Search This Blog

Showing posts with label The Economist. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Economist. Show all posts

Monday, May 30, 2011

The hand clap that triggered the avalanche. Comments by divakarssathya in The New Statesman

My thanks to the New Statesman and Mehdi Hassan.

A special thanks to writeoff's testy, thoughtless but typical comment.

Don't miss the response from the slobs at our beloved Prime Minister's Office.

Psychotic PMO Bareknuckles The Economist.

James Astill's Dazed Denial.

Dr Manmohan Singh's Office Asserts Its Determination To Be An Idiot. This Time It's The New Scientist.

Mad Dogs and the Guardian UK.


divakarssathya
30 April 2010 at 13:15


Unfortunately, "bigotry" is found in the most surprising places.

The following is an account of the bigotry against the Indian constitution and the idea of rule of law as I have experienced it over the past two decades.

It appears to be gaining some powerful adherents in the UK too.

As somebody who has conscientiously refused to do business the way it "normally" is in so called democratic societies - "Go along to get along" - I will not pay bribes - and who has been almost destroyed for my pains, I would like to believe that plain speaking and straight dealing are a simple and universal human pleasure, that are being relentlessly and rather madly being subdued by the powers that be.

A documented account of my lived experience that follows, and certain obvious conclusions that follow, have been savagely suppressed by Guardian UK .

After months of moderating and publishing my comments, Guardian UK has suddenly and without any notice withdrawn my posting privileges and scrubbed all my earlier ones.

Like some apparatchik of a military junta, Guardian UK has in effect, "disappeared" me.

The Economist wobbles - sometimes scrapping my comments and at other times leaving them on.

bbc.co.uk has published my comment in one blog but would not publish them in the Indian blog.In a form letter they have conveyed their fear that they may be sued for "defamation" !!!!!

Have these eminences of the media seriously scrutinised my claims and found them inadequate ? Absolutely not.

But they do crumble with one phone call from the Prime Minister's Office or someone else.

The Indian media's poppadum panjandrums have said what I have said from the safety of their armchairs.

I am recounting my lived experience, with documentation and am demanding accountability.

Have I acted responsibly and in keeping with the greater good ?

You be the judge.

Have they ?

I have complained to Press Complaints Commission about Guardian UK's "baiting" behaviour.

But the PCC appears to be living in a Pre Magna Carta timewarp.

Despite the clear appearance of bad intent, requiring investigation, it appears to be believe in unfettered monarchial privileges for comment moderators and will not intervene.

The following is the account that appears to have staggered some of the stalwarts of the “free world”:

Twenty years ago – I had the privilege of having conceived, researched, scripted, edited, presented and produced a 37 minute Doordarshan commissioned documentary in Urdu,”Hyderabad. August 1948?, on the circumstances in which the 28 year old editor Shoebullah Khan of an Urdu newspaper, Imroose, was slaughtered, because of his open defiance of the erstwhile Nizam of Hyderabad.

The documentary was acclaimed nationally.

Historians of the calibre of Dr Bipan Chandra commended the meticulous research.

Freedom fighters expressed their gratitude that light had been shone on a chapter of history, which they believed had been obscured.

Among the most epiphanic reviews was the one by Dr Manmohan Singh’s former media adviser, currently editor of Business Standard and fellow Hyderabadi Dr Sanjaya Baru.

Under the informal chairmanship of Dr Abid Hussain, India’s former ambassador to the USA, I was able to organise a petition to the former Prime Minister Dr P V Narasimha Rao.

This resulted in a freedom fighter’s status and pension for the martyr’s wiidow, more than four decades after his supreme sacrifice.

divakarssathya
30 April 2010 at 13:18
However since the past two decades I have been hounded by the bureaucracy, with the Indian editorial class (with an occasional honourable exception)doing its bit to trivialise, denigrate and gag me.

My crime?

I have been outspoken – wrote an article in the editorial page of The Hindustan Times and The Pioneer- about corruption in Doordarshan – the Government’s so-called public service broadcaster.

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 by one former Chief Minister of my state, one former minister of home affairs, one speaker of the Lok Sabha, several prominent ministers of the central cabinet, eminent intellectuals and freedom fighters.

I have been unable to earn a decent living.

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

Wajahat Habibullah and C D Arha have conducted themselves as though the RTI Act 2005 does not exist.

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 AP high court sought independent legal opinion on my plaint, which was completely and unequivocally in my favour, and a judge issued a notice, yet the AP High Court high court denied me my right to competent counsel – a right given to the 26/11 gunman – and punished me for complaining.

The Prime Minister’s Office appears to have jumped through hoops to heap honour on a businessman alleged to be a serial swindler.

In the same vein, it has and continues to illegally and fraudulently deny me the information I have sought and protect the miscreants who have stonewalled my pursuit of justice.

Rashtrapathi Bhavan, after repeated urgings from me, had issued notices to the Ministry of Law and the Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh almost a year ago, presumably it has taken a prima facie view, but since then has been content to let matters fester.

In other words, 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 locked in a most perverse and ignominious conspiracy of silence to deny me justice.

divakarssathya
30 April 2010 at 13:20
India's editorial class always narcissistic has decayed and is useless.

Like the police in Hindi films, it arrives after all the action is over and then mouths "dialogue'.

Variations of this comment have appeared in almost every major Indian online publication plus in many abroad.

However, not a single editor or reporter has had the professionalism to pick it up and make it "impact".

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

Our "know-it-all-in -chiefs" have had nothing but smirks to offer.

When I sought the solidarity of the press, Shekhar Gupta (editor in chief of The 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.

divakarssathya
30 April 2010 at 13:21
What about "civil society" in India ?

Since close to a year now, I have written to the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, Campaign for Judicial Accountability And Reform, Forum For Judicial Accountability, MKSS (Aruna Roy)and Anna Hazare regarding this cascading delinquency of constitutional bodies in India.

There has not been one constructive response.

They all appear to be in helpless denial of the awful truth that an innocent citizen has been hounded and humiliated since two decades, not for any bad behaviour or wrongdoing, but for resisting the dilution of the values of the Indian constitution and standing up for the correct administration of the Right To Information Act 2005.

It is in this squalid situation that I have come to conclude that I have come to believe that the Prime Minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh and his Congress party have been wishy washy, namby pamby, lackadaisical, mealy mouthed and covertly encouraging of corruption.

As long as the Eleventh Commandment - Thou Shalt Not Get Caught - was not broken, Dr Singh and his party could be relied upon to engage his considerable personal influence and the immense powers of his office to pour unction on roiling waters.

Faced with a eight day long furore and the cold fact of one of his brightest colleagues having been caught red handed, Dr Singh's reported first response was, " There are ups and downs in politics".

Given such dissimulation from the Prime Minister Of India, a scholar with a reputation for probity, for those who stand up for the idea of the rule of law in India, there is only one long, unbroken "down".

Please visit and participate at http://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

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!

Also Mad Dogs And Guardian UK

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.

writeoff
30 April 2010 at 14:01
I can't think why you get kicked off message boards. Not with your talent for brevity and ability to stay on topic.

divakarssathya
30 April 2010 at 15:41
writeoff:

It may be advisable to take a broader, humanistic "view of staying on topic."

The discussion gathers steam when we attempt to understand the underlying commonalities in seemingly disparate experiences.

When constitutional and other other authorities do not deliver, society as we know it is in parlous state.

And that is not just an individual's problem.

Cheers!

Thursday, May 19, 2011

The hand clap that triggered the avalanche. Comments by divakarssathya in the international press.

A timestamped record of my campaign for justice in The Economist. My Thanks to The Economist.

This international campaign was the handclap that triggered the avalanche of popular revulsion against corruption.

Don't miss the response from the slobs at our beloved Prime Minister's Office.

Psychotic PMO Bareknuckles The Economist.

James Astill's Dazed Denial

Mad Dogs and the Guardian UK


Dr Manmohan Singh's Office Asserts Its Determination To Be An Idiot. This Time It's The New Scientist.


Thursday May 19th 2011

1 2 >> Last

Rotten to the crore? Dec 1st 2010 6:16 GMT

Unregulated, narcissistic capitalism - witness its helplessness in obtaining a functioning health care system in the USA, the student protests in the UK, the looming shadows of catastrophic economic breakdown in hitherto "miraculous" economies of Europe,etc might soon drive the masses to discover the liberating joys of the spinning wheel.

One can dis the Mahatma only when one is completely impervious to the oceans of deprivation and emaciation that imperils all of us.

Incidentally, apropos the current mess, when somebody says. "I did no wrong" they are only saying, "I only did whatever everybody else in my group is doing."

Not an adult argument at all.

But it probably engenders sympathy among the schoolboys and girls who constitute India's ruling class.

Recommend (3)PermalinkReport abuse


Rotten to the crore? Dec 1st 2010 5:15 GMT


Forget "Yatha Raja, Thatha Praja - Like the Ruler, so the ruled".

Just because this bit is in Sanskrit, does not mean it is not hideously outdated.

I have always dismissed those who parrot this cliche as, unconscious, bookish, boring,irresponsible,cruel,tamasic, bureaucrats.

Bureaucrats = All those who treat living human beings like dead, objects.

The wisdom for the moment lies in the old African saying, "It takes a whole village to raise a child."

It takes all of us - Chinkis, Brahmins, Pakis, White Devils, and others to engage with reality and imagine and construct a free, friendly and delightful life for our children.

In this context, I am unable to resist the temptation to most respectfully observe that while there are many Indians who have exhibited their most impressive - unfortunately usually obsolete - erudition, worldly - unfortunately usually trite - wisdom and admirable and indefatigable energy for expression, unfortunately also stubborn and wasted, they have not had anything to say about yours truly's “no excuses”, ultra peaceful, non partisan, individual sathyagraha against corruption and for the idea of the rule of law in India.

It may not be unfair to infer that such avoidance appears to indicate a preference for idle chit chat as a safe substitute for engaging with something that appears strange, but which actually might be new, fresh and healthy.

Such "busyness" as a safely and sterile substitute for even the most innocuous and relatively risk-free positive action,is probably at the psychological root of corruption.

Such preference for the ersatz and an infantile hostility - fear and loathing - of the real provides us with a strong, smelly clue about the long, painful trudge to real growth that lies ahead.

C'mon guys and gals ( are there any gals on this forum?), grow up and speak your mind.

Would you like your child to marry a Sathyagrahi ?

Recommend (3)PermalinkReport abuse

Rotten to the crore? Nov 26th 2010 3:31 GMT

The burden of the Advocate General of India's defence of the Hon'ble Prime Minister and his office to the Supreme Court appears to be in two parts.

Part 1 has been most attractively rendered in a popular Hindi song - " Dil To Bachcha Hai Ji, Thoda Kaccha Hai Ji. My Heart is still a child...it is still a little raw..."

However Dr Singh is neither green nor naive or powerless. He is probably India's most experienced and eminent bureaucrat.

Part 2 of the defence is of the variety of Nixonian royalism - "When the president does it, that means that it is not illegal."

Whether this artless mix of wheedling and bluster will work and how expertly will the honourable court shred it in the larger cause of the Secular, Socialist, Democratic Republic of India is a denouement worth waiting for.

Thanks to The Economist and other esteemed publications the world over for providing your auspices for my “no excuses”, ultra peaceful, non partisan, individual sathyagraha against corruption and for the idea of the rule of law in India.

No question, my comments appear to have lit a fire under the corrupt and corpulent bottoms of the Indian Editorial Class that till a few months ago were in slumber.

Readers will probably concede, that my comments, uncannily prophetic, were made in all honesty and truthfulness, they were born from my experience and conveyed my searing hatred for the injustice that most people put up with and participate in.

Blowing columns and columns of hot air will soon turn tiresome. Show me your scars, I say.

Welcome to:

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 20th year.

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

Recommend (10)PermalinkReport abuse

Crossing the boundary Sep 13th 2010 7:02 GMT

It must have seemed like a good idea, but the past few months have seen "the patronage paradigm - the paradigm of shoddiness, irresponsibility, cronyism and corruption," explode and leave a lot of egg on the faces of India's ruling class.

From medical education to dental education, from the Judiciary to the Army, and of course all the traditional areas like mining and telecommunication, corruption scandals have hit the hit the hapless "aam admi" of India.

The amounts mentioned are humongous - and there is a section of the media which is trying to measure outrage on a crude scale of the tonnes of money involved.

How many Bofors for a Satyam ? How many Bhopals?

In the last 9 months,9 RTI activists have been murdered all over India.

The President of India's daughter has been accused of illegally "grabbing" land. Earlier a court had convicted her husband for the same offense. There are other cases also pending against members of her family.

In Andhra Pradesh, a television channel caught a bunch of senior judges of the lower courts, brazenly cheating in their Master of Law examinations.

Chief Justice Kakru continues to foul the bench by not responding to my well documented allegation of massive corruption by the judges in his court.This is the same court that is trying the alleged perpetrators of the massive Satyam fraud.

So everything I have mentioned in my comments - please refer my earlier comments - have been borne out by cold facts from a cacophony of crimes,betrayals and miseries.

So shame on you Guardian UK for withdrawing my commenting privileges, scrubbing my comments and "disappearing" me.

Have a good time fulminating about that pyromaniac priest from the US.

Just as the Commonwealth Games are now being spoken of as the Congress Wealth Games, my fear is that very soon Dr Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India, may be known as the Prime Fixer Of India.

Because every time a corruption scandal erupts, he comes out like the cuckoo in the clock and does a little chirping for the accused.

You can try and be a little even handed respected Prime Minister, say for every 9 statements in support of a colleague facing damning accusations, you can try one on behalf of a citizen who has been isolated, deprived,humiliated and persecuted since two decades for his belief in the idea of the rule of law.

For every few times you make concessions to militants and extremists, you can occasionally apologise and accept responsibility for the atrocity your government and those before you have visited upon an individual, nonpartisan, ultra peaceful, sathyagraha against corruption and for the idea of the rule of law.

I am nauseated by the schadenfreude displayed by many sections of the Indian media.

Our media has for long nursed the lucrative delusion that cricket is the only area of subcontinental life that is not "fixed'.

As somebody who has conscientiously refused to do business the way it “normally” is in so called democratic societies – “Go along to get along” – I will not pay bribes – and who has been almost destroyed for my pains,I cannot tolerate any excuses for skilled sportsmen, who self destruct for a few bucks or a Ferrari.(Please refer my earlier comments)

But what choice do they have?

What can they do?

Complain to their respective Prime Ministers?

Recommend (3)PermalinkReport abuse

Make it cricket again Sep 8th 2010 5:54 GMT

It must have seemed like a good idea, but the past few months have seen "the patronage paradigm - the paradigm of shoddiness, irresponsibility, cronyism and corruption," explode and leave a lot of egg on the faces of India's ruling class.

From medical education to dental education, from the Judiciary to the Army, and of course all the traditional areas like mining and telecommunication, corruption scandals have hit the hit the hapless "aam admi" of India.

The amounts mentioned are humongous - and there is a section of the media which is trying to measure outrage on a crude scale of the tonnes of money involved.

How many Bofors for a Satyam ? How many Bhopals?

In the last 9 months,9 RTI activists have been murdered all over India.

The President of India's daughter has been accused of illegally "grabbing" land. Earlier a court had convicted her husband for the same offense. There are other cases also pending against members of her family.

So everything I have mentioned in my comments - please refer my earlier comments - have been borne out by cold facts from a cacophony of crimes,betrayals and miseries.

So shame on you Guardian UK for "disappearing" me. That was a silly thing to do.

Just as the Commonwealth Games are now being spoken of as the Congress wealth Games, my fear is that very soon Dr Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India, may be known as the Prime Fixer Of India.

Because every time a corruption scandal erupts, he comes out like the cuckoo in the clock and does a little chirping for the accused.

You can try and be a little even handed respected Prime Minister, say for every 9 statements in support of a colleague facing damning accusations, you can try one on behalf of a citizen who has been isolated, deprived,humiliated and persecuted since two decades for his belief in the idea of the rule of law.

For every few times you make concessions to militants and extremists, you can occasionally apologise and accept responsibility for the atrocity your government and those before you have visited upon an individual, nonpartisan, ultra peaceful, sathyagraha against corruption and for the idea of the rule of law.

I am nauseated by the scadenfreude displayed by many sections of the Indian media.

Our media has for long nursed the lucrative delusion that cricket is the only area of subcontinental life that is not "fixed'.

While there can be no excuses for skilled sportsmen, self destructing for a few bucks or a Ferrari, what choice do they have?

What can they do? Complain to their respective Prime Ministers?

Recommend (15)PermalinkReport abuse
The slow pursuit of justice Jun 28th 2010 2:51 GMT
With the smug tunnel vision that is peculiar to successful technicians, lawyers are often advised , "When you cannot plead the law, plead the facts. When you cannot plead the facts, plead the law'.

To this wisdom, we in India, have added a more practical, subaltern twist. “When you can argue neither the facts or the law - start a riot."

Blood may not have been shed, the courts may not have been interrupted, the television cameras may have been busy elsewhere, and our editorial class may be too cloddish to recognize it and only my life has been thwarted, but there can be little doubt in reasonable minds that the Andhra Pradesh High Court over a period of more than a year, comprehensively and at every level disgraced itself by mauling the idea of due process in order to pervert the course of the law and to thwart justice with a clear motive to let the powerful respondents off the hook.

Extremists almost reflexively accept responsibility for their heinous acts.

But despite the fact that I have complained to the President of India, that office in an act of utter depravity, has not only ignored my complaint but has gleefully elevated the delinquent former Chief Justice to the Supreme Court.

Till date, Andhra Pradesh High Court has shown no signs of the self correcting conduct that society routinely expects from erring human beings.

The Andhra Pradesh High Court has not given any sign that it has recognizes and regrets its reprehensible delinquency.

The Andhra Pradesh High Court has shown no rectitude, remorse or reform that will restore the process of justice.

In other words the Andhra Pradesh High Court does not appear to possess any power, procedure or compunction to recover from its woefully compromised state.

It appears to not have the conscience, character or potency to re establish its shattered independence and autonomy.

There can be no question that by recounting this rowdyism of the Andhra Pradesh High Court and Bar and its toadying, symbiotic relationship with the Executive and Administration, I have performed an extraordinary service for the cause of an authentic, autonomous and vibrant judiciary.

At a time when even a clearly compromised and cowering Rashtrapathi Bhavan has chosen to stay mute, and lawless extremisms are bubbling everywhere, I have performed a rare service to the idea of equity under the rule of law by not leaving you in any doubt about the odiousness of the earlier hyper activism and current inertness of the Andhra Pradesh High Court .

This inertness of the Andhra Pradesh High Court is clearly intended to be punitive because I continue to suffer the brazen violation of my rights, denial of information and fair access to institutions of redressal and remedy.

I now request you to kindly use your authority to take whatever action that you may consider fit to make amends for this barbarism.

I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.

Yours sincerely,etc

When I called the office to follow up, I was welcomed with yet another zen moment about how the Indian system functions.

The same officer who had conducted that time consuming, farcical and infructuous search for competent counsel had been moved up to the position of Principal Secretary to the Hon'ble Chief Justice.

No surprise then that he averred that he had not received my email.

Close to a month gone and I sent him another email.

This was forwarded to the Registrar Judicial.

This official does have an email, but it does not function.

So he is another believer in the eternal virtues of snail mail.

That is when I called the Supreme Court.

Where is the pursuit of justice in all this, you ask ?

C'mon, if you want focus get yourself a camera.

Recommend (13)PermalinkReport abuse

The slow pursuit of justice Jun 28th 2010 2:39 GMT

I made a few calls to the Supreme Court of India today and guess what ?
The Supreme Court of India has just one general email address.

When I inquired from the Principal Private Secretary to the Hon'ble Chief Justice of India - he retorted with the standard PPS response;variations of which most Indians would have heard when trying to eke some functionality from the Indian system without paying a bribe - "If we had an email address, we would be flooded with emails and then what will we do?"

Some may consider this vigorous advocacy of snail mail symptomatic of the Indian judicary's unwillingness to step into the light of day, but to me it comes through as, "Forget about all your words, shords and your facts, shacts, the whole thing is that ke bhaiyya sabse bada rupaiya"

Translation:"Brother, over here only money talks."

We must all agree that enforcing snail mail in the days of email is a kind of brutality.

In Hyderabad, The Chief Justice does have email and last month I had the occasions to write him as follows :

Your honour,

If you have ever had the occasion to search for "Andhra Pradesh High Court" on the internet, then my appeal to and correspondence with your predecessor entitled "Andhra Pradesh High Court's Pernicious Rebellion Against The Law" would not have escaped your notice.

With the benefit of hindsight, that account can reasonably be read today as a stunning narration of the Andhra Pradesh High Court's slide with “minuscule” check or balance from delinquency to disgrace to depravity.

As I have detailed in my correspondence to the then Chief Justice, the AP High Court had very obviously and at every level prejudged my case, delayed, obstructed and perverted the course of justice.

The Andhra Pradesh High Court State Legal Services Authority conducted a time consuming, farcical and ultimately fruitless search for a competent counsel.

The judges in question stubbornly resisted giving me any impression that they had heard me, obstinately ignored my repeated requests for the assistance of a competent counsel, displayed no compunctions about heckling me in my defenseless state from the lofty position of the bench, took upon themselves the obligation of arguing the respondents case and produced a judgment that was completely at variance to the independent opinion sought and received by the High Court, the facts of my case and the RTI Act 2005.

The Hon’ble judge’s babble emanated despite the fact that that the only new fact that emerged during the hearing was that the Andhra Pradesh Government was forced to admit the exposure of its affidavit as a tissue of lies and brazen fabrications.

Your esteemed predecessor had an excellent opportunity and sacred obligation to mitigate this sordid situation and put the hearing back on its track.

Instead he actively participated in this rowdy violation of the principles of natural justice and due process

Not only did he assign the hearing of my case to a judge who is shown as being one rung junior to the judge against whom I had complained, he did not respond for my request for assistance for an appeal.

Recommend (13)PermalinkReport abuse


The corruption eruption May 2nd 2010 5:05 GMT


Oh Boy! Censored already!
Please visit and participate at http://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

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!

Also Mad Dogs And Guardian UK

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.

Recommend (7)PermalinkReport abuse
The corruption eruption May 2nd 2010 6:10 GMT
My genuine apologies for screwing up the editing in one post.

After "The documentary was acclaimed nationally." please continue from "Historians of the caliber...".

Mortified. Beg your kind indulgence.

Recommend (7)PermalinkReport abuse

The corruption eruption May 2nd 2010 5:26 GMT


In other words, 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 locked in a most perverse and ignominious conspiracy of silence to deny me justice.

India's editorial class always narcissistic has decayed and is useless.

Like the police in Hindi films, it arrives after all the action is over and then mouths "dialogue'.

Variations of this comment have appeared in almost every major Indian online publication plus in many abroad.

However, not a single editor or reporter has had the professionalism to pick it up and make it "impact".

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

Our "know-it-all-in -chiefs" have had nothing but smirks to offer.

When I sought the solidarity of the press, Shekhar Gupta (editor in chief of The 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.

India's editorial class always narcissistic has decayed and is useless.

Like the police in Hindi films, it arrives after all the action is over and then mouths "dialogue'.

Variations of this comment have appeared in almost every major Indian online publication plus in many abroad.

However, not a single editor or reporter has had the professionalism to pick it up and make it "impact".

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

Our "know-it-all-in -chiefs" have had nothing but smirks to offer.

When I sought the solidarity of the press, Shekhar Gupta (editor in chief of The 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.

What about "civil society" in India ?

Since close to a year now, I have written to the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, Campaign for Judicial Accountability And Reform, Forum For Judicial Accountability, MKSS (Aruna Roy)and Anna Hazare regarding this cascading delinquency of constitutional bodies in India.

There has not been one constructive response.

Like a Taliban operating through neglect,they all appear to be in helpless denial of the awful truth that an innocent citizen has been hounded and humiliated since two decades, not for any bad behaviour or wrongdoing, but for resisting the dilution of the values of the Indian constitution and standing up for the correct administration of the Right To Information Act 2005.

It is in this squalid situation that I have come to conclude that I have come to believe that the Prime Minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh and his Congress party have been wishy washy, namby pamby, lackadaisical, mealy mouthed and covertly encouraging of corruption.

As long as the Eleventh Commandment - Thou Shalt Not Get Caught - was not broken, Dr Singh and his party could be relied upon to engage his considerable personal influence and the immense powers of his office to pour unction on roiling waters.

Faced with a eight day long furor and the cold fact of one of his brightest colleagues having been caught red handed, Dr Singh's reported first response was, " There are ups and downs in politics".
Given such dissimulation from the Prime Minister Of India, a scholar with a reputation for probity, for those who stand up for the idea of the rule of law in India, there is only one long, unbroken "down".

Recommend (12)PermalinkReport abuse

The corruption eruption May 2nd 2010 5:17 GMT

Twenty years ago – I had the privilege of having conceived, researched, scripted, edited, presented and produced a 37 minute Doordarshan commissioned documentary in Urdu,”Hyderabad. August 1948?, on the circumstances in which the 28 year old editor Shoebullah Khan of an Urdu newspaper, Imroose, was slaughtered, because of his open defiance of the erstwhile Nizam of Hyderabad.

The documentary was acclaimed nationally.

India's editorial class always narcissistic has decayed and is useless.

Like the police in Hindi films, it arrives after all the action is over and then mouths "dialogue'.

Variations of this comment have appeared in almost every major Indian online publication plus in many abroad.

However, not a single editor or reporter has had the professionalism to pick it up and make it "impact".

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

Our "know-it-all-in -chiefs" have had nothing but smirks to offer.

When I sought the solidarity of the press, Shekhar Gupta (editor in chief of The 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.

Historians of the calibre of Dr Bipan Chandra commended the meticulous research.

Freedom fighters expressed their gratitude that light had been shone on a chapter of history, which they believed had been obscured.

Among the most epiphanic reviews was the one by Dr Manmohan Singh’s former media adviser, currently editor of Business Standard and fellow Hyderabadi Dr Sanjaya Baru.

Under the informal chairmanship of Dr Abid Hussain, India’s former ambassador to the USA, I was able to organise a petition to the former Prime Minister Dr P V Narasimha Rao.

This resulted in a freedom fighter’s status and pension for the martyr’s wiidow, more than four decades after his supreme sacrifice.

However since the past two decades I have been hounded by the bureaucracy, with the Indian editorial class (with an occasional honourable exception)doing its bit to trivialise, denigrate and gag me.
My crime?
I have been outspoken – wrote an article in the editorial page of The Hindustan Times and The Pioneer- about corruption in Doordarshan – the Government’s so-called public service broadcaster.

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 by one former Chief Minister of my state, one former minister of home affairs, one speaker of the Lok Sabha, several prominent ministers of the central cabinet, eminent intellectuals and freedom fighters.

I have been unable to earn a decent living.

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

Wajahat Habibullah and C D Arha have conducted themselves as though the RTI Act 2005 does not exist.

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 AP high court sought independent legal opinion on my plaint, which was completely and unequivocally in my favour, and a judge issued a notice, yet the AP High Court high court denied me my right to competent counsel – a right given to the 26/11 gunman – and punished me for complaining.

The Prime Minister’s Office appears to have jumped through hoops to heap honour on a businessman alleged to be a serial swindler.

In the same vein, it has and continues to illegally and fraudulently deny me the information I have sought and protect the miscreants who have stonewalled my pursuit of justice.

Rashtrapathi Bhavan, after repeated urgings from me, had issued notices to the Ministry of Law and the Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh almost a year ago, presumably it has taken a prima facie view, but since then has been content to let matters fester.

Recommend (13)PermalinkReport abuse

The corruption eruption May 2nd 2010 5:06 GMT


You cannot discuss contemporary India without paying attention to the collective assassination of constitutional values - the constitution is "nearly dead" observes Shri V R Krishna Iyer - and the domination and violation, rape, of the very idea of the rule of law that corruption is.

Any analysis of India that is disrespectful of or rationalises, trivialises, this humongous,hydra headed threat to the security and
integrity of India - death by a billion briberies - may be considered of the divisive, partisan, cheer leader type.

As the recent chastisements of the Prophets of the so called free market in the West have shown, this predatoriness in the name of productivity is not limited to India.

It is for this reason that I am bemused and frustrated that my repeated attempts to use your esteemed forum for the extraordinary, even noble, purpose of seeking transparency and accountability from the Government of India's brazen duplicity in its relationship with me have not been properly understood by your moderators, who appear to take a rather limited view of the idea of "staying on topic".

With this solemn invocation that the demigods of moderation may shower me with their "good humour', imagination and solidarity that I place before you a limited account of the atrocity that has been inflicted on me, an individual citizen, unsupported by any government, corporation, religious denomination or other collective and demand an answer from all those mentioned, who believe they are moral, modern and trustworthy.

Unfortunately bigotry is found in the most surprising places.

The following is an account of the bigotry against the Indian constitution and the idea of rule of law as I have experienced it over the past two decades.

This bigotry appears to be gaining some powerful adherents in the UK too.

As somebody who has conscientiously refused to do business the way it "normally" is in so called democratic societies - "Go along to get along" - I will not pay bribes - and who has been almost destroyed for my pains, I would like to believe that plain speaking and straight dealing are a simple and universal human pleasure, that are being relentlessly and rather madly being subdued by the powers that be.

A documented account of my lived experience that follows, and certain obvious conclusions that follow, have been savagely suppressed by Guardian UK .

After months of moderating and publishing my comments, Guardian UK has suddenly and without any notice withdrawn my posting privileges and scrubbed all my earlier ones.

Like some apparatchik of a military junta, Guardian UK has in effect, "disappeared" me.

The Economist wobbles - sometimes scrapping my comments and at other times leaving them on.

bbc.co.uk has published my comment in one blog but would not publish them in the Indian blog.In a form letter they have conveyed their fear that they may be sued for "defamation" !!!!!

Have these eminences of the media seriously scrutinised my claims and found them inadequate ? Absolutely not.

But they do crumble with one phone call from the Prime Minister's Office or someone else.

The Indian media's poppadum panjandrums have said what I have said from the safety of their armchairs.

I am recounting my lived experience, with documentation and am demanding accountability.

Have I acted responsibly and in keeping with the greater good ?

You be the judge.

Have they ?

I have complained to Press Complaints Commission about Guardian UK's "baiting" behaviour.

But the PCC appears to be living in a Pre Magna Carta timewarp.

Despite the clear appearance of bad intent, requiring investigation, it appears to be believe in unfettered monarchical privileges and will not intervene.

The following is the account that appears to have staggered some of the stalwarts of the “free world”:

Recommend (43)PermalinkReport abuse

A sticky wicket Apr 27th 2010 3:27 GMT

For "Mad Dogs And Guardian UK" please visit sathyagraha.blogspot.com. Thanks.

Recommend (19)PermalinkReport abuse

Greedy until proven guilty Apr 23rd 2010 3:15 GMT

Vikramb - i share your concerns.
In India we make our metro tracks,flyovers, roads, dams and "infrastructure" the way GS makes its products.
Ha Ha.
Some time back, I used to be a ” we have to stop blaming the colonisers, we have to take responsibility’ kind of a guy.

But after twenty years of dealing with the dysfunctional Indian psyche- please read my other comments - I think we may have underestimated the profound psychological distortion and damage that colonialism may have wrought.

Not only on the colonised, but equally the coloniser.

It takes the whole village and the West has not been a good role model.

For instance:

After months of moderating and publishing my comments, Guardian UK suddenly and without any notice,revoked my posting rights and scrubbed all my previous comments.

Not a good example of how a free Press fulfills its vital truth telling function, is it ?

Please check my blog after a few hours and I’ll lay out all the details, including is UK’s Press Complaints Commission obstructing me ?

Boy, it ain’t easy to take a stand against corruption.

My deepest condolences to my dear Chinese friends on the natural disaster that has struck Tibet.

C'mon guys, loosen up on the Dalai Lama already.
There are worser beings on this planet.

Recommend (11)PermalinkReport abuse


When walls are too high Apr 9th 2010 3:16 GMT

Earlier I had written:

India is crisscrossed by schools and other institutions run by Jesuits.

Yet thanks to India’s dodgy editorial class very few in India know that the Vatican has paid out close to a hundred million dollars to compensate for victims of child sexual abuse by albeit “a small minority” of priests.

The Indian media has barely reported that story.

Was the media’s heinous silence an act of concern for Indian children or a hideously wrongheaded act of leaving well enough alone ?

Abuse of power often happens in plain sight, since to the busy and self absorbed lay person, the powerful appear glamorous and formidable and their prey appear to be rebellious, despicable and in many ways, asking for it.

As somebody who has conscientiously refused to do business the way it “normally” is in so called democratic societies - I will not pay bribes - and who has been almost destroyed for my pains, I am able to feel deep appreciation for the heroes who spoke out and for those who heard them, felt outrage and who together managed to extract a measure of accountability from one of the most powerful and ambitious organisations on this planet.

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 by one former Chief Minister of my state, one former minister of home affairs, one speaker of the Lok Sabha, several prominent ministers of the central cabinet, eminent intellectuals and freedom fighters.

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 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 locked in a most perverse and ignominious conspiracy of silence to deny me justice.

Even as the Prime Minister’s Office maintains a guilty silence in my case, it appears to have jumped through hoops to heap honour on a businessman alleged to be a serial swindler.

India’s editorial class is as dense, amoral and narcissistic.

Variations of this comment have appeared in almost every major Indian online publication plus in a few abroad.

However, not a single editor or reporter has had the professionalism to pick it up and make it “impact”.

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

Our “know-it-all-in -chiefs” 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.

Recommend (30)PermalinkReport abuse

Politics with bloodshed Apr 9th 2010 3:06 GMT

As somebody who has conscientiously refused to do business the way it “normally” is in so called democratic societies - “Go along to get along” - I will not pay bribes - and who has been almost destroyed for my pains, I grieve for the this and other bloodbaths that might follow.

An avoidable fiasco of this and various other kinds that splatter over the local television screens everyday reinforce the apprehension that despite the fantastic growth figures, India is fast deteriorating into an administrative nightmare and a bit of a basket case.

Readers are aware that for several years, I have been banging at the doors of the Rashtrapathi Bhavan and the Prime Minister's Office, demanding that they step in and do all within their powers to bring accountability to the cascading delinquency of constitutional authorities that I have documented.

Unfortunately, both these august offices have not yet stirred.

They have demonstrated that they do not value life.

Their 'pontifical' silence demonstrates without any doubt, that they are too mired in perversity to care about the public weal.

Much more than the Vatican, Rashtrapathi Bhavan and Prime Minister's Office appear to be able only to blame the complainant and protect the offender.

In such a situation where the psychosis and necrophilia of the ruling classes are relieved only by the perennial Bollywood and IPL excitements, calamities, catastrophes and the bloodbath of innocents, appear preordained and inevitable.

Recommend (43)PermalinkReport abuse

Papal vulnerability Apr 3rd 2010 2:46 GMT

India is crisscrossed by schools and other institutions run by Jesuits.

Yet thanks to India’s dodgy editorial class very few in India know that the Vatican has paid out close to a hundred million dollars to compensate for victims of child sexual abuse by albeit “a small minority” of priests.

The Indian media has barely reported that story.

Was the media’s heinous silence an act of concern for Indian children or a hideously wrongheaded act of leaving well enough alone ?

Abuse of power often happens in plain sight, since to the busy and self absorbed lay person, the powerful appear glamorous and formidable and their prey appear to be rebellious, despicable and in many ways, asking for it.

Recommend (15)PermalinkReport abuse
Papal vulnerability Apr 3rd 2010 2:41 GMT
As somebody who has conscientiously refused to do business the way it “normally” is in so called democratic societies - I will not pay bribes - and who has been almost destroyed for my pains, I am able to feel deep appreciation for the heroes who spoke out and for those who heard them, felt outrage and who together managed to extract a measure of accountability from one of the most powerful and ambitious organisations on this planet.

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 by one former Chief Minister of my state, one former minister of home affairs, one speaker of the Lok Sabha, several prominent ministers of the central cabinet, eminent intellectuals and freedom fighters.

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 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 locked in a most perverse and ignominious conspiracy of silence to deny me justice.

Even as the Prime Minister’s Office maintains a guilty silence in my case, it appears to have jumped through hoops to heap honour on a businessman alleged to be a serial swindler.

India’s editorial class is as dense, amoral and narcissistic.

Variations of this comment have appeared in almost every major Indian online publication plus in a few abroad.

However, not a single editor or reporter has had the professionalism to pick it up and make it “impact”.

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

Our “know-it-all-in -chiefs” 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.

What about “civil society” in India ?

Since close to a year now, I have written to the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, Campaign for Judicial Accountability And Reform, Forum For Judicial Accountability, MKSS (Aruna Roy)and Anna Hazare regarding this cascading delinquency of constitutional bodies in India.

There has not been one constructive response.

They all appear to be in helpless denial of the awful truth that an innocent citizen has been hounded and humiliated since two decades, not for any bad behaviour or wrongdoing, but for resisting the dilution of the values of the Indian constitution and standing up for the correct administration of the Right To Information Act 2005.

Please visit and participate at http://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

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!

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.

Recommend (12)PermalinkReport abuse
The rights approach Mar 19th 2010 2:58 GMT
The idea of India, the idea of its "secularism", the idea that Kamli and her lot would figure prominently as a standard of functionality are all scary, disruptive,"Utopian" ideas and the world has not quite learnt to deal with them.

Your faint praise, for our judiciary, our activists, for our "young democracy" without much mention of the monstrosities inflicted by corruption is understandable.

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" -, 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.

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.

Even as the Prime Minister's Office maintains a guilty silence in my case, it appears to have jumped through hoops to heap honour on a businessman alleged to be a serial swindler

What about "civil society" in India ?

Since close to a year now, I have written to the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, Campaign for Judicial Accountability And Reform, Forum For Judicial Accountability, MKSS (Aruna Roy)
and Anna Hazare regarding this cascading delinquency of constitutional bodies in India .

There has not been one constructive response.

They all appear to be in helpless denial of the awful truth that an innocent citizen has been relentlessly persecuted, not for any bad behaviour or wrongdoing, but for resisting the dilution of the values of the Indian constitution and standing up for the correct administration of the Right To Information Act 2005.

If you would like to know about the sheer impossibility of living a good 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

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!

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.

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

Recommend (38)PermalinkReport abuse


State of concern Feb 25th 2010 6:03 GMT

Even while the Indian political leadership spins technicolour dreams of 21st century superpowerdom, its "politics" are mired in the medieval anachronisms of what I have called the "patronage paradigm - the paradigm of shoddiness, irresponsibility, cronyism and corruption, that has cretinised us all".

In India today, a culture of profiting from deceit,dysfunctionality and decay is flourishing.

In this culture of perversity, monstrous behavior is the ticket to wealth and domination.

In India today, the "Common Man" - a typically feudal pejorative - who 'aspires' to be an intelligent citizen might be labelled "goody-goody", ostracised and brutally killed.

It takes a whole village and 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.

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" 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.

In my experience India's editorial class is as dense, amoral and narcissistic.

Variations of this comment have appeared in almost every major Indian online publication plus in a few abroad.

However, not a single editor or reporter has had the professionalism to pick it up and make it "impact".

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

Our "know-it-all-in -chiefs" 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 and fixer, 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.

If you would like to know about the sheer impossibility of living a good 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.

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

India's Home Minister has called on civil society to speak out against Maoist depredations.

Will he kindly let me know why Rashtrapathi Bhavan and the Prime Minister's office have not taken appropriate action on the representations made on my behalf by the former Home Minister Shri Indrajit Gupta, Padma Vibhushan Kaloji Narayana Rao and others ?

Even as the Prime Minister's Office maintains a baleful and ignominious silence in my case, it appears to have jumped through hoops to heap honour on a businessman alleged to be a serial swindler.

Recommend (20)PermalinkReport abuse
What are they afraid of? Feb 24th 2010 6:17 GMT
Dear East Wind.
Thank you for your very thoughtful and kind response.

I am willing to bet that almost every intelligent Indian who has had an opportunity to study abroad has a bunch of Chinese, Korean, African, Black, Latino, Paki, Jewish and of course Anglo friends, whose memories still bring a smile to his face.

Let us rage against the machine and wish that we will all live to watch our grandchildren play with each other.

Shanti! Shanti! Shanti!

Recommend (19)PermalinkReport abuse

What are they afraid of? Feb 23rd 2010 2:45 GMT

Even while the Indian political leadership spins technicolour dreams of 21st century superpowerdom, its "politics" are mired in the medieval anachronisms of what I have called the "patronage paradigm - the paradigm of shoddiness, irresponsibility, cronyism and corruption, that has cretinised us all".

In India today, a culture of profiting from deceit,dysfunctionality and decay is flourishing.

In this culture of perversity, monstrous behavior is the ticket to wealth and domination.

In India today, the "Common Man" - a typically feudal pejorative - who 'aspires' to be an intelligent citizen might be labelled "goody-goody", ostracised and brutally killed.

It takes a whole village and 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.

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.

In my experience India's editorial class is as dense, amoral and narcissistic.

Variations of this comment have appeared in almost every major Indian online publication plus in a few abroad.

However, not a single editor or reporter has had the professionalism to pick it up and make it "impact".

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

Our "know-it-all-in -chiefs" 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 and fixer, 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.

If you would like to know about the sheer impossibility of living a good 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.

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

India's Home Minister has called on civil society to speak out against Maoist depredations.

Will he kindly let me know why Rashtrapathi Bhavan and the Prime Minister's office have not taken appropriate action on the representations made on my behalf by the former Home Minister Shri Indrajit Gupta, Padma Vibhushan Kaloji Narayana Rao and others ?

Even as the Prime Minister's Office maintains a baleful and ignominious silence in my case, it appears to have jumped through hoops to heap honour on a businessman alleged to be a serial swindler.

Recommend (19)PermalinkReport abuse
The quiet American Nov 27th 2009 4:09 GMT
As a youngster I have heard our tragic but multifaceted and gorgeous Mrs G blamed for the failure of the monsoons.

Now we can all blame the cool Mr Obama when Armageddon strikes. In 2012.

Alas, the slings and arrows of superpowerdom.

Americans elected Obama because they needed to bust out of the George Bush box in a hurry. Obama is an intellectual who believes ideas come first. His speeches are compelling.

And Michelle Obama is one lovely, lovely, lovely lady.

But most of all he gives you a feeling that he is thinking all the time.

Faced with a Sisyphean situation, Obama has not given up.

This however cannot be said about our own dearly beloved Dr Manmohan Singh.

India's Prime Minister gives every impression of being a happily resigned captive of the country's brutal bureaucracy,that has made a lucrative racket out of capitalising on its slobbish and semiliterate dysfunctionality.

And of which his Office appears to be the languid lynchpins.

A few days after I had commented about the wooden headed perversity of the Prime Minister's Office, came the tragic news that an Indian citizen (now increasingly referred to as aam admi or common man) had to lose his life because the Prime Minister's security had blocked his way to the Emergency ward.

Talking to children on Jawaharlal Nehru's birthday, celebrated as Children's Day in India, he referred to himself, with endearing irony of course, as " an extinguished" economist and dwelt at some length about the bad old days when he had to trudge to school without any shoes.

For millions of India's precious children, that situation has not changed.

Always a worrysome factor in those have made it big on the strength of associations rather than on innovative,individual brilliance, Dr Manmohan Singh's digital streak - hero to some, zero to the rest - was on display the other day when he beamingly lavished Rs 7000 crores on Shri Rahul Gandhi.

While I congratulate Shri Rahul Gandhi on his pluck and the suffering masses of Bundelkhand on their luck and might even be willing to be a little indulgent on an aging, extinguished Prime Minister wanting to be "Uncle Joe", I wish he would not be such a Stalin - how many divisions can Divakar S Natarajan raise - to the likes of " common men" like me.

After conspiring with the Chief Information Commissioner to deprive me of my Right To Information and swatting down my comments appearing in distinguished international journals, the Prime Minister's Office continues to remain quiet as a foraging bandicoot about the about the impeccable evidence that I have presented on the corrupt, duplicitous and psychotic conduct of the Government of India, the Government Of Andhra Pradesh, The Indian editorial class, the administrators of the Right To Information Act and The Andhra Pradesh High Court.

Indians and the world expect humane,innovating, problem solving discipline, responsibility and leadership from India.

India is capable of a lot more than excellence hating bandwagon buddyism.

Readers who want to know more about Divakar's Sathyagraha are welcome to visit and participate in sathyagraha.blogspot.com.

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.

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

The good folks of the United States for all their scary insanities have expressed their concern for renewal and renaissance by electing Barak Obama.

As an Indian who loves originality and intelligence,I find that Barak Obama inspires patience and trust.

And given what I continue to expeience about the sorry state of India's own corrupt ruling elite, I can have no illusions about the burdens that he will have to bear.

Recommend (14)PermalinkReport abuse

A world apart Oct 30th 2009 7:36 GMT

One of the few bright moments for me as an Indian was hearing Joseph Stieglitz commending the prudent policies of the then Governor of RBI.

Being "stitched in" might appear an attractive idea, but to imagine that a democratic Giant like India would be allowed to pursue such an Utopia might be a little wishful.

It is traditional for dictators to believe that weapons alone, will solve all problems. Their fascination and craving for big and bigger bombs never ceases.

Some others believe capital and more capital is the panacea.

But it is embedded in the Indian psyche that prosperity and well being evolve from a combination of several auspiciousnesses.

An appetite for capital must be matched by a efficient enough digetive system that will be able to receive and produce the most healthful results.

But if the system is stunted, diseased or otherwise diseased the result will be more disease and probably a collapse.

The key to demonstrating confidence in India's future is to secure and develop its potentially magnificent people.

The world they create with their strong, healthy, loved and liberated geniuses may be very different from the world as it exists today. But I willing to imagine, that it will also be a much stronger, viable, vital world.

Unfortunately India today is mired in corruption. Democaracy is working brilliantly, beyond the wildest dreams of avarice for a relative handful. And these are willing to defend their "democracy" with guns.

For the rest, India's performance on the Various indices of human development tell their own tale of delusion.

Several months ago, I wrote to the Prime Minister's Office documenting the serial misbehaviour of various constitutional authorities.

The Prime Minister's Office's response is to chase down and swat down my comments appearing in various eminent international media.

I doubt that such behaviour of the PMO is enhancing the image of India as a preferred democratic destination among the international media, but one may also wonder - is this all the Prime Minsiter's Office can do to protect its citizen's ?

Is the PMO and Rashtrapati Bhavan to mired in compromise to do anything other that punish the complainant ?

There is no dearth of perversity and foot shooting, so how smart are these guys anyway?

Don't they have enough people who hate their guts? Why would they want to add another with their juvenile delinquency ?

Given such dysfunctionality and perverse conduct from the most exalted offices of the land, is it any wonder that any attempt to inundate India with capital and "stitch it" with the rest of a single minded and twin emotioned, fear and greed, world, might not be welcomed with "flowers and garlands" ?

The Rashtrapati Bhavan and the Prime Minister’s Office are being quiet as mice about the impeccable evidence I have presented to them on the corrupt, duplicitous and psychotic conduct of the Government of India, the Government Of Andhra Pradesh, The Indian editorial class, the administrators of the Right To Information Act, and The Andhra Pradesh High Court.

Readers who want to know more are welcome to visit sathyagraha.blogspot.com

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

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

Prejudiced Chief Information Commissioner Laps Up Prime Minister’s Office’s Lies 05/05/09

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

Recommend (15)PermalinkReport abuse
Shorts and all Oct 10th 2009 2:37 GMT
India's insular, necrophilous oligarchy had encountered - shot dead in cold blood - 19 year old Ishrat Jehan on idiotic dribbles.

And the Prime Minister's Office is being quiet as a mouse about the impeccable evidence it has on the corrupt, duplicitous and psychotic conduct of the Government of India, the Government Of Andhra Pradesh, The Indian editorial class, the administrators of the Right To Information Act, The Andhra Pradesh High Court and a fellow travelling klatch of "human rights" ngos.

Welcome to yet another "conspiracy in corruption" .

This is a documented account of the schizophrenic character of the babulog ke babalog who have formed themselves into the ruling class of India.

This is a story of the most appalling illiberality and destructiveness that India's editorial class will not report !

sathyagraha.blogspot.com

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.

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

Believe me , you have no idea how much I wish I had a warm, fuzzy, Indian fairy tale to tell!

Recommend (12)PermalinkReport abuse

An astonishing rebound Aug 20th 2009 7:19 GMT

Incidentally, my records indicate that it is the same Shri Biswal, Political Secretary, General Administration Administration, Government of Andhra Pradesh, who had supervised the stream of false of misleading statements that I had documented !

Recommend (26)PermalinkReport abuse
An astonishing rebound Aug 15th 2009 2:55 GMT
Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! The Economist !

Finally I accessed A message From The President Of India's Time Warp!

It solemnly assures me that "for further action taken on this request/grievance, please check status after 7 days from date of receipt."

It acknowledges receipt on 4 August 2009. So today is the eleventh day !

Alas, not even this has emerged from the Black Hole Of the Prime Minister's Office.

You are very welcome to hate my guts, Respected Prime Minister's Office.

But in the name of the Mahatma and Panditji, Respect My Rights!

Incidentally, the fact that I can write like this without fearing a midnight knock on my door, by itself is no big deal.

Recommend (9)PermalinkReport abuse

An astonishing rebound Aug 14th 2009 4:56 GMT

"In the future some may actually appreciate the "good old days" when the..." Western Media used to grill India without mercy or any sense of proportion.

India is being smothered by the ethic of dysfunctionality that it has created for itself.

Also known as corruption, the modus operandi is for public servants, at all levels to reduce hapless Indians to desperation by refusing to function till they are paid a percentage.

For a price they will also fabricate evidence, lie, cheat and interpret the law in weird and magical ways.

In other words, sanity can get you humiliated, destroyed and ultimately killed, while so called "civil society" the press, voluntary agencies etc boogie away in their parallel dimensions.

The Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh's former media adviser had written a most glowing review of my documentary.

But he had nothing but silence during his days in office.

Once again in June, I wrote to our Hon'ble Prime Minister, through certified post.

The acknowledgement was returned to me in pristine condition. Sent another letter through India's Speed Post. Once again no due acknowledgement.

My local post office has sent several reminders to the the President's Post Master in new Delhi, but no response.

The President of India launched her online helpline with great publicity some weeks ago.

It looks quite swank and conceptually makes the Prime Minister's site look like a pathetic little clunker from the bad old days of the "license-permit-control raj".

But nobody in power, or our Press appears to have taken it for a test drive.

Since a couple of weeks, I have written to the President's Personal Secretary about the bugs.

Only response: A chilling silence.

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 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.

Recommend (16)PermalinkReport abuse


Necessary, but wrong Aug 1st 2009 6:50 GMT

Now for a breath of fresh air ...

Andhra Pradesh High Court's Pernicious Rebellion Against The Law .

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

Give The economist a break, willya guys ? Come to where the action is!

Recommend (24)PermalinkReport abuse

Friday, April 9, 2010

Grieving For The Bloodbath Of The Innocents

The following comment appeared in The Economist: Politics with bloodshed -
A slaughter reveals the inadequacy of India’s counterinsurgency effort



divakarssathya wrote:
Apr 9th 2010 3:06 GMT

As somebody who has conscientiously refused to do business the way it “normally” is in so called democratic societies - “Go along to get along” - I will not pay bribes - and who has been almost destroyed for my pains, I grieve for the this and other bloodbaths that might follow.

An avoidable fiasco of this and various other kinds that splatter over the local television screens everyday reinforce the apprehension that despite the fantastic growth figures, India is fast deteriorating into an administrative nightmare and a bit of a basket case.

Readers are aware that for several years, I have been banging at the doors of the Rashtrapathi Bhavan and the Prime Minister's Office, demanding that they step in and do all within their powers to bring accountability to the cascading delinquency of constitutional authorities that I have documented.

Unfortunately, both these august offices have not yet stirred.

They have demonstrated that they do not value life.

Their 'pontifical' silence demonstrates without any doubt, that they are too mired in perversity to care about the public weal.

Much more than the Vatican, Rashtrapathi Bhavan and Prime Minister's Office appear to be able only to blame the complainant and protect the offender.

In such a situation where the psychosis and necrophilia of the ruling classes are relieved only by the perennial Bollywood and IPL excitements, calamities, catastrophes and the bloodbath of innocents, appear preordained and inevitable.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

In The Economist - Kind Words For Divakar


The Economist published the following comment in the article The Politics Of Repression In China - What Is China Afraid Of ?



What are they afraid of?
Feb 23rd 2010 2:45 GMT

Even while the Indian political leadership spins technicolour dreams of 21st century superpowerdom, its "politics" are mired in the medieval anachronisms of what I have called the "patronage paradigm - the paradigm of shoddiness, irresponsibility, cronyism and corruption, that has cretinised us all".

In India today, a culture of profiting from deceit,dysfunctionality and decay is flourishing.

In this culture of perversity, monstrous behavior is the ticket to wealth and domination.

In India today, the "Common Man" - a typically feudal pejorative - who 'aspires' to be an intelligent citizen might be labelled "goody-goody", ostracised and brutally killed.

It takes a whole village and 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.

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.

In my experience India's editorial class is as dense, amoral and narcissistic.

Variations of this comment have appeared in almost every major Indian online publication plus in a few abroad.

However, not a single editor or reporter has had the professionalism to pick it up and make it "impact".

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

Our "know-it-all-in -chiefs" 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 and fixer, 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.

If you would like to know about the sheer impossibility of living a good 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.

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

India's Home Minister has called on civil society to speak out against Maoist depredations.

Will he kindly let me know why Rashtrapathi Bhavan and the Prime Minister's office have not taken appropriate action on the representations made on my behalf by the former Home Minister Shri Indrajit Gupta, Padma Vibhushan Kaloji Narayana Rao and others ?

Even as the Prime Minister's Office maintains a baleful and ignominious silence in my case, it appears to have jumped through hoops to heap honour on a businessman alleged to be a serial swindler.

To which East Wind responded:

What are they afraid of?
Feb 23rd 2010 3:15 GMT

@ divakarssathya

THANK YOU FOR a most truthful posting

STRAIGHT FROM the heart

The truth, nothing but the truth

You , sir , are a man of honour

All decent people on this forum salute you

This made divakarssathya go all mellow:

Feb 24th 2010 6:17 GMT

Dear East Wind.
Thank you for your very thoughtful and kind response.

I am willing to bet that almost every intelligent Indian who has had an opportunity to study abroad has a bunch of Chinese, Korean, African, Black, Latino, Paki, Jewish and of course Anglo friends, whose memories still bring a smile to his face.

Let us rage against the machine and wish that we will all live to watch our grandchildren play with each other.

Shanti! Shanti! Shanti!