Monday, July 25, 2011

CPI sought extension of monsoon session of Bihar Assembly

CPI protested against a very short monsoon session of the Bihar Assembly. It demanded that the state government to extend the session.
"The state government has tried to cover its weaknesses and failures by convening the monsoon session for a brief period of five days," CPI national council member Md Jabbar Alam said.

While the first day of the session concluded with paying homages to the leaders who died during the inter-session period of the house, another day would be taken up for official resolutions and thus, it would be "impossible" for the members to place burning issues facing the state in the remaining three days, he said.

Bihar Appropriation Bill, 2011 and subsequent first supplementary budget of Rs 2258.18 crore was passed in the State Assembly on 20th July. Presenting the Appropriation Bill in the House, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi said Rs 1751.49 crore would be spent against non-plan head, while Rs 408.05 crore would be utilised for state plan head.

The Deputy Chief Minister said out of proposed non-plan expenditure, Rs 400 crore would be spent for payment of University Grants Commission (UGC) scale to teachers of Universities and colleges in Bihar. Additional fund of Rs 700 crore would be required to meet the expenditure to be incurred against payment of revised UGC pay scale to the university and college teachers in current financial year which made the urgency for the state government to make provision of Rs 400 crore for the purpose in the first supplementary budget.

Rs 210 crore will be spent for various welfare schemes for scheduled tribes and for developmental schemes in backward districts. The fund would be spent under plan head for the purpose.

He said infrastructure facilities would also be improved and fire fighting system would be strengthened with additional fund of Rs 9.5 crore and Rs 10 crore respectively under the plan head. Bihar Appropriation Bill, 2011 was passed by voice vote in the House.













CBI probe demanded into BIADA land scam

Opposition RJD and Congress petitioned Raj Bhavan here for a CBI probe into the alleged BIADA land scam on 23rd July.

Only an independent probe agency like CBI would be able to uncover the alleged irregularities involving BIADA land allotment to relatives and wards of several Bihar ministers, MPs and legislators, besides bureaucrats, RJD said in its memorandum to Governor Devanand Konwar.

''The irregularities in the allotment of land of BIADA was similar to the 2G spectrum scam as the allotment procedure for both was 'first come first serve', RJD state president Ramchandra Purve said after the party's 'Rajbhavan March'.

BIADA land was allegedly allotted to the kin of influential ministers and bureaucrats by tweaking rules by the Nitish Kumar government in 2007 as was the case in the 2G spectrum scam in which Supreme Court ordered a CBI probe, he said.

Besides Purve, Leader of Opposition Abdul Bari Siddiqui, his counterpart in the state Legislative Council, Gulam Gaus and RJD secretary general Ramkripal Yadav participated in the march. They, however, could not meet the governor as he is away in Assam.

A Congress delegation led by its state president Choudhary Mehboob Ali Kaiser also went to Rajbhavan and handed over a memorandum demanding a CBI probe. "The irregularities pertain to the allotment of land of BIADA to wards and relatives of Bihar ministers, MPs, MLAs and bureaucrats... We equate the case with the Adarsh Housing Society irregularities," Kaiser told reporters after emerging from Rajbhavan.

Indian Express

टाईम्स ऑव इण्डिया के पटना संस्करण के छापाखाना को बंद

साथियों,

आप को ज्ञात ही है कि १५ जुलाई को टाईम्स ऑव इण्डिया के पटना संस्करण के छापाखाना को बंद कम्पनी प्रबंधन ने बंद कर दिया है. इस मसले पर और आगे की कारवाई के बारे में बात करने के लिये एक बैठक आहूत की गयी है जिसमें श्री अरुण कुमार भी शामिल होंगे. श्री कुमार टाइम्स ऑव इण्डिया, पटना के कर्मचारी संघ के अध्यक्ष हैं. वे भारतीय पत्रकार संघ के पदाधिकारी और भारतीय प्रेस परिषद् के सदस्य भी हैं.

दुर्भाग्य से अपने ही साथियों पर आई इस मुश्किल में मुख्यधारा के अखबारों और उनके पत्रकारों ने उनका साथ नहीं दिया है. पटना में चल रहे इस संघर्ष को समाचारों और टेलिविज़न पर कोई जगह नहीं दी गयी है. इस बंदी की पृष्ठभूमि यह है कि पिछले कई सालों से वहाँ के कर्मचारी बेहतर वेतन की मांग कर रहे हैं लेकिन प्रबंधन उन्हें हर तरीके से परेशान करने की रणनीति अपना रहा है जबकि कर्मचारियों ने कभी भी जोर-जबरदस्ती या हिंसा का रास्ता नहीं अपनाया. इस सन्दर्भ में कर्मचारियों ने २००९ में सर्वोच्च न्यायलय में याचिका दायर की है जिसकी अंतिम निर्णय आगामी ३० अक्टूबर को होना है. पटना उच्च न्यायलय ने पहले ही कंपनी को कर्मचारियों की बात मानने का आदेश दिया था किन्तु कम्पनी इसके ख़िलाफ़ सर्वोच्च न्यायालय चली गयी है जिसने इस साल 5 जनवरी को यथास्थिति बने रखने का अंतरीम आदेश दिया है.

औद्योगिक विवाद कानून में साफ़-साफ़ कहा गया है कि विचाराधीन मामलों के निपटारे तक रोज़गार की स्थितियों में फेरबदल नहीं की जा सकती. इस मामले में साफ़ है कि प्रबंधन न सिर्फ़ इस कानून की अवहेलना कर रहा है बल्कि वह सर्वोच्च न्यायालय के यथास्थिति बनाए रखने के फैसले का भी उलंघन कर रहा है. कर्मचारियों का कहना है कि पटना के कुम्हरार स्थित टाईम्स ऑव इंडिया के छापाखाने की बंदी के निर्णय के लिये प्रबंधन पर कानूनी कारवाई होनी चाहिए.


इस बैठक में इस मसले पर विस्तार से चर्चा होगी. आपकी उपस्थिति इस आन्दोलन को मज़बूत बनायागी. आप फोन नंबर 9818089660 पर सन्देश भेज कर अपने आने की सूचना दें. बैठक का विवरण नीचे दिया गया है:

समय: 11 बजे सुबह
दिनांक: 26 जुलाई, 2011
स्थान: इन्साफ़ कार्यालय, A -124/6, भारतीय संखियिकी संस्थान (ISI) के सामने, कटवारिया सराय बस स्टैंड,
नई दिल्ली-110016
फोन: 011 -26968121

Monday, July 18, 2011

Why to Shift College of Arts and Crafts, Patna University?

Move to shift PU College of Arts & Crafts to AKU opposed
PATNA: The reported move of the state HRD department to shift the College of Arts and Crafts from Patna University to Aryabhat Knowledge University (AKU) has stirred the hornet's nest on the college campus. Scholars of this premier institution, the only of its kind in the states of Bihar and Jharkhand, have launched an agitation against the government move.

College principal Atul Aditya Pandey said that sometime back some alumni of the college had submitted a memorandum to the HRD principal secretary demanding among other things the transfer of this college to AKU. The alumni had also demanded necessary steps for betterment of this institution. The HRD is reported to have initiated this transfer move only after receiving the said memorandum from the alumni.

HRD director Sitaram Singh said that the college students should not bother whether the college remains with PU or is attached with AKU. They should concentrate on their studies. The government is thinking seriously about improving the condition of this college by meeting its basic requirements of infrastructure and faculty.

He said that there is no harm if the college is transferred to AKU as this university has been created with the purpose of accommodating all the technical and professional institutions on the pattern of Indraprastha University, Delhi.

AKU vice-chancellor S N Guha said that he had heard about the transfer move, but no official move has yet been made in this direction. He said that AKU would welcome the induction of this college into its jurisdiction if any such proposal is received from PU. PU vice-chancellor Sudeepto Adhikari along with other officials visited the college recently and talked to the agitating students. They clarified that the university has not received any intimation from the government as such so far about shifting the College of Arts and Crafts to AKU.

It may be mentioned here that this college was started by renowned painter the late Radha Mohan Prasad in 1939 in a rented building on Govind Mitra Road here with first president Rajendra Prasad as a member of the governing body. It was taken over by the state government in 1949. Subsequently, it was made a constituent unit of PU in April 1977.

However, this college is facing a rough weather for the last few years owing to acute shortage of teachers. In fact, it does not have even a single fullfledged teacher as all the sanctioned posts are lying vacant. About six teachers are appointed for six months on an ad-hoc basis and even this adhoc arrangement is not regular.

Pandey has informed PU that a fresh panel of teachers may be prepared soon as the term of the present incumbents would expire on June 30.

Demanding Justice for the Victims of Fobesganj Brutal Police Firing

People's Protest
Bihar Bhavan 19-July,Tuesday-3:30 P.M.
Demanding Justice for the Victims of Fobesganj Brutal Police Firing


It is one and half months to complete but there is no sign of justice to the victims of forbesganj brutal police firing in which 4 innocent villagers including a pregnant woman and 6 months girl child were shot dead and 9 others were severely injured .The heinous and horrifying video clip jumping on the body of an injured 17 year youth (later dead)by the Home Guard Sunil Kumar Yadav is present on you tube.All the culprit police officials including SP Garima Malik,SDO and S.H.O are roaming free and doing their Job .No action against them by the Neetish Government Yet.No compensation to any of the victim by the State Government till the date.

Three FIR'S against 3000 villagers under sections of 302,307,348,27 of Arms Act etc is registered by the Forbesganj police. NO FIR against the culprit police officials registered yet.

Family connection of Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi with the culprit Factory Owner is also working in the case.

Join the protest and be a part of Justice Campaign for the Forbesganj Victims.
Contact-Akhlak(APCR)-9899384358,Anees(SIO)-9711184948

Organizers---------------------------
Association for Protection of Civil Rights(APCR)
Students Islamic Organisation Of India(SIO)
All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mashawar(AIMMM)
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind(JIH)
Palestine Foundation of India(PFI)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Syed Akhlak Ahmad
Association for Protection of Civil Rights(APCR)
108-III Floor,Pocket-1
Behind Living Style Mall
Jasola Vihar
New Delhi-25
Mob# 9899384358

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Ensure Justice for The Times of India employees


Draft Resolution of Prabhas Parampara Nyas Mahotsav for adoption
State Government Must Intervene to Ensure Justice for The Times of India employees

The Times of India was carrying out a campaign against the recommendations of the Wage Board and following it two other newspaper groups were also supporting it;
They were hoping that Manmohan Singh Government would put a stay on the decision of the Wage Board under their pressure;
Their illusion got eliminated on the day Union Cabinet decided to implement the recommendations with some conditions;
The Management of The Times of India is rattled with this decision of the Union Cabinet and their disturbed consternation has adversely affected the employees of The Times of India who got themselves organised and the courage of speaking out;
Language journalists gathered at the Mahotsav take has decided to express its unity with the employees of The Times of India;
We want Bihar government to intervene in the interest of the employees. If the management of The Times of India behaves irresponsibly, the state government should cancel the lease of land given to them in Patna, to auction the land besides auctioning the property of The Times of India to compensate the loss of employees and decide to implement the recommendations of the Wage Board.
 English translation of Hindi resolution

             



Monday, July 11, 2011

Brahmeshwar Singh, founder of Ranvir Sena, gets bail

The release of Brahmeshwar Singh 'Mukhiya', founder of the outlawed upper caste militia Ranvir Sena in Bihar, from prison last week brought back the memories of those days when the state's countryside was in the grip of violent clashes.

For 25 years between 1976 and 2001, Bihar had turned into a veritable land of massacres executed either by the feudal forces or by the self-styled champions of the landless poor. Caste armies professing to protect the rights of different groups had sprung up all over and ruled the roost in the areas where the law enforcement agencies feared to tread.

Ranvir Sena emerged as a key player amidst this class and caste struggle in the mid-1990s. Under the leadership of a former village headman from Bhojpur called Brahmeshwar Singh, it initially sought to provide protection to the insecure landlords who were being targeted by the ultra-Left extremists in central Bihar. But its cadres had no qualms in taking up arms to counter their opponents. The Sena masterminded some of the goriest carnages ever seen in Bihar such as Laxmanpur-Bathe, Mianpur and Bathani Tola where its marauders did not even spare pregnant women and children.

According to the police, the Sena was involved in as many as 29 massacres between 1995 and 2000 and remained the most formidable adversary of the ultra- Left extremist groups as well as the state police. It was only with the dramatic arrest of its founder Mukhiya in Patna in 2002 that the Sena lost power on its turf.

His arrest also led to the decline of caste armies in the state.

Brahmeshwar now says that he was not involved in any of the massacres, and it was the police and the administration that had made him an accused in the carnage cases as the alleged mastermind.

But he cannot deny the fact that he was the undisputed leader of the Ranvir Sena at a time when its cadres were involved in some of the worst carnages in the state's history. If he was not part of the Sena's decision to wreak havoc in the villages dominated by the poor, scheduled caste people, then who ordered the armed militia to run amok in the name of his organisation? If somebody else was running the show within his organisation, why did the Sena become rudderless after he was arrested by the Patna police nine years ago? Why didn't anyone from his outfit come up to don his mantle in his absence to take on the Maoists who were expanding their network in Bihar following the decline of the Sena? Brahmeshwar's release from prison on bail has only fuelled speculations that the Sena will try to regain its lost ground in Bihar. He himself has claimed that he will now concentrate on doing social work for the betterment of his people. But there are apprehensions in certain quarters about the possible revival of the Sena in a new avatar.

The chances of that, however, seem remote. Much has changed in Bihar in the past nine years. Caste strife has virtually become a thing of the past.

Bihar has been witnessing a change for the better in recent years with growing awareness among the people from all social strata about the futility of caste struggles. The people's verdict in the last assembly polls has also proved that there is no place for caste armies and private militia like Ranvir Sena in a new Bihar.

Anything that has the potential to impede its inclusive growth will meet with derision from the people of the state. Bihar, after all, cannot afford to retreat into the dark era when it was primarily known for its killing fields. It would be sheer pity and an anachronism of sorts for the development- oriented state if any caste army is allowed to rear its ugly head here once again.

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/story/no-place-for-caste-militias-in-bihar/1/144335.html

Brahmeshwar Singh took up gun to avenge a failed plea for a light

A frail looking man walked out the Ara jail in Bihar on Friday. Surrounded by some of his friends, betrayed no emotions for a man who has engineered the most brutal chapters of violence in Bihar.

Brahmeshwar Singh alias Mukhiyaji, founder of the outlawed Ranvir Sena and the architect of 29 massacres - in which 277 lower caste farm labourers and poor Muslims were killed - looked a composed man, unrepentant.

The landlord from the Bhojpur district of Bihar raised an armed militia wipe out any resistance whatsoever the feudal lords and counter the spread of the ultra-left extremism. And it started with a cigarette.

A young upper caste youth was assaulted by some scheduled caste men when he asked them for a light.

Singh took it a bit too personally.

Friends of Singh belonging to his Bhumihar caste claim that he organised the members of his community at his native place, Khopira, and the adjoining villages to set up the Ranvir Sena, to avenge the assault.

The next eight years since he founded Ranvir Sena in 1994, Singh remained the most wanted man in Bihar and carried a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh on his head. It was in August 2002 that the elusive mastermind behind the most well organised and brutal private militia was caught following a raid on an Exhibition Road building in central Patna.

Such was the legend about him, that till his arrest very few people knew how he looked like.

In fact, most of them were surprised to find a frail "schoolteacher-like" man in his early fifties in police custody. But then, Singh had always kept a low profile even while his Sena was on the rampage executing one massacre after another in south and central Bihar districts such as Bhojpur, Gaya, Aurangabad, Arwal, Jehanabad and Patna.

People from the scheduled caste and other backward communities were the prime targets but it also did not spare those who were believed to be sympathisers of the Naxal outfits. Singh had initially assumed the leadership of Ranvir Kisan Sangharsh Samiti from Sheo Narain Choudhary, the mukhiya of Belaur village, in 1994.

The outfit had been set up to counter the CPI (ML) Liberation's move to impose an economic blockade on the peasants of Bhojpur district.

But it was Singh who soon turned it into a militant outfit which was named after a former armyman from the area, Ranvir, who had become an icon for those fighting for the rights of the upper castes during the British Raj.

Ranvir Sena continued to take on the ultra-left outfits, which claimed to champion the cause the landless or poor farmers, but with Singh's arrest nine years ago, it ceased to wield the power that it had the area.

Singh, who holds a Political Science post-graduate degree from Patna University, took on the mantle of Mukhiyaji very early in his life. Singh, a prosperous farmer owning 100 bighas of land, two houses and a car, was himself the target Naxal outfits. The rebels used to raid his properties and people close to him claim that it was another reason why Singh took up arms.

After his arrest in Patna, he had said that he did not repent the massacres because they were retaliatory in nature. In fact, he also took pride in the fact that he had not surrendered but had been arrested by the police. After his release on Friday, he said that he had full faith in the judiciary and he had no involvement in any of the massacres.

Brahmeshwar Singh, founder of Ranvir Sena, gets bail in last of the 22 cases

One of the most dreaded criminals in Bihar's history, the man whose name sent a chill down the spine of the poorest of the poor in the state, the landlord who has the blood of 277 persons on his hands, walked a free man on Friday.

Brahmeshwar Singh alias Mukhiyaji, the founder of the dreaded Ranvir Sena, walked out of the Ara jail on Friday to a hero's welcome.

Brahmeshwar Singh alias Mukhiyaji, founder of Ranvir Sena - the most brutal private militia in the state's history, was released from the Ara jail after a local court in Jehanabad district allowed his bail plea.

Singh, who was accused in 22 criminal cases, including massacres involving the killing of 277 persons across the state, got bail after spending nine years in different jails since his dramatic arrest in Patna in 2002.

Singh, in his sixties, was charged with having masterminded all the massacres executed by the Ranvir Sena which he had founded in 1994 to counter the ultraleft organisations. Ara jail officials said Singh was released from jail on Friday morning after Jehanabad judicial magistrate Dipak Kumar granted his plea for bail in an arms Act case - the last case in which his bail plea was pending.

Singh's family members said that he had been acquitted in 16 out of the 22 cases and granted bail in six other cases pending against him. According to police sources, the Ranvir Sena founder now had six cases pending against him, including one case of murder, one of recovery of a mobile phone from his prison cell and three cases under arms Act. Among the various massacres he has allegedly engineered, the Bathani Tola case is still pending.

Singh came out of prison to a hero's welcome with a large number of supporters waiting for him outside the Ara jail. He was garlanded by his slogan- shouting supporters to express their joy.

Singh said he was innocent and not involved in any of the massacres.

"I am innocent and I have full faith in the judiciary," he said.

Singh had been arrested by the Patna police from the Exhibition Road locality of the state capital in August 2002. He was accused of masterminding several massascres that took place in the state between 1995 and 2000, including the Laxmanpur- Bathe carnage in which 58 persons, mostly women and children from the underprivileged sections of society, were killed on December 1, 1997.

Sources said that the prosecution could not prove the charges against Singh for want of evidence.

Several witnesses against Singh also turned hostile during the trial.

In April last year, a Bihar court had sentenced 16 persons to death and awarded life imprisonment to ten others in the Laxmanpur-Bathe case. But Singh, who was one of the accused, escaped punishment as he was declared absconder in spite of the fact that he has been languishing in Ara jail in connection with other cases.

After the investigation, the Jehanadbad police had named Singh as one of the 48 accused in their chargesheet on February 27, 1998, and declared him an absconder. But the prosecution had apparently remained unaware of his arrest in Patna in 2002. As a result, there was no trial against him. In May last year, a court also sentenced three persons to death and 20 others to life imprisonment in connection with the killing of 21 people, mostly children and women, at Bathani Tola in the Bhojpur district of the state 15 years ago. Singh was also among the non-FIR accused, and had been declared an absconder in the case. Singh was remanded in the case on May 6, 2003 but the trial against him could not proceed because the police could not produce the records against him.

On April 19, 2010, the special public prosecutor filed a petition in the court for committing the case against Singh. Reacting to Singh's release on bail, Bihar's deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi blamed the RJD for the growth of the Ranvir Sena and the ultra-left organisations. "The Ranvir Sena grew because of the patronage the organisation received from the erstwhile RJD government," Modi said.

Monday, July 4, 2011

BIHAR MUST REJECT UID NUMBER SCHEME

Bihar Government has signed a MoU with Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) without applying its rigorous legal mind. It is an act of cutting that branch of three on which it is sitting. On 24th June 2011, unique identity (UID) number was launched at Patna GPO by Acharya Kishore Kunal, a former IPS Officer. This quite a disturbing development given the fact that countries like UK, Australia etc have abandoned such project considering to be unfit for democracies. Baba Umar from Tehelka1 in conversation with Gopal Krishna of Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties (CFCL).

Why is Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties (CFCL) against UID?

Answer: Had Gandhiji been alive today he would have been opposed to UID Number in the same way as he had opposed a law similar to UID as a Black Act in South Africa from 1906 to 1914.He had said, "...I have never known legislation of this nature being directed against free men in any part of the world. I know that indentured Indians in Natal are subject to a drastic system of passes, but these poor fellows can hardly be classed as free men" and "...giving of finger prints, required by the Ordinance, was quite a novelty in South Africa.

Numbering human beings is an act of dehumanising them. Anyone who knows about the harmful ramifications of UID Number project would be against it. In the UK, "The Government introduced the Identity Documents Bill to their Parliament on 26 May 2010. The Bill makes provision for the cancellation of the UK National Identity Card...the
destruction of the National Identity Register." How is it that something which is poisonous for our mother parliament is non-poisonous for its offspring, the Indian Parliament? The new government in UK came to power after winning a democratic election on the promise that it would cancel the National Identity Card project.
The UID idea has been defeated in a democratic election. Theresa May, the UK Home Secretary is right in saying, "The national identity card scheme represents the worst of government. It is intrusive and bullying".

Can State Governments who have signed MoU, or UIDAI or UPA Government or some gullible NGOs who have been co-opted assure the residents of India whose personal details are being taken in the name of public services that their details will not be shared with business enterprises, companies and political outfits like Nazi Party as was
done by International Business Machines (IBM) that led to the holocaust? IBM was and remains in census business and is currently part of World Bank's eTransform Initiative of which UID Number scheme is a component.

We feel UID Number too represents worst in the UPA government because it entails a design to create a surveillance state.

2. How would you react to official's assertion that it will enhance lives of poor and check grain diversion in PDS and plug all ills related to NREGA scheme?

Answer: Is there any doubt that "the leakage of electronically stored data like UID Numbers CIDR is inevitable"? It is claimed that UID Number project is being bulldozed down Indian people's throat to prevent leakage of subsidy and public social services. If one does the balancing of "potential" gains and inevitable harm, does it not emerge
that leakage of social security schemes can be dealt with but leakage of CIDR (MoU with L1 Identities Solution & other US based biometric technology companies have been signed) will compromise privacy of India and Indian residents for good. If a government cannot prevent "grain diversion in PDS and plug all ills related to NREGA scheme" due to leakage in it, can the same government be trusted to prevent the
leakage of CIDR.

3. How do you see handing over of the project to L-1 solutions. Do you think the government could have roped in a local company or a foreign company that doesn't have a record of having key officials as past time CIA workers? Also I need some information on MoU between L-1 and UIDAI.

Answer: Two US based BIOMETRIC technology companies L1 Identity Solutions Operating Company and Accenture Services Pvt. Ltd have been awarded a contract for the "Implementation of Biometric Solution for UIDAI" on July 30, 2010. This detail is available on UIDAI website (http://uidai.gov.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=177&Itemid=214).

4. Do you smell a rat in the tendering process?

Answer: We are convinced that the entire UID Number scheme and related proposals and Bills have an ulterior motive which is not being disclosed to the residents (and citizens), states and our legislatures. Had it not been so eminent citizens led by Justice V R Krishna Iyer, Prof. Upendra Baxi and Justice A P Shah would not have
sought halting of the Unique Identity (UID) Number/Aadhaar Number project. Their statement has been endorsed by Prof. Anil Sadgopal. Even Justice Rajendra Babu, former Chief Justice of India and former Chairman National Human Rights Commission said that UID Number idea violates constitutional guarantee of citizens dignity, liberty and
privacy.

5. You were talking about de-duplication of database. Can you elaborate on it?

Answer: The CIDR (Central ID Data Repository) will be given to the chosen companies including L1 and Accenture to ensure data de-duplication which is a method of eliminating redundant data. It also called "intelligent compression" or "single-instance storage".

6. What happened to the meeting you has sought with PM and members of cabinet committee on UIDAI.

Answer: There has been no response. The Cabinet Committee on Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) related issues comprises of the Prime Minister, Ministers of Finance, Agriculture, Home Affairs, External Affairs, Rural Development and
Panchayati Raj, Law and Justice, Labour and Employment, Human Resource Development and Communications and Information Technology and Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and Culture besides Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission and Chairman, UIDAI as Special Invitees. I wish to ask them that National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued notice to Government of India about the tagging of Indian students with Radio
Collar in US and both the Indian Foreign Minister and Foreign Secretary deemed it unacceptable acts of US government. If it is unacceptable in US and is deemed an assault on human rights , which it indeed it is, how is the proposals UID Number project that intends to tag all Indian residents acceptable?

7. India does not currently have a general data protection statute plus the bill on NIAI hasn't been passed ( clarification needed), how do you see the functioning of entire UIDAI system. Also what's your take on the other bills that are being inter-linked with it.


Answer: The UIDAI or proposed NIAI Bill has not disclosed to the citizens and states of the country that the UID Number's Central ID Data Repository (CIDR) is linked to Draft Land Titling Bill, 2010, Draft Paper on Privacy Bill, 2010, Draft DNA Profiling Act, 2007 and Public Information Infrastructure and Innovations (PIII) for a
National Knowledge Network. Besides this National Intelligence Grid (Natgrid), meant to integrate existing 21 databases with Central and state government agencies and other organisations, and National Population Register (which is linked to Census), L1 Identities Solution and Accenture who work in close affinity with intelligence
agencies of USA. This in turn is part of the World Bank's eTransform Initiative. UIDAI has been functioning since January 28, 2009 pursuant to a notification of Planning Commission of India following a decision of the Cabinet Committee on UID Authority of which Shri A Raja was a member. This is quite significant because biometric national
identification numbers for residents of India (that includes citizens) are being made and distributed in the absence of legislative approval.

Section 57 of the NIAI Bill says, anything done under the notification that set up the UIDAI “shall be deemed to have been done or taken under the corresponding provision of this Act”. Clearly, a fait accompli has been presented to the Parliament as if our sovereign legislature is a rubber stamp. Instead of waiting for the Parliamentary Standing Committee to examine the Bill and Parliament to consider the acts of omission and commission by UIDAI, the Budget Speech reiterates that UIDAI will continue with its work unmindful of the consent of the Parliament as if legislative approval is
inconsequential and it is inevitable.

8. From security point of view, do you think that the movement of Indian army, all security agencies, and key officials,will be tracked down by none other than a foreign agency which can be detrimental.


Answer: Yes, UID Number poses an unprecedented threat to national security. It may be noted that Shri Nilekani is working in a rank of a Cabinet Minister.

ASSOCHAM, representing 3 lakh companies and KPMG, a Swiss consultancy have underlined the ramifications of UID number in their report titled Homeland Security in India and its relevance for "commercial czars" has been highlighted by by Capt. Raghu Raman, the CEO of Union Home Ministry's National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID). Union Ministry of
Home Affairs, Annual Report, 2010 claims NATGRID will be started in 2011 after "approval from the competent authority (Union cabinet)". A detailed project report (DPR) to the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) this month for clearance. It has been given Rs 40.6 crore in the current Union Budget unmindful of its link with UID Number and issues of civil liberties and privacy that has been raised by jurists, judges
and eminent citizens.

Is it not relevant to ask whether he has taken oath of office for a Minister for the Union (THIRD SCHEDULE, 439. Ins. by the Constitution (Sixteenth Amendment) Act, 1963, s. 5.)? As per the oath he is supposed to "swear" and "solemnly affirm" that he "will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established" that he "will uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India" and he has to "do right to all manner of people in accordance with the Constitution and the law, without fear or favour, affection or ill-will."

Is not relevant to ask whether or not he has taken "oath of secrecy" to "swear" and "solemnly affirm" that he "will not directly or indirectly communicate or reveal to any person or persons any matter" which shall be brought under his consideration or shall become known to him as a Minister for the Union except as may be required for the
due discharge of my duties as such Minister?.

The fact that he has signed MoUs with biometric technology companies that admittedly work with the intelligence agencies of US is eminently relevant to note. L-1 and NADRA, the Pakistan unique identity agency, appear to have been created on the same business model which is staffed by persons with intelligence and military connections, the major goals of both agencies are to do business with their respective governments. This is the company UIDAI has signed an agreement with to hand over the CIDR for de-duplication.

Is it a coincidence that Shri Nilekani has been appointed in same manner in which Shri Tariq Malik, former IT Advisor to the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Ms. Benazir Bhutto was appointed Deputy Chairman by the board members of Pakistan’s National Database & Registration Authority (NADRA) in May 2008? Like Shri Nilekani who too
worked in USA, Shri Malik too had strategic management experience and prior to joining NADRA, he worked as Deputy Chief, Technology at Wayne County, State of Michigan, USA.

It may be noted that the 10th Annual World Summit on Automatic Identification which is being held during 2-3 November, 2011 in Milan, Italy to showcase Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), biometrics and smart card technologies has been sponsored by NADRA in the past even as RFID was rejected by US states and citizens citing the
Biblical prophecy of numbering humans would lead towards the end of mankind, among other reasons such as violation of civil liberties forever. Indian representatives won two out of five awards at the ID World Congress in 2010. Shri Nilekani has been recognized with the “ID Limelight Award” and Dr. Sreeni Tripuraneni, Chairman & CEO, 4G
Identity Solutions with the “ID Outstanding Achievement Award-2010”. 4G Identity Solution Pvt. Ltd has been awarded contract for “Purchase of Biometric Devices” on February 24, 2010.

It is noteworthy that Shri M.S. Srikar, Private Secretary to the Shri Nilekani was one of the speakers besides Dr. Joseph Atick, Executive Vice President & Chief Strategic Officer - L-1 Identity Solutions. Two US based companies L1 Identity Solutions Operating Company and Accenture Services Pvt. Ltd have been awarded a contract for the
Implementation of Biometric Solution for UIDAI on July 30, 2010. The World Congress was a sponsored by American Bank Note Corporation, the world's foremost engraver and printer of bank notes and securities and Morpho, a high-technology company in the Safran group, a French conglomerate involved in defense, aerospace propulsion and equipment, and security, one of the world's leading suppliers of identification,
detection and e-document solutions.

Have our legislatures been provided any opportunity to examine the ramifications of the emergence of a surveillance regime in the context where intelligence agencies of our country are already outside the purview of our sovereign Parliament?

9. You were also talking about the card is for residents and not for citizens. Can you elaborate?

Answer: UIDAI proposal is to identify all the residents of India. The UID Number is a proof of residentship but not a proof of citizenship. The point to note is that besides pre-existing voter Identity card, Election Commission of India recognizes fourteen alternative documents as proof of identity. The non-existence of any
compelling and sane logic for 16th document as an identity proof is quite manifest. Aren't these pre-existing 15 identity proofs (based on which government claims its legitimacy after democratic election) sufficient!

10. You had talked about presenting some key documents to Mr PM, can Tehelka have those documents.

The URL most documents are available on mediavigi.blogspot.com

11. Now that the process has begun, what's Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties doing to address this issue. How many members do you have and could you elaborate on the meeting you had with various MPs which you were talking about?

Answer: We have sent our submissions to the Parliamentary Committee on Finance and other relevant Committees. Some of the MPs were quite disturbed by the contempt of UIDAI towards the Parliament. The MPs are aware that in India, UID's origin can be traced back to 1975 when the central government set up a seemingly benign National Informatics Centre (NIC) to integrate all the databases of the country. In the
context of UID for BPL families, it was assigned some task in 2006 and now it been awarded several contracts by the UIDAI.

In recent times, somewhere during 2006-7, a "Strategic Vision on the UIDAI Project" was prepared and submitted to the Planning Commission by M/S Wipro Ltd. This document is not available in public domain. The UIDAI came into existence on 28th January, 2009. Now Wipro has won several contracts from the UIDAI. This is just one example, the fact is that the entire exercise is conflict of interest ridden.

Can any Indian citizen, legislator or chief minister of our country approve of COMMON LAND MARKET as the logic advanced for UID Number (in Nandan Nilekani’s book Imagining India) to alleviate poverty and to dismantle constitutional provision with regard to property?Only legal imagination of informed citizenry can save the country from the
uncalled convergence of private sector, public sector and citizens sector being attempted in furtherance of e-governance objective of 1975 with the assistance of World Bank's eTransform Initiative and digital and biotechnology entrepreneurs who look at national sovereignty and civil liberties with inexplicable contempt.


BJP retains Purnea


The ruling National Democratic Alliance on 29th June won the Purnea by-election, with the Bharatiya Janata Party's Kiran Keshri defeating Ramcharitra Yadav of the Congress by 23,665 votes.

The by-election was necessitated by the death of the BJP's Raj Kishore Keshri. He was murdered in his home in January by Rupam Pathak, a schoolteacher, who had accused him of repeated sexual abuse and harassment.

The BJP had gone all out to drum up sympathy for Ms. Kiran Keshri, flooding local newspapers with advertisements, highlighting her “dire” situation. Some election watchers attribute her victory to a “sympathy wave.” She polled 53,732 votes against the Lok Jan Shakti Party-backed Mr. Yadav, who secured 30,067 votes. The BJP has, in fact, polled 8,066 more votes than what it secured in the 2010 elections. “This shows we have retained the confidence of Muslim voters,” Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi said.

The other star candidate, Amit Sarkar of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), finished third, polling 17,113 votes. The Australia-returned Sarkar, who was supported by the Lalu Prasad-led Rashtriya Janata Dal, is the son of the slain CPI(M) MLA, Ajit Sarkar.

Of the four other contestants, all of whom forfeited their deposits, Independents Satish Sah and Krishna Kumar Jha got 1,855 and 508 votes, Islamuddin of the CPI (ML) 1,554 and Om Prakash Bhagat of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha 898.

The by-election also exposed the rift in the RJD-LJP combine, as the two allies backed the opposing candidates. LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan's rumoured overtures to the Congress was said to be the chief cause of a probable schism.This charge was, however, denied by top leaders of both parties, including Mr. Paswan.

The Hindu