Dear Sarbajit I am appalled and disppointed by your rather weak understanding of access - to information, public spaces, et al. Usha Ramanathan recently spoke in Bangalore in a meeting we organised, and she said in the journey from slave to subject of the state to citizen, we are stuck at the status of subject. Your view of RTI and access to public spaces is located within this subordinated spectrum. Rights come with Obligations, and aren't fettered otherwise - that's my reading of my only 'holy' document - the glorious Indian Constitution.
So in protest I will continue to access this forum, much to your dislike. You can throw me out (as moderator) as much as the Karnataka State (custodian, merely) here is doing with their electronic ID card. Best wishes Leo Saldanha (Always and very much ON THE TOPIC of Access to All, Always!) sarbajit roy wrote: > Dear Leo > > Ours is a group focussed strictly on RTI. Your message is an invasion > of OUR PUBLIC SPACE. > > If you or any other member must post stuff like this very > occasionally, please include the term "OT" or "OFFTOPIC" in the > subject line. And, please do not "cross post" at the same time. > > BTW, have you considered that this proposal may be in the nature of > purchasing a smart entry access token to a precious heritage resource. > For eg. Cubbon Park being centrally located in Bangalore could cope > with the population of 100 years ago. Now with the city bursting at > the seams and no other such equivalent facility in sight, this could > be a much needed conservation measure. > > So please avoid the use of "red pepper" inflammatory NGO phrases like > :"highly illegal policy", "highly restrictive application process" > etc. BTW you have no Fundamental Right to access public spaces. All > Fundamental Rights are subject to reasonable restrictions. Even in RTI > the access is limited if it endangers the safety and preservation of > the information record. > > Sarbajit > > On 11/28/09, ESGINDIA <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Dear Friends, >> >> Employing a highly illegal policy, the Government of Karnataka intends >> to restrict entry to Bangalore's heritage Cubbon Park and Lalbagh only >> to electronic ID wielding folks. Needless to state, this electronic ID >> comes at a price and will be regulated based on a highly restrictive >> application process. The intent is to prevent common folks from using >> such public spaces. All this is an effort in showcasing Bangalore as an >> elite friendly and global investment friendly city - with its public >> spaces out of bounds for local residents, especially the poor. >> >> To protest such abhorrent acts of exclusion, the undersigned have >> organised a protest on Monday, 30th November 2009, 4 pm to 6 pm at >> Queens Statue, Cubbon Park, M. G. Road. We urge you to join us in large >> numbers in this very critical struggle against encroachment of the >> Fundamental Rights to Access Public Spaces. >> >> The victims of this abhorrent policy will most certainly be the urban >> poor and voiceless, and this practice may soon extend to make such >> restrictive practices more common place. It may even initiate >> conversion of our public commons, such as Parks, Playfields and Open >> Spaces, into private havens - a practice already in vogue by the State >> granting large parts of Cubbon Park to the Karnataka Lawn Tennis >> Association, Century Club and various other private clubs. >> >> Enclosed please find a Leaflet urging you to join the Protest. Kindly >> circulate this amongst your communities. >> >> Also enclosed is a Petition to Karnataka Horticulture Minister Shri. >> Umesh Katti, who has initiated this policy, demanding that he >> immediately stop this illegal move. You may endorse this petition >> online at: >> <http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Protest_ID_to_enter_Parks>. >> Alternatively, you may send an email to [email protected] latest by 10 >> December 2009. >> >> (Please note that when you sign the online petition, you may be asked to >> contribute, which you could ignore and proceed to sign the petition. >> When endorsing please provide your full contact details. Leave these >> contact details in the comments section of the online petition - if you >> wish.) >> >> We look forward to your support for this important cause that matters to >> you now, a step that will also secure the Rights of Future Generations. >> >> Thank you and best wishes, >> >> >> Bhargavi S. Rao and Leo Saldanha >> Environment Support Group, Bangalore >> on behalf of >> Slum Jagatthu, CIEDS, Vimochana, Dalit Sangharsh Samiti- Samyojaka >> (Bangalore Dist.), Sanmathi, Alternative Law Forum, Sangama, Stree >> Jagruthi Samithi, CIVIC Bangalore, Hasiru Usiru and Open Space. >> >> >> >> *NO ENTRY FOR POOR AND COMMON PEOPLE TO CUBBON PARK AND LALBAGH * >> >> *(ENTRY RESTRICTED TO ID CARD HOLDING ELITES ONLY)* >> >> The Government of Karnataka plans to make ID cards mandatory to enter >> Cubbon Park and Lalbagh, and that at a cost of Rs 200/person. This is >> the beginning of the state's encroachment of people's right to freely >> access public spaces and a stage is being set to privatise public >> commons. All sorts of devious reasons are being flung at the public, >> including security concerns, morality and misuse of parks by >> "unnecessary elements". >> >> The manner in which the policy is formulated encourages the particular >> exclusion of access rights of the urban poor (especially from >> minorities), street and working children, elderly people, transgenders , >> migrant workers, labourers, street vendors, drivers of autorickshaws and >> taxis, differently abled, families with children, etc. The idea of >> having to carry an ID merely to access these two parks, fundamentally >> distances them from their unfettered and constitutionally protected >> Right to Use Public Spaces. This policy also promotes discriminatory >> access to public spaces as it privileges 'regular walkers' and thus >> negates the very concept of parks as public commons. Simply stated this >> draconian policy encroaches our very fundamental Right to Live a Healthy >> Life based on dignified and unfettered access to public spaces. >> >> *Join the Protest against this fundamental encroachment of Our Right to >> Access all Public Commons* >> >> */COME JOIN THIS JUST PROTEST WITH FAMILIES, COLLEAGUES, FRIENDS, >> NEIGHBOURS/* >> >> *Queen's Statue, Cubbon park, Monday, 30^th November, 4.00 pm -- 6.00 pm* >> >> */Protest initiated by Environment Support Group, Slum Jagatthu, CIEDS, >> Vimochana, Dalit Sangharsh Samiti- Samyojaka (Bangalore Dist.), >> Sanmathi, Alternative Law Forum, Sangama, Stree Jagruthi Samithi, CIVIC >> Bangalore, Hasiru Usiru and Open Space./* >> >> *For more details contact: *Environment Support Group,1572, Outer Ring >> Road, Banshankari 2^nd stage, Bangalore-560070 _Tel:-91-80-26713559-60 >> <tel:-91-80-26713559/60>_ Email:[email protected] >> <mailto:[email protected]>, >> <mailto:[email protected]>[email protected] >> <mailto:org/[email protected]>_ Website: _www.esgindia.org >> <http://www.esgindia.org/>_ >> >>
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