Author Archives: Munish Raizada

About Munish Raizada

Dr Munish Raizada is a Board-certified Neonatologist practicing in Chicago. Is a socio-political activist.

Celebrities in Parliament

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This article was published on August 18,2014 in “The Political & Business Daily”. The clipping is attached. 

The Parliament has seen some of the most famous personalities (sans Politicians) as its member, due to the power of Article 80 of the Indian Constitution. The said article confers upon the President, the power to nominate (not more than) 12 members to the Rajya Sabha. The Article 80(3) further states that “The members to be nominated by the President under sub clause (a) of clause ( 1 ) shall consist of persons having special knowledge or practical experience in respect of such matters as the following, namely: Literature, science, art and social service”.

Rajya Sabha (Council of States) is the upper house of our bicameral Parliament (Sansad). The Members of Parliament for Rajya Sabha are elected directly via a collegium consisting of elected members of assemblies of the sates of India.

There is hardly any doubt over the fact that this rule has helped the Parliament to adopt a diverse culture, along with getting expert opinions by these members over the issues pertaining to their field of expertise. But on the other hand, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that any of these has hardly made a significant contribution to the Parliament’s proceedings. The recent voices of dissent against these members for ‘short attendance in the Parliament’ have done more harm than good to the reputation of Article 80. Sachin Tendulkar, who faced the most criticism for short attendance, made a statement that he couldn’t attend the Parliament as his brother was undergoing a surgery. While no one in the country would ever doubt the integrity of Sachin Tendulkar, this recent incident has surely given a food for thought regarding the sincerity of the Nominated members towards the Parliament’s proceedings.

Apart from Tendulkar, the other celebrity who came under fire for the similar issue was Rekha, who currently has a measly attendance of 5%. The particular article in question has given the Rajya Sabha some of its most learned members, such as Dr. Zakir Husain, Dr. Alladi Krishnaswami and Satyendranath Bose.

Speaking about the nominated members, Jawaharlal Nehru said in the House of the People on 13 May, 1953:

“…The President has nominated some members of the Council of States who, if I may say so, are among the most distinguished, taking everybody in Parliament altogether—it is true, distinguished in arts, science, etc.—and our Constitution in its wisdom gave that. They do not represent political parties or anything, but they represent really the high watermark of literature or art or culture or whatever it may be”

Since the inception of the Rajya Sabha, more than 150 members have been nominated by the President under this rule. Among these are some of the brightest minds in the country including scholars, jurists, social workers and artists. Over the years, these exceptionally talented individuals have undoubtedly raised the level of debating in the Parliament.

Here, it must be mentioned that these nominated members aren’t given any special privileges over and above the rules for the elected members. These members also need to fulfil the minimum attendance requirement of the house or else face disqualification. But the bone of contention is that these exceptional individuals were, at the first place, nominated to the house because they exhibited utmost integrity and work ethics in their field of work. They are expected to showcase exemplary behaviour and show the other member how it is done! Consequently, they are constantly under the radar of everyone. But if there is one thing we have seen from these champions’ past, it is that they know how to answer their critics with their work. Let just hope that the history repeats itself yet again!

मोदी हैं सपनों के सौदागर मात्र!

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मोदी सरकार के 100 दिन होने को आये. इस विषय पर तथ्यों पर आधारित आलेख को थोड़ा व्यंगात्मक लहजे में कहने का प्रयास कर रहा हूँ. भक्तगण मित्र भी उसी भावना से लें!
प्रधानमंत्री श्री नरेंद्र मोदी हमेशा से कहते रहे हैं कि मुझे सिर्फ विकास की राजनीति करनी है, मैं बदले की राजनीति में यकीन नहीं रखता. मगर उनके  प्रधानमंत्री का पद संभालने के बाद से ही जिस तरीके से यू.पी.ए. सरकार द्वारा नियुक्त राज्यपालों को चुन-चुन कर परेशान किया गया और किया जा रहा है तथा संवैधानिक पद पर बैठे व्यक्ति की मर्यादा को तार-तार किया गया, इससे तो यही लगता है कि मोदी की कथनी और करनी में कोई समानता नहीं है.

श्री मोदी कहते हैं कि वो सिर्फ विकास की राजनीति करते हैं. हां, वे विकास की राजनीति तो करते  हैं, पर आम आदमी के विकास की राजनीति नहीं बल्कि अपने दल के नेताओं का विकास करने की राजनाति में जुटे हैं. उनका एकमात्र एजेंडा है कि साम, दाम, दंड और भेद, किसी भी तरीके से अपनी पार्टी के रिटायर्ड नेताओं को राज्यपाल के पद पर आसीन करवाना, ताकि पार्टी पर उनकी पकड़ और मजबूत हो. इसके लिए उन्हें प्रशासनिक और राजनीतिक हथकंडा अपनाने से उन्हें कोई गुरेज नहीं है.

कई बार मंच से श्री मोदी ने महंगाई घटाने और भ्रष्ट्राचार मिटाने का सपना आम लोगों को दिखाया है. सत्ता पर उनके आसीन हुए 100 दिन पूरे होने को आए मगर महंगाई से किसी को भी राहत मिलती नहीं दिख रही है. रही बात भ्रष्ट्राचार के खात्में की तो उनकी सरकार भ्रष्ट्राचारियों का साथ देती नजर आ रही है. एम्स के संजीव चतुर्वेदी मामले से तो यही लगता है कि उनकी सरकार ईमानदार अधिकारियों को ही हटाने की मुहिम में लगी है. फायदा सिर्फ करीबी नेताओं और कॉरपोरेट घरानों को पहुंचाया जा रहा है (crony-capitalism).

जिन युवाओं के समर्थन से मोदी प्रधानमंत्री की गद्दी पर विराजमान हुए, आखिर कब बेरोजगार युवाओं की सुध लेंगे? देश के युवा दर-दर भटकने को मजबूर हैं पर मोदी हैं कि गुजरात के ‘विकास’ की ‘खुशफहमियों’ से बाहर निकलना ही नहीं चाहते. आखिर उन्हें कब एहसास होगा कि अब वे प्रधानमंत्री हैं, गुजरात के मुख्यमंत्री नहीं. आखिर पूरे देश को ‘विकास’ की झांकी कब दिखाएंगे!

मोदी कहते हैं कि लोकतंत्र में उनकी गहरी आस्था है. मगर अफसोस, चाहे-अनचाहे वे लोकतंत्र की जड़ें खोदने में ही लगे है. क्या बगैर विपक्ष के एक स्वस्थ लोकतंत्र की कल्पना की जा सकती है? मोदी हैं कि उन्हें विरोध के स्वर पसंद ही नहीं हैं. अपने जयकारे की उन्हें इस कदर आदत लग चुकी है कि सरकारी कार्यक्रमों में भी दूसरे दलों के मुख्यमंत्रियों की उनके सामने हूटिंग होती है और वे मौन रहते हैं.

मत भूलिए, मोदी जी! ये लोकतंत्र है. निंदक को पास रखने में ही भलाई है. शिकायत सुनने और विरोध सहने की आदत डालने होगी. वरना जिस जनता ने सर पर बिठाया है, वो गिराने में भी वक्त नहीं लगाती है. हाल के उपचुनावों के नतीजों से जनता का मूड भांप लें और जो सपना दिखाया है, उसे पूरा करने के लिए कुछ काम करें.

Coal makes the vision cloudy

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August 25,2014: The Supreme Court today declared all coal block allotment done between the years 1993 to 2010 as ILLEGAL. It says coal block allocation was done in an arbitrary, unfair and non-objective manner. Though, it has stopped short of cancelling the allotments as the apex court says more hearing is needed into the case.
Thus, the roots of this mega-scam can be traced to NDA-led BJP also. It would be hard to believe if someone says that the Coal Ministry under the Prime Minister Shri A.B. Vajpayee did not know about the unfair means of continued or continuing allocations (a total of 70 coal blocks were given away from 1993- 2005, when BJP-led NDA was in power for a part of that duration). And later, Congress governemnt totally swept over the issue. Obviously, as Prime Minister and Coal Minister, Congress’ Man Mohan Singh owes a major responsibility for this scam ( he should have resigned as PM when the scam came to light during his resign, but he persisted). It seems, the coal had clouded the vision of all our parties and politicians during those years. It also shows that the beneficiaries of such scams and financial irregularities just play it low so that they continue to reap the benefit.

The coal scam is indicative of rampant and deep-rooted corruption and opaqueness in our systems of governance. As responsible citizens, let us not get divided over party lines. Who took the beating if politicians made the loot over coal blocks? We all- the hard working citizens of India!

To read more about the judgement of Supreme Court today on this matter, please click here.

भ्रष्टाचार के खिलाफ लड़ाई का यथार्थ: An article on AIIMS CVO controversy

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 19298312My article on the issue of transfer of AIIMS Chief Vigilance Officer – Mr. Sanjeev Chaturvedi- that was published in Vir Arjun, a daily Hindi news paper on August 25,2014.  Please have a look!

सुहृद पूंजीवाद (Crony-capitalism)

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जिस प्रकार हमारा समाज और हमारी अर्थव्यवस्था भ्रष्टाचार रूपी दंश से पीड़ित है, उसी प्रकार सुहृद पूंजीवाद (Crony-capitalism) हमारी अर्थव्यवस्था और इस समाज के लिए एक अभिशाप है। सुहृद पूंजीवाद में जहाँ व्यापारी व् पूंजीपति अपने व्यापार की सफलता के लिए सरकारी अधिकारियों के बीच अपने करीबी रिश्तों पर निर्भर होकर गलत तरीकों से कई महत्वपूर्ण निर्णयों पर सरकारी अधिकारीयों की सहमति की मोहर लगवाकर अपने हित और अपने व्यापार को पोषित करते हैं। फिर वो चाहे कोई कानूनी परमिट हो, सरकारी अनुदान हो या फिर किसी अन्य सरकारी योजना का हिस्सा हो। इसे हम व्यवस्था में व्याप्त वितरण में पक्षपात भी कह सकते है।
रिज़र्व बैंक ऑफ़ इंडिया के गवर्नर रघुराम राजन ने सुहृद पूंजीवाद के खिलाफ चेतावनी दी है, जिसमें उन्होंने कहा है: ” यह हमारी विकास दर को अत्यधिक धीमा करता है “। यह विकासशील देशों के विकास के लिए सबसे बड़ा खतरा है। आम जनता के हितों के लिए यह एक वास्तविक चिंता का विषय है।“ यह बात उन्होंने पिछले सप्ताह को मुंबई में ललित दोशी मेमोरियल लेक्चर में कहीं। श्री राजन ने कहा की पिछला आम चुनाव पूरी तरह से राजनीतिज्ञों और व्यापारिक समूहों के बीच सांठगांठ के आरोपों से भरा था जो की एक गंभीर चिंता का विषय है। राजन ने अपने गहरे पहलुओं को सबके सामने रखा जिसमे उनका कहा कि ‘अमीर और प्रभावशाली व्यक्ति भूमि और प्राकृतिक संसाधनों के आधिपत्य के लिए सुहृद पूंजीवाद का प्रयोग कर रहे है, कही ऐसा तो नहीं की सुहृद पूंजीवाद, अतीत में व्याप्त सुहृद समाजवाद को प्रतिस्थापित कर रहा है। यह लोकतांत्रिक अभिव्यक्ति, पारदर्शिता और प्रतिस्पर्धा के लिए हानिकारक है। यह एक स्वाभाविक प्रश्न है, की क्यों जनता ऐसे राजनीतिज्ञों को वोट करती हैं, जो की सुहृद पूंजीवाद को बढ़ावा देते है। कुछ अच्छे लोग है, जो राजनीति के परिद्रश्य को बदलना चाहते है पर जब वो चुनाव लड़ते है तो उनकी जमानत भी जब्त हो जाती है।
ध्यान देने योग्य बात यह है की मैं पूंजीवाद के खिलाफ नही हूँI मेरा अर्थशास्त्रीय झुकाव बाज़ार की तरफ है I सरकार का काम बिज़नस स्वयं करना नहीं है, अपितु, सरकार ऐसा मूल ढांचा तैयार करे ताकि नागरिक अधिक अच्छे ढंग से गुणवत्ता व् उत्पादन वाला व्वसाय कर सके।

Is Modi ruling the President way?

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Today’s newspapers have carried out a news that Modi’s Prime Minister Office (PMO) has taken over the process of  deciding on appointments and transfers of senior officers in the government. By doing so, the PMO has reduced Home Minister Shri Rajnath to a rubber stamp in selection process of bureaucrats. The selection of senior babus happens through Appointment Committee of Cabinet (ACC) and Home Minister has a primary role to play in this. However, now Mr. Modi will decide on appointments and as Home Minister Mr. Rajnath will simply sign at the dotted line.

It seems Mr. Modi continues to concentrate power in his hands. let us remember that we have in India what we call Westminster Parliamentary system and not the Presidential system of governance.  If Mr. Modi thinks that he can run government by Presidential system by proxy, then it would not be a healthy trend for our country.

In a parliamentary system followed in our country, the prime Minister has enormous power and privileges, but the PM must ensure that his or her several of the departments continue to be relevant.

It may be noted that I am not opposed to Presidential system of governance, though. But let us not run systems by proxy. It would tantamount to subversion of constitution also.

Here is a link to the news that appeared in newspapers.

 

ISIS is killing humanity

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500 Yazidis- belonging to a minority or non-Islamic religion in Iraq- have been killed by the militant Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Several of them were buried alive, including women and children. Thousands of them have fled their places.

The Iraq government -itself under seize by the ISIS- has confirmed these fatalities. The Iraqi Human Rights Minister Mr. Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said that the government has evidence that the Islamists had thrown the Yazidis alive into a mass grave. 

Reason: The fundamentalist Islamists wanted the Yazidis to convert to Islam or face the death! The Sunni insurgents of ISIS viw Yazidis as ‘devil worshipers’.

The whole humanity is crying today, but the lunatics and fanatics are roaming around freely. Meanwhile, the U.S. has started airstrikes at ISIS. As you may recall, President Obama had initially refused to get drawn into ISIS issue, citing that Iraq deal with its own problem. But from at least the angle of the genocide that is ISIS is hell bent upon carrying out, the U.S. intervention is good.

Black Markets thrive in India

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How much money lies in white in India (and abroad, by Indians) and how much money lies in black?

What is BLACK money? In today’s technology-driven era, monetary or financial transactions happen 24×7. The transactions where a portion of the money should go to the government, but does not happen is a black money. For example: If sales tax is not paid, income tax is not paid or where dues or fees are not paid but go to the intermediary hands (bribery, greasing palm), they constitute black money. Who suffers if black market thrives? The treasury (sarkaari kosh/khazaana) suffers and in the process, and consequently we all suffer because development work (civic amenities like roads, bridges, schools and other govt related works) does not happen as expected.

An article published today in The Hindu says that as per latest estimates, 75 % of Indian economy could be in form of BLACK money.

It is difficult to reliably estimate how much treasure lies in black markets!  To get some idea, the UPA government led by Mr. Man Mohan Singh had commissioned the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP) to undertake this task. The report was submitted to the then Finance Minister Mr. P Chidambaram, but as the news reveals, he never brought it out. The file now lies with Mr. Arun Jaitely, the current Finance Minister.

The 3 sectors contributing most to black economy are: Capitation fee for higher education sector, Real estate deals, and Mining industry. For example, last year capitation fee collected in clandestine manner by private colleges was to the tune of approx. 6000 Crores. 

If the law of land is strong, if it is easy for people to do businesses in more transparent way, when financial laws are not complex and where government makes it easy for its citizens to do businesses through technology (e-governance), black markets will find it difficult to grow. But if politicians and businesses join hands to foster a mutually rewarding relationship, the interests of the the public are often ignored under such circumstances. This is called crony-capitalism.

Q: Can govt control black markets?
A: Yes, a strong government can. I mean you do not have to be physically strong. The intent to curb corruption is enough to make a headway in this direction.
Q: Do we have a strong govt at the Center?
A: Suna to yahi hai! But, does the current BJP party – even though with clear majority in the Parliament- has a clear financial integrity as its goal and objective? If its house is not in order, how can it bring semblance to the financial order of the country? 

To read the details , click to view the article here. 

Ill effects of Not having a Chief Minister!

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Delhi state has no Lokayukta (Ombudsman) at present. The vacancy has been lying vacant since the retirement of Justice Sarin several months back. Delhi has no elected government and hence the vacancy has not been filled up.  The Lieutenant Governor (LG)- since Delhi is under President rule- has no direct constitutional means to fill the vacancy.  In absence of a Lokayukta, a window of grievance redressal  and anti-corruption activism has been shut off for the citizens. It is apparent that common man continues to suffer in absence of a Lokayukta. A news paper has reported that the office of Lokayukta located near ITO has been languishing in absence of the a head.

Delhi state needs an elected government at the earliest. When Mr. Arvind Kejriwal left as Delhi Chief Minister in February, 2014, he had recommended dissolution of the legislative assembly so as to pave the way for fresh elections. However, the Lieutenant Governor did not accede to his advice and has kept the assembly in suspended animation. An assembly kept is suspended animation gives enough ammunition to play foul. The whole country has been witness to the vigorous and frenetic efforts made by BJP in last several months to try to cobble up a majority by enticing the sitting MLAs of the Congress party. In other words, horsetrading is an art that BJP has excelled in. So far, thanks to an activist player like Aam Aadmi party (AAP) that has upset BJP’s apple cart by exposing its misdeed to the public.

AAP on its part has intensified the efforts to demand elections as soon as possible. At the same time, it is asking a pertinent question: “Why is BJP running away from elections?” AAP is mobilizing public opinion on these issues. As a part of this movement, the party has planned a massive public rally at Jantar Mantar on coming Sunday,ie, August 3.

Lokayukta can play an important role in bringing transparency and accountability in the governmental departments , but, alas, the important constitutional office has been lost in the details of finding an elected government. The ill-effects of not having a Lokayukta adds another pound of burden on  the common man who is looking for respite!

It may be noted that Aam Aadmi Party believes that the existing channel of Lokayukta is not meaningful enough to curb corruption and has demanded  a more potent law called “Janlokpal Bill”.