Behind the Moditva development politics of Gujarath....
--- On Sat, 17/1/09, CK Vishwanath <[email protected]> wrote: > From: CK Vishwanath <[email protected]> > Subject: Fw: Vibrant Gujarat by Cedric Prakash > To: [email protected] > Cc: [email protected] > Date: Saturday, 17 January, 2009, 11:38 PM > --- On Sat, 17/1/09, ram puniyani > <[email protected]> wrote: > > > From: ram puniyani <[email protected]> > > Subject: Vibrant Gujarat by Cedric Prakash > > To: [email protected] > > Date: Saturday, 17 January, 2009, 1:33 PM > > *"VIBRANT" GUJARAT* > > > > *LIES, HALF-TRUTHS AND ILLUSIONS* > > > > *"The Gujarat Reality Today"* > > > > ** > > > > > > > > > > > > *- Fr. Cedric Prakash sj ** > > > > * * > > > > > > > > It is January 14th 2009.....Makarsakra nti, the only > feast > > of the Indian > > calendar which is not observed on a particular day of > the > > Lunar month. It > > is generally believed that on this day, the sun enters > the > > constellation of > > Makar (crocodile) and begins to move towards the > north. In > > Gujarat , it is > > known as Uttarayan, the day on which thousands of > kites dot > > the skies in > > order to propitiate the Sun-God. The newspapers today > (as > > those of > > yesterday) are filled with stories of 'Vibrant > > Gujarat'... of how the > > biggest industrialists of the country have > > "promised" to > > invest thousands > > of crores (millions of > > > > dollars !) in Gujarat . Overnight, the problems of > the > > State seem to have > > been solved !! Some have decided that Gujarat can > now > > take on China and a > > couple of industrialists have even anointed the CM of > the > > State as the next > > Prime Minister of India !!! > > > > > > > > Visitors and dignitaries who came to Ahmedabad were > > welcomed by posters and > > banners, by floodlights and illuminations, with newly > paved > > roads and a city > > which was cosmetically spruced up for the > "mother of > > all events" to flaunt > > what is termed in Government propaganda, as > *"Vibrant > > Gujarat".* > > > > * * > > > > The local (and some national) media went > > "gaga".....showcasing how Gujarat > > is more than India, how the "whole world" > had > > come to invest in this one > > State during the two-day affair know as 'Vibrant > > Gujarat Investors' Summit'. > > The Government and their cronies flag-waved all > > over.....it's the Number One > > State in the Country ! The hype put forward by the > well > > oiled propaganda > > machinery was so compelling that even the most diehard > > critics of Gujarat fell > > into the trap, and joined the chorus that "all > is > > well". > > > > > > > > Very few dare ask uncomfortable questions. Everybody > > knows the truth about > > who is doing the > > > > "flag-waving !". There are voices who say > that > > ' the "emperor" has no > > clothes on ! ', but at this moment, there are not > too > > many listening. The > > plain truth is that the cosmetic has stifled the > reality. > > If one scratches > > the surface a little, the bubble of euphoria will > surely > > burst. Let's look > > into how "Vibrant", is Gujarat . > > > > * * > > > > *Violent : * > > > > For a State that should have had 'Ahimsa' as > its > > cornerstone, violence has > > in fact become institutionalized. The State > presided > > over the killing of > > hundreds of Muslims during the Carnage of 2002. > > Trigger-happy policemen > > have eliminated several Muslim youth in > > 'encounters'. (One high-ranking > > police officer is now in jail for such an > > 'encounter'.) Innocent boys are > > killed in an ashram of a well known Guru, and, no one > can > > do anything about > > it ! Young girls studying to be teachers are raped > in > > Government Hostels > > by their teachers for the sake of better grades. > Female > > foeticide is > > rampant. One only has to skim through the daily > newspapers > > to realize how > > violence has become a perfected art in the State. > > > > > > > > *Intolerant :* > > > > There is a sophistication in the way intolerance has > been > > mainstreamed. One > > can experience it in the chaotic traffic on the roads. > If > > one is a Muslim, > > one is denied to right to buy a house or a shop in the > > up-market areas of > > Ahmedabad, Surat and other cities. One is forced to > live > > on the periphery > > of many villages. The Freedom of Religion Law > prevents any > > one from > > embracing another religion, without permission from > the > > civil > > authority. Couples > > in love, are forcibly prevented from marrying if the > > partner belongs to a > > different religion or caste. Movies like > > "Parzania" and "Fanaa" are not > > allowed to be screened in the State – one, because > it > > exposes the Truth, and > > the other, because the lead actor asks that the > tribals who > > were > > dispossessed because of the Narmada Dam, to be justly > > rehabilitated. > > > > > > > > *Bluffing :* > > > > The art of lying seems to have taken a new meaning in > > Gujarat . This is > > obvious when even a sheer Memorandum of Understanding > (MoU) > > is regarded as > > " Mission accomplished !". This bluff was > > called, when recently, under an > > RTI query, the Government of Gujarat admitted that > just > > about 25% of the MoUs > > of the last three years were actually in the pipeline > !! > > The waters of the > > Narmada Dam is being utilized by the rich and > powerful of > > Ahmedabad. The > > parched lands of North Gujarat, Saurashtra and Kutch > still > > harbour > > illusions of the water reaching them !!! State > Government > > advertisements > > highlight projects and programmes which are in fact > > undertaken and executed > > by the Central Government, like the expressway, the > > airport, the railway > > system and the 108 ambulance service. > > > > > > > > *Revengeful :* > > > > In Gujarat today, anyone standing up for Truth and > Justice > > is at the > > receiving end. The Government pulls out all stops > (to > > stop School Grants, > > to impound Passports) to ensure that voices of dissent > are > > silenced. A few > > months ago, when the Times of India did an expose on > the > > Police Commissioner > > of Ahmedabad, sedition charges were filed against some > of > > those who ran the > > newspaper. Honest and objective police officials and > > bureaucrats are > > transferred to insignificant postings; Government > agencies > > like the > > Collectorate, the Police, the Charity Commissioner are > used > > to intimidate > > and harass individuals and groups that work for the > > betterment of the poor, > > the vulnerable and marginalized. Prominent citizens > are > > kept under constant > > surveillance and many live under the veil of fear. > > > > > > > > *Arrogant :* > > > > A sense of arrogance seems to have puffed up the > chests of > > a few who try to > > control the lives and destinies of others. Such > arrogance > > was very visible > > in the hey day of Nazism when Hitler brutally > trampled on > > those who were > > "not like him". Key people in the State > roam > > about with immunity and > > impunity and are also elected to positions of power. > The > > underlying > > message that is conveyed is that "no one can > touch > > them". One needs to > > look at the judgments that are given from the Lower > Courts > > and the High > > Court of Gujarat, in order to experience the > subjectivity > > and partiality > > that has permeated the system. > > > > * * > > > > *Negligent :* > > > > Large sections of society in Gujarat are totally > neglected. > > Systematic > > efforts are made to snatch the forests from the hands > of > > the adivasis. A > > recent study says that more than thirty-five thousand > > families will be > > displaced from the banks of the River Sabarmati > because of > > the Sabarmati > > River Front Development Project. Development- induced > > displacement is also > > the lot of several poor and marginalized farmers and > > others. Fisher-folk > > along Gujarat 's vast coastline, continue to be > > marginalized. Dalits are at > > the receiving end and many of them continue to live in > > inhuman conditions. The > > status of women in Gujarat is way down in comparison > to > > several other States > > of the country. Children are denied their rights: > a > > large percentage of > > them constitute the labour force; the textbooks dished > out > > by the Gujarat > > State Secondary School Board is a clear violation of > the > > rights of children > > – full of errors, inaccuracies, myths and > distortions; > > only about 59.6% of > > the rural children of Gujarat can read Std. I text as > > against the All-India > > average of 66.6%. The Indian Express of December > 21st > > 2008, has this to > > say : *According to International Food Policy > Research > > Institute's 2008 > > Global Hunger Index, Gujarat is ranked 69th alongwith > Haiti > > , the nation > > infamous for food riots. The State is placed in the > > 'alarming' category.* > > > > * * > > > > *Terror-filled :* > > > > Gujarat State is truly terror-filled ! For almost > seven > > years now, the > > principles of democracy have been thrown to the wind. > > Right-wing Hindu > > groups can put up bill boards almost anywhere > proclaiming > > a "Hindu > > Rashtra". Places of worship have sprung up on > public > > space and they are > > given full protection by the law and order mechanism. > The > > Constitutional > > rights and freedoms of an ordinary citizen are not > > safeguarded. In fact, in > > several cases, when a victim approaches the system for > > help, he / she is > > made the perpetrator of the crime !!! The diversity > > which has been > > characteristic of this State, has been totally > decimated as > > communities are > > forced into ghettoization. There is palpable fear all > > over. > > > > > > > > What *"Vibrant Gujarat "* then, does > one > > talk about ? The truth > > is that Gujarat as a State is > > > > "*V*iolent", "*I*ntolerant", > > "*B*luffing", "*R*evengeful", > > "*A*rrogant", > > "*N*egligent" and > "*T*error-filled" > > . > > > > > > > > Let's not live in lies, half-truths and illusions. > > > > > > > > Gujarat , wake up, before it is too late !! > Satyameva > > Jayate ! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > *(* Fr. Cedric Prakash sj is the Director of > > "Prashant", the Ahmedabad-based > > Jesuit Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace)* > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > *' PRASHANT ' **(A Centre for Human Rights, > > Justice and Peace), Near > > Kamdhenu Hall. Drive-in Road,* > > > > * Ahmedabad 380 052, Gujarat , India * > > > > *Tel: 79 66522333 /27455913 Fax: 79 27489018 > > Email: sjprash...@gmail. > > com > > > <http://in.mc528.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]> > > www.humanrightsindi a.in > > <http://www.humanrightsindia.in/>* > > > > * * > > > > * * > > > > * > > * > > > > > > > Get rid of Add-Ons in your email ID. Get > [email protected]. Sign up now! > http://in.promos.yahoo.com/address Add more friends to your messenger and enjoy! Go to http://messenger.yahoo.com/invite/ --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
