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Saturday, 30 March 2013

तृणमूल ने दहाड़ लगायी और मुलायम ने आपबीती सुनायी, इसी में व्यवस्था बदल जाने का ख्वाब देखते रहिये!


तृणमूल ने दहाड़ लगायी और मुलायम ने आपबीती सुनायी, इसी में व्यवस्था बदल जाने का ख्वाब देखते रहिये!

एक्सकैलिबर स्टीवेंस विश्वास​


नैतिकता और धर्म की दुहाई देने से नहीं अघाने वाले हिंदूराष्ट्र के लिए कारपोरेट समाम्राज्यवाद के घठबंधन में बहुजन समाज को पैदल सेना और वामपंथियों को सिपाहसलार बना लेने वाले संघ परिवार के प्रधानमंत्रित्व के सबसे बड़ दावेदार नरेंद्र मोदी अमेरिकी वरदहस्त के लिए इतने​​ लालायित हैं कि एक अमेरिकी अखबार में छपी रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक भारत दौरे के लिए अमेरिकी प्रतिनिधिमंडल से पैसे लिए गए थे। यात्रा के आयोजकों ने भारत यात्रा के लिए पैकेज का प्रस्ताव रखा था। इस विशुद्ध कारोबारी पर्यटन को मोदी मशीनरी की ओर से उनकी अनुपम विकासगाथा बतर्ज अमेरिका णें उनके हक में बनते  माहौल बतौर प्रचारित किया जा रहा है। संतों के आशीर्वाद धन्य मोदी गुजरात में जो कुछ कर चुके हैं, वहीं हिंदू राष्ट्र में निनानब्वे फीसद मरणासन्न जनगण का ​​आसन्न भविष्य है।  हिंदूराष्ट्र को मौजूदा संकट का सबसे बड़ा कारण नहीं मानने वालों के लिे खुशखबरी है कि तृणमूल ने दहाड़ लगायी और मुलायम ने आपबीती सुनायी, इसी में व्यवस्था बदल जाने काख्वाब देखते रहिये!मुलायम ने कहा है कि कांग्रेस पहले डराती है और फिर समर्थन जुगाड़ती है। हालांकि सरकार को बाहर से समर्थन दे रहे सपा मुखिया मुलायम ने फिलहाल समर्थन वापसी से इनकार किया, लेकिन उन्‍होंने कहा, `मैंने संप्रग सरकार का बुरे वक्त में साथ दिया लेकिन बदले में मेरे पीछे सीबीआई लगा दी गई। द्रमुक के साथ भी सरकार ने यही किया था। समर्थन के बदले कनिमोझी को जेल भेज दिया गया।` मुलायम सिंह ने ये भी कहा कि समर्थन सांप्रदायिक ताकतों को सत्ता से दूर रखने के लिए है। मैं किसी से नहीं डरता।शुक्रवार को पार्टी मुख्यालय में प्रमुख न्यूज चैनलों को दिए साक्षात्कार में मुलायम ने कहा कि डीएमके के अध्यक्ष करुणानिधि ने कांग्रेस को समर्थन दिया तो उन्हीं के मंत्री और उनकी बेटी को फंसाकर जेल भेज दिया। कांग्रेस भरोसा करने लायक नहीं है। इतिहास इस बात का गवाह है कि जो कांग्रेस का साथ देते हैं, उन्हीं को धोखा देते हैं। मुलायम ने कहा कि बुरे वक्त में सपा ने केंद्र की सरकार बचाई, नहीं बचाई होती तो ये संप्रग सत्ता में नहीं रह पाती। कयास तो यही लगाया जा रहा है कि कभी साझेदार रही तृणमूल और कांग्रेस ने भावी गठजोड़ के लिए क्या दरवाजा खोल रखा है। पंचायत चुनाव में ग्रामबांग्ला में आधार मजबूत करने के लिए कांग्रेस पर हमला करने के सिवाय वाम के मुकाबले खुद को एकमात्र विकल्प बनाये रखने के ​
​लिए दीदी की मजबूरी है, यह बात समझ में नहीं आती पर मुलायम सिंह को बार बार कठोरता का दौरा क्यों और कैसे आ रहा है, यह शोध ​
​का विषय है।

मुलायम सिंह यादव ने कहा कि सांप्रदायिक शक्तियों को केन्द्र की सत्ता से बाहर रखने के लिए ही सपा कांग्रेस को समर्थन दे रही है। सपा लोकसभा में मुद्दों के गुण दोष के आधार पर समर्थन या विरोध करती है। मुलायम ने कहा, `मैं जानता हूं कि अगर अभी मैंने सरकार से समर्थन वापस ले लिया तो कांग्रेस इसको मुद्दा बना लेगी। हमें यह भी पता है कि केन्द्र सरकार घोटालों की सरकार है। बावजूद इसके वह कभी भी भाजपा का साथ नहीं देंगे।`

तृणमूल कांग्रेस ने डीएमके के सरकार से समर्थन वापस लेने के बाद आज पहली बार प्रधानमंत्री मनमोहन सिंह से तुरंत इस्तीफा मांगा।तृणमूल कांग्रेस के राष्ट्रीय महासचिव मुकुल रॉय ने एक संवाददाता सम्मेलन में कहा, मनमोहन सिंह की सरकार अल्पमत में आ गई है। वह संसद में नंबरों के खेल का इस्तेमाल कर सत्ता में बने रह सकते हैं, लेकिन पिछले साल तृणमूल कांग्रेस के समर्थन वापस लेने और अब डीएमके के समर्थन वापस लेने पर यह अल्पमत सरकार बन गई है।'उन्होंने कहा, 'इस सरकार को सत्ता में एक पल भी बने रहने का कोई नैतिक अधिकार नहीं है। हम चाहते हैं कि यह सरकार तुरंत गिरे।'

गुजरात के मुख्यमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी और अमेरिका से आए प्रतिनिधिमंडल के बीच हुई मुलाकात पर विवाद खड़ा होता नजर आ रहा है।शिकागो के समाचार पत्र `हाई इंडिया` की रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक आयोजकों ने भारत दौरे में शामिल होने के लिए प्रति व्यक्ति 3,000 डॉलर से लेकर 16,000 डॉलर तक की राशि रखी थी। अमेरिका से आया यह प्रतिनिधिमंडल गुरुवार को नरेंद्र मोदी से यहां मुलाकात कर चुका है। इस व्यापारिक प्रतिनिधिमंडल में अमेरिकी प्रतिनिधि सभा के चार सदस्य शामिल हैं, और सभी रिपब्लिकन पार्टी से हैं।रिपोर्ट के अनुसार, आयोजकों ने भारतीय मूल के अमेरिकी समुदाय में इस दौरे के बारे में प्रचार किया था। यह दौरा एक राजनीतिक कार्रवाई समिति (पीएसी), नेशनल इंडियन अमेरिकी पब्लिक पॉलिसी इंस्टीट्यूट (एनआईएपीपीआई) द्वारा प्रायोजित है, जिसकी स्थापना शिकागो के कारोबारी शलभ कुमार ने की है। प्रतिनिधिमंडल के नेतृत्वकर्ता राजनीतिज्ञों में मर्लिन स्टुट्जमैन, सिंटिया वीडर्सपेन, कैथी रॉजर्स और एरोन स्कॉक शामिल हैं। एनआईएपीपीआई द्वारा इस यात्रा की तैयारी के सिलिसिले में वितरित किए गए एक निमंत्रण पत्र में कहा गया है कि यह अमेरिकी कारोबारियों के एक संभ्रांत समूह के लिए सीमित है।यह समूह अहमदाबाद में नरेंद्र मोदी से मिल चुका है और उन्हें अमेरिका आने का निमंत्रण भी दे चुका है। इस व्यापक यात्रा कार्यक्रम में उदयपुर में लेक पैलेस में ठहराव, राज्य सरकार के अतिथि के तौर पर कर्नाटक का दौरा, ताज महल का भ्रमण, रणथम्भौर बाघ अभयारण्य का दौरा, जयपुर के रामबाग पैलेस में एक रात का प्रवास, अमृतसर में स्वर्ण मंदिर भ्रमण और पंजाब के मुख्यमंत्री प्रकाश सिंह बादल द्वारा आयोजित रात्रिभोज में शिरकत। साथ ही एक बॉलीवुड एक्स्ट्रा वेगेंजा भी शामिल है।
निमंत्रण में इन सभी सुविधाओं के लिए जो शुल्क तालिका दी गई है, वह इस प्रकार है : सात सितारा यात्रा (बिजनेस श्रेणी यात्रा, भारत में निजी एयर चार्टर) के लिए 16,000 डॉलर प्रति व्यक्ति। चार सितारा यात्रा (भारत में व्यापारिक यात्रा, जिसमें पैलेस का भ्रमण नहीं होगा) के लिए 10,000 डॉलर प्रति व्यक्ति, और इकॉनॉमी यात्रा (जिसमें सभी यात्रा खर्च और होटल खर्च व्यक्ति द्वारा वहन किया जाएगा) के लिए प्रति व्यक्ति 3,000 डॉलर।

एक और अमेरिकी चमत्कार में विपन्न भारत की तस्वीर में चमकते िइंडिया की झांकी है। आम आदमी पार्टी के नेता अरविंद केजरीवाल ने एक बड़ी उपलब्धि अपने नाम की है। जानी मानी पत्रिका `टाइम` की ओर से जारी की गई दुनिया भर में वर्ष के प्रभावशाली व्यक्तियों की सूची में भारत से अरविंद केजरीवाल का नाम शामिल किया गया है। वे अकेले भारतीय हैं जिनका नाम इस सूची में है। केजरीवाल के अलावा इस सूची में सीरिया के राष्ट्रपति बशर अल असद, अमरीकी राष्ट्रपति बराक ओबामा, उनकी पत्नी मिशेल ओबामा और पाकिस्तान की मलाला युसुफजई का नाम शामिल है। इस सूची में दुनिया के 153 लोगों के नाम शामिल किए गए हैं जिनपर ऑनलाइन मतदान किया जा रहा है। इस मतदान के आधार पर 100 लोगों की सूची तैयार की जाएगी जिसे आगामी 18 अप्रैल को जारी किया जाएगा। खास बात यह है कि 12 अप्रैल तक चलने वाले इस ऑनलाइन वोटिंग में अरविंद केजरीवाल इस वक्त तीसरे नंबर पर बने हुए हैं। हालांकि इस बारे में बेमियादी अनशन पर बैठे केजरीवाल का कहना है, `मुझे इसकी कोई जानकारी नही हैं। मेरा मकसद किसी सूची में आना नहीं बल्कि लोगों के काम आना है।`

इसी के मध्य तीसरी बार भी प्रधानमंत्री बनने की संभावना से इंकार नहीं करने की ओर इशारा करने वाले प्रधानमंत्री मनमोहन सिंह के बयान को आज कांग्रेस के मंत्रियों ने बहुत महत्व नहीं दिया वहीं पार्टी प्रवक्ता राशिद अल्वी ने कह दिया कि लोगों की इच्छा है कि राहुल गांधी प्रधानमंत्री बनें।

केंद्रीय मंत्री और कांग्रेस नेता राजीव शुक्ला ने कहा कि प्रधानमंत्री ने ऐसा कुछ नहीं कहा, जिसका मतलब यह निकाला जाए कि वह तीसरे कार्यकाल के लिए तैयार हैं। शुक्ला ने कहा, 'मेरे विचार से वह एक केंद्रित सवाल का जवाब दे रहे थे। और उन्होंने कहा क्या है? उन्होंने केवल इतना कहा कि जब पुल आएगा तो हम फैसला करेंगे कि उसे कैसे पार किया जाए।' उन्होंने कहा कि मीडिया प्रधानमंत्री सिंह के बयान को अलग तरह से पेश कर रहा है।

सूचना और प्रसारण मंत्री मनीष तिवारी ने कहा कि प्रधानमंत्री एक 'काल्पनिक' प्रश्न का उत्तर दे रहे थे और उनके बयान की अनावश्यक व्याख्या करना जरूरी नहीं है। तिवारी ने कहा, 'प्रधानमंत्री ने जो कहा, उसमें कुछ जोड़ने या घटाने की जरूरत नहीं है। वह एक काल्पनिक प्रश्न का उत्तर दे रहे थे और प्रधानमंत्री के बयान की अनावश्यक रूप से व्याख्या करना जरूरी नहीं है।'

कांग्रेस के प्रवक्ता राशिद अल्वी ने कहा, 'प्रधानमंत्री का बयान बहुत स्पष्ट है। इस पर किसी सफाई की जरूरत नहीं है और 2014 तक मनमोहन सिंह जी देश के प्रधानमंत्री हैं।' उन्होंने कहा कि 2014 के लोकसभा चुनावों के बाद नवनिर्वाचित पार्टी सांसद और कांग्रेस नेतृत्व फैसला करेगा कि प्रधानमंत्री कौन होगा। अल्वी ने यह भी कहा, 'कांग्रेस पार्टी के कार्यकर्ताओं की दिली इच्छा है कि राहुलजी प्रधानमंत्री होने चाहिए।'



Caste discrimination, apathy leading to suicides on campus



Dalits Media Watch
News Updates 29.03.13
 
Dalits stopped from performing Holi puja in Haryana village - The Times Of India
Caste discrimination, apathy leading to suicides on campus - The Times Of India
Govt plans law to ensure 22.5% spending on dalits, tribals - The Times Of India
Chairman of Punjab SC/ST Panel visits gang rape victim - DNA
Plea for SC, ST, BC judges - The New Indian Express
Ambedkar Sena burns effigies of dalit ministers - Business Standard
Caste no criteria for RTE admissions, clarifies govt - The Times Of India
 
The Times Of India
 
Dalits stopped from performing Holi puja in Haryana village
 
PTI | Mar 28, 2013, 07.41 PM IST
 
ROHTAK: Schedule Caste (SC) families were stoppped from performing Holi pooja and assaulted allegedly by the members of upper caste at Jahangirpur village of Jhajjar district of Haryana. Police have started investigation into the matter but no case was registered in this regard even after two days of the incident.
 
The SC families have threatened to leave the village if the accused are not arrested by the police after registering a criminal case against them. A sizable number of people of Schedule Caste today met Jhajjar district police chief, Anil Dhawan, at his office and demanded registration of criminal case against the accused, alleging that they had been living in a state of trauma since the incident while the accused were roaming openly in the village.
 
They also urged deployment of sufficient number of police personnel at the village to avoid any untoward incident. While interacting with mediapersons here, Brahma Nand, a man belonging to SC, said they had been performing Holi pooja separately from the upper caste for several years to avoid any untoward incident during the festival. However, "the people of the upper caste not only misbehaved with women of our families by using derogatory languages but also prevented them from performing Holi pooja on Tuesday. The women and children were also manhandled when they resisted the act," alleged Brahma Nand. Poonam, a woman, said they would have to leave the village if action was not taken against the accused in this regard.
 
The police authorities should ensure the safety and security of the SC families in the village, she added. 

Anil Dhawan told that the case was being probed as people of upper caste also suffered injuries in the clash.
 
They had also met him and demanded a fair investigation into the matter.
 
"Statements of people of both the parties are being recorded to ascertain the facts. No one found guilty in the probe will be spared," said the SP, adding the case would be registered after the preliminary investigation. He said police personnel were sent to the village immediately after getting the information about violence between the groups.
 
The Times Of India

 

Caste discrimination, apathy leading to suicides on campus

 
Nikhila Henry, TNN | Mar 29, 2013, 01.28 AM IST
HYDERABAD: P Raju, the dalit student who killed himself on March 19 at the University of Hyderabad (UoH) feared he would not be allowed to attend classes in the coming semester due to three backlogs and sank into depression.
 
But Raju didn't know that he had secured a 'B' grade in the Linguistics paper, making him eligible to continue his fifth semester, as authorities did not bother to announce his results until he hanged himself from the ceiling fan, after making a futile trip to the office of the controller of examination to know his fate.
 
Raju's story is not an isolated case, it is in fact indicative of a bigger failure of universities in communicating certain matters of relevance to the students who are already reeling under caste discrimination, either real or perceived.
 
Among the nine suicides from university campuses in the past one year, seven belonged to SC/ST/OBC communities, and one to a minority community.
 
In another case, Senthil Kumar, a dalit PhD scholar of the School of Physics, UoH, had committed suicide in 2008 as he was not told that he was eligible for scholarship in the coming semester, despite clearing his course work examinations, a senior faculty member of the university said.
 
Academics said the trend indicates incapability of institutions to understand the pressing problems of students with poor socio-economic background.
 
Ignored by school, college and university managements, students coming from less privileged backgrounds are at a higher risk of committing suicide in hostile or unreceptive academic set-ups, assert counsellors and human rights groups.
 
A fact-finding report submitted as part of an internal investigation after the suicide of Senthil Kumar found that "most students affected by the inconsistencies and ambiguities in procedures (academic and administrative) were SC/ST students, leading to the building up of a perception of discrimination among students belonging to these communities."
 
The report goes on to recommend confidence-building measures and transparent procedures to integrate such students into the academic system, which is not in place now.
 
In a more recent study conducted by Insight Foundation, New Delhi, it was found that four from Hyderabad were in a list of 19 suicides committed by SC/ST students of various institutions in the country, owing to caste discrimination during the past five years.
 
Activists say that most campuses which earlier had majority of students from effluent backgrounds have an increasing number of students from poor socio-economic backgrounds.
 
"On one hand, the government has recognized the importance of supporting and nurturing groups that were hitherto excluded from educational opportunities through scholarship schemes for SC/ST students and for minorities. On the other hand, this is not matched by a corresponding overhauling of existing institutional cultures," an article by faculty members of English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU), Asma Rasheed, K. Satyanarayana and Uma Bhrugubanda said.
 
The Times Of India
 
Govt plans law to ensure 22.5% spending on dalits, tribals
 
Subodh Ghildiyal, TNN | Mar 29, 2013, 02.26 AM IST
 
NEW DELHI: The Centre is mulling a law to ensure that 22.5% of the Union Budget is exclusively spent for dalit and tribal welfare, a move seen as an outreach to the Congress support base that is bristling at the party's failure on the flagship demand to restore reservation in promotions.
 
A law on dalit and tribal sub-plans would go beyond the symbolic to bind the government to spend for these groups in proportion to their population.
 
Presently, the SC sub-plan (SCSP) and tribal sub-plan (TSP) are governed by executive orders, seen by observers as the reason behind their failing to take off after three decades.
 
In a significant move, the Union social justice ministry has constituted a working group to thrash out "central legislation on SCSP and TSP for their effective implementation". Significantly, the panel has been asked to give its report by April-end, a short deadline that insiders say points to the urgency of legislating.
 
The sub-plans mandate every central ministry or department to spend around 15% and 7.5% of their budget exclusively for dalits and tribals. The schemes have been unsuccessful because of indifference of officialdom and unceasing disputes about which ministry has to spend how much. 

Many believe a penal provision in the proposed law can be the catalyst to force the government to hammer out nitty-gritties and enforce implementation for fear of punishment.
 
While the law, especially with penal provision, has been long advocated by activists and strongly resisted by bureaucracy, Congress seems to be eyeing its political potential ahead of the 2014 elections. The 'Jaipur declaration' after the 'chintan shivir' demanded a central legislation for effective implementation of sub-plans that suffer from "insufficient allocation and utilization". 

A statutory status for 'dalit budget' can help in wooing SCs/STs who are angry at Congress not restoring 'promotion quota' because of the wishes of OBC leaders like Mulayam Singh Yadav and its own upper caste lobby. Ideologues believe that Congress did not try hard enough to push the constitutional amendment bill and instead shot from the shoulders of SP and BJP.
 
That the law has emerged as a sort of silver bullet in Congress strategy is evident from Andhra Pradesh promulgating it in December. Sources said Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has cited it as "priority agenda".
 
The twin plans have been mired in bureaucratic resistance and differences. Ahead of the unveiling of the 12th Plan, Union social justice ministry accused the Planning Commission of including the expenditure of exempted ministries to boost the achievements under sub-plans. 

The government decided to factor in 'estimated consumption proportion of SCs' to show it under the sub-plan - like how much did the dalits use a road or an airport to include it as money spent under the sub-plan.
 
DNA
 
Chairman of Punjab SC/ST Panel visits gang rape victim
 
Published: Thursday, Mar 28, 2013, 23:17 IST , Place: Amritsar | Agency: PTI
 
Chairman of Punjab Commission for SC/ST Rajesh Bagha on Thursday met the 22-year-old girl who was allegedly kidnapped from city general bus stand and gang-raped repeatedly in the moving car and assured her all kind of legal help.
 
He said the accused would be taken to task and there would be no leniency in such a heinous crime.
 
Bagha also held meeting with senior police and civil officials with regard to the ongoing proceedings of gang rape case.
 
He later told reporters that he had issued directions to Police Administration to complete the ongoing investigation at the shortest period in order to deliver justice to victim.
 
Bagha said police has also set up a special investigation team which will submit report of rape incidents within a week.
 
He also directed the District Administration to pay adequate compensation to the rape victim under the SC/ST Act forthwith and report to the Commission.
 
Vice Chairman of National SC/ST Commission Raj Kumar Verka also visited the gang rape victim today and issued direction to district administration to constitute a special Medical Board to extend her best medical treatment in the Government hospital since she was allegedly forcibly discharged by the doctors on duty.
 
On March 27 night, the girl was gang raped repeatedly in a moving car for forty five minutes and later dumped at Railway colony.
 
The New Indian Express
 
Plea for SC, ST, BC judges
 
By Express News Service - HYDERABAD
29th March 2013 10:19 AM
 
Members of the Lawyers' Forum for Social Justice requested acting chief justice NV Ramana of the High Court on Thursday to take steps for providing adequate representation to advocates belonging to the SC, ST and OBC communities in selection and appointment of High Court judges.
 
A delegation led by forum convener Krishna Devan submitted a memorandum to justice  Ramana in the latter's chamber in this regard. The acting chief justice assured them of a fair deal.
The forum members said that no SC or BC advocate had been appointed a judge of the HC since 2002.
 
Business Standard

 

Ambedkar Sena burns effigies of dalit ministers

 
Activists of Ambedkar Sena, a local political outfit, today burnt effigies of two dalit Akali ministers, accusing them of not doing anything for the welfare of the community.
 
Led by state president Harbhajan Suman, party activists held a protest march from Ambedkar Park in Hargobind Nagar and converged at the national highway opposite PWD Rest House, where they burnt effigies of SC/ST Welfare minister Gulzar Singh Ranike and Tourism minister Sarwan Singh Phillaur.
 
The protesters alleged that the two have failed to do anything for the welfare of dalits even though they themselves belonged to the community.
 
Accusing the ruling SAD-BJP combine in Punjab of being anti-dalit, the protesters said the state government has diverted central funds meant for dalit welfare to other departments and demanded a CBI probe into the issue.
 
The Times Of India

 

Caste no criteria for RTE admissions, clarifies govt

 
Swati Shinde Gole, TNN | Mar 29, 2013, 04.34 AM IST
PUNE: Financial background and not caste is the eligibility criteria for securing admissions in schools under the 25% reservation scheme of the Right to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, clarified the state education department.
 
The director of the state education department had announced last week that students belonging to SC/ST/OBC/NT and with family income below Rs 1 lakh were eligible for admissions under the RTE scheme. It had created confusion among parents, schools and activists.

The department was on the back foot on Thursday as it explained its earlier statement as a 'technical error'.
 
A notice issued by the state education department last week stated that only students from the scheduled caste, scheduled tribes, other backward class, nomadic tribes and denotified tribes having family income below Rs 1 lakh would be eligible to apply for admission into private unaided schools under the RTE scheme.
 
The government notification created furore among parents and schools alike as the open category students from the economically weaker sections were ignored completely.
 
Mahavir Mane, state director of education (primary) on Thursday, clarified : "The notification will be reissued after correcting the error. No caste and religion barriers will influence admissions under the 25% reservation scheme of the RTE. A fresh notification will be issued at the earliest."
 
The principal of a private school said, "If the government is creating caste barriers in admissions, then why have they set the income ceiling? It was a bit confusing. We are now waiting for the new notification so that we can go ahead with the admission process and also consider the open category applications for this scheme."
 
 

-- 
.Arun Khote
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Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre- PMARC has been initiated with the support from group of senior journalists, social activists, academics and intellectuals from Dalit and civil society to advocate and facilitate Dalits issues in the mainstream media. To create proper & adequate space with the Dalit perspective in the mainstream media national/ International on Dalit issues is primary objective of the PMARC.
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INTERVIEW ‘The UN Resolution Is A Misplaced Initiative’ The Sri Lankan high commissioner on the agitation in Tamil Nadu and the future of Indo-Lankan relations. PRANAY SHARMA INTERVIEWS PRASAD KARIYAWASAM


APOORVA SALKADE
INTERVIEW
'The UN Resolution Is A Misplaced Initiative'
The Sri Lankan high commissioner on the agitation in Tamil Nadu and the future of Indo-Lankan relations.

In his college days, Prasad Kariyawasam, Sri Lanka's high commissioner to New Delhi, was a promising cricketer. But in the turning track of Indian politics, the 59-year-old diplomat had to summon all his diplomatic and cricketing skill to play with a straight bat. In the wake of India's vote against Sri Lanka in Geneva, he speaks to Pranay Sharma on the agitation in Tamil Nadu and the future of Indo-Lankan relations.
The Sri Lankan issue has created a political crisis in India. How do you see it?
This is very unfortunate. The root-cause of this crisis is extra-regional and nothing to do with our region. It's because of a resolution by the US at the Human Rights Council in Geneva. In our view that initiative, both in substance and procedure, is uncalled for because it is not going to help the ground situation in Sri Lanka. In terms of rehabilitation and reconstruction we have gone far ahead. We have achieved a lot which has in fact been acknowledged by the international community. But we do understand that in terms of the reconciliation process we still have several objectives to achieve.
But how do you see the ongoing crisis in India?
It shouldn't have happened. Sri Lanka is a friend of India and also of Tamil Nadu. But leaders in Tamil Nadu seem to be misinformed and to have misunderstood the ground situation in our country.
Both the resolutions at UN and the one in the Indian parliament raise serious questions about Sri Lanka's human rights records. How justified are they?
I think most of the concerns could be discussed and addressed bilaterally. India is our closest neighbour and we are willing to discuss all issues bilaterally with India. But we don't welcome 'megaphone diplomacy.' We welcome consultation in a constructive way. However, efforts that aim at naming-and-shaming Sri Lanka at any forum is something we don't welcome.
You think that is what is happening?
In Geneva at least it is 'megaphone diplomacy' that is on and it is being done with the aim of naming-and-shaming Sri Lanka.
Will the resolution dent Sri Lanka's image?
We don't recognize this resolution. We think it is a misplaced initiative and it is already having a negative reaction in Sri Lanka and vitiating the atmosphere for us to go forward in our agenda of reconciliation and also in promoting human rights.
Will India's vote disappoint Colombo?
The India-Sri Lanka relationship is very old and robust. If India votes against Sri Lanka there will be disappointment and frustration in Sri Lanka naturally. But these are temporary setbacks in our long-term, close and friendly relations. 
How do you see DMK's contention that during the final phase of the war genocide had taken place in Sri Lanka?
I have not found anyone in the Indian government using that term. But I have heard some Tamil Nadu political parties using that word. It is very unfortunate that those who assert the word 'genocide' have neither studied the situation in Sri Lanka properly nor studied the definition of the term carefully. 
Why do you think the DMK is making such a serious charge against Sri Lanka?
Now that's an area for the DMK to explain. We have invited the DMK leaders as well as all Tamil Nadu leaders to visit Sri Lanka and discuss their concerns with us. Issues that concern us can be discussed and addressed by us together. To take issues to international fora is not required.
DMK is an important political party which till recently was part of the UPA coalition in Delhi. Therefore what it says does have an impact?
Obviously yes, we can see that. May be that's the reason why Sri Lanka has been in the headlines in India for the past days. For us this is unfortunate because we don't think the Sri Lankan situation deserves this kind of a critical analysis.
 
 
"In the first image, Prabhakaran's son is shown sitting in a bunker, which could have been an LTTE one. It could be two separate pictures."
 
 
How do you see the widespread anti-Sri Lanka agitation in Tamil Nadu which also has the ruling AIADMK's support?
There are some Sri Lankan Tamil groups who live in western countries and were earlier supporters of the LTTE. They continue to harbour a separatist agenda and have been lobbying in Tamil Nadu and in Delhi, spreading misinformation about the ground situation in Sri Lanka. They work with TV stations and have managed to get some individuals in the western world to come up with concocted TV footage and photographs to bring disrepute to Sri Lanka.
Karunanidhi and Jayalalitha are veteran politicians, you think they will fall for something that is totally concocted without verifying?
You will have to ask them whether they had verified it.
So you are trying to say that the entire thing has been enacted elsewhere?
There could be some elements that came out of Sri Lanka but the series – the documentary was not produced in Sri Lanka but elsewhere by those who have never seen the ground situation in Sri Lanka. So we reject that footage.
And you maintain the footage is doctored?
The series has been doctored taking various images at different times. It could even be that they are LTTE people masquerading as Sri Lankan soldiers. Take the issue of Prabhakaran's son. In one photograph he is alive in a bunker which can be a LTTE bunker. In another photograph he is dead due to crossfire. So two separate incidents seem to have been put together.
So you reject the entire thing?
We do accept that there were some civilian casualties. But it was very difficult to distinguish between civilians and combatants since they were together. It was always difficult to distinguish between the LTTE and its cadres. Prabhakaran's entire family was in combat and he also had child-soldiers.
What do you say to the demand that Sri Lankan progress on human rights be supervised by outside agencies?
Our process of reconciliation like our process of rehabilitation and reconstruction are home grown and the procedure we follow will be Sri Lankan. We are willing to listen to others but we will do it ourselves. We are a democratic and responsible country; we remain engaged with international mechanisms; we have a judiciary, a military tribunal system and also a reconciliation commission which have members whose expertise is second to none in the world.
Does the proposal have a larger implication for the region, say on issues like Kashmir?
Of course, what is sauce for the goose can also be sauce for the gander. One must be mindful of the implications of a demand one makes. What can be done for Sri Lanka may become the norm for the region. 
How much progress has been made on the four 'D's everyone talks about—devolution, demilitarisation, development and democracy?
We are in different stages of progress. On some issues we have gone far. The report of the lessons learnt and reconciliation commission and their recommendations—some are already implemented; some are in the process of implementation and will take a longer time. We want to do it in a sustainable manner bringing all stakeholders together.
Was Prabhakaran the cause or the effect of the decade-long ethnic war in Sri Lanka?
Prabhakaran was the cause for the perpetuation of violence; he took a wrong turn. He took to violence rather than opting for democratic means and adopting peaceful protest modes which could have been more effective.
So if he had gone for the democratic methods things could have been different?
I believe so and how we wish that he had chosen the democratic path. He eliminated all the democratic leaders within the Tamil society. He wanted to gain a separate state for Tamils through violent means, eliminating democratic Tamil leadership and even using children as soldiers. Violent methods would not have succeeded. Successive Sri Lankan governments wanted to bring him into the democratic fold. The Indian government knows this very well, having been involved in attempting to broker peace in the 1980s. We even invited Norwegian facilitation. He didn't accept peace.
But today you have an ideal opportunity where the Tamil leaders are all looking for a solution through democratic and peaceful methods. How are you going to use this?
We have invited them to join the parliament select committee and talk to all the stakeholders and come up with new ideas as to how we can go forward. That should include power-sharing, not only at the provincial level but also at the national level. We need to create the model for a united country that provides equal rights to each of the citizens of Sri Lanka.

A shorter, edited version of this appears in print
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