mile-long Canal build for irrigation purposes, which joins the River Noyyal at Aavudaiaaparai, the canal which is now known by his name Kalingarayan Canal.Bhavani joins the Kaveri at the town of Bhavani, The Sangameswarar Temple was built at the confluence of the two rivers, and is an important pilgrimage spot in southern India . Bhavani is more or less a perennial river fed mostly by the southwest monsoon. The northeast monsoon also supplements its water resources. .. This river runs for over hundred miles through Erode District, traversing Gobichettipalayam and Bhavani taluks. .covering a distance of 217 km before merging with the Cauvery. The basin drains an area of 0.62 million ha, spread over Kerala (9 per cent), Karnataka (4 per cent) and Tamil Nadu (87 per cent). The main river courses through Coimbatore and Erode districts of Tamil Nadu, About 90 per cent of the river’s water is used for agriculture, even as industries dot the sub basin at every point.

A.R Rahman

A.R Rahman wins two Oscar Awards for Slum Dog Millionaire

Finally AR Rahman won Oscar award in Los Angeles for Slumdog Millionaire, Rahman won first award for Original Score and second Academy award for his composed song Jai Ho… All Indian had faith on Rahman that he will able to win at least one Oscar but Ar Rahman won 2 Oscar Awards even he received 3 nominations. Even Gulzar sahab also won Oscar award for Jai Ho…

TRUE LOVE

LK ADVANI

“Supply of adequate clean drinking water, as also provision of sanitation and sewage disposal, will be an important programme of a future NDA Government.”
-Advaniji at a round table on Drinking Water on January 27, 2009



Shri L K Advani is currently the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and the Prime Ministerial Candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for the 2009 General Elections.

Through the years Advaniji had served as the President of the Bharatiya Janata Party for the longest period since its inception in 1980. Capping a parliamentary career of nearly three decades, Advaniji was, first, the Home Minister and, later, the Deputy Prime Minister in the cabinet of Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1999-2004).

Advaniji is widely regarded as an individual of great intellectual ability, strong principles, and unwavering support for the idea of a strong and prosperous India. As confirmed by Atalji, Advaniji has 'never compromised on his core belief in nationalism, and yet has displayed flexibility in political responses whenever it was demanded by the situation'.

Advaniji was born on 8 Nov 1927 and grew up in pre-partitioned Sindh. As a student in St. Patrick's School, Karachi, his patriotic ideals inspired him to join the Rashtriya Swayamasevak Sangh (RSS) at the mere age of fourteen. He has dedicated his life to the service of the nation ever since.

Advaniji’s celebration of India's independence from the British in 1947 was sadly short lived as he became one of the millions to be torn from his homeland amidst the terror and bloodshed of the tragedy of India's partition. These events, however, did not turn him bitter or cynical but instead spurred him on in his desire to create a more secular India. With this goal in mind he journeyed to Rajasthan to continue his work as an RSS Pracharak.

Through the latter half of the 1980s and the 1990s, Advaniji focused on the singular task of building the BJP into a national political force. The results of his efforts were underscored by the 1989 General Election. The Party bounced back from its 1984 tally of 2 to achieve an impressive 86 seats. The Party position moved up to 121 seats in 1992 and 161 in 1996; making the 1996 elections a watershed in Indian democracy. For the first time since independence, the Congress was dethroned from its preeminent position, and the BJP became the single largest party in the Lok Sabha.

An emotional individual with strong family ties, Advaniji has said that 'nature dangles happiness and meaning before us all, insisting only that we choose between them, but I have had the good fortune of experiencing both, and in abundance'.

Today, Advaniji asks the people of India to make the right choice, in choosing a leader who has lived through the mistakes of India's past, and looks forward to ensuring that India becomes more united, stronger and stands taller with its Tomorrow brighter than its Today.



About Advaniji : A Timeline

* November 8, 1927 - Shri L.K Advani was born in Karachi, in present day Pakistan, to parents Kishenchand and Gyanidevi Advani.

* 1936-1942 - Studied at St.Patricks school, Karachi, standing first in every class until matriculation.

* 1942 - Joined the RSS as a Swayamsevak.

* 1942 - Joined Dayaram Gidumal National College, Hyderabad, during the Quit India movement.

* 1944 - Held a job as a teacher in Model High School, Karachi.

* 12 September, 1947 - Left from Sindh to Delhi by propeller aircraft during Paritition.

* 1947-1951 - Organised RSS work in Alwar, Bharatpur, Kota, Bundi and Jhalawar as RSS Secretary in the Karachi branch.

* Early 1957- Shifted to Delhi to assist Shri.Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

* 1958-63 - Held the position of Secretary of the Delhi State Jana Sangh.

* 1960-1967 - Joined the Organiser , a political journal of the Jana Sangh as assistant editor.

* Feb 25, 1965 - Married Smt. Kamla Advani, with whom he has two children, Pratibha and Jayant.

* April 1970 - Entered the Rajya Sabha.

* Dec 1972 - Was elected President of Bharatiya Jana Sangh.

* 26 June 1975 - Was Arrested in Bangalore during Emergency period and taken to Banaglore Central Jail along with other BJS members.

* March 1977 to July 1979 - Held the position of Union minister for Information and Broadcasting .May 1986- Became Party President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

* 1980-86 - Held the position of General Secretary of the BJP.

* May 1986 - Was announced as party President of the BJP.

* 3 March 1988 - Was re-elected party president of the BJP.

* 1988 - Held the position of Home minister in the BJP Government.

* 1990 - Began the Ram Rath Yatha from Somnath to Ayodhya.

* 1997 - Began the Swarna Jayanti Rath Yathra to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of India’s Independence.

* Oct 13 1999 - May 13 2004- Held the position of Deputy Prime minister.

* Shri.L.K.Advani is currently the Leader of the opposition and the Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2009 General elections.



Speech by Shri L.K. Advani at the Global Summit of the Jain International Trade Organization


I thank the organizers of this Global Summit of the Jain International Trade Organization (JITO) for inviting me to the inaugural ceremony. At the outset, I convey my best wishes to you for a Happy New Year and also my greetings for Makar Sankranti, which is just four days away.

I have participated in many conferences of business platforms such as FICCI, CII and ASSOCHAM. These organizations are focused almost entirely on business and economy. But your conference is different. This is because the Jain International Trade Organization does not concern itself only with trade matters. Its outlook and activities are far more holistic, embracing many other aspects of life and society.

JITO’s philosophy is encapsulated by five noble commitments: Seva (Service of Humanity), Shiksha (Education), Arthik Sudharata (Economic Uplift), Samajik Utkarsh (Social Progress) and Adhyatmik Unnati (Spiritual Elevation). I compliment your organization because it is actively promoting programmes in each of these areas.

Jainism’s holistic approach to life

This holistic approach to life is not surprising because Jainism itself presents a profound and all-encompassing outlook towards life. Its ideals like satya, ahimsa, and aparigraha are both universal and eternal in their relevance. And in every century, Jainism has produced saintly figures who have both embodied these ideals. In our own times, I can think of two venerable personalities – Acharya Tulsi and his worthy disciple Acharya Mahapragya. I consider it my good fortune that I have sat at the feet of both these great Acharyas.

One of the great qualities that I have observed among Jain organizations is how they have tried to follow the teachings of the Tirthankars to practice philanthropy by enhancement of business. The spirit of volunteerism and social service that they display is truly remarkable. I remember that, at the time of the massive earthquake in Kutch and other parts of Gujarat in 2001, some of the best relief and humanitarian work was done by Jain organizations. I commend JITO for supporting this praiseworthy tradition.

Jainism the most ancient Green Movement in world history

Friends, in popular consciousness, Jainism is associated with its insistence on ahimsa or non-violence. Indeed, the greatest apostle of nonviolence in the modern era, Mahatma Gandhi, has written in his autobiography that he had a Jain 'spiritual mentor', a young diamond merchant named Shrimad Rajchandra.

We often do not appreciate why Jainism attached such paramount importance to ahimsa. However, we should remember that two of the greatest challenges before the world today Terrorism and Climate Change are both manifestations of violence.

Terrorism is of course the most extreme and inhuman form of violence. And we have seen its evil face in Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Delhi, Bangalore, Guwahati and, most recently, in Mumbai. Violence of this kind must be put down with a firm hand.

But there is another form of violence which the world has been much slower to recognize, and much more hesitant to take firm action against. I am referring to the violence being inflicted on Mother Earth by our materialistic civilization. The destruction of the environment, which is evident in the alarming levels of pollution of our land, water and air resources and which is now climaxing in Climate Change, has catastrophic implications for man and other species on our planet.

It is when we reflect on the challenge of Climate Change that we begin to appreciate the enormous contemporary relevance of the Jain philosophy of ahimsa and jiva daya. We realize that Bhagwan Mahavir and the other Jain Tirthankars were great environmental conservationists. They taught us that we human beings are merely trustees of this planet. We need to re-learn their teachings in our times. If we do so, we realize that eco-friendliness is not a mere fashionable phrase, it has to be interwoven into our development paradigm and also into our day-to-day living. In a sense, we all have to become adivasis or tribals who know how to exist in harmony with the earth. The earth takes care of us, and so we have to take care of her. In this sense, Jainism is the most ancient Green Movement in world history.

I would like to assure the audience here, and the people at large in our country, that, in the event of the BJP and the NDA elected to form the next government in New Delhi, we shall take appropriate steps to deal with both forms of violence – Terrorism and Climate Change.

Vibrant Gujarat: A role model for other states

Friends, your conference is taking place at a time when Gujarat is once again hosting another prestigious meet: The Vibrant Gujarat summit. This annual event has now become an advertisement, both nationally and internationally, for the highly impressive achievements of the Government of Gujarat, under the leadership of its dynamic Chief Minster Shri Narendra Modi.

Even our political and ideological opponents have to grudgingly recognize that Gujarat has now become the No. 1 destination for investments. Recently, a Member of Parliament from Kerala belonging to the CPI(M) publicly lauded Shri Modi and said that the Communist-led Government in Kerala should emulate the example of Gujarat.

Gujarat today is a role model for Good Governance, for Development and an uncompromising approach to Security. It has also set an example for an uncompromising approach to Corruption. Let me assure you that a future NDA Government in New Delhi will replicate this model nationally.

We shall take bold and quick steps to revive the economy out of the recessionary crisis that it is in today. Our policies will help create more employment, self-employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for young Indians. In this, we would actively seek the cooperation of organizations like JITO.

Govt must take firm action against cases of financial fraud

Friends, since most of you are from the fields of business and commerce, I have to share an important thought on this occasion. India has all the potential to grow into a giant economy. The successes of Indian entrepreneurs in recent times, both in India and abroad, have been spectacular.

But as Gandhiji used to exhort, business without ethics is sin. Even if a few business organizations indulge in unethical practices, they bring a bad name to the business community as a whole. I am saying this I am distressed by the recent shocking disclosures about financial fraud in a major IT company in Hyderabad. Corporate India must put its house in order. The Government cannot turn a blind or lenient eye to such fraudulent practices.

With these words, I declare the inauguration of the Global Summit of the Jain International Trade Organization and wish it all success.

Thank you.


Speech by Shri L.K. Advani at the FICCI Audiotrium to commemorate the 112th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose


FICCI Audiotrium, New Delhi

“Netaji Bose had said to his countrymen: 'Tum mujhe khoon do; main tumhe aazadi doonga! (Give me blood, and I promise you freedom!) The times have changed, India has been azaad since 1947, and we need to make different kinds of sacrifices and commitments. Hence, if I were to rephrase Netaji’s clarion call, I would say that the call of all nationalistic and forward-looking political leaders to the people of India today should be: 'Tum humein samarthan do; hum tumhe sushaasan denge! (Give us your support, we promise you Good Governance.) This is what my colleagues and I would humbly say when my party, the BJP, and my alliance, the NDA, go out to seek people’s support in the forthcoming elections to the 15th Lok Sabha.”

Today is the jayanti of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Had he lived till today, he would be 112 years old. However, rare are human beings who live that long. But rare also are human beings who perform so many heroic feats in as short a lifespan as Destiny gave to Netaji Bose.

We do not still know conclusively and beyond the shadow of any doubt when, where and how Netaji Bose died. Officially ― and here I am referring to the official version of the British government ―, he died in a plane crash over Taiwan, while flying to Tokyo on 18 August 1945. Which means that, he was only 48 years old when he died. However, his body was never recovered.

Several committees were set up by the Government of India to probe into this matter. Indeed, when I was the Union Home Minister in the NDA Government (1998-2004), we set up an Inquiry Commission in 1999 under Justice Mukherjee. Its report, which was tabled in Parliament in May 2006, said that Netaji Bose did not die in the plane crash and the ashes at the Renkoji Temple in Tokyo are not his. However, the UPA Government rejected the findings of the Commission.
Netaji Bose: a unique patriotic warrior

There is no need to go into that debate now. What is beyond doubt is that Netaji lived life heroically, and he died heroically, fighting for the cause of India’s liberation from foreign rule. In many ways, he was unique among India’s freedom fighters. Bose advocated complete freedom for India at the earliest, whereas the Congress wanted it in phases, through a Dominion status. Once World War II broke out, which convinced him that the path of non-violent resistance chosen by the party under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi was not the right one, he followed Rabindranath Tagore’s poetic line ‘Ekla Chalo Re’.

He escaped from British captivity, travelled to Afghanistan, the Soviet Union, Germany and Japan, seeking alliances tha could defeat the British in India. With an audacity that only brave hearts are capable of, he formed the Azad Hind Government in exile. The Indian National Army (INA), which he led, forms an incredible chapter in the history of the revolutionary branch of India’s freedom struggle.

Netaji was a devout Hindu. He was greatly influenced by the philosophy of Swami Vivekananda and Maharshi Aurobindo. Indeed, it is his rootedness in India’s spiritual heritage and his belief in the teachings of the Bhagwad Gita that imparted to him the values of discipline, valour and the spirit of sacrifice. Not many know that he published a special edition of Veer Savarkar’s monumental book 1857 : India’s War of Independence as reading material for the soldiers of INA.

Friends, it is important for us to remember that men and women following several ideologies and several strategies participated in India’s liberation movement. And they often coexisted in the Congress itself, at a time when the Congress was a broad national platform and not a political party as such. Even Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, founder of the Rashriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), was earlier a functionary of the Congress in Vidarbha. Although Mahatma Gandhi dominated the national movement, there were many, like Netaji Bose, who followed divergent paths.

And then there were men like Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Veer Savarkar who fought for India’s independence while remaining outside the Congress platform.

Why did Netaji Bose become a ‘Fogotten Hero’?

As I have often stated in the past, we should honour all these great men and women, irrespective of their divergent and sometimes conflicting ideological and operational stands. For in spite of differences, one thing was common to them all: their boundless patriotism and their total dedication to the cause of India’s freedom.

And this was my message when I undertook the longest yatra of my life, the Swarna Jayanti Rath Yatra in 1997 to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of India’s Independence. I travelled all over the country by road and paid homage to hundreds of well-known and lesser-known martyrs and heroes of the Freedom Movement. For me, it was a Patriotic Pilgrimage.

What pains me ― and it also pains and angers millions of fellow Indians ― is that after Independence, an impression has been created that those who belong to a particular family have made the greatest contribution to India’s liberation and post-1947 nation-building. For example, a feature film on Netaji Bose was released in 2005. It was directed by the renowned director Shyam Benegal. What was its title?

Bose: The Forgotten Hero. We must ask ourselves: “Why did someone like Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose become a forgotten hero in our country?”

* * *
Netaji fought for Swaraj. We should strive for Su-raj

When we remember heroic personalities from the past, it should never be for ritualistic purposes. Great men and women are those who outlive their own lives. Long after they depart from our land, their ideas and deeds continue to live, inspiring and guiding others.

How does Netaji Bose guide us today? How do others from his generation guide us today?

I can summarise this by saying what I said during my Swarna Jayanti Rath Yatra. Our Freedom Fighters gave us Swaraj. But we have not been able to convert it into Su-raj. Self-Governance has not been transformed into Good Governance.
The people who lived in the era of the freedom struggle had hoped and dreamed that India, once it became independent, would be a land of prosperity, free of poverty, illiteracy, backwardness and want. This dream has not come true even after six decades of Independence.

*
India ranks 128 out of 177 countries in the world in terms of the United Nations’ Human Development Index. Why?
*
India has the highest number of malnutrition-related deaths. Why?
*
Only 45% of our children complete eight years of schooling? Why?
*
Why are thousands of farmers committing suicide in this day and age?
*
Why are we witnessing the largest ever migration from rural to urban areas?
*
Why is India suffering from such severe infrastructure bottlenecks that something as basic as electricity and drinking water are in short supply in many parts of the country?

The short answer to all these and more such questions is that there is lack of Good Governance India.
Congress party’s legacy of knotty problems

Lack of Good Governance has a direct bearing on threats to our national security. For example, people like Netaji Bose would be horrified at the manner in which the Congress rule has bequeathed knotty problems to future generations ― problems like the border disputes with Pakistan and China that have become knottier with the passage of time. He would be equally horrified at how the Congress has colluded, purely for votebank considerations, in the demographic invasion from Bangladesh into Assam and other parts of the country.

The same votebank considerations have guided the Congress party’s approach to cross-border terrorism, sponsored from Pakistan. Its opposition to POTA in 2002, its scrapping of POTA in 2004 and its refusal to implement the Supreme Court’s judgement on Afzal Guru, who has been convicted for his role in the terrorist attack on Indian Parliament – all these are such that they show the warped thinking of the Congress leadership on the issue of terrorism.

In the aftermath of the recent horrendous terror attacks in Mumbai, the UPA Government was forced to take some partial corrective measures, such as enactment of two anti-terror bills. But I must make two points here. Firstly, the it government acted out of compulsion and not conviction. Secondly, facts about the 26/11 incidents have revealed that there was not only an intelligence failure but also a monumental failure of governance by the Congress-led governments in New Delhi and Mumbai. The Congress has a lot to answer for this failure.

What I am saying is simply this: As a party that has ruled India for the longest period since Independence, the Congress must bear the greatest responsibility for the problems that are plaguing our country today. I have seen all the Congress governments from 1947 onwards. I can say on the basis of this knowledge that this is the worst of all the Congress regimes ― the most corrupt, the most inept and most unfaithful to the dreams of the great heroes of our Freedom Struggle.
Satyam mega-scam: Judicial probe needed

Let me take the latest example of the humungous corporate scandal in Satyam. Small investors have been badly hurt by this fraud, which involves a figure of Rs. 7,000 crore. It has also hurt the image of India’s corporate sector globally. Reports now reveal that the company’s balance sheet was fudged. Revenues were inflated. Even the number of employees was inflated. What were the relevant agencies in the governments in New Delhi and Hyderabad doing?

There are also reports that the Congress government in Andhra Pradesh showered a largesse on the promoters of Satyam in the form of giving away lucrative contracts and large tracts of precious land for throwaway prices. There is a stench of political corrupton here, and I demand a high-level judicial probe into this mega-scam.
BJP/NDA’s promise: Good Governance

I shall conclude with one thought. Netaji Bose had said to his countrymen: 'Tum mujhe khoon do; main tumhe aazadi doonga! (Give me blood, and I promise you freedom!) The times have changed, India has been azaad since 1947, and we need to make different kinds of sacrifices and commitments. Hence, if I were to rephrase Netaji’s clarion call, I would say that the call of all nationalistic and forward-looking political leaders to the people of India today should be: 'Tum humein samarthan do; hum tumhe sushaasan denge! (Give us your support, we promise you Good Governance.)

This is what my colleagues and I would humbly say when my party, the BJP, and my alliance, the NDA, go out to seek people’s support in the forthcoming elections to the 15th Lok Sabha.

We shall remind the people that India has ample resources, both natural and human, for making great strides forward. Indeed, wherever and whenever governments have governed well, they have produced good results. For example, the states in which the BJP has governments are far better governed than the Congress-ruled states. Similarly, now that the term of the UPA Government has almost come to an end, I can also claim that the track record of the NDA Government under Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee was far superior to that of the incumbent government under Smt. Sonia Gandhi and Dr. Manmohan Singh.

We shall attend to India’s developmental challenges with a sense of urgency, bringing many innovative ideas to bear on our efforts. We shall be uncompromising in our fight against terrorism. We shall not tolerate corruption in governance, especially at the top echolons. I am saying this because if there is probility in public life at the top, it will have a positive influence down the line. With Good Governance, Development and Security as our mantras, we shall serve India in a manner that would befittingly honour the ideals of great patriot-warriors like Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

Thank you.





Speech by Shri L.K. Advani at a "Vijay Sankalp Rally" in Calicut (Kerala)



This is the second day of my visit to Kerala, and it has brought me to Calicut or Kozhikode, the most important coastal city of Malabar.

Whenever I come to your state — and I have been coming here frequently since my first memorable visit to this city in 1967 — I have been enchanted by its unique beauty. I am also fascinated by the weighty contribution that the great men and women from Kerala have made to enriching India’s spiritual heritage, cultural traditions, intellectual treasure, social reform agenda and nationalist legacy.

From Adi Shankar to Narayana Guru to Mata Amritananandamayi of our own times — the tradition of enlightenment from Kerala has remained unbroken.

One can also recall the names of numerous distinguished personalities from Kerala who have made immense contribution to nation-building.

I am told that P.T. Usha, India’s Sprint Queen, is from Calicut

Today I would like to mention, and pay tribute to, one very special Keralite. A person who will soon make India proud with a unique achievement. He is Shri G Madhavan Nair, Chairman of ISRO. On 22nd of this month, ISRO under his leadership will take India to the Moon. On that day, ISRO will launch Chandrayaan, India’s first lunar spaceship.

The decision to begin the Chandrayaan project was taken by the Vajpayee Government. I am happy that it has progressed so well so fast.

Let us congratulate Shri Madhavan Nair and all the other scientists at ISRO. Let us all today wish success to this ambitious project, which will make every Indian proud.

Let us also look forward to the day when ISRO will launch a manned mission to the Moon.

Remembering Deendayal Upadhyaya

Friends, Calicut has a special place in my life and in the life of my party, which before 1977 was known as the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. It was here that the Bharatiya Jana Sangh held its national convention in December 1967. And it was at this convention that the party elected Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya as its President. Deendayalji was the most important leader of our party after the untimely martyrdom of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee in 1953, in the course of his struggle for the complete integration of Jammu & Kashmir into the Indian Union.

Deendayalji was an ideal political leader, a great nationalist thinker, a skilful and idealistic party organiser and a source of immense moral inspiration to tens of thousands of young political activists. As far as I am concerned, his was the greatest influence on my political life.

Deendayalji’s speech at the Calicut session of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh is one of the best political speeches in the history of independent India. Its contemporary relevance for us today lies in the guidance it gave to our party on the question of alliance politics.

Unfortunately, Deendayalji graced the office of President of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh only for a few months. On 11 February 1968, he was found dead on the railway tracks near Mughalsarai.

Thus, for all of us in the Jana Sangh and the BJP who revere Deendayalji, Calicut has a very special significance.

BJP: stronger and better than the Congress

When I look back at my party’s journey since those days, I am myself amazed by how far we have progressed. Ours was a marginal party in Indian politics those days. Today we are one of the two principal poles in the essentially bipolar polity of India. Indeed, today the BJP has more MLAs in the country than the Congress. The BJP — either on its own or with its allies — runs more State Governments than the Congress. BJP-run State Governments are better-governed and have a stronger focus on development than the Congress-run Governments.

The most striking and recent example of this is the relocation of Tata’s Nano car plant from Singur in West Bengal to Sanand in Gujarat. The CPI(M) Government in West Bengal could not resolve the issue of land allotment for more than a year, forcing the Tatas to move the project out of the state. In contrast, Shri Narendra Modi’s Government in Gujarat cleared land allotment and all other formalities within a matter of days.

This is the difference between the CPI(M) and the BJP. Communist rule, be it in West Bengal or in Kerala, is a synonym for stagnation and unemployment. BJP rule is a byword for development and employment generation.

I was talking of the progress that the BJP has made, and how it has changed the political map of India, in the past few decades. Only a few months ago, the BJP was able to win the mandate of the people in Karnataka to form a Government on its own.

Kerala’s two Fronts are an affront to Good Governance and Clean Politics

I am mentioning this in Calicut just to drive home the point that today the BJP may be having a marginal presence in the politics of Kerala, with no representation either in the Lok Sabha or the Vidhan Sabha, but the day is not far when our party will become a force to reckon with in this state.

For far too long, politics and governance in Kerala have remained the monopoly of the Communist-led LDF and Congress-led UDF. There is no real difference between the two Fronts. Both are an affront to Good Governance and Clean Politics.

Kerala has suffered equally under their misrule. Where is economic growth in Kerala? Where are productive investments in Kerala? Where are employment and self-employment avenues being created in Kerala? Where are opportunities for the highly talented young men and women of Kerala to create a bright future for themselves in their own state.

A very large number of Keralites have been forced to go out of Kerala — either to other states in India itself or to Gulf countries and other places abroad — in search of suitable sources of livelihood. And wherever Keralites have gone, they have earned name and fame for themselves because of their hard work, skills, knowledge and professional expertise.

Only last week, I participated in the silver jubilee celebrations of the Nair Service Society Delhi, which had also organised a Global Nair Sammelanam on the occasion.

Be it Nairs, Ezavas, Syrian Christians, Muslims or any other community in Kerala, all have earned a good reputation for themselves and for their state wherever they have gone.

There is nothing wrong in Indians from one state going to another state for employment or entrepreneurship. It is the fundamental right of every Indian.

Every once in a while, linguistic chauvinism or narrow provinicialism raises its head and says, “No, this city or this state belongs only to us and outsiders are not allowed here.” The BJP firmly opposes such divisive tendencies.

But the BJP is also opposed to those political parties who, due to their misrule and their total apathy to development, create economic stagnation in the states they govern and thereby force people to migrate to other places in search of employment and livelihood.

This has been happening both in Kerala and West Bengal, where the CPI(M) has dominated the political scene for a long time. In West Bengal, it has had a Government continuously since 1977. In Kerala, the CPI(M) and the Congress have a sort of “power-sharing” arrangement, whereby the LDF and the UDF keep on passing the baton to each other.

But both in Kerala and West Bengal, young people see no hope for their future.

For example, Calicut has an average literacy rate of 93%, much higher than the national average of 61%. Male literacy is 96%, and female literacy is 89%. I congratulate the people of Calicut, and the people of Kerala in general, for their excellent achievement in literacy – and in several other areas of social sector development. But the moot question is: How many educated young men and women from Calicut find appropriate career opportunities in your own district, in your own state?

Strengthen BJP in Kerala

This must change. And for the change to come about, Kerala needs an Alternative Model of Development. For Kerala to have an Alternative Model of Development, it must embrace an Alternative Model of Politics and Governance.

In other words, Kerala needs a positive and superior alternative to both CPI(M) and Congress.

The BJP is committed to providing such an alternative, in cooperation with other progressive forces.

Ours may be a small party in Kerala today. But I have no doubt that the BJP will make a rapid breakthrough in the politics of Kerala, just as it did in Karnataka where it had only a marginal presence a couple of decades ago.

Friends, the time to create an alternative to the LDF and UDF will come at the time of the next Assembly elections. Right now, we have to think of an alternative to the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre, which is quite simply the worst government New Delhi has seen.

Why Vijay Sankalp Rally

And this is the reason why I have come today to Calicut as part of my nationwide programme of Vijay Sankalp Rallies ahead of the forthcoming parliamentary elections. Yesterday, I was in Kasargod. Only four days ago, I was in Arunachal Pradesh. Earlier I was in Uttar Pradesh.

Thus, I have been going around the country.

My message to the people in all my rallies is the same: You have a right to ask the Congress and the UPA to show their report card. What does the report card show? A tale of failures and betrayals.

* The UPA Government has also failed miserably to check the skyrocketing prices of all essential goods and services. Every trip to the market has become a tormenting experience for the aam aadmi.

The UPA Government has failed to manage the economy well, as a result of which India today is in the grip of both high inflation and high recession. Middle-class families are paying more than double the amount as interest payment on the loans they had taken during the NDA rule for housing. As a result of slowdown in the economy, there will be fewer employment opportunities at a time when unemployment is already a big problem.

I would like the Prime Minister to come clean on how much the global financial crisis is going to affect the Indian economy. There is a lot of concern and confusion on this score. And there is a feeling that the Government is less than transparent.

* The UPA Government has failed to address the problems of farmers, including the farmers in Kerala, the growers of various cash crops.

* The UPA Government’s failure to fight terrorism has been most glaring. It is not merely failure on account of incompetence, but also failure on account of unwillingness to take firm steps. The Government lacks the will to fight terrorism because of the fear of losing its minority vote bank.

The BJP does not associate terrorism with any religion or community. But it is the Congress which believes that strong measures to counter terror will alienate a certain community.

* Does enforcement of the Supreme Court’s verdict on Afzal Guru, the main accused in the terrorist attack on Indian Parliament, constitute targeting a community?

* Does enactment of a strong anti-terror law such as POTA constitute targeting a community?

* Does stern action against organizations such as SIMI and Indian Mujahideen constitute targeting a community?

* Does effective action to stop infiltration of Bangladeshis into Assam and other parts of India constitute targeting a community?

Therefore, people should decide for themselves: Who is communalizing the fight against terrorism – BJP or the Congress?

All in all, the UPA Government has become a curse. For India to survive, the Congress-led Government must be voted out.

India needs a strong and honest government with a strong and honest leadership to meet the serious challenges it is facing.

India needs, once again, a BJP-led NDA Government.

I would like to appeal to the people of Calicut, to all the people of Kerala, to make a substantive contribution to bringing about this much-needed change at the Centre.

For this, I extend invitation to all those parties and organizations who are fed up with the stultifying domination of the CPI(M) and Congress in Kerala. Come, let us together impart a positive new turn to the politics in Kerala.

This is the message of the Vijay Sankalp Rally.

Thank you.


A dvaniji has been my friend and comrade-in-arms for over fifty years... Mirrored in (this book) is the remarkable journey of a sensitive human being and an outstanding leader whose best, I hope and pray, is yet to come.

— From the Foreword by
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Prime Minister of India (1998-2004)

Mahaanaya Dhoni

MS Dhoni

Batting style:
Right Handed-hand bat
Bowling style:
Played for:
India, Asia XI, Chennai
Roles played:
Skipper-ODI Ex Skipper-Test,T20 Wicketkeeper

Profile

He announced his arrival into the international arena in 2004-05 with a bang. MS Dhoni has come a long way with his swashbuckling and aggressive brand of cricket. He is a destroyer of bowling attacks and often a great finisher. If he is spectacular with the bat, he is secure with the keeping gloves. Dhoni’s batting consists of shots and strokes which are anything but orthodox and conventional. His playing style reinforces that one should look at the ball and not the bowler. Born in Ranchi, 'Mahi' displayed tremendous potential of a great leader after he led India to victory in the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 in 2007. The icing on the cake was the triangular series win against Australia in Australia in 2008. The Indian wicketkeeper has modelled his game on Adam Gilchrist and his extraordinary knock of 183 runs helped him break his idol’s record for the highest score by a wicketkeeper in ODIs.

CAREER

TEst
Debut:
India Vs Sri Lanka at MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk), Chennai (Madras) - Dec 02, 2005
Last played:
India Vs England at Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali - Chandigarh - Dec 19, 2008

ODi


Debut:
India Vs Bangladesh at Chittagong Stadium (MA Aziz Stadium), Chittagong - Dec 23, 2004
Last played:
India Vs Sri Lanka at R.Premadasa Stadium (Khettarama), Colombo - Feb 03, 2009



20--20


Debut:
India Vs South Africa at New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg - Dec 01, 2006
Last played:
India Vs Australia at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Melbourne - Victoria - Feb 01, 2008



ICC Rank:
ODI
Batting:
1

India
Age:
28
Born:
July 07, 1981, Ranchi, Jharkhand

JAYAN=EVERGREEN HERO

KATRINA KAIF

Date of Birth:16 July 1984,


Katrina Kaif, is one of the most beautiful actresses in Bollywood. Her first film is "Boom", a movie about models getting caught up with the underworld. Though the movie failed in box office, people couldn't easily forget her angelic face and voluptuous figure. Not so many have gained the fans and popularity as a new entrant as Katrina has done.
Katrina is half Indian and half British. Her father is an NRI and her mother is English. Initially critics were very harsh on her for her poor Hindi. But she has worked hard on it and started taking dancing lessons - both very essential to survive in the industry. Now she has started dubbing on her own.

Jaya cautions Antony

Jaya cautions Antony on Bhavani water

25 Dec 2002 As the Cauvery water dispute hangs fire in the Supreme Court, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha in a letter to her Kerala counterpart A K Antony has requested for a reconsideration of building a weir across river Bhavani (a Cauvery tributary), to divert its water to the west, outside its basin.
Pointing out that Bhavani was an inter-state river and a part of Cauvery itself, it was not advisable to divert its water until the Cauvery dispute is settled by the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal.
The sharing of the water itself was under adjudicatory process before the tribunal she added. Expressing concern over the proposed Rs. 2.75 crore plan of the Kerala government to build the weir near Mukkali village, she pointed out that Kerala had already told the tribunal that it had extended the irrigation in the Attapadi valley to utilize 4.5 tmc ft water.