561 Kashmiri Pandit Youth Can Now Get Government Jobs
After 26 long years, our legal rights have been recognised and this will also slowly signal an end to migration, says Sanjay K. Tickoo, president of the Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti (KPSS) to Sabrangindia.
In a step that is being viewed as one that will actively and constructively prevent further migration of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley, the high court of Jammu and Kashmir at Srinagar has directed that 561 resident Kashmiri Pandit youth must be employed by the state government with immediate effect. Essentially, through this high court order, the rehabilitation package of the Prime Minister’s package has been extended to all 651 families resident of the state.
The Kashmir Pandit Sangarash Samiti (KPSS), which is the representative body of Valley based Kashmiri Pandits has welcomed the decision, enthusiastically. Sanjay Tickoo, president of the KPSS, speaking to Sabrangindia has hailed the verdict and said that this order, delivered on May 31, 2016 is historic as it for the first time in 26 years recognises the rights of Pandits who have stayed back in the valley.
A writ petition, 1986/2013 titled 'Kashmiri Pandit Sangarash Samiti and others Vs. Union of India and others', had been filed on December 30, 2013, in which the KPSS had challenged the SRO 412 dated December 30, 2009 and further prayed that 561 Pandit youth be included in the PM’s Package and be entitled to apply for jobs and rehabilitation.
In an order delivered on May 31, 2016, the J&K High Court has admitted the petition filed by the KPSS in respect to extension of the 'PM’s Package' for jobs and rehabilitation to the Kashmiri Pandits who did not leave the Valley following the exodus of majority of their community members.
A general meeting of the organisation will meet and celebrate the verdict at the Shri Sidhi Vinayak Mandir, Ganpatyar, Habba Kadal, Srinagar on June 5, 2016 to discuss the future course of action for settlement and rehabilitation for those Kashmiri Pandits who have been left out of the rehabilitation process in Kashmir Valley. The State Government has been given six weeks to respond to the high court order.
The order given by the J&K High Court, vindicates the struggle of the Valley based Kashmiri Pandits represented by Kashmir Pandit Sangarash Samiti (KPSS). It is a shot in the arm for us in our ongoing engagement with the State for the rights of Valley based Kashmiri Pandits, who suffer precarious existence due to the ongoing conflict since many years.
Kashmir Pandit Sangarsh Samiti (KPSS) is very much hopeful that the Centre as well as State Government will separate 561 posts for Valley based Kashmiri Pandits who chose to live in Kashmir Valley facing many challenges to their existence in the last 26 years. We have forwarded the said judgment to the concerned authorities, as such, we urge the State Government that it will process the matter without any delay or excuse within a period of six weeks as per the directions of Hon’ble High Court. Saleem Gupkari, advocate appeared for the organisation in its long battle for recognition and rehabilitation.
Bernie Sanders just revealed his new Ad for the state of California. The Ad seeks to target the African American community in California. According to insider sources this will be the last California Ad.
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"I've filmed inside the Gulberg society on multiple occasions – twice in 2002, once in 2007, and thrice in 2012. Each time, it is an eerie experience, standing inside the Jafri home, imagining February 28, 2002, with people packed inside seeking shelter. Mr Jafri desperately ringing up everyone he could. The mobs launching their multiple attacks…and that moment of decision when Mr Jafri decided to hand himself over to the mob, hoping all others would be spared….
Here, in this sequence filmed in 2002, listen to the eyewitness accounts of the 2 young men who were helping Mr Jafri make calls. They specifically speak of calls to Sonia Gandhi and her political secretary, Mr Ahmed Patel of Gujarat. Presumably, they tried to reach Modi to arrange for protection to their own ex-MP. Listen to the boys speak of the call to Modi's office itself."
This is an excerpt from Final Solution, the national award-winning film that probes politics of hate. The film, premiered at the Berlin film festival, has over a dozen international awards, including the Berlinale's Staudte Prize (now known as the Golden Bear for Best Debut).
The original version certified by the Indian Censor Board (CBFC) was over 3.5 hours long. A year later, a shorter 2.5 hour version was made (separately certified by CBFC) for public screenings.
A little known fact: Less than a week before, Modi won his by-election from Rajkot with a small margin of approx 12,000 votes. The rather spirited Congress campaign in the constituency was handled, among others, by Mr Ehsan Jafri, Congress leader and former Member of Parliament. (Zakia Jafri Protest Petition, April 15, 2013)
Narendra Modi has, by and large remained mum about the massacres, especially Ahsan Jafri and Gulberg Society The first time was in an interview to Zee TV on March 1, 2002, just a day after the massacre. The second time was during his interrogation by the special investigation team (SIT) set up by the Supreme Court to examine the role of the chief minister and other senior officials – a demand that was made by Zakia Jafri, widow of former MP and prominent Gulberg society resident, Ahsan Jafri, who was killed by the mob on February 28. Zakiua Jafri's complaint and plea were backed by citizens legal aid group, Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP).
In both instances, his words are worth recalling.
To Zee TV, Modi cited press reports that Jafri had opened fire on the mob outside the housing society’s gates. Jafri’s ‘action’ of firing, Modi said, had angered the mob, leading to a ‘reaction’ in the form of the massacre. ‘Kriya pratikriya ki chain chal rahi hai. Hum chahate hain ki na kriya ho aur na pratikriya. (“What is happening is a chain of action and reaction. What I want is that there should be no action and no reaction”).
He then linked the riots to the original “action” at Godhra, in which train passengers had been killed on February 27, 2002:
“Godhra main jo purso hua, jaha par 40 mahilaon aur bachon ko zinda jala diya, is mein desh mein aur videsh mein sadma pahuchna swabhavik tha. Godhra ke is ilake ke logon ki criminal tendencies rahe hain, in logon ne pehle mahila teacher ka khoon kiya aur ab ye jaghanya apradh kiya hai jiski pratikriya ho rahi hai.” (“It is natural that what happened in Godhra day before yesterday, where forty women and children were burnt alive, has shocked the country and the world. The people in that part of Godhra have had criminal tendencies. Earlier, these people had murdered women teachers. And now they have done this terrible crime for which a reaction is going on.”)
Confronted with this damning ‘action-reaction’ theory by the SIT in 2010, Modi, who was still chief minister, said this by way of explanation:
“Those who have read the history of Gujarat would definitely be aware that communal violence in Gujarat has a very old history. Since long and even before my birth, Gujarat has witnessed series of incidents of such communal violence. As per available history, from 1714 AD to up till now, in Gujarat, thousands of incidents of communal violence have been recorded.
“So far as the Zee TV interview of 1st March 2002 is concerned, today, after a period of eight years, I do not recollect the exact words. But I had always appealed only and only for peace. I had tried to convey to the people to shun violence in straight and simple language.
“If my words cited in this question are considered in the correct perspective, then it would be evident that there is a very earnest appeal for refraining from any kind of violence. I deny all the allegations levelled against me in this regard.”
The SIT also asked Modi whether it was true that Jafri had called him to ask for help. Several residents of the Gulberg housing society – including Rupa Modi, a Parsi woman whose 14-year-old son Azhar went missing that day and is presumed dead – testified in court in 2009 that Jafri told her and others he had “called up Modi but had received only abuses in return”.
Modi’s reply to the SIT on this point:
“In this connection I would like to add here that no such phone call had been received by me.” (emphasis added)
Could Jafri’s call have been answered by one of the chief minister’s aides? Sadly, the SIT did not ask a follow-up question on this point.
Astonishing claim
The SIT also asked Modi: “Did you receive any information about an attack by a mob on the Gulberg society? If so, when and through whom? What action did you take in the matter?”
To this, Modi replied:
“To the best of my recollection, I was informed in the Law and Order review meeting held in the night about the attack on Gulberg society in the Meghaninagar area and Naroda Patiya.” (emphasis added)
A shocking claim, using any yardstick. The violence in Ahmedabad had started in the morning soon after the bodies of the kars evaks were brought to the Sola Civil hospital and two funeral processions with angry mobs alklowed. Nearly 200 Muslims had been massacred at both locations by the afternoon. Yet Modi was saying that as chief minister, he first learned of these attacks only at night! Despite the fact that Modi prefaced his answer with the tell-tale caveat “to the best of my recollection”, the SIT chose to accept his version at face value rather examining its plausibility based on other evidence on record.
Shame that you're stooping to such tactics: UoH Teachers forum writes to VC Appa Rao
Suspended Vice Chancellor(VC) Appa Rao has been continuing his repressive tactics while students give their examinations . Faculty have however strongly objected to these strong arm tactics and yesterday this letter found its way all over the University of Hyderabad (UoH) campus. "As you know, this is being issued and pasted across the University without your permission," they wro
Even as students at the University of Hyderabad continued 're-building' their 'velivada' by stitching a tent out of their clothes,the SC/ST Teachers' Forum has written an open letter to VC Appa Rao and pasted copies of the letter across the varsity. The Forum wrote the letter in response to a circular issued by Appa Rao, where he said that permission should be taken before a poster or banner is put up anywhere on campus.
Here is the full text of the letter:
Dear Prof. Appa Rao,
We have received the circular dated 31/5/2016 from the Registrar citing your orders of the same day (Ref. no. UH/SEC/2016) with shock as well as amusement. Amusement, because when you were the President of UHTA during the Vice-Chancellorship of Prof. Hasnain, UHTA pasted many posters all over the campus with your blessings. Now, suddenly, you do a volte face with total hypocrisy that no posters should be pasted without permission! Don’t you think that this is utterly absurd?! Of course, it is apparent that you do not have the courage to handle the posters that speak truth to power and challenge many of the fictitious narratives you put out. It just confirms to us your opportunism and intolerance to dissent as well as your contempt for basic tenets of democracy.
When you were the person who challenges the statements of the then VC, you had to enjoy the freedom of expression enshrined in our Constitution but the same needs to be denied to your detractors. I wonder what your reaction would have been had Prof. Hasnain also resorted to such a tactic? Send all your posters to him for his kind permission and approval? It is a shame that you are stooping to such tactics to muzzle the voice of the university. Taking permission from the authorities is tantamount to censorship. We have seen evidence of this when Prof. Hasnain suddenly banned the faculty mailing list from being open to all. All UHTA mails were refused to be forwarded by CNF to the faculty. Do you think that people are blind to the repercussions of such circulars? If University is not the place where competing ideas are placed in public and debated, where else do you think they will be done? These tactics remind one of the violent infamous days of Emergency in 1975.
As you know, this is being issued and pasted across the University without your permission. We defy anyone to muzzle our voice.
Yours sincerely SC/ST Teachers' Forum and Concerned Teachers
Nearly 12 million Indian children were married before the age of 10 years–84% of them Hindu and 11% Muslim–reveals an IndiaSpend analysis of recently released census data.
To put it in context, this number is equivalent to Jammu & Kashmir’s population.
As many of 7.84 million (65%) married children were female, reinforcing the fact that girls are significantly more disadvantaged; eight in 10 illiterate children who were married were also girls.
The data further reveal that 72% of all Hindu girls married before 10 were in rural areas, as compared to 58.5% Muslim girls, with higher levels of education correlating with later marriage.
Jain women marry latest (at a median age of 20.8 years), followed by Christian women (20.6 years) and Sikh women (19.9 years). Hindu and Muslim women have the lowest median age at first marriage (16.7 years), IndiaSpendreported earlier based on a seven-state report from Nirantar, a Delhi-based advocacy.
Women from urban areas, on average, marry more than two years later than their rural counterparts, IndiaSpendreported earlier.
The report also noted that the level of teenage pregnancy and motherhood is nine times higher among women with no education than among women with 12 or more years of education.
80% of illiterate children married before 10 are girls
As many as 5.4 million (44%) married children under 10 were illiterate–80% of them female–indicating how lower levels of education correlate with early marriage.
As many as 1,403 females have never attended any educational institution for every 1,000 males who have not, IndiaSpendreported earlier.
In developing countries, girls with less access to quality education are more likely to marry early, argued Quentin Wodon, an advisor with the World Bank’s education department.
Better and safer job opportunities for girls may also reduce child marriage, as might better access to basic infrastructure (water, electricity), which frees up time spent on domestic chores for schooling, wrote Wodon.
A Muslim girl can marry when she attains puberty or completes 15 years of age, according to Muslim Personal Law, the Gujarat High Court and Delhi High Court noted in different judgments.
As many as 102 million girls (30% of female population) were married before 18 in 2011; the number was 119 million in 2001 (44% of female population), a decrease of 14 percentage points over the decade.
Among boys, 125 million were married before 21 years of age (42% of male population) in 2011; the number was 120 million in 2001 (49% of male population), a decrease of 7 percentage points over the decade.
कुछ वाकये हमें उस तरह की सैद्धांतिकी के व्यावहारिक पहलुओं को समझने में मदद करते हैं, जिसमें यह बताया जाता है कि व्यक्ति की शिक्षा-दीक्षा उसकी चेतना पर अनिवार्य रूप से असर डालते हैं। इस लिहाज से विज्ञान और तकनीक के साथ समाज का साबका और उसका व्यक्ति के सोचने-समझने या दृष्टि पर असर का विश्लेषण सामाजिक विकास के कई नए आयाम से रूबरू कराता है। कुछ साल पहले की एक घटना है। राजधानी दिल्ली से सटे और तब ‘हाईटेक सिटी’ के रूप में मशहूर शहर गाजियाबाद में एक काफी वृद्ध महिला को उनके तीन बेटे तब तक (शायद चप्पलों से) पीटते रहे, जब तक उनकी जान नहीं निकल गई। किसी ‘ऊपरी असर’ से छुटकारा दिलाने के मकसद से ऐसा करने का निर्देश एक तांत्रिक बाबा का था।
अंधविश्वासों के अंधेरे कुएं में डूबते-उतराते हमारे समाज में साधारण लोगों के हिसाब से देखें तो इस तरह की यह घटना न अकेली थी और न नई। लेकिन यह घटना मेरी निगाह में इसलिए खास थी कि उस बुजुर्ग महिला को तांत्रिक के आदेश पर पीटते-पीटते मार डालने वाले तीन में से कम से कम दो बेटों की शैक्षिक पृष्ठभूमि विज्ञान विषय थी। उनमें से एक ने डॉक्टरी और दूसरे ने इंजीनियरिंग की पढ़ाई की थी। यानी जिस विज्ञान और तकनीकी विकास ने समाज में अज्ञानता के अंधकार को दूर करने और समाज को अंधविश्वासों की दुनिया से काफी हद तक बाहर लाने में अपनी अहम भूमिका निभाई है, उस विषय की शिक्षा-दीक्षा भी उन बेटों की चेतना पर पड़े अंधविश्वासों के जाले को साफ नहीं कर सकी। क्या यह विज्ञान की शिक्षा के ‘लेन-देन’ में वैज्ञानिक दृष्टि के अभाव का नतीजा नहीं है?
हाल ही में एक दिलचस्प अनुभव से रूबरू हुआ। हालांकि फिल्मों, टीवी धारावाहिकों और समाज में इस तरह की बातें आम हैं। एक बेहद सक्षम, जानकार और अनुभवी सर्जन-डॉक्टर के क्लीनिक में इस आशय का बड़ा पोस्टर दीवार टंगा था कि ‘हम केवल माध्यम हैं। आपका ठीक होना, न होना भगवान की कृपा पर निर्भर है! -आपका चिकित्सक।’ दूसरी ओर, अंतरिक्ष यानों के प्रक्षेपण जैसी विज्ञान, तकनीक और प्रौद्योगिकी की चरम उपलब्धियों को मुंह चिढ़ाते हुए हमारे इसरो, यानी अंतरिक्ष अनुसंधान संगठन के मुखिया जैसे पद पर बैठे लोग भी किसी यान के प्रक्षेपण की कामयाबी के लिए ‘ईश्वरीय कृपा’ हासिल करने के मकसद से किसी मंदिर में पूजा-अर्चना करते हैं। 24 सितंबर, 2014 को भारत के मंगलयान की शानदार कामयाबी इसरो के हमारे तमाम वैज्ञानिकों की काबिलियत की मिसाल है। मगर यह वही मंगलयान है, जिसके प्रक्षेपण के पहले चार नवंबर, 2013 इसरो के अध्यक्ष के. राधाकृष्णन ने तिरुपति वेकंटेश्वर मंदिर में पूजा-अर्चना की और इसकी अभियान की कामयाबी के लिए प्रार्थना की थी। राधाकृष्णन के पूर्ववर्ती इसरो अध्यक्ष माधवन नायर भी यही करते रहे थे।
वैज्ञानिक चेतना के बगैर विज्ञान का समाज
यह साधारण-सा सच है कि कोई भी पोंगापंथी, दिमाग से बंद, कूपमंडूक अंधविश्वासी व्यक्ति जब यह देखता है कि भारत के अंतरिक्ष प्रक्षेपण अनुसंधान संगठन, यानी इसरो का मुखिया विज्ञान पर केंद्रित किसी कार्यक्रम में शिरकत करते हुए या किसी उच्च क्षमता के अंतरिक्ष यान के प्रक्षेपण से पहले घंटों किसी मंदिर में पूजा करता है तो यह उसके भीतर बैठी हीनताओं को तुष्ट करता है। इसे उदाहरण बना कर वह कह पाता है कि इसरो जैसे विज्ञान के संगठन के वैज्ञानिक ऐसा करते हैं तो उसका कोई आधार तो होगा ही। जाहिर है, हमारे समाज में विज्ञान की पढ़ाई-लिखाई और उस क्षेत्र में अच्छी-खासी उपलब्धियों में कोई कमी नहीं रही है। लेकिन वैज्ञानिक चेतना या दृष्टि का लगभग अभाव रहा है। चिकित्सा के क्षेत्र में महान खोजों से प्रशिक्षित, मस्तिष्क, तंत्रिका या हृदय की बेहद जटिल शल्य-क्रिया करके किसी मरीज को जीवन देने वाले सक्षम डॉक्टर जब अपनी काबिलियत और कामयाबी का श्रेय वैज्ञानिक खोजों के साथ-साथ अपनी मेहनत और कुशलता को देने के बजाय ‘अज्ञात शक्ति’ या भगवान को देते हैं तो इससे क्या साबित होता है! ऐसा करके या मान कर क्या हम उन तमाम लोगों की क्षमता, सालों की दिन-रात की मेहनत और वैज्ञानिक दृष्टि को खारिज नहीं करते हैं, जिनके जरिए कई बार हमारा जिंदा बच पाना मुमकिन होता है?
यह कोई नया आकलन नहीं है कि मानव समाज के विकास के क्रम में एक दौर ऐसा रहा होगा, जब मनुष्य ने अपनी सीमाओं के चलते मुश्किलों का हल किसी पारलौकिक शक्ति की कृपा में खोजने की कोशिश की होगी। लेकिन आज जब मंगल पर कदम रखने से लेकर ब्रह्मांड की तमाम जटिल गुत्थियों को खोलते हुए दुनिया का विज्ञान हर रोज अपने कदम आगे बढ़ा रहा है तो ऐसे में अलौकिक-पारलौकिक काल्पनिक धारणाओं में जीते समाज और उसके ढांचे को बनाए रखने का क्या मकसद हो सकता है?
विज्ञान और वैज्ञानिक चेतना का द्वंद्व
यहीं आकर एक बिंदु उभरता है जिसके तहत समाज में चंद लोगों या कुछ खास समूहों की सत्ता एक सामाजिक व्यवस्था के रूप में आकार पाती है। यह व्यवस्था अगर शोषण-दमन और भेदभाव पर आधारित हुई तो संभव है कि भविष्य में प्रतिरोध की स्थिति पैदा हो, क्योंकि वैज्ञानिक चेतना से लैस कोई भी व्यक्ति यह समझता है कि दुनिया में मौजूद तमाम अंधविश्वास का सिरा पारलौकिक आस्थाओं से अभिन्न रूप से जुड़ा हुआ है। इसी स्थिति को पैदा होने से रोकने के लिए लौकिक यथार्थों पर पारलौकिक धारणाओं का मुलम्मा चढ़ा दिया जाता है। ऐसी कवायदों का संगठित रूप धर्म के रूप में देखा जा सकता है। हालांकि मानव समाज के लिए धर्म की अलग-अलग व्याख्याएं पेश की जाती रही हैं, लेकिन इसके नतीजे के रूप में सामाजिक सत्ताओं का ‘केंद्रीकरण’ ही देखा गया है। और चूंकि विज्ञान लौकिक यथार्थों पर चढ़े अलौकिक भ्रमों की परतें उधेड़ता है, इसलिए वह स्वाभाविक रूप से धर्म का घोषित-अघोषित दुश्मन हो जाता है।
विडंबना यह है कि ब्रह्मांड और मानव सभ्यता के विकास का आधार होने के बावजूद विज्ञान अब तक दुनिया भर में धर्म के बरक्स एक सत्ता या व्यवस्था के रूप में खुद को खड़ा कर सकने में नाकाम रहा है। जबकि विज्ञान, तकनीकी या प्रौद्यागिकी के सहारे कई देश अपने आर्थिक-राजनीतिक ‘साम्राज्यवाद’ के एजेंडे को कामयाब करते हैं। हालांकि इसकी वजहों की पड़ताल कोई बहुत जटिल काम नहीं है। पहले से ही हमारे सामने अगर ‘राज्य की उत्पत्ति के दैवीय सिद्धांत’ जैसी व्याख्याएं हैं तो ‘विकासवादी सिद्धांत’ भी है। लेकिन आखिर क्या वजह है कि सामाजिक व्यवहार में ‘दैवीय सिद्धांत’ अक्सर हावी दिखता है!
दरअसल, राजनीतिक-सामाजिक सत्ताओं पर कब्जाकरण के बाद इसके विकेंद्रीकरण की प्रक्रिया को रोकने के लिए उन तमाम रास्तों, उपायों को हतोत्साहित-बाधित किया गया, जो पारलौकिकता या दैवीय कल्पनाओं पर आधारित किसी ‘प्रभुवाद’ की व्यवस्था को खंडित करते थे। चार्वाक, गैलीलियो, कोपरनिकस, ब्रूनो से लेकर हाल में नरेंद्र दाभोलकर की हत्या जैसे हजारों उदाहरण होंगे, जिनमें विज्ञान या वैज्ञानिक दृष्टि को बाधित करने के लिए सामाजिक सत्ताओं के रूप में सभी धर्मों में मौजूद ‘ब्राह्मणवाद’ ने बर्बरतम तरीके अपनाए।
दिलचस्प यह है कि विज्ञान का दमन करने वाली ताकतें यह अच्छे से जानती थीं कि विज्ञान की ताकत क्या है। इसलिए एक ओर उन्होंने समाज में वैज्ञानिक नजरिए या चेतना के विस्तार को रोकने के लिए हर संभव क्रूरताएं कीं तो दूसरी ओर धार्मिक और आस्थाओं के अंधविश्वास को मजबूत करने के लिए विज्ञान और तकनीकों का सहारा लिया और उनका भरपूर उपयोग किया। एक समय सोमनाथ के मंदिर में जो मूर्ति बिना किसी सहारे के हवा में लटकी हुई थी और जिसे देख कर लोग चमत्कृत होकर और गहरी आस्था में डूब जाते थे, उसमें चुंबकीय सिद्धांतों की बेहतरीन तकनीक का इस्तेमाल किया गया था। इसे ‘मैग्नेटिक लेविटेशन’ या चुंबकीय उत्तोलन कहते हैं, जिसका अर्थ है चुंबकीय बल के सहारे हवा में तैरना। इसी तरह, किसी सीधे खड़े संगमरमर के पत्थरों से दूध भरे चम्मच का किनारा सटते ही चम्मच में मौजूद दूध का खिंच जाना गुरुत्व के सिद्धांत से संबंधित है और इसकी वैज्ञानिक व्याख्या है। लेकिन इसी का सहारा लेकर तकरीबन दो दशक पहले समूचे देश में गणेश की मूर्तियों को अचानक दूध पिलाया जाने लगा था।
विज्ञान के बरक्स अंधविश्वास का समाज
धार्मिक स्थलों के निर्माण से लेकर जादू-टोना, तंत्र-मंत्र, झाड़फूंक, चमत्कार वगैरह विज्ञान और तकनीक के सहारे ही चलता रहा है। यह बेवजह नहीं है कि मर्सिडीज बेंज या बीएमडब्ल्यू जैसी आधुनिक तकनीकी से लैस कारें चलाने वाले और ऊपर से बहुत आधुनिक दिखने वाले लोग अपनी कार में ‘अपशकुन’ से बचने के लिए नींबू और हरी मिर्च के गुच्छे टांगे दिख जाते हैं। इसी तरह, उच्च तकनीकी के इस्तेमाल से बनने वाली इमारतें बिना भूमि-पूजन के आगे नहीं बढ़तीं। बहुत आधुनिक परिवारों के लोग अपने शानदार और हाइटेक घरों के आगे या कहीं पर एक ‘राक्षस’ के चेहरे जैसी आकृति टांगे दिख जाएंगे, जिसका मकसद मकान को ‘बुरी नजर’ से बचाना होता है! यानी जिन वैज्ञानिक पद्धतियों और तकनीकी का इस्तेमाल अंधविश्वासों को दूर कर समाज को गतिमान बनाने या आगे ले जाने के लिए होना था, वे समाज को जड़ और कई बार प्रतिगामी बनाने के काम में लाई जाती रही हैं।
इसकी वजह यह है कि विज्ञान अपने आप में दृष्टि है, लेकिन वैज्ञानिक सिद्धांत, संसाधन या तकनीक एक ‘उत्पाद’ की तरह है, जिसका इस्तेमाल कोई भी कर सकता है- विज्ञान का दुश्मन भी। बहुत ज्यादा पीछे जाने की जरूरत नहीं है। मौजूदा दौर में ही इलेक्ट्रॉनिक मीडिया और अखबार के अलावा फेसबुक, ट्विटर, व्हाट्स ऐप जैसे सोशल मीडिया के मंचों और मोबाइल जैसे संचार के साधनों के दौर को हम विज्ञान और तकनीक के चरम विकास का दौर कह सकते हैं। लेकिन हम देख सकते हैं कि इन संसाधनों पर किस तरह वैसे लोगों या समूहों का कब्जा या ज्यादा प्रभाव है जो विज्ञान और तकनीकी का इस्तेमाल वैज्ञानिक चेतना या दृष्टि को कुंद या बाधित करने में कर रहे हैं।
आधुनिकी उन्नत तकनीकों के इस्तेमाल से बनाई गई अंधविश्वास फैलाने वाली फिल्में या धारावाहिक पहले से चारों तरफ से अंधे विश्वासों में मरते-जीते आम दर्शक की जड़ चेतना को ही और मजबूत करते हैं। टीवी चैनलों पर धड़ल्ले से अंधविश्वासों को बढ़ाने या मजबूत करने वाले कार्यक्रम ‘धारावाहिक’ के तौर पर चलते ही रहते हैं, कई बार ‘समाचार’ के रूप में भी दिखाए जाते हैं। यह ‘बाबाओं’ और ‘साध्वियों’ के प्रवचनों और विशेष कार्यक्रमों से लेकर फिल्मों के हीरो-हीरोइनों या मशहूर हस्तियों के जरिए ‘धनवर्षा यंत्र’ या ‘हनुमान यंत्र’ आदि के प्रचारों के अलावा होता है। अखबार इसमें पीछे नहीं हैं। इससे टीवी चैनलों मीडिया संस्थानों को कमाई होती है, मुनाफा होता है, लेकिन समाज को कितना नुकसान होता है, इससे उन्हें कोई मतलब नहीं होता! इसके अलावा, फेसबुक जैसे सोशल मीडिया का मोबाइल पर व्हाट्स ऐप जैसे संवाद-साधनों के जरिए किस तरह सांप्रदायिकता का जहर परोसा जा रहा है, यहां तक कि दंगा भड़काने में भी इनका इस्तेमाल किस पैमाने पर किया जा रहा है, यह जगजाहिर तथ्य है।
यानी विज्ञान के जरिए की वैज्ञानिक दृष्टि या चेतना को कैसे कुंद किया जा रहा है और विज्ञान का सहारा लेकर समाज को किस तरह अंधविश्वासों के अंधेरे में झोका जा रहा है, यह साफ दिखता है। दरअसल, किसी भी धर्म के सत्ताधारी तबकों की असली ताकत आम समाज का यही खोखलापन होता है कि वह विज्ञान के सहारे अपने जीवन की सुविधाएं तो सुनिश्चित करे, लेकिन उसे किसी ‘अज्ञात शक्ति’ की कृपा माने। पारलौकिक भ्रम की गिरफ्त में ईश्वर और दूसरे अंधविश्वासों की दुनिया में भटकते हुए लोग ही आखिरकार बाबाओं-गुरुओं, तांत्रिकों, चमत्कारी फकीरों जैसे ठगों के फेर में पड़ते हैं और अपना बचा-खुचा विवेक गवां बैठते है। यह केवल समाज के आम और भोले-भाले लोगों की बंददिमागी नहीं है, बौद्धिकों, बड़े-बड़े नेताओं, मुख्यमंत्रियों, प्रधानमंत्रियों और राष्ट्रपतियों तक को फर्जी और कथित चमत्कारी बाबाओं के चरणों में सिर नवाने में कोई हिचक नहीं होती।
दलील दी जाती है कि आस्था निजी प्रश्न है। लेकिन विज्ञान की कामयाबियों के साथ आस्था का घालमेल आखिरकार वैज्ञानिक चेतना को भ्रमित करता है। और यही वजह है कि गहन और जटिल ऑपरेशन हो या भूकम्प और बाढ़ जैसी आपदाएं, इनकी वजहें जानने, उसका विश्लेषण करने के बावजूद व्यक्ति या खुद इसके विशेषज्ञ इन सबको किसी भगवान का चमत्कार, कृपा या फिर कोप के रूप में देखते-पेश करते हैं। यह अपने ज्ञान-विज्ञान और खुद पर भरोसा नहीं होने-करने का, अपनी ही क्षमताओं को खारिज करने का उदाहरण है। क्षमताओं के नकार की यह स्थिति किसी विनम्रताबोध का नहीं, बल्कि भ्रम और हीनताबोध का नतीजा होती है। और जब हम विज्ञान के विद्याथियों या वैज्ञानिकों तक को इस तरह के द्वंद्व और भ्रम में जीते देखते हैं तो ऐसे में साधारण इंसान या समाज से क्या उम्मीद हो, जो जन्म से लेकर मौत तक वैज्ञानिक चेतना से बहुत दूर दुनिया के धर्मतंत्र और अलौकिक-पारलौकिक आस्थाओं के चाल में उलझा रह जाता है।
जाहिर है, असली चुनौती यह है कि विज्ञान केवल लोगों के जीवन को सहज नहीं बनाए, बल्कि दुनिया के यथार्थ को समझने के लिए समाज को वैज्ञानिक चेतना से भी लैस करे। यह समाज के ज्यादातर हिस्से को सोचने-समझने के तरीके या माइंडसेट पर कब्जा जमाए पारलौकिक आस्थाओं के बरक्स एक बहुत बड़ी चुनौती है। अगर यह कहा जाए कि जिस पैमाने पर समाज धार्मिकता के जंजाल में उलझा है, अगर उसी पैमाने पर वैज्ञानिक चेतना होती तो हमारा समाज शायद अभी से कई हजार साल आगे होता, तो शायद अतिश्योक्ति नहीं होगी।
Delivering its verdict in the Gulberg Society massacre case in Ahmedabad on February 28, 2002, a Special Trial Court today convicted 24 of the 66 accused while 36 others were given the benefit of doubt and acquitted.
Of the 24 convicted, 11 have been held guilty of serious offences including murder, while the remaining 15 have been convicted for attempt to murder, arson and rioting. The sentencing and final judgement will be decided on June 6.
List of 11 Accused convicted for serious offences: 1. Kailash Dhobhi 2. Yogendra… 3. Jayesh Gabbar 4. Krishnakumar s/o Champabehn (alias Bhuriyo 5. Raju alias Tam Avtar Tiwari 6. Narayan Channelwalla 7.Lakhansingh Lakhio 8.Bharat Telli 9. Jayesh Dhabhuji Parmar 10. Bharat Laxmansingh Rajput 11. Girish Prabhudas Rajput
When senior advocate for the survivors, SM Vohra asked about whether section 120(b) had been applied the judge orally said, "I have not accepted conspiracy”.
The full text of the order (Part 1) may be read here. Part 2 may be read here.
The Union home ministry’s order directing the Lawyers Collective to show cause why its FCRA registration should not be cancelled and suspension of its registration for a period of six months with immediate effect has been condemned by the LC as a move to “suppress the voice of dissent”. LC which headed by noted lawyer and former additional solicitor general of India, Indira Jaising and her senior lawyer, husband Anand Grover is well-known for its legal interventions concerning human rights.
Curiously, while LC is yet to receive a formal communication from the home ministry, copies of the Order were made available to the media yesterday and the same is now posted on the official website of the FCRA department. According to the notice, LC has violated several provisions of the Foreign Contributions (Regulation) Act, 2010 and Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Rules 2011. An FCRA team had inspected the accounts and related records of LC at its office from January 19-23, 2016 following which it had sought LC’s responses/ comments of LC to the alleged findings regarding FCRA violations.
LC responded to the findings in March end challenging each of the alleged FCRA violations.
However, the home ministry’s order dated June 1 states that after “detailed examination” of all the records made available to the ministry, “it was found that the same was not satisfactory; that the same did not provide adequate explanation vis-à-vis the violations found and pointed out, and therefore it has been decided to reject the same and proceed in accordance with law”.
The statement issued by the Lawyers Collective has condemned the "blatant attempt of the government of India to victimise the organisation and its office bearers Indira Jaising and Anand Grover. This is nothing but a gross misuse of the FCRA Act which is being used to suppress any form of dissent”.
The statement further stated: “It is far too well known that both Anand Grover and Indira Jaising have represented several persons in their professional capacity as lawyers in several cases against the government and the functionaries including the president of the BJP party, Amit Shah protesting his discharge in the Sohrabuddin murder case.”
A major alleged violation according to the home ministry is that Jaising received payments from the foreign contributions received during her tenure as additional solicitor general. Challenging this, the statement added: “The allegation against Jaising was based on the footing that she was a government servant, who was prohibited from receiving FC under the FCRA. However, she was a public servant and not a government servant, on whom there was no bar to receive FC.”
Human rights defenders view the home ministry’s latest move against LC as part of the present government’s tactic of using FCRA Act as a weapon against NGOs who refuse to toe the government’s line. In the past one year, the ministry has initiated similar vindictive action against Green Peace and three organisations – Citizens for Justice and Peace, Sabrang Trust, Sabrang Communications and Publishing Pvt. Ltd. – with which the co-editors of Sabrang India are associated.
Among other things, LC had provided legal service to Priya Pillai of Green Peace and spoken out against the attempt to victimise and silence Teesta Setalvad and Javed Anand.
The lawyers collective condemns the blatant attempt of the government of India to victimize the organization and its office bearers India Jaisng and Anand Grover .This is noting but a gross misuse of the FCRA Act which is being used to suppress any form of dissent . it is far too well know that both Anand Grover and Indira Jaising have represented several persons in their professional capacity as lawyers is several cases against the government and the functionaries including the President of the BJP party , Amit Shah protesting his discharge in the Sorabudin murder case . The lawyers collective intends to challenge the order as unconstitutional and required to be set aside .
The order/show cause notice is a malafide act and an act of vindictiveness on the part of the Government. This is being done because of the cases that Lawyers Collective (‘LC’) and its Trustees, Ms. Indira Jaising and Mr. Anand Grover, are involved in, including but are not limited to Sanjiv Bhatt, Yakub Memon and Priya Pillai. The aim is to destroy the credibility of LC by leaking it to the media, before even serving it on LC. LC till today has not received the order purportedly issued on 31st May, 2016, though it is available to the press. Specifically on the order, LC submits as follows:
At the outset, LC states that all the foreign contribution (‘FC’) received were spent for the purposes received and accounted for.
The allegation against Ms. Jaising was based on the footing that she was a government servant, who was prohibited from receiving FC under the FCRA. However, she was a public servant and not a government servant, on whom there was no bar to receive FC. In any event, FC was received only by LC and Ms. Jaising was only paid remuneration for her services rendered to LC, on whom there is no prohibition. This aspect has not even been looked at by the authorities.
So far as Mr. Anand Grover is concerned, it was the mandate of LC to work on the issue of Fundamental Rights, including the right to health. The work of United Nations Special Rapporteur on Right to Health was part of LC’s work. No money was received by Anand Grover as foreign contribution. He was only reimbursed expenses incurred by him, while abroad, for doing LC’s work, including telephone and internet expenses.
The Novartis case is part of LC’s mandate to work on access to medicines. Expenses were only incurred for that, including for Ms. Jaising for her advice on the case.
Expenses for workshops/seminars/conferences are part of the mandate of LC and money is spent only for that purpose. This allegation is made for the first time now and not in the observation report dated 29.02.2016.
The FC received from abroad can be spent abroad. There is no restriction in FCRA at all. LC entered into legitimate contracts with foreigners to provide services in India and abroad. And expenses were incurred for that reason. There is no violation of FCRA at all.
The receipt of FC in FC-utilisation account and, opening of certain bank accounts, transfer of FC from FC-utilization to another utilisation account and from local accounts to FC-utilisation has been explained in detail in the Association reply dated to the Inspection Report but not considered.
No money was spent on rallies or dharnas having any political hue or colour. FCRA, 2010 was not applicable for expenses incurred in 2009, while in 2011 and 2014, it was spent from domestic/United Nations funding, which is exempt from FCRA.
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