10,000 NRC Claim Forms filled up in Two Camps in 40 hours: CJP Impact, Assam

November 26, 2018

Large sections of the community come out in a massive way in response to the call given by CJP; from government employees to mass organisations, all work over a three-day government holiday at 90 work tables organised in far-flung districts

Tezpur (North Upper Assam), November 25: There have been three days of continuous, back to back holidays in Assam. On Friday last it was Guru Nanak Jayant. On Saturday it was LA chit Divas in Assam. Then came the Sunday, the weekly holiday. State government employees, alongwith several educated youth, students and some social organisation(s) came out in a massive way –traveling to the most backward areas of Baghmati under the Biswanathdistrict of Assam—and created history of sorts! A new history of social responsibility in response to the call given by the Assam chapter of Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP).

CJP, a rights, justice and peace organization of India has started a massive programme in Assam since the final draft NRC was published in July this year. About 500 community Volunteers, 50 Volunteer Motivators, associated with CJP are working day and night all over the State, especially in the most vulnerable and remote areas of the state where large numbers of people have been dropped from the final draft NRC.

The community volunteers associated with CJP are working on the ground to mobilise active and literate persons from within the community to assist the process of filling up Claims forms at the NagrikSevaKendras (2,500 in all), educating persons on how to fill up these claim forms, counselling people about the serialisation of documents; the necessity of collecting documents as are needed. Besides the trainings include distributing learning documents for the empowerment of youth, students and educated people so that ordinary neo-literate and working class persons are equipped to handle the complicated process of filling up the claim forms with the NRC.

Moreover, a competent and empowered team has also been sitting at the Gauhati-based CJP’s 24 Hour, Toll Free Helpline Centre. Any person who calls in from any part of the world can be advised and counselled and, in fact, receives all possible information regarding the filling up of NRC claim forms. These combined and multi-pronged efforts have generated a mass awareness among the people of Assam.

On November 21, CJP Impact: On November 21, CJP Secretary TeestaSetalvad and our Assam Project Coordinator Zamser Ali appeared together on a Facebook Live broadcast to highlight the plight of people who were facing several challenges in filing claims to have their names included in the National Register of Citizens (NRC). A day after this, NRC State Coordinator PrateekHajela issued a notice to all local NRC officials to make certain accommodations for married women and children under 14.

This was evident as nowhere before in in Baghmari of the Biswanath District (that falls under upper North Assam) over the past two days (weekend). In response to this steadfast, hard work and the continuous appeals made by team CJP, about 200 government employees, teachers, the All Assam Minority Student’s Union Workers and various individuals, youth and students among them, came together to extend their three days’community service for the poor and illiterate so that all claim forms of the NRC can be filled up within these three holidays. About 200 community members including CJP community Volunteers and AAMSU leaders set up 60 tables for the purpose of filling up the claim forms of NRC.

Keramat Ali, community volunteer of CJP from Baghmari recounted the experience, “in this area,as many as 76% people have had their names dropped from the final draft of NRC. This is only because of illiteracy and absence of awareness and access, despite the fact that they actually have all proper documents. This has meant that a huge number of people could not submit their NRC applications properly at the initial stage. This was the only reason that a huge number of people had had their names dropped from the final draft NRC. This time when I called on CJP’s toll free Helpline number of NRC, and, I was connected with them as community volunteer alongwith two others in our locality, we started our work and campaigning in a systematic way. It was this that encouraged community representatives to come out in a massive way to help the poor and underprivileged sections of the people.’

He continues his first person account:“On Friday, November 23, when the mega NRC claim forms filling up effort was started, for the first day we had set up 60 tables for community volunteers to fillup the NRC Claim forms. On each and every table there were at least three persons available for filling up the forms very seriously. Moreover, we have set up an extra desk of 20 members for screening all documents before allowing anyone to go to the ‘form filling’table.”

“On Friday the work was slow, as many people attended first time for filling up the NRC claim forms. On that day, we issued 1400 slips (showing number of persons helped). On Saturday, the number of slips issued was increased to 7000. Out of these, about 90% of the forms were filled up’ adds Baharul Islam, community volunteer of CJP and general secretary of Biswanath District All Assam Minority Student’s Union (AAMSU).

Irfan Ali, the working president of the Baghmari Local Committee, AAMSU and CJP’s community Volunteer said, “even when people are busy with Panchayat election, these people are busy in filling up claim applications. We came to know that till now, out of four million people dropped from the final draft of the NRC, only 5 lakh Claim applications have been submitted during the last 60 days. We have only 20 days ahead of us, of which there are only 11 working days. In this short span of time we will have to submit 3.5 million claim applications. It is a challenging task and we must complete our work within the time frame. If anyone fails to submit the claim applications he may be directly be declared as a foreigner.”

Irfan Ali a local youth promised, ‘after completion of filling and submission of claim forms in our locality, our youth and students will go other parts of the state to help the distressed people.’

Based on this experience at Baghmari, the combined effort of educated youth, students and government employees of Sonitpur District began a similar mega program in Solmara nearby Tezpur in Sonitpur District. On November 24, in the mega camp in Tezpur where 20 tables had been set up, about 3000 claim forms were filled up. These two program have created a positive energy and elicited a popular response from other parts of the State.

A local teacher and writer, Noor Hussain recounts, ‘people of Baghmari under the Biswanathdistrict created history today. About 200 People including government employees, educated youth, AAMSU workers, allcame out openly today to help the distressed people for filling up NRC claim applications. All this was in response to the call by the Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP)

The community volunteers gathered at the Hamidur Rahman Senior Madrasa, counselled and filled up claim applications around 60 tables for the people dropped from the final draft NRC. The volunteers have committed to filling up another 14,000 forms in the three days from November 23-25, 2018 using the advantage of the government holidays.”

This initiative and drive was designed and implemented by CJP community volunteers Keramat Ali, Baharul Islam (who is also general secretary, Biswanath District, AAMSU), Irfan Ali (working president, Baghmari Local Committee, AAMSU). The program was attended and supervised by Major Mubarak Ali, CJP Volunteer Motivator, Sonitpur, Shaiiz Uddin Ahmed, advocate, Gauhati High Court, Rihan Akhtar and Zamser Ali on behalf of the State team of CJP.

Related Articles:

CJP Launches App to aid in Filing NRC Claims in Assam

CJP in Action: No hurdle too big for our Volunteer MotivatorsOur work with those excluded from Assam’s NRC persists

CJP in Action: Words of Encouragement pour in as CJP’s NRC Helpline rings off the hook!Assam Press shares our TOLL FREE number to help people

Distress Deaths Continue Unabated, Suicides Cross 35: NRC Process, Assam

November 26, 2018

During the UPA I and II regimes, the one single case of suicide of Arjun Namasudra has, under this rapacious regime and the Centre and state, taken 35 lives already!

Guwahati, 26 November: The painful and personally distressing process of updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the long standing ‘D’ Voter vis-a-vis Foreigners Tribunal has taken not less than 35 lives until now. After SamsulHoque of village Bagariguri under the Barpetadistrict took the extreme decision to take his own life on November 14, 2018. Tragically, two other personsalso took their own lives in a period of just less than 24 hours. Surendra Barman (27) of village Srirampur Colony under Simultapupolice outpost of Kokrajhardistrict and MonnasAli(65) of Thelamara area in the Darrang District hanged themselves on November 19 and 20, respectively.

What led them to take this extreme step were the repeated discrepancies in the D Voter system and the NRC’s ongoing updating process. Thus, bothSurendra Barman and Monnas Ali became the 34th and 35th victim of the NRC and Foreigners Tribunals process in Assam.

Surendra Barman, a young man of 27, had been not only tagged a ‘D Voter’, but had also been fighting his foreigners tribunal case for the last two years. His name had been missing from the final draft of the NRC that was published on July 30,2018. Surendra Barman, in search of work a few years back gravitated to Guwahati two years, where he was detained by the Assam Police and a ‘Foreigner’case was lodged against him. During the last two years, this young man, the sole breadwinner of his family was also burdened with having to run from pillar to post in this gross process and to also dish out huge sums of money to only prove his citizenship, that he is Indian. With a seven-member family to support, this broke him.

Bajoy Das of the same locality has stated that, “Tufanu Barman, who is the grand-father of Surendra Barman has all valid documents proving himself to be an Indian, going back to 1964. Tufanu Barman was allotted a small plot of land in 1966 in which the family is residing to date. Mahendra Barman, who is father of Surendra Barman is a regular voter and he has been enjoying the right to franchise until now. Apart from this,Surendra Barman, the sole breadwinner and a daily wage earner of a marginalised had to carry the burden of the disgrace of being dubbed a ‘D Voter’ and doubtful foreigner. It became an unbearable source of pain for the youth who hanged himself on the early morning of November 19.”

The dead body of Surendra Barman was recovered in the jungles close to a nearby village. The incident created a huge reaction among the local people and their various organizations. The All Assam Bengali Youth Students Federation (ABYSF) led a strong protest march that blocked the national highway no 31 on the same day. They shouted slogans against prime minister Narendra Modi and chief minister, Assam SarbanandaSonowal, for their false promises and the betrayal of Bengali Hindus of the state.

In 2014, the then incumbent PM, Modi had ‘promised’ that the BJP will close down the detention camps of Assam and that not a single Hindu people will have to sacrifice their lives in the name of being dubbed ‘foreigner’ in Assam. During the UPA regime, the one single case of suicide of Arjun Namasudra has, under this rapacious regime and the Centre and state, taken 35 lives already!

On the very next day after the tragedy that befell Surendra Barman, the suicide of one more hapless victim of the NRC/Citizenship process, namely Monnas Ali (65) of Kamarchuburivillage under the Thelamara police station in the Sonitpur District shook the local population. Monnas Ali took his life because his name did not appear in the final draft NRC. Ali, the head and only earning member of the family of 10 persons was quite depressed since the publication of the final draft NRC. Though the name of his father Sukur Ali is present in the NRC of 1951 and also in the Voters list of 1966 and 1971, the name of Monnas Ali has been dropped from the final draft NRC.

When Sukur Ali came to know that all the names of his family have appeared in the final draft NRC except for him, he was terrified of being actually declared a ‘D Voter’ or ‘foreigners’ at any moment. If that happened it would all members of his family.

“Monnas Ali, who was excluded from his ancestral land and property just last year by the massive erosion of on the river Panchnoi has been living a miserable life on a plot of land which is not even of his own. He has been having detailed discussions, in distress with his close circle of friends: that, how, having all valid documents, has his name has not appeared in the final draft of the updated NRC, especially when all other name of his family including siblings have appeared in the final draft NRC with the same documents?”, Anowar Hussain a local resident told Sabrangindia.

It was the thought of this complication and the expenses involved in facing a Foreigner Tribunal case that led him to tie the noose around his neck. “ This will save his family the humiliation of his being declared a foreigner,” added Hussain.

The situation compelled him to commit suicide at about 3 am on November 20, 2018. As an unrepentant and non-responsive state continues on its path which is both bureaucratic and non-inclusive, the human cost of the process is proving too much for the people of Assam to bear.

Documents related to suicide case

Can the citizens of this country rise to defend the constitution?

November 26, 2018

On ‘Constitution Day’, we all need to pledge that a sure way to protect our Constitution is by showing these dangerous elements the door in the National Elections 2019.

On November 26, the country observes yet another ‘Constitution Day’, the day on which in 1949, the Constituent Assembly adopted and gave to the people of India a landmark Constitution.

The Constitution of India besides being sacrosanct for every citizen of the country is the bulwark of fundamental rights and directive principles, which are a prerequisite for any healthy democracy. The Preamble, with its emphasis on justice, liberty, equality and fraternity; and its commitment to India being and remaining a “sovereign socialist secular democratic republic” spells out the vision and the intrinsic character of the Constitution.

The Constitution of India with its minute details is undoubtedly a unique one. Thanks to the women and men of the Constituent Assembly, most of the people of India, take genuine pride in our forward-looking and all-embracing Constitution.

Sadly, in the recent past, several efforts are being made to tamper with the Constitution, to negate its essence and even to delete core dimensions like the words ‘secular’ and ‘socialism’ which are deeply interwoven into the pluralistic fabric of Indian society.

The current BJP/RSS combine, including some of their ministers and leading functionaries, have gone on record saying that once they have the pre-requisite numbers in Parliament, they will have no qualms of conscience to change fundamentals of the Constitution like that of ‘secularism’ and equal rights for all. There have been lofty proclamations for the establishment of a ‘Hindu State’ by 2020; the annihilation of the minorities particularly the Muslims and Christians. There is the talk of a ‘Common Civil Code’ and that the rights of the minorities have to be abolished.

The waters are constantly being tested. As part of a well-planned strategy, they blow hot and blow cold with their patently anti-national words and deeds, thus defocusing from the serious and pressing problems that grip the ordinary citizen of the country. On 23 November, the ‘Ahmedabad Mirror’ in a front-page exclusive exposed how the BJP Government of Gujarat demanded that minority students appearing for the Std. X and XII identify themselves as Muslims through an online form. The hackles of several have been raised in the State, but it is left to be seen if the Government will actually withdraw this anti-Constitutional form.

This is not the first time that they have indulged in such anti-Constitutional and discriminatory acts. Already in 1999, when the then BJP Government in Gujarat, tried to survey the minority communities there, Justice M.R. Calla of the Gujarat High Court, in a Common Oral Order dated 16/02/99 of Special Civil Application 1000 of 1999 stated, “In the opinion of this Court gone are the days of laissez-faire when there used to be criminal tribes or the days of regimentation when there used to be law relating to criminal tribes. Once this country has adopted the Constitution, we have to abide by the same, which is the fountain source of law. No part of the Constitution permits any sort of classification of criminals on any communal basis. A criminal is a criminal, whether he is a Muslim, a Hindu, a Sikh, or a Christian. A criminal has no caste or community and, therefore, if any survey or census is to be made or any information is sought to be gathered with regard to the survey or census or the move to seek information may be, as a part of routine exercise, cannot be based on a communal footing. Here the messages clearly show that they have been issued with reference to the communities such as Christians or Muslims. In any case, such exercise cannot proceed with orientation based on a creed or community. May it be a routine exercise for any purpose including the purpose of collecting information on the items mentioned in the fax messages in question, there cannot be a religion or community wise classification to identify the criminals, from amongst the members of the Indian society.” The survey was immediately withdrawn.

Last October, in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling allowing young women entry into the Sabarimala Temple, the BJP national president Amit Shah didn’t just question the judgement but in fact defended the practice of keeping women out. The UP-Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has gone on a city name-changing spree with clear prejudicial overtones against the Muslims of the country. The recent comments by the Prime Minister, the CM of UP, others on Ayodha, and on the Supreme Court’s position on the Babri Masjid, should warrant a ‘suo moto.’

The Judiciary has the fundamental responsibility to safeguard the Constitution. There have certainly been some landmark judgements. However, last January, four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court (including Justice Ranjan Gogoi, currently the Chief Justice of India) held an unprecedented Press Conference asserting that unless things are set in order and that the Government stops interfering in the judiciary, “democracy will not survive in the country!” The way the Government procrastinated on the appointment of Justice K. M. Joseph to the Supreme Court, (because he did not give a favourable judgement to the BJP as the Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court), is a textbook example.

The Government has not only tried to interfere in the Judiciary but has spared no effort to destroy the independence and the autonomous functioning of other Constitutional and statutory bodies. The Election Commission of India today is very different from what it once was. Hate speeches by the BJP candidates and fraudulent voting practices are just ignored.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has become a ‘caged parrot’ apparently because of the inclination of the CBI Director to open investigations into the dubious Rafale fighter jet deal and the alleged corruption by the Ambani’s. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is browbeaten to bend backwards to cater to the whims and fancies of a Government that has sent the country into an economic downward spiral! Media, the fourth pillar of a vibrant democracy, has been made impotent. Only a handful of those in the electronic and print media will dare take on the Government today. Other important bodies, like the Information Commission, have been made toothless and filled only with their pliable henchmen!

The visionary Dr B.R. Ambedkar, the father of our Constituent Assembly was perhaps prophetic when he said, “Will history repeat itself? It is this thought, which fills me with anxiety. This anxiety is deepened by the realisation of the fact that in addition to our old enemies in the form of castes and creeds, we are going to have many political parties with diverse and opposing political creeds. Will Indians place the country above their creed or above their country? I do not know, but this much is certain that if the parties place creed above country, our independence will be put in jeopardy a second time and probably be lost forever. This eventuality we all must resolutely guard against. We must be determined to defend our independence with the last drop of our blood!” We must heed his words!

Every citizen of India has a moral obligation to defend all that is sacred in the Constitution. We cannot sit in our comfort zones and allow the values enshrined in our Constitution to be destroyed by these anti-Constitutional elements! “We, the People of India”, must rise as one people and realise that it is our Constitution. On ‘Constitution Day’, we all need to pledge that a sure way to protect our Constitution is by showing these elements the door in the National Elections 2019!

Fr Cedric Prakash SJ is a human rights activist.

Opinion: How an internal enemy like RSS will spell the doom for democratic-secular Indian polity

November 26, 2018

It is shocking that ‘Maoists’, ‘Urban Naxals’, ‘Khalistanis’ and ‘Islamists’ who according to the Indian State want to destroy Indian polity are hanged or put behind bars regularly but the RSS cadres rule India despite their open declarations/deeds of undoing Indian constitutional polity.

History is replete with instances when the democratic polities have been destroyed not by the foreign enemies but inimical forces from within, camouflaged as saviours. Germany’s take-over by the Nazi Party led by Hitler and the Fascist Party in Italy by led by Mussolini are the living examples of this trend. The Indian polity governed by a democratic-secular constitution passed by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949, seems to be in process of being captured by RSS and its appendages which rule India today. This lot has no hesitation in, unabashedly, declaring that they are in power to convert present Indian constitutional system into a Hindutva exclusionary state. This sinister Hindutva project is declared to be their objective despite the fact that these rulers who are mostly cadres of RSS took an oath to uphold a democratic-secular constitution.

The blue-eyed boy of both RSS and PM Modi, a minister in the latter’s cabinet, Anantkumar Hegde addressing an event organised by the Brahman Yuva Parishad in Koppal district of Karnataka declared “We are here to change the Constitution” and decried those who believe in secularism as “people without parentage”. We have forgotten how many times the present RSS boss, Mohan Bhagwat like his predecessors declared India to be a Hindu nation where Hindutva politics will rule.

RSS demanded Manusmriti as the Constitution of India
There is no hidden agenda so far as the undoing democratic-secular India is concerned. It is as old as the constitution of India. When the Constituent Assembly of India ratified the constitution on November 26, 1949, RSS was not happy. Its organ, ORGANIZER in an editorial (The Constitution) on November 30, 1949, complained:

“The worst about the new constitution is that there is nothing Bhartiya about it. The drafters of the Constitution have incorporated in it elements of British, American, Canadian, Swiss, and sundry other constitutions. But there is no trace of ancient Bhartiya constitutional laws, institutions, nomenclature and phraseology in it…in our New Constitution, there is no mention of the unique constitutional development in ancient Bharat. Manu’s Laws were written long before Lycurgus of Sparta or Solon of Persia. To this day, his laws as enunciated in the Manusmriti excite the admiration of the world and elicit spontaneous obedience and conformity. But to our constitutional pundits, that means nothing”.

The RSS vigorously continued its campaign for the enforcement of Manu’s Codes in India. Sankar Subba Aiyar, a retired High Court Judge wrote (‘Manu Rules Our Hearts’) in the same RSS organ on February 6, 1950,

“Even though Dr Ambedkar is reported to have recently stated in Bombay that the days of Manu are ended it is nevertheless a fact that the daily lives of Hindus are even at the present day affected by the principles and injunctions contained in the Manu Smrithi and other Smrithis. Even an unorthodox Hindu feels bound at least in some matters by the rules contained in the Smrithis and he feels powerless to give up altogether his adherence to them.”

How loyal the RSS is to the Constitution of India can be known by the following statement of MS Golwalkar which is being reproduced from Bunch of Thoughts which is not only selection of the writings of Golwalkar but also a Bible for the RSS cadres:

“Our Constitution too is just a cumbersome and heterogeneous piecing together of various articles from various Constitutions of Western countries. It has absolutely nothing which can be called our own. Is there a single word of reference in its guiding principles as to what our national mission is and what our keynote in life is?”

RSS hated the flag of Democratic-Secular India
The RSS English mouthpiece ORGANIZER, demeaning the choice of the National Flag just on the eve of Independence(14 August 1947) wrote:

“The people who have come to power by the kick of fate may give in our hands the Tricolour but it will never be respected and owned by Hindus. The word three is in itself an evil, and a flag having three colours will certainly produce a very bad psychological effect and is injurious to a country.”

RSS against democracy
Golwalkar while delivering a speech before the 1350 top level cadres of the RSS at RSS headquarter, Resham Bagh in 1940 declared:

“RSS inspired by one flag, one leader and one ideology is lighting the flame of Hindutva in each and every corner of this great land”.

[MS Golwalkar, Shri Guruji Samagar Darshan (collected works of Golwalkar in Hindi), vol. 1, Bhartiya Vichar Sadhna, Nagpur, p. 11.]

When the Constituent Assembly adopted adult franchise for future elections, RSS was not happy and declared it as a kind of threat to political stability,

“Realizing the inertia of the people to think out political issues and vote intelligently, we cannot be over-optimistic about the universal adult franchise. A country where economic inequalities are appalling can introduce political economy only at the risk of political instability”.

RSS decried federal structure
The RSS is also dead against the federal structure of the constitution, again a ‘Basic’ feature of the India polity. This is clear from the following communication of Golwalkar which he sent to the first session of the National Integration Council in 1961. It read:

“Today’s federal form of government not only gives birth but also nourishes the feelings of separatism, in a way refuses to recognize the fact of one nation and destroys it. It must be completely uprooted, constitution purified and unitary form of government be established”.

RSS against composite Indian nationalism
The Constituent Assembly of India founded an all-inclusive, non-sectarian and secular polity but Organizer in its issue on the very eve of Independence (14 August 1947), rejected the whole concept of a composite nation in an editorial titled ‘Whither’:

“Let us no longer allow ourselves to be influenced by false notions of nationhood. Much of the mental confusion and the present and future troubles can be removed by the ready recognition of the simple fact that in Hindusthan only the Hindus form the nation and the national structure must be built on that safe and sound foundation…the nation itself must be built up of Hindus, on Hindu traditions, culture, ideas and aspirations”.

Unfortunately, those who profess faith in the present Indian polity or constitutional institutions like judiciary which are supposed to safeguard the basic structure of the Indian polity, have largely failed to realize the gravity of the critical challenge presented by the Hindutva gang led by RSS. A simplistic narrative has been that RSS is OK except its inimical attitude towards Muslims and Christians of the country. It was due to this discourse that when Narender Modi as CM of Gujarat while talking to the Reuters on July 7, 2013, declared that he was a ‘Hindu nationalist’, there were no protests in or outside Parliament. It is to be noted that it was for the first time in the history of independent India that a person occupying a high constitutional post declared himself to be a ‘Hindu nationalist’, the same epithet which killers of MK Gandhi had used for themselves. There was no uproar, either from secular political parties or higher judiciary which is expected to safeguard the democratic-secular constitutional set up of the country.

It is shocking that ‘Maoists’, ‘Urban Naxals’, ‘Khalistanis’ and ‘Islamists’ who according to the Indian State want to destroy Indian polity are hanged or put behind bars regularly but the RSS cadres rule India despite their open declarations/deeds of undoing Indian constitutional polity. Sad beginning of an end of a glorious future of India as an egalitarian and justice-able society dreamt by the constitution makers!

Why are we letting Hindutva forces trample upon the Constitution of India?

November 26, 2018

The Dharma Sansad opposes the Constitution of India because the new breed of Manuvadis doesn’t have any faith in it. The attack on Babri Masjid on Dec 6 was an attack on the Constitution of India. The protestors high on Brahmanical powers are mobilising against the constitution of India and the reservation system.

Image Courtesy: PTI

They call it ‘Dharma-Sansad’ but why should we need it when we already have the ‘Sansad’ elected by the people. But ‘Dharm Sansad’ is actually the Brahmanical monopoly over us. It is meant to maintain it because the politically elected ‘Sansad’ has given representation to diverse sections of our society. Politically elected Sansad’s discuss, debate and decide but the Dharm Sansad has no faith in discussions and debates as they only believe in dictating things.

When the matter is in the court, the decision should be made by it, but then a political party and its father organisation from Nagpur never believe so because they have nothing to showcase to the people of India. They want to change the popular narrative. For every question you ask, it looks that Jawahar Lal Nehru was responsible for everything. Perhaps, that might be right too as whatever be the weaknesses, Nehru definitely remains of the most outstanding architects of modern democratic India.

We remember our constitutional forefathers on the Constitution Day and Baba Saheb Ambedkar rightfully warned us that if the country is unable to resolve the social and cultural inequalities in the form of caste discrimination based on the birth based identities, India’s democracy will be in peril. But rather than fighting against the discrimination on a war footing, the forces of the status quo are working against it and have waged a war against the constitution.

धर्म संसद संविधान विरोधी है क्योंकि उसमे आने वाले मनुवादीयो की भारत के संविधान में कोई भी आस्था नहीं है. ६ दिसंबर को बाबरी मस्जिद का ध्वंश असल में भारत के संविधान पर हमला था. आज संविधान विरोधी, आरक्षण विरोधी ब्राह्मणवादी शक्तिया फिर लामबंद हो रही है. सामने निशाने पर मुसलमान जरुर दिखाई देते है लेकिन दरअसल असली निशाना दलित पिछडो और आदिवासियों में हो रही जागरूकता है जो अपने अधिकारों के लिए लगातार लड़ रहे है और बाबा साहेब आंबेडकर के दिखाए रास्ते पर चल कर आधुनिकता की और बढ़ रहे है. कुंठित मनुवादी शक्तिया उनके बढ़ते कदमो को रोक देना चाहती है इसलिए ये पूरे खेल खेले जा रहे है. हिंदुत्व में दलित पिछडो को अपने अजेंडे में धर्म के जरिये घुसाने की कोशिश की है ताकि वे अपने अधिकारों की लड़ाई भूल जाए और फिर उसी वर्ण व्यवस्था को मज़बूत करे जिसका वह शिकार है.

(The Dharma Sansad opposes the Constitution of India because the new breed of Manuvadis doesn’t have any faith in it. The attack on Babri Masjid on Dec 6 was an attack on the Constitution of India. The protestors high on Brahmanical powers are mobilising against the constitution of India and the reservation system. It seems as though the target is on the Muslims but it is actually on the Dalits and backward castes who are becoming more aware of their rights and forging ahead on the path of development shown by Babasaheb Ambedkar. The frustrated Manuvadi forces want to stop these steps and is thus playing these games. Hindutva forces want to bring the Dalit and backward people into their religious agenda so that they forget the fight for their rights and strengthen the Varna system that victimises them.)

A friend has just written that the Bible, Gita or Quran are not in danger but it is the constitution of India. Yes, it is the constitution of India which gives us the right to change even a law which otherwise our religious texts would not allow. A text in any religious book is unchangeable but the quality and speciality of the modern laws are that we know that the needs of the people change over time.

The big congregation in Ayodhya is nothing but an attempt to divert people’s attention from the ongoing elections in the state as well as to polarise the atmosphere throughout the country and prepare the grounds for the upsurge of Hindutva before the elections. As I said so many times, this government seems to be at war with its own people. it has no faith in rule of law as a majority of the lawmakers have more faith in Manuwad than the constitution of India. The question is when the matter is pending in the court, where is the need to rush to Ayodhya, a tiny city of around one hundred thousand people. Today, the city of Ayodhya and Faizabad will have a huge gathering of outsiders who want to convert the city into a war zone as they did it on December 6, 1992, when they razed the constitution of India to the ground.

Whatever be the weaknesses of the Indian state, technically, it remained a secular state which we all felt proud of. Our neighbours too were envious of us because of political freedom. But look at the irony Pakistan has consistently trying to cleanse its image by doing things which would gladden the heart of those who are concern about minority rights. The opening of Kartarpur Saheb corridor and an invitation to Indian leaders to participate in the ground-breaking ceremony of the place has given Pakistan goodwill among the Sikh community too. A few months back when Navjot Singh Sidhu attended the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Imran Khan and hugged the Pakistani General, the C grade Indian anchors targeted him for disrespecting the martyrs of India. Today, Narendra Modi is talking about people’s contact and compared the Kartarpur Saheb corridor to the fall of the Berlin Wall. But does Modi really feel that people to people contact also includes Muslims of both the sides who have been the victims of partition, a blame for which they are still being punished? What will the government of India do to increase people to people contact? Does it only mean Hindus from Pakistan and Bangladesh along with Sikhs are welcome in India but not the Muslims?

The ruling party and its motormouth leaders are trying to convert India into a Brahmanical theocracy and they have succeeded, albeit partially. It won’t stay for long as whatever exercise they may initiate to divert people’s attention, the question of participation in power, in jobs and a demand for equality will always be there.

Ayodhya’s Ram temple can’t resolve our hunger crisis. Strange thing is that Lord Rama has been separated from Sita. If you see the actual images, Rama was always seen with Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman and that made the perfect picture for many who consider him as an ideal but Hindutva forces want a macho image of Lord Rama and hence they are popularising his single image. How dangerous could that be?

If our anchors and reporters have time, I urge them to travel to Uttar Pradesh, Poorvanchal and Bundelkhand regions within the vicinity of 200 kilometres of Ayodhya and Varanasi and you can find numerous families still living in abject poverty, hunger as well as suffering caste discrimination and untouchability. Today, a huge number of people who would be congregating there may be of these communities too. Will your Dharm Sansad ever give a call against caste system and untouchability? No, they will try to justify it.

The Uttar Pradesh government will invest thousands of crores of rupees to build the statue of Lord Rama. A huge amount of land will be acquired. We don’t know how much but I am sure that the poor Dalit Bahujan communities and farmers would be targeted. For ‘nation’ building, we will ask for the ‘sacrifices’ from the rural poor while the Manuvadi’s enjoy the political limelight. We want to ask the government, whose land and from where will this land be acquired for the statue?

Yes, they want a big museum for Lord Rama. We hope the museum have Shambook too as well as other stories of how Bali was killed. It is important to explain to people as to why was he killed. BJP considers Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar as their ‘pratahsmaraniya’, the person who is revered in the morning. A museum for Lord Rama should definitely have great work of literature on him. Will the Sangh Parivar, who claims to love and respect Baba Saheb Ambedkar, put his critique- ‘Riddles of Hinduism and Riddles of Rama and Krishna’ in the museum so that people are allowed to know the other side of the story too?

We sincerely hope that the administration will uphold the rule of law today and will not allow things to go out of hand. How ironical is it that a party which rose on the anti-north Indian sentiments in Maharashtra today is raking up the issue of building up the temple of Lord Rama in Ayodhya. Channels are working overtime to make Ram Temple a national issue. Temple construction has become a national ‘sentiment’ in which Muslims have to contribute with all their might, they say. My question to all the bhakts is same. If the Muslims contribute to building the temple in Ayodhya then will the war cries end? Will they stop their insanity on building up temples everywhere? Will they stop crying against Muslims then?

It is deeply distressing how the Manuvadi forces, just to maintain their hegemony, are out and out ready to destroy our plural fabric, our constitution and our rule of law. The Supreme Court has a bigger task ahead of it now. A strong message to all must go from the Court that any violation of its order will mean contempt of the court and severe punishment and not merely a symbolic punishment of Kalyan Singh types which made him the hero of the event. We request the administration of Ayodhya and government of Uttar Pradesh to ensure confidence among the Muslims of the region who are fleeing as per reports out of fear. This is dangerous. The home minister must speak and assure the nation about this. India cannot and should not be allowed to be bullied by a religious frenzy mob. The Supremacy and sanctity of the constitution must be maintained as it is the only binding force in India. Any failure of it will only be detrimental to our unity and integrity.

अयोध्या में सुप्रीम कोर्ट के आदेशो का पालन होना चाहिए. आज वहा का मुसलमान तनाव में है और बहुत से लोगो के घर छोड़ने की खबरे भी आई है. केंद्रीय गृह मंत्री को इस सन्दर्भ में देश को आश्वस्त करना होगा. संविधान के साथ धोखा बर्दास्त नहीं किया जा सकता. भारत की एकता और अखंडता को कायम रखने के लिए संविधान की सर्वोच्चता और पवित्रता का सम्मान करना होगा और उसकी पूरी जिम्मेवारी राज्य सरकार और प्रशासन की है लेकिन केन्द्रीय सरकार और उच्चतम न्यायालय को स्थिति पर पूरी नज़र रखनी होगी. हम आशा करते है के लोग कानून के दायरे में रहकर ही अपनी बैठक करेंगे और किसी भी प्रकार के गैर कानूनी हरकत नहीं करेंगे ताकि पूरे क्षेत्र में शांति और सौहार्द का माहौल बना रहे.

Sridhar Acharyulu takes on CIC just before his retirement

November 26, 2018

“Are we under oath to help in the concealment of details of those who thrive on fraud despite the knowledge that 3 lakh farmers committed suicide across the country as they could not repay small amounts of loans? Not only the Constitution but also my conscience is the guiding factor and basis for my order in this case,” the Information Commissioner said in a terse letter.

Information Commissioner M Sridhar Acharyulu has taken on his chief R K Mathur a day before his retirement after the latter objected to his decision asking the RBI to disclose details of wilful defaulters. Acharyulu, who retired on November 20, Tuesday, shot off a letter to Chief Information Commissioner Mathur on Monday against Mathur’s reasoning against his order, asking him whether the Chief Information Commission (CIC) was under any obligation to let the RBI conceal such details.

With Mathur mentioning that he went beyond unwritten protocols in the CIC, Acharyulu said, “can unwritten protocols override written text of law and Supreme Court’s judgment? CIC should have taken all steps to enforce its orders, including filing of a complaint for contempt of court in such cases.”

To Mathur’s view that Acharyulu’s actions has put another Information Commissioner in an “embarrassing position” and it should have been “avoided”, he responded that their primary duty is to uphold and implement RTI Act, which was “being violated by important public authorities like RBI”. “Depending on the context, the IC issues directions to other authorities also, irrespective of the fact that it was dealt with by other IC. It is a legally valid practice in general. Entire Commission should feel embarrassed when its order is not being complied with like this,” he said.
Read more at: https://www.deccanherald.com/national/blocking-decision-acharyulu-703988.html

The Full text of the Letter is given below.
19^th November 2018
Dear Sri R K Mathur,

This is in reference to our conversation dated 8^th November 2018. I thank you for your courtesy of coming to my chambers, as I was suffering from knee pain. You have made some observations, which you have heard from others, after my order for disclosure of wilful defaulters of bank loans and show cause notice to the Governor of RBI. I ruminated over those points and I think that I have a duty to explain my action in order to put the record straight.

The concerns should have been raised when the complaint of Mr. Shailesh Gandhi, against non-compliance of his orders against RBI, in spite of SC’s confirmation, was dismissed by the Commission on the excuse that it was not based on a RTI application. The fact that a RTI application of 2011 was the basis of the litigation that reached Supreme Court has been simply ignored. The RBI declared it as a policy not to disclose defaulters list and inspection reports in spite of the Supreme Court’s directions. There was another opportunity for the Commission to secure compliance, but it was also lost, on ground of pendency of a PIL. When I found a second appeal containing similar requests for information from RBI, I directed RBI to comply with 11 orders of CIC as confirmed by the Supreme Court. I do not understand why my action should lead to such remarks.

Here, I have tried to refer to and answer to those observations.
a) Observation: ‘When substantial part of RTI appeal deals with subject/s allotted to other Information Commissioner/s, it should be sent to the other IC/s. Not sending is violation of unwritten protocol.’

Response: Such a norm or a practice was never laid down anywhere anytime in the CIC. If an appeal contains points pertaining to two different public authorities, it was never split into two and given to two different ICs. I did not choose this appeal; it came to me in routine. Neither the Registry nor the IC will sever such a matter into two pieces and share. You have suggested that I breached unwritten protocol. A protocol is always written. What you suggested was unheard of.

b) Observation: ‘It has put another Information Commissioner dealing with that subject in an embarrassing position. Hence, it should have been avoided.’

Response: Information Commissioner’s primary duty is to uphold and implement RTI Act, which was being violated by important public authorities like RBI. Depending on the context, the IC issues directions to other authorities also, irrespective of the fact that it was dealt with by other IC. It is a legally valid practice in general. Entire Commission should feel embarrassed when its order is not being complied with like this.

c) Observation: ‘The CIC should speak in one voice. There should not be any difference of opinion between two Commissioners’ orders. The Division Bench of ICs had decided on the same matter. You gave a different order.’

Response: The two-IC-bench did not decide the matter at all. It was simply adjourned indefinitely. There was neither ruling nor direction. It was an adjournment to wait for final decision of Supreme Court. There was a PIL for disclosure of names of wilful defaulters filed in 2003, much prior to enactment of RTI Act, 2005. As per Section 8(2)(b) mere pendency of lis (i.e. sub-judice) is not a ground for rejecting an RTI, only that information which is barred from disclosure by courts need not be given. This was totally ignored by CIC, which could have been criticized as non-performance of a statutory duty. In contrast, Supreme Court’s division bench, after comprehensive hearing has rejected a bunch of 11 writ petitions of RBI challenging the order of CIC for disclosure of various details including information of wilful defaulters. Based on this precedent that binds CIC, I have decided the case. A decision by IC cannot be considered as ‘difference of opinion’ as opposed to mere adjournment by another IC. The CIC has a duty and authority to secure compliance of its orders. The question is: What is binding on the Commission; a pendency of a pre-RTI era PIL since 2003, or a full-fledged judgment of Hon’ble Supreme Court’s division bench upholding the Order passed by CIC under RTI Act in 2015?

d) Observation: ‘The order should speak for itself. No need to speak to media, when show cause notice is pending’.
Response: When CIC decides that information should have been given and directs disclosure, the appeal is decided. When Commission issues show cause notice, a penal proceeding is initiated. Speaking to media to explain a legal position about disclosure of wilful defaulters is perfectly legal, proper and required. It is not a breach of any unwritten code. Explaining its legality is a part of being transparent. Calling it a questionable conduct is unfair. Speaking to media to clear the doubts is an ethical exercise in pursuance of transparency. We have a duty to inform the people.

Now, I would like to make a few points for your consideration:
a. CIC should not be ignorant of the fact that RBI’s arguments against disclosure were specifically rejected in writ petitions of 2015 in Jayanti Lal N Mistry case, and that eleven orders of CIC were confirmed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court. I think that CIC has authority to check the 4(1)(b) declaration of RBI, wherein RBI stated that it will not disclose such matters, even after directions of the Hon. Supreme Court.

b) Can unwritten protocols override written text of law and Supreme Court’s judgment? CIC should have taken all steps to enforce its orders, including filing of a complaint for contempt of court in such cases. It’s worth mentioning here that we (CIC) do not have any legal duty to abet in any manner the concealment of names of wilful defaulters. For the record, the defaulters include those who did not pay back Rs. 9.5 lakh crore of public money to Indian banks as on June 2017, those 9000 account holders who wilfully did not pay back Rs. 1.1 lakh Crore of public money to Indian Banks by 30^th September, 2017. These top 11 debtor groups whose dues are over Rs 1000 crore each cumulatively amounting to Rs 26,000 crore, these 7000 millionaire-loan-defaulters who shifted their residence beyond the shores of India, were sued by the Indian Banks for not repaying loans above Rs 50 crore as on June 30, 2018, and many more such thugs and exploiters of Mother India need to be disclosed. Are we under oath to help in the concealment of details of those who thrive on fraud despite the knowledge that 3 lakh farmers committed suicide across the country as they could not repay small amounts of loans? Not only the Constitution, but also my conscience is the guiding factor and basis for my order in this case.

Finally my request is: Please initiate steps to implement the orders of Former CIC Mr Shailesh Gandhi, as confirmed by the Supreme Court in Jayanti Lal N Mistry case, so that the faith of our people in the RTI Act and this institution stands reinforced.

M Sridhar Acharyulu
(IC till 20^th November 2018)

Shri RK Mathur,
Chief Information Commissioner, CIC
CIC Building, Munirka,
New Delhi.

CC to Learned Information Commissioners

Courtesy: https://countercurrents.org/

Israel-Gaza brinkmanship slips over the brink

November 26, 2018

The Israeli-Gazan conflict flared up dramatically recently when Gaza militants fired more than 460 rockets and mortar shells into Israel. Iron Dome interceptors shot down about 100 of the projectiles, while most of the rest landed in open fields. But 30 hit populated areas, killing one civilian and injuring 55 more.

Israel

The barrage was the largest since 2014. It brought Gaza’s year-to-date total to 1,124 rockets and shells fired.

Israel responded by bombing 172 Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza. About 15 Palestinians died and several buildings were flattened.

The exchange of blows was surprising in one sense: thanks to Egyptian mediators, the two sides had seemed close to negotiating a truce. That’s despite their seemingly incompatible demands regarding military security, economic activity, and prisoner exchanges.

But in another sense, the abrupt switch from ceasefire to gunfire was predictable. Both Israel and Gaza have been relying on brinkmanship in dealing with each other. And that bargaining strategy always poses risks that the situation can slip out of control.

Brinkmanship hits and misses

Fortress Morro-Cabana in Cuba. The exhibition of the Soviet weapon devoted to the memory of the Cuban Missile Crisis. KKulikov/Shutterstock

Brinkmanship is a powerful but risky strategy for resolving disputes. The United States used it successfully during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. It forced the U.S.S.R. to back down and avoided a nuclear war. But not before the Soviets shot down an American spy plane and nearly torpedoed a warship.

The strategy was less successful during America’s 1981 air traffic controller strike. During that labour dispute, neither the controllers’ union nor President Ronald Reagan would give in. When Reagan ultimately fired the strikers, 11,000 lost their jobs and airline flights were disrupted for months.

Mutual threats

The Israel-Gaza situation similarly involves each side using brinkmanship to pressure the other. Like the historical examples above, this one displays several key features.

First, if the two sides don’t eventually reach agreement, they’ll suffer a disaster both wish to avoid.

Regarding Israel and Gaza, both want to avoid a full-blown war like 2014’s Operation Protective Edge. If one erupted, Israel’s interceptors and civil defences would limit its casualties from Gaza’s estimated 20,000 rockets and shells. But such a conflict would still cost its economy several billion dollars, like Protective Edge did.

Israeli airstrikes and artillery would meanwhile devastate Gaza’s already-weak infrastructure. A ground invasion might even topple the Hamas government.

Inching toward disaster

A second feature of brinkmanship is both sides deliberately inch toward that mutual disaster. Each proclaims its determination and willingness to approach the brink. Each hopes the other will concede first.

Gaza firepower escalations demonstrate this progression. Militants there began using to burn Israeli crops in April. In May, they fired 188 rockets and shells, the first significant barrage since 2014.

Explosives-laden balloons joined the fire-carrying ones in June. In July, sniper fire killed the first Israeli soldier near the border in four years. More rockets have since followed.

Diagram prepared by author, based on Israeli Security Agency reports. The November 2018 count is based on news reports up of Nov. 20. Michael Armstrong

Israel’s responses intensified correspondingly. It initially dealt with flaming kites by intercepting them. In June it began firing warning shots near the kite-launching teams. It started targeting them directly in July, resulting first in injuries and then a death.

Airstrikes, such as the 50 tons of bombs dropped July 14, were initially used only after rocket attacks. But they became common retaliation for kites too.

Losing control

Brinkmanship’s third feature is a growing risk of losing control. Both sides may fully intend to stop short of disaster. But they know it’s increasingly likely they’ll accidentally slip over the brink.

This has happened several times in Gaza. While Hamas rules Gaza, it has limited control over Islamic Jihad and other militant groups. Islamic Jihad reportedly started the May rocket barrage, with Hamas only belatedly joining in. A sniper reportedly affiliated with “rogue” militants wounded an Israeli soldier near the border in July. And in October, an accidentally launched rocket destroyed an Israeli home.

Such risks are amplified by hair-trigger retaliations that allow little room for error. After July’s rogue sniper attack, Israeli forces promptly attacked Hamas installations and killed three Palestinians. Gaza militants responded by firing nine rockets. That triggered seven more Israeli airstrikes. The entire escalation cycle took only a day.

Israeli spies discovered

Israel’s control has slipped too. In August an army patrol mistook a Hamas military exercise for a sniper attack. The patrol’s gunfire killed two militants. And last week’s violence began when Israeli spies were discovered during a mission in Gaza; one was shot dead.

Israeli politicians have also stumbled. Facing public frustration with the conflict, Israeli politicians have competed to sound the most belligerent. Even the minister of education has called for war.

Such tough-talk may have seemed like mere posturing. But when the Israeli government agreed to resume the ceasefire last week, the defence minister resigned in protest. (That gave Hamas cause to celebrate.) The country’s coalition government consequently may collapse and trigger early elections.

For the time being, Israel and Gaza have resumed their shaky ceasefire. But absent some miracle, the violent instability seems likely to continue, leaving the two sides only one incident away from war.

Michael J. Armstrong, Associate professor of operations research, Goodman School of Business, Brock University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

National Rural Drinking Water Programme ‘Failed’ to Achieve Targets: Government Auditor. Here’s Why

November 26, 2018

Mumbai: More than 163 million Indians–more than the population of Russia–do not have access to safe drinking water, and the national rural drinking water programme, despite spending 90% of Rs 89,956 crore over five years to 2017, has “failed” its targets, according to an August 2018 report from the government’s auditor.

The programme’s target: Providing 35% of rural households with water connections and 40 lt–about two buckets–of water per person per day. Less than half that target was achieved, thanks to “poor execution” and “weak contract management”, said the audit report from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).

About 78% of 1.7 million rural Indian habitations have access to the minimum required quantity of water, 40 lt–roughly two buckets of water–per person per day, but that does not mean they actually get this water, experts said. Nearly 18% of rural habitations get less than 40 lt per person per day under the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP), according to a July 2018 government response to Parliament.

NRDWP is a centrally sponsored scheme aimed at providing every person in rural India with “adequate, safe water” for drinking, cooking and other domestic basic needs in a “sustainable manner”, according to the ministry of drinking water and sanitation website. The scheme provides financial and technical assistance to state governments to install rural drinking water connections.

Source: Lok Sabha (Unstarred question no.450)

Note: ‘Fully covered habitations’ receive at least 40 lt of water per person per day. ‘Partially covered habitations’ receive less than 40 lt per person per day

The “coverage of rural habitations increased by only 8% at 40 lpcd (litres per capita per day or water available per person) and 5.5% on the basis of 55 lpcd during 2012-17 despite the expenditure of Rs 81,168 crore”, noted the CAG performance audit of the NRDWP.

Although India has improved access to water quicker than any other nation, there are more Indians without access to safe water than any other country, IndiaSpend reported on March 21, 2018.

Nearly 163 million people lack access to clean water close to their homes in India–which is more than two-and-a-half times the number in Ethiopia, second in the list of countries with people without access to safe water.

Targets missed despite spending Rs 81,168 crore
“The interim goal till 2017 was to cover 50% of all rural households with piped water supply which has been achieved,” noted a August 2017 government response to Parliament. “By 2022, the goal is to cover 90% rural households with piped water supply.”
The target was to provide all rural habitations, government schools and anganwadis (government-run daycare centres) access to safe drinking water, 50% of the rural population with potable drinking water (55 lpcd) by piped water supply, and 35% of rural households with household connections.

The 55 lpcd target for half the rural population was to be provided within the “household premises or at a horizontal or vertical distance of not more than 100 m” without “barriers of social or financial discrimination”, said a 2013 NRDWP guideline.

One of the goals of the ministry of drinking water and sanitation’s 2011-2022 strategic plan was that every rural Indian would have access to 70 lpcd within his or her household premises or at a horizontal or vertical distance of not more than 50 m.

“As of December 2017, only 44% of rural habitations and 85% of government schools and anganwadis could be provided access to safe drinking water, only 18% of rural population provided potable drinking water by piped water supply and only 17% of rural households were provided household connections,” said the CAG report.

The proportion of rural habitations with safe drinking water increased by no more than 8% at 40 lpcd and 5.5% at 55 lpcd after spending Rs 81,168 crore during the period 2012-17; 90% of Rs 89,956 crore (central share of Rs 43,691 crore and state share of Rs 46,265 crore) provided for the programme was spent over this period, the CAG report said. The highest expenditure (84%) was in 2014-15.

The report identified “poor execution of works” and “weak contract management” for water-supply projects remaining “incomplete, abandoned and non-operational works, unproductive expenditure on equipment, non-functional sustainability structures and gaps in contract management that had a total financial implication of Rs 2,212.44 crore”.

“Recently, the NRDWP has been restructured towards improving efficiency,” Parameswaran Iyer, secretary, ministry of drinking water and sanitation, told IndiaSpend in an interview published on October 5, 2018. “The NRDWP reforms have moved the programme towards effective implementation, stronger monitoring mechanism, and competitive and challenge mode funding [providing financial contributions to achieve social outcomes to be delivered by the private sector].”

Rs 23,050 crore has been approved for the programme over two years to 2020 after the union cabinet approved the NRDWP restructuring, said a November 2017 government press release.

While the government is restructuring the programme, experts said it may still be hard to meet targets.

Access alone is not enough
There is “increasing concern” that access does not translate to availability, Veena Srinivasan, fellow at the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, an advocacy, told IndiaSpend. “I agree with the point made in the CAG’s report. In general, spending on independent monitoring and evaluation is very low and monitoring and evaluation budgets are rarely spent.”

“As per the government, the current coverage of households through piped water supply is only 17%,” VK Madhavan, chief executive of WaterAid India, an NGO, told IndiaSpend. “This is going to be a huge challenge. Irrespective of the source of water, in most parts of rural India, availability of water decreases dramatically in the summer months as the water levels drop and surface sources may dry up.”

India’s estimated per capita availability of water in 2025 will be 1,341 cubic metre (cu.m). This may further fall to 1,140 cu.m in 2050, bringing it closer to becoming water-scarce, according to a 2017 assessment by the ministry of water resources, IndiaSpend reported on December 30, 2017. Over the decade ending 2011, water availability reduced by 15% in India.

The data shared by the government “greatly obscure” the “dry pipe problem”–a reference to non availability of water despite the existence of an asset–and especially the seasonality, in that many villages depend on tankers, said Srinivasan.

Experts said India needed to look beyond the quantity of water to quality and reliability as well.

“Unless we look at quality, quantity, access and reliability as a measure for water security, it will only be about creating assets,” Karthik Seshan, Manager-WATSAN Programme, Arghyam, a philanthropy, told IndiaSpend.

The data on the government’s information system do not, often, reflect reality, said Seshan.

“For example, we have found that arsenic contamination in some areas of Paschim Champaran district [in north western Bihar], where we have done some research, is much higher than the prescribed standard of 10 parts per billion (ppb); in some cases as high as 397 ppb (Khap Tola in Paschim Champaran),” said Seshan. “But in IMIS (integrated management information system), these regions are not even identified as arsenic affected.”

There are 69,258 “water-quality-affected habitations”, home to nearly 46 million people–equivalent to the population of Odisha–according to government data.

Source: Lok Sabha (Unstarred question no.450)

“Our infrastructure to test for water quality is abysmal,” said Madhavan of Water Aid. “Most district labs are faced with shortages of equipment and people.”

The National Water Quality Sub-Mission, started by the drinking-water ministry in February 2017, will address the “urgent need” for clean drinking water in about 28,000 arsenic- and fluoride-affected identified habitations. The Centre will need to contribute about Rs 12,500 crore over four years t0 March 2021, noted the November 2017 government press release.

(Paliath is an analyst with IndiaSpend.)

Courtesy: India Spend

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10,000 NRC Claim Forms filled up in Two Camps in 40 hours: CJP Impact, Assam

Large sections of the community come out in a massive way in response to the call given by CJP; from government employees to mass organisations, all work over a three-day government holiday at 90 work tables organised in far-flung districts

Distress Deaths Continue Unabated, Suicides Cross 35: NRC Process, Assam

During the UPA I and II regimes, the one single case of suicide of Arjun Namasudra has, under this rapacious regime and the Centre and state, taken 35 lives already!

Documents related to suicide case

Can the citizens of this country rise to defend the constitution?

On ‘Constitution Day’, we all need to pledge that a sure way to protect our Constitution is by showing these dangerous elements the door in the National Elections 2019.

Opinion: How an internal enemy like RSS will spell the doom for democratic-secular Indian polity

Why are we letting Hindutva forces trample upon the Constitution of India?

Sridhar Acharyulu takes on CIC just before his retirement

Israel-Gaza brinkmanship slips over the brink

Brinkmanship hits and misses

Mutual threats

Inching toward disaster

Losing control

Israeli spies discovered

National Rural Drinking Water Programme ‘Failed’ to Achieve Targets: Government Auditor. Here’s Why

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