Why India’s Solar Push Could Kill The Livelihood Of Pastoral Communities

August 5, 2019

Charanka, Patan: The parched brown of the land in Charanka village in north-west Gujarat, around 50 km from India’s border with Pakistan, seemed endless. In peak summer, during one of the worst droughts to hit the region in 30 years, it seems devoid of all life–even doughty bush plants have lost most leaves. Cyclone Vayu, that hit the Gujarat coast in June 2019, did little to revive the district of Patan.

The Charanka solar park is spread over 5,384 acres of land where cows, buffaloes and goats raised by the local maldhari community used to graze. It is now out of bounds for them.

This perhaps explains why the official website of the Gujarat Power Corporation Limited describes the 5,384 acres across which the Charanka solar park is spread as “unused” land. A project map available at the park’s office differs from this assessment–of the 5,417 acres, close to 2,000 acres are under cultivation, it showed. The rest, as per the map, is “government land”.

The villagers were livid at these labels. “What do they mean that the land is unused and that it belongs to the government?” asked Raku Ben, a livestock rearer. “We use it for grazing livestock, and our livelihood depends on this land. It doesn’t belong to anyone, it belongs to everyone.”
The solar park project launched in December 2010, has been functional since April 2012. It sits on what used to be the pasture for the region’s livestock herders, called maldharis. They have traditionally never owned the land where their animals graze but it is critical for their livelihood. The maldharis were once a nomadic community but some have opted to settle down.

These factors are not reflected in the state’s latest solar power policy of 2015 or the Gujarat Wind-Solar Hybrid Power Policy of 2018. The words “compensation” or “livelihoods” do not figure anywhere in the solar power policy.

Solar park on the right, reserved forest on the left, there is no place left for the cattle herders to take their animals grazing. Charanka’s livestock has dwindled since these grazing lands were taken over for the park.

Having lost access to the grazing lands, maldharis can no longer rear goats, sheep, cows or buffaloes. And the forest department denies them entry to other fertile patches in the region.

“As a result, the once self-sustaining and independent community has now been reduced to doing daily-wage labour in either agricultural fields in neighbouring villages or working as cleaners in the solar park,” said Anu Verma, the focal person in India for the South Asia Pastoralist Alliance, a network that advocates pro-pastoralist policies on commons lands, livestock, food and environment.

A switch to renewable energy is at the heart of India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) commitment made at the Paris Agreement in 2015 which sought to keep global temperature rise under 1.5 deg C. One of the key commitments was to increase electricity generation from renewable sources to 40% of total energy generated in the country by 2030. India’s solar capacity has grown from 3,744 MW in 2014-15 to 28,181 MW as of March 2019, according to an annual report of the Central Electricity Authority of India.

The country, however, is likely to achieve this target a full decade ahead, according to a study by the Institute for Energy Economic and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), a US-based think-tank that analyses governance and energy. The cost of solar power has plummeted to Rs 2.44/kWh–in 2011, before the start of the solar revolution, the cost had reached Rs 12.76/kWh.

However, activists working with indigenous communities feel that the real cost of this power is not being taken into account, despite clear signs of emerging conflict, as IndiaSpend reported in March 2017. Solar energy is one of the most land-intensive sources of power and large tracts of arid and semi-arid are being covered by solar panels.

“Review of existing literature suggests that the average land requirement per MW of solar power installed capacity is in the range of 4-5 acres while the average land requirement for 1 MW of wind power is around 1 Ha (or 2.47 acres),” said a draft report by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). “Hence, the opportunity cost of land is estimated in terms of (agricultural income/acre) / (installed capacity/acre), i.e. (Rs/Acre)/(MW/Acre).”

Grasslands or not: the debate

Villagers allege that the solar parks encroach on their grassland but officials of the Gujarat Power Corporation Limited (GPCL) denied this. “GPCL follows prevailing rules, acts and regulation of land acquisition act in the state for solar park land,” said Rajendra Mistry, GPCL’s chief project officer and information officer. “As far as the Charanka solar project is concerned, GPCL has not taken gauchar land (grassland) for the park.”

There are two types of government land as per revenue records–government wasteland and grassland, Mistry pointed out. “GPCL has (only) taken government wasteland,” he said.

A maldhari takes his buffaloes grazing. The transmission lines in the background rise from the Charanka solar park.

While the economic cost of land acquisition is being calculated for compensations to land-owning farmers, livelihood loss is being ignored, activists said. The draft report makes no mention of the social costs of generating renewable energy.

Solar parks do not need environmental impact assessments (EIA) before being commissioned, said the environment ministry in an August 2017 note. “MOEF&CC (Ministry of environment, forests & climate change) have clarified that the provision of EIA Notification, 2006 is not applicable to solar PV (photovoltaic) power projects,” said the office memorandum, adding that the disposal of PV cells will attract provisions of the Hazardous and Other Waste (Management and Trans-Boundary Movement) Rules, 2016.

The memorandum also added that the development of solar parks will attract provisions under the Water Act, 1974 and Air Act, 1981, both focussed on pollution.

The long-term impact of cutting off sunlight and rain from the land on which solar parks stand needs to be studied, and considered before large parks are commissioned, said experts. “There has been a large increase in solar parks around the world, which has led to significant land-use change,” said a report commissioned by the European Commission that looked into the impact of solar parks on microclimate and plant-soil processes. “However, the ecological implications of the land-use change caused by solar parks are poorly understood.”

The study showed up significant impact of solar projects on microclimate. “From spring to autumn, for example, soil under the panels was up to 5.2oC cooler, on average, than soil in the gap and control plots,” said the study. “Lower soil temperatures are likely to affect many important plant–soil processes, including productivity and decomposition.”

The study also found less moisture in the air below panels, meaning low evaporation of water from plants and thus, lower photosynthesis rates and fewer plants. But in hot regions these panels could boost plant growth. “Less solar radiation (which can stress plants) under panels in sunny regions, such as the European Mediterranean, could actually boost plant growth, for instance,” said the study.

Forced to take on paltry jobs

Villagers have taken on low-paying jobs at the park–cleaning panels, cutting grass and laying cables. “This pays us Rs 200 a day, but we never get more than three days of work in a month and during rains, even less,” said Neeru Ben, a cattle herder.

“Ten years ago, each of the hundred families in the village had at least 350 sheep and the whole village had around 1,200 cows,” recalls Neeru Ben, a herder. “Now only 20 families have livestock. I have seen my own sheep die of hunger because there are no grazing lands.”

These changes have caused distress in the region, according to activists. “In my interactions with the villagers, it is very clear that their self-esteem and their sense of identity has taken a hit since the solar park came up,” said Verma of the South Asia Pastoralist Alliance.

The project has also taken up nearly 2,000 acres of cultivated land around Charanka. While landowners got between Rs 80,000 and Rs 1.5 lakh per acre as compensation, the rest got nothing. “We are forced to travel to neighbouring villages because we can’t find work as agricultural labourers in our village,” Neeru Ben added.

The current government has systematically broken down all safeguards that protect the rights of local communities, alleged Lalji Desai, the national head of the Congress Sevadal, the grassroot organisation of Indian National Congress, a farm leader and maldhari himself. This is especially true of those who do not have direct land ownership but have been its traditional custodians, he added.

‘State rule on grazing lands not followed’
“Even according to the policies of the state government of Gujarat, at least 40 acres need to be demarcated for every 100 animals that pastorals own but this rule has not been followed,” said Desai. “Apart from this, the government also needs the consent of 70% of landowners before acquiring them, according to LARR (Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013).”

Maldharis were once nomadic livestock herders. Some are now opting to settle down.

The livestock count has fallen in Charanka. “Ten years back, each of the hundred families in the village had at least 350 sheep and the whole village had around 1,200 cows,” recalled Neeru Ben. “Now only 20 families have livestock. I have seen my own sheep die of hunger because there are no grazing lands.”

Fodder is available at Rs 22/kg in the market but the villagers cannot afford it. “Each cow needs at least 12 kg of fodder everyday,” said Neeru Ben. “How can we afford this?”

Before the solar park came, the then chief minister of the state, Narendra Modi visited Charanka in 2011 for the stone-laying ceremony.

Villagers alleged that they were forcibly kept out of the event. “Ironically, the police only allowed people from neighbouring villages to attend the programme,” said Janu Ben, a cattle herder. “I somehow got in. He (Modi) promised us free water, electricity and even a hospital. None of these promises have been fulfilled to this day.”

Stuck for a solution
At an average of five acres of land needed for every MW of solar energy, some 140,000 acres (570 sq km) of land are already under solar panels across the country. If India is to meet its solar target of 100 GW by 2022, which many analysts are sceptical about, nearly 3,00,000 acres (1,214sq km) of land will have to be under panels across India. Of the 100 GW target, 60GW would need to come from large solar parks, and 40 GW from rooftops.

Land is a state subject, with limited central role, maintained officials of both the MNRE and the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), a public sector undertaking dedicated to solar energy. “We will only tie up the land and give it to developers,” said Praveen Kumar, additional secretary at the MNRE. “We are not in the business of acquiring or buying it. Whatever the policies the state government has regarding compensation to landless communities, these should be followed.”

He refused to comment on whether the central government can issue guidelines to state governments on the question of compensation for cattle herders who do not own the land they graze animals on.

SECI officials IndiaSpend spoke to were not sure if there are mechanisms to calculate compensations for those who do not own land or other assets. “Everything involves money,” said Sanjay Kumar, general manager contract and procurement at SECI. “If it (compensation to communities who do not own land) is not a part of any policy or not mandated, we cannot spend any amount (on compensation). It should be arrived at by the state government.”

The most SECI can do is to inform the MNRE of Charanka villagers’ problem or propose a solution. “(But) I don’t know whether the central government will be able to enforce this: The state should own that responsibility,” he said.

In 2011, following a Supreme Court order, the then state development commissioner had put out a circular instructing that all encroachments on the grasslands be removed.

Land use factor cannot be ignored: activists
Not taking into account various aspects of land–especially its importance in historical and political struggles–is a blinkered view, said land conflict experts. “Not recognising land for its occupational use, ecological importance and cultural significance is a deliberate attempt to categorise them as wastelands, giving the impression that these are empty spaces than can be easily transferred for government use or for private sector projects,” said Kanchi Kohli, researcher at the Centre For Policy Research, a public policy think-tank based in New Delhi.

“The Solar Project Developer shall be responsible for obtaining the land for setting up and operating solar power project,” said the Gujarat Solar Power Policy 2015. Laws like the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 and the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RFCTLARR) Act, 2013 recognise the importance of grasslands for pastoral communities.

“However, they can be applied only when the land’s uses and importance is recognised,” said Kohli.

Experts working on just transition to renewable energy believe that specific laws are needed to protect these communities. “The rate at which these projects are operating, the real ecological cost and the opportunity cost that others are paying (for them) are not being accounted for,” said Harjeet Singh, global climate lead at ActionAid. “The solar and renewable energy revolution has just started and we should not allow it to go without proper scrutiny and later realise its real costs to both the environment and the people.”

(Karthikeyan is a Chennai-based freelance journalist. He writes on land rights, environment, climate change, and agriculture. He won The Statesman Award for Rural Reporting in 2018.)

Courtesy: India Spend

Scientific temper is of fundamental importance to the acquisition and transfer of knowledge”

August 5, 2019

Narendra Dabholkar was a crucial part of the rationalist and anti-superstition movement in India. Besides his groundbreaking work with the Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti, Dabholkar composed a number of vital treatises on the subject of fighting blind faith. Written in Marathi, the books break down complex intellectual and scientific arguments to argue for the destruction of superstition and the divisions of caste and religion.

Translated by Jai Vipra

Describing religious superstition as a thousand-armed octopus, Dabholkar’s Please Think: Practical Lessons in Developing a Scientific Temper, translated by Jai Vipra, uses stories from the movement’s own work on the ground to explain how violence, hatred and fanaticism are spreading, and what can be done to stop it. The following are excerpts from the chapter “Scientific Temper” of the book.

It was once believed that, with technology changing the face of the world, superstition would die a quiet death. However, that has not happened. People today, whether rich or poor, old or young, are even proud of their lack of scientific temper.

Many people are still living in the clutches of superstition. They spend hours at crematoriums, waiting for a crow to signal freedom for a loved one’s soul. They see omens everywhere, from the breaking of glass to the falling of stones. Why do prime ministers and presidents pay their respects to a fraudulent godman? Why do people toss perfectly good food into sacrificial fires? Why do they still oppose widow remarriage in the name of caste? What does this downfall of scientific temper and reason tell us?

People fall prey to superstition because they are in constant need of external support. It is natural for the exploited to turn to the deceptive aid or solace of superstition. Yet, the end of superstition is not guaranteed by the end of misery, because we also turn to superstition to fulfil our greed. This makes it a never-ending affliction. Hubris, and the fact that people have never considered the scientific merit of their rituals, blinds them to the futility of superstitious beliefs. They convince themselves with the usual maxim: ‘There must be something to it.

The history of all scientific inquiry is that of attempting to understand what we previously couldn’t. Early man watched nature, astounded.

He was incapable of comprehending phenomena such as roaring thunder, blinding lightning, pouring rain, vicious forest fires and devastating storms. These were formidable powers, and human well-being appeared to depend on appeasing these powers. This is why the ‘five elements’ were given so much importance in our history. Man was, in a sense, the weakest creature on earth as he battled the elements. He lacked the ability to fly, to survive underwater and in extreme cold. He lacked the strength of the rhinoceros and the agility of the deer. Yet he became the de facto ruler of the world—how?

While other creatures adjust to nature, man lords over it, because knowledge is exclusive to humans. Our brains, which developed along with our opposable thumbs, allowed us to grab things, manipulate them and fashion them into tools. We gained these abilities over thousands of generations. Not only did man acquire knowledge, he also transferred it to subsequent generations through language, making use of his evolved larynx and oral cavity.

Man is faced with thousands of questions in his quest for knowledge: Why are the seas and sky blue? Where do butterflies get their colours from? What causes high and low tides? How many stars can we count with the naked eye? Why does the sun appear larger during sunrise and sunset? Why do fireflies glow at night? Why do mosquitoes hum? What are stainless steel and plastic? The love for knowledge is born of curiosity, and quelling curiosity makes humans happy.

Science, simply, is the practice of knowledge, the search for knowledge. The word ‘science’ is derived from the Latin scientia, derived from scire, which means ‘to know’. The origins of scientific thinking and practice can be found in human intelligence and the practical know-how and skills that are transferred from one generation to the next as civilisation grows.

[…]

Building scientific temper and dispelling superstition involves improving one’s ability to make sense of what one experiences. Making sense of experience does not mean understanding experience totally, but untangling our intertwined and often muddied experiences to understand their essence. For instance, if we throw a stone and a feather from the same height, the stone falls faster than the feather.
However, if we remove the wind from the equation, both will fall at the same pace. The exceptional ability to understand this is present in very few people. But the knowledge that is limited to a talented few today becomes common knowledge tomorrow. This is the value of scientific thinking.

There are some skills which are unique to humans: digging into our vast experience and making sense of it, representing these insights mathematically and using these formulae to acquire new knowledge. With the help of these tools, knowledge can be disseminated. And scientific temper is of fundamental importance to the acquisition and transfer of knowledge.

The Parliament of India passed the Scientific Policy Resolution in March 1958, a document inspired by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. These were the salient parts:

It is only through the scientific approach and method and the use of scientific knowledge that amenities can be provided to every member of the community[…]Science has led to the growth and diffusion of culture to an extent never possible before[…]it has provided new tools of thought and has extended man’s mental horizon. It has thus influenced even the basic values of life, and has given to society a new vitality and a new dynamism.

In 1975, an Indira Gandhi-led Parliament amended the Constitution to add the fundamental duties of Indian citizens. ‘To develop scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform’ is now a fundamental duty. In 1987, Rajiv Gandhi’s education policy laid great emphasis on the development of scientific temper.

However, it is important to be aware that science is not magic. To say that all questions will be answered by science is to replace God with science. Only people can solve problems. Scientific thinking shows us the appropriate way to solve them. Apart from this, we must remember that making science popular and inculcating scientific temper are separate challenges. For instance, it is beneficial to increase the use of solar energy in our daily lives, but inaugurating the installation of solar energy equipment with rituals using lemons or by cracking open a coconut is inimical to scientific temper. However, making science popular can also be a way to inculcate scientific temper.

Religious faith might be an inherent characteristic of man, but so is critical thinking. For instance, people use this faculty while making business decisions. Businesses fail if all factors are not considered carefully. Scientific thinking is the same careful consideration, when it is used to understand what an incident means, what the different elements in nature are, or what the rules governing various phenomena are. Naturally, these rules are not discernible simply by observing elements and phenomena as they are. It takes a superior level of imagination and intelligence to discern these rules. When a talented scientist proposes her theory, she provides the proof on which it is based and the logical reasoning from which the theory takes shape. To disprove such a theory, one has to show that either the proof or the reasoning is faulty. Else the theory is accepted as true. This is why even religious faith begins to support established scientific theories.

When scientific thinking and knowledge gained ground in Europe, religion was not destabilised or made irrelevant. The religious and scientific worlds converged as religion moved closer to science. Elements and phenomena observable by man, and the rules governing them, are in the domain of science. There lies no scope for religion there.

Here are some characteristics of scientific temper:

1. Believing something simply because someone with authority has said it, or because it has been written in a book, is wrong. The ultimate test of truth is observable proof or examination. Adishankaracharya pointed out that we cannot believe fire is cool no matter who says it, in any number of books. In Europe, this is the principal difference between medieval thinking and modern scientific thinking. For medieval philosophers, the Bible, the writings of priests and even the views of Aristotle were beyond dispute. These people and these books, with their logic and arguments, had drawn impermeable intellectual borders. One could not cross these borders even in the pursuit of truth. The real tussle between religion and science was that of the primacy of words and books versus the primacy of observation and examination. This method of knowing was accessible to anyone who was prepared to perform the necessary observations and experiments. This new method had so much success that religion soon had to struggle for ground against science.

2. The world is governed by certain rules, and its existence is not due to any external power. The questions of the universe can be answered by analysing the elements present in it, and man is capable of such analysis. Galileo’s telescope and subsequent discoveries not only added to knowledge, but changed our conception of the world to that of a machine. Instead of trying to solve the ultimate question, science began to solve many smaller questions more and more accurately. Man had long believed that there were rules governing the world, but it took Galileo’s work and scientific temper to understand that these rules were material, not spiritual.

3. The earth is not the centre of the universe. The world was not created for man; indeed, there is no reason for the world to have any purpose at all. Everything happens due to factors internal—and not external—to the universe.

4. Superior knowledge is gained through consistent thought and intelligence, not through revelations. One disadvantage of a society that believes in revealed knowledge is that its intellectuals stop valuing scientific and objective ways of acquiring knowledge. Another effect is inimical to democracy; it creates two classes—those who are knowledgeable and those who aren’t. As revealed knowledge is not accessible to everyone, the have-nots are kept subordinate to the haves, for knowledge becomes the prerogative of the privileged.

5. Unknown powers cannot make anything happen. If there is even a single exception to what ought to be scientific truth, the whole edifice collapses like a house of cards. A ring appearing in Satya Sai Baba’s hand is an unscientific incident because there is overwhelming evidence to the contrary, backed by knowledge. Godmen like Satya Sai Baba will have to furnish explanations for these powers.

6. Science is public. Scientific truth is available to all. Anyone who is curious about this truth can test it. Scientific temper is opposed to dogmatism. Dogma is personal; it is inaccessible and untestable.

7. Science is always humble. It never lays claim to the final word. It is religion that asserts, ‘I have understood it all, I have figured the universe out, now do as I say.’ Science believes in testing objects and incidents, and searching tirelessly for solutions to unsolved problems. Scientists are not to be praised for being right; they are to be praised for trying to state principles rigorously and thoroughly. Science remains objective even while it extends or overturns the work of its own giants. For instance, Einstein could finish Newton’s unfinished work or disprove it; Newton does not object to this. If, tomorrow, someone else points out the limitations in the work of both Einstein and Newton, it does not mean they are insulted. Anyone is permitted to test their propositions. All scientific theories are open to challenge. No matter how much progress is made in the realm of science, there are always new questions to answer, new horizons to chase.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Narendra Dabholkar was a rationalist, author and activist from Maharashtra. A trained medical doctor, he founded and was president of the Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti. Through his writings and speeches, he emphasised the role of rational thinking. He was murdered on 20 August 2013, and triggered by his death, the long-pending Anti-Superstition and Black Magic Ordinance was promulgated in Maharashtra four days later. He was posthumously awarded the Padma Shri in 2014.

Jai Vipra works on research and advocacy in technology policy, especially on digital monopolies, trade and finance. She is a rationalist and advocates for the rejection of all superstition, and for the use of science and technology for the emancipation of humanity from exploitation. She completed her Masters in Public Policy from the University of Oxford and is currently based in New Delhi.
These are excerpts from Please Think: Practical Lessons in Developing a Scientific Temper written by Narendra Dabholkar, translated by Jai Vipra and published by Context. Republished here with permission from the publisher.

Courtesy: Indian Cultural Forum

Family that rushes to face NRC re-verification meets with near fatal accident: Assam

August 5, 2019

Over the weekend, thousands of re-verification notices served to the poor and unlettered persons of lower Assam had caused hundreds to desperately rush 400-500 kilometres away in panic. One such family that was forced to rush overnight for a hearing, met with an accident and many of them were severely injured. 60 year old Abdul Kalam Azad from Sontoli in Kamrup district was travelling for a hearing a bus with over 20 members of his family when the accident took place late at night. 24 people including a toddler and an 8 year old have been injured in the accident. Survivors have sustained serious injuries including burns, fractures and head injuries. Three people are said to be in critical condition. They are all being treated at the Guwahati Medical College Hospital.

Sabrangindia had reported exclusively on how these large scale notices are a violation of the Supreme Court Order of July 23.

Some images of the accident and survivors may be viewed here:

The bus which was moving from sontali to golaghat immediately with people going 4 nrc hearing has faced an accident last night I e. 4.8.19 at guwahati causing one death and injured many, who are admitted to guwahati medical college hospital.

Yesterday at 11.30 there is major accident of a bus carrying people going for immediate NRC hearing from sontali, Boko to golaghat a 500 km rout causing seriously injuring atlest 30 people including infants out of which condition of 5 is very critical. How many times these Indian poor citizens will have to face such acid tests, who is responsible for such measurable conditions.

Panic had gripped lower Assam as thousands of re-verification notices –calling victims from as far as 400 kilometres away — were served, summoning persons to appear for hearings, overnight. Poor access and transportation had rendered these latest moves by the NRC authorities callous and brutal, apart from being in clear violation of the July 23, 2019 order of the Supreme Court that turned down the state and centre’s demand for such re-verification

Over four million people have been left out of the NRC draft, most of them from socio-economically backward communities. This list was out by July 31, 2018 and the final list is due on August 31, 2019.

Take Parliament into Confidence over Kashmir, CPI-M serves notice in Rajya Sabha

August 5, 2019

In a strongly worded notice issued to the Chairman of the upper house of Parliament, the Rajya Sabha, three members of parliament of the CPI-M have demanded that the Modi.2 government take the Indian Parliament over its moves in the conflict ridden state of Jammu and Kashmir. Since August 2, when thousands of troops were moved into the Valley, the Amarnath yatra called off, students from central institutes advised to ‘go back’ and tourist advisories issued a veil of secrecy has hung around the moves of the Centre. The CPM has moved for a suspension of Rajya Sabha notice over Kashmir under Rule 267.

Image Courtesy: AFP

The Centre has now even suspended internet connections in the Valley and also put senior opposition leaders under house arrest. Late on Sunday night, the Indian Express reported that senior leaders and former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti were placed under house arrest as was Yusuf Tarigami, lone MLA of the CPI-M from Kulgam. Across the board, the moves by the Centre have been seriously questioned for the autocratic ones they are.

The Cabinet of Ministers of the government of India is scheduled to meet this morning and address the country at 11 a.m. The greatest concern has been speculation over the Modi government using backdoor methods to abbrogate Articles 370 and 35A of the Constitution. These foundational structures in law are key to maintaining the delicate balance between the Valley and Delhi. Speculation over modifications of Article 35A, which confers special rights to the permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir have been rife over the week end.

The options include creating categories of land and allowing outsiders to purchase land in certain cases, and placing restrictions on the quantum of land based on the usage. To curtail misuse, they said, Article 35A can borrow from land laws in hilly states such as Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

The secretive, and many would say undemocratic moves of the Central government have drawn sharp criticisms. They have also led to heightened sense of panic and rumour mongering in the Valley. Demanding that the Parliament which is in session be taken into confidence, the CPI-M has issued this notice through three of its MPs, KK Rajesh, Elamaram Kareem and K Somaprasad.

The notice issued by the CPI-M in the Rajya Sabha may be read here:

Meanwhile a late night message by human rights defender, Khurram Pervez of the Association of Disappeared Persons (APDP) says it all:

” Last few days have been chaotic in Kashmir. No major violence but a lot of deliberate rumours by government. Additional armed forces (atleast 35000 in addition to 650,000 armed forces and police personnel) have been brought to Kashmir.

“Finally what appears is that there will be curfew imposed by midnight today. Internet will be completely shut, perhaps phones too. All this is being done, for government of India to abrogate article 35A, which will technically mean Indians can purchase property in Kashmir and become citizens of Kashmir.

“The Indian government thinks demographic changes will solve the conflict in Kashmir. This change apparently will be brought through Parliament but on ground in Kashmir only through gun point. They have silenced all political groups, gagged media and scared civil society. The government is well prepared to deal with protest and forces have been ordered to not negotiate with the protesters – just shoot.

“It is clear that there will be violence, but I hope and pray people remain peaceful and that we in Kashmir do not loose anything more than these constitutional guarantees. The largest democracy is able to do all this because of the international silence. Sending this message to all of you before the internet and phone is shutdown.”

Most astonishing of all the moves by the Centre was the abrupt cancellation of the Amarnath Yatra, citing a terrorist threat emanating from Pakistan, and the swift evacuation of tourists and pilgrims from the Valley. Shockingly, the order asking Amarnath yatris them to leave (without reasons being given) did not address the apprehensions of the people of Kashmir, thus conveying the crude and brute message that the government was not concerned about them, even as they rushed to petrol pumps and ATMs to stock up.

These latest secretive actions of the Modi government are even more stark given that, only weeks earlier, officials had been eager to project the situation in the Valley and at the LoC as much improved, with cross-border infiltration having come down drastically.

Last June, the Centre had similarly simply toppled the elected government by withdrawing support from the coalition and imposed President’s Rule in the state. Its over a year and elections have not been held. At the time, speaking to Sabrangindia, Tarigami of the CPi-M had been scathing:

Excerpts from the Video Interview (June 2018)

With the Amarath Yatra set to begin on June 28, we had expected (wrongly) that the BJP would wait at least two three months before taking this step, in the larger interests of the people of the state, the yatris. We expected this out of respect for the Yatris. But they are concerned only about narrow political consdirations
It is the tradition of the Kashmiris to lend a hand and support to the Yatris and we are sure this will continue but the overall atmosphere of tension and fear cannot help
The decision to end the alliance is meant to help their campaign for the 2019 elections since the state government has no favourable record to show
Jammu and Kashmir is headed for troubled times. This government, with separate agendas of the two alliance partners before the elections came together in such an opportunistic way after the election results and has a poor performance.
Kashmir is bleeding, on fire, needs now more than ever the understanding, love and affection of the people of India

Militarising Minds, Hindutvaising the Nation

August 3, 2019

A military school under RSS is worrisome because of earlier experiences, such as the Malegaon and Nanded blasts, that were concretised with the intervention and involvement of Hindutva activists.

Representational image. | Image Courtesy: Money Control

Rare are the occasions when the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) — which could be said to be the biggest organisation of Hindu men — moves beyond its founder member Dr Hedgewar to build memorials.

Whatever might be the consideration behind it, but it came as a little surprise that the RSS has decided to start a school in the memory of its first non-brahmin and non-Maharashtrian supremo Rajendra Singh alias Rajju Bhaiya (1922-2003), who was its chief from 1994-2000.

This proposed ‘Rajju Bhaiya Sainik Vidya Mandir’, will be set up in Shikarpur tehsil of Bulandshahr district, where the former supremo was born and it will start functioning from next year.

Vidya Bharati, the education wing of the RSS, which already runs 20,000 schools across India, would be running this military school as well. It is being said that this Army School will follow the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) curriculum and will have classes running from Class 6 to Class 12.

Normally, an idea to start a school is met with jubilation, but this news has caused an opposite effect. From educationists, to social activists to political leaders, one can hear voices of concern.

Expressing her reservations about role of RSS in running a military school, a leading educationist (Prof Anita Rampal) broadly raised three points while participating in a television panel discussion:

— How any such special school goes against our basic demand that till 10 years of age (at least) there should be common school system for all?
— How studies show that all such ‘military schools’ — which are filled with male students — encourage a ‘macho’ personality among students.
— Close on the heels of the discussions around the New Education Policy Draft presented by the Kasturirangan Committee, which even talks of role of retired teachers and retired army personnel in education, this project looks worrisome.

Questioning the whopping sum of Rs 40 crore which would be spent over it, Akhilesh Yadav, former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, underlined that since we already have enough such institutions “[r]un by the government, where is the need for RSS to run its own army school,” The Samajwadi Party leader did not hide his apprehensions about what will be taught there. “[R]SS apparently wanted to serve its political purpose by opening the army school where the students will “probably be taught lessons in mob lynching and disrupting social harmony”.

The concern expressed by many about this project has its merits.

One cannot suddenly develop amnesia over the fact that RSS has a controversial past about which it still has to do lot of explaining.
A number of pages have been written about the fact that RSS did not participate in the freedom struggle and, in fact, when the broad masses in India united for the anti-colonial struggle, by its actions, the RSS tried to weaken this unity.

Second, its leaders had tremendous fascination for the ‘final solution’ offered by Hitler and yearned to implement it here as well. Third, when the newly independent nation embarked on having a new Constitution — based on one man — one vote — which resolved to do away with all the age-old privileges based on caste, gender, race, ethnicity etc, it had opposed its making and had even vouched for Manusmriti as its Constitution.

Forget the feverish attempts by the present custodians of RSS to sanitise its own past and package itself in a more attractive manner, there are going to be genuine questions about what sort of worldview these future soldiers would be taught in such a RSS-run school. It would be height of innocence to think that it would not be the exclusivist worldview of the parent organisation which is premised on ‘us’ and ‘them’ thinking, and which has still not deemed it necessary to admit women in its fold, when equality between different sexes is an established idea.

Perhaps more important thing is that RSS has always maintained that military education is important for students citing a rising threat to the nation. Of course, there is nothing unique about this fascination for arming people and providing them military education, if one compares it to other exclusivist organisations.

Like every exclusivist ideology/organisation/formation which claims to be centred around a particular religion – be it Islamism, Zionism, fanatic Buddhism — Hindutva has always entertained a dream of preparing/arming its followers to fight the ‘others’ and slowly albeit not so silently, moving closer to usher in its ‘dreamland’ of Hindu Rashtra. Its ideologues/leaders have been candid enough to point out to the faithfuls the ‘internal enemies’’ and ways to deal with them or exterminate them. All these preparations dotted by regular drills, games and other militant exercises serves as a counter to the much publicised notion by the same people that ‘Hindus are Cowards’ or “Islam was spread through the sword” which has been an item of belief for the Hindutva fundamentalists.

The project of running a military school under RSS is worrisome also because of earlier experiences which were concretised with the intervention and involvement of Hindutva activists.

For example, over a decade ago, when exposures in the Malegaon bomb blast case were taking place and terror modules belonging to Hindutva formations were under the scanner, thanks to the painstaking work done by the then Anti-Terrorism Squad chief Hemant Karkare, an organisation called Maharashtra Military Foundation (MMF), based in Pune and run by Lt Col Jayant Chitale, a retired air defence artillery officer, had also made headlines.

In an interview to Outlook magazine in 2008, Chitale told the reporter that he had “[o]ver 1,000 of my boys serving in the three services today. Each one has been brainwashed by me. They are motivated, determined and will do anything for the nation.” The visitor’s book which Chitale has carefully preserved, lists the names of all the young men who were trained under him. The entry on February 20, 1993 tells us that Shrikant Prasad Purohit, Law College, Pune, was also enrolled here. The same Purohit, who later became Lt Col in the Army and is still an accused in the Malegaon bomb blast case under various sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and Indian Penal Code with others.

Coming back to the ‘Rajju Bhaiya Sainik School’, a section of the media is claiming that this is going to be the ‘first Sainik School’ being conceived and run by RSS. This claim is not based on facts.

The Bhonsala Military School (BMS) founded by Munje, leader of the Hindu Mahasabha and one of the founders of RSS, is a living example that since the past 60 years, the RSS or its activists are effectively running the school, which has run into controversy one after the other.
It was the mid-1930s when a proper military school was established by Dr B S Munje, mentor of Dr Hedgewar and one of the founders of RSS, which was aimed “..to bring about military regeneration of the Hindus” Apart from Hedgewar, and Munje, L V Paranjpe, B B Thalkar and Baburao Savarkar — V.D. Savarkar’s brother — were present at the inaugural meeting of RSS on Vijaya Dashmi (Page 16, Khaki Shorts and Saffron Flags, Tapan Basu, Pradip Datta, Sumit Sarkar, Tanika Sarkar, Sambuddha Sen). This military school was to be built much on the lines of The Balilla institutions, an idea conceived by Mussolini for the ‘military regeneration of Italy’. Anyone can see that from day one its doors were closed for non-Hindus.

In one of the first exhaustive write-ups “”Hindutva’s foreign tie-up in the 1930s: Archival evidence” in Economic & Political Weekly, January 22, 2000, Marzia Casolari had provided details of Munje’s tour of Italy, his meeting with Mussolini and his impressions of The Balilla institutions, an idea conceived by Mussolini for the ‘military regeneration of Italy’ and his resolve to develop a similar institution with ‘our institution Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh”

India and particularly Hindu India need some such institution for the military regeneration of the Hindus: so that the artificial distinction so much emphasised by the British of martial and non-martial classes amongst the Hindus may disappear. Our institution of Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh of Nagpur under Dr Hedgewar is of this kind, though quite independently conceived. I will spend the rest of my life in developing and extending this Institution of Dr Hedgewar all throughout the Maharashtra and other province

(From Munje Diary)

In fact, Shadow Armies, a book by veteran political journalist Dhirendra K Jha, which has devoted a full chapter to the Bhonsla Military School, takes a close look at the burgeoning of fringe organisations such as the Sri Ram Sene, the Hindu Yuva Vahini, the Sanatan Sanstha and the Hindu Aikya Vedi, apart from a few affiliated organisations of the RSS itself which, according to the author, “stir up trouble, polarize communities, incite violence in the name of Hindutva.” It is common knowledge that there is a very symbiotic relationship between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and these ‘Shadow Armies’. They have accompanied BJP’s steady advance over the last three decades from two Lok Sabha seats in 1984 to 282 in 2014.

It describes how after the death of its founder, Munje, merely six weeks after Gandhi’s assassination, it faced tremendous crisis and it was the role of the RSS activists there which helped it revive.

The Bhonsala Military School was thus revived. But the revival came at a price. With Ghatate acting as Nagpur’s key aide in the whole exercise, the management of Moonje’s school was silently taken over by men belonging to the RSS. “The shift took place during the period between 1953 and 1956,” says Major (Retd.) Prabhakar Balwant Kulkarni—who witnessed the shift and who had been attached to the school in different capacities from 1956 to 2003—in a detailed interview that took place in Nashik.

The school remained under scanner of security agencies during first decade of the 21st century.

The school, ..has been linked to various attacks by Hindu extremists in the recent past. The Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad, for instance, found during its investigation of the 2008 Malegaon blasts that several of the accused had been trained at BMS. Witnesses and co-accused told the ATS that they had participated in meetings with senior RSS leaders and their affiliates to plan the bombings, and that these had taken place on BMS premises.

Not only Malegaon blasts, the ATS investigating the Nanded Bomb Blast Case (April 6, 2006), which had witnessed the deaths of two Hindutva activists while making bombs, had discovered that Himanshu, one of the deceased, had organised a training camp at the Bhonsala Military School in Nagpur, apart from other camps. The charge sheet and narco analysis of accused in the Nanded blast case made it very clear that a training camp was held in the Bhonsala Military School at Nagpur attended by 100 to 115 people in May 2000 from all over the country.

Courtesy: News Click

Cong MLA Pratap Singh Rane demands that Activists who oppose mining be banished from Goa

August 3, 2019

In March 2018, the SC held “no public purpose behind mining; when it comes to mining, both the BJP and Congress parties have a similar stand.

Image Courtesy: hindustantimes

Goa Congress MLA and six time chief minister Pratap Singh Rane accused environmental activists in Goa for bringing “mining in the state to a halt”. He called for the banishment of such activists from Goa. He blamed activists for rendering more than 40,000 people in the state jobless! The former chief minister was speaking in the Legislative Assembly.

He said, “There are some unemployed fellows who go to court every now and then. Who gives them money? And they are bringing stay orders and all that sort of nonsense. So many people are without jobs. People have no money. Government no money.”

In a judgement dated February 7, 2018 the Supreme Court had cancelled all renewals of mining leases for iron ore extraction in the state of Goa and wiped the slate clean for a fresh beginning. The Apex Court of India delivered the judgement in SLA (civil) 32128 / 2015 (Goa Foundation vs SesaSterlite Ltd. &Ors, “Goa Mining Lease Renewal case”). The SC had said that “there was no public purpose behind mining operations.”

Earlier, a decision of the Supreme Court of 2014, the “Goa mining case”, Goa Foundation vrs. UOI &Ors, the Supreme Court had ruled that all iron ore mining leases in Goa had expired on November 22, 2007 and that mining after the said period was illegal. The SC then permitted the Goa government to resume mining after granting “fresh leases and fresh ECs”.

However, the BJP government led first by LaxmikantParsekar and later Manohar Parrikar, instead of prosecuting the illegal mining lease holders and going in for mineral auctions, renewed 88 mining leases indicating clear political patronage to private players. 56 of the 88 mining leases were renewed in the week between cabinet approval and promulgation of the MMDR Amendment Ordinance. Similarly, despite a finding that every single lease had violated the environmental laws, the MoEF& CC lifted the ban on 72 ECs.

But it appears that when it comes to mining, both the BJP and Congress parties have a similar stand.

Rane, who is the longest serving member of the Goa Legislative Assembly, said, “We have to take action against them banish them. Such people are not welcome to Goa. All they do is go to court get a stay order and stop work. Throw them outside Goa. They have destroyed Goa. They have ruined business in Goa. Such fellows should not be welcomed in Goa.”

He also demanded that the “law should be amended” so that the industry could start “again” and “people could get employed”.

The Supreme Court while passing orders on the petition filed by the Goa Foundation as well as an individual SudipTamhankar had directed the state government to grant fresh leases.As per a 2015 amendment, granting of leases involves a process of auction.

To avoid this process, the government has been seeking an amendment to the Act to do away with the process of auctionor alternatively, through a separate amendment to the Goa, Daman and Diu Mining Concessions (Abolition and Declaration as Mining Leases) Act, 1987 retrospectively extend the validity of Goa’s mining leases to circumvent the Supreme Court’s order.

This Act was enacted by the Parliament in 1987 to convert Goa’s mining concessions granted by the previous Portuguese regime ‘for perpetuity into leases as defined in the Mines and Mineral Development Act, 1957 with a fixed validity.

BJP’s U-turn on EVM tampering indicting: EVM VirodhiRashtriya Jan Andolan

August 3, 2019

Now, the forum calls for a people’s march against EVMs on August 9, starting at 11 am from Mandi House in Delhi

Image Courtesy: Counter View

The victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, that gave a seemingly “massive mandate” to the party for the second time was not without several key questions being raised. Throughout the seven stage voting process, questions of not just the Election Commission’s partisan role but more specifically, EVM’s either malfunctioning or being stored in not very secure locations surfaced.

Incidents of massive Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) ‘malfunctions’ were reported in each of the seven phases of the elections. Citizens society and several leaders among the opposition parties questioned the reliability and credibility of these machines throughout the election process. Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav called the poor and non-functioning of EVMs as a case of “criminal negligence” as he reported that polling officials were “untrained” for a polling exercise that costs Rs. 50,000 crores.

During the first phase, there were reports of an EVM failure in a polling booth at Dehradun, Uttarakhand. However, the EVM started working later. In Bijnore, Uttar Pradesh (UP), there was an EVM failure in a polling booth set up in Arya Inter College which delayed the voting by 30 minutes. At another constituency in UP, Baghpat, EVM failure was reported at polling booth number 156 in village Basauli.

Further, across as many as 139 polling booths in Madhya Pradesh, 55 ballot units, 56 control units and 130 VVPATs were found to be faulty and had to be changed during the fifth phase. EVM malfunction resulted in a delay of more than an hour at polling booths which were part of Sitamarhi constituency in Bihar. In HajipurLok Sabha constituency, a technical snag was reported at two booths. Four booths in Muzaffarpur also reported EVM snags. West Bengal also witnessed faulty EVMs in booth numbers 212, 213, 163 and 288 of Hooghly constituency. There were reports of EVM malfunctioning at various polling booths in Amethi as well.

Even during the first level checks in Gujarat, on March 7, 3565 EVMs and 2594 VVPATs were found defective in Gujarat.

It is against this backdrop that serious citizens mobilisation, post election results began: EVM Virodhi Jan Andolan meetings were held against EVM ‘failures’, ‘malfunctions’ and demands were raised to go back to ballot papers. There were nationwide protests. The platform raised the demand for a Supreme Court monitored probe into the just conducted Lok Sabha polls.

In Maharashtra, the leader of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, Prakash Ambedkar, had alleged that there had been discrepancies in votes counted and votes cast in all the 48 constituencies of Maharashtra. At a press conference Mr Ambedkar said that in 26 parliamentary constituencies, votes counted on May 23, 2019 were found to be less than the declared number of votes cast.

Now, the EVM VirodhiRashtriya Jan Andolan has said that there is a “threat” to Indian democracy by the use of EVMs.

Now, calling for a people’s march against EVMs on August 9, 11 am starting at Mandi House in Delhi, the platform has highlighted some important and interesting observations.

That there is a serious mismatch between the voter turnout/votes polled data on the EVM and the votes counted data on EVMs, both shared by the Election Commission (EC), in 373 constituencies which went to poll in the first four phases of Lok Sabha Elections 2019. “EVM is nothing but a counting machine.How can number of votes polled vary from number of votes counted? Why has ECI not explained the reasons for this mismatch?”

That, days before the election results, there were reports that EVMs were being stored in “illegal cars” and “shops” and moved. Here, there was “no vigilance maintained by the opposition parties or even civil society”

That, a public interest litigation in Bombay High Court also pointed out that 20 lakh EVMs had gone missing from the possession of the EC! It expressed concern about the fact that the EVMs are manufactured by the Electronics Corporation of India and Bharat Electronics, under the direct control of the Central Government. The note then asks,“Have these 20 lakh EVMS been traced till now? Has any action been taken against any official?”

That, the ECI, when questioned about the credibility of EVMs had constantly maintained that the software used in EVMs is One Time Programmable (OTP) and thus no manipulation was possible. However, the note drew attention to the Right to Information (RTI) query that revealed that the software in EVMs wasn’t OTP and could indeed be rewritten. Similarly, it was found out that remote access software can be (illegally) installed in EVM machines, thus enabling them to be manipulated via the internet by external agents. The notes asked, “The fundamental basis of EVM has been OTP that ECI made us believe. Now that has been demolished. Will ECI apologise and replace EVMs with ballot papers?”

That, the contract for the EVMs given to private company for handling EVMs for loading ballot units after withdrawal of candidates, seriously contradicts its previous claim that this task would be done by BEL and ECIL engineers alone.

That, “Botswana is witnessing strong political debates overuse of EVMs imported from India. In response to several objections raised by the Opposition Botswana Congress Party (BCP) in the Botswana court, the independent election commission (IEC) in Botswana, over the past one year, has repeatedly requested the EC of India (ECI) to depose in Botswana’s courts and demonstrate the infallibility of EVMs imported from India. The ECI has till now failed to comply and there are reports that faced with this challenge it is now planning to design an EVM for Botswana that is different from the one used in India! Why is the ECI so reluctant to stand up before institutional scrutiny of its own EVMs in Botswana?”

That in 2009, after the elections,BJP leader L. K. Advani had alleged that EVMs were not fool proof, and pointed out it’s discontinuation in the US, Germany etc. The BJP spokesperson G.V.L. Narasimha Rao wrote an entire book offering a staunch critique of EVMs, it said. The book is titled “Democracy at Risk! Can We Trust Our Electronic Voting Machines” and carried an introduction by no less than L. K. Advani! It questioned, “Why BJP is now taking an absolute U- turn about the credibility of EVMs?”

Thuggery should never elevate itself into a technique of governance: Sanjiv Bhatt

August 3, 2019

After being sentenced to life imprisonment in a 30 year old custodial death case, former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt finds himself in the middle of a legal battle to prove his innocence. Bhatt has now penned a deeply emotional letter to his wife Shweta and his children thanking them for their support. The letter was shared by Shweta from Sanjiv’s Facebook profile.

Image Courtesy: PTI

To his wife he says, “I haven’t been very expressive with my feelings, but let me tell you for once, that you have been an absolutely amazing co-traveller. Whatever I am today, is only and only because of you. You have been my strength and my inspiration.” Then addressing his children as well he says, “All of you stood with my decision to walk away from the Indian Police Service with my head held high, even though I did not know where I would be going. All of you have willingly paid the price for my decision to stake everything I had, in order to become everything that I needed to be, for serving the cause that was larger than all of us.”

Bhatt has been facing a vindictive regime’s wrath for daring to expose their role in allowing the Gujarat 2002 riots to spread unabated. His entire letter may be read here:

“Thuggery should never be elevate itself into a technique of governance”

Place: The Heart of Darkness
Date: Another Day in Battle

Dearest Shweta, Aakashi, Shantanu and , Shweta, I am writing to you after almost three decades! The last time I wrote to you was from the National Police Academy. That makes me realize how time has flown. Seems just like yesterday when we embarked upon our journey of shared dreams… and what a wonderful journey it has been! Betu, I haven’t been very expressive with my feelings, but let me tell you for once, that you have been an absolutely amazing co-traveller. Whatever I am today, is only and only because of you. You have been my strength and my inspiration. You have been the fuel that kept the furnaces of my passion and idealism burning against all odds. We have shared wonderful times and have made beautiful memories over the years. We have faced tough times with absolute nonchalance. We have roller-coasted through thick and thin, enjoying every single moment of our eventful life journey. Love you forever… and beyond.

Betu, the last few years have not been easy on you or on the kids. All of you stood with my decision to walk away from the Indian Police Service with my head held high, even though I did not know where I would be going. All of you have willingly paid the price for my decision to stake everything I had, in order to become everything that I needed to be, for serving the cause that was larger than all of us.

Betu, the last one year must’ve been unimaginably tough for you. It all started in last August with the vindictive demolition of the legally retrofitted portions of our house without even giving us a fair chance to challenge the grossly illegal demolition. I can only imagine how very painful it must’ve been for you to helplessly watch portions of the home you created and tended with so much love, being pulled down by the supplicant stooges of a thuggish government. This was followed by my arrest in a 24 year old case on completely fabricated evidence. And of course, the icing was the brazenly unjust and arbitrary conviction in a 29 year old case of “Custodial” death that occurred 18 days after the TADA accused was released from police custody. Betu, you have single-handedly faced all these adversities with amazing grace and fortitude. The entire country has seen your strength, courage, determination and resolve to stand up and fight against injustice. Today, India has reached a stage where it’s becoming increasingly apparent that the state represents concentrated and organised violence. Thuggery has been allowed to elevate itself into a technique of governance. The so-called watchdogs of democracy have been tamed into whimpering submission. In these times of all round institutional undermining and systemic subversion, no institution or organisation is safe. The courts of our country are apparently adjudicating, but truth and justice don’t necessarily enter the equation. Betu, you have chosen to stand up and fight against injustice. It’s a choice that comes with a price, I am sure that your exemplary courage will stiffen the spines of many others. May your valiant struggle serve as a beacon of hope in these dark times.

Aakashi, my darling daughter, my little knight – ever ready to tilt at my foes. I can’t help but remember the innumerable times when you would blindly jump to my defence whenever mom and I had a tiff. Today, even though you are away in Oxford, pursuing your academic career, I know for sure that your heart, mind and spirit are with me.I can only imagine how difficult it must’ve been for you to not come back to India and be a part of my ongoing battle. Baby, as you very well know, this is a battle of my choosing, and I would not want my choices to jeopardize the trajectory of your life. Mom and I are truly blessed to have a loving daughter like you. You have always been, and will always continue to be my Arya Stark. May you find all the love, happiness and success that you so richly deserve.

Shantanu, my running partner, my volleyball buddy and my accomplice in gluttony. Shan, in the last one year, I have seen you transform from the carefree happy-go-lucky lad to the responsible young man standing by mom’s side. I can only wonder how difficult the past one year would have been for her without you by her side. You have been a pillar of strength for mom. Thank you for filling in. Shan, every choice I made had its risks, every choice its consequences… and I have no regrets. I take every slander and every act of persecution as a reaffirmation that I am continuing to walk on the right path against all odds, but at times I feel a little guilty for having thrust this role upon you. Yet, I am very proud to see the man you’ve become. May you continue to spread joy and happiness wherever you go, and achieve whatever you strive for in your life.

Lastly, a few words of heartfelt gratitude for all the brave friends and supporters who have stood by me and my family in these dark times. Each one of you has not only inspired me to be my best, but has also been the source of much needed strength for Shweta. Each one of you has added to her courage. Each one of you has added to her resolve to take on the forces of evil that are threatening to subsume Indian Democracy. The thugs-in-power are trying everything at their disposal to silence or discredit the voices of truth, reason and dissent. These are dark times for the Indian Democracy. But as nightfall doesn’t come all at once, nor does the tyranny of authoritarian repression. Darkness feeds on ignorance and apathy. We, the people of India, stood silently and watched as institution after institution was subverted and undermined to serve the interests of a thuggish regime that thrived on hatred, falsehood and demagoguery. We allowed the idea of the nation to be conflated with an ideology, a political party, or an individual… whereby anyone questioning that idea is automatically branded antinational.

Friends, India is at a tipping point. The choices we make today will determine our fate for the next few decades. None of us can afford to be in the stands anymore. We’ve got to be in the fight. Politics is not a spectator sport. We may avoid politics, but politics will not avoid us. We must resolve to fight these thugs at all levels. Thuggery should never be allowed to elevate itself into a technique of governance. The thugs-in-power will have to be faced down – whatever the price. We will have to make some difficult choices… but in the end, we’re only the sum of the choices we make. If people like you and me aren’t willing to take risks for what we believe in, nothing will ever change. Every time we see the truth and yet choose not to speak, we die in increments. All that needs for evil to take root is that good men do nothing while they still can. Standing up against evil and injustice isn’t compulsory, neither is our survival as a democracy. Hope we find the wisdom and courage to choose correctly. Friends, the sun is setting around Indian Democracy in more ways than one, but with people like you around, India still has hope. When it comes to countering the forces of evil, no acts of resistance is insignificant, no fight is too small to be fought. Even the biggest of avalanches are made up of small things… snowflakes. We shall resist. We shall fight. We shall overcome. That is certain.

With tons and tons of love and gratitude, I remain – unbowed, unbent, unbroken.

Sanjiv Bhatt IPS

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A military school under RSS is worrisome because of earlier experiences, such as the Malegaon and Nanded blasts, that were concretised with the intervention and involvement of Hindutva activists.

Cong MLA Pratap Singh Rane demands that Activists who oppose mining be banished from Goa

BJP’s U-turn on EVM tampering indicting: EVM VirodhiRashtriya Jan Andolan

Now, the forum calls for a people’s march against EVMs on August 9, starting at 11 am from Mandi House in Delhi

Thuggery should never elevate itself into a technique of governance: Sanjiv Bhatt

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