Subject: Mallika Sarabhai Stands Up To L K Advani in Gandhinagar: An Update [The lie machines are already at work, jittery under the huge moral impact of the contest. The following two news items would further underscore the profound moral dimension of the fight and the moral bankruptcy of the lie machines.]
I/II. http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/celebrities-endorse-mallika-sarabhais-electoral-battle-against-l-k-advani/439111/ Celebrities endorse Mallika Sarabhai’s electoral battle against L K Advani Express News Service Posted: Mar 26, 2009 at 0021 hrs Ahmedabad Salman Rushdie and Justice (retd) V R Krishna Iyer have supported her candidature from Gandhinagar Several celebrities including controversial author, Salman Rushdie, and legal luminary Justice V R Krishna Iyer (retd), have endorsed the candidature of Mallika Sarabhai against BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, L K Advani, from Gandhinagar. If Rushdie’s Satanic Verses had angered Muslims all over the world, Mallika invited wrath of Chief Minister Narendra Modi and his supporters for her open criticism of what happened post-Godhra in Gujarat and for having termed the incident as genocide. Apart from criminal cases including that of human trafficking having been booked against her, she, along with Medha Patkar among others, was allegedly beaten up by BJP workers at a meet organised by her at Sabarmati Ashram on April 7, 2002. The meet was held to find out a solution to Gujarat’s communal problem. Knowing the odds well she might face in her contest against national leader Advani, Mallika is determined to give the BJP leader a fight to “bring in a refreshing change in India’s politics and strengthen democracy by introducing total transparency in politics”. In the “new mode of politics” that she wants to bring in, she says purity of means will be quite significant. “It is a process where ends do not justify the means,” she says. “My political campaign is as much about the process, the means, the culture and aesthetics of politics, as about raising issues that concern us as citizens,” declares Mallika. “The means have to be fair, just, non-violent and therefore, transparent,” she says, appealing people to help her bring the much-needed change in the country’s politics. Asked what kind of attack she expects from her political rivals, particularly the BJP, she says they can bring in the issues related to Medha Patkar’s (considered to be anti-Gujarati by many in the state) Sabarmati meet and the allegations of her involvement in human trafficking. As for Patkar’s presence at the meet, she says it was an open invitation and she would not have objected even if Modi had reached the venue. Regarding human trafficking charges, she says a case was fabricated against her by using one of her students, but she was acquitted and declared innocent by the Gujarat High Court. In fact, a BJP MP was caught red-handed on charges of human trafficking and was later disqualified from the Lok Sabha. In the last seven days since her announcement to enter the electoral battle, Mallika has faced several questions from the locals. On her alleged opposition to development, Mallika says, “I have serious objection to this definition of development. It is not development in which only a handful of persons or industrialists benefit and others lose their jobs and land.” She says she stands for development that benefits a larger group of people and which does not cost farmers their land and others their means of livelihood. Mallika hopes to raise Rs 25 lakh from donors and philanthropists to finance her election expenditure. Since the announcement of her candidature, she has received more than Rs 3 lakh in her account named “Mallika Sarabhai MP election 2009’’ opened in the Bank of India’s Vadaj Road branch. Her account number is 20281011001569. She says she accepts donations from within the country only. Mallika will be felicitated by the American Women’s Organisation for her lifetime contribution to arts and activism in New Delhi on March 30, said sources. II. http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/politics/mallika-sarabhai-regrets-poll-panel-not-having-power-to-debar-varun_100171271.html Mallika Sarabhai regrets poll panel not having power to debar Varun March 25th, 2009 - 9:49 pm ICT by IANS - Ahmedabad, March 25 (IANS) Noted danseuse and independent candidate from Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat Mallika Sarabhai Wednesday regretted that the Election Commission “does not have the teeth” to debar Varun Gandhi from contesting the polls despite his alleged “hate speeches”. “I am horrified by the comments made by Varun Gandhi. He deserves the most stringent punishment by the highest court of law,” Sarabhai told reporters here. On her decision to contest from Gandhinagar against Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate L.K. Advani, Sarabhai said that prominent figures such as noted novelist Salman Rushdie, actor Irrfan Khan, and activist Asgar Ali Engineer have extended their support for her candidature. “My biggest poll plank will be to fight on policies and their non-implementation in Gujarat. I believe that my candidature has to be a people’s campaign supported by students, who are first time voters, social activists, concerned citizens, prominent people in the society and legal luminaries.” Sarabhai said her poll campaign will be financed by funds from the common people. “The EC (Election Commission) has set a limit of Rs.25 lakh (Rs.2.5 million) for each candidate for poll expenses. I am asking people to donate funds for my candidature through my website. The name of each contributor would be put on the website and the entire accounting process will be transparent and accounted for,” she said. -- http://venukm.blogspot.com/ --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
