The Indian Panorama

Tag: Uttarakhand

  • Former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral passes away at 92

    Former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral passes away at 92

    Former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral passes away at 92

    Govt declares 7-day national mourning Prez, PM, top leaders express grief

     

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral, who headed a Congress-supported coalition government in 1997-98, died at a hospital in Gurgaon November 30 afternoon following a brief illness. He was 92.

    Gujral was hospitalized on November 19 after a lung infection. He had been put on ventilator as his condition had deteriorated. He had been on dialysis for a year.

    Gujral is survived by his sons, Naresh, an Akali Dal MP in Rajya Sabha, and Vishal, two grand-daughters and a grandson. His brother is noted artist Satish Gujral and he has three sisters. His wife Shiela had died last year.
    Gujral’s body was taken from hospital to his official residence, 5 Janpath, where it will be kept for the public to pay their respects till noon. The Government has declared a seven-day state mourning throughout India and cancelled all functions till December 6.

    Gujral was born to Avtar Narain and Pushpa Gujral at Jhelum in undivided Punjab on December 4, 1919. He belonged to a family of freedom fighters and participated in the freedom struggle. Educated at DAV College, Hailey College of Commerce and Forman Christian College, Lahore (Pakistan), Gujral was sworn in as the 12th Prime Minister of India on April 21, 1997.

    Known for his Left-leaning yet liberal ways, Gujral was very close to Indira Gandhi at one point of time. He became a member of the Rajya Sabha in April 1964 and was part of the “powerful coterie” around Indira that helped her become Prime Minister in 1966 following Lal Bahadur Shastri’s death.

    He became the Information and Broadcasting Minister in 1975 during the time of permit-quota raj when the I&B Minister could virtually control the supply of newsprint. Television, other than Doordarshan, was non-existent. Gujral was tasked to manage the much-criticized job of press censorship during Emergency.

    Before becoming PM, Gujral was External Affairs and Water Resources Minister. He also served as India’s Ambassador to the USSR. He was a Rajya Sabha member twice between 1964 and 1976 and a member of the Lok Sabha from 1989 to 1991. With Lalu Prasad’s help, he became a member of Rajya Sabha in 1992 after his election from Patna Lok Sabha constituency was countermanded.

    He was re-elected to the Lok Sabha in 1998 from Jalandhar as an Independent with Akali Dal’s help. The equation between the Gujral family and Akalis changed forever. PS Badal was so happy at the militancy-period loan waiver given by Gujral as PM that it blossomed into a personal friendship.
    During his tenure as PM, Gujral recommended President’s Rule in UP in 1997, which the then President KR Narayanan refused to sign. He propounded the “Gujral Doctrine” of five principles for maintaining good relations with the neighboring countries. That became the hallmark of his policy with countries in South Asia, especially Pakistan.

    Tributes

    I personally have lost a friend of long standing, whose wisdom, idealism and deep concern for social equity left a great impression on me and whose counsel and opinion I often sought and valued greatly.
    — Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister

    Ability, sagacity and deep understanding of national and international affairs coupled with genuine warmth made him widely admired and respected.
    — Sonia Gandhi, Congress president

    Gujral was a versatile politician and a thinker who served the nation in various capacities with utmost dedication and sincerity.
    — Nitin Gadkari, BJP president

    Gujral was a good administrator who strove for the uplift of the poor. My heartfelt sympathies to his family members.
    — Shivraj V Patil, UT Administrator

    Gujral was a seasoned parliamentarian. My heartfelt sympathies to the members of the bereaved family.
    — Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Haryana CM

    Gujral was an eminent statesman, a distinguished parliamentarian and above all, a great human being.
    — Farooq Abdullah, Union Minister for Renewable Energy

    Gujral’s demise is a great loss for the country. The void created by his death will be difficult to fill.
    — Vijay Bahuguna, Uttarakhand CM

    He was a nice human being, a gentleman to the core and a good friend. He was the PM when I was given peerage in 1996.
    He called me up to congratulate me and suggested that I be called ‘Lord Paul of Jalandhar’ as he knew I was born in Jalandhar.
    — Lord Swraj Paul

    Gujral was a real statesman who took active part in the Indian Freedom Struggle and was imprisoned for taking part in the Quit India Movement. His contribution as PM and External Affairs Minister will always be remembered.
    — PK Dhumal, Himachal Pradesh CM

    He was a veteran statesman who served the nation with distinction as Ambassador to the USSR, as a Union Minister and finally as the Prime Minister.
    — Pawan Kumar Bansal, Union Minister of Railways

    Gujral was a true son of the soil as he was instrumental in waiving the long-pending debt of Punjab during his stint as Prime Minister. He had deep regard and passion for Punjabi culture, language and literature. He was a true votary of Punjab, Punjabi and Punjabiat.

  • Cops Assess Namdhari’s Role in Ponty Chadha Shootout Case

    Cops Assess Namdhari’s Role in Ponty Chadha Shootout Case

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Emerging clarity on the role of Sukhdev Singh Namdhari in the Ponty Chadha shootout case has made investigators reassess their theory regarding the trigger for the fatal gunfight. While the south district police had termed it a clear case of revenge attack by Ponty’s brother Hardeep, the crime branch’s investigation into Namdhari’s activities suggests deep links with the crime world that may have had a bearing on the feud between the Chadha brothers. Ponty and Hardeep were killed in the November 17 shootout at their Chhatarpur farmhouse.

    Sources claim Namdhari ran most of Ponty’s businesses in Uttarakhand – where he headed the state’s minorities commission – and some in UP, by proxy. He was recently tasked with managing Ponty’s fledging business in South Africa. Although Ponty relied on Namdhari for his mining and stone crushing industries, senior political leaders in Uttarakhand have informed police that Namdhari made use of Ponty’s name to grab several benami properties.

    Some of his goons were reportedly present at the Chhatarpur farmhouse where the Chadha brothers died. The disappearance of Namdhari’s elder son and at least two maternal uncles after the shootout has also made police suspect that his family may be linked to the shootout in some way. Namdhari’s elder son manages the everyday affairs of his father in Bajpur, Uttarakhand.

    Sources said Ponty had asked Namdhari to look after his family properties before leaving for South Africa a couple of months ago. On learning that Hardeep had taken over two family farmhouses, at Bijwasan and Chhatarpur, Ponty called him up, and Hardeep reportedly offered to give up his claim on all the other family properties if he was allowed to keep the farmhouses. Ponty did not agree, and Namdhari was aware of this.

    Police have also learnt about Namdhari’s ties with two families that have political and business connections. “We are not saying that Namdhari planned the rift between the two brothers. However, it might not be a coincidence that Namdhari stood to gain from the family tussle,” said an officer. Delhi Police is coordinating with police from four other states to gather more information about Namdhari.

  • Cabinet reshuffle: UPA ministry gets 17 new faces, core team stays

    Cabinet reshuffle: UPA ministry gets 17 new faces, core team stays

    New Delhi (TIP): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s imprint on the October 28 reshuffle in the Council of Ministers is evident with several leaders who are in favor of more economic reforms now a part of his new core team.
    In the biggest reshuffle of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance Cabinet, Manmohan Singh inducted 17 new faces and a total of 22 ministers giving several new and young faces a chance to prove their mettle as his government tries to remove the taint of scams and non-performance from its progress report. The Congress has also shown that it is the big brother in the UPA by having 69 of the 79 ministers, including the Railways.
    The big movers include Salman Khurshid who has been made the External Affairs Minister, a portfolio which is considered to be very close to the Prime Minister. Khurshid’s move to the Ministry of External Affairs from Law & Justice and Minority Affairs is seen as an elevation despite allegation of his involvement in a scam in Uttar Pradesh. Ashwani Kumar had got the important portfolio of Law, which has been working overtime due the exposure of several corruption cases involving leaders of the ruling coalition.
    MM Pallam Raju, too, has been elevated from Minister of State for Defence and is now the Human Resource Minister while Pawan Kumar Bansal is the new Railways Minister with Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and KJ Surya Prakash Reddy as his junior ministers. CP Joshi was holding the Railways portfolio as additional charge after the Trinamool Congress quit the UPA and withdrew its ministers in September 2012 following differences over economic reforms.
    The PM has given young faces a chance to prove their mettle. But Salman Khurshid despite corruption allegations has been made the MEA.
    Manish Tewari with Information and Broadcasting and Telugu film superstar-turned-politician K Chiranjeevi, who has been given the Tourism portfolio are some of the new faces in the Council of Ministers. Both have been made the Ministers of State with independent charge. Shashi Tharoor, who had to quit as MoS External Affairs in April 2010 in the wake of allegations of wrongdoing in buying stakes in an IPL team, has made a comeback and is now Ministers of State Human Resource. Ajay Maken, too, has been elevated to the Cabinet rank and will handle the Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation Ministry. Maken at 48 years is also the youngest Cabinet minister in the Manmohan Singh government.
    The Prime Minister has kept with core economic team with Anand Sharma retaining the Commerce Ministry despite the political upheavel over foreign direct investments. However, S Jaipal Reddy has been out of Petroleum Ministry and given the low-profile Science & Technology and Earth Sciences portfolio.
    Kapil Sibal, too, has been downgraded and now only the Minister of Communications and Information Technology while Minister of Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad’s desire for a high profile portfolio has been ignored.
    The focus of the reshuffle was on inducting new and young faces with the states of Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal cornering the major share out of the 22 ministers sworn in. While Andhra Pradesh has six new faces, West Bengal gets three more representatives. The move to give prominence to Andhra and Bengal is seen as a strategy to counter the Telangana statehood issue and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, who has pulled out of the UPA following differences over economic reforms.
    Former Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman and veteran leader from Karnataka K Rahman Khan, despite allegations of involvement in a scam involving Wakf Board land, made a re-entry into the government as Minority Affairs Minister, a portfolio held by Khurshid. In UPA-I, Khan was a Minister of State. Dinsha Patel was promoted as Cabinet Minister in Mines Ministry in the reshuffle and expansion.
    Rahul Gandhi, who was earlier speculated to join the government, kept away with the Prime Minister saying the young leader wants to strengthen the party, notwithstanding his request to become a minister. The exercise, which the Prime Minister said was “hopefully, probably the last” before next Lok Sabha polls, was confined to Congress party barring the inclusion of Tariq Anwar of NCP as a Minister of State.
    The ministers were administered the oath of office and secrecy by President Pranab Mukherjee at a ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan attended by Vice President Hamid Ansari, the Prime Minister, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Cabinet Ministers and Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj.
    The Prime Minister took away portfolios from ministers holding more than one charge and filled in the vacancies created by exit of six Trinamool Ministers, death of Vilasrao Deshmukh and resignation of eight Ministers including SM Krishna, Virbhadra Singh, Ambika Soni, Mukul Wasnik and Subodh Kant Sahai.
    Another significant promotion has been made in the case of Ashwani Kumar who has been upgraded to the Cabinet rank and given the charge of the Law Ministry held by Khurshid. Yet another upgradation has been made in the case of Harish Rawat, who was overlooked for the post of chief minister of Uttarakhand earlier in 2012 and had revolted. From MoS in Agriculture Ministry, he has now been made a Cabinet Minister for Water Resources.
    Significant changes have also been made by upgrading three young Ministers of State, considered close to Rahul Gandhi, and giving them independent charge. They are Jyotiraditya Scindia who has been given Power and Sachin Pilot Corporate Affairs, both of which were held by Moily in Cabinet rank. Jitendra Singh, who was MoS in Home Ministry, has been given Youth and Sports Affairs.
    Veteran Congress leader and MoS K H Muniyappa has been shifted from Railways to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and Bharatsinh Solanki from Railways to Drinking Water and Sanitation with Independent charge. The other Ministers of State who have been shifted are D Purandeswari (from HRD to Commerce and Industry), Jitin Prasada (from Road Transport to Defence and HRD), S Jagathrakshakan (from I&B to New and Renewable Energy), KC Venugopal (from Power to Civil Aviation) and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rajiv Shukla who gets additional charge of Planning. MoS External Affairs E Ahamed has shed the additional charge of HRD while RPN Singh has been shifted from Petroleum to Home.
    Below is the full list of the ministers in the Union Cabinet after the reshuffle.
    Cabinet Ministers:
    l K Rahman Khan: Minority Affairs
    l Dinsha J Patel: Mines
    l Ajay Maken: Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation
    l MM Pallam Raju: Human Resource Development
    l Ashwani Kumar: Law & Justice
    l Harish Rawat: Water Resources
    l Chandresh Kumari Katoch: Culture
    l M Veerappa Moily: Petroleum & Natural Gas
    l S Jaipal Reddy: Science & Technology and Earth Sciences
    l Kamal Nath: Urban Development & Parliamentary Affairs
    l Vayalar Ravi: Overseas Indian Affairs
    l Kapil Sibal: Communications & Information Technology
    l CP Joshi: Road Transport & Highways
    l Kumari Selja: Social Justice & Empowerment
    l Pawan Kumar Bansal: Railways
    l Salman Khurshid: External Affarirs

    l Jairam Ramesh: Rural Development
    l Manmohan Singh: Prime Minister, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Ministry of Planning, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space
    l P Chidambaram: Finance
    l Sharad Pawar: Agriculture Minister, Minister of Food Processing Industries
    l AK Antony: Defence
    l Sushil Kumar Shinde: Minister of Home Affairs
    l Ghulam Nabi Azad: Minister of Health and Family Welfare
    l Dr. Farooq Abdullah: Minister of New and Renewable Energy
    l Ajit Singh: Civil Aviation
    l Mallikarjun Kharge: Minister of Labour and Employment
    l Kapil Sibal: Minister of Communications and Information Technology
    l Anand Sharma: Minister of Commerce and Industry, Minister of Textiles
    l GK Vasan: Shipping
    l MK Alagiri: Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers
    l Praful Manoharbhai Patel: Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises
    l Sriprakash Jaiswal: Minister of Coal
    l V Kishore Chandra Deo: Minister of Tribal Affairs, Minister of Panchayati Raj
    l Beni Prasad Verma: Minister of Steel

    Ministers of State (Independent Charge)
    l Manish Tewari: Information & Broadcasting
    l K Chiranjeevi: Tourism
    l Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia: Power
    l KH Muniyappa: Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises
    l Bharatsinh Madhavsinh Solanki: Drinking Water & Sanitation
    l Sachin Pilot: Corporate Affairs
    l Jitendra Singh: Youth Affairs & Sports
    l Krishna Tirath: Ministry of Women and Child Development
    l Kuruppassery Varkey Thomas: Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
    l Srikant Kumar Jena: Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
    l Jayanthi Natarajan: Ministry of Environment and Forests
    l Paban Singh Ghatowar: Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs

    Ministers of state
    l Shashi Tharoor: Human Resource Development
    l Kodikunnil Suresh: Labour & Employment
    l Tariq Anwar: Agriculture & Food Processing Industries
    l KJ Surya Prakash Reddy: Railways
    l Ranee Narah: Tribal Affairs
    l Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury: Railways
    l AH Khan Choudhury: Health & Family Welfare
    l Sarvey Sathyanarayana: Road Transport & Highways
    l Ninong Ering: Minority Affairs
    l Deepa Dasmunsi: Urban Development
    l Porika Balram Naik: Social Justice & Empowerment
    l Dr (Smt) Kruparani Killi: Communications & Information Technology
    l Lalchand Kataria: Defence
    l E Ahamed: External Affairs
    l D Purandeswari: Commerce & Industry
    l Jitin Prasada: Defence & Human Resource Development
    l Dr S Jagathrakshakan: New & Renewable Energy
    l RPN Singh: Home
    l KC Venugopal: Civil Aviation
    l Rajeev Shukla: Parliamentary Affairs & Planning
    l V Narayanasamy: Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Prime Minister Office
    l Lakshmi Panabaka: Ministry of Textiles
    l Namo Narain Meena: Ministry of Finance
    l SS Palanimanickam: Ministry of Finance
    l Preneet Kaur: Ministry of External Affairs
    l D Napoleon: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
    l S Gandhiselvan: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
    l Tushar Amarsinh Chaudhary: Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
    l Pratik Prakashbapu Patil: Ministry of Coal
    l Ratanjit Pratap Narain Singh: Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Ministry of Corporate Affairs
    l Pradeep Kumar Jain Aditya: Ministry of Rural Development
    l Charan Das Mahant: Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Ministry of Food Processing Industries
    l Milind Murli Deora: Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.

  • Uttarakhand the land of clear lakes

    Uttarakhand the land of clear lakes

    Uttarakhand – the land of gods, the home of Himalayas and truly a paradise on earth, allures everyone from everywhere. The fresh air, the pure water, the chilling snow, the adverting mountains, the scenic beauty, the small villages, the simpler people and a tougher lifestyle is Traditional Hindu lore describes Uttarakhand as “Devbhumi” (Land of God), and they hold many important pilgrimage places. Just as importantly, the trouble and effort that it took the faithful to reach these places was seen as a means to help cleanse one’s soul, just as beating wet clothes against a rock knocked out all the dirt. Uttarakhand is paradise for different types of adventure activities. Like River Rafting, Trekking, Skiing, Camping, Rock Climbing, Rappelling, River Crossing. Mountaineering, Paragliding and Hot Ballooning make Uttarakhand one of the most attractive destinations for adventure sports not only in the India but the world. Uttarakhand is located in the northern India and is a place that has something to offer for every visitor visiting the place. It is a beautiful place that is also called the land of lakes and waterfalls. It is a place where one can find some of the most beautiful landscapes, mountains, etc. There are a number of beautiful and picturesque lakes in Uttarakhand. Given below is a list of some famous lakes in Uttarakhand.

    The following are the important lakes of Uttarakhand:

    Bheemtal

    Bheemtal Lake is named after the second Pandava brother Bhima in the Mahabharata who was known for his prodigious strength. Bhimtal is a famous lake that is located 25 kms. from Nainital. It is much clearer and quieter than Nainital. Located at 1,200 meters above sea level, Bhimtal gets slightly warmer during the summer months but it still makes for a great holiday destination where one can relax the mind and body. Bhimtal is one of the largest lakes in the whole of Uttarakhand.

    Devaria tal

    Devaria Tal is situated near Ukhimath in Uttarakhand. It is considered a very holy place. It is spread over 700 metres and is surrounded by the beautiful Chaukhamba peak. With forests all around the lake, it is an ideal place for bird watchers or for those who love angling. One can also reach Devaria Tal after a trek of about 8 kms. but, do keep in mind that this is a very steep trek that can really tire you out.

    Dodi tal

    Dodi Tal is a beautiful lake located in Uttarakhand and is situated very close to the Uttarkashi district. Dodi Tal gets its name from a particular kind of trout (freshwater fish) that is found here, by the name of Dodi. The water of this lake is said to be quite refreshing for the skin. Dodi Tal Lake is the source of the River Asi Ganga that merges with the River Bhagirathi near Gangotri. For a beautiful view of the Bandarpoonch Peak, located at 6,387 meters above sea level, one could climb up a little from the lake. A track little further leads one to the Hanumanchatti located at 2,400 meters.

    Dhalipur lake

    A water sports resort has been developed at the Asan Barrage by Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam in the year 1994. Asan Barrage was created in 1967 and it is popularly known as Dhalipur Lake. Situated 43 kms from Dehradun on Chandigarh-Shimla highway, the resort offers facilities like water skiing, boating, rowing, kayaking, canoeing etc. Wildlife lovers have an added bonus during the winter season as migratory birds can be seen in the vicinity

    Govind ghat

    This is 2 kms before Pandukesar and is the gateway for the Hem Kund Lake and the internationally well-known Valley of the Flowers. The Hem Kund Saheb is 20 kms by foot from here. There we find a Sikh Temple and some hotels. The Valley of the Flowers is a 17 km walk.

    Hemkund
    Hemkund is approached via Sutol or Roopkund after crossing Shila Saturday glacier. It is a small lake encompassing a view of the Trishul and Nanda Ghunti Base camps.

    Kashni Tal

    Madmaheshwar is a beautiful temple in the Garhwal Himalayas, in a valley between Badrinath and Kedarnath. A river called Madmaheshwar Ganga originates in a deep ravine below.

    Kagbhushandi Lake

    On the Valley of Flowers Road, a 20 km trek from a village called Bhyundar is a vast lake, the beauty of which is amazing. Since getting here is very difficult, very few tourists are found here.

    Kedar Tal

    Kedar Tal is situated at an altitude of 4,425 meters above sea level and about 18 kms. from Gangotri. The lake is so clear that the reflections of the Thalaiyasagar peaks are clearly visible in the water. But if you want to trek up the near-by places, make sure that you are well prepared because it can be a pretty tiring one. Also, make sure you take a tour guide with you to Kedar Tal since the route can be a little tough. .

    Maneri

    The Maneri-Bhali project, which supplies 93 MW of power to Uttarakhand, is located on the left bank of Bhagirathi, close to Uttarkashi. Roughly 13 km upstream of Uttarkashi is the village of Maneri. Here, a lake of an unbelievably beautiful and clear colour reflecting the surrounding conifers has been formed by damming the Bhagirathi, which is fast becoming a popular tourist attraction. There is camping site here on the banks of the river.

    Naukuchia tal

    Naukuchia Tal, literally, Nine-Cornered Lake, is 26 km (16 mi) from Nainital and 4 km from Bhimtal at an altitude of 1,220 m (4,003 ft). The lake is almost 1 km (1 mi) long, 0.5 km (0.3 mi) wide and approximately 40 m (131 ft) deep. It is the deepest of the lakes in the greater Nainital area. According to legend, if one takes in all nine corners in one glimpse, one can disappear in a cloud of smoke.

    Naini Lake

    Naini Lake is a natural fresh water vast lake made up of tectonic rocks. This lake is placed amongst the serene seven mountains that border this moribund water pool and the extravagant peaks, which seems to touch the sky. Many visitors jam here to adore the magnificent beauty that elongates over 3.5km. According to the mythological significance the left of Sati had fallen over here, hence the name naini (eye) derived for the lake. There is a temple of Naina Devi besides this pristine lake, which is said to be the location where her eye had fallen. This spot is known to be one of the 51 Shakti Peeths, which visitors from worldwide throng.

  • Himachal polls Nov 4, Gujarat Dec 13 and 17

    Himachal polls Nov 4, Gujarat Dec 13 and 17

    EW DELHI (TIP): Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat will pick new assemblies in elections on November 4 and December 13 and 17, respectively, in what will be a virtual straight fight between the ruling BJP and the Congress in both states.
    Chief election commissioner (CEC) VS Sampath told reporters here that votes in both states will be counted on December 20.

    These will be the most important state elections since Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, voted in February-March this year, along with Goa, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Manipur.

    Both Himachal Pradesh (68 seats) and Gujarat (182 seats) are ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with the Congress desperate to dislodge it.

    The announcement came hours after Congress president Sonia Gandhi unleashed the party’s campaign in Gujarat with a stinging attack on the BJP.

    The Congress welcomed the polls and said these would not be a referendum on the performance of the central government.

    “We welcome poll dates. Every election is a local election, even parliamentary elections are decided by local issues. No state poll is a referendum on the performance of the national government,” Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari told reporters later.

    “The only one is the Lok Sabha poll, which we won decisively,” he said.

    BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said, “We are sure of victory in the two states. Our workers have worked hard.”
    “We are making foolproof security arrangements in both states by deploying adequate strength of central police forces,” said Sampath.

    Armed police forces from other states would also be deployed in the two states for peaceful conduct of elections.
    Sampath said there would be strict monitoring of expenditure by political parties and candidates as well as of “paid news”.

    “Paid news is a learning process for us,” said Sampath, adding that “it will be monitored at the district, state and commission level”.

    He said all candidates would be required to open separate bank accounts and incur expenditure only from these accounts.

    The Election Commission, Sampath said, expects “the highest standards” of conduct and neutrality in election work from officials.

    “Their work will be under constant watch and scrutiny,” he said, and added that the model code of conduct for political parties would be strictly enforced.

    Sampath said the polling dates have been determined after taking into account climatic conditions, particularly in Himachal Pradesh, academic calendar, festivals, law and order, and availability of security forces.

    The number of eligible voters in Himachal Pradesh is 45.16 lakh against 3.78 crore in Gujarat. The electors will be given their voting slips a few days before the polling dates, said Sampath.

    To facilitate voting, the poll panel has increased the number of polling stations by 10 percent to 44,496 in Gujarat and by 16 percent in Himachal Pradesh to 7,252, he said. The CEC said the candidates will have to file only one affidavit, from two required earlier, to provide information if they have been charged or convicted in any criminal case and declaring their assets and educational qualifications.

  • FIA: An Insult to Democracy and Secularism

    FIA: An Insult to Democracy and Secularism

    By
    Dave Makkar

    FIA is an organization in the public domain. As we had promised our readers to lay bare the facts about the organization in our editorial last week, here is the first in the series of revelations we will be making over the next few weeks.

    We will be very happy to receive your comments which will be treated with all respect and published in the columns of The Indian Panorama. Please email your comment to editor@theindianpanorama.news. You may also mail your comment to P.O.Box 190067, S. Richmond Hill, NY 11419. The comment can also be posted on line.

    We have placed on our website (www.theindianpanorama.news) a petition to concerned authorities and call upon you to sign it if you are convinced that the FIA needs to be reformed and agree with the contents of the petition.

    The Indian Panorama will be grateful for your support in reforming an organization which should legitimately belong to the Indian Americans as a whole.

    EDITOR

    Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) came into existence in 1977 after changing the name of umbrella organization “Joint Committee of Indian Organizations” founded in 1975 under the leadership of Rajan Ghosh. The main goal of this organization was to celebrate India’s Independence and Republic days in Tri-state area by bringing under one roof Indian student organizations; India Club of New York University, India Club of Columbia University and Association of Indians in America, The Bharathi Society of America and the Tagore Society of America.

    Mr. Thomas Abraham, a Christian from Kerala was elected First President of FIA and in March 1981 Sureshwar Prasad Singh took over and initiated the first India Day Parade in 1982 in New York. He was succeeded by H. C. Chandershekar for the term of 1982-83.

    During the Presidency of Sudha Acharaya in 1983-84 tradition of Bollywood movie star as Grand Marshal with Sunil Dutt was started. She was also instrumental in bringing 17 more organizations under FIA.

    With the Presidency of Ram Gadhvi in 1985, Hindu Gujarati Leader’s hold on FIA started increasing and the final nail in the coffin was put with the entry of Ramesh Patel to have absolute control. This organization lost its focus on Student Organizations, other regional organizations and other communities’ involvement in the India Day Parade. FIA stooped so low that its Chairman Ramesh Patel appointed Nirav Mehta, a wanted man by CBI in India as its President in 2010 and subsequently as its Trustee in 2011.

    The 13 members all FIA Trust under the Chairmanship of Ramesh Patel has only 2 non Gujarati members; Yash Pal Soi a Hindu from Punjab and Prabir Roy a Hindu from West Bengal. The 6 member Executive Committee, barring Treasurer Ahmed Shakir, are Hindus from Gujarat. The same is true for various committees formed for the purpose of organizing the Parade. Majority are Hindus from one state- Gujarat only.

    Current President Kanu Chauhan is a Trustee also and was also President in 1997.

    This raises serious a question. There are almost 1 million Indians in Tri-State area how come FIA could not find talented individuals from other religions and belonging to other regions of India?

    The truth is FIA has been majority controlled/owned by Hindus from one state of Gujarat only for over 25 years. In fact FIA is in perpetual control of Ramesh Patel along with his hand picked kitchen cabinet including fugitives running from law in India.

    The most disgusting part in FIA is a lack of understanding the meaning of Indian Unity. The utter disregard for other states and other than Hindu religions of India does not contribute to the broad concept of Indian unity. FIA has shown no interest in promoting Indian Culture and Indian Art. Recognition of American born Indians who have brought glory to the community has never been on the agenda of FIA that has been obsessed soley with organizing India Day Parade or a Bollywood style Dance Pe Chance .All they know is how to parade themselves, their families, friends and parade contractors with a Bollywood star. They do not hesitate to Parade girls in Indian Tri color Bikinis dancing to the song “Mera rang de Basanti Chola” to insult India- the very country they profess they love.

    FIA is not at all transparent and willing to put their accounts on the internet for public to see despite the fact money spent has been received from organizations owned by Indian public like State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Air India etc. and Indian Multinational Corporations like Kingfisher, Jet Airways, Zee TV etc. as well as Indian Americans. No one knows how the money is collected and spent. All the contracts are awarded to majority from Gujarat on no bid basis without calling for open tenders.

    Insiders are claiming that donations from big donors are collected by a third party and after taking out 15-20% as commission the third party passes on the rest of money to FIA with the full knowledge of its Chairman Ramesh Patel.

    Then FIA is violating US Laws also for Charitable organizations by openly taking sides in Elections besides violating financial disclosure and Foreign Trade Practices laws. FIA should be investigated for its illegal activities by Government of India for misusing Public Organization Funds, appointing fugitives running from law in India as President and Trustee. FIA needs to be investigated by US Authorities as well for violating numerous laws of the country.

    Ramesh Patel and his supporters must understand FIA is run with public money and contributions from sponsors. They have no ownership rights of the organization. Moreover a great majority of Indians do not agree with their narrow thinking that “Hindu Gujarat is India and India is Hindu Gujarat”. They must honor and respect that India has 28 states and 7 Union Territories practicing all the major religions of the world. The Hindus of other states are not inferior to Gujarati Hindus. Neither are the Sikhs, Muslims, Jains, Christians & Budhists inferior to Gujarati Hindus.

    Multi-religious and multi-state secular nature of India and democratic process demands term limits for all FIA office bearers and trustees as well as representation to every state and ethnicity to the maximum possible limits. Let there be a public debate on this issue on the basis of the formula given below:

    1. Equal Representation to all Major Religions of India by keeping 2 members for each religion nominated by their religious bodies. If there are multiple religious bodies in a particular religion; those bodies have to put their head together to nominate 2 people for a tenure of 2 years only for the post of Trustee. A Trustee will have 1 term limit with no exceptions. After a gap of 4 years a person can come back on the request of his/her religious body. This will give equal representation to Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Jains, Budhists & Christians. All financial matters will be the responsibility of the Trustees.

    2. One member from each of the registered State organizations for 2 year term nominated by their organization like Gujarat, Bihar, Bengal, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Kashmir, U.P. etc. for the working committee. There will be 2 Term Limit. If the organization wants to replace its nominee after 2 year term, they will be free to do so.

    3. One Member each from registered Indian Student bodies nominated by their Student council for a term of 2 years for the working committee with 1 Term limit.

    4. One Member each from Lesbian/Gay Transgender/ Bisexual (LGTB ) community for a 2 year Term nominated by their organization with a 1 Term Limit.

    5. One Member from the Indian Consulate nominated by the CG to monitor that the theme of the Parade is in conformity with the international image of India.

    Non representation of people from other religions and other states as well as Union Territories of India in FIA doing India Day Parade has been going on for over 2 decades. It is insulting to the very secular and democratic nature of India. It is gross injustice and should not be allowed to continue any more. In the name of Equality and Justice, it is the solemn duty of every individual of Indian origin living in America to demand equal representation for all communities and all Indian states in FIA. If FIA does not agree to this they should not be funded or sponsored or allowed to organize India Day Parade.

    The major sponsors especially government of India, and government of India owned corporations, Indian Multinationals and Indian Americans must get involved in this public debate.

    Joint Effort by volunteers
    For
    Secular India Day Parade


    davemakkar@yahoo.com