JUDICIAL REFORMS MUST BE AN IMPORTANT AGENDA OF AAM AADMI PARTY

A lot of criticism is being raised from enemies of the Aam Aadmi Party regarding  Arvind Kejrieal’s refusal to remit bail amount in a defamation case and preferring to go to jail rather than remitting the bail amount. I feel that it has raised some fundamental issues in our judicial system which will be helpful when some urgently needed judicial reforms are taken up in India. The Indian Judicial System still follows many of the practices followed by our former British Rulers which were largely intended for the subjugation of a Slave Country. Indian Judicial system has become so tilted in favour of the super rich so that even for a middle class person like me the Supreme Court is unapproachable. Recently in a farewell speech on the eve of his retirement Justice Radhakrisnan of Supreme Court stated that only the rich Corporates can get justice from the Supreme Court. Under the circumstances Kejri wal’s bail incident has helped to draw the attention of the Nation to these anomalies in the judicial system. The Aam AAdmi Party must declare that Judicial Reforms will be on its agenda along with fight against corruption.

The Astounding Parallel Between Germany of 1933 and India of 2014

My friend Sri Ramachandran Attur has sent me a mail comparing the Germany of 1933 and India of 2014. I was also thinking on the above lines for the last few months. I have to tell you that I have read and studied a lot on the history of the rise and fall of German Nazism. From my study I am fully convinced that the situation prevailed in Germany at the time of Hitler coming to power and the present situation in India where there is a real danger of a Hitler like demagogue like Narendra Modi coming to power. The mail of my friend Sri Ramachandran  Attur really expresses my forebodings far better than I can express them.

Here is the mail for you to read and reflect on it and understand the serious situation which faces our motherland.

“I am a 69-years old retired Railway officer with an absolutely impeccable record of honest service to the nation.  I am writing this mail due to my deep concern about what will happen to the country after the 2014 elections, not with any aspiration for a political career.

There is an uncanny parallel between the present situation in India and the situation that prevailed in Germany at the time of the rise of Adolf Hitler:

1. Deep disgust spread across all strata of society, directed at an incompetent, corrupt and utterly discredited so-called "democratically elected" government.

2. Anger at rising prices and unemployment, and with all that, a small segment of population living in extreme comfort and prosperity.

3. A large group of people, particularly youth, who are aware of the life that they can have but that they are denied due to the workings of a coterie of politicians and other powerful people.

4. A major party goes to the extreme of identifying itself with an individual.  Note how Rajnath Singh changed the slogan, "Ab ki baar Bhajpa ka sarkar", and made it, "Ab ki baar Modi sarkar".

5. The rise of a demagogue, fluent of speech, strong of words, not prone to smiling.

6. Marginalization of politicians who have served the country and the party sincerely according to their best understanding, for a long time but who are thrown into the waste paper basket due to the emergence of a demagogue.

What happened in Germany from mid-1930s onwards is part of history.  Such things may not happen in 21st century, 80 years later, particularly in India.  But don't be sure.  The ordinary respectable and peace-loving people who lived in Germany in the early 1930s did not expect the rise of a terrible dictatorship and the holocaust either!

If Narendra Modi comes to power and BJP gets to be completely controlled by Narendra Modi in the years to come, and the Congress and other older parties continue to be incompetent morons, incapable of reading the situation aright and responding with maturity and statesmanship, the following things may very well happen:

1. LK Advani, Jaswanth Singh and others who have been sidelined to accommodate the "Modi wave" and who have protested directly or indirectly may get picked up at the dead of night, and nothing more may be heard about them afterwards.

2. Minorities will suffer immensely.  Narendra Modi has shown some sample of what can be expected if the minorities do not tow his line.  

3. But the majority community should not think that they will be safe.  In the beginning people like me who write such emails will be picked up.  Then they will pick up people who maintain silence but who look suspicious in their silent acquiescence with what is going on.  Then they will get into the habit of silencing imagined opposition.  Knocks at the door in the middle of the night will become more common.

4. Big corporates which fund the party's operations will be happy in the beginning.  But later on they will also feel the heat - because the man who loves power does not love anything else or love anyone except himself.

Arvind Kejriwal has shown courage in standing against Narendra Modi in Varanasi.  But it will be good for his health if he does not win.  If he wins, the large mass of people whose illusion-bubble he has pricked by winning against Modi will not forgive him.  There is great danger for the man who takes a tigress' cubs from her and also for the man who takes away their illusions from a fanatical people.

Think over this carefully and act after careful consideration of your own interests and the interests of the nation.

Vote AAP and give the party a chance.  Give power to AAP and then keep a watch on its elected representatives and its government to make sure that they remain sincere and committed to selfless service of the nation.”

Arvind Kejriwal Connect with Volunteers

കോതമംഗലം മെത്രാനെതിരെ ആത്മഹത്യാ പ്രേരണാ കുറ്റത്തിന് കേസ് എടുക്കുക.

               വളരെ ദുഃഖകരമായ ദിവസമാണ് എനിക്കിന്ന്. മതതീവ്രവാദികൾ കൈ വെട്ടിമാറ്റിയ പ്രൊഫ്‌. ടി.ജെ.ജോസെഫിന്റെ ഭാര്യ സലോമിയുടെ ആത്മഹത്യ എന്നിൽ ദുഖവും നടുക്കവും ഉണ്ടാക്കുന്നു. മതതീവ്രവാദികൾ കൈവെട്ടിയ പ്രൊഫസ്സറെ ജോലിയിൽനിന്ന് പിരിച്ചുവിട്ട കോതമംഗലം മെത്രാനെതിരെ 2010 സെപ്റ്റംബർ 11നു പ്രതിഷേധ മാര്ച് നയിച്ചതിനു പള്ളിയുടെ വിശുദ്ധ ഗുണ്ടകളുടെ കൊടിയ മര്ധനം ഏറ്റ വ്യക്തിയാണ് ഞാൻ. അന്ന് കേരളത്തിലെ ചാനലുകൾ മാത്രമല്ല ഇന്തിയയിലെ മുഴുവൻ ഇന്ഗ്ളിഷ് ഹിന്ദി ചാനലുകളും ആ ദൃശ്യങ്ങൾ കാണിച്ചതാണ്.

                കൈ വെട്ടിമാറ്റപ്പെട്ട് ഇരിക്കുമ്പോൾ ഞാനും എന്റെ ഭാര്യയും ആ കുടുംബത്തെ സന്ദർശിച്ച് ആശ്വസിപ്പിച്ചതാണ്. സലോമിയെ ധീരവനിതയാണ് ഞങ്ങൾ കണ്ടത്.

                ഈ ആത്മഹത്യയ്ക്ക് ഉത്തരവാദി കോതമംഗലം മെത്രാനാണ്. അദ്ദേഹത്തിനെതിരെ കേസ്സെടുക്കണം. കേരളത്തിലെ മെത്രാന്മാരിലും പുരോഹിതരിലും ഒരു വലിയ വിഭാഗം അഹന്തയുടെ ആള്രൂപങ്ങളാണ്. ക്രൂരതയുടെ മൂര്ത്തിഭാവമാണ്. യേശുവിന്റെ നാമത്തിൽ ജനങ്ങളെ വഞ്ചിച്ചു തന്കാര്യം നേടുന്നവരാണ്. അവരെ ആത്മീയാചാര്യന്മാരായി കണക്കാനാകില്ല. ക്രിമിനലുകളും മാഫിയകളുമായി മാത്രമേ കാണാനാകു. 

Questions to Mr. Modi

Here are some questions that were raised by the AAP team to Mr. Narendra Modi. The biggest of them is...Will Modi answer any? 

Usage of Solar power in Gujarat was highlighted as a key achievement of the Modi government. The financials were clearly ignored? It seems that Solar power is costing much more, even more than another BJP ruled state of Madhya Pradesh? It’s the same Sun right? 

Why in Gujarat, Solar power is bought at Rs 13 without tender?MP & Karnataka buy the same at Rs 7.5 & 5.5 with proper tenders

The Modi governance model has been the toast of the nation. Agriculture was a key component of that. Gujarat's govt. own statistics proved that this was more of a PR ploy

How do U claim 11% agriculture growth rate, when statistics released by Guj Govt for 2012/13 indicate that it has fallen to 1.18%?

According to Gujarat govt. statistics, agricultural output has fallen from 27,815 cr in 2006/07 to 25,908 cr in 2012/13.                                                                    

What about the "industry friendly" image? Truth came out in talking to a few people in Mehsana, Gujarat.

Is your development model anti small & medium scale industry? In Mehsana, of the 187 such units, 140 units have shut down

Unemployment amongst the youth remained a prime concern for the people. 

Recently, for 1500 Govt. jobs, 13 lakh people had applied. Yet you claim that you have solved the unemployment problem?

Health care was neglected in the state. One only has to visit some district & village level hospitals/health care centers to discover the reality. 

Primary healthcare centers in many villages are shut. Basic medicines are not available in many distt. level hospitals?

Farmers, were perhaps the worse off. From cases of suicide, availability of electricity to land  acquisition, the situation was grim throughout. 

In the past few years, over 800 farmers have committed suicide.Farmers are not being paid basic support price for their crops

You claim electricity in every Guj.village. Your govt. is sitting on over 4 lakh applications from farmers for Elec. connections.

Farmers compensated for land acquired at rates much lower than market. Same land given at subsidized price of Rs 1 to Ambanis?

Why has the Guj. Govt. filed a case in Court against the Sikh farmers of Kutch? Will you snatch away their land?

Benefits of the much touted projects were yet to reach the people, almost a decade later.

In 2005, the height of Narmada dam increased for providing water to people of Kutch. 9 years on, they are still waiting! Why?

The same issues of Crony capitalism and corruption were found in Gujarat as well.

Is the Son-in-law of the Amabani family, a minister in your govt. handling the portfolio of energy! Can you explain this?

Why do people need to pay bribes for getting Govt. jobs, BPL cards, even Industrial licenses? Is this not corruption?

The country will wait for Mr. Modi to answer. It’s important to distinguish between truth and hype. 

A SHEEP ATTACKED BY A PACK OF WOLVES

Aam Aadmi Party is now just like a sheep being attacked by a pack of wolves. Rightists, Leftists, Centrists all have joined hands in attacking the young nascent political party. It cannot even be described as a political party in the conventional sense. It is rather a movement just like the Jasmine Revolution in the Middle East. AAP has become a symbol in the eyes of the Indian People, a symbol of fighting against all the evils in the political system and establishment existing in India. It has given rise to great expectations among the people of India and they expect the party to clean off all the dirt and filth accumulated in the political administration of the Nation in the last six decades.

                        Some accuse that AAP has no political ideology. We have seen many parties with sterling ideologies who have grossly deviated from their ideological paths and bartered people’s interest for their selfish gains. Look at the various Socialists and Lohiaists who were the most ideological politicians in the Indian history. Now these Lohiaist socialists are split into various political camps like different varieties of Janathaists, Samajwadis and Dals and all these ideologists have excelled in the art of corruption. Even the Marxist Socialists have degenerated to such immoral depth and degradation beyond any hope of redemption. This is amply proved by the influence that corrupt industrialists like Sack Radhakrisnan, Sandiago Martin, Faris Aboobacker and various mining mafia are wielding on the Communist (Marxist) Party in Kerala. So much for ideology. Ideology without action is a dead horse. We in Aam Aadmi Party are creating a new ideology through direct action for the benefit of the people. Mahatma Gandhi didn’t start freedom struggle preparing beforehand an ideology but an ideology was evolved through the struggle of the people.

                        Rightists say we are anarchists and Leftists say we are Capitalists. When large scale looting of people’s wealth, scarce national resources like coal, oil, gas and spectrum, and public money is taking place by corrupt industrialists in collusion with corrupt politicians, people will be compelled to wage war in a new form which may seem to some as anarchy. But whatever we do is for the good and welfare of the Indian people. To the Leftists I have to say that we are not against free and competitive private enterprise but we are dead against crony capitalism which benefits a few corrupt industrial corporate houses who are close to the seat of political power. Both Congress and BJP stand for the corrupt crony capitalists like Adani, Ambani etc. There will be no change in the corruption level of the country even if the darling of the corrupt Indian Corporates, Mr. Narendra Modi comes to power as Prime Minister. Apart from corruption the dangerous communal polarization of the country will also be hastened once Modi comes to power.

                        So AAP has taken up the fight against corrupt industrial corporates who rule India through their proxy politicians for the last six decades. Congress and Modi’s BJP are the two faces of the same corrupt industrialists and we will fight both these faces of the same evil with equal vehemence. As Arvind Kejriwal said, “Even if five of our MPs are in the next Lok Sabha, we will make it difficult for the corrupt to have their own way.”  So the fight has begun and let us charge forward.

                        JAI HIND!

Friends in Aam Aadmi Party, Beware of the Pitfalls Ahead!

For the last few weeks since Delhi election there is a torrential flow of people to the Aam Aadmi Party, some are ordinary people (aam  aadmi) and others, well-known social activists and leaders from main stream political parties. To tell you the truth, I am a bit worried about the phenomenal growth of the Party.  Before Delhi election we, the members of Aam Aadmi Party in Thrissur District, used to meet in a class room of Maharaja’s Technological Institute, Thrissur.  There would be some forty or fifty people in the meeting and one or two cars besides mine in the MTI compound. After the Delhi election result, as usual I went for our routine meeting. I was a bit late. When I reached the venue, the compound was full of cars. My car could not enter the compound of MTI and so I had to park it outside, in front of the nearby zoo. Going inside I could see a large crowd assembled there. I thought another function was going on there and never expected even in my wildest of dreams such a huge crowd for our meeting. But much to my surprise and shock I found out that the crowd, which was unmanageable, came for our meeting. Since then it has been an unending flow of people to our party. Last Sunday the Thrissur Thaluk Convention of Aam Aadmi Party was a grand success with such an overflowing crowd that could not be contained in the Sree Sankara Hall, we booked for the meeting. That day itself more than four hundred people took the party membership.

                        I am not a pessimist. My optimism and positive thinking are the only factors which sustained me in my various other fights in the social life of Thrissur. In nurturing the growth of another social organization, I alone personally used to distribute notices and leaflets of that organization to more than 3000 houses in my locality. Some people used to wonder why this man, a retired Class I Officer of the Government of Kerala, is doing this menial job of distributing notices. Some might have thought I have gone out of my mind. But those friends in my organization, who knew me intimately, were aware of my commitment to the cause and mission I pursue. Even I used to distribute the leaflets in hostile territories discarding friendly advice and anxiety of my fellow members of the organization for my personal safety. But the lesson I wanted to teach them was, as President of the organization, if I am not prepared to do such menial jobs like distributing leaflets for the sake of the cause, I have no right to ask other ordinary members to do this.  I tell you this now from my personal experience to prove the fact that building an organization from grassroots level is not an easy task. So the easy way the Aam Aadmi Party is growing and developing creates in my mind some forebodings.

                        During the India Against Corruption (IAC) Movement I could not witness such enthusiastic crowds. From August 16^th, 2011 when Anna Hazare started his indefinite fast in Delhi for Jan Lokpal, we organized a day and night relay fast in front of Thrissur Corporation Office and continued it till Annaji stopped his fast. In those days there would be some 20 people during day time at the site of the fast and in the evenings only a small crowd of around a hundred people were there for the candle light procession and the public meeting. At that time there were four or five people in whole of Kerala who were in the forefront of that movement. Still I have with me the list of those five persons which was sent to me by the Team IAC, Delhi.  I wonder how many of the present AAP leaders in Kerala participated in the India Against Corruption Movement. One thing I can say is that I don’t remember seeing any of them in front of Thrissur Corporation Office for the fast, candle light processions and the meetings. Nobody can deny the fact that Aam Aadmi Party is a morph of India Against Corruption Movement. And those who were in the forefront of the IAC movement know well the difficulties in organizing a people’s movement and finding out the resources to sustain it. Money was not flowing into the movement then as now it is flowing into the coffers of AAP. I hope the present young leaders of AAP won’t be a prey to the belief, seeing the present rush for membership, that it is an easy task to build a party politically and ideologically out of nothing.

                        As a senior member (not in position but in age) of Aam Aadmi Party I have to warn my young comrades in the party about the pitfalls ahead when the party moves forward. Every day thousands come into the party fold and now a days there is no TV news without mentioning the name of Aam Aadmi Party and announcing the names of VIPs and VVIPs joining the Party. Last Sunday it was announced that National Secular Conference and its sole MLA  P. T. A. Rahim are joining AAP. I personally know that this party was formed with the blessings of Sri Pinarayi Vijayan, CPM Kerala State Secretary, to have a foothold for CPM in the Muslim and Christian minority communities. P. T. A. Rahim was the Party Chairman and one of my friends,  a colleague in a social reformation movement, was its General Secretary (after some time he resigned and left the party). At the time of the formation of that party I was discreetly offered a leading post in the Thrissur District Committee of the party, but I politely refused since I was not interested in joining hands with a breakaway group of the communal Muslim League. I don’t know who conducted negotiations with P. T. A. Rahim and who authorized these people for it. According to TV channels Adivasi  Gothra  Mahasabha leaders C.K.Janu and Geethanandan, Revolutionary Marxist Party  leaders like K.K. Rema and Venu, former Personal Assistant and now a critic of Ex-Chief Minister of Kerala, Sri. V. S. Achuthanandan etc. are joining  AAP. Various individuals, social activists and political leaders have openly declared that they have already joined or are going to join AAP. There is nothing that succeeds like success and they know AAP is a success story now. If AAP had got only five seats in Delhi, as predicted by mainstream political parties, some of these people who rush to enter the party membership now before the doors are closed, wouldn’t have touched it with a pair of tongs. There is no proper mechanism in the party to screen, filter and separate good corn from the chaff. It will be suicidal if all disgruntled and corrupt political leaders and individuals and disruptive and anti-social elements find their way to, and infiltrate into, the ranks of the party. So I must warn the young leaders of the AAP as a senior person and a volunteer of the party to beware of the pitfalls ahead.