No longer a way of life

http://www.millenniumpost.in/NewsContent.aspx?NID=5937
24 July 2012, New Delhi, Sat Pal

The turmoil at Maruti Suzuki will affect the company’s illustrious record.

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An eminent youth leader of his times, Sanjay Gandhi unfortunately could not see his dream coming true during his life time. His desire to empower a segment of people to become proud owners of a small and sleek car was fulfilled after his untimely demise. The demise was described by a leader of high stature, Atal Bihari Vajapyee, as a sad accident which brought pitch darkness during the shining daytime. The then opposition, during the 1980 election, vigorously made the small car project of Sanjay their result-oriented political plank. They coined a slogan,Beta car banyega, Maa bekar banayegi. Fiery leaders, like the late Mani Ram Bagri, and others with a socialist background, were vocal in attacking Indira Gandhi and Sanjay on this issue. The results awarded the Congress a thumping majority. Its return to power was the harshest slap on the face of the opposition. At this point of time the winners replied with a slogan, Beta car banayega, Maa sarkar banyegi. 
The then chief minister of Haryana, an architect of the fast moving new state, Bansi Lal offered a plot of land for the Maruti factory in Gurgaon, close to Delhi and Palam airport. The opposition in Haryana, while describing it as a dole to the Gandhi family, slammed Bansi Lal and called him a puppet in the hands of Sanjay. The chief minister categorically stated that the proposed factory would prove to be a goldmine for the state. Apart from generating employment, the factory would result in a bumper exchequer by way of accumulation of the huge revenue resulting from all-round development, he added. The setting up of Maruti Suzuki in Gurgaon proved to be a catalyst in turning this sleepy city into the millennium city. The factory also paved the way of entry of multinational companies, industrial houses and trade magnates, all of whom reaped benefits from the fertile economic environment. 

I still remember 14 December 1983 when the then prime minister Indira Gandhi launched the Maruti 800 and spoke highly of Sanjay’s wonderful ambitions and his commitment to make available a small car to middle class families across the country. The first red Maruti car was handed over to one Harpal Singh. I was part of that enchanting, exciting and elegant event. Since then, Maruti Suzuki used to sell like hot cakes and the customers used to wait for their turn to mature. The impatient buyers purchased it on a premium and finally it acquired a pan-India presence. The company, which came out initially with the Maruti 800 standard model, afterwards released a large number of variants based on the demand, requirement and pocket size of buyers. It became the largest car producing company in the country. The company also captured markets abroad due to the reliability and longevity of its products. 

The years 2011 and 2012 brought a scar on the name and fame of the company. Maruti Suzuki has to face unprecedented labor unrest and a prolonged shut down. The recent riot-like situation in its Manesar plant has no parallel in the history of industrial unrest in the country. The management has announced a lockout, stating a danger to life in the factory, as an officer of the level of a general manager has been attacked brutally. The vandalism by the workers has not only caused grievous injuries to the members of the management but has also maligned the fair image of Maruti Suzuki, boasting as it does of its Japanese work culture and unmatched technology. It is on record that the company lost Rs 2.5 billion in 2011 and it is losing an amount of Rs 70 crore per day after the rampage last week. The loss is not limited to the management, it is also affecting the state exchequer, the workers and the more than 2,900 ancillary companies and their workmen. The company is claiming that it will not like to shift the plant from Manesar to any other state or city. Who knows the future. It depends upon industrial relations. The kind of hooliganism witnessed last week leaves no ground to think that there will be no recurrence. Things may take a turn similar to that which developed in Singur in West Bengal. It is a coincidence that the Gujarat chief minister has left for a five-day official trip to Japan. He may use his persuasive skills to attract Suzuki to venture to his state. Maruti has stated that it cannot risk the safety of its employees. This underlines the fact that the company would definitely like to ensure that, in case of an exigency, it will not at all hesitate in shifting from Manesar. No company of such high repute will continue bearing recurring loses. 

Maruti Suzuki India has declared a lockout at the violence hit Manesar plant till the probe into the bloodstained incident is completed. The state government has not set a time-frame to complete the investigation. If it is going to take a longer period of time, like other probes, with extensions of time one after another, then the lockout will be indefinite. The worst effects of the turmoil are not likely to subside. No doubt, the stigma on the illustrious record of the company will take time to fade away.     

Sat Pal is a communication consultant and has worked with several central and state ministers.

Where is Dichaon Kalan anyway?

http://www.millenniumpost.in/NewsContent.aspx?NID=7263

28 August 2012, New Delhi, Sat Pal

The names of different localities in Delhi have interesting origins.

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Jhumri Telaiya and Dichaon Kalan, despite being situated too far, have at least one similarity. Jhumari Telaiya a sleepy town had been a little known one. As the name of this town used to be aired in Vividh Bharti’s programme of songs on demand of the listeners called aap kee farmaish, we as students were anxious to know its location. We put this question to almost all seniors and parents at our places. We were given different answers. The town became famous in 1957, and the credit goes to Vividh Bharti as FM radio stations and TV channels were not in existence. We remember the large number of requests of film songs coming from the town, as if the listeners had been competing among themselves to send maximum number of requests. Probably they were keen to hear their names on Vividh Bharti. Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh were told as the state of location by different persons without being certain. There was a film song Main to Jhumari Talaiya se Aayi Hun. The town Jhumari Telaiya continued to confuse our wisdom as it was not a known city like Bareily as referred in a song Jhumka Bareily wala. Ultimately we came to learn that the town Jhumari Telaiya is situated in Bihar’s Hazribagh district and later in the Koderma District which has since been included in the state of Jharkhand after the bifurcation of Bihar. 

As regards Dichaon Kalan, one of my editor colleagues in Doordarshan News, while compiling a news bulletin asked me, where the village Dichaon Kalan was situated? Was it in Delhi, Haryana or Rajasthan? He was having an unconfirmed impression that it was somewhere in Delhi, hence, he called me to confirm as I am known as an expert on Delhi among my journalist friends. I confirmed that it was in Delhi and was close to Najafgarh. I dialed many friends of mine to check their level of knowledge. It came to me as a surprise that not even a single one had heard of the name. The village has historical background as the United States President Richard Nixon paid a visit to this less known village in 1969. The village was also declared a Model Village. The old timers relate this with its so called real name- Dev Uvach which means, from the mouth of Gods. The village has been in the news due to its musclemen. It looks like a prosperous village as the presence of the neo-riches is dominant. Further, the DDA and other agencies have been involved in taking up a number of projects around this village. 

The names of the villages in Delhi can be classified in groups like sarai group – Neb Sarai, Katwaria Sarai, Sheikh Sarai, Phoos Sarai and others and the rauli group – Mehrauli, Gharauli, as well as the group dola – Bagdola, Budola and so on. As one look at the walled city, the names of lane and mohallas are associated either with personalities, events and stories. The name Gali Asharfai became popular because of an incident. Once a raees, rich man expressed his extreme happiness by throwing golden ginnies, asharfis, over the head of his son who was sitting on an elephant during his marriage procession. The persons who used to collect coins refused to take the asharafis due to an arrogance displayed by the raees. As people saw the entire lane covered with asharfis next morning, the lane was named as Gali Asharfi. Gali Parathewali and Kinari Bazar are famous because of the delicious parantahans and glittering decorative and ceremonial items respectively. The then new locality around the river means darya became famous as Darya Ganj. A katra in Chandni Chowk where the traders came from the area around river Neel in Egypt is still known as Katra Neel. The era after partition witnessed the influx of the refugees from the other part of the country. Those were the days when people used to take the patriots and freedom fighters in high esteem. Hence a number of refugee colonies were named after Sardar Patel, Subhash Bose, Nehru, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and so on. If we jump over to the 1970s when the number of rehabilitation colonies were developed by the DDA and the Union Government the names were grouped as Trilok Puri, Jahangir puri, Seema Puri, Sultan Puri, Mangol Puri, Jawala Puri, Raghubir Puri, Brahm puri; Nand Nagri, Sundar Nagri and so on. 

During the development of housing colonies by allotting land to cooperative housing societies, the colonies were named after the offices and institutions whose employees were in majority in the societies formed. 

The names of the colonies were known as Nirman Vihar, Swasthya Vihar, Yojana Vihar and Manak Vihar on the names of the ministries and offices like works and housing ministry, health ministry, the planning commission and and the Indian standards organisation respectively. A similar naming exercise continued in the multi-storey group housing societies. Some names of the colonies have no meanings. One may not find any sign of pleasantness in Welcome Colony. There are many colonies with similar name though they came up in different parts of the city. One may find Shastri Nagar in central and northeast Delhi and Ashok Nagar in west and east Delhi. There exists a renaming committee for the roads, parks and institutions. A similar committee, of course, is required for the colonies coming up.

Sat Pal is a communication consultant and has worked with several central and state ministers.

Item girl for mango people

http://www.millenniumpost.in/NewsContent.aspx?NID=12113
30 October 2012, New Delhi, Sat Pal

Rakhi describes herself as the daughter of the nation while discussing corruption

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Ours is a vibrant democracy studded with a range of interesting colors of humor and light moments, coming well within the constitutional guarantee of freedom of expression. Though we inherited our democratic system from the Englishmen but we conceived and drafted our own constitution which is really liberal, comprehensive and unique. The constitution has ensured certain fundamental rights as guaranteed to every citizen. 

These rights include a right of freedom to express on any issue. This goes a long way in providing an opportunity to the citizens to comment on any political decision and other issues facing the society and the nation.The comments are treated well within the ambit of a freedom of expression unless the comments are not indecent, obscene and intentional defamation. We come across certain comments invoking legal actions by the affected parties despite such cases taking long time being disposed off in the courts. While going through the daily newspapers, one comes across a number of interesting and offending comments though certain comments invite debate in the society as well as in the political scenario. 

It has also been observed that some comments result in longer lasting verbal reactions.One may observe that all our policies are drafted to please Aam Aadmi and almost all parties have been striving hard to come out with Aam Aadmi centric manifestoes. One may also feel that the Aam Aadmi is becoming a special class as this section is being offered largesse’s one after the other. Taking cue out of the term Aam Admi an important Anna follower, Arvind Kejriwal decided to inscribe the term Aam Admi over his new Gandhi Cap. He has exhibited his political intentions despite stiff resistance from a group of Team Anna though he has yet to name his party. His in scripted Gandhi Cap has yet not been able to earn similar popularity which was earned by the cap in scripted with Main Bhi Anna. His crusade against corruption is drawing flak from the leaders of the oldest political party and the functionaries of the party led UPA. The certain comments drew attention of politically conscious people and the concerned leaders later retracted to pacify the angry persons.The actions of so called icon of struggle against corruption and the leader of India against corruption are also inviting flak from the certain right minded persons. 

The latest in slamming the modus operandi of Kejriwal is not an eminent political figure but an Indian dancer, film and TV actress, model, TV talk show host and item girl Rakhi Sawant. She is best known for her feuds and somewhat different remarks. It was a long journey of Neeru Bheda becoming Rakhi Sawant and emerging as one of the actress to approach the women commission on being kissed by Mika in a birth day party, hosting a TV show Rakhi Ka Swayambar and subsequent brief marriage with Elish Parunjanwala from Toronto followed by break down of the conjugal relations, her offer to marry the yoga guru Ram Dev and her obscene dances in various item songs staged by her. Her latest is a prediction of Kareena-Saif marriage to be short lived and her comments on Saif stating that he is using women as tissue papers are examples of her verbal diarhoea. Rakhi’s onslaught against Kejriwal is also surprising and interesting. She is annoyed because the IAC leader did not answer her phone call. 

Rakhi a is model turned sex symbol. She feels people wait to listen to her voice on phone and they feel excited to watch her, how Kejriwal dared to not attend her phone call. She has vehemently vowed to oppose agitation of Kejriwal at every step. Rakhi has also challenged the so called high support of Kejriwal. She has seven lakh members of Rakhi Sawant Fans Club to fight Kejriwal whereas he is having support of only handful persons as stated by her. She described Kejriwal as a Bhagoda and in habit of changing his stand from Team Anna member to Kejriwal cap to Aam Admi cap. He has ditched Lokpal issue, as stated by Rakhi. Kejriwal is not fighting against corruption , he is more interested in launching his own party to aspire a position as an influential personality in the government. He is working in the direction of creating another Ravana as his new avtar, added Rakhi. She has also expressed her desire to do Gandhigiri by offering a bunch of roses as a token of her protest. Rakhi has also coined a song stating that ‘Anna N badle, Kiran N badly magar badal gaye Kejriwal’. She described her as the daughter of the Nation while criticising Kejriwal on his so called struggle against Corruption. She claimed that Kejriwal has never visited the country side; hence he has no insight understanding of the country. Rakhi exhibited her talent and skill in enacting rhetoric against the so called Mr Clean. She asked a number of questions.

Sat Pal is a communication consultant

How Lalu won over Pakistan

http://www.millenniumpost.in/NewsContent.aspx?NID=14396

27 November 2012, New Delhi, Sat Pal

Former Bihar CM continues to be a force to reckon with despite a number of poll reverses

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Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar became the second prominent National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leader after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) senior leader Lal Krishna Advani to visit Pakistan. Nitishspared nothing to make his recent visit historic and memorable. He intended to sell his Bihar model of development but this became secondary as he strived hard to showcase his secular image in a hard core Islamic state. Kumar visited a temple in Sindh province, dera sahib gurudwara, Jinnah’s mausoleum, the graves of Zulfikar and Benazir Bhutto and the shrine of the great poet Alama Iqbal-Badshahi Mosque. 

Despite visiting all these places, he could not sell his Bihar model and earn a wide coverage like Advani did during his last visit to Pakistan. Though Nitish got a few accolades from Pakistan’s top brass during his weeklong visit, he could not make it a grand show. He addressed a gathering of panchayat heads and also shared dinner in a Diwali party with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari. All this became insignificant as former chief minister of Bihar Lalu Prasad Yadav outshined Nitish without even visiting Pakistan.

Yadav’s competence and his efforts resulting  in a turnaround of the railways in India earned him a special reference in Pakistan’s National Assembly.

The reference was made during Nitish’s visit to Pakistan.  A Pakistani lawmaker, member of lower house, National Assembly, Sajjad Ahmed surprised everybody by stating in the house, ‘If you cannot, let Lalu run the railways in Pakistan’. Ahmed, a Muttahaida Quami movement member made this remark when the railway secretary, Noman Islam Sheikh, questioned the performance of the railways in his country.

Ahmed stated that the country’s railways should be handed over to former Indian rail minister, Lalu Yadav, if the government was unable to tackle problems. Lalu Yadav is widely credited for guiding the turnaround of the Indian railways. Pakistani railways is plagued by several problems including the lack of locomotives, shortage of spare parts, fuel and cancellation of dozens of trains due to financial constraints.

Lalu Yadav during his tenure as the rail minister, turned the loss making organisation into a huge profit earning entity. The railways, under his leadership, made a cumulative profit of more than 25,000 crore. He managed the same Indian railways efficiently with the same set of officers and workforce. Lalu’s economics astonished all intellectuals in the world as to how a person without possessing a sound understanding of economics could make a turnaround that too without effecting any hike in the fares.

Lalu’s success story stunned some well-known management schools across the world. He was invited to address the overseas students in Harvard and other places. He mesmerised his students in his chaste Hindi style. He will always be remembered for introducing the air conditioned Gharib Raths and other pro-poor initiatives.

Probably this made a Pakistani lawmaker to shower praises over our former rail minister.

Lalu Yadav still continues to be a force to be reckoned with despite a number of poll reverses.  He is a core fighter and a unique political personality, well versed with the skill to make dents in the rival factions.

While addressing public meetings, Yadav does his best to connect with the ordinary people, generally referred to as aam aadmi. A product of JP movement in Bihar rose to become the youngest Lok sabha member at the age of 29 in the 9th Lok Sabha.  He graduated from the students politics to steer his advances in the state and central politics. He took inspiration from Karpoori Thakur, Jay Prakash Narayan and others. Yadav started his political career as an anti-Congress activist and later on landed into the bandwagon being propelled by the same party. His alliance with Lok Jan Shakti Party, led by Ram Vilas Paswan, was also seen as a surprising combination. Yadav, after venturing in the Janta Party, formed the RJD in July 1997. He still continues to be the president of the party. Yadav used to put rings in all his fingers to keep his post of the chief minister safe after being entangled in the Fodder scam cases. He threw away all his rings into the river when he was left with no other option to resign.  He went several astrologers andbabas during his difficult days and suddenly decided to avoid them after resigning from the post of the chief minister.  

Lalu Yadav displayed his acumen by installing his wife as the chief minister on his post in Bihar on 25 July 1997. Yadav ruled Bihar by proxy during the Rabri regime.

Now, ofcourse, Rabri must be happily enjoying her husband’s popularity in Pakistan.

Satpal is a communication consultant

Verbal crackers this Diwali

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13 November 2012, New Delhi, Sat Pal

Our leaders have become habitual to using spoken misquotes to snatch headlines

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Keeping in view the surging pollution level, the city government has strongly encouraged people especially children not to use crackers during Diwali. The high level of pollution may result in physical as well as mental tensions and ailments apart from affecting our nature. The physical and mental tensions arise due to irritating pollutants present in the air. It can also make people angry and initiate verbal misquotes. 

It seems like our leaders, up to some extent, have become habitual of using such verbal misquotes in order to snatch headlines and find place in the media. At times they use their tongue power to retract immediately on taking note of the sharp reactions. They have started using this tongue power leisurely during this festive season. 

Diwali, the festival of lights, is traditionally celebrated with religious fervour to mark the return of Lord Rama after his 14 long years of vanvas.

Lord Rama has become the target of verbal attack by a leader having allegiance to a party known for boasting its connection with Lord Rama and its forgotten vow related to the construction of a palatial temple at the claimed birth place of Lord Rama at Ayodhaya. The name of the leader, who dared to contest the Lok sabha election against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Lucknow, begins with Ram. The leader in question, a veteran, Ram Jethmalani is bold enough to forcefully state his views strongly in the courts, Parliament and other places. His remarks on Lord Rama have attracted many comments by the political leaders and religious patriarchs. The leader described Lord Rama as a bad husband and raised apprehensions on his existence during that particular period, dating back to more than 5,000 years or so. The reactions poured in from both the major parties and religious heads.

BJP MP from Gorakhpur and a Congress spokesperson reacted on expected lines whereas a Hindu outfit, Hindu Dnyanpeeth Vidhan Parishad Ludhiana has announced a reward of Rs 11 lakh on bringing the chopped tongue of the leader in question.

Swami Gyananand Maharajin in Karnal has requested Jethmalani to remove the word Ram from his name. The head priest of Ram Lalla temple at Ayodhaya, Satyendra Das has described the leader as an insane person. Apart from this a faction of Shiv Sena in Delhi demonstrated against the so-called objectionable comment on Lord Rama. 

Such verbal crackers are not going to serve any purpose. An overambitious new entrant in political venture and India Against Corruption (IAC) supremo, Arvind Kejriwal has claimed himself of being a Dengue mosquito. Further, he has warned the leaders of both the Congress and the BJP to get ready to be bitten by him. It seems that the new political personality has also decided to use verbal crackers to make this Diwali a festival of hatred. In backdrop of such uncalled remarks i.e. verbal crackers, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav has termed Kejriwal as an American agent. One remembers the verbal crackers of yoga guruRam Dev. He has been making lavish use of his tongue off and on. There are a number of incidents to mention, all being the hot shots.  Is this going to cultivate a decent culture? 

Though the BJP president has regretted his remark of comparing Swami Vivekanand’s intelligence quotient level with Dawood Ibrahim, this is not going to be spared in the holocaust created by this remark. Every action of leaders is supposed to be under public scanner, hence, they must think patiently before speaking any word in public. In case they continue to make a rampant use of their tongue power, they are bound to face public ire as well as counter reactions.

The remark of the so called aspirant of the top executive post of the country, on a union minister’s wife and the then girl friend also drew attention of large number of people. Narendra Modi asking the general public, whether they have seen a girl friend worth Rs 50 crore, was not taken in good taste by most of the people. Modi in his state, going to the polls shortly, is being referred as a monkey. 

The state that produced leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel, is probably pained to witness a dirty game of verbal crackers launched by both the major parties. It was the then deputy prime minister and the union home minister in Pandit Nehru’s  cabinet, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who got to be known as an ‘iron man’. 

As Modi is being introduced as an iron man, the opponent party has called him Lahu Purush, a man involved in blood bath, instead of Lauh Purush (iron man). 

The verbal brickbats like these have become common these days. In an election bound state of Gujarat, it looks imminent that the exchange of words would become more pointed and fierce. The atmosphere is likely to become hot and it seems that the exchange of verbal crackdown is going to be unabated. Let us pray for a verbal cracker-less atmosphere in times to come.  

Satpal is a communication consultant

Growing tolerance for corruption

http://www.millenniumpost.in/NewsContent.aspx?NID=15460
11 December 2012, New Delhi, Sat Pal

Efforts at various levels to tame the corrupt are not yielding the desired results

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The world has been observing the International anti-corruption day every year on 9 December. The United Nations (UN) adopted a resolution on 31 October 2003 to declare this day as the International Anti-Corruption Day as intolerance towards corruption had been growing for many decades.

There was a need to raise public awareness against corruption and determine ways and means to curb the menace with courage and conviction. Since, it was impossible to eliminate it completely, it was important to minimise it in order to present a cleaner picture.

Many countries are signatory to the UN convention against corruption. While going through the latest data released by the Transparency International, one may come to a definite conclusion that no country is perfect as far as 100 per cent clean functioning is concerned. Further 2/3rd of the countries in the world are listed below 50 per cent in the Corrupt Perception Index 2012 average score card. The first such international data was released in 1995. The countries have been rated on a scale between 0 and 100 wherein 0 means highly corrupt and 100 denotes the cleanest country. 

The cleanest countries securing the first, second and third place in the index are Denmark, Finland and New Zealand respectively and the most corrupt country is Afghanistan ranking 174. With respect to the index of the clean countries, our position is 94 and our neighboring countries like Pakistan rank 139, Sri Lanka 79, China 80, Singapore 5, Nepal 139 and Bhutan 33.

The rank of other countries that matter are – Sweden (4), Switzerland (6), Japan and UK (17), USA (19), Portugal (33), Israel (39) and Russia (133). It is simple to opine that most of the countries are marred with corruption in one or the other form.

Coming back to home, our country witnessed a long mass movement spearheaded by the India Against Corruption Jan Andolan, blessed by the supreme crusader, Anna Hazare. The movement gathered momentum at the very outset but eventually fizzled out.

In backdrop of Jan Lokpal and the efforts made by the government to clean the system, the Centre for Media Studies has  recently come out with its latest report on India Corruption Studies 2012, which states that the quantum of corruption in the country has become double during the last four years.

The increase, however, is not proportionate to the rate of inflation. On analysing the report one may agree to the fact that the greed for black money has been surpassing extreme limits of irregularities and connivance with the authorities to frequently nurture the grafts. The report is based on a household survey conducted during the last quarter of 2011 in nine cities – Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Goa, Hyderabad, Bengluru, Kanpur and Lucknow. The report concentrates on urban population especially urban slum population. During the last four years the percentage of corruption in the country went up from 34 to 68 per cent. It increased from 17 to 96 per cent in Mumbai and decreased from 41 to 23 per cent in Ahmedabad. The urban slum population was being forced to grease the palms of officers to obtain public services such as PDS, ration cards, new electricity connection, water supply, removal of garbage, OPD cards in government hospitals, registration of FIRs and deletion of names from the police records. The quantum of the bribe varied from Rs 5 to Rs 7,000. Eighty-four per cent urban slum population bribed in exchange of public utilities services, 47 per cent spared money only once and 31 per cent spared money twice during last four years. 

Thirty-five per cent of the population was denied service as they denied being part of corruption.

It is a matter of great concern that more than 90 per cent urban slum population was asked to bribe at least once. In terms of slum population and the amount spared by them as bribes or in other words service charges, the state of Goa comes on the top followed by Mumbai. Goa is the best placed state by the 11th Finance Commission for its infrastructure. Further on top for the best quality of life in India by the National Commission for population based on 12 indicators.  Its per capita income is the highest in the country.

Whether all these facts related to the prosperity contributed in making the slum population prone to offering bribes? The state is the smallest in the country as far as area is concerned and the 4th smallest by population. Its 62.17 per cent population is urban out of which 17 per cent is slum population. The 68 per cent slum population was extracted money for electricity, 62 per cent for water, 60 per cent for police service, 45 per cent for PDS, 42 per cent for municipal services and 35 per cent for health services.

This disseminates that the corruption is deeply rooted in slum population and tolerance against corruption is growing day by day across the country. Seemingly the efforts at various levels to tame the corrupt are not yielding the desired results.

Satpal is a communication consultant  

Rahul and the politics of promotions

http://www.millenniumpost.in/NewsContent.aspx?NID=18998

22 January 2013, New Delhi, Sat Pal

Gandhi scion’s elevation to post of Cong vice prez has electrified party, but is different from previous such cases of rise to power within the party

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We often feel astonished and to an extent amused to see the large number of political parties functioning differently in our democratic system. The number keeps on increasing with registration of more and more parties and divisions in the existing parties. It becomes impossible to identify even two or three parties with pan-India presence. While going through the past performance and presence of parties in different states, it is possible for one to draw the conclusion that the Indian National Congress can still boast of being an all-India party. The party held a brainstorming session called Chintan Shivir in Jaipur recently. Youth delegates from across the country deliberated on the role of the next generation in holding the mantle of power.

The ‘Pink City’ gave an opportunity to the youth to rejoice as they believed that their voice would not remain unheard henceforth. The elevation of Rahul Gandhi to the post of the vice president is no doubt a much delayed decision as all leaders, including the old guards, have been demanding a bigger role, including the post of PM, for the Amethi M P. A part of the delay could be attributed to Rahul himself, as he had been expressing his reluctance in this regard despite his being in the public life for the past ten years and his extensive contact with the party workers and the common people. Rahul entered the Lok Sabha in 2004 and started looking after party matters as one of its general secretaries in 2007. One would have to realise that Rahul has, in these years, endeavoured to find his grip over the party. His elevation has electrified the party; however, this is different in many respects from previous such promotions within the party. Rahul has been offered a key post on the force of continued demand raised by the various party members, whereas others like H N Bahuguna, Kamlapati Tripathi, Arjun Singh and Jitendra Prasada, when they were elevated to positions of importance, were so promoted because of other reasons or political compulsions.

Kamlapati Tripathi was elevated as the working president by the then PM and Congress President in 1983 to offer him an honourable post when he was without any assignment. Tripathi had served as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh from 4 April 1971 to 12 June 1973 and as Union Railway Minister from 1975 to 1977. The political analysts though, had more to link to his elevation. They link it with the elevation of Rajiv Gandhi as one of the general secretaries in the party. Rajiv reluctantly joined politics in 1980 after the untimely demise of his younger brother Sanjay Gandhi in a plane crash in Delhi. It is understood that Tripathi was elevated to announce the appointment of Rajiv Gandhi as the general secretary. Rajiv became the PM when he was just 40 years old. However, the soon-to-be 43 Rahul Gandhi, who is being talked of as the future PM, would not be able to enjoy the distinction of becoming the youngest PM, unlike his late father. 

Kamlapati was one of the loyal party leaders. His real test came when he went to campaign against his son who contested an election in UP. He went to campaign against his son in Lucknow. 

H N Bahuguna , a former UP chief minister and twice Union Minister in the first and the second Non-Congress government was also elevated to a post which was created keeping in view the then political situation. He was given the post of the Secretary General in the party in 1980 when the Congress, under the leadership of Indira Gandhi, was fighting an election battle to come back to power at the centre. It may be mentioned that there is no mention of these posts in the party constitution as these are created as per special dispension of the president. Bahuguna rejoined the Congress Party to help it in regaining the baton of power. He had deserted the Congress Party twice, first in 1977 to form Congress for Democracy along with Babu Jagjivan Ram and former Orissa chief minister Nandini Satpathy and again in 1982. His son Vijay Bahuguna and his daughter Rita Bahuguna Joshi are active members of the Congress.

A three time chief minister of Madhya Pradesh and a Punjab Governor in 1985 was also elevated to the post of Vice President of the Party by the then PM Rajiv Gandhi to reward Arjun Singh for his dedicated contribution in finalising Rajiv- Lonogowal accord in disturbed Punjab after blue star operation. Earlier Rajiv Gandhi had deputed Singh as the Governor of Punjab. Singh left the Congress and the Rao government to form Congress T with ND Tiwari though he later returned to the party fold. He was also a staunch loyalist of Sonia Gandhi. 

The Political Advisor to the two PMs, Rao and Rajiv, Jitendra Prasad was elevated to the rank working president in 1997 by the then party president S R Kesari to help him in those days when the party was being termed as fragile.
 
Satpal is a communication consultant

Rise of the Choudhry clans

http://www.millenniumpost.in/NewsContent.aspx?NID=20042

5 February 2013, New Delhi, Sat Pal

Haryana’s Hoodas and Lals continue their hold on public mindspace

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The politics of Haryana has always been colourful and interesting right from the time it attained the status of a separate state carved out of Punjab on 1 November 1966.  Haryana was the first state in the country to experiment with a non- Congress coalition government headed by a splinter group and devise the nomenclature of Aya Rams and Gaya Rams to symbolise trading of the legislators and four time desertion and defection by a legislator in a single day. The state has produced towering politicians like Devi Lal, Bansi Lal and Bhajan Lal, popularly known as the three Lals of Haryana. The politics used to revolve around them.   All three have passed aways, though their clans have been calling shots. 

A notice was recently issued by the Honourable High Court of Punjab and Haryana to the Hooda government on a yet-to-be unveiled, newly-installed statue of the late Choudhry Ranbir Singh Hooda, a freedom fighter, member of the constituent assembly, member of the   Assembly and Parliament and senior minister in the united Punjab and above all the father of the Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.   The court issued the notice on a petition filed by a local resident against the installation of the fourth statute and removal of the other three statutes already installed in Rohtak.  It is understood that the petitioner stated that installation of the statutes of the father of the Chief Minister and naming large number of the institutions after the late leader seems to be an overdose and also born of vested interests to gain a political mileage in times to come.  The district administration has removed the newly-nstalled unveiled statute even before any order being passed by the court.  Chaudhry Ranbir Singh Hooda expired on 1 February 2005, during the Chief Ministerial tenure of Hooda.  While moving across the state, one may feel that CM Hooda  has observed restraint in installing statues of his late father. This is because he has not installed as many statues as were installed during the regime of  O P Chautala as the Chief Minister after the demise of another towering personality Choudhry Devi Lal.

Devi Lal was one of the most influential Lals of Haryana who rose to become the Deputy Prime Minister of the country and even narrowly missed a chance to become the Prime Minister.  One may remember, he declined the offer and proposed the name of V P Singh as the new Prime Minister during the days of the Janta Dal.  Devi Lal dared to make a public announcement in Kurukshetra by beating an empty ghee tin after lifting of the emergency as all were scared of the emergency sufferings and none was willing to make the announcement of the rally to be addressed by JP.   The same tin-beater Devi Lal became the Chief Minister after the Assembly election.  He led a number of mass agitations which resulted in the desired political results.  Devi Lal would always be remembered as a versatile political strategist and mentor of a large number of leaders.  He expired on 6 April 2001 when his son O P Chautala was holding the post of the Chief Minister of Haryana.  Chautala keen to capitalise on the towering image of the undisputed leader of the farmers and the Jats, ordered mass installation of the statutes of Devi Lal across the city.  One may come across the life size statutes and Tau Devi Lal parks along the GT road in all cities and towns.  The large magnificent parks and other institutions named after the great leader Tau Devi Lal were developed during the regime of Chautala as the Chief minister.  

It would, of course, be an insult to the departed leader if one may cite the gross misuse of the state exchequer.  Anyhow, not even a single statue was installed after demitting the post of the Chief Minister by Chautala.

The other two Lals -  Bansi Lal and  Bhajan Lal also became Chief Ministers and adorned the post of Union Minister. Both Bansi Lal and Bhajan Lal held the post of chief minister more than once i.e. thrice and that too while remaining in two different parties.  Bhajan Lal dethroned Janta Party chief minister Devi Lal after taking majority of the MLAs of the ruling party on a Bharat Darshan.   

Bhajan Lal along with his Ministers and Janta Party MLAs joined the Congress Party led by Indira Gandhi to retain his post as the Congress Chief Minister.  He remained Chief Minister for 3,952 days at a stretch, whereas Bansi Lal remained in power for 3,538 days at a stretch. He first became Chief Minister on 22 May 1968 when he was termed as a novice in the political circles and was an unknown figure. However, he turned out to be the strongest man of Haryana. He was the Congress CM and also BJP –HVP coalition CM. Both Bansi Lal and Bhajan Lal are no more , but their statutes are not visible in Haryana as their sons were not Chief Ministers at the time of the demise.   

The author is a communication consultant