tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71887228435627896202024-03-13T15:43:59.411+05:30..madhukishwarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14753750751813113571noreply@blogger.comBlogger86125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188722843562789620.post-22814264283331061162021-11-18T09:46:00.000+05:302021-11-18T09:46:06.344+05:30IIT Kanpur: Was fairness subverted in special jobs drive for SCs?<p> <strong style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; text-align: justify;"><em><span style="color: #4b4b4b;">This copy was written before the IIT Kanpur Board of Governors decided in mid-September that it would not revoke the PhD degree of Dr Subrahmanyam</span></em><span style="color: #4b4b4b;"> <em>Saderla. The press note released by IIT Kanpur said, inter alia: “The Board decided that PhD Degree of Dr S</em> <em>Saderla</em> <em>will not be revoked and a corrigendum will be appended to the thesis by Dr S</em> <em>Saderla</em> <em>identifying the text that is common knowledge and identical to earlier theses. An appropriate advisory will be issued to Dr</em> <em>Saderla</em> <em>and his thesis supervisor by the Director.”</em></span></strong></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">An Assistant Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering, Dr Subrahmanyam Saderla, had alleged in early 2018 that he was harassed and discriminated based on his caste by four senior faculty in particular, board members of IIT Kanpur, the Faculty Forum of IIT Kanpur, and finally its senate.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">He alleges that he was knowingly and wilfully harassed by faculty of his own department as well as other departments because of his caste. Several actions, taken or recommended, based on his allegations by the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), IIT Kanpur and the police have currently been stayed by the Allahabad High Court.</span></span></span></p><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="20" class=" cke_show_border" style="width: 250px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: blue;"><strong><em>"It is tragic that even in an institution of national eminence, like IIT Kanpur, a handful of influential administrators can bend the draconian SC/ST Act for their own narrow purposes at the cost of destroying the careers of eminent colleagues</em></strong></span></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">The then officiating Director, Prof Manindra Agrawal, and the head of the Department of Aerospace Engineering, Prof A K Ghosh, strongly believe that the allegation of discrimination is valid. Their decisions played a strong role in the recruitment of Dr Saderla. It was their responsibility to ensure that due diligence was followed in the recruitment process. Both of them have repeatedly stated in various committees and newspaper reports that no procedural irregularity took place in the recruitment procedure.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">However, faculty, students, staff and even the faculty spouses on the IIT Kanpur campus believe that the entire case is a witch-hunt to punish the whistle-blowers, who pointed out serious lapses in the recruitment process, silence the voices of dissent, and settle personal scores.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">After two inquiries, two NCSC reports, and one FIR, and over 14 months of intense stress, these four faculty members continue to stand by what they are convinced is the truth. Now, the entire Faculty Forum is fearlessly calling for the resignation of Prof Agrawal and Prof Ghosh for abusing their positions and vitiating the atmosphere of the institute. The Faculty Forum resolved that their conduct should be investigated for violations of official conduct rules. These officials should be divested of their official responsibilities with immediate effect.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">For last 14 months, over several spurts of media reportage, one has heard the story of the harassment of Dr Saderla and even his family in minute chronological detail. However, not once have the four alleged faculty members who have been accused of discriminating against Dr Saderla — Professors C S Upadhyay, Sanjay Mittal, Rajiv Shekhar and Ishan Sharma — spoken a word.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">They don’t offer any press briefings defending and justifying their actions, and give no quotes to newspapers. No report carried even that catch-all line — that XYZ was unavailable for comment. But what does speak for them is the Indian judicial system. They have been given four stays in 14 months by the Allahabad High Court against the actions of NCSC, IIT Kanpur and now the police.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b;">More recently, one hears that the court has summoned data from IIT Kanpur in response to one of their writs. The data provided in their writs, a few replies to RTI queries, and documents available on the IIT Kanpur website expose some graver issues that need public attention because they raise serious concerns about the transparency, accountability and fairness of recruitment processes in institutes of national importance. Especially when it involves a special recruitment drive for SC, ST, OBC, and PwD (</span><em><span style="color: #4b4b4b;">divyang</span></em><span style="color: #4b4b4b;">).</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><u>Affirmative Action Drive Through Nepotism:</u> </strong></span><span style="color: #4b4b4b;">IIT Kanpur advertised minimum eligibility qualifications for their Special Recruitment Drive (advertisement number DF-4/2017) through which Dr Saderla </span><strong><span style="color: #4b4b4b;">applied</span></strong><span style="color: #4b4b4b;"> in 2017, as:</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><em><strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">"PhD, with first class or equivalent (in terms of grades) at the preceding degree in the appropriate branch, with a very good academic record throughout.</span></strong></em></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px;">You can all read this on the website of IIT Kanpur <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.iitk.ac.in/dofa/current-openings." href="https://www.iitk.ac.in/dofa/current-openings."><span style="color: #c0392b;">here</span></a><span style="color: #c0392b;">.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">It is claimed in several fora, and by the officiating Director, Prof Agrawal, that Dr Saderla, whose PhD CPI (Cumulative Performance Index) score is 7.0, meets the advertised minimum eligibility <img alt="" data-cke-saved-src="https://manushi.in/upload/images/swarajya_2019-04_e2ea3da0-4d41-4e1d-a5cc-281c7552e00f_01__1_%281%29.jpg" src="https://manushi.in/upload/images/swarajya_2019-04_e2ea3da0-4d41-4e1d-a5cc-281c7552e00f_01__1_%281%29.jpg" style="float: right; height: 400px; margin: 10px 20px; width: 321px;" />criteria of the Special Recruitment Drive. But, on the other hand, his detractors say that 7.0 CPI is not equivalent to first class at IIT Kanpur and, therefore, the Department of Aerospace Engineering flouted minimum eligibility norms during the Special Recruitment Drive.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">The selection, led by Prof Agrawal, allegedly provided selective relaxation to a candidate who happened also to be the Masters and PhD student of the head of the Department, Prof A K Ghosh. This amounts to discrimination if the relaxation is given to one candidate and not the rest who are also reserved category candidates. According to the ex-Liaison Officer of IIT Kanpur, relaxing the rules for some and not for other SC/ST candidates “tantamounts to a mockery of the great affirmative aims of a special recruitment drive.”</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b;">It is surprising that for over 14 months, an institute of higher learning, having highly educated and decorated faculty and administrators, has not been able to examine its own documents and </span><span style="color: #4b4b4b;">practices to figure out whether or not 7.0 CPI is equivalent to a first class. Even the two external committees led by Prof Pathak and Justice Siddiqui have nothing to comment on this matter. The silence of the board of governors is even more deafening. IIT Kanpur would not be torn apart today if someone had simply followed the norms laid down transparently in the grading scheme. Is this rocket science? </span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b;">The PG manual (institute-approved Post-Graduate manual prescribing academic norms (which can be accessed </span><a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.iitk.ac.in/doaa/data/pgmanual-02Sep2015.pdf" href="https://www.iitk.ac.in/doaa/data/pgmanual-02Sep2015.pdf" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #e6614c;">here</span></a><span style="color: #4b4b4b;">) at IIT Kanpur says the following: minimum CPI requirement for continuing in the PhD programme is 7.0. That is, the minimum graduating CPI is 7.0. If Dr Saderla had a CPI of 6.99 he would not have been awarded a PhD degree by IIT Kanpur. The CPI of Dr Saderla is exactly 7.0, which means he barely managed the minimum norms.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b;">Moreover, not only did Dr Saderla not have a first class in his PhD, he was on academic probation in the first semester of his M Tech. He had a CPI of 6.0 — for which, as per the PG manual rules (see </span><a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.iitk.ac.in/doaa/data/pgmanual-02Sep2015.pdf" href="https://www.iitk.ac.in/doaa/data/pgmanual-02Sep2015.pdf"><span style="color: #c0392b;">here</span></a><span style="color: #4b4b4b;">), , he should have been issued a warning letter from the then head of the department. According to the testimony of one of his M Tech professors, Dr Saderla got a ‘D’ grade in his departmental course and his performance was not very good.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">However, for the sake of an argument, even if it is assumed that the appointee was given a relaxation (which was not advertised), UGC guidelines permit only a 5 per cent relaxation from the minimal requirement. In this case, even if we assume the minimal requirement to be Grade B (CPI 8), described as ‘Good’ in the IIT Kanpur academic system, then 5 per cent of 8 is 7.6 CPI. Thus, Dr Saderla, even after relaxation does not meet the minimal requirement, as his CPI is 7.0 in PhD.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b;">Does IIT Kanpur, an institute indebted to the Indian taxpayer, not owe a clarification to </span><em><span style="color: #4b4b4b;">all</span></em><span style="color: #4b4b4b;"> aspiring and desiring SC/ST candidates on what its minimum qualification requirements are?</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">Why doesn’t IIT Kanpur along with all other IITs simply announce that 7.0 CPI is first class?</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">Why does IIT Kanpur not fill all its faculty posts with candidates having a CPI of 7.0 in their PhD? Why is there just one amongst 400 faculty who has a CPI of 7.0?</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b;">It is interesting to observe the record of the academic qualifications of General and Reserved category candidates selected in the Department of Aerospace Engineering since 2016. Here, it is important to emphasise that the advertised minimum eligibility requirements for General candidates is </span><em><span style="color: #4b4b4b;">not</span></em><span style="color: #4b4b4b;"> different from those of the Reserved category candidates; at IIT Kanpur, they are one and the same. Check it out for yourself on the </span><a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.iitk.ac.in/dofa/current-openings." href="https://www.iitk.ac.in/dofa/current-openings."><span style="color: #c0392b;">website</span></a></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">Information revealed through RTIs clearly show (see table below) that no candidate — General or Reserved category — below a CPI of 8.5 has been shortlisted for final interviews by IIT Kanpur in the Department of Aerospace Engineering since 2016. The only exception was Dr Saderla. The aberration is inexplicable unless the advertised minimum eligibility norms were indeed selectively relaxed for one student (Dr Saderla) of the Head of the Department, Prof A K Ghosh. But, relaxation itself was not advertised. In fact, the information obtained through RTIs makes it amply clear that IIT Kanpur did not state any relaxation policy in its advertisement.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">Such aberrations were noticed by several faculty within the Department of Aerospace Engineering after Dr Saderla joined the institute. Eleven faculty members of the Department expressed it in writing to the then officiating Director, Prof Manindra Agrawal. They said:</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><em><strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">"We the undersigned faculty members of Aerospace Engineering would like to communicate to you our extreme displeasure at the way the department faculty advisory committee and head ignored the faculty inputs and concerns and went ahead with their recommendations for the recent selections held in December 2017, to the posts of Assistant Professor in AE to the institute committee.</span></strong></em></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">How is anyone’s caste, creed, religion, gender or any other divisive trait inferred from this communication? It simply reflects an apprehension that could easily have been addressed by Prof Agrawal or Prof Ghosh. Unfortunately, they didn’t do so. Their failure to address these lapses and take corrective measures has today cost IIT Kanpur its academic image.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">Instead of addressing the concerns raised by the department faculty, the officiating Director turned the entire case into a caste issue. Prof Kamal Poddar is one of the 11 signatories of the letter mentioned above. He is a very senior and well respected faculty of the Department of Aerospace Engineering. Few know that he himself belongs to a reserved category because IITs pride themselves in being concerned with merit alone, and nothing else. Belonging to the same department as Dr Saderla, he has first-hand knowledge of this issue.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">He was also the institute’s Liaison Officer for the SC/ST cell when Dr Saderla was recruited, in which capacity he corresponded with the National Commission of Scheduled Castes on this matter. He informed NCSC, in writing, that he did not find any caste issue in this episode. All interactions of Dr Saderla with the faculty have been cordial. In fact, the department faculty have hugged and welcomed Prof Saderla.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">To quote from Prof Kamal Poddar’s letter to NCSC:</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><em><strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">"Here is what I think has happened. Several faculty members flagged the possibility of violation of advertised minimum eligibility norms and the possibility of conflict of interest as the head (Prof AK Ghosh), who is also Prof Saderla’s adviser, being involved in all committees of the selection process. These issues were flagged privately to the Director (through Head), by email to only board members, and over a restricted senators-only list. This was, I repeat, (the) only concern raised about the possibility of violation of advertised minimum eligibility norms and conflict of interest. Because, relaxing the rules for some and not for other SC/ST candidates would tantamount to a mockery of the great affirmative aims of a special recruitment drive. Nothing in these private notes/mails was specific to a person, leave alone person’s caste.</span></strong></em></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">Instead of listening to the testimony and evidence of its own officer (the office of the Liaison Officer is expected to assist the NCSC in the investigation of complaints as mandated by DoPT), NCSC recommended in its minutes dated 10 April 2018 to remove him from his post. Of course, such overreach and unfair judgement without supporting evidence could not escape the eyes of the High Court, which immediately stayed the order.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">But it still makes you wonder: who is harassing whom? And is this a caste issue at all, considering that the NCSC prefers the version of one SC person (Dr Saderla) over another (Prof Poddar, LO, IIT Kanpur); the former backed by upper caste officials (the officiating Director and Head of Department) to protect his recruitment with the latter questioning it to protect his department and his institute from nepotism, and the wider SC, ST, OBC and PwD candidates from discrimination in the form of unequal opportunities. Clearly, this is not a caste issue but one of transparency and equity, as Dr Poddar said, but for which he was rapped by the NCSC itself.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px;"><u><span style="color: blue;"><strong>If Relaxation Was Not Advertised, Was It Implemented?</strong></span></u><span style="color: blue;"><strong>: </strong></span><span style="color: #4b4b4b;">If IIT Kanpur had clearly advertised in its recruitment policy that applicants with 7.0 CPI were eligible to apply, more SC/ST candidates would have applied in response to the special recruitment drive. All SC/ST candidates who had similar or better qualifications than Dr Saderla, but did not apply for the post because they did not possess a First Class in their PhD or M Tech, have been deprived of an opportunity to apply, compete and be hired at IIT Kanpur. Put simply, IIT Kanpur has discriminated against all eligible SC/ST candidates, by undisclosed selection norms and procedures that benefited the student of the Head of the Department of Aerospace Engineering.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">This preferential and privileged treatment to Dr Saderla seems even more discriminating when you look at the CPI scores of the other SC/ST candidates who applied during the Special Recruitment Drive. In response to an RTI (see Table 2), IIT Kanpur admitted that there were four SC/ST candidates who applied in the Special Recruitment Drive for positions in the Department of Aerospace Engineering. Even though Dr Saderla only had a CPI of 7.0, IIT Kanpur selected him over two other candidates who had CPIs of 8.2 and 8.25 in their PhDs.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">The other SC/ST candidates were not even shortlisted, let alone interviewed and selected for the post despite their better CPIs compared to Dr Saderla. One often hears of discrimination between General and Reserved category candidates, but this is a novel case where some members of the higher castes favoured blatant misuse of reservation by elite castes to discriminate in favour of one candidate. It has pitched a Dalit against other Dalits.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px;"><strong>Table 2: Marks of all candidates who applied for the Special Recruitment Drive of IIT Kanpur<img alt="" data-cke-saved-src="https://manushi.in/upload/images/table%202.jpg" src="https://manushi.in/upload/images/table%202.jpg" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 2px; float: left; height: 322px; margin: 10px 20px; width: 317px;" /></strong></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b;">This dubious practice has also been recorded in the Supreme Court judgement in the District Collector, Vizianagaram,</span><em><span style="color: #4b4b4b;">Vs.</span></em><span style="color: #4b4b4b;"> M. Tripura Sundari Devi (1990(4) SLR 237. The Supreme Court states in its judgement:</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><em><strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">"It must further be realised by all concerned that when an advertisement mentions a particular qualification and an appointment is made in disregard of the same, it is not a matter only between the appointing authority and the appointee concerned. The aggrieved are all those who had similar or better qualifications than the appointee or appointees but who had not applied for the post because they did not possess the qualifications mentioned in the advertisement. It amounts to a fraud on the public to appoint a person with inferior qualifications in such circumstances unless it is clearly stated that the qualifications are relaxable. No court should be a party to the perpetuation of the fraudulent practice."</span></strong></em></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">Both Prof Agrawal, Chair of the Selection Committee, and Prof AK Ghosh, member of the selection committee which recruited Dr Saderla, have confirmed that requirements of academic qualifications were indeed relaxed for Dr Saderla.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: blue;"><strong><u>Statement Of Head, Aerospace Engineering: </u></strong></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><em><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">“Dr. Saderla has M.Tech CPI=7.25 (well above graduating CPI), PhD CPI=7.0 and thesis of good quality (paper from PhD=6). Yes, for general candidate, we would not have short-listed the candidate. This point was clearly mentioned in DFAC-IFAC meeting. This being special drive and for SC category DFAC-IFAC agreed to take it for interview.” (Emphasis added)</span></em></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: blue;"><u><strong>Statement Of Officiating Director, IIT Kanpur On The Head’s Statement:</strong></u></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><em><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">“… the department would not short-list a candidate with this record in case of general category candidates. However, given that this was recruitment in special category, some relaxation was done during short-listing. In other words, he [Head, AE] is saying that the candidate does meet minimum qualifications, however, for general category candidates, short-listing is done with more stringent norms which were not applied in this case.” (Emphasis added)</span></em></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">But we all know that the relaxation was not advertised, and therefore it could not have been selectively offered to the student of Prof A K Ghosh. This, as the Supreme Court judgement emphasised, is a fraudulent practice for which both Prof Agrawal and Prof Ghosh are liable to face a disciplinary inquiry. Of course, such an enquiry, if held impartially, will also nullify the Special Recruitment Drive, further implying that Dr Saderla will have to re-apply whenever a fresh advertisement is floated by IIT Kanpur.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">With this as a background, does it surprise us anymore that all three — Prof Agrawal, Prof Ghosh and Dr Saderla — are moving heaven and earth for last 14 months to divert the attention of the entire nation, and now even the world, by spreading the news that four faculty in particular, and the faculty of IIT Kanpur, in general, are casteist?</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">Professors Ghosh and Agarwal have played divisive politics twice. Firstly, they misrepresented the minimum eligibility qualifications to all reserved category candidates by advertising that First Class and a very good academic record was an eligibility requirement to be a faculty at IIT Kanpur. Due to this, several Dalit candidates who had CPI scores below First Class or an academic record which was not ‘very good’ could not apply for the post of Assistant Professor. They lost an opportunity of employment.</span></span></span></p><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="8" cellspacing="8" class=" cke_show_border" style="width: 300px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px;"><strong><em>"The saddest part is that they have also harmed the careers of better qualified SC/ST candidates</em></strong></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b;">Secondly, between the candidates who applied, Prof Ghosh selected Dr Saderla, his own student, despite the fact that the other SC/ST candidates had higher CPIs than Dr Saderla. This divisive politics will damage the movement for empowering Dalits by pitching one Dalit against another, even while destroying the academic ethos of a great institution. And, of course, it will destroy IIT Kanpur, as we are in the process of witnessing.</span><br /><span style="color: #4b4b4b;">Right to equality of opportunity in matters of public employment (Article 16) is the fundamental right of all Indians. All eligible reserved category candidates have the right to avail themselves of equal opportunities to apply to IIT Kanpur. For this the entry level qualifications have to be the same as the ones that are advertised. No other department in IIT Kanpur even short-listed, let alone recruited, an applicant with a CPI of 7 in the Special Recruitment Drive.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">Either all departments, other than Aerospace Engineering, did not follow the advertised recruitment guidelines and are therefore guilty of discriminating against SC/STs, of Prof Ghosh flouted the advertised guidelines to facilitate the entry of his own student with the support of the officiating Director. They owe an apology to the Dalit community and the nation for subverting a process intended to deliver affirmative action to the marginalised sections of society and for besmirching the image of IIT Kanpur.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">Sadly, the well-intentioned SC/ST Atrocities Act lends itself to easy abuse in many cases even while genuine victims of caste oppression don’t often get justice, thanks to poor implementation of laws meant for their empowerment. It is tragic that even in an institution of national eminence, like IIT Kanpur, a handful of influential administrators can bend the draconian SC/ST Act for their own narrow purposes at the cost of destroying the careers of eminent colleagues. The saddest part is that they have also harmed the careers of better qualified SC/ST candidates.</span></span></span></p>madhukishwarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14753750751813113571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188722843562789620.post-90056486640239752832021-11-15T21:15:00.000+05:302021-11-15T21:15:06.823+05:30Was IIT Kanpur’s Special Drive For Dalit Faculty Vitiated By Favoritism?<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">This article is in response to the Bollywood-style, pathos-filled saga that Prof Manindra Agrawal, Officiating Director of IIT Kanpur, has written by weaving <a data-cke-saved-href="https://swarajyamag.com/politics/iit-kanpurs-dalit-faculty-dr-subrahmanyam-saderla-the-story-of-a-fight-against-all-odds" href="https://swarajyamag.com/politics/iit-kanpurs-dalit-faculty-dr-subrahmanyam-saderla-the-story-of-a-fight-against-all-odds">a tale of alleged harassment of Dr. Subrahmanyam Saderla</a> at the hands of certain 'upper caste’ professors.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">It seems likely he did this to divert attention from my expose in which a mala fide case of caste discrimination was cooked up by a group of senior faculty at IIT Kanpur, with Prof Agrawal and Dr. Saderla’s Ph.D. guide and current Head of Department, Prof A K Ghosh, playing a lead role, in order to cover up an unfair appointment that subverted a Special Recruitment Drive of IIT Kanpur to facilitate the inclusion of SCs/STs in the faculty.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Prof Agrawal’s article scrupulously avoids touching on the following serious issues I had raised in my <a data-cke-saved-href="https://swarajyamag.com/politics/iit-kanpur-fairness-was-subverted-in-special-jobs-drive-for-scs" href="https://swarajyamag.com/politics/iit-kanpur-fairness-was-subverted-in-special-jobs-drive-for-scs">article</a>:</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">The Ethics Cell, the Senate Post-Graduate Committee (SPGC), the IITK Senate, and even the response of Dr. Saderla have confirmed that the latter’s Ph.D. thesis was partly plagiarised. Depending on the technical software used by the committee set up by the Board of Governors (BoG), plagiarism can range from at least 11 percent to 25 percent. As per the University Grants Commission (UGC) norms, this automatically translates into the Ph.D. degree being put in abeyance for six months. One hopes and expects that IIT standards are higher.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">It is also notable that the IITs have <em>not</em> accepted UGC policies so far, defending the academic autonomy of their senates. One wonders why the BoG is here looking towards UGC norms since under the IIT Act, the Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) has no <em>locus standi </em>to advise the IITs on their specific academic decisions; nor did the MHRD do so in the previous case of plagiarism by Abhishek Singh, mentioned in my earlier <a data-cke-saved-href="https://swarajyamag.com/politics/iit-kanpur-case-is-plagiarism-okay-if-you-are-from-the-right-caste" href="https://swarajyamag.com/politics/iit-kanpur-case-is-plagiarism-okay-if-you-are-from-the-right-caste">article</a> in <em>Swarajya</em> on plagiarism (7 April 2019).</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">When an anonymous student found out and reported the plagiarism, Dr. Saderla, instead of awaiting the decision of the institute’s probe in this matter, hurriedly filed an FIR against four faculty members, citing harassment under the non-bailable SC/ST Act.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><img alt="" data-cke-saved-src="https://manushi.in/upload/images/sardela%20iit%285%29.png" src="https://manushi.in/upload/images/sardela%20iit%285%29.png" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 2px; float: left; height: 200px; margin: 10px; width: 300px;" />Several SC/ST candidates were likely discriminated against through this appointment by a senior (upper caste) faculty member, Prof A K Ghosh, to benefit one particular SC candidate — his own student, Dr. Saderla. In this, he got the full support of administrators like Prof Manindra Agrawal (also upper caste). It takes real genius to convert a case of alleged nepotism by two upper caste faculty members into a case of 'caste discrimination' when the only ones who have reason to feel aggrieved are other SC/ST students, who were sidelined to give way to a favored student against the rules.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Dr. Saderla’s minimal grades did not qualify him for recruitment as IIT faculty; his performance in the job seminar was found unsatisfactory; and when the propriety of the alleged nepotistic appointment was challenged, the same professor and his close buddies tried to mask it by creating a false narrative of discrimination and harassment of a hapless SC faculty.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">While this attempt to use emotional cries of discrimination in a case involving favouritism is deplorable, the reality is Professors Agrawal and Ghosh are actually indirectly hounding four senior IIT professors and destroying their careers by getting them arrested under the draconian SC/ST Act. Under this law, harassing a person from the SC/ST community is a non-bailable offense. A mere allegation is enough to get a person sent to jail even before a trial has begun and evidence adduced.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Do these four senior professors with a stellar track record in their respective disciplines not deserve the slightest bit of empathy and trust? Their only crime has been to point out that by favoring his own SC student, Prof Ghosh did a great injustice to other SC/ST candidates who had higher grades than Dr. Saderla and whose Ph.D. and M Tech theses were not marred by charges of plagiarism. Should Professors Ghosh and Agarwal be using the shoulders of their handpicked SC student to fire their guns at their colleagues just to divert attention away from their own failures?</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Since Prof Agrawal avoids dealing with the charges against him and Dr. Ghosh, I have no choice but to present some more facts in order to rescue the whole case from degenerating into a Bollywood-style soppy saga of misplaced victimhood.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: blue;"><u><strong>Facts Related To The Appointment Of Dr. Saderla</strong></u><strong>:</strong></span><strong> </strong>In this part – and there are more to follow – I will focus <em>only </em>on facts related to the recruitment of Dr. Saderla. But first a clarification regarding the status of charges leveled by Dr. Saderla against faculty members: Contrary to the factually incorrect version presented by Prof Agrawal, the board found no, repeat <em>no</em>, charges of harassment, caste-based or otherwise, against the four faculty. Currently, the disciplinary proceedings against three of the four faculty members accused of “discrimination” is complete, in which one faculty was exonerated by the Board of Governors. This is the first of the innumerable factual misrepresentations in Prof Agrawal’s retelling of the episode, where he claims that one faculty was “warned”, and not exonerated.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">The increments of two faculty members were withdrawn. They have both challenged this in court. The file of the fourth faculty is under consideration with the Visitor, IIT Kanpur (President of India).</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">The above mentioned 'punishment' was given for violation of IIT conduct rules, not charges of caste discrimination. And what was the nature and extent of the 'violation’? One faculty member had called an informal meeting without the permission of the head and the others attended it. These two faculty members are already in court to challenge this punitive action. And the court has found enough evidence of possible wrongdoing to direct IIT Kanpur to submit documents justifying their decision. Hence, let us wait for the law to take its course in this matter.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Meanwhile, IIT Kanpur has ensured that Dr. Saderla is made a permanent faculty at IIT Kanpur in January 2019. He has also been given lab space to carry out his research. In fact, the Aeromodelling lab was gifted to him by one of the alleged harassers! Thus, the institute has completed its responsibility of holding an inquiry against the four faculty in response to Dr. Saderla’s original complaint, and of establishing and securing the career of Dr. Saderla at IIT Kanpur.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">What remains is the matter of plagiarism by an ex-PhD student of IIT Kanpur with roll number 10101064 which, objectively, has nothing to do with this student’s current role as Dr. Saderla, a faculty at IIT Kanpur. A student can be employed at one of the best places, let’s say MIT, but that cannot detract from his/her past misdeeds. The current position/status of a student has no bearing on the consequences of his/her past actions. An excellent example of this is the resignation of the German Minister of Defense, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, in 2011 after <a data-cke-saved-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guttenberg_plagiarism_scandal%20-%20Report_of_Commission_of_Professional_Self_Regulation_in_Science" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guttenberg_plagiarism_scandal%20-%20Report_of_Commission_of_Professional_Self_Regulation_in_Science">his doctoral thesis submitted in 2007 was found to have been plagiarised</a>.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">This is an important distinction that explains Dr. Saderla’s job being made permanent in January 2019 in spite of an ongoing inquiry into plagiarism by roll number 10101064 (Dr. Saderla) in his Ph.D. and M Tech theses.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Now, that the dust has settled on the complaint of at least one complainant, that is Dr. Saderla, let us look into the status of other concerns/complaints registered in this issue. IIT Kanpur continues to refuse to look at:</span></span></p><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">The note on procedural lapses in the special recruitment drive of 2017 submitted by 11 faculty members of the Department of Aerospace Engineering in January 2018; and</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Concerns raised in early 2018 by a board member and a senator on the possible violation of the minimum eligibility norms during the special recruitment drive.</span></span></li></ul><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">After this clarification, we return to the Special Recruitment Drive of 2017. In an earlier <a data-cke-saved-href="https://swarajyamag.com/politics/iit-kanpur-fairness-was-subverted-in-special-jobs-drive-for-scs" href="https://swarajyamag.com/politics/iit-kanpur-fairness-was-subverted-in-special-jobs-drive-for-scs">article</a>, I have already detailed, with evidence, how favoritism perverted the aims of the special recruitment drive of 2017 and ended up discriminating against other SC/ST candidates. However, Prof Agrawal’s recent attempt at presenting “his version of the case” demands, in fairness, further scrutiny of the issue.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: blue;"><u><strong>Recruitment Facts</strong></u><strong>:</strong></span><strong> </strong>The recruitment process outlined on the <a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.iitk.ac.in/dofa/rolling-advertisement" href="http://www.iitk.ac.in/dofa/rolling-advertisement">website of IIT Kanpur</a> is as follows:</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong><u>Step 1:</u></strong> A group of faculty members of the concerned area of specialization gives its recommendation on the suitability of candidates for a faculty position.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><u><strong>Step 2</strong></u><strong>:</strong> The candidates recommended by the faculty group are called for a seminar. Faculty, staff, and students from <em>all</em> departments are invited to the seminar. In this case, some of the 11 faculty members who signed the letter of displeasure to the director in January 2018 were a part of the audience evaluating the seminar. The seminar was scheduled on 5 October 2017. Remember the date, because Prof Agrawal doesn’t, as we will see below.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><u><strong>Step 3</strong></u><strong>:</strong> Recommendation letters are sought from the referees of these candidates who are identified after the seminar.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><u><strong>Step 4</strong></u><strong>:</strong> The Department Faculty Advisory Committee (DFAC) shortlists the candidates on the basis of the application, faculty input, seminar, and referee comments.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">This committee includes the Head of the Department, in this case, Prof A K Ghosh, the Ph.D. and M Tech supervisor of Dr. Saderla. “Faculty input” and “seminar” refer to the feedback given by faculty members of the Department of Aerospace Engineering regarding the credentials of Dr. Saderla and his seminar performance. Faculty input about Dr. Saderla’s seminar was given but was not considered, as we will see below. Remember this again, because, Prof Agrawal conveniently misremembers (see below).</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong><u>Step 5</u>: </strong>The shortlisted candidates are presented to the Institute Faculty Advisory Committee (IFAC) and are called for an interview.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">The IFAC includes the Head of the Department and the Director, in this case, respectively, Prof A K Ghosh, and Prof Agrawal. As the Director, Prof Manindra Agrawal was the chair of the DFAC-IFAC committee. Please remember this as well, because, yet again, Prof Agrawal has willed himself to forget this, as we see below.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><u><strong>Step 6</strong></u>: An external selection committee then takes a call. This selection committee is chaired by the Director, in this case, Prof Manindra Agrawal, in his capacity as Officiating Director. The Head of the Department is present during the selection. This selection committee took place in the last week of December 2018.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Prof Agrawal, the Fact-Finding and Inquiry reports confirm that these steps were followed, but <em>none</em> of them verify whether the shortlisted candidates met the advertised minimum eligibility criteria. This immediately prompts the following questions:</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">In the entire selection process, why did Prof Agrawal as the custodian of the entire selection process, and Prof Ghosh, as the Head of the Department, not bother to check whether the advertised minimum eligibility criteria were applied uniformly on all SC/ST candidates who applied?</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Why did both of them not bother to check whether all SC/ST candidates were given equal opportunities to apply, compete, and be hired at IIT Kanpur? Why was just one, Dr. Saderla, the Ph.D. student of the Head of Department given an opportunity by relaxing the advertised minimum eligibility norms? What about the rest of the SC/ST candidates? Do they not have rights?</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Prof Agrawal, in his version of this case, comments upon the alleged harassment of his selected candidate <em>after </em>the candidate joined, whereas the flouting of norms that are being pointed out by faculty members occurred <em>before </em>the candidate joined, <em>during </em>his recruitment. My <a data-cke-saved-href="https://swarajyamag.com/politics/iit-kanpur-fairness-was-subverted-in-special-jobs-drive-for-scs" href="https://swarajyamag.com/politics/iit-kanpur-fairness-was-subverted-in-special-jobs-drive-for-scs">article</a> discusses these crucial aspects that Prof Agrawal, in his version, does not touch at all.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Here are some crucial facts.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: blue;"><u><strong>Fact 1</strong></u><strong>:</strong> </span>The questions raised by the 11 faculty members from the Department of Aerospace Engineering as well as a Senator, Liaison Officer, and the Board member were about the procedural lapses in the pre-hiring process and not the post-hiring events alleged in the complaint letter of Dr. Saderla. Some of the concerns raised were about the advertised minimal qualifications in the Special Recruitment Drive, which have <em>no</em> bearing on the research capabilities — “innate” or “acquired” — of a candidate.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">The advertised minimal qualifications raise a question about the denial of equal opportunities to all SC/ST candidates to apply and compete for the faculty position.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: blue;"><u><strong>Fact 2</strong></u><strong>:</strong> </span>The job seminar of Dr. Saderla took place on 5 October 2017. But, in Prof Agrawal’s <a data-cke-saved-href="https://swarajyamag.com/politics/iit-kanpurs-dalit-faculty-dr-subrahmanyam-saderla-the-story-of-a-fight-against-all-odds" href="https://swarajyamag.com/politics/iit-kanpurs-dalit-faculty-dr-subrahmanyam-saderla-the-story-of-a-fight-against-all-odds">retelling</a>, the DFAC-IFAC meeting discussed Dr. Saderla’s case a month before, which is in September 2017. The only way this would have been possible is if the DFAC members had a premonition in September 2017 of what will happen in Dr. Saderla’s job seminar in October 2017. This allowed them to predict or foresee the “unfortunate proceedings” of the job seminar that was held on 5 October 2017 and, better still, discuss and evaluate Dr. Saderla’s performance in advance.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">If true, then this premonition of the DFAC committee is another miracle, like the one which roped in Prof Robert Langdon from his fictional universe in Dan Brown’s novels to sign a petition on the alleged harassment of Dr. Saderla (see post-script).</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Unfortunately, the truth is much more mundane: “Dr. Saderla’s candidature was discussed in the IFAC and DFAC which was chaired by the officiating Director Dr. Agarwal.” (Statement under oath to Hon’ble Justice (Retd) Siddiqui by Prof Abhijeet Kushari, Associate Professor, Aerospace Engineering, DFAC member, and institute witness in the departmental inquiry against four faculty.)</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Has the former Officiating Director, the current Deputy Director, and a staunch supporter of Dr. Saderla misled the public about the sequence of events in a signed public article?</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: blue;"><u><strong>Fact 3</strong></u><strong>:</strong></span> If a faculty member recuses himself or herself from a meeting, it is minuted. No records of DFAC meetings, DFAC-IFAC meetings, or of the selection process till date have been produced by Prof Manindra Agrawal which states that Prof A K Ghosh recused himself from these proceedings, given his direct interest in Dr. Saderla. This should have been done to avoid the obvious conflict of interest. In fact, DFAC member Prof Abhijeet Kushari, who was an eye-witness, confirms that Prof Ghosh did <em>not </em>recuse himself from the DFAC-IFAC meeting. Similarly, he was present in all department-level deliberations, as confirmed by another DFAC member to the Fact-Finding Committee (FFC): “He (Prof AK Ghosh) was there.” (recorded in Annexure 3 of the FFC Report)</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: blue;"><u><strong>Fact 4</strong></u><strong>:</strong></span> Prof Agrawal, in January 2017, admitted in an email to the members of the Board of Governors that the selection committee did <em>not </em>find the candidate (Dr. Saderla) to be strong:</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">“In the selection committee, all the three external experts had the unanimous opinion that, while <em>the candidate is not very strong</em>, he has the potential and motivation to do well. That formed the basis for their recommendation.” (<em>Emphasis authors</em>)</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">I also repeat other statements made by Prof Agrawal and Prof Ghosh from my previous <a data-cke-saved-href="https://swarajyamag.com/politics/iit-kanpur-fairness-was-subverted-in-special-jobs-drive-for-scs" href="https://swarajyamag.com/politics/iit-kanpur-fairness-was-subverted-in-special-jobs-drive-for-scs">article</a> on this issue, because Prof Agrawal has not responded to these facts.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><em>Statement of Head, Aerospace Engineering:</em></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">“Dr Saderla has M Tech CPI=7.25 (well above graduating CPI), PhD CPI=7.0 and thesis of good quality (paper from PhD=6). Yes, for general candidate, we would not have shortlisted the candidate. This point was clearly mentioned in DFAC-IFAC meeting. This being special drive and for SC category, DFAC-IFAC agreed to take it for interview.” (<em>Emphasis author’s</em>)</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><em>Statement of Officiating Director, IIT Kanpur on the Head’s statement:</em></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">“… the department would not shortlist a candidate with this record in the case of general category candidates. However, given that this was recruitment in special category, some relaxation was done during shortlisting. In other words, he [Head, AE] is saying that the candidate does meet minimum qualifications. However, for general category candidates, shortlisting is done with more stringent norms which were not applied in this case.” (<em>Emphasis author’s</em>)</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">However, nearly 14 months after writing these statements to the Board of Governors, Prof Agrawal is now claiming that <a data-cke-saved-href="https://swarajyamag.com/politics/iit-kanpurs-dalit-faculty-dr-subrahmanyam-saderla-the-story-of-a-fight-against-all-odds" href="https://swarajyamag.com/politics/iit-kanpurs-dalit-faculty-dr-subrahmanyam-saderla-the-story-of-a-fight-against-all-odds">the selection committee was “impressed” by Dr. Saderla</a>. He is contradicting his own statements, which implies that he either misled the Board of Governors, or he is misleading the public or both. His contradictory testimonies are not doing him, or other academics any good.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><u>Fact 5</u>:</strong></span> The job seminar of Dr. Saderla took place on 5 October 2017. Three months after the seminar, Dr Saderla filed a complaint of harassment against the faculty who attended the seminar, which included one Prof Ishan Sharma. Both Dr. Saderla as well as Prof Agrawal believe that the presentation went reasonably well. Prof Ghosh too makes this claim. So, the people who are testifying that the job seminar went reasonably well are the candidate himself, his Ph.D. guide, and the chair of the selection committee now defending the hire.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">In this regard, please note that a job seminar is not a self-appraisal form. Every job candidate may feel that s/he has performed well in the exam or in the interview. But it is not the judgment of the student/candidate that is used to evaluate performance, but that of the committee. In this case, it was the judgment of the faculty who were sitting in the audience.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Both Prof Agrawal and Prof Ghosh did not attend the seminar. How then do they know how the seminar went?</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Eye-witnesses and experts present in the seminar have stated that the seminar performance of Dr. Saderla was not exceptional. Consider the following:</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><em>“Unfortunately, most of the questions he was not able to answer satisfactorily. There is one question from one of the DFAC members; it was not a satisfactory answer.”</em></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><em>“I was present in the seminar and I talked to some people. The presentation was OK but the question-answer was poor because he was not able to answer most of the questions. That was the feedback.”</em></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>(Statements recorded by the Fact-Finding Committee in its annexures of Prof Abhijeet Kushari, Professor, Aerospace Engineering, DFAC member.)</strong></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">A subject expert from the Department of Aerospace Engineering stated, under oath, in the Departmental Inquiry that Dr Saderla was asked around 10 questions, but he was unable to answer many of them correctly. He also stated that he had given feedback about this.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Instead of addressing these concerns, Professors Ghosh and Agarwal converted academic questioning into an allegation of caste-based slander, using the opaque veil of the SC/ST Act.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><u>Fact 6</u>:</strong></span> Let us believe, for the sake of argument, that Prof Agrawal was looking for “innate ability” and not an “acquired” one in the Special Recruitment Drive. Therefore, even though “acquired abilities” in Dr. Saderla, as defined by Prof Agrawal in terms of performance in courses, grade points, college of graduation, publications, etc, were found “lacking”, his “innate ability” made up for it. If indeed the selections were based on “innate” and/or “acquired ability”, then Prof Agrawal forgot to mention this criterion in the advertisement for the benefit and information of <em>all </em>other SC/ST candidates. After all, if other SC/ST candidates, who lacked “acquired” abilities (not having First Class, etc), had known that IIT Kanpur could also evaluate “innate” abilities in its selection process for the post of Assistant Professor, they would have certainly applied. This immediately prompts the following questions:</span></span></p><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Why did IIT Kanpur not advertise that its minimal eligibility criteria also include “innate abilities” and not just “acquired abilities” for the benefit of <em>all</em> SC/ST candidates?</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">In the absence of any other SC/ST candidate who had applied on the basis of “innate abilities”, is it at all surprising that the student of the Head of the Department alone was found suitable?</span></span></li></ul><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong><span style="color: blue;"><u>Fact 7</u>:</span> </strong>The internationally accepted way to evaluate “innate ability” is to consider the research output and research seminar performance of the candidate. As mentioned above, Dr. Saderla’s seminar performance was not exceptional. Even the selection committee members found the candidate “not very strong”. But, faculty feedback about the seminar was not considered, and the seminar performance was never discussed during the selection of Dr. Saderla:</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong><u>Statements To Fact-Finding Committee Of Prof Abhijeet Kushari, Professor, Aerospace Engineering, DFAC Member:</u></strong></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><em>“The seminar performance was not considered for shortlisting the candidates.”</em></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><em>“The Seminar was not discussed in the meeting [DFAC-IFAC, chaired by Prof Manindra Agrawal]”</em></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><em>A statement under oath to Hon’ble Justice Siddiqui by Prof. Abhijeet Kushari, Associate Professor, Aerospace Engineering, DFAC member, and Institute witness in the departmental inquiry against four faculty</em>.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">The last statement is especially damning. Even if we accept that Prof Manindra Agrawal was hiring on the basis of “innate ability”, then why did he not bother to discuss “innate ability” in terms of Dr. Saderla’s seminar performance in the DFAC-IFAC meeting which he chaired? This meeting was the only place where people like Prof Abhijeet Kushari, who attended the seminar, could have provided him feedback!</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">It is sad to see the Deputy Director of one of India’s premier institutes of higher learning calling his own senators “a lynching mob, baying for blood”, when all that the senators are standing up against is plagiarism and for academic integrity and honesty. Are we sure, at all, that Prof Agrawal will also be questioned by Prof Abhay Karandikar, the present Director of IIT Kanpur, for violation of conduct rules with as much alacrity as he has shown in previous cases?</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">According to Prof Agrawal, there are two narratives of this issue that are being published and debated. One is of “Saderla being not worthy of being hired at IITK and his recruitment being only because of his caste and/or manipulation by AKG”; and two, this is a “political fight between two groups in the institute and Saderla being used as a pawn.”</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Let me leave you with a third narrative.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Professors Agarwal and Ghosh subverted the Special Recruitment Drive (SRD) to push the case of Dr. Saderla and are now shielding themselves from an inquiry by threatening everyone who raises a voice with an SC/ST case. One is appalled by how other deserving SC/ST candidates have been discriminated against by their actions.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">I think it best to leave you with the unequivocal appraisal of the Special Recruitment Drive of the Institute’s SC/ST Liaison officer, Prof Kamal Poddar, Department of Aerospace Engineering, in his letter to the NCSC (National Commission for Scheduled Castes):</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>Here is what I think has happened: Several faculty members flagged the possibility of violation of advertised minimum eligibility norms and the possibility of a conflict of interest as the Head (Prof A K Ghosh), who is also Prof Saderla’s adviser, being involved in all committees of the selection process. These issues were flagged privately to the Director (through Head), by email to only Board members, and over a restricted Senators-only list. This was, I repeat, (the) only concern raised about the possibility of violation of advertised minimum eligibility norms and conflict of interest. Because relaxing the rules for some and not for other SC/ST candidates would tantamount to a mockery of the great affirmative aims of a special recruitment drive. Nothing in these private notes/mails was specific to a person, leave alone (the) person’s caste.</strong></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong><span style="color: blue;"><u>Post-script</u>:</span> </strong>A statement in support of Dr. Saderla, purportedly signed by 400 people internationally, is doing the rounds. The original statement has 400 signatures, with #276 being the fictional hero, Robert Langdon, from <em>The Da Vinci Code</em>. This raises doubts about the sincerity of the whole international solidarity campaign.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">This is also the statement being carried (verbatim) by websites such as <a data-cke-saved-href="https://countercurrents.org/2019/04/05/caste-discrimination-at-iit-kanpur/" href="https://countercurrents.org/2019/04/05/caste-discrimination-at-iit-kanpur/"><em>CounterCurrents.org</em></a><em>, </em><a data-cke-saved-href="https://sabrangindia.in/article/caste-discrimination-iit-kanpur" href="https://sabrangindia.in/article/caste-discrimination-iit-kanpur"><em>Sabrang India</em></a>, and <em>TheWire.in </em>till I exposed the fraud. <em>TheWire.in </em>has added 67 more signatures while that of Langdon has gone missing, though the other websites continue to show Langdon as one of them.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">There are several resolutions to the mystery of the missing Dr. Langdon is the latest version of the petition on <em>TheWire.in</em>.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">1. Realising that he is supporting a fraudulent campaign, and being a seeker of truth, Robert Langdon, once again broke through the fourth wall and took back his support. Indeed <a data-cke-saved-href="https://epaper.amarujala.com/kanpur-city/20190411/06.html?format=img&ed_code=kanpur-city" href="https://epaper.amarujala.com/kanpur-city/20190411/06.html?format=img&ed_code=kanpur-city"><em>Amar Ujala</em></a> reports that Langdon and 67 other professors are now protesting against this English media campaign and want their names withdrawn from the list of supporters.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">2. <em>TheWire.in </em>is running a parallel surreal campaign in which the campaign manifesto is plagiarised in toto from other campaigns, names are duplicated from other campaigns, names appearing magically, and leading fictional characters having walk-in parts.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">3. The campaign leaders, who are friends with the <em>TheWire.in </em>writer, realizing that they have been caught out, decide to make amends in their own special "international solidarity" way by signing out Dr. Langdon and signing in several replacements.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">I am choosing option 3.</span></span></p><p><br data-cke-eol="1" /></p>madhukishwarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14753750751813113571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188722843562789620.post-73475762958660976672021-11-15T21:05:00.000+05:302021-11-15T21:05:01.185+05:30Twitter’s Dhimmitude: How Islamists use platform to target me<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <strong style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">This article was published in the online edition of Swarajya on 24 September 2021.</span></strong></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">https://swarajyamag.com/blogs/twitters-dhimmitude-how-islamists-use-platform-to-target-madhu-kishwar</span></span></strong></p><hr /><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After suffering abuse and threats of harm on Twitter for many years, I decided to lodge a formal complaint with Twitter after I realised that there is a well-organised Islamist group which has put me on their hit list: they openly declare that they engineer mass reporting against my Twitter handle in order to get me banned from the platform.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What is worse, some of them are openly urging their team members to beat me up (lynch?) publicly.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Below, I share the full text of a complaint I sent on 31 August 2018 to Vinay Prakash, resident grievance officer of Twitter India. I have not yet received any response. In case, Twitter India does not take any action against the offending persons, I intend to explore other means of redressal because they have exceeded all limits in tarnishing my reputation and could well be planning to harm me physically. If we continue to suffer in silence, we are likely to suffer the fate of Kamlesh Tiwari.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u><span style="font-size: 18px;"><em><strong>Text of Letter to Vinay Prakash</strong></em></span></u><span style="font-size: 18px;"><em><strong>:</strong></em></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dear Mr Prakash,</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>SUBJECT: </strong>Reporting imminent threat to life, conspiracy, criminal intimidation, defamation, outraging modesty, cyber bullying, harassment, abetment to assault, abusive and vulgar comments, stalking, organised targeting, cyber terrorism, hurting religious sentiments, wanton vilification, attack on religion, rioting and insult on social media platform, Twitter. Requesting prompt action against anti-social elements harassing and threatening me on Twitter.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am an internationally acclaimed academic, editor and writer. My brief introduction is as follows:</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Starting March 2021, I joined Nehru Memorial Museum & Library (a social science research centre at Teen Murti House) as a senior professor;</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">From 2017 to 2020, I was National Professor, Indian Council of Social Science Research;</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Till 2016, I was a senior professor at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In addition, I am the founder and managing trustee of human rights/women’s rights organisation, <em>Manushi</em> and founder editor of <em>Manushi — A Journal About Women & Society</em>. Our office moved from Civil Lines to Sarita Vihar in 2018.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As a policy, <em>Manushi</em> stays away from political party affiliations. From its inception in 1978, Manushi Trust & Journal remained fiercely independent by choosing to be self-supporting. We said a firm ‘No’ to government grants, ‘No’ to money from foreign donor agencies. This spirit of independence earned us respect from all quarters.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sir, I have been in public life for the last 50 years commencing from my college days. I have an unblemished and a spotless track record. My research, writings and my selfless work for society, especially its vulnerable sections, have earned me widespread respect — cutting across political and ideological divides. Even those who may oppose my views, have not been able to point to a single instance of wrong doing by me in the last five decades. Very few people in public life can claim such a record.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">However, ever since I published a series of articles in 2013 culminating in a well-researched book, <em>Modi, Muslims & Media </em>in 2014, exposing the fake narrative around the Gujarat riots of 2002, I have been targeted, brutally trolled, threatened, abused and defamed on social media, which has begun to impact not only my health but also endangers my safety and security.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I ignored it for long years but now the situation has assumed menacing proportions capable of culminating in lethal consequences. Therefore, I feel compelled to lodge this formal complaint and demand stern action against the perpetrators of these criminal offences. The starting point has to be the registration of first information report (FIR) under relevant provisions of law.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I, being a public figure, am active on social media platforms like Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, etc. I regularly share my reasoned and articulate opinions on current affairs as well as historical events on social media. Mine is a strong and well-reasoned voice against #BreakUpIndiaForces and the #TukdeTukdeGang. Even though I have no connection with the BJP, all those who have a pathological aversion to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, pour out their venom against me with ferocity in order to erase my presence from all social media platforms. I have more than two million followers on Twitter and my views are taken seriously by people at large. Prime Minister Modi as well as senior leaders of different parties follow my handle. Because of this, the #BreakUpIndiaGang wishes to extinguish my presence on social media.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">All these persons seem to be working at the behest of external and internal enemies of India. Therefore, they have been running systematic campaigns to defame and harm me in order to provoke violence against me in order to intimidate me into silence. They create so much negativity around me that if some bigots carry out violent acts against me, they can appear totally justified, as for instance they did with Kamlesh Tiwari who was slaughtered with brutality for defending Hindu Dharma against malicious abuse.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u><span style="color: blue;"><strong><span style="font-size: 18px;">Cyber Terrorism on @Twitter by Organized Gangsters</span></strong></span></u><span style="color: blue;"><strong><span style="font-size: 18px;">:</span></strong></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Speaking specifically about @Twitter, certain known handles coupled with anonymous accounts have subjected me to well organised hate campaigns on Twitter.</span></span></p><ol><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">They are indulging in criminal intimidation, cyber bullying, cyber harassment and defamation aimed at outraging my modesty and dignity as a woman by posting insulting, abusive and obscene comments against me;</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">They have carried out a series of campaigns urging their network to mass report my personal Twitter account in order to terrorise and intimidate me into silence through organised gangsterism amounting to cyber terrorism;</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">They are openly instigating that I be beaten up, that i.e. they want me to be lynched publicly;</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">They want to see me locked up in “some kind of jail” for life and the key thrown away so that I rot inside for life. This means the jail won’t be that of Bharat Sarkar but the kind of jails the Taliban uses!</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">They are publicly instigating bigoted elements to pour venom on me, deliberately directed at harming my reputation in the eyes of right-thinking members of society and causing grievous damage to my public image;</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">They have subjected me to communally targeted and religious hate;</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">They have maligned my otherwise stellar reputation so that I become an object of derision and contempt in the eyes of not just Muslims, but also their supporters among leftists and other susceptible, impressionable minds. Young relatives of mine are getting very adversely affected by such character assassination on a large scale.</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If I had actually committed any wrongs, they could have easily filed a legal case against me but they keep urging the police (especially of the TMC-ruled state of Bengal) to arrest me without any substantial charge. <em>The absence of even a single police or court case against me indicates that their charges are part of a propaganda war to silence all those who stand up in defence of India and its much wronged ancient civilisation.</em></span></span></li></ol><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>@TeamSaath, the Leader of Cyber Terrorism: </strong>This handle run anonymously has led several mass reporting campaigns against me. It is leading a well-organised pack of trolls to abuse and ‘mass report<strong>’ </strong>me in order to pressurise @Twitter to suspend my account permanently. The reach of this handle is enormous because it seems to be part of a well-organised anti-India network. The extent of damage being done to my reputation can be gauged by the fact that:</span></span></p><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class=" cke_show_border" style="width: 500px;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="" data-cke-saved-src="https://manushi.in/upload/images/swarajya_2021-09_343a6fd9-245a-442d-b2e0-2d005e23aa44_Madhu_1.png" src="https://manushi.in/upload/images/swarajya_2021-09_343a6fd9-245a-442d-b2e0-2d005e23aa44_Madhu_1.png" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 277px; margin: 10px; width: 580px;" />From July 24 to July 30, 2021 - in just one week alone-<br />the hateful tweets posted by this handle demanding<br />my suspension from Twitter reached 3.1 million persons. </span></span></strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">@TeamSaath was able to generate 2,700 tweets targeting me as part of “mass reporting” during the above-mentioned week. All of these 2,700 Tweets carried the #SuspendMadhuKishwar tag. The operator(s) of this handle, started in November 2020, has (have) run several such hate campaigns against me over the last few months.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sample of tweets, aimed at banning me, invoking violence, spreading hate against me and my community, thereby constituting serious criminal offences:</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>@TeamSaathTweet dated July 24, 2021:</strong> Are you lending your platform to be weaponised against the Muslims @TwitterSafety? Nothing, absolutely nothing explains the immunity this Islamophobe is enjoying on @Twitter. Each day she ridicules your rules! Suspend @madhukishwar. Please report her for “Directing hate”.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Within minutes, the chorus of this well-organised network of anti-nationals and cyber terrorists start ranting in an orchestrated manner, as is evident from the samples given below. Some of them appear to be bots but some even have a number of verified handles baying for my suspension. <em>Twitter has suspended my account multiple times at their behest and restored it only after forcing me to remove tweets which had no abusive words. But @Twitter takes no action against their abusive tweets hurled at me.</em></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A sample of offensive content posted against me is reproduced here in under:</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Farhaad @Farhaad36677304 </strong>writes on July 30: <em><strong>Yehkutiyahai.[She is bitch] #SuspendMadhuKishwar.</strong></em></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Point to Note: </strong>Twitter took no action against Farhaad for calling me a <em>kutiya</em>, which is one of the most humiliating abuses a woman can be subjected to<strong>.</strong></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Azam Pathan@azamoptom </strong>writes on July 29: <strong>ज़हरीलीनागिन</strong>[Poisonous Snake]<br />#SuspendMadhuKishwar.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Point to Note: </strong>No action by Twitter against this abuse<strong>.</strong></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Mike's Chatter @FekuKiGoliyan </strong>writes on July 25: <em><strong>Why this Madhu Kishwar should not be beaten up publically(sic) with shoes, even our fake secular feminist will oppose that action the way they oppose Shiv Sainik’s action on Kangna poster.</strong></em></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Point to Note: </strong>This is openly urging people to lynch me. But Twitter took no action.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Mike's Chatter @FekuKiGoliyan </strong>had written again on July 25: <em><strong>In 2024, please ensure Madhu Kishwar is thrown into some kind of prison and the keys thrown away. Mad bitch.</strong></em></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Points to Note: </strong>This is spine chilling for the following reasons: They seem all prepared to defeat the present regime in 2024, which is legally no crime. But then they intend to unleash Bengal type violence on all those who do not join them in demonising and bringing down BJP or PM Modi.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Notice also the use of the term ‘Mad Bitch”. Apart from being a sexist insult, what do people do with mad bitches? Kill them! Moreover, the term, “some kind of prison” clearly implies that they don’t intend to get me locked up in a government prison because the government prison would not throw away the keys after jailing a person declared an “offender”.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The government of India also follows due process trial before conviction. What they have in mind are prisons of the kind run by ISIS in Syria where they brutalise Yezidi women as sex slaves or the kind of jails maintained by the Taliban in areas under the charge of terror brigades.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Dr Mohammed Ismail @smile47_ismail </strong>writes on July 29: <strong>#</strong><em><strong>SuspendMadhuKishwarZheerelekedehai sale</strong></em><strong>…[They are poisonous vermin]</strong></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Point to Note: </strong>Dr Ismail does not call me alone poisonous vermin but the abusive term “साले“ and “कीड़ेare plural nouns. This amounts to calling me and others like me, (meaning Hindus?) poisonous vermin. And what do you do with vermin, except destroy them! For the record, Dr. Ismail claims to be an “Ayush doctor”.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Shahnawaz Ansari(@shanu_sab),another cyber bully & abuser calls me,</strong>ख़ंजिर के नाल की ड़ायन। <strong>— a term I have never heard before. To quote his tweet:</strong>कभी तो शर्म कर ले ख़ंजिर के नाल की ड़ायन और कितना ज़हर भरा है तेरे अंदर? तूम हिला है।तुझे शर्म नहीं आती एक समुदाय के ख़िलाफ़ झूठ फैलाते हुए? आए दिन ज़लील होती है लेकिन अपनी आदत नाहिं छोड़ती बेगैरत।</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>[Have some shame, you witch of Khanjir race. How much more poison do you have inside you? Don’t you feel ashamed of spreading hatred against a community? Every day you are humiliated/shamed but you shameless woman, you do not give up your habit</em>]</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Point to Note: </strong>He even sent a WhatsApp message on my personal phone from his mobile number 7********6 declaring that he is part of a group that reports “abusive” accounts to get them suspended. He too has been leading vile hysteria against me among Muslim youth urging all he can reach to mass report me for “spreading hatred against Muslims”. Notice his foul language. But he has the gall to accuse me of being hateful when I am not given to hurling personal abuses but always base my comments on verifiable facts. If ever I go wrong, I am the first person to accept my lapse and make the required correction.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Sayema@_sayema, </strong>another nasty troll with over 925K followers with a verified account. As a close associate of @TeamSaath, she gloated:</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Please report her for ‘Hate’. She has been propagating hate and bigotry shamelessly. @verified how is this acceptable?@TwitterIndia, please suspend her handle permanently. Despite many temporary suspensions, she hasn’t learnt any lessons!#SuspendMadhuKishwar@TeamSaath</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Point to Note</strong>: Sayema uses such nasty words for me time and again. She has repeatedly joined campaigns to get me suspended. For the record, I have never followed her, never retaliated or even bothered to respond to her. And yet I am the hatemonger and she a paragon of virtue.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Nazre Imam @inazreimam wrote: </strong>Hindutva terror-minded Sanghi bigot and hate-bornfilth like @madhukishwar should be permanently suspended. #SuspendMadhuKishwar Please report her for ‘Hate’. She has been propagating hate and bigotry shamelessly. @verified how is this acceptable? @TwitterIndia</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Point to Note</strong>: I am being labelled terror-minded and hateful just because I oppose <em>jihadi</em> and Maoist violence. Even though, I have no connection with RSS and am yet being abused as ‘Sanghi bigot”.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Noor Alam@archnooralam</strong>: <em><strong>Please suspend her handle permanently. Despite many temporary suspensions, she hasn’t learnt any lessons</strong></em><strong>!#SuspendMadhuKishwar@TeamSaath</strong></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Point to Note: </strong>Robotically following command of @TeamSaath<strong>@IsranRar1</strong>:<em><strong>#</strong>SuspendMadhuKishwar. <strong>Enough is enough suspend this shit now A certified hater.</strong></em></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Point to Note</strong>: Calling me “shit” is their idea of demonstrating love while me, the object of such abuses, is portrayed as “hateful”.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Syeda Sadia Hasan @CyberWarrior</strong> SS writes: <em><strong>#SuspendMadhuKishwaraccount @Twitter @TeamSaath @madhukishwar A certified hater”</strong></em></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Point to Note: </strong>She is blindly following the spoon-fed script of hate against me, as part of a concerted campaign without any provocation from my side. <strong>PROFESSOR @Fraudprofess0r </strong>like several other trolls posted GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) of a poisonous snake and call me a ZehreeliNaagin.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em><strong>Annexure 2 </strong></em>is a photograph of a venom spitting cobra. Such images have been posted countless times to vilify me and provoke violence against me.</span></span></p><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class=" cke_show_border" style="width: 500px;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="" data-cke-saved-src="https://manushi.in/upload/images/swarajya_2021-09_2aa163d8-4d3f-4f4c-a353-6efe4755b6ac_Madhu_2.png" src="https://manushi.in/upload/images/swarajya_2021-09_2aa163d8-4d3f-4f4c-a353-6efe4755b6ac_Madhu_2.png" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; float: right; height: 514px; margin: 10px; width: 580px;" /><strong><em>Such images have been posted countless times to vilify me<br />and provoke violence against me.</em></strong></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>AveekSen@aveeksen</strong> posted on July 27: Indian ruling party @BJP4Indiatroll Professor @madhukishwarlabels as Jihadi award-winning journalist @dansiddiquikilled by the Taliban just because he's Muslim. Who all RTed/shared it?? First report by us at @hateSWATteam#HateSpeech#Misinformationhttps://hateswatteam.com/?p=70</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Points to Note: </strong>I have no connection with BJP or any other political party. Secondly, I opposed the demand for Rs 1 crore award to the family of Danish Siddiqui, not because he was a Muslim but because he was a leading member of Jamia University’s #BreakUpIndiaGang and had mobilised hate soaked campaign against CAA using false propaganda.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>EedMudasir @syeed_mudasir wrote on July 25: </strong>Does it never embarrass you that you have become practically synonymous with fakery and cheap misinformation? Is there absolutely nothing positive in your life? Why so…toxic?</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Point to Note: </strong>This is a good example of उलटा चोर कोतवाल को डांटे! While I am being subjected to a toxic hate campaign, I am being accused of being toxic. Mudasiris a Kashmiri Muslim and his Twitter handle carries the following advice…</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“…And Allah (SWT) will not punish them, while they seek forgiveness.”<br />Does it imply that unless I, as a Kafir, seek forgiveness of his Allah and convert to Islam, I cannot be forgiven?</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">On April 2020, he retweeted Pakistan PM Imran Khan’s tweet:</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We strongly condemn the racist Hindutva Supremacist Modi Govt's continuing attempts to illegally alter the demography of IOJK in violation of all international laws & treaties. The new Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Order 2020 is a clear violation of the 4th Geneva Convention.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thus in his view, PM Modi is a “racist Hindutva supremacist” acting lawlessly in “Indian Occupied” JK. This gives you an idea of the depth of his pro-Pakistan sentiments.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>@Raiyanazmi14tweeted:</strong> Ku re jahilsanghan the kutaqleefhui.. [You jaahilSanghan, what is bothering you?]</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Point to Note: </strong>Even though I have never had any association with the RSS, an oft-used abusive term hurled at me is “Sanghan”.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Modi Bengal Haar Gaya @5ytForRyt Writes: Freebee biryani wali aunty @gunjankapoor @TejinderBagga, Khaki ChaddiSanghanmodi ki Jasoos Hai [Freebee Biryani aunty Gunjan Kapoor, Tejinder Bagga and “Khaki ChaddiSanghan (meaning me) are spies of Modi. This is accompanied by a cartoon of PM Modi in half lungi peeping into people’s homes through a keyhole.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Point to Note: </strong>Khaki Chaddi Sanghan is an insulting abusive term. Moreover, we know how even in places like Kashmir or Afghanistan, Islamists slaughter those who they suspect of being government spies or informers.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">TRP king @sid80dude: Why is your khaki nicker is in a twist ? You give Bharat Ratana to Savarkar or Chota Rajan and be happy.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Point to Note: </strong>He is maliciously equating a venerated freedom fighter with an underworld don!</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>@singhgurinder85: </strong>Keep your mouth shut you piece of shit Sanghan... Don't interfere into Sikh's issue.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Points to Note: </strong>The above is clearly a Pak-propped Khalistani or islamist posing as a militant Sikh. Since RSS is always defamed as a “fascist” outfit, I too get pushed into that noxious space even though I have never been part of RSS. This amounts to criminal defamation, as it is a false statement made to malign my reputation.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Further, it is aimed at denigrating the RSS which amounts to insulting an organisation only because it has a history of being associated with Hindu causes even though they are forever in the appeasement mode vis a vis Muslims.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Screenshots of offensive profiles and handles on @Twitter along with respective URL are enclosed with the present complaint and marked as Annexure 3 Colly. The offensive content i.e. tweets, pictures and GIF along with corresponding URLs are enclosed with the present complaint and marked as Annexure 4 Colly.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: blue;"><u><strong>No Retaliation or Abusive Tweets by Me</strong></u><strong>:</strong></span> It is noteworthy that I have never ever used abusive language against anyone on SM or even in real life. Nor have I ever picked up cudgels against any of these hateful handles. In fact, I do not even follow them. I have simply ignored the abuses they hurl at me.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sadly, this has emboldened them no end. My only fault is that I subject all politicians, including Islamic leaders and even the prime minister of India, to critical scrutiny. I oppose the appeasement policies of the Indian state and do not subscribe to the propaganda that Muslims are a persecuted minority in India when in fact they have better rights in India than in any Islamic country and special privileges and rights within our Constitution that are not available even to the so-called majority community.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As someone who comes from a family of 1947 Partition refugees and refugees from Kashmir, I have a right to be critical of the politics that led to ethnic cleansing of Hindus in what became Pakistan as well as in Kashmir.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u><span style="color: blue;"><strong>Coordinated Handiwork of India/Hindu Haters</strong></span></u><span style="color: blue;"><strong>:</strong></span> These tweets are a good example of the coordinated handiwork of anti-social, habitual India bashers using bullying, defamation, and intimidation to trample upon my fundamental rights. These offenders not only attack me personally but their tweets also amount to spreading hatred against all those Hindus who stand up for India, their culture and faith. It is frightening to think that in one week alone their tweets vilifying me reached 31 lakh persons. (<em>See Annexure 1</em>).</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I will submit many more such hateful comments from Twitter once the investigation starts.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>Repeated Suspension of My Twitter Account & Major Setbacks</strong></span></u><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>:</strong></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thanks to this sustained hate campaign, my Twitter account has faced numerous assaults.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have reliable information that my Twitter account has been red flagged by Twitter. Red flagged handles are removed from Twitter’s suggestion algorithm to stunt their growth of followers.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Once I reached a following of 22.63 lakhs in May 2018, my account was shadow-banned and/or firewalled so that none of my followers get to automatically view my tweets. They have to make the effort to search out my handle.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My account has witnessed daily decline of followers which is strange because my following was organic, not boosted artificially;</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">From May 2018, when my following was 22.63 lakhs, today my following has come down to 20.17 lakhs. Had it happened organically, I would not mind. But this is the result of systematic targeting and attempts to marginalise and silence me and decimate the <em>rashtravadi</em> forces.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At one time my account was hijacked and all kinds of objectionable material posted on it and made inaccessible to me; which not only amounts to unauthorised use but also breaches my right to privacy.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">On July 25 when they got my Twitter account suspended for a day for the third time,this is what was said”</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>@TeamSaath gloated: </strong>Finally, some action from @Twitter on @MadhuKishwar. Her Tweet has been deleted by @Twitter and account locked for 12 hours. But that’s not enough. @TwitterSafety, enforce your own rules and #SuspendMadhuKishwar for being a repeat offender.”</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My response to the above tweet of TeamSaath contained not a single abusive or nasty word:</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>@madhukishwar 27 July:</strong> Ultachor kotwal ko daante! आपकी हिम्मत को सलाम Did no one ever tell U that there is life even after @Twitter? You & I are engaged in an epochal battle! By trying to get me suspended from @Twitter you only prove that our worst fears are not unfounded & strengthen our resolve. Enjoy!</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">On July 29, @TeamSaath launched yet another campaign to target me:</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We request all verified handles (tagged) to report @madhukishwar under the head “Abusive or harmful/directing hate against a protected category”</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Point to Note: </strong>They tagged several known handles like @sushantsays @RichaChadha @sakshijoshi @_sayeema @MANJUTToons etc, none of which I follow or engage with. These people are clearly part of this organised gang either as paid trolls or due to ideological affiliation.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Professional Hit Jobs by @TeamSaath:</strong> I am not the sole target of @TeamSaath. They are professionally trained to do hit jobs. On July 24 @TeamSaath gloated over their success in getting accounts of Ankit Saxena and Just4India suspended. On July 26, @TeamSaath proudly announced that @Arpittaneja8 account has been suspended following their campaign. They also got @TheSkinDoctor account suspended for some days. This clearly shows that this group has been set up with the specific purpose of silencing all those who do not fall in line with the Islamist mandate. It has in effect arrogated to itself the right to be a super censorship body on social media.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Last month the same bunch of hounds got me suspended from Club House for a whole week to sabotage a series of discussions we had scheduled on important issues of national importance.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><span style="color: blue;"><u>Assault on My Fundamental Right to Free Speech & Character Assassination</u>:</span> </strong>This concerted hate campaign tramples upon my fundamental right to free speech. They want to choke me because I am among those who openly challenge the fake narratives being peddled by ‘BreakUpIndiaForces’ and am read with respect not just within India but also globally. This is because my writing is based on meticulous research, not just casual opinion mongering. My writing poses a threat to their subversive agendas because they cannot pick holes in it.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Therefore, they resort to character assassination and intimidation so that potential new readers stay away from me. This has had a very adverse impact on my following and my reputation, especially among today’s youth who are not necessarily familiar with my past track record and learn everything from social media rather than serious reading. Apart from this, it has also impacted my health adversely.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: blue;"><u><strong>Risks to My Life & Liberty from Cyber Terrorism</strong></u><strong>:</strong> </span>Several well-wishers have warned me that my life is under threat because those who are being instigated to see me as an enemy of Islam. It is well known that Muslims believe in carrying out “सरधड़सेअलग” mandate of their <em>mazhab </em>for dealing with anyone who does not surrender before their dictates. They are brazen enough to give a call to beat me up, lynch me publicly, as is obvious in some of the tweets quoted above.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Some are threatening to fix me for life after the 2024 elections, as is happening in Bengal.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Openly calling for me to be ‘Publicly Beaten’ (Mob Lynching) Amounts to Cyber Terrorism. Therefore, they need to be booked under the provisions of Information Technology Act, 2000 also. As Advocate @AdvVikramSingh put it:</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Be it Baloch activist #KarimaBalochk. In Canada, #SabeenMahmudor Pak journo #SajidHussaink. In Sweden, or the deaths of apostates/rational humans who argue on logic, there’s one thing in common-their opponents wanted to SILENCE THEM & BULLY EVERYONE. This is akin to Taliban.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Point to Note:</strong> I happen to be living near Shaheen Bagh which is infested with extremist Muslims. With such a ferocious hate campaign unleashed against me, I can be easily targeted for slaughter like Kamlesh Tiwari.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: blue;"><u><strong>Criminal Conspiracy Behind It</strong></u><strong>:</strong></span> Calling for/instigating/abetting people to mass report an individual's personal account is no less than a criminal conspiracy under the relevant provisions of IPC. Targeted cyber bullying, harassment also attracts the charge of “criminal intimidation”. Even a cursory review of their tweets and writing on other social media platforms will confirm that they all belong to the #BreakUpIndiaGang. And I hurt them because mine is a strong voice in defence of India. I strongly suspect that they are acting at the behest of Pakistani agencies and urge you to investigate these links.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Such vicious attacks on a person who is widely respected as a ‘voice of reason’ are actually an attack on India’s integrity and sovereignty. They went for me even during the Shaheen Bagh anti-CAA agitation. If their obnoxious activities are allowed unhindered, they will succeed in subverting the fundamental rights of people to express their views openly and deter rational, logical and honest citizens to stand in solidarity with patriotic voices.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As per the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, recently notified by the Central Government, the content as posted by these hate mongers against me shall also be communicated to Twitter.com</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: blue;"><u><strong>My Prayer</strong></u><strong>:</strong></span> Given the seriousness of the offences, I request you to kindly investigate the matter and take suitable action against the concerned offenders and protect me from potential harm and further intimidation. The offences mentioned in this complaint amount to cognisable offences under the Indian law.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thus far, whenever I have reported an abusive tweet to you by some hateful Twitter handle, you have taken no action. But you have acted against me multiple times without justification under pressure of malicious mass reporting. I am not the kind who threatens or abuses anyone. And yet I face punitive action, not those who are actually harming people by tarnishing their hard-won reputation. Such partisan conduct does not go well with an internationally-reputed public platform. I sincerely hope, you will handle this threat to my safety and security as well as to my fundamental rights as a citizen of India with the seriousness it deserves.</span></span></p>madhukishwarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14753750751813113571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188722843562789620.post-8712776849164674342019-11-22T11:50:00.000+05:302019-11-22T13:44:22.140+05:30Appeal To CM Kejriwal & Urban Dev Min Hardeep Puri On 344th Anniversary Of Guru Tegh Bahadur’s Martyrdom<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<em><b><span style="color: blue;">An
open letter to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Union Urban Development
Minister Hardeep Puri on the eve of 344th anniversary of Shri Guru Tegh
Bahadur’s martyrdom.</span></b></em><span style="color: #3d3d3d;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-375jIfkoc7Y/XdeNbFs4wsI/AAAAAAAABPk/NG8biJTlCEc87PAh71iaeWUzHq6E1EdWwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="757" data-original-width="1279" height="378" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-375jIfkoc7Y/XdeNbFs4wsI/AAAAAAAABPk/NG8biJTlCEc87PAh71iaeWUzHq6E1EdWwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">Present day Sis Ganj Sahib Gurudwara,
constructed in this form in 1930s.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<em><span style="color: #3d3d3d;">Namaste
Shri Arvind Kejriwalji and Hardeep Puriji,</span></em><span style="color: #3d3d3d;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">I am making a special appeal to both of you on the eve of
344th anniversary of Shri Guru Tegh Bahadurji’s martyrdom, which took place on
24 November 1675. As you know, the sacred site of his martyrdom is in Chandni
Chowk area and is today known as Sis Ganj Gurudwara.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">The entire Chandni Chowk area, which had earlier become a
symbol of urban chaos, is currently undergoing a major redevelopment programme.
We consider it a great blessing that the project for the rejuvenation of
Chandni Chowk took off as an offshoot of a public interest litigation (PIL)
filed by Manushi in the Delhi High Court way back in 2006.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">The PIL itself was part of a long-drawn advocacy campaign
launched by Manushi in 1996 to ask policy-makers and administrators of Delhi to
stop their war against non-motorised vehicles, NMVs for short. Thousands of
these humble, eco-friendly vehicles were routinely confiscated every month and
sold as junk by the municipal agencies. These NMVs were treated as an unwanted
nuisance and denied due legal protection.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">Among other things, the PIL had demanded that instead of
crushing cycle-rickshaws and bicycles, the government ought to provide
dedicated NMV tracks to promote these vehicles as eco-friendly modes of travel
for short-distance commutes when motor vehicles are choking our cities with
poisonous fumes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">In addition, we demanded pedestrian-friendly road designs
with functional footpaths so that people can walk safely to nearby workplaces
or for local shopping instead of being forced to use cars or motorbikes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">In 2010, the hostile laws governing non-motorised
vehicles were struck down by the high court as unconstitutional. In addition,
the court ordered the Delhi government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi
to implement some pilot projects to make our city NMV- and pedestrian-friendly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">One such pilot project is the redevelopment of the
historic Chandni Chowk area, where motor vehicles will be barred entry during
the day, with the whole area being dedicated to pedestrians and NMVs. Karol
Bagh has already undergone this transformation and Kamla Nagar is listed as the
next beneficiary. All over the city, several NMV tracks have been constructed
on a trial basis as part of high court-monitored pilot projects.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">Chandni
Chowk: From urban chaos (above) to how it may look after redevelopment (a
digital rendering, below)</span><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wPRC3x4m9rw/XdeOa2nspoI/AAAAAAAABPw/ibWDg6sD9AMGRLr7CePO6zD1yA-DN0FjgCEwYBhgL/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 1em; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="581" data-original-width="1279" height="290" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wPRC3x4m9rw/XdeOa2nspoI/AAAAAAAABPw/ibWDg6sD9AMGRLr7CePO6zD1yA-DN0FjgCEwYBhgL/s640/3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<strong style="font-size: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;">Obsession With Mughal Grandeur Erases Native History</span></strong></div>
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<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">However, since the Chandni Chowk area hosts several
historic sites, it has thrown up a few problems which merit your personal
attention and intervention. To begin with, the entire Chandni Chowk
Redevelopment Plan is focused on recreating and celebrating, in a modernist
idiom, the grandeur of the Mughal heritage, from the Red Fort to Fatehpuri Masjid.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">Those handling this project, or even the experts of the
Delhi Urban Arts Commission who have held up the project for months on end to
ensure that the Mughal heritage is preserved in its “pristine purity”, have not
shown equal awareness of two very important sacred sites in the Chandni Chowk
area, namely the Sis Ganj Gurudwara and Bhai Mati Das Museum. The area between
them was named the Fountain Chowk to honour a waterless fountain standing there
as a clumsy relic of British <em>raj</em>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">The importance of these sacred sites has been
deliberately diminished in popular memory through partisan state policy. Here
is a brief summary for the benefit of those who have forgotten what Sis Ganj
Gurudwara and Bhai Mati Das Museum, situated in the middle of Chandni Chowk, represent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<strong><span style="color: blue;">Guru
Tegh Bahadur’s Awe-Inspiring Satyagraha Against Conversions</span></strong><span style="color: #3d3d3d;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">In May 1675, a group of Kashmiri Brahmins came to seek
Guru Tegh Bahadur’s help in stopping the onslaught of forced conversions of
Hindus ordered by Aurangzeb. Guru Tegh Bahadur decided to stand up for the
freedom of his people and sent a message to Aurangzeb that if he could first
convince him (ie, Guru Tegh Bahadur) to become a Muslim, then the Brahmins
would also convert.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">Guru Tegh Bahadur then nominated young Gobind Rai (later
known as Guru Gobind Singh) as his successor, and on 11 July 1675, he left
Anandpur for Agra to confront Aurangzeb at his <em>durbar</em>. He was
accompanied by three companions, Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Sati Das and Bhai Dayala.
They all knew they were courting death by joining their Guru.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">Bhai Mati Das and Bhai Sati Das were born in a Brahmin
family of the Chhibber clan in village Karyala, in the Jhelum District of
Punjab, now in Pakistan. Their grandfather, Bhai Praga, had become a follower
of Guru Har Gobind and had taken part in battles with Mughal forces.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">Bhai Dayala was 15 when he joined the Guru's <em>sangat</em>.
His ancestors belonged to Alipur near Multan. His grandfather, Bhai Balu Ram,
had attained martyrdom while fighting in Guru Har Gobind's first battle of
faith against the Mughals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">All four were arrested <em>en route </em>and
taken in chains to Delhi and locked up in prison from July to November 1675.
During their incarceration, Guru Tegh Bahadur and his three companions were
starved and tortured mercilessly. When these brutalities did not result in
their yielding to conversion, Aurangzeb ordered that Guru Tegh Bahadur be
beheaded.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">To test his resolve further, Aurangzeb told his minions
to first slaughter the Guru's companions before his eyes, hoping that the sight
of their suffering might shake Guru Tegh Bahadur’s resolve and pressure him to
save himself by agreeing to embrace Islam.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">Bhai Mati Das, chosen to be the first martyr, was led out
in chains under heavy guard. The spot fixed for his execution was the Kotwali.
He was tied between two erect flat logs of wood and sawed alive from head
through torso till he bled to death. Despite such an agonising death he refused
to convert and kept chanting the <em>japji</em>, a prayer composed by Guru
Nanakji, till his last breath.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">Bhai Mati Das
being sawed from head to torso on Aurangzeb’sorders. Image courtesy:
https://rsdhanjal.wordpress.com/sikh-religious-oil-paintings-masterpieces/bhai-mati-dass-jee-2x3ft-antique-wooden-frame/)</span><span style="font-size: 1em;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">The next to be martyred was Bhai Dayala. They led him to
the spot where Bhai Mati Das had been sawn into two and advised him to be
wiser. But he too refused to give up his dharma. He was seated in a large
vessel, which was then filled with water. Then they lit a fire with wood piled
beneath, so that the boiling water scalded Bhai Dayala to death. He too kept
chanting Guru Nanak’s <em>japji</em> till he died.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5cNrTz0gOK8/XdePKN4qtqI/AAAAAAAABQA/Uk7EmDMgjAAwDg3oqSJBSNhp8X99JBY-gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="687" data-original-width="1280" height="342" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5cNrTz0gOK8/XdePKN4qtqI/AAAAAAAABQA/Uk7EmDMgjAAwDg3oqSJBSNhp8X99JBY-gCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">Bhai Dayal
Das being boiled to death on Aurangzeb’s orders. Image courtesy:
http://sikhmartyr.blogspot.com/p/bhai-mati-daas-sati-daas-dayal-daas.html</span><span style="font-size: 1em;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">Then came the turn of Bhai Sati Das, who also stood firm
and refused to denounce his dharma and accept Islam. Enraged at this, the Qazis
ordered that Bhai Sati Das be wrapped in cotton wool, which had been soaked in
oil. The cotton was then set afire and he was roasted alive. Even he continued
reciting the <em>japji</em> till his last breath.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8z_jgKtTh2w/XdePao9q3JI/AAAAAAAABQI/szVSvu_BVp06ixwsWSYxcmNG85KJGFoHwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="1278" height="234" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8z_jgKtTh2w/XdePao9q3JI/AAAAAAAABQI/szVSvu_BVp06ixwsWSYxcmNG85KJGFoHwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">Bhai Sati Das
being burned to death on Aurangzeb’s orders. Image courtesy: Museums of India,
https://www.museumsofindia.org/museum/364/bhai-mati-das-sati-das-museum </span><span style="font-size: 1em;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">Despite witnessing such horrors, Guru Tegh Bahadur did
not yield to conversion. So, he too was beheaded <em>halal</em> style
in Chandni Chowk on 24 November 1675. His executioner was Jalal-ud-din Jallad,
who belonged to the town of Samana in present-day Haryana. The spot of the
execution was under a banyan tree (the trunk of the tree and the nearby well,
where he bathed, are still preserved). Gurudwara Sis Ganj stands at the site
where Guru Tegh Bahadur was beheaded.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">Aurangzeb had ordered that none be allowed to cremate Guru
Tegh Bahadur’s mortal remains so that vultures would come and feed on them. But
at the risk of their own lives, two of Guruji’s devotees defied this <em>farmaan</em>.
His head was carried away by Bhai Jaita to Chak Nanaki (later renamed Anandpur
Sahib), where the nine-year-old Guru Gobind Rai cremated it. His body, which
was to be quartered, was stolen by another daring follower, Lakhi Shah Vanjara,
under the cover of darkness that descended with a sudden sandstorm. He carried
it away hidden in his cart under a load of hay. After reaching the headless
body to his modest home at the outskirts of Delhi, he cremated his Guru's
remains by setting his entire home on fire. Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib stands at
this spot today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: #fcfcfc; clear: both; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RY6dt01UY54/XdePpMNFAcI/AAAAAAAABQM/AsgiEsy3-bUXDj5iX1aAudSSyKjaYl9rgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="837" data-original-width="1280" height="417" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RY6dt01UY54/XdePpMNFAcI/AAAAAAAABQM/AsgiEsy3-bUXDj5iX1aAudSSyKjaYl9rgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: blue; text-align: left;"></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue;">Painting
depicting Guru Tegh Bahadur’s serenity even when facing brutal death; Bhai
Jaita and Lakhi Shah Vanjara retrieving Guru Tegh Bahadur’s remains for a
proper cremation. Image courtesy:
http://pilgrimage-sikhism.blogspot.com/2010/09/guru-tegh-bahadur-jis-sacrifice-to.html </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: 1em;">Every
Gurudwara remembers the story of this martyrdom in its daily </span><em style="font-size: 1em;">ardaas</em><span style="font-size: 1em;"> in
the following words:</span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #555555;">Remember those brave Sikh men and women, who sacrificed
their heads for the sake of Dharma; Who were cut into pieces from each joints
of their bodies; Whose heads were chopped off from their bodies; Who were tied
and crushed between wheels till all the bones in their bodies were smashed; Who
were sawed to death; Who were flayed alive; Who sacrificed themselves to upkeep
the dignity of the Gurdwaras; Who did not abandon their Sikh faith…<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">Gurudwara Sis Ganj and the Bhai Mati Das Memorial are
symbols of the heroic resistance of our ancestors to forced conversions and
brutal subjugation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: #fcfcfc; clear: both; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UbH6mwDUH9o/XdeP8BhVz4I/AAAAAAAABQY/EJyN35b8PrAHOdmA-A2kxHN3U90OpHvQQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="1280" height="312" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UbH6mwDUH9o/XdeP8BhVz4I/AAAAAAAABQY/EJyN35b8PrAHOdmA-A2kxHN3U90OpHvQQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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</div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;">
<span style="color: blue;"></span></div>
<div style="background-color: #fcfcfc; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue;">Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Sahib in Delhi.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: 1em;"><o:p></o:p></span><br /></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">Guru Tegh Bahadur and his three companions are the most
awesome <em>satyagrahis </em>India has ever produced. Mahatma
Gandhi’s <em>satyagraha </em>was baby stuff in comparison. The
devotees of the Great Gurus kept the sacredness of that site in their hearts
and minds even though it was not possible to commemorate those sites under Islamic
rulers. The Gurudwara in its present form was constructed as late as in the
1930s.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">It was in the compound of the Kotwali that Bhai Mati Das,
Bhai Sati Das and Bhai Dayala were done to death in the most gruesome manner by
Aurangzeb's executioners. The British had turned the Kotwali into a
colonial-style police station. It stood right next to the Sis Ganj Gurudwara.
In the year 2000, the Delhi government handed over the
Kotwali-turned-police-station compound to the Sis Ganj Gurudwara management for
its expansion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;">
<strong><span style="color: blue;">I</span><span style="color: blue;">rfan
Habib-Romila Thapar School Of Distoriography Erases This Memory</span></strong><span style="color: #3d3d3d;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">Sadly, during my years as a history student at the
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), I did not once hear the names of Guru Tegh
Bahadur, Guru Govind Singh and others who fought against Islamic tyranny
because we were fed on the Irfan Habib-Romila Thapar School of Distoriography.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">I learnt about the Great Gurus from my parents and by
listening to Gurbani. So deeply ingrained are the biases inculcated by Left
historians that they reflect in every aspect of our lives, including the naming
of roads.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">Despite the horrors of Partition, in the heart of
imperial Delhi, major roads were named after Mughal rulers, from Babar,
Jehangir, Akbar and Shah Jehan to Aurangzeb and Bahadur Shah Zafar. But it
didn’t occur to our rulers to rename Chandni Chowk as Guru Tegh Bahadur Chowk.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">Delhi Tourism does not promote Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib
as an important landmark the way it holds up the Red Fort as the foremost
identity marker of Delhi.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">Therefore, it is no surprise that the team handling the
Chandni Chowk Redevelopment Project has not engaged with the Sis Ganj Gurudwara
management to draw up plans to commemorate this sacred site in an appropriate
manner.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">By all means redevelop the area and preserve the Mughal
monuments. But don’t gloss over the painful fact that in popular memory (as
opposed to Bollywood <em>masalas</em>), this phase of history is
remembered as one of religious persecution, forced conversions, destruction and
plunder of our temples, rapes and mass abduction of women for turning into sex
slaves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">Some enthusiasts among the Gurudwara management team have
erected a very shoddy structure in a make-shift manner on the periphery of the
Fountain to commemorate the martyrdom of Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Sati Das and Bhai
Dayala. <em>(See photos below)</em>. Funnily enough, the Shiromani
Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) has picked up cudgels with the Delhi
government to let this crudity remain untouched since it is part of 'Sikh
heritage'. Sadly, the SGPC is probably distorting its own history by pretending
that the Chowk was the site of martyrdom when it is mentioned in their own
literature that the actual site was the Kotwali. In any case, such a crude
structure is an insult to the memory of those great men.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mrjUk2y42zk/XdeQhUS2tRI/AAAAAAAABQg/vLBbtgtXnJE82QFk-tZPZbpFxdtzWQJrACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="920" data-original-width="1280" height="460" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mrjUk2y42zk/XdeQhUS2tRI/AAAAAAAABQg/vLBbtgtXnJE82QFk-tZPZbpFxdtzWQJrACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/9.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: #fcfcfc; clear: both; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-align: left;">A makeshift memorial for Bhai Mati Das, Bhai
Sati Das and Bhai Dayala at Fountain Chowk (above) whereas the site of his
martyrdom was the Kotwali (below)</span><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mur-jx43a0M/XdeQrH3_uLI/AAAAAAAABQk/f9sCr__3MQs4NYYCdqGgKA3TFOiYFfXjgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 1em; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="876" data-original-width="1279" height="438" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mur-jx43a0M/XdeQrH3_uLI/AAAAAAAABQk/f9sCr__3MQs4NYYCdqGgKA3TFOiYFfXjgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/10.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;">
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I appeal to you Mr Kejriwal and Mr Puri to
join together in commemorating the sacred sites associated with these
awe-inspiring defenders of our dharma as the centerpiece of the Chandni Chowk
Redevelopment Programme. Let party politics not come in the way of your
cooperation on this issue. The Fountain Chowk should be renamed as Sis
Ganj/Bhai Mati/Sati/Dayala Chowk since it stands between the two historic
buildings.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d3d3d; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<strong><span style="color: blue;">Sis
Ganj/Bhai Mati Das Chowk Deserves To Be A National Monument</span></strong><span style="color: #3d3d3d;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/u/3/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=7188722843562789620" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="color: #3d3d3d;">To those who say commemorating this site of <em>satyagraha </em>will
be politically provocative, I say this: though we can't undo certain painful
aspects of our past, we should also not erase from memory the awe-inspiring
resistance to tyranny offered by our ancestors during those dark days of
history.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">Because of this cultivated amnesia, today only those
officially designated as Sikhs own up to the Sis Ganj Gurudwara. The rest of us
have been made to forget our deep connect with the great Gurus. This diminishes
Guru Tegh Bahadur’s status to that of a leader of the <em>panth</em>,
whereas he and his comrades should be remembered as national heroes and the
site of their martyrdom treated as a national monument.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">The memorial should be designed in such a manner that it
provides a brief history of Sis Ganj Gurudwara and the Bhai Mati Das Memorial
in the Chowk itself so that more people are inspired to pay their homage at the
historic gurudwara and visit the Museum which currently lies neglected.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: #fcfcfc; clear: both; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d3wRyPL3iuE/XdeQ3XgAp0I/AAAAAAAABQs/xLSppWcz5QohHf5rR1DlQs-sunatNBLSgCEwYBhgL/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="672" data-original-width="1280" height="336" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d3wRyPL3iuE/XdeQ3XgAp0I/AAAAAAAABQs/xLSppWcz5QohHf5rR1DlQs-sunatNBLSgCEwYBhgL/s640/11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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</div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;">
<span style="color: blue;"></span></div>
<div style="background-color: #fcfcfc; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue;">Work under progress in Chandni Chowk.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">In addition, the government should consider converting
the Town Hall building into a museum of Delhi’s history – pre-Islamic,
post-Islamic, British and post-independence eras. Why are we letting our
younger generation grow so ignorant about our past? It is a well-known truism
that those who don’t learn from their past are condemned to repeat the very same
blunders time and again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "open sans", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">First posted at https://swarajyamag.com: </span><a href="https://swarajyamag.com/politics/an-appeal-to-kejriwal-and-hardeep-puri-on-344th-anniversary-of-guru-tegh-bahadurs-martyrdom">https://swarajyamag.com/politics/an-appeal-to-kejriwal-and-hardeep-puri-on-344th-anniversary-of-guru-tegh-bahadurs-martyrdom</a><span style="color: #3d3d3d;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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madhukishwarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14753750751813113571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188722843562789620.post-54135617832807482072019-04-09T12:16:00.000+05:302019-04-09T12:17:16.500+05:30Subverting Special Recruitment Drive 2017 @ IIT Kanpur : How Nepotism Damaged Dalit Cause & Threatens IITK Survival<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><span style="color: blue;">PART - II</span></b><br />
<br />
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><span style="color: blue;">“Relaxing the rules for
some and not for other SC/ST candidates would tantamount to a mockery of the
great affirmative aims of a special recruitment drive.</span><span style="color: #3640cd;">” </span></b><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Prof Kamal Poddar</span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> (another
reserved category professor of IITK) in his submissions to National Commission
for Scheduled Castes<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">An Assistant Professor in the Department of
Aerospace Engineering, Prof. S. Saderla, had alleged in early 2018 that he was
harassed and discriminated based on his caste by:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
</div>
<ol>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Four senior faculty in particular; <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Board members of IIT Kanpur; <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Faculty Forum of IIT Kanpur, as alleged in
press reports; <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Finally, its Senate.</span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He alleges that he was knowingly, wilfully harassed
by faculty of his own Department as well as other Departments because of his
caste. Several actions taken or recommended based on his allegations by institutional
mechanisms like NCSC, IIT Kanpur as well as the Police have currently been
stayed by the Allahabad High Court. The then Officiating Director, Prof.
Manindra Agrawal <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and the Head of the
Department of Aerospace Engineering, Prof. A.K Ghosh strongly believe that the
allegation of discrimination is valid. As the then Officiating Director and
Head of the Department, their decisions played a strong role in the recruitment
of Dr. Saderla. It was their responsibility to ensure that due diligence was
followed in the recruitment process. Both of them have repeatedly stated in
various committees and newspaper reports that no procedural irregularity took
place in the recruitment procedure. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: 12pt;">However, faculty, students, staff and even the faculty spouses on IIT Kanpur campus believe that this entire case is a witch hunt to punish the whistle blowers who pointed out serious lapses in the recruitment process, silence the voices of dissent, and settle personal scores. After two inquiries, two NCSC reports, and one FIR, and over fourteen months of intense stress, these four faculty members continue to stand by what they are convinced is the truth. Now, the entire Faculty Forum is fearlessly calling for the resignation of Prof. Manindra Agrawal and Prof. A.K Ghosh for abusing their positions and vitiating the atmosphere of the Institute. The Faculty Forum resolved that the conduct of Prof. A.K Ghosh and Prof. Manindra Agrawal should be investigated for violation of official conduct rules. These officials should be divested of their official responsibilities with immediate effect.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For last fourteen months, over several spurts of
media outbursts, one has heard the story of harassment of Dr. Saderla and even
his family in minute chronological details. However, for last fourteen months,
not once have the four alleged faculty members- Profs. C.S.Upadhya, Sanjay
Mittal, Rajiv Shekhar and Ishan Sharma spoken a word. They don’t make any press
releases defending and justifying their actions, give no quotes to newspaper.
There is not even that elusive line- XYZ was unavailable for comments, but, what
does speak for them is the Indian judicial system. They have been given four
stays in fourteen months by the Honourable High Court of Allahabad against the
actions of NCSC, IIT Kanpur and now the police. More recently, one hears that
the court has summoned data from IIT Kanpur in response to one of their writs. The
data provided in their writs at the court, a few RTIs, and documents available
on the IIT Kanpur website exposes some graver issues that need public attention
because they raise serious concerns about the transparency, accountability and
fairness of recruitment processes in Institutes of National Importance.
Especially, when it involves a special recruitment drive for SC, ST, OBC, and
PwD (Divyang).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;">Affirmative Action
Recruitment Drive Vitiated through Nepotism</span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">IIT Kanpur advertised the minimum eligibility
qualification in the Special Recruitment Drive (</span><span style="font-family: "palatino"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">advertisement number DF-4/2017</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">) through which
Dr. S. Saderla applied in 2017, as: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ph.D. with first class or equivalent (in terms of grades) at the
preceding degree in the appropriate branch, with a very good academic record
throughout.</i>”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You can all read this on the
website of IIT Kanpur. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">https://www.iitk.ac.in/dofa/current-openings.</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is claimed on several fora, and by the Officiating
Director, Prof. Agrawal, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that Dr. S.
Saderla whose Ph.D CPI is 7.0 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">meets</i>
the advertised<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">minimum</i> eligibility criteria of the Special Recruitment Drive. But,
on the other hand, the <span style="background: white;">contention according to
some faculty members was that 7.0 CPI is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i>
equivalent to first class in IIT Kanpur and, therefore, the Department of
Aerospace Engineering flouted minimum eligibility norms during the </span>Special
Recruitment Drive<span style="background: white;">. Thus, the selection, led by
Prof. Agrawal, provided relaxation selectively to a candidate who happened also
to be the Masters and Ph. D. student of the Head of the Department, Prof. A.K
Ghosh. As is apparent, </span></span><span style="background: white; color: #3640cd; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">providing relaxation selectively to a single
candidate and not to others, is a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">discrimination</i>
against <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i> other reserved category
candidates</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">. According to the ex-Liaison Officer of IIT Kanpur,</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> relaxing the
rules for some and not for other SC/ST candidates “tantamounts to a mockery of
the great affirmative aims of a special recruitment drive.” <span style="background: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is surprising that for over
fourteen months, an Institute of higher learning, having highly educated and
decorated faculty and administrators has not been able to examine its own documents
and practices to figure out whether or not 7.0 CPI is equivalent to first
class. Even the two external committees led by Prof. Pathak and Hon’ble Justice
Siddiqui have nothing to comment on this matter. The silence of the Board of
Governors is even more deafening. IIT Kanpur would not be torn apart today, if
someone could simply follow the norms laid down transparently in the grading
scheme. Is this rocket science? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The PG manual (Institute approved
Post Graduate manual prescribing academic norms which can be accessed here - https://www.iitk.ac.in/doaa/data/pgmanual-02Sep2015.pdf)
of IIT Kanpur says the following: </span><i><span style="background: white; color: #3640cd; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">minimum CPI requirement for continuing in the Ph.D
programme is 7.0. </span></i><span style="background: white; color: #3640cd; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That is, the<span style="background: white;"> minimum
graduating CPI is 7. This implies that, if Dr. Saderla had a CPI of 6.99 he
would <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> have been awarded a Ph.D
degree by IIT Kanpur. The Ph.D CPI of Dr. Saderla is <i>exactly</i> 7.0.
Thus, </span></span><span style="background: white; color: #3640cd; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Dr.
Saderla barely met the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">minimum</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">passing</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">requirements</i> of IIT Kanpur. Can a minimum passing mark be
considered equivalent to a first class in any academic system, let alone an
IIT?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Moreover, not only does Dr.
Saderla not have first class in his Ph.D, he was on academic probation in the
first semester of his M.Tech.</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> He had a CPI of
6.0 — for which, as per the PG manual rules (</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">- https://www.iitk.ac.in/doaa/data/pgmanual-02Sep2015.pdf)</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">, he should have been issued a <i>warning
letter</i> from the then Head of the Department. According to the testimony of
one of his M.Tech Professors, Dr. Saderla got a ‘D’ grade in his departmental course
and his performance was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> very
good. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="Default" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However, for the sake of an argument, even if it is assumed that the
appointee was given relaxation (which was <u>not</u> advertised), the UGC
guidelines permit only a 5% relaxation from the minimal requirement. In this
case, even if we assume the minimal requirement to be Grade B (CPI 8) described
as ‘Good’ in the IIT Kanpur academic system, then 5% of 8 is 7.6 CPI. Thus, Dr.
Saderla, even after relaxation does <u>not</u> meet the minimal requirement, as
his CPI is 7.0 in Ph.D.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Does IIT Kanpur, an Institute indebted
to the Indian taxpayer not owe a clarification to <u>ALL</u> aspiring and
desiring SC-ST candidates on what its minimum qualification requirements are? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Why does IIT Kanpur along with all other
IITs simply not announce that 7.0 CPI is first class? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Why does IIT Kanpur not fill all its
faculty posts with candidates having a CPI of 7.0 in their Ph.D? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why is there just one amongst 400 faculty who
has a CPI 7.0? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is interesting to observe the</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> record of the academic qualifications
of General and Reserved category candidates selected in the Department of
Aerospace Engineering since 2016. Here, it is important to emphasize that t</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">he advertised minimum eligibility requirements for
General candidates is NOT different from the Reserved category candidates; at
IIT Kanpur, <u>they are one and the same</u>. Check it out for yourself on the website
- https://www.iitk.ac.in/dofa/current-openings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Information revealed through RTIs <span style="background: white;">clearly show (see table below) that <u>no</u></span>
candidate -- General or Reserved category -- below a CPI of 8.5 has been
shortlisted for final interviews by IIT Kanpur in the Department of Aerospace
Engineering since 2016. The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">only</i>
exception being Dr. Saderla whose CPI is 7.0 – the minimum passing mark for a
Ph. D. at IIT Kanpur! The aberration is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">un</b>explainable,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">unless</i> the advertised minimum
eligibility norms were indeed selectively relaxed for the student (Dr. Saderla)
of the Head of the Department, Prof. A.K Ghosh. But, relaxation itself was <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i></b>
advertised. In fact, information obtained through RTIs makes it amply clear
that IIT Kanpur did not state any relaxation policy in its advertisement. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center">
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 70.65pt;" valign="top" width="94"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Name<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 55.45pt;" valign="top" width="74"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Category<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 192.6pt;" valign="top" width="257"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Educational Qualification (Converted to CPI out of 10.0
or percentage)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 70.65pt;" valign="top" width="94"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Candidate 1<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 55.45pt;" valign="top" width="74"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">GN<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 192.6pt;" valign="top" width="257"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">M.Tech- 9.82<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ph.D- 9.84<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 70.65pt;" valign="top" width="94"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Candidate 2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 55.45pt;" valign="top" width="74"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">GN<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 192.6pt;" valign="top" width="257"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">M.E- 9.8<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ph.D- 10.0<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 70.65pt;" valign="top" width="94"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Candidate 3<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 55.45pt;" valign="top" width="74"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">GN<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 192.6pt;" valign="top" width="257"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">M.Tech., 9.75<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ph.D-9.74<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 70.65pt;" valign="top" width="94"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Candidate 4<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 55.45pt;" valign="top" width="74"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">SC<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 192.6pt;" valign="top" width="257"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">M.Tech., 7.25<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ph.D- 7.0<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 5;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 70.65pt;" valign="top" width="94"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Candidate 5<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 55.45pt;" valign="top" width="74"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">OBC<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 192.6pt;" valign="top" width="257"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">M.Tech., 8.7<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ph.D- 10.0<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 6;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 70.65pt;" valign="top" width="94"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Candidate 6<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 55.45pt;" valign="top" width="74"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">GN<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 192.6pt;" valign="top" width="257"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">M.Tech., 9.75<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ph.D-10.0<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 7;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 70.65pt;" valign="top" width="94"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Candidate 7<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 55.45pt;" valign="top" width="74"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">GN<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 192.6pt;" valign="top" width="257"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">M.Tech., 10.0<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ph.D-10.0<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 8;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 70.65pt;" valign="top" width="94"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Candidate 8<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 55.45pt;" valign="top" width="74"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">GN<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 192.6pt;" valign="top" width="257"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">M.Tech., 9.4<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ph.D- 9.6<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 9;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 70.65pt;" valign="top" width="94"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Candidate 9<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 55.45pt;" valign="top" width="74"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">GN<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 192.6pt;" valign="top" width="257"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">M.Tech., 8.79<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ph.D-10.0<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 10;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 70.65pt;" valign="top" width="94"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Candidate 10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 55.45pt;" valign="top" width="74"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">OBC<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 192.6pt;" valign="top" width="257"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ph.D- 8.5<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 11; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 70.65pt;" valign="top" width="94"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Candidate 11<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 55.45pt;" valign="top" width="74"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">GN<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 192.6pt;" valign="top" width="257"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">M.Tech., 91.3%<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ph.D- 9.0<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Such aberrations were noticed by several faculty within the Department
of Aerospace Engineering after Dr. Saderla joined the Institute. Eleven faculty
of the Department expressed it in writing to the then Officiating Director,
Prof. Manindra Agrawal. They said:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We the
undersigned faculty members of Aerospace Engineering would like to communicate
to you our extreme displeasure at the way the department faculty advisory
committee and Head ignored the faculty inputs and concerns and went ahead with
their recommendations for the recent selections held in December 2017, to the
posts of Assistant Professor in AE to the Institute committee.</i>"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">How is anyone’s caste, creed, religion, gender or any other divisive trait
attributed or interpreted in this communication?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It simply
reflects an apprehension that could easily have been addressed by the then
Officiating Director, Prof. Manindra Agrawal or the Head, Prof AK Ghosh.
Unfortunately they didn’t/couldn’t do so. Their failure to address these lapses
and take corrective measures has today cost IIT Kanpur its academic image that
has been tattered in the media. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Instead of addressing the concerns raised by the Department faculty, the
Officiating Director turned the entire case into a caste issue. <span style="color: #3640cd;">Prof. Kamal Poddar is one of the eleven signatories of
the letter mentioned above. He is a very senior and well respected faculty of
the Department of Aerospace Engineering. Few know that he himself belongs to a reserved
category because IITs pride themselves in being concerned with merit alone, and
nothing else. </span>Belonging to the same department as Dr. Saderla, he has
first-hand knowledge of this issue. He was also the Institute Liaison Officer
for the SC-ST cell when Dr. Saderla was recruited, in which capacity he corresponded
with the National Commission of Scheduled Castes on this matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: #3640cd;">He informed NCSC,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">in writing, </i>that he did <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u style="text-underline: #212121;">not</u></b>
find <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">any</i> caste issue in this episode</span></span><span style="color: #3640cd; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">All</i>
interactions of Dr. Saderla with the faculty have been cordial. In fact, the
Department faculty have hugged and welcomed Prof. Saderla.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To quote
from Prof Kamal Poddar’s letter to NCSC, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Here is what
I think has happened: Several faculty flagged the possibility of <u>violation
of advertised minimum eligibility norms</u> and the <u>possibility of conflict
of interest</u> as the Head (Prof. A. K Ghosh), who is also Prof. Saderla's
adviser, being involved in all committees of the selection process. These
issues were flagged privately to the Director (through Head), by email to only
Board members, and over a restricted Senators only list. This was I repeat,
only concern raised about the possibility of violation of advertised minimum
eligibility norms and conflict of interest. Because, relaxing the rules for
some and not for other SC/ST candidates would tantamount to a mockery of the
great affirmative aims of a special recruitment drive. <u>Nothing in these
private notes/mails was specific to a person, leave alone person's caste</u>.</i>”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Instead of listening to the testimony and evidence of its own officer
(Office of the Liaison Officer is expected to assist NCSC in the investigation
of complaints as mandated by DoPT), NCSC recommended in its minutes dated
10-04-2018 to remove him from his post. Of course, such an overreach and unfair
judgement lacking any evidence by the NCSC could not escape the eyes of the Honourable
High Court of Allahabad which immediately stayed the order. But, it still makes
you wonder <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Who is harassing whom</i>? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is this
a caste issue </i>at all<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">? </i>considering
that the NCSC prefers the version of one SC person (Dr. Saderla) over another
(Prof. Poddar, LO, IIT Kanpur); the former backed by upper castes (the
Officiating Director and Head of Department), to protect his recruitment while the
latter questioning it, to protect his Department and his Institute from
nepotism, and <span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">the wider </span></span><span style="font-family: "palatino"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">SC, ST, OBC and
PwD candidates</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> from
discrimination in the form of unequal opportunities. Clearly, this is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u style="text-underline: #212121;">not</u></b>
a caste issue but one of transparency and equity as Dr Poddar said, but for
which he was rapped by the NCSC itself. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;">If Relaxation Was not Advertised, Was it Implemented?</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If IIT Kanpur had clearly advertised in its
recruitment policy that applicants with 7.0 CPI are eligible to apply, more
SC-ST candidates would have applied in response to the special recruitment
drive. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">All</i> SC-ST candidates who had
similar or better qualifications than that of Dr. Saderla, but did <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> apply for the post because they did <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> possess a First Class in their Ph.D
or M.Tech have been deprived of an opportunity to apply, compete and be hired
at IIT Kanpur. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">All</i> eligible SC-ST
candidates with a 7.0 CPI have been discriminated against by IIT Kanpur by <u>following
a selection criteria that was <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i></b> advertised to the public</u>.
IIT Kanpur has discriminated against all eligible SC-ST candidates, by bending
its selection norms and procedures to accommodate the student of the Head of
the Department of Aerospace Engineering. </span><span style="color: #3640cd; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Do
all SC-ST candidates have to be students of HoD A.K. Ghosh and Director Agrawal
to be hired in the IITs?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This preferential and privileged treatment given to
the student of Prof. A.K Ghosh in full support of Prof. Manindra Agrawal (who
chairs the Selection Committee) seems even more discriminating when you look at
the CPI of the other SC-ST candidates who applied during the Special
Recruitment Drive. </span><span style="color: #3640cd; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
response to an RTI (see Table 2), IIT Kanpur has admitted that there were four
SC-ST candidates who applied in the Special Recruitment Drive for a position in
the Department of Aerospace Engineering. Even though Dr. Saderla only had a CPI
of 7.0, IIT Kanpur selected him over two other candidates who had a CPI of 8.2
and 8.25 in their Ph.D. The other SC-ST candidates were not even shortlisted,
let alone interviewed and selected for the post despite their obviously better
CPI than Dr. Saderla</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">. One had heard of discrimination between General
and Reserved category, but this is a novel blatant misuse of reservation by
elite castes to discriminate and favour selected reserved category candidates
only. IIT Kanpur has taken caste-based discrimination to yet another level. It
has pitched a Dalit against another Dalit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Table 2: Marks of all candidates who applied for
the Special Recruitment Drive of IIT Kanpur</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; width: 623px;">
<tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 25.5pt;" valign="top" width="34"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">No<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 213.1pt;" valign="top" width="284"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Degree<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 37.8pt;" valign="top" width="50"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Marks<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 66.5pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Shortlisted<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 68.15pt;" valign="top" width="91"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Interviewed <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 56.5pt;" valign="top" width="75"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Selected<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 21.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td rowspan="3" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 21.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 25.5pt;" valign="top" width="34"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">1<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 21.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 213.1pt;" valign="top" width="284"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bachelor of
Engineering<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Nagpur
University<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 21.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 37.8pt;" valign="top" width="50"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">76<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td rowspan="3" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 21.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 66.5pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td rowspan="3" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 21.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 68.15pt;" valign="top" width="91"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td rowspan="3" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 21.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 56.5pt;" valign="top" width="75"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 20.95pt; mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 20.95pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 213.1pt;" valign="top" width="284"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Master of
Engineering<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Shivaji
University<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 20.95pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 37.8pt;" valign="top" width="50"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">75.2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 20.95pt; mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
<td style="background: #BFBFBF; border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 20.95pt; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-background-themeshade: 191; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 213.1pt;" valign="top" width="284"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Doctor of
Philosophy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Indian
Institute of Technology Kanpur<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #BFBFBF; border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 20.95pt; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-background-themeshade: 191; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 37.8pt;" valign="top" width="50"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">8.2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 16.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 4;">
<td rowspan="3" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 16.75pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 25.5pt;" valign="top" width="34"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 16.75pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 213.1pt;" valign="top" width="284"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bachelor of
Technology<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Rohilkhand University<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 16.75pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 37.8pt;" valign="top" width="50"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">6.70<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td rowspan="3" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 16.75pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 66.5pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td rowspan="3" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 16.75pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 68.15pt;" valign="top" width="91"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td rowspan="3" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 16.75pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 56.5pt;" valign="top" width="75"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 16.7pt; mso-yfti-irow: 5;">
<td style="background: #BFBFBF; border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 16.7pt; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-background-themeshade: 191; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 213.1pt;" valign="top" width="284"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Master of
Technology <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">IIT Guwahati<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #BFBFBF; border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 16.7pt; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-background-themeshade: 191; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 37.8pt;" valign="top" width="50"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">6.83<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 16.7pt; mso-yfti-irow: 6;">
<td style="background: #BFBFBF; border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 16.7pt; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-background-themeshade: 191; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 213.1pt;" valign="top" width="284"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Doctor of
Philosophy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">University of
Liverpool<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #BFBFBF; border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 16.7pt; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-background-themeshade: 191; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 37.8pt;" valign="top" width="50"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">NA<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 16.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 7;">
<td rowspan="3" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 16.75pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 25.5pt;" valign="top" width="34"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">3<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 16.75pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 213.1pt;" valign="top" width="284"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bachelor of
Technology <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">JNTU Hyderabad<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 16.75pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 37.8pt;" valign="top" width="50"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">75.86<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td rowspan="3" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 16.75pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 66.5pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Shortlisted<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td rowspan="3" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 16.75pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 68.15pt;" valign="top" width="91"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Interviewed <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td rowspan="3" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 16.75pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 56.5pt;" valign="top" width="75"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Selected<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 16.7pt; mso-yfti-irow: 8;">
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 16.7pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 213.1pt;" valign="top" width="284"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Master of
Technology <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Indian
Institute of Technology Kanpur</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 16.7pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 37.8pt;" valign="top" width="50"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">7.25<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 16.7pt; mso-yfti-irow: 9;">
<td style="background: #BFBFBF; border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 16.7pt; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-background-themeshade: 191; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 213.1pt;" valign="top" width="284"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Doctor of
Philosophy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Indian
Institute of Technology Kanpur</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #BFBFBF; border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 16.7pt; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-background-themeshade: 191; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 37.8pt;" valign="top" width="50"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">7<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.6pt; mso-yfti-irow: 10;">
<td rowspan="3" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 12.6pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 25.5pt;" valign="top" width="34"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">4<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 12.6pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 213.1pt;" valign="top" width="284"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bachelor of
Technology <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Jawaharlal Nehru
Technological University College of Engineering <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 12.6pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 37.8pt;" valign="top" width="50"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">52.71<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td rowspan="3" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 12.6pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 66.5pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td rowspan="3" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 12.6pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 68.15pt;" valign="top" width="91"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td rowspan="3" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 12.6pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 56.5pt;" valign="top" width="75"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.6pt; mso-yfti-irow: 11;">
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 12.6pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 213.1pt;" valign="top" width="284"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Master of Engineering<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Andhra
University College of </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Engineering<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 12.6pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 37.8pt;" valign="top" width="50"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">7.88<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.6pt; mso-yfti-irow: 12; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="background: #BFBFBF; border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 12.6pt; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-background-themeshade: 191; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 213.1pt;" valign="top" width="284"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Doctor of
Philosophy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Indian
Institute of Technology Guwahati</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #BFBFBF; border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 12.6pt; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-background-themeshade: 191; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 37.8pt;" valign="top" width="50"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">8.25<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "palatino"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">fraudulent
practice</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> and
the blatant misuse of the affirmative actions of the SC-ST reservation has also
been recorded in the Supreme Court </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "palatino"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">judgment in the </span><span lang="IT" style="font-family: "palatino"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">District Collector, Vizianagram vs. M. Tripura Sundari
Devi (1990(4) SLR 237</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "palatino"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">. The Honourable Supreme Court states in
its judgement</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "palatino"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="Default" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 36.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "palatino"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“It must further be realized by all concerned that when an
advertisement mentions a particular qualification and an appointment is made in
disregard of the same, it is not a matter only between the appointing authority
and the appointee concerned. <i><u>The aggrieved are all those who had
similar or better qualifications than the appointee or appointees but who had
not applied for the post because they did not possess the qualifications
mentioned in the advertisement.</u></i> It amounts to a fraud on public to
appoint a person with inferior qualifications in such circumstances <i><u>unless
it is clearly stated that the qualifications are relaxable</u></i>. No
Court should be a party to the perpetuation of the fraudulent practice.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Both Prof. Manindra Agrawal, Chair of the Selection
Committee and Prof. A.K Ghosh, member of the selection committee which recruited
Dr. Saderla in writing have confirmed that requirements of academic
qualifications were indeed relaxed for Dr. Saderla. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="Default" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "palatino"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Statement
of Head, Aerospace Engineering:</span><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "palatino"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 36.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "palatino"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "palatino"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Dr. Saderla has M.</span><span lang="DE" style="font-family: "palatino"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tech</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "palatino"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> CPI=7.25 (well above graduating CPI), PhD CPI=7.0 and
thesis of good quality (paper from PhD=6). <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Yes
for general candidate, we would not have short listed the candidate</u></i>.
This point was clearly mentioned in DFAC-IFAC meeting. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>This being special drive and for SC category DFAC-IFAC agreed to
take it for interview.</u></i>” (Emphasis added)</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "palatino"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "palatino"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Statement
of Officiating Director, IIT Kanpur on the Head’s statement:</span><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "palatino"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 36.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "palatino"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“…</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "palatino"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> the department would not shortlist a candidate with
this record in case of general category candidates. However, given that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>this was recruitment in special category,
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">some relaxation</b> was done during
shortlisting</u>.</i> In other words, he [Head, AE] is saying that the
candidate does meet minimum qualifications, however, <u>for general category
candidates, shortlisting is done with more stringent norms which were not
applied in this case.</u>” (Emphasis added)</span><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "palatino"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But, we all know by now that relaxation was not
advertised, therefore, it could not have been selectively offered to the
student of Prof. A.K Ghosh. This, as the Supreme Court judgement emphasised is
a fraudulent practice for which both Prof. Manindra Agrawal and Prof. A.K Ghosh
are liable to face a disciplinary inquiry. Of course, such an enquiry, if held
impartially, will also nullify the Special Recruitment Drive, further implying
that Dr. Saderla will have to re-apply whenever a fresh advertisement is
floated by IIT Kanpur. With this as a background, does it surprise us anymore
that all three- Prof. Manindra Agrawal, Prof. A.K Ghosh and Dr. Saderla are moving
heaven and earth for last fourteen months to divert the attention of the entire
nation, and now even the world, by spreading the news that the four faculty in
particular, and the faculty of IIT Kanpur in general are casteist. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Prof. A K. Ghosh and Prof. Manindra Agrawal have
played divisive politics twice. Firstly, they misrepresented the minimum
eligibility qualifications to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i>
reserved category candidates by advertising that First class and very good
academic record is an eligibility requirement to be a faculty at IIT Kanpur.
Due to this several Dalit candidates who had a CPI less than first class or an
academic record which is not ‘very good’ could not apply for the post of
Assistant Professor. They lost an opportunity of employment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Secondly, between the candidates who applied, Prof.
Ghosh selected Dr. Saderla, <u>who was Dr. AK Ghosh’s very own student</u>,
despite the fact that the other SC/ST candidates had a higher CPI than Dr.
Saderla. This divisive politics will break the movement for empowering Dalits
by pitching one Dalit against another and also destroy the academic ethos of a
great institution. And, of course, it will destroy IIT Kanpur, as we are in the
process of witnessing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Right to equality of opportunities in matters of
public employment (Article 16) is the fundamental right of all<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indians. All eligible reserved category
candidates have the right to avail equal opportunity to apply to IIT Kanpur.
For this the entry level qualifications have to be the same as the ones that
are advertised.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No other department in
IIT Kanpur even shortlisted, let alone recruit an applicant with a 7 CPI in the
Special Recruitment Drive. Either all departments, other than Aerospace
Engineering did not follow the advertised recruitment guidelines and are
therefore guilty of committing SC-ST discrimination. Or, Prof. A.K Ghosh
flouted the advertised guidelines to facilitate the entry of his own student, Dr.
Saderla, with the help and support of the Officiating Director, Prof. Manindra Agrawal.
The nexus between the three is apparent. Indeed, given that both Prof. Ghosh
and Prof. Agrawal have done their Ph. D. from IIT Kanpur, it would not have
been lost upon them that a CPI of 7.0 is the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">minimum</i> passing mark, <u>not</u> first class. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">IIT Kanpur, and in particular Prof. Manindra
Agrawal and Prof. A.K Ghosh owe an apology to the entire Dalit struggle of over
a hundred years to gain equal opportunity to all Indians. Instead of correcting
the centuries old social ill, they have wilfully subverted the reservation
policy and systematically sabotaged Special Recruitment Drive to serve their own
ends and people. Prof. Agrawal and Prof. Ghosh also owe an apology to their
alma mater, IIT Kanpur, for destroying its name and reputation for fairness and
high academics by their blatant nepotistic and casteist actions.</span><span style="color: red; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sadly, the well-intentioned SC-ST
Act lent itself to easy abuse in many cases even while genuine victims of caste
oppression don’t often get justice thanks to poor implementation of laws meant
for their empowerment. It is tragic that even in an institution of national
eminence like the IITK a handful of influential & unscrupulous administrators
( all upper caste) are misusing the draconian SC/ST Act for their own selfish purposes
even at the cost of destroying the lives of eminent colleagues. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The saddest part
of this saga is that they are doing so to cover their nepotism towards one SC
student even while brazenly harming the careers of several better qualified
SC/ST candidates.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
First published in Swarajya, April 8, 2018</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">See Link: </span><a href="https://swarajyamag.com/politics/iit-kanpur-fairness-was-subverted-in-special-jobs-drive-for-scs" style="text-align: left;">https://swarajyamag.com/politics/iit-kanpur-fairness-was-subverted-in-special-jobs-drive-for-scs</a></div>
<br /></div>
madhukishwarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14753750751813113571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188722843562789620.post-28726187956419971912019-04-09T10:51:00.000+05:302019-04-09T10:51:27.462+05:30Break Up India Gang Targets IIT Kanpur: Proven Plagiarism in PhD Thesis Counter Blasted by Fake Charges of Caste Discrimination <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><span style="color: blue;">PART - I</span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">India takes pride in its IITs as
globally celebrated centres of excellence. Indian taxpayers money goes into
funding these institutes to compete with the best in the world. When media
(Wire.in: <a href="https://thewire.in/caste/400-academics-condemn-caste-discrimination-institutional-harassment-in-iit-kanpur" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc;">https://thewire.in/caste/400-academics-condemn-caste-discrimination-institutional-harassment-in-iit-kanpur</span></a>;
Countercurrents: <a href="https://countercurrents.org/2019/04/05/caste-discrimination-at-iit-kanpur/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc;">https://countercurrents.org/2019/04/05/caste-discrimination-at-iit-kanpur/</span></a>)
reported that 400 scholars, academics and activists from 16 countries,
representing a comic mix of institutions and freelancers have endorsed a
statement of solidarity against the “caste-based discrimination and
institutional harassment” of a Dalit academic from IIT-Kanpur, Dr. Subramniam
Saderla, I could immediately sense that yet another sinister conspiracy against
India is brewing fast and furious.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The smear campaign against IIT Kanpur
arouses suspicion for the following reasons--</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
<ol start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The only source of the petition is a report in
The Indian Express. No original source or document has been cited. Surely,
the signatories, eminent as they should know that a Petition cannot be
based on a news report. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">A motley group of academics in remotely placed
foreign universities had joined hands with political activists, writers,
dancers, filmmakers- have arrogated to themselves the right to sit in
judgement over and demonise IIT Kanpur--one of the prime educational
institutions of India-- without even the pretence of seeking facts from
the concerned institution, leave alone carrying out a thorough
investigation into the matter;<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Even a casual glance at the list of
signatories is enough to convince any non-partisan person with a modicum
of integrity that this is a well calculated move by forces hostile to
India to use their Indian mercenaries to defame and destroy the best of
academic institutions in India in a manner similar to the CIA backed
puppets targeting ISRO in 2000. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Most of these worthies have an established
track record of being sympathetic to Break-Up India Forces & the Tukde
Tukde Gang.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The most astounding name is #276 on the list:
Robert Langdon, the fictional character of Dan Brown’s best seller-‘Da
Vinci Code’ and ‘Angels and Demons’. Intriguing how he came out of
the fiction to sign the petition to support one Dr Dr. Saderla in Kanpur
-- A new code, definitely.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Professional India/Hindu basher Arundhati Roy
is leading this pack along with another professional India basher and
Sonia Gandhi acolyte Noam Chomsky; accompanied by Mallika Sarabhai, Gita
Hariharan, Gayatri Spivak Chakravarthy- -and many such compulsive critics of
the political party currently heading the Government of India;<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The list of signatories also includes some
well known Urban Naxals such as Nalini Sundar, Ram Punyani, Achin Vanaik,
Anand Teltumbde, Abhishek Atreya, Abhishek Dhar, Nivedita Menon among others. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Most of the foreign academia signatories are
repeat offenders who are willing to lend their name to any and every
campaign against India whenever their political bosses order them to do so
as for example, Alpa Shah, Dilip M. Menon, Abhishek Bhattacharyya, Chandra
Talpady Mohanty.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Just as the leaders of this group – Arundhati
Roy and Noam Chomsky -- have no connection to science and technology, the
majority of signatories are from the field of humanities and social
sciences, with not even a cursory knowledge of what a Ph. D. in Aerospace
Engineering from an IIT entails. Such a ham-handed hit job can only be
unleashed by paid hirelings or those who are executing hidden agendas of
powerful vested interests due to ideological commitment or monetary rewards.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">None of these signatories or partisan news
reports unleashed by them, mention the fact that Dr. Saderla had filed
FIRs against four eminent professors of IIT Kanpur under the draconian
SC/ST Atrocities Act. This law has been often misused by unscrupulous
persons as an instrument of blackmail, extortion and vendetta. So rampant
has been its misuse that the Supreme Court of India had recommended
amendments in this Act to remove easy-to-misuse & lawless provisions
in this Act. Are the local police of Kanpur competent to decide the
veracity of plagiarism charges and the suitability of a candidate to hold
an academic post?<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Sadly, the fear of political backlash
prevented Government of India from implementing the suggestions of the Supreme
Court with regard to SC/ST Atrocities Act. Under the abovementioned Act (as
with domestic violence law & anti rape law) mere allegation is enough to
get the accused person arrested and jailed even before the trial has begun.
Contrary to the foundational principle of Indian jurisprudence that a person is
assumed innocent till proven guilty, under the SC/ST Act, the burden of proof
is on the accused. Getting bail is extremely difficult in such cases. Proving
one’s innocence in such cases can take years, if not decades. This means that
the lives and academic careers of the accused professors would have been
destroyed forever even if at the end of the trial they are declared innocent,
while Dr. Saderla would have lorded over IIT Kanpur unchallenged for times to
come since everyone in IIT would be terrorised into silence by the harm he
could inflict on those who dare question his wrongdoings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Since the names and political track
record of signatories against IIT Kanpur rang alarm bells in my mind, I decided
to contact my old friends in IIT Kanpur and get their version of the story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">I delineate below the facts provided
by the academic community of IIT Kanpur and relevant documents in support
of their version which prime facie indicate that Dr. Saderla is likely to have
misused the SC/ST Atrocities Act as a weapon of vindictiveness to escape
scrutiny of charges of outright plagiarism.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Given all these implications, I urge
every Swarajya reader to give careful attention to the following facts as
provided to me by reliable sources in IIT Kanpur.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The IIT Kanpur version:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">This case is not about
caste. It is about cheating. Let’s look at facts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Subramniam Dr. Saderla was appointed
assistant professor on January 1, 2018 in the Department of Aerospace
Engineering, under a Special Recruitment Drive (for SC/ST/OBC/PwD) in IIT
Kanpur. On March 14, 2019, IIT Kanpur’s highest academic body - the Senate
- pronounced him guilty of plagiarism in his doctoral thesis and decided that
his Ph. D. thesis be withdrawn and recommended to the Board of Governors of IIT
Kanpur that his Ph. D. degree be revoked. This decision has triggered a media
protest alleging that a Dalit professor’s degree is threatened because he had
complained about being harassed on account of his caste by some IIT
professors. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Without any investigation into the
academic document and no knowledge of technical subjects, a media campaign has
been orchestrated to question and protest against the expertise of the
institution to judge whether a technical document of research is plagiarized or
not. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">An entire Institute is being harassed
and destroyed by people who think they know more about doctoral thesis and its
evaluation than established Professors with years of experience. This is
a systematic conspiracy to suppress plagiarism simply because the person
involved in plagiarism happens to belong to a certain caste. Does conjoining
the word ‘Dalit’ with ‘professor’ make plagiarism acceptable? No matter how
many ‘leading scholars’ sign a petition to pressure IIT Kanpur’s Board of
Governnor’ decisions, let us remember (1) only the IIT Kanpur Senate –
comprising 200 odd senior Professors holding doctoral degrees from leading
Universities across the World -- is qualified to make that judgment, and (2)
being an expert in one field does not qualify one to comment on another. The
experts who have signed the petition should know this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The facts are simple and speak for
themselves. On 15.10.2018 an email was received by the Director, IIT
Kanpur and other faculty members of IIT Kanpur from an anonymous source which
alleged plagiarism in the Ph. D. thesis of Roll no. Y10101064, which was, in fact,
that of Dr. Saderla when he was enrolled in IIT Kanpur as a doctoral student.
The email included the thesis of Dr. Saderla and sources from which entire
pages had been lifted. The common portions had been highlighted. In this email,
the sender compared Dr. Saderla’s case to a previous case of plagiarism by
Abhishek Singh, an M. Tech. student of the Department of Electrical
Engineering, IIT Kanpur, whose M. Tech. degree was revoked by the IIT Kanpur’s
Board of Governors in 2017, following a recommendation by the Senate. The
sender demonstrated that the amount of plagiarism in Dr. Saderla's thesis was
not just limited to introductory chapters, as in the case of Abhishek Singh,
but is of a much greater magnitude. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">In his email, the student writes:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">“I am also unhappy and misillusioned
to see the severe discrimination between student and faculty on campus when
applying academic rules. For a small error, SSAC and Senate easily terminate a
student. Our intentions and capability are questioned when we may be merely acting
out of ignorance. Even more importantly we do what we do because we have faith
in our guide and our teachers. But when a faculty commits serious mistakes he
is left off without even a warning. I have seen faculty exploit students, forge
data, misuse project funds and even plagiarise. Some do it openly and are
never challenged. Some are challenged but never punished. Some are never
challenged and also awarded. The hypocrisy of IITK and the academic system is
getting to me now. It makes me wonder, why do I spend sleepless nights over my
work at all? I can simply copy.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">According to the student, paragraphs
after paragraphs, pages after pages have been copied by Roll no Dr. S. Dr.
Saderla in his Ph. D. thesis from at least two theses of his seniors, and even
a paper published by one of them. Not only the Ph. D. thesis, but Dr.
Saderla has also copied material worth an entire page in a paper published by
him in International Journal of Intelligent Unmanned Systems from the thesis of
Roll no Y4101064. Would a good Journal have accepted this paper if it knew of
this plagiarism? Will this Journal continue to accept this if it was told about
the plagiarism? At the same time, the plagiarized paper would, no doubt, have
played a role in Dr. Saderla’s career progression.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The email sender attached Dr.
Saderla’s thesis with highlighted portions that were copied from the thesis of
his seniors. The student mentions: “For example, page 1-5 of Chapter.1
of Prof. Prof. Subrahmanyam.S’s thesis are an exact copy of page 29-34 of
Chapter.1 of Prof. N.Peyada’s thesis. Again, page 145-149 of Chapetr.6 is an
exact copy of page 87-92 of Prof. N.Peyada’s thesis. Section 7.3.1 of Prof.
Prof. Subrahmanyam.S’s thesis is an exact copy of Section 5.1 of the 2014 paper
of Kumar & Ghosh in The Aeronautical Journal, vol. 118. So is Section 7.3.2
from Section 5.2 of the paper and section 7.4 from section 5.4 of the same
paper. The entire Appendix A of Prof. Subrahmanyam.S’s thesis is a complete
copy and paste of the Appendix B of the thesis of Prof. R. Kumar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Dr. Saderla immediately converted
this into a caste issue. He filed an FIR against four professors of the
institute, without any evidence, to support his charge that they were
responsible for the email. The Hon'ble Allahabad High Court, stayed the FIR in
totality on 22.11. 2018 — a very rare event which only highlights the
mischievous intent of the FIR. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">On 12.11.2018, another anonymous
email was received by the Institute Director and faculty in which the sender
claimed that he/she had been proved right. While there were reports that police
action will be pursued against the anonymous sender, no action was initiated
against Dr. Saderla. The sender alleged that Dr. Saderla had
plagiarized his M. Tech. thesis as well. The sender said that entire Chapter 1
is copied from Chapter 1 of the thesis of Girish Sagoo. This is identical to
the plagiarism of the EE student Abhishek Singh whose M. Tech. degree IIT
Kanpur cancelled. Large parts of Chapter 4 are copied from Chapter 6 of another
student (Roll no. Y210165). Section 4.4 is taken from a book of Jategaonkar
without any reference. The introduction of Chapter 5 is copied from an
AIAA paper. The gravity of the plagiarism in Dr. Saderla’s M. Tech.
thesis is perhaps best captured by the fact (see included image) that nearly
the entire last chapter on “Conclusions and Future Work” is copied! If the
Conclusions are copied, what was the contribution of the M. Tech. thesis? </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">A cursory look at the attachments
received from the anonymous source reveals that the extent of plagiarism in the
Ph. D. thesis is alarming and, indeed, far more extensive than the precedent
case of Abhishek Singh’s M. Tech. thesis as briefly shown below:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ol start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Descriptions and discussions of his results
are copied. For example, as the anonymous student points out, on p.
194-195 in Sec. 7.3.4(b) of Chapter 7 when discussing his research data,
Dr. Saderla writes “The estimated parameters are compared to the
wind tunnel estimates (column 2). It can be observed [Tables 7.5(a-b)]
that the estimated aerodynamic parameters such as C_(Y_β), C_(l_β),
C_(l_(δ_a )), C_(n_β) are consistent and in close agreement with the wind
tunnel estimates for most of the lateral-directional flight data sets. The
most of the flight data sets gave consistent values of the estimated
damping (C_(l_p) and C_(n_r)) and the cross (C_(l_r) and C_(n_p))
derivatives (parameters). The obtained values of aerodynamic parameters
such as C_(Y_p) and C_(Y_r) were also consistent for most of the flight
data sets. However, the values of the estimated parameters such as
C_(Y_0), C_(l_0) and C_(n_0) deviates from the wind tunnel estimates but
their value is quite small or negligible as desired for most of flight
data sets.” This is copied almost exactly from the top para of
“Estimation of lateral-directional aerodynamic derivatives from flight
data using conventional and neural based methods” by R. Kumar and A. K.
Ghosh (The Aeronautical Journal, 118, 1453-1479, 2014. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0001924000010149" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc;">https://doi.org/10.1017/S0001924000010149</span></a>).
So blatant is this copying that even Dr. Saderla agreed to this
tacitly in comment 3 of his rebuttal letter to the institute. Of
course, this begs the question: If the description of data is copied, can
we trust the data? If not, then what was the Ph. D. given for?<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Technical explanations of anomalous data have
been copied verbatim in places from the 2011 Ph. D. thesis of Dr. Rakesh
Kumar. How can it be that data collected after an interval of 5 years has
exactly the same discrepancy? Was the data the same, simply mined again?
Then, what was Dr. Saderla’s Ph. D. research about? <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">On p. 43 of his Ph. D. thesis, Dr. Saderla
claims that “our flight vehicles are powered by electric motors, the
weight of the aircraft remains constant throughout the flight.” Later, in
Sec. 6.2, where all four pages are lifted verbatim from REF, Dr. Saderla
writes, however, that “The exact location of CG during flight is
determined from the instantaneous fuel quantity …”. Thus, while
plagiarizing Dr. Saderla has forgotten that his vehicles run on
electric motors, not fuel!<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Finally, around 50% of the final conclusions
are copied. If so, then have you really said anything new in your Ph.
D.? <o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">All the evidence, all facts suggest
that Dr. Saderla is a repeat offender -- who has plagiarized portions of both
his postgraduate theses, as well as a published journal article. Repeat offence
attracts a far higher penalty — see, for example, the UGC guidelines cited
below in this article — and this would make it even harder to defend the
continuation of Dr. Saderla in his current position as a faculty in one of the
premier Institutes of the country.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Before proceeding further, let’s
first note the process through which plagiarism complaints are handled at IIT
Kanpur:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Step 1: Matter is referred to
Academics Ethics Cell (AEC) for investigation. The AEC only identifies the
extent and source of plagiarism. It is a preliminary fact finding body and its
recommendations can be overruled by statutory bodies such as SPGC (step 3
below) and Senate (Step-4 below). It does not have the mandate to recommend
punishment and the final decision in any case lies in the hands of the Senate
or the Board.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Step 2: The report of the AEC is
shared with the accused for his/her response/clarification/defence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Step 3: All documents are given to
the Senate Postgraduate Committee (SPGC) for discussion and recommendation,
which includes suggestions for appropriate punitive action.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Step 4: Everything is placed before
the Academic Senate of IIT Kanpur, which is the highest decision making body
for all academic matters and consists of nearly 200 members, all Professors.
The Senate discusses the matter in detail and gives a decision. In academic
matters this is the final decision. It can, when necessary, also recommend
revocation of degree in matters related to plagiarism of theses to the Board of
Governors of IIT Kanpur. Only when the Senate has decided, can it be claimed
whether or not IIT Kanpur has found a student to have plagiarized.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">This is a very thorough and
transparent process.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">IIT Kanpur Director asked the Academic
Ethics Cell (AEC) to investigate both the Ph. D. and the M. Tech. theses. The
AEC submitted its report to the Director in early November, which was then
passed on to Dr. Saderla for his response. What did the AEC report say?
It most certainly did not exonerate Dr. Saderla of plagiarism, as is being made
out in the media. The committee [AEC] felt strongly about the infractions
of matching or nearly matching passages should be immediately corrected.
AEC report found copying in certain introductory passages in several chapters
and in mathematical basics and preliminaries. It found the complaint to
be prima facie correct because sections specified pages in the thesis
matched corresponding specified pages in the other research documents
by other authors. Dr Dr. Saderla was to give an apology letter to
Director IIT Kanpur, in view of his misdemeanour. However, Dr. Saderla has
never tendered an apology for his misdemeanour, as subsequently noted by the
Institute.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The Senate Post-Graduate committee
(SPGC), a statutory sub-committee of the Senate, considered the report of the
AEC and the evidence provided, and recommended that several pages were
plagiarized and, as such, the current Ph. D. thesis of Dr. Saderla should
be withdrawn immediately. Furthermore, noting that the letter tendered by the
student (Dr. Saderla) is not an apology, the SPGC said that there should
be an apology by Dr. Saderla for plagiarism. A revised thesis needs to be
submitted and be evaluated de-novo according to the Senate’s decision.
The SPGC recommendations were unanimous, and were agreed upon by the
Chairperson of the Academics Ethics Cell who is a member of the SPGC and
attended the meeting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Matters finally arrived at the
Academic Senate on 14.03.2019. It is widely held that a strong Senate is the
core that protects the academic integrity of an Institute, and their presence,
and probity, is why, even after 60 years, the older IITs have gone from
strength to strength. The Senate discussed the matter in excruciating detail
and finally accepted the SPGC recommendations, which included that Dr.
Saderla's thesis be withdrawn immediately. The Senate, exercising its statutory
powers, also recommended to the Board of Governors that Dr. Saderla's Ph. D.
degree be revoked, as was done in the precedent case of the M. Tech. student
Abhishek Singh. This is consistent with the Plagiarism Policy of IIT Kanpur as
given in the Senate approved manual on disciplinary matters (so called SSAC
manual of IIT Kanpur).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">IIT Kanpur Senate decision on Dr.
Saderla has a precedent in 2017. IIT Kanpur had then, withdrawn the
Masters thesis and revoked the M. Tech. degree of Abhishek Singh, a student of
Electrical Engineering, when his thesis was found to have been plagiarised. The
student was recalled from his job in order to register, revise, and resubmit a
corrected thesis. This decision of IIT Kanpur, as of universities worldwide,
seeks to implement a zero-tolerance policy regarding plagiarism. It is
noteworthy that in his M. Tech. thesis, Abhishek Singh had plagiarised only the
Introductory chapters and nowhere else, but IIT Kanpur held that plagiarism is
unacceptable in any form. Dr. Saderla’s plagiarism is severer than this
M. Tech. student because the degree in question here, a Ph. D., is much higher
than the M. Tech. degree of Abhishek Singh. While the latter’s copied content
was limited strictly to the Introductory chapters, Dr. Saderla has copied
content throughout his Ph. D. thesis, as indicated above. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The decision of the IIT Kanpur
Senate, clearly follows the practice of universities world-wide based on the
understanding of Plagiarism as “The practice of taking someone else's work or
ideas and passing them off as one's own.” (Oxford English Dictionary).
Plagiarism is a fundamental crime in academics, where communication is through
the written word. It is wrong on all ethical and moral counts because a
plagiarist<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Seeks to build his/her reputation, gain credit
or some benefit fraudulently by relying upon the efforts of someone else;<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Tries to cover his/her own lack of knowledge,
expertise, creativity or hard work by misrepresenting the work of someone
else as their own.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Plagiarism is also legally wrong, as the
ownership of a written work lies with the author (or the publisher), and
taking it without permission is tantamount to stealing.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">It is important to make two remarks in the
context of plagiarism in academic research in engineering: In
contrast to, say, literature, the entire contribution of an engineering
research can often be in a sentence or two. Therefore, plagiarism in
engineering cannot simply be measured in terms of volume or percentage.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">In a thesis, or even a research article, the
Introduction is a crucial part. A well written Introduction says that the
author has understood the work of past researchers, and is able to place
his/her work in the proper context. Thus, by copying an Introduction, a
plagiarist is attempting to falsely misrepresent his/her academic depth
and/or hide the fact he/she is unaware of the current state of knowledge. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">UGC guidelines state that more than
10% similarity constitutes plagiarism, without discriminating between
Introduction and other parts of the work. Section 8 of the UGC guidelines
stipulates that, in case the degree has already been obtained and plagiarism is
proved after award of degree or credit, then the degree or credit shall be put
in abeyance for a period recommended by the appropriate statutory body
overseeing academics in the Institute. The punishment increases greatly if this
is a repeat offence. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Dr. Saderla has plagiarized close to
25% of both his M. Tech. and Ph. D. theses, which makes him a repeat offender,
the least punishment, as per UGC guidelines, would be that Dr. Saderla’s Ph. D.
degree be held in abeyance for at least a year. Because no such mechanism
exists, IIT Kanpur had, previously, revoked the degree of the M. Tech. student
Abhishek Singh in 2017. To newly create such a mechanism only to save Dr.
Saderla’s Ph. D. degree, but not Abhishek Singh, who had plagiarized less, only
once, and in a lower degree (M. Tech.), would, of course, suggest that IIT
Kanpur discriminates between students on the basis of caste. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Despite due diligence having been
followed in the case of Dr. Saderla and the precedent case of Abhishek Singh,
enormous pressure is being mounted upon the Institute by one-sided/ motivated
reporting in the media. Without a smidgen of proof, the media has decided to
lend full support to a weird collection of academics and activists attempting
to give a casteist hue to a straightforward case of plagiarism. Without
accessing the details of the case, reporters are pronouncing judgement on what
constitutes plagiarism. Where were the campaigns and the international
luminaries in 2017 when IIT Kanpur revoked the M. Tech. degree of Abhishek
Singh who was from the general category? Therefore, is what is being played out
in the media caste politics, or an objective academic discourse? Plagiarism is
a fact, and not a matter of opinion, and hence is blind to race, religion,
gender, caste, color, nationality, ethnicity, region, age.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;">Practice Makes Perfect? </span></span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">This is not the first time that Dr.
Saderla has taken refuge under caste or invoked the SC/ST Act to escape the
scrutiny of his academic credentials. This is what he did when he was initially
recruited as Assistant Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering, by
IIT Kanpur. Within 12 days of joining, Dr. Saderla alleged that he was harassed
and discriminated based on his caste by four senior faculty, in particular, of
IIT Kanpur. This claim was filed ONE day after several faculty raised questions
that the manner in which the 2017 Special Recruitment Drive (meant for
SC/ST/OBC/PwD), through which Dr. Saderla was recruited, had compromised
fundamental rights of other SC, ST, OBC and PwD candidates. Available facts do
indeed raise serious questions about the Special Recruitment Drive of 2017. But
that is a story for another day. The issue today is “Did Dr. Saderla
plagiarise his M. Tech. and Ph. D. theses?” This is an academic question,
bereft of caste and not a matter of opinion or social justice. The answer
to the question is, unfortunately, an unequivocal “Yes”. The response to
plagiarism is a matter of Institutional policy, and not social crusade. The
Academic Senate of IIT Kanpur has, under the autonomy given to it by the Indian
Constitution, taken the stand of “zero-tolerance” to plagiarism. This stand
should be respected and applauded, not made the villain of an ill-informed,
neo-colonial campaign. Of course, how one can have a percentage of tolerance
towards plagiarism boggles the mind. Would Chomsky tolerate plagiarism at MIT?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">After several inquiries, the Board of
Governors (BoG) in its meeting on 6th September, 2018, found that there was NO
evidence to invoke Section 3 of the Act 33 of 1989 (Atrocities Act) against any
of the four faculty whom Dr. Saderla had accused of caste harassment. In
fact, one of the faculty was exonerated of all charges.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Despite, the decision of the BoG, Dr.
Saderla did not give up on invoking caste. He went to the NCSC to
challenge the decision of the BoG in exonerating the four professors of caste
allegations. The NCSC orders were again stayed by HC Allahabad. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">It is clear that Dr. Saderla
has found out that by invoking his caste and the SC/ST Act to complain to the
NCSC and file FIR, he can terrorize and suppress questions about his academic
credentials, or convert serious academic concerns into media hysteria and
signature campaigns over Dalit prosecution. Does that augur well for the Indian
academic system? The attack on the academic autonomy of IIT Kanpur, sanctity
of its institutional mechanism, policy framework, most of all the experience
and expertise of our academicians will inflict long-term damage to the IIT
system, and its academics which is immeasurable and irreparable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Strangely enough, the Institute
administration appears to be cowing down under the media onslaught distorting
the issue of plagiarism into one of harassment of a Dalit professor and is
afraid to bring up the issue of plagiarism in the M. Tech. thesis of Dr.
Saderla to the notice of the Senate. This is especially relevant given that the
Board will meet on 8 and 9 April to discuss this matter and knowing the Dr.
Saderla is a repeat offender would have important bearing on the Board’s
decision.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Lastly, those in the media who lent
enthusiastic support to this hit job aimed at IIT Kanpur need to answer the
following questions<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo5; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Will the verdict of media, writers,
dancers, activists and the local police constable on technical
scientific matters over-ride the Senate of IITs?<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo5; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Are signature campaigns going to usurp the
academic sovereignty of IITs?<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo5; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Is a motley crowd of scholars based in
western universities, and fictional protagonists like Robert Langdon,
going to dictate the academic standards in India’s institutes of national
importance?<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo5; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Would the Western universities, even under
their programs of diversity hiring, accept as faculty, a minority
candidate whose thesis violated plagiarism policies followed by them?<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo5; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Would even acclaimed scholars, whose
names are associated with the petition that ‘calls upon’ IITK Senate
to ‘rescind’ its decisions on Dr Saderla’s PhD thesis and degree,
allow and accept similar ‘social justice’ media petitions from
sundry fields to influence their academic judgments? If not, is this a
campaign to dumb down IITs?<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo5; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Why are journalists assuming merely by word of
mouth and without serious investigation of credible evidence, that the
Senate of an eminent institute like IIT Kanpur — which has 200 odd senior
Professors — is trivialising and distorting academic issues into
caste- based vendetta?”’<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Given this background and the facts
provided by respected academics from IIT Kanpur, the smear campaign unleashed
by this international network of academics and activists comes with a clear
message —“You natives don’t know how to run your institutions or manage inter-
community affairs. We, who are situated in foreign universities, will teach you
how to behave.” This is a ‘civilizing mission’ in a new sinister avatar.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">We had better wake up to the fact
that those interested in Breaking-up-India have been working hard to create
caste and communal conflicts in India for centuries. They have on their
pay roll very glamorous names among academics, journalists, writers,
filmmakers, politicians and people within the system. And they have spared no
occasion to humiliate and demonise India by using dubious and controversial
propaganda tracts about caste and religion based atrocity as
their favourite weapons.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">This is not just a matter affecting
four IIT professors or the survival of IIT as a premier institution. It is also
about the survival of India as an independent nation instead of being ruled by
foreign agencies through remote control. If we allow foreign lobbies to destroy
the autonomy of IITs and hijack decision making of key institutions and
ministries, we are sounding the death knell of higher education in India. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">First published in <i>Swarajya, </i>April 7, 2019. See Link: </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://swarajyamag.com/politics/iit-kanpur-case-is-plagiarism-okay-if-you-are-from-the-right-caste&source=gmail&ust=1554873415146000&usg=AFQjCNGsFuXlxtVbPbipUroBYpuekPRjpw" href="https://swarajyamag.com/politics/iit-kanpur-case-is-plagiarism-okay-if-you-are-from-the-right-caste" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: large; text-align: center;" target="_blank">https://swarajyamag.com/<wbr></wbr>politics/iit-kanpur-case-is-<wbr></wbr>plagiarism-okay-if-you-are-<wbr></wbr>from-the-right-caste</a></div>
<br /></div>
madhukishwarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14753750751813113571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188722843562789620.post-59847820562212168122018-11-29T16:00:00.000+05:302018-11-29T22:04:51.450+05:30He Wants to “Smash Brahminical Patriarchy” : Holding a Mirror to the Racist Arrogance of Jack @Twitter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey with a poster saying "Smash Brahmin Patriarchy" poses for a photo. (Credit: Twitter)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The outrageously racist
slogan –“Smash Brahminical Patriarchy” --that Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey sported on
a placard for a photo op after a closed door meeting with handpicked Indian
feminists--would have gone unchallenged but for the a whole array of intellectual
warriors that have emerged after decades of Nehruvian slavery to the West. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">They successfully punctured the pompous description of that
meeting by journalist Anna MM Vetticad, who wrote, @Jack "took part in a
roundtable with some of us women journalists, activists, writers... to discuss
the Twitter experience in India. A very insightful, no-words-minced
conversation." </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Twitter India has issued a half
hearted statement in defence of their CEO. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it carries no conviction. The very
selection of persons Jack chose to interact with in that close door meeting,
spoke volumes. It is now well established that Twitter favours “Break Up India”
and anti Hindu voices, including those of Maoists, Kashmiri Jehadis and
professional Hindu baiters.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He chose not to invite any
of those who have for long felt aggrieved at Twitter favouring India bashers
and undermining and even blocking voices that stand up for Hindu culture &
civilization. Thus the really aggrieved were left out and the pampered children
of Twitter who want to have us all banned out of existence were the ones given
close door audience.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is not a coincidence that half British, half
Italian, Jack Dorsey was raised a Catholic and his uncle is a Catholic
priest in Cincinnati. He attended the Catholic Bishop Dubourg High
School. Jack seems to have spoken not so much as the CEO of one of the most
versatile products of IT industry but as a Christian who imbibed all the
prejudices and aggression against Hindu civilization from his Christian
upbringing. They find various pegs to hang their frustration with Hindu
civilization and the</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> attacks come under various garbs—rights of women, rights of Dalits &
minorities—a euphemism for Islamists and evangelicals out to harvest Hindu
souls in India. Sometimes it is Brahmanism, at other times it is the alleged
threat posed by “fascist Hindutva and BJP” or “the monster” that is Modi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The real target behind each of these is Hindu
civilization.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This game of demonizing Hindu civilization in
general and Brahmins in particular started once the British morphed from humble
traders come to <i>“The Wonder that was India”</i> in search of its legendary material
& intellectual wealth to colonial rulers who acquired control of large
territories in the Indian sub-continent through force and fraud.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Christians have good reason to be angry with
Brahaminical hold over Hindu society. Brahmins have been repositories of
traditional knowledge and scholarship, including astronomy, physics,
technology, mathematics, architecture, engineering & health care in the
form of Yoga and Ayurveda. They composed the greatest classics of world literature,
philosophy, science and technology millennia before the Christian world
acquired an alphabet and developed the art of reading and writing. The
awareness of this great heritage is what kept most Hindus from being swept off
their feet and embrace Christianity. The fact that despite 200 years of British
colonial rule, Hindus could not be converted to Christianity en masse has left
the Christian world in a permanent state of outrage against Hindus in general
and Brahmins (meaning carriers of Hindu traditional knowledge systems) in
particular. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As for patriarchy and its evils, Jack needs to
understand, it is the Abrahamic religions which have gifted misogynist ideas
and ideologies to this world. Even their respective Gods are authoritarian patriarchs
who are jealous and vindictive. And they treat women as sub human creatures. By
contrast Hindu faith traditions continue to be matriarchal despite centuries of
onslaughts, ridicule and tyrannical pressures on Hindus to give up their culture.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Feminine in
the Christian Vs Hindu Imagination: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The Christian civilization in the West was founded
on the creation myth which asserts that God created Eve – the Mother of Mankind
as a seductive temptress who was misguided by Satan appearing in the form of a
serpent to eat the “forbidden fruit” from the Tree of Knowledge. She in turn seduced Adam through her wiles
leading to the downfall of the entire human race with Adam & Eve being
thrown out of the Garden of Eden in disgrace and condemned to suffer till redeemed
by Jesus Christ. The Holy Bible says,
“Öf the women came the beginning of the sin”.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">But even
before Eve turns into a destructive temptress, we are told that while God made
Adam in his own image, he created Eve out of Adam’s “Spare Rib” in order to
provide him a playmate in the Garden of Eden.
In other words, the feminine in the Christian imagination is not only
made out of “</span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">faltu
haddi</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">”(spare rib),
an easily dispensable material of the
male body but also created as an afterthought to be Adam’s plaything. Her
existence has no intrinsic meaning or purpose.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Iconic
scientist Richard Dawkins says, “The God of the Old Testament is arguably the
most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it;</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak;
a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist,
infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal,
sadomasochistic, caprciously malevolent bully.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">With such a Malevolent God in command of the Christian world who
assigns such a nasty role to women, it is no surprise that this world’s
historic gift to women is Pornography which treats women as sub-human sex
objects, as Use & Discard pieces of flesh. The, West has spread this
disease globally and made it fashionable to use women’s bodies and sex appeal
to sell everything from car tyres to soaps and cold drinks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Let’s now compare the Christian
imagination with the Hindu imagination with regard to the place and role of the
feminine. The Hindu view of the feminine is not just relegated to ancient
history but continues to have a living presence in our daily lives even today though
it has had to jostle for mind space with competing ideologies and cultural
influences imposed on us by wave after wave of foreign invaders, including the
cultural imperialism of the West afflicting the whole world today.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0cm;">An essential tenet of
Hinduism—pre-Vedic, Vedic and post-Vedic—is that </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0cm;">Shakti</i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0cm;">, the feminine
energy, represents the primeval creative principle underlying the cosmos. She
is the energizing force of all divinity, of every being-- both animate and
inanimate. Furthermore, different forms and manifestations of this Universal
Creative Energy are personified as a vast array of goddesses Lakshmi,
Saraswati, Durga, Kali and their countless regional avatars.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0cm;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0cm;">Therefore, she is worshipped under different
names, in different places and in different appearances, both as a Creator, Vanquisher
& Destroyer of Evil. But Hindu deities don’t remain just distant heavenly
figures. One constantly meets living incarnations of the divine in everyday
life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0cm;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">It is very common, for
example, for a talented daughter to be commended as a virtual Saraswati and a
fearless woman who battles wrong doings in society to be treated as Durga
incarnate. Thus, every village in India has its </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">gram devi</i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> or </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">devata</i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">.
The </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">gram devata</i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">s are usually connected with extreme piety, but all the
legends surrounding </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">gram devi</i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">s tell us of ordinary women who felt
outraged by the acts of some evil doer who either tried to ravish them or cause
harm to society. Their response to such desecration is to rise in terrible fury
and thereby grow in stature so that they are able to span both heaven and
earth. In each case they either destroy the devilish persona or punished it
appropriately. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Any woman who manifests
extraordinary strength and who is believed to be her own mistress, totally
unafraid of men, begins to be treated with special awe and reverence and often
commands unconditional obedience in her social circle, including from men.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0cm;">It is perfectly
understandable that this Brahmanical worldview could not be stomached by by
pathologically patriarchal Christians or Islamic zealots. So they used all
manners of stratagems to convert us to their respective religions. The latter
went so far as to loot, plunder, desecrate and destroy countless Hindu temples
and sacred sites in wave after wave of persecution spread over a 1000 years
–all in order to force us to abandon and despise our faith traditions. Many
succumbed to their persecution and converted. But those of us whose ancestors
withstood centuries of persecution are being treated as a threat and hence
targets of intellectual warfare.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0cm;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Those who see India through the biased
prism of the West tell us that women in India were not allowed to read or write
till the British came up and introduced “modern education” in late 19<sup>th</sup>
century. In Europe women began to write
and publish only in 19<sup>th</sup> century. Even at that time, the prejudice
against educating women was so strong that many had to use male pseudonyms. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">By contrast, the RigVeda, the oldest available text in
Sanskrit or any Indo-European language written over 5000 years ago, mentions 30
rishikas (women sages) by name with specific hymns associated with them.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Ancient India produced countless women scholars and <i>Smritikars</i>
who became living legends in their own time, recognized and celebrated by
society at large as well as male authority figures of the time. One of the
foremost names in this category is that of ancient philosopher</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Gargi
Vachaknavi</b></span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">(daughter
of sage Vachaknu, born about c. 7th century BCE). She is said to have written
many hymns in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rigveda" title="Rigveda">Rigveda</a> and chose not to marry all her life. Her own
contemporaries honoured her as Brahmavadini, a person with knowledge of
Brahma Vidya.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Adi
Shankara, the most influential scholar of </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advaita_Vedanta" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Advaita Vedanta</a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">
celebrated the dialogues of another legendary figure Maitreyi with sage Yajnavalkya
as the most profound expositions on the knowledge of the oneness of Atman and
Brahman. Two of Delhi’s premier colleges are named after Gargi and Maitreyi.
They may be the best remembered icons of feminine accomplishment in popular
imagination today. But India produced countless such female scholars and
spiritual leaders over millennia.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Bhakti Movement which began in 1st century in
Tamil Nadu and spread in waves in different parts of India till the 17</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">
C produced a whole range of extraordinary, wise, courageous and creative female
saint poets whose names are revered even today in their respective regions.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">They are considered at par with, and often
superior to, their male counterpoints.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Almost
all women saints obliterated the male-female binary, broke all the restraints
imposed on women and lived remarkably free lives.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">They lived and wandered alone, freely mixing
with people of both genders as well as classes and castes.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Most of the women saints refused to get tied
down in the shackles of domesticity.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Some refused marriage altogether while others walked out of marriages they
found oppressive. Here are glimpses of a few of the earliest saint poets who
began being venerated within their lifetimes and continue to inspire Hindus
even in 21</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">st</sup><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> century. And people of all castes draw their
inspiration from them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The life of <b>Avvai</b>, a Tamil sant, a Shiva
devotee</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> who lived during the 1<sup>st</sup>
century is spell-binding. She began
composing poems of deep wisdom from when she was merely 4 years old. When she
grew up to womanhood, marriage proposals began pouring in. Instead of arguing
with her parents, she freed them of the responsibility by praying to Shiva that
her youth and beauty should vanish since they were coming in the way of her
chosen path. </span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Immediately,
Avvi was transformed into an old and haggard looking woman and thus freed from
the obligation or expectation to get married.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Thereafter, she became a wandering teacher who let it be known that she
would henceforth take care of the weak and orphaned and came to be revered as a
spiritual guru.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">She composed 13 books
including one on materia medica, one on metaphysics in addition to 10 works
which contain ethical sayings that including challenge to notion of “high” and
“low” based on caste rather than karma.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">She
travelled from one part of the country to another, sharing the gruel of the
poor farmers and composing songs for their enjoyment.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">She was much sought after by chieftains of
her time with some of them vying with each other to get her to settle in their
respective kingdoms. But she refused to be bound down in any one place and
lived the life of a wandering minstrel till she chose the moment of her
departure from this world.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Even
today her poems for children are often among the very first literature that
children are exposed to in Tamil Nadu schools.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Late
AK Ramanujan wrote that in the Virshaiva tradition of Kannada alone, he found
that 60 of the 300 known saint poets were women. Of these the most famous is 12</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">
century woman sant, </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Mahadevi Akka</b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">. Nearly a 1000 poems are attributed to
her.</span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Mahadevi Akka</span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">became a passionate devotee of Shiva at a very
early age. Since she grew up into a beautiful young woman, a local chieftain
named Kaushika fell in love with her and somehow managed to get married to Akka
Mahadevi through coercion. But she set onerous conditions for their relationship
and gave him an ultimatum that she would walk out on him if he persisted in
forcing himself on her. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">In a supreme act
of defiance which communicated her resolve to altogether reject sexual
attention, she cast away her clothing and wandered naked with just her long
tresses covering her body searching for soul mates among a community of saints.
In her poems of passion she addressed Shiva as her beloved, to whom she had
surrendered all.</span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">She declared</span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">, “</b><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">My Lord, white as jasmine, is
my husband; </i><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">t</b><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">ake these husbands who die, decay, and feed them to
your kitchen fires!”(Speakers of Shiva, p-134)</i><br />
<i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Andal</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">,
who probably lived in 8<sup>th</sup> or 9<sup>th</sup> century A.D. is accepted
as the highest among Alvars-the Vaishnav saints of South India in terms of
literary merit and wisdom of her teachings.
In remembrance of Andal’s unique
relationship with Krishna, even today, a garland offered to her image at the
temple in her hometown Srivilliputtur is taken to the famous Tirupati temple on
the occasion of Venkatesa’s wedding festival, and to Madurai every year in the
month of Chittirai (April-May) to adorn the deity there.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">She
too refused to marry, declaring herself the bride of Krishna. Her father willingly
escorted the 16 year old Andal in bridal attire to the Srirangam.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">After she fulfilled her wish of marrying her
chosen beloved, she mysteriously got absorbed into a </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">murti</i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> of
Vishnu.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">She left behind two poetic
works.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">But the tone and tenor of her
poems to Krishna are not that of a meek devotee.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">They assume intimacy and the attendant right
to even express anger at the beloved.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The
first woman saint poet in Marathi lived from </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">1233 to 1308</b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">She was a </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Brahmin widow</b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">, granddaughter of a
learned woman priest and composed two narrative poems on the wedding of Krishna
and Rukmani.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Muktabai
</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">born in 1279 is considered one of the
founders of Varkari sect along with her brothers Sopan Nivritti and Jnandev.
She died at the young age of 18 and yet left a deep imprint with the profound
wisdom contained in her <i>abhangs</i>. She is said to have surpassed many
sages in wisdom and became the Guru of Yogi Changdev. Many of her <i>abhangs</i>
are cast in the form of dialogues with other <i>sants, </i>and in these she
discourses with them as an equal.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Another
outstanding woman sant is <b>Janabai</b>, who is given special status because
as per legend Krishna himself transcribed her verses and said he derives much
pleasure from doing so. He would also join in helping her with all the
household chores to save her from drudgery.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Lal
Ded, </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">the 14th century <b>mystic </b>poet, is
alive even today in the <b>memory </b>and the language of Kashmiris, both
Hindus and Muslims, as the Mother of Kashmiri Language as we know it today. Her
<i>vakh</i> or verse sayings are part of the repertoire of village singers and
of the <i>sufiana kalam</i>-- Kashmiri classical music, sung as a sacred
invocation at the start of an assembly of <i>sufis</i> or spiritual seekers. Unhappy
with her marriage, Lalla left her husband’s home and set out on her wanderings.
The legend is that she wandered naked, singing and dancing in ecstasy. Lalla is
placed first in time amongst modern Kashmiri poets and is also considered the mother
of modern Kashmiri language and literature. Her <i>vakh </i>helped make
Kashmiri an effective vehicle for the expression couched in deep philosophy.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Her
poetry had opened new channels of communication between the elite and the
common people. And it lives in the daily conversation of Kashmiris even today. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-align: left;">Had such women appeared in the Christian world, they would have in all likelihood been branded as witches and burnt at the stakes as happened to countless women for centuries on end in medieval Europe. Western feminist scholarship has established that a large proportion of women hounded & burnt as witches were learned women or women of outstanding valor, such as Joan of Arc. Given that Jack @Twitter comes from such an inglorious heritage, he should speak with greater humility when dealing with the role and status of women in Hindu culture. </span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">This is not to deny that a large number of women in
India have come to occupy subordinate position and face varied forms of
discrimination. Today, the culture of son preference often takes lethal forms
such as female feticide and disinheriting daughters from parental property. But
there is enough evidence to prove that most of these ills have been the outcome
of 1000 years of brutal conquests, slavery & subjugation by invaders who
practiced severe forms of misogyny, including capturing Hindu women to be sold
as sex slaves in Arab markets or confined to harems of Islamic rulers. Under
such circumstances, confinement of women was a distress response, not a matter
of choice. One of the traumatic responses to these brutalities was the
tradition of jauhar among Rajputs whereby women voluntarily chose to be burnt
alive rather than be captured by Islamic invaders. Today, westerners attribute
all these practices to Hindu misogyny rather than Islamic brutality.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">It is noteworthy that confinement of women in </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">chardiwari</i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">
is more typical of North Western regions of India that witnessed repeated
Islamic conquests, loot, plunder, massacres and en masse capture of women as
sex slaves. Where ever Hindu communities lived under Islamic rulers , Hindu
women also took to ghunghat and purdah. Southern and Eastern India managed to
escape the culture of crippling restrictions and women continued to move around
in public without veiling themselves. In traditional Hindu art forms, women are
never portrayed as veiled. This is evident in all our temple architecture from
the ancient to the contemporary where the carved images of the feminine form
are invariably modelled upon the greater goddesses.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Traditionally, large parts of India were home to matrilineal
family systems.<s> </s>But they could not be sustained in those areas which
witnessed repeated Islamic invasions and/or Islamic rule. However, matrilineal
family structure and inheritance pattern survived till 20<sup>th</sup> century in
many parts of South India and North East. It is worth reminding Twitter @Jack that
the Victorian minded British administrators of India and the European
missionaries, who followed in their wake, described the social and sexual
freedom available to women among matrilineal communities of India in the foulest
of terms and tarred them as prostitutes. By making their subjects ashamed of
their women centric family structure, the British instigated social reform
movements to force these communities to abandon their millennia old social
system and adopt the patriarchal family system held superior by the British.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">When they carried out land settlement operations, they
insisted that families had to be male headed and over rode the diverse personal
laws of Hindus and forced them to adopt the patriarchal family structure
prevailing in Britain with concentration of economic resources in the hands of
men.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Thus for nearly 1000 years, our society has been
forced to adopt the social economic and cultural norms superimposed by
invaders. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Since India failed to decolonize its
education system and knowledge traditions in post-Independence India, many
Hindus have been brainwashed into accepting alien norms superimposed on Indic
culture as our very own Hindu/Indic traditions. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Consequently,
the modern educated Indians, especially those in the grip of foreign funded
feminism have grown up internalizing all the negative stereotypes about India
as God given truths. But these are not borne out by facts of history. Even
after adopting misogynist practices, Hindus could not be persuaded to abandon
Goddess worship or to erase their traditional values which tell them that every
woman is the embodiment of Devi and hence worship worthy. Countless rituals
keep this memory and value system alive even today.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This
is what explains the radically different response of Hindu society to modern
day women’s rights movements as compared to the Christian or the Islamic world.
</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For example, when in 19<sup>th</sup> century western
feminists were battling male power bastions and getting battered for demanding
right to education & property, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>right
to vote and entry into professions—in India countless male reformers gave their
entire lives to get rid of restrictions imposed on women during Islamic rule
and bring women’s right at par with men’s. They created new schools, colleges
and other institutions to enable women to occupy their rightful place in
society.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Lala <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Devraj</b>
in Punjab, Maharshi <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Karve,</b> Mahatma <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Phule</b> in Maharashtra, Ishwar Chandra <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Vidyasagar</b> in Bengal, Kandukuri <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Veerasalingam</b> in Andhra, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Periyar Ramasamy </b>in Tamil Nadu, Swami <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dayanand Saraswati</b> from Gujarat and
many stalwarts of social movements bore the brunt of attacks from the orthodox
opinion resisting changes and enabled women to acquire leadership positions in
public life. Many of them treated their wives as valuable comrades and helped them
to emerge as leaders in their own right.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All these reform movements merged into Mahatma Gandhi led
freedom movement in the 20<sup>th</sup> century. Within the freedom movement, Indian
women did not have to fight for their rightful space. Gandhi & countless
others worked hard not just to create a favourable eco-system for women to
participate in the movement for Swaraj, but also assume leadership positions. Unlike
in the Christian West, women in India got equal rights and even leadership role
without waging gender war. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is noteworthy that
Brahmins of both categories—those using certain caste names with Brahmanical
association as well as those who were Brahmins on account of being intellectual
leaders of society-- were in the forefront of women’s rights movements.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Annie Besant was elected as Congress President in 1919
Sarojini Naidu was Gandhi's choice for Congress president ship in 1925. British
suffragists got right to vote at par with men only in 1928.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">How
Indian women came to be represented in legislatures in 1920s holds a mirror to
the Christian world:</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When Montague and
Chelmsford came to India in 1917 to work out some reforms towards
self-government, Sarojini Naidu and Annie Besant led a small delegation of
women to demand that the same rights of representation in legislatures be
granted to women as well. British snubbed them saying, the yet to be
“civilized” Indians would not be ready to give women equal rights. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However, the British were not only proven wrong but
also shown as being far behind Indian men. Between 1922 and 1929, beginning
with the Madras legislature, each one of the legislatures voted to make it
possible for women to be represented in them on same terms as men.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
This happened without any rancor or battle by Indian women.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As early as 1931, Congress Party passed a Resolution
that in free India, right to equality would be a fundamental right & that
there would be no discrimination in education, employment, public life or
politics. All these rights came to Indian women gracefully and with near unanimity,
without women having to wage a gender war, the way western feminists had to do.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Jack@Twitter
</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">would do well to take note of the testimony of<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Margaret Cousins, an </b>Irish feminist<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>who played a major role in women's
organisations in India as well as in Britain, : </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"Perhaps only women like myself who had suffered
from the cruelties, the injustices of the men politicians, the man-controlled
Press, the man in the street, in England and Ireland while we waged our
militant campaign for 80 years there after all peaceful and constitutional
means had been tried for fifty previous years, could fully appreciate the
wisdom, nobility and the passing of fundamental tests in self-government of
these Indian legislators...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Barring a handful, both 19<sup>th</sup> century
reformers as well as Gandhi-led (as opposed to Nehruvian) reformers drew
inspiration from the egalitarian worldview rooted in Vedanta and reverence for
the feminine as expressed in the uniquely Hindu value system. Gandhi as well as
earlier reformers used traditional icons like Sita, Draupadi, Gargi, Maitreyi, Mirabai,
Rani Laxmibai as role models for women. Unlike modern day educated elites,
their ideas of women’s role in society were not blindly borrowed from Western
liberalism, individualism and its offshoot—feminism.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 21.3pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
short, Hindu society graciously accepted constitutional equality and much more without
a fight because of the continuing hold of our traditional value system with
regard to women whereas the Christian world has yet to get over the misogynist
values intrinsic in its religion and civilizational roots. That is why in the
West as well as intellectual slaves of the West in India defend the perversion
that is pornography as “freedom of expression” and “ liberating women’s
sexuality” from patriarchal controls. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 21.3pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To
sum up my message to Jack @Twitter: Physician Heal Thyself! In this exercise
Goddess worshipping Hindus alone, with their Brahamanical tradition of
worshipping the feminine as the all powerful force that moves and sustains the
universe, can help you heal by getting rid of intellectual slavery to a
misogynist, racist, genocidal, jealous and revengeful God!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><i>First published in The Open Magazine on November 25, 2018</i></span></div>
<br /></div>
madhukishwarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14753750751813113571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188722843562789620.post-70474221198132172222018-06-08T10:35:00.001+05:302018-06-08T10:35:41.567+05:30Why Christian Missionaries Hate Modi And RSS So Much<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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As someone who studied in a convent school and whose mother also studied in a school run by Irish nuns in Peshawar, one could not help but have a benign view of the Christian community. Most middle-class people of our generation grew up believing that the Christian missions were sincerely committed to the spread of education and healthcare. However, even as a schoolgirl, I resented the subtle indoctrination inflicted on us by converting the “Moral Science” class into a <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Bible</em> study class. Our Moral Science book had stories only from the <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Bible</em>. There was no mention of Hindu faith traditions, leave alone study of the <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Bhagavad Gita</em>, the <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Vedas</em> or the <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Ramayana</em>.</div>
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Though the overwhelming majority of students in our school were from Hindu or Sikh families, we were made to say the lord’s prayer not only during the morning assembly but also before each class and another Christian prayer after each class with due reverence, including crossing our hearts after each prayer.</div>
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Anyone who topped the class in monthly or weekly tests, got “holy pictures” by way of reward. Not surprisingly, possessing a large collection of beautiful Vatican-produced pictures of Lord Jesus, Mother Mary, the Holy Trinity and a whole range of Christian saints came to be seen as a prized possession. Since I routinely topped my class in every subject and won all the school competitions in debating, dramatics etc, I owned the largest collection of holy pictures in the entire school.</div>
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It is noteworthy that Hindu and Sikh parents, whose children studied in that or countless other missionary schools never objected to this daily dose of Christianisation and systematic attempt to inculcate “love of Jesus” in our impressionable minds. For the record, no pressure was ever exerted on us to “convert” because the school authorities knew that trying the conversion game with middle and upper middle class/caste families was bound to backfire. However, it was well-known that the same order of nuns ran special schools in Punjab villages and in urban <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">bastis</em>, targeting children of the poor and “lower castes”. These schools had been established mainly for the purpose of getting converts and “harvesting souls” for the Church. But in those innocent days, nobody seemed to mind or care, leave alone sense any sinister agenda.</div>
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Despite the horrors of colonial rule and the religion-based Partition, most Hindus still continued to chant the pious <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">mantra</em> of <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">sarva dharma sam bhav</em>. We were taught to believe that all religions lead to the same path and that if Christians gave good education to the deprived classes, they were performing <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">samaj sewa</em> (social service). Nobody paid much heed to the fact that the Christians and Islamists never reciprocated <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">sarva dharma sam bhav</em>. Instead, their entire strategy of conversion was based on defaming and demonising Hindu faith traditions because that is a core mandate of Abrahamic religions, for whom <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">dharma</em>, as Hindus understand it, has no value and their open agenda is to crush the <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">dharmic</em>civilisation of India.</div>
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Even as a schoolgirl, what bugged me most was that we were not only discouraged from speaking in Hindi or Punjabi — the mother tongues of most students in our school — but also punished for doing so. The punishment was of course not corporal. Every classroom had a chart with the name of all the students to rank the weekly and monthly performances. Those who excelled in various subjects and extra-curricular competitions got gold stars for each accomplishment, followed by red star, yellow star, green star. The dreaded black star proclaimed that you belonged to the bottom rung.</div>
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As an all-round topper, I invariably got gold stars for everything else but continually got black stars for speaking in Hindi, despite prohibition on the language even during lunch break. I kept defying the ban because even at that age I found it offensive to my national pride, though I understood its far-reaching implications only much later.</div>
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It is through one’s mother tongue or native language that we stay rooted in our culture and <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">sanskars</em>. By forcing us to become monolingual and English-dependent, we were being systematically deracinated. English inevitably brings with it disdain for Indic cultures and faith traditions and harbours the tendency to view the world through lenses of the imperial West, which is deeply rooted in Christian ethos. Sadly, this enslavement to English was made state policy under Nehruvian influence. Not surprisingly, elite schools founded and run by the brown <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">sahibs</em> of India are following the same pattern of intellectual enslavement set in motion by missionary schools.</div>
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No surprise then that a vast majority of India’s English-educated elite act as the intellectual warriors for Christian missions. They defend the right of evangelical organisations to convert Hindus to Christianity even while they use questionable means and rabid hate-Hindu propaganda to bring in converts. But they go ballistic when Hindu organisations try winning back Christian converts to their original faith. Abusing and demonising Hindu faith traditions is treated as proof of “liberalism” and defended as “freedom of expression”, but even modest questions raised against the means and methods adopted by evangelical groups and consequences of large-scale conversions to Christianity is treated as proof of a person being a obscurantist “Hindutvavadi”— with Hindutva (its plain meaning is “essence of Hindu faith”) being projected as synonymous with fascism.</div>
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In the initial years of <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Manushi</em>, the human rights, women’s rights journal I founded in 1978-79, Christian organisations of all hues embraced it warmly and came to constitute a large chunk of our subscribers. I was often invited to speak at their events in different parts of India. Many of them translated reports from <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Manushi</em> into regional languages. At that stage, I naively believed that just as the “Liberation Theologists” within the Church-led “progressive” movements in defence of human rights of black Africans, the Christian organisations of India were carrying forward that tradition by contributing their might to movements for social justice and women’s rights. But I was disabused of this notion when I found that when <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Manushi</em> started defending Indic faith traditions from malicious attacks, Christian organisations — including those wearing the secular mask — began to not only distance themselves from <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Manushi</em> but also started to work against it.</div>
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It is not a coincidence that during that very phase, Kancha Ilaiah came to be feted and celebrated by church leaders and organisations and catapulted into international fame after he converted to Christianity and wrote a rather pompous, malicious hate tract against Hinduism titled <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Why I Am Not a Hindu</em>. It is based on willful distortions and clearly written for the purpose of ingratiating himself with rabid evangelicals. Before Ilaiah wrote this, he was neither an avant-garde academic nor a celebrated public intellectual. As soon as he published his hate tract, he was touted by Christian organisations as a leading global intellectual and radical reformer of the “decadent Hindu society”.</div>
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<span style="color: #555555;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; height: auto;"><img alt=" Kancha Ilaiah became famous after he converted to Christianity." id="2" src="https://images.assettype.com/swarajya/2018-06/e4026ea4-7f6d-4f36-92d6-4832197bc0f4/951b7c27_5f9b_4cf1_8639_84819b4f1a01.jpg?w=1280&q=100&fmt=pjpeg&auto=format" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; height: auto; max-width: 100%; text-align: justify;" /></span></span><span class="img-banner-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; display: block; font-family: "open sans" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 0.75em; overflow: hidden; padding: 7px 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;">Kancha Ilaiah became famous after he converted to Christianity.</span></span></div>
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Since Christian organisations carry a lot of influence in Western universities, Ilaiah became a professional globetrotter, lecturing at the most prestigious universities in the West. Overnight he became a star speaker at high-profile international conferences, including at the United Nations. His views on India and Hinduism came to be treated as gospel truth. If a person of his intellectual mediocrity had said good things about Hinduism, he would not have been invited as a speaker even by a small-town Rotary Club. But abusing India and Hinduism brought him handsome monetary rewards and celebrity stature.</div>
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Ilaiah’s article “Disowning Hinduism” is likely to have been inspired by my controversial article “Why I do Not Call Myself a Feminist”, in which I explained how followers of all “isms”, including Indian feminists, ape the means and methods of Christian missionaries out to harvest souls and treat those who don’t adopt their ideology as sub-human species, who need to be saved from ignorance and perdition. That sealed my fate with Christian organisations and even foreign universities.</div>
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Until then, I was a very sought after speaker in universities abroad, especially universities in North America. But with that article, I began to get blacklisted, even though mine was far from a hate tract. It was a well-reasoned carefully-worded piece analysing how all ideologies are products of specific cultures, social contexts and historical phases, and therefore cannot be blindly applied to altogether different social contexts and timeframes.</div>
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Moral of the story: while I faced severe punishment for distancing myself from copycat feminism and all proselytising ideologies, Ilaiah became a global celebrity as a reward for Hindu bashing and open conversion to Christianity.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: blue;">Modi’s Demonic Image</span></strong></div>
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I personally woke up to the seriousness of the danger posed by Christian missionaries during my study of Narendra Modi’s tenure as Gujarat chief minister. As I explained in my book <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Modi, Muslims and Media</em> (<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">MMM</em>), I undertook that study only because I wanted to check out for myself whether the evil deeds attributed to Modi and the demonic image painted of him by the Congress-Left combine in cohorts with select foreign-funded non-govermental organisations (NGOs), bore any resemblance to chief minister Modi and the impact his model of governance had on the ground. Since he was being accused of a genocidal bent of mind towards “religious minorities”, I made Muslim and Christian communities the focus of my study. A good part of the material I gathered regarding the Muslim community is already published in <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">MMM</em>, but I could not give space in the book to the interactions I had with the Christian community.</div>
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It all started with an hour-long phone conversation I had with V V Augustine, a Malayali Christian based in Thiruvananthapuram. During his tenure as a member of the Minorities Commission, Augustine had interacted with Modi on multiple occasions. This is what Augustine told me in our very first phone chat.</div>
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“Contrary to the propaganda that Modiji is supposed to be anti-minority, my experience is that Modi is a very minority-friendly person. When I was member of the Minorities Commission, the Christian community of Vapi district in Gujarat brought a serious issue to my notice. They number around 7,000. There are several churches in Vapi of different Christian denominations that include Catholics, Protestants and Syrian Christians.</div>
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“Since the last 40 years, they had been trying to get a piece of land for a cemetery. They had even approached the central government; and they were willing to pay for the land. But the administration kept dragging the matter on for decades. This caused enormous inconvenience because they had to take dead bodies 40 miles from Vapi for burial [I found later the distance was 18 km, not 40]. In order to lobby collectively, they formed a Vapi Christian Association and approached me for help as a member of the Minorities Commission.</div>
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“I asked them to write one more fresh application addressed to the collector of the district. When I went to meet the collector, he told me frankly, ‘this has to be a government decision because the local people have a problem with having a graveyard in their midst. Please approach the appropriate authority.’</div>
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“I therefore decided to talk straight to Modi<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">ji</em> and explained the matter to him. He listened with full attention and said, ‘Yes, you have a genuine issue. Have you identified a piece of land?’ I told him that we have a place but the local people are resisting our acquiring it. Modi said, ‘that is not your problem; that’s mine. Just tell me where you want the land and I will call for a report.’ Within a matter of hours, he had the full report from the collector, who told him that since that particular piece of land was right in the middle of the town, the local people were resisting having a graveyard there.</div>
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“Modi then asked the collector to work in coordination with the Vapi Christian Association and identify another suitable piece of land. Within no time, the land was identified on the outskirts of the town and the Christian community was gifted one-and-a-half acres of land by the state government free of charge.</div>
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“I have interacted with him on numerous issues since then and have always found him extremely helpful and responsive. For instance, in the Dang tribal areas, there are settlements of neo-Christians. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) had become very active in the area, resulting in a lot of tension. When they planned to organise a big Shabari Kumbh Mela in that area in 2006, the Christians became extremely nervous and feared that they would be attacked. We went to Modi with our apprehensions. Christian organisations demanded a ban on the Shabari Mela.</div>
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“Modi did not ban the <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">mela</em> because that would have given the VHP an excuse to create a ruckus that Hindus were being put down at the behest of Christians, leading to more tension. He assured us that nobody would be allowed to indulge in any lawless behaviour and issued firm instructions to the police commissioner of the area. Indeed, the <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">mela</em>passed off peacefully, this despite the fact that, during 2002, non-Christian tribals had attacked Christian settlements leading to a great deal of mutual hostility and suspicion. Not surprisingly, most Christians vote for Modi. They have never complained against his regime.</div>
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“When I met Modi even on small matters, he supported all genuine demands. In another incident, there was a problem between Hindus and Muslims in a small village near Vadodara in 2004. He gave me a free hand to act as an intermediary. I called a joint meeting. A Muslim had killed a Hindu over a business issue and Hindus retaliated. They were not even on talking terms. We conducted peace meetings to bring in communal harmony. The collector was given instructions by Modiji to extend full cooperation.</div>
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“Gujarat newspapers gave prominent coverage to how the ‘Augustine Mission’ was successful. But the peace mission could not have succeeded if the administration had not been fully supportive. People who spread the canard that Modi is against minorities are reflecting their own political biases. My experience is entirely different.</div>
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“As a member of the Minorities Commission, I dealt with several states. The governments of Odisha and Madhya Pradesh have also been good. But no chief minister is as good, as strong and determined as Modi. Once he takes up an issue, he sees it through to its logical conclusion.</div>
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“Now, even Muslims realise that Modi is good for them because a riot-free Gujarat and a resurgent economy with new opportunities have provided them avenues of upward mobility. I admire Modi and I want him to be the prime minister. I always go by factual accounts. Those who are obsessed with injustice done to minorities should ask: Who has given full rights to the minorities? It is the Hindu majority! Who wrote the Constitution? Mostly Hindus! We must appreciate Hindus for this and give them their due credit.”</div>
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This glowing tribute came as a very pleasant surprise for me because for years one had heard John Dayal, Teesta Setalvad, Aakar Patel, Father Cedric Prakash and other Christian activists talk of Narendra Modi as though he was the devil incarnate out to cleanse Christians and Muslims from the state of Gujarat. Cedric Prakash in particular had been at the forefront of the international campaign against Modi to get him blacklisted “as a mass murderer” and denied visa to America and European countries. What is worse, Cedric Prakash along with Islamist groups had lobbied with the US Commission for Religious Freedom to get India blacklisted as a country which crushes religious minorities — notably Christians and Muslims. To quote from one of his interviews referring to Modi’s Gujarat at the Berkeley Centre for Religion, Peace and World Affairs:</div>
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The people that follow Hindutva are fascists; they are the equivalent from (sic) the American context of the Ku Klux Klan, and they draw inspiration from the apartheid of South Africa and Nazi ideology. The basic ideology asks for one nation, one language and one people. </div>
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<span class="attribution" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 10px 0px 0px 60px; opacity: 0.5; text-align: justify; text-transform: capitalize;">December 2, 2010</span></div>
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But Augustine had painted such a glowing picture that I decided to go personally to the Christian pockets of Gujarat in Dang and Vapi to check what the church leaders there had to say about Modi.</div>
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I had expected that at least the Vapi Christians would endorse Augustine’s version and display goodwill towards Modi. But I was taken aback when I found most of them reluctant to utter even one good word about him. Since I had informed them of my visit in advance, half a dozen pastors from various Christian institutions had gathered in one place. Since they knew that Augustine had given me his firsthand account, they could not altogether deny the sequence of events nor paint Modi in the demonic light that Father Cedric Prakash, John Dayal and their associates among the human rights NGOs routinely do. But their demeanour and the hints one got from their guarded sentences and body language spoke volumes about their innate hostility towards the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and Modi, which had nothing to do with what Modi actually did or failed to do.</div>
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For instance, Father Jose Dali from Kerala, who has lived in Gujarat for 36 years, attributed their success in getting land for the graveyard to the “power of the lord”, and the fact that all Christians were “praying together”. To quote him, “we believe in a living god. We believe that he is a god who is able to do miracles, even if the government is against us. We believe in the power of the lord. It is a special faith of the Christians. People all around the world prayed together and because of that, the lord worked on the hearts of the magistrate as well as the leaders.” In other words, they presented to their congregation the success in getting the graveyard land as yet another miracle of Christ.</div>
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Their reluctance to give credit to the Modi government either for securing free land for them or for ensuring that even minor skirmishes don’t take place among Christians and non-Christians tells its own story.</div>
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They also tried to convince me that the Modi government discriminated against tribal areas with regard to development programmes and that in the interior tribal villages, road and other infrastructure was not as good as in non-tribal areas. To quote Francis Fernandes: “in tribal areas, if they are pockets of Christian faith, they will not get certain facilities”. When I asked to give him concrete examples, he couldn’t give me any.</div>
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I found that charge baseless because I had travelled to the remotest tribal areas and had seen that the quality of roads was no different. True, medical services in villages near big cities were better than in interior villages. But there was no difference between tribal and non-tribal villages in this respect. The difference is more to do with doctors and nurses not willing to work in villages far from major urban centres.</div>
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Thereafter, they complained that the <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">sarpanch</em> of that area had refused to sanction a power connection for the graveyard. Since burials don’t take place at night, I was a bit surprised that they needed a power connection for the open ground. Even so I decided to check whether this charge had any substance.</div>
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I met both the current as well as the previous <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">sarpanch</em> of Paldi <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">taluka panchayat</em>. Both were categorical that the pastors had never applied for a power connection so there was no question of refusal. I called the most voluble among of the pastors from the <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">sarpanch</em>’s house and put my mobile phone on speaker mode. Now, the pastor, who had claimed that he had personally gone and applied for the power connection, came up with a lame story that a long while ago he had gone very early morning to the house of the <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">sarpanch</em> (not the <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">panchayat</em> office) and since the <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">sarpanch</em> was not at home, he left the application with an unknown person who opened the door. I asked him whether he had followed up on the matter. The answer was, “no, we didn’t follow up since we knew they would not sanction the connection.”</div>
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This was a clear case of building a victimhood narrative out of a situation where the Modi government had gone out of its way to help the Christian community in more ways than one.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: blue;">The Truth Behind The Victimhood Narrative</span></strong></div>
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Father Francis Macwan, one of the senior pastors of a missionary school on Ahwa Road, where Shabari Dham is situated, had told me that their school and their mission had received all possible help from the Modi government. When I asked him to provide concrete examples of “help”, he described how the district administration had been instructed to provide as many free school textbooks, children’s notebooks, stationery, school bags and uniforms as demanded by missionary schools, even though as privately-run schools, the state government is not obliged to provide such support to church-run institutions, especially considering that the mission schools set up in tribal areas have the express mandate to win over converts to Christianity.</div>
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Thus, when any state government provides free books and other educational materials to mission schools, it is in a way furthering their conversion agenda since free education and related benefits are one of the primary incentives offered by the Church to tribals and other poor communities. And yet the Modi government, as perhaps several other state governments in India, provide this as a goodwill gesture towards the Christian community.</div>
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But barring a few individuals like Augustine, the hostility of church leaders, especially the aggressive evangelical variety, towards the BJP in particular, and Hinduism in general, has only exacerbated instead of abating. The reason for this came out through their own narrative. For the Christian missions in India, “freedom of religion” promised as a constitutional right means essentially one thing — unchecked right to convert people to Christianity, through fair means or foul.</div>
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In my case study of Bishrampur village in Sasaram district of Bihar <a href="https://swarajyamag.com/magazine/how-they-are-harvesting-poor-souls-in-rural-bihar-even-using-violence-against-children" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #e6614c; text-decoration-line: none;">published</a> in <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Swarajya</em> in February 2018, I have described the blackmail tactics, including violence on children used by Christian bigots to force children from poor families to adopt Christianity.</div>
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But finally they let it out that the real issue bothering them was with regard to government policy over conversions. To quote Jose Dali: “actually, what the government feels about conversion and what we believe are different. Conversion will take place within the heart. We are not converting anybody. Those who are truly believing and personally accepting Christ as their saviour and after confessing by themselves publicly, we will accept them. Baptism is not a sign of the conversion. Baptism is a part of the faith. Those who are converted will be baptised as per the <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Bible</em>, Gospel of Mathew.”</div>
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Father Francis Fernandes added: “conversion and baptism are not the same. What the pastor is explaining is that there is a change of heart in a person. The change of heart is when the person is ready and the person says, I want to join this way of life. Then only we initiate him in the field. He is saying ‘yes’ and we are acknowledging that ‘yes’, that is baptism. By seeing the way of life, by seeing the faith of the people around, by seeing that Jesus is there, god is there, then this person comes and says, I want to receive baptism. It is not that we are going and forcing people.” He justified Father Cedric Prakash’s virulent opposition to the Modi government on the ground that “we are not free in our own country, in our own state. Why are our constitutional rights being curtailed? I have the freedom to believe in any god as per the Constitution and after my confession, any time I can follow the principles of the faith.” In other words, the government not allowing support to conversions made them feel India is not a free country.</div>
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Another charge made by these pastors was that there are restrictions on building churches. To quote Father Francis Fernandes: “this is our freedom curtailment. As an active member of the Christian faith, we are not free in our own country to call our own place of worship which is called internationally a church.” At the same meeting, Father Mathew told me, “in South Gujarat alone, there are hundreds of Christian institutions.”</div>
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Several IAS officers, including those working as district collectors, confirmed that there is no blanket ban on building churches. But the problem arises when evangelicals want to plant a church in the middle of a Hindu settlement where there are no Christians, or position it right next to an important Hindu temple. That invariably gets resisted by local communities. But evangelicals have got used to the administration riding roughshod over local sentiments under pressure from Christian missions to give them endless special concessions they claim as a “minority”. They succeed often because they have both the monetary clout as well as political backing to get the government to do their bidding. The fact that under the Modi government, they could not bulldoze the administration with unreasonable demands was provocation enough to join not only with the conversion-friendly Congress party but even rank Islamists in running an international campaign to present him as devil incarnate.</div>
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Jose Dali belongs to a Protestant group called Brethren Assemblies, which is spread all over the world. In response to his litany of complaints, I asked him if he had presented the complaints to the district collector. His response was a giveaway: “we don’t want to make allegations. If there is some problem, we won’t go to the police station or outside. We believe that maybe God’s plan will work things out.” But that didn’t prevent them from taking their imaginary complaints against Narendra Modi to the US Senate, the European Union and various UN platforms.</div>
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How do they justify the virulent campaign to get the US and European governments to deny Modi visa for a whole decade? To quote Father Francis Fernandes: “maybe when our Indian Penal Code or Indian court is not giving you proper justice, you appeal to the international level. That is how Cedric Prakash must have gone to that extent. When my children are not fed in my own house, they will go out to beg, borrow and eat. So that is what is happening. If they have taken this step, that means something is wrong with my own house.”</div>
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Father Francis Macwan, the most reasonable and straightforward of all the pastors I met, from the Jesuit order, summed up the nature of the conflict candidly: “Father Cedric Prakash is a social scientist and an activist. His view is different from ours because we are staying in the midst of people. So my experience is different. Cedric is also in touch with Protestant groups, who go for conversion and faith formation. I have a very positive experience in working in Gujarat under Modi. We Catholics are not directly aggressive in conversions. But for Protestants, the main activity is conversion. So their experience is different.” It is noteworthy that he could speak his mind, though very diffidently, mainly because I chanced to meet him alone while all others met me as a group.</div>
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Meanwhile, the Church has tried to adopt Hindu nomenclature, rituals and vocabulary for Christian myths and church rituals, to make Christianity appear less alien. As elsewhere, so also in the Vapi church, the statue of Mother Mary was dressed in a Gujarati-style <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">saree</em>. Father Francis Fernandes explained they have named her “Our Lady of Velankanni” after a place in Tamil Nadu where Mother Mary allegedly “appeared” to several persons in her bodily form. That place has become a Christian “pilgrimage centre”. Such miracle mongering is a standard technique of evangelicals to attract converts. Adopting local Hindu names, rituals, <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">aarti, bhajans</em> are also part of the strategy to make Christianity appear rooted in the soil of India instead of being an alien imported religion.</div>
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I also saw for myself how the local Hindu population, especially the youngsters, routinely visited the big church compound in Vapi for relaxing in its vast garden and often went and prayed inside because they found the atmosphere peaceful. For some youngsters, it has become the most convenient dating place because Vapi does not have many such pleasant gardens with beautiful shaded trees.</div>
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The lack of hostility of the Hindu population to Christian institutions is evident from the fact that out of 1,800 students in Father Mathew’s school, the vast majority are Hindu. Only 1 per cent of children are avowedly Christian, and only 10 per cent are tribals. However, they run a separate residential school only for tribal children, which is where there is a heavy dose of evangelical brainwashing to convert them to Christianity.</div>
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For the benefit of “secular Hindus”, the pastors describe their evangelical agenda in highly sanitised terms: “we propagate the love of Jesus Christ, we propagate the gospel, and we are teaching everyone to become a good human being so we propagate Jesus Christ and his love. We never try to convert anybody. Message of Christ is the message of love. It is a very open message.”</div>
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However, the Joshua Project, of which all these Protestant missions are a part, makes no secret of the communities it has targeted for conversion. This is what it says about communities that are the soft targets in the tribal-dominated Dang district:</div>
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Almost all of the Central Bhil practise ethnic religions that have been highly influenced by Hinduism. Shiva is considered the supreme god. Ancestor worship (praying to deceased ancestors) is also quite popular. Shamans (priests) are also called upon to offer sacrifices to the many gods and mud idols.</div>
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In spite of their traditional beliefs, there have been interesting manifestations of god’s spirit among the upper caste Bhagat gurus. They now worship light and ‘the word’, singing prophecies of the future, such as the coming sinless incarnation. At the turn of the century, one guru warned his disciples that there would be a great famine, after which they should look for teachers from the north and west who would teach them the true way of salvation from a book, free of cost. They would teach about the true god, and about a sinless incarnation, who was born of a virgin. The guru also said that they should worship this sinless, invisible god, turn away from stones and idols, and live blameless lives. A famine occurred in 1899-1900, soon after the guru’s death.</div>
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The Joshua Project thus admits that the Bhils are steeped in Hindu faith and that their agenda is to wean them away from attachment to their “false gods” and adopt the “true god” but they also admit to using devious strategies including natural calamities as a way of making in-roads among the unsuspecting tribals.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: blue;">Modi And Conversions</span></strong></div>
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The BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in general and Narendra Modi in particular become objects of hate and are perceived as threats not because they want to smash churches and attack or kill Christians or shut down schools. They are hated because, unlike the Congress and Communist parties, the Sangh <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">parivar</em> is not willing to go out of its way to assist Christian missionaries in harvesting souls. Modi became the bête noire of the Christian community despite being very liberal in yielding to the reasonable demands of Christian organisations, and seeking a relationship of cooperation with them and not confrontation. In the very first year of his tenure, his government passed a law entitled Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, 2003. As per this law, anyone who wants to change his/her religion has to first report to the civil authority, namely the deputy commissioner of the district.</div>
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This provision is meant to prevent conversions through fraud. Even though seven states in India already had such a law, the Gujarat law came to rankle the Christian community all over India because Modi took its enforcement somewhat more seriously, whereas almost all Congress governments either turned a blind eye to conversions — whether fair or foul — or even actively assisted in the planting of churches in areas favoured by Christians through free land grants and other overt and covert forms of assistance.</div>
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During British times, churches of various denominations came to occupy the best and the most premium tracts of real estate in every state of India. But even after Independence, the Indian State has been generous in patronising missionary activities, making available countless stretches of prime land as virtual gifts, or at best charging a token amount. In that sense, the combined real estate of various churches in India may well place them among the biggest land owners in India. The growth in planting of churches has also proceeded at frenetic pace in recent decades, especially after the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) came to power and Sonia Gandhi became the all-powerful authority figure at the Centre as well as for state governments under the rule of the Congress and/or its allies. To quote Dr Ralph F Wilson, writing on the website of the Joyful Heart Renewal Ministries:</div>
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“The truly exciting thing is that the percentage of Christians has increased substantially from 2.5 per cent a decade ago to about 5.8 per cent today. That represents a huge increase in the growth rate. Something is happening!</div>
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“Mycologist and church growth expert C Peter Wagner has been receiving reports that the percentage may actually be 25 per cent Christian — at least in parts of this large country — most of the growth coming in the past 10 to 15 years. And the growth may not all be in traditional churches. A substantial part may come from Jesus-follower groups within the Hindu culture.</div>
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“In this huge and very diverse country, it’s difficult to get accurate statistics regarding religion, but anecdotal stories indicate exciting changes. According to Christianity Today, Operation Mobilisation, one of India’s largest missionary groups, has grown to include 3,000 congregations in India, up from 300 in less than a decade. A hospital-based ministry in north India has seen 8,000 baptisms over the past five years after a decade of only a handful.</div>
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“Everybody knows about the massive scale of growth among Dalits,’ says Operation World’s Jason Mandryk. Somewhere between 70 per cent and 90 per cent of Christians in India are Dalits, low-caste groups, so that many higher-caste Hindus view Christianity as a low-class religion, worthy of contempt.</div>
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“’Now we see signs of growth in the middling castes and among the under-35s,’ Mandryk says. ‘There’s a new dynamic for the urban, educated generation….’ Wagner writes, ‘it is becoming more and more common for whole villages or other people groups to all decide to follow Jesus Christ together at one time.’ There are reports of both new churches and traditional denominational churches seeing signs and wonders in the spirit.”</div>
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Church organisations also manage to secure a big chunk of corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds as well as grants from various central government ministries and departments and state governments for their activities.</div>
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As described in <a href="https://swarajyamag.com/magazine/how-they-are-harvesting-poor-souls-in-rural-bihar-even-using-violence-against-children" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #e6614c; text-decoration-line: none;">my article</a> on Bihar, it is not as if tribals and Dalits are desperate to convert. In most instances, missionaries use fairly dubious means to bring people into the Christian fold. Missionaries are also not just content with Hindus accepting Jesus as their saviour. An essential requirement is that they begin hating their original faith, disown their ancestral culture and break off ties with relatives who refuse to convert.</div>
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During Modi’s regime in Gujarat, the district administration had been advised to keep a close watch over conversions, not because Modi hated Christians but because the virulent hate campaigns against Hinduism and the indigenous faith traditions of tribal communities often led to clashes between Christian and non-Christian tribals, leading to law and order problems in areas targeted by evangelicals.</div>
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Missionaries also seemed resentful of the fact that the Modi government took on the task of improving road connectivity and provision of civic infrastructure to backward regions, including tribal pockets, on a war footing. With high quality all-weather roads reaching the remotest regions, along with 24x7 power supply, internet and mobile phone connectivity, safe drinking water, functional primary health centres, systemic improvements in state-run schools and one of the best ambulance services in the country just a phone call away — the space for missionary work began shrinking. Christian missions and evangelical activists thrive only so long as communities remain poor, illiterate and deprived of means of social and economic advancement. Congress, during its long tenures as the ruling party, had not only left the field free for conversions by its callous neglect of tribal areas but also by facilitating the activities of the church. But the Modi government made a special effort to mainstream neglected tribal communities. This appeared as a palpable threat to the evangelicals.</div>
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During Modi’s tenure as chief minister, Hindu groups also felt emboldened to report to the district administration all those meetings where tribals were invited for baptism even while the pastors decribed those meetings as community gatherings, not conversion <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">melas</em>. But they gave the game away by repeatedly asserting that the Modi government was tampering with the freedom of religion of tribal communities to accept Jesus as their lord and saviour. The logic is bizarre. Tribals are most comfortable continuing with their ancestral belief system. It is the evangelicals who tamper with their religious freedom by pressuring them to convert — that too through hate propaganda against the native faiths.</div>
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The Modi government merely kept a vigil over conversion activities. And yet these pastors termed it as a crackdown on Christianity even though they were free to practise their religion and run Christian schools and hospitals. This is how they tried covering up their real agenda: “The xyz gathering we planned was only meant for baptism, not conversion. If people come to us after an inner awakening of the love of Jesus, how can we turn them away? We don’t ask them to convert, it is they who came to embrace Christ. So how can they charge us with conversions?”</div>
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They had no answer when I asked how they could say “baptism” was not conversion and whether as per law, they provided the list of those seeking baptism to the district administration. If seeking baptism was a genuine individual choice, why hide it from the deputy commissioner?</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: blue;">The Story Of Shabari Dham</span></strong></div>
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That Christian leaders of Gujarat had got used to the government of India bending over backwards to keep them happy becomes evident when we consider how aggressively they responded to the presence of the Ramakrishana Mission, social workers of the freedom movement, Hindu <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">sanyasis</em> and Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram social workers in the tribal areas of Gujarat. This aggression was more pronounced in the pre-Modi era, and extended even towards Gandhian social workers sent by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in the late 1940s to undertake the work of tribal uplift through spread of education and to set up village industries.</div>
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This was narrated to me by 1924-born Gelubhai Gulabbhai, a devoted follower of Mahatma Gandhi. He described to me his first-hand experience with Christian missionaries when he moved to Dang in 1948 after completing his education and made it his home and <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">karmabhoomi</em>. Sardar Patel had handpicked him and his brother for social work among Bhil and other tribal communities of Dang. He settled down in Ahwa.</div>
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At that time, the area was considered the backwaters of civilisation. Since they had no place to stay, the district collector helped him and his brother to rent a small dwelling within the local mission compound. Since they had come on behalf of the Mahatma Gandhi-initiated Khadi Gramodyog Board with the aim of introducing craft industries among the tribals to enhance their economic status, within no time the news spread by word of mouth that “Gandhi <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">manas</em> (men), the men of <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">swaraj</em>” had come to Dang. Within days, thanks to the magic of Gandhi’s name, people started visiting their <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">khadi</em> centre from all over the district. Apart from promoting spinning and <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">khadi</em> production, the two brothers began moving from village to village helping people resolve their problems with the administration in addition to starting educational work in tribal villages. They set up student hostels and elementary health services. As a result of their selfless work, the brothers became fairly popular.</div>
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As per Gulabbhai’s account, since local communities began to gravitate towards Gandhi-inspired social work, the Spanish missionaries of the time became resentful and tried to get the two brothers thrown out of the area. They first asked them to vacate the rented premises and pressured the administration to banish them, alleging that the presence of these social workers was inimical to tribal welfare. Gulabbhai and his team refused to buckle under this pressure and the local administration also supported them, since <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">khadi</em> promotion was part of state policy of that period. However, in order to escape harassment by missionaries, they set up their own “Dang Swaraj Ashram” so that they did not have to live as tenants of the mission. The two brothers have devoted their entire life to the Gandhi mission. Even for this, they faced strong opposition from Christian leaders.</div>
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Gulabbhai recounted how during the 1980s, Modi, as an RSS <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">pracharak</em>, used to move around in this area on a bicycle. He tried cultivating good relations with the church leaders, saying, “if your aim is to uplift the status of tribal communities and our mission is also the same, why can’t we work together towards our common goal?” As per Gulabbhai, this was obviously not acceptable to the missionaries whose real agenda was conversions with education and health services used as mere baits. “They were hostile to the Gandhi ideology because they felt that Gandhi was himself rooted in the Hindu faith. Therefore, spread of Gandhi’s ideas would only strengthen the Hindu ethos. Faced with such hostility, we too decided to strengthen our ecosystem by inviting prominent Hindu saints like Murari Bapu and <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">sadhus</em> of Swami Narayan sect for discourses in this area.” Murari Bapu is known for promoting communal harmony and bridging divides. He did stellar work to heal the wounds of the 2002 riots. Similarly, the Swami Narayan sect is also not known for violent or aggressive activities involving counter proselytisation.</div>
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But the presence of even these peaceful Hindu preachers upset the missionaries, because Hindu faith leaders were able to establish easy rapport with local people speaking to them in their very own idioms and built on their local faith traditions instead of asking them to disown their own ancestral faith. Gulabbhai describes the absurd tricks used by missionaries to convince tribals that they were worshipping false and evil deities:</div>
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These missionaries would try to convince Bhils that Hindu gods are weak and fake whereas the Christian god is true and all-powerful. To demonstrate this, they would take a metal plate with the name of Ram written on it. They would put that plate in water. It would naturally sink.</div>
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Then they would take a similar looking plate of wood with the name of Jesus written on it. Naturally, it would float. The missionaries would then gleefully offer it as proof that Jesus alone could save their souls while Hindu gods condemn them to perdition. In order to blast their devious narrative, we started challenging them in their meetings. We would insist that they write the name of Ram on the wooden plate instead of putting it on metal. Everybody could see that the wooden plate floated, no matter whose name you wrote on it, and the metal plate sank even if you wrote the name of Christ on it. We had no choice but to expose their lies because they were creating religious strife. Our mission was tribal development, not conversion. We spoke to tribals in their own idiom, therefore they took to us.</div>
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The Bhil tribals have an age-old tradition of Ram bhakti because of the iconic story in the <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Ramayana</em> where Lord Ram, Lakshman and Sita rested in the hut of a Bhil woman named Shabari during their 14-year exile from Ayodhya. Shabari was so overjoyed at the presence of Ram that she gathered wild berries (<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">ber</em>) from the jungle to feed her beloved Ram. In her anxiety to ensure that Ram ate only sweet and ripe <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">bers</em>, she tasted each fruit before offering it to Ram who ate them with joy and respect as an offering of love. This loving encounter between the Raghuvanshi Ram and a humble <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">bhilni</em> explodes many of the deftly crafted prejudices against the “evils of the caste” system and the “the curse of untouchability” associated with Hinduism through two-and-a-half centuries of missionary propaganda.</div>
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The Shabari-Ram connection has stayed an integral part of the cultural and spiritual ethos of the Bhils; the stones on which the two sat have since time immemorial been objects of worship in Dang. Morari Bapu proposed a grand memorial be built to honour the memory of Shabari. Consequently, a picturesque temple named Shabari Dham was constructed in 2004 on a hill named Chamak Dungar, near Subir village on Ahwa-Navapur Road. This is believed to be the spot where Lord Ram met Shabari.</div>
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This memorial became a matter of great pride for the tribals while Hindu leaders began promoting it as a pilgrimage site by planning the first Shabari Kumbh in February 2006. Lakhs of tribals and members of Scheduled Castes were brought for <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">puja</em> at Shabari Dham, which has a <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">murti</em> of Shabari offering <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">juthe ber</em> to Ram in the sanctum sanctorum. Another important ritual connected to Shabari Kumbh involves a dip in the nearby Purna river as a symbol of equality and oneness of all within the Hindu faith, irrespective of caste, class, tribe or creed. However, at the very inaugural day of Shabari Dham, Hindu leaders, as well as chief minister Modi made no secret of the fact that this temple was a symbol of their commitment to combat conversions by evangelicals.</div>
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With the construction of Shabari Dham, the Christian leaders felt so aggravated at Hindu leaders embracing tribals and setting up residential schools and other facilities for them to counter conversions to Christianity that they began a systematic slander campaign against Hindu saints and social workers, accusing them of promoting religious strife and bringing in “fascist” terror to crush Christians. As a result, Hindu organisations started becoming more militant, especially after VHP and Bajrang Dal entered the scene and Swami Aseemanand of RSS became a leading presence in Dang. They were not inhibited by Gandhian civilities and unconditional commitment to non-violence. They had come ready to battle in order to stop conversions and prevent the missionaries from making the Dang region into a “Nagaland of Western India”, meaning a call for total Christianisation. Consequently, attacks and counter-attacks and ethno-religious conflicts became fairly common. In a few instances, Christian churches were attacked by Hindu tribals who took to militant resistance once they found support from Hindu organisations.</div>
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It is not as if missionaries were merely hapless victims. Their methods of conversion had always been questionable and wherever strong, they too did not hesitate to use outright violence and vandalism against their opponents. Moreover, their very ideology of treating non-Christian faiths as satanic amounts to a declaration of war against Indic faiths. They use all manners of subterfuges to convince people that Jesus alone can save them and that by rejecting Jesus they would be inviting permanent perdition and roast in hell fires for all eternity. I have experienced this first-hand how Christianised tribal girls from Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, etc are taught by church leaders that they should refuse to participate in Hindu <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">pujas</em> and rituals while working and living with Hindu families.</div>
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They are indoctrinated into believing that if they participate in the traditional <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">pujas</em> of their ancestral faith organised by their own close relatives, demonic forces would overpower them and they would be stricken with fatal diseases. Their exclusionist ideology leads to breaking up not just village and community solidarity among the Bhils of Dang (as they do everywhere they plant their churches) but also tearing asunder families. This had led to plenty of strife among tribals because most of those who gravitated towards Christianity did so to avail of educational opportunities and not to disown their culture and family bonds.</div>
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Faced with militant resistance from Hindu Bhils, the missionaries unleashed a national and international campaign to project the VHP and RSS presence in the area as evidence of rising “Hindu fascism”. Shabari Dham was demonised and defamed as an assertion of Hindu aggression. While in the Hindu imagination, Shabari is a revered figure, the missionaries gave it a bizarre twist to project it as a misogynist story. To quote the foremost “intellectual leader” of Christians in India, Cedric Prakash, who set up an NGO with a Hindu name “<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Prashant</em>” to project church activists as defenders of “human rights” in the international arena with frenetic lobbying against Hindu organisations in the UN and with the US government:</div>
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Many Hindu groups take some kind of religious sanction to negate the girl child, as well as women. For example, in our textbooks there is a myth about Lord Rama. It says that when Rama came to Gujarat, he found a place that was very clean. He wondered who was cleaning this area and then he realised that there was a tribal woman called Shabari who was working to keep the place clean. Lord Rama looks to her as an ideal woman and a great disciple because she kept this place so clean in case he decided to visit. This story then becomes a trope about the place of women in society. The boys are taught this type of stereotyping in school, that their mothers and sisters should be at home and clean the house…</div>
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Now there is group in India, a council formed by community elders called Khap that belongs to a certain feudal mindset. They have passed a law in Gujarat that unmarried girls cannot have a telephone.</div>
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The mischievous intent behind the narrative is evident from not just willful caricature of the Shabari story but also gratuitous reference to <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Khaps</em> which exist only in Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh; Gujarat had no acquaintance with <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Khap panchayats</em>. Moreover, no <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Khap</em> has the power to enact laws. They can at best pass resolutions on issues of common concern, that too if there is total consensus. And nowhere in India have girls been prohibited by law from carrying mobile phones.</div>
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The Christians not only defamed Shabari Dham through church networks but also used “secular” NGOs, many of whom are secretly funded by the church (and now even by Islamist groups), to declare war on Shabari Dham and the annual Shabari Mela simply because it resonated well with tribals.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #3d3d3d;">T</span><span style="color: blue;">he War Over Shabari</span></strong></div>
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So long as the Bhils and other tribals remain poor and marginalised, they remain easy targets of conversion drives. But the moment they feel part of mainstream Indian society, missionaries can’t prey on their isolation. The Christians therefore began frantic efforts to pressure the central government to ban the Shabari Mela, with secular NGOs and Left-leaning mediapersons leading a concerted attack against Hindu organisations embracing the work of tribal welfare to wean them away from Christianity and its divisive agenda. The Christians argued that since there were no historical antecedents for this <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">mela</em>, Hindus should be prohibited from holding it.</div>
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With the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre, they got full backing and support in demonising Hindu organisations. Missionary-backed secular fronts such as Indian Social Institute, Medha Patkar-led National Alliance of People’s Movements and even People’s Union of Civil Liberties (PUCL) and People’s Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR) acted as foot soldiers for evangelicals in opposing Shabari Mela and endeavours of Hindu organisations to persuade tribals to assert their own faith traditions. Despite their democratic pretence, both PUCL and PUDR have been for long used as proxy fronts by Maoists.</div>
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The PUCL, which started off as a save-democracy organisation following the Emergency, turned into an obedient ally of evangelical groups and went so far as to file an intervention petition in the Supreme Court in 2006, supporting the Christian demand to ban Shabari Mela and put restrictions on <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">ghar wapsi</em> endeavours of Hindu organisations. This, when the Shabari Kumbh was being attended by lakhs of people from different parts of India of their own volition. Fortunately, the court refused to yield and the Shabari Mela was not banned.</div>
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But this campaign clearly revealed that Christian missionaries and the self-appointed guardians of civil liberties — PUCL and PUDR — joined hands to clamp down on the religious freedom of Hindus in their own homeland. They argued that Shabari Mela was being used as a platform for “communal propaganda to Hinduise or Brahmanise” <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">adivasis</em>. The charge is bizarre beyond belief. On the one hand, Christian missionaries don’t tire of attacking Hindus in general and Brahmins in particular of being exclusivist. On the other hand, any signs of inclusiveness is condemned as “Brahmanising” or Hinduising them, as though both these represent an intrinsically evil force. To Christianise tribals is “progressive”, even though it means making them disown and hate their ancestral faiths and cultures. But bringing them closer to upper-caste Hindu culture is dubbed “fascism”.</div>
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The missionaries have worked with zeal to drive a wedge between Hindu society and various groups erroneously designated as “tribals” simply because they were forest dwellers and therefore remained outside the <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">varna vyavastha</em>. The core belief system of groups designated as tribals consists of ancestor worship and nature worship. Hence they are termed animists. But both these are core beliefs of Hindu faith traditions as well, even while rituals involving these two beliefs might differ from one group to another. The big chink in the tribal armour exploited by missionaries is that they don’t have a written history or literary tradition because most of their languages did not have well-developed scripts. Therefore, missionaries have used that vulnerability to invent a whole new history for them on the lines of the Aryan-Dravidian divide theory used with fair degree of success in the South.</div>
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Two men were specially targeted by church leaders — Narendra Modi as chief minister of Gujarat and Swami Aseemanand of the VHP.</div>
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The work of Hindu organisations suffered a major setback when Aseemanand, the prime mover behind Shabari Kumbh, was arrested by the UPA government on the charge of being part of “Hindu terror” groups engaged in the Ajmer Sharif bomb case in 2007, and the Samjhauta Express blasts.</div>
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Recently, the entire bogey of “Hindu terror” has been exposed to have been invented as a counter-blast strategy by the Congress leaders to deflect attention from Pakistan’s ISI-backed terrorist groups mushrooming all over India. Assemanand was acquitted of all charges on 18 April 2018.</div>
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During my long interviews with Narendra Modi in 2013, he provided me valuable insights into the games being played by missionaries in crafting a narrative of victimhood in order to defame India globally and put the Indian government and political leaders on the defensive, so that they dare not challenge even the patently illegal and subversive activities of missionaries.</div>
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Right from the inception of Shabari Dham temple, Modi as Gujarat chief minister was put under pressure to ban the entry of Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram and VHP preachers in the area. Modi told me that he assured the Christian leaders who met him that he was willing to guarantee their safety and ensure that no attacks would take place on any church or any Christian home but that he could not possibly shut down the Shabari Dham or ban the Shabari Kumbh since that would amount to depriving Hindus of their religious freedom. Thereafter, Modi instructed the deputy commissioner and senior police officers of the area to ensure that not even a pebble was thrown at any Christian home or church nor any tiff allowed to flare up.</div>
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In the process, Modi invited the wrath of the radical fringe of Hindu preachers because they too were put on close watch. Modi told me he took a firm stand not just out of concern for the safety of Christians — which he took seriously as his constitutional duty — but also because he was well aware of the intent of a section of the missionaries, especially those who belong to the bigoted Baptist sects.</div>
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Often, they themselves would provoke a fight with the well-thought-out purpose of blowing it up out of proportion — even a minor skirmish which would be made the basis of an international smear campaign that the government of Gujarat was on a genocidal mission vis a vis Christians. He added that after his firm instructions, the district administration ensured that no group was allowed to take liberties with law and order.</div>
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Modi’s explanation sounds logical: “the fact that not a single Christian needed even first aid at a local dispensary on account of inter-faith violence indicates how Christian leaders had exaggerated the threat of violence from Hindu organisations. Had there been serious attacks, at least some persons would have suffered injuries worth an FIR to the police or gone for medical treatment.”</div>
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I too got the impression that the missionaries didn’t seem happy with the administration becoming firm about ensuring law and order. Modi could see clearly that missionaries thrived in a situation of conflict because that enabled them to unleash campaigns defaming Gujarat as a fascist, intolerant state that endangers the rights of minorities. If they are deprived of the opportunity to create even small skirmishes that can be exaggerated beyond recognition through friendly media, they get more desperate. That is why, despite cessation of attacks and counter attacks in the Christian tribal belt, the church leaders remained in the forefront of the anti-Modi brigade, backed by the Congress and Left parties. Father Cedric Prakash, John Dayal and other Christian activists addressed countless meetings in the UN, in the European Parliament as well as in leading universities of the West to ensure that the international communities treated Modi and BJP as untouchables.</div>
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It is ironic that liberal educated people in India go ballistic and hyperventilate their outrage towards <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">ghar wapsi</em> but take a very benign stand when successive Popes openly proclaim their wish to “witness a great harvest of faith” in India. Imagine the Left liberal outrage in India if a Hindu leader expressed something close to what Pope Paul Francis declared in 15 March 2013 while addressing the College of Cardinals:</div>
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Let us never yield to pessimism, to that bitterness that the devil offers us every day; let us not yield to pessimism or discouragement: let us be quite certain that the Holy Spirit bestows upon the Church, with his powerful breath, the courage to persevere and also to seek new methods of evangelisation, so as to bring the Gospel to the uttermost ends of the earth (cf. Acts 1:8). Christian truth is attractive and persuasive because it responds to the profound need of human life, proclaiming convincingly that Christ is the one Saviour of the whole man and of all men. This proclamation remains as valid today as it was at the origin of Christianity, when the first great missionary expansion of the Gospel took place.</div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">[To be continued]</strong></em></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><br /></strong></em></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">First published at Swarajyamag.com on 1st June, 2018 (See Link: <a href="https://swarajyamag.com/magazine/the-gujarat-agenda-why-christian-missionaries-hate-modi-and-rss-so-much">https://swarajyamag.com/magazine/the-gujarat-agenda-why-christian-missionaries-hate-modi-and-rss-so-much</a>)</span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
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madhukishwarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14753750751813113571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188722843562789620.post-37229769876022016602018-02-16T11:16:00.001+05:302018-02-16T11:16:12.184+05:30Joshua Project in Action -- Strategies Used for Conversion to Christianity <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nat Community
members from Sasaram District in Bihar speak out<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In
recent years, the issue of conversions from Hinduism and <i>ghar wapsi</i> (reconversion
to Hinduism) has evoked a great deal of controversy. Hindu groups allege that
Christian missionaries use force, fraud and all kinds of illicit means in order
to "harvest souls" for Christianity. Therefore, they seek a ban on
conversions. In their defence, Christian missionaries say that they have never
used unfair means and that their proselytisation activities are merely an
exercise of religious freedom, which is guaranteed under the Constitution of
India.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While
on a recent visit to villages in Rohtas district in Bihar, during the course of
my field research into the living conditions of <i>ghumantoo jatis</i>
(itinerant communities) like the Nats, I got revealing glimpses of the methods
being used by Christian missionaries to win converts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People
of the Nat community, which include<i> saperas </i>(snake charmers), <i>bazigars</i>
(magicians), acrobats, folk musicians, dancers, <i>madaris/qalandar </i>(those
who train monkeys or bears for performances) today constitute among the poorest
of the poor in India, although, before the advent of British rule, each such
family enjoyed secure <i>jajmani</i> relations with a set of villages, and many
were even patronised by <i>rajwadas</i> (royal courts). But today, they
constitute the lowest rungs of Scheduled Castes. Unlike other reserved communities,
the Nats have not been able to avail of the benefits of reservation on any
significant scale, because, as itinerant communities, their access to education
has been far lower than that of SC groups who lead a settled existence.
Unfortunately, census data does not record the educational level of these
communities. But all available evidence points to abysmally low educational
levels.<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However,
in recent years, hunger for education has become acute even among the poorest
segments of these communities, especially since their traditional occupations
are being systematically destroyed through hostile government policies.
Unfortunately, despite its rhetorical commitment to providing education for
all, the Indian state has failed miserably in delivering on this promise
because of the absence of proper teachers, leading to hopelessly poor quality of
teaching in the vast majority of government schools. This is where the
Christian missionaries step in with their own agenda.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As
it became evident during my field trip, most Nat settlements in the district
are wretchedly poor. The only better off
families are those who have managed to get better education and moved away from
their traditional occupations. Adult males of the community eke out a living by
performing snake dances in nearby towns, or have taken to livestock breeding,
while others work as farmhands. Women from some families work as singers or
dancers in the region or in bars in faraway Mumbai. Unlike Nat homes in New
Delhi's Kathputli Colony, the scanty mud or brick lined huts of the community
in Bihar are devoid of even basic trappings of the modern age such as gas
stoves and television sets. A couple of years ago, a few families were allotted
pucca houses under the UPA government's Indira Awaas Yojna. However, many
couldn't derive this benefit owing to the itinerant nature of their lifestyle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite
their precarious existence, most Nat parents today desire to see their children
get good education so that they are able to land decent jobs. And this is exactly
where some Christian missions have sensed a lucrative market for proselytisation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Therefore,
it should come as no surprise that even the Colorado Springs, US-based evangelist
movement, the Joshua Project, lists the Nat community and its various sub-groups
in its database of nearly 10,000 "unreached peoples" globally. To
quote from the Nat page on the Joshua Project website:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“<b>What Are Their Beliefs?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Nat are generally Hindus but there are
some Muslims in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. The Hindu Nats worship
Rama, Shiva and the other Hindu gods and goddesses. Some claim to be fortune
tellers, exorcists or healers. They celebrate the main Hindu festivals and many
of them worship ancestors too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What Are Their Needs?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The low caste position of the Nat means they
are denied many benefits and their work and partly nomad lifestyle has caused
them problems such as poverty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prayer Points<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pray that the problems the Nat are having will
lead them to Jesus Christ.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Nat (Hindu traditions) in India, Joshua Project,
https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/17763/IN)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While
interviewing Nat families in Bishrampur Nat Tola, about 10 km from the district
headquarters at Sasaram, we found that most children enrolled in the local
government school were also simultaneously enrolled with an organisation called
Gospel Echoing Missionary Society (GEMS) set up by Christian missionaries for
supplementary coaching. These include prayer sessions as well as going over
their school curriculum. Classes are for all age groups from class 1 to 12. The
difference between those who went to GEMS for these tuitions, and those who
merely went to only the s<i>arkari</i> school, was clear as daylight. All those
coached by GEMS could rattle off tables and answer questions far more
confidently and without many errors, whereas those who depended only on <i>sarkari</i>
teaching were lagging far behind. GEMS students also looked better fed and
relatively better dressed, because the missionaries reportedly give them good
meals that include fruits, milk, eggs and meat. They also reported being taught
hygiene and provided soap etc. to bathe in the GEMS day hostel. Therefore,
almost all parents, including the poorest of the poor in Bishrampur (as well as
Beda village and the Nat settlement in Sasaram) were keen to have their
children admitted to GEMS. Parents of those who didn't get admission were
desperate enough to plead with us to intervene with the priests of the local
branch of GEMS to admit their children. Their intense desire to see their
children get good education was both humbling and saddening, for it showed that
despite all the money being spent by the government on teachers' salaries and
providing free mid-day meals, books, uniforms, as well as special scholarships
for “weaker sections”, even poor illiterate parents could tell that their
children were not learning anything worthwhile in government schools nor
getting edible food by way of mid day meals. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's
why, in the abovementioned three Nat community settlements as well as in eight
other Nat villages of Gaya, Jahanabad, Bhojpur and Rohtas districts, we found
that most families whose children were studying in government schools were also
paying for private tuition for their kids, although they lived in abysmal
poverty. Wherever Christian missions had set up GEMS-like institutes, they
became the villagers’ preferred choice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">THE GEMS EXPERIENCE</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The villagers informed us that the supplementary classes held at GEMS
covered the entire syllabus at a reasonable pace. But in the government school,
teaching was fitful and the entire course was seldom covered, since staff
absenteeism was commonplace. We were told that teachers dozed off in the
classroom after taking attendance, while unsupervised children went out to play
or did wild things, including vandalising school property. In contrast,
teachers at GEMS ensured proper discipline. Another big attraction of GEMS is
that English is taught from Class III onwards. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About
100 children of Bishrampur Nat Tola village go to GEMS, which also has a hostel
with amenities like free food, clothing and toiletry.<b> </b>One’s first
spontaneous impression could well be to feel a sense of gratitude towards
Christian missionaries for having come to the rescue of these vulnerable
communities. But, perchance we heard from the children and parents of
Bishrampur Nat Tola the price they had to pay for these free tuitions and
meals.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For
instance, <b>Shankar Kumar</b>, a parent, told us that the missionaries
indulged in unethical pressure tactics, including violence on children to force
them to convert to Christianity. Many children were summarily expelled from
GEMS because they refused to give up their ancestral faith. <b>Ranjan Kumar</b>,
a student of Class VII, told us that he was beaten brutally with a stick
because the priests got to know that he had accompanied his parents to the
temple of Goddess Mandeshwari. He was expelled from school and readmitted after
a whole year. For that, his parents had to repeatedly beg the missionaries to
forgive their son and promise that he would never again visit a Hindu temple or
take part in Hindu religious rituals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DPuJVEzNcfs/WoZs3_lVXiI/AAAAAAAABMs/EDRTmQ0HYMIjSmj-j2OizDWAiRqrKejeACLcBGAs/s1600/Ranjan%2BKumar%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="661" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DPuJVEzNcfs/WoZs3_lVXiI/AAAAAAAABMs/EDRTmQ0HYMIjSmj-j2OizDWAiRqrKejeACLcBGAs/s320/Ranjan%2BKumar%2B1.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Similarly,
<b>Anish Kumar</b> was beaten so mercilessly with a wooden stick that his legs
were swollen for days. He had committed the sin of going for prayers at the
temple of Goddess Tara Chandi to thank the deity for the new motorcycle his
family had been able to purchase. Like Ranjan, Anish was also forced by his
parents to apologise to the priests and return to GEMS because otherwise he
would have possibly become a wastrel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zkyWkd55_AM/WoZtCVA33FI/AAAAAAAABMw/613zFDAh4uAAXrrZYzMrzBYIUAcZa5d3QCLcBGAs/s1600/Anish%2BKumar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="661" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zkyWkd55_AM/WoZtCVA33FI/AAAAAAAABMw/613zFDAh4uAAXrrZYzMrzBYIUAcZa5d3QCLcBGAs/s320/Anish%2BKumar.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ten-year
old <b>Majnu</b> described the vicious
caning he received when he went with his family to pray in a local Hindu
temple. The priests allegedly also forbid these children from attending
weddings of their relatives because those involve Hindu rituals. Another boy
said they are beaten up for praying even at home to their Hindu deities. A
villager pointed to a little boy in the gathered crowd who had been beaten
brutally because he skipped school for a day due to illness. But he was told he
was also being punished because he had not given up Hindu prayers. The
missionaries had put all families on notice that their children would have to
give up the Hindu faith if they wanted to continue studying in GEMS. All the adults and children we met in a group
repeatedly mentioned one particular missionary — Chandrashekhar — who used the
most brutal methods on children to force them to convert.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fhqmOtXS8YE/WoZtM0R29SI/AAAAAAAABM0/ZsTqTJe2nZA8vkKdLEQhy8NVXXpMfqCnQCLcBGAs/s1600/Majnu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="661" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fhqmOtXS8YE/WoZtM0R29SI/AAAAAAAABM0/ZsTqTJe2nZA8vkKdLEQhy8NVXXpMfqCnQCLcBGAs/s320/Majnu.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
children are ordered to pray only to Christ every morning and evening, as well
as before every meal. The classes at GEMS include teachings of Christianity.
While neither the parents nor the children seemed to mind “accepting” Christ,
almost all parents we spoke to were extremely resentful that in the eyes of
these priests, accepting Christ was insufficient without virulent and forceful
rejection of their ancestral faith and culture. The missionaries bullied them
into believing that their families were worshipping false gods, that their own
faith was full of evil practices and that Christ is the only true god who could
guide them to the path to Heaven.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It
is not hard to sympathise with the predicament of these parents who accepted
such bullying and blackmail and allowed their children to disown their own
faith, just so they can get some help with schooling. However, most parents
were categorical that it was a survival strategy for them to let their children
pretend they had accepted Christ, even while in the privacy of their homes and
in their hearts, they remained rooted in their family traditions and, that as
soon as they finished school, their pretense at being Christian would be cast
aside. They accepted this charade because government schools were doing a
shoddy job. Although the government school also provided a meal in the
afternoon, it usually consisted of poorly cooked sub-standard rice along with a
measly serving of poorly cooked vegetables. Moreover, the quantity of meals
served was insufficient. In anger, the students often break the plates and
vandalise school property. In contrast, at GEMS, students are served meals on
chairs and tables, allowed to eat as much as they want, and the food is of far
better quality. Considering that these children come from very poor homes, if
they too find government school food sub-standard, one can well imagine the
level of incompetence and corruption prevalent in the mid-day meal scheme in
Bihar. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In
contrast, at GEMS, meat, chicken or eggs are served on certain days in a week,
with fruits and snacks in the evening. Students
can have as much food as they want. However, we found it noteworthy that GEMS
provides non-vegetarian dishes mainly on days of the week such as Tuesday, on
which even meat eating Hindus avoid taking non-vegetation food in deference to
their Ishta Dev. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Kanchan,</b> a Class VIII student, spoke
at length about the religious indoctrination students were routinely subjected
to at GEMS. She described how they are brainwashed into believing that only
Christianity could take them to heaven. All other religions meant permanent
perdition. Children are taught that worshipping Hindu gods and goddesses is to
worship false gods since the idols were manmade and could not speak for
themselves, whereas Christ is the only “true god”, since he died on the cross
to pay for man's sins. We were told that students quietly accept all that they
are taught even if they don't agree with the negative image painted of their
family's faith. The general consensus among the adults and children we talked
to was that there was no point in openly challenging the interpretation given
by the missionaries even though the idea of conversion was repugnant to them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When asked whether children were
expelled from GEMS for refusing to convert, Kanchan initially said: “No.” However, she started agreeing with Govind Nat
when he emphatically said there were cases of children being thrown out for
refusing to accept Christ. Even though not formally
baptised, many children get into the habit of praying to Christ at home, even
while their families discourage them to do so. Govind and others said
that <b>i</b>f the children openly state that they go to
GEMS only for getting education and not to pray to Christ, they face harsh
consequences. In such cases, the families have to look for private schools. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vgRO2U3IcFA/WoZtYs69XYI/AAAAAAAABM4/x08RI6xIqJs0GHjGBTzfSQdpGMETgSKIQCLcBGAs/s1600/Kanchan%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="661" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vgRO2U3IcFA/WoZtYs69XYI/AAAAAAAABM4/x08RI6xIqJs0GHjGBTzfSQdpGMETgSKIQCLcBGAs/s320/Kanchan%2B1.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite
all the inducements offered by missionaries, only one young boy, <b>Aman Kumar</b>,
claimed to have converted to Christianity. When asked what attracted him
towards his adopted faith, he replied that it was because he was told that all
his sins would be forgiven if he prayed to Christ. He also liked the food and
other facilities the missionaries offer. He said his parents, though Hindu, did
not object to his converting. The missionaries have promised him a job after he
graduates from school. This in itself is a huge incentive, given the high level
of unemployment in this community. His father is a very poor farmer who takes
other people's land on rent for cultivation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apart
from Aman<b>,</b> a woman named <b>Shanti s</b>aid she has been going to
church every day to join the prayer sessions, though she had not yet converted.
All three of her children are enrolled at GEMS. She is the only one from the
village who goes to church regularly. She told us that the priests at GEMS had
promised to give her family either a chicken farm or a tempo or some other
means to earn a better living. But that would come only after the whole family
converted. Her husband works as a daily wage truck driver in the nearby stone
quarries and earns Rs 200-250 per day. The priests also provide them with
medical services in a nearby mission hospital. It is noteworthy that none of
the villagers displayed any negative sentiments towards Aman or Shanti for
taking to Christianity even though the common view was that Aman had converted
under pressure because those who resisted Christianity were treated very
brutally. Those who cannot afford private schools send their children to GEMS
under compulsion. But they knew their children would stick to their family
culture after they were through with school. Though most GEMS students have
started praying to Christ even at home because they have been trained to
inculcate this habit by the missionaries but almost all the children were
emphatic that they did not want to convert and preferred their own faith. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vVNbSC1vNp4/WoZtltZCxCI/AAAAAAAABNA/i3LZyZc_po0V5zqUOooN2nDnBHoDN7eHgCLcBGAs/s1600/Shanti%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="661" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vVNbSC1vNp4/WoZtltZCxCI/AAAAAAAABNA/i3LZyZc_po0V5zqUOooN2nDnBHoDN7eHgCLcBGAs/s320/Shanti%2B2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If missionaries can act so aggressively
in a Hindu majority village, one can well imagine their militancy in states
like Nagaland when conversions have led to wholesale Christianisation of the
population. In such states, it has become virtually impossible for
non-Christians to survive and live safely unless they convert.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">THE
ASSAULT ON CULTURE</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
missionary assault is not just in the domain of faith but targets the entire
spectrum of cultural practices and value system of the Nat communities. For
example, the traditional occupation of most Nat families of Bishrampur is
singing and dancing. At one time, Natnis were patronised even in royal courts,
because, like the <i>tawaifs</i> of North India or <i>devadasis</i> of the
South, they were accomplished in music and dance. With the decline of royalty
and traditional <i>jajmani </i>relations, these women have taken to dancing at
weddings and other festive occasions, as well as in low-end hotels, restaurants
and beer bars. Some had even gone to work in Mumbai's dance bars till the bars
were forced to shut down by the Maharashtra government.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
community has well-established liberal norms for those among its women who are
trained for dancing. Recognising that women who take to public performances
can't live by the expectations and norms applicable to <i>byahata </i>(married)
women, girls who take to dancing don’t get married. They are however free to
have short or long-term relationships with men of their choice. But they
continue staying with their parents and children born out of these
relationships, are fully accepted by their families as well as community. There
is no stigma attached to children born out of wedlock. However, the
missionaries insist that singing and dancing is immoral and should be
abandoned, thus making the community ashamed of its traditional occupation. By
force of circumstance, the dances these women perform today are not the
traditional variety but their own adaptation of Bollywood song and dance
numbers<i>.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
cultural disorientation of such communities can be well imagined. Their
traditional dance forms are not much in demand because of the rage for
Bollywood-style dances. Nor are the old patrons available any more. While the
Katrina Kaifs and Priyanka Chopras are treated as national celebrities and
icons of feminine success for their <i>latka jhatkas</i>,<i> </i>and Bollywood<i> </i>dance numbers are emulated in
elite parties and discotheques, these lowly-educated women from poor
communities are looked down upon with utter disdain for being <i>naachne-gaane
walis</i>, although they are merely emulating Bollywood heroines. It is likely that
those who invite them at their wedding parties don't always treat them with due
respect. As a safety measure, these women always go for performances as part of
an established group, never singly. But the pressure from the missionaries to
abandon their occupation is strong. They
throw out of school all girls who are being trained as dancers by their
families.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">THE
DISMAL STATE OF GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although
beating of children in schools is a punishable crime under the Right to
Education Act, 2004, none of the parents would dare complain to authorities
because of their desperation for better education for their children. The sorry
state of affairs in government schools described by these children is no
surprise because the Bihar government's own inquiry had revealed that most of
its school teachers are totally unqualified for the job. In 2013, over 10,000
contractual teachers twice failed a competency test for knowledge of Hindi,
English, mathematics and general knowledge for up to Class V. Many could not
even answer simple questions like five plus 20 equals what?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
Bihar government employs over 150,000 teachers for 53,000 plus primary schools.
But most of them lack elementary skills required for the job. On 18 May 2015,
the Patna High Court directed the director of the Bihar Vigilance Department to
probe the recruitment of nearly 40,000 government teachers who allegedly used
fake degree certificates to get jobs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
dismal failure of our government school system, coupled with the equally
disastrous performance of the <i>sarkari</i> health care system, has created a
vacuum being filled by Christian missions. It is not as if missionary schools
for the poor provide as good an education as their schools for the elite
classes. But it is far better than what is provided in the vast majority of
government schools. Therefore, a certain amount of attraction and goodwill for
Christianity is inevitable. This may understandably lead to a few voluntary
conversions. But for most Hindus, their goodwill for Christianity and even
accepting the greatness or divinity of Christ doesn't easily lead to their
abandoning their traditional faith and culture. For instance, in the Catholic
Convent School I studied in, we too were made to chant Christian prayers and
cross our heart before and after every class in addition to the morning
assembly prayer to “Our father thou art in Heaven…” The most common prizes for
topping in the weekly or monthly class tests in different subjects were holy
pictures of Christ, Mother Mary and other Christian saints. All of us treasured
those as prized possessions. Although nearly all the students in our school
were from well-off Hindu or Sikh families, none of the parents minded our
singing Christian hymns or saying Christian prayers as a daily ritual, or being
taught the Bible in the moral science class. And yet not a single child converted
to Christianity, nor did the nuns put any pressure on us to change our faith.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If
the Christian missions were content to merely preach their religion in their
schools and spread goodwill for Christianity without subjecting the poor to
unethical pressures, blackmail or material inducements, no Hindu organisation
is likely to protest. But when missionaries use devious means to convert in an
apparent bid to “harvest souls”, when the social services they provide are
essentially a pious mask for proselytisation, there is ample ground for
worry. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">HISTORY OF GEMS</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">GEMS
was founded by one D. Augustine Jebakumar who arrived in Bihar as part of the Texas,
US-based MGM Ministries in the early 1970s, with the express aim to proselytise
among the locals. It was registered as a society in 1979 to especially enhance
evangelisation efforts in Bihar. Other than Bihar, GEMS is now also active in
Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Maharashtra in India, and in Nepal. The society minces no words while enunciating
its agenda on its website:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“The activities of this society are primarily
church planting and evangelism. Later educational services, medical services
and social services were added in order to cater to the needs of people. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Working in 27 Districts of Bihar alone, we have
established about 11 English Medium Schools, 118 Hindi Medium Schools (Day Care
Centers), above 50 Homes for Children, which made an impact in the whole State.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have workers from North India (mainly
people who were transformed by the love of the Lord who were trained through
our Discipleship Training Centers and Workers Training Centers) along with
South Indians (1/3 of the total force) and right now we have over 2479 people (as
on Mar ’13) who get support on various levels.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">South Indian Churches and Prayer Groups
mainly support the workers, whereas our friends from overseas and other
agencies support our social work, major buildings and donate vehicles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bihar after the bifurcation (from Nov 2000)
has around 82 million people and only 40,000 people are Christians including
Roman Catholic, even today. Out of which around 20000+ people are active
believers. So, GEMS would like to multiply the harvest force by giving
leadership training to Women and Men, so that the trained people may go and
train others as the field is vast and getting ready for Harvest.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Gospel Echoing Missionary Society, http://www.gemsbihar.co/gemsb/index.php/aboutus/history)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Such
“soul harvesters” are not content with merely getting a person to join their
ranks. They are also insistent on the converted person severing all ties with
his familial traditions, and display aggressive contempt and hostility towards
his/her ancestral faith as evil mumbo jumbo. One cannot fault individual
priests for it. This hostility to the "false gods" of other faiths is
the core belief of Christianity, as it is of Islam. The "One and Only True
God" of Christians (as of Islam) is a virulently jealous God who will
wreak vengeance on all those who retain any respect or soft corner for the
deities or culture of their ancestral faith traditions. People who don't yield
to this key commandment deserve to be wiped out. That is exactly what the
medieval Crusades aimed at. That is exactly what Christian missions succeeded
in doing in all of Latin America and Africa. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even
when living in a Hindu majority India, they have the gumption to insist that
Christian converts (including those targeted for conversion through their
schools) sever all bonds with the faith and culture of their kith and kin and
stay away from religious rituals of their community. One can well imagine the
predicament of non-Christians in states like Nagaland which have witnessed mass
conversion in the last 65 years. The
pressure to convert is far more intense in Nagaland because missionaries work
hand in glove with insurgent groups and can get people opposing conversion
drives altogether eliminated. In Nagaland, 98 per cent of the tribal community had
converted to Christianity, as per the 2011 census. In 1941, Christians
constituted less than 10 per cent of Nagaland's population. The same pattern is
visible among Scheduled Tribe communities in other Northeastern states, notably
Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RABID AMERICAN EVANGELICALS AT WORK</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today,
rabid right wing Christian missions of North America, backed financially and
politically by the US government, are in the forefront of conversions. To quote
a well researched report by <i>Tehelka</i> (<span style="color: #0070c0;">http://archive.tehelka.com/story_main.asp?filename=ts013004shashi.asp&id=1</span>):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span style="color: #303030; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Religious expansionism has not witnessed this
scale, scope, and state resources in a long time. Detailed investigations by
Tehelka reveal that American evangelical agencies have established in India an
enormous, well-coordinated and strategised religious conversion plan. The
operation was launched in the early 1990s but really came into its own after
George W Bush Jr, an avowed born-again Christian, became president of the
United States in 2001. Since then, aggressive evangelists have found pro-active
support from the new administration in their efforts to convert some sections
of Indian society to Christianity. At the heart of this complex and
sophisticated operation is a simple strategy — convert locals and then give
them the knowhow and money to plant their own churches and multiply.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #303030; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Around the time that Bush Jr moved into the
Oval office, a worldwide conversion movement, funded and effected by American
evangelical groups, was peaking in India. The movement, which began as AD2000
& Beyond, and later morphed into Joshua Project I and Joshua Project II,
was designed to be a sledgehammer — a breathtaking, decade-long steamroller of
a campaign that would set the stage for a systematic, sophisticated and
self-sustaining ‘harvest’ of the ‘unreached people groups’ in India in the 21st
century. Just as the operation was taking off that the script changed. Much to
the delight of American evangelicals, one of their own, George Bush Jr, became
the occupant of the White House.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However,
even before Bush became US President, Christian evangelism had been an integral
part of US foreign policy. Many of these evangelical groups, such as the
Baptists, have been well known for their Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
links. The Joshua Project is brazen about targeting countries like India that
haven’t fallen prey to Christianisation to the extent that the African or Latin
American countries have.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To
quote <i>Tehelka</i> on the sinister agenda of the Joshua Project.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #303030;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“A large-scale intelligence operation
that brought together American strategists, theologians, missionary
specialists, demographers, technologists, sociologists, anthropologists and
researchers to create the most comprehensive people group profiles in the 10/40
window… The 10/40 window, denoting the latitudes on the globe considered the
prime target for conversion, has India squarely in its sights.”<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
Joshua Project is designed as a full-scale ideological war. The training of
missionaries is carried out with precision and efficiency, using the same
models as for conquering territories.
Vast amounts of funds are put at the disposal of zealous missionaries
who are assigned territories, issued quotas and trained into “planting”
churches, as they did in Bishrampur.
They invariably choose sites where poverty is rampant and government has
failed in providing quality education and health services. <b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: blue;">OPEN HATRED FOR HINDUISM</span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">K.P.
Yohannan, who founded Gospel for Asia, typifies the hatred and hostility of
Christian missions towards Hinduism, which they describe as a “Satanic” faith.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Our battle is not against… symptoms of sins
such as poverty and disease. It is directed against Lucifer and innumerable
demons which fight day and night in order to drag the human souls into an
eternity without Christ. … Viewing the effects of pagan religions on India, I
realised that the masses of India are starving because they are slaves to sin.
The battle against hunger and poverty is really a spiritual battle, not a
physical or social one as secularists would have us believe. The only weapon
that will ever effectively win the war against disease, hunger, injustice and
poverty in Asia is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Billions
of dollars are being spent every year on conversion drives. Yet the matter does
not end with merely converting people to an altogether another faith. As Rajiv
Malhotra has painstakingly documented in his book <i>Breaking India</i>,
Christian missionaries have made common cause with Maoists, Islamist
terrorists, in addition to promoting various secessionist groups in the North
East — all of whose stated mission is to wreck and Balkanise India. Their mission
relies on first identifying real or imaginary fault lines within the Indian
society on the basis of caste, class, religion and region, and then do all they
can to widen the divides so as to convert various ethnic identities into
permanently warring groups. This is why scheduled tribes and scheduled castes
are their special targets. They also are clever enough to invent new fault
lines where none existed before. In this, Western scholars and their cronies in
Indian academia and human rights groups funded by the West ably assist them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For
instance, long after the Aryan invasion theory has been firmly debunked by
serious historians as well as archeologists as imaginary nonsense, Christian
groups, with the help of allied NGOs and social scientists, continue to promote
Dravidian-Dalit separatism on the ground that these were the original
inhabitants of India, who were enslaved by invading Aryans, mischievously
identified as upper-caste Hindus. Their stated goal is to carve out all of
South India into Dravidistan and Central India into Dalitistan, just as the
British helped Muslims carve out Pakistan through an ethnic genocide of Hindus
in that region. They also have plans to create a new Mughalistan in all of
North India extending to Bihar and Assam. That this is not mere fantasy is
borne out by the endless series of ethnic wars in the North East and the Maoist
insurgency in Central India, all being backed and promoted by Christian
missionaries. A similar strategy resulted in the genocide in Rwanda, as ably
documented in detail by Timothy Longman in his paper <i>Christian Churches and
Genocide in Rwanda</i> (<span style="color: #0070c0;">http://faculty.vassar.edu/tilongma/Church&Genocide.html</span>).
Almost every society that witnessed large scale conversions to Christianity has
been ruined by ethnic wars. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Way
back in 1954, the government of Madhya Pradesh, then under Congress rule,
appointed a committee chaired by M. Bhawani Shankar Niyogi, a retired Chief
Justice of the Nagpur High Court, to investigate the activities of Christian
missionaries in India. Called the <i>Christian Missionary Activities Enquiry
Committee Madhya Pradesh</i>, it had B P Pathak as secretary, and Ghanshyam Das
Gupta, S K George, Ratanlal Malviya, and Bhanu Pratap Singh as members. Submitting
its two-volume, three-part report in 1956, the committee recommended the “legal
prohibition” of religious conversion that was not "completely
voluntary". Although one of the committee members, S. K. George, was a
Syrian Christian and Gandhian, Christian missions condemned the report as
biased. The Roman Catholic Church even withdrew its cooperation with the committee,
filed a statement of protest and moved the High Court for a Mandamus Petition
in 1955. The petition was dismissed in April of the following year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
report documented at length the many unethical means being used by Christian
missions to secure conversions. It expressed serious concern about the politics
behind conversions and warned the government regarding the long-term
consequences of leaving the process unchecked. The Committee noted: "there
was unanimity as regards the excellent service rendered by the Missionaries in
the fields of education and medical relief. But on the other hand there was a
general complaint from the non-Christian side that the schools and hospitals
were being used as means of securing converts. There was no disparagement of
Christianity or of Jesus Christ, and no objection to the preaching of
Christianity and even to conversions to Christianity. The objection was to the
illegitimate methods alleged to be adopted by the Missionaries for this
purpose, such as offering allurements of free education and other facilities to
children attending their schools, adding some Christian names to their original
Indian names, marriages with Christian girls, money-lending, distributing
Christian literature in hospitals and offering prayers in the wards of indoor
patients. Reference was also made to the practice of the Roman Catholic priests
or preachers visiting newborn babies to give <i>ashish</i> (blessings) in the
name of Jesus, taking sides in litigation or domestic quarrels, kidnapping of
minor children and abduction of women and recruitment of labour for plantations
in Assam or Andaman as a means of propagating the Christian faith among the ignorant
and illiterate people. There was a general tendency to suspect some ulterior
political or extra-religious motive, in the influx of foreign money for
evangelistic work in its varied forms." (<i>Vindicated by Time: The Niyogi
Committee Report On Christian Missionary Activities</i>, Introduction by Sita
Ram Goel, Voice of India, 1998) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Another
device employed for proselytisation was money-lending. Roman Catholic missions
had specialised in this field. Poor people often approached the local
missionary for loans which were written off if the debtor became a convert;
otherwise he had to repay it with interest which was often found difficult.
Protestant missionaries and others cited before the Committee instances of how
this method worked. One of the conditions for getting a loan, for instance, was
that the recipient agreed to chop off the topknot (choti), the symbol of his
being a Hindu. Some of the people, the Report noted, who had received loans
were minors and casual labourers. It also appeared that when one member of a
family had taken a loan, all the other members of that family were entered in
the book as potential converts. The rate of interest charged was 10 per cent
and in a large number of cases examined, one year's interest was deducted in advance. On
being questioned, the people without any hesitation, said that their only
purpose in going to the Mission had been to get money; and all said that
without the lure of money none
would have sought to become Christian. Some other allurements such as the promise
of gift of salt, plough, bullocks and even milk powder received from abroad
were used to the same effect." (<i>Vindicated by Time: The Niyogi Committee Report On Christian
Missionary Activities</i>, Introduction by Sita Ram Goel, Voice of India, 1998)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
Committee made the following recommendations:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (1) Those
missionaries whose primary object is proselytisation should be asked to
withdraw and the large influx of foreign missionaries should be checked;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (2) The
use of medical and other professional services as a direct means of making
conversions should be prohibited by law;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (3) Attempts
to convert by force or fraud or material inducements, or by taking advantage of
a person’s inexperience or confidence or spiritual weakness or thoughtlessness,
or by penetrating into the religious conscience of persons for the purpose of
consciously altering their faith, should be absolutely prohibited;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (4) The
Constitution of India should be amended in order to rule out propagation by
foreigners and conversions by force, fraud and other illicit means;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (5) Legislative
measures should be enacted for controlling conversion by illegal means;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (6) Rules
relating to registration of doctors, nurses and other personnel employed in
hospitals should be suitably amended to provide a condition against
evangelistic activities during professional service; and<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (7) Circulation
of literature meant for religious propaganda without approval of the State
Government should be prohibited. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It
speaks volumes for the political clout and influence of Christian missions in
India and their handlers in America and Europe that none of these measures were
adopted. Instead, Christian missions began propping up and financing numerous
human rights groups all wearing a “secular” mask, but in effect acting as the
fighting swords of Christianity. In fact, the entire human rights discourse has
been designed to facilitate the war that Christians are waging against Hindus
in India under the garb of “religious freedom” and “minority rights”. Even the
English educated “liberal intelligentsia” and social scientists have become
willing sepoys in this war against Hindu civilisation. Their stranglehold over
mainstream media enables them to drown out and browbeat all voices of
resistance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This
is well exemplified in the way Hindu groups who made rather modest (one could
say pitiful) attempts at <i>ghar wapsi </i>(reconverting Christians/Muslims to
Hinduism) provoked hysterical attacks, not just from Christian and Muslim
leaders but “liberal” and leftist Hindus. The very same people who go ballistic
over “ghar wapsi”, are ferocious in defending the right of Christians and
Muslims to convert Hindus to their respective faiths. Any attempt to restrict
or ban conversions by these aggressive evangelicals — even when it involves
rabid attacks against Hinduism — are condemned as an assault on fundamental
rights of minorities and religious freedom promised in our Constitution. It
doesn’t strike them that it is patently bizarre to deny Hindus the same measure
of religious freedom that Christians and Muslims insist on having as their
god-given right.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Their
strategy is to constantly badger Hindu society and keep it on the defensive, so
that their agenda of conversions can continue unchecked. On the one hand, human
rights groups propped up by Christian missions continually attack the “social
evils” allegedly inherent in Hindu faith and culture, which make it appear like
a demonic force. On the other hand, they specialise in hysterical campaigns
alleging that religions minorities are being crushed in India. They do not even
hesitate to stage-manage attacks or convert minor thefts in churches as
evidence of attacks on “hapless Christians”.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
Modi government cannot afford to ignore this social, political and national
security challenge. Continuing with the Congress’s open door policy of
encouraging and facilitating evangelical groups will spell doom for India. Now
that even Nepal has passed a law banning Christian missionaries from carrying
out conversions, India should also draw strength and pass an all-India
legislation to this effect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(With Shantanu Kishwar)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First posted on February 9, 2018, at <a href="https://swarajyamag.com/magazine/how-they-are-harvesting-poor-souls-in-rural-bihar-even-using-violence-against-children">https://swarajyamag.com/magazine/how-they-are-harvesting-poor-souls-in-rural-bihar-even-using-violence-against-children</a></span></div>
</div>
madhukishwarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14753750751813113571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188722843562789620.post-48938406284599008392017-11-12T19:36:00.000+05:302017-11-14T11:00:46.868+05:30Forget the Cynics, the Odd-Even Scheme is a Necessary Step in the Fight Against Pollution<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3 style="background: white; margin-bottom: 22.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: small;"><i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Given
the chronic lack of political will, only citizens can eventually force changes
in government policies by adopting saner and healthier lifestyles</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 17pt;">.</span></i></span></b></h3>
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The poisonous
smog that has enveloped Delhi and the NCR for days on end seems to have temporarily
jolted Delhi citizens as well as Delhi Government out of its “chalta hai”
attitude resulting in the announcement of modest remedial measures like
reintroduction of Odd-Even Scheme introducing partial restrictions on plying of
private cars. If the air quality
improves just a wee bit so that the poisons we inhale are not visible as during
the thick smog days, all is likely to go back to business as usual and the
media too will move on to other sensational issues. <span lang="EN-GB"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-GB">Last year, vested interests managed
to discredit the Odd-Even Scheme by convincing people that it had zero impact
on improving air quality during the period it was under experimentation despite
the fact that most citizens found it useful and compliance rate was very high. The negative publicity given to it in the
media, forced the AAP government not only to withdraw the experiment but also
put the entire issue on the backburner. But this year, in a shocking move, the
National Green Tribunal (NGT) first put the whole plan of action on hold by asking the AAP Government to first prove to NGT’s
satisfaction that restrictions on use of cars is actually beneficial. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Of the many thoughtless orders
emanating from the NGT, this one is most perverse. One expected NGT to demand serious
implementation of Odd-Even along with additional measures because it has proved
efficacious in other countries battling air pollution. Just today, Mexico’s ambassador to India has
written a lead article in one of our national<i> </i>paper<i>s</i> detailing her
country’s success in implementing multiple measures, including “Hoy No Circula”
(a day without a car), adopted by Mexico City in improving its air quality. (
“Lessons from Mexico City: Series of steps needed to signal that life can’t go
on as usual when air so toxic” <i>The Indian
Express,</i> November 10, 2017).<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span>
</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o8zTPindGI4/WghRY6VHBCI/AAAAAAAABMc/EIjBa-KDqvUnhVLbKEecAWVmvZPeK4bGwCLcBGAs/s1600/Webp.net-resizeimage-5-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="1015" height="261" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o8zTPindGI4/WghRY6VHBCI/AAAAAAAABMc/EIjBa-KDqvUnhVLbKEecAWVmvZPeK4bGwCLcBGAs/s400/Webp.net-resizeimage-5-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f2f2f2; color: blue; font-family: "noto serif" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;">A street cleaner works in heavy smog in Delhi, India, November 10, 2017. Credit: Reuters</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Instead of following those leads,
the NGT in a totally uncalled for move has discredited and nipped in bud the
very idea of controlling the burgeoning numbers of motor vehicles in the city.
For the record, the same NGT had banned cycle rickshaws from plying in many
areas using the absurd argument that they cause pollution. This when manually
pulled cycle-rickshaws are the most eco-friendly mode of short distance
transport. They neither consume carbon fuels nor create noise pollution. Our
organisation <i>Manushi</i> which succeeded in getting a new policy and
law in favour of eco friendly cycle rickshaws legitimized by the Delhi High
Court and Supreme Court of India-- has had to battle NGT’s Tuglaqi farman in NGT’s
court.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-GB">Within a day of stalling Odd-Even, the NGT took an about turn and asked Delhi governmentto go ahead with Odd-Even but without the proposed exemptions to two-wheelers and women drivers, given the concerns regarding safety of women. But as Delhi based women's organisation Jagori pointed out, most working women use public transport. Only a small percentage use own cars. They can easily switch over to cabs. As for two-wheelers, the Delhi government has argued that the existing public transport system cannot possibly handle the massive increase of users if use of two-wheelers is also rationed. But for this they have only themselves to blame since in the last three years they suffered total amnesia regarding their 2015 electoral promise to add 10,000 buses to the DTC fleet. So far not a single bus has been added to the DTC fleet. NGT is also right in accusing that none of their other orders regarding pollution control have been heeded thus far by AAP government.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-GB">Thanks to the ongoing tussles between Delhi government and NGT, the first half hearted measure proposed by Delhu government has now been shelved indefeinietly.</span></div>
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<b>Odd-Even not a Magic Wand but...:</b>It is not my
case, that the Odd-Even Scheme is the proverbial magic wand that can solve the
problem of air pollution in one stroke.
However, it was a significant first step to drive home the message that
the government alone cannot handle handling this serious challenge and that it
requires mass participation of citizens in more ways than one <span lang="EN-GB">with each citizen
contributing his/her bit to reduce the carbon footprint.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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While in some
domains, such as quality roads or power supply, the solution is largely in the
hands of the government, combating environmental pollution has to be a collective
resolve of both government and society.
The Odd-Even scheme is a way of making each citizen an active partner
and stakeholder in the process of finding solutions to the foul air menace. It is meant to make each of us understand
that it involves daily discipline and willingness to make necessary sacrifices.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-align: justify;">
It defies
comprehension how people came to the conclusion that Odd-Even Formula had zero
effect on curbing pollution. The
reduction in the total number of vehicles meant far less traffic snarls. When
cars move at a consistent speed instead of moving at snail space due to traffic
jams, they emit far less fumes & consume less fuel. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-align: justify;">
If we want
clean air, each one of us has to take the responsibility by making important
life style changes. This includes
switching over to public transport, which will never improve unless elite
groups of society begin to use it. Our
collective pressure will force the government to improve the quality and
enhance the quantity and modes of public transport. Like many others of my
class, I too was addicted to using my personal car for daily commutes. But I am grateful to the short-lived Odd-Even
experiment for having forced me to experience the benefits of using public
transport. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Thanks to the
continuing spread of Metro in Delhi plus steady growth of quality cab services provided
by Uber and Ola, switching over to public transport is today not only possible
but also more convenient and cost effective than using one’s own car. For instance, for going to DLF Gurgaon from
my house in Civil Lines, a car ride could take anything from 90 minutes to <span lang="EN-GB">2.5</span> hours depending on
traffic. But a Metro Ride in cool
comfort does not take more than 60 minutes, that too at a fraction of the cost.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_rU4NRceQwQ/WghQzwyDvNI/AAAAAAAABMg/UB0zctzU0Uo1K8uuui25Z3vL75H9OCSjgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Webp.net-resizeimage-3-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="661" data-original-width="1015" height="260" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_rU4NRceQwQ/WghQzwyDvNI/AAAAAAAABMg/UB0zctzU0Uo1K8uuui25Z3vL75H9OCSjgCPcBGAYYCw/s400/Webp.net-resizeimage-3-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: #f2f2f2; color: blue; font-family: "noto serif" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;">A man cleans dust from a school bus in heavy smog in Delhi, India, November 10, 2017. Credit: Reuters</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-align: justify;">
My total
monthly bill of cab rides comes to less than the salary I have to pay my
driver. On top of it private car use
means hefty petrol bills, car servicing and repair charges, parking charges
plus the hassle of finding parking space.
Driving in choked cities also means frequent dent and scratches on your
vehicle by careless drivers. Then there
is the annual car insurance and recurring expense on minor and major repairs. Add to it the lakhs it costs to buy a
car. The annual interest one can earn on
the amount one spends on a luxury car is enough to pay for taxi bills for the
whole year.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-align: justify;">
I have
trained my driver to do other office jobs thus putting his time to more
productive use than taking me from one meeting to another and sitting idly for
hours in-between. Now I never ask him to drop or receive me at the airport
because it is far cheaper to take an AC cab than have him drive 30 kms through
choked roads to drive me back another 30 kms.
Think of the man-hours and fuel cost saved. Today, every time I avoid
taking my car out, I feel I am contributing in a small way to improving air
quality.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-align: justify;">
While many of
my friends and acquaintances went ahead and bought an additional car to evade
compliance and sabotage the very intent of Odd-Even Scheme, I actually
postponed indefinitely the idea of replacing my ten year old car with a new
one, especially since the existing vehicle is still in good shape and running
fine. Even after the government
discontinued the Odd-Even Scheme, I began avoiding the use of my personal car. These
days, for at least 8 out of 10 trips, I use the Metro, Uber or Ola. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Some argue
that using cabs is no different from using personal cars since both are fuel
dependent. Firstly, most cabs use CNG, which is less harmful than petrol or
diesel. But more importantly, on an average, a personal car carries just one or
two persons in a day whereas a cab ferries at least 50 persons every day. When
we park our cars on roadsides or in parking lots, that space becomes dead for
all other purposes for that many hours.
An office goer or shopkeeper leaves his/her car parked all day occupying
scarce land resource in prime locations. Today, our cities are choking with
parked cars. As a result there is no safe space for pedestrians. By contrast, a
cab keeps moving all day carrying dozens of passengers in multiple trips. So it
actually frees road space, especially for pedestrians.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-align: justify;">
If access to radio taxis becomes increasingly
easier by growth in their numbers then there would be less rationale for owning
a personal vehicles. Delhi government had done well to issue a warning to radio
taxi services that they cannot arbitrarily enhance changes using “rush hour” or
high demand” of an excuse to up the rates and fleece passengers. Enhanced use of cabs and autos will also
provide much needed job opportunities to the huge army of unemployed in India.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Sadly, buying
ever-new models of cars and owning multiple vehicles has become a status
symbol. Many of my neighbors, friends & acquaintances with 4-5 adult members
in the family own 8 to 10 cars. I hope
if the awareness about such thoughtful extravagance which is creating life
threatening problems for all of us keeps growing, the day is not far when elite
families will be as embarrassed about owning a large fleet of cars as they are today
about bulging tummies, expanding waistlines and sporting multiple chins.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-align: justify;">
But the
Government also needs to realize that Odd-Even can’t work as a stand-alone
measure. The environmental challenge we face demands many more radical measures. These include:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Much
greater investment in high quality and adequate supply of public transport;</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Ban
on the manufacture of diesel vehicles and following Mexico’s example in
procuring Zero Emission Buses plus commitment to actively promote fossil fuel
free motor vehicles;</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Charging
hefty fee for parking cars on public spaces, not just during the day but also
at night.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Today our commercial areas as
well as housing colonies are choking with vehicles leaving no space for walking
because there is no restriction or charge on parking as many cars as you
want/own on the public roads, footpath and every possible public space.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">If people have to pay heavy parking charges for
occupying road space, not just in commercial areas but even in their own neighborhoods,
they would think ten times before buying multiple cars;</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Using
cutting edge technology for garbage recycling, producing wealth out of waste
rather than let mountains of garbage emit noxious fumes every minute of the day
apart from the intermittent fires that engulf neighboring areas endangering
survival of poor communities that live near these garbage dumps;</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Controlling
industrial emissions with strict monitoring and up gradation of technology.
This would include shutting down industries that refuse to invest in controlling
noxious fumes & poisonous effluents. We should not allow the palliative of
moving hazardous industries out of Delhi. They have no business to exist
anywhere;</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Helping
farmers in finding cost efficient ways of handling crop residue;</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Finding
ways to control dust pollution due to construction activity;</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Mechanizing
daily sweeping of roads instead of using brooms to simply move dirt and dust
from one place to another;</span></li>
<li>Planting more trees, especially those varieties
that combat air pollution & respecting the sanctity of green belts and
protected forests instead of slyly letting encroachments to take place;</li>
<li>Redesigning roads with dedicated tracks for
non-motorized vehicles such as bicycles and cycle rickshaws. These eco-friendly
means of transport need to be encouraged. Instead they are being pushed out
through police banning cycle rickshaw entry into large parts of the city. A
large chunk of working class would gladly move back to cycling to their
workplace if our roads provided safe tracks for cycling. This would reduce the
excessive burden on public transport and save precious money on commutes for
the working poor.</li>
<li>Providing
safe sidewalks to enable citizens to do local shopping and run other errands
around their neighborhood without needing a motor vehicle. Today walking has
become such a high-risk venture due to absence of clear sidewalks that even for
short distance errands people are forced to take out their cars.<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Even in the upscale Civil Lines area I live,
I am forced to use my car when I go to the local nature park for my morning or
evening walk, which is no more than 8 minutes walk from my house—all because of
the absence of proper sidewalks. </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Kids of
my neighborhood are sent to a nearby swimming pool in cars even though the pool
is only 6 minutes walking distance all because walking along speeding motor
vehicles or crossing roads is a life threatening exercise.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">If we made our cities walking and cycle
friendly, that would help reduce our dependence on motor vehicles at least for
short distance commutes which ultimately adds up to a lot.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
Given the chronic lack of political and
administrative will in India it is we as citizens who will eventually need to force
changes in government policies by adopting saner and healthier lifestyles. Be it
a self-imposed Odd-Even, planting and protecting trees in our neighborhoods, or
making sure construction takes place in a responsible, non-polluting manner, it
is we who must become the change we want to see take place in India. Or else be
ready to live sickly crippled lives.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Updated on November 14, 2017.<br />
<span style="text-align: left;">First posted at </span><a href="https://thewire.in/196275/odd-even-scheme-big-step-making-citizens-active-partners-combating-air-pollution/" style="text-align: left;">https://thewire.in/196275/odd-even-scheme-big-step-making-citizens-active-partners-combating-air-pollution/</a><span style="text-align: left;"> on November 11, 2017</span></div>
</div>
madhukishwarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14753750751813113571noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188722843562789620.post-78835147177048383242017-10-20T14:45:00.000+05:302017-10-20T16:51:38.587+05:30Fetishizing Gender Equality to Destroy Diversity & Freedom of Faith<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Taking the
Sabarimala temple to court for restricting the entry of women of a certain age
group is akin to meat-eaters suing vegetarian restaurants for discriminating
against non-vegetarians by refusing to serve meat. Common sense response would
be to say—‘Go find a non-veg restaurant, of which there are plenty’. Tomorrow,
self-styled, ill-informed reformers might demand that Durga-Kali worship be
stopped because it legitimizes violence or declare the worship of Shiv lingam
as “obscene.” This is not farfetched
because politically motivated groups have been decrying Durga as a whore and
Krishna as womanizer. Therefore, they
declare these deities are not worthy of reverence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In any
civilized society, gender equality is to be treated as one of the core values.
However, with apologies to Faiz Ahmed Faiz, <i>aur
bhi gham hein zamane mein</i> gender equality <i>ke siwa</i>”. There are many more important values a democracy must
uphold while standing up for gender equality—certainly not make a fetish of women’s
rights.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Other core
values of our democracy & Indic civilization are respect for diversity
among the enormous range of communities co-habiting in India with substantial
differences (as well as commonalities) in matters of faith, cultural practices,
value systems, family structure, dress codes, food habits & ways of relating
to the world as well as the Divine. While the leftist-feminist reformers have
no difficulty in respecting the rights of ‘religious minorities”—namely Muslims
and Christians—to live by their own cherished cultural and faith traditions,
when it comes to diverse Hindu groups, they consider it their divine right to
dictate terms.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
unique grandeur of the Hindu faith lies in the fact that each group, each sect
and each individual is free to envisage the Divine in whatever form, shape, and
temperament that devotees like. That's how we have millions of <i>Devis</i> and <i>Devatas </i>with new ones taking avatar as and when the situation so
demands or their devotees so desire. Practically every village in India has its
own <i>gram devi </i>or <i>devata</i>. Our <i>devis </i>and <i>devatas </i>are not distant, unfathomable
entities forever sitting in some distant god-land or heaven. They take avatar
on earth to offer succour & comfort to those in need. In the process each
one acquires distinct personality traits as well as preferences with regard to
mode of worship.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Take
the contrasting tastes of Ma Kali and Vaishnodevi, both of whom are
manifestations of the same <i>Shakti</i>.
While Vaishnodevi demands strict vegetarianism, animals are routinely sacrificed
as offerings to Ma Kali. Lord Ganesh likes modak as prasad while Hanuman ji
prefers boondi and Lord Shiva devotees offer milk and even <i>bhang</i>. Devotees of various deities do not begrudge the practices of
others. This freedom has kept alive vibrant diversity in our faith traditions
because they allow individuals and groups to define their relationship to the
Divine according to their preferences.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ti752sLwoI0/Wem9QM-BEYI/AAAAAAAABME/vrSuROo0Va0kdlp373SqlzObqQeDuEcPgCLcBGAs/s1600/devi_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="306" data-original-width="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ti752sLwoI0/Wem9QM-BEYI/AAAAAAAABME/vrSuROo0Va0kdlp373SqlzObqQeDuEcPgCLcBGAs/s1600/devi_2.jpg" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">It
is the same freedom which allowed Manushi to invoke ten armed </span><b style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">Ma Swachhnarayani</span></b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">, as our </span><i style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;">isht devi.</i><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">She wields ten different
non-traditional weapons that include a broom as symbol of cleansing society of
corruption, weighing balance to symbolise social justice, a calculator that
demands honest accounts of government, and a video camera that points to the
need for an accurate grasp of ground realtity for those engaged in social
reform. (For <b><span style="color: blue;">Swachhnarayani aarti </span></b></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2m5qQzLunK0" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">click here</span></b></a><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">). No Hindu has ever questioned or protested against the powers we attribute to
our </span><i style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;">Isht devi</i><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"> or our mode of worship
that includes </span><i style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;">jhadu puja.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
Hindu faith has thus remained amongst the most liberal in the world, with different
groups and individuals exercising the right to relate to the Divine in whatever
way they wish, without insisting that others must follow their chosen path. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Even the most conservative
among Hindus don’t insist on uniformity of beliefs and practices. This
spontaneous, mutual respect for differences in ways of being, ways of worship,
singing, dancing, clothing, cooking and so on, is what enabled the rich
diversity of India to survive through millennia. But in the name of equality
rabid feminists can’t stomach such freedom and liberalism. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Traditional Hindu
temples </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">are run by different sects with each choosing a
particular deity in a particular form as their <i>isht dev or devi</i>. They’re not meant as tourist spots for all to
come & go as they please. </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> If you don’t respect the unique temperament of
that deity or find beliefs of a particular sect offensive, you are free to opt
for the <i>devata</i> or <i>devi</i> that suits your taste. There are lakhs of others to choose from. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Just
as our colonial rulers with their faith in the superiority of their
monotheistic faith, despised Hindu religious practices, with their millions of
gods and goddesses, our modern day missionaries can’t stand the temperamental
nuances of our diverse deities. They have no problem in accepting that women
are barred inside friaries meant to house Catholic priests who have taken a vow
of celibacy. But they can’t stomach the idea of a Hindu deity who has vowed
eternal celibacy which involves avoiding the company of young women. They take
it upon themselves to cure this kink because their feminist indoctrination
interprets it as misogny and gender discrimination! They choose to ignore that it is only one or
two temples in all of India where women of certain age groups are denied entry
whereas there are several ‘women-only’ temples where males are denied entry.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As
far as the issue of gender justice is concerned, the Hindu faith can hardly be
considered anti-women, considering it is the only faith that worships the
feminine as Shakti--the mighty force that moves the universe. Male deities are
powerless without feminine <i>Shakti</i>
from whom various <i>devatas </i>derive
their strength.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When
I find the case against Sabarimala frivolous, it is not to suggest that Hindu
faith traditions are writ in stone and unchanging. Devotees reserve the right
to change their <i>dharmic</i> practices as
well as demand improved behavior by their chosen deities as per the
requirements of changing times. That is how we have countless re-writings of <i>Ramayanas</i> in different ages with each
one interpreting Ram in their own way and many even improving upon Valmiki's
depiction of Ram’s conduct in various ways, especially his abandoning Ma Sita
even after she had gone through an uncalled for <i>agni pariksha</i> or the deceit involved in the killing of Baliraja. But it doesn’t behove non-believers or hostile
attackers of Hindu faith to impose their fads and sensibilities on groups who
don’t share their worldview, especially if their practices don’t impact, leave
alone harm the non-devotees. A genuine
devotee has the right to demand change but not politically motivated hateful critics.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ironically,
the flag bearers of women’s equality don’t seem to have any problem with
special compartments reserved for women in trains. Most of them insist on our parliament
enacting a law to reserve 33% constituencies for women whereby males are barred
from contesting from those seats. They’re not satisfied with laws that promise
equality. They insist on legislation that is unjustly loaded in favor of women.
You can’t have it both ways – Fetishize
equality when it suits you and insist on special concessions and previliges as
per your dictates.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It
is ironical that the Supreme Court has entertained this petition at a time when
Hindu groups are already in the Apex Court demanding that Hindu temples be
freed from statist controls whereby ruling parties in every state have the
power to appoint their political flunkeys as well as favoured bureaucrats and
politicians to Management Boards of all major shrines and <i>dharmasthans</i>. This power has mostly been used to control and siphon
off the enormous loads of money that devotees offer to these temples. The
government of India dare not take such liberties with running of mosques and
churches. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">While
delivering its judgement, the Supreme Court should keep in mind that none among
the devotees of Sabarimala have come to court demanding changed rules. It’s only
hostile and motivated outsiders who are using the fig leaf of gender equality
to push their partisan agendas.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">First posted at <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/restrictions-on-women-at-sabarimala-it-is-complicated/article19887180.ece">http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/restrictions-on-women-at-sabarimala-it-is-complicated/article19887180.ece</a> on October 20, 2017</span></div>
</div>
madhukishwarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14753750751813113571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188722843562789620.post-80876095505182847542017-09-21T10:51:00.000+05:302017-09-22T10:40:03.090+05:30Appeal to Govt. of India to Stop Funding Pro Pakistan Media Houses & Journalists in Kashmir<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><i><span style="color: #363135; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></i></b><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">"The
Pakistani flag is a symbol of freedom and independence for the
Kashmiris while protesting against the Indian forces, however, New Delhi
gives the perception of the international community that the
demonstrators hoisting the green flag in the valley are infiltrators"</span></span></i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #363135; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i><span style="color: #363135; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></i><b> </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #363135; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Shujaat Bhukhari</b>, Editor of <b>Rising Kashmir</b>
speaking at a meeting in Dubai of Jammu and Kashmir Journalists Forum, United
Arab Emirates. The meeting was attended by Pakistanis and Pro Jihad journalists
from Kashmir. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #363135; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>............................ </b></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #363135; font-size: 12.0pt;">Dear Prime
Minister Narendra Modi,</span></b><span style="color: #363135; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363135; font-size: 12.0pt;">Statements like the above are
routinely coming from Kashmir's newspapers and journalists, including those who
run their papers from Indian tax payer's money.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #363135; font-size: 12.0pt;">We the undersigned welcome the
firm action being taken by the Government of India against various separatist
leaders of Kashmir following media exposure that avowedly secessionist outfits
in Kashmir have been promoting a bloody Islamist jihad engineered and
financially supported by Pakistani agencies.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #363135; font-size: 12.0pt;">However, it is a matter of great
concern that all those newspapers and media houses which are openly supporting
terrorist organizations and jihadi warfare in Kashmir continue to be supported
by the state government with lavish funds through advertisements by government departments,
free or subsidized housing for journalists, editors, land grants and other
freebies. Some of them even Government of India ads through DAVP. Many of them
have availed of Sadbhavna Funds from the Indian army.</span><br />
<span style="color: #363135; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w3FNI32kBVo/WcNKKOdjNLI/AAAAAAAABLs/NRd5WtGt2-4lsojM8OpdD1Zwm2lGtyN6QCLcBGAs/s1600/NFtMQaPTFdmUTUL-800x450-noPad.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="364" data-original-width="648" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w3FNI32kBVo/WcNKKOdjNLI/AAAAAAAABLs/NRd5WtGt2-4lsojM8OpdD1Zwm2lGtyN6QCLcBGAs/s1600/NFtMQaPTFdmUTUL-800x450-noPad.jpg" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363135; font-size: 12.0pt;">The very same papers run a daily
demonization campaign against India as a country as well as the Indian state
and India’s armed forces. Their coverage of Pak engineered unrest and jihadi
attacks in Kashmir, whether against innocent citizens or against India’s
security forces, as well as countless murders of elected representatives is
brazenly tinted to favour pro secessionists. They have never condemned murders
and mayhem by Islamist terrorist groups but make a ritual of spewing venom
against India and its security forces, which have behaved with commendable
restraint while dealing with hard-boiled terrorists.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #363135; font-size: 12.0pt;">Each one of these papers defends
Rohingya Muslims’ right to settle in J&K even though they have entered
India as illegal migrants. But the same papers go ballistic at the mere mention
of restoring the rights of Kashmiri Pandits in their homeland or giving state
subject rights to Hindus who were ousted out of POK in 1947 and settled down in
Jammu region 70 years ago.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #363135; font-size: 12.0pt;">The brazenness with which they
take Government of India money as their right is evident from the fact that one
such editor, Shujaat Bukhari of Rising Kashmir filed a criminal defamation suit
against Prof Madhu Kishwar on the basis of three tweets in which she merely
stated that though papers like Rising Kashmir feed off government funds, they
still continue furthering Pakistani agenda. Given his political clout (his
brother is a senior minister in PDP led government), he could even get arrest
warrants issued against Kishwar on the very day that the case was admitted in
Srinagar court. Bukhari has neither denied that he takes government funding nor
has he denied that he is pro-secession and pro Pak. And yet, he wants to
silence Kishwar’s voice for exposing his duplicity. <a href="https://swarajyamag.com/politics/can-a-kashmir-cjm-defy-sc-the-curious-case-of-criminal-defamation-against-madhu-kishwar" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ec2c22;">(Source)</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363135; font-size: 12.0pt;">Here is one of the many seditious
intent towards India. While attending a seminar/meeting along with Pakistani
journalists in Dubai hosted by a British NGO, Bhukari is reported to have said
"The Pakistani flag is a symbol of freedom and independence for the
Kashmiris while protesting against the Indian forces, however, New Delhi gives
the perception to the international community that the demonstrators hoisting the
green flag in the valley are infiltrators" <a href="https://www.pastefs.com/pid/24162" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ec2c22;">(Source)</span></a> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #363135; font-size: 12.0pt;">(After our petition Bukhari got
the link we had originally given to his quote blocked. However, we have found
same statement reported by this link)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #363135; font-size: 12.0pt;">While that case will take its own
course in courts of law, we appeal to Prime Minister Modi and National Security
Advisor, Mr Ajit Doval to:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #363135; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #363135; font-size: 12.0pt;">Set up a time
bound Task force to review the list of recipients of government ads, government
housing, land allotments and other facilities made available to media persons
in order to weed out those media houses and journalists who are openly allied
to forces committed to breaking up India through violent secessionist movements.
This must be done not only with regard to Kashmiri media but all the regions
witnessing Maoist or other insurgencies</span></div>
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<span style="color: #363135; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #363135; font-size: 12.0pt;">Enquire into
the hawala funds coming from Pakistan or other Islamic countries to
secessionist newspapers, journalists—both regular and freelance</span></div>
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<span style="color: #363135; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #363135; font-size: 12.0pt;">Revoke the
passports of all the journalists who are on the payroll of Pakistani or other
agencies hostile to India’s security and integrity. They should not be allowed
to run around the globe defaming India with horrendous lies while carrying the
Indian passport</span></div>
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<span style="color: #363135; font-size: 12.0pt;">Hawala payments coming to media persons from Pakistan
and other Islamic or Western countries need to be investigated with the same
vigor that the NIA is investigating the foreign funds coming from the Hurriyat
Jihadis.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #363135; font-size: 12.0pt;">Thank you!</span><span lang="HI" style="color: #363135; font-family: "mangal"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="color: #363135; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
<span style="color: #ec2c22;">Kashmiri Pandits</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #363135; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #ec2c22;">Madhu Kishwar </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .25in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: #363135; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #ec2c22;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Sign the petition here: </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://chn.ge/2wuXIgr&source=gmail&ust=1506057398551000&usg=AFQjCNHkdjFWfoWxWf7SzNHWx8Sf5C3pog" href="http://chn.ge/2wuXIgr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank">http://chn.ge/2wuXIgr</a> </span></span></div>
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madhukishwarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14753750751813113571noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188722843562789620.post-14996558363807475932017-09-18T15:58:00.000+05:302017-09-26T13:19:41.803+05:30Gender Justice Versus Gender War : Why “Marital Rape” Law Would Add to “Legal Terrorism”<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This article was first published in slightly edited form as cover story in <i>The Week, </i>24th September, 2017 </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The world over, sexual violence and abuse in
marriage is a common phenomenon. Those
who say that acknowledging the reality of marital rape is against Indian culture
neither know India nor are they cultured.
A cultured society is one that faces problems head on, instead of
pretending they don’t exist. </span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Much before western feminists dared to talk of rape in marriage, way back in early 20th century, Mahatma Gandhi's message to the women was: 'If you want to play your part in the world's affairs, you must revolt against any pretension on the part of man that woman in born to be his plaything" (<i>Gandhiji in Ceylon, cited in "To the Women" </i>p. 195, Gandhi Series Vol. II (ed) A Hingorani, Karachi, 2nd ed. 1943))</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: -0.25pt; line-height: 115%;">.</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Gandhi insisted on the inviolability of the personal dignity and autonomy of women. She had the right to say 'no' even to her husband. "I want woman to learn the primary right of resistance. ..She thinks now that she has not got it." He goes on to add that every woman has the right to her own body with she does not surrender for a lifetime with marriage.(<i>Harijan, </i>January 25, 1936, CW Vol LXII, p.158)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The zealous
campaigners demanding a new law to cover marital rape have created a misleading
impression that Indian laws provide no recourse to women who suffer sexual
abuse and violence at the hands of their husbands.</span> However, it
is plain common sense that before demanding amendments to existing laws or
enactment of new laws, we must carry out thorough audit of existing laws</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "mangal"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">on the subject</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">. </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;">Domestic
Violence Act Covers Sexual Violence and More</span></span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">: The truth is </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">that the Domestic Violence Act of 2005 along with S.498A of the
Indian Penal Code have more than enough provisions to provide relief to a
victim of spousal violence and abuse including sexual or emotional violence or economic
deprivation. True, the term “rape” is
not mentioned in either of these laws. But
isn’t sexual violence the same as “rape”? Why this bizarre obsession with
getting an antiquarian term included in marriage laws? Both these laws take a very broad sweep in
defining domestic violence as evident below:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Any act, omission or commission or conduct
of the respondent shall constitute domestic violence in case it— <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">(a)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Harms or injures or endangers the
health, safety, life, limb or well-being, whether mental or physical, of the
aggrieved person or tends to do so and includes causing physical abuse, sexual
abuse, verbal and emotional abuse and economic abuse; or<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">(b)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Harasses, harms, injures or endangers
the aggrieved person with a view to coerce her or any other person related to
her to meet any unlawful demand for any dowry or other property or valuable
security; or <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">(c)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Has the effect of threatening the aggrieved
person or any person related to her by any conduct mentioned in clause (a) or
clause (b); or <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">(d)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Otherwise injures or causes harm,
whether physical or mental, to the aggrieved person.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">When the DVA defines “physical abuse” as acts
that “cause bodily pain, harm, danger to life, limb or health or impair the
health or development of the aggrieved person and includes assault, criminal
intimidation and criminal force,” does it not adequately cover what can be
termed ‘rape’?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This is not all. DVA goes to specifically define “sexual abuse”
as “any conduct of a sexual nature that abuses, humiliates degrades or
otherwise violates the dignity of woman.”
It further includes “verbal and emotional abuse, insults, ridicule,
humiliation, name calling” etc. DVA also
provides recourse against “economic abuse” which is defined as “deprivation of
economic or financial resources to the wife but not limited to household
necessities for the aggrieved wife and her children”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">There is lot more covered under DVA but for
the purpose of this article, I limit myself to these clauses. Can any reasonable person deny that not just
marital rape but even lesser offences such as taunts or sexist jokes can be
used as grounds for demanding relief under this Act? The law is already over the top in putting
verbal abuse, sexist jokes at par with beating a wife. And yet, rabid feminists (both male and
female) want more sadistic provisions in favor of women.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;">Wide Ranging Reliefs Already Available</span>: </span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">DVA also
provides for appointment of Protection Officers and Service Providers in every
district. Neighbors, or friends of the victim as well as her relatives can seek
intervention of these officers who are duty-bound to file a police report on
behalf of victims, provide shelter homes, medical facilities and legal aid for
the victims and ensure that protection orders issued against the respondents
are carried out. Most important of all,
the law enables the women to seek orders against her eviction from the marital
home so that her right to residence remains secure. At the same time, the woman can seek orders
barring or restricting the accused from entering his own house, even if he has
no other residence. In other words DVA
allows a wife to render a man homeless and still be obliged to provide
maintenance for wife and children plus monetary relief to the woman for loss of
earnings, medical costs and any other expenses incurred by her on account of
harm caused to her due to marital violence.
The law also gives her prior right to custody of children.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">It is noteworthy that these remedies are available
not just to legally wedded wives but also for live-in partners – no matter how
short or long be the duration of the live-in relationship. This is one of the most harmful clauses
because it puts legally wedded wives who may have given their whole life to a
marriage at par with women having short-term flings. Yes, there are problems in
honest implementation of these provisions.
But why are rape obsessed feminists not fighting for that instead of
demanding yet another impractical law?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Under Domestic Violence Act, far reaching
civil remedies were made available to wives on the assumption that by sending
their husbands to jail, their economic problems tend to get aggravated if they
do not have an independent source of income or a secure home. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;">Provision Under S.498A</span>: </span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">However, the woman can simultaneously use section 498A of the IPC,
which also provides for effective criminal remedies against her husband for
violence and cruelty. This is what 498A
says: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Whoever,
being the husband or the relative of the husband of a woman, subjects such
woman to cruelty shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may
extend to three years and shall also be liable to fine</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Cruelty is defined in an overarching manner
as: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“…any willful conduct which is of
such a nature as is likely to drive the woman to commit suicide or to cause
grave injury or danger to life, limb or health (whether mental or physical) or
the woman; or harassment of the woman where such harassment is with a view to
coercing her or any person related to her to meet any unlawful demand for any
property or valuable security or is on account of failure by her or any person
related to her to meet such demand.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">It is plain common sense that a husband
coercing his wife into sex against her wishes, especially if it involves use of
violence in sex, amounts to physical and emotional cruelty and therefore, covered
by S. 498A. But the hunger for punitive measures of feminist zealots is not
satisfied with these two laws. They argue
that DVA only provides for “civil remedies” while the maximum punishment under
S.498A is just three years whereas under the regular rape law it can’t be less
than seven years. Hence their insistence on a new law that treats rape in
marriage as a specific crime at par with rapes outside marriage. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The PIL filed in the Delhi High Court by NGO
RIT Foundation petition has gone so far as to argue that marital rape as
separate from general rape amounts to discriminating between two categories of
women – namely those raped by husbands and those raped by men who are not their
husbands. Therefore it violates Article
14 of the Constitution, which promises equality before law. If these revenge hungry feminists were
serious about equality, they would not object to making anti-rape and domestic
violence laws gender neutral. But they
go ballistic at the mere mention of gender parity in laws.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The RIT
petition also argues that the law as it stands today amounts to a
state-sanctioned license granted to the husband to violate the sexual autonomy
of his lawfully wedded wife and is therefore, a violation of the Right to
Privacy guaranteed to the wife under Article 21 of the Constitution. Needless to say, in their partisan worldview
men do not deserve the right to privacy, or the right to fair trial through due
process.</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;">Offence as the
Best Form of Defense for Unleashing “Legal Terrorism”</span>: </span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The timing of their frenzied demand for enacting a new law to
cover marital rape is revealing. It
comes at a point when various high courts in India as well as the Supreme Court
have passed several judgments expressing serious concern at the growing and
widespread misuse of domestic violence laws, especially Section 498A as well as
the anti-rape law for the purpose of blackmail, extortion and revenge – that
too using false charges. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Way back in
2003, the Malimath Committee report made vital recommendations regarding rights
of the accused and preventive measures required to prevent misuse of criminal
laws. Law Commission reports (237 & 241) have also recommended amendments
in these laws.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In Sushil Kumar Sharma Vs Union
of India (141 of 2005) Supreme Court cautioned</span><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> that “</span><span style="background: white; color: #878787; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We come across a large number of such
complaints which are not even bona fide and are filed with oblique motive…</span><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">the role of the investigating agencies and the courts
is that of watch dog and not of a bloodhound. It should be their effort to see
that in innocent person is not made to suffer on account of unfounded, baseless
and malicious allegations.”</span><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="color: #363135; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> The court added that, “by misuse of the
provision, a new legal terrorism can be unleashed”. In 2008, Justice Gambhir
also gave detailed guidelines for procedures before arrest. </span><b><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In Arnesh Kumar Vs</span></i></b><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></b><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">State of Bihar</span></i><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">judgment in
2014, Supreme Court i</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">ssued directions to all police
authorities/ Magistrates for well defined due process to be followed before
arrest/authorizing detention and ruled that no automatic arrests/detentions to be made by the
Police/Magistrates even in non-bailable and cognizable offences; conditions
precedent to making arrest/authorizing detention under the Code of Criminal
Procedure, 1973 must be satisfied first.</span><span style="color: #363135; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">” As a result of these
restraints the arrests under 498A came
down from 220000 to 186000 in 2015.</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #363135; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">But misuse of the law continued, especially
where the accused were not well informed because it gave the corrupt police,
unethical lawyers and judges ample opportunities to fleece money. Therefore, as
recently as 27 July 2017, the Supreme Court again issued clear orders that the
police should not go arrest the accused family without due process. The Apex Court also laid down yet another
list of legal steps that should precede the arrest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In the last two decades a groundswell of mass
pressure has built up demanding a thorough review of the several draconian
amendments and laws enacted for the ostensible purpose of strengthening women’s
rights because in reality they have caused untold suffering and havoc against
countless innocent persons and families. At the same time, many genuine victims of
abuse and violence are unable to get justice. Just as the higher judiciary was
being forced to take note of their growing abuse and put in place remedial
measures, rabid feminists have come up with a new weapon to wreak
vengeance. It’s a typical case of
offence being the best form of defence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The reason women-centric laws have come to be
feared as “legal terrorism” is that certain excesses are common to them all
which render these laws easy-to-abuse.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">1)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A mere allegation by a woman that she
is the victim of marital abuse, cruelty or dowry demands have been enough to
send the accused persons, including teenage sisters of the husband or those living
in another city/country plus aged parents, aunts, uncles, cousins of the
accused man behind bars. Bail is not
easy in these cases. Families spend
years and go bankrupt defending themselves even when the charges are blatantly
false. The stigma involved with jail
often means dismissal from jobs and destroys whole families.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">2)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Unlike in all other cases of crimes--including
serious ones like murder, dacoity, maiming, financial fraud-- the accused is assumed
innocent till proven guilty. However, in
all women centric laws, this principle has been turned on its head. The accused are assumed guilty till they
manage to prove their innocence beyond doubt through lengthy judicial trials.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">3)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The principle of due process, which
is essential to fair trial, has also been done away with because the accused have
to suffer the ignominy and trauma of jail even before the trial has begun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">4)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The sole testimony of the woman is
considered enough to indict the accused.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">5)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The definition of domestic violence has
been widened enough to include even “verbal abuse” and “emotional/mental
torture”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A law which puts verbal taunts at par with
physical violence is both unsound and irrational because it is easy to make
allegations but impossible for the accused to prove that he/she did not subject
the person to taunts or emotional abuse.
The threat of undergoing jail even before the commencement of the trial
makes husbands and their families’ easy targets of blackmail.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;">Widespread Misuse of Existing Rape
Law</span>: </span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Likewise
the misuse of anti rape law following certain amendments in 2013 which
introduced some draconian provisions that enable women acting with malicious
intent to implicate even innocents with ease. Notice how wide and loose is the
definition of rape: “A man is said to commit “rape” if he<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">a)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Penetrates his penis to any extent
into the vagina, mouth, urethra or anus of a woman or makes her to do so with
him or any other person; or<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">b)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Inserts, to any extent, any object or
a part of the body, not being the penis, into the vagina, the urethra or anus
of a woman or makes her to do so with him or any other persons; or<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">c)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Manipulates any part of the body of a
woman so as to cause penetration into the vagina, urethra, anus or any part of
body of such woman…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">d)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Applies his mouth to the vagina,
anus, urethra of a woman or makes her to do so with him or any other person…”
against her will, without her consent, with her consent, when her consent has
been obtained by putting her or any other person in whom she is interested, in
fear of death or hurt… or when her consent has been obtained while she was
intoxicated or when she is unable to understand the nature and consequences of
that of which she gives consent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The law further clarifies that:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Consent means an unequivocal
voluntary agreement when the woman by words, gestures or any form of verbal or
non-verbal communication, communicates willingness to participate in the
specific sexual act. Furthermore, “a
woman who does not physically resist to the act of penetration shall not by the
reason only of that fact, be regarded as consenting to the sexual activity.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Thus even in
case of adult sex, the term ‘consent’ has been given a very irresponsible and
easy-to-abuse meaning in S.375 making it almost impossible for a man to defend
oneself against the charge of rape with the aid of circumstantial evidence. A
woman doesn’t even need to say or prove that she resisted the alleged “rape’.
It’s enough if she <i>post facto </i>goes
and tells the police that a particular sex act was against her wishes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">As per the pre 2013 anti rape law the judge
could exercise his discretion regarding the quantum of punishment depending on
the seriousness of the act of aggression. But the 2013 amendments prescribe a
minimum of 7 years jail going up to life imprisonment. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span lang="EN-IN">The discretion of the court to award less than 7 years in any
situation whatsoever-- even if there is a “good and adequate cause”--has been
taken away by repealing the previously existing provisos to Sections 376(1) and
(2). When viewed along with the fact
that under the present law, even the uncorroborated testimony of the
Prosecutrix without any medical, independent oral or documentary evidence is
sufficient to convict a person charged with rape, the amendments can justly be
called draconian. The prosecutrix is not expected to show any evidence, such as
bodily bruises or injuries, that she resisted the sexual act. A mere statement that she did not “consent”
to sex is enough to get the main locked up even before the start of trial.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span lang="EN-IN"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In the wake
of these amendments brought about by the 2013 Amendments in sections 375 and
376, IPC, the following questions of law arise:</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo5; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">¨<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Is it reasonable, fair, just or rational to classify as ‘rape’, acts such
as touching a woman’s private parts or
subjecting her to intimate embrace or body contact or a deep kiss that are
incapable of medical corroboration, when the sole testimony of the Prosecutrix
is sufficient to convict?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo5; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">¨<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Granting that such acts are certainly offensive if forced upon a woman,
should they all be equated with rape and punished with equal severity, and does
such an equivalence in penal consequences not violate the principle of
proportionality in punishment and amounts to a violation of Article 14 apart
from belittling the horror of real rapes?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo5; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">¨<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The loosely worded definitions provide an easy handle for consensual
acts being given the taint of ‘rape’ <i>ex
post facto, </i>by persons actuated by malice, as many reported cases show. For
instance, such provisions allow a woman to allege rape on grounds that she was
drunk at the time and therefore was unable to give informed consent, even
though the act was consensual when it happened. Such situations are common when
women go to late night bars and parties hosted by unknown people in luxury
resorts where liquor and drugs flow freely or in private <i>addas</i> of aiyyashi euphemistically named “farm houses”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo5; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">¨<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The words “where she is unable to communicate consent” put in a penal
statute, are (S.375) too vague and liable to abuse in the absence of any
specification as to the nature of inability to express consent. Is the man expected to first video record her
consent before going to bed with her?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">All these
amendments have made it easy to register flimsy rape complaints, without the
requirement of objective substantiation of the charge. As soon as an accusation
is made, there is an arrest, and aside from the deprivation of liberty, the
filing of such a case, leads to the irrevocable loss of reputation not just for
the targeted individual but also for his entire family who are devastated by
the ignominy of the heinous charge and the trauma of being treated as social
outcastes. The media trial that
accompanies rape complaints, especially in cases of high profile public
figures, often influences the judicial process whereby even getting bail
becomes a herculean challenge. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;">Evidence of Misuse by DCW & </span><i><span style="color: blue;">The Hindu</span>:</i></span></b><i><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></i><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Statistics
compiled by government agencies indicate that immediately following the
amendments, there has been a disturbing spurt in the filing of rape complaints
which have ultimately been found by courts to be false. For instance, </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">the Delhi Commission of Women (DCW) has come out with startling
statistics showing that between April 2013 and July 2014, 53.2% of the 2753
rape cases filed in the capital were found to be 'false'. Only 1,287 cases were found to be true and
the remaining 1,464 cases were malafide.
Between, January 2014 and July 2014, the number of false rape cases
filed was 900. In many cases, investigation revealed that revenge was the most
common reason for filing a false complaint.
In 2013 there were a total of 1,559 cases of rape registered in Delhi,
where the acquittal rate was 78%. This was a 22% jump from the earlier 46% of
acquittal in 2012, when there were a total of 680 cases filed.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The Hindu</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> newspaper also conducted a detailed
survey in Delhi, which indicated that that
one-fifth of rape cases were ultimately wound up because the complainant either
did not appear or withdrew her charges, while another 25% had to do with the
“breach of promise to marry”. </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">It further revealed that a total of 583
cases were decided in Delhi in 2013. Out of the 460 cases which were fully
argued before the Sessions Courts, nearly 30% involved elopement of the boy and
girl, followed commonly by a complaint of abduction and rape by the girl’s
family.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "mangal"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In 67 of 174
cases of alleged elopement the girl initially admitted (either in the FIR,
medical examination or to the magistrate) that she eloped of her own volition,
but subsequently she turned against the accused and got him booked for rape. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The over imaginative definition of “rape” to
include acts which defy corroboration, have effectively reduced the evidentiary
requirements to establish the offence.
With the factum of consent resting entirely on the statement of the
prosecutrix, acquittal becomes almost impossible in law if the prosecutrix
sticks to her story even though it may be false. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">It is noteworthy that under the IPC, except
for full-fledged murder under Section 302 IPC and the actual act of waging war
against the State, few other offences are punishable with a statutory minimum
term. Even in the case of culpable
homicide under Section 304 IPC, only an upper limit is prescribed. The same is true for offences against the state,
such as Sections 121A and 124A IPC. Out of around 300 offences only about 25
have mandatory minimums sentences. A mandatory minimum extending to seven or
more years is a recent (mainly post-2013) phenomenon, except for robbery with prior
preparation or attempt to cause death or “dowry death’ under S.304 B IPC. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;">Well-known categories of frivolous complaints</span>:</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">a)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: purple;">Punishing a lover or live-in partner
for refusing to get married</span>:</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Sadly, the
police have not hesitated in registering rape cases on the basis of bizarre
complaints whereby the concerned woman has termed the entire period of a live
in relationship or years of voluntary intimacy as a case of repeated rapes just
because the man refused to marry the lover.
This when most such women don’t deny that the sexual/ live-in
relationship was voluntary and not a forced affair. The very premise of a live in relationship is
that either of the two partners can walk out of the relationship if they feel
it is no more viable. To say that a man
is legally obliged to marry a woman he has had sex with and failure to do so
will mean a minimum prison term of 7 years is to trample upon principle of equality. Are we willing to accept that women who
refuse to marry their lovers or want to put an end to a live-in relationship
should be sent to jail? <br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">b)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: purple;">Punishing a man for refusing to give
a job or promotion or refusal to enter into a relationship</span></span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">. Such cases have
unfortunately become very common. One of the most striking examples of such
abuse of rape law was the case filed against famous film director, Madhur
Bhandarkar by an aspiring actress, who alleged that Bhandarkar had “raped her
16 times between 1999 and 2004 on the pretext of casting her in his films.”
This case was quashed by the Supreme Court nine years later on 5<sup>th</sup>
November 2012 noting that the lady did not want to pursue the case against
Bhandarkar. Also that the Mumbai police
had earlier given a clean chit to the film director. This is not to comment on the merits or
demerits Bhandarkar’s claim that he was an innocent victim of blackmail. The
woman’s open admission that she repeatedly agreed to have sex with him, as a
quid-pro-quo for a film role is, however, damning. The projection of such women as rape victims
causing enormous harm to reputations all around and is simply not what is
contemplated by the objectives of equality, women’s security or justice. This
is not to deny the prevalence of sexual exploitation of women with the lure of
attractive job offers, job promotions or modeling and acting assignments. But such unsavory deals, when entered into
voluntarily, should not come under the purview of anti-rape law.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;">Voluntary elopement by teenagers being registered as rape and
abduction charges</span>: </span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">As pointed in the data provided by
Delhi Commission for Women, a large number of rape cases pertain to young women
eloping with their lovers or getting married to men disapproved of by their
parents on account of difference in caste, religion or social status. Even
though the act of elopement is voluntary, the parents of young girls invariably
file abduction and rape cases against the young man. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;">The easy sustainability of a rape
charge under the new law has turned the threat of a rape complaint into a blackmail
weapon</span>: </span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I can say on the basis of personal
knowledge that unscrupulous policemen are running well-organized extortion
rackets using male and female sex workers</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> for
blackmailing respectable citizens with the threat of trumped up cases of rape
or sexual assault. In cases where sex workers either trap an unwitting person
or voluntarily engage in commercial sex with him, the charge can even be
medically corroborated through DNA examination of the semen. This is not to condone engaging in
prostitution by men but merely to point out the unfairness of taking the word of
the prosecutrix as gospel truth added to the provision that the past sexual
history of a woman including the fact of her being a sex worker cannot be used
as evidence against her. While there is no denying that even commercial sex
providers have a right to say ‘No’ when they so desire, and their ‘No’ should
be taken seriously, it is nevertheless relevant to show the many dangers of
rendering rape prosecutions easy in an eco-system prone to abuse.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;">My PIL against Excesses in anti-Rape Law</span>:</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> The result of these alterations in the law has been that a man
may be subjected to the full brunt of the criminal law and the obvious,
concomitant loss of reputation merely on account of allegations of rape or
sexual assault, all because the “due process” requirement has been seriously
undermined through the 2013 amendments in the rape law. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The abuse of anti-rape law becomes much
easier because of the strict provision that the identity of the prosecutrixis
to be kept anonymous while the identity and even photographs of the accused are
freely broadcast on television and publicized on print media. This in effect means that getting a man
arrested and defamed on false charge of rape involves zero risk for
unscrupulous women especially considering that in our legal system, even after
falsity and malafide nature of charge is proven in court. A false and malafide rape case ends up
ruining not just the life of the concerned individual but also the entire
family, especially if the person concerned has old parents or young children of
impressionable age. It can also ruin the
marital life of the targeted man as well as his professional career.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Personally witnessing countless cases of
misuse, on March 17, 2017 I filed a PIL in the Delhi High Court for review of
the anti rape law with a view to getting unjust unfair and lawless provisions quashed. Kapil Sibal is arguing this PIL in court. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;">Draconian Rape Law Failed as Deterrent</span>:</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Global experience has shown that draconian provisions have failed
to act as deterrent in criminal law generally and in rape law in particular. It is not the severity of punishment but the
certainty of punishment in genuine cases that brings down crime in any
society. It has also been proven beyond
doubt that the 2013 amendments have failed to act as a deterrent to sexual
atrocities. There is no decline in either the number of rapes being committed
every year or in the brutality accompanying rapes. Leave alone curbing
incidents of rape in secluded places or in privacy of homes, the law and order
machinery has failed to curb even custodial rapes in police stations and
hospitals. Similarly, after the 2013 amendments, cases of gruesome forms of
rape, including more and more child rapes, no less brutal than the Nirbhaya
case are being reported on a daily basis. Gang rapes have also become
alarmingly frequent. What is worse, rape is being treated as a youthful sport
by lumpenized youth, many of who proudly post video recordings of the acts of
gang or individual rape on social media. This clearly shows that instead of growing
fear of the existing stringent anti rape law, people are cocking a snook at the
law enforcement agencies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;">Marital Rape Law would be Lethal</span>: </span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Just as the draconian provisions of 2013 in the anti-rape law have
lent themselves to easy abuse while having zero effect in curbing either the
incidents of rape or their brutality, amending the rape law to include marital
rape amounts to putting lethal weapons in the hands of women without any
safeguards for married men, many of who are already reeling under the “legal
terrorism” of S.498A and unreasonable provisions of the DV Act. It has now been well established that thousands
of falsely implicated men have committed suicides and countless families have
been destroyed beyond repair because our new fangled laws carry the mistaken
assumption that women are too angelic to book false cases and that only hapless
victims among women go to police stations and law courts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Husbands will be a 1000 times more vulnerable
than non-husbands to becoming targets of mala fide charges. Since the post 2013 anti rape law doesn’t
require any proof of tell-tale signs of violence on the woman’s body to suggest
that she was forced into sex, or that she resisted sex on a particular night,
it is easy for a wife to allege ‘rape’ but impossible for a man to prove that
the act was consensual.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Most married couples share the same room and
sleep in the same bed. Sex between
marriage partners is normal routine and is considered part of marital
obligations on both sides. Countless
women and men have sought divorce in every country of the world, including
India on the ground that they have been denied sexual satisfaction either due
to the partner’s inability to perform sex or physical aversion towards each
other, just as countless women have walked out of their marriages to escape
physical and sexual violence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">What protection does a man have against a
wife who cooks up a rape charge to settle some other scores or get rid of the
husband in order to live with her lover in her jailed husband’s house? The only way married men can protect
themselves from such a post facto charge is to have CCTV cameras installed in
every nook and corner of the house, including the couple’s bedroom and
bathroom. Or do we want husbands to get
a duly notarized signed statement on judicial paper before every kiss, embrace,
or sexual act?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">What if the charge has been filed for the
purpose of extortion, as is happening routinely with the existing rape law? Gone are the days of Sati-Savitris who would
rather die than act vindictively towards their spouses. Nor are today’s women afraid of being labeled
as “rape victims”, since for the unscrupulous women it brings economic and
other rewards. Crying ‘rape’ has opened
many lucrative opportunities for blackmail with the woman even getting social
sympathy, while the man and his family are ruined for life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This is not to deny that there are plenty of
brutish husbands who inflict heinous forms of violence and indignities on their
wives. But the real remedy against such
husbands is to walk out on them, not insist on sharing the same bedroom and
same bed with such a man. That is
exactly what self respecting women do.
Divorce laws are today in favour of women. So why not seek freedom from brutish husbands,
especially since the DV Act also protects the wife’s right to residence,
maintenance and childcare? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">At this feminazes will scream: “In our
conservative society, most women are petrified of seeking divorce.” But the very same petrified women won’t mind
sending their husband to jail for minimum seven years? Their second idiotic counter would be: Why
should a rapist husband be let off with a mere three year jail while other
rapists get a minimum of seven years?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">To this I can only say, if a woman continues
staying with her husband despite severe atrocities deserving seven year jail,
she has only herself to blame, now that the marriage, divorce and maintenance
laws are heavily weighted in favour in women.
Those who have failed to build exploitation free lives with existing
pro-women laws, they don’t deserve yet another law which has the potential to
tear asunder family life and social fabric in India. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">As per crime
data released by BPRD for 2015, suicide rate among married men on account of
marital discord is more than twice as high as among married women. Of 91528 men
who committed suicide in 2015, 64534 were married men. By contrast, of the
42088 women who committed suicide, 28344 were married. But has any feminist
cared to express concern at this high rate of self killing among married men?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">When I
founded Manushi in 1978, women’s rights activists used to be celebrated and
admired for their moral courage in giving voice to the voiceless. But the irresponsibility with which a section
of women’s rights activists have made use of these laws, has lent almost
fascist connotations to feminism, with terms like ‘Feminazi’ coming into
currency because of their sadistic delight in pushing for venal laws without
any safeguards. Therefore the wisdom of these “women-protection measures” that have
proved ruinous for countless families call for a serious and comprehensive
review.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">When laws are not
judiciously crafted, when draconian provisions are added as compensation for
failure of the law and order machinery to ensure security of life leading to
easy abuse of law, it leads to mistrust and disrespect towards all institutions
meant for enforcing law and order & dispense justice. The resultant
cynicism & nihilism among citizens destroys the collective resolve and
ability of society to combat crimes. When women, who are traditionally seen as
the moral conscience of society and hence worthy of reverence and special
protection measures, are found to be misusing and abusing laws enacted for
their protection, it delegitimizes the very idea of special measures for
protection of women. The misuse of the above mentioned provisions for the
purpose of blackmail, extortion, revenge and other malafide purposes goes to
confirm that whichever individual or group in society, irrespective of gender,
caste or class, is bestowed with legal power to tyrannize others for its own
benefit, will invariably end up doing so. That is why the principle of
constitutional equality--which becomes meaningless without equality before law
courts--cannot be compromised under any circumstances. </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">At the same time it is vital to build
effective safeguards against misuse and abuse of laws by unscrupulous
persons.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">A pre requisite for that is an
honest, well-trained and accountable police force as well as an effective
justice delivery system.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">Sadly, the
feminazis don’t seem to be bothered about these niceties.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">First published as cover story in <i>The Week</i>, issue dated 24th September, 2017 : (<a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/cover/gender-justice-and-the-feminazi.html">http://www.theweek.in/theweek/cover/gender-justice-and-the-feminazi.html</a>) </span></div>
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madhukishwarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14753750751813113571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188722843562789620.post-63233106725681407662017-09-15T16:38:00.000+05:302017-09-15T16:40:39.440+05:30Can A Kashmir CJM Defy SC? The Curious Case Of Criminal Defamation Against Madhu Kishwar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 28.0001px;"><i>First posted at </i></span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://swarajyamag.com/politics/can-a-kashmir-cjm-defy-sc-the-curious-case-of-criminal-defamation-against-madhu-kishwar&source=gmail&ust=1505559885341000&usg=AFQjCNHc3RnF6rPrhIgQLiJ3lCJUQ53G5g" href="https://swarajyamag.com/politics/can-a-kashmir-cjm-defy-sc-the-curious-case-of-criminal-defamation-against-madhu-kishwar" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: 28.0001px;" target="_blank">https://swarajyamag.com</a> <i>on 2nd September, 2017<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 1.125em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 28.0001px;"> </span></i><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://swarajyamag.com/politics/can-a-kashmir-cjm-defy-sc-the-curious-case-of-criminal-defamation-against-madhu-kishwar&source=gmail&ust=1505559885341000&usg=AFQjCNHc3RnF6rPrhIgQLiJ3lCJUQ53G5g" href="https://swarajyamag.com/politics/can-a-kashmir-cjm-defy-sc-the-curious-case-of-criminal-defamation-against-madhu-kishwar" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: 1.55556em;" target="_blank">https://swarajyamag.com/<wbr></wbr>politics/can-a-kashmir-cjm-def<wbr></wbr>y-sc-the-curious-case-of-crimi<wbr></wbr>nal-defamation-against-madhu-<wbr></wbr>kishwar</a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 28.0001px;"><i>A pro-separatist editor, Shujaat Bukhari, targets Madhu Kishwar for four tweets, and the lower judiciary in Kashmir turns activist.</i></span></div>
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On 26 August, the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) of Srinagar, Aijaz Ahmad Khan, issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Manushi</em> editor Madhu Kishwar, currently national professor at the Indian Council of Social Science Research. This was meant to be punishment for Kishwar’s non-appearance in the Srinagar CJM’s court on that day in a defamation suit filed against her by Shujaat Bukhari, owner-editor of <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Rising Kashmir</em>, in December 2016.</div>
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The arrest warrant is contrary to a Supreme Court order of 24 August, whereby the highest court had exempted Kishwar and her lawyer from physical appearance in the Srinagar court. This action by the court follows three other questionable orders issued from the start of the case in December 2016.</div>
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Since the CJM’s orders against Kishwar went against well-defined guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court regarding the personal appearance of the accused in defamation cases, Kishwar had approached the Supreme Court for relief, and got this order dated 24 August 2017:</div>
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“Having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case, we direct that the petitioner may be permitted to participate in the proceedings by video conferencing from a Delhi court. If video conferencing facility is not available in the district court in question then the proceedings may take place at any appropriate nearest place or court as per the direction of the Chief Justice of the High Court.”</div>
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This order was handed over to the CJM, Srinagar, at the hearing held on 26 August by a Srinagar-based lawyer who represented Kishwar on that day. And yet the CJM, Khan, passed the following order in Urdu in brazen violation of the Supreme Court order:</div>
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“Complainant with his advocate was present. Accused was absent. <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Mulzimkoba-ijra warrant giraftari. Bila-wajah zamanat talab</em>.”</div>
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But first, some background. The cause of this defamation case is dubious. Bukhari, the owner-editor of a separatist-leaning Kashmiri paper, had filed a criminal defamation suit against Kishwar for four tweets in which the latter had commented on the pro-Pakistan slant of Kashmiri newspapers, including <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Rising Kashmir</em>. Here are the tweets that gave rise to the criminal defamation case.<br />
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These tweets became the basis of a criminal defamation suit against Kishwar. It is noteworthy that Bukhari has not yet denied the allegation that he supports pro-secessionist groups. Rather, he has taken objection to the implication that he has taken government money for his newspaper. Even if formally establishing payment of underhand money is difficult, there is enough circumstantial evidence to establish that Bukhari seeks and gets government money. Here are a few samples showing large advertisements issued by the Jammu and Kashmir government to Bukhari’s paper.</div>
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<figure class="article__image article__image--with-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 100px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><img alt="" id="7" src="https://quintype-01.imgix.net/swarajya/2017-09/66f70c38-4d31-45e1-aa0a-ef1b0a8612b2/image7.jpg?w=661&q=60&fmt=pjpeg&auto=format" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></figure></div>
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Some more government ads in Bukhari’s newspaper:</div>
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<svg height="45px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 55 55" width="45px" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><defs></defs><g fill-rule="evenodd" fill="none" id="Page-1" stroke-width="1" stroke="none"><g id="Artboard-3"><g id="Group"><rect fill="#CC413E" height="55" id="Rectangle-1" rx="27.5" width="55" x="0" y="0"></rect><path d="M39.3721014,16.5 L39.3721014,25.7918113 L35.7983477,22.2180146 L31.509826,26.5065363 L29.3655651,24.3622755 L33.6540868,20.0737538 L30.080333,16.5 L39.3721014,16.5 L39.3721014,16.5 Z M26.5065363,31.509826 L22.2180146,35.7983477 L25.7917684,39.3721014 L16.5,39.3721014 L16.5,30.080333 L20.0737538,33.6540868 L24.3622755,29.3655651 L26.5065363,31.509826 L26.5065363,31.509826 Z" fill="#FFFFFF" id="Shape"></path></g></g></g></svg></div>
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<figure class="article__image article__image--with-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 100px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><img alt="" id="8" src="https://quintype-01.imgix.net/swarajya/2017-09/e61e5bb9-0467-4632-8bf1-3dd551234ec0/image6.jpg?w=661&q=60&fmt=pjpeg&auto=format" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></figure></div>
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<svg height="45px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 55 55" width="45px" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><defs></defs><g fill-rule="evenodd" fill="none" id="Page-1" stroke-width="1" stroke="none"><g id="Artboard-3"><g id="Group"><rect fill="#CC413E" height="55" id="Rectangle-1" rx="27.5" width="55" x="0" y="0"></rect><path d="M39.3721014,16.5 L39.3721014,25.7918113 L35.7983477,22.2180146 L31.509826,26.5065363 L29.3655651,24.3622755 L33.6540868,20.0737538 L30.080333,16.5 L39.3721014,16.5 L39.3721014,16.5 Z M26.5065363,31.509826 L22.2180146,35.7983477 L25.7917684,39.3721014 L16.5,39.3721014 L16.5,30.080333 L20.0737538,33.6540868 L24.3622755,29.3655651 L26.5065363,31.509826 L26.5065363,31.509826 Z" fill="#FFFFFF" id="Shape"></path></g></g></g></svg></div>
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<figure class="article__image article__image--with-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 100px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><img alt="" id="9" src="https://quintype-01.imgix.net/swarajya/2017-09/3dfc912e-a9cb-490e-93ff-f368a7a71ed6/image9.jpg?w=661&q=60&fmt=pjpeg&auto=format" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></figure></div>
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<figure class="article__image article__image--with-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 100px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><img alt="" id="10" src="https://quintype-01.imgix.net/swarajya/2017-09/2dddd89f-c9d0-4378-8004-536ffc75db70/image8.jpg?w=661&q=60&fmt=pjpeg&auto=format" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></figure></div>
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Bukhari has not only sought and regularly received ads from the state government but also from the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity.</div>
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Bukhari did not respond to tweets from Kishwar openly challenging him to clarify his position.</div>
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<svg height="45px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 55 55" width="45px" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><defs></defs><g fill-rule="evenodd" fill="none" id="Page-1" stroke-width="1" stroke="none"><g id="Artboard-3"><g id="Group"><rect fill="#CC413E" height="55" id="Rectangle-1" rx="27.5" width="55" x="0" y="0"></rect><path d="M39.3721014,16.5 L39.3721014,25.7918113 L35.7983477,22.2180146 L31.509826,26.5065363 L29.3655651,24.3622755 L33.6540868,20.0737538 L30.080333,16.5 L39.3721014,16.5 L39.3721014,16.5 Z M26.5065363,31.509826 L22.2180146,35.7983477 L25.7917684,39.3721014 L16.5,39.3721014 L16.5,30.080333 L20.0737538,33.6540868 L24.3622755,29.3655651 L26.5065363,31.509826 L26.5065363,31.509826 Z" fill="#FFFFFF" id="Shape"></path></g></g></g></svg></div>
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<figure class="article__image article__image--with-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 100px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><img alt="" id="11" src="https://quintype-01.imgix.net/swarajya/2017-09/f921bb26-3a83-4304-b8a9-c3d8d2c7dfbc/image12.png?w=661&q=60&fmt=pjpeg&auto=format" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></figure></div>
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<figure class="article__image article__image--with-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 100px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><img alt="" id="12" src="https://quintype-01.imgix.net/swarajya/2017-09/b9befab5-3846-45b4-b7de-d970207ad815/image10.png?w=661&q=60&fmt=pjpeg&auto=format" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></figure></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Srinagar CJM’s legally questionable orders</strong></div>
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These facts make it clear that Bukhari’s case against Kishwar rest on weak ground. And yet, on the very first day when Bukhari’s case came up for admission, the Srinagar CJM issued a bailable warrant against Kishwar as the <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">very first step</em>. Kishwar says she came to know of it only through newspapers in Kashmir since the warrant did not reach her in time for the first hearing on 24 December 2016. Kishwar did not get support from the mainstream media, dominated as it is by left-leaning “liberals”. Freedom of speech means something to them only if one of their kind is involved.</div>
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As per the law – whether under the Ranbir Penal Code of Jammu and Kashmir or the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) – a magistrate can only issue summons as a first step. A warrant can be issued in cases of heinous crimes meriting life imprisonment or death penalty. Issuing warrants against Kishwar before she was summoned and given a hearing is legally tenuous.</div>
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In a defamation case which allows for a maximum of two years of imprisonment and/or a fine, warrants cannot be issued unless and until the accused fails to or refuses to appear before the court despite summons.</div>
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As per the warrant issued by the CJM, Kishwar was ordered to appear personally before him in Srinagar and furnish a bond or else face arrest. The date of appearance in Srinagar was reported to be 24 December, but since she had not received the warrant or summons, Kishwar did not see any need to appear in Srinagar. Nor did Kishwar have a copy of the order, which she would need to challenge the validity of the order.</div>
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Since Kishwar had tweeted that she had not received the warrant which was supposed to have been served on her, the judge noted this fact of non-execution of warrants and directed the Registry to issue a fresh bailable warrant against Kishwar to be executed by the Tees Hazari Court in Delhi. The next hearing was listed for 28 January. This was the second questionable order even before the trial began. However, worse was still to come.</div>
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In the first week of January, Kishwar had undergone a major surgery for the removal of a brain tumour. Therefore, she was not medically fit to travel to Srinagar. But she complied with the order issued by the CJM and instructed her lawyer, Ravi Sharma, to appear on her behalf. Her advocate brought to the notice of the Court that as per Section 4(r) read with 4(s) of the CrPC, Svt 1989, a defamation case is a summons case. As per the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court, a summons case does not require the presence of the accused during trial. He/she can be duly represented by his/her lawyer throughout the trial. Since the lawyer for Bukhari took time to file objections to the submissions, the court adjourned the matter for 16 February.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Established law regarding personal appearances</strong></div>
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On 16 February, Kishwar’s advocate, Sharma, again flew to Srinagar to appear on her behalf and relied on the rationale of the law laid down by the apex court in Bhaskar Industries Ltd vs<em style="box-sizing: border-box;"> </em>Bhiwani Denims Ltd (2001), where the Supreme Court<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">inter alia</em> held that in summons cases, personal appearance of the accused is not mandatory and should be dispensed with where the accused is a woman, or where the accused resides beyond the jurisdiction of the court where the complaint has been filed, or in cases where the accused is a senior citizen and/or is ailing.</div>
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Kishwar was eligible for exemption from personal appearance since her condition fulfilled <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">all</em> the three essentials laid down by the Supreme Court judgement. In compliance with prescribed guidelines of the Supreme Court, Kishwar submitted an undertaking to the Srinagar CJM that she would not dispute her identity and would ensure the presence of her counsel at each hearing. It was also submitted by her lawyer that no adjournment shall be sought on Kishwar’s behalf and that her lawyer shall be present in court on each and every date.</div>
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After hearing the arguments, the CJM reserved the order on said application seeking permanent exemption from appearance. However, on 20 March, the CJM passed a 13-page order without referring to the Supreme Court order and insisted that Kishwar must appear before him on 3 April in order to get exemptions from further hearings.</div>
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That law and order is not normal in Srinagar needs no repetition. The situation makes it inadvisable for her to risk life and limb by turning up in the Srinagar court. In her submissions to the CJM, Srinagar, Kishwar had pointed out that given the violence-ridden, politically volatile atmosphere in Kashmir, where even policemen and army and security personnel were being murdered on a regular basis by stone-pelting lynch mobs and in terrorist attacks, for her to appear in a Srinagar court was fraught with danger. Despite having Z Plus security, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had sought the cancellation of a by-election in her family stronghold because she could not risk campaigning there. In such a scenario, it is hardly surprising that Kishwar, an ordinary citizen without any security, felt unsafe about travelling to Srinagar when her opponent, Bukhari, was supporting the forces backing separation.</div>
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It is noteworthy that apart from close links with pro-Pakistani separatists, Bukhari enjoys great influence even within the state government as his brother is a senior minister in Mufti’s cabinet, and several of his relatives are placed in high government positions.</div>
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Moreover, many members of the Srinagar Bar Association are openly pro-Pakistan and pro-secession. Therefore, just showing up in that court is fraught with high risk given the atmosphere of unrest and mob violence in the Valley.</div>
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To sum up: Kishwar has not refused to cooperate with the court. Her lawyer was appearing on each date, and assured the court that he would not seek adjournments. In any case, Kishwar had not committed any ‘heinous crime’ meriting arrest warrants at the very date of admission of the case. It is also worth noting that while criminal defamation law remains valid in India, most democratic countries have scrapped it since politically powerful persons tend to misuse it against their critics.</div>
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Net-net, despite her weak health condition (after having undergone a major surgery in January) and clear instructions from the Supreme Court in such matters, the CJM, Srinagar, could not be persuaded to grant her exemption from personal appearance.</div>
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Aggrieved by the appearance of possible bias in favour of Bukhari, Kishwar was compelled to make her case before the High Court of Jammu. The High Court, in its order of 31 May, clearly said, “the CJM should have allowed the application filed by her (Kishwar)...” Moreover, the High Court also made a remark regarding non-compliance with the binding precedent on the subject in the following words: “The ratio is Bhasker Industries Limited squarely applies to the case on hand…” Accepting Kishwar’s reliance on the binding precedent, the Court added: “Learned CJM, however, entered into unrequired arena of interpreting the judgement of the Supreme Court…”</div>
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Although the High Court of Jammu did not allow for the transfer of the case from Srinagar, it did provide partial relief to Kishwar by granting permanent exemption from personal appearance and modified the CJM’s order to that effect.</div>
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However, by this time the law-and-order situation in Srinagar had further deteriorated with stone-pelting mobs and terrorist attacks taking lives daily. Therefore, the Jammu-based senior advocate, Sunil Sethi, who represented Kishwar before the Jammu court, also sent the following letter expressing his inability to appear before the CJM, Srinagar, due to the prevailing law-and-order situation:</div>
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“… I show inability to conduct the trial before the Ld. CJM, Srinagar, in view of the deteriorated law and order problem in Srinagar for the last two months and particular reference to the location and topography of the Court of Ld. CJM, Srinagar. It is fraught with risk to go to the Court particularly in view of the nature of allegations in the matter. Because of safety concerns of my team, it will not be possible for me or my team to conduct the trial in the present scenario before the Ld. CJM, Srinagar.”</div>
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Coming from a senior member of the Bar, his comments speak volumes for the real nature of the physical threat to Kishwar.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">The Supreme Court finally comes to the rescue</strong></div>
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Since the High Court failed to appreciate the risk it would pose to Kishwar’s lawyer to appear in Srinagar, she had to move the Supreme Court. Taking notice of Kishwar’s apprehension, the Supreme Court gave an order on 24 July directing that neither Kishwar nor her lawyer need to appear in Srinagar court. They may be allowed to participate in the proceedings through video conferencing from a Delhi court.</div>
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Yet, in apparent disregard for the Supreme Court order, the CJM, Srinagar, issued a non-bailable warrant against Kishwar on 26 August for failing to appear before the court. The 26 August order by the CJM, Srinagar, can thus be interpreted as ‘Contempt of the Supreme Court’, no less. It sends an arrogant message to the highest judiciary and the people of India that as far as Kashmir is concerned, the laws of India or the writ of the Supreme Court do not matter.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Kishwar stands by her statements</strong></div>
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Kishwar says her tweets about Bukhari were based on sound information. She says that the late Dileep Padgaonkar, who headed the United Progressive Alliance government-appointed Kashmir Committee, had personally told her that Bukhari asked for and got money from Indian agencies. Much before that, in 2004, the then chief minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, had also told Kishwar that Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was helping Bukhari set up his own paper. Bukhari had also petitioned the DAVP to raise the ad rates for his paper.</div>
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<figure class="article__image article__image--with-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 100px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><img alt="Shujaat Bukhari" id="13" src="https://quintype-01.imgix.net/swarajya/2017-09/cb282baa-72d0-4311-adee-4d4bcc3ab7cf/Shujaat%20Bukhari.jpg?w=661&q=60&fmt=pjpeg&auto=format" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /><figcaption class="article__caption" style="background: rgb(230, 97, 77); bottom: -60px; box-sizing: border-box; color: white; float: left; font-size: 0.91125em; padding: 20px 25px; position: absolute; right: 0px; text-align: right; width: 601.516px;"><span class="article__caption__text" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Shujaat Bukhari</span></figcaption></figure></div>
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In addition, two different army generals who had been posted as GOCs (General Officer Commanding), Kashmir, at different points in time had also told Kishwar that Bukhari was among the journalists successfully “cultivated” by the army. Kishwar claims that one of the GOCs specifically told her that Bukhari had sought, and obtained, money from the army to run his paper. The second GOC even mentioned Bukhari’s name in his book on Kashmir, as someone the army nurtured.</div>
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Bukhari has gone to Dubai and other places along with army generals for Track Two Dialogues with Pakistan at the expense of the Indian government. But that does not stop him from advancing the cause of separatism through his paper and in his speeches. It is also open knowledge that he visits Pakistan very frequently.</div>
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Kishwar says she has also been told by reliable, highly placed PDP sources in Kashmir that Bukhari takes money from Indian agencies and curries favour with the army in private as a cover against his separatist links. Some months ago, journalist Tufail Ahmad had tweeted that a paper in Kashmir had received Rs 22 crore from Indian agencies.</div>
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<figure class="article__image article__image--with-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 100px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><img alt="" id="14" src="https://quintype-01.imgix.net/swarajya/2017-09/b80f99de-e7ae-4ca9-b26c-32cb8253f310/image11.jpg?w=661&q=60&fmt=pjpeg&auto=format" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></figure></div>
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When Kishwar phoned Ahmad and asked him to identify the paper, he mentioned<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Rising Kashmir</em>. Even a cursory reading of his paper shows that the reportage as well as editorials are heavily tilted in favour of pro-Pakistani groups and separatists, including the Burhan Wani type of self-proclaimed jihadis.</div>
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Is this why the “secular” media is silent over Kishwar’s case even while pleading “free speech” on behalf of those who talk of “Bharat <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">tere tukde tukde honge</em>…”?</div>
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madhukishwarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14753750751813113571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188722843562789620.post-13043975229063144272017-09-06T11:19:00.001+05:302017-09-15T16:40:53.929+05:30Judge Jyotsna Yagnik’s Legal Acrobatics In The Maya Kodnani Case - Part 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The determination of criminal liability
requires precise evaluation of testimonies and careful analysis of each piece
of evidence.</span><span lang="HI"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">To conclude
the guilt of an accused, there must be concrete evidence “beyond reasonable
doubt”.</span><span lang="HI"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">But one can
hardly accuse Judge Yagnik of sticking to this maxim.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In the first part of this
analysis of the 2002 case against Maya Kodnani (<a href="https://swarajyamag.com/politics/case-against-maya-kodnani-convicted-in-2002-riots-seems-pretty-thin" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: windowtext;">read here</span></a>),
I had questioned the one-sided approach of Judge Jyotsna Yagnik in handling her
case, which ended in a conviction and a 28-year jail sentence. In this part, I
am providing a few salient instances of how Yagnik, during the course of trial,
drew adverse inferences against Kodnani that did not convince one of her
neutrality.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cdAJ_n94XHM/Wa-gQxiANhI/AAAAAAAABLc/AOWBDwrr2DY7CQNkTm2PBsF_Y__Bjx5dACLcBGAs/s1600/Jyotsnaben-Yagnik.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="700" height="267" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cdAJ_n94XHM/Wa-gQxiANhI/AAAAAAAABLc/AOWBDwrr2DY7CQNkTm2PBsF_Y__Bjx5dACLcBGAs/s400/Jyotsnaben-Yagnik.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;">Jyotsna Yagnik visiting Naroda Patia before giving her judgement in 2002 riot case</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; line-height: 18.65pt;">One such case is that of
Siddiqbhai Allabax Mansuri (prosecution witness-236), who testified before the
court that Kodnani came in a Maruti car. This witness says that Kodnani arrived
at the scene of crime at 8.30 am or 9 am. As per his testimony, the mob started
reciting slogans of</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; line-height: 18.65pt;"> </span><em style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 18.65pt;">'Jai Shri
Ram'</em><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; line-height: 18.65pt;"><i> </i></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; line-height: 18.65pt;">after
seeing Kodnani. He further says that he saw Kodnani speaking to the mob, and
instructed her PA to take out weapons from the jeep and distribute them among
the mob (Pages 644-45).</span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 20.75pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Yagnik herself acknowledges that
in the statement of the SIT (the Special Investigation Team appointed by the
Supreme Court of India to reinvestigate the 2002 crimes), there was no mention
of slogans of ‘<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Jai Shri Ram</em>’<span class="apple-converted-space"><i> </i></span>being
chanted. But the same has been stated by the witness in his deposition before
the court. In order to legitimise this testimony, which was critical for
implicating Kodnani, Yagnik justified this contradiction in the testimony of
the witness, claiming that the witness might not have mentioned this to the
SIT, but that the slogans were likely to have been shouted since that was “the
mental state or spirit of the day” (Para 7.13, Page 648).</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 20.75pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">At one point, she mentions that
mere oral evidence of the witness cannot be treated as completely dependable
evidence. Since the physical attributes and identity markers, etc., were not
mentioned by witnesses in the statements given to the SIT, she gives the
benefit of doubt to five accused persons. However, Kodnani’s PA was not even
named in the statements of the same witnesses given to the SIT. But he is not
given the benefit of the doubt on that ground. The reasoning given by Judge
Yagnik is that he was described as PA to Kodnani. To quote her: “This
description is a satisfying way to involve A-62 in the crime in the statement
of the SIT.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 20.75pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">However, the witness is not even
questioned as to how he knew that the person allegedly accompanying Kodnani on
that fateful morning was her PA. The judge seemed to believe that anyone
associated with her could be guilty by association. The formulation seemed to
be simple: “When in doubt, hold it against Kodnani.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 20.75pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In several instances in the
judgement, Yagnik has ensured that Kodnani did not get the benefit of any
ambiguity or contradiction in the statements of witnesses. A case in point is
the testimony of Abdul Majid Mohammad Usman Shaikh. Regarding his testimony as
a whole, Yagnik takes a cautious approach in believing his statements and
rejects most of his depositions with these remarks: “There is nothing to doubt
the incidents but still as far as this witness is concerned, it is safe to
believe the incidents only if the incidents get support from some another PW
(prosecution witness)”. Yet, she seemed to accept all the allegations this
witness made against Kodnani (Page 672).<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EABI9wvWjkU/Wa-MDhRZyiI/AAAAAAAABK8/ed_nSY7jOlU3D0TXMKd9N2KbsoKQ64w4gCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/744cf450-f200-42a5-a3ae-a15b2337c892.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="640" height="292" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EABI9wvWjkU/Wa-MDhRZyiI/AAAAAAAABK8/ed_nSY7jOlU3D0TXMKd9N2KbsoKQ64w4gCPcBGAYYCw/s400/744cf450-f200-42a5-a3ae-a15b2337c892.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; line-height: 18.65pt;">The judge’s willingness to prima
facie accept Kodnani’s guilt is evident in many pages of the judgement. For
example, Zuberkhan Islamkhan Pathan claimed that he saw Kodnani in the mob
outside Natraj Hotel. He further said that the men of that mob were told by
Kodnani, “You go ahead, I am with you” (Page 674). But was he close enough to
Kodnani so as to be able to hear her words to the mob when he does not claim
that she spoke on a loudspeaker. It is hard to believe that a person belonging
to the Muslim community would dare go right to the middle of a 15,000-strong
volatile mob that had allegedly assembled with the specific purpose of killing
Muslims.</span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 20.75pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The witness could easily have
been tutored on two grounds: first, about the presence of Kodnani at the scene
of the crime; second, on a statement to the effect that she was provoking the
mob. Although, Judge Yagnik frequently resorts to the “principle of
probability' and natural behaviour” whenever they are convenient to 'establish'
the guilt of Kodnani, she fails to apply those very principles when dealing
with the veracity of testimonies against Kodnani. All those statements that put
a cloud of suspicion around the testimonies of witnesses against Kodnani are
simply shoved under the carpet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 20.75pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">At several points during the
trial, the witnesses provided enough evidence of being tutored to give doubtful
testimonies to mislead the court and falsely implicate Kodnani. For instance,
Judge Yagnik did question the veracity of the mobile phone call records of the
various accused submitted by the prosecution. In this regard, she court noted
the submission of the defence lawyer, Mr Kikani: “…there are discrepancies and
apparent contents which create reasonable doubts against the genuineness of the
document. This creates a reasonable doubt about the genuineness of the document
and this reasonable doubt is sufficient not to attach any value to the said
documentary evidence...”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 20.75pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Even after instances of possible
fabrication were brought to the notice of the judge, she was not convinced that
Kodnani was the target of a malicious prosecution. Although, she did not accept
the prosecution’s version that the mobile records were not conclusive evidence
of proving a conspiracy, Judge Yagnik made the following observation – “… it is
notable that in the year 2002, mobile phone was quite popular and was freely
used as mode of communication. A-37 (Maya Kodnani), A-18 (Babu Bajrangi), A-62
(Kirpalsing Jangbahadursing Chhabda, the PA of Mayaben Kodnani), A-44 (Bipin
Autowala) etc. have been alleged to be in contact on mobile phone. None of them
have stated that they did not have mobile in 2002 and they had no telephonic
contact with the co-accused. This fact is a circumstance which can certainly be
considered when the hatching of criminal conspiracy stands proved against the
accused. Their agreement to do illegal acts cannot be without any communication
hence, it is inferred that they have communicated with one another since they
belong to the same group, same organisation working for 'Hindutva'.” (Page 799)
It is bizarre that the mere possession of mobile phones by all the accused is
seen as firm proof of their conspiracy and guilt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 20.75pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">When doubts over Kodnani’s guilt
remain strong, Judge Yagnik stretched the principle of probability in order to
draw adverse inferences against Kodnani. It is not uncommon for judges to
question the findings of the police because they are known to often act in a
partisan manner. But judicial discipline requires that the judge does not do so
in a selective manner. For example, when Judge Yagnik does not have real
evidence of Kodnani having interfered with the police investigation, she lets
her imagination fill in the blanks. To quote her, “This court is not sitting in
an ivory tower and is conscious to the hard realities of the system. In the
system, normally if the police officer knows the desire of the political leader
the police would not leave a single stone unturned to give all colours to such
desire.” (Page 530)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 20.75pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The judge, as we saw in Part 1 of
this story, ignored concrete material evidence in the form of video recordings,
which show Kodnani’s presence far away from the site of massacre at the
relevant times.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 20.75pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Moreover, Judge Yagnik did not
find the need to prove or seek evidence that Kodnani had a “desire” to set her
own neighbourhood on fire and see her own clients/patients murdered in cold
blood.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 20.75pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">There is an unstated assumption
that one can know the mind and heart of Kodnani simply because as a Bharatiya
Janata Party MLA she couldn’t be anything but a monster. Had Yagnik not been
driven by own predilections, as a citizen of Ahmedabad she would have known
that after Godhra train fire killed 60<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">karsevaks</em>,
people of her state forgot their political affiliations. Congressmen joined the
murderous mobs with as much fury as did BJP workers, as did apolitical
citizens. The mob fury unleashed during that period cut across party lines.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 20.75pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">On Page 725 of the judgement,
Judge Yagnik presents a very strange tale of causation. She notes that “The
police officer has very specifically stated that the active leaders were
instigating the mobs.” She further states that the MLA of any area is bound to
be an active leader. [Even this is not always true. Plenty of MLAs neglect
their constituencies and some even act responsibly]. In the very next line, she
says, “Now, if she cannot be termed to be an active leader of the BJP and that
too in Naroda constituency, then who else can be called the leader of BJP in
that area? It can therefore, be inferred that A-37 was present at the site.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 20.75pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Even if she was present at the
site, she could well have come to pacify the mob. But such questions and
probabilities are irrelevant to Yagnik for the simple reason that Kodnani
belongs to the BJP. (Yagnik’s antecedents were Congress before she joined the
judiciary.) Therefore, she jumps to the next firm conclusion: “Therefore, it
can be safely inferred that A-37 (Maya Kodnani) was instigating the mob that
too in the morning hours at the site of the offence but, the police has made
conscious efforts to screen her presence.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 20.75pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">For an elected leader to be
actively involved in the lives of the people of her constituency does not offer
conclusive proof that she would want mayhem and murderous mobs to run amok
there. By this logic, every MLA, whether of BJP or Congress, should have been
ipso facto declared guilty of instigating every incident of violence that took
place in their respective constituencies. Why even bother to conduct a trial
when the judge is so sure about what an MLA would have done?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 20.75pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Judge Yagnik repeatedly
reiterates that Kodnani was a public figure known to everyone in the area and
hence the witness's identification cannot be disputed. But the same inference
and logic can be extended to question as to why a public figure would come out
openly before an inflamed mob and openly distribute weapons at such an
explosive time? If she were indeed inclined to encourage mayhem, would it not
have been safer and saner for her to supply weapons from the safety of her own
home in the vicinity of the killing fields?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 20.75pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The determination of criminal
liability requires precise evaluation of testimonies and careful analysis of each
piece of evidence. To conclude the guilt of an accused, there must be concrete
evidence “beyond reasonable doubt”. But one can hardly accuse Judge Yagnik of
sticking to this maxim.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 20.75pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">To provide another instance among
the many available in the 1,969-page judgement, on the one hand, Yagnik herself
states that the mob was already in such a mood that if Kodnani had attempted to
pacify them, she would have been attacked. Yet, she declares Kodnani to be the
‘kingpin of the riots’ and describes her role to be ‘provoking, instigating and
boosting up the mob’. Even after accepting the fact that the mob was already
enraged (Page 703), Judge Yagnik concludes that it was Kodnani who instigated
the rioters. On page 1,813, Yagnik further contradicts herself by saying that
the “mob did not have the courage” to start the riots until Kodnani arrived
there even after having stated earlier that the mob was already enraged.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 20.75pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Another clear case of
contradiction appears when Yagnik states: “...A-37 (Kodnani) being an MLA of
the area, it does not sound to be probable that A-37 moved publicly possessing
firearm, that too on such a day where media, cameraman, channels, etc, are
bound to be present there...”. But this did not stop the judge from accepting
the testimonies which suggested that the violence started only after Kodnani
arrived at the crime scene and instigated the mobs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 20.75pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Judge Yagnik’s hand is again
visible on page 703. She assumes that Kodnani had big political ‘ambitions’.
Therefore, that must have been a sufficient motivating factor playing the role
of a kingpin in the riots. “...A-37 was the then current MLA, hence it can be
inferred that she must have ambition to go ahead in politics and she cannot
leave the temptation of taking political mileage by being kingpin in the series
of events that took place on that day...”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; line-height: 18.65pt; text-align: justify;">Due to this presumption against
Kodnani, Judge Yagnik violated a cardinal principle of criminal jurisprudence,
which states that if there are two views possible while analysing
circumstantial evidence, one pointing towards the guilt of the accused and the
other to her innocence, the court should take the view which is favourable to
the accused.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; line-height: 18.65pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 20.75pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">First posted at </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; line-height: 24.8667px;">https://swarajyamag.com on September 5, 2017</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; line-height: 24.8667px;">(<a href="https://swarajyamag.com/politics/judge-jyotsna-yagniks-legal-acrobatics-in-the-maya-kodnani-case">https://swarajyamag.com/politics/judge-jyotsna-yagniks-legal-acrobatics-in-the-maya-kodnani-case</a>)</span></div>
</div>
madhukishwarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14753750751813113571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188722843562789620.post-10875617120561728852017-09-05T12:21:00.002+05:302017-09-15T16:41:11.912+05:30Case Against Maya Kodnani, Convicted In 2002 Riots, Has Gaping Holes -- Part I<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Dr Maya Kodnani was sentenced to 28 years in
prison by a special trial judge for “masterminding” the riots in Naroda Patiya
and Naroda Gam areas in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, in 2002.</span></i><i><span lang="HI"> </span></i><i><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">It is highly likely that Kodnani, and others,
may have been framed for political reasons, while those who were guilty got
away. Here’s why.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
</div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">On 31 August 2012, Jyotsna
Yagnik, the special trial judge, pronounced a 28-year prison sentence against
Dr Maya Kodnani for “masterminding” one of the bloodiest episodes of communal
violence in Ahmedabad on 28 February 2002. This judgement led to widespread
jubilation in the mainstream media, orchestrated by the “secular brigade”
allied to the Congress and the left parties. Kodnani was serving as a minister
for women and child development in Narendra Modi’s government from 2007. So a
jail term for one of Modi’s ministers gave a big boost to the United
Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, making them believe that this would pave
the way for getting at Modi himself, who was then chief minister of Gujarat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1GCyfN7yxBM/Wa5DE5L-RHI/AAAAAAAABKs/SXsQ2VNrP8M5igbDvUWqYdktneYSAmY5wCEwYBhgL/s1600/b57e27c0-26ed-4977-8fec-bb07edc73d95.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1GCyfN7yxBM/Wa5DE5L-RHI/AAAAAAAABKs/SXsQ2VNrP8M5igbDvUWqYdktneYSAmY5wCEwYBhgL/s400/b57e27c0-26ed-4977-8fec-bb07edc73d95.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">As in the
case of Lt Col Shrikant Purohit’s incarceration, none in the media examined the
case with care. Purohit was released on bail in the Malegaon blasts case even
though the evidence that he was aiding “saffron terrorism” was thin. The
mainstream media simply reproduced the UPA-orchestrated narrative without
questioning the evidence in Purohit’s case.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">However,
after discovering<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.manushi.in/articles.php?articleId=1803#.WaznmMgjE2w" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: windowtext;">some evidence of
mala fide intent in Purohit’s case</span></a>, I decided to personally examine
Kodnani’s case as well. The motivation for it came from reading the judgment of
Judge Yagnik, who did not accept large parts of the evidence proffered in
favour of Kodnani. For this purpose, I went and met Kodnani’s family in
Ahmedabad about two years ago, and examined the evidence marshalled against her
as well as the evidence Kodnani had put forward in her defence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Now that my
2014 exposé regarding Purohit’s case has been vindicated and even parts of the
mainstream media have accepted that the UPA government was less than fair with
him by jailing and torturing a serving army officer, I hope readers will follow
the details of Kodnani’s case with an open mind and judge the case on merit.</span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<h3 style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;">Charges against Maya Kodnani</span></span></b></h3>
<div>
<b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Kodnani was
convicted under</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> </span><a href="https://indiankanoon.org/doc/1897847/" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: windowtext;">Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">,
which reads as follows:</span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Whoever is a party to a criminal conspiracy to commit an offence punishable with death, 2*[imprisonment for life] or rigorous imprisonment for a term of two years or upwards, shall where no express provision is made in this Code for the punishment of such a conspiracy, be punished in the same manner as if he had abetted such offence.</span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In other words, Kodnani was indicted
for having “masterminded” the killings and mayhem committed on 28 February 2002
in Ahmedabad’s Naroda Patiya and Naroda Gam areas following the Godhra train
carnage of 27 February 2002. After two years of incarceration, she managed to
secure bail on 31 July 2014 on grounds of serious illnesses and the severe
depression she developed while in jail.</span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<h3 style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;">Subjected to lethal medical treatment</span></span></b></h3>
<div>
<b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Kodnani’s
husband, Surendra Kodnani, who is himself a doctor, told me that “the treatment
given to her in jail indicates as though the authorities were out to kill her.”
For instance, she was given three Electroconvulsive therapies (ECTs) in prison
without her family's permission. Such therapy involves the outmoded technique
of giving electric shocks to the patient as a treatment for severe depression.
Needless to say, the treatment did her more harm than good. Her husband put his
foot down when he got to know about the plan to subject her to a fourth ECT. He
said, “What if she dies given her fragile health? Who would take responsibility
for her death?”</span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The most
fundamental principle of criminal jurisprudence followed in India and most
civilised countries is that a person is assumed innocent till proven guilty.
But, in the case of Kodnani, Judge Yagnik appears to have shown no such
consideration in her 1,969-page-long judgment.</span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<h3 style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;">Maya Kodnani: A background</span></span></b></h3>
<div>
<b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Kodnani was
a well-known practicing gynaecologist and used to live in the Naroda Patiya
area of Ahmedabad. She belongs to the Sindhi community. Her family had come as
refugees from the province of Sind in what came to be known as Pakistan after
the partition of 1947. She and her doctor husband, Surendra Kodnani, ran a
private hospital in an area which is inhabited largely by working-class Hindus
and Muslims. In this constituency, Muslims are concentrated in two areas –
Naroda Patiya and Naroda Gam.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Kodnani’s
father was a school teacher who retired as a principal in Banaskantha district
of Gujarat. Since her father also happened to be a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
worker, she too was nurtured by Sangh<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">sanskar</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(values). This made her an easy target
for demonisation by “left secular” non-governmental organisations (NGOs),
particularly the one led by Teesta Setalvad, who played a leading role in
filing Gujarat riot cases on behalf of Muslims.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Kodnani
started her political career in 1995 when she was elected as a municipal
corporator on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket as part of the 33 per cent
quota reserved for women. However, the ticket was given to her as much for
being a popular doctor in the Naroda area, where she had started her medical
practice in 1988. Since she had established a good rapport with the people in
her area, she won her maiden election to become a corporator with a comfortable
margin. In 1998, she won her first election as a member of legislative assembly
(MLA) with a margin of 85,000 votes. It was then one of the biggest assembly
constituencies (later divided and made smaller) with 450,000 voters covering an
area of 23 kilometres.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">She won her
second assembly election in 2002 with a still bigger margin of 1.15 lakh votes.
The third assembly election in 2007 saw her win with an even larger margin of
1.81 lakh votes. It was after the 2007 election that she became a minister in
Modi's cabinet. By all accounts, she was a popular leader with a strong mass
base in her constituency, which had a sizeable Muslim population, especially in
the direct vicinity of her private hospital in Naroda Patiya. The Muslims of
that area were not just her voters; they were also a sizeable proportion of the
patients, and she had overseen the birth of numerous Muslim children in the
area. In fact, the Muslim vote had played an important role in each of her
elections since 1995. Thus, the image of a rabid Muslim-hater, propagated assiduously
by “secular” NGOs and magazines like<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Tehelka</i>,
not to speak of the Congress party, was far from reality.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A medical
doctor who has attended to countless Muslim women and delivered their babies is
not the kind of person who would go around butchering people on the streets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Another
telltale sign is that Kodnani was made an accused six years<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">after</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>the 2002 riots. If she was a
conspirator, one wonders why her name never came up in the immediate aftermath
of 2002.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">There are
several noteworthy aspects to the charges levelled against Kodnani. Her name
was not mentioned in any of the complaints or first information reports (FIRs)
filed in 2002, when a majority of the cases – both genuine and false – were
registered. NGOs like the one run by Setalvad and Javed Anand had played a
leading role in filing cases. As described by Modi himself in my book,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Modi, Muslims and Media</i>, the
Gujarat government had been forced to relax all the rules regarding
registration of cases due to the hysteria created by NGOs. The normal procedure
is that complainants have to go personally to a police station to register
complaints or FIRs. But making concessions for the traumatised condition of the
riot victims, the Gujarat government enabled the victims to register their FIRs
in relief camps by posting the concerned police officers in the camps.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">To quote
Modi from an<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mA3GuqZ8tPw&feature=youtu.be" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: windowtext;">interview</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>I conducted in 2013 (translated from
Hindi):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MsQFYS_yL2Y/Wa-P5mTOuEI/AAAAAAAABLM/UhXWttuIED8OKaLGAfQBndv86gULC20MQCLcBGAs/s1600/388812781Modi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="229" data-original-width="215" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MsQFYS_yL2Y/Wa-P5mTOuEI/AAAAAAAABLM/UhXWttuIED8OKaLGAfQBndv86gULC20MQCLcBGAs/s320/388812781Modi.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“For relief
and rehabilitation work, I set up a Committee headed by the Governor. This is
the first time in the history of India that after a riot any state government
made the State Governor in charge of this job. The Committee also had NGO
representatives as well as Leader of the Opposition, ex-Chief Minister,
representatives of Chambers of Commerce. It had about 15 members in all and the
quantum of relief was decided under the Chairmanship of the Governor. This has
never happened before in India. Again, it was for the first time ever that I set
up a Committee of three former women judges to sit in the police station for
registering complaints of women victims. Normally people must go to the police
station to register FIRs. But my government made special arrangements for
registering FIRs in the relief camps itself (because NGOs had made a case that
the riot victims would be too traumatised to go to police stations to register
their FIRs). Special camps for FIRs were also set up in the Circuit House as
well as in the Government Guest House.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“The law of
the land says that a police FIR should be handwritten (now they can be also be
recorded on computer). But almost all the FIRs filed under the aegis of these
NGOs are xeroxes – which is in itself illegal. These NGOs made a common
template for registering FIRs and got it xeroxed. They then simply filled in
the name and location of the concerned person. Even today, the law doesn’t
allow for a xerox FIR anywhere in the country. But in Gujarat thousands of
cases that were filed were all xeroxes with a set pattern of complaints.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Certain
NGOs had hired full time staff to get these xeroxed forms filled. (The
complaints were not written by the victims but by the hired staff of NGOs). The
law of the land demands that a complainant has to go personally to the police
station to lodge an FIR. But I allowed FIRs to be registered in relief camps
plus those set up in Circuit House, etc, because I did not want that injustice
should be done to anyone. My job as CM was to control the riot, to help the
affected people and to ensure that those treated unjustly should get justice.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">NGOs working
at the behest of the Congress party and some elements within the Muslim
community took advantage of this situation by xeroxing (making copies) in bulk
a standard form for registering complaints in which victims were asked to fill
any name they chose as the accused. They were even instigated to settle old
personal scores and name not just the real culprits but all and sundry among
the BJP cadre.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Even so, in
2002, none had mentioned Kodnani's name as an accused or accomplice in the
riots, leave alone implicate her as a “mastermind”. Therefore, not a single FIR
was filed with Kodnani’s name as an accused. Her name suddenly cropped up when
the Congress party came to power a second time, and the Supreme Court admitted
a public interest litigation filed by Setalvad and Zakia Jafri, wife of Ehsan
Jafri, to appoint a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the role of
Modi along with all senior bureaucrats and cabinet ministers in allegedly
instigating the 2002 riots. It is at this time that witnesses were mobilised by
Setalvad to name Kodnani as a prime accused in the 2002 riots, because by then
Kodnani was a minister in Modi’s cabinet. It is unprecedented in the history of
criminal jurisprudence anywhere in the world that six years after an alleged
crime, the judiciary orders the police to file an FIR against an individual who
had never been accused of any wrongdoing previously; nor was there any mention
of hers before the Inquiry Commission headed by Justice G T Nanavati.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X_vE4nVDZR4/Wa-PH10nFWI/AAAAAAAABLE/2A-0h9H3tQYNMZ2U835jqt4EWE89_s8LACLcBGAs/s1600/rais_khan_pathan2s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X_vE4nVDZR4/Wa-PH10nFWI/AAAAAAAABLE/2A-0h9H3tQYNMZ2U835jqt4EWE89_s8LACLcBGAs/s200/rais_khan_pathan2s.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">All of a
sudden, 11 witnesses accused her of “masterminding” the riot. Rais Khan, the
right-hand man of Setalvad for collecting evidence from riot victims, told me
in a recorded video interview that Setalvad made innumerable Muslims file false
affidavits. In many cases, the complainants did not even know what was written
on their behalf. Most of these false witnesses could not hold on to their
claims during cross-examination. The testimonies of 11 residents of Naroda Patiya,
who testified against Kodnani, may well have collapsed but for the willingness
of Judge Yagnik to humour their evidence. Khan also alleged that Setalvad paid
a monthly allowance as well as lump sum amounts to most of the witnesses. The
role played by Setalvad in influencing the political narrative of the 2002
riots is worth hearing in the words of Khan.<span class="apple-converted-space"><i> </i></span>(Watch
video interview<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yROOFguSNo" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: windowtext;">here</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZMJzMsdjDE" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: windowtext;">here</span></a>.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<h3 style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;">Why Kodnani appears to be falsely implicated</span></span></b></h3>
<div>
<b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">If we
examine the schedule of Kodnani on the fateful day and compare it to the
charges on which she has been booked, it seems likely that some of the
testimonies of witnesses can be doubted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">On 28
February 2002, the day the riots broke out in Ahmedabad and several other
places in Gujarat, Kodnani’s movements are easy to track for the crucial part
of the day because there is audio-visual evidence of her presence at key
places; on the other hand, there is flimsy and mutually contradictory evidence
by way of statements of witnesses vouching for her presence in places where she
allegedly instigated riotous mobs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Kodnani’s
presence in the state assembly is recorded in the video footage of the day’s proceedings.
She left home at around 7.45am to attend the special session of the assembly
called to pay tribute to those<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">karsevaks</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>who were burnt alive the previous day
at Godhra. The footage shows that the session started at 8.30am and concluded
at 8.40am. The time is established by the fact that the camera pans to the wall
clock in the assembly just as the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">shraddhanjali</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>meeting ends. The clock shows the time
to be 8.40am. In that very shot, Kodnani is visible as one of the participants
of that meeting. (<a href="https://youtu.be/78iRXZHgW_o" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: windowtext;">Here</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>is
the video.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This meeting
took place in the hall on the second floor of the secretariat. Thereafter,
Kodnani came down with MLA Amrish Patel of Asarwa. The SIT accepted Patel’s
statement about having walked down with Kodnani after the 8.40am meeting, but
Judge Yagnik did not call him to court to testify even though he was
chargesheeted as a witness. Yagnik declined to summon Patel, saying it is the
right of the prosecution to call who they want as a witness. While it is indeed
the prosecution’s privilege to summon whoever they think to be essential to
prove their case, the accused also has the right to include a witness who
endorses her version to prove the version of the prosecution to be malafide.
Kodnani insisted on Patel’s testimony and asked that he be brought in as a
court witness. But the judge overruled her plea.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Back to that
morning, Kodnani came down in an elevator and walked down all the way to a
distant car park to drive her private car – a Maruti Esteem. As an MLA in 2002,
(she was not a minister at that time) she was not entitled to a
chauffeur-driven car. But Judge Yagnik had this to say in her judgment: “She,
being minister, she must have been escorted; the area must have been cleared
for her”. But the fact is, Kodnani become a minister only in 2007. In 2002, she
was just an MLA and, therefore, not entitled to police escort.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Kodnani
probably left the Vidhan Sabha premises around 9.15am because it took her that
much of time to go down the assembly building and walk through the car park to
reach her vehicle. From there, she went to Sola hospital in Sarkhej area, which
is situated on the Gandhinagar highway. This is the hospital where all the dead
bodies of the Godhra-Sabarmati Express carnage had been brought. The special
reason for her visit to Sola hospital was that three persons of her
neighbourhood had been burnt alive in the train fire. One of them was the
father of a nurse employed in her hospital. She wanted to help nurse Lata and
others of her neighbourhood to get the bodies released from the hospital
expeditiously.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<h3 style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;">CCTV and media recordings at Sola hospital</span></span></b></h3>
<div>
<b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Kodnani
reached Sola hospital around 10am covering a distance of about 22km from
Gandhinagar Vidhan Sabha – almost at the same time as Amit Shah arrived there
separately. They were confronted with a mob of angry Hindus outraged at the
brutal way in which a Muslim mob had stoned and allegedly set fire to a bogie
full of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">karsevaks</i>. The Hindu mob at the
hospital surrounded her and Shah – both of whom were pushed around and abused.
But they managed to enter and get the doctors to expedite the release of dead
bodies to the relatives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">As they came
out of the hospital escorted by a police inspector, the crowd was still
agitated and unruly. This is also recorded in the video footage of various
media persons who were covering that morning’s happenings at the hospital. (See
video <a href="https://youtu.be/_jLTKPFY2Ls" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: windowtext;">here.</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Given the
mood of the mob and realising that it was not safe for her to travel alone in
her car, both Shah and Kodnani left their respective vehicles behind. Instead,
they travelled together in a police jeep. Some party workers followed the jeep
in Kodnani’s car. Inspector Lathia, who was on duty at Sola hospital, gave
instructions to his driver, Kantibhai Solanki, to drop Kodnani and Shah at a
safe place. She was dropped at RTO circle, Shahibagh, while Shah got off
earlier at Gotha Chowkadi.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Judge Yagnik
did not call either Shah or Solanki as witnesses. It is only recently, after
her appeal, that Kodnani was allowed to call witnesses who have the evidence to
corroborate her innocence. These witnesses might well have contradicted the
charge that from 8.30am to 10.30am, Kodnani was instigating mobs at Naroda
Patiya.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The news of
Kodnani’s visit to Sola Hospital and the hostile response she received there
was carried all day by<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Sandesh TV</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>channel on 1 March 2002. This evidence
was put before the court, but Judge Yagnik did not take it into consideration.
Even the 7pm<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Doordarshan</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>news bulletin had given coverage to
the Sola incident. In this video recording, Kodnani is shown going in at about
10am and coming out of the hospital with a policeman. But none of this
impressed Judge Yagnik.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<h3 style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;">Simple logistics go against the logic of the
judgment</span></span></b></h3>
<div>
<b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">It is
noteworthy that the Gujarat Vidhan Sabha and Sola Hospital are 22km apart. And
from Sola to Naroda Patiya through the crowded city, the distance is another
23km. In 2002, there was no express highway between Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar.
Therefore, vehicular movement between the two cities on the old two-lane road
was much slower. Even city roads were not as good as they became later. If the
court tried to reconstruct the events of the day, it could well have developed
doubts about whether Kodnani could have been sighted at Naroda Patiya at
8.30am, or even 9.30am or 10.30am, as claimed by all the 11 witnesses. Since
there is video evidence that till 8.40am she was in the assembly hall, there is
no way she could have gone to Sola, spent some time there and yet be present in
Naroda Patiya between 8.30am and 10.30am.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h4 style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></span></h4>
<h3>
<span style="color: blue;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Mobile phone records also ignored</span></b></span></h3>
<div>
<span style="color: blue;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Similarly,
mobile phone records placed before the court by the prosecution show her
location at Sola Hospital from 10am onwards. Likewise, the phone records
prepared by the police officer J S Gedam, who was deputed to the SIT, showed
that Kodnani’s mobile number was nowhere close to Naroda Patiya till 12.37pm.
These were placed before the court, but Judge Yagnik discounted the validity of
that piece of evidence by saying that since the bill of that mobile phone was
being paid by the BJP office, “we can’t be sure if Mayaben was personally using
that phone”. The analysis of phone call details from 27 February to 4 March was
available, but the court did not check if Kodnani was using that phone or not.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<h3 style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;">Kingpin of conspiracy but not part of
“unlawful assembly”</span></span></b></h3>
<div>
<b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">On that
particular day, large parts of Gujarat were burning. Most others accused of
involvement in the riots have been punished under section 149B (being part of
unlawful assembly). Even though Judge Yagnik gave Kodnani the benefit of doubt
under the charge of ‘unlawful assembly’ because her presence could not be
established beyond reasonable doubt, yet she called her the “kingpin of the
conspiracy”. One wonders how Kodnani could instigate a murderous mob if her
very presence as part of that unlawful assembly could not be established.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<h3 style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;">NGO-propped witnesses</span></span></b></h3>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Now let us
look at the evidence brought forth by Setalvad through 11 witnesses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">1) Amina Abbas:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">While Abbas was an inmate in the Shah Alam
camp, she was interviewed by Setalvad for a special issue of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Communalism Combat (CC)</i>, of which
Setalvad is the owner-editor. The issue was titled ‘Genocide’. This bizarre
exaggeration and overstatement itself shows the provocative slant of the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">CC</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>team. The killing of 863 Muslims and
262 Hindus in the week-long riots of 2002 can be termed a “genocide” of Muslims
only by someone keen on promoting a persecution complex among an already
volatile minority. (The death tally has been vetted by the Supreme
Court-monitored SIT.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Coming back
to Abbas’s story, in the entire interview, she doesn’t once name Kodnani as the
one responsible for or as an instigator of riots in Naroda Patiya. And yet in
2008, for the first time, she alleges that at 8.30am, Kodnani came with her
personal assistant to Naroda Patiya and got off from her car in front of
Noorani Masjid to instigate the mob to riot. Abbas goes on to say that because
she was wearing her work uniform – that of a security guard – the mob took her
to be a policewoman. She claimed to have heard Kodnani say, “<i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Maro, kato</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(kill them, cut them up).” Thereafter,
Kodnani allegedly fired a pistol shot and left.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Abbas’s
testimony appears questionable for these reasons:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">As mentioned
earlier, till at least 8.40am, Kodnani was in the assembly and took at least 20
minutes to reach her car and drive out. Naroda Patiya is at least 45km from the
assembly. There is no way Kodnani could have been in two places at the same
time unless someone saw her clone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Abbas’s
normal “service hours” used to be from 3pm to 10pm. On 27 February, seeing the
disturbed atmosphere following the Godhra train massacre and the<i style="box-sizing: border-box;">bandh</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>call given by the Vishva Hindu
Parishad (VHP) and the BJP, the owner of the establishment where Abbas worked
had declared the establishment closed on 28 February. So what was Abbas doing
in her service uniform that early morning, much before her duty hours? The
response of ordinary citizens who do not wish to be part of mob violence is to
stay away and not go snooping to hear who said what to whom.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Kodnani has
never had any weapons licence and, as an MLA, she was not likely to have
carried an unlicensed weapon. All through the trial, no attempt was made to
recover the revolver allegedly used by Kodnani.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">On that
morning, the police did not escort Kodnani, as deposed by Abbas. As an MLA, she
was not entitled to police escort.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In her
deposition, Abbas doesn’t explain how she came to be included as a witness in
this case. In fact, the answer she gave is in itself suspicious: “I don’t
remember who called me, or who took me to Gandhi Nagar. All I remember is that
I sent an application to SIT saying, ‘I have some important information to give
regarding Naroda Patiya’.” That is why the SIT just recorded her statement, but
it did not subject it to scrutiny or verification. In her cross-examination, it
became apparent that after Abbas appeared against Kodnani, she accompanied
Setalvad on several foreign trips. She used to be a small-scale money-lender in
the area before the 2002 riots. But ever since she made common cause with
Setalvad, she has become a jet-setter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">One-line
testimonies of this kind have been taken at face value and used to send Kodnani
to 28 years in jail even when she has strong evidence to support her
non-involvement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">2) Dildaar Umrao:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The second main witness in the case said,
“Madam came around 11.45 am, stopped her car near Panchwati Estate. From there
she signalled her workers to come near her. Thereafter she opened her car
dickey and took out swords and other weapons which she distributed among her
party workers.” However, between 2002 and 2008, Umrao had given testimonies to
four or five other agencies before giving this statement to SIT. In none of the
earlier statements did he implicate Kodnani. Like the others, he too mentions
her name for the first time in 2008.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Umrao is
also a close associate of Setalvad, and has accompanied her for several
meetings in Delhi and elsewhere. He used to work as a<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">kabaadi</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(buyer and seller of junk and waste
products). But after meeting with Setalvad, he stopped that work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">3) Abdul Majeed:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Majeed was the third important witness. He
had lost five members of his family in the riots. He too gave statements to the
police and to the Crime Branch, etc, soon after the riots in 2002. But he too
had never named Kodnani in any of his earlier statements to different agencies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The rest of
the eight witnesses merely described her presence in different locations. They
echo what Abbas said about Kodnani having called her party workers and told
them to go on a killing spree. They all claim that they saw her addressing a
mob of 15,000 to 17,000 persons. Two of the witnesses had said that she stopped
near the gate of the ST workshop at Naroda Patiya, spoke with the police
Inspector, K K Mysorewala, gave him some instructions and drove away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In all, 200
Muslim witnesses were examined in this case. Out of 200, only 11 spoke of
Kodnani’s presence. (And none of these 11 even mentioned her name prior to
2008. It took them a good six-and-a-half years after the actual events to
implicate Kodnani.) None of the other 200 witnesses mentions anything about
Kodnani, leave alone she distributing weapons to the mob. If she had indeed
publicly distributed weapons and fired gunshots, surely this merited more
witnesses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<h3 style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;">Contradictions in witness accounts</span></span></b></h3>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Many of the
witnesses contradict each other about the time and place at which they spotted
her. They also give contrary descriptions of whether the person accompanying
her was her personal assistant or her driver. If they had actually spotted
Kodnani, the description of the person who allegedly accompanied her should
have been similar, if not identical. The court of Yagnik did not cross-question
these witnesses for giving contradictory statements about the person allegedly
accompanying Kodnani.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The first
FIRs had mentioned five accused by name and described a mob of 15,000-17,000
that went on a rampage. Out of the five accused that were named from day one,
three have been acquitted even though the police as well as the Crime Branch
said in their depositions before the court that there were five main
instigators of violence against whom several Muslim witnesses had testified.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">It is
noteworthy that none of the journalists covering the Naroda Patiya massacre
ever named Kodnani when their reports were published during the riots or even weeks
or months after the killings. As said earlier, even Setalvad’s<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Communalism Combat</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>did not name her in its special issue
of March 2002. And yet she was treated as a “kingpin” of the riots by Judge
Yagnik.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Police
inspector Mysorewala, who had accompanied her on 28 February 2002, did come and
testify before the court that Kodnani did not come anywhere near the murderous
mob on that fateful day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Her phone
location, as per mobile tower records, shows that she came to Naroda Patiya at
around 12.37pm. That is the time she came to her hospital building, where her
MLA’s office was also located. Her office is barely 500 metres from the site
where the murders took place. But not a single witness claimed to have seen her
at 12.37pm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<h3 style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;">Contradictions in the Naroda Patiya case</span></span></b></h3>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Judge Yagnik
was also given charge of the Naroda Gam killings. This village is about 2.5km
from Naroda Patiya. In the Naroda Gam case, the same five witnesses who
testified about her presence in Naroda Patiya said that Kodnani was in Naroda
Gam from 10am to 10.30am – the very time she was at Sola hospital. Judge Yagnik
could have checked whether the same five people could have witnessed Kodnani’s
presence in two places 2.5km apart. The normal response of members of a
community under attack is to run for shelter and not to shadow the alleged
leader of a murderous mob.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Four
witnesses allege that she came and communicated through certain signs to the
8,000-10,000-strong mob and then gave a fiery speech and left. One witness went
on to say that she took out a volatile liquid from her car dickey and gave it
to the mob. The Naroda Gam case was handed over to Judge K K Bhatt after Yagnik
retired.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<h3 style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;">Senior officials’ testimonies ignored</span></span></b></h3>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The first
defence witness from Kodnani’s side was executive magistrate Dheeraj Lakhabhai
Rathode. However, because he had deposed in favour of Kodnani’s version in the
Naroda Gam case, Judge Yagnik dropped him from the Naroda Patiya case and
discounted his testimony. This, despite the fact that he was on duty at Sola
hospital on 28 February morning and confirmed Kodnani’s presence at the
hospital from about 10am onwards. Given that magistrate Rathode’s testimony is
backed by video-recorded evidence, Yagnik’s decision to not include his
testimony seems questionable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The second
witness in favour of Kodnani was yet another executive magistrate, Kantibhai
Bhikhabhai Soni. Since he too confirmed Kodnani’s presence at Sola (as recorded
on video) in the Naroda Gam case, he too was dropped in the Naroda Patiya case,
even though he was a prosecution witness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The third
witness, police inspector Mansukh Lathia, gave his statement before the SIT for
both the Naroda Patiya and Naroda Gam cases. But he could not depose in court
because by the time Yagnik was handed charge of the case in 2008, he had
migrated to and settled down in the United States. He could have easily been
summoned or cross-examined through video conference, but this was not done. He
was the one who sent his driver Kantibhai Solanki to drop Kodnani at a safe
place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">It is noteworthy
that the driver Solanki deposed in the Naroda Gam case but he too was not
called for the Naroda Patiya case. He was the one who had dropped Kodnani at
RTO circle, where she got her car that had followed the police jeep. From there
she had gone to the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, where some of the injured persons
in the Godhra train as well as those injured during the riots of 28 February
morning were being brought in. There she met the MLA of the area, Amrish Patel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Thereafter,
she drove to her own hospital to attend to an emergency delivery, which is also
part of the hospital record. Between 3.30pm and 3.45pm, Kodnani left her
hospital and went back to Civil Hospital. The Superintendent of this hospital,
Dr Anil Chaddha, is a witness and issued a statement before the SIT that
Kodnani had come and met him to enquire about the patients. This person too was
dropped from the Naroda Patiya case even though he was a chargesheeted witness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">From Civil
Hospital, Kodnani came back home and stayed there till the next morning. Her
mobile phone records confirm all of these locations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">On the other
hand, not a single video or audio recording has been produced to authenticate
Kodnani’s participation in the killings. Her presence at Naroda Patiya would
mean that she traversed the long distance from the Vidhan Sabha, which she left
at about 9am for Sola hospital, and then came to Naroda Patiya, travelling a
distance of about 45km in a self-driven car, distributing weapons, delivering
speeches at three places, including Sola, all in a matter of an hour, that too
at a time when Ahmedabad roads were poor and there were two railway crossings
en route.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Kodnani’s
video-recorded behaviour and body language are revealing. The facts point to a
totally different persona. Though Kodnani is shown on video being jostled
around and yelled at by angry relatives and others who had gathered at Sola
hospital, she doesn’t speak a word, leave alone instigate the angry relatives.
Instead, she quietly slips out. If she was in a mood to provoke the already
agitated crowds, Sola was a good place to do so. But she maintains her calm.
Why then would she go and provoke violence in an area which is populated by her
neighbours, many of whom were also her patients and whose children she had
delivered over the years? A person who has been a life-giver is not suddenly
likely to turn into a mass murderer, especially since Kodnani did not have any
such history before that fateful date.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<h3 style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: blue;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The “sting” by</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></b></span><b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><i><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Tehelka</span></i></b></span></h3>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><i><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Another bit
of corroborative “evidence” used by the court against Kodnani is the so-called
sting operation by Ashish Khetan, then with<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Tehelka</i>.
Firstly, there is no sting operation on Kodnani. Instead, two of the accused –
Prakash Chhara and Suresh Langda – are shown talking to each other in an
inebriated state. Khetan asks one of them: “On that day (28th February 2002),
which all politicians came? Did Mayaben come?” At this Chhara asks Langda, “Did
Maya Kodnani come?” Langda says: “Yes, she came for a little time.” Chhara then
asks: “Didn’t she go around in an open jeep? Did not Narendra bhai also come on
that day?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">At this
Khetan asks with mock surprise: “Narendra bhai?” Langda says: “Yes, he came in
front of our house, patted us on the back and said, you are doing good work
[meaning setting people’s homes on fire and killing them brutally].” It is
noteworthy that the Supreme Court-appointed SIT did not find any evidence of
Modi having gone around the city encouraging mob violence, as alleged by these
two. But Yagnik takes them seriously even though both contradict each other.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Chhara’s
statement does not state any time and instead makes a vague assertion that “she
used to go around all day in an open jeep”. And yet, this has been treated as
definitive evidence to prove that Kodnani was a co-conspirator in the riots.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">What’s more,
the sting operation was of 90 hours’ duration over several visits. Khetan
edited and cut it into a one-hour video which was provided to<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Aaj Tak</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>for telecast. This was relayed by the
channel<span class="apple-converted-space"><i> </i></span>just before the
appointment of the SIT by the Supreme Court.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Normally,
courts do not accept edited recordings as definitive evidence because the
likelihood of tampering and distortion is very high. But in this case, one
stray sentence without any substantiation was used by Judge Yagnik to condemn
Kodnani to 28 years of imprisonment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">It is
interesting to note that Chharu and Langda blurted a lot more during that
drunken conversation with Khetan. They named a lot more people. But the court
did not haul up any of the rest. Judge Yagnik’s focus was on the part that
indicted Kodnani.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">As long as
the UPA government was in power, Kodnani was not even allowed bail even though
her health deteriorated dramatically while in jail. According to her doctor,
unable to take the shock of her conviction, she sank into deep depression that
was made worse by the kind of medical treatment she was subjected to while in
jail. Her husband had to intervene firmly as they were about to give her the
fourth ECT.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<h3 style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;">Overconfidence also did her in</span></span></b></h3>
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<b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Knowledgeable
people say Kodnani suffered this fate because she was so confident of the video
evidence and testimonies of credible witnesses that she did not even bother to
hire a personal lawyer. In all, there were 62 accused in this case and all of
them had a common lawyer appointed by the Government of Gujarat, which had also
been put in the dock for orchestrating the killings. Kodnani was part of the 62
accused that the government-hired lawyer defended en bloc. Of the 62, 31 were
acquitted and 31 convicted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">It is
unlikely that she got the best defence possible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">It is highly
likely that, like Kodnani, many innocents may have been framed for political
reasons, while those who were really guilty got away with murder.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Kodnani has
appealed against this order in the High Court, pleading that she has been
falsely implicated. One hopes she can get justice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>To be continued....</i></span></div>
</div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">First posted on September 4, 2017 at, </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">https://swarajyamag.com/politics/case-against-maya-kodnani-convicted-in-</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "mangal"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">2002-</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">riots-seems-pretty-thin<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
madhukishwarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14753750751813113571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188722843562789620.post-8569819904138542642017-05-26T16:05:00.000+05:302017-05-26T16:05:45.210+05:30When Journalists Serve ISI Agenda<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>My Complaint to Press Council of India against
Sagarika Ghose, Consulting Editor Times of India for her false and inflammatory
statements on Twitter</b></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">To</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">May 26, 2017</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">Smt. Vibha Bhargava,</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">The Secretary,</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">Press Council of India,</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">Soochna Bhavan, 8-C.G.O.
Complex,</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">Lodhi Road, New
Delhi-110003</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">Subject:</span></b><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;"> Complaint under Section
14 of the Press Council Act, 1978 against Ms. Sagarika Ghose, journalist and
Consulting Editor, Times of India</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">Dear Madam,</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">The instant complaint is
being lodged under Section 14 of the Press Council Act, 1978 against Ms.
Sagarika Ghose, journalist and Consulting Editor, Times of India in relation to
her tweet dated May 19, 2017 on social media platform, Twitter. An image of the
said tweet, which Ms. Ghose has since deleted but not really retracted, is
enclosed. <b>(Annexure 1)</b>. The contents of the tweet are extracted herein
below:</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">“Mobs are hunting and
killing Muslims across India and THERE IS NO JUSTICE FOR THE KILLERS! WAKE UP,
GOI!”</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">The sweeping, unqualified,
baseless and fear-mongering nature of the tweet speaks for itself, thereby
squarely attracting Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 for promoting
enmity and disharmony between communities. This is a text-book instance of
spreading ill will and enemity between communities. Therefore, itis a cause for
serious alarm for every concerned citizen who believes in peaceful co-living
between diverse communities of India.</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">While this is not a
one-off instance and is consistent with Ms. Ghose’s past conduct whereby she
has passed off unverified malafide rumours as facts, what makes her current
conduct, unpardonable and indefensible is that her tweet gives the impression
that Muslims are being slaughtered en masse on a daily basis in India.</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">Such inflammatory
statements have been used as convenient propaganda material by Jihadist groups
to justify putting India on top of their hit list for terror attacks.</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">At a time when Islamist
fury is on the rise in India and sympathisers of ISIS in India and abroad are
looking for excuses to justify their murderous acts and indoctrination of
impressionable Muslim youth in India, Ms. Ghose has time and again contributed
to exacerbating the situation. The resultant fear and mistrust among Hindus and
Muslims endangers national security and the safety of the every Indian citizen,
regardless of his or her faith. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">When I and several others
responded to Ghose’s inflammatory & baseless tweet, saying we will report
the matter to police unless she retracts and aplogizes publicly, she removed
the tweet saying, she is deleting it in deference to “hurt” feelings. (<b>Annexure
2)</b> By bringing in “hurt sentiments” she opens us to the charge of
“intolerance” of the kind displayed by religious bigots. This amounts to adding
insult to injury. We objected to her tweet because it was based on
outright lies and deliberate attempt to create communal disharmony, not because
our religious feelings were “</span><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">hurt” by
her calumny</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">Her lack of remorse at
her feckless behaviour is evident in her pseudo-apology. Her irresponsible
conduct cannot be taken lightly because she is employed in a senior position at
one of the most prestigeous names in Indian journalism—namely <i>The Times of
India.</i></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">Ms. Ghose cannot hide
behind the oft-used alibi of free speech to defend her reprehensible tweet and
conduct because the restrictions that apply to free speech under the
Constitution are squarely applicable in the instant case. No individual or
organization has an absolute and unbridled right to free speech, especially
speech that promotes communal discord and puts in harm’s way the security of
the country. Most important of all, her statement is factually incorrect. Even
in countries, such as the USA and UK,where free speech is celebrated, wilful
failure to undertake due diligence or deliberate spread of wrong information
with inflammatory intent results in the journalist being blacklisted for
employment by all credible media houses.</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">We urge the PCI to take
firm action against the deviant behaviour of Ms. Ghose and initiate proceedings
under the Press Council Act as well as under the Indian Penal Code, 1860 to
make an example of her for the rest of the journalistic community. This measure
is urgently required for upholding the dignity of journalism since there is an
increasing tendency among media persons to serve hidden agendas through their
provocative writings and statements which have little grounding in reality.
This is eroding people’ faith in the Fourth Estate in addition to exposing
Indian society to greater risk from Islamist terror.</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">In the interest of
keeping alive the public’s faith in PCI’s ability to call irresponsible
journalists and media houses to account, it is imperative for the PCI to
forthwith initiate appropriate legal action against Ms. Ghose and inform
members of the public, including the complainant, of the action it takes
against Ms. Ghose. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">Sincerely,</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">Madhu Purnima Kishwar</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">Maulana Azad National Professor, ICSSR</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">Founder MANUSHI.</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>ANNEXURE 1</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>ANNEXURE 2</b></span></div>
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madhukishwarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14753750751813113571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188722843562789620.post-78398568541738073432017-04-11T20:18:00.000+05:302017-04-15T15:37:26.727+05:30J&K High Court Gives Interim Stay on Non-Bailable Warrants against Madhu Kishwar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: justify;">For all my friends and well wishers who have been worried about my safety following the non bailable arrest warrant issued against me by Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar—Ms Masarat Shaheen—here is a small bit of good news.</span></div>
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In response to my petition in the High Court of J&K filed in Jammu requesting a stay order against the proceedings in the Court of CJM Srinagar and transfer of my case to a court in Jammu, Hon’ble Justice Tashi Rabstan has ordered as follows:</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">"<i>Subject to objections from the other side, the proceedings pending before the court of Learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar in File No 14/Alif A, titled “Syed Shujaat Bukhari Vs. Madhu Kishwar”, shall remain stayed for the next date of hearing only fixed before the Trial Court."</i></span></div>
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Notice to respondent Shujaat Bukhari is returnable within two weeks and the case to be listed in the High Court “immediately after two weeks”. This means I am saved from arrest for the next two weeks or so. So all I have at the moment is interim relief. I will keep you posted on whether or not I get permanent stay order from the J&K High court & how the case proceeds henceforth. </div>
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It is likely to be a long-drawn battle.<br />
<span style="color: blue;">(For details of what provoked CJM Srinagar to issue non-bailable warrants against me Read--http://madhukishwar.blogspot.in/2017/04/fact-sheet.html)</span></div>
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One cannot predict whether Bukhari will accept the case being transferred to Jammu or whether he will insist that the criminal defamation case he has filed against me should be tried in Srinagar CJM court.</div>
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As far as I am concerned, I am willing to face arrest but not willing to be tried in Srinagar CJM’s court simply because I know that I will not get a fair trial in her court. She had issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against me in clear violation of Supreme Court guidelines in such matters.</div>
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In order to demonstrate my respect for the majesty of the court, I had made sure that my lawyer appeared before her on each hearing. The reasons I offered for seeking exemption from personal appearance in her court were all legally sound. I had only pleaded that my rights as an “accused” as defined by the Supreme Court be respected. I did not not demand any special favor or concession nor did I show any disrespect towards the court.</div>
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Apart from other sound reasons I offered in my submissions, it is no exaggeration to say that appearing in a Srinagar court under the existing volatile and violence ridden environment prevailing in the Valley poses serious risks to my life and security. A state where a mere bye-election leads to death of 8 persons due to mob violence and countless security persons being seriously injured while ensuring peaceful conduct of the bye elections is not a safe place for anyone. I am particularly vulnerable because Shujaat Bukhari has enormous political clout within the establishment (his brother is a senior cabinet minister in Mehbooba Mufti’s government) but also deep links with militant groups. He could easily get me eliminated in what may be passed off as a case of “stone pelting” by “innocent youth” of Kashmir which has already led to deaths of scores of policemen and paramilitary forces!</div>
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In a situation where security forces are so vulnerable, where the chief minister requests the Election Commission to postpone elections because she is unable to campaign in her home turf from where her brother is fighting Lok Sabha bye election, what kind of safety can I as an unprotected outsider expect?</div>
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Debt of Gratitude to my lawyers : </span></b>Finally, I owe a very big thanks to my two lawyers—young Ravi Sharma of Delhi & one of Jammu’s top most lawyers, Sunil Sethi—both of whom I met for the first time through common friends when I was looking for lawyers to help me with this case.</div>
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Ravi flew from Delhi to Srinagar to be present for each hearing. His intense involvement in the case born out of deep patriotism, his professional diligence and genuine concern for my safety made it much easier to face the risks involved in fighting this case. It is no exaggeration to say that he lost more sleep worrying about my likely arrest than I did, especially since I made it very clear that I was neither going to deny the tweets deemed “defamatory” by Shujaat Bukhari nor apologize for them!</div>
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Sunil Sethi is an eminent legal luminary of Jammu who also practices in the Supreme Court. A common friend put me in contact with him and it was decided that I would fly to Jammu for signing vakalatnama and my petition to the High Court on April 6, which happened to be my birthday. Though I am not the partying kind, even so I left Delhi feeling sorry for having to spend my birthday in the dreary atmosphere of a court with its soul destroying procedures. </div>
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But Sunil Sethi made it one of the most memorable days of my life.</div>
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He had prepared the draft of my petition to J&K High Court in record time in close coordination with Ravi Sharma. He took up the case as though I were close family member, not just another client. He had me received at the airport like a VIP, treated me to a sumptuous breakfast at his house before personally taking me to court for legal formalities which were all over within half an hour because he had pre-planned it all so well. Even for my return journey, Sunil ji took care of the minutest detail so that I didn’t even have to stand in line for my boarding pass. Far from a stressful experience it turned out to be the best birthday gift any body could give me. </div>
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Thus what had been a nerve-racking ordeal with well wishers telling me to go into hiding lest the J&K police nab me before I get a stay order (something I refused to do) was made easy to bear because of these two lawyers.</div>
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The outcome of the case is unpredictable but I promise Shujaat Bukhari a good fight to the very end!</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">My very sincere thanks to all those who have lent support to me during this trying time, especially those who wrote blogs, articles and ran a vigorous support campaign through social media. </span>I hope you will continue this support while we take this battle to its logical conclusion--pressing upon the J&K state government as well as the Central government to stop lending financial and political support to owners/editors of newspapers, journalists, politicians, academics and NGOs promoting pro Pak agenda of secession in Kashmir.</div>
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See Link : <a href="https://madhukishwar.blogspot.in/2017/04/fact-sheet.html" target="_blank">Non Bailable Arrest Warrants by Kashmir Court against Madhu Kishwar - Offence? "Defamatory" Tweets against Separatist Newspaper</a>. </div>
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madhukishwarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14753750751813113571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188722843562789620.post-52446685937464536622017-04-08T13:34:00.000+05:302017-04-15T15:41:05.890+05:30Non Bailable Arrest Warrants by Kashmir Court against Madhu Kishwar- Offence? "Defamatory" Tweets against Separatist Newspaper<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: blue;">Patently Illegal Non Bailable Arrest Warrants Issued by Chief Judicial Magistrate against Madhu Kishwar in response to criminal defamation suit filed by Shujaat Bukhari, Editor <i>Rising Kashmir</i></span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="color: magenta;"><b>Background: </b></span>In response to reports of politically engineered violent anti India protests in Kashmir I expressed my distress at the high decibel, pro-secessionist, anti-India propaganda launched by leading journalists and newspapers in Kashmir who seemed to be providing very provocative and lop sided coverage which romanticized those attacking the army and indulging in terrorist strikes and stone pelting</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I made special mention of Shujaat</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "mangal"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Bukhari</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "mangal"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">owner-cum editor</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "mangal"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Rising Kashmir</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> not because his paper is theonlyexample of pro Pak journalism but because he is a favorite of leftists and he pretends to be defender of human rights- though only of terrorists!Prior to setting up his own paper, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rising Kashmir</i>, Bukhari used to be Bureau-Chief of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Hindu</i></span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "mangal"; mso-ansi-font-style: italic; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">for Kashmir.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The sum and substance of my tweets was that even though Bukhari</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "mangal"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">takes money from government agencies—both state & central government, yet he parrots the Pakistani script.The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rising Kashmir</i> coverage of the Pakistan engineered unrest in the Valley is very pro-secessionist.</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "mangal"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Incidentally Shujaat’s brother Basharat</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "mangal"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Bukhari is a senior cabinet minister in PDP government and the family is part of the power establishment of Kashmir. But like many other politicians and journalists Shujaat’s paper gives a pro-Pak tilt to the coverage of events in Kashmir.</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">In response to my tweets, Shujaat</span><span lang="HI" style="color: blue; font-family: "mangal"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Bukhari filed a criminal defamation suit against me in December 2016</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="color: magenta;"><b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";">Facts of Defamation Case<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";">:</span></span></b></span> </span></div>
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<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">On December 3, 2016, Bukhari’s criminal defamation case against me was listed for first hearing in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar. On the very first day itself, the CJM, Ms</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "mangal"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Masarat</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "mangal"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Shaheen, examined the complaint as well as two witnesses cited by Shujaat</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "mangal"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Bukhari both of who give their evidence in Urdu. Normally, such procedures take months & years in our legal system.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">That very day on 3<sup>rd</sup> December, CJM issued</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "mangal"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">bailable warrants against me. This alacrity on behalf of CJM itself indicates active bias in favor of Shujaat. </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"></span></li>
</ul>
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<li><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">My offence, if any, did not merit a warrant. As per Indian Penal Code as well as Ranbir penal Code operative in Kashmir, as a first step in such cases, the court should at best issue summons. Only when the accused refuses to appear or has committed some heinous crime, warrants are to be issued.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Three four tweets saying Shujaat supports secessionist groups is hardly a heinous crime, especially considering that Shujaat has not thought it fit to deny the charge in his petition before CJM. </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"></span></li>
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</div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">However, he denies that he takes money from Indian agencies. Even if under the table payments cannot be “proved”, he cannot deny that he has been seeking and getting ads from state government as well as DAVP. So his paper runs with government money. </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"></span></li>
</ul>
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</div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">As per Kashmir paper reports, I was expected to appear before CJM Srinagar on December 24, 2016. But the bailable warrant was served to me much after 24<sup>th</sup>. Therefore, I did not feel obliged to appear merely on the basis of report in <i>Rising Kashmir.</i> </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="color: blue;">The issuance of bailable warrants instead of summons was an irregularity particularly when the accused in the case is a woman living outside the State</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">. What is glaring is the fact that the CJM while deviating from the “procedure established by law” as contained in section 90 assigned no reason for issuing warrants at the very first instance. </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The warrants were finally served/executed on me on 24.01.2017 and sought my appearance before the court on 28.01.2017—a very short notice considering I am based in Delhi & case was in Srinagar. </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Even so, my lawyer, Ravi Sharma flew from Delhi to appear on 28 January 2017 with an application seeking exemption from personal appearance in CJM court in Srinagar citing the Supreme Court guidelines for such cases in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bhaskar Industries Ltd. Vs. Bhivani Denim and Apparels Ltd.</i>In my application, I assured the Court that my lawyer would not miss any hearing or seek adjournments in terms of the above-cited SC order. </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">In the above order the <span style="color: blue;">SC clearly lays down that personal appearance can be exempted when the ‘accused” is a woman and/or living far away in another city or stateand/or is a senior citizen and/or is in poor health. I qualified on all counts and had been advised by my doctors to take rest for some weeks after a major surgery on 4th January 2017 at Medanta Hospital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>I had submitted a medical certificate to this effect from the Medanta doctor who conducted my surgery. </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Another important consideration for seeking exemption from personal hearing is the continuing surcharged atmosphere in the Valley, especially in Srinagar where my safety and security would be in serious jeopardy. This is especially so because Shujaat</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "mangal"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Bukhari is well connected with secessionist groups. </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"></span></li>
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</div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The CJM heard the case that day but gave an orderon 20 March, 2017 disposing off my application seeking permanent exemption filed and directed me to appear before the court on 3<sup>rd</sup> April,</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "mangal"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">2017 or else face arrest warrants. I decided not to obey the order since</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "mangal"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">it was premised on deliberate erroneous interpretation of the above-mentioned SC judgme<span style="color: black;">nt</span></span><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="color: black;">.</span> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The nature of news reports and editorial comments in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rising Kashmir</i> over a period of time clearly show that he is a sympathizer and supporter of separatists and militants (a euphemism for terrorists). Under these circumstances, especially given his political clout and close links with militant groups, it is reasonable for me to apprehend that forcing me to go to Srinagar is to put my life and limb at risk. For the record, the Bar Association of Kashmir has been open in its support of militants & Pakistan backed secessionist movement.<span style="color: blue;"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="color: blue;">Since my lawyer and I were convinced that the order of the CJM dated 20 March, 2017 was borne out of misreading/misinterpretation of the Apex Court’s judgment </span></span><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">in <span style="color: black;">Bhaskar Industries Ltd case, I decided not to appear personally on 3<sup>rd</sup> April. However, my lawyer Ravi Sharma appeared on the scheduled date before the CJM and submitted an Application seeking modification of her order of 20 March and also sought exemption from personal appearance for 3<sup>rd</sup>April, 2017.</span> </span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">In the alternative, I requested the CJM to grant “reasonable time” for me to seek clarification from the Supreme Court whether or not her order insisting on my personal appearance & issuing warrants was legally sound.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";">U</span>nfortunately, CJM sahiba issued NON BAILABLE WARRANTS against me without paying attention to the averments and submissions made in my application and without giving my counsel proper hearing. </span></li>
</ul>
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<li><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Thus CJM Masarat</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "mangal"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Shaheen has passed three consecutive orders that indicate prejudice and bias against me.</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"></span></li>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><b>Options before me:</b></span><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Petition the High Court of J&K for stay order on the arrest warrant, apply for transfer of case from Srinagar because my appearance in Srinagar court poses serious risk to my life and does not promise me a fair trial.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also intend to challenge CJM’s orders in defiance of Supreme Court guidelines at an appropriate level.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I am ready for the prolonged legal and political battle this involves, no matter what it takes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="color: blue;">It is noteworthy that Shujaat Bukhari does not deny my charge that his paper is pro-separatist and follows the Pak agenda. </span>The only charge he has denied is that he takes money from Indian agencies. Is he willing to reveal where he got the funds to set up his paper? Who pays for his many trips to Pakistan, Dubai and other countries? </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Knowledgeable people close to him allege that Shujaat cultivates and curries favour with Indian intelligence agencies and Military Intelligence as a cover for his ISI links!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Shujaat should be</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"> willing to reveal where the money came from for his setting up three papers--two in Urdu apart from <i>Rising Kashmir</i> in English as well as a printing press. Is he willing to reveal how he bought several prime properties in Srinagar? All this when the print edition of <i>Rising Kashmir </i>and the two Urdu papers he set up subsequently all have a minuscule circulation in the Valley! They are meant only to make money through government ads and other forms of patronage. He inflates the circulation figures to corner more ads and subsidised news print. Its only on the Net that <i>Rising Kashmir </i>gets some traction<i>.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">I have a right to ask him to reveal information about his financial affairs because in the interest of transparency, MANUSHI posts on its website accurate information regarding every rupee that it gets by way of donations or sale of its publications as well as audited accounts of how the money is spent. Is Shujaat Bukhari ready to be as transparent about the finances of his newspapers?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Even if we don't take into account undercover payments made to separatist leaders and journalists in Kashmir by ISI, can Shujaat deny that he seeks and gets advertisements from the state government as well as DAVP--which releases central government ads? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">The big question I want answered: Why is the J&K government and central government patronising separatist newspapers?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b style="color: blue;"><span style="color: magenta;">The deafening silence of the champions of "freedom of expression"</span></b><b style="color: blue;">: </b>Please note the deafening silence regarding this case in the "liberal" mainstream media. Compare it to the national and international media fury unleashed when a defamation case was filed against Ashis Nandy by an Ahmedabad based NGO for Nandy's baseless and outrageous defamatory statements published </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">in </span><i style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;">The</i><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;">Times of India </i><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">against Modi and Gujarati Hindus. He was projected by the entire media as a victim of "fascist" wrath. Top Congress party lawyers rose to his defence and argued his case up to the Supreme Court--all free of charge. But it didn't make big news when Nandy ended up offering an unconditional apology for his defamatory article </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">when the Supreme Court was on the verge of indicting him!</span></div>
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Or compare the media outrage over Teesta Setalvad being booked on proven charges of brazen corruption and siphoning off money collected in the name of riot victims being spent on personal luxuries and aiyyashi!<br />
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But in this case, there is total silence in the mainstream media and by the leaders of the Award Wapsi Brigade! I bet in their worldview, it's not I who am the victim of lawless orders emanating from a Srinagar court in favour of an influential separatist newspaper. Instead, Shujaat Bukhari is likely to be seen as a victim of my 'intolerance" against his freedom to help Pakistan break up India one more time.<br />
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Read : <a href="http://madhukishwar.blogspot.in/2017/04/j-high-court-gives-interim-stay-against.html" target="_blank">J&K High Court Gives Interim Stay on Non-Bailable Warrants against Madhu Kishwar</a> <br />
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madhukishwarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14753750751813113571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188722843562789620.post-36955151235813855422017-03-20T10:40:00.002+05:302017-03-23T11:18:17.171+05:30Challenge to Unconstitutional Provisions of Anti-Rape Law<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i style="color: blue; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 17.0775px;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">I reproduce below the full text of a writ petition I filed in public interest in the Delhi High Court along with two others on 17 March 2017.</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><i><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">Kapil Sibal, among the most eminent lawyers of India, is arguing this case. </span></i></span></div>
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<i style="color: blue;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">We invoked Article 226 of the Constitution of India for challenging the validity of some of the provisions of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 2013 which have made the anti-rape law draconian and easy-to-abuse.</span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="color: blue;">The High Court has issued notice to the Central Government and set <span class="m_4061300817344213494gmail-m_8129685414646251224m_-4540409185790872011gmail-m_8849041541451773862gmail-aBn"><span class="m_4061300817344213494gmail-m_8129685414646251224m_-4540409185790872011gmail-m_8849041541451773862gmail-aQJ">July 5, 2017</span></span> as the next date of hearing.<div style="display: inline; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
Kapil</div>
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has taken on this case pro bono because he saw merit in the arguments I put forth in the petition, which I drafted personally in consultation with and with inputs from lawyer friends.<div style="display: inline; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
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Kapil is an old friend<div style="display: inline; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
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<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>We often disagree on important issues but it has not caused any bitterness on either side.</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><span style="color: blue;">1.</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The petitioners
are citizens of India. Petitioner No.1 is an acclaimed social scientist and
public intellectual. She is also widely acknowledged as having pioneered
women’s rights and human rights activism both in India and abroad.<b> </b>The Petitioner </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">No. 1</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">currently holds an extremely prestigious fellowship as the Maulana
Azad National Professor at the Indian Council of Social Science Research. In
addition, she was formerly a Professor, at the Delhi-based Centre for the Study
of Developing Societies, as well as the Director of the Centre’s Indic Studies
Project. The Petitioner No.1 is also the founder-editor of the internationally
acclaimed publication, ‘<i>Manushi –</i> <i>A
Journal about Women and Society’ </i>which was started in 1978<i> </i>and<i>
</i>run by the non-profit organization, Manushi Trust. She is known particularly
well for her long association with gender justice and women’s rights.
Petitioner No. 2 is a woman charged under section 376 read with section 109 of
the Indian Penal Code (hereinafter ‘the IPC’) and other offences. Petitioner No. 3 is a man convicted under
section 376 (1) in a case where the Prosecutrix admits voluntary sexual
intercourse., But since it is alleged that she is below 18, despite the fact
that her age has not been verified by medical examination, he is in jail
awaiting sentence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>2</b>.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"> </span> </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By this petition,
the changes wrought in sections 375 and 376 IPC by the Criminal Law Amendment
Act, 2013 are challenged as discriminatory, arbitrary and severely prone to
abuse. On the one hand, the definition of “rape” has been widened to include
non-penetrative acts incapable of medical corroboration, the cut-off age for
“statutory rape” or “child rape” has been raised to 18 and even for adult rape, ‘consent’ has been
defined more strictly. On the other hand ‘judicial discretion to award less
than 7 years has been taken away, even though a large number of independently
unverifiable cases and even perfectly consensual acts will now be counted as
rape. Following these amendments<b>, </b>there
has been a startling spurt in false cases in Delhi, with over 53 per cent of
the total cases registered in Delhi proving to be fraudulent. Of the total rape
complaints in a year, over 25 percent of involve a breach of promise to marry
and over 30 percent involve consensual elopements, with revenge emerging as a
prime motive for complaint as per studies conducted by the Delhi Commission of
Women and the Hindu newspaper. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><span style="color: blue;">3.</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b> </b> </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Petitioner No.1 in her 35 year long engagement with providing legal aid and
counselling for women and disadvantaged or unjustly treated groups and
individuals in society, has seen the actual working of laws from very close
quarters and is therefore deeply concerned about the growing incidents of
misuse and abuse of several laws ostensibly enacted for the protection of
women. Through her journal <i>Manushi </i>as
well as her active engagement with providing legal aid and advice to women
victims of domestic violence and sexual atrocities, the Petitioner No.1 played
a leading role in mobilizing public opinion against such crimes. The Petitioner
No.1, through painstaking investigations and by building a rapport with the victims
of atrocities, was among the first to record and publish first-person
testimonies of rape survivors, women battling sexual harassment as well as
women survivors of gang rapes during communal riots and massacres. While
working in relief camps she was able to document the first-person testimonies
of women during the 1984 mass violence against the Sikhs in Delhi. She carried
out a similar exercise following 1987 communal riots in Meerut & Maliana
followed by Bombay riots of 1992-93. All these reports foregrounded for the
first time, women’s experience during riots which till then had rarely got the
kind of attention that loss of male lives and property did.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>4.</b></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Petitioner has also provided legal aid and emotional counselling to numerous
victims of sexual violence, sexual harassment at the work-place as well as incest-rape.
Indeed, successive governments have consulted her on the drafting of various
laws. Therefore, she is acutely sensitive to the vulnerable predicament of
women who have been raped or are being subjected to prolonged sexual harassment
at work. She has also filed a PIL the
Supreme Court in 1982 regarding tribal victims of rape by outsiders, who, as a
consequence were being treated as outcastes by their own society and deprived
of all economic rights in both parental land as well as in their marital
family. The case is reported as <span style="color: #a64d79;"><b><i>Madhu Kishwar v. State of Bihar</i> (1996) 5
SCC 125</b></span>. The Petitioner’s credentials are shown in her Curriculum Vitae
annexed as <b>ANNEXURE P-1.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>5.</b></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b> </b> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is
precisely because of her lifelong commitment and long track record in working
to strengthen the culture of equity and social justice in India, that the
Petitioner No.1 feels deeply perturbed at the widespread abuse of legislation
claiming to be “pro-women.” This abuse has been made possible because draconian
provisions have been added in the recent years to various “pro-women” laws, which
undermine the constitutional right to life and
liberty owing to their susceptibility to being used to arbitrarily target innocent persons
on malafide grounds. It is a common
feature of many laws, enacted ostensibly for women’s protection and the strengthening
of women’s rights, that in practice they work to negate the presumption of
innocence, a founding principle of Indian criminal jurisprudence and arm the
police with enormous powers of arrest and harassment, thus jeopardising life
and liberty. The present petition is
filed challenging the Criminal Law Amendment Act 2013, particularly in relation
to the changes brought about under sections 375 and 376. The Petitioner No.1 is
also filing a separate challenge with regard to other provisions such as S.498A
IPC.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>6.</b></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Chiefly, the Criminal Law Amendment Act 2013 makes the
following changes: (i) the definition of ‘rape’ in S.375(a) – 375(d) has been
widened to include even non-peno-vaginal acts that are incapable of medical
corroboration; (ii) the age of consent has been raised from 16 to 18 years of
age making every case of such sexual
intercourse or intimacy with a woman under 18 ‘statutory rape’ or “rape of a minor”, (iii) even in adult rape, the term ‘consent’ has
been given a very constricting & easy-to-abuse meaning in Explanation 2 of
S.375 making it almost impossible to establish the charge by circumstantial
evidence; and (iv) the discretion of the
court to award less than 7 years for good and adequate cause, in any situation
at all, has been taken away by repealing the previously existing provisos to
Sections 376(1) and (2). When viewed along
with the fact that under the present law, even the uncorroborated testimony of
the Prosecutrix <i>de hors </i> any medical,
independent oral or documentary evidence is sufficient to convict a person
charged with rape, the amendments can justly be called draconian. A true and
typed copy of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 2013 is annexed hereto as <b>ANNEXURE P-2. </b> In the wake of these amendments brought about
by the 2013 Amendments in sections 375 and 376, IPC, the following questions of
law arise which are :</span><b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;">QUESTIONS OF LAW</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<li><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Is it reasonable, fair, just or rational to
classify as ‘rape’, acts other than peno-vaginal intercourse that are incapable
of medical corroboration, when the sole testimony of the Prosecutrix is sufficient
to convict?<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Granting that such acts, as for e.g. touching
a woman’s private parts or subjecting her to intimate embrace or body contact are
certainly offensive if forced upon a woman, should they all be equated with
rape and punished with equal severity, and does such an equivalence in penal
consequences not violate the principle of proportionality in penalty and amount
to a violation of Article 14 as it bears no nexus to any rational objective?<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Do the present definitions of rape as wrought in 2013 make it easy to subject an
accused to a rape prosecution by the mere circumstance of his having been alone
in the company of a woman, who may, for extraneous reasons file a
complaint, since no medical corroboration is possible or required for the
non-penetrative acts now included in section 375? If so, is Article 21 not
violated in the process since it renders an accused vulnerable to arrest,
prosecution, conviction and loss of reputation on the flimsiest of grounds?<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Are the loosely worded definitions not an
easy handle for consensual acts being given the taint of ‘rape’ <i>ex post facto, </i>by persons actuated by
malice, as many reported cases show?<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Is the expanded construction of ‘statutory
rape’ or ‘child rape’ brought about by raising the age of consent for women to
18 and above, not palpably irrational and perverse, in a social context where
consensual relationships are routinely
formed by young adults and persons in their late teens?<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In a penal statute, are the words “where she
is unable to communicate consent” in S.375 not too vague and liable to abuse in
the absence of any specification as to the nature of inability to express
consent?<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Whether a minimum mandatory term of sentence
is constitutional, in so far as the same is an abridgment of judicial discretion,
which is key to a fair sentencing
process particularly in cases of rape where the uncorroborated testimony of a
Prosecutrix is sufficient to rest a conviction ?<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Is it not
arbitrary and restrictive of due process to remove the proviso to section 376(1)
and thus extinguish the judicial discretion to award less than 7 years for
adequate and special reasons ?<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Is a mandatory minimum sentence in section 376
IPC not contrary to the principles of proportionality and judicial discretion
that must at all times inform criminal justice?<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Assuming that a minimum mandatory sentence is
to be retained, is pegging it at 7 years for cases falling under section 376(1) not unduly harsh and arbitrary ?<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Whether abridgment of judicial discretion in
sentencing is not rendered excessively arbitrary in the wake of the widened
meaning of ‘rape’ and the restrictive meaning of ‘consent’ as wrought by the
Criminal Law Amendment Act of 2013?<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In view of the devastation caused to the entire
family of ath accused in a context where false and motivated cases of rape are
becoming common, should the law not ensure anonymity to the accused as well as
it does for the prosecutrix, in cases of rape?<o:p></o:p></span></li>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>7.</b></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The aforementioned
amendments have made it easy to register a rape complaint, without the requirement
of objective substantiation of the charge. As soon as an accusation is made,
there is an arrest, and aside from the deprivation of liberty, the filing of
such a case, leads to the irrevocable loss of reputation not just for the
targeted individual but also for his entire family who are devastated by the
ignominy of the heinous charge and the trauma of being treated as social
outcastes. The media trial that
accompanies rape complaints, especially in cases of high profile public
figures, often influences the judicial process whereby even getting bail
becomes a herculean challenge. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>8.</b></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Statistics compiled
by government agencies indicate that immediately following the amendments, there
has been a disturbing spurt in the filing of rape complaints which have
ultimately been found by courts to be false. For instance, </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">the Delhi Commission of Women (hereinafter ‘the DCW’) has come out with
startling statistics showing that 53.2% of the rape cases filed between April
2013 and July 2014 in the capital were found to be 'false'.<a href="file:///C:/DOCUME~1/ADMINI~1/LOCALS~1/Temp/Rape%20Law%20Petition%20for%20BLOG.doc#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> The report says that between April 2013 and
July 2014, of the 2,753 complaints of rape, only 1,287 cases were found to be
true and the remaining 1,464 cases were found to be false. The report further reveals that between June
2013 and December 2013, the number of cases found to be untrue were 525.
Between, January 2014 and July 2014, the number of false rape cases filed was
900. In many cases, the complainant turned hostile, and investigation revealed
that revenge was the most common reason for filing a false complaint. In all, in 2013 there were a total of 1,559
cases of rape registered in Delhi, where the acquittal rate was 78%. This was a
22% jump from the earlier 46% of acquittal in 2012, when there were a total of
680 cases filed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>9.</b></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">In Delhi, <i>The Hindu</i> newspaper
conducted a detailed survey, which indicated that the nature of reported sexual
assault in Delhi is far more complex than earlier imagined.<i> </i>Their analysis<i> </i>revealed that
one-fifth of these were ultimately wound up because the complainant either did
not appear or turned hostile, while another 25% had to do with the “breach of
promise to marry”. </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">The study
revealed further that a total of 583 cases were decided in Delhi in 2013. Out
of the 460 cases which were fully argued before the Sessions Courts, nearly 30%
involved elopement of the boy and girl, followed commonly by a complaint of
abduction and rape by the girl’s family. In nearly two-thirds of the 174 cases
of elopement, the woman insisted in her deposition before the police, doctors
and magistrates that she was in love with the accused and, in most cases, even
got married. The women also complained that they had been subjected to repeated
beatings and threats by their parents who even, at times, forced them to
undergo abortion. It was further observed in 67 of 174 cases of alleged
elopement that the girl, though first admitting (either in the FIR, medical
examination or to the magistrate) that she eloped of her own volition,
subsequently turned against the accused. In 10 of the cases of alleged
elopement, the intercourse though consensual, resulted in ‘rape’ since the girl
was found to be a minor.</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "mangal"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></div>
<!--[if !supportLists]--><u></u><br />
<u>
</u>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Compiled Statistics for the year 2013 are given below:</span></span></b></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Total rape cases decided in Delhi in 2013 –
583</span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Complainant did not appear or turned hostile
-123</span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Cases involving eloped couples or allegedly
eloped couples – 174</span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Breach of promise to marry – 109</span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Alleged rape by neighbour or acquaintance –
111</span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Alleged rape by immediate family member- 30</span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Alleged rape by stranger- 12</span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Others 24</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 30pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">True copies
of the newspaper reports from DNA and The Hindu are annexed herewith as <b>ANNEXURE P-3 (COLLY).<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 30pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 30pt 0.0001pt 27pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -27pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>10</b></span>.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The combination of inadequate professional
training poor infrastructure and endemic corruption in the police force resulting
in lax investigations has lead to the denial of justice to genuine victims of
sexual violence on the one hand and on the other hand, has made it easy to
destroy the lives of men falsely accused of rape. As an illustrative example, the
Petitioner No. 1 would like to refer to the nightmarish experience of her close
relative who was a victim of false prosecution made possible by the police’s
nexus in filing a trumped up case. A
true copy of her updated write-up<b> </b>on the issue as published on <i>Manushi</i>
website is annexed hereto as <b>ANNEXURE</b> <b>P-4. </b> In this instance, the Petitioner No.1’s family
chose not to yield to extortion but instead fought the matter out and has been
pursuing the case vigorously for the
last 5 years to ensure that the extortionists get due punishment. However, such
blackmail has become rampant and goes unreported since most victims do not dare
protest or lodge complaints. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 30pt 0.0001pt 27pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -27pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>11.</b></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Petitioner No.1 submits that all of these
circumstances have led to a widespread
backlash of public opinion against feminist groups, and have in fact, destroyed
the legitimacy of women’s rights activism.
When the Petitioner No. 1 founded Manushi in 1978, women’s rights
activists used to be celebrated and admired for their moral courage in giving
voice to the voiceless. But the
irresponsibility with which a section of women’s rights activists have made use
of these laws, has lent almost fascist connotations to feminism, with terms
like ‘Feminazi’ coming into currency. Therefore it is respectfully submitted
that this Hon’ble Court must assess the wisdom of these “women-protection
measures” that have proved ruinous for countless families. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 30pt 0.0001pt 27pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -27pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 30pt 0.0001pt 27pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -27pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>12.</b></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The circumstances under which these
draoconian provisions were added to the anti-rape law, explain why they were
introduced without due deliberation. In the wake of the horrific gang rape of
Nirbhaya and the nationwide outrage it caused, the Central Government appointed
a committee headed by Justice J.S. Verma to look into possible amendments in
the criminal law, on the well-intentioned but unfounded assumption that the
existing laws were inadequate to deal with the growing cases of sexual
atrocities on women. In the emotionally
charged atmosphere prevailing in December 2012 - January 2013, particularly in the capital,
the Verma Committee rushed through its deliberations within one month.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> The haste and lack of adequate deliberation is evident
from the fact that the public hearing organized by the Committee was held just
48 hours before they were to submit the voluminous report. Nevertheless, the
Petitioner No.1 tried to communicate both orally and in writing her concerns
regarding the proposed amendments in the large gathering of activists and lawyers
invited by Verma Committee to Vigyan Bhavan. </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In her
submissions the Petitioner No.1 pointed out that the proposed amendments were
repeating the same mistake of diluting the “due process” requirement in all
laws enacted since the 1980’s for the ostensible purpose of strengthening
women’s rights.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 30pt 0.0001pt 27pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -27pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>13.</b></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><b> </b></span> </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Verma Committee recommended some draconian
provisions even while it rejected some patently absurd and unrealistic
suggestions made at the hearing. The recommendations were worrisome since
various high courts in the country as well as the Hon’ble Supreme Court have
passed several orders and judgements decrying the ease with which laws against
dowry, domestic violence and even rape are being misused for the purpose of
blackmail, extortion and revengeful retaliation causing havoc in the lives of
countless innocent families. However, without
giving enough thought to their likely impact when implemented on the ground, the
Verma Committee recommended certain amendments.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 27pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -27pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 30pt 0.0001pt 27pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -27pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>14.</b></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Criminal Law Amendment Act, 2013 was
based primarily on the recommendations of the Verma Committee, and was also
enacted in haste. In the emotionally charged atmosphere that prevailed at the
time, Parliament did not undertake due
deliberation of the amendments or debate each clause, anxious to appease public
sentiment and enact more stringent rape laws. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 30pt 0.0001pt 27pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -27pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>15.</b></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><b> </b></span>
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Department - Related Parliamentary
Standing Committee on Home Affairs tabled its 167<sup>th</sup> Report on the
Criminal Law Amendment Bill, 2012 before
both houses of Parliament. The Committee considered the various amendments
proposed by the Bill, but made no reference to any discussion as to the reasons
as to why the provisos to Section 376 permitting the award of a sub-minimum
sentence were deleted. In fact, the during the debates in the Rajya Sabha on
the promulgation of the 2013 Amendment Bill, several members of Parliament
expressed serious doubts about the extreme haste with which the Bill was moved,
without appropriate consultation or adequate consideration of the pros and cons
that would result from the passing of the amendment. The One Hundred and Sixty
Seventh Report by the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on
Home Affairs, on the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2012 and the synopsis of
debate in the Rajya Sabha dated 21.03.2013 is annexed hereto as <b>ANNEXURE P-5 (COLLY.).</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 27pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -27pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 30pt 0.0001pt 27pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -27pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>16.</b></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The IPC, post the Criminal Law Amendment Act
2013, has categorised sexual misdemeanour into two broad categories:- Offences
of Sexual Harassment under S.354A, B, C and D IPC and more serious Sexual Offences under the S.376
series. S.375 defines rape. S.376 (1)
penalises one category and 376(2) penalises the aggravated category. S.376A to
S.375D penalise rape and sexual intercourse in certain specific situations, not
listed under S.376 (1) and (2).
Notwithstanding such an elaborate categorisation, in the definition
under S.375, a whole range of acts not hitherto within the definition of rape have
been added, without intelligible differentia
even qua the penalties.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 30pt 0.0001pt 27pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -27pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>17</b></span>.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In this connection, the statutory history of
the provisions and the discussion surrounding the same through the decades is
useful to see. From the inception of the
Indian Penal Code, 1860 the offence of rape was considered serious enough to be
punishable with imprisonment for life or a term extendable up to 10 years.
However, in recognition of the fact that circumstances may dictate a wide range
of punishments from which the courts must choose, no statutory minimum was
provided. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 30pt 0.0001pt 27pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -27pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>18.</b></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><b> </b></span> </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In 1983, by the Criminal Law Amendment Act,
for the first time the statutory minimum was prescribed for rape. ‘Rape’ was graded in two categories. S.376
(1) penalises one category and 376(2) penalises the aggravated category A
statutory minimum of seven years was prescribed for the first category under
376(1) IPC and that of 10 years was prescribed for the aggravated category
under 376 (2) IPC. Nevertheless, it was considered advisable to give the court
the discretion to award less than the minimum sentence “for good and adequate
reasons” in respect of both categories.
Sections 375 and 376 IPC, as they read prior to 1983, post 1983 and post
2013 are extracted in <b><span style="text-transform: uppercase;">Annexure P-6</span></b>. A short table showing
the differences in the penal clauses is annexed hereto as <b><span style="text-transform: uppercase;">Annexure P-7</span></b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 30pt 0.0001pt 27pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -27pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>19.</b></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In 1971, the Law Commission published its 42<sup>nd</sup>
Report, where it was observed at
paragraph 16.118 on page 278 of the Report as follows:<o:p></o:p> </span><br />
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><span style="color: #a64d79;">“</span></b><i><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>16.118</b> </span><b><span style="color: #a64d79;">Section 376 to be amended </span>- </b>In view of the proposed changes in the
definition of rape, the latter part of Section 376 has to be omitted. Further,
in place of the punishment now provided in the section, viz., imprisonment for
life or imprisonment of either description for ten years, we propose to
substitute rigorous imprisonment for fourteen years. <span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>We considered the question whether a minimum sentence of say, three
years imprisonment, should be provided for this offence, but decided against
it. Adequate punishments are imposed by Sessions Courts by which this offence
is ordinarily triable.</b><u> </u></span>The section will accordingly read as follows:<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 27pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -27pt;">
<i><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“376. Punishment for
rape.---Whoever commits rape shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a
term which may extend to fourteen years, and shall also be liable to fine.</span></i><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">””<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 27pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -27pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 27pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -27pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A true and typed copy of the relevant extracts of the 42<sup>nd</sup>
Law Commission Report is annexed hereto as <b>ANNEXURE
P-8.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 27pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -27pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><span style="color: blue;">20.</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b><span style="color: blue;"> </span></b> </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In 1980, by its 84<sup>th</sup> Report, the
Law Commission examined the issue as to whether there should be a minimum
penalty for rape. Expressing the view that there should not be a mandatory
minimum punishment, the Law Commission observed at paragraph 2.27 on page 11 of
the Report as follows:<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 27pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -27pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 27pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -27pt;">
<i><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">“<b>2.27 </b></span><b><span style="color: #a64d79;">Minimum punishment not favoured</span>.-</b>…it should be noted that a rule
prescribing a certain minimum punishment would not be in consonance with the
“modern penology” which has been of late expounded in many cases by the Supreme
Court. The circumstances in which the offence of rape is committed differ from
case to case. Section 376, Indian Penal Code permits the Court to award life
imprisonment or imprisonment upto ten years. The discretion of the Court in the
matter of punishment should not be fettered by prescribing a certain minimum
sentence. If the sentence awarded is heavy or light, it can always be corrected
by the appellate or revisional court.” </span></i><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A true and
typed copy of the relevant extracts of the 84<sup>th</sup> Report of the Law
Commission of India is annexed hereto as <b>ANNEXURE
P-9. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 27pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -27pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><span style="color: blue;">21</span></b>.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In 1997, while preparing its 156<sup>th</sup>
Report, the Law Commission considered the question of mandatory minimum
sentencing generally. Its views were as under <b>(<span style="color: #a64d79;">at paragraph 2.17 on page 39 of the Report</span>)</b>:<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“2.17. ……….by virtue of Criminal
Law Amendment Act of 1983, minimum sentence in respect of offence of rape has
been prescribed under sections 376(1) & (2). A question whether there
should be such minimum sentence in respect of some more offences was debated
and ultimately consensus is that restrictions on judicial pronouncements in the
matter of award of sentence on principle is not a healthy practice. There may
be instances occasionally where judges have failed to award proportionate
sentences, but that cannot, however, be a factor to assume that the judges as a
whole have failed to award adequate sentences. In the 14<sup>th</sup> Report as
well as in the 42<sup>nd</sup> Report, The Law Commission examined this
question and took the view that except in exceptional cases there should not be
any provision for a minimum sentence. We agree with this view.” </span></i><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A true and
typed copy of the relevant extracts of the 156<sup>th</sup> Law Commission
Report is annexed hereto as <b>ANNEXURE
P-10 (Colly).<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 27pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -27pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>22.</b></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the year 2000, the Law Commission again
examined the law with respect to rape.
By then, a mandatory minimum of 7 years had already come into the law by
virtue of the amendments of the year 1983. The question was, whether the
provisos to S.376(1) and (2) allowing the court a discretion to award less than
the minimum terms of seven and ten years
prescribed therein, “for adequate and special reasons” should be
retained. The Law Commission, in its 172<sup>nd</sup>
Report came to the view that a non-negotiable minimum was unjust and such a
proviso was proper, and observed as under :<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 27pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -27pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>3.2.2. </b></span><i><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>Views
of Sakshi considered.</b></span>- Though the
representatives of Sakshi have suggested that we should delete the second proviso to
section 376 (1) and the proviso to section 376 (2)
(which confer a discretion upon the court to
award a sentence lesser than the minimum punishment prescribed by the
sub-sections), we are not
satisfied that there are any good reasons for doing
so. <b><span style="color: #a64d79;">Any number of
situations may arise, which it is
not possible to foresee, and which
may necessitate the awarding of lesser punishment than the
minimum punishment prescribed. Safeguard against
abuse is provided by requiring that adequate and special
reasons be mentioned in the judgment, for awarding such lesser
punishment. Nor is there justification
in the criticism that such discretion once conferred is
liable to be abused or that it will always be misused to help the
accused. </span></b></i>(emphasis supplied)<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 27pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -27pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A true and typed copy of the relevant extracts of the 172<sup>nd</sup>
report of the Law Commission of India is annexed hereto as <b>ANNEXURE P-11. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 27pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -27pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>23</b></span>.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This shows that there was an abiding wisdom
in providing for discretion in
sentencing and even to award a sub minimum sentence, in the case of rape. After
giving the matter thought, the Law Commission recommended retaining the provisos
to Section 376 (1) and (2) categorically dispelling the argument that such a
proviso was prone to abuse. It recognized the truth that mistakes cannot be
avoided by limiting discretion. Mistakes
are corrected by building jurisprudence.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-left: 27pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -27pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><span style="color: blue;">24.</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b><span style="color: blue;"> </span></b> </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In 2003, the Malimath Committee Report disagreed
with the suggestion that the definition of “rape” under S.375 IPC should
include non-penile penetration. The Malimath Committee felt that although it
did constitute a serious violation, such acts must be categorised and penalised
separately. A true and typed copy of the relevant extracts of the Malimath
Committee Report, 2003 are annexed hereto as <b>ANNEXURE P-12. </b></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-left: 27pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -27pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>25</b></span>.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A draft bill of 2012 removed the provisos to
Sections 376(1) and 376(2), with no particular reason assigned for this removal. It was this Bill that the Verma Committee
considered. The </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Criminal Law Amendment Bill 2012 was introduced in Parliament on 3rd
December 2012 and was referred to the Department-Related Parliamentary Standing
Committee on Home Affairs. After the Nirbhaya incident of the 16<sup>th</sup>
of December 2012, the Verma Committee was formed. The Committee largely agreed
with Criminal Law Amendment Bill 2012 and in addition recommended some more
amendments. Pursuant to this, the Criminal
Law Amendment Bill 2012 was withdrawn and the Criminal Law Amendment Bill 2013
was introduced in parliament, the Department-Related Parliamentary Standing
Committee on Home Affairs examined Criminal Law Amendment Bill 2012 and tabled
its report on 1.3.2013 before the Rajya Sabha, and on 4.03.2013 before the Lok
Sabha.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-left: 27pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -27pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>26.</b></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Report contains no discussion of the reasons for which the provisos
were removed, save for para 2.2.5 at Page 16, Chapter II which merely contains
a bare statement by way of a “Response of the Home Secretary” that the proviso
is being removed, without any further discussion on the why’s and the
wherefores of this course. Para 3.2.29 at Page 33, Chapter III, Para 5.10 at Page
48, Chapter V and Para 5.18 at Page 59-60, Chapter V of the 167<sup>th</sup>
Report of the Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home
Affairs where this response is recorded is already annexed hereto as part of
Annexure P- 5<b>.</b></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-left: 27pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -27pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>27.</b></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Verma Committee Report of 2013 did not
discuss the aforesaid ratiocinations or the pros and cons of a proviso allowing
for a sub-minimum punishment at all, although it had existed ever since 1983
when a minimum mandatory penalty was first prescribed for rape. However, even without any reference or
discussion, the resultant law removed the proviso enabling the court to award a
lesser punishment for good and proper reason. In fact, the during the debates
in the Rajya Sabha on the promulgation of the 2013 Amendment Bill, several
members of Parliament expressed serious doubts about the extreme haste with
which the Bill was moved, without appropriate consultation or adequate
consideration of the pros and cons that would result from the passing of the
amendment. A true and typed copy of Bill No.130 of 2012, being the Criminal Law
Amendment Bill, 2012, is annexed hereto as <b>ANNEXURE
P-13.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-left: 27pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -27pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>28</b></span>.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The widened definition of “rape” and the
expanded nature of associated circumstances have effectively reduced the
evidentiary requirements to establish the offence. With the factum of consent resting entirely
on the prosecutrix, acquittal becomes almost impossible in law if the
prosecutrix sticks to her story even though it may be false. This is not to suggest that the acts
described in the newly constituted Section 375 are not offensive, if forced
upon a woman. However, the fact that
many of these acts are incapable of being verified by medical corroboration
would make it easy for false complaints to be filed, and also, to succeed. In short, if a woman is so minded, she can repeatedly
assert that a rape occurred, even if it is false and subject the accused to the
agony of a prosecution and even incarceration.
Therefore, even though the acts listed in the amended S.375 IPC are
offensive, there should nevertheless be a gradation inter-se, at least with
regard to the penalty. Otherwise, the
provisions are seriously liable to misuse. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-left: 27pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -27pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>29.</b></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is submitted that even without going into
the constitutionality of mandatory minimum sentences generally, it may be
pertinent to note the views of several legal scholars of other democratic
jurisdictions, who have consistently held that mandatory minimum penalty laws
do not achieve any of the purposes of punishment necessitated by criminal
philosophy, namely: deterrence, retribution, incapacitation or rehabilitation.
For example, scholar Michael Tonry, who is widely regarded as an expert in
sentencing theory has long been of the view that such penalties “<span style="color: #a64d79;"><b><i>accomplish
few of their stated objectives and produce unwanted consequences. Their
deterrent effects range from nonexistent to short-lived</i></b></span><i><span style="color: #a64d79;">…</span> They sometimes result in imposition of
penalties more severe than anyone immediately involved believes appropriate</i>.”
It is perhaps for this reason that US Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy was
compelled to state that he “… <i>can neither
accept the necessity nor the wisdom of federal mandatory minimum sentences…. In
too many cases, mandatory minimum sentences are unwise or unjust.”</i> Some of
the leading studies which bring to light the profound shortcomings of mandatory
minimum sentences globally are: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 40.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -13.5pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">i.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Declan
Roche, “<span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Mandatory Sentencing</span>”, <i>Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal
Justice</i>, <i>Australian Institutue of
Criminology </i>(December 1999)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 40.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -13.5pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">ii.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Barbara S.
Vincent & Paul J. Hofer, “<span style="font-variant: small-caps;">The
Consequences of Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Terms: A Summary of Recent
Trends”, </span><i>Federal Judicial Centre</i> (1994)<span style="font-variant: small-caps;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">iii.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-variant: small-caps; line-height: 115%;">A</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">ttorney-General Robert Clark “M<span style="font-variant: small-caps;">andatory
Minimum Sentencing”, </span> <i>Law Institute of Victoria</i> (June 2011)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">True extracts of the relevant
portions of the above cited research material is annexed hereto as <b>ANNEXURE P-14 (COLLY).<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -22.5pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><span style="color: blue;">30.</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Additionally,
legal philosophers of great renown have consistently been of the view that the
fundamental requirements of just sentencing namely that there be
‘proportionality between the gravity of the offence and the degree of
responsibility of the offender<i>’ </i>to
the crime is grossly affected by the imposition of mandatory minimum sentences.
The removal of judicial discretion has been regarded as extremely problematic.
On proportionality, the position is summed up best by the Constitutional Court
of South Africa in <b><span style="color: #a64d79;"><i>S v Dodo</i> 2001 (5) BCLR 423 (CC)</span>]</b> which observed that:<b> </b><i>“To
attempt to justify any period of penal incarceration, let alone imprisonment
for life.., without inquiring into the proportionality between the offense and
the period of imprisonment, is to ignore, if not to deny, that which lies at
the very heart of human dignity. Human beings are not commodities to which a
price can be attached ... they ought to be treated as ends in themselves, never
merely as means to an end. Where the length of a sentence, which has been
imposed because of its general deterrent effect on others, bears no relation to
the gravity of the offence ... the offender is being used essentially as a
means to another end and the offender's dignity assailed.” </i><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -22.5pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>31.</b></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><b> </b></span> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On the
removal of judicial discretion, Prof. Mary Manikis was compelled to observe
that, “<i>the removal of judicial discretion
to the judge can be extremely harmful since it does not provide judges with
sufficient latitude to assess the moral blameworthiness of the offender or
specific circumstances of the offence and offender. Mitigating factors that are
hugely important in sentencing might therefore not be given adequate weight
which creates disproportionate and unduly harsh sentences</i>”. Some further material on these aspects is
found within the following bodies of work: <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -13.5pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">i.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Nadim Khan,
“<span style="font-variant: small-caps;">The Absurdity of Mandatory Minimum
Sentences”, </span><i>The McGill Daily </i>(February
2015)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -13.5pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">ii.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Raji Mangat,
“The Costs of Mandatory Minimum Sentencing: More Than We Can Afford:”, <i>British Columbia Law Association Publication</i>
(2014).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -27pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><span style="color: blue;">32.</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b><span style="color: blue;"> </span></b>
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Petitioners submit further that though
mandatory minimum sentences are found in several common law countries
throughout the world, they are very often accompanied by the power to award
sub-minimum sentences in exceptional circumstances. This is clearly evidenced
by a 2005 report commissioned by the Canadian Government, which undertook a
detailed study of the laws in Canada, England and Wales, Scotland, Republic of
Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, and concluded that: “<i>This report has demonstrated that while
mandatory sentences of imprisonment proved popular in the 1990s across a number
of common law jurisdictions, closer examination of the laws reveals that many
countries allow courts the discretion to sentence below the minimum when
exceptional circumstances exist.” </i> A
true and typed copy of the relevant extracts of the report titled “Mandatory
Sentences of Imprisonment in Common Law Jurisdictions: Some Representative
Models” is annexed hereto as <b>ANNEXURE P-15</b>.
Indeed, the Petitioners submit that as demonstrated by the reports of multiple
Law Commissions of India, adverted to earlier, this was the mode of sentencing
preferred by top Indian legal scholars as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -27pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><span style="color: blue;">33.</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Petitioners would like to point out that
even in the context of sexual assault, certain feminist scholars have not
favoured the imposition of mandatory minimum sentences. A sample of some of
this material for the convenience of the Court is as follows:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">i.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Meghan Racklin, “<span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Why Mandatory Minimum Sentecing for Sexual Assault isnt the Answer</span>”,
<i>The Establishment </i>(July 2016)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">ii.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Nora Caplan
Bricker, “<span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Mandatory Minimum Sentence Laws
Are the Wrong Response to the Brock Turner Case”, </span><i>Slate</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">True and
typed copies of the relevant extracts from the above report are annexed hereto
as <b>ANNEXURE P-16(Colly). <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>34.</b></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Global experience has confirmed that it is
not that <i>severity</i> of punishment but the <i>certainty</i> of punishment
which brings down crime in any society.
Unfortunately, in India it is often seen that shoddy investigation damages
cases or the victims are intimidated into
withdrawing cases. Similarly, the delays
in the legal processes and the enormous expense of time, energy and resources
involved in litigation prevent a vast number of genuine victims from seeking
justice. This enables many offenders to
get away with even heinous crimes.
Instead of removing these infirmities in our police and criminal justice system, the tendency is to
add draconian provisions to each such law whose ineffective implementation
agitates the public, leading to disenchantment with the law and order
machinery. Instead of strengthening and
professionalizing the institutions responsible for providing safety to citizens
and delivering justice, the resort is often to knee jerk alteration of legal provisions that trample on the
sacredness associated with due process requirement. This is turn provides more arbitrary to
powers to an already unaccountable and inefficient police so that laws becomes
more and more amenable to abuse and misuse.
In short, the failure of the criminal justice system in using existing
laws with integrity cannot be compensated enacting amendments that trample on
the constitutional rights of citizens to fair trial through non-partisan laws.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>35</b></span>.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The stated aim of feminism is to assert the
principle of equality. No doubt, the Indian Constitution recognizes that women
suffer a great deal of disadvantages in our society and hence need special
measures for their protection. With that
in view, several special laws have been enacted to strengthen the rights of
women in areas where they get treated unfairly. However, such special measures
should not end up being so heavily weighted against men that they defeat the
very purpose of delivering justice and instead trample on the rights of men and
their families, especially those that are wrongly implicated. Gender equality
should mean equality before law. This principle cannot be done away with even
if special protection measures are necessary in favour of women.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>36</b></span>.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Women do not constitute a homogenous category
in India or anywhere else in the world. On the one hand, India has women
without education in living in grinding poverty and lacking support systems. On
the other hand, there are a growing class of women from elite educated families
who have been given all the opportunities to compete with men and even come out
winners. In between these two extremes are a whole range of women with varying
degrees of advantages and disadvantages. To assume the same level of victimhood
for all categories of women and to place the same lethal weapon by way of
draconian laws in the hands of all women without regard to their circumstances
while assuming all men are always wrong doers and exploitative of women under
all circumstances amounts reverse discrimination which can have lethal
consequences.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>37.</b></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As a consequence of the Criminal Law
Amendment Act 2013, even those acts that are completely incapable of medical
corroboration are included within the definition of rape. Furthermore, a crucial aspect of sexual
intimacy, i.e. consent, now rests effectively on the sole word of the
prosecutrix as it is very difficult to establish by circumstantial
evidence. Even cases arising from
prevalent social contexts of consensual intimacy involving women approaching
18, will now constitute statutory rape.
The social context is also no longer one in which women hesitate to come
forth with rape complaints. On the
contrary, disappointed women in many failed relationships resort to a complaint
under Section 376 IPC. In view of the
settled principle that the sole uncorroborated testimony of the prosecutrix is
sufficient for a conviction, a large number of cases of consensual sex now fall
within the zone of criminality. “Crying
rape” is commoner than it used to be. This phenomenon has been noted by
criminal courts. A man unjustly accused of rape is as much a victim and the
family of a rape accused is devastated by the process of prosecution.
Therefore, an effective law can only be one that enables the sifting of genuine
cases, rather than one that makes prosecution easy. This Hon’ble Court, must, therefore review
the Criminal Law Amendment Act 2013, both in terms of its actual working and in
terms of its fidelity to due process norms.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><span style="color: blue;">38.</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b><span style="color: blue;"> </span></b> </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The petitioners have not filed any other
petition in any other court and supreme court seeking the same reliefs. They
are moving this Hon’ble Court on the following amongst other grounds which are
in the alternate and without prejudice to one another:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;">GROUNDS:</span></span><u><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>I.</b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b> </b> </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Rape is
indeed one of the most heinous offences and its widespread occurrence in society
is a matter of collective shame for any society. Hence combating the culture
which gives rise to rape requires not just effective laws but also collective
resolve of the entire society, especially the moral torch bearers of that
society. However, when laws are not judiciously crafted, when draconian
provisions are added as compensation for failure of the law and order machinery
to ensure security of life leading to easy abuse of law, it leads to mistrust
and disrespect towards all institutions meant for enforcing law and order &
dispense justice. The resultant cynicism & nihilism among citizens destroys
the collective resolve and ability of society to combat crimes. When women, who
are traditionally seen as the moral conscience of society and hence worthy of
reverence and special protection measures, are found to be misusing and abusing
laws enacted for their protection, it delegitimizes the very idea of special
measures for protection of women. The misuse of the above mentioned provisions
for the purpose of blackmail, extortion, revenge and other malafide purposes
goes to confirm that whichever individual or group in society, irrespective of
gender, caste or class, is bestowed with legal power to tyrannize others for
its own benefit, will invariably end up doing so. That is why the principle of
constitutional equality--which becomes meaningless without equality before law
courts--cannot be compromised under any circumstances.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>II.</b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b> </b>
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The widening of the definition of “rape” to
encompass even non-penetrative acts is not only irrational, unreasonable and
unfair but is also grossly violative of due process, not only because such acts
incapable of medical corroboration, but also in light of the fact that the sole
testimony of a Prosecutrix is sufficient for a conviction. It is submitted that the result of these
alterations in the law has been that a man may be subjected to the full brunt
of the criminal law and the obvious, concomitant loss of reputation merely on
account of the circumstance of his having been alone in the company of a woman.
Both the unfairness as well as the very real threat to due process are
imminently evidenced by detailed material collected and published by
organisations of unimpeachable credibility such as the Delhi Commission for
Women, showing the disproportionately large number of false prosecutions, the
largest percentage of which have been actuated by revenge. The Petitioners
submit therefore, that the prevalent circumstances mandate review of the
existing legal framework.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>III.</b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b> </b>
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There can be no cavil with the fact that
certain acts other than peno-vaginal intercourse, if forced upon women deserve
strict censure from the criminal law. However, the classification of a range of
disparate acts as rape and equation of punishment for these various acts is
patently violative of the principle of proportionality in sentencing. It is
submitted that it is well known that one of the fundamental principles of even
a purely retributive criminal law, is that punishment must bear a clear
relationship with the nature of the offence committed. The failure to thus
appropriately grade acts according to their severity, is arbitrary, and
violates Article 14 of the Constitution of India. The clubbing together of persons
who are accused of the commission of widely differing acts is patently
irrational, and can have no nexus to any rational objective of a valid criminal
law.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>IV.</b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b> </b>
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the case of penal law, it is not
sufficient only to construct an offence.
It is also necessary to factor in the process by which a court can
objectively assess its occurrence or otherwise.
The current provisions are such that even to acts of consensual sexual
intimacy, the colour of rape can be given at will. Therefore, even if these acts are retained as
criminal offences, the principles of justice require that there should a
gradation in the criminality accorded to them, otherwise two ends of a very
wide spectrum, i.e. a misunderstanding of signs within a friendly relationship
and a Nirbhaya like situation end up getting treated as equal offences. This was also the view of the Malimath
Committee. The reasons for not providing
for a statutory minimum and a total discretion in sentencing was clearly that,
although rape is a heinous offence, there exists a clear possibility of
intimate consensual relationships acquiring the colour of rape.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>V.</b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b> </b>
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At any rate, since non-consensual sex is
necessarily punishable, in order to avoid injustice there must be a gradation
of penalties for acts that are statutorily defined as rape and discretion must
be vested with the judge in the matter of awarding punishment. This is particularly important because while
a sexual act of ambiguous import may technically constitute rape if the woman
denies consent, the circumstances may nevertheless dictate the imposition of a
lesser penalty. However, courts have
been left incapable of delivering such justice because of the statutory minimum
of seven years, (in the case of S.376(1) IPC) coupled with the absence of
discretion of awarding a lesser sentence.
It is also precisely for this reason that a mandatory minimum of seven
years, particularly without the discretion to award less for good and adequate
reasons becomes dangerous.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>VI.</b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The removal of the discretion to award a
sub-minimum sentence in exceptional circumstances, particularly for the offence
of rape, wherein the absence of direct evidence is equally likely to prejudice
the accused, and the sufficiency of the word of the prosecutrix would in any
event place the accused at a severe disadvantage patently offends the rights of
accused persons under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. It is well settled that penal provisions must
necessarily stand in a just and proportionate relationship to the gravity of
the offence and to the blameworthiness of the offender. This principle
can be derived from the basic structure of the constitution itself and is quite
justifiably deduced from Article 21. For an excessively heavy or gruesome
punishment or minimum punishment, without giving the discretion to a judge to
award a lesser sentence in appropriate cases, amounts to a disregard of the
human personality and therefore infringes upon Article 21 as well as the
internationally well-known principle of proportionality. The principle of
equity too dictates that punishment must be oriented to the degree of
blameworthiness, and the removal of judicial freedom to do so offends Article
14 as well. </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>VII.</b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b> </b>
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Successive Law Commissions have advised both
against a mandatory minimum and against removing the proviso, giving the judge
discretion to award a term less than 7 years. This is also in consonance with the practices
in many other common law democracies, wherein mandatory minimum sentences are most
often accompanied by the discretion to award a sub-minimum sentence.In this
regard, the Verma Committee deliberations, do not contain any discussion at all
on whether and why the proviso to Section 376(1) should be dropped.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>VIII.</b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b> </b>
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Indeed, a mandatory minimum sentence is
regarded with severe disquiet by legal scholars. The scheme of the IPC itself would show that
except for full-fledged murder under Section 302 IPC and the actual act of
waging war against the State, few other offences are punishable with a
statutory minimum. Even in the case of
culpable homicide under Section 304 IPC, only an upper limit is
prescribed. So too for offences against
the state such as Sections 121A and 124A IPC. Out of around 300 offences only
about 25 have mandatory minimums sentences. A mandatory minimum extending to seven
or more years is a recent (mainly post-2013) phenomenon, except for robbery
with preparation or attempt to cause death or “dowry death’ under S.304 B IPC. It is mainly after 2013, that a host of
penalties carrying as high a minimum as seven years has been prescribed, even
when there is no attendant violence or preparation to cause death. In such
cases as ‘robbery’ and “dowry death” the
ambiguities that often surround the circumstances of ‘rape’ are absent. The
provision of a mandatory minimum of 7 years for “rape” is not informed by a
similar logic as S.304 B IPC or robbery
and is hence arbitrary, particularly because it has been widely recognized by
scholars that there is a wide spectrum of such cases and many may dictate the
awarding of much lower sentences than 7 years. Therefore, the removal of the proviso
i.e. the removal of judicial discretion to award less than seven years in S.376
(1) is not only dangerous but also arbitrary.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>IX.</b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b> </b>
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A perusal of the cases in which resort has
been had to the proviso to reduce the punishment, to less than the mandatory minimum
even by appellate courts would argue for its abiding utility. The High Courts
and the Supreme Court of India have, on several occasions, upheld such a
discretion if exercised by the trial court, or corrected it if considered
improper.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>X.</b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b> </b>
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The number of rape complaints that turn out
to be frivolous or motivated by spite as has been noted by many judges should
indicate the dangers of widened definitions and abridged judicial discretion. It
is submitted that there is compelling evidence as found in newspaper reports
and reported judgments, that the law on rape, instead of advancing the rights
and protections of Indian women has had several unintended consequences, and
has in some instances proven to be grossly counter-productive in its operation. Not only has the law been shown to be open to
serious abuse, causing the ruin of innocent lives and causing families to be
ripped asunder by false allegations, it has also had a deeply harmful effect on
the professional advancement of women in Indian society. It is submitted that,
there is a prevalent public perception that women employees are ‘more trouble
than they are worth,’ with some employers specifically choosing not to employ
women for fear of the risks of being implicated in false or exaggerated
prosecutions. These circumstances have also brought disrepute to and eroded the
legitimacy of those activists who have bravely championed the cause of women’s
rights for the entire duration of their careers. The result of this is that the
very notion of feminism, which should be an unquestioned part of any modern
democracy, stands forever tainted in the minds of the Indian public. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Noted
categories of frivolous complaints are as under:<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;">Punishing a lover or live-in partner for
refusing to get married</span>:</span></b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Sadly, the police have not hesitated in
registering rape cases on the basis of bizarre complaints whereby the concerned
woman has termed the entire period of a live-in-relationship or years of
voluntary intimacy as a case of repeated rapes.
This when most such women don’t deny that the sexual/ live-in
relationship was voluntary and not a forced affair. The very premise of a live-in-relationship is
that either of the two partners can walk out of the relationship if they feel
it is no more viable. To say that a man
is legally obliged to marry a woman he has had sex with and failure to do so
will mean a long prison term is to play with fire. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: blue;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Punishing a man for refusing to give a job or
promotion or refusal to enter into a relationship</span></b></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">. Such cases have unfortunately become very common.
One of the most striking examples of such abuse of rape law was the case filed
against famous film director, Madhur Bhandarkar by an aspiring actress, who
alleged that Bhandarkar had “raped her 16 times between 1999 and 2004 on the
pretext of casting her in his films.” The case was quashed by the Supreme Court
nine years later on 5<sup>th</sup> November 2012 noting that the lady did not
want to pursue the case against Bhandarkar and the Mumbai police had earlier
given a clean chit to the film director.
This is not to comment on the merits of the claim of the man concerned
that he was an innocent victim of blackmail. The lady’s open admission that she
repeatedly agreed to have sex with him as a quid-pro-quo for a film role is,
however, illuminating. The projection of
such a person as a rape victim causing enormous harm to reputations all around and
is simply not what is contemplated by the objectives of equality, women’s
security or justice. This is not to deny the prevalence of sexual exploitation
of women with the lure of attractive job offers, job promotions or modelling
and acting assignments. But such
unsavoury deals should not come under the purview of anti-rape law.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><!--[endif]--><b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;">Voluntary
elopement by teenagers being registered as rape and abduction charges:</span> </span></b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As pointed
in the data provided by Delhi Commission for Women, a large number of rape
cases pertain to young women eloping with their lovers or get married to young
men disapproved of by their parents on account of difference in caste, religion
or social status. Even though the act of elopement is voluntary, the parents of
young girls invariably file abduction and rape cases against the young
man. If the girl happens to be even a
few weeks below 18, the charge will be “made out”. Countless young lives have
been ruined on this account. In the recent past, the courts had taken note of
the prevailing realities and have acquitted such accused or resorted to the
discretion to award a sub-minimum sentence, but the power to do so has now been
curtailed. Eventual release notwithstanding the ease with which young men can
be incarcerated for engaging in consensual sexual relations with women of like age is cause for worry. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: blue;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;">The easy sustainability of a rape charge
under the new law has turned the threat of a rape complaint into a pressure
tactic</span>.</span></b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> The Petitioner No.1 is aware that unscrupulous
policemen are running well-organized extortion rackets using male and female
sex workers</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> for blackmailing respectable citizens with the threat of trumped
up cases of rape or sexual assault. In cases where sex workers either trap an
unwitting person or voluntarily engage in commercial sex with him, the charge
can even be medically corroborated through DNA examination of the semen. This is not to condone engaging in
prostitution by men but merely to point out the unfairness of taking the word
of the prosecutrix as gospel truth added to the provision that the past sexual
history of a woman including the fact of her being a sex worker cannot be used
as evidence against her. While there is no denying that even commercial sex
providers have a right to say ‘No’ when they so desire, and have their ‘No’
taken seriously, it is nevertheless relevant to show the many dangers of
rendering rape prosecutions easy in an atmosphere prone to abuse.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>XI.</b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b> </b>
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The result of these alterations in the law
has been that a man may be subjected to the full brunt of the criminal law and
the obvious, concomitant loss of reputation merely on account of allegations of
rape or sexual assault, all because the “due process” requirement has been
seriously undermined through the 2013 amendments in the rape law. Its harmful
consequences became so widely apparent that the Delhi Commission for Women,
whose official mandate is to offer support and help female victims of atrocities,
was compelled to carry out a comprehensive review of rape cases in Delhi to
assess the validity of the charge that the law was being widely misused. The data collected by the DCW establishes
that there is increasing trend of prosecutions based on false charges, with a
large percentage actuated by revenge. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>XII.</b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b> </b>
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The abuse of anti-rape law becomes much
easier because of the strict provision that the identity of the prosecutrix is
to be kept anonymous while the identity and even photographs of the accused are
freely broadcast on television and publicized on print media. This in effect means that getting a man
arrested and defamed on false charge of rape involves zero risk for
unscrupulous women especially considering that in our legal system, even after
falsity and malafide nature of charge is proven in court. A false and malafide rape case ends up
ruining not just the life of the concerned individual but also the entire
family, especially if the person concerned has old parents or young children of
impressionable age. It can also ruin the
marital life of the targeted man as well as his professional career.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>XIII.</b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b> </b>
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Indeed, all manner of sexual misconduct even those
other than peno-vaginal intercourse, deserve due punishment through a due
process trial under the criminal law. However, the classification of a range of
disparate acts as ‘rape’ and the provision of identical punishments for widely
varying acts is patently violative of the principle of proportionality in
sentencing. One of the well known fundamental principles of even a purely
retributive criminal jurisprudence is that punishment must bear a fair
relationship with the nature of the offence committed. The failure to
appropriately grade offences according to their severity, is arbitrary, and
violates Article 14 of the Constitution of India. The clubbing together of
accused persons who are accused of committing widely differing acts in terms of
severity of consequences is patently irrational, counter-productive & lends
itself to miscarriage of justice while undermining the integrity of our
judicial system.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>XIV.</b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Draconian provisions have failed to act as
deterrent in criminal law generally and in rape law in particular. It has also
been proven beyond doubt that the 2013 amendments have failed to act as a
deterrent to sexual atrocities. There is no decline in either the number of
rapes being committed every year nor in the brutality accompanying rapes. It is
worthwhile to recall that far reaching amendments in rape law were enacted
in1983 following the rape of young woman named Mathura who was raped in a
police station in Maharashtra. It led to
a furore similar to Nirbhaya rape case. The 1983 amendments fixed a minimum
jail term for rape to 7 years with 10 years for custodial rape. In case of
death due to brutal rape, they provided for life imprisonment as well as death
sentence. But none of these provisions proved effective in curbing sexual
crimes against women which appear to have actually become more rampant and more
gruesome. Leave alone curbing incidents of rape in secluded places or in
privacy of homes, the law and order machinery has failed to curb even custodial
rapes in thanas and hospitals. Similarly, after the 2013 amendments, cases of
gruesome forms of rape, including more and more child rapes, no less brutal
than the Nirbhaya case are being reported on a daily basis. Gang rapes have
also become alarmingly frequent. What is worse, rape is being treated as a
youthful sport by lumpenized youth, many of who proudly post video recordings
of the acts of gang or individual rape on social media. This clearly shows that
instead of growing fear of the existing stringent anti rape law, people are
cocking a snook at the law enforcement agencies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>XV.</b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b> </b>
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In recent years, it has become common
practice for rapists to disfigure the women and tear her body into shreds or
burn her to death so that the victim does not survive to tell the gruesome
tale. Newspaper reports indicate that cases of rape & disfigurement
followed by murder have become more common after 2013. This is because of the common perception that
one can get away with rape, murder and heinous crimes if one can buy the
complicity of the police. The recently released movie <span style="color: #a64d79;"><b><i>Kaabil</i></b></span><i> </i>is latest in the<i> </i>long list of films to<i> </i>provide
a nightmarish but true to life account of how police are routinely complicit in
covering up genuine cases of rape, while those raising their voice against such
violence and seeking justice end up brutalized. The popular imagination has correctly
identified the system as failing justice, and this cannot be corrected by
making draconian laws, which will only serve to aid injustice, by concentrating
power in the hands of an unaccountable police force.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>XVI.</b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b> </b>
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Petitioner No. 1 has met with and made
recommendations to three successive Law Ministers as well as the Law Commission
seeking a review of the law. There is a hesitation to confront the issue
because it will be projected as anti- women. There has been no response to her
requests<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;">PRAYER</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is therefore prayed that this Hon’ble Court may be pleased to:-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Call for records from the National Crimes Records
Bureau, the Central Jail Tihar and the Respondent Government to assess the
profiling features of rape prosecutions post the 2013 Amendments.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><!--[if !supportLists]--><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Strike down
the Criminal Law amendment Act 2013 as unconstitutional and ultra-vires
Articles 21 and 14 in so far as the amendments to S.375, S.376 (1) and S.
376(2) go.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Declare that
the Second Proviso to S.376 (1) as it stood shall continue to be read as part
of the IPC.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Direct a
reconsideration of the cases in which a sentence of imprisonment has been
passed under S.376(1) after the amendments made by the Criminal Law Amendment
Act came into force.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Pass any
other order that may be thought fit.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ol>
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<a href="file:///C:/DOCUME~1/ADMINI~1/LOCALS~1/Temp/Rape%20Law%20Petition%20for%20BLOG.doc#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-IN"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span lang="EN-IN"> </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times" , "serif";">http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-53-rape-cases-filed-between-april-2013-and-july-2013-false-delhi-commission-of-women-2023334</span></div>
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madhukishwarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14753750751813113571noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188722843562789620.post-40896931237427756692016-10-22T12:48:00.000+05:302016-10-22T21:31:21.443+05:30The Nonsensical Left-Right Binary<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dR7gSAbtIOk/WAsrC0ruBzI/AAAAAAAABJU/R5TFvauoxSAvIFy60f5o2RXBLaKoCFhdgCLcB/s1600/Left%2Bvs%2BRight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dR7gSAbtIOk/WAsrC0ruBzI/AAAAAAAABJU/R5TFvauoxSAvIFy60f5o2RXBLaKoCFhdgCLcB/s640/Left%2Bvs%2BRight.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It is extremely puzzling why many of those who
rejected the politics of the Left have so readily accepted –“Right Wing” as
their identity marker and self-definition despite the fact that the term is
used as a pejorative by the Left for any one & everyone who dares differ
with their partisan and authoritarian politics. Moreover, “left” & “right”
are terms borrowed from European history. They have no real equivalence in
Indian history nor are they a reliable guide for understanding India’s contemporary
politics. By allowing the opponent to decide the terms of the battle, including
naming the ideological terrain, we end up as losers even before we have begun
the battle.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As is well known, the political terms Left and </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-wing_politics" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">Right</span></a><span style="color: black;"> were coined during the </span>French
Revolution (1789–1799), referring to the seating arrangement in the Estates
General: those who sat on the left generally opposed the monarchy and supported
the revolution, including the creation of a republic and secularization, while
those on the right were supportive of the traditional institutions of the Old
Regime. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The term was later applied to republicanism during the
French Revolution in the 18th century, followed by socialism,<sup>[</sup>communism,
anarchism, and social democracy in the 19th and 20th centuries. Since then, the
term <i>left-wing</i> has been applied to a broad range of movements including civil
rights movements, feminist movements, anti-war movements, and environmental
movements<span style="color: black;">, as well as a wide range of political
formations.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I have no problem if Europeans or Americans who
share a common cultural and ideological heritage feel comfortable using these
constraining, archaic and opaque terms to define their political and social
identities. But they become absolutely nonsensical when applied in a country
like India, which has never witnessed political and social divisions on these
lines. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Intellectual slavery to the West is built into
the DNA of the Left because they have steadfastly borrowed their ideological
paradigms from the West, with Marxism as the core followed by its many hybrids—
modernism, structuralism, deconstructionism, subalternism, post modernism and
so on. But why should those who want to break out of the intellectual slavery
of the West accept as their self-view -the pejorative term “Right Wing” along
with all the negative connotations it is loaded with? </span><br />
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Leftists dub others as “right wing” as a
short hand for damning that person as being anti-poor, pro-rich,
anti-minorities, anti women, anti freedom, anti-progress, trapped in
obscurantism, and anti every positive human value—even though the person may be
guilty of no bigger crime than merely differing with or pointing to serious
factual infirmities in the political narrative chosen by the Left.</span><br />
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Conversely, the leftists assume that by merely
labeling themselves “Left”, they magically acquire for all times to come
unquestioned monopoly over all the positive human traits and progressive values
known to history—never mind that in reality their track record on all these is
mostly disgraceful. In countries or (states within India) where Communists
actually came to power, they wrecked the economy, adopted the most tyrannical
and oppressive systems of governance and in Soviet Union, China, North Korea
etc. carried out genocides against their own people on scales and with
brutality that matched Hitler’s extermination of the Jews.</span><br />
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It is noteworthy that none of the leading social
reformers of 19<sup>th</sup> century used such terminology for themselves. Even
during the freedom movement, barring leaders of the self professed Communist
parties only a small minority of westernized leaders like Nehru used the term
Leftist for their worldview. The tallest leader of all–namely Mahatma
Gandhi—refused to accept for himself the political binaries presented by
Communists who dubbed him “right wing” even though his pro-poor, pro women, pro
minorities, pro Dalit credentials as well as track record of mobilizing the
people of India against the oppressive colonial regime, were far superior to
that of the entire spectrum of leftists of those days. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But Communists could not stomach Gandhi because
right from its inception, the Communist Party of India made Hindu-bashing as an
essential qualification for being a progressive even while they willingly
pandered to Islamists, including Jinnah’s demand for Partition. A self
respecting Hindu is the biggest threat to “secularism” in the eyes of leftists.
After Narendra Modi’s rise to power their aversion to anything “Hindu” has
assumed pathological dimensions.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Leftists better realize that those who can’t
find a self respecting, self chosen nomenclature for their worldview and
continue aping ideas which have been discarded even by those who first offered
them, are not capable of providing intellectual leadership to their society.
Likewise those of us who don’t wish to live by borrowed, outdated ideologies of
the West, better not accept the abusive terminology of Leftists as our
self-definition. Mahatma Gandhi succeeded in marginalizing the Left in large
part because he refused to let them define the rules of the game or its turf.
That is why today, Leftists in western countries after firmly discarding
Marxism, Leninism, Stalinism, Maoism etc., seek inspiration from Mahatma
Gandhi.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">First published in </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">www.dnaindia.com</span>, 21st October, 2016, see link (<a href="http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-the-nonsensical-left-right-binery-2265967">http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-the-nonsensical-left-right-binery-2265967</a>)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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madhukishwarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14753750751813113571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188722843562789620.post-45839114456625271262016-07-03T13:01:00.000+05:302016-07-03T21:40:22.392+05:30Why Salman Khan Doesn't Owe Anybody an Apology<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: large; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; text-align: start;"><b>How NCW is Raping its Own Dignity</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">One can understand frenzied
feminists descending like vultures on Salman Khan for his alleged insult to
women with his rape analogy. But for the National Women's Commission (
NCW) to send a summon to Salman Khan with the threat of suing him, is to rape
the dignity of NCW-or whatever little there is left of it in this otherwise
ineffective and toothless institution.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">When is the last time
you heard or saw the NCW do something meaningful or memorable for women?
Most of its chairpersons have been political appointees and have therefore used
the office to emote profusely while doing very little constructive work. It is
also a poorly administered institution without fine tuned systems for
responding to challenges that women of India face today. Therefore, all we get
from NCW are knee jerk responses to trivial events rather than a well thought
out vision and program of action for improving the lot of women.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-scehTC4eW4M/V3jLerjNOtI/AAAAAAAABIs/5bDzoSPv0JkqmWPNgoUG7_UAakdBeVSwgCLcB/s1600/Lalitha-Kumaramangalam-Ncw-620x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="411" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-scehTC4eW4M/V3jLerjNOtI/AAAAAAAABIs/5bDzoSPv0JkqmWPNgoUG7_UAakdBeVSwgCLcB/s640/Lalitha-Kumaramangalam-Ncw-620x400.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Left:</span>
Lalitha Kumaramangalam-- Raping the dignity of National Commission for Women </b><br /><b style="color: blue;">
Right:</b><b> Salman Khan--Hounded by frenzied feminists on frivolous charges</b><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">At a time when, on a daily
basis, we are being confronted with gruesome reports of gang rapes of women and
kids, thousands of children being abducted every year for inhuman forms of
trafficking, millions of women been sucked into the flesh trade every year,
countless women becoming victims of cyber crimes; the NCW had to pick up the
most ridiculous issue to flex its muscles. Its chairperson is acting as though
a man using the word ’rape’ commits a far more heinous crime than actually
raping women. We, however, have not seen such macho threats issued to actual
rapists.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Before I offer my reasons for
coming out in defence of Salman Khan, let me refresh the readers' memory by
quoting, from the original source, the exact statement as well as the
background of the controversial remarks. In response to a reporter's
question as to what kind of effort he put in to get the character of wrestler
Sultan (in a soon to be released film of the same name, depicting the life of a
Haryana’s wrestlers ) physically right, Salman said:</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">It’s a tough process. You need
ample training like the wrestlers. The training Aamir Khan and I have been
through is similar or probably a little more than what the wrestlers go
through. If we didn’t do it, we wouldn’t be able to fight convincingly in the
ring….</span></i><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"> </span></i><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">I underwent weight training. Then I perfected the moves. I spent 2-3 hours
in the day practising those because in the film, I go from the village level
akhada to the mat-based ring and then the MMA arena. So I had to do a lot of
punching and kicking. I had to be convincing or else I’d look like a
fraud.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span></i><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">The reporter then comments,
"<i>The shoot must have been gruelling...</i>" To this Salman
responds:</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">While shooting, during those
six hours, there’d be so much of lifting and thrusting on the ground involved.
That was tough for me because if I was lifting, I’d have to lift the same
120-kilo guy 10 times for 10 different angles. And likewise, get thrown that many
times on the ground. This act is not repeated that many times in the real
fights in the ring. When I used to walk out of the ring, after the shoot, I
used to feel like a raped woman. I couldn’t walk straight. I would eat and
then, head right back to training. That couldn’t stop.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span></i><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Far from finding these remarks
offensive, I was actually moved by them for the following reasons:</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Salman did not make a casual
light hearted comment about rape, nor referto it as an enjoyable sport.
He offers his analogy to refer to the kind of physical pain and torture an
actor has to go through in order to do those macho roles involving what is
light-heartedly referred to as Bollywood style <i>dishum-dishum</i>, which
many youngsters think is a lot of fun. But describing the gruesome
battering the body takes to prepare for, rehearse, and enact those roles for
the camera, Salman is in fact de-glamorizing the entire exercise. He
describes the vulnerabilities of screen heroes in real life and how such
situations can even lead to grievous and life threatening injuries, as they did
in the case of Amitabh Bachhan on the sets of the blockbuster film <i>Coolie’</i>.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">If a man who has been put
through the grueling experience described by Salman Khan compares it to the
physical battering of a raped woman, the analogy is not so inappropriate as to
cause a media uproar especially considering that a majority of rapes don't lead
to a Nirbhaya like catastrophe.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">True, rape is far more than
physical trauma—it’s also a violation of a women's selfhood and dignity whereas
Salman is undergoing that grueling predicament voluntarily -- for money, name
and fame. But the seriousness of the occupational hazard should not be
undermined just as the occupational risks involved in being a pilot flying and
dropping provisions to soldiers based in Siachin can’t be lightly dismissed by
saying ‘well, he was paid for the job and chose it voluntarily.” Similarly, no
one is dismissive of the risks taken by a mountaineer going up Everest by
saying he is well paid and chose to climb the treacherous peaks for name and
fame! Remember what a tsunami of national sympathy flowed for Bachhan when he
nearly died during the <i>dishum dishum</i> sequence of <i>Coolie</i>!</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Moreover, analogies -- whether
negative or positive -- are not meant to be taken literally. For
instances, if a poet compares the beauty of his beloved to the radiance of a
full moon, it doesn't mean the woman has to have a perfectly round, silver blue
face which can be taken as a replica of the moon as seen from the earth.
Likewise, when you say someone eats like a pig, it doesn't mean that the man
actually eats muck.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">While Salman used the rape
analogy to describe a life threatening situation during shooting, in fact, the
analogy is often used light heartedly to refer to a range of situations, not
just by men but also women. I have heard young female students describe
the experience of sitting through the classes of aggressive teachers who act
like bullies vis a vis their pupils as "intellectual rape".</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Recently, a well known author
talked about the "Rape of the Rupee." Environmentalists often
use the phrase "Rape of Mother Earth" to describe the the callous
manner in which governments, corporates and other vested interests are
plundering and vandalizing this planet unmindful of its consequences for future
generations.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"> Alexander Pope's
satirical poem "Rape of the Lock" is till date taught as a literary
classic the world over, including in India even though it uses the term
"rape" to poke fun at the foibles, vanities and fantasies of
18th century British women. Had it been a 21st century Indian male who
wrote a similar poem using the term "Rape" in a satirical manner, our
frenzied feminists would have stopped at nothing short of seeking the death
penalty for him! Even with Salman many of them menacingly declared
that a "mere apology" won't do. Who knows with the majestic Women's
Commission leading from the front, they might not be satisfied with anything
less than castration or life imprisonment for Salman! Would the NCW dare
demand a ban on Alexander Pope's writings? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Unfortunately, by making a
mountain out of a molehill and hyper-ventilating for days on end on prime time
television--self appointed <i>thekedars </i>of women's rights have
made activist women a laughing stock of the nation. Those who cry for
frivolous reasons have created conditions for serious backlash on women's
issues. As it is there is a great deal of anger and outrage brewing in
society over the all too frequent misuse of the draconian anti rape law which
lends itself to easy abuse but has failed miserably to provide relief to
genuine victims of brutal rapes, leave alone help in curbing the growing
frequency of sexual crimes in our society.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">However, women who descend on
police stations after a failed live-in relationship to allege that the
concerned man was raping them for X number of years on promise of marriage have
found it easy to get their estranged lover arrested and locked up in jail even
before the start of the trial. This is because the anti rape law mandates that
the mere allegation by a woman is enough to book someone for rape, no matter
how flimsy the charge. How can a man you voluntarily lived in with for three or
four years suddenly become a rapist—all because he doesn’t want to tie the knot
of matrimony? Women for whom holy matrimony is so important should not risk
fashionable live-in relationships whose basic premise is that both partners are
free to walk out if things don’t work out.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Remember the false rape charge
made on prime time TV shows by a young woman against film director Madhur
Bhandarkar—all because he did not yield to her demand for the role of a film
heroine. He had to go all the way up to the Supreme Court to get his name
cleared. Imagine the trauma, not just for the man but his entire family
including children, of having your name splashed all over the media as a
rapist, when you haven’t been guilty of it. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Sadly enough, it has become
fairly common for an increasing number of women to make totally false allegations
of rape for the purpose of extortion and blackmail because the ultra feminist
law makes it easy to do so without inviting any punishment. As a result a lot
of employers have begun to avoid hiring women in their offices especially if it
involves direct contact with them during day to day dealings. While the
draconian anti rape law has not really come to the rescue of many genuine rape
victims, it has brought into play new prejudices and fears against employing
women.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Have our zealous
feminists—both male and female—ever objected to trivialization of rape law by
such unscrupulous women even though it is causing incalculable damage to women’s
credibility and dignity? They would cry murder if any attempts were made to
build safeguards against easy misuse of such laws even though it has ruined
many innocent lives.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The most bizarre part of this
entire saga is that most of those who are baying for Salman's blood go
hysterical when it comes to government censorship over pornography or even
minor cuts in films like <i>Udta Punjab</i> which are replete with
the foulest abuses which are highly sexist. They don't want censorship over
pornography which is highly demeaning to the female dignity and filled with
gross forms of violence on female bodies treating them as virtual sex slaves.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">But they support "verbal
censorship" of the most tyrannical variety in our daily conversation. Any
attempt by state institutions to curb vulgarity, violence is rejected as
unwanted ‘moral policing’ and sign of authoritarianism. But TV anchors
and sundry feminists think they have a god given right to impose their moral
code and censorship even on casual conversations.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Do they expect public figures
to submit advance script of their daily conversation to the Women's Commission
or TV anchors? Such verbal policing would make women the new “Unmentionables”
of our society even while they would not be ‘Untouchable” as far as violence
against them is concerned.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">We must say a firm 'No’ to
this fake and frivolous manifestation of political correctness which is
distorting public discourse and hence distracting attention from serious
issues. </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">And my sincere advice to
Salman Khan, please don’t buckle under the illegitimate pressure NCW is putting
on you to apologize publicly for your comments. <i>Dekhna hai zor kitna bazzoye
kaatil mein hai!</i> (Lets see how much power this tyrant is capable of exercising)
Best not to yield to such blackmail because once these viragoes taste
blood, there is no stopping them. Would be interesting to see if they dare take
the matter to court in which case they may well get a sound drubbing for their
frivolity so that next time round these zealots will think ten times before
going unleashing their fury on soft targets.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">At the same time, you have a
good case to file a defamation suit against NCW for humiliating, hounding and
blackmailing you publicly day after day on prime time TV!</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">An edited version of this article was published on July 2, 2016 in wire.in (</span><span style="background-color: transparent; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://thewire.in/48087/why-i-believe-salman-khan-doesnt-owe-anybody-an-apology/">http://thewire.in/48087/why-i-believe-salman-khan-doesnt-owe-anybody-an-apology/</a>)</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">. This is the full version of the same article</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">.</span></i></span></div>
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madhukishwarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14753750751813113571noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188722843562789620.post-53432928852499152782016-06-21T15:25:00.001+05:302016-06-21T16:56:45.470+05:30CSDS Saga Part 4<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">How Left Citadel CSDS Sabotages Rules of Discipline</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><b>53-year-old Public Funded Organizations Still Doesn’t Have Clear Rules for Its Administration</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The founding fathers of Delhi based CSDS ( Centre for the Study of Developing Societies) at
least had the self confidence to openly admit to the world that they did not
believe in externally imposed discipline and that they envisaged CSDS to be a
place where people had freedom to choose not only their working schedules work
but also be free to determine the content, quantity and quality of their
academic output. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However, once the old generation
began to retire or pass away, the old order had to give way to new. Unfortunately,
most of the new recruits saw the job at CSDS as just another job—with just one big
advantage—the institution has virtually no rules to enforce discipline of
attendance or academic output. As the old freedoms began to be widely misused,
the seniors or “Uncles”-- as they began to be derisively referred to by the
younger entrants—began cautious attempts to make the CSDS faculty accept some
minimal rules for ensuring basic discipline and accountability. Since three of
the “Uncles” became members of the Governing Board after retirement, they began
to push the faculty through Board meetings. Coincidentally, this process of
making and sabotaging rules began in 2001, the year I returned to CSDS as full
professor after two long stints in 1990’s as Visiting Fellow.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At the insistence of the Board of Governors, in 2001 the first
ever Committee of the faculty was appointed to draft the Rules and Regulations for
the Centre. The following account based on the Minutes of various faculty and
Board meetings over the years reveals how through a clever sleight of hand,
obfuscation and delay tactics, the Ruling Coterie of CSDS managed to evade
accepting not just those rules and regulations which are applicable to all
public funded educational institutions but even the exceedingly generous rules
proposed/adopted by the B.O.G. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">To start with they made a pretense of taking on the exercise
seriously. The Minutes of a meeting held on </span><b style="font-family: times, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">26<sup>th</sup> July 2002</b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> record as follows:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“<i>On behalf of the
Service Rules Committee, Aditya Nigam, its convenor gave a brief idea of the
progress of the Committee’s work during two rounds of its meetings held so
far. The Committee expressed confidence
that a draft of service rules will be ready for circulation among the Faculty
by 20 September 2002 for wider discussion and finalization.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Minutes of meeting held on <b>29<sup>th</sup> July 2002</b> record as follows:-
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“<i>The Director urging the
need to observe settled procedures for availing leave, volunteered to circulate
leave entitlement and rules. Further to
facilitate the writing of periodic academic reports, it was agreed that the
individual Faculty member would fill-in a form (being prepared by Aditya Nigam)
indicating his or her Academic activities, and bring it during the monthly
meetings.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Needless
to say the above-mentioned “agreement” was never implemented. The issue of
rules came up again in the Minutes of meeting held on <b>13<sup>th</sup>
September 2002</b>:- <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“<i>It was decided that the
Committee for Rules and Regulations should circulate a draft by 25<sup>th</sup>
September in order that it can be taken up for discussion on 30<sup>th</sup>
September.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Minutes of meeting held on <b>4<sup>th</sup>
July 2003 </b>record as follows:-
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“The Director emphasized
that even though we are attempting to formulate rules and norms to serve as
guidelines for the effective functioning of the Centre during its phase of
expansion, we need to ensure that we do not end up becoming too formal in our
functioning. The Centre has so far
functioned in an informal manner as a collective and we should try to retain
the positive spirit behind this manner of functioning.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The above is an open
admission that CSDS lacks formal, transparent rules and therefore it has been
functioning as per the whims and fancies of the Coterie that has arrogated to
itself the right to decide and speak on behalf of the institution. The Minutes
of meeting held on <b>25<sup>th</sup> July 2003 </b>make yet another
admission:-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“…Even though faculty
members were allowed flexible work timings, it was reiterated that care should
be taken that members are present at the Centre for regular hours or they take
leave or inform the Administrative Officer in the event of an absence.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
wording in the abovementioned is noteworthy.
It admits that there is no requirement for prior leave
applications. The Director has repeated
time and again that a mere SMS to the Administrative Officer is considered more
than adequate. But even this little
courtesy is not observed as a matter of regular practice. Appeals to inform the A.O. were rarely heeded
because they were not backed by any disciplinary action against habitual
absentees. The Minutes of a meeting held
on <b>26<sup>th</sup> September 2003 </b>again note the following decision
regarding “Rules”:-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> “<i>The Rules and Regulations of the Centre
need to be finalized. It was agreed that
the draft document should be circulated amongst faculty members and a legal
expert for comments before a final deliberation on it.”</i> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All
this drama was being enacted because the Board of Governors (B.O.G.) began to
insist that some minimal discipline be observed. The Minutes of meeting held on <b>28<sup>th</sup>
May 2004 </b>state the following<b>:-</b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“The faculty to meet on
Sunday <b>7 August 2004</b> to finalize the
<b>Rules and Regulations of the Centre </b>on the basis of the draft prepared
by the rules and regulations committee….” <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To the
best of my knowledge the proposed meeting of 7<sup>th</sup> August 2004 never
took place and the callousness regarding the lack of Rules and Regulations
continued to plague the Centre. Frustrated
at the willful inaction by the Director and CSDS faculty in formulating required
Rules and Regulations, on 29<sup>th</sup> August 2005 the Board of Governors (B.O.G.)
of CSDS appointed a two member Committee for that purpose. The Minutes of the meeting of the Faculty
held on <b>29<sup>th</sup> August 2005</b> record this decision:-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“<i>Committee consisting of
Yogendra Yadav and Ghanshyam Shah constituted by the Board to look into the
Centre’s Rules and Regulations started its work. Yogendra Yadav sought suggestions from the
faculty in this regard”. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However,
the inclusion of faculty member Yogendra Yadav in the “Rules and Regulation
Committee” set Aditya Nigam on a permanent collision course with Yogendra Yadav
because the two represented rival power groups at CSDS. This resulted in a highly polarized situation
and regular tug of wars until such time as Yogendra Yadav went on indefinite
leave from the Centre in 2013, resulting in total monopoly of the current
Ruling Coterie. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Though
Yogendra Yadav and Ghanshyam Shah managed to prepare the Rules and Regulations
within a year, the other domineering members ensured that enforcement of these Rules
was sabotaged. Therefore, the issue kept
cropping up in faculty meetings as and when the Board of Governors asked for an
update on the issue. To quote the
Minutes of the Board Meeting held on <b>31 October 2005:-</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Yogendra Yadav gave a
brief on the CSDS Rules and Regulations Committee's work. It was agreed that Yogendra Yadav, Aditya
Nigam and the Director meet to discuss and formulate provisions concerning such
matters as Grievance mechanism, composition and functions of Faculty
Committees, professional consultations/fees received by the faculty, duty
leave, sabbatical etc.. It was suggested that someone with professional legal
competence be entrusted the task of drawing a final draft free of technical
consistencies, ambiguities etc. The Faculty should then discuss the draft
before presenting it again to the Board for approval.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">From
the Minutes of the Faculty Meeting held on <b>29 December 2005</b>:-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Director
briefed the members about the following decisions/suggestions discussed in the
Board meeting of 26th November:<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">a)
Final draft of the CSDS Rules and Regulations, CSDS designations and Research
Council be presented to the board at its next meeting.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">b)
To facilitate the finalization of all these three draft documents a committee
consisting of Aditya Nigam, Ravi Sundaram and Rajeev Bhargava is constituted. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">With Aditya Nigam again back in the saddle, the
process of derailing finalization of rules and regulations began all over again
and </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">the
farce of discussing it sporadically in faculty meetings continued for years on
end. The issue kept cropping up in
Board meetings only to be cast into oblivion the moment the pressure was let
off. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">For reasons of brevity, I am skipping the
intervening years and would like to bring attention to </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">the Minutes of Faculty
Meeting dated <b>7<sup>th</sup> April 2011</b> which, <i>inter alia</i>, record as
follows on this issue:-<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> “The Director informed the faculty that this
emergency meeting has been convened for discussing the CSDS rules as it should
be sent to the Board members very soon….”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“….The director wants a
separate faculty meeting to discuss issues such as institutional presence,
self-evaluation by the faculty on their work and whether to consider political
and public work of the faculty as academic work.” <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This
clearly indicates that the Board of Governors were getting impatient with the
faculty’s determined resistance to accepting even minimal rules. Hence the need for an “emergency” meeting
under pressure from the B.O.G. It also
affirms that the matter of “institutional presence” had not been sorted out nor
any method of academic evaluation put in place. In short, everybody continued
to get away with doing what they pleased, including those who do pretty much
nothing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Further,
the Minutes of Faculty Meeting held on <b>3<sup>rd</sup> February 2011</b>, again,<b>
</b>recorded the casual attitude of faculty members towards attendance
and the habit of absenting themselves without applying for leave:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Director also pointed out
that sometimes faculty members are absent from centre without any information.
When any member is availing leave/on official duty should inform the
administrative officer. The information
should be available with the office that for which reason they are not
available.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But it
is a gross understatement to say that the faculty members absented only “sometimes”
without informing the Centre. As a
matter of fact, they did it much too often. This is an open admission that faculty members
of CSDS remain absent without the courtesy of informing the Centre much less
seek prior permission for leave. <span style="color: purple;">I was among the few who repeatedly insisted
that a proper attendance system be introduced as in all public funded
institutions.</span> But the proposal was
not only shot down with disdain but also not recorded in the Minutes. The casual attitude of CSDS Directors in this
regard is evident from the fact that no one was ever issued a show-cause notice
in this regard, no matter how infrequently they showed up at CSDS nor when they
disappeared for long periods without informing the Centre. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is
pertinent to mention here that the Minutes of B.O.G. dated <b>November 28, 2000
</b>had recorded that “Total Casual Leave granted shall not exceed eight days
in an academic year.” It further states,
“Earned leave [which incidentally is encashable on retirement] shall not
accumulate beyond 300 days. However,
these categories appear ridiculously redundant in the situation prevailing at
CSDS where there is no system of marking attendance. When one is free to absent oneself for days,
weeks or months on end without applying for leave, categories such as “casual
leave” and “earned leave” have no meaning. Thus, the Minutes of <b>14<sup>th</sup> December 2010</b> again
record the following:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“The director expressed
concern about the faculty absence in the CSDS events.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: purple;"><b>If faculty members do not bother to even attend
special events of the Centre, one can well imagine their lack of seriousness
about daily attendance.</b></span></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Minutes of Faculty Meeting held on <b>21 April 2011</b> again record the
absence of any method or criteria for self evaluation or evaluation by peer
group or seniors in the following words:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“The Faculty suggested that
there should be clear guidelines for reviewing the applications for the
positions from outsiders and from existing faculty applying for a higher
position. There should be some kind of
procedures. There are lot of doubts in
the minds of all faculty members. Who
makes the decision on the process? Is
the Faculty Standing Committee can judge the applicants? What is the best
process? Can the faculty member judge the other faculty member? Earlier there
was a peer review process, but it was not successful. What should be the demands for the new members,
for the second level positions and what for the Professor’s level? What is really expected by the Centre as a
whole? What kinds of work are considered
academic? How the ongoing academic
activities be evaluated? There should be
clarity on selection criteria which should be publicized.”</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">(Quoted verbatim,
grammatical mistakes in the original)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This
amounts to an open admission that there are no established norms or procedures
for assessment of the work being done at the Centre. The ICSSR has also been exceedingly lax in
this matter. The last time it made a
pretense of academic audit was in 2005.
The non-seriousness of the exercise can be gauged from the fact that I
don’t even remember it took place because no one really checked what each of us
had been doing in preceding years. Once
you are “in” you can go upto your retirement without doing very much or even
nothing at all. That is why even faculty
members have “doubts” about what is going on at CSDS. If so much is being admitted in the Minutes of
faculty meetings – where the actual offenders have a strong voice, one can well
imagine the actual state of affairs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ultimately,
after more than ten years of procrastination in<b> November 2011,</b> the Governing Board insisted on finalizing a set of
“Rules & Regulations”. These
include the following list of reasons for which leave can be granted:<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">a) Casual leave; b) Compensatory leave; c) Earned leave; d)
Academic leave; <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">e) Extraordinary leave; f) Parental leave; g) Child care
leave; h) Medical leave <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">i) Leave not due<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is
noteworthy that while listing various heads under which leave can be availed,
<b>the B.O.G. adopted “Rules” do not set any norm <span style="color: purple;">regarding the minimum number
of days in a year that a faculty member must be present at the CSDS. Therefore, there is official sanction to faculty
members remaining absent from the institution for indefinite periods on one
pretext or the other.</span> </b> Even though
the amount of leave granted under these rules errs on the side of generosity, yet
they have not been observed with any modicum of seriousness. <span style="color: purple;"><b>It needs reiterating that, in the absence
of any system of marking attendance, there is no way of affirming how many days
in a year faculty members actually show up at CSDS. Nor has the 8 hour working day specified in
the “Rules” approved by the Board ever been enforced at CSDS. Not surprisingly, faculty members come as and
when the</b>y <b>please, for as few or long hours as they please.</b> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: blue;">Most
revealing of all, as per Service Rules, the prescribed upper limit of leave
provided under the above mentioned categories can be extended by the director
in consultation with the Faculty Standing Committee leaving ground for
arbitrary favours to select few and sanctifying prolonged absenteeism with
official approval. </span><span style="color: purple;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: purple;"><b>Ironically,
even though there is no system of recording how many days in a year and for how
many hours in a day a particular faculty member attends the Centre, yet CSDS
follows the leave encashment provision applicable in Central and other
universities. Thus, even those who attend
the Centre only fitfully can get lakhs of rupees at the time of retirement by
way of leave encashment for up to 300 days simply because there is no system to
check how often a faculty member absented without applying for leave</b></span></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: purple;"><b>. </b></span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>The Fate of ‘8 Hours a Day, Five Day Working Week’ Rule</b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
most important part of this document is Rule 50(ii). It reads: “All members of the faculty are
expected in the usual course to be present on all working days except or
otherwise with prior intimation to the Director.” This mandates a five-day
working week, unless formal leave has been taken. This had to be sabotaged at
all costs because CSDS Coterie has come to believe that such demands can only
be made of lower species—namely the Class IV, Class III and admin staff—the
modern day Shudras, and not the high and mighty intellectuals that constitute
the faculty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
fact, it has become a common practice for even visiting scholars or short-term
fellowship holders not to show up for weeks or months on end without informing
the CSDS. Similarly, new faculty
members begin to adopt the same pattern of irresponsibility when they realize
that there is no system for keeping a check on them. Even those who are given
PhD or other fellowships by the CSDS do not have any attendance requirement.
Nor is any record maintained of the work they actually deliver. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Not
surprisingly the Minutes of Faculty meeting of <b>April 25, 2015</b> once again
record:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Director expressed his concern
about non-participation of many visiting faculty in the academic activities of
CSDS. He also expressed his concern
about the thin presence of regular faculty members in the academic activities
of CSDS.” <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Such
lack of interest of CSDS faculty in the activities of their own institution
being recorded in official meetings year after year raised the inevitable
question: Is it because the activities are not worthy of much interest?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Minutes
of <b>September 20, 2014</b> meeting record as follows: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“It was suggested by “some
members of the Board that the Centre should not allow the Visiting Fellows to
take break or long leave as the visiting fellowships are offered for a fixed
term”. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This
confirms my charge that Visiting Fellows often don’t find the time to “Visit”
the Centre often enough even while drawing handsome salaries from the
institution. Last year, under pressure
from the B.O.G. a system of making fellowship holders give one presentation in
a year was introduced. But this too
lacks a mechanism for evaluating the academic worth of the presentation. All
you get are polite oral comments by way of feedback, which the person concerned
may or may not heed at all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At the
time of approving rules for “Academic Leave” at the behest of the Board, it was
forcefully suggested by certain members of the Board including the Member
Secretary of ICSSR, that the rules operational in other ICSSR funded research
institutions (such as Institute of Economic Growth in Delhi University) be
applied to the CSDS. This was resisted
and rejected with determination. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Such
“flexibility has enabled the habitual jetsetters to find on one pretext or the
other to go abroad while drawing emoluments at the Centre, thus earning double
or maybe triple incomes. For instance,
the previous director remained abroad for large part of his seven year tenure
as head of the institution. On one occasion he was away ten months at a stretch
leaving the administration under charge of officiating directors. So frequent were his foreign jaunts, even by
the lax standards of CSDS that he was jokingly referred to as a “Visiting
Director”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;">No Account
of Extra Incomes From outside Assignments </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Yet
another issue that has defied regulation is pertaining to extra income from
consultancies and foreign assignments that faculty members routinely
undertake. They are not required to take
prior permission for taking on remunerative consultancies or teaching
assignments abroad. Nor are they
expected to disclose the extra income they earn from such assignments, leave
alone share a part of the extra income with the parent institution. There have been several instances whereby faculty
members went away for several months on highly paid teaching assignments abroad
while drawing full salary from the Centre.
It is only in 2011 that the Board insisted that in case a person is
getting full salary abroad in foreign currency, she/he cannot draw salary at
CSDS for that period. But there is no such restriction on getting hefty
honorariums for lectures abroad – which can amount to more than the salary.<b> </b>It is also common practice for faculty
members to claim that the remuneration given to them during their foreign
assignment is not “adequate”, therefore they should continue getting half their
salary at CSDS.<b> </b>The issue of
sharing a part of extra income with CSDS has been raised time and again in
faculty meetings as well as in Board meetings but the Ruling Coterie manages to
sabotage any such requirement even though the extra income is earned at the
cost of CSDS and the public exchequer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
this regard, the Minutes of Meeting of the Board of Governors held on <b>26<sup>th</sup> November 2011</b> recorded
as under:- <i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“7.6</span></i></b><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> The Director agreed that
the Board’s suggestion of including a section in the Rules on extra earnings by
the permanent staff through other assignments/consultancies will be done after
consulting the faculty. The Board suggested that if a permanent staff earns
more than Rs 1 lakh per annum, apart from his/her salary, through other outside
assignments/consultancies, he or she should take prior permission from the
director and 10% of such extra earnings will be given to the Centre</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">”. <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Needless
to say, the faculty never let the above mentioned Board approved rule be
implemented. Nor has anybody thus far
given 10 percent of the extra income from consultancies etc. to the Centre. The
issue of enforcement was conveniently shoved under the carpet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The above account shows how the Board of Governors has been reduced
to a hapless body, who begged and pleaded with the faculty for a whole decade
to adopt some measure of discipline in the organization. But they could not ensure the implementation of
those Rules even for a day. This is in
large part due to the fact that barring two representatives of ICSSR, all other
members of the Board are in effect appointed by the Ruling Coterie of the
faculty which not only decides who is to be put on the Board as faculty
representatives but also has arrogated to itself the power to decide who all
are to be invited from outside CSDS to be part of the Board. Since in the last
few years, BJP bashing & Modi demonization is the most valued “academic
activity” at CSDS, most members who are invited to the Board of Governors share
the Coterie’s pathological aversion to BJP.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: purple;">Coming back to the filibustering around Rules, in the next
part I will describe how the more than generous “Rules” adopted at the behest
of the Board began to be undermined and subverted within no time of their
adoption through the clever stratagem of appointing yet another Committee to
draft “Norms for Self Governance at CSDS.” The pathetic fate of this exercise
can be gauged from the fact that though the abovementioned Committee was
appointed in 2012, it has not condescended to finalize those norms till date!</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To be continued<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">See: <span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://madhukishwar.blogspot.in/2016/06/csds-saga-part-3_17.html">CSDS Saga Part 3</a>, <a href="http://madhukishwar.blogspot.in/2016/06/csds-saga-part-2.html#more" style="color: rgb(13, 70, 233) !important;">CSDS Saga Part 2</a>, <a href="https://madhukishwar.blogspot.in/2016/06/the-csds-saga-part-1.html" style="color: rgb(13, 70, 233) !important;">CSDS Saga Part 1</a> & also See: </span><a href="https://madhukishwar.blogspot.in/2016/05/csds-citadel-of-academic-freedom-being_21.html" style="background-color: white; color: #0d46e9; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px; text-align: justify;">CSDS: A Citadel of "Academic Freedom" Unmasked</a><a href="https://madhukishwar.blogspot.in/2016/05/csds-citadel-of-academic-freedom-being_21.html" style="background-color: white; color: #0d46e9; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px; text-align: justify;">"</a></span></div>
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madhukishwarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14753750751813113571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188722843562789620.post-82779215382902174312016-06-17T17:17:00.002+05:302016-06-27T17:11:09.134+05:30CSDS Saga Part 3<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue;">Violation of the Constitutional Mandate regarding SC/ST/OBC Reservations</span></h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; line-height: 115%;">The most serious example of abuse of the
government rules and legal requirements by the Ruling Coterie of CSDS is the
fulfillment of SC/ST/OBC quota in faculty and administrative
appointments. This is a serious violation for an institution getting 100%
of its funds by the government. Every year the ICSSR sends a letter to
CSDS stating clearly that it has to comply with a set of conditions, including
the reservation policy of GOI in order to qualify for grant-in-aid. But
this warning has been studiously ignored because the Ruling Coterie considers
itself above the law of the land.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; line-height: 115%;">This lapse has occurred despite the fact that
the CSDS prides itself on being a flag bearer for social justice. In
fact, former director DL Sheth was appointed Member (social scientist) of the National Commission
for Backward Classes from 1993 to 1996. Thus the
previous generation of CSDS is in large part responsible for the current
reservation policy and yet CSDS flouts it with impunity. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; line-height: 115%;">It is noteworthy that in the last Board
meeting held on <b>April 9, 2016 </b>the ICSSR representatives let it
be known that its grant-in-aid may be withdrawn unless concrete amends are made
in this regard because its acts of omission and commission on this issue are in
violation of the declared norms in Rule 10(ii) and also against the spirit of
Article 46 of the Constitution. The ICSSR grant is conditional to CSDS
observing all GOI Rules and constitutional commitments and yet this mandate was
being fluted. The Coterie is in panic because the ICSSR also put on hold
the recent appointments of Associate Fellows made by the CSDS Selection
Committee. Even these 2016 appointments did not observe the mandatory
requirement of SC/ST/OBC quota.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; line-height: 115%;">Thus far, CSDS has only paid lip service to
the reservation policy by merely stating in its advertisements for new
vacancies that all things being equal, the institution will give preference to
SC/ST/OBC candidates but it has continually evaded the mandatory quotas when
making selections. This speaks volumes about its commitment to social
justice. These worthies are good at writing academic tracts and holding
conferences on subaltern groups but don’t find them good enough to work with as
colleagues.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;">See: <a href="http://madhukishwar.blogspot.in/2016/06/csds-saga-part-2.html#more">CSDS Saga Part 2</a>, <a href="https://madhukishwar.blogspot.in/2016/06/the-csds-saga-part-1.html">CSDS Saga Part 1</a> & also See: </span><a href="https://madhukishwar.blogspot.in/2016/05/csds-citadel-of-academic-freedom-being_21.html" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;">CSDS: A Citadel of "Academic Freedom" Unmasked</a><a href="https://madhukishwar.blogspot.in/2016/05/csds-citadel-of-academic-freedom-being_21.html" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px; text-decoration: none;">"</a></span></div>
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madhukishwarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14753750751813113571noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188722843562789620.post-27650346411709663652016-06-04T16:54:00.000+05:302016-06-17T17:55:35.697+05:30CSDS Saga Part 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">Lawlessness in the Name of "Self-Governance" at CSDS</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">None Called to Account for Non Performance or Absenteeism</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222;">In Part 1 of this
series, I had provided a glimpse of lawless regime operating at CSDS whereby
there is no system of marking attendance, no limit on the amount of time
faculty members can spend on varied assignments abroad, no need to
declare the extra income earned from these parallel careers and
remunerative consultancies with the likes of Ford Foundation. I had also
described how the absence of academic audit of faculty members who are employed
for full time research without any teaching load in effect means you can get
away with doing practically nothing for years on end or using the institution
for political pamphleteering instead of academic studies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222;">The founding fathers
of CSDS had conceptualized this institution to be a haven of academic freedom
where each faculty member was free to decide the content, quality and pace of his
own work. However, even in the heydays of CSDS, this model threw up serious
challenges. As per the version given by CSDS seniors, in the 1980's three senior colleagues,</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222;"> namely Prof Ali Baquar, Prof Sudhir Kakkar and Prof Vijay Pillai had gotten into the
habit of coming to CSDS just once a week on Wednesday for a couple of hours even though they
held full time faculty positions at CSDS. Therefore, they came to be sarcastically referred to as the <i>Budhwari </i>group.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222;">They were repeatedly reminded that CSDS required their regular presence as faculty members in order for CSDS to provide a vibrant collegiate for scholars. Unfortunately, Baquar, Kakkar and Pillai refused to mend their ways. This tussle went on for 2-3 years. Finally, as a measure of enforcing discipline, marking daily attendance was made mandatory to drive home the point that regular presence at the Centre was an essential requirement of the job. Before that there was no system of marking attendance or fixed working hours at CSDS. Since Baquar, Kakkar and Pillai chose not to abide by the newly introduced attendance system, they were told to either accept the minimal discipline required of a faculty member or quit. To quote one of the seniors, "We told them even if you come and write love letters while at CSDS, we have no problem. But you can't escape showing up regularly on the plea that you work better at home." As the conflict over this issue mounted, Baquar and Kakkar resigned in 1990 and Vijay Pillai who tried improving his attendance for a couple of years but failed to keep up, also resigned in 1994. In short, even a highly acclaimed luminary like Sudhir Kakar, whose academic output excelled that of most others was made to quit the Centre since he was unwilling to show up regularly. </span><span style="color: #222222;">(</span><span style="color: blue;">It is likely that these professors have a totally different version of this conflict. Prof Sudhir Kakkar has in fact given his version in his recent autobiographical book. But I am only using the version handed down to us by seniors at CSDS</span><span style="color: #222222;">)</span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222;">But today, even outright wastrels are not called to account. </span><span style="color: #222222;">This is in part due to the fact that the system of marking attendance was discontinued after securing the resignations of the above mentioned three faculty members in the hope that the lesson had been driven home. At the same time, even the barest minimum academic audit was not introduced to counterbalance the absence of attendance rules.</span><br />
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222;">Not surprisingly, as the
founding members of CSDS began retiring one by one and new faculty members took
over the institution, the culture of “self governance” and “self motivation”
gave way to a situation of lawlessness and total disregard for disciplinary
norms expected of publicly funded institutions. Today there is no
effective system at the CSDS for marking attendance or keeping honest account
of leaves taken. Faculty members are in the habit of absenting themselves
for days, weeks and even months at length without applying for leave or even
informing the Centre. There is no requirement for an 8 hour work day, 5
days a week as in all public funded educational institutions. The members
come and go as they please with no record of their comings and goings.
For the last many years I was among the few who repeatedly raised this matter
in faculty meetings and insisted that there be a proper attendance system, but
to no avail. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222;">The Ruling Coterie
does not want any restrictions that will apply to them as well. A number of
faculty members spend more time in jet setting abroad than they do working at
CSDS. Even when in Delhi, their attendance at the Centre is highly
erratic. During the summer months in particular, faculty attendance CSDS
becomes even more irregular and whimsical. The place is as good as
deserted but for the presence of administrative staff.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222;">There is also a
“class” angle to this culture of <i>aiyyashi. </i>Members of the the
administrative staff as well as Class IV employees are all expected to mark attendance and observe proper
rules and procedures for taking leave. It is only the higher species that
constitute the academic faculty who are exempt from observing norms of
discipline. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222;">This casual attitude has persisted despite the fact that in 2011, the Board of Governors managed to adopt formal "Service Rules" for the faculty despite much resistance and decade long attempts at filibustering and delay tactics by the Ruling Coterie of the faculty. </span><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Norms of Discipline Never Invoked Even against Habitual Absentees</span></b><br />
<div>
<b><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></b></div>
</div>
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As per Rule
41 of “Service Rules” <i><span style="color: blue;">nominally</span></i> adopted by the Board of Governors, the unsatisfactory work performance, contravention
of rules and regulations of the Centre, unethical professional conduct, amongst
others, would invite disciplinary action, which ultimately may lead to a series
of penalties including suspension and dismissal. As per Rule 44, the Authority
competent to impose such penalty is the Director
in case of<b> </b>all administrative posts and support staff posts and, for all faculty
posts, the Board of Governors on the recommendations of a Disciplinary
Committee appointed by the Board.<o:p></o:p></div>
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However, ever since the Current Ruling Coterie came to dominate, no one
has been called to account or subjected to disciplinary action. This includes faculty members who absent
themselves for indefinite periods and do not do a spot of work or are
performing far below par.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Here is a particularly outrageous example, which provides a glimpse
into the farce of “self-governance” at CSDS.
One of the older faculty members (let’s call him Dr S) has the habit of
disappearing for weeks, and even months on end without informing anybody. For years he has not published anything
whatsoever. Even when he comes for the
annual faculty retreats, he never submits anything resembling a paper for
presentation. Apart from academic non
performance, his personal conduct is often bizarre. He once assaulted senior colleague Ashis
Nandy and broke the table-top glass while attempting to fling the table at
Nandy in the Director’s room. All this happened without any provocation
whatsoever.<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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I was among the few who pushed the then Director to initiate
disciplinary action in this case.
Consequently, a special committee consisting of three faculty members, headed
by me, was set up to recommend the course of action. I was insistent that the situation called for
firm action, especially since the person concerned had begun accusing various
members of the Centre’s faculty of trying to eliminate him through serial bomb
blasts. Needless to say the allegations
were product of either a seriously disturbed or a devious mind. The Committee invited Dr S for a discussion
on <b>February 3, 2011</b>. He neither
turned up nor acknowledged the letter asking him to show cause.<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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I took the trouble to get in touch with his family in Punjab. They too complained about his irresponsible
and odd behaviour. He had not only
unilaterally abandoned his wife and child but had cut off all ties even with
his parents. In fact, the family were very insistent that CSDS should help the wife and son of Dr S to get a maintenance allowance from his salary. Realising that Dr S may have serious problems, I consulted a top-notch
psychiatrist. The succession of
psychotic emails sent by Dr S to faculty members convinced the psychiatrist
that this case required medical attention. <br />
<br />
<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I kept insisting that a legal notice be served on him for frequent and
long disappearances without informing anyone.
Even when he comes to the Centre, he behaves most erratically, at times
even menacingly. The Director asked me
to organize a consultation with an appropriate lawyer in this regard. I expeditiously arranged for an advocate to
come and meet the Director and other committee members. On examining the facts of the case, the advocate
opined that a strong case could be built against Dr S whose conduct merited strong
disciplinary action. Ironically, even though I had led the Committee, done all the spade work, it was Shail Mayaram who arbitrarily took on the task of writing the Report on behalf of the Committee. It was no surprise that the Recommendations she came up with were altogether toothless and wishy washy, suggesting that Dr S be advised to go on medical leave! When I protested, I was told we must move step by step and not be hasty in dealing with a colleague.<br />
<br />
Needless to say, no one took the trouble to talk to Dr S nor was he persuaded to go on leave. He was left to rot in lonely splendour and the matter was shoved under the carpet. Other than occasional references to the case of Dr S in
faculty meetings, the Director did not take any action whatsoever. But since a couple of Board members were
aware of the seriousness of the problem, they kept raising the issue. Three years after the above-mentioned
incidents, the Minutes of B.O.G. meeting held on <b>April 19, 2014</b> note as
follows:</div>
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<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<b><i>3. (iv) </i></b><i>The Board observed the continuous
non-participation of a faculty member in the Centre’s activities including
routine faculty meeting. The Board
suggested that the Director should write to the concerned faculty member asking
for explanation. It was also suggested
that the Director should discuss the issue with the faculty and report back to
the Board in its next meeting.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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As always, nothing much came of it.
Thus, the Minutes of B.O.G. meeting held on <b>September 20, 2014</b>
record as follows:<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>The issue of non-cooperation and
non-participation by one faculty member in Centre’s activities since last 3-4
years came up for discussion. It was
noted by the members that one particular faculty member did not submit the
annual academic report to the Director during last four-five years. The former Director reported to the Board
describing all the efforts he made during his tenure as Director to make this
faculty member participate in Centre’s activities. He reported that he had requested the
concerned person several times to meet the Director to discuss the issue and to
sort out the problems if any. But the
person never responded to any of his messages and he continued to be
non-participant in the Centre’s activities and was absent even from the faculty
meetings.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>The Board members expressed their concern on
this complete non-cooperation by one faculty member, which could create moral
hazard problems in the institute and emphasized on the need for necessary steps
to be taken on this issue. The Board
members authorized the Director to take disciplinary action in conformity with
established due process.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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This was actually an understatement because Dr S has been behaving in
the same manner for very long years, not just since 2011. No serious efforts were made by the Director
to establish any communication with him except serving him a show cause notice,
which he did not even bother to respond to.
And yet no disciplinary action was initiated for his frequent and
prolonged absenteeism and non-performance.
The Minutes of <b>May 2, 2015</b> record as follows:<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<i>The Board noted that the non-cooperative
faculty member, XYZ responded much better than earlier to the show cause notice
served to him and had at least started attending some of the Centre’s
activities and faculty meetings. The
Board suggested that if the Faculty feels that further action is needed to
improve his academic performance they can do so after following due process.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<i>It was also suggested that the Centre should
formulate a Human Resource (H.R.) Policy/regulatory process to ascertain the
performance of the faculty and if the Faculty feels this can be placed before
the Board for its advice. <br /><br /><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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It is clear from the above that the Director felt it was enough if Dr S
shows up at CSDS once in a while without doing anything whatsoever. But even the pretence of that mild
improvement did not last for long. This
is why the Minutes of <b>September 13 2015</b> again take cognisance of Dr S
case but without arriving at any decision.
To quote:<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<i>The Board suggested that [Dr S’s] case should
be dealt separately from the evaluation process for the Faculty discussed
earlier in the meeting. The Faculty
should give considerable consideration to this matter and suggest an
appropriate solution. <br /><br /><o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: blue;">This indifference towards Dr S’s bizarre behaviour (which could even be
a put on act to escape accountability) and the reluctance of the CSDS Ruling Coterie
to take appropriate action is not due to any fondness for the man. </span> In fact, barring me, no one even bothers to
talk to him or even acknowledge his presence.
The unwillingness of CSDS to call Dr S to account is due to the
following reasons:</div>
<ol>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">In case
he is suspended or have his services terminated for absenting himself without
leave, Dr S could easily go and challenge the action in Court by alleging that
the charges of disappearance or erratic attendance are false since the CSDS
does not maintain any record of attendance.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">CSDS would thus find it impossible to prove that Dr S is unique in
acting in an irresponsible manner.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Moreover, once the matter reaches the Court, the Court could well ask CSDS
why they have failed to observe elementary discipline expected of public funded
institutions.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">The sad truth is that
while Dr S may represent an extreme case of indiscipline but the others have
also acted whimsically in matters of attendance and academic output without
inviting any adverse consequences;</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Even with regard to academic non-performance,
if the CSDS was dragged to court, Dr S could well argue in his defence that
there is no system in place for academic audit at CSDS.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">No one has ever been issued show cause notice
on account of non-performance.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Therefore, how could he be singled out for disciplinary action?</span></li>
</ol>
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">In short, CSDS is afraid to take action even against those whose
conduct has been outrageous even by outrageously liberal standards in place at
CSDS lest it open up the well covered can of worms forcing the government to
intervene and establish due norms. </span><a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Administrator/Desktop/New%20Microsoft%20Office%20Word%20Document.docx#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></span></span></a><br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<br />
Needless to say, apart from our ideological differences, I did not endear myself to the Ruling Coterie by insisting that regular
attendance system be introduced along with proper independent academic audit of
faculty members as well as honest declaration of extra income at the cost of
CSDS. That is why I was systematically
excluded from Committees for drafting “Rules & Regulations” for CSDS
faculty. (<span style="color: blue;">Of this more in a later section)</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue;">See: <a href="https://madhukishwar.blogspot.in/2016/06/the-csds-saga-part-1.html">CSDS Saga Part 1</a> & also See: </span><a href="https://madhukishwar.blogspot.in/2016/05/csds-citadel-of-academic-freedom-being_21.html" style="color: rgb(13, 70, 233) !important; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px; text-decoration: none;">CSDS: A Citadel of "Academic Freedom" Unmasked"</a></div>
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<i style="text-align: right;"> ...To be continued</i></div>
<br />
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<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Administrator/Desktop/New%20Microsoft%20Office%20Word%20Document.docx#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><b><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></b></span><!--[endif]--></b></span></a>
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">My
Personal Track Record: </span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Even though I was powerless in changing
the work culture at CSDS, I made sure I didn’t get sucked into the <i>aiyyashi</i>
prevalent at CSDS. Despite my active
involvement in numerous social causes and public engagements, I invariably
informed the office whenever I had to attend some meeting or deliver lectures
or even take casual leave. <span style="color: blue;">Moreover,
I along with my team of research assistants and interns worked on all Saturdays
as well as on many holidays including Gandhi Jayanti – when the Centre is officially
closed. My personal office at CSDS has
maintained an attendance register even for interns and volunteers, not just for
regular research assistants.</span> Since I am of the view that the Government of
India has been excessively generous in announcing holidays to placate different
vote banks,<b> </b>I allow my assistants and myself far fewer holidays than
officially sanctioned by the Government of India. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="color: blue;">As a matter of fact, in 2001, I moved from my apartment in South Delhi to a rented accommodation in Civil Lines in order to be close to CSDS so that like many others I don’t get into the habit of using distance and traffic jams as an excuse for absenting myself from CSDS.</span><b> </b>Even though I have has been accepting invitations for lectures outside Delhi and even abroad, I have never disappeared for weeks, or months on end for foreign assignments as several other faculty members are prone to do. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="color: blue;">My stringent work ethic is evident from the fact that since 2004, when LTC provision was first introduced at CSDS, I have availed of my LTC allowance only once in 2014, that too for medical treatment. (LTC can be availed for travel anywhere within India only if one takes leave for ten days at a stretch). </span><b><o:p></o:p></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Even though the working hours at CSDS are 9.30 am to 6.00 pm which are observed only in breach by most of the CSDS faculty, but it was fairly common for me and my team of interns/assistants to work till 9 or 10 pm, sometimes even till midnight.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span>Needless to say, at CSDS, hard work does</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"> not win you any credit. All that matters is your ability to ingratiate yourself to the Ruling Coterie by remaining unquestioningly loyal to their pet hatreds and partisan agendas or by your genius in wooing foreign funding agencies and bringing in loads of foreign grants.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="text-align: start;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Its only in the last year and a half that I reduced the number of hours I spent at CSDS partly because of health problems but in large part due to the fact that being at CSDS had become more and more stressful on account of the outright hostility I faced after my study of Modi's tenure as CM of Gujarat which culminated in the book, <i>Modi, Muslims and Media </i>published in 2014<i>. </i>After that I was treated as a virtual pariah and subjected to all manners of attack and vilification.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span>
</div>
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madhukishwarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14753750751813113571noreply@blogger.com1