The concern arises from the much referred to conduct of the statutory body, the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the ECI’s refusal to disclose the exact numbers of votes cast in each booth of every constituency and to make form 17(C) of conduct of election Rules available to the public, along with the minimal action taken against hate speech targeting minorities and opposition parties by senior leaders of the ruling party, are major concerns.

All these former High Court judges, who have no affiliation to any political party, but strongly committed to the ideals enshrined in the Constitution of India, and to the values of electoral democracy, have penned this communication “with a deep anguish at the recent and present goings-on with regard to the parliamentary elections-2024.”

The signatories are G.M. Akbar Ali, former judge, Madras High Court,  Aruna Jagadeesan, former judge, Madras High Court, D. Hariparanthaman, former judge, Madras High Court, Anjana Prakash, former judge, Patna High Court, P.R. Shivakumar, former judge, Madras High Court,  C.T. Selvam, former judge, Madras High Court and S. Vimala, former judge, Madras High Court.

“India is going through an electoral process of immense importance that could determine the very future of its democracy and survival of its constitution. The polling is finally over and June 4, 2024 will be the final chapter of the eighteenth general elections to the Parliament of the world’s most populous country. During this protracted and massive exercise, more than anyone else, India’s working people, its farmers, its women and its youth have reaffirmed their abiding faith in India’s democracy by lining up in large numbers even in the searing heat of summer” states the letter.

The higher judiciary, the election commission, the chief electoral officers in every state and returning officers are the constitutional authorities vested with the onerous responsibility of the free and fair conduct of elections in such a way as to retain the faith of ordinary citizens.

“Several events over the past weeks are making for a very grim storyline; one that may possibly end in a violent conclusion. These are genuine apprehensions in the minds of the vast majority of our people. Reputed civil and human rights organizations and activists have also echoed the same apprehension. There was genuine concern about the way the General Election – 2024 is being conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) and that if the present ruling dispensation loses people’s mandate the transition of power may not be smooth and there could be a constitutional crisis.

“In this context the signatories have also referred to the open statement issued by Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG) of former civil servants on 25 May 2024:

“… During the 2024 general elections, concerns have been raised at many points about the fairness of the elections… It pains us to say that no Election Commission in the past has been as reluctant as the present one to discharge its duties, despite violations being repeatedly brought to its attention by responsible organisations and respected members of society.”

Stating that they are constrained to agree with the scenario envisaged in the above statement: “In the event of a hung parliament, onerous responsibilities will be placed upon the shoulders of the President of India. We are sure that she will follow the established democratic precedent of first inviting the pre-poll alliance that garnered the largest number of seats. Also, that she would endeavour to pre-empt the possibilities of horse-trading….”

Since, “at this critical juncture, the Supreme Court of India, as the final authority vested with power by “We, the People” to defend and protect the Constitution and democracy, should be ready to take proactive action to prevent any potential catastrophe or to address any monstrous situations that may arise during counting and declaration of results of candidates who have contested in Lok Sabha 2024 elections, requiring immediate intervention by the Honorable Supreme Court.

Hence, therefore, “We, The People of India,” as Citizens of a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic hereby call upon the Supreme Court to ensure presence and attendance of the top five esteemed Justices of the Supreme Court even during the period of the ongoing summer vacation and be available to respond in the event of any constitutional crisis that might emerge in the present situation.

The letter also states that the signatories hope that their “apprehensions are wrong and the elections would end smoothly with counting of votes and declaration of results done in a fair and honest manner and formation of parliament as well as transition of power taking place as per the mandate of the people without a hiccup. Nevertheless, the undersigned believe in the old adage- ‘prevention is better than cure!’”

Hence the communication is a reminder to “each of the authorities and institutions charged with the integrity of the process of democratic government formation of their paramount duty to abide by and uphold the Constitution of India”.

The communication “brings forth the solemn pledge that India’s first citizen, the President of India, takes to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and the law” and to devote herself “to the service and the well-being of the people of India.” The signatories have expressed the expectation and faith that it is these principles that will be Smt Murmu’s guiding light and the. The guiding light of all concerned.

The letter may be read in full here:

The post Protect Electoral Democracy, defend the Constitution and the law: Judges to President of India, Chief Justice of India and ECI appeared first on SabrangIndia.

On Sunday, the President of India promulgated two Ordinances by the Ministry of Law and Justice effectively allowing for terms of the chiefs of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) for up to five years, as opposed to the previous fixed term of two years. The extension will be granted each year as opposed to fixing the tenure at five years.

The move is being seen by many as a means for the regime to exercise greater control over the two premier investigation agencies in the country. As long as the chiefs dance to the regime’s tunes, they can keep their jobs.

The Ordinances essentially amend two key Acts that govern the functioning of these agencies:

–        Delhi Police Special Establishment Act that governs the functioning of the CBI, and

–        the Central Vigilance Act that concerns the appointment of the director of the ED.

The Ordinances may be read here: 

Both the CBI and the ED have been allegedly used by the regime to target dissenters and human rights activists, who are often allegedly dragged into criminal cases on trumped up charges. The CBI has already faced allegations of being a “caged parrot”, now even the ED has been disempowered as part of is being seen as the regime’s wider proto-fascist agenda.

The move, understandably therefore, drew sharp criticism from civil society members. Calling it “shocking and malafide, activist and advocate Prashant Bhushan said that this was “an attempt to further subvert the independence of CBI and ED.”

Sitaram Yechuri, meanwhile drew attention to the timing of the Ordinances and pointed out how these are just surreptitious methods to subvert the Parliament. He tweeted, “Parliament session begins on 29th. To avoid its scrutiny, Centre on Sunday promulgates ordinances to extend the tenure of Directors of CBI and ED. This desperate hurry smacks of something fishy.”

Many others including Derek O’Brian from the Trinamool Congress, Sanjay Jha of the Congress, also condemned the move.

Two brazen Ordinances extend ED and CBI Director terms from 2?? to 5 years ?????#Parliament Winter Session begins two weeks from now. Be rest assured, Opposition parties will do all it takes to stop India from turning into an elected autocracy

— Derek O’Brien | ডেরেক ও’ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) November 15, 2021

So now ED and CBI head to have 5 year terms being hurriedly pushed through an Ordinance. This proves two things:
1) BJP is corrupting institutional integrity and independence
2) It is worried it might or will lose 2024.

Even a start-up has a better job rotation policy.

— Sanjay Jha (@JhaSanjay) November 15, 2021

ED Director Sanjay Kumar Mishra, a 1984-batch Indian Revenue Service officer of the Income Tax cadre, was appointed ED director on November 19, 2018. His term was to come to an end in 2020. But he was granted an extension amidst much controversy last year.

Interestingly, on September 8, this year the Supreme Court had dismissed a plea challenging Mishra’s term extension. But the SC bench comprising Justice L Nageswara Rao and Justice BR Gavai had also held, “We make it clear that no further extension shall be granted to the second respondent.” The second respondent in the case was SK Mishra. The complete order may be read here:

Meanwhile, the CBI has been scandal-ridden since the very public feud between Alok Kumar Verma and Rakesh Asthana in 2018 (dubbed CBI vs CBI), when they held two of the senior-most posts in the investigative agency. Asthana has now been appointed Commissioner of Delhi Police. Interestingly, Asthana is also a 1984-batch IPS officer, and was due to retire on July 31, 2021. However, his service tenure has now been extended for one more year, or till further orders.

Related:

Assam: CBI arrests Opposition leader’s brother
Give autonomy to CBI: Madras HC to GoI
Unshackle the CBI from political control: Teesta Setalvad
With Asthana as Interim CBI Chief, CBI Resembles the Gujarat Bureau of Investigation
CBI U-Turn against its own chargesheet in the Sohrabuddin case, the caged parrot syndrome?

The post Term extension of ED, CBI chiefs: Centre playing puppet-master? appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Amid the Covid-19 crisis, the treatment of migrants and the ignorance towards their safety has truly shown the ineffectiveness of policy decisions of the government. Not thinking about how the lockdown would affect at least the 6 to 7 crore migrant workers in the country, the lockdown robbed them of their income, chance and sustenance and even their dignity.

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and members of the civil society have become a pillar of support for these migrants during this trying time when they are cramped together in shelters and not given enough facilities for basic hygiene and sanitation.

In the wake of this, eminent citizens of the country like Ram Puniyani – Chair, Center for Study of Society and Secularism (Mumbai); Teesta Setalvad – Journalist, civil rights activist and educationist; GG Parikh – veteran freedom fighter, Dilip Kumar Hota – activist, Shramik Mukti Dal, Pune; Bikash Paul – Political Activist, Ritu Dewan – VP, Indian Society of Labour Economics and Sukla Sen – Peace Activist, among others have penned a letter to Ram Nath Kovid, the President of India to bring to light the desperate plight of the migrant workers in the wake of Covid-19 lockdown and the dire need for immediate remedial intervention.

The signatories write that they have come to learn via reports by various media outlets, and other sources, that hundreds of thousands of migrant workers have, in the wake of the sudden enforcing of the nationwide lockdown, been desperately trying to return to their homes from their places of work and too many are stuck up in different states of India in extremely miserable conditions, without food and shelter.

Reports of deaths of migrants due to hunger, exhaustion, the cold and road accidents have also appeared on various news media.

The signatories therefore demand that the workers be treated with dignity and be provided with food and adequate shelter wherever they are because though the government reports that arrangements for their security have already mean made, reports from the ground allegedly show large gaps in these facilities, despite various grassroots and civil society organisations coming forward and playing even larger roles than the official machineries in a number of states.

The letter to the President reads, “Under the given circumstances, we recognise that it is the obligation of the respective state governments, duly backed up by the Central government, to provide for food, water, soap, medicine etc. and adequate shelters with toilet facilities – where the norms of physical distancing can be realistically followed, for the stuck up migrant workers.”

The signatories have also demanded that the government immediately set up monitoring committees, comprised of both official members and members from the civil society organizations to ensure that the migrant workers are well looked after during this crisis.

They demand that various government and private buildings be used as temporary shelters and that families of workers left behind in their homes must also be taken care of well, a task to be overseen by the monitoring committees.

Migrant workers who have managed to reach home to their native villages must also be traced and help must be provided to them and their families, the signatories say, and such activity must be fervently continued till normalcy is restored.

Requesting the Central and State governments to look into the matter at the earliest, in conclusion the signatories say, “This is required just not to save the lives of these toiling people, who used to meaningfully contribute to the running of the national economy till the very other day, but also to ensure success in halting or, at least, significantly slow down the constantly accelerating spread of the dreaded disease so that the healthcare infrastructure in place does not get overwhelmed and, thereby, a huge catastrophe is averted.”

The entire letter by the collective of citizens may be read below.

Related:

Sanitation, Justice and Self-Interest: Concerned citizens write open letter to state and society
Collective of organizations narrates migrant’s unacceptable plight at Rajasthan shelter home

The post Eminent citizens write to President of India to restore dignity of migrant workers during the Covid-19 pandemic appeared first on SabrangIndia.

It is not just the insensate practices of the NRC processes that failed to consider natural calamities like floods that affect Legacy Documents of Thousands, but the Tardy Actions of the Election Commission of India (ECI) that have labelled legitimate citizens as ‘D’ Voters and ‘DF’s (Declared Foreigners)
 

Guwahati, August 2

 Ziauddin Ali Ahmed, a simple man of about 50 years! He is a marginal farmer. But farming is not sufficient to run his small family of four members. So, he works as seasonal fisherman! Still the poor and simple person, who spends his normal life without any complications commands a quiet respect as landlord from all the villagers of Barkukuria, a village to the interior, in the Kamrup (Rural) District under the Rangia Police Station of Assam. Other than his two sons,  there are no other blood relations in the village, yet this deep respect and affection and cameraderie.
Though the villagers have not paid any ‘tenancy’  to the family of landlords in the last 45 years, Ziauddin has not complained of this before any competent authority. An exceptional member of an exceptional family, none other than Ziauddin Ali Ahmed, nephew of Fakharuddin Ali Ahmed, the fifth President of India. More than even that, he is grandson of Lieutenant Colonnel Jalnur Ali Ahmed, who is the first person to have passed the MBBS degree and qualified as a doctor in Assam.

Despite coming from this lofty background, Ziauddin Ali Ahmed, remained blissfully in the dark until the release of the final draft of the NRC on July 30, 2018. Now his plight is in the limelight, with the national and international media focussing on this ‘story.’ That Ziauddin Ali Ahmed, nephew of the former President of India, Fakharuddin Ali Ahmed and his family members, among 40,07,707 others have been dropped from the draft NRC. The NRC is being updated to facilitate the detention and deportation of, all foreigners from Assam.

When his case came to light, we along with young journalist Nayanjit Kalita, reached the village  and hut of Ziauddin Ali Ahmed on August 1. When we reached his house, all the villagers gathered around and expressed their anguish on how a nephew of a former President of India Fakharuddin Ali Ahmed, one of the most respected person of Assam was dropped from the draft list of NRC? It appeared unbelievable that a nephew of a former first citizen of India living in such humble conditions, at a time when the son of a prominent politician of the ruling party has increased his personal wealth and property by over 5000 times within a year!
Our quest led us to ask how this had happened. How had, Ziauddin Ali Ahmed, the nephew of a former President of India been dropped from the draft NRC?

Legacy Data
Our inquiries revealed that it was due to the absence of Legacy Data, that he couldn’t apply for NRC. We prodded further: inquired about why, other than the Legacy Data, other (alternative) documents like land holdings, School, Board and University Certificates, Birth Certificates, Passport which could have submitted as alternative documents for NRC, were not considered? The reply is shocking, and humbling. The fact that the NRC has not factored this in reveals the flaws in an exercise, expected to be both thorough and fair.
 
Floods Destroy Documents in Assam
Ziauddin’s reply : in the devastating floods of 1984, all the documents they had, have been washed away. For getting the Legacy Data and some other documents the poor man, along with his son went from pillar to post, across the state. They even searched Delhi and some other places where ever Lieutenant Colonnel Jalnur Ali Ahmed, Fakharuddin Ali Ahmed lived. But they could not find anything about his father!
 
Land Documents
Since the villagers of Barkukuria in Kamrup district  had consistent  claims of tenancy from the lands of Fakharuddin Ali Ahmed and his family members, we then inquired further, about the land documents of that Village. There had been some doubts expressed about the relationship between Fakharuddin Ali Ahmed and the father of Ziauddin Ali Ahmed,  Ahtramuddin Ali Ahmed, this ‘myth’ was busted when the villagers submitted some receipts of land taxes. Some of these receipts were signed by Fakharuddin Ali Ahmed (himself), and others were signed by Ahtramuddin Ali Ahmed. The mis-spelling of the name of the father of Ziauddin Ali Ahmed in the ‘mainstream’ media who called him Akramuddin Ali Ahmed had caused this particular bit of confusion. The elderly villagers said that Ahtramuddin Ali Ahmed and Akramuddin Ali Ahmed are one and the same person. Ahtramuddin Ali Ahmed @ Akramuddin Ali Ahmed was an Engineer, who was never serious about the family and Property. He led a simple, even mysterious life. So, he came to be known as Pagla Baba Saheb (Mad Baba).

Meanwhile, in the Cadestral (Land) report of Barkukuria and nearby villages was investigated by us. Here all confusion ends. There is a distinct  noting that the entire land is under the joint ownership of ten Persons. They are 1) Fakharuddin Ali Ahmed, 2)  Jalaluddin Ali Ahmed, 3) Ahtramuddin Ali Ahmed and two other Male and five other Females who are all sons and daughters of Lieutenant Colonnel Jalnur Ali Ahmed. This is a big relief for Jalaluddin Ali Ahmed and his family.   This is in all likelihood a a valid document for Ziauddin for the inclusion of his name in the final NRC.

Absence from Electoral Rolls
But the worries do not end here for Ziauddin Ali Ahmed.  Ziauddin Ali Ahmed still has no valid document for establishing his Linkage with his father! The only available document that would have been an acceptable is the Voter Identity Card which he has, but over that he faces another problem. Though the land documents show that father of Ziauddin Ali Ahmed is recorded as Ahtramuddin Ali Ahmed, in the Voters identity Card and in Voters List, Father of Jiauddin Ali Ahmed is recorded as Akram Ali.

Under these circumstances, only if the Election Commission of India allows ‘special permission’ (sic)  for the correction of the Voters List and issues directions with this special permission for the correction of the Voters Identity Card of Ziauddin Ali Ahmed, only then he will able to submit special application for inclusion of their names in NRC !

Have they undertaken this procedure ? Sajid Ali Ahmed, who is son of Ziauddin Ali Ahmed says. ” I have applied for correction of my Father’s Name including the name recorded in the Voters list as my Grandfather two Years back. But the Election Commission has never paid any attention to my application. If we are kept out of the NRC because of this complacency, who will be responsible?”

It is not only the pain of Sajid Ali Ahmed, but hundreds of thousands of people of Assam. For the irresponsible and tardy behaviour of the Election Commission of India (ECI), lakhs of people have been unlawfully declared D Voter and Declared Foreigners!
 
 

The post EXCLUSIVE: How Ziauddin Ali Ahmed, nephew of India’s 5th President was kept out of NRC appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Photo credit: Indian Express

The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday emphasised the importance of speaking truth to power. The need to ask questions of those in power is fundamental for the “preservation” of the nation and the health of a democracy, especially at a time when those who make the loudest noise tend to drown out those who disagree, he said while delivering the second Ramnath Goenka Lecture at the invitation of The Express Group.

Highlighting the role of the media in particular, he said “the need to ask questions of those in power is fundamental for the preservation of our nation and of a truly democratic society. This is a role that the media has traditionally played and must carry on playing. All stakeholders in the democratic system, from parties to business leaders, citizens to institutions, have to realise that asking questions is good, asking questions is healthy, and, in fact, is fundamental to the health of our democracy.”

In reference to growing instances of “fake news”, “paid news” and “alternative facts”, in sections of the media operating in today’s highly competitive environment, the President observed: “Media houses need to ask themselves how they can find sustainable economic models that will allow them to resist all kinds of pressures and let them perform their role with honesty and transparency.”

Noting that debate and dissent were crucial to decision making in a healthy democracy he said, “There should always be room for the Argumentative Indian but not for the Intolerant Indian.”

He said India’s strength lies in its incredible diversity. “I believe that the bedrock of Indian civilisation has been its pluralism and its social, cultural, linguistic and racial diversity. Therefore, he cautioned, citizens must ensure that dominant narratives “of those who make the loudest noise” did not drown out the opinions of “those who disagree”.

The full text of the President’s lecture:

It is indeed a privilege as well as a pleasure for me to be invited to deliver the Ramnath Goenka Memorial Lecture.

When I think of The Indian Express, I think of Shri Ramnath Goenka.

Ramnath ji embodied the finest virtues of journalism: fierce independence, fearlessness and a determination to always stand up to the powerful and fight against the abuse or misuse of power. In fact, there was nothing he enjoyed more than a fight to protect the right of The Indian Express to publish what he thought was proper and just.

He was a fighter. In the face of attempts to control the press, exemplified his willingness to stake all for his principles and to set the highest standards for press freedom in India.

The blank editorial published by The Indian Express during Emergency, under the leadership of Ramnath ji, was perhaps one of the strongest protests ever published against censorship in India.
It spoke more loudly than any words could have.

As Ramnath ji wrote in an editorial in August 1942 when he announced suspension of the paper rather than give in to censorship by the British authorities. He said and I quote: “The hard fact of the situation is that if we went on publishing, The Indian Express maybe called a paper, but cannot be a newspaper.”

It is also worth remembering today that Ramnath ji was a true patriot. When he founded The Indian Express in 1936 it was in response to a need articulated by Mahatma Gandhi for a national newspaper. He fought for the freedom of the country and for freedom of the press. He took on the Establishment – in colonial times and after Independence – to make democracy more secure and zealously guard the right to free speech as is enshrined in our Constitution.

Better than most, he realised that democracy without a free press was like a blank piece of paper.

The ideals he personified need to be reiterated time and again, cast in stone and followed by all journalists who love democracy and freedom.

I am happy to say that The Indian Express has maintained the standards under the leadership of Ramnathji’s son, Shri Viveck Goenka. It has not wavered in its commitment to fairness and accuracy, to independence and a pursuit of the truth.
These are not old-fashioned values.
In fact, the values espoused by Ramnath ji were relevant then, are relevant now and will remain relevant in times to come.

Growth of technology

In a way, everyone with a phone can be a publisher and a broadcaster, a schoolteacher, a mother, a student and a political activist.

Technology has led to a phenomenal growth in the means of communication, bombarding the public with unprecedented volumes of data, information and, not least, opinion.

This has had many positive outcomes: foremost, it has broken the shackles of silence imposed on the powerless. The sense of liberation that the Internet and social media especially, allows, has ensured that everyone has a voice and that even small voices in the remotest areas can be heard.

The average citizen has been truly empowered in her ability to speak out and to find out.

All of this growth has resulted in a plurality and diversity in the access to information. There is a whole new information world out there to be tapped by our people across the length and breadth of the country.

However, the downside is that the sheer scale and volume of data and information means that much of what is available today remains unfiltered and unmediated. In many cases, even unchecked.
Take the case of recent developments in the United States of America and France, where personal communications of political leaders during an election were leaked and made available freely to anyone roaming the Internet.

Such information, in order to make sense needs to be carefully vetted – checked and rechecked – contextualised and made sense of for it to have value or equally importantly, not be misused.
When so many people speak in so many voices across mediums, many voices are drowned out in the cacophony that is created: and in that noise it is difficult to hear or make sense of what is being said.

The role of good journalism

This is where good journalism plays a vital and irreplaceable role: it intervenes.

It sifts through all the data, separates facts from what is now described as “fake news”, ensures accuracy and provides context, analysis and opinion so that the public can be better informed and form informed opinions.

Aggregation and algorithms, the multiplicity of choices, have meant that while our access to the news is unfettered and vast, it has become increasingly, personalised. People now have the choice to read only what they want to and more importantly, only what they agree with.

Inherent in this process of selective sourcing of news, is the danger of people turning a deaf ear to one another, and a refusal to listen to points of view that may differ from our own. This in turn diminishes the room for agreement and can increase intolerance.

As I have said on many occasions earlier, discussion, dissension are crucial to public debate for decision-making in a vibrant, healthy democracy such as India’s. There should always be room for the Argumentative Indian but not for the Intolerant Indian.

That would be contrary to the spirit of the Constitution of India, to the very idea of India itself.

I believe that the bedrock of Indian civilisation has been its pluralism and its social, cultural, linguistic and racial diversity. It mesmerises me when I shut my eyes and think that in our country 1.3 billion people who are using more than 200 languages, practicing 7 major religions, belonging to 3 major ethnic groups are residing under one system, one flag and one identity of being Indian. That is the celebration of our diversity.

That’s why we need to be sensitive to dominant narratives, of those who make the loudest noise, drowning out those who disagree. That’s why social media and broadcast news have seen angry, aggressive posturing by state and non-state players literally hounding out contrarian opinions.

People in power, across the spectrum of politics, business or civil society, by virtue of the position they enjoy, tend to dominate the discussions and influence its direction.

Due to technological advancement, they can now reach out directly to their audience, completely bypassing this crucial process of filtration and mediation.

This often becomes a one-way only communication from the powerful to the less privileged, and an effort to push the narrative in one direction. Indian civilisation has always celebrated plurality and promoted tolerance. These have been at the core of our very existence as a people, binding us together for centuries despite our many differences. We must continue to “throw open the windows for fresh breezes” as Mahatma Gandhi observed, without being blown away.

Question everything

Thus the need to ask questions of those in power is fundamental for the preservation of our nation and of a truly democratic society.

This is a role that the media has traditionally played and must carry on playing.

All stakeholders in the democratic system, from parties to business leaders, citizens to institutions, have to realise that asking questions is good, asking questions is healthy and, in fact, is fundamental to the health of our democracy.

As its role of the primary source of information has diminished due to the variety of mediums now available, the media’s other responsibilities have increased: it must be the watchdog, the gatekeeper and the mediator between the leaders and the public.

It must raise and create awareness about issues concerning public welfare, hold public or private institutions and their representatives accountable for all their actions or indeed, their inactions.
In particular, the media has a duty to give space to the millions who still face the injustices of deprivation, gender discrimination, caste and social bias.

I believe the media must safeguard the public interest, and provide a voice to the marginalised in our society. Our people face enormous inequalities which need to be articulated and highlighted continuously – by the media – in order to ensure they are addressed by those who govern.

The media can help the one-way communication become a multi-faceted, multi-layered conversation between those who exercise any form of power and the average citizen. It can build a thoroughfare where ideas can travel up and down, to and fro, as it strives continually for accountability and transparency in public life.

I have said before that the media plays a crucial role in educating Indians and providing space for the expression of diverse views. This role of giving a voice to all has become more important than ever before in an atmosphere where there is too much noise out there jostling for our attention.

At the same time, more than ever before, the media needs to play its role with greater responsibility and the utmost respect for facts. I believe fact-checking is one of the most significant roles the media can play in the contemporary space where extreme opinions to the left and to the right, present what is now called `alternative facts’.

When opinion is deeply divided on issues of public importance, be they related to governance, the law, social change or personal beliefs and conduct, objectivity is at a premium. Facts must never be sacrificed to elevated opinions as truth.

In such a situation, journalists must strive – as I know many of you do – to obtain the facts and restore their sanctity.

‘Look inwards’

For it to be able to aim for the highest standards of professionalism, journalists and media organisations must turn the spotlight inwards, on themselves. They must hold themselves to the standards they demand of others.

There is the ever present danger of “paid news”. Ownership of media, concentration of ownership and distribution platforms in a few hands, and the personal beliefs of individual journalists can and do create conflicts of interest. They also reduce the plurality and diversity of the media. Objectivity has to be restored to regain public trust.

As Ramnathji showed us, the moral courage of the owner or the publisher is fundamental to the level of freedom in the newsroom.

The sheer scale and diversity of growth in media has been breath-taking and had its own consequences. India already has 400 million Internet users, 300 million smartphone users; Facebook and WhatsApp have close to 200 million users in India while Twitter has become the most immediate source of information and opinion.

The media too, has witnessed continuous growth, although not on the same scale. Print media continues to grow at a healthy 5% – the regional language press has been at the vanguard of this growth. There are over 400 TV channels which carry news and over 150 dedicated news channels in all regions and languages.

This abundance of media outlets has led to a highly competitive media environment which often results in the survival of the shrillest voices rising above the others to be heard. Dumbing down the news to attract an audience is another consequence of the phenomenal growth of the media.

Together, these compulsions have led to complex issues being reduced to binary opposites which, in turn, create a polarity of views and distort the facts.

Media houses need to ask themselves how they can find sustainable economic models that will allow them to resist all kinds of pressures and let them perform their role with honesty and transparency.

Aspirational India

We are living in challenging times, globally and nationally. In India, as awareness has grown and spread through literacy and technology, the people’s aspirations have increased. A young and vibrant population—over 65 per cent of Indians are below the age of 35 – is eagerly looking towards a future which will offer it sufficient opportunities to fulfil its ambitions.

Even as the youth look to the future, there has been considerable questioning of the past in the public discourse over the last few years. Each generation has the right to look back and reassess the strengths and weaknesses of the past. Let the brave new India draw its own conclusions.

However, such inquiry should not be blinkered by biases or resisted with a closed mind. Indian history and centuries’ old civilisation is replete with examples of a willingness of the people to, as I have said, “doubt, disagree and dispute intellectually”. This is the bedrock of our nation; our Constitution is a testament to the accommodation of our differences within the framework of an overarching idea of India. What makes us Indians is our spirit of tolerance and accommodation towards each other and those who differ from us. That has been the survival mantra of our civilisation over generations.

Dear Friends,

The Press and the media are considered to be the fourth pillar of the democracy. It wields extra ordinary powers of not only holding the other three pillars accountable, but also influencing and shaping public opinion like no other institution of democracy can. While this enormous power, to sustain itself requires the basic dictum of freedom of expression, at the same time it puts an equally enormous responsibility of accountability and credibility on the media itself. To my mind, while the press will be failing in its duty if it does not pose questions to the powers that be, it will have to simultaneously judge the frivolous from the factual and publicity from reportage.

This is a tremendous challenge for the media and one that it must stand up to. It must resist the temptation to take the path of least resistance which is to allow a dominant viewpoint to prevail without questioning it or allowing others the opportunity to question it.

Media must learn the art of withstanding pulls and pressures without sacrificing its commitment to free and fair reportage and always remain on guard against conformity. Because any tendency towards conformity to be enforced, often requires disguising or dissembling the truth and the facts. This is completely alien to the ideals which inform professional journalism which lives and even dies by chasing the facts and the truth.

The question that faces all of us including the media is whether we will choose to define ourselves as a nation enriched by the diversity of views or allow partisan views to dominate our national narrative?

We ought to remember that democracy will be the loser when and if we cease to hear voices other than our own.

Platform for all views

For centuries, India has witnessed a clash of civilisations and philosophies – and survived it all to grow into the world’s largest functioning democracy.

As we go forward as a nation we face contradictory forces: on the one hand is a country with immense potential for growth and prosperity; on the other is a growing sense of unequal distribution of resources and opportunities. The media should reflect both in equal measure but it can only do so if it truthfully reflects the reality on the ground.

Such a reality is a contested space where different points of view jostle to be heard. Will the media give a hearing to the voices from Ground Zero? Will it continue to be a forum where people debate, disagree, dissent?

If the media believes in the freedom of expression, a free and a fearless independent media as Ramnath Goenka did, it must choose to reflect a plurality of opinions for that is what breathes life into our democracy and has defined us as Indians. It must always remember that its fundamental task is to stand up and ask questions with honesty and fairness. That’s the sacred compact it has with citizens in a democracy.

Thank you.

Jai Hind!

(The full text of the speech has been taken from the official website of the President of India).
 
 

The post Questioning those in power a must for preserving democracy: President Pranab Mukherjee appeared first on SabrangIndia.

 
“India, with the second largest population in the world, will face a major challenge in the coming years. Half of its population will be below 25 years of age. Our young workforce will be an asset if they have jobs. But, if the country is unable to provide jobs, there will be unrest and frustration,” Mukherjee said while addressing the annual day function of CII Skill Training Centre here.

He said to get jobs, paper qualifications alone will not suffice, skills are essential.

“Our universities and colleges produce a large number of graduates every year but most of them are unemployable. Our youth need jobs,” he stressed.

Referring to the shortage of skilled hands, he said, “Our industry has problems finding adequate skilled manpower. The economic growth in the advanced countries of the world, most of whom have ageing populations, is low.
 

The post India faces “unrest and frustration” in the country if youth remains unemployed: President Pranab Mukherjee appeared first on SabrangIndia.

It was in April 2015, that an MHRD panel first recommended the complete scrapping of the University Grants Commission (UGC), and the setting up of a new body which would be under the direct control of the MHRD.  The autonomy of the UGC would undoubtedly be severely affected by such a move. It was perceived that the panel recommendation were  preparations for pushing through highly centralised policy measures that may not even be deliberately upon in the public domain.
 
Simultaneously, the last Central Budget already saw a jaw dropping budgetary cut of 17% in Education! In the revised estimates for 2014-15, while school education allocation was cut by around Rs. 80,000 crores that of higher education was slashed by Rs. 4,000 crore.
 
This year’s budget saw a 55 per cent budgetary cut in the UGC’s own outlay. The biggest casualties of these measures are of course going to be students from marginalized caste, gender and religious backgrounds.
 
 Sabrangindia has been closely following these developments in the field of education

Columnist  with Sabrangindia, Madhu Prasad, who is also on the Presidium of the All India Forum for the Right to Education (AIFRTE) while commenting upon the December 2015 WTO-GAT negotiations at Nairobi https://sabrangindia.in/column/nairobi-and-after that
 
“Instead of fulfilling its constitutional obligation to provide free and compulsory school education of quality to all children and take steps to expand and democratise higher education, the state is retreating from its responsibility. In August 2005, the Government of India (GOI) made an `offer’ to provide Market Access to higher education as a `tradable service’ under the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) General Agreement of Trade in Services (GATS). This offer was made in spite of the conclave of state education ministers having warned against the move in January 2005, citing fears of conflict with national values and goals. If the offer is not withdrawn before the conclusion of the Tenth Ministerial Conference of the Doha Round being held from December 15- 18, 2015 at Nairobi, Kenya, it will become a commitment in perpetuity.
 
In this analysis, Prasad had further said, “However, the struggle in defence of higher education is already being fought on the ground. As privatisation and marketisation of education are being vigorously promoted by government policies the situation is rapidly deteriorating and attacks on the education system and on academic inquiry and freedom are becoming noticeably fiercer. In order to transform education into a commodity and a tradable service as the GATS regime demands, its character as a vibrant space for socially aware critical inquiry and expression needs to be first destroyed. This means that its constituent, freedoms of thought, opinion, expression, association and instruction can no longer be tolerated. Since academic communities both inhabit and define this space which is so essential to any free, open and stable society they become targets, systemically and individually, of governments and forces that seek to oppress people in the interests of the exploiters and profiteers.”
 
 On December 14, 2015, the Presidium of the All India Forum for Right to Education (AIFRTE) wrote a strong appeal to the President of India.
 
Text of the  Appeal:
 
Appeal to advise central government to immediately withdraw the higher education ‘offer’ to WTO-GATS and protect India’s Constitution and sovereignty.
 
Dear Honourable Mr. President,
 
All India Forum for Right to Education (AIFRTE) is a federated platform of about 70 students’ and teachers’ organisations and educational rights groups working in 25 states/UTs. On behalf of AIFRTE, Justice (Retd.) Rajinder Sachar sought an appointment with you on 4th November 2015 in order to submit our Memorandum and the signatures of tens of thousands of people from different parts of the country, appealing to the central government to withdraw its ‘offer’ of committing higher education for ‘market access’ to WTO-GATS before the 10th Ministerial Conference at Nairobi (15th to 18th December 2015). We are deeply disappointed that the opportunity to put forth our concerns before you was denied. Due to this denial, people have submitted their signatures to your office/PMO through District Collectors; those received by us at the last minute are annexed herewith.
 
The central government’s unwillingness to withdraw its ‘offer’ of committing higher education to WTO-GATS before the Nairobi Conference, despite nation-wide protests, is a clear evidence of the government plans to convert India’s higher education from a democratic entitlement into a tradeable commodity in the global market. Rampant privatisation and commercialisation has already excluded more than 90% of the deprived sections, especially the SCs, STs, OBCs and the minorities, with women and disabled in each of these sections suffering further exclusion. Once the WTO-GATS regime is allowed to operate in this sector, the doors of higher education will be permanently closed for the aforesaid sections. WTO-GATS will also impact upon the very character of knowledge and values in the higher education system to suit the corporate vested interest at the cost of the needs of our people. Even the Constitutional commitment to equal opportunity in education and the social justice agenda will be dismantled under the WTO-GATS regime as it will be viewed being against ‘level playing field’ for the corporate profits! Thus, committing higher education to WTO-GATS will erode our capacity to formulate educational policies. It is an assault on the sovereignty of the nation. 
 
As President of our Republic, you are oath-bound to protect the Constitution. We take this opportunity to appeal to you to advise and intervene to ensure that the central government withdraws its ‘offer’ of higher education from the WTO negotiating table of the 10th Ministerial at Nairobi before it is too late!’
 
On April 6, 2016, the Forum received a reply from the Commerce Ministry (an Office Memorandum) addressed to the Under Secretary of the International Cooperation Cell, MHRD, AK Gopal.   Through this reply to the MHRD, the Commerce Ministry of the Government of India has sought to clarify that ‘there had there has been no agreement on ‘Education sector’ at the 10th Ministerial Conference of the WTO in Nairobi, Kenya. Further the reply states that,
 
‘I am directed to refer to your OM No. 11-1/2015-ICC dated 29th January, 2016 on the subject mentioned above and to inform that India’s draft offers in ‘Higher Education Services’ submitted in the WTO in 2005 are wounded in such a manner as to allow for future evolution of regulations and policies. Moreover, it is still at ‘offer’ stage with no legal validity and still needs to be negotiated. Subsidies have been kept out of its purview, implying that we may continue to grant subsidies to domestic (Indian) service suppliers.
 
2.All scholarships / financial support to students in higher education sector may be continued of discontinued and such schemes may be introduced independent of the obligations under the WTO.
 
3.As regards the issue of FDI, you may like to note that as per the FDI policy of the GOI, 100% FDI is already allowed in the Higher Education Sector under automatic route, subject to necessary sectoral regulations.

4.The philosophy behind making offers in ‘Higher Education Services’ in the WTO is to attract foreign investment, technology and best global practices. The estimated market size of Indian students studying abroad is around USD 15-20 billion. While this is a huge demand on India’s scare foreign exchange resources, it also implies that there is a huge opportunity for Foreign Universities to set up campuses in India. However, the government shall have full flexibility to regulate these Foreign Universities as per its domestic regulations.
 
5.It is also informed that there has been no agreement on ‘Education sector’ at the 10th Ministerial Conference of the WTO in Nairobi, Kenya.’

See also:

1. The Nairobi Surrender

2.Why higher education in India must not bow to the market
 

The post Slashes in Education due to Iniquitous WTO-GATS Regime? No, says Modi Government appeared first on SabrangIndia.