Sunday, October 26, 2014

Men are the suckers!


M K Tayal
Most government institutions have over a period of time become weak and ineffective in their ability to tackle the rich and the powerful. Infact this category enjoys the perks of being so. In no other country do the R&P get so much leeway as in our country. It is so because we are a nation of haves and those wanting to have, who can do nothing. The haves have it all and nobody can touch the lopsided and twirled system and them. They are a super closed group. You will only get filtered information. A few odd ‘examples’ will go to jail, one or two will get convicted. And that is all.
The visitors’ diary of Central Bureau of Investigation director Ranjit Sinha’s residence containing the names of the ‘haves’ group – from big shot industrialists to scam accused – is interesting in more ways than one. The Victoria Secret slip is showing. It hides the interesting parts, ignites imagination but reveals nothing. There are few possible players - the IB, the ITBP, RAW… Who leaked? Now the name is locked in the Supreme Court. Remember, you are getting only filtered info. Nevertheless the expose is enough to get you all charged up. And charges are plenty. The likes of Sinha - top bureaucrats and Netas - have been instrumental in ruining the remains of whatever is remaining. We are at the nadir. If I say, the police are not corrupt - you may laugh at me. If I say, the judiciary is not corrupt - you may still be sneering. The administration, the licences, the taxes… alright, we are getting the drift.
And to top it all, we have very vague laws. A woman even after nine years or so of marriage can accuse her in-laws of harassment over dowry. No questions asked, the in-laws stand a remote chance of not going in prison. A female in a live-in relationship for six years can accuse her partner of rape when marriage is not happening between the two. You can ideally move legal proceedings under some sane laws like laws of betrayal, breech of misunderstanding etc if marriage is not happening between the two. But this is not so. The concept of live-in is not to commit while having all the fun of staying together. Where does rape come into the picture? The picture is ‘f***ing’ blurred. Men are the suckers in our system. Mutual sex by two consenting adults cannot be read as rape by any stretch of imagination. It is Rape of law to read it with a capital R. But so is the system today. What can you do? You decide. Is there hope!
editor@thecorrespondent.in
mktayal@gmail.com

Taking along everyone!


Acche Din Aa Gaye! It can happen only in India. A tea seller, Narendra Modi, has become the Prime Minister. This astonishing rise will continue to be written in bold letters in the history books even after Modi ceases to be PM, whenever that happens. NaMo demolished major and minor political opponents in one single blow. Political analysts have listed many reasons for the unprecedented rise. A perfect saffron campaign, all pervading corruption in the country, lack of Congress leadership, price rise, effective media management of Modi etc have all been listed for the ‘Modification’ of the Nation. It is said that the ‘Corporate’ backed Modi to the hilt. But the same corporate that backed Modi, in some measure, also supported the Congress, NCP and other players. Nevertheless, they were all left applauding the winner Modi at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan on the historic day when he was sworn in as the Prime Minister. The Adani Group however stood apart and came in from direct criticism from Congress Prince Rahul Gandhi. But what Reliance – Mukesh and Anil, Tatas, Birlas, Ruhias, Jindals, Modis, Singhanias. Who did they support? Corporate houses have business interests. Period. For them it makes sense only if they have a regime this recognizes and appreciates this basic element of their existence. Does it mean the Congress was not looking after the interest of the interested? Considering the scams and payoffs and corruption scandals that rocked the headlines in the last five years, the correlation between happiness and business seems missing. The Congress favoured the corporate and doled out huge benefits to the big houses. So why were they unhappy and started pushing for the BJP. Perhaps, the answer lies in favouritism. One Minister had evolved a smart of bidding for big projects. He got many corporate houses to form consortiums and each ‘capable’ businessman got a percentage in the contracts awarded thus leaving all of them satisfied. However, this exercise was not replicated in telecom sector – which resulted in 2G scam, and Coal sector windfall gains were limited a select few. In Commonwealth Games, only those who were ready to give huge considerations were awarded the contracts. The individuals thereafter looted the system. Reportedly a media house was left out of the loot. The result is out in the open. The mantra for the BJP and the Modi Sarkar would be inclusive and mutual growth. But Modi has to fine tune that delicate balance if he wants to stay in power, for long. M K Tayal Edit The Correspondent, Sept 2014

The Correspondent, October 2014, Editorial


The Correspondent, October 2014, Editorial Men are the suckers! By M K Tayal Most government institutions have over a period of time become weak and ineffective in their ability to tackle the rich and the powerful. Infact this category enjoys the perks of being so. In no other country do the R&P get so much leeway as in our country. It is so because we are a nation of haves and those wanting to have, who can do nothing. The haves have it all and nobody can touch the lopsided and twirled system and them. They are a super closed group. You will only get filtered information. A few odd ‘examples’ will go to jail, one or two will get convicted. And that is all. The visitors’ diary of Central Bureau of Investigation director Ranjit Sinha’s residence containing the names of the ‘haves’ group – from big shot industrialists to scam accused – is interesting in more ways than one. The Victoria Secret slip is showing. It hides the interesting parts, ignites imagination but reveals nothing. There are few possible players - the IB, the ITBP, RAW… Who leaked? Now the name is locked in the Supreme Court. Remember, you are getting only filtered info. Nevertheless the expose is enough to get you all charged up. And charges are plenty. The likes of Sinha - top bureaucrats and Netas - have been instrumental in ruining the remains of whatever is remaining. We are at the nadir. If I say, the police are not corrupt - you may laugh at me. If I say, the judiciary is not corrupt - you may still be sneering. The administration, the licences, the taxes… alright, we are getting the drift. And to top it all, we have very vague laws. A woman even after nine years or so of marriage can accuse her in-laws of harassment over dowry. No questions asked, the in-laws stand a remote chance of not going in prison. A female in a live-in relationship for six years can accuse her partner of rape when marriage is not happening between the two. You can ideally move legal proceedings under some sane laws like laws of betrayal, breech of misunderstanding etc if marriage is not happening between the two. But this is not so. The concept of live-in is not to commit while having all the fun of staying together. Where does rape come into the picture? The picture is ‘f***ing’ blurred. Men are the suckers in our system. Mutual sex by two consenting adults cannot be read as rape by any stretch of imagination. It is Rape of law to read it with a capital R. But so is the system today. What can you do? You decide. Is there hope! editor@thecorrespondent.in

The October issue of The Correspondent Magazine

Cloud 9: Builder violates laws with impunity while the administration looks away


An exotic living destination that embodies absolute delight! That is how the Aadi Best Consortium Pvt Ltd of Rishab builders have advertised their project in plush Vaishali, a locality bordering East Delhi. The project had everything in its favour. 750 flats and a commercial complex (Mall) just bang on the Delhi border. Great location – 15 minutes drive from Connaught Place. It boasted of a club house, a gym and children park with swings & slides, a jogging track and landscaped gardens within the complex and even swimming pools et al. “Just envision a home that manifests excellence and modernity in a twinpact,” the website of Cloud 9 announces. “Cloud 9 tower offers this guarantee. Every space, every alcove and every angel is encased in contemporary style in alliance with nature. The structural magnificence will harmonize you in vigorous surrounding and will gratify your pleasurable indulgences. The inviting and charismatic architecture delivers the magnanimous rooms and many other bonus options.” What more could one ask! With the tallest building in the area for free tickling of your sense with an excellent view! This is what the builder wants you to believe and buy flats that started selling from Rs 34 lakhs to now going close to Rs 50/70 lakhs (for a 1,000 sq ft flat with Rs 6434 per sq ft - totals up to approx Rs 7000 if all the allied and other charges are included)! But here is the reality check! There is no way you can drive from CP to Cloud 9 in 15 minutes unless you break speed limits and are not zipping fast through non-peak time slots. Of course, flying is an option you can explore. “It is zero km from Vaishali Metro station,” says the company website regarding the location. The builders have got their measurements wrong. It is not zero km from Vaishali metro. Land Grab controversy Out of the 6.25 acre plot it claims, the builders are involved in a legal tangle with the Uttar Pradesh Provincial Armed Constabulary battalion for grabbing 5304 sq mtr of its land. The builders claim they got a NOC from the PAC, a claim which PAC denies. The PAC has lodged a complaint with the authorities including Indirapuram Police Station. A case is in progress. It is believed that a commanding officer of the PAC battalion was liberal enough to look the other way for a certain ‘mis-understanding’ – which gave birth to the NOC claim. Bharti Singh is the new Commandant, 41 PAC Battalion, Ghaziabad, who has posted two armed guards who keep a vigil from behind apartment blocks. The location of Cloud 9 is hardly perfect. It is built bang next to the Nallah. It has been covered with concrete and you may not be able to see it from the 18th floor of Cloud 9. But the all-pervading stench of the Nallah would be a certain giveaway. Residents in Vaishali are facing health problems because of toxic gases emanating from the Nallah. Besides electrical equipment fails in a matter of year/s. Air conditioners, refrigerators and TV sets are victims of the gases. Besides the view of neighboring Gazipur dump in Delhi would be an unwelcome sight from the top floors of the buildings. And of course there is the problem of pollutants from that area as well. Daink Jagran newspaper in its report dated 21 April 2013 wrote that the builders are illegally occupying the Nallah. “If the Cloud 9 original records are checked perhaps the truth can be brought to light,” says a government doctor who has written to the Ghaziabad district magistrate. The Nightmare But the so-called exotic destination turned out to be a nightmare for the builders. One fine rainy evening in September, the builders found their dream project was in trouble as the Nallah in front of the apartments block caved in. The result was instant flooding of the under construction blocks. Express Green RWA joint secretary Mohit Sharma says, Drain water gushed into the under-construction apartments of E block of the society. Taking precautionary measures, the RWA has restricted entry to the basement of the other residential blocks. Only a wall separates E block with other residential blocks and wall can collapse any time. Sharma said if the wall collapses, the drain water will submerge the basement of all residential blocks and it could also lead to short circuit in the power supply lines. Dirty sewage and industrial waste that flows in the Nallah through the Ghaziabad-Delhi border, passes through Sahibabad and on through Vaishali before flowing into the Yamuna river had submerged three basements of the Cloud 9. GMC chief engineer RK Mittal, after the incident told reporters the situation was under control. “We have surveyed the spot. The staff has been told to take adequate measures to stop drain water from entering other buildings. The developer has been told to construct broken wall of the drain immediately.” Angry residents spilled out against the illegal construction and the damaged road, the main artery connecting sectors 1,2 and 3 to the Delhi-Dehradun National Highway. The police resorted to beating up many curious onlookers who turned in large numbers when the Nallah wall collapsed due to the illegal digging by the builders. Anna Hazare’s Bhrastachar Virodhi Jan Andolan Nyas under the leadership of Ashok Tiwari, Kedar Mehta and Capt M K Tayal organized a demonstration against the administration and the builders. Many senior residents turned up – including Radhe Shyam Goswami, R D Pandey, Shamshad Saifi, Nihaluddin, Vijay Sharma, V P Tewari, Deepak Goswami, Lala Patwariji, Vipul Tayal, Nitin Rastogi, Prashant Bist, Bobby Rawat, Shambhu Nath, RS Yadav and Ram Kumar to name a few. “The embankment of Nallah crossing Vaishali Sector 1,2,3 in Ghaziabad collapsed on Sept 11, 2014, resulting in the silt full of chemical industrial waste and sewerage water entering the premises of Cloud 9 Apartments and Commercial complex being built by Aadi Best Consortium Pvt Ltd of Rishab builders. The road along the Nallah was also damaged. The water from the Nallah also damaged a local Gurudwara premises thereby hurting the sentiments of the people,” says Kedar Mehta, an active resident of Vaishali, who gave a highly emotive speech at the demonstration. In fact Mehta has been in forefront of exposing the builders. In a series of RTIs, he has brought the builder closer to the doors of administration. He first asked the Ghaziabad Development Authority if the builders could be legally given permission to cover the Nallah. The reply by the authority was most certainly no. Then Mehta trained his guns on the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation (Ghaziabad Nagar Nigam). The Corporation too replied in the negative. However, replying to another letter written by Mehta, the GDA said it had given permission to the builders to cover the Nallah. Another spirited resident of Vaishali, Ashok Tiwari has written to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav seeking justice. “The said builders have ‘illegally’ covered the Nallah. The Ghaziabad Development Authority and the Ghaziabad Nagar Nigam have not given permission to the said builders to cover the Nallah with a concrete slab and use it for private purposes. “The covering of Nallah shows a deep nexus between the builders and officials, who use their arbitrary discretion and are permitting such blatant violation of laws of the land. Every action of the administration smacks of rampant corruption. “Local residents have repeatedly pointed out that the covering of Nallah and construction activities along the Nallah are a threat to the safety of the people. It also poses health hazards as cleaning of the Nallah cannot be undertaken properly. Hundreds of Vaishali residents are suffering from breathing and other diseases,” he wrote to the CM. In 2009, Tiwari had raised the issue of bad roads in Vaishali coupled with poor and erratic power supply. The administration slapped a case against him and Tiwari was sent to Dasna jail for the cause. “In Uttar Pradesh, it is difficult to raise public issues,” laments the real estate agent who is popularly known as Baba Tiwari. Sahibabad MLA Pt Amar Pal Sharma has raised the issue of illegal construction over the nallah in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly. He said the civic authorities have not cleaned the nallah for many years. The water from the nallah over flows making it a hell for the residents, he told the UP Assembly. And despite all this, the GMC has not done anything to remove the illegal constructions over the nallah. Last year, Vasundhra Zonal officer M P Singh had said that the GMC would take strict action against the builders. But on ground there is no action from the GMC or the district administration. However, the builder replied to a reporter's query. “We are doing everything including construction of the broken wall do the drain. We will also ensure that no further damage takes place to any other property. Teams of consultants and engineers have been deployed and they are working day and night to fix the problem. We have had the permission to cover the drain. And there is no violation of any bylaws,” Sanjeev Jain, Managing director of Cloud 9. According to the civic body the builder has excavated land beyond permissible limit during construction of the basement of an adjacent building. The excavation work weakened the wall of the drain and it collapsed when pressure of the water was high due to heavy rainfall on Thursday (Sept 11), wrote the Hindustan Times on September 13, 2014. According to Nav Bharat Times report on September 13, GDA and GMC officials admit that the developer did not build a 10-meter retainer wall and because of which the wall of the drain collapsed and the three-floor basements of the under construction building were filled with drain water. The same report also mentions that the residents have alleged that GMC and GDA officials colluded with the developers to illegally cover the Nallah and due to which the wall of the drain was weakened. The end result has been that the builders have been given a free hand. They have taken thing things under their control. The builders first pacified the gurudwara officials and agreed to repair the damaged bathroom and boundary wall. The civic agencies have not registered any police complaint for damaging government property – the Nallah nor the road. In fact the builder blocked the road leading to the National Highway, inconveniencing local residents. For the authorities, it is looking at the other side of heaven.

Friday, October 3, 2014

Clean Bharat on as Congress sulks


Modi picks up the broom, The Congress party claims it owns the scheme
In his bid to clean India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 'Swachh Bharat' campaign. He also administered a pledge to thousands of people, including school children and government employees at Rajpath to remain committed to keep India clean.
Congress Reaction:
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan scheme was "nothing new but Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan" of erstwhile Congress-led UPA Government, senior Congress leader and former union finance minister P Chidambaram said. "...Prime Minister has launched a new scheme called 'Swachh Bharat Abiyan,' which is nothing new but our 'Nirmal Bharat Abiyan.' It is the very same scheme and nothing new," he said addressing his partymen at the Gandhi Jayanthi celebrations. Listing out the schemes, which he claimed were nothing but a change of name, Chidambaram said, "Congress' Skill Development Mission is now BJP's Skill India scheme, Congress' financial inclusion is now BJP's Jan Dhan. All the schemes are the same. But the BJP is talking big about these schemes with advertisements, which we should have also done."
The Correspondent:
It is sad that the Congress party has not learnt to accept defeat with Grace. There were many schemes and perhaps many more would be like that. No scheme will be different, as the end result would be to benefit the people. Creating jobs or making houses and toilets for the people, removing corruption, building infrastructure, cleaning India, changing laws, ushering in economic development… Most schemes would be revolving around such key points. If someone is travelling on a road, the one sitting should not criticize the one walking or running. The Congress is sitting – tired and having made a lot of money. If someone (Modi) is doing what the Congress couldn’t, the party should give the Prime Minister some credit. And the Party should be happy about it rather than sulk, if the BJP is treading on its path. It is like a kid - who could have read the books and come first in the class. But having failed, the kid is saying - look I had bought the books first and the topper has done nothing new. He is just reading the book I had, First. Mr Former FM, you should avoid being the target of ridicule. Rise, the Congress. The country needs a strong Opposition, not a sulking, non-existent party which banks on women empowerment and RTIs.