Doctors save your movement. Keep funded NGOs & PIL wallas away.

Junior doctors & people of West Bengal don't let the movement be hijacked by sarkari stooges, heavily funded NGOs with dubious international 'awards', jacked up by mainstream media & with no community base. Hijackers of your movement will try to change its character and direction. They will make compromises with establishment and get more funds for their ‘work’.

 

Your movement is non-funded non-party. It is peaceful, legal democratic. Keep funded NGOs, PIL wallas (both funded & non-funded) away. Else doom.

 

Shobha Aggarwal,

Lawyer and member, PIL Watch Group & ABVA

Adieu to the Fragrance of Jasmine Flowers – Forever and Ever!

 

by

P.S. Sahni

The jasmine plant at the home of my parents (both since deceased in the year 2000 and 2002 respectively) is less than three decades old now, measuring 3 meters x 3 meters. It got planted at my sister’s insistence in 1996-97. I have been tending to it for over 25 years. In earlier times the fragrance would reach a few houses away from ours. Why, till about a year back the fragrance would reach my room – situated close to the small front garden; but not so any longer. This year when I plucked the first few flowers which had blossomed by mid-April, I realised that there was no fragrance at all left in these flowers even when smelt at close quarters – next to my nostrils. Stoically I accepted the loss and bid adieu to the fragrance which brought a feeling of well-being in so many lives. Our neighbour, a Kashmiri woman, would pluck the flowers from outside the boundary wall of our house for her ritualistic visit to a near-by Ram Mandir. A Bangla-speaking elderly lady would pick up the fresh flowers fallen on the foot-path adjacent to the plant and then go to Kalibari temple. A domestic help at a near-by house would pluck the flowers for his employer – a lady lawyer practicing at the Supreme Court.

 

I would collect the flowers every morning and keep them in the ‘baithak’ of our home; a few of these flowers were used by my sister to bring freshness in the small little area, where the holy book belonging to Sikh faith was kept. This arrangement worked well all along. On 20^th January this year my sister died due to an attack of acute bronchitis – precipitated by extreme cold in the second half of December 2023 and January 2024 in Delhi; high humidity; very high AQI-reaching over 350.

 

Within three months of her death the jasmine did blossom but there was no fragrance left in these flowers. The same factors – global warming, climate change which ensured my sister’s death as of millions of others worldwide due to the same reasons – were responsible for the loss of fragrance of these flowers. Now I feel the loneliness at home where I had stayed with my sister for about 73 years. Both of us were unmarried and did not adopt a child. She was into her 77^th year of life when she died; the jasmine plant around 27 years old at her demise. Adieu to both of them.

[Also see: What If Jasmine Loses Its Fragrance? Could Poetry, Nay Life Itself, Ever Be The Same?; Countercurrents.org, 29.07.2016.]

Media Censorship Under Modi 3.0

 

The PM never tires of castigating Nehru-Gandhi dynasty rule. But does the PM know who brought Parliamentary Proceedings into public domain?

 

Rahul Gandhi’s grandfather Feroze Gandhi brought the “Parliamentary Proceedings (Protection of Publication Act, 1956)” through a Private Member’s Bill. This made it possible for the media to report Parliamentary Proceedings. For ten years Modi has been hogging headlines with his speeches in Parliament. Prior to 1956 such coverage was not permitted and a suit could be filed against the journalist if there was a violation. Even the Godi media should know that if Feroze Gandhi had not brought a new law in 1956, this very Godi media would not even have been allowed to report Parliamentary Proceedings. What has Modi shown by way of gratitude? He and his Ministers, Presiding Officers of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha gag Rahul Gandhi – his mike is switched off in Parliament; his speeches are deleted from Parliamentary records.

 

Modi Government is bringing a New Broadcast Bill, 2024 to gag inter-alia YouTube Channels, who are perceived to have spoken truth to the People of India during the 2024 election campaign and which led BJP to win just 240 odd seats!

In India All Legislators – Including the Prime Minister – Should be Subjected to an Annual Medical Check-up – Both Physical and Mental

                                                                             

by

P.S. Sahni

 

The Indian Prime Minister has been lying and retracting from his public statements during the ongoing 2024 General Elections. It led me to delve into the personality of a pathological liar:

 

 A pathological liar is a person who is someone who lies to get his way. He is manipulative, clever and has an aim in mind. Concern for the feelings of others is completely missing. He may damn a religious minority like Muslim community. This is often a warning sign of antisocial personality disorder (commonly known as a psychopath). True, such a person may be able to love someone, but he cannot have an honest and healthy relationship. For example, he may marry but after a while he would distance himself from his spouse without even a divorce; it would not be desertion, too. He may have a weak grip on reality; He often believe his lies. He holds no value for truth; he lacks empathy and remorse. A failure to feel any guilt or shame about one’s misdeeds is said to be his hall-mark.

 

Very recently the same gentleman at the helm of affairs in India declared that he is not ‘biological’; and has been sent by God on a mission. But fellow countrymen /countrywomen have to be careful since when psychosis affects a person, he/she thinks of himself/herself as God. A team of independent psychiatrists/psychologists/counsellors could be of help.

 

A look at the 29-paged official document brought out by DoPT, Government of India states on page 1:

“Every new entrant to government service is required to produce a medical certificate of health:

To ensure that only persons, as are physically as well as mentally sound in health, are admitted to government service. Every new entrant including a part-time employee on appointment to government service/post is required to produce a medical certificate of health issued by a competent authority.

Where the post is permanent and the appointment thereto is made in a substantive capacity, the medical certificate of fitness shall be produced before such appointment.

[M/o Finance OM No. 45(1)-EV/54, dt. 24-3-1954].”

 

It questions the employee on page 4:

“Have you or any of your near relations been afflicted with … Insanity?”

 

Even a government employee at the lowest rung of hierarchal ladder has to undertake such a medical examination at the point of entry into service. This applies both to temporary or permanent employees.

 

A similar exercise should be introduced for all legislators at the point of entry into parliament/ state assembly; and annually, too; and also, SOS if his/her mental health so demands. It would be violative of the Indian Constitution if lawmakers are excluded from this medical certification.

Open Letter To The Chief of Indian Army Regarding Keeping Army In Readiness To Aid Civil Administration If Need Arises During 2024 General Elections

  

Respected Sir,

 

I am a senior citizen of 73+ years of age and do not hold membership of any political party. My family belongs to the Sikh faith.

 

In the last few weeks certain statements have been made by the highest in the country which allude to the largest religious minority community as intruders. Through hate speeches made during the election campaign an environment is being created which could result in civil disturbance and clashes. In a charged-up situation at many places this could lead to widespread violence.

 

Complaints pertaining to the issue have been made by many organizations and individuals to the Election Commission of India; several Police Commissioners for example in Delhi and Rajasthan; President of India; various statutory and constitutional bodies. Since the Election process is on, the judiciary cannot intervene. The Parliament is not in session. The Executive is not taking any steps since part of it is responsible for the current state of affairs.

 

We are all aware of the consequences of civil disorder leading to a civil war like situation. One hopes and prays that such a situation does not arise during the 2024 General Elections. But public memory is fresh about the Genocide of Sikhs in 1984; of Muslim Genocide in 2002; and the communal clashes of 1947 during Partition. The role of the Army in the aid of civilian administration is well known. However, there was a delay in the deployment of the Army in 1984 and 2002 resulting in preventable killings and injuries.

 

I appeal to you to ensure the readiness of concerned Army Units/personnel. The Indian Army being a professional and secular organization will rise to the need in case a situation of civil disorder/civil war arises.

 

Thanks,

Yours Sincerely,

P.S. Sahni

Member, PIL Watch Group

Email: pilwatchgroup@gmail.com