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Thursday, January 28, 2010

Sixty Years Of Change In India

The following comment was published by The Guardian UK

For a quick and easy way to be outcast, outlawed, to be put forever beyond the pale, whatever, try this.

Try standing up for the idea of the rule of law.

Since the past two decades, the Government of India, the Government of my own state, Andhra Pradesh, the Andhra Pradesh High Court , the Chief Information Commissioner and State Information Commissioner have combined to impress on me that what works in India is what I have called the "patronage paradigm" - the paradigm of shoddiness, irresponsibility, cronyism and corruption - and that ideas of the rule of law and democratic processes are merely spectacles to lull the gullible.

I have been denied the recognition that were commended to me.

I have been unable to earn a decent living.

The office of the Governor of Andhra Pradesh incited my neighbours to cut off my water supply.

The information commissions in the state and at the centre denied me my right to information on spurious, brazenly illegal grounds and punished me for daring to object.

The Andhra Pradesh High Court, in the inimitable manner of the Indian judiciary, has misbehaved egregiously.

The high court denied me my right to competent counsel and punished me for complaining.

Even as we speak, Dr Manmohan Singh's office, "Daredevil" Pratibha Patil's Rashtrapati Bhavan, Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah, State Information Commissioner CD Arha are all in an obvious conspiracy to deny me justice.

Why are we so abysmally cynical and hopeless that conditions will continue to remain outrageously inhuman in India?

One simple reason: The following comment or variations of it have appeared in almost every major Indian online publication plus in a few abroad.

However, not a single editor or reporter has had the nous to pick it up and work it to the max.

My credentials are strong and I have taken much trouble to meet many editors personally, usually on impeccable referrals.

And of course our editors know it all. They have had nothing but smirks to offer.

When I sought the solidarity of the press, Shekhar Gupta (editor in chief of New Indian Express) advised me, "You cannot go around taking pangas (quarrels) with people, yaar."

Even my comments are mutilated.

Vinod Mehta's "Outlook" has banned my comments on risible grounds.

The Hindu crawled.

It published "spin" by corrupt officials and got hissy with me for pointing out, with evidence, its craven, yellow soul.

The Indian Press (with a solitary exception) blacked out the fervent open letter written by Padma Vibhushan Kaloji Narayana Rao.

That dear man , clear as a bell in his nineties, had laid his head on my shoulder, hugged me and wept.

In India today, it is difficult to tell the difference between policeman and journalist, politician and criminal, lawyer and judge, Indian Administrative Service Officer and the village idiot.

But they all are laughing all the way to their offshore accounts.

Melting Pots responded:


@divakarssathya

For a quick and easy way to be outcast, outlawed, to be put forever beyond the pale, whatever, try this.

Try standing up for the idea of the rule of law.


I very much sympathise with you.

Whatever you have said is not something new and they are just the echoes of what already been told over and over again. It's bit of a silly of us to expect that "Rule of Law" will ever take its place and justice will prevail. You are just a sprat, not a shark!

Unless you are politically influential, or powerful enough to intimidate, you plea for justice is a waste. Media work not to highlight the absence of "Rule of Law" but to promote the interests of the ruling class and thugs.

I will be surprised if your comment is not removed! Good luck!


divakarssathya took the high ground:


Bless your kind heart Melting Pots.

It does occur to me that with the precious life you used up to express your angst, you may have written to the editor , guardian to investigate my claims and do a story.

Its better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.

To the editor; on the subject of the influence of the guardian in the US, my feedjit has lit up with - presumably - your esteemed visitors from across the Atlantic.

Thanks, guys. Give a thought to the story, will ya.


Thanks Craig Jeffrey

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

From Indonesia With Love

Editorial: Our friend India

The Jakarta Post | Tue, 01/26/2010 10:14 AM | Opinion

Today we share the joy of the Indian people as they celebrate their 60th National Day, remembering the historic moment when India adopted a new Constitution as a republic on Jan. 26, 1950. Different from Indonesia, which adopted its Constitution as a republic a day after our founding fathers declared Indonesia’s independence on Aug. 17, 1945, India endorsed its Constitution nearly three years after it declared its sovereignty from the British colonists on Aug. 15, 1947.

We congratulate the Indian people whose Constitution has led the country to become the world’s largest democracy and one of the major pillars of political and security stability on the continent. Indonesia has followed India’s example and has now become the world’s third-largest democracy after India and the United States. It is not just in democracy where we have learned from India; the subcontinent’s culture also has a very strong influence on Indonesia. We also need to learn from them how to develop our education. Who can deny the high quality of India’s education system?

It is a matter of eternal record that India played a major role in our struggle for independence. The deep friendship between leaders of the two countries flourished long before both countries could enjoy their independence. Indian leader Jawaharlal Nehru quickly offered his help to our founding fathers Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta.

During the Cold War, Indonesia and India became anchors of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), and in 1955 the two countries were among key players in organizing the Asia-Africa Conference in Bandung, West Java. Bilateral relations between the two countries are also still rapidly growing.

India and China are fast becoming regional — even global — economic, political and military superpowers. A strong India helps ensure the safety and security of the Indian Ocean. India is also an important factor to counter the domination of China on the continent.

Again, we congratulate India on this very special day. Mutually beneficial cooperation between Indonesia and India will be helpful to accelerate the development of the two countries and the Asia.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Google's Done Good

The following comment appeared in
Guardian.co.uk (2 posts},
Guardian.co.uk

Telegraph.co.uk
,
The Independent,
Newsweek,
The Baltimore Sun ,
Chicago Tribune,
San Francisco Chronicle
Salon.com
The Washington Post (2posts)
Forbes.com
PC World,
Ground Report




Google's Done Good.


Google has challenged the smug corporate assumption that business alone will liberate.

It will not.

Fellow traveling businesses will allow corrupt, inefficient and doltish coteries, cliques and regimes to bask from the reflected glory of hard won wars for equity, freedom, enlightenment and excellence that have been fought in societies that have produced such new, thoughtful responses.

Fellow traveling businesses, that squander their freedom and slip into cozy relationships with the authorities betray the " poorest of the poor and the weakest of the weak" in the case of even democracies these are all those without a vote - children, the environment and the future.

Such businesses produce cynicism, and conformism, not innovation and wonder.

Such businesses die slow, inglorious deaths.

Google's decisions - first to engage and then draw the lakshmanrekha - the line in the sand - are both that will inspire life conscious people.

This is not to underestimate to quantum of insanity on this planet.

It takes the whole village to create fun alternatives to psychotic behaviour.

There is chaos in India too.

Since the past two decades, the Government of India, the Government of my own state, Andhra Pradesh, the Andhra Pradesh High Court , the Chief Information Commissioner and State Information Commissioner have combined to impress on me that what works in India is what I have called the "patronage paradigm" - the paradigm of shoddiness, irresponsibility, cronyism and corruption - and that ideas of the rule of law and democratic processes are merely spectacles to lull the gullible.

I have been denied the recognition that were commended to me.

I have been unable to earn a decent living.

The office of the Governor of Andhra Pradesh incited my neighbours to cut off my water supply.

The Indian editorial class published government "spin".

The information commissions in the state and at the centre denied me my right to information on spurious, brazenly illegal grounds and punished me for daring to object.

The high court denied me my right to competent counsel and punished me for complaining.

Even as we speak, Dr Manmohan Singh's office, "Daredevil" Pratibha Patil's Rashtrapati Bhavan, Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah, State Information Commissioner CD Arha are all in an obvious conspiracy to deny me justice.

The Andhra Pradesh High Court, in the inimitable manner of the Indian judiciary, has misbehaved egregiously.

Such dysfunctionality, and recently they appearing to pouring down in India, has drawn only an occasional murmur from Indian industry, that at best comes up with palliatives.

I have met with at least one Indian "altruist" IT "icon" on appointment and he appeared to be completely clueless and at a loss for words and ideas.

Please visit and participate at:

Andhra Pradesh High Court's Pernicious Rebellion Against The Law .05/29/09

RTI Act 2005 Abuse In Andhra Pradesh- SIC Cheats! Chief Secretary Lies!05/07/09

Prejudiced CIC Laps Up PMO Lies 05/05/09

Compelling Criminality. Divakar S Natarajan and Varun Gandhi Cannot Both Be Wrong ! 01/28/09

And India's editorial class will not report the story!

sathyagraha.blogspot.com

News and views from Divakar S Natarajan's, "no excuses", ultra peaceful, non partisan, individual sathyagraha against corruption and for the idea of the rule of law in India.

Now in its 18th year.

Any struggle against a predatory authority is humanity's struggle to honour the gift of life.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Raped By The Law

The following comment was published on Jason Overdorf's post "Raped By The Law"


Why are we so abysmally cynical and hopeless that conditions will continue to remain outrageously inhuman in India?

One simple reason: The following comment or variations of it have appeared in almost every major Indian online publication plus in a few abroad.

However, not a single editor or reporter has had the nous to pick it up and work it to the max.

In my experience, most Indian journalists are wannabe Rathores.

There is little difference between the mindset or work ethic of a rogue administrative officer and your Indian editor.

It is obvious that our authorities are confident that they hold the country's press in the palm of their hands.

If Ruchika's Dad had sought the solidarity of the press, Shekhar Gupta (editor in chief of New Indian Express) would have advised, "You cannot go around taking pangas(quarrels) with people, yaar."

That is what this idiot told me when I met him.

My credentials are strong and I have taken much trouble to meet many editors personally, usually on impeccable referrals. They have had nothing but smirks to offer.

Even my comments are mutilated. Vinod Mehta's "Outlook" has banned my comments on risible grounds.

Am I the only victim?

Who is to say if the Indian editorial class had been less narcissistic and more professional, it might have had a chilling effect on other predators?

Even as we speak, Dr Manmohan Singh's office, "Daredevil" Pratibha Patil's Rashtrapati Bhavan, Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah, State Information Commissioner CD Arha are all in an obvious conspiracy to deny me justice.

The Andhra Pradesh High Court, in the inimitable manner of the Indian judiciary, has misbehaved egregiously.

Yet another "conspiracy in corruption".

Andhra Pradesh High Court's Pernicious Rebellion Against The Law .05/29/09

RTI Act 2005 Abuse In Andhra Pradesh- SIC Cheats! Chief Secretary Lies!05/07/09

Prejudiced CIC Laps Up PMO Lies 05/05/09

Compelling Criminality. Divakar S Natarajan and Varun Gandhi Cannot Both Be Wrong ! 01/28/09

And India's editorial class will not report the story!

sathyagraha.blogspot.com

News and views from Divakar S Natarajan's, "no excuses", ultra peaceful, non partisan, individual sathyagraha against corruption and for the idea of the rule of law in India.

Now in its 18th year.

Any struggle against a predatory authority is humanity's struggle to honour the gift of life.


Remarkable that it has not yet dawned on the panjandrums of the Prime Minister's Office and Rashtrapathi Bhavan that I have been "raped" since two decades, not for any misbehavior but for my belief in the idea of the rule of law.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Thanks To Fumiko Nagano At The World Bank. The Prime Minister's Office and Rashtrapathi Bhavan Could Learn From You.

Unless I am very mistaken, Ms Nagano visited twice before choosing to place my comment on her blog.

I appreciate that act of responsibility. I appreciate the opportunity to get my plaint across.


India's Corruption Quaqmire
Submitted by divakarssathya on Thu, 12/31/2009 - 00:46.

While the idea of the zero rupee note is commendable, it looks in the wrong direction.

India's pervasive corruption is more a function of the self serving sluggishness of the ruling class - the recently exposed Ruchika Girhotra case and my own experience indicate that checks and balances have collapsed and coalesced into one corrupt predatory ruling class.

Very little difference between the judiciary, the administration, the legislature and the press. They all know that bad, perverse, dysfunctional behaviour is the capital with which to earn money and power. The old "Pinch the child and then rock the cradle" idea.

My fear is despite the fantastic growth figures, India is fast deteriorating into an administrative nightmare and a bit of a basket case.

Transparency and accountability are the mantras that will create the necessary paradigm shift.

The RTI ACT 2005 as a piece of legislation is brilliant.

But count on the bureaucrats to racketeer on this too.

Even as we speak, Dr Manmohan Singh’s Office, “Daredevil” Pratibha Patil’s Rashtrapathi Bhavan, Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah, State Information Commissioner CD Arha are all in a criminal conspiracy to deny me justice.

The Andhra Pradesh High Court in the inimitable manner of the Indian judiciary has misbehaved egregiously.

If you would like to know about the sheer impossibility of living a sane, unexploitative, equitable life in India, you and your esteemed visitors may want to visit and participate at sathyagraha.blogspot.com

Andhra Pradesh High Court’s Pernicious Rebellion Against The Law .05/29/09

RTI Act 2005 Abuse In Andhra Pradesh- SIC Cheats! Chief Secretary Lies!05/07/09

Prejudiced CIC Laps Up PMO Lies 05/05/09

Divakar S Natarajan and Varun Gandhi Cannot Both Be Wrong ! 01/28/09

And India’s editorial class will not report the story!

Divakar's Sathyagraha

News and views from Divakar S Natarajan’s, “no excuses”, ultra peaceful, non partisan, individual sathyagraha against corruption and for the idea of the rule of law in India.

Now in its 18th year.

In contrast, Rashtrapathi Bhavan is quiet happy to remain blizzzzfully ignorant.

The panjandrums at PMO will probably send out a black cornered notice, through some men in black suits and neuralyze my comment off the blog.

Looking further into the future, the Men In Black from PMO will probably decide to neuralyze themselves and disappear among the milling crowds of NYC and start new identities marketing biryani on the streets of Manhattan.

Unless of course they decide to sample the booze on the flight back home,get frisky with our havaii sundaris and end up on the screens of our news channels.

In which case the PMO's Media Adviser will be seen neuralysing all the people going into and coming out of the studios.


There was also this , alas, anonymous, comment:

Agree with divakarsathya
Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 01/03/2010 - 11:02.

I agree with Divakarssathya. While the zero rupee note is an interesting idea, what real tangible impact it will have is questionable.

It's not like we're unaware of the corruption that plagues this country, and most officials brazenly abuse their power- even if they might give it some seemingly harmless (borderline warm fuzzy) name (chai-paani). That one can appeal or wake their conscience with a zero rupee note does make for a good story and an interesting read.

However, as pointed out in the comment above, the RTI Act is the way to go. The more Indians are aware of this Act the more effectively it can be used and the more realistic our hopes towards a system that is rid of corruption.

@divakarssathya I just went through your blog. It is a brave attempt. Please don't give up. May you see success soon.

PS: This comment was also published on

bitterwallet.com

New Paradigm Digest



The Telegraph.co.uk