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| Uttarakhand activists seek justice (February 6, 1997)
Movement against corruption gaining momentum (March 3, 1997) Mobilising themselves against a callous Admn (March 7, 1997) Uttarakhand issue may put PM in a tight spot (March 24, 1997) UP hills echo anti-liquor call: Slain scribe remembered (April 19, 1997) U.P. Assembly for Uttarakhand State (April 25, 1997) Uttarakhand must wait; decision put off (May 16, 1997) |
Uttarakhand activists seek justice
Date: 06-02-1997 :: Pg: 17 :: Col: a From Our Staff Reporter (The Hindu) NEW DELHI (Feb. 5): The Uttarakhand Jan Morcha has demanded the immediate suspension of all accused officers who were charge-sheeted by the Central Bureau of Investigation for their involvement in the Muzaffarnagar incident. In a memorandum submitted to the Union Home Minister, they stated that on the intervening night of October 1 and 2, 1994, a large number of passengers, including women from Chamoli, Pauri, Uttarkashi, Tehri and Dehra Dun districts of U.P. were coming to Delhi on buses to participate in a rally behind Red Fort. The memorandum said the buses were stopped at Rampur Tiraha in Muzaffarnagar by police and administration officials to prevent the rallyists from reaching Delhi and to ``teach them a lesson''. It said 50 empty trucks were parked on the road by the officers of Muzaffarnagar and Meerut Zones who were trying to ``please their big boss'', the then Chief Minister of U.P. The memorandum also mentions the incidents of September 1, 1994 when seven processionists were killed in police firing in Khatima area of Naini Tal district and September 2, 1994 when again seven people including two women and a child were killed in police firing in Mussorie District. It states that the CBI report submitted to the High Court reveals that the accused officers, with the help of armed police and subordinate officers, dragged the victims out of the buses, who were half asleep, and then damaged the vehicles. They then looted the ornaments and cash from the passengers. In the subsequent trouble, 17 women were molested, seven killed and dozens of passengers were injured and thousands were illegally confined. The CBI charge-sheeted all the accused personnel, which included 21 Government officers including many of IAS and IPS. But none of these rank officers have been suspended. The Morcha said while the lower staff, like sub-inspectors and constables were suspended, ``the high ranking officials are in a position to manipulate the proceedings of court and prima-facie involvement of officers disclosed by CBI''. Meanwhile, in a letter to the Prime Minister, the Morcha has demanded creation of a separate Uttarakhand state. The letter draws the attention of Mr. H. D. Deve Gowda to the fact that the Uttarakhand State Bill had been approved by the Cabinet on August 13, 1996 and the announcement of an Uttarakhand State had been made by Mr. Gowda from the Red Fort on August 15. It said the announcement raised the hopes of the people of Uttarakhand who thought the Government would fulfil their demand. But by not bringing in the Bill during the Winter Session of Parliament, it said, the Government has caused deep anguish to lakhs of supporters of Uttarakhand. Stating that the Centre is delaying the introduction of the Bill on the ground that a popular Government was absent in U.P., the memorandum states that earlier in 1992, the BJP Government of UP after having got the proposal of Uttarakhand passed in the Legislative Assembly sent it to the Centre, which rejected it describing it as incomplete. Again in 1994, the SP-BSP coalition Government of UP sent it to the Centre with a proposal regarding the creation of Uttarakhand State which was comprehensive and in conformity with the Constitution. Though this time the proposal was not objected to by the Centre, it was allowed to gather dust. The letter states that in view of the powers vested with the Governor by Article 356 Section 1-A there should be no problem in his recommending the Bill related to the creation of Uttarakhand State. Further, it mentions Article 3 of Constitution, which states with regard to the bifurcation and creation of separate State that if the affected State Assembly amends or creates problem in recommending the Bill passed by the Centre or does not recommend it in required time, then the Central Government is not bound to follow the amendments and in the event of getting it delayed the Central Government is capable of passing it directly.
Movement against corruption gaining momentum (Hindustan Times) March 3, 1997 CHAMIALA (Tehri Garhwal), March 3 (From Amitabh Shukla) A movement at the village and block level against corruption, pilferage of funds and the right to information is slowly picking momentum in the villages in and around Chamiala in Tehri Garhwal district of Uttar Pradesh. Supported by common villagers, the movement called Chetna Andolan (Awareness movement) demands transparency in fund allocation for the villages under different rural development schemes of the Government. Brainchild of Mr Trepan Singh Chanhan, a social activist who was earlier associated with the 'Chipko Andolan', led by Mr Sundar Lal Bahuguna and then with other causes related to environment in Tehri district, the genesis of 'Chetna Andolan' dates back to 1995 when the youth gathered to debate and discuss their experience of development. They started raising questions in their respective Gram Sabhas, demanding full details of development related expenditure mainly in schemes like Jawahar Rozgar Yojna (JRY) and Employment Assurance Scheme (EAS) and consequently found large-scale pilferage of funds. In his village Kepars, Mr Chauhan led the people in exposing fraud and irregularity in administration of development funds. Similarly in Dhansani village, another youth Mr Jhoom Singh Jhakedi mobilised people and succeeded in forcing the sarpanch of the village to return to the gram sabha embezzled amounts to the tune of Rs two lakh. The activists mobilised not only women but all sections of the society in Bhilangana block. They also organised a number of khula manch (people's hearings) in which the villagers raised uncomfortable questions demanding transparency and other irregularities. The khula manch, organised last week, laid emphasis on the need for struggle for information, for the right to know how development is being administered and demanded transparency and accountability in administration. Women from distant villages, some 20 km away from Inter College, Lata village, carrying placards denouncing corruption and demanding transparency, assembled and expressed their views and voiced their demands. The speakers, mainly common villagers repeatedly stressed the need and legitimacy of social adult of development. Ms Aruna Roy of the National Campaign for People's Right of Information said that the real need today is for accountable administration. "The common people have to know their rights and force the bureaucracy to change its lackadaisical approach and corrupt practices," she said. Similiarly Mr Sundar Lal Bahuguna, leader of the Chipko Movement who is now leading a campaign against the Tehri dam, supported the demands of the 'Chetna Andolan' and linked it to the rights of those affected by the construction of the Tehri dam. Mr Bahuguna sat throughout the deliberations and also broke his 'maun vrat' (silent fast) to air his views and support the cause of Chena Andolan. Speaking to the newspersons, Mr Chauhan said that the funds which are meant for the people should be used only for them and there should be total transparency and involvement of the people in the disbursement of developmental funds. He narrated his experience of the struggle against corrupt officials and the harassment, including slapping of false cases against the activists by the officials in collusion with the vested interests. He also spoke about the expansion of the movement to the far-flung villages and the election of 35 gram sabha heads supported by the Chetna Andolan in the Bhilangana block of Tehri Garhwal district. Interestingly, no bureaucrat or Government official turned up for the 'khula manch' despite repeated pleas and invitation from the activists.
Mobilising themselves against a callous Admn (Hindustan Times) March 7, 1997 CHAMIALA (Tehri Garhwal), March 6 (From Amitabh Shukla) The sleepy town of Chamiala in Tehri Garhwal district of Uttar Pradesh and the neighbouring areas have all what a nature lover would ask for. Beautiful mountains, rivers and simple hill folks, who treat all outsiders as guests. However, what the Bhilangana block, the administrative division under which the area falls, lacks is a transparent and accountable administration which can identify itself with the people. Poverty and lack of employment opportunities has forced majority of the adult males to migrate to the plains, mainly the bigger cities to earn a livelihood. So only women folks are left behind to cope with a callous administration. As a result they are not only fighting against poverty and hardships associated with life in the mountains, but also corruption at the grassroots level under the banner of Chetna Andolan. The inept administrative authorities have made no attempt over the years to make the people aware about the different programmes meant to alleviate poverty in the rural areas, instead they have colluded with the vested interests to pocket the money meant for the people. A clear example of this was evident when women activists approached the block officials with a list of people requesting registration under Employment Assurance Scheme (EAS), they were informed that a list had already been prepared by the block, and a number of works had already been executed. However when those people whose names were there in the official list as beneficiaries were contacted, it was found that they had no knowledge of the scheme. They had received neither any family cards nor any employment under the EAS. approximately 700 cards were made, but never issued to the people. When the activists repeatedly demanded information on the issue of cards, the block officials finally thrust a sheaf of signed but empty EAS family cards into the hands of the activists. In Keparse village, officially maximum works have been commissioned. However, inquiries revealed that work was entrusted to contractors and only a handful of people were provided employment, mainly those related to the block pramukh (head). Interestingly, the official records suggest that 40 cards have been issued in the village. Similarly, in Maikot and Gauna villages, where block of ficials claim that EAS work has taken place, the people who have done the work have repeatedly complained that no payment has been made, though a year has passed since the work was done. Many other cases of official apathy and corruption have also come into light. The Kothiada canal which is supposed to be 16km-long still has no water though the Government has spent lakhs on it. Abal Singh Bisht, the village head of Maikot says that the agriculturists are suffering as seven gram sabhas were supposed to be irrigated by this canal. Similarly in Sunar village, a foundation-stone was laid for an ITI long time back, but not a brick has been laid forcing the prospective students to go to far off areas for their studies. Despite sanctioned plan, no road has been built between Sendur to Patgaon which is a distance of 20 kms. Jasbir Singh. the gram pradhan of Sunar complains that women and other people have to tread long distance in the hills to replenish their stock with essential items. On the educational front too, the State has hardly shown its visibility. For instance in the Kanya Pathsala of Chamiala there are only seven students, though the number of teachers is seven.
Uttarakhand issue may put PM in a tight spot Date: 24-03-1997 :: Pg: 13 :: Col: b From P. K. Roy LUCKNOW, March 23, 1997 The Prime Minister, Mr. H. D. Deve Gowda, is likely to face a major embarrassment soon over his repeated commitment on a separate Uttarakhand State comprising the hill districts of Uttar Pradesh. Only the other day, he reiterated before the rallyists brought from the region by the Minister of State for Railways, Mr. Satpal Maharaj, in New Delhi, that once a popular Government took office in Lucknow and got a resolution passed in the Assembly, his Government would do the needful for the formation of Uttarakhand in no time. Mr. Deve Gowda sounded unequivocal on this commitment before the media in Patna when reminded about the demand for a separate Jharkhand State. The Prime Minister had repeatedly announced during his extensive poll campaign on the eve of Assembly elections last year that his Government would strive for the formation of a separate Uttarakhand State. The CPI(M) was the only party opposed to the idea, expressing concern that it would lead to demand for a separate Gorkhaland in Darjeeling district of West Bengal. The Samajwadi Party also lent support, as did the BJP, the Congress, the BSP and the CPI. The CPI was the first to raise the demand. The BJP initially opposed it citing the proximity of the region to China and the Nepal border. The Congress too joined the bandwagon after being ousted from the Centre. The new BJP-BSP Government has now decided to pass a resolution in the Assembly, as sought by the Prime Minister, which is a constitutional requirement. And, this would be done at the earliest opportunity, perhaps in the first joint-session of the legislature. Both the Chief Minister, Ms. Mayawati, and the BJP group leader, Mr. Kalyan Singh, have made known that the Centre would not be allowed any escape route over its commitment and pointed out that a resolution was passed twice by the State Assembly _ first when the BJP was in power and later by the SP- BSP coalition Government led by Mr. Mulayam Singh Yadav. The BJP named it Uttaranchal, while the SP changed it to Uttarakhand. The Mulayam Singh Government went a step further and constituted a high-powered sub-committee under the senior Cabinet Minister, Mr. Rama Shankar Kaushik, to study its viability. The Kaushik Committee found that the State, with a comparable population and an area similar to the neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, would be viable and even named Garsen as an appropriate place between the two divisions of Garhwal and Kumaon, for the construction of a new capital city. Mr. Mulayam Singh flaunted this document to claim that he was more sincere than the BJP over the demand. But the Narasimha Rao Government at the Centre sat over the two resolutions. A few months ago, the Centre also began its exercise after a Cabinet decision, in respect of the formation of Uttarakhand. Various aspects regarding the reorganisation of the State, were being studied at the administrative level in New Delhi and Lucknow. Nevertheless, everything came to a standstill at the bureaucratic level, as if from a hint that the issue is being dumped in the cold storage. It was the CPI(M), the most vociferous among the supporting Left parties which threw the spanner. But most striking has been the volte face executed by Mr. Mulayam Singh. After a meeting with Mr. Jyoti Basu during a visit to Calcutta, the Defence Minister had realised that the formation of a separate Uttarakhand state would go against the interests of the country. This additional pressure on the Prime Minister has foreclosed the possibilities of the formation of the new state by the UF government. Can Mr. Deve Gowda defy the dictates of the CPI(M) which is now reinforced by Mr. Mulayam Singh's stand and whose views alone matters in respect of Uttar Pradesh in the UF? So, what will Mr. Deve Gowda do once the State Assembly dutifully passes a resolution the third time and despatches it to the Centre? Another Minister who would be discomfitured by the resolution is the Union Home Minister, Mr. Indrajit Gupta. The CPI, which first raised the demand way back in the Fifties, has been steadfast pressing it, notwithstanding the opposition from the CPI(M). That has been the CPI line all along. Another Minister who would be subjected to heat, is the Union Minister of State, Mr. Satpal Maharaj, in whose support rally, Mr. Deve Gowda reiterated his commitment.
UP hills echo anti-liquor call: Slain scribe remembered in Uttarakhand (Hindustan Times) April 19, 1997 GOPESHWAR (Chamoli), April 18 (From Harish Chandola) The death anniversary of a murdered journalist, Umesh Doval, has provided the occasion to Uttarakhand activists to commemorate it with meetings to express their thoughts on the kind of a hill state they want to have and the correct path to its attainment. Doval was murdered by the liquor mafia in the hills in a hotel in Pauri, the Garhwal division headquarters, on March 25,1988. His ninth death anniversary is being observed at various hill centres, by holding seminars, symposia and exhibition of poetryposters, paintings and inkdrawings on Doval's poems by a well-known artist, B. Mohan Negi. Tributes are being paid to him by raising relevant questions concerning the future of politics, society, and, in fact all aspects of hill life. The two main meetings held so far were in Kotdwar, on March 25 and 26, and in Gopeshwar for three days in the first week of this month. The next will be held in Almora. The most important question that has come up is the invisible influence of liquor mafia in the hills, where drinking has become the bane of life. The U. P. Government has encouraged liquor shops to open, as shown by last month's auction of licences for vends, which netted about Rs 200 crore for the administration. The easy availability of both licenced and illicit liquor all over the hills has led to more and more people taking to it, including the youth. The strange thing is that the head of district administration, the ziladhikari, or district magistrate, is both the prohibition officer and also the one who auctions licences for opening liquor shops! No wonder the fight against liquor had become the cry of the Uttarakhand movement, after women joined it in very large numbers. It was they who had to bear the bnunt of the profligacy of a husband or a son who not only spent all his earnings but also borrowed for his addiction, leading to constant conflicts and often ruin of the family. Some ten million bottles of Indian made foreign liquor (rum mostly, besides whisky and gin), and almost ten times that number of country liquor that comes in plastic pouches, are consumed in the hills every month. The ex-army and para-military personnel living in the hills number about 500,000, and on an average each is entitled to draw four bottles of Indian made foreign liquor, which alone comes to two million bottles a month, besides the consumption by civilians, and country-liquor by villagers and others. No sooner the Uttarakhand movement slackened, auctions were held for liquor shops all over the hills. But that has not deterred people in some areas from raising their voice against awarding of fresh licences, for liquor shops. In Pithoragarh district alone the heads of 27 panchayats have written to UP Chief Minister Mayawati to close the new liquor shops and to meet the consequent Government revenue loss of Rs eight crore by cutting the development grants to the district by that amount. Women from those panchayats and from some others in Almora have gone on relay hunger-strike to press this demand. Illicit liquor trade has blossomed following the auction of vends. Their owners are reported to be recruiting young men to take liquor in plastic pouches for sale in their villages on commission.
U.P. Assembly for Uttarakhand State Date: 25-04-1997 :: Pg: 13 :: Col: a By Our Special Correspondent (The Hindu) LUCKNOW, April 24, 1997 The Uttar Pradesh Assembly today for the third time passed a resolution, recommending to the Centre to form a separate hill State of Uttarakhand. The resolution had to be passed in the context of the recent assurance given by the former U.F. Prime Minister, Mr. Deve Gowda, that the Centre would take necessary step towards formation of the State, if a popular government in Uttar Pradesh passes a resolution recommending to the Centre for the same. The BJP-BSP Government lost no time after coming to power to pass the resolution as desired by Mr. Gowda. The Chief Minister, Ms. Mayawati, had earlier said if the Centre was sincere it could have acted upon the two previous recommendations sent by the Uttar Pradesh Governments in 1992 and another by the SP-BSP Government led by Mr. Mulayam Singh Yadav in 1994. On both occasions as well as today the resolution was passed unanimously. While the resolution in 1992 had named the proposed State as Uttaranchal, the SP-BSP Government had changed it to Uttarakhand. Mr. Gowda appeared sincere in his assurance to the people of the region that he would concede their longstanding demand on the eve of the Assembly elections last year. Mr. Gowda was the first Prime Minister to publicly back this demand. No Assembly had passed a resolution for formation of a new State, out of the existing one. A few months back the Centre had begun exercises towards formation of Uttarakhand State. A bill was being drafted. Exercises had begun over the details like choice of a new capital, transfer of assets and liabilities, share in projects and all other areas for division. But, suddenly everything came to naught. The CPI(M) concerned with the fallout over the demand for Gorkhaland, brought in pressure on the Centre, to drop the move. On the other hand, Mr. Mulayam Singh Yadav executed a volte face, under CPI(M)'s pressure, forgetting his past commitment. He echoed the plea of Mr. Jyoti Basu that granting statehood to Uttarakhand would open a Pandora's box. Nothing was heard of the Centre's commitment till Mr. Gowda, addressing a support rally of the Uttarakhand people organised by the lone U.F. Minister from the region, Mr. Satpal Maharaj, reiterated that once a popular government was installed in U.P. and a fresh resolution was passed he would move in the matter. Now it was to be seen how the new U.F. Prime Minister, Mr. I. K. Gujral, reacts with the third recommendation. Among the major political parties only the CPI(M) was against creation of the State, where it has not base. The official resolution in the Assembly was moved by the Minister of State for Uttarakhand, Mr. Nambir Singh Kandari of the BJP. No debate could be held on the resolution as the House had been thrown in to turmoil the entire Opposition, deeply incensed over a remark of the Chief Minister, Ms. Mayawati, had barged into the well of the House, shouting slogans against her. The resolution was passed by voice vote without any opposition.
Uttarakhand must wait; decision put off Our Political Bureau (Economic Times) NEW DELHI 16 MAY 1997 THE United Front government today succumbed to the pressure from its ally - the CPI(M) - when the Cabinet today put off a decision on the creation of a separate state of Uttarakhand. The ministry of home affairs had sought the approval of the Cabinet for the Uttar Pradesh Reorganisation Bill, 1997, which provides for carving out the Hill state of Uttarakhand. The ministry, which rejected a proposal for christening the state as Uttaranchal, was planning to refer the Bill to the Uttar Pradesh legislature for its views next week. The ministry of law and justice, too, had cleared the proposal. Although the Front managers are keen to clear the legislation as it has been giving the Opposition BJP a handle to beat it with, the CPI(M) has vetoed the proposal. Prime Minister I K Gujral, who is critically dependent on the Left party's support, appears to have opted for a cautious line. However, this is sure to be cited by the BJP as yet another proof of the government's legislative inaction. It will require the government to do a lot of explaining as it is almost an year since Mr Gujral predecessor H D Deve Gowda promised the creation of a separate state of Uttarakhand. The government is already under fire for its inability to pass several ``politically-correct '' legislations promised in the ruling Front's Common Minimum Programme. As a matter of fact, even its partners in the Front today came out in the open in Parliament for its failure to pass the women's reservation bill and the Lok Pal Bill for checking corruption at high places. Sources in the government said the road blocks put by the Left is forcing the government to put off many of its crucial decision, which has serious ramifications on the health of the economy. Significantly, the Cabinet meeting today also could not take up the proposal for bringing down import duties on information technology capital goods to to zero level by year 2000. The Cabinet had earlier directed that an inter-ministerial team team should ensure an extended staging of reduction in import duties. |