Liberhan Commission Submits Babri Demolition Report

By Manuwant Choudhary

The demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya was a shame to all Indians but what is equally shameful is that the Commission set up to inquire into the demolition should take 17 years to submit its report and that too after 48 extensions and costing the government of India 8 crore rupees.

And nobody yet knows whether Justice Liberhan, a retired Supreme Court judge, has come any closer to the truth.

The truth is what I write not in a volumnous commission report but in this blog in just a few lines.

The truth is BJP leaders wanted the demolition of the mosque.

The truth is when the mosque was being demolished they remained present and did not dissassociate themselves from the violent acts by moving away, rather they stood and watched, even celebrated...some loudly others quietly but celebrate they did.

They could sense they were finally close to cornering Hindu votes and hence grabbing political power in Delhi.

For L.K. Advani it was a culmination of his decades of struggle - a sense of fulfillment.

And for the Congress it meant the Muslims would remain a scared lot and continue voting for it.

If I were Prime Minister the act of demolition of the Babri Masjid would have been treated like a pure criminal matter under the Indian Penal Code.

L.K. Advani would not be in parliament - by now he would have served a term in prison and would be leading a quiet life.

And the nation spared the communal riots that followed.

I await to see the findings of the Liberhan Commission Report and I would agree with senior advocate Prashant Bhushan who says the report should have come within six months.

And yet, I do not really care for such commssions anymore.

Nor for our politicians.

My former editor Behram Contractor had this comment in his famous Round & About column "When we destroyed the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya we did not destroy a mosque or even Islam. We destroyed Hinduism."

Its an irony that just a few days ago as part of a soul-searching exercise of a defeated BJP, Mr. Advani said Hindutva is `liberal and tolerant'.

But by his own definition of hindutva...the acts at Ayodhya were simply neither liberal nor tolerant.

I Am A Maoist

A Jharkhand based website newswing.com gives this first person account of `The Making of a Maoist' of how a poor tribal in Communist-ruled West Bengal is forced into becoming a Maoist by The State although he has no such desire.....

By Manoj

My name is Manoj. It’s not the name my parents gave me, but all my comrades call me ‘Manoj’. My father’s name is Dhiren Murmu. I am his second son and I am 25. I was born at Bamundanga village in Salboni. I’ve lived most of my life in this hopeless village.

Our village falls under the Kansijora gram panchayat. The Left Front has been in power here for 30 years. Salboni has always been a CPM stronghold. But, in 30 years, neither the state government, nor the panchayat and Zilla Parishad took any interest at all in developing this area. We might have been living in the Stone Age.

When it rains here, the dirt tracks turn muddy and we are forced to drag ourselves and our cattle through the muck. We are not able to ride our bicycles or use carts. We don’t have clean drinking water. People are forced to drink filthy, yellow water. After sunset, we live in the dark as there is no electricity here. No jobs either. During the paddy season, we work in the fields and then sit idle for the rest of the year. Because we are tribals, no one has bothered to do anything for us.

In 2002, we got tired of being treated like rodents. So, the villagers got together and demanded development in our area. This infuriated the local CPM bosses. The police and Marxists slapped false cases on us, accusing us of working for the People’s War Group (PWG). They branded us Maoists. So we began to think we might as well join the Maoists.

Things turned nasty quickly. The former police superintendent of West Midnapore, K C Meena, lodged an FIR against the entire village. Nearly 90% of the men and teenage boys were charged with being Naxalite. We knew what was coming. We had to do something to save ourselves.

I was just 18 at the time. I was in class XII at the local school. But, I too joined in protests against the police. Within days, the police filed a case against me, my father and brother. They accused all of us of working for the PWG. We had nothing to do with the PWG. Our family has always supported the Congress party. In 1998, when Mamata Banerjee formed the Trinamool Congress (TMC), we switched loyalty to her.

One day, police jeeps rolled into our village, picked up people from their houses, bundled everyone into their vehicles and dumped all of us into the Midnapore jail. That was where I first met Maoist leader Sushil Roy. I found the Maoist ideology very appealing. Roy asked me to join the Maoists so that I could help the poor. I liked his ideas. Then I met two PWG leaders in prison. And I realized that neither Congress nor the TMC can stop the CPM’s terror. I also realized that under CPM rule, we had lost the right to speak up. It was time to take a stand and speak up.

I joined the Maoists. They gave me a new name, a new identity and a new life. Now, I work for the Lalgarh movement. I joined this great surge of people last year. On November 5, the police arrived here looking for people who had blasted landmines at chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya’s convoy at Salboni. In Lalgarh, the police rounded up innocent tribal women and began to molest and torture them. One woman lost an eye. Others were badly injured. After this incident, we decided to join the Lalgarh movement. It was our party’s decision. The Maoists always stand with the deprived. We joined them at Nandigram and Singur. Now, we have joined them in Lalgarh.

It’s been easy for us to win the people’s support. Most of them have been victims of torture by police. The people listened to us and joined the Peoples’ Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA). Opposition party workers have also supported us. Everybody is rebelling against the CPM cadre and police.

We know the government forces want to crush us. But, we plan to expand our area of influence. As soon as we are able to turn Lalgarh and Junglemahal (a forested area spanning three districts - Bankura, Purulia and West Midnapore) into a Maoist-dominated area, we will apply our ideology here. We will undertake development work for the poor. We will raise money through public donations. And nobody will pay tax to the government anymore.

After victory at Lalgarh, we will expand our fight to the tribal communities of Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa and Chattisgarh. Our war has just begun.

Profile of a rebel:

Once peaceful forest-dwellers, now they challenge the Indian state. Here’s a profile of that little-known species, the typical Indian Maoist
Age - 18 to 30 years
Gender - Both male and female
Ethnic stock - Austro-Asiatic (tribal/indigenous people) Linguistic group - Austro-Asiatic (tribal) and old Dravidian dialects
Income group - Below poverty line ( Rs 12 per person per day)
Occupation - Small peasant, landless labour, jobless, jungle-dweller
Area of operation - UP, MP, W Bengal, Orissa, Bihar, Jharkhand Chhattisgarh, AP, Maharashtra and Karnataka political affiliation - CPI (Maoist)
other names - Naxalite, Red ultra, terrorist

Maoists In Numbers
Total number 50,000
Number of armed rebels 20,000
Area under control One-fifth of India’s forests
Active in 165 of the country’s 604 districts

From Naxalbari to Lalgarh: Such a long journey down the road to revolution
1960s
Inspired by Mao Zedong, Charu Majumdar and Kanu Sanyal of the CPI (Marxist) develop a “revolutionary opposition” to the party. They lead a violent Santhal uprising in West Bengal’s Naxalbari village in 1967. Later, they break away from the CPI(M). Uprisings are organized in several parts of the country. In 1969, CPI (Marxist-Leninist) takes birth
1970s
The radical leftists fragment and the CPI (ML) becomes weaker across the country. This causes regional groups such as the Maoist Communist Centre, which evolved out of the Dakshin Desh-group, to strengthen in Bihar and Jharkhand and the People’s War Group to assume leadership of the armed rebels in Andhra Pradesh and adjoining states
1980-90s At least 30 Naxalite groups are thought to be active across the country, with a combined membership of around 30,000 activists. But their differences over their perceived “revolutionary” roles often result in bloody battles. Many groups, particularly in Bihar and AP, are accused of land-grabbing and extortion …

India Tests Pakistani Soil !

By Manuwant Choudhary

When Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh returned last night from Russia- to receive him at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport apart from the usual sycophants were two men in white gowns..no they were not a part of the doctors team to attend to Dr. Singh's heart..but scientists from the agricultural research centre PUSA.

In a clear break from traditions...Dr. Singh did not shake hands with his ministers but he was immediately taken to the airports VVIP lounge accompanied by only the two scientists.

The scientists new task was to carefully take `soil samples' from Dr. Singh's hands since he had shook the hands of Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari and then check for terror virus to give Pakistan and the world further and conclusive proof of terrorists in Pakistani soil.

So carefully the scientists got to work.

Manmohan Singh showed them his hands. "Fast do it fast..I've not washed my hands since I shook hands with Mr. Zardari. Plus, I've promised to make every Indian rich in a 100 days."

Scientist 1 , "Sure, Sir. but we have to be careful u know. You are after all the Prime Minister. Your hand is the Congress hand."

Scientist 2, "We were very worried about your Russia visit, sir."

Dr. Singh, "But why?"

Scientist 2, "The last time an Indian Prime Minister went to Russia to talk peace with Pakistan..he never returned alive."

Dr. Singh, "You mean Lal Bahadur Shastri in Takshkent."

Scientist 1, "Yes, yes thats what we mean..plus the Russians told the Indians then that our PM Shastriji died of a heart attack and we were so worried because you do have a heart problem. Shastriji never had a heart problem even."

Dr. Singh, "I understand. I have to take these risks in the national interest. After all if I cannot protect India, who can? See how I embarassed Mr. Zardari by telling him to fight his own terrorists."

Scientist 1, "Sir we will do our best to do the soil test as soon as possible."

The samples taken..to the high-tech lab in PUSA...the scientists secretly get to work. Only thing they did not know that indiavikalp had planned a sting operation.

DISCLAIMER: Indiavikalp carries out this sting operation only to protect all Indians from further terror strikes because we know that the Indian government does not make public any of its reports citing security reasons.

Here is the transcript of what the scientists found.

Scientist 1: "You know I'm really worried doing this test."

Scientist 2: "But why? Just think its like any other soil test. Think its soil from Bihar."

Scientist 1 looking into the microscope: "I can see not one dangerous virus but several."

Scientist 2: "Can't be. Just look carefully. We can't get this wrong. We will look like fools if Pakistan proves us wrong at the United Nations."

Scientist 1: "No, I'm certain there are several. Have a look."

Scientist 2 looking carefully, "Yes, I can see that red virus. It looks like our PM does not use soap to wash his hands. The red virus is from the hand shake of Prakash Karat. See whats happening in Lalgarh. Maoists have attacked the Communists! Could you imagine that ever?"

Scientists 1 "Never. But hats not our mandate. Our inquiry is restricted to looking for only Pakistani terror virus. Maoists are not terrorists. They fight for the people."

Scientist 2, "I can see a sweet virus. Its from our PM shaking hands with Saharad Pawar. But i think the virus came from that NCP MP who murdered his own brother."

Scientist 1" Again you are digressing. We are not given this job to look for the murderers."

Scientist 2, "Ok, Ok I understand. But I cant help it we have to first identify all the viruses. See here is one the Y Virus. Its because of our Prime Minister shaking hands with Sadhu Yadav. How can our country be safe when the Congress Party gives tickets to such persons."

Scientist 1" I agree but lets focus now."

Scientist 2: "I need a break man. But I'm too scared to go for a walk. See what happened to the Indian nuclear scientist. He went for a walk and got killed."

Scientist 1: "Thats because he did not have any nuclear secrets."

Scientist 2, "Yes, yes, thats what they will say if something happens to us. The secrets will go with us."

Scientist 1, "Arre sir, just do our job. God is with us."

Scientist 2, "I still cannot find a terror virus. We are simply wasting our time. We should rather be working to test our own soil to make agriculture viable to reduce greenhouse gases to increase rainfall. See even BJP chief minister from Madhya Pradesh has to pray to god for rains!"

Scientist 1 "You have a point but lets try at least.

After 24 hours ........


Scientist 2: "Yes, I have found a virus which looks foriegn. It looks green so its definitely from the hands of Pakistani President Zardari."

Scientist 1: "It looks dangerous. See how it moves. Everything it touches just explodes just like bombs planted in five star hotels."

Scientist 2: "Let me take photographs of this..Its critical evidence. And if we show it to the terrorist arrested Ajmal Kasab of the Bombay terror attack I am sure he will cry in court again."

Scientist 1 " I still wonder how a photograph can make a terrorist cry."

Scientist 2 "If that is the case they should paste photographs of the Bombay terror attack and 9/11 all over Pakistan and Afghanistan. Imagine all the terrorists crying."

Scietist 1: No, no..terrorists cry only when arrested."

Scientist 2: Kasab I think cried because he's not getting non-vegetarian food and Amitabh Bachan films to watch."

Scientist 1: "Yes, u are right."

Scientist 1: We have to be carefull the media do not get to know of our finding yet."

Scientist 2: But why?

Scientist 1: "The opposition parties will make noises. Just like when secular Nitish Kumar shook hands with communal Narendra Modi."

Scientist 2: "In politics one has to shake hands..even with enemies."

Scientist 1: "But shaking hands is not our culture. The BJP believes in our culture...the Hindu culture."

Scientist 2, "Just don't disturb. I really dont know what this virust is. Our machines here can't decipher exactly. I think we need to fly the scientist from Haffkines Institute in Bombay."'

The same night an Indian Air Force plane flies another scientist from Bombay.

Scientist 2: Welcome.

Scientist 3 " Let me see. Ive brought my own instruments."

Scientist 1: "What is it?"

After carefully carrying out tests Scientist 3 confirms:

"Its the H1N1 virus..popularly called swine flu."

Scientist 2 "But thats from America..."

Scientist 1" Exactly, President Zardari has shaken more American hands..even Obama's. And so for every bomb that explodes in Pakistan he gets a billion dollars."

Scientist 2: "Wish our PM had just done the good old `Namaste' to President Zardari."

Scientist 1: Hey, can u make an emergency call to 10 Janpath and warn Soniaji and Rahulji not to shake hands with our Prime Minister."

Murder Management In India's Village Republics

By Manuwant Choudhary

What I write today is not about the debate whether or not Bihar is India's crime capital, but rather something more shocking - Murder Management!

A young man Navin Kumar Choudhary from my village in Keonta goes to give dinner to his ailing father Shashibhushan Choudhary in Dalsingsarai, Samastipur, and as he returns home to his village something terrible happens that night.

Early the next morning pasersby discover his body...some eyewitnesses say they saw some bruises on his face, others say there was a bottle of poison ..still others..just alcohol - in any case its an unnatural death.

The body is identified by the villagers and his kin informed.

As it turns out the police are not seen anywhere...the villagers take the body and along with the family members the last rites are performed - the body cremated.

I was in Patna when all this happens but just out of curiosity when I inquired whether or not the police were informed and a post-mortem conducted on the body to find out the cause of death, I was told the villagers had `managed' the police.

Rather, managed the suspected murder.

How did they do this? Why just a few phone calls to the police station was enough.

Now every village has two chowkidaars plus other informers but even they did not inform the police. Everybody feasted and kept silent.

So I approached the Dalsingsarai DSP - a Mr. Sharma.

Me, "Sir, do you know about the death of Navin Choudhary, son of Shashibhushan Choudhary, and whether the Dalsingsarai police have a case?"

Mr. Sharma tells me he has not heard of it but he enquires from the local police station and he confirms there is no case.

He then directs me to meet the police station inspector who also says he has received no such complaint. "The police can act only if someone compliants."

I offer to complain. But he says, "It would be better if a family member complains." He quotes High Court cases where the locus standi of the complainant is important. "There are so many deaths taking place. Do we probe every one of them.?"

But even after 11 days the family members have not complained, I said.

So as a citizen I filed an FIR of suspected murder and that the police must probe the case and at the same time provide protection to the kin of the dead.

I am not sure anything will come of this case but what I find shocking is how even families of victims can be silenced by fear.

Silence Kills.

Its not a one-off case.

Last year a woman was tried by a local panchayat and beaten publicly for stealing some maize from a field.

The woman writes a letter saying she is committing suicide because of the humiliation she faced and gives this letter to her young daughter to give it to the husband.

As news spread of the woman's death, the panchayat members took charge and even took away the letter.

The lady was buried by a lake (instead of being cremated) and the husband kept silent.

The husband hoped he would get some monetary compensation but when he did not get it, he filed a police complaint.

The police recovered the body from near the lake which was surprisingly intact because of its proximity to the water body.

The body was sent for post-mortem and the poison confirmed. The letter was also found.

And so the panchayat member was sent to prison.

India's panchayati raj can be evil.

The Trashy Times of India, Except Today

By Manuwant Choudhary

I do not buy the Times of India as I do not think its worth the rupees 4 they charge.

But I do read The Times of India - by borrowing - and for years i've been reading their trash as a matter of habit.

Perhaps, I was a fan of R.K. Laxman - India's legendary cartoonist - but now with Laxman himself being unwell and his cartoons not finding a place I wonder why anyone should buy the newspaper.

They lost their editors a long time ago.

And the columnists with honourable exceptions like Jug Suraiya, Swami Ankileshwar Aiyyar and Shobha...somehow do not connect.

And a few like Sashi Tharoor simply misused the paper and alphabetically bored the readers..A for Apple, B for Boy and C for Congress.

It got him the Congress ticket and he is now a Member of India's parliament and a minister. Another sychophant to join the ranks!

Shame !

So what makes me write about a newspaper I say is trash.

Well, today it is not.

After ages - their headlines is about a minister caught in corruption as the medical college he owns charges 20-30 lak rupees capitaion fees and this has been caught on camera.

The Congress Party's policy against private sector education is the reason why India's youth are taught to be corrupt doctors from Day 1.

The rest leave the country for the US, UK and Australia (now to be attacked).

Their second boxed story is how 145 Members of Parliament have won with less than 20 per cent of the total votes, so India is in fact an unrepresentative democracy.

A majority of Indians have MPs in parliament whom they either do not like or are indifferent towards.

Smaller parties cannot win even a single seat, even when they poll 4 per cent votes.

This should be a cause for demanding proportional representation, at least in the Rajya Sabha.

The third great story comes from Transparency International which says India has the worst bureaucrats in Asia.

A quote at the top of the newspaper by Thomas Sowell "You will never understand bureaucracies until you understand that for bureaucrats procedure is everything and outcomes are nothing."

Local Bihar stories are about an ex Member of Parliament Vijay Krishna (now in JD (U) ) and his son facing murder charges for killing another JD (U) leader Satyendra Singh.
The complete story is not out yet but as I have it Satyendar used to be Vijay Krishna's pointsman in Bihar involved in the spending of the MP funds and the dispute over cuts and scam money is suspected to have led to this murder.

Then how Bihar has no ministers at the centre this time.

And an obituary on the death of an eminent Indian industrialist Jit Paul, chairman of Apeejay and Surendra Group - and elder brother of Lord Swaraj Paul.

I did not know about Jit Paul except through my lawyer Mr.D.N. Pradhan who happened to be Jit Paul's lawyer when in Calcutta.

Mr. Pradhan is a former district judge but he became a lawyer after retirement.

When in Calcutta he went to the elite and exclusive Saturday Club but was refused membership since he was not a director of a company.

Mr. Pradhan had a eureka and soon he had an appointment fixed with Mr. Jit Paul.

Mr. Paul, "Yes, Mr. Pradhan. What can I do for you?"

Mr. Pradhan, "Sir, nothing. I have just one problem in Calcutta. I cannot even visit Saturday Club."

Mr. Paul calling his secretary and handing some cards, "Mr. Pradhan. You will not ask me for money or attend my meetings or poke your nose in my business but from today you have been appointed a director of my shipping company."

The next day and for his remaining years in Calcutta Mr. Pradhan always got a royal treatment at the Saturday Club.

Mr.Jit Paul had humble origins and travelled economy class even as Chairman of one of India's top company.

I am fortunate to have Jit Paul's lawyer as mine and to hear this story from him.

And finally Sacred Space:

"I sought a soul in the sea
And found a coral there
Beneath the foam of mine
An ocean was laid bare. " Jalal-ud-din Rumi.

A Drive On The Arabian Sea

PHOTOS: PARUL MERCHANT

By Manuwant Choudhary

A drive on the Arabian Sea - even before the 1300 crore rupees Bandra-Worli Sea Link opens this month to VVIPs and traffic in Bombay, is what my friend Parul Merchant did and she sends me these exclusive photos.

Work began on this Sea Link by the Hindustan Construction Company in 2001 and was expected to be completed by 2008.

The link by connecting Bandra to Worli hopes to ease traffic and pollution in the city of Bombay as 80,000 vehicles are expected to use this sea link cutting travel time from 40 minutes to only ten minutes.

Enjoy the photos and appreciate this architectural feat.

But curse our politicians for this lop-sided development of India...the destruction of our cities due to the large migrations and the utter neglect of rural India.

First the buildings got taller and the slums wider and now you have a road on the sea.

Jai Ho !