Parliament on the Streets

It is a sad day that the country which was most progressive, moving fast & sprouted hope for the young people for their lives & brighter future. And now look what the Media, Anna Hazare & BJP Spokesperson have done. The language of the BJP Spokesperson & Kejriwal where they have attacked the Prime Minister in such indecent & vulgar way by crossing the lowest level of decency. Rahul Gandhi who made them run for their political career is being attacked suddenly irrelevantly.
In the eyes of the world and to the innocent population of this country, India is being projected negatively and all its elected representatives are being criticized by team Anna. It is for the people to see & understand, that only for their selfish motive they are criticizing the Congress. They have indirectly harmed the nation. I had taken a stand when the Anna movement started that the Parliament is supreme, which is the highest legal authority to make laws for the country & I have been proved correct. And see what they have done. They have brought the sacred Parliament on the streets. We all have shortcomings but we must have the respect for the parliament because this is the only way of the survival of the democracy.

23rd Maulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar Award 2011

Desparate BJP

Nobel Laureate Mohamed ElBaradei said about Dr. Manmohan Singh said "the model of what a political leader should be."

After listening to his speech at the 66th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, I have no doubts in the description of Dr. Singh by Forbes magazine as "universally praised as India's best prime minister since Nehru". This speech has gracefully surpassed Atal Bihari Vajpai ji’s oratory achievements by far, though Atal Bihari Vajpai ji impressed many with his speeches but the way Dr. Singh spoke in the UN General Assembly was beyond comparison. 

Dr. Singh’s image has always been of a clean politician untouched by the taint of corruption and he has always enjoyed massive popular support, naturally his image has become biggest hurdle for the BJP and hence they are trying to tarnish his image.  BJP is trying to portray him as a corrupt person and wipe out the image of a clean politician which he achieved after years of corruption-less service to the nation. Have the BJP forgotten that it is Dr. Singh is the only responsible person who helped open the Indian economy to greater international trade and investment during his tenure as the Finance Minister. Have the BJP forgotten the role of Dr. Singh in ending Licence Raj system? Can a corrupt person bring economic reforms to such an extent? For God sake, be honest to the nation and don’t try to tarnish a man’s image which has been earned by hard ways. 

The BJP is asking for CBI enquiry on the man who has been recognized as a world leader just a year back. Dr. Singh is a leader respected and loved by leaders. BJP should not show its desperation to such an extent that their role of opposition comes into question. 

Under the leadership of Dr. Singh in 2007, India achieved its highest GDP growth rate of 9% and became the second fastest growing major economy in the world. Can a corrupt person even think of such achievement, leave apart doing it.  The man whom the BJP is calling a corrupt person had introduced value added tax by replacing sales tax only to stop tax theft. A man of such intentions is Dr. Singh, when BJP blames him the real narrow-mindedness of the parties top leaders shows. The BJP is so desperate that they don’t even realize whom they are targeting, gone are the days of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, now the BJP is a clueless, shameless and mindless party. 

Dr. Singh a strong supporter of globalization is trying to establish India in the worldwide market and in the process he intends to eradicate large-scale poverty from India. Dr. Singh is the person under whose leadership half a million community health workers are mobilized by starting the National Rural Health Mission. Even the American economist Jeffrey Sachs praised the rural health initiative. Dr. Singh is the person who intends to open eight more IITs in India. Dr. Singh is the person who implemented 27% seats reservation in All India Institute of Medical Studies (AIIMS), Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institute of Management (IIMs) and other central institutions of higher education for Other Backward Classes. Dr. Singh is the person under whose leadership the terrorism in Northeast India has reduced to minimum and he is the person who is always eager to fight against terrorism. Under his leadership the NREGA, RTI bills were passed. 

Such is the man’s dreams, ambitions, desires and intentions and the BJP attempt to tarnish such towering personality’s image? Is it not the height of desperation?

Tribute to Shri Vasant Sathe

I pay my tribute to the man who initiated the process which led to Indian television moving into colour broadcasting for the Asian Games 1982 and Hum Log the first colour Indian soap-opera. Shri Vasant Sathe was one of the few leaders from Maharashtra who stood by Late Smt. Indira Gandhi ji in the most difficult times. Hats off to Sathe, a man known for his politics of principles.

Flood hits Odisha again

From the day I was appointed as in-charge of Odisha for Congress party affairs, I became emotionally attached to this beautiful land and its simple innocent people. The news of another flood in Coastal Odisha is very emotional moment for me. Thinking about the innocent people’s plight which I learned from my last flood area survey, makes my heart weep. I appeal to everyone to come to rescue of the flood affected people in whatever way possible. Odisha needs your support.

Odisha Flood - Mis-management or Intentional

Every year flood comes in Odisha:
1. what were the precautionary plans prepared by the government before flood time?
2. How was the Hirakud Dam managed before flood time?
3. Why 49 gates had to be opened on a single day?
4. Before opening the 49 gates, did the government shifted the people to safer places?

Were the gates opened intentionally to get sympathy by distributing the relief material before panchayat electtion?

if this is so, then such action should be termed as heinous crime because so many people suffered and many lost their lives.

My Appeal

I appeal to all Doctors, Medical Practitioners, Hospitals, Pharmaceutical companies and Medical Stores to provide the following medicines for children and adult flood victims of Odisha as much as they can:
1. Paracetamol
2. Oral Dehydration Powder
3. Anti-Biotic (any)
4. Anti-Diarrhea
5. IV Fluid
6. IV Set
7. Kanula
Flood victims of Odisha needs your help.

Regarding new Sports Bill

The new sports bill seems to be designed to give an impression to the public as if we all are villains and someone who are gaining from sport federations. I wish the minister instead of showing himself as the savior of God knows what, should concentrate on getting more money for the sports, bringing modern technologies for development of sports, making long term sports development plans like Mr. Mani Shankar Iyar was doing. Why is the Minister concentrating on something which has nothing to do with sports development?  

We are not objecting to audits which is being done, we are not objecting to bringing 25% sports persons into the governing body (I personally believe that 50% sports persons into the governing body should be included), we are not objecting to bring the federations under the ambit of RTI Act., we are also not objecting to doping. We are only objecting to the age criteria and that too because of the following reasons:

1.     1. We are all elected by proper election which can be supervised and controlled by Ministries.

2.     2. We are registered under Societies Registration Act.

Having said that I am prepared to quit my post but one should not create new laws which conflict with existing laws. Sport is a State subject; I don’t know how the Centre is interfering? I feel both the Prime Minister and the Home Minister are mislead and are not apprised properly.

Till now not a single long term plan for the development of sports has been announced since he taken over, this is very strange. I wish the Minister would concentrate the work he is assigned to in the Ministry more.  

Let me tell the Minister that not a single federation person was involved in Common Wealth Games scam except Kalmadi, Bhanot and Verma, who are rightly in jail. If any other person found in the scam, please make sure that they are also behind bars instead of painting the whole federation with a negative shade.

I don’t know why the Minister is forgetting that the International Olympic Association has strongly opposed any political interference in sports.

Lastly, I will advice the Minister not to waste time in such things and follow the steps of Mani Shankar Iyar and get some good long term sports development plans. The way Mr. Iyar did right from village level to district level to state level and then to national level. Such things are really applaud able but such character assassinations should be slammed. 

Regards,

Jagdish Tytler

Former Union Minister