Monday, June 29, 2015
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Thursday, June 25, 2015
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
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Friday, June 19, 2015
Dr.JP's Letter to PM, Union HM and Governor on AP, TS Cases
The following is the text of Loksatta Party founder President Dr.Jayaprakash Narayan’s letter to the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Union Home Minister and Governor of AP and Telangana.
19th June, 2015
Shri Narendra Modi
Prime Minister of India
152, South Block, Raisina Hill,
New Delhi-110011
Esteemed Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji,
One year after the contentious bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh (AP) and the creation of Telangana State (TS), visceral passions and parochial polarization are once again emerging as serious threats in the two States.
Already, the past year had witnessed acrimonious and disquieting discords between the two State governments, especially over allotment of officers and staff including officials of all-India services, creation of a separate High Court, common governmental institutions, college admission and financial assistance for students, and management of irrigation projects where the police of the two states had even fought a pitched battle in Nagarjunasagar - an unprecedented event in modern India. During such episodes, the governments and political leaders in both States had deliberately and calculatedly indulged in partisan rhetoric aimed at rousing regional sentiments and scoring cheap political points. Yet, the lives of the vast majority of ordinary citizens have remained peaceful during this period.
However, the latest episode of party defections and attempted vote-buying before the recent elections to the TS Legislative Council, the related allegations and counter-allegations including telephone tapping, and the subsequent developments in both States present a far graver challenge: ranged on diametrically opposing sides are the Chief Ministers along with the respective cabinets, senior government officials, law-and-order and security machineries and the political leaders. In both the States, the day-to-day governance, normal developmental agenda and virtually the entire administrative machinery all have become hostages of this war-like atmosphere. Relentless, partisan and sensational media coverage is only accentuating the regional disharmony. The deteriorating tone and tenor of the public discourse and the surcharged atmosphere in both States have become mutually reinforcing.
The repeated and reckless public utterances of the two Chief Ministers and the manner of deployment of the security personnel and investigative agencies in the two States have created the wide and deep impression that the police and investigative agencies are serving only the partisan interests of their respective political masters rather than the cause of rule-of-law and justice. In such a vitiated atmosphere, any enquiry and investigation conducted by State-level investigative agencies such as the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in the case of Telangana or the Special Investigative Team (SIT) in the case of Andhra Pradesh, would seriously suffer from lack of credibility and broader acceptability. Even if the investigative agencies act fairly, public opinion is likely to be mobilized and polarized by political parties for partisan ends, further vitiating the atmosphere.
Therefore the Union Government must immediately step in to reconcile the conflict between the two State governments and restore the spirit of harmony and cooperation. The first step in such an effort would be to ensure an impartial and credible investigation into this entire vote-buying episode and alleged telephone tapping by handing them over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Only a clinical, comprehensive and dispassionate investigation by the CBI – one that is insulated from the narrow politics of the two States and also is immediately undertaken and quickly completed – can ensure that the truth comes out and people’s faith in the rule-of-law is restored.
Simultaneously, the Union Government must play a greater and proactive role to ensure the smooth resolution of all outstanding bifurcation-related issues between the two States, especially those arising out of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. Only such an effort could promote harmony through effective and permanent solutions that also carry credibility among the public in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana States.
We urge you to immediately act to defuse the situation and restore harmony and civility between the governments and people of the two Telugu States.
With warm personal regards,
Yours sincerely,
Jayaprakash Narayan
Founder, Loksatta
19th June, 2015
Shri Narendra Modi
Prime Minister of India
152, South Block, Raisina Hill,
New Delhi-110011
Esteemed Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji,
One year after the contentious bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh (AP) and the creation of Telangana State (TS), visceral passions and parochial polarization are once again emerging as serious threats in the two States.
Already, the past year had witnessed acrimonious and disquieting discords between the two State governments, especially over allotment of officers and staff including officials of all-India services, creation of a separate High Court, common governmental institutions, college admission and financial assistance for students, and management of irrigation projects where the police of the two states had even fought a pitched battle in Nagarjunasagar - an unprecedented event in modern India. During such episodes, the governments and political leaders in both States had deliberately and calculatedly indulged in partisan rhetoric aimed at rousing regional sentiments and scoring cheap political points. Yet, the lives of the vast majority of ordinary citizens have remained peaceful during this period.
However, the latest episode of party defections and attempted vote-buying before the recent elections to the TS Legislative Council, the related allegations and counter-allegations including telephone tapping, and the subsequent developments in both States present a far graver challenge: ranged on diametrically opposing sides are the Chief Ministers along with the respective cabinets, senior government officials, law-and-order and security machineries and the political leaders. In both the States, the day-to-day governance, normal developmental agenda and virtually the entire administrative machinery all have become hostages of this war-like atmosphere. Relentless, partisan and sensational media coverage is only accentuating the regional disharmony. The deteriorating tone and tenor of the public discourse and the surcharged atmosphere in both States have become mutually reinforcing.
The repeated and reckless public utterances of the two Chief Ministers and the manner of deployment of the security personnel and investigative agencies in the two States have created the wide and deep impression that the police and investigative agencies are serving only the partisan interests of their respective political masters rather than the cause of rule-of-law and justice. In such a vitiated atmosphere, any enquiry and investigation conducted by State-level investigative agencies such as the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in the case of Telangana or the Special Investigative Team (SIT) in the case of Andhra Pradesh, would seriously suffer from lack of credibility and broader acceptability. Even if the investigative agencies act fairly, public opinion is likely to be mobilized and polarized by political parties for partisan ends, further vitiating the atmosphere.
Therefore the Union Government must immediately step in to reconcile the conflict between the two State governments and restore the spirit of harmony and cooperation. The first step in such an effort would be to ensure an impartial and credible investigation into this entire vote-buying episode and alleged telephone tapping by handing them over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Only a clinical, comprehensive and dispassionate investigation by the CBI – one that is insulated from the narrow politics of the two States and also is immediately undertaken and quickly completed – can ensure that the truth comes out and people’s faith in the rule-of-law is restored.
Simultaneously, the Union Government must play a greater and proactive role to ensure the smooth resolution of all outstanding bifurcation-related issues between the two States, especially those arising out of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. Only such an effort could promote harmony through effective and permanent solutions that also carry credibility among the public in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana States.
We urge you to immediately act to defuse the situation and restore harmony and civility between the governments and people of the two Telugu States.
With warm personal regards,
Yours sincerely,
Jayaprakash Narayan
Founder, Loksatta
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
800th anniversary of Magna Carta celebrated
Speakers at a programme organised on the occasion of 800th anniversary of declaration of Magna Carta in Karimnagar on Monday have opined that the democracy was surviving in more than 100 countries in the world because of inspiration given by Magna Carta.
The programme was jointly organised by Lok Satta Udyama Samstha and Indian Institute of Public administration (IIPA) at Lok Satta office.
Lok Satta district president N. Srinivas said that the Indian constitution borrowed the fundamental rights from the Magna Carta, following which the country opposed the emergency period.
He also said that the United Nations General Assembly, while declaring Human Rights Day remembered the Magna Carta. Consumer activists R. Chandra Prabhakar, K.C. Reddy, Gangadhar and others pledged to be vigilant for the implementation of Rule of Law. Several whistle-blowers were also present.
Courtesy: The Hindu
The programme was jointly organised by Lok Satta Udyama Samstha and Indian Institute of Public administration (IIPA) at Lok Satta office.
Lok Satta district president N. Srinivas said that the Indian constitution borrowed the fundamental rights from the Magna Carta, following which the country opposed the emergency period.
He also said that the United Nations General Assembly, while declaring Human Rights Day remembered the Magna Carta. Consumer activists R. Chandra Prabhakar, K.C. Reddy, Gangadhar and others pledged to be vigilant for the implementation of Rule of Law. Several whistle-blowers were also present.
Courtesy: The Hindu
Monday, June 15, 2015
Time to check lacunae in Indian democracy, says JP
Speaking on the occasion of the 800th year of Magna Carta, Lok Satta Party founder president Jayaprakash Narayan said that the time to review the functioning of democracy in India had arrived.
Magna Carta, a charter of rights that paved the way for representative democracy, right to vote and liberty was written by a group of 13th century Barons to protect their rights and property against a tyrannical king. Commenting on India’s political affairs, Dr. Narayan said that a lust for power, purchase of votes, inappropriate freebies and creation of divisions among sections of society had brought down people’s faith in a democracy but one need not become despondent. He said it was time to inculcate a culture of working effectively and quietly.
Indian democracy can mature faster if the country gets thoughtful, sincere and committed leaders.
Courtesy: The Hindu
Magna Carta, a charter of rights that paved the way for representative democracy, right to vote and liberty was written by a group of 13th century Barons to protect their rights and property against a tyrannical king. Commenting on India’s political affairs, Dr. Narayan said that a lust for power, purchase of votes, inappropriate freebies and creation of divisions among sections of society had brought down people’s faith in a democracy but one need not become despondent. He said it was time to inculcate a culture of working effectively and quietly.
Indian democracy can mature faster if the country gets thoughtful, sincere and committed leaders.
Courtesy: The Hindu
Sunday, June 14, 2015
RTE failed to yield results, says JP
The Right To Education (RTE) has failed to yield the expected results and soon the Lok Satta would come out with an alternate model, said Lok Satta founder Jayaprakash Narayan.
Since the legislation came into force, the enrolment in government schools dropped by 10 per cent, while in private schools the enrolment has gone up by 40 per cent. “We will soon submit alternate model legislation before the Telangana government,” he said.
Mr. Narayan was here to take part in training camp for volunteers of Lok Satta Udyama Samstha on Saturday.
He favoured promotion of small and medium industries to generate employment and economy in Telangana. He appreciated the government in tackling the power crisis and also praised the Mission Kakatiya as good programme which holds future with one time investment.
The Lok Satta leader alleged that one ruling party MLA in Telangana demanded Rs. 2 crore from people to provide drinking water. However, he refused to elaborate further and said he would reveal more at an appropriate time. Lok Satta advisor Parcha Kodandarama Rao and Srinivas were also present.
Courtesy: The Hindu
Since the legislation came into force, the enrolment in government schools dropped by 10 per cent, while in private schools the enrolment has gone up by 40 per cent. “We will soon submit alternate model legislation before the Telangana government,” he said.
Mr. Narayan was here to take part in training camp for volunteers of Lok Satta Udyama Samstha on Saturday.
He favoured promotion of small and medium industries to generate employment and economy in Telangana. He appreciated the government in tackling the power crisis and also praised the Mission Kakatiya as good programme which holds future with one time investment.
The Lok Satta leader alleged that one ruling party MLA in Telangana demanded Rs. 2 crore from people to provide drinking water. However, he refused to elaborate further and said he would reveal more at an appropriate time. Lok Satta advisor Parcha Kodandarama Rao and Srinivas were also present.
Courtesy: The Hindu
