Saturday, October 29, 2016

[IAC#RG] Diwali Greetings 2016

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\  @                                                                              @  @                  / |  \                              \  | /                  @  @                /   @   \                            \   @   /                @  @               --  @+@   --                        --   @+@  --               @  @              --  @| |@  --                        --  @| |@  --              @  @              --  @| |@  --                        --  @| |@  --              @  @              --  @| |@  --                        --  @| |@  --              @  @              --  @|*|@  --                        --  @|*|@  --              @  @                \  @|@  /                            /  @|@  \                @  @                    #                                    #                    @  @    ##################                                  ##################    @  @     #@            @#            Wish you all a          #@            @#     @  @      #@          @#             Happy, Cheerful and      #@          @#      @  @       ############              Prosperous Diwali.        ############       @                                        -Heartiest Greetings                                 @@@@                             @@  @@            @@@@@@   @@@@@@   @@@@@@  @@@@@@@@         +-+    +--------+           @@    @@    @@         @@      @@           | |    | +------+            @@@@@@@@   @@         @@      @@           | |    | |                         @@   @@         @@      @@           | |    | |                   @@@  @@    @@      @@@@@@@@@@@@@           | +----+ +------+             @@@@@     @@      @@ @@      @@           +------+ +----+ |               @@      @@       @@@@      @@                  | |    | |                @@     @@                 @@                  | |    | |                 @@    @@                 @@           +------+ |    | |                     @@@@@@                            +--------+    +-+                    @@    @@               @@         @@                @@@@@@@@@@@                @@@@@@@@                                                    @@@@@@@           @@      @@                                                  @@    @@           @@      @@                                                  @@    @@        @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@           @@      @@   @@       @@  @@              @@                 @@   @@           @@      @@   @@       @@  @@              @@                 @@   @@       @@@@@@      @@   @@       @@  @@      @@@@@@@ @@     @@@@@     @@@@   @@     @@@           @@   @@       @@  @@    @@@       @@    @@   @@  @@@ @@   @@    @@@     @@@    @@   @@       @@  @@    @@        @@   @@      @@@   @@   @@     @@@   @@ @@   @@    @@@@@@@@@@  @@    @@@       @@   @@    @@@     @@   @@       @@@@@@@@@   @@            @@  @@     @@@@@@@@@@@    @@           @@   @@             @@    @@            @@  @@              @@     @@          @@   @@              @@   @@            @@  @@              @@      @@         @@   @@                                                                  @@      @@                                                   @@      @@                                                   @@      @@                                                   @@      @@  @@@@   @@@@@@  @@@@@@  @@   @@                   @@@@@@@@@@     @@   @@  @@  @@  @@ @@   @@                   @@      @@  @@@@@   @@  @@  @@  @@ @@   @@                   @@      @@ @@  @@   @@  @@  @@  @@ @@   @@                   @@      @@ @@  @@   @@@@@   @@@@@   @@@@@@                   @@      @@  @@@@@@  @@      @@          @@                                       @@      @@         @@                                       @@@@    @@@@    @@@@@                           @@@@@@@@      @@                       @@@   @@                      @@    @@     @@                        @@   @@                      @@     @@                              @@                           @@     @@   @@@   @@       @@  @@@@    @@  @@@                      @@     @@    @@   @@   @   @@     @@   @@   @@                      @@     @@    @@   @@   @   @@  @@@@@   @@   @@                      @@     @@    @@   @@   @   @@ @@  @@   @@   @@                      @@    @@     @@   @@  @@@  @@ @@  @@   @@   @@                     @@@@@@@@     @@@@   @@@@ @@@@   @@@@@@ @@@@ @@@@             @@@@                             @      @@                              @@       @@  @@                           @@      @@                             @@@@     @@    @                           @@                                     @@@@     @@      @@ @@@   @@@@@   @@@@@  @@@@@@   @@@   @@ @@@   @@@ @@  @@@@@    @@@@     @@       @@@ @@ @@   @@ @@   @@   @@      @@    @@  @@ @@  @@  @@   @@    @@      @@ @@@@  @@  @@ @@@@@@@ @@@@@@@   @@      @@    @@  @@ @@  @@   @@@       @@      @@   @@  @@     @@      @@        @@      @@    @@  @@ @@  @@     @@@              @@  @@  @@     @@   @@ @@   @@   @@ @@   @@    @@  @@  @@@@@  @@   @@    @@        @@@ @ @@@@     @@@@@   @@@@@     @@@   @@@@   @@  @@     @@   @@@@@     @@                                                             @@  @@                                                                             @@@@                       /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\  

Friday, October 28, 2016

Re: [IAC#RG] BIDDING FAREWELL TO MY FRIEND SHASHIKALA KAKODKAR

CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILY. THANKYOU FOR TELLING US THE HUMANE SIDE OF A POLITICIAN.


On 28 Oct 2016 15:47, "Aires Rodrigues" <airesrodrigues1@gmail.com> wrote:

In Shaskikala's Kakodkar's death Goa has lost a great leader. Goa's second Chief Minister, Shashikala Kakodkar was known as 'Tai' to us all. She took over the reins of Goa on August 12, 1973 following the death of her father, Goa's first Chief Minister, Dayanand Bandodkar.  Shashikala Kakodkar was India's third lady Chief Minister, the first being Sucheta Kriplani (Uttar Pradesh) and the second being Nandini Satpathy (Orissa). Shashikala Kakodkar had a firm grip over the administration unlike some of the subsequent Chief Ministers.

 

As a friend of the family, Shashikala's three sons Yatin, Sameer and Abhay we played together as children. Shashikala's three boys were brought up as normal kids never pampered or allowed to play truant unlike most children of today's tribe of politicians. In spite of her busy schedule as Chief Minister, whenever I was at their Porvorim residence at lunch time she made sure lunch was served at her hands.

 

In 1979 the student community proved to be a formidable force to be able to challenge the then Government headed by Shashikala Kakodkar. It was the kindling of student activism in Goa. It was the desire that the student community in Goa should get 50% bus concession. The powerful bus owner's lobby was being fully supported by the Shashikala Kakodkar Government. The student agitation spread from Pernem to Canacona and within 13 days of launching of the agitation the Shashikala Kakodkar Government decided to concede to the demand of the student community for 50% bus concession.

 

During the same student agitation, on 7th Jan 1979 she was being felicitated at Azad Maidan on her 44th birthday by a committee headed by the late Mr. V.M Salgaoncar. As she was not conceding to our demand for 50 % bus concession we decided to demonstrate and disrupt her felicitation function at Azad Maidan. We were successful and ended up with VM Salgaoncar's Mercedes car badly smashed in that chaotic evening. It was just a coincidence that I later graduated in law from VM Salgaoncar's college.

 

Shashikala Kakodkar was definitely never vindictive. Though I was a very close family friend of the Kakodkar family, Shashikala respected my right to oppose some of her government's policies and decisions. And for this I respected and always held her in the highest esteem. She was more than a "Tai" to me. She was always very concerned about my well being.

 

Shashikala Kakodkar graciously conducted herself even after being out of power. She at all times kept herself abreast with issues concerning Goa.  We should always remember the contribution of this great lady towards the development of Goa and in particular the upliftment of the Bahujan Samaj. May her Soul rest in eternal peace. 

 


Aires Rodrigues

Advocate High Court

C/G-2, Shopping Complex

Ribandar Retreat,

Ribandar – Goa – 403006


Mobile No: 9822684372


Office Tel  No: (0832) 2444012

Email: airesrodrigues1@gmail.com

                         Or

           airesrodrigues@yahoo.com


You can also reach me on


Facebook.com/ AiresRodrigues


Twitter@rodrigues_aires


www.airesrodrigues.com



Post: "indiaresists@lists.riseup.net"
Exit: "indiaresists-unsubscribe@lists.riseup.net"
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WWW : http://indiaagainstcorruption.net.in

Re: [IAC#RG] Dubious actions of Ashish Khetan

28/10/2016


Dear Sh. S. Roy

Thanks for your reply. If you are satisfied with the response, I have nothing more to add because you know ground realities better than I do. Although I still consider Delhi as my home State{ if you call t a state]I am more a casual visitor.
About Punjab election I am happy with your decision, but not the State of Affairs. This  is one State which suffered the most during Partition. Initially it showed lot of promise but started the drift in mid sixties when Haryana and Himachal broke away. It continued to suffer finally leading to 1984 and the effects thereafter. As a result it lost its pre-eminent position both on Industrial and Agricultural sectors. Socially it suffered on the widespread liquor policy and now the drugs. In such a scenario political instability will lead to disastrous effects. Can the politicians be so short sighted knowing Pakistan breathing down their neck all the time? Although other border States like Rajasthan and Gujrat also have border more than 700 KM, they are not as vulnerable as Punjab. People of Punjab should also realise that if the is any State capable of handling Pakistan, it is only Punjab and hence the importance of this election.Sorry to say people like AK only know how to divide people for Vote Bank and ask for proof of surgical strike. Regds JKGaur 

From: indiaresists-request@lists.riseup.net <indiaresists-request@lists.riseup.net> on behalf of Sarbajit Roy <sroy.mb@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, October 25, 2016 7:10 AM
To: indiaresists
Subject: Re: [IAC#RG] Dubious actions of Ashish Khetan
 
Dear Shri Gaur

In most cases Shri Kejriwal's helpful OSD Rajeeve Gupta forwards the email to the concerned Minister. From there onwards our team tracks the emails in that office and pursues it.

It is incorrect to suggest that no action is taken, for eg.

a) On our emails complaining about misuse of IAC's name "Delhi Dialogue Commission" Mr. Kejriwal personally intervened to change the name of their eponymous Commission.

b) On our repeated complaints about e-rickshaws blocking roads and bus-stands, his Govt implemented a policy of dedicated lanes and increased the fines to Rs.2,000. Since Delhi Police is not cooperating in enforcement they specified that other officers could initiate prosecution etc.

The above are just minor examples.

When they do not act, we take the matter forward using formal channels. for eg

a) When they refused to explain how 2 cr and 1  cr was given to PV Sindhu and Sakshi Malik, I personally filed a vigilance complaint to LG. (no 20163814 dt. 23.10.2016)  since these awards are tax free and there are 'dalals' involved.

Insofar as votes in Punjab is concerned, I and my seniors are tremendously upset ("grudge") about Ashutosh's public insult to HRA's icon from Punjab and there is no question of IAC extending any support to AAP there under these circumstances.

Hopes this clarifies sufficiently.

Sarbajit


On Mon, Oct 24, 2016 at 3:17 PM, Gaur J K <gaurjk@hotmail.com> wrote:

24/10/2016


Dear Sir,


We see from time to time email msgs sent to the Chief Minister on various issues highlighting the irregularities, corrupt practices either through Govt. officials or their party functionaries. But we have not seen a single reply from the Chief Minister let alone any remedial measure. In one sense it is good that we know you are making sincere efforts. But finally what is the good of it? Now we find he has no time for Delhi at all for any of its p roblems. His total time,attention and resources are for fighting elections in Punjab. Since you have a sizeable following in Punjab, do we take it that you are backing him t- here too through your volunteers? If you do not wish to reply I will understand. Rgds JKGaur    



[IAC#RG] BIDDING FAREWELL TO MY FRIEND SHASHIKALA KAKODKAR

In Shaskikala's Kakodkar's death Goa has lost a great leader. Goa's second Chief Minister, Shashikala Kakodkar was known as 'Tai' to us all. She took over the reins of Goa on August 12, 1973 following the death of her father, Goa's first Chief Minister, Dayanand Bandodkar.  Shashikala Kakodkar was India's third lady Chief Minister, the first being Sucheta Kriplani (Uttar Pradesh) and the second being Nandini Satpathy (Orissa). Shashikala Kakodkar had a firm grip over the administration unlike some of the subsequent Chief Ministers.

 

As a friend of the family, Shashikala's three sons Yatin, Sameer and Abhay we played together as children. Shashikala's three boys were brought up as normal kids never pampered or allowed to play truant unlike most children of today's tribe of politicians. In spite of her busy schedule as Chief Minister, whenever I was at their Porvorim residence at lunch time she made sure lunch was served at her hands.

 

In 1979 the student community proved to be a formidable force to be able to challenge the then Government headed by Shashikala Kakodkar. It was the kindling of student activism in Goa. It was the desire that the student community in Goa should get 50% bus concession. The powerful bus owner's lobby was being fully supported by the Shashikala Kakodkar Government. The student agitation spread from Pernem to Canacona and within 13 days of launching of the agitation the Shashikala Kakodkar Government decided to concede to the demand of the student community for 50% bus concession.

 

During the same student agitation, on 7th Jan 1979 she was being felicitated at Azad Maidan on her 44th birthday by a committee headed by the late Mr. V.M Salgaoncar. As she was not conceding to our demand for 50 % bus concession we decided to demonstrate and disrupt her felicitation function at Azad Maidan. We were successful and ended up with VM Salgaoncar's Mercedes car badly smashed in that chaotic evening. It was just a coincidence that I later graduated in law from VM Salgaoncar's college.

 

Shashikala Kakodkar was definitely never vindictive. Though I was a very close family friend of the Kakodkar family, Shashikala respected my right to oppose some of her government's policies and decisions. And for this I respected and always held her in the highest esteem. She was more than a "Tai" to me. She was always very concerned about my well being.

 

Shashikala Kakodkar graciously conducted herself even after being out of power. She at all times kept herself abreast with issues concerning Goa.  We should always remember the contribution of this great lady towards the development of Goa and in particular the upliftment of the Bahujan Samaj. May her Soul rest in eternal peace. 

 


Aires Rodrigues

Advocate High Court

C/G-2, Shopping Complex

Ribandar Retreat,

Ribandar – Goa – 403006


Mobile No: 9822684372


Office Tel  No: (0832) 2444012

Email: airesrodrigues1@gmail.com

                         Or

           airesrodrigues@yahoo.com


You can also reach me on


Facebook.com/ AiresRodrigues


Twitter@rodrigues_aires


www.airesrodrigues.com


Thursday, October 27, 2016

Re: [IAC#RG] [NCPRI] Locating the Jammu and Kashmir Instrument of Accession after 69 years

Dear Shri Siddhartha Varadarajan

This is to confirm / record that we discussed, over respective mobile phones,  at 12:16 noon today that you do not wish to discuss Venkatesh Nayak's purported Instruments of Accession uploaded to your website and that I should not contact you further regarding the same.

I reiterate that the provenance of the documents uploaded to THEWIRE.IN
a) seem to be dubious,
b) do not tally with the text published by the J&K Law Department for a very long time now, and
c) cannot be genuine if the National Archive claims Copyright in them.

If you are any kind of responsible journalist / editor you will address my issues instead of evading them and passing off copies as originals.

sincerely

Sarbajit Roy
National Convenor
INDIA AGAINST CORRUPTION,
B-59 Defence Colony
New Delhi 110024



On Fri, Oct 28, 2016 at 10:46 AM, Siddharth Varadarajan <sv@thewire.in> wrote:
Please unsubscribe me from this rubbish


On Friday 28 October 2016, Sarbajit Roy <sroy.mb@gmail.com> wrote:
Dear Shri Dalvi ji

Pranam

I am very surprised that such an experienced pracharak like yourself has not seen the trap of these fully foreign financed rascals.

Venkatesh Nayak is one of those anti-national people who sing for their supper (in this case daily "breakfast", "tiffin",  "lunch" and "dinner") from  Congress and Modi sarkar. He is now being fully used by Dr. Jitendra Singh (BJP MoS in DoPT) in the CIA's great game plan to turn LoC into de-jure international border. In return Nayak trains DopT's officers - 6,000 of them by his own last count. Nayak is also among those who defended the Navy War Room accused.

These wily people (eg. ex-Justice Ruma Pal, Wajahat Habibullah etc. on BoG of CHRI - a harami Institution master-minded by an ex-Pakistani diplomat Syed Sharfudin) have devised a plan that India will approach the International Court of Justice and claim the whole of J&K. They will soon start circulating theories that India has an exceptinally strong case and we are sure to win there - which is pure bullshit.

To this end they have arranged, with the connivance of  another wily person (Kiren Rijju/MoS-MHA), that a delberately suspicious IoA document is circulated in public domain through their communist networks like Siddharth Varadarajan and Prannoy Roy.

This document they have put out through can never be proved as genuine in any court of law. It is full of holes and is designed to provoke China over "Tibbet".

If they succeed then India will lose Kashmir and China shall have it. Since India does not have a single dependable friend left on the UNSC, we shall probably be asked to conduct a referendum there (as Gandhi and Nehru manipulated) and India shall have to vacate J&K eventually since the remaining ethically cleansed Kashmiris hate us.

Jai Hind

Sarbajit


On Thu, Oct 27, 2016 at 10:58 PM, Rajinder Dalvi <rajinder.dalvi@gmail.com> wrote:
Venkatesh

What a deed you did to extract all these documents proving Jammu and Kashmir is 100% a part of India.

Surely you are on ISI hit list for this surgical strike and must pray for your continued well being and safety.


RP Dalvi
नगर प्रचार प्रमुख
अखिल भारतीय बहुजन रक्षा दल
पुणे  / अहमदनगर


From: Venkatesh Nayak <nayak.venkatesh@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 27 Oct 2016 11:29:18 +0530
Subject: Locating the Jammu and Kashmir Instrument of Accession after 69 years
To: "ncpriworkingcommittee@googlegroups.com"
<ncpriworkingcommittee@googlegroups.com>, "ncpri@googlegroups.com"
<ncpri@googlegroups.com>, rtitrainers <rtitrainers@googlegroups.com>,
odishasoochanaadhikarabhiyan
<odishasoochanaadhikarabhiyan@googlegroups.com>, KRIA KATTE
<kriakatte@gmail.com>, "IndianBureaucracy.com"
<info@indianbureaucracy.com>

Dear all,
26-27 October, 2016 mark the commencement of the 70th anniversary of the
accession of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) to India. On account of the troubled
times that J&K is passing through since July, there is little space for
celebrating this event, but a sober commemoration of this historic moment,
may not be out of place. The Instrument of Accession (IoA) signed by
Maharaja Hari Singh has become the object of a never-ending controversy,
unlike accession instruments signed by other princely States.

*Does it really exist or not?* *Yes, the J&K IoA exists for real, safe and
well preserved in the collection of the National Archives. I have elected
to place in the public domain, a copy of the J&K IoA obtained legitimately
from the National Archives, for the purpose of facilitating informed debate
amongst those interested in the subject.* I have also placed in the public
domain copies of the IoAs of* Mysore, Manipur, Tehri Garhwal *and *Udaipur*
obtained from the National Archives so that readers may compare them with
the J&K IoA for ascertaining its contents. These documents may be accessed
on *The Wire
<http://thewire.in/76079/public-first-time-jammu-kashmirs-instrument-accession-india/>
*(all
docs) and *NDTV
<http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/jammu-and-kashmirs-document-of-accession-in-public-domain-at-last-1494726>*
(J&K IoA only)

*No, the J&K IoA was not signed by the Late Shaikh Muhammad Abdullah*, and
for a very legitimate reason. The J&K media reported an RTI intervention
<http://kashmirreader.com/2016/09/03/no-signature-of-sheikh-abdullah-on-instrument-of-accession/>
on this issue recently. The Rulers of Princely States signed IoAs with the
Dominion of India in 1947 under *The India (Provisional Constitution)
Order, 1947 *read with the *Indian Independence Act, 1947* and *The
Government of India Act, 1935 *(1st 3 attachments). Under the relevant
provisions of these laws, only the Ruler of a Princely State could sign an
IoA. There was no provision for delegation of this authority to any other
person. So in my humble opinion, even if he wanted to so do, Maharaja Hari
Singh could not have delegated his authority to anybody else as has been
reported in some publications on this subject. An IoA would be invalid if
anybody other than the Ruler of the concerned State were to sign it.

*Is the J&K IoA held by the National Archives, a genuine document?* *What
can we make of an instance of overwriting in this IoA (some writers have
used this argument to refute the genuineness of the document)? Is the J&K
IoA a unique document as compared to IoAs signed by other Rules of Princely
States? How was the then Constituent Assembly also acting as the
Legislature for the Dominion of India informed about J&K's accession, in
1947? *

I have tried to clarify these matters in an article. *The Wire
<http://thewire.in/> *has published my article and the IoAs and other
historical records that I accessed recently from the National Archives and
Parliament's Library. I invite readers to read the article on The Wire at:
http://thewire.in/76079/public-first-time-jammu-kashmirs
-instrument-accession-india/. *NDTV <http://www.ndtv.com/>* did a breaking
news story on this subject in the evening of the 26th of October. Their
news report may be accessed at: http://www.ndtv.com/india-
news/jammu-and-kashmirs-document-of-accession-in-public-
domain-at-last-1494726

*The limited objective of my article
<http://thewire.in/76079/public-first-time-jammu-kashmirs-instrument-accession-india/>
is to place legitimately obtained true-to-the original images of the J&K
IoA along with other comparable and supporting documents, in order to
encourage informed debate across the country and elsewhere on this subject.*


*The RTI Interventions*
As always, this process of uncovering the J&K IoA began with an RTI
application in April 2016. In 1947, the newly established Ministry of
States led the efforts to integrate the princely States into India, under
the leadership of the then Deputy Prime Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
and the stewardship of its Secretary, Shri V. P. Menon. Today it is
subsumed under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). So I filed an RTI
application with the MHA in April, 2016. After waiting for a reply for more
than a month, I filed a first appeal. Then MHA transferred the appeal to
the National Archives in a cryptic letter (see 1st attachment). The
National Archives replied promptly but cited a decision of the Central
Information Commission in its favour to refuse access to the archived
records under the RTI Act. However, they invited me to access the documents
under the *Public Records Act, 1993
<http://nationalarchives.nic.in/writereaddata/html_en_files/html/Public_Records93.html>.
*This
decision is hugely problematic and runs contrary to the principle
recognised by High Courts and larger benches of the CIC about access to
copies of official records under the RTI Act and other laws. I will write
about this issue later.

However, obtaining access to the IoA was more important, so the challenge
to the stand taken by the National Archives was postponed. In September,
they granted me access to the J&K IoA and four others. I have also attached
proof of requisitioning the IoAs at the Archives as well as payment made to
get copies of the IoAs (2nd attachment). Under the terms of granting copies
of archived records, I can only publish copies of these IoAs but cannot
transfer them to others. So I have not attached the copies of the IoAs to
this mail. Readers may please bear with me and access them on *The Wir
<http://thewire.in/76079/public-first-time-jammu-kashmirs-instrument-accession-india/>e*
where
my article is published. However a copy of the relevant record of debates
from the CA-L is attached for readers' use (3rd attachment). There is no
bar on the circulation of these documents.

*Copyright vis-à-vis duplicates of these archived records is claimed by the
National Archives. I request readers to access them from the National
Archives using the file numbers mentioned in the footnotes to my article
<http://thewire.in/76079/public-first-time-jammu-kashmirs-instrument-accession-india/>.*


In between, after discovering in *The India (Provisional Constitution)
Order, 1947 *that the IoAs were required to be tabled in the then
Constituent Assembly-Legislative (CA-L), when it functioned as the Dominion
Legislature, I filed a second RTI application with the Secretariat of the
Lok Sabha (1st attachment). I have not received any reply from them till
date. Later I visited the Parliament Library to access the record of
debates of the CA-L of the date on which the IoAs were tabled in the House.
The library staff told me that papers laid on the table of CA-L were not
available with them. Indeed the issue of the missing of papers laid before
the CA-L was raised in 1947 itself. The Government requested members of the
CA-L not to pick up the papers laid before the House for personal use, but
inspect them and allow for them to be sent to the library. Thankfully, the
IoAs do not seem to have gone missing. They are preserved in the National
Archives. The CA-L debates testify to the formal announcement that the
Government made in November 1947, about the accession of J&K as well as
more than a hundred other princely States to the Dominion of India.

I am grateful to Shri Husain Dalwai* MP* (Rajya Sabha) and members of his
secretarial staff for helping me access Parliament's library in order to
get copies of the relevant debates of the CA-L. I am also grateful to the
staff of National Archives for facilitating easy access to the IoAs and for
providing copies without undue delay.

*Please circulate this email widely.*

*In order to access our previous email alerts on RTI and related issues
please click on: **www.humanrightsinitiative.org/blog
<http://www.humanrightsinitiative.org/>**. If you do not wish to receive
these email alerts please send an email to this address indicating your
refusal.*

Thanks
*Venkatesh Nayak*
*Programme Coordinator*
*Access to Information Programme*
*Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative*
*#55A, 3rd Floor, Siddharth Chambers-1*
*Kalu Sarai, New Delhi- 110 016*
*Tel: +91-11-43180201 <%2B91-11-43180201>/ 43180215*
*Fax: +91-11-26864688 <%2B91-11-26864688>*
*Skype: venkatesh.nayak@skype.com <venkatesh.nayak@skype.com>  *
*Website: www.humanrightsinitiative.org
<http://www.humanrightsinitiative.org/>*

*"The people of this country have a right to know every public act,
everything, that is done in a public way, by their public functionaries.
They are entitled to know the particulars of every public transaction in
all its bearing": Justice K K Mathew, former Judge, Supreme Court of India,
(1975)*

*"**"Where a society has chosen to accept democracy as its credal faith, it
is elementary that the citizens ought to know what their government is
doing": Justice P N Bhagwati, former Chief Justice, Supreme Court of India,
(1981)*

*"Information is the currency that every citizen requires to participate in
the life and governance of society": **Justice A. P. Shah, former Chief
Justice, Delhi and Madras High Courts, (2010)*

--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
 "Information is a source of learning. But unless it is organized,
processed, and available to the right people in a format for decision
making, it is a burden, not a benefit."

           William Pollard quotes

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CIN: U74140DL2015NPL285224


[IAC#RG] Patriotic People’s Front Assam

Dear Sir/Madam,
Namaskar.
Here is a memorandum, to be submitted to Assam Governor, for your kind information. Please find time to go through it and if possible endorse it. With your consent, your name will be included as a signatory.
Otherwise, you may simply ignore it.
Regards,
Rupam Barua, Nava Thakuria with others for PPFA (Patriotic People's Front Assam)
Guwahati, Assam
 
To,
Shri Banwarilal Purohit,
Hon'ble Governor of Assam,
Raj Bhawan,
Kharguli, Guwahati-781004
Dated: Guwahati, 29 October 2016

Your Excellency,
Warm greetings from the Patriotic People's Front Assam (PPFA).
We would like to bring to your kind attention some of the recent misleading and manipulative statements by some individuals and organizations on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 issue. We are shocked that these groups of vested interests are trying to communalise the issue instead of helping to find an amicable solution.
The extremely volatile utterances targeting the Hindu minority community of Assam is deplorable and condemnable to say the least. We are from this land of glorious civilization & culture and we feel that our spirit should be that of accommodation of Hindu, Buddhists and other religious minorities who have had to face extreme suppression in erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and also West Pakistan and have been the true victims of partition of India. We would like to take this opportunity to highlight the historical truth that cannot and should not be forgotten and which will attempt to build an honest perspective on the issue of who is a 'foreigner' in Assam which has been a touchy and thorny issue since long.

Hence, we must all look back and see what transpired in 1942 when Mahatma Gandhi called for the 'Quit India' movement. The Muslim League raised another slogan 'Divide India And Quit'. In 1946, the
'Pakistan' demand of Muslim league was accompanied by 'Direct Action' or the violent communal riots like the 'Great Calcutta killing' where nearly 5000 people were killed or massacred in only 4 days. Assam's eminent poet Amulya Barua was one of the victims in that killing field.       

History bears witness to the fact that Muslims of undivided India that followed the ideology of Muslim League and who wanted a separate homeland for the Muslims were granted Pakistan and thus they became 'foreigners' to Indians. In fact the moment they created a foreign land for themselves they lost their rights to get into India again without passports or related legal documents. So, post 15 August 1947 India, all those chose to live in Pakistan (including East Pakistan) was legally foreigners.  However, history is also witness to the fact that the minority Hindus, Shikhs, Christians, Buddhists who were left behind in Pakistan were continuing to face brutal suppression at the hands of the new non-secular government, which prompted the Prime Minister of Independent India Jawaharlal Nehru to issue a historic statement in Parliament that non-Muslims would be safe and secure in Pakistan as both the new nations pledged to be good and friendly neighbours. However, Nehru also declared in the Parliament that if, in future, non-Muslims felt unsafe and insecure in Pakistan due to religious or communal persecutions, they would be always welcome in India and they would not be treated as 'foreigners' in India.
It is indeed a matter of great satisfaction that the Union government in New Delhi has taken steps lately to provide shelter to these 'Victims of Partition' all over the country following a process of equal distribution. In fact, it is a long pending moral responsibility which India should have shouldered much earlier (soon after Nehru made the promise in the Parliament).
But better late than never, and we must all support the government's action to give citizenship rights to the victims of Partition who have taken shelter in India from Pakistan and Bangladesh till 2014. We must
not forget that among these people are many whose ancestors also fought and sacrificed their lives along with many others for an independent India, which has made us free citizens of an independent nation today. Let all of us be grateful to them.
We are also fully aware that since the formation of Bangladesh and the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975, Bangladesh made Islam the State religion setting into motion the persecution of minority non-Muslims. In Bangladesh, the Hindus include Bengali, Rajbongshi, Hajong, Adivasi, Jayantiya and Bishnupriya communities, Buddhists (represented by Chakmas) and some Assamese people also, who fled to the Chittagong hill areas during the Burmese invasion. The Christians include Bengali, Garo, Khasi and Adivasi people. All these people became the victims of 'Pakistan Plan' and the 'Partition and had to therefore live in a 'foreign land,' for the creation, of which they were not at all responsible.
So, under no circumstances these people can be termed as 'foreigners'. The foreigners are those who created the 'foreign land' in the name of religion, but again these are the same group of people who are infiltrating into India, the country they hated to live in, before 1947 for reasons best known to them. If the history of Partition is properly studied, we can clearly understand who these 'Foreigners' are and who are the actual 'Victims of Partition' and who came to India to protect their religions, cultures and their lives.
However, we have no intentions of communalizing the issue but we want to provide a clear understanding of how history unfolded lest some vested interests and parochial mindsets for their own narrow political gains and cheap mileage would continue to resort to disturb the peace and tranquil atmosphere of Assam. There is a need for a solution to this vexed issue and we would fully agree if those that have been truly victimized owing to partitions and religious persecution are given a place not just in Assam but in different parts of India, a country where the underlying tenets of democracy are tolerance, secularism and freedom of religion, faith, practice and freedom of expression.

Finally, we also raise our voices for a concrete refugee policy for India so that we can deal with the issue of immigrants logically and legally. We sincerely believe India should sign the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention. Moreover, our government has to ratify the 1967 Protocol relating to the status of refugees.

With Regards,
Dr Nirode K Barooah (Cologne, Germany)
Dr Rabin Dev Choudhury
Giripada Dev Choudhury
Dhirendra Nath Chakravarty
Rupam Barua
Utpal Dutta
Namrata Dutta
Jagadindra Ray Choudhury
Dipannita Jaiswal
Jahnabi Goswami
Girindra Kumar Karjee
Bidhayak Das  
Nava Thakuria
Vavani Sarmah (Washington DC, USA)
Manju Bora
Pranjal Saikia
Jitul Sonowal
Bobita Sarma
Braja Joyti Sharma
Tarali Chakrabarty