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Saturday 29 December 2012

FIELD MARSHAL SAM MANEKSHAW

This documentary on India's greatest soldier will rank as a masterpiece not only for the way it is presented, but also for the frankness, humour and sincerity of the Field Marshal himself. Set against the beautiful backdrop of the Nilgiris and his elegant home 'Stavka' this is an autobiographical account of his life and times stated mostly by himself in his inimitable, simple yet unambiguous style. This is something I enjoyed watching and have no hesitation in recommending it to all my friends, including those who have not had the signal honour of serving in our great country's gallant armed forces. This will take the better part of an hour, but trust me, you will never regret having logged in. This is a real treasure which should be included in our school and college text books for what is portrayed is something every Indian will cherish with pride. Long live Sam Bahadur!

Arms Lobby, Leaders, Officials and the Media

Publish Date : December 25th, 2012
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A Shocking Nexus
Has the whole defence establishment surrendered to the arms lobby? It seems the Government follows the reverse rule of rewarding treachery and punishing those who are ready to lay their life for the nation. This report is about the nexus between suspicious characters and a ‘reputed’ media house. The expose is about an Indian Express Reporter and an Ex-Army General. It is a shameful saga not just for the Government but for the media as well as the people of India.

The Indian Army had a unit called the Technical Service Division (TSD). It was set up to accomplish covert operations in other countries. It was a very important wing because it was the only unit which could perform this task. It was set up with the consent of the Defence Minister because it was felt that the capability of RAW and IB to launch such covert operations has diminished. Given the nature of the work, the whole unit worked in a ‘camouflaged manner’. Its location, officials and its work were top secret and out of bounds. But on 16 August 2012, at around 6 p.m., a white Toyota Qualis came towards the premises of the TSD. Two persons got  down. One stayed near the vehicle and the other went inside the premises of the TDS. An Army personnel was present at the location. He saw an unknown man suspiciously roaming around in the unit premises. He immediately enquired about his identity. The ‘unknown’ man tried to dodge him and said that he is an army officer. The jawan asked for his identity card. Then, the ‘unknown’ man said he is a reporter of the Indian Express newspaper.
On 16 August 2012, at around 6 p.m., a white Toyota Qualis came towards the premises of the Technical Service Division (TSD ). Two persons got  down. One stayed near the vehicle and the other went inside the premises of the TDS. An Army personnel was present at the location. He saw an unknown man suspiciously roaming around in the unit premises. He immediately enquired about his identity. The ‘unknown’ man tried to dodge him and said that he is an army officer. The jawan asked for his identity card. Then, the ‘unknown’ man said he is a reporter of the Indian Express newspaper. What was an Indian Express Reporter doing in that prohibited area?
What was an Indian Express Reporter doing in that prohibited area? Did he take permission from his Editor, Shekhar Gupta? Was Shekhar Gupta aware of this gross misconduct of his reporter? The TSD office was secretly located in the middle of the cantonment area.  If he had come without informing his Editor, did he report this incident to him? These questions are important because people working in the Indian Express told me that he is very close to the Editor. He is a ‘hitman’ of  Shekhar Gupta. But this story does not end here.
When the jawan started making further enquiries, the reporter became nervous. The jawan informed him that this is not an army location. The Indian Express Reporter replied that he had gone around the unit premises and seen vehicles with army number plates. The jawan escorted the Indian Express Reporter out of the unit premises, and saw a white colored Toyota Qualis waiting at a distance. He became suspicious. He started questioning him. He asked: “How did you know about the location?” The reporter did not reply. He again asked: “How did you reach this location?” The reporter kept quiet.  Finding himself in an uncomfortable situation, the reporter hurriedly walked towards the Toyota Qualis, where a man was waiting for him, and fled. Now, the question is : who was that man waiting for him near the Qualis? Who was accompanying this reporter to this prohibited area?
At the same time, an army havaldar was returning from his duty from the Base Hospital. He saw a tall gentleman suspiciously watching the TSD premises from a distance. He could recognise him as he had seen his pictures in various media reports and news channels. Thereafter, he saw two of them hurriedly leaving in the vehicle. The tall man waiting near the vehicle was retired Lieutenant General Tejinder Singh — the same man against whom the CBI filed a case for offering a bribe of Rs. 14 crore to former Army chief General VK Singh to clear the purchase of 1,676 high-mobility Tatra trucks for the Indian Army.
What was an Ex Lieutenant General  doing with a newspaper reporter in this prohibited area? It is a pertinent question which needs an answer. If the TSD was an undercover unit, not known to even many army officials, then why did Tejinder  Singh expose its location to a journalist? What was the motive? Did he consider going to the TSD premises some kind of excursion? Was this Ex Lieutenant General not aware of the consequences? The story does not end here.
The Army Havaldar who identified Lieutenant General Tejinder Singh quickly lodged a complaint. The matter was reported to the Director General, Military Intelligence ( DGMI ). He even asked whether this matter should be reported to the local police station. The DGMI asked him to give a written report on the matter. A written complaint was sent to him. The number of this letter is A/103/TSD. After three days he called the team who wrote this letter and asked them to tear off the letter and destroy the hard disk of the computer on which it was typed. The DGMI did not know that during these three days many copies  were  made  and distributed to different people. Meanwhile, the COCIO called the Indian Express Reporter and asked why he went to the TSD unit’s premises. He replied that he did not go there. On this, the COCIO said that you were wearing a blue shirt and all your activities have been captured by the CCTV camera. The reporter did not say a word and disconnected the phone. This incident was reported by the IBN7 Hindi News Channel but no action was taken against these people who not only broke the law by going to a prohibited area but also compromised national security. Instead of taking action against the miscreants, the team which wrote the letter was harassed for leaking this news to the media.
Just 8 days before this incident, there was an intelligence report which clearly warned that a few anti-national elements are conspiring to defame TSD by levelling false allegations and giving wide media coverage on the issue as the name of the unit has already been tarnished on several occasions. If the officials had  prior information of such a conspiracy, then why were Tejinder Singh and the Indian Express reporter left unpunished? This act vindicated the intelligence report.
Can we allow Pakistan or China to spy or conspire against our secret and important agencies? The TSD unit was set up specially for staging covert operations in enemy nations. It was on the target list of many countries with whom we do not share a good relationship – that’s why its locations and its operations were kept secret. If the identities of the people associated with it are compromised, then it could create a dangerous situation. The TSD works in coordination with the Defence Minister.  This is yet another reason why this incident should have been investigated. The logical inference is that for any person to be enquiring about this unit is tantamount to spying. Spying for whom? Which country? And if they are left without questioning, then the question should be asked, who are those powerful people shielding these people ? On whose order did the DGMI give instructions to tear off the letter and destroy the hard disk?
We also got exclusive information about the off-the-air monitoring system. It was reported that there has been some misappropriation in the purchase of these items. The documents we have clearly say that acquisition of off-the-air monitoring system was done without the approval of the Technology Coordination Group (TCG). It was not in accordance with the directions of the TCG – a fact which was specifically clarified to the Director General of the Defence Intelligence Agency ( DGDIA) . At that time the DGDIA was Lieutenant General Tejinder Singh. This letter was circulated to the Cabinet Secretary, the Defence Secretary, the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO ) Chairman, Director and Joint Secretary of PMO and others. It was circulated to 15 people but when the issue came into lime light, everyone kept quiet. No one came forward to tell the truth. Why did they keep mum? Are they afraid of something? What does this mean? Should we believe that the nexus of the arms lobby, leaders, officials and the media is such that even Government is afraid of telling the truth.
From the day General V K Singh exposed the middlemen and bribery, he has been on the target list of the arms lobby and the mafia. They have been planting stories against him in the media. Moreover, the shocking trend is that during the last 6 months,  the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Bikram Singh has been instituting various investigations. It seems they are aimed at tarnishing the honest image of General V K Singh. The Army Chief has dismantled the TSD. Now India does not have a potent unit for covert operations in enemy territory. No one seems to be bothered about it.  What China and Pakistan wanted to finish — we did it ourselves. The reason that was given for closing down the TSD  was that there was some misappropriation of funds. The details are not known. India is surrounded by hostile neighbours. If some Rs. 40-50 crore have been spent then it cannot be called misappropriation but people who are raising these questions are behaving like the representatives of enemy nations. Instead of regularising its function, it is alleged that officials of this unit are being pressurised to speak against General V K Singh.
The media needs to be very careful in matters of national security. The reporter of the Indian Express has clearly crossed the ‘laxman rekha’ of journalism. The Editor of the newspaper cannot shy away from his responsibility. He should have full knowledge of the activities of his reporter. Moreover, Mr. Shekhar Gupta is not unknown to either the reporter or to  Lieutenant General Tejinder Singh.
If the Technical Service Division (TSD) was an undercover unit, not known to even many army officials, then why did Tejinder  Singh expose its location to a journalist? What was the motive? Did he consider going to the TSD premises some kind of excursion? Was this Ex Lieutenant General not aware of the consequences? The story does not end here.
The Indian Express claims in its recent spate of billboard and other advertisements that 97 per cent people believe in their publication. So, we belong to the remaining 3 per cent and this article is for only for those 3 per cent. We know that against the precepts and ideals of Ramnath Goenka, the Indian Express will publish false stories against us. We are waiting. But, rest assured we will answer them in the mode of journalism of which Ramnath Goenka was considered the highest exponent. Some time ago, Chauthi Duniya exposed the reality of the spook story and also Shekhar Gupta’s role in it.  We will deal with journalism and ethics in the next issue, but I am leaving you with a question over which to ponder : is it a coincidence that every time the Army Chief institutes an investigation, the Indian Express gets the news first?  But why could they not get the news first when Lieutenant General Tejinder Singh was booked by the CBI?

31 DCEMBER BE CAREFUL

तरुणींनो, ड्रिंक
घेताना जरा जपून..
पब, डिस्को थेक, हॉटेल अथवा मित्रांबरोबर प्रायव्हेट पाटर्य़ा करणार्‍या तरुणींनी ड्रिंक घेताना खबरदारी घ्यायला हवी. मित्र म्हणणारेच तरुणींच्या ड्रिंकमध्ये गुंगीचे औषध टाकून तिच्यावर बलात्कार करतात. त्यामुळे तरुणींनी मित्रांसह थर्टीफर्स्टचे सेलिब्रेशन टाळावे, असे आवाहन पोलीस आणि सामाजिक संस्थांनी केले आहे.?मुंबई : शहरात मोठय़ा प्रमाणात थर्टी फर्स्टचा जल्लोष दरवर्षी केला जातो, मात्र यंदा या जल्लोषावर दिल्लीतील सामूहिक बलात्काराचा, मुंबई आणि राज्यात होत असलेल्या महिलांवरील अत्याचारांच्या घटनांचा परिणाम होण्याचे चित्र दिसत आहे. थर्टीफर्स्ट साजरा करण्यासाठी मोठय़ा प्रमाणात तरुण वर्ग घराबाहेर पडतो. अशावेळी महिला-तरुणींवर अत्याचार, विनयभंगाच्या घटना घडण्याची दाट शक्यता असते. त्यामुळे पोलिसांनी सुरुवातीला रात्री दीड वाजेपर्यंतच सेलिब्रेशन करण्याची परवानगी दिली होती, मात्र राज्याच्या गृह मंत्रालयाने ती पहाटे 5 पर्यंत वाढवली आहे. त्यामुळे मुंबई पोलिसांना शहरातील रस्त्या-रस्त्यांवर, सार्वजनिक स्थळी डोळय़ात तेल घालून तैनात राहावे लागणार आहे.

दिल्लीतील सामूहिक अत्याचाराला बळी पडलेल्या तरुणीचा शनिवारी मृत्यू झाल्याने देशभरात शोकाकूल वातावरण निर्माण झाले आहे. बॉलीवूडच्या अनेक कलाकारांनी, राजकीय नेत्यांनी या घटनेबाबत दु:ख व्यक्त केले असून नववर्षाचे सेलिब्रेशन न करण्याचे ठरवले आहे. त्यामुळे थर्टी फर्स्टचे सेलिब्रेशन काहीसे फिके पडणार आहे, मात्र मुंबई पोलिसांनी अशाही परिस्थितीत सकाळी 5 वाजेपर्यंत थर्टी फर्स्टचे सेलिब्रेशन करण्यासाठी परवानगी दिल्याने हॉटेल, पब, बीयर बार, रिसॉर्ट मालक खूश झाले आहेत. या निर्णयामुळे पोलिसांची दमछाक होणार असून महिलांची छेडखानी, विनयभंग असे प्रकार रोखण्यावर पोलिसांची मदार असणार आहे. रोडरोमियोंना घटनास्थळीच जायबंदी करून त्यांना प्रसाद देण्यासाठी मुंबई पोलिसांनी महिला पोलिसांची विशेष पथके तयार केली आहेत. साध्या कपडय़ातील पोलीस हॉटेल, पब, डिस्को थेक, रिसॉर्ट आदी ठिकाणी होणार्‍या पार्टय़ावर नजर ठेवून असणार आहेत.

त्याचबरोबरच गेटवे, कुलाबा अशा ठिकाणी मोठय़ा प्रमाणात गर्दी होणार असल्याने येथे मोठा बंदोबस्त ठेवण्यात आला आहे. गर्दीचा फायदा घेत रोडरोमियो तरुणींशी छेडखानी, विनयभंग करतात. अशा घटना या ठिकाणी घडल्या असल्याने गेटवे ऑफ इंडियासारख्या गर्दीच्या ठिकाणी जमावावर सीसीटीव्ही कॅमेर्‍यांतून लक्ष ठेवले जाणार आहे. या दिवशी मद्य प्राशन करून वाहन चालविणार्‍यांची संख्या बरीच असते. त्यामुळे अपघातांतही वाढ होऊन काही घटनांत प्राणांवर बेतले जाते. असे अपघात टाळण्यासाठी वाहतूक विभागाच्या तीन हजार पोलिसांची फौज रस्त्यावर उतरणार आहे. त्यांच्याकडे हॅण्डीकैम दिले जाणार आहेत, जेणेकरून वाहनांसह पळून जाणार्‍या वाहनांचे चित्रीकरण करून वाहनांच्या नंबरप्लेटवरून त्यांना पकडता येईल. थर्टी फर्स्टच्या रात्री अनेक लोक रस्त्यावर गाडय़ा लावून मद्यपान करतात. त्यांच्यावरही कारवाई केली जाणार AAHE.
     

women security

महिलांमध्ये
वाढतेय असुरक्षिततामोहन माने2012 साल महिलांवर होणार्‍या अत्याचारांनी गाजले. हे वर्ष सरता सरता दिल्लीत मानवतेला काळिमा फासणारी घटना घडली. चालत्या बसमध्ये सामूहिक अत्याचार करून महाविद्यालयीन मुलीला तिच्या मित्रासह फेकण्यात आले. या कुकृत्यामुळे दिल्लीवासीय संतापून उठले. त्यांनी सरकारविरोधातच उग्र आंदोलन छेडले आहे. देशाची राजधानी असलेल्या दिल्लीला अशा घटना नवीन नाहीत; परंतु तेथील लोकांचा एकच प्रश्न आहे की, आमचे आयुष्य जगण्याचा आम्हाला हक्क आहे की नाही? महिलांवरील अत्याचाराच्या घटना केवळ दिल्लीतच घडताहेत अशातला भाग नाही. देशाची आर्थिक राजधानी आणि महिलांसाठी सुरक्षित मानल्या जाणार्‍या मुंबापुरीतही या वर्षात बलात्कार आणि विनयभंगाच्या घटनांनी आतापर्यंतचा उच्चंक मोडला आहे. वर्षभरात बलात्काराच्या 207, तर विनयभंगाच्या 552 घटनांप्रकरणी पोलिसांत गुन्हे नोंद झाले आहेत. त्याचबरोबर सोनसाखळी चोरीच्या घटनांमध्येही महिलांनाच टार्गेट केले जाते. या वर्षात सोनसाखळी चोरीचा गुन्हा जबरी चोरी म्हणून समाविष्ट केल्याने तसेच अशा आरोपींची सर्व बाजूंनी कोंडी करण्याचा कायदा अमलात आणला तरी 2011 सालातील 2134 गुन्ह्यांच्या तुलनेत 2012 साली 1775 सोनसाखळी चोरीचे गुन्हे दाखल झाले आहेत. याचा अर्थ, पोलिसांच्या कठोर कायद्यालाही सोनसाखळी चोर भीक घालत नसल्याचे उघड झाले आहे.

26/11 च्या मुंबई हल्ल्यातील एकमेव जिवंत अतिरेकी अजमल कसाब हा तब्बल चार वर्षे मुंबईसह भारतवासीयांच्या छातीवर मूग दळत अत्याधुनिक अशा उच्च श्रेणीच्या सुरक्षा व्यवस्थेत जगत होता. त्याला फाशी होणार की संसदेवरील हल्ल्या प्रकरणातील अफझल गुरू याच्याप्रमाणे केंद्रातील काँग्रेस सरकार अजमल कसाबलाही पोसणार, याबाबत साशंकता व्यक्त केली जात होती. मात्र 21 नोव्हेंबरच्या पहाटे पुण्याच्या येरवडा जेलमध्ये अजमल कसाबला फासावर लटकवण्याचे काम सरकारने केले. अत्यंत गुप्तरीत्या पार पडलेल्या या कारवाईची माहिती कसाबला येरवडा जेलच्या आवारात दफन केल्यानंतरच उघड करण्यात आली. हा भारतीयांसाठी खरोखरच सुखद धक्का होता.

फेब्रुवारी 2011 साली लैला खान या अभिनेत्रीसह तिचे 5 जणांचे कुटुंब बेपत्ता झाले होते. लैला खान हिचे पाकिस्तानी गुप्तचर संघटना आयएसआयशी संबंध असल्याचे बोलले जात होते, मात्र लैला खान आणि तिच्या कुटुंबीयांची इगतपुरीच्या फार्म हाऊसमध्ये निर्घृणरीत्या हत्या करण्यात आल्याचा उलगडा मुंबई पोलिसांनी केला. या प्रकरणात मूळचा जम्मू-काश्मीर येथील रहिवासी असलेला लैलाचा सावत्र पिता परवेज टाक यानेच जुलै 2012 मध्ये लैला खानच्या कुटुंबीयांचे मुंबईतून अपहरण करून लैला खानच्या मालकीच्या इगतपुरीच्या फार्म हाऊसमध्ये त्यांची क्रूर हत्या करून त्यांना फार्म हासमधील मोठय़ा खड्डय़ात पुरले होते.

गँगस्टर विजय पालांडे, त्याची पत्नी मॉडेल सिमरन सूद आणि त्यांचे साथीदार धनंजय शिंदे, मनोज गजकोश हे श्रीमंत आसामीला हेरून त्याला आपल्या जाळय़ात ओढत व संधी साधून त्या आसामीची हत्या करून त्याच्या संपत्तीवर दावा करत असत. विजय पालांडेने अशा प्रकारे चित्रपट निर्माता करणकुमार कक्कर याची हत्या 5 मार्च 2012 रोजी केली, मात्र त्याचा उलगडा दिल्लीचे व्यापारी अरुणकुमार टिक्कू (65) यांच्या हत्येनंतर झाला. 7 एपिल्र रोजी अंधेरी लोखंडवाला येथील टिक्कूयांच्या आलिशान फ्लॅटमध्ये पेइंगगेस्ट म्हणून राहणार्‍या विजय पालांडे ऊर्फ करण सूद याने टिक्कू यांच्या लोखंडवाला येथील कोटय़वधी रुपयांचा फ्लॅट बळकावण्यासाठी अरुणकुमार टिक्कू यांची हत्या केली. त्यानंतर त्यांचा मुलगा अनुजकुमार टिक्कू यालाही त्याचप्रकारे संपवण्यात येणार होते. अनुजला पालांडेने गोव्याला पिकनिकसाठी म्हणून नेले आणि त्याच दरम्यान त्याच्या वडिलांची हत्या केली, मात्र हत्या करताना शेजार्‍यांनी पाहिले आणि पालांडेचा बुरखा फाटला. पालांडेला टिक्कू यांच्या हत्येप्रकरणी अटक झाल्यानंतर करण कक्कर याच्याही हत्येचा उलगडा झाला. करणची संपत्ती बळकावून पालांडे आणि कंपनीने त्याची हत्या करून त्याचा मृतदेह रत्नागिरी येथील कुंभार्ली घाटात टाकला होता. अशाच प्रकारे विजय पालांडेने जुहू येथील संपत्ती बळकावण्यासाठी अनुपदास जैन आणि त्यांचा मुलगा स्वराज रंजन जैन यांची हत्या 1998 मध्ये करून त्यांचेही मृतदेह कुंभार्ली घाटात टाकले होते. एपिल्र महिन्यात अटक झालेला पालांडे त्याचा नातेवाईक असलेला विवादित पोलीस निरीक्षक संजय शिंदे याच्या मदतीने पळाला होता; परंतु काही तासांतच तो पुन्हा पोलिसांच्या हाती लागला. कुकर्मा पालांडेच्या गुन्हेगारी कारवायांत मदत करणारी मॉडेल सिमरन सूद काही दिवसांपूर्वीच जामिनावर सुटली आहे.

या वर्षात मनाला चटका लावून जाणारी घटना घडली, ती वडाळा येथील हिमालय हाइट्स या बहुमजली इमारतीत मूळची दिल्ली येथील राहणारी पल्लवी पुरकायस्था ही 25 वर्षीय जलतरणपटू वकिलीचा अभ्यास करत होती. तिचा मित्र कामानिमित्त पुण्याला असताना पल्लवी एकटी असल्याची संधी साधून त्या इमारतीचा वॉचमन सय्याज पठाण याने पल्लवीच्या घरातील वीजप्रवाह खंडित करून घरात प्रवेश मिळवला व संधी साधून फ्लॅटची चावी चोरली आणि रात्रीच्या वेळी एकटी असलेल्या पल्लवीवर पाशवी बलात्कार करण्याच्या प्रयत्नांत तिची धारदार शस्त्राने ठार मारून पळून जाण्याचा प्रयत्न केला. मात्र मुंबई पोलिसांनी त्याची गठडी आवळली. या घटनेवरून सुरक्षा रक्षकांबाबत किती सावधानता बाळगली पाहिजे याची प्रचिती आली.

वांद्रय़ाच्या पॉश वस्तीत भाडय़ाने राहणार्‍या 27 वर्षीय स्पॅनिश तरुणीवर सराईत चोरटय़ाने तिच्या फ्लॅटमध्ये प्रवेश मिळवून बलात्कार केला व घरातील मौल्यवान वस्तू पळवल्या. या घटनेवरून पुन्हा एकदा सिद्ध झाले की मुंबई महिलांसाठी सुरक्षित नाही. महिलांवरील अत्याचाराच्या घटना, विनयभंग, सोनसाखळी चोरीच्या गुन्ह्यांनी या सरत्या वर्षात उच्चंक गाठला. त्याचबरोबर 11 ऑगस्ट रोजी आझाद मैदानात मुस्लीम संघटनांनी आसाम आणि म्यानमारमधील मुस्लिमांवर होणार्‍या अत्याचाराचा विरोध करण्यासाठी जमा झालेल्या आंदोलनकत्र्यांनी अचानक तोडफोड, जाळपोळ केली. यात दोन तरुण ठार झाले तर 52 लोक जखमी झाले. त्यात 44 पोलिसांचा समावेश होता. या प्रकरणात 57 आंदोलनकत्र्यांना अटक करण्यात आली. त्यातील अनेक जण जामिनावर, तर काही जण निदरेष सुटले आहेत. या दंगलीत प्रथमच महिला पोलिसांचा विनयभंग करण्यात आल्याची लाजीरवाणी घटना घडली. या प्रकरणामुळे तत्कालीन मुंबई पोलीस आयुक्त अरूप पटनायक यांना आपल्या पदाला मुकावे लागले होते. पटनायक यांच्या छत्रछायेखाली एसीपी वसंत ढोबळे यांनी डान्स बार, पब, डिस्को थेक, हुक्का पार्लर आदींवर धाडसत्र सुरू ठेवून त्यांना सळो की पळो करून ठेवले होते. काही उच्चभ्रूंनी ढोबळेंवर आरोप करून त्यांच्याविरोधात मुंबईची नाईट लाईफ संपवल्याचा आरोप करत आंदोलन छेडले होते; परंतु ढोबळे कोणाचीही तमा न बाळगता आपले कर्तव्य बजावत होते. पटनायक यांची बदली होताच त्यांनाही विलेपार्ले विभागाची जबाबदारी सोपवण्यात आली. आता तेथेही ढोबळे यांनी आपली छाप पाडून लोकांची मने जिंकली आहेत. अशा प्रकारे सरत्या वर्षात गुन्हेगारी वाढली असली तरी कसाबसारख्या क्रूरकम्र्याला याच वर्षाच्या शेवटी फासावर लटकावले, ही एक पोलिसांच्या दृष्टीने जमेची बाजू ठरली आहे

CHINA TECHNOLOGICAL SUBVERSION

Akash-2: Deplorable Techno-Paralytic Dependence on China
 (ORGANIZER)
THE big bang of claims of the government, from down-town streets up to the UN headquarters, to showcase an altogether outsourced Akash-2 tablet PC as the nation’s frugal innovation has once again exposed the growing techno-paralytic dependence of our government upon China. The beginning was made with the outsourcing of telecom hardware leading to total sublimation of manufacturing as well as R & D in that area of vital technology, of crucial dual-use for the economic growth and security of the nation. Now, this wave of rendering the nation externally dependent in most fields of technology, including electronics, power equipments and power plants; largely upon China which is also a security threat of  the first order for the country, is spreading across the sectors.

The Akash 1 unveiled earlier by the then HRD minister Mr. Kapil Sibal as the flagship of frugal innovation of the country in the field of IT hardware had proved to be a hoax, as the touch screen was altogether resistive to any touch and battery was too shortlived to allow one to operate the device purposefully. The buyers could get nothing except repentance for having chosen that product.

Now, the Akash-2, i.e. second version of the tablet PC launched after the failure of the Akash 1 was assigned to be developed and tested by IIT Mumbai. IIT Mumbai has just passed over the order for the same to the Datawind, a London head-quartered company, registered in Montreal, Canada. The Datawind people then, landed into China, purchased an  ‘A 13’ tablet PC, designed by All Winner Tech of China, and available off the shelf at $42 (Rs. 2260) per piece there and supplied it in India. These were shipped to India by Kalong Technology Co. Limited and Dasen International Electronics Co. Limited. It is worth mentioning here that IIT Mumbai is being alleged in the media reports, to have issued a certificate dated October 29 for importing about 20,000 tablet PCs into India and recommended import duty waiver, just a day before the launch of Akash-2.

This ready-to-buy ultra-cheap table PC, available in China off the shelf for $42, was then launched by nonetheless than the President of India on November 11, and was also showcased in the UN on November 28 as India’s innovation-pride, aimed at revolutionizing the education sector. As this product would be made available to the students at 50% subsidy, the government would thus be subsidizing a technology-development for China, from the Indian Taxpayers’ money, at a time when it (the government) is showing its utter inability to subsidise the poor farmers and household consumer in the country.

Moreover, how the government or IIT Mumbai can claim innocence in this fraud of claiming this ultra-cheap tablet PC available off the shelf in China as an innovation pride of the country, when the government itself has exempted customs duty on its import from China, at the recommendation of IIT Mumbai ? Had some Indian entity (any firm or an R & D organization or any institute of repute) been subsidized to develop this tablet PC indigenously, India could really develop its technology in this area, which was quite feasible.

It is indeed the most sinister a design that the country is being pushed into the dark age of 19th century by rendering it externally dependent in most fields of technology one after the other, in the name of liberalization and globalization. India was well on the track in most fields of concurrent technology prior to import - liberalization and foreign-investment promotion pursued under the guise of economic reforms. India was well competitive in the field of 1st generation of telecom technology in 90’s, pertaining to the development of fixed line electronic exchanges.
Our technology was comparable with the concurrent world leaders like Motorola (an American Company) and Siemens (a German Company), the twin world leaders in telecom technology. But, thereafter we did not decide to invest in the development of 2nd generation, 3rd generation and 4th generation of telecom technologies throughout the last  two decades. Instead, we prefered to promote import of telecom hardware in the post-reforms period. Now, we have become fully foreign-dependent and have been importing most of the telecom hardware for 2G, 3G and 4G, from China at the cost of indigenous technology development and national security. Likewise, in electronics and electrical products as well, our increasing foreign dependence is worrisome.

In electronics, our imports are touching the  $ 60 bn mark per annum, second largest after petroleum, and soon it might surpass even petroleum imports. In electricals as well, in almost all categories of electrical products production is decelerating and there is a sharp decline now, in most categories of electrical products, first time after independence. In electronics, due to elimination of  manufacturing, out of our total dependence upon imports, largely from China, the talented youth is dithering away from opting electronics in B.Tech. and M.Tech. programmes because of drying out of the placement opportunities into that sector in the country. Therefore, India would not be able to revive R & D and product development in the fields of electronics and telecom even in next couple of decades.

The Indian Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers Association (IEEMA), the apex Indian industry association of manufacturers of electrical, industrial electronics and allied equipment recently released the Q1 FY13 performance of the Rs. 1,10,000 crores (USD$22 billion) Indian electrical equipment industry is highly alarming. The result shows that for the first time in 10 years the Indian electrical equipment industry has witnessed a negative growth of 2.4% in Q1-FY13  compared to the corresponding period of Q1 FY12 (14.10%).

The transformer industry has seen a negative growth of 7.6% in Q1 FY13 against the growth of 6.6% for the corresponding period Q1 FY 12. The capacitor and cable industry has witnessed a double digit negative growth of 24.8% and 12.9% respectively compared to the positive growth of 20.9% (capacitor) and 44.6% (cable) in Q1 FY12. The routing machine industry has witnessed a negative growth of 2.6% in Q1 FY13 against the growth of 9.6% for corresponding quarter last year.

Unfortunately, in the field of power plants as well, most of the orders for power plants are going to the Chinese companies. Total orders with Chinese companies are for more than 48,000 mw vis a vis for 20,000 mw with BHEL and 5000 mw with L & T, the two major indigenous players. Unfortunately, the order for latest technology based super-critical power plants (thermal) are going mostly to the Chinese companies and the Indian power major BHEL does not have any order for Super - Critical Power plants, at a time when the world is moving towards ‘super-critical power plant technology’ vis a vis sub-critical one, as the former category helps to generate power at less than the 50 percent cost with less pollution and lesser coal consumption vis a vis subcritical technology.

The subcritical power plants would soon be outdated. If the Indian power plants sector would not get orders for this new (super- critical) technology - based power plants, India would become fully foreign dependent for power plants as well, like the telecom and electronics sectors, mainly on China, all through the ensuring decades. In that case, hundreds of vendors supplying components to indigenous power majors would also turn sick, including the main equipment suppliers like BHEL and L & T, leading to total dilution and even dissolution of power plants sector in the country. China is almost on the verge of acquiring 80 per cent of the power equipments market in India.

Therefore, it is high time for India to focus on techno-nationalism, for product development, R & D and high-tech manufacturing and economic patriotism in all purchasing & procurement decisions at the individual and national levels, including a check on irrational imports and foreign capital.

Table 1: Serious Downtrend in the Electrical Equipment Industry
FY13 (Y-O-Y growth in % in Q, Final Year 2012-13)

Transformers  
-7.6             

 Capacitors                              
-24.8           

 Cables     
-12.9           

 Motors   


  -2.6         
 Switchgear              
2.4              

 Overall     
-2.




MISSILE DEFENCE HOW CREDIBLE

Debak DasResearch Intern, NSP, IPCS
e-mail: debak.d@gmail.com

The strategic implications of an operational Ballistic Missile Defence System are grave and potentially dangerous. The DRDO’s successful test of the indigenously built Advanced Air Defence (AAD) interceptor on 23rd November 2012 in a ‘near deployable configuration’ is an interesting development. Its Director-General, V.K. Saraswat, recently announced that New Delhi and Mumbai could be brought under the missile defence shield system that has been successfully tested over the last few months. CNN-IBN reports that the Director of the Missile Defence Programme has stated that the AAD system is ready to be deployed over the Delhi-National Capital Region by 2014.

How credible is India’s missile defence? How is this likely to impact the regional strategic environment in South Asia?

Changing Tracks on Missile Defence: From Nay to Aye
India’s initial resistance to missile defence came from its criticism of the United States’ Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) in the early 80s. Even in July 2000, the then Indian Defence Minister, George Fernandes opined that the US should give up the whole exercise as it would lead to far too many problems in the future. After US President, George W. Bush’s announcement of an American National Missile Defence System, it seemed that the Indian position had changed. This change has been attributed to the fact that Indian thinking about ‘nuclear weapons has always been a mix of power-oriented realism and idealistic restraint.’ (Rajesh Basrur, 2002)

The more natural and logical arguments posited were of course, that the Indian position of vehement opposition to missile defence and space based armament proliferation would not be acceptable to the successful pursuit of the Indo-US nuclear deal, the groundwork for which began in the early 2000s. The increasing pace of the Chinese and Pakistani missile programmes and the rising tensions with the latter in the period of the NDA government, also led to a giving up of the erstwhile policy of opposition to a missile defence shield.

The Missile Defence Shield
Earlier this year, The Hindu reported V.K. Saraswat claiming that incoming ballistic missiles with a range of 2000km could be destroyed with the shield and this capability would be enhanced to meet missiles with a range of 5000km by 2016. This capability was successfully tested at both the endo-atmospheric and exo-atmospheric levels. The DRDO has also compared this indigenously built system to the US’ Patriot 3 system. By late July, Saraswat had claimed that the Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) system was ready for induction and that two cities, Mumbai and New Delhi were ready to be put under its defensive shield. At the time, India Today reported that the government was baffled with the activities of the DRDO, which was acting of its own accord in announcing to the world Indian missile defence capabilities.

The 23 November test saw the supersonic interceptor AAD home in on and destroy an incoming modified Prithvi missile at an altitude of 14.7km in the endo-atmospheric stage. The success of this test has been hailed as a major boost to the development of a multi-layered BMD System. With the next test for exo-atmospheric ballistic missile interception scheduled for January, it is important to consider the strategic implications that a BMD shield entails.

Strategic ImplicationsAny discussion on the ballistic missile defence raises technical questions about the possible success rate of a deployed system. While the odds of an interceptor missile taking out an incoming ballistic missile with multiple warheads are low, the odds of such an interceptor system taking out multiple incoming ballistic missiles (each with multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles) are even lower. The ‘successful’ tests that were conducted by the DRDO were in fact against the slow moving Prithvi missiles. The DRDO has not even tested them against its own Agni missiles. How such a BMD system would fare against missiles like the Dongfeng-41 with multiple sub-warheads with separate trajectories remains an unanswered question. The Indian BMD system does not even provide an answer to Indian vulnerability to the ‘stealth’ cruise missiles like the Hatf-VII that are possessed by Pakistan.

The lack of systematic policy considerations guiding the Ballistic Missile programme has seen the DRDO act quite hawkish on the score of achieving the capability. But given that this system threatens Pakistan’s first strike capability, it is bound to lead to uncertainty and insecurity on that side of the border. The Indian BMD will thus serve to only accentuate the current missile race in South Asia.

Domestically too, statements assuring BMD capabilities to just two cities will prove to be a major headache to the central government, as selective defence of cities is bound to be contested by other parts of the country, thus possibly arousing domestic turmoil. It seems that missile testing and potentially destabilising hawkish behavior on ballistic missile defence in India has acquired a certain bureaucratic momentum of its own. It is thus important for the government to reign in these programmes. While not compromising on the technological development of Indian defences, the government needs to ensure that these capabilities do not foster insecurity in the region.

UNCHECKED BANGLADESHI INFILTRATION

Unchecked Infiltration
Unchecked Infiltration, 5.0 out of 5 based on 3 ratings
Issue Courtesy: Uday India | Date : 08 Dec , 2012
Muhammad Jamil Rehman, a trader, who had come to India to get his mother treated, was one of those, who preferred to stay back, for thorough health check-ups of his mother in India, where medical facilities are cheap and best in the Asian countries. “I am not willing to take any risk in my country, where medical aid is of very poor quality and not sustainable or proper for each and every diseases. It’s true that our Indian visas are valid for only next seven days but I have no way, I will go back to pavilion only after my mother’s treatment is over (in fact, until my mother becomes fit) not before that,” said Jamil.
…in India, now-a-days, ‘infiltration’ is one of the most burning and sensitive problems.
After he entered India through the International Border Check Post (IBCP) at Mahadipur under Malda district of West Bengal State he stayed in a lodge at district headquarters town, Malda. Even, he had spoken over telephone to his wife and child at Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, that in future he would come to India for anybody.
It is a usual picture on India-Bangladesh international border, where each and everybody likes Muhammad Ashraful Rezzak, a Bangladeshi citizen with his family, is in a queue of 40 numbers to 50 numbers of people and is waiting for clearance to cross over to the Indian side for better treatment to his ailing wife, Rubina Biwi and daughter, Rukaiya Khatun.
But practically, the Rezzak family always keeps in mind that India- Bangladesh international border is always a controversial border and sensitive with issues such as immigration, smuggling, aggressive religious fundamentalism, human trafficking and insurgency activities. Therefore, they neither want to stay for more days after completion of the treatment nor do they want to take any risk before the aforesaid international boundary is sealed for an indefinite time after or before any kind of violence that escalates on the above international boundary for the above reasons. Most of the time, the situation tells different stories. A good number of Bangladeshi citizens have stayed in India illegally in the name of better medical treatment. . Like Muhammad Rukun Zaman, resident of Rajsahi District of Bangladesh, who had come to Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, for the treatment of his son (who is 8-years old and is suffering from a respiratory problem) in a private hospital. They were forced to go back home in Bangladesh, as they found that their visa had expired.
The infiltrators, who are entering India, offer a good amount of money (bribe) for availing of these opportunities.
“My son’s treatment is incomplete, only 65 per cent has been cured, the doctor told me, ‘I must go there once again and complete the treatment as well as the course of medicine simultaneously. So, I have decided that I will definitely go to India for the sake of my son’s better life. There, the physicians are too good,” said an emotionally Muhammad Zaman.
Indeed, in India, now-a-days, ‘infiltration’ is one of the most burning and sensitive problems. It has been taking place in diversified ways. The recent government and non-government organisations’ report exposes that many Bangladeshis are illegally sneaking into India through various authorised (International Border Gate—IBG) ways as patients to receive ‘free medical treatment’ from the Indian state’s not only government hospitals as well as the medical health centres but also private medical institutions. Some of these foreign nationals go back to their country and some remain here for days, months and years together. The most astonishing fact is that the hospitals or medical units, which are run by the Indian central or state governments, not only supply the medicines to the foreign nationals but also arrange for their food and lodging. In this context, the foreign nationals are admitted and they’re getting this help from the above medical units with the help of a below poverty line certificate and this happens because of some touts and elected representatives, who help them a lot in an illegal way. The infiltrators, who are entering India, offer a good amount of money (bribe) for availing of these opportunities.
RP Singh, the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Border Security Force (BSFI) of the international border areas got disgusted and remarked: “This is quite untamable and disgusting. Everyday, a good number of Bangladeshi people illegally enter Indian territory in the guise of patients with fake medical certificates as documents and create unnecessary problems.” He added, “The Bangladeshi foreign patients are also carrying Below Poverty Line (BPL) certificates which provides them an opportunity of free medical treatment.
Around 50,000 Bangladeshis come to India every year for better medical treatment only.
The certificate is provided only when a candidate’s yearly income does not exceed Rs. 2,000. Certificates are required to obtain from local Member of Legislative Assembly of Bangladesh (MLAB) or officers of block or district level of Bangladesh.”
Supporting the fact, one of the local physicians at Agartala, the capital of Tripura, averred, “In my health centre, 25 per cent to 30 per cent of the patients are Bangladeshis and they hide their real identity and enlist their name and address in the registered book as an Indian to avail better treatment. But, if you can see them, you may easily know that their language and dresses indicate their real identity. While as a doctor and as a people of India, we take care of them on a humanitarian ground, Border Security Force and the Indian Police Force (IPF), including the people also behave with them sympathetically. Because, India has a culture of Atithi Devo Bhavah which means: ‘Guest is God and we should take care of them properly.”
“It is true that Bangladeshis come to India for better medical treatment. Bangladeshi patients are available in the Tripura state’s hospitals like Agartala Government Medical College Hospital, Sonamura Hospital, both are in West Tripura district, while others in North Tripura District’s Kailasahar Government Hospital etc,” affirmed a renowned senior journalist of Agartala town, Manas Paul.
“Around 50,000 Bangladeshis come to India every year for better medical treatment only. If you go to the Indian High Commission offices at Chittagong, Dhaka, and Rajshahi, Bangladesh, you will see more than 50 per cent Bangladeshi nationals are in a queue for visa purposes for medical treatment to India, apart from tourism, pilgrimage, study, business, cultural activities, visiting relatives, wedding or funeral purposes, etc”, emphasised an Indian Research Analysis Wing (RAW) official.
Only a few illegal infiltrators disclose their intention openly, that they’ve entered India for better medical treatment facilities, because they are very poor, while the rest are unknown.
“It is a fact, that if you go to the IBCPs that lie on the Indo-Bangla international boundary on both side, you will find that most of the IBCPs are full of Bangladeshi people, who are waiting to enter India and to return from India with valid passports and visas for and after medical treatment. Not only that even from India, maximum doctors come to Bangladesh to heal our country’s patients through better medical diagnosis,” confirmed one of the officials of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FBCCI).
However, the above reports have exposed that more than 500 Bangladeshi nationals receive free medical treatment every month. Of them only 15 per cent come under the BPL category. Neither any law nor any agreement is there for allowing foreign nationals to have free treatment in India. Yet it goes on. On enquiry, it is known from BSF sources that 20 per cent to 30 per cent of the Bangladeshi infiltrators are arrested in the India Bangladesh International Border areas during their entry into Indian land with a view to getting free medical health treatment, without valid or proper documents.“See, it is a serious matter for us. We do not know the exact motive of the illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. Only a few illegal infiltrators disclose their intention openly, that they’ve entered India for better medical treatment facilities, because they are very poor, while the rest are unknown. Therefore, it is difficult to say how many Bangladeshi nationals come to India for better medical purposes, but, we will look into the matter seriously,” emphasised Biswanath Chowdhury, West Bengal’s Minister for Jails & Social-Welfare (of Revolutionary Socialist Party [RSP] Member of Legislative Assembly [MLA] from Balurghat Assembly Constituency of South Dinajpur district, earlier known as West Dinajpur district.
“Indeed, Bangladesh lacks good health services. There is neither any hospital nor any health centre. Therefore, whenever anybody falls ill or becomes the victim of any disease, he or she is required to go to a nearby health centre of India—especially, the populace of the International Border Villages (IBVs) that lie on the Indo-Bangla international boundary. Even the Bangladeshi inhabitants use foreign currency to buy their good health service from India.
The girls of the villages get married early due to the threat of Bangladeshi ‘Mullah culture’.
The most awful situation is that in some Bangladeshi village areas, there is one or two small health centres but these do not have basic facilities. There, doctors are quite helpless and as such instead of giving medicines, they offer only prescriptions. Want of ambulance many times forces the patients to face many troubles,” admitted a physician of a sanatorium at Tamabil, an International Border Town (IBT) under Sylhet Division of Sylhet district of Bangladesh, who doesn’t want to disclose his name.
“Moreover, even the Bangladeshi children do not have any good opportunity of vaccination or anti-disease injections for want of facilities or medical helps of any sort and so the death rate of the children is very high. As a result, sometimes these children fall victims of ‘polio’ and such other diseases,” rued a Bangladeshi doctor of a Public Health Centre (PHC), who came to India for better treatment for his children and doesn’t want to disclose his name.
He added, “Sometimes, most of the ailing patients die of diseases such as diphtheria, typhoid, measles, tetanus, cholera, pneumonia, black fever, diarrhea, dengue, chronic dysentery, jaundice, etc”.
Saahid Mamun, an eminent social observer, who lives in Bangladesh’s district headquarters Naogaon’s Pouro Bazar area acknowledged, “Treatment in India is easier and cheaper than other cities in the World”. While the officials of the BSFI stated: “It is a fact that through the International Border Immigration Check-Post (IBICP) at Hili in South Dinajpur district of West Bengal, most of the Bangladeshis visit India for ‘medical treatment’. Because, the healthcare facilities in their nation are of substandard quality and costly.”
During rainy season or any other critical conditions, the patients, who live on the India-Bangladesh International Border areas, are bound to go to the international borders…
Supporting the fact, the local journalist-cum-observer, Majidur Sardar, who lives at Bolla village under South Dianjpur district of West Bengal, maintained, “If you come to Balurghat, Raiganj and its adjoining areas, which are situated under South Dinajpur District (administration), ), you will find many Bangladeshis, who have every-now-and-then are caught red-handed or sometimes have escaped from the clutch of the BSF. They come to our areas for better medical treatment purposes. In a word,I can say, around 20 per-cent to 25 per cent Bangladeshis enter India, especially through this district for medical reasons, apart from others’ intentions, per year.” Apart from this, “some places of Bangladesh have no opportunity of maternity homes or such other institutions like that and so pregnant women often die a premature death. Specially, the inhabitants of the said country have no other alternative but to take help of either medical compounder or untrained country physician known as kabiraj or also the quacks, who treat these unfortunate women and their children with country-made medicines,” affirmed Sabana Khatun, Muhammad Shaukat Mondol, and Muhammad Anisur Rahaman, who’re living in the villages like Chenchra, Hili (presently known as Bagiar) and Haripukur (presently known as Daudpur) of Dianjpur district of Bangladesh, (which lie on the zero-line) and come to India for their better treatment or medical purposes.
“Indeed, in Bangladesh, people are witnessing a high rate of immortality. The reason is: the Government of Bangladesh has no concrete family planning scheme and the iron grip of the Mullahs (that is, Muslim priests) over the poor people, who preach that family planning is against the dictates of the Muslim religious scriptures.
“Specially, the inhabitants of the village areas have no idea about ‘family planning’. The girls of the villages get married early due to the threat of Bangladeshi ‘Mullah culture’. It happens, when they are 12 years old or 13 years old, which also compel them to attain early motherhood and premature death both,” stated Muhammad Fazlul Rahman Sarkar, a resident of Dhaka, and the member of the Bangladesh Astronomical Society (BAS).
This leads to superstition, which has grown everywhere in the country in the name of the control of diseases. During rainy season or any other critical conditions, the patients, who live on the India-Bangladesh International Border areas, are bound to go to the international borders and request the soldiers of the BSF to help them.
…the Government of India should not only look into the matter sincerely but also take tough action before the situation goes out of hand in the name of ‘medical tourism’!
“There are not too many chemist shops, dispensaries and pharmacies, which compel the Bangladeshis to believe in quacks. Even, the absence of doctors, compounders, hospitals, pharmacies, or any type of treatment in the village areas that are situated in the riverine Char areas cause untold miseries and as a result of these, the patients have to suffer a lot and die premature death, when any epidemic breaks out there, whether during flood or typhoon or other natural disasters and natural calamities,” revealed 20-year old Apel Mollah of International Riverine Border Village (IRBV) Khewarchar of Kurigram District of Bangladesh as well as the Muhammad Mahidul Islam (19) and Muhammad Jainal Abedin (18), both of IRBV Daikhowarchar in the same district of Bangladesh.
Against this backdrop, the decision of the Indian Central Government to set up an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS-like hospital at Raiganj, under North Dinajpur District, earlier known as East Dinajpur district) of West Bengal has not only made poor International Border Village People (IBVP) and International Border Town (IBT) proud but also the neighbouring country Bangladesh very delightful.
Though, this news has come as a relief to many Bangladeshi nationals, who often cross the international border for specialised treatment in India, the Government of India should not only look into the matter sincerely but also take tough action before the situation goes out of hand in the name of ‘medical tourism’

MAHRASHTRA TOPS IN CRIME

गुन्हेगारीतही उच्चांक
दिल्लीतील दामिनी बलात्कार प्रकरणाचे पडसाद देशभर उमटत असताना बलात्काराच्या घटना मात्र थांबण्याऐवजी वाढल्या आहेत. दोन दिवसांत महाराष्ट्रात बलात्काराचे पाच गुन्हे दाखल झाले आहेत. सरत्या वर्षातील महाराष्ट्राने बलात्कारांच्या गुन्ह्यांत उच्चंक गाठला आहे. आर.आर.आबांच्या गृहखात्याचा दरारा संपल्यात जमा झाल्यानेच गुन्हेगार सोकावले आहेत, असे नाइलाजाने खेदाने म्हणावे लागत आहे. वर्ष संपण्यापूर्वी राज्यात 1412 बलात्काराचे आणि साडेतीन हजार गुन्हे विनयभंगाचे दाखल झाले आहेत. आतापर्यंतचा हा उच्चांक मानला जात आहे. बिहार, उत्तर प्रदेश आणि दिल्लीपेक्षा महाराष्ट्र डेंजर झाला आहे. पुरोगामी आणि प्रगत म्हणवणार्‍या महाराष्ट्रासाठी हा उच्चांक लांच्छनास्पद आहे, असेच यानिमित्ताने म्हणावे लागेल. अमरावती येथील युवती मेळाव्यात खा. सुप्रिया सुळे यांनी आबांच्या गृहखात्याचे वाभाडे काढले ते उचितच होते. राज्यातील पोलीस यंत्रणेचा धाक राहिला नसल्याने गुंडापुंडांची ताकद वाढली आहे. विरोधी पक्षनेते एकनाथ खडसे यांनी पोलीस यंत्रणेवर हप्तेखोरीचा जाहीर आरोप केला असून सट्टा, पत्ता, जुगार, हातभट्टी, अवैध वाहतूक यामधून हप्ते वसुलीशिवाय पोलीस यंत्रणा दुसरा उद्योग करीत नसल्याने गुन्हेगारी वाढली आहे. पोलिसिंग कमी झाल्याने वचक संपला आहे, अशी टीका खडसे नेहमी करतात. त्यात तथ्य आहे, याची खात्री पटू लागली आहे. पोलिसांचा दरारा असता तर चोर्‍या, दरोडे, बलात्कार, फसवणुकीचे गुन्हे वाढले नसते. औरंगाबाद येथील पोलीस उपायुक्तावरच महिला पोलिसाचा छळ केल्याचा गुन्हा दाखल झाला असल्याने यंत्रणेलाच काळिमा फासला गेला असल्याने अशा यंत्रणेवरचा जनतेचा विश्वास उडण्यापूर्वी गृहमंत्री आर.आर. पाटील यांनी लक्ष घालणे गरजेचे आहे. 'सैय्या भये कोतवाल तो डर काहेका' अशी एकूणच अवस्था असल्याने गुन्हेगारी फोफावणारच. दोन नंबरवाल्यांना सॅलूट आणि निरपराध जनतेला लाठय़ा मारणार्‍या यंत्रणेकडून अपेक्षा कोणत्या करणार? खून, दरोडे, बलात्कार, अपहरणाचे आणि फसवणुकीचे गुन्हे वाढीस लागले आहेत. अपूर्ण पोलीस बळ, कालबाह्य कायदे आणि वर्षानुवर्षे चालणारे खटले या कमकुवत बाबी गुन्हेगारी वाढीस कारणीभूत असल्याचे म्हटले जाते. व्यापार, कृषी, उद्योग आणि विजेच्या बाबतीत प्रगत असलेली महाराष्ट्राची ओळख यापूर्वीच पुसली गेली असून गुन्हेगारांचा महाराष्ट्र, डॉन कंपनीचे राज्य अशी नवीन ओळख महाराष्ट्राची ठरू पाहत असून ती लांच्छनास्पद आहे. यूपी, बिहारच्या नावाने गळे काढणार्‍या लोकप्रतिनिधींनी महाराष्ट्रात गुंडगिरी वाढली आहे, हे जाणून घ्यायला हवे. राजकारणाचे गुन्हेगारीकरण होऊ नये अशी चिंता व्यक्त होऊ लागली आहे, याचे आत्मपरीक्षण करण्याची वेळ आली आहे. महाराष्ट्रात वर्षभरात 2 ते 72 वयोगटातील महिलांवर बलात्कार झाल्याचे 1412 गुन्हे दाखल झाले आहेत. 71 गुन्ह्यांत अनोळखी व्यक्तींनी, तर 867 गुन्ह्यांत जवळच्या नातेवाईकांनीच बलात्कार केल्याचे निष्पन्न झाले आहे. घराबाहेर आणि घरादारातही महिला सुरक्षित नाही हे कशाचे द्योतक म्हणावे? लैंगिक शिक्षणाचे धडे देण्याची गरज असून व्यापक जनप्रबोधन, स्त्री-पुरुष समानतेचे वातावरण आणि विश्वासार्हता निर्माण करणे गरजेचे आहे. आयुक्तालयांची निर्मिती, नवीन पदांची निर्मिती, जलदगती न्यायालयांची स्थापना, बलात्काराच्या गुन्ह्यात फाशीची तरतूद, अशा गोष्टींना शासनाने प्राधान्य द्यावे. पोलीस यंत्रणेची मानसिकता बदलण्याचीही गरज आहे. गुन्हेगारांवर वचक बसवतानाच पोलिसिंगही वाढणे क्रमप्राप्त आहे. प्रगतीच्या आणि पुरोगामीपणाच्या गप्पा मारणार्‍यांनी महाराष्ट्राची बिघडलेली प्रतिमा सुधारण्यासाठी व्यापक प्रबोधनासाठी पुढे यावे, नाजूक देशा, कणखर देशा, दगडांच्याही देशा सोबतच गुन्हेगारांच्याही देशा अशी बिरुदं महाराष्ट्रासमोर लावायची नसतील तर युवा शक्तीने संकल्प करून बलात्कार आणि विनयभंगाचे कृत्य करणार्‍या नराधमांना ठेचण्यासाठी बाह्या सरसावयाला हव्या आहेत आणि महाराष्ट्राला गतवैभव प्राप्त करून द्यायला हवे, इतकेच यानिमित्ताने म्हणता येईल.

Wednesday 26 December 2012

नांदेड महानगरपालिकेचा कारभार त्यांना उर्दूतून हवा सामना अग्र्लेख
उर्दू’प्रश्‍नी शिवसैनिक नगरसेवकांनी नांदेडमधील त्या धर्मांधएमआयएम’वाल्यांना उताणे पाडले चोपले त्याबद्दल त्यांचे अभिनंदन करावे तेवढे थोडेच.हिरव्यांचानांदेड पॅटर्न’
सध्या फटकेच; उद्या ठेचू!
नांदेडात हिरवे फूत्कार सोडणार्‍या विषारी सापांचे फणे अखेर शिवसैनिकांनी ठेचले आहेत. सध्या फक्त ठेचण्याचे कार्य केले आहे. उद्या वेळ आलीच तर या हिरव्या विषारी सापांना चिरडून टाकण्यासही शिवसैनिक मागेपुढे पाहणार नाहीत. नांदेड महानगरपालिकेचे सभागृह म्हणजे निजामाचा दरबार नाही रामानंदतीर्थांचे नांदेड म्हणजे धर्मांधांचे पाकिस्तान नाही. विशेषत: ‘मुस्लिम इत्तेहादुल मुसलमीन’ म्हणजेचएमआयएम’नामक हैदराबादी विषवल्ली नांदेडात अचानक वाढली आहे आणि त्यामुळे नांदेडचे सामाजिक तसेच सांस्कृतिक जीवन नासले आहे. त्याएमआयएम’वाल्यांच्या दाढीस हात घालून त्यांची हिरवी लुंगी सोडण्याची हिंमत शेवटी शिवसैनिकांनीच दाखवली. नांदेड महानगरपालिकेचा कारभार त्यांना उर्दूतून हवा आहे त्याची सुरुवात म्हणून कामकाजाची विषयपत्रिका उर्दूतून मिळण्याची मागणी काही धर्मांध नगरसेवकांनी केली. यावरून कॉंग्रेस-राष्ट्रवादीचे नामर्द गप्प बसले तरी राष्ट्राभिमानी शिवसैनिकांनी त्या धर्मांध नगरसेवकांची गचांडी पकडली त्यांना आडवे करून अस्मान दाखवले. सभागृहात हाणामारी झाली. खरे तर ते धर्मयुद्ध राष्ट्रीय कार्य होते. ‘वंदे मातरम्’ला विरोध करणार्‍या या हिरव्या अवलादीला वठणीवर आणण्यासाठी यापेक्षा दुसरे काय करता आले असते? याच अवलादीने हिंदुहृदयसम्राट शिवसेनाप्रमुख बाळासाहेब ठाकरे यांना श्रद्धांजली वाहून महापालिकेची सभा तहकूब करण्यास विरोध केला होता. याचएमआयएम’ने मराठवाड्यात पुन्हा निजामी राजवटीची बांग
दि ली आहे आणि नांदेडास निजामी संस्थानाची नवी राजधानीच बनवली आहे. मुसलमानी मतांसाठी चाटूगिरी करणार्‍या कॉंग्रेस राष्ट्रवादीवाल्यांना फक्त मतांशी सत्तेशी मतलब असतो. मग मराठवाड्याचे पुन्हा निजामी राज्य झाले काय किंवा तेथे औरंगजेबाचे राज्य आले काय! मराठवाड्यात सध्या सिमी, अल-कायदा छुप्या तालिबानी मियांचा जो हैदोस वाढला आहे त्यास बळ देण्याचे काम हेएमआयएम’वाले करीत आहेत. याएमआयएम’चा खासदार ओवेसी याला डिसेंबरला शिवसेना खासदारांनी लोकसभेतच आडवा करून अयोध्या विजयदिनी हिंदुत्वाचा हिसका दाखवला आहे. डिसेंबरला बाबरीचे श्राद्ध घालणार्‍या हिंदूंच्या नावाने बोंब मारणार्‍या ओवेसीच्या लांडेगिरीस पुरून उरले ते शिवसेनेचेच मर्द खासदार. बाकीचेसेक्युलर’ डोमकावळे मात्र बाबर म्हणजे त्यांचा रक्ताचा बाप असल्याच्या थाटात त्या ओवेसीच्या बाजूने हळहळत उभे राहिले होते. नांदेड महापालिकेच्या काही महिन्यांपूर्वी झालेल्या निवडणुकीतएमआयएम’ने तब्बल ११ जागा जिंकून महाराष्ट्रात चंचूप्रवेश केला.
नांदेड महापालिकेचे ८१ पैकी २४ नगरसेवक मुस्लिम आहेत आणि या २४ पैकी ११एमआयएम’चे आहेत. हैदराबाद महापालिकेतही १५० पैकी या एका पक्षाच्या नगरसेवकांची संख्या तब्बल ४३ आहे. आंध्र विधानसभा निवडणुकीतएमआयएम’ने आठ जागा लढविल्या. त्यातील सात निवडून आल्या.
एमआयएम’सारख्या धर्मांध आणिरझाकारी’ संघटनेची राजकीय महत्त्वाकांक्षा अशी वाढत आहे. नांदेड महापालिकेत उर्दू विषयपत्रिकेचे हिरवे फूत्कार सोडून महाराष्ट्रातदेखील आपली विषवल्ली पसरविण्याचाच इरादा त्यांनी व्यक्त केला आहे. मराठवाड्यातीलच नव्हे तर राज्यातील मुस्लिमबहुल जिल्ह्यांमध्ये यानांदेड पॅटर्न’ची मागणी होऊ शकते. संपूर्ण देशातीलच मुसलमानांत फाळणीचे विष पेरून आणखी एक पाकिस्तान निर्माण करण्याचा डाव याएमआयएम’वाल्यांनी रचला आहे आमचे बिनडोक सरकार
फाळणीचा हा नवा डाव म्हणजे पत्त्यांचा डाव असल्याप्रमाणे आनंदाने पाहत आहे. चिंतेची बाब अशी की, सत्तेसाठीटेकू’ म्हणून याच धर्मांध नगरसेवकांचा वापर केला जात आहे. मुसलमानांच्या न्याय्य हक्कांसाठी आपण लढत आहोत असे दाखवायचे, टोपीखालीबॉम्ब’ घेऊन फिरायचे धमक्या देऊन मागण्या मान्य करून घ्यायच्या. बरं, यांच्या न्याय्य मागण्या म्हणजे सामान्य मुस्लिमांच्या शिक्षणासंदर्भात किंवा त्यांचे अज्ञान, अडाणीपणा दूर करण्यासंदर्भात आहेत असेही नाही, अल्पसंख्याक म्हणून त्यांना फक्त सवलती राखीव जागांचाच शिरकुर्मा हवा आहे तो भरवण्यासाठी आपल्या राजकीय पक्षांत नुसती स्पर्धा लागली आहे. हिंदुस्थानच्या राजकारणात मुस्लिमांना अल्पसंख्याक म्हणून जे फाजील महत्त्व मिळत आहे तो सर्वच प्रकार हिंदूंचे आपल्याच देशातील अस्तित्व धोक्यात आणणारा आहे. त्याचबरोबर मुसलमानांच्या मनातील दुसर्‍या पाकिस्तानास खतपाणी घालणारा आहे. म्हणूनचउर्दू’प्रश्‍नी शिवसैनिक नगरसेवकांनी नांदेडमधील त्या धर्मांधएमआयएम’वाल्यांना उताणे पाडले चोपले त्याबद्दल त्यांचे अभिनंदन करावे तेवढे थोडेच. आज शिवसैनिकांनी फक्त फटकेच दिले आहेत; उद्या ठेचून काढण्याची वेळ आली तर तेदेखीलराष्ट्रीय कार्य’ शिवसैनिक पार पाडतील, एवढे त्याएमआयएम’वाल्यांनी जरूर लक्षात ठेवावे. शिवसेनाप्रमुखांनी तर या सर्व हिंमतबाजांना प्रत्यक्षमातोश्री’वर पाचारण करून पाठ थोपटली असती. अर्थात शिवसेनाप्रमुखांनी आज त्यांना भरभरून आशीर्वाद दिले असतील याबद्दल आमच्या मनात तरी शंका नाही