Parties and Public money

A new debate is now doing the rounds after the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) moved the Supreme Court seeking directions to the major political parties to disclose the complete details of their income as well as expenditure. The question here is should a court come forward and direct the political parties to reveal their income. Well, the political parties, which stand for the people and which belong to the people and which thrive because of the people’s money and which receives donations has a moral right to tell the people about its assets and also the money that has been collected and that is spent.

If a political party has got a donation from you, it is your right to know what has happened to your donation. Most of the political parties seek donations and funds but when asking how they spend the money, they are mostly arrogant. The local politicians just say that everything is accountable. Some of them even say that all the accounts are verified by upper levels of the party. But is it that the party should only know how much money has been collected and what has been done with the money collected. Well, according to all political parties, the people don’t have any right to question the donations but only has to give it. Nothing should be asked but only to be donated… the motto of all political parties.

Rather than waiting for any court to give directions, the political parties should have to show the courage to say they are ready to reveal everything. They should have the boldness to tell about all the money that they have collected from the people.

However, it is hardly that any political party would be revealing its source of income, financial transparency and accountability in their working. How can the name of the donors, who have pumped in black money into the parties, are revealed. How dare the parties reveal the lavish expenditure of its own leaders at the hands of the public? How come the party can talk about the extravaganza….

According to the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), Put together, the six political parties— Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India (CPI), and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)—had total income of Rs.4,895.96 crore from 2004-05 to 2011-12. This was based on analysis of the income-tax returns and statements filed by the parties to the Election Commission.

Chandy’s fifth year and ‘S’ and ‘B’ factors

Into the fifth and final year of Oommen Chandy's rule, its ‘Saritha’ and ‘Bar’ that is going to stay with the people as the greatest contribution of the Chandy government.  Its the negatives that always becomes hot topics of discussion rather than all the positives. Well, the people cant be blamed also with Chandy and his team always in the helm of Saritha or bar or infighting with the congress or the UDF.

No metro, Vizhinjam port, smart city or any other development activities is going stay along with Chandy and his team but sure the ‘S’and ‘B’ factors.

Into the fifth year and the final year, Chandy has come out with some programmes of providing insurance to Asha workers, renovating fishermen colonies, digitalising text books and providing welfare pensions direct to the bank accounts. And Chandy also announced his priority of completing all the projects undertaken.  

Though full with projects, the government is raked with scandals, allegations of corruption and infighting, which no doubt will haunt chandy and his team down to the last days.

But one thing is there that Chandy will be facing the toughest fight within his Congress and his UDF. Even some young turks in the congress has come up saying that Chandy government, terming is under dark shadows of graft. But Chandy has a solace that he has no threat from the opposition. Even after all the scandals and allegations of corruption, the Opposition has let the chandy ship to sail safe to the shore. They do not even show the courage that some of the Congress leaders have. And with all the scandals and corruptions, Chandy still sails along…..   

Modiji; traveller of all times --- Bravo…

In the first 365 days of power, 52 days outside the country – no other prime minister will have the rare distinction of being outside ones own country after assuming power.  Narendra Modi when advancing to his first anniversary at office has visited almost 18 countries, a rare distinction.

In the history books, Modiji will be a rare species among Indian Prime Ministers who has spent more in foreign countries rather than in his own country. Though tipped to bring in fast development and investments, especially in FDI, all the foreign tours are in respect of appeasing the corporate both in the country and in the foreign lands.

The ‘Make in India’ tag which is added to all the visits is a bit ridiculing the Indian society. When in opposition and the ruling, the BJP shows its double face – in opposition opposing FDI and other anti-people, anti--farmer [policies, but when in ruling, its for FDI that they ‘Make in India’. 

When the farmers in the country and the unemployed in the country are in struggles, Modiji is traveling around the world to set a world record of having traveled the most of all the prime ministers in the world. Great Modiji….jeete raho Modiji. 

It was on May 26, 2014 Modi was sworn in as 15th Prime Minister of India. But less than a month, he flew to Bhutan – his first of many foreign trips that year. Later that year in July he was in Brazil for the BRICS summit and then in August to Nepal and then by September he flew to the US. From November to December, Modiji rarely flew over India as he was in Germany, France, Japan, Canada, Myanmar, Australia, Fiji and Nepal.

2015 has also started in much positive note with about ten countries already pinned to his record. In March he was in Seychelles, Maurituis, Sri lanka, Singapore, In April, France, Germany, Canadam China, Mongolia and South Korea.

In the coming months, Modiji has already reserved his air routes to Bangladesh, Russia, Tturkmenisthan and Turkey.

With al these foreign tours, modiji is undoubtfully great. Though he is not in his country and his government is at intervals increasing petro prices, moving towards ordinances for taking back land from farmers and changing forest laws and giving a free hold for all the Big wigs, he is selling ‘Make in India’. Bravo Modiji……

More than equal

Crime Committed: 2002

Verdict: 2015

Verdict announced: 11:15

Sentence delivered: 1:15 pm

High Court Moved for Bail: 3:15 pm

Bail hearing: 4:00 pm

Bail announced: 4:50 Pm

Later the High Court even suspends the sentence of the lower court.

   

See how fast the judiciary has acted for actor Salman Khan after the verdict was pronounced….the fastest bail announcement. If not for Salman, the people have raised doubts if this fastness could have been shown. The whole Khan episode is nothing but what shows how power and money rules. The common man still has to walk down the corridors of powers for justice, but for nothing.

The country also saw hundreds performing havan, poojaas and even coming out in the street for Khan who was sentenced for five years by the local court in a hit and run case. But who was there for the one who died and those who were injured. And no one ever remembered policeman Ravindra Patil, who was the prime witness in the case. Patil died suffering from a strain of TB, but no one was there to help him. Even his family members had deserted him and his body was also never claimed by his relatives.

The court’s decision was widely criticised and many of the people have expressed their displeasure at the decision in the social media. After a few criticism and displeasure, Khan Episode has drifted away just like all the many issues that have always found a grave.

When everyone has equal rights and should be considered equal, why then in India some are more equal. It is not that this is the first instance that the system is considering some as more equals… this has been going on for decades and will go on for decades to come…politics, money, power… the three words that has created more equals among us…    

Friction continues between Ayur and modern medicine Doctors over training

The friction between doctors of Ayurveda and Modern Medicine over training of Ayurveda doctors in modern medicine has escalated with the Ayurveda doctors approaching the High Court against keeping in abeyance the government's earlier order of allowing them to undergo training in modern medicine at government hospitals.

Even as the Ayurveda practitioners claim that the training was only meant to impart a comprehensive knowledge about the whole health system, the Indian Medical Association (IMA), which is all out against it, said that such an exercise will not do any good for the people. The Ayurveda doctors under the aegis of Ayurveda Medical Association of India (AMAI) on Saturday filed a petition before the High Court on Saturday.

AMAI General secretary Dr Rejith Anand said that it was unfortunate that the government had frozen its earlier order of allowing Ayur doctors to train in modern medicine just at the behest of a memorandum from the IMA. ''It is just one month training as part of a national policy and for observing the complications that could arise during a surgery or labour,'' he said.

Lashing out against IMA, Anand alleged that all these protest were only part of industrialisation of the health sector and the protest is only from a section of doctors who see health as a business. The same sentiment was shared by Private Ayurveda Medical Practitioners Association (PAMPA), which said that the BAMS students had all the right to get training as per the syllabus. PAMPA president Dr K Gopalakrishnan said that the syllabus of BAMS students was drawn in such a way that the students get knowledge of anatomy, physiology, medical jurisprudence, pathology, obstetrics and gynecology.

Meanwhile IMA state president Dr Sreejith N Kumar said that they had approached the government against the order pointing out that it violated the spirit of the Medical Council of India guidelines. ''The MCI, which is the highest authority of Modern Medicine, has in 2007 itself given strict directive that modern medicine people can only be trained in modern medicine institutions. And if this was violated, strict action could be taken,'' he said.

Source: The New Indian express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/492355/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/04-05-2015#page/4/1